tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-204595362012-01-12T09:00:00.649-08:00mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comBlogger5091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-64947203045341147442012-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:002012-01-12T09:00:00.666-08:00

My current new addiction online is Pintrest.  If you haven't been there, and you have a life, you may not want to visit.  It's a huge time suck!  Because it's totally made of AWESOME!   A friend described it as a "glossy magazine, but on the internet."  I think that's fairly accurate.  I've acquired some great ideas that I've actually used.  It's mostly kids related stuff, that I've executed

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-25979313784944550022012-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:002012-01-10T09:00:06.022-08:00

I am not going to vent & bitch today. Opps! Should've told you to sit down, sorry. My bad.  Pick yourself off the floor now. My daughters are both very into art.  You know how kids have a default activity they tend toward when there's nothing else going on?  It's art for my girls.  They have 2 large drawers in my kitchen desk full of art supplies.  They also have 2 full cabinets in my laundry

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-1156746238193306172012-01-06T17:16:00.000-08:002012-01-06T17:16:42.557-08:00

 I was looking for some info about Little, bc my blog is her baby book.  I came across this lovely little post, from when Big was 3 & Little was 4 months old, August 27, 2006.  I don't even know the woman who wrote this, she has so much energy!  This whole deal was actually pretty funny.  Thought you all might enjoy it. I mentioned that I’m checking into a new mom’s group for Little. This

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-41678913206362862932012-01-02T20:45:00.000-08:002012-01-02T20:45:43.239-08:00

I know that being a new year & all, I'm supposed to be all reflective & stuff. Meh. I want to set resolutions this year, (which is really a first for me to be honest).  And there's a litany of obvious items I want to resolve to change, but really, I can't be bothered to think that hard about it.  Doesn't say much for how well I would keep said resolutions, does it?  My real issue, is that I'm not

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-57239625503016749582011-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:002011-12-28T19:28:16.204-08:00

  I'm a big proponent of the less is more philosophy, but was raised in a "more is more" household.  That's not to say I don't appreciate all that I have or was given, because I do.  A couple years ago, I got fed up with all the "expectations" of what we should do and who we need to see and exchange gifts with.  I wasn't alone & luckily, my SIL and I were able to convince my mom to make some

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-35332110544353947982011-12-09T15:31:00.001-08:002011-12-09T16:33:02.278-08:00

So Mir, wrote this post that pretty much encompasses how I'm feeling right now.  Since beginning of November, (right after our trip to Maui,) I've been feeling overwhelmed.  It's been building and is more or less coming to a head this week.  I'm averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night.  Six day of this, so I'm kinda a mess right now.  Required Annual Santa Pix Check! Usually, I'm more or

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-48446297427663205222011-11-29T00:02:00.001-08:002011-11-29T00:44:48.861-08:00

My 8yo happily believes.  A friend outed Santa to her last year.  She told me about it & I asked her what she thought.  She reasoned out why her friend was wrong!  I'm sure there's a part of her that knows, but obviously, she wants to believe for now.  And I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm pleased she still does.  I'm starting to wonder if the 5yo is going to know before her though; she had

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-79845685896688321672011-10-30T14:48:00.000-07:002011-10-31T11:27:22.362-07:00

We have a Rainbow Fairy & a Pirate this year. Last Saturday, was our school's big fundraiser.  We actually only have one, so saying it's "big" is somewhat redundant.  It's a Fall Festival, which includes a costume parade, carnival games, inflatables, food; including a chili cook-off & cake decorating, a haunted house, and silent auction.  I think I missed a few things, but you get the idea. 

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-75465916152187841142011-10-13T00:25:00.000-07:002011-10-13T00:25:04.465-07:00

I'm dying to write about my weekend.  I went to a Digital Scrapbooking "Fest."  I've been telling my In Real Life, (IRL,) friends, that it's a 'digital graphics users group.'  It is, and if they had a Public Relations, (PR,) person, the organizers might know that.  I suspect it would've been much more costly though; good PR people are expensive after all.  ;-)  They want to call it a "Fest," if

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-53824766333433864932011-10-05T01:19:00.000-07:002011-10-05T01:19:29.679-07:00

When I read this, I kept thinking about all the crushes kids at this age, (around ages 4-8ish,) have;  lots of boys want to marry their mommy's & girl's their daddy's  (I suspect visa versa too.)  Many, many kids have crushes on their kindergarten teachers.  No one thinks much of these "school kid crushes."  They're considered normal.  This is the way in which a child at this age processes love

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-13367042626992850322011-10-03T11:20:00.000-07:002011-10-03T11:21:00.553-07:00

I do get the irony that my blog is named "Mommy Speaks," yet I haven't been saying so much for the last several months.  Life is hard dude.  I often feel like I start feeling better, but when I start to participate in real life, I end up falling on my face.  It's that fine line I've mentioned; the one where you need to do just enough to help yourself move forward and feel better.  If I stay on

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-74095910376176577722011-09-22T00:22:00.000-07:002011-09-22T00:22:16.403-07:00

We're into our 4th week of school, (I think).  Things seem to be going well.  BigSpeak really likes her teacher, as expected.  LittleSpeak is thriving.  And, knock on wood, but I seem to be doing pretty well.  My cocktail of meds seems about right.  I have small set backs; Big was home sick all of last week, and DaddySpeak was out of town for work, but I didn't collapse.  I had to scale back a

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-39044099677681906002011-09-10T23:43:00.000-07:002011-09-10T23:43:16.265-07:00

There's so much emotion for this day.  I feel like the whole world, or at least all of the US, we're holding our breath.  Just hoping to get through this day.  Through the memorials, the reminders of how much time has passed and how much hasn't.  Ten years can feel like a life time and a blink of the eye.  Ten years ago, I was newly married.  I remember at some point during the day, watching the

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-15785859615592142792011-08-30T22:31:00.000-07:002011-09-10T23:43:16.271-07:00

I'm watching all these upcoming memorials for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I'm torn about how this makes me feel. This 10th anniversary is going to be hard for me. It's what prompted me to write after not feeling like I needed to for a month or so. So much of writing here is for me, to help me work through things in my mind. Help me see the forest for the trees, so to speak. I've

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-81058100949143305722011-08-30T22:20:00.000-07:002011-08-30T22:31:30.216-07:00

I'm still around. Just busy, and while at the beach exhausted. Too exhausted to deal w/PITA wifi issues. Busy living. So I did write some posts, but they never posted to the site. I'm debating if I should post them or not. I probably will, just after I get "caught up." School has started. Little is in kindergarten, and as predicted, there's no living with her. Big has started 3rd grade.

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-88794615711595615032011-06-07T23:56:00.000-07:002011-06-08T00:10:57.455-07:00

I told my husband, if he keeps bringing it up, he's taunting me into writing about it. It's already taking on epic proportions that will be an ongoing private joke between us.Last night around 9:30ish, I was downstairs on my computer, editing photos, and skimming some rerun. He'd gone upstairs about 9 to take a shower before going to bed. I could hear him walking around, opening windows, etc..

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-6515780037879812152011-06-04T17:53:00.000-07:002011-06-04T18:27:15.052-07:00

Girls had their dance recital today. Their dance school does a very extravagant one every other year; so this year was what they call an, "ice cream social." Dance school serves ice cream sandwiches at the end. They break it into 3 separate half hour shows so the little kids won't totally lose it, waiting around. Of course, that meant my two girls were in the first & the last of those three

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-53734583654716653162011-05-31T21:57:00.000-07:002011-05-31T22:20:15.457-07:00

I'm not sure if I should glad or insulted.Walked Big to school today and on our way home a neighbor stopped Little and I."What pants size do you wear? I have a really good reason for asking."(What do you say to that?) I told her my size, (which I'm not sharing here, because it upsets me,) and then added, sigh "It's the largest I've ever been in my life.""I wanted to know, because I thought so.

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-33817411653744017952011-05-26T13:31:00.000-07:002011-05-26T13:59:27.201-07:00

Hellloooo!!!I'm still alive! Things are...well, things mostly just are, that's all. I'm very day-to-day. I overdid Satuday & spent Sunday on pain pills in bed. Last two days have not been stellar; mostly waiting for DaddySpeak to get home so I can take a pain pill. Each day's a bit better than the next, until it's not. In the meantime, we had a softball season; BigSpeak's team came in 2nd

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-76010687494530350482011-04-14T23:13:00.000-07:002011-04-14T23:24:28.037-07:00

I always take a quick peek, before bed, to see what Mir has posted. She's the writer I aspire to be; witty, pithy, funny...She's been having a rough time of it lately, and she's shared a lot of it with us. I know she doesn't share it all, she's good at setting boundaries for what is and isn't her story to tell. (Something I probably need to work on.) When I read the paragraph below, my mouth

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-53660206945883072032011-04-14T10:30:00.000-07:002011-04-14T10:30:02.743-07:00

I haven't really had the energy to write about my doctor's appointment, mostly because there really isn't anything new to report. I'll tell you more when there's more to tell. Basically, it went well, let's just leave it at that. So onto what that title is about...My kids are on Spring Break this week. That's, at least part of, why, I haven't had the extra energy to write. Especially

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-60026208115265362172011-04-06T23:42:00.000-07:002011-04-06T23:49:49.194-07:00

I go to see my "new" rheumatologist tomorrow. This last week has been more of the same. One day I'm pretty good & actually get a few things done. Next day, I'm down w/IBS or a migraine or both. I'm tracking everything and honestly, it doesn't seem like my diet (low-carb) is the reason for my IBS. But I'm going to stick with it. If nothing else, I will start to lose weight from it, at some

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-77717763667887751612011-03-31T00:26:00.000-07:002011-03-31T01:14:47.903-07:00

I am trying not to lose my shit here. I feel like I'm bi-polar or something. I guess I feel like the Fibromyalgia (FM) is bi-polar. I'm struggling to "keep up" but I'm not. I'm "borrowing spoons" and paying for it. So I do I what I need to, and then I can't do at all. I have had a few opportunities to write this last week, but held off, because I wanted to write something that wasn't all

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-92174723970776191242011-03-21T22:18:00.000-07:002011-03-21T23:55:34.431-07:00

Growing up, I was mocked if I complained about aches, pains, being ill, etc... I was (not so fondly,) referred to as "Sarah Bernhardt" by my parents and grandparents. I can think of many, many occasions in which not only were my feelings/fears not validated, but were flat out dismissed. I remember these incidents with amazing clarity. Amazing to them, not me. I suspect, that many of these "

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-17612873813685252182011-03-20T11:10:00.001-07:002011-03-20T11:53:34.286-07:00

Yeah, I'm going through the 12 steps, maybe by the time I'm done, the Fibro will be gone? Wouldn't that be nice.I'm angry about a lot of things. Who wouldn't be? There are the things I'm missing, which makes me angry; activities w/the kids for example. I'm angry w/being sick & feeling like crap all the time. I'm angry about having an illness that isn't understood and that some people don't

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-59397150932528103232011-03-15T22:34:00.000-07:002011-03-15T23:53:00.942-07:00

The last few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. There's an understatement. I'm currently in what one would call a "Fibro Flare." I went through a very long period of denial, months in fact, and the last couple weeks have been a hard lesson in acceptance. I was going to write something about how hard it is to have a chronic illness. Then I started thinking about all the chronic stuff

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-50217412149709449602011-02-21T00:32:00.000-08:002011-02-21T00:51:03.331-08:00

I'm sorry I've neglected you interwebs. I'm treading water here. My Fibro is working on fully taking over & I'm trying to fight it. Sadly, other things suffer in my effort; like writing. I need to get on here more. I need the outlet, but we'll see how that goes. I have been cropping a lot, (taking another class over at Jessica's place,) so all my creative juices have been in PhotoShop as of

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-25373873439696949332011-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:002011-01-25T12:16:51.557-08:00

I've been trying to deny to myself that my Firbromyagia symptoms have been coming back. No one wants to admit things are really bad, when they really are. You go into a mode a period of time, trying to convince yourself that you "pulled a muscle," must be coming down with something," etc...I've totally been doing this with myself. I did have the flu weekend before last. And I do have some

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-45369998788206999992011-01-19T22:18:00.000-08:002011-01-19T22:18:00.281-08:00

I've suffered from Fribromyalgia, in a documented sense, since I was 18 years old. I'm 43, so you do the math. My point is, it's a long damn time. Until 2001, I suffered not knowing what was wrong with me. If you're a person who has suffered from a chronic illness, you have an idea of what that is like. How it feels to run test after test, and then do them all again, just to get no answers.

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-63667431778304162252011-01-19T16:11:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:26:56.479-08:00

I did go to my meeting today. Yeah for me! But, I gained this week. Boo! I wasn't completely shocked. I gained .6 of a pound. If I hadn't worn jeans I could've broke even or maybe even lost this week. I gauge my weight by how my clothes fit, not by a number on a scale so much. I don't even own a scale. I was talking with another member in line today, (she's lost 140+ lbs so far) and when I

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-56079362145202328922011-01-17T15:09:00.000-08:002011-01-18T22:07:42.634-08:00

I've drunk the Weight Watchers (WW) koolaid & read the bible. I can even give you all their answers on this new program. The answers are not all the much different from the old answers, just the points are different. I could teach the program if I was at my goal weight, but I'm not.So in a conversation on Twitter with Bored Mommy, (BM) today I was was imparting my WW wisdom 140 characters at a

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-51706832970586283802011-01-17T08:20:00.000-08:002011-01-17T18:07:50.058-08:00

I know I've mentioned my weight before. Ever since this back problem started, and the shots and the steroids, blah, blah, blah... I always thought that the weight I gained would come off easily once I was able to get moving again on a regular basis. Maybe, once I get down to a certain weight that will be the case? I don't know. I have a theory right now about how your body responds to weight

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-69157599948860709232011-01-15T12:19:00.000-08:002011-01-15T15:14:41.858-08:00

Today I'm in a really weird mood. I've been wanting to write, but have been really busy & not able to stop to get the words typed. (Course, I could cut into my Twitter time & maybe make a post happen, but that's an awful lot of effort on my part.) Today, I'm sick. We were suppose to be in Tahoe this weekend w/my bro's family & my 'rents, but yesterday Big & I came down w/a fever. Hers seems

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-50796201666797848652011-01-04T00:08:00.001-08:002011-01-04T00:08:08.267-08:00

cake Originally uploaded by Jill McElroyOMG! I found this going through an old file. I didn't even remember this photo. But those EYES! How could I have forgotten it? (She still eats like this BTW.)

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-37700654696213837392010-12-26T01:31:00.000-08:002010-12-26T01:57:43.587-08:00

While I admitted in my last post, I was having a tantrum & being a spoiled brat, it doesn't make me feel any better about it when I read it. The problem is that I need to write on a regular basis to prevent my little meltdowns. I haven't been doing that and the result, she wasn't pretty.What happend was that during Thanksgiving I was outed. Not in a, "my mom friended me on Facebook" way. (She

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-90663045131271766672010-12-23T18:40:00.000-08:002010-12-23T19:11:43.656-08:00

I'm over done. I'm sort of in the middle of a tantrum of my own, I guess, but I've been bottling up all these feelings for some time now (why I haven't written) and now they've accumulated till there's no more room for them.I'm feeling overwhelmed as we're dealing with the third round of lice in the girls. I literally spent my entire day yesterday and today, treating the girls & brushing them

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-80001759707021798522010-11-18T23:37:00.000-08:002010-11-19T00:39:10.000-08:00

My brain is racing right now. Spinning doesn't begin to cover how I'm feeling. Gawd, I can't wrap my head around this, even though I've discussed with w/DaddySpeak (DS) and already know the answer. Well, basically know the answer. SEE! That's the problem. For some reason, my brain seems to think there's more to this than what I already know. I think it's my heart, screwing w/my head.You're

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-58442161159355721872010-11-16T00:02:00.000-08:002010-11-16T00:05:47.846-08:00

NSFSBVNot Safe For Sue Bob ViewingTwo weeks ago a good friend asked if we'd watch her almost 3yo twins for the day. They were going away for 4 days & she had the rest of the time covered, but needed someone to watch them the first day, all day. I said, "No problem" The twins, especially Girl Twin, adores Big & Little. We play with them more or less once a week, so they know us well. Also,

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-7990247325650096562010-11-03T23:11:00.000-07:002010-11-07T23:38:32.420-08:00

I try to tell myself I'm just overdoing it. I'm run down from being sick. I'm getting sick. Aunt Flo's about to visit. I can think of TONS of reasons why I feel so run down, tired, achy, headachey, etc... My reality is that my Fibro seems to be coming out of remission. I don't want to admit that. The idea of it, is depressing on it's own. There have been lots of hints, some little (

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-17111948940689742592010-11-03T13:25:00.000-07:002010-11-03T13:38:50.119-07:00

I know I've been MIA. I'll write more about it later. It's because of Fibro, so it's a downer, not to mention that Fibro makes me down, so I'm a party. Woo! Anywho, as usual, can't keep my mouth shut on a Wordless post. I'm nothing, if not consistent. Providing some eye candy is better than listening to me complain, no?

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-29001219472230626152010-10-11T21:24:00.001-07:002010-10-11T22:21:06.440-07:00

After the last week w/everyone talking about bullying I'm finally jumping on the bandwagon. So yeah, the topic has totally jumped the shark. I would've written this when everyone else was, but I've been sick, so I've been sending out emails w/links to really good posts I've seen on the topic instead. The ultimate retweet. ;-) Tonight I'm lying in bed, but can't really sleep yet, so what the

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-63461261061992624672010-10-07T00:03:00.001-07:002010-10-07T00:26:28.630-07:00

Our network was down for a week. I know a week! I'm not sure how I survived it either. That, coupled with some other issues I'm having, are the reason I haven't posted in longer than usual. During that week, I had lots of things to post about, of course. Now I can't remember what they were. I'm having a hard time lately. I'm exhausted. Fatigued. Wiped. All of the above. I'm having

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-82487068018329534102010-09-19T16:25:00.001-07:002010-09-19T16:29:28.019-07:00

Here's an example of why I don't seem to have time to blog.Today I got up at 7, got Big ready & off to CCD (Sunday school) at 8:30. Came home, clean up kitchen, switched laundry and went back to get Big. Took both girls to Starbucks on way home. DaddySpeak was up when we got back, now 10. Decided I was tired and went and laid down for a bit. Woke up at noon. No one was home, and was still

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-81015263571207018162010-09-15T22:46:00.000-07:002010-09-15T23:15:37.289-07:00

Mir, being the awesome writer she is, got me thinking about the subject of lying. We've been dealing with it in the House O'Speak recently. Gasp, I know, my preshus babahs lied??? and I'm curious to hear what your suggestions/opinions are on how to handle this situation. I don't think I'm handling it as well as I need to, in order to avoid it becoming the norm in the future.BigSpeak, has

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-77469032506562248652010-09-09T09:15:00.000-07:002010-09-09T09:15:00.264-07:00

And because it's me it's not completely wordless. I can't help it. I just can't keep my mouth shut.Anywho, BigSpeak started school a couple weeks ago & LittleSpeak started on Wednesday (yesterday).Big is in Second Grade. Yes, I know, we're screwed. She freaking looks 17, not 7! Gah!And this is LittleSpeak. She started Jr. K today. She's a little excited. Ya think? There's no living with her

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-43387413628247215572010-09-08T21:11:00.000-07:002010-09-08T21:41:40.682-07:00

I have this great intention of writing more. And if you know me, you know what that means...Yeah, so I haven't been around for a while.One thing I figured out this summer is why my back was taking so long to heal.MY COMPUTER!!! Who Knew???It seriously did not occur to me that the computer was contributing because I have a laptop. I work on my computer while sitting, or lying on the couch. I

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-11103449011843015512010-08-22T21:31:00.000-07:002010-08-22T21:54:56.417-07:00

This is the longest I've been away from my blog. I'm sort of overwhelmed w/the idea of catching up. So I'm posting this; to try & help me get over it. I'm hoping that if I do this then I can post & not be stressed about catching up. So tomorrow is the first day of school. I'll have a 2nd grader. In a couple weeks, I'll also have a pre-K'er. It's going fast. Summer flew by & my back still

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-68690828428467020692010-08-01T23:57:00.000-07:002010-08-02T00:18:43.856-07:00

This weekend I realized how much my husband really loves me. That might sound like a weird statement when I tell you why, but just wait, you'll see. We've been married for nine years, and he does lots of the traditional things on the traditional days to show me that he cares for me. I appreciate all of those things, (and hopes he continues on that tract,) but this weekend he showed me his love

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-3228665568386628552010-07-30T06:16:00.000-07:002010-07-30T06:35:46.066-07:00

I know I said I'd be back & then... ::crickets chirping:: I am doing better, and because of it, I'm doing WAY more. After doing WAY more, I'm then too tired to do anything else, like blog. The good news is that I'm currently living at the beach (don't I sound glamorous? I'll set you strait on that one in my next post.) BigSpeak is participating in one of the Jr. Guards programs and

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-65702714307257468252010-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:002010-07-26T17:51:52.139-07:00

I know I disappeared for a month. It's the first time since I started this blog that I've really taken a break. I've gone a whole month without posting. I needed a break, I still do, but the best I could manage was to quit trying to do so much. So my blog posting dropped off. Tweeting was about what I could manage, and did, with much vigor. I'm not gone. I just needed some time to regroup.

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-13303366202474340812010-06-12T23:58:00.000-07:002010-06-13T18:06:54.090-07:00

I think this whole journey is starting to get to me. Today was hard. Really hard. It's the first day of summer vacation & I was either super bitchy or on the verge of tears all day. This is all from emotional & mental issues. The physical pain is there, it always is, but the emotional pain was the worst it's been so far.The girls sat on the couch this afternoon going over all the things

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-20148263185452239962010-06-06T21:40:00.000-07:002011-01-15T15:13:14.083-08:00

Had to buy new clothes today. This is the down side of the weather finally improving; summer clothes. It's been humid here too, so there's no getting around it, I needed some shorts & tank tops. I've been making due w/sweats & sweat shorts (I wear to PT) up till now. When my MIL visited she washed the shorts that do fit & has misfiled (put away in the wrong person's dresser) my 2 pairs of my

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-60289773003322222142010-05-20T00:33:00.000-07:002010-05-20T01:26:39.798-07:00

I can't seem to catch a break here people. I don't know who I pissed off in my former life, but it must've been something good. I certainly hope I had fun doing it. And really, if that's the case, shouldn't I get to remember it? Who do I talk to about this?Anywho, I digress (surprise!). Since, I last posted, 4 days ago, my pain had still not returned. A whole week! Woot! Yeah, don't get too

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-76058494903087208942010-05-15T13:57:00.000-07:002010-05-15T14:43:09.293-07:00

Had my last (3rd) epidural shot on Wednesday. That was 3 days ago. Honestly, I don't really seem to have any back pain now. The nerve pain is gone. Yup, you read that correctly. But before you start planning the party, you should know a few things.I've been down this road before. From what I remember, I actually had a faster response to these shots last time, but they didn't last. In other

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-19845167833147148052010-05-12T18:49:00.001-07:002010-05-12T22:05:07.654-07:00

I'm not sure what to make of all of this. I wasn't going to write about it. There are some things you self censor about, and relationship issues with DaddySpeak are generally things I treat as off limits, unless/until resolved. Even then, there's usually a bigger issue that I'm talking about and the "resolved relationship issue" is a side story. But there's a trend going on here and I'm not

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-4989116210464593522010-05-11T23:50:00.000-07:002010-05-12T00:17:22.516-07:00

If I'd written this last night, I would've told you that I'd been pain-free (basically) since Thursday night. I had a Physical Therapy appointment that night and took a pain pill before it (precautionary) and that I hadn't needed a pain pill since then. That's right, I didn't NEED a pain pill for 3 strait days. Crazy, huh?But I didn't write last night, I went to bed. (Which is totally where I

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-81518934094029823552010-05-06T23:50:00.000-07:002010-05-07T01:15:15.023-07:00

I'm here! Barely.I had my first Physical Therapy appointment since starting the epidural shots and I'm rough around the edges from it. That was on Tuesday (It's Thursday night.) Tuesday night I was actually having quite a bit of pain. Not nerve pain (down my leg) though, more muscle spasm pain. It's good news. Signs of good things I suppose. But it makes for a grumpy mommy. It also affects

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-74100590190648913102010-05-02T23:31:00.000-07:002010-05-03T00:15:57.367-07:00

Spent the evening in ER. Yup, you read that right. Big cracked her head on a neighbor's driveway this afternoon. Nothing earth shattering, but apparently skull shattering. I'm kidding, and no I don't have a day job to quit. It wasn't a bad fall, we played it down when it happened. That should have been our first clue, because we ALWAYS think it's no big deal when it actually is a big deal. A

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-68959179518637690862010-04-27T23:44:00.000-07:002010-04-28T00:08:21.753-07:00

Four years ago today, my baby was born. No matter how old she gets, she'll always be my baby. I think she knows that too. She's my snuggler, but lately she's been taking that to a new level, even for her. This week she's been wanting to curl up on the couch on me & snuggle up to watch a show or read a book. I think the realization of not being the "little kid" so much any more is starting to

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-28150058393646437362010-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:002010-04-20T22:23:08.542-07:00

If most people (my village,) saw what I was just doing, I would get my butt kicked. I bet one of them would seriously consider hurting me, if someone didn't kick it. A few minutes ago you could find me on my hands and knees with a kitchen scraper & cleaning wipe, working on cleaning the grooves in our kitchen floor. I'm sure it was a stellar choice for my back. I wouldn't really know, because

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-68604155505600459402010-04-12T23:28:00.000-07:002010-04-13T00:05:03.218-07:00

Saw my third orthopedic doctor now. Personally, providing the reason for universal health care here. I've seen this doctor before, Dr. K administered my epidural shots during the last go round with my back. It was a good visit, surprisingly long. I say that because I was there for an hour and a half, but didn't realize it till I looked at my phone on my way out. I guess that's good. Means I

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-57916203787886442252010-04-03T00:09:00.000-07:002010-04-06T08:54:36.692-07:00

That's right, I'm a Super Hero. Who knew, right? Turns out I do something so well, it's not just something I'm good at, I'm freak'n gifted at it. (Besides having babies, which yes, I do happen to seem to be excellent at, birthing hips and all, but I digress...) Turns out I'm really SUPER at...(wait for it)...SCARRING. Yeah, you heard me.Ok, I'll explain. Went back to the neurosurgeon on

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-33497929995658121012010-04-01T00:44:00.000-07:002010-04-01T01:01:39.935-07:00

Today is April Fools. This is one of my favorite days of the year.It was on this day 10 years ago,my husband proposed to meIt was on this day 10 years ago,I told him, "Yes, I would spend the rest of my life with him."And it was on this day, 10 years ago,our "marriage" began.In my heart, I believe that the day he asked and I accepted, that was the day we were married.That is the day that truly

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-82629146108169052642010-03-28T22:30:00.000-07:002010-03-28T22:30:00.364-07:00

Today, I finished (knock on wood) my turn as the "cookie mom" for Big's Brownie troop. Next year, when they ask for a volunteers, someone please kick me & remind me to volunteer to bring soda's to the Christmas party or something. I NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER want to deal with money again! Gah!What possessed me to volunteer for such a position in the first place you wonder? Guilt. What else,

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-32139236433803327122010-03-09T21:55:00.000-08:002010-03-09T22:04:57.454-08:00

I know I've been MIA. This back thing, it's a tough one. Still. I'm trying not to focus on it on line because it's so depressing, which is part of the reason I haven't written. The other part is that I'm in denial or trying to be, about it all. I haven't set up my next round of PT, or my appointment w/my surgeon, I just want it all to go away. It isn't my personality to stick my head in the

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-66809576206307687402010-03-01T18:59:00.001-08:002010-03-01T23:11:08.855-08:00

I know, I sort of disappeared the last week or so. Was having a pretty good week and then, BAM! I totally overdid it at Physical Therapy on Tuesday and was pretty much a mess from then on. But, you know, life happens with or without me, so I continued playing mom's taxi & such as required.This weekend was spectacular. My BFF came to visit from LA on Thursday. (Downside; she flew into SFO,

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-90318928591059881692010-02-10T20:32:00.000-08:002010-02-11T09:18:28.965-08:00

We've been barraged with illness here in the House O'Speak. Little started it with a really rotten cold which lasted 7 days at which time we spent a full night awake with her and a double ear infection. About a day after that, Big started with the cold. On Thursday (last Thursday) evening she got a fever that lasted all weekend. I could get it down to around 99, but until Sunday morning she

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-12272102505689654602010-02-03T20:34:00.000-08:002010-02-03T23:44:42.980-08:00

I should've written this post earlier today, like right after my Physical Therapy (PT) appointment. I went back to PT today for the first time since my MRI. It really was a good appointment. Lots of (appropriate) exercise, no massage. Normally you wouldn't hear me happy about no massage, but last time I went to PT, the massage is what effed me up BIG TIME. I could tell by the end of the

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-86698063010813790762010-01-24T22:28:00.000-08:002010-01-24T23:40:18.039-08:00

I went away this weekend. Had a spa day with the girls down in Southern California. It was lovely. Till I got my phone from my locker at the end of the day. Had a couple calls, emails & text messages from DaddySpeak. I called him without listening or looking. It's extremely unusual for him to call me like that. Several times and all. He answered,Him: "Did you see your messages?"Me: "I saw

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-9588603264335268932010-01-22T11:08:00.000-08:002010-01-22T11:45:08.774-08:00

I'm sitting in SJC as I write this, waiting for a flight to go have a MUCH NEEDED girls weekend in Southern California. Because of my back, this ongoing injury, the associated Physical Therapy (PT) & doctor appointments, getting ready for this weekend AND regular day-to-day stuff, last week was exhausting and this week was a bit crazy. DaddySpeak has been a freak'n SAINT. Basically allowed me

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-73366411234650508772010-01-19T10:27:00.000-08:002010-01-19T11:10:03.870-08:00

Last week was a wash. (And the way it's raining, this week will be awash too. Badaboom!) Seriously, though, that's an understatement. Obviously, my lack of posting indicates I was less than stellar. (That, or I was having the time of my life. Your odds are always better w/the sucks option when it comes to me.)I could review it for you, but basically it comes down to lots of "Ow! My back hurts

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-57337591434655236702010-01-10T23:07:00.000-08:002010-01-11T00:47:38.719-08:00

Ever heard that expression, "She plans & God laughs..." I know I've brought it up before, because God, apparently she thinks I'm freaking hilarious.I mentioned last week that my health, aka-my back, has been less than spectacular lately. I finally got into a doctor & found out that I "hyper-extended my sacroiliac joint". WTH, you ask? Well your sacroiliac is basically your tail bone. My

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-10374227922210118492010-01-06T01:01:00.000-08:002010-01-06T01:12:11.179-08:00

When all else fails post a pix. ;-)Since it's still the beginning of the year (work w/me here). Here's our New Year's card. (I got smart a few years ago and purposely send them out after the first of the year..)

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-34870974634230400072010-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:002010-01-04T16:08:12.061-08:00

This is my first post for {W}rite of Passage, I explained the way the "challenges" or writing assignments work in my previous post. And so this week's challenge is as follows:"Anything about resolutions will do. Do you believe in them? Have you ever done them? Beliefs? Success? Goals?"Ahh, the annual resolve to make your life better. Usually I joke that I resolve not to make any resolutions,

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-76540283780673664612010-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:002010-01-02T22:38:17.063-08:00

I've mentioned in past posts that one of the things I love most is to write. Well, duh! I have a blog, go figure. Seriously, as much as I love all the pretty colors and textures in my scrapbooking, I realized that my favorite scrapbooking class was the writing class I took at Jessica Sprague.com through Jessica & Liv. A few months ago they followed up with a second class (Type & Writer 2)

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-56067202587015363272010-01-01T23:15:00.000-08:002010-01-01T23:53:08.493-08:00

I've never written about my "blogiversary" before. I always forget & then it's past & who really cares, right? But this year I remembered, before it happened, which means I do care this year. January 2, 2010 is my blog's 4 year anniversary. Hard to believe I've been writing for that long. When I started blogging, I picked blogger, because if was the magical price of FREE! I wasn't sure I'd

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-87556575612656473522009-12-29T00:43:00.000-08:002009-12-29T01:03:48.038-08:00

My back has slowly, but surely been improving. An item of note is that it's responding to ibuprofen. That's huge deal. It means that whatever is going on in there is swollen & the ibuprofen is knocking it down. It helps a lot to know how to make something better. Whole light at the end of the tunnel and all, you know.So I've been taking it easy. Hasn't been that hard, it's been raining, so

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-51628981793766735292009-12-27T00:08:00.000-08:002009-12-27T01:14:03.155-08:00

Wow! It's been almost two weeks. I'm not sure if that's the longest I've gone w/out posting, but if not, it's close. Those cookies I baked were practically the death of me. While my back has been much, much better since October, 7 1/2 hours on my feet baking (and a few more cleaning up after) proved to be too much for my poor vertebrae. My assumption is that the tissue in that area is

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-57885549125289148982009-12-13T00:38:00.000-08:002009-12-13T00:43:31.404-08:00

I'm still alive, really!It's been crazy & I'm not sure when it's gonna get better. Right now I'm procrastinating about cleaning the kitchen after baking for over 7 hours today. I wish I were exaggerating. My feet are killing me. Tomorrow, we have a Christmas Prayer Service at church, which Big will participate in, so no missing it. Right after the girls and I are meeting my mom,

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-28950326384306288242009-12-04T22:15:00.000-08:002009-12-04T22:25:04.777-08:00

So I wrote that post about some of traditions my family shares during the holidays. In the process of this, I started pulling links for, what I think is, some pretty cool stuff to do in the South Bay of Silicon Valley during the holiday season. While we live super close the the Big City, San Francisco, my family tends to stick closer to home for most of our trekking around. Luckily, there's

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-47097629287979702542009-12-03T10:08:00.000-08:002009-12-03T10:47:00.645-08:00

We have lots of Christmas traditions in my family. It's comforting to have traditions. I enjoy passing them on to my girls and telling them stories of doing the same when I was a child. And, they seem to really enjoy hearing stories of mommy as a girl. Some of the traditions we share:If we have nice weather we will head to the Santa Cruz Mountains & cut down our tree. Growing up my family

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-29211773152492893832009-12-02T01:06:00.001-08:002009-12-02T01:11:53.498-08:00

Girls got to go horseback riding at Papa's farm in Kansas. They were pretty pleased about the whole deal. In case the ear-to-ear grins didn't clue you in. ;-)

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-55614506412274917462009-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:002009-11-29T23:17:34.560-08:00

Turns out in Kansas you have to get a couple of hamsters to run on a wheel to get the interwebs going....kidding. But my internet access while visiting in Kansas last week was pretty limited, as was my posting. I have much good blog fodder, as you might imagine, after spending a week w/60+ cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc...It was a very crazy, but fun time. The girls has a blast &

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-15929101895416070902009-11-19T00:20:00.000-08:002009-11-20T01:50:05.301-08:00

This post started out as a recap/review of the SVMoms Holiday party. "Started Out" would be the key words there. I loved all the great companies that were there. It was awesome to get to talk to their representatives & see the products in person. But first I wanted to mention all the incredible WOMEN I got to meet! And the post just mentioning who they were got SO. INCREDIBLY. LONG. The

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-76282347707306544712009-11-18T23:38:00.000-08:002009-11-19T00:16:39.484-08:00

So you know how busy I was those last couple weeks? Yeah, well writing about it didn't jinx it or anything. It has still be crazy busy.Yesterday, I got a call from school to come pick up Big. She had a stomach ache. She's been on meds for reflux since April & they don't seem to be cutting it anymore. They seemed to help initially, but now it seems like they aren't lasting as long & the

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-7370310324117319882009-11-14T00:34:00.000-08:002009-11-14T01:52:25.719-08:00

"The Proverbial Chicken" was supposed to be the title of this post. But as you can see it evolved a bit. Read on:That would be me. The proverbial chicken, running around w/my head cut off. I know you've gotten the gist of my moaning and groaning this week. But along w/the general aches, pains, coughs, stomach- & head-aches, life has not stopped to accommodate me. Quite the contrary, it's

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-11738283398699152082009-11-11T23:45:00.000-08:002009-11-12T00:13:10.459-08:00

Lately, I'm feeling all melancholy.I think it's the weather, or my Fibromyalgia (Fibro) symptoms. Probably a little of both. Depression is a symptom of Fibro & I often feel I'm "one straw" away from breaking that camel's back. I guess for me melancholy is one step away from depression. It's so easy to get into a rut & feel sorry for yourself. Especially when your day-to-days seem to run into

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-85954340076665990252009-11-10T21:20:00.000-08:002009-11-10T22:45:12.191-08:00

Hello!Yes, I'm still here. Been having a Fibro episode. Trying to deny it was happening, but there's really no denying it now. Too many symptoms, too many reactions in all the right (or wrong) ways. I had started feeling like my pain was coming back in my back. It's the side from my surgery so I was making excuses to myself. You know typical stuff; I slept wrong, I picked up Little when I

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-48120344306407637212009-11-03T01:03:00.000-08:002009-11-03T01:10:21.158-08:00

I think this pretty much sums up our Halloween week, dontcha think? (This was my costume before it was caught, so my theory is that karma has no sense of humor.) And, Internets, don't say I never give you anything, cuz this is such an awful pix of me, but I posted it anyway. Cuz, I'm a giver!

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-58443213747827560312009-11-01T21:09:00.000-08:002009-11-01T21:21:30.657-08:00

OK, really it's Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)! Halloween was Kra-Zeee!!! Fun, but Krazee! We went Trick-or-Treating w/our neighbors, which meant about 20 kids. (No exaggeration!) It took us about 2 hours to basically go around the block, and the kids scored with all their loot. (And Mama & Daddy did pretty well on Trick-or-Drink, I love Halloween!) Very Mayberry USA. We had georgous

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-40298758015878965602009-10-27T00:58:00.000-07:002009-10-27T01:19:52.281-07:00

So this is the face of swine flu. Oink. OK, the faces. Yup, we got it. Both of them. Guess that sort of absolves me in my lack of posting. Sort of. The irony is that I didn't think they had it. That's how mild their cases are. My mom got her panties all in a bunch over the fact that they had fevers that came & went and came & went...and next thing I know I'm on the phone with the after

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-35942125766388913112009-10-23T01:10:00.000-07:002009-10-23T01:18:26.348-07:00

Both girls are in bed right now with fevers of 103 & 101. I anticipate mine should hit sometime around 3ish (that's when Little's hit today, I seem to be 24 hours behind her all month). So to recap:Little has been sick for 2.5 of the 3 weeks of October.She had a virus w/a fever, Which turned intoA rotten cold, which turned intoa sinus infection. And now seems to have aNEW VIRUS!!!Just for

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-77315543624813244292009-10-21T00:03:00.000-07:002009-10-21T00:53:30.923-07:00

I know I've totally been MIA. Like I mentioned Little was sick & then I was sick. Then we had the weekend o'craziness; (drunken) MNO, soccer game, Halloween party, CCD, etc...you get the idea. Throw in a nap for mommy cuz I wasn't 100% yet. This was followed by Round 2!!! Yup we're still sick!!! Or maybe it was really Version 1.1 Little's virus basically evolved down to a mild cold. As did

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-30808963738186141652009-10-07T22:49:00.000-07:002009-10-07T23:04:35.911-07:00

It's still Wednesday (barely).Title says it all. These are her "baseline" pix. Nothing for now, giving it 6 months & then will probably start spacers at age 7. Gah!!! Do love that they sent me this photo! "For my records." Bwahahahahaha! Total fodder for boyfriend embarrassment later. I'm a mean, mean mommy. :-) (Somehow, I think this will not be the reason she needs therapy later in life.

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-83375547676387816122009-10-06T00:26:00.000-07:002009-10-06T00:37:54.864-07:00

I started a couple posts this last week, but never finished & posted any. Basically it all boils down to: ILL.Girls were each sick and then I got sick. And this weekend, I was exhausted. All week (and weekend) we got through our usual crazy schedule, w/out fail. But I guess it really got to me. On Sunday, when we got home from church (yes, I went, first time all year) and the Farmer's Market

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-52032046374582923602009-09-29T22:13:00.000-07:002009-09-29T23:31:33.741-07:00

Pictures from watching our friends band Sunday night. Fancy, outdoor mall, cooling off from 100 degree day, good music, good food, good friends. Nice way to spend one of the last days of summer.

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-59078726688209497142009-09-26T23:08:00.000-07:002009-09-26T23:52:18.942-07:00

Found this one on Disney Family Food. don't ask me how I found it, I'm sure it was through some slow cooker search or something. (Queen of the Crock Pot that's me!) Anyway, I didn't get to eat any of it! I know! I made it on the day of my tooth issue, so wasn't much in the mood for anything. The kids, however, raved, about it. Super easy (obviously it's coming from me) and super good, so I'm

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-635100152226569402009-09-25T15:39:00.000-07:002009-09-25T15:37:30.233-07:00

Last weekend, I went to a "Mom's Crop Weekend". (A crop is slang for scrapbooking BTW.) I flew down to the LA area and met some friends from down there. We drove to a hotel near Channel Islands and had a very fun, relaxing, foggy weekend. I may write more about it, but it was pretty much what you would expect from a crop weekend. More sleeping than most I think, but mostly I think it was

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-36151883410436567442009-09-23T00:26:00.000-07:002009-09-23T00:31:38.741-07:00

Don't be fooled. This example of Beaver Cleaver-like family bliss, lasted about as long as it took to take the pix. They like the idea of Big reading to Little, but in actual practice, not so much. Big gets frustrated w/some words, Little gets impatient & wants to turn pages. Yelling, grabbing, screaming ensues (by the kids too)...You get the idea, but it is gonna make a really cute scrapbook

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20459536.post-57188831261816011972009-09-21T22:09:00.000-07:002009-09-21T22:28:24.838-07:00

I spent the weekend away at a Mom's Crop (Scrap) weekend. It's the first time I've been away from both the girls and Daddy alone. It was really nice. Got more sleep this weekend, than I usually get in a whole week. I did get some cropping done as well. (Not as much as I would've like, but than that's typical, I guess.)I do have a review of where we stayed I'm planning on writing. But in the

mama speakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03640989726991698596noreply@blogger.com3