Top Front Tooth!

 There's a little corner of a top front tooth poking through! It's fun watching him play with it, after all the 'agony' it seems to have caused (based on the fuss factor). I'll try to get a pic before I put him to bed.

They're both sick, I stayed home. She went to bed voluntarily w/no bedtime chocolate milk at like 19:45 (normal bedtime is 20:30/21:00). My poor babies. Snot city. I have my eye on one of those battery powered nasal aspirators.

JR & I had a nice, close, communicative day. That's always nice.

Condotel

I thought I had come up w/something ingenious! Based on my pie-in-the-sky desire for a life of utter convenience, I day-dreamed of a condo w/all the conveniences of a hotel and more. I was thinking typical upscale hotel amenities, plus: super family-friendly, kid-focused, lotsa fun stuff to do; some kinda restaurant/full-service kitchen; maybe a resident nurse; a vet tech/groomer/boarder & doggy daycare; and of course upscale automotive tinkering facilities.

Well, they have condo/hotels all over the world, my idea wasn't so ingenious afterall. But they're all luxury, and resorty, I'm not into that. I want basic, reasonable surroundings... I just want them custom-tailored and spoon fed. Oh well. I suppose if I really want it, I'll just have to find a way to develop, sell, and build it! Hey, why not? It could happen. It could.

Seven Years

I've been w/Perot for seven years now - Wow! I sent a quick thank you to the guy who hired me, I enjoyed his brief response: "One of my smarter moves." :) Ken is one of three boss-types who have made a big difference in both my personal and professional life. 1st there was a client, Greg Johnson, USCG Captain of the USCGC Healy acquisition program. He sponsored regular "collaborative dynamics" sessions that had us teamworking like nobody's business! It was the best environment I've ever worked in. Plus Greg is a sweetheart! Then 2nd there's Ken. Ken Carrick. Soon after Ken hired me, JR & I hit a big trouble spot. I would arrive at work in total shambles. Ken would close his office door. Open the blinds (so everyone could see us). And let me talk for as long as I needed. He never offered any advice, and no criticism, just an ear. His compassion saved my job, and probably my marriage. And now I have a 3rd, my "Contracting Officer's Representative" (COR) Tommy Walker. His daughter is my age and in somewhat similar circumstances, so he comes to me for help advising her. He tolerates my habitual tardiness, knowing that it's my kids who are taking my time - an opportunity he wishes he had taken w/his own. I'm very fortunate. My favorite part of any job has always been the people. Oh yeah, of course it helps to be getting piad damn near six figures, but really, it's the people! :)

Best Love Letter Ever!

One1 thoer wuz a litl [pic of girl] name'd Phoebe She like't WALL-e (dvd). She oso love hur Mommy and she love hur daddy Love Phoebe [heart] i love u mommy and hur daddy. xoxoxo

I'm told the two hearts at the top are ours, hers with a hole in it for me (like the card she received recently with the hole in the heart for how much Grandma misses Phoebe).

Heels & Hose

I pretty much gave up on high heels when I was pregnant w/Phoebe... then I gave up the pantyhose when I carried Christopher. Life here in HR is leading me more toward warm jeans and comfortable work shoes... I had almost forgotten that with just a skirt, some hose, and some nail polish, I can feel all girly and pretty! :)

It Flurried This Morning :)

We got our first little snowflakes this morning, unfortunately they stopped before we went out to wait for the school bus. It occurred to me as I bundled Phoebe up, that I ought to also bundle myself up. I typically wear a heavy coat, but don't bother w/hats and gloves and such. But it's so WINDY and COLD at work near the waterfront, I am determined to properly outfit myself for this winter. Even if it's just walks to/from the car, there's no need to freeze my buns off! I love, love, love my beautiful black wool swing coat (especially since I had a friend re-line it in BRIGHT pink!), but it's too wide-open to be warm - gotta get me a parka of sorts, and a hat that won't squish my hairdo, and some grippy gloves.

It's My Party & I'll Cry If I Want To...

Ok, I got distracted from my blog in favor of facebook for a while, but now that I have 100+ facebook friends, I find myself not wanting to share EVERYTHING with EVERYONE, so I am reclaiming my blog for myself! I think it's only my parents and sister who ever go here, maybe a random internet surfer. I've had a blog post brewing in my head for a while that I know I don't want to share w/the world called "I'm Tired!" and will be glad to get it out of my head and into words. Soon, maybe.

Brokety Broke

My annual salary is pushing six figures, but here I sit, at work, hungry, with no lunch and no lunch money. How pathetic. Almost forty, living just beyond my means, paycheck to paycheck, with no emergency reserves - as always... it's easily my greatest source of frustration and anxiety. The solution supposedly being within my grasp only adds to my frustration at not reaching it, rather than inspiring me to reach a little harder. I've done it all wrong - went crazy into debt, filed bankruptcy, withdrawn from my 401(k), borrowed from my 401(k), never managed any real savings... it's just an endless list of how to NOT manage personal finances.

Alternate Bailout Plan

I don't have a degree in anything, and know nothing about a lot of things. Therefore I feel qualified to submit the following alternate plan to congress and the people.

I’m against the $700 Billion bailout of Wall Street. Instead, I’m in favor of giving the $700,000,000,000.00 to America. To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bona fide U.S. citizens, aged 18 and over. Our population is about 300 million counting every man, woman and child. So, 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up. Now, divide 200 million (18+ adults) into $700 billion - that equals $3,500,000.00 each!

Of course, it would not be tax free. So, let’s assume a tax rate of 30%. Everyone would pay $1,050,000.00 in taxes. That sends $210 billion right back to Uncle Sam! It also means that every adult 18+ has $2,450,000.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife would have $4,900,000.00!

What would you do with $2,450,000.00 to $4,900,000.00?

Pay off your mortgage... housing crisis solved.
Open five different savings accounts... banking crisis solved.
Buy a couple of new cars to create jobs... unemployment problem solved.
Tell banks to keep their money... liquidity problem solved.
Purchase the best health insurance policy available... healthcare problem solved.
Send your children to the best private schools... education problem solved.

Golly-Gee I'm sure I missed something here!

(My sister sent me this, not sure who the original author is.)

5th Birthday @ the Virginia Air & Space Center

WHO? The Birthday Girl - Phoebe, w/Mom & Dad & Baby Brother Christopher. Cute Cousin AJ & Aunt Banana! New KG best best friend Lily, w/Mom Ruth. New KG friend Robby, w/Mom Cheryl. Very sweet 2nd-grade neighborhood kids Matt & Abby, w/Mom Joy & Baby Brother Jackson. Neighborhood friend Ana, w/Mom Shelley. Preschool friends Alyssa & Maddy w/Maddy's Dad Paul. Preschool friend Sam, w/Dad. And OMG, preschool friend Dylan w/Mom Jenn & horrible Little Brother Ryan - never again!

WHAT? A very cool science demonstration. An awesome motion simulator ride.

WHY? To celebrate my munchkin's 5th birthday!

WHERE? VASC.org

WHEN? 10am to Noon, Sat Sep 20th 2008.

Distracted by Facebook

What?! Only one blog entry for August, and none yet for September... you can tell I've been totally distracted by Facebook. Which is cool, I am very much enjoying being back in touch w/some of my old MDIHS friends. I'm likely to get back to blogging, now that some of the novelty has worn off w/facebook, and well because networking is different than blogging... I like both. Later! :)

Little Girl in a Thunder Storm

A little girl walked to and from school daily. The weather one morning was dark and threatening, but she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with lightning. The little girl's mother felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she feared the electrical storm might harm her child. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. She saw her little girl walking along. At each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up, and smile. Another and another flash of lightening followed quickly and with each, the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile. When the mother's car drew up beside the child she lowered the window and called to her "What are you doing?"

The little girl answered, "I am trying to look pretty because God keeps taking my picture."

Deliciously Horrible!

I have discovered a convenience store item that makes me want to forget to pack a healthy lunch: MarketFare's Bistro to-go Beef Steak Fajita Wrap from 7-Eleven, w/400 calories (120 from fat), 0g Trans Fat, 50% RDV Calcium & 25% RDV Iron... but 60% RDV / 1450mg Sodium. Yum Yum!!

Fighting Wolves

An old Cherokee is telling his grandson about a fight that is going on inside him. He said it is between two wolves: one is evil, with anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good with joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."

~ Author Unknown

My Birthday :)

I have always known that our daughter would help lift my husbands spirits and encourage his more enthusiastic participation in the celebration of family birthdays and such. I arrived home yesterday to the most adorable little Husband-&-Children surprise party for my birthday, complete w/streamers, balloons, singing, presents, and cake w/candles! I loved it!

Ship's Whistle

They've been testing an aircraft carrier whistle all day - I just love that deep low bellow that says "I'm a big bad Navy vessel - you better get your ass outta my way!"

Connect w/Your Inner Cowboy

I listen to today's country music, I admit it. It started as just a lyrics thing, but now I enjoy more than just the words, it's just a very down-to-earth, humble genre. As I pulled into my parking spot at work this a.m., the DJ reminded me between songs to "Connect w/Your Inner Cowboy" and I felt busted! - caught enjoying country diddies before work.

Snickers Kick

Our admin assistant recently added a bowl of candy to his desk, and now I'm on a bigtime Snicker Bar kick!

I love the new words Snickers is introducing: NOUGATOCITY: A heightened yet fleeting state of accomplishment that makes you realize how unbelievably unmotivated you normally are. :)

Civilian Conservation Corps

I received my grandfather's CCC record from the National Archives recently - this genealogy stuff is so cool!

Luther J. Fuller DOB 6/05/1918
Serial# CC5-195187, Enrolled 10/28/1935 @ Camp SP-3, Clifftop, WV
Allottee: Violet Hitchcock (Grandmother) Crum, WV $25.00

a. 10/28/1935 to 1/12/1936 Pick & Shovel @ Camp SP-3, Company 1522, Clifftop, WV
b. 1/13/1936 to 1/15/1936 Enroute to Oregon
c. 1/16/1936 to 3/31/1936 Gravelling Banks @ Camp BR-42, Company 565, Ontario, Oregon
d. 4/01/1936 to 4/04/1936 Tonsilitis Patient "Not Own Misconduct" @ Camp Infirmary
e. 4/05/1936 to 4/10/1936 Graveling Banks @ Camp BR-42, Company 565, Ontario, Oregon
f. 4/11/1936 to 5/07/1936 KP @ Company 2504 F-107 Riggins, Idaho
g. 5/08/1936 to 5/08/1936 Enroute to Burns, Oregon
h. 5/09/1936 to 6/12/1936 KP @ Camp DG-5, Company 2504, Burns, Oregon
i. 6/13/1936 to 10/14/1936 Pick & Shovel @ Camp DG-5, Company 2504, Burns, Oregon
j. 10/15/1936 to 11/06/1936 Pick & Shovel @ Company 2504, Camp DG-24, Burns, Oregon.

Administratively discharged after an 11/06/1936 hearing for "failure to work" and supposedly organizing a strike - he was the spokesman for a group of "boys" who felt they hadn't had sufficient chow the day before. His CO's assessment was "hot tempered; indecisive; average worker; irresponsible" but his overall service was characterized as "honest and faithful" entitling him to a satisfactory rating.

Two Grandsons

What a difference between my Mom's two grandsons! AJ did get a bit of a head start, but even if he hadn't he'd still be winning the gravy race! :)

Ode to Nursing

I've been trying to think of an appropriate expression of how I feel about nursing (and pumping) knowing that I sometimes send work folk to my blog. So this post is just a place-holder until I can think of some clever little way to share w/you the absolute joy I feel when Christopher gives me that adorable little milky chin toothless grin! :)

Funny Error 408

I got this real error msg on my Navy computer today - it cracked me up - gotta love Windows! :)

I Want to Be On HGTV!

This post will be modified w/pics of my design disaster home so I can refer to it in my application(s) to HGTV.

Morning Sun

This little squirrel suns himself on the grill in the mornings, and he's got a spot in the corner of the backyard for the afternoon. I think he flaunts himself to torment the dog and cats.

Later that day, we spotted two squirrels humping, and Phoebe squealed in delight: "Look Mom, there's two!! Aw... look... they're playing, I think they're friends!"

Last Day of Maternity Leave

It's over... my days of leisurely ooohing and aaahing over little Mr. Christopher are coming to a quick close. I took my six weeks disability, plus one week LWOP (to help w/my flu+bronchitis recovery), and am set to return to work Monday.

FluX4

My poor whole family got the flu, and my poor baby boy had to go back to the hospital, where they had to do a spinal tap, an IV, a catheter, and then we spent three days in a hospital crib tethered to an IV pole for fluids and antibiotics. What a sad sight he was!

My Sweet Baby Boy

I love that Christopher looks so much like Phoebe did as an infant, and that they both look so much like my husband. :)

Soft Fuzzy Hair

Kids in Church & Other Prayers

3yr-old Reese: "Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen."

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am."

After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys."

One particular four-year-old prayed, "and forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait." Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died and went to Heaven" the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?"

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Little Cheeks

His cheeks are starting to fill out...

My Two Children

I sure do love having TWO children!

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