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Showing posts from October, 2011

No Excuses

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I have absolutely no excuse for bailing on my blog as much as I have lately... but in November I will. NaNoWriMo is coming up and I'm going to be taking a month long blogging break to focus on that... I will, however, continue to post my 52 Photo Friday posts. Love you all! Cannwin

52 Photos #21

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Ralexwin had a 4 day pass from the military this last weekend.   We didn't tell the kids. He got in at 4 AM.  This is them realizing he's there. Priceless.

Responsibility, ADHD and Flight Jackets.

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Unbelievable as it may seem I completely spaced blogging yesterday! After the trip to Vegas I came home and crashed (head cold being a major factor in that) then when I woke up yesterday morning all I wanted in the world was to ignore my responsibilities and just enjoy the day. So evidently, at some point in the last 4 years, blogging has become a 'responsibility' in my mind and therefore was subconsciously shrugged off with the other things I should have been doing. Like laundry. Ironically, later that evening I had to watch my friends kids and spent an hour flying around my tiny living space cleaning madly lest her husband (who was picking up the kids) see it messy. Now that I think about it, that doesn't seem very fair to her....  How would you like it if all your friends took the time to make their houses super clean whenever your spouse came over? It would definitely not give a good impression of your house. I suppose it's good that he's

Off And Away

I'm not around today... at all. I've gone down to Las Vegas for a doctors appointment. That's 2 hours there and 2 hours home. I really ought to stop at Nellis Air Force Base while I'm there and hit up the PX, but I probably won't. Either way, I'm not here... I'm there and I've farmed out my kids so that I could be there. So until tomorrow enjoy this video. Unless of course, you're offended by people flipping other people off... then don't watch this video. This is my friend, her husband and myself at a "parade" in town (it was really just a commemorative wagon train that pulled into town and my friends family was in it). If you can't hear... her husband asks me how good I am at editing video.

52 Photos #20

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I accidentally took this picture of my eye. I can't remember exactly what I was trying to get a photo of, but this is what I got instead. SCORE! I recently heard this song by Beyonce that says: I was here I lived, I loved I was here I did, I've done, everything that I wanted And it was more than I thought it would be I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here I just want them to know That I gave my all, did my best Brought someone to  happiness Left this world a little better just because I was here For some reason, that's what this picture reminds me of. I was here. And if you're wondering... that little white scar on my nose is one of two that I have on my face. That one is from a grocery cart flipping over on me when I was so little I barely remember the event. The other is on my upper lip... it's from a fight I got into in high school. PS.  I completely forgot my photo for this past week. I guess I was so busy wit

9

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When Albowin was a baby we called him Buddy. I miss that being his nickname. But now he's a big kid... I just can't believe I have kids this old!

NaNoWriMo

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NaNoWriMo is coming up next month. Anyone going to participate this year? I'm thinking about it.

10

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Happy Birthday to my very special first born child. She hits the double digits today. I can't believe it's been that long.

American Southwest

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Last weekend the kids had fall break so we took the chance to do some travelling. We went down to Arizona to see one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world . My friend's family home (where we met) is out on the Navajo Reservation in Northern AZ. It's desert landscape, with large patches of blissfully messy sand. Remewin loved it and I had fun taking lots of pictures of her playing. Then I got this one. I'm just stunned. Her hair is the exact same color as the sand around her. What an awesome thing to say about oneself! Usually when someone asks you--"What color is your hair?" You have to say boring things like "Brown." Or "Dishwater Blonde." My baby girl's hair is the color of the American Southwest. I'm totally gloating about this for the next 50 years. PS... see that short spot on the side of her head? That's from the first self induced hair cut that I hadn't gotten my courag

Surprises

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This weekend Ralexwin has a 4-day pass from the military and is going to come visit the Irish Twins for their birthdays. We haven't told them he's coming, but we have told them they have a big surprise headed their way. Naturally the questions started raining down after that announcement. "What is it?" --Not telling. "Is it a light saber?" --I'm not answering specifics like that. "What color is it?" --Umm, white.... sometimes it has green on it. "Is it from Dad?" --Yes "Does it have to do with the Army?" --Yes "Is it an alien?" --No, but I find it funny you associate aliens with the military. "Is it a robot?" --What exactly do you think your dads job is? "Is it a toy?" --No. "But you can play with it?" --Yes. "Grown up games or kid games?" --It knows some fun grown up games, but it can handle kid games too. (I was rather pleased with this an

Hair

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Last week Remewin did something that I've never actually dealt with  in a child before--she cut her hair. I gotta tell you, I nearly cried. I've been growing out her luscious locks since she was born and in one moment the entire left side was gone. So... after a few days of talking myself into it, I got the courage up to cut it to her shoulders and blend in the chop. Today I came down to my room after my shower and found a huge clump of hair waiting for me by my desk. I thought, I hoped, I'd just missed picking it up last week (even though I've vacuumed since then) but no.... Remewin cut her hair again. This time I'm not sure what I'm going to do short of boy cutting it. I may cry.

52 Photos #19

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What a soldiers job really entails. (Albowin 2011) PS. All the red scribbles at the bottom are the already dead bad guys.

Blogger Interview

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Your children's book, The Adventures of Smitty looks magically. Tell us about it. It's the story of a magical island of little creatures called Smilies and the mischievous little main character, Smitty. He's such a naughty boy. Haha!  All the moms and kids I've shared it with have been giving me such a wonderful reaction. I cannot believe it.  I have to tell you how excited I am to finally have a life-long dream come true. Writing  The Adventures of Smitty  was really about finding a story that I would want to read to my children at night. It has to be exciting but not scary so that my two daughters can go to sleep.  Basically, I was looking for that perfect blend to read to my kids at night and decided, "Why not try writing my own?" We've had a lot of changes in our life recently, so I want to make sure that when I put my daughters to sleep that they feel safe.  I have short chapters because I know how busy we moms are but if you can just sa

Boa Constrictor By Shel Silverstein

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Oh, I’m being eaten By a boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor, And I don’t like it—one bit. Well, what do you know? It’s nibblin’ my toe. Oh, gee, It’s up to my knee. Oh my, It’s up to my thigh. Oh, fiddle, It’s up to the middle. Oh, heck, It’s up to my neck. Oh, dread, It’s upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff… Yep--That's me!

One Hot Momma

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Well, the adjustment to living here in Utah is still a struggle for me somedays. My circle of friends is profoundly small, and I missed the D-Days parade for the first time in 3 years (which I, evidently have never referred to directly on this here blog--probably because it tagged down where I lived like a spotlight in the dark). So... I've had my up moments and my down moments here in the South West, but lately it's all been up. Lots and lots of ups. Including this morning when I weighed myself and discovered that I'd lost another 9 lbs. Taking my total weight loss since moving here to... ready?... 30 lbs! I'm feeling like one really hot momma! Except maybe that I'm sooo cold! I think I'll wear a sweatshirt again today.

52 Photos #18

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I took this.

Cold

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Last night I experienced my first spell of chills since we moved here in May. I was so cold last night! Admittedly I did go to bed with wet hair... and my hair takes hours to dry...but still, this is the South West. It's not supposed to be cold here. Especially after South Dakota. But I was cold enough to burrow into my blankets and only leave a tiny hole open for air. Not okay. I'm going to have to buy a space heater... For sure. This is a picture of my brother and I... in my new sweatshirt... that I can't find. :(

Death Row

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The other day my brother-in-law emailed me this suggestion for a blog post: How about you blog about if you were on death row and you can pick your last meal any thing in the world.  What would it be.  And you might say what crime you committed to get you to death row. ... Well, can I tell you that my answer to this question might make you guys laugh. My last meal would have to include a fantastic plate of Mashed Potatoes. Yep... Mashed Potatoes... I'm a total sucker for them. I told my friend the other day that MP's are like food sex to me. ::blush:: (Did I just use the word sex?!) I L-O-V-E them! Meat and Potatoes are one of my favorite meals. And as for what I'd have done? What are my options? Murder? Hmm, I suppose there's a few people I might like to see 'off'ed' What about you?

The Married Single Mom

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(Today is another post from Evelyn at Hanging by a Silver Lining. For my post on the same subject you'll have to go to her blog. Enjoy!) They’ve got a name for my condition.    A married single. *hand raised* Hi. I’m Evelyn and I’m a married single. This title implies the obvious. I’m married, yet somehow I manage to maintain a rather contradictory single status as well. My husband Joe works out of town a lot leaving me solely in charge of four children ranging in ages 6 years old to 8 months. Here’s the more obvious: I hate being single.  For a multitude of reasons. I miss my husband. I miss having someone to curl up next to in bed. I miss having someone to make dinner for. (The kids don’t count; they’re happy with peanut butter sandwiches four nights a week). I miss having someone to watch reruns of The Office on Netflix with at night. I miss having someone to tag team bath night and crying spells that last longer than half an hour. I miss having someone to watch k

Monday Madness

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Today just hasn't been going very well. I have this typical routine that I go through every morning with the kids but that got shot the heck in about 2 minutes this morning. What resulted was that Albowin was late to school. This is because once they hit a certain time in the morning I tell them, "Now you're on my time and you have to wait for me. So sit down in that chair right there and when I'm ready to leave the house I'll be nice and drop you off." I never take them in. I never hurry my morning. I take my precious time and make them sit there for probably an hour and then I give them a note to take to the office that says something to the effect of--"Late to school today due to obstinance." I figure this is my way of getting back at them for spoiling my morning. So... today I am posting my blog at nearly noon because if I'm going to leave the house I sure as heck am going to get some things done while I'm out. Which I did. Lik