Round and Round

With every day come new challenges and accomplishments. Fears and Tears. Joy and Laughter. Such is my life lately. I do apologize to those devoted readers of this Blog that I have been absent from the Land of Posts lately. Life has again turned upside down and stalled...like one of those roller coaster videos that they show on the news.

Also with each new day there is good news & not-so-good news. Today, however there is AMAZING NEWS! Our little Piglet is potty trained! YEA! You heard me! She has not worn a diaper since Friday and is walking around int he cutest big girl panties you ever saw. Her face shines with the great feeling of pride and we always have to do a little dance every time she pees. For those of you who are not parents, you too...one day....God willing...will dance while flushing! Trust me on this one. Beana on the other hand is nowhere near sans diaper. In fact, if you ask her if she wants to be a big girl like her sister, she puts her thumb in her mouth and just says she wants to be a baby. OK. One of two aint' bad...right?

The not-so-good news is that my living arrangements have changed. My children and I are now staying at my Mom's house while she is in Hawaii and then probably a few more weeks after she returns.

Marriage is never something I took lightly. I went in with eyes wide open and I knew that it wouldn't be easy. He never promised me he would become the better man I still believe he can be. He never lied about who he was, which is a good thing if you think about it. I was not tricked, in fact sometimes I was the one pulling the strings. I take my Marriage very seriously and it's current condition renders me an emotional disaster. I am sad that I am not strong enough to hold it all together. I am sad that my children might miss out on a great family experience. I am sad.

And that is about all I can write for now. I apologize for the drama! I promise it will get better....At least, that is what I keep chanting to myself.

Mirth & Merriment!

SATISFACTION!

Good Thursday to all you happy, depressed, lonely, happily married readers. Did I cover it? Good!

Anyway, it is time for your Daily Dose and today I am doing something a bit different. I want to know the top 3 things YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT but I am applying rules:

Rule #1- You cannot name spouse, children, family or friends. Those are a given. We all know that, although you would be a much more sane individual without them, we cannot live without our kids and hubby!

Rule #2- For each thing you name, you must reference a quote or song about it.

So, here are mine...

COFFEE. In any form, be it ice cream or hot lava being poured down my throat...I just couldn't imagine a day without it. And even though I do not have a cup every day, the idea that I could if I wanted (needed) to is enough for me. However since decaf is the devil's blend, I prefer as much caffeine as possible. At Starbucks, my order is a triple Venti Caramel Macchiato. Yes, triple shot! You gotta problem with that? I didn't think so. The last thing you want to see is me without caffeine. Trust me. It is not pretty. Remember Richard Nixon? I look like him, only with better hair!

Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with. ~Drew Sirtors

MUSIC. If I was stranded on an island with nothing, but coffee...I would still require a soundtrack to live by. My life has always had surround sound, even before we knew what that was. Whether I had just AM radio or a lifetime supply of CD's....my life would not be the same without them.

Music...makes the people....come together - Madonna

MY BRA! Yes, I know. It seems a tad superficial to speak of, but come on. If I went without, eyes would be black....and people would stare....and not necessarily the people who you want staring, either. If I only had one, which I have done before (yes, I washed it everyday!) that would suffice. However, if I were given a shopping spree to Creative Woman....I would buy one in every color, every style and be the happiest girl on earth. Did I ever tell you about the time I went with my chest-deprived sister in law to try on a Water Bra? Hi, Jules!!!

Oh I have a brand new bra on

A brand new bra have I

The elastic isn't shot

And it's not full of holes

And both my boobs

Point in the same direction now. . . .Oh I have a brand new bra on!

THE BRA SONG ( I didn't make it up!)

So, go for it. Be creative, as I know you all are.

Mirth & Merriment.

The Name Game

I got this email from my friend Missy (thanks!) so I just thought I would share and see what my readers have to say...

Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up!Try your hardest NOT to leave blanks. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question... Now Go!


Your Name: Leigh
1. Famous singer/band: Little River Band
2. 4 letter word: lust
3. Street name: Leffingwell
4. Color: Lime green
5. Gifts/presents: lillies
6. Vehicle: Lexus
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: light up bookmarks
8. Boy Name: Leonard
9. Girl Name: Leilani
10. Movie: Little Children
11. Drink: Lemon Drop
12. Occupation: lithographer
14. Celebrity: Lindsay Lohan
15. Magazine: Life
16. U.S. city: Littlerock, Arkansas
17. Pro Sports Teams: Lakers
18. Fruit: Lime
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: lack of sleep?
20. Things you throw away: lollipop sticks
21. Things you shout: LOSER!
22. Cartoon character: Little LuLu

M&M

California Girls

Ok. I survived the trip to the Beach...and without Xanax! I am so proud of myself.

If any of you have ever met my 2 little girls, you know that the only things they have in common are parents and birth date...that's it. Not even the same time! Well, their very first Beach experience proved the point yet once again.

Beana wanted nothing to do with sand! EWW! Sorta like me that way! She headed straight for the water and with her fists up, egged the waves on, as if to say "is that all you've got?" She would then get toppled over and without missing a step, get right back up and face her fears again. What a girl. I wish I were so brave!

On the other hand, our little Piglet loves the sand! She held my hand as we took long walks on the beach, as romantic as it gets! She is like me that way. She went into the water just once and that was all she needed...fix was fixxed!

I am sunburned and back to work after my one vacation day. Yes, I wore sunscreen!

Mirth & Merriment....

Head Games

Having graduated from Cosmetology School sometime in 1990...I can honestly say that I have perfected the art of screwing up someones hair. I have bleached myself to piss-yellow with no natural color in sight. I have colored my dear sister's hair and caused a crazy electrocuted mess.

With that said...I have a little story for you....Last night, my niece is who is visiting and I decided to put some highlights in her hair. Now, before you say anything else, my sister was completely aware of the procedure to be done. There...I said it. We went to the store and picked out a kit to do it and I felt very confident that we could do a great job. It was about 7 last night and I said "Get in here...let's do this thing!". I combed it in, following all written instructions, the English side, not the Spanish. While I was applying the silly idea came into my head that I think my son would look good with highlights. Right. So, after I was done streaking this blue-bleach on to my niece's hair, I took a couple swipes of Matthew's hair. OK. His hair is a medium brown, so I wasn't expecting much. Another side thought was that we were going to buzz his hair off this week anyway, so anything I screwed up wouldn't look too bad since he would be bald soon anyway.

30 minutes later, I rinsed, washed and conditioned Melissa's hair. I also rinsed, washed and conditioned Matt's hair. OMG! Melissa's hair looked great. Blonde streaks in her dirty blonde mess. Matthew, my first born, love o my life, looked like a freak! Now, let me rephrase it. He looked like a punk rock, crack addicted, rock star living on the street who found something in a bottle without a label behind a dumpster and just washed his hair with it. Not as good as I imagined it would be. Thank God we are cutting it all off soon....maybe tonight!

I guess I'm glad I didn't try any on me...even tho I was tempted.

Tomorrow is my son and daughter's first visit to the Beach. I hate the beach. I hate the sand. As a child, I didn't care that my vajajay was entombed in sand or that it was crowded. As an adult, the thought is freaking me out, especially with 2 little girls who hate to have a diaper change. I hate the crowds. I hate that people are constantly running around, kicking sand everywhere. Even more reason to hate is the 3 young people that I have carried in my womb who do not have any idea how to swim. I picture them running towards the deep blue sea and never seeing them again. I am having such fear over this one outing that I am sure I might OD on my anti-anxiety pills. I will let you know how it goes, but pray for me, will you? I don't care what God you say those prayers to...JUST DO IT!

Mirth & Merriment to you...
I was recently asked why I sign off with M&M. Well, I will tell you. When I was a Senior in HS, my favorite teacher and mentor, Mrs J, signed my yearbook. Back story: She had also taught my older bro and sis and I was the end of the line. She wrote to me that I had always provided her with "Mirth & Merriment". I think it is quite possibly the nicest thing ever written about me. So there you have it.

Brown Eyed Girl

Hello, all! Since today is Friday the 13th, I thought that I would discuss 13...the age! I am very happy that my 13 year old niece has arrived for a few week visit to California. She was born in South Carolina and resided here for several years before her parents moved to Georgia. That hurt a lot when they moved taking 3 of my niece and nephews with them. Several hours of therapy and medication bottles later, I realize that they did what was best for them, disregarding my personal feelings, but then my older sister isn't supposed to take me into consideration on anything that she does. Go figure!

Seeing Mel sure takes me back to 13. Not an easy thing or solicited, mind you. 13 was awkward for me, as if anyone actually sailed through it. I was blessed, however. I never had bad skin. That was the one great thing about me as a teen. Because I always was in a chlorinated pool, my skin was never given the chance to be oily, but I do have dry skin. Things could have been worse. I could have been a pro active ad waiting to happen! That stuff does work, by the way. My stepdaughter is proof! My hair was alright, a lot straighter than it is now...damn those drugs! I was flat chested and had freckles. Do I sound like a complete dork or what?

Melissa is a beautiful girl, although she is way too skinny. However, that is not her fault. I was scrawny, her mom was scrawny, she comes by it honestly. Thank goodness, one day she will fill out and become a va-va-voom type...I have no doubts. She has been a real source of hysterical laughter for my son and amazement for me. I am so proud that she is my niece. She has her own sense of style, which could use a little Auntie-touch. We are going school shopping this weekend! I am also going to give her some blond highlights in her dirty blond hair...that should be cool. Her mom has told me that I am not allowed to put pink, red, blue or purple in her hair! What does she take me for? I didn't go to Cosmetology school for nothing! Notice that my sister didn't say green..hehehehehe!

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone. I plan to relax and enjoy my family! I hope that you all can do the same.

Good Luck moving, Jackie. I wish I could help but with my kids, my back AND my hernia....I would be a disaster! Love you!!!!

Mirth & Merriment To You & Yours!!!!

I Will Remember You...

One of my previous Daily Dose lists asked the question: what are you top 3 favorite toppings on pizza! MSN has decided to follow suit and here you go. You can tell a lot about people about what they put on their pizza's...go figure!

If your date orders one meat topping… People who order just pepperoni or sausage on their pie are generally irritable, prone to procrastination, and they often “forget” obligations (like that weekend getaway he or she promised to take with you in the spring).Compatible with: others who prefer one meat topping

If your date orders multiple meat toppings…Real meat lovers who pile on the pepperoni, sausage, and ham tend to be dramatic, seductive, sweep-you-off-your-feet extroverts who thrive as the center of attention.Compatible with: people who prefer one meat topping

If your date orders one veggie topping…Those who prefer one vegetable topping are empathetic, easygoing romantics.Compatible with: everybody!If your date orders multiple veggies…These dates are trustworthy, loyal, humble, and avoid the spotlight. In fact, they’re so quiet and conflict-averse they tend to be taken for granted in relationships.Compatible with: people who prefer non-traditional toppings

If your date orders non-traditional toppings…People who prefer offbeat options like pineapple or extra onions tend to be aggressive, ambitious, and competitive. In other words: Don’t expect a mellow relationship.Compatible with: others who prefer non-traditional toppings