Friday Questions (LATE)

New Girl on Post's Friday Questions are always a fun thing to do....I'm just getting in on it a little late this week...hey, it's been a CRAZY busy week...

Fun Friday Questions!
1. Most unusual job you have had?

My most unusual job (paid job) was working as a candy packer for a (very) small business. I wrapped lollipops to get them ready for shipping.

2. Describe yourself in three words

shy mom-wife

3. What's your signature scent?

Jovan musk or light musk

4. What's a fun family tradition you have?

Friday night is a combination night in our house (which will be changing....marching band demands that!). It is date night for hubby and I, plus movie and pizza night for the kids. Everyone gets to stay up late, eat junk food, and watch movies.

5. Anything special your hometown is known for?

My hometown is the home of Erskine College...and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Fun Stuff

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Maybe I should change my color scheme?

You Are 64% Addicted to the Internet

In your opinion, life without the internet is hardly worth living. Could be, but you probably need a bit more fresh air and sunshine to think clearly.

Are You Addicted to the Internet?

I THINK we have a problem here....

It's Real Life: How we roll

This week's theme is How We Roll...our transportation....

At our place there are a LOT of forms of transportation.

There are the parental types of transportation and the kid-types of transportation...many of those....

In this picture, you see MY wheels...My 2002 Pontiac Montana...VERY important in our lives and a wonderful gift from God! This lovely little 8-passenger van has traversed the country, through Montana, Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, DC, and into Canada...and perhaps a few more states that I missed....

My "cockpit"

The middle

The Back Seat


The DISASTER AREA!


The all-important accessories!!

This is my husband's wheels, a 2006 Honda Civic. Another gift from God...for Father's Day last year!!

And THESE are my children's wheels.... bicycles, gocarts, MOWER?!?

Roller Blades....

Scooters....

And THAT is how WE roll....Go see more at Farm Fresh!

I WANT TO WORK AT GOOGLE!!

I tried to post videos of the amenities at the Zurich offices of Google....THEY ARE AMAZING...but I couldn't get them to work.

So, go see some pictures and the videos are on that page, too....

Oh, and Google has their own devoted page on YouTube....

So, working at Google looks like fun....but I think I'd rather be home with my kids! Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have the built-in chef/restaurant and massage chairs!!

Thursday Thirteen #34: Randomness

Thirteen Things out of my groggy ramblings: 1. One night of less than 6 hours of sleep makes functioning hard. 2. Two nights of less than 6 hours of sleep makes functioning exceedingly difficult. 3. School starts in 5 days. 4. My oldest will be getting ON the bus at 6:00 am. 5. Whoever determined that all of the schools would have their various Open Houses and Orientations during the same week did not have children going to 3 different schools. 6. A combination of no sleep and LOTS of coffee means I CAN function, but I have the jitters. 7. Realizing that Football Tryouts lasted all week really screwed with my schedule. 8. Thank goodness for school activity buses! 9. And friends willing to pick up children when you can't get there in time! 10. Having children who can cook is a HUGE help! 11. It is starting to feel like it *might* be getting close to fall. 12. I have wierd dreams when I haven't had enough sleep. 13. I wish I had more time for blog hopping...I'm missing all of my favorite reads!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Wordless Wednesday: Marching Band

For more participants, go to 5 Minutes for Mom.

I got nothing...

zip

zilch

nada

I am working my butt off, trying to keep up with my workload, and the laundry and playing taxi driver to the kids, and being the responsible mom, trying to be there for all of the orientations and open houses....and my brain is just plain shot...

So, please forgive me....

...because I have to sleep sometime....and it doesn't work so well to put my head down and drool all over my mouse and keyboard!!

I love you, my faithful friends! I WILL have *something* tomorrow....even if it's just a picture of the paper cut I got on my NOSE tonight.....

....gnight!!

Don't take yourself too seriously!

I have a wonderful friend in Texas who has passed along this GREAT piece of advice...one that she received from her mother. At certain points in the month, when one's hormones are interfering with one's ability to think or talk rationally....DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY.

So....

I'm trying.

But those not-so-rational thoughts keep getting in the way.

...and I'm spending a TON of time playing taxi driver...

Because football try-outs? They're ALL WEEK LONG.

And band reheasals? Until 8:00 PM...

...only one week left...

...this too shall pass...

...I survived childbirth, times six....I'll survive this, too.

So, I get up in the morning, and think I look like crap.
Then I look in the mirror and confirm it...my hair is all whacked out, and my zits seem to think I'm a teenager again, and I'm bloated.....
...and to top it all off...

....

....

....I had to brave the MIDDLE SCHOOL again today. Anyone else have to take their children to visit their middle school, and come away from there feeling as if you're 12 years old and a misfit once again?!? Is this just me and my insecurities? I'm walking through there, looking at these TEACHERS who are young enough to be my children (okay, so I'd have been a child with a child...but that's not news any more....), and I just want the floor to open up and swallow me, please!! Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Now, I'm off to do those things I never even dreamed of doing when I WAS 12....WORK, laundry, getting supper on the table, and spending time with my beautiful family (who do NOT think I'm a freak...at least not yet!)....

A quick note to say...

...life has gotten CRAZY again. I pulled out my calendar and started putting in things that are planned for the next two weeks, and ohmygranny this is gonna be fun!

Tonight starts the band season...Band picnic at 6:00, but the oldest has to be there by 5:00, so we're all going then. She's home right now, making cookies to take, and we have to figure out what other dish we're making to take... Oh, and Jason has his first two games for Fall Softball.

*Tomorrow is the Band Freshman Car Wash and I go to the Ladies' Brew Group.

*Sunday is church and a baptism at the beach later in the afternoon.

*Mondayis a band rehearsal and football tryouts for #2 child and Jason has a duty day.

*Tuesday is new student orientation at the high school and Jason's Brew Group.

*Wednesday is band rehearsal, orientation at the middle school and Brew Group for military families.

*Thursday is Open House at the elementary school and the band is playing at their first home football game.

*Friday Jason has two softball games.

AND THAT is the week BEFORE school starts. I still have to work and feed kids and clean the house and do laundry, and sometime I have to shop for all the back-to-school stuff that we haven't had the money to buy yet.

So, if I'm not here at some point, you'll probably find me curled up in a corner somewhere, sucking my thumb and rocking back and forth....

...or nursing my glass of wine!

Thursday Thirteen #33: Raising Boys

Thirteen Things about Raising BOYS!! 1. I was worried about not having fun dressing my boys...but I was wrong!!! They're fun to dress, too.... 2. No matter how much blue you put on them, someone will call them girls and say they're beautiful (and you just thought that was just YOUR boy!?!) 3. You will be baptized by your sons at some point while they're still wearing diapers (or not). 4. There will be cars and Legos and Lincoln logs and trains and planes and lots of other little toys all over the hosue. 5. Boys play differently than girls...things get a LOT more physical with boys around. 6. There will also be tools all over...and parts of the things they are taking apart with those tools. 7. The boys' collections vary GREATLY from the girls...The boys bring in bugs, rocks, and stray screws, nails and pieces of trash. 8. MY boys are seriously addicted to electronics...are they all this way?!? 9. Bicycles, baseball bats, cleats, gloves, and all-too-easily-seen CUP....never put away. 10. The desire to be a MAN...will get them to do all kinds of chores...killing bugs, taking out garbage, mowing the yard.... 11. They want to play DANGEROUS sports...the poor mama's heart will never be the same.... 12. They get injuries playing above dangerous sports...with scars that they are OH SO PROUD to show off! 13. My boys teach me every day how much I need their father to help raising them!!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday: Elves or Trolls?

This one is for all of my "helpers" who go back to school in 2 weeks...

To get in on the fun, go to 5 Minutes for Mom

Adventures in childrearing: Milestones

Mile marker along the National Road, located in Columbus, Ohio. Digital photo taken July 15, 2005.

Do you know what a Milestone was in ancient times?

From Wikipedia:

Milestones were originally stone obelisks – made from granite, marble, or whatever local stone was available – and later concrete posts. They were widely used by Roman Empire road builders and were an important part of any Roman road network, in which when the distance travelled per day was only a few miles in some cases.

In our children, we watch carefully (especially with our first child) for milestones of a different nature. We want to make sure they're growing and maturing at a good rate...we want to make sure there are not things of a physical nature holding them back. This is why there are periodic doctor's visits and growth charts.

When they're babies, we celebrate each little milestone...first smile? Break out the camera! First tooth? Call the in-laws! First birthday? PARTY TIME with the whole extended family!

As they grow, it seems like our enthusiasm for celebrating everything about our children wanes a bit...perhaps we've gotten busy with little things like work and keeping the house clean. Perhaps we're dealing with more pressing issues such as health problems or financial stressors. Whatever the reason, we tend to need bigger reasons to break out the celebratory cameras and party streamers.

As adults, we have often gotten to the point where we don't like to celebrate our birthdays quite as much...maybe because they're a reminder that we're not getting any younger. Our children NEED us to keep celebrating with them. They need to know that we enjoy their company and want to celebrate their accomplishments. They need to know that we are proud of them.

Lately I've heard of people spending more and more money on birthday parties and such...but our children do not have to have the extravaganza that seems to be the norm now...they want US...OUR TIME, our presence, and our attention. Even for those of us who are not the most creative people in the world, spending some time one-on-one with our children lets them know that we WANT to be with them. Something as small as discussing the accomplishment of the day over dinner can tell your child that you're proud of his newest milestone.

So, do you have a milestone to celebrate with your child today? Break out the camera! Or at least, sit down and talk it over with them.

Memories (installment 28)

Being stranded with all of our luggage and 5 children in Buffalo, Wyoming was NOT in the plans...nor was it in the budget. We DID have A car...a little Mercury Tracer with 5 seats, definitely NOT big enough for all of us.

God's timing was amazing. About five minutes after we discovered that we weren't able to restart the station wagon, a couple "happened" by...he owned an auto repair shop about 5 miles up the highway. They went to get a bigger vehicle, and we loaded all of the children in it to go spend the afternoon in their front yard while we tried to figure out what was next.

The station wagon was towed there, and he confirmed that the transmission was indeed shot, and that it would not be worth our while to replace that transmission...that the new tranmission would cost us more than the car was worth.

The man who owned the repair shop knew a used car dealer in town, and was able to find us a van...an old van...a 1988 Conversion Van...it was big enough, and the price was right...we spent *almost* every last penny we had on that van...and for the motel room, because the van would not be ready until the next day.

Finally we got back on the road the next morning, and headed to Helena. About 30 minutes outside of Helena, we stopped for gas...that big van was DRINKING the gas....we put our last $2.56 into it for gas...and arrived in Helena around supper time. We had reservations at a hotel in town, but had no money left to pay for it, and no money to go get supper. Fortunately, Jason was able to call his new command, and one of the guys came and helped us out.

The next morning, we got left the car parked at the hotel, climbed BACK in the van, and headed back down the road to Billings, where we spent the week with the guy who Jason was replacing. Their family was very helpful to us, putting us up for the week, feeding us, and taking us to the state fair during that week. The kids and I hung out at their house while Jason spent his days with Mark at the reserve center in town.

Jason was able to go looking for a different vehicle for us during this time, too....that Conversion Van was NOT going to be much help to us for long. It was not firing on all of the cylinders, and I was 5 months pregnant...by December there was not going to be enough space in it for the whole family. He and Mark went to a dealership and started looking at vans. Jason went for a test drive in one with only 7 seats, and while he was gone, Mark found another van with 8 seats...a Pontiac Montana with all kinds of amenities...power seats, dual controls on the heat/AC, DVD player, CD player...it was NICE. Jason took it out for a test drive, and amazingly was able to buy that van...we had a vehicle that was big enough for all of us...

After the week in Billings, we went back to Helena to find a house, and for Jason to report in to work and start learning his new position. We stayed at the Inn on the base at Ft. Harrison for 10 days...in two rooms with a connecting bathroom. I cooked our meals in the electric skillet and microwave, and washed dishes in the little sink in the room.

We looked all over town for a place to rent and finally found something...a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house a little ways outside of town, for $900 per month. It was a cute little house...but our housing allowance was only about $780/month...and we had to pay for electricity and phone, too. We moved in on August 24th, and our furniture arrived two days later.

What Font are you?

You Are Andale Mono

You are a geek, pure and simple. You spend a lot of time online. In fact, you probably love the internet more than anyone you know. You are picky about design, mostly for readability's sake. You are the type most likely to be irritated by a bad font.

What Font Are You?

Thanks to Elaine at Commotion from the Ocean of Life for this little piece of fun!

How fast are YOU?

74 words

Speedtest

301 points, so you achieved position 18243 of 161051 on the ranking list

You type 386 characters per minute

You have 74 correct words

andyou have 0 wrong words

Thanks, Sallie! That was fun!!

Weekly Roundup

It's Friday again...my how this week has flown! My eldest is in Band Camp this week, so I'm doing a LOT of driving...I'm in the car for 2 hours daily, and I haven't done that in a LONG time. Isn't she beautiful? She's the one on the right in the back.

I finally had my appointment with Occupational Therapy...daggoneit...I was hoping for Physical Therapy....anyway....so, after the Doctor who did the EMG saying I DIDN'T have carpal tunnel, the lady at Occupational Therapy says she thinks I DO have SOME carpal tunnel issues...just not enough to show up on the EMG. She also thought I had two other issues happening...the disadvantages of having a desk job. So, she told me all these thing to do, and NOT to do...and gave me this lovely splint. Isn't it gorgeous?

My oldest son has been busy rescuing vehicles from the trash-man...or rather, just these two, and then has stayed busy working on getting the go-cart running correctly.

The rest of the kids are staying busy with their friends, playing at the park, and taking advantage of the last couple of weeks of summer.

The crazy cat has been working on her escape plans...and attempts at every turn have me chasing her through the neighbors' yards.

My husband is busy, preparing for a change of command, and working on his 3rd-to-last class for his Master's Degree...and is busy trying to figure out what is next...which has included a trip out to the ARMY base, and some research of seminaries in the area.

And THAT has been my week....plus meals, laundry, cleaning (especially the stove, so it can be replaced), and work....What have YOU done this week?

Thursday Thirteen #32:Raising Girls

Thirteen Things about Raising GIRLS! 1. Dressing little girls is FUN...there are SO many pretty things! 2. No matter how much pink you put on them, someone will call them a boy! 3. No matter how clean you try to keep them, they WILL play in the dirt! 4. Little girls LOVE to play princesses! 5. Big girls long to be treated like princesses. 6. Tween girls will cause you to despair of them EVER acting (or dressing) like princesses. 7. When there are two or more girls in the house, there WILL be lots of giggling. 8. When there are two or more girls in the house, there WILL also be lots of fights. 9. If you (the mother) decide you don't like pink, EVERYONE will give you pink everything. 10. If you don't like pink, ALL of your girls will ADORE pink. 11. About the time you get to the point where you can tolerate pink, they will have switched their favorite color to red or purple. 12. As hard as you may try to avoid it, Barbies WILL take over the house (or Bratz or Polly Pocket)! 13. Raising girls will challenge you to the core of your being, and teach you things you had no idea you needed to learn.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

A Laptop for Frances

I just finished reading the post at 5 Minutes for Mom, and I am SO glad that Tammy will be getting a laptop...that will help their family out, immensely! So, then I was really surprised to see that HP is going one step further and helping out another person...and I thought of my amazing daughter, Frances.

Frances is a rising Freshman in high school this year. This week she is in band camp, because she will be playing the piccolo for Marching Band, and flute for the Concert Band. She is enrolled in a special program in the public schools here in Virginia for High School students who wish to further their Language and Global studies specializations while still in High School.

Frances has big dreams and plans for her future...she has plans to learn at least 5 more languages, on top of the two she is currently studying. She wants to be in missions, and is excited to see where God will take her.

Frances is my oldest child...a most gifted and beautiful daughter, who has a beauty of spirit not seen often in teenagers. She is my right arm...the babysitter extraordinaire, cook, laundress, etc. in our house. She often does not get to do participate in things because finances are tight, or because another of her 5 siblings has something going on.

I know that as she enters high school, she will NEED to have access to a computer, and because I work from home, my computer is not often available to her. Having a laptop would make it possible to keep up with her school work, and possibly help fulfill her dreams.

WWWAT: A Different View

The theme for this week is "A Different View"





I've been trying to figure out what I could look at differently...but, frankly, my brain is FRIED. And HAS BEEN fried for days now. I'm afraid it's going to be this way for a while.


So, in the mean time, I'm still trying to find something to post...and I went outside with my camera...at night. (And for a change, it's cool!) Anyway, I figured, why not try something different...my pictures are always DAY pictures....so, from a bit different perspective...

NIGHT TIME PICTURES

For more WWWAT participants, go to The Adventures of an American Mum

and for more Wordless Wednesday participants go to 5 minutes for Mom.

Adventures in childrearing: Mini-Me

Remember your mom cursing you as a child..."I hope you have a kid just like you!"?

I remember it...every time I look at my little 6-year-old girl. This kid amazes me. She is bright. She is cute. And she annoys the heck out of me. She is JUST like me.

This is the child who cannot remember from one minute to the next that we told her to STOP PLAYING WITH THE CAT. The one who "forgets" EVERYTHING. The slow eater. The S-L-O-W walker. Oh, and that poor cat? Yeah, STOP TORTURING HER!!!

I am beginning to see how I drove my mother crazy...I'm surprised we weren't both in straightjackets before I graduated high school! Sometimes I think about what I might tell myself, if I could give myself any words of wisdom....and some days I have to actually apply those words to living with this miniature version of myself.

I have to remember, daily, that this is a CHILD. She does not have the years of life experience to teach her things. She also does not have the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She is a CHILD.

I get impatient with my mini-me almost daily. I expect her to do things on my schedule. I expect her to remember things. I expect her to get along with her siblings, and respect their property. I expect her to be nice to the cat....or at the very least, leave her alone.

And then, I see something in her that reminds me of myself....the daydreamer I used to be. The kid who loved all the animals, and probably tortured them (okay, I DID torture them). The little person who felt things deeply, and was probably unreasonable in a lot of my thoughts and actions.

And, because she reminds me of myself, I am learning to extend a little more grace to her...because I WANT her to be that child, and I want her to be able to daydream, and love, and feel....and maybe (someday) she'll learn not to torture the poor cat.

What is your child teaching you today?

Fun and Contests

Debbie at Blog around the World has come up with an amazing place...she is gathering names of people from all over. All you have to do is go put your name in under your state or country...and she's giving away gift cards!!! COUNT ME IN!!




Go, check it out!!

Memories (installment 27)

After we got back from South Carolina, the apartment complex came up with a 4-bedroom unit, and we moved from the back of the complex up to the very front. It was good to have the extra room!

We made new friends, and started attending a new church...one that was JUST around the corner from us. One of our new neighbors went there, and the Protestant lay-leader from the ship (and his lovely wife) also went to our new church home. This was a new experience for us... New Community was definitely NOT your normal, traditional church. The church was pretty new, many of the members were affiliated with the Navy, and the worship leader was a rocker. It was a learning/growning experience.

Jason got back from deployment in August, 2002, and less than a year later he got off the ship, on his way Independent Duty in Helena, Montana. Before we left Texas, Jason had to go to school in New Orleans for several weeks, while I was getting the house, the kids and I ready for the move. At this point, I was about 4 months pregnant with baby #6....and there was some concern, because my PAP smear had come back as abnormal...but nothing could be done about it until after the baby was born.

The movers arrived on July 29th, and I sat and watched them pack everything, and then cleaned the house the day after everything was loaded on the truck. Jason got back from New Orleans, we spent the night with some friends, and left, headed to our next adventure in Montana.

Our last stop, before leaving town, was the gas station...where I remember remarking how expensive gas was getting....it was $1.45/gallon.

The first leg of our journey was all in Texas. We were in deep southern Texas, and had some friends living in the panhandle of Texas where we were supposed to be spending our first night. The trip from Portland, TX to their home was 14 hours. We were driving two cars, and were already exhausted. Sometime around 2:00 in the morning, we found a gas station parking lot, and slept for a couple of hours. We woke up and drove the rest of the way, arriving at our friends' house in the early afternoon. It was good to see them, and see how much their children had grown. We spent the night with them, and took off early the next morning.

The next day's travels took us from Texas, through a piece of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado, and into Wyoming. That leg of the journey was pretty uneventful. We spent that night in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The third day, we left Cheyenne, and were planning to get into Helena, MT that night. We were making pretty good time when one of the little ones had to take a restroom break. We tried to find an exit with a gas station, but there were none to be found. Finally, we got off and stopped on the side of the road, by a field. After taking care of business, we tried to get back on the road, but had two problems. First, my station wagon wouldn't go back into gear, and then his Mercury Tracer wouldn't start. His problem was easily fixed...a half bottle of Coke over the battery connections, and he was running again. My car problem was a bit more involved...it seems the transmission had died, and we were STUCK.

Drawing my week to a close

Yesterday, as I mentioned before, was supposed to be a busy day. MOST of the to-do list was accomplished in the time frame in which it was supposed to happen. Driving was a bit tricky with my stiff neck, but I got where I needed to be, and back. There was only one thing I didn't accomplish...and I did THAT today...at least my neck is feeling better. Thank you for your kind words about that!

On the brighter side, I GOT A RAISE!! It is only one more cent per line than I was making before, but that makes a pretty big difference in my $$$ per week!

Tonight is the pool party for the Marching Band...the mother who organized it has invited our whole family...still haven't decided if we're all going...I have a LOT of work to do before then.

Next week I have my first physical therapy appointment for my arm....hopefully we can get something accompished...I'm TIRED of how much my arms hurt all the time.

Next week is also the first week of band camp. I will have to leave the house to drive my eldest daughter across town every morning by 7:15 am. Do you know how long it's been since I did that?!?!? Forever, and ever....and this is going to be going on for TWO WHOLE WEEKS. I don't know what I'm going to do without my right arm for two weeks!

And now...some scenes from my week...

A tooth is lost (she got $0.50 for it)

Good mommy...got a picture of it (proof for the tooth fairy!!) before she really lost it....somewhere in the sofa, I suspect.

Lego creations

rather involved lego creations

a lazy cat

with a crazy eye

cute kid feet

I hope you had a good week, too!

Thursday Thirteen #31: Randomness

Thirteen Things about Random things about today. 1. I woke up with a stiff neck, which is NOT something I needed to deal with today. 2. My husband is off work today and tomorrow, attending the Leadership Summit. 3. My eldest daughter has another sectional practice today with the rest of the flutes/piccolos from her marching band. 4. I need to deliver her to said sectional at 12:00. 5. I am picking up lunch for the people from our church who are attending above Leadership Summit. 6. I need to have that lunch at the church before their lunch starts at 1:30. 7. I need to work today. 8. I am researching postgraduate schools for my husband. 9. I need to get my kids motivated...the house needs to be picked up, the dishes done, and laundry folded and put away. 10. I have one daughter who will be spending a lot of time with her mom for the next week or so. 12. I need to take books/movies/CDs back to the library today. 13. I have a stiff neck...did I mention that? It HURTS. BAD me for staying up finishing my book last night. Now I need to go get under the HOT shower, and see if that will loosen it up a little, because I haev a ton of stuff to do today, and cannot afford a this....

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday: From my front door

Go join in the fun at 5 Minutes for Mom.