Once a month....I post

Okay---so I have been horrible at posting---this new thing called FACEBOOK---has really distracted me. However, I have also been overwehlmed with both positive and negative things in my life. I will begin with the positives:
My Father retired last Friday. Now this may not be a big thing to some people, but my Dad has worked for Dupont since before I was born. THAT'S A LONG TIME! We (mainly Jared, my Mom, Samantha, and some of my Dad's co-workers) managed to pull off a surprise retirement party last Saturday. It was an fabulous experience. I have always loved my Father and been proud of him, but as I saw people that came in from all over the United States (California, Nevada, Montana, New York, Illinois, Tennesee, Florida, Arkansas,--you get the point) just to be there, it was amazing. They honored my Dad with different people telling about their experiences with him. I don't mean to gloat, but I felt so blessed and honored to be his child. The things people said about him were amazing to me. I think sometimes we fail to see how incredible people we love are, as we are used to them and take them for granted. It made me love my Father more than ever.
My sister mentioned something in her blog, and I have thought about mentioning it, but didn't know quite where to start--so Denae---YES I am copying you...sort of, and discussing MY feelings about the current family situation. As many of you are aware, I have a sibling who is going through a very unexpected divorce. We have all sat in a state of shock as we have watched someone we have known and loved make choices that seem so contrary to the person we knew. I shed many tears for my sibling--it's hard to see someone you love hurt and not be able to take away the pain. However, I also shed tears for me...for I lost a family member. Someone who shared the joys, and pains with my family for many years...someone who held a place in my heart. I guess what it all comes down to is the same thing I said in a previous blog---No man is an Island. We are all parts of one another's lives and if we choose to do something, whether it be get a divorce, make poor choices, or whatever else...others are affected. In this case...I am one of those people and it has really helped me to RE-evaluate those things that I desire in my life. When we betray our spouse, because we want to play, experience life or whatever else...we betray far more than one individual. I don't ever want to cause anyone the kind of pain I have seen and am hoping that I can live my life more in accordance with seeking the desires of my heart and never with my desires of one moment.
Okay...not sure if that made the sense it did in my head... !

Random tag!

Got Tagged!Here are the Rules Once Tagged:
I was tagged back in November---a bit late---took me forever to think of truly/rare random things- but here goes!
1) Link to the person who tagged you: Cara
!2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-5).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
5) Let them know they are tagged and leave a comment so they know when your post is up.

1. I love vacuums, pjs and beauty products---not necessarily in that order---but somehow I end up collecting them all---YES even vacuums---I love to buy vacuums ---my sister likes them too, and my brother loves to vacuum when he's stressed---so I am not sure why this obsession exists in my family---but friends it does! As far as PJ's ---always buy them for my girls---can't help myself. Beauty products---I don't know I guess I am just always curious to see what the newest lip or hair product can do.

2. As a child I would vomit when I ran---Yes this is a rare gem of information. I didn't mind running, but I would have a lump in my throat and there you have it. This was a bit of a disadvantage as I loved to run and even hoped to play soccer---but let's face as great as I would have been as a secret weapon---I avoided the field and to this day am fairly horrible at soccer. Sigh....

3. All my siblings, and even my parents were all born in the same town in California. Good ol' Hayward. Seeing as I did move around quite a bit the rest of my life---it seems inconceivable that all five kids were born at Kaiser in Hayward---it did happen. My family had a long history in Hayward---even my grandpa's (my mom's dad and dad's dad) walked home from Jr. High together...

4. I have always had a desire to go back to school for some random jobs or even just do a few different ones that don't require an education---and here are a few: hair stylist, esthetician, Marriage and Family Therapist, Accountant, aerobic instructor (that one is a ways off), financial planner, interior decorator for now that is all I can think of, but I am always coming up with more jobs I would love to do before I die---I had to try out waiting tables for this very reason---it was a nogo---liked the money and the people at the tables---not the environment.

5. I love to decorate my house and would LOVE to help others---I guess that this is a take off of the previous one---my house is currently not up to my desired standard---but I love to redo rooms. I love to get new ideas and wish I had a magic helper to paint and put up pictures as I like (My husband does the job on occasion---but he does have a regular job)---it is the creative side of me.

6. I have an addictive personality---no, no, this is not some kind of confession, it is just the way I am. I get quickly addicted to things and am very grateful I don't drink or smoke as I would struggle forever to quit. For some reason that is just my temperment...

And there you have it...I am going to break the cycle and not pass this on as I know so many of you have done it before, but there you have it---my random quirks!

Updating

Okay...so this blog will be a MYRIAD of things afterall it has been like a month..where does one start?
Holidays...they were okay...with family stress it tends to take the relaxation out of it, however it happened and we all survived, and I think the kids had a good one. We did lots of extra fun things like lights at the zoo (nevermind we spent 90% of the time in the BuildaBear with the kids...I'll post pics later--it's funny!), watched lots of Christmas shows, did Breakfast with Santa, made a gingerbread house, etc. I think we did our parental responsibility of "making it fun", and even managed to have some fun ourselves---can you believe it?
Latest quotes from Alyssa...

• She put on a pair of overalls....and comes out saying, "Hey Mom, I am a farm!"
• One night she was sitting and looking at me..."Do you like looking at mommy?--
  "Yes. " "Why?", to which she responded, "Because I love you." MELT MY HEART!
• The other day my mom asked her to turn out the light in the bathroom, to which she responded..."IT'S NOT EASY!"
• And my favorite---Alyssa doesn't sleep well in her own bed---so when she does she gets a treat. One morning, I was having a chocolate to which she responded.."Mom you weep (sleep) in your own bed." "Why yes Alyssa I did!"

She is my clown all the time. It's hard to keep her in line cuz she makes me laugh so much.

Well I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas and have WONDERFUL New YEAR! Loves to ALL!

Proud AUNT!

And the baby is here! My sister had a baby girl yesterday morning at 3:40---Lotus Dawn Katzoff! She is beautiful! She brought all the joy we hoped and knew she would to our family. She is so sweet and it was fun to see my girls loving her so much already. Alyssa couldn't stand not being able to constantly hold her. We had to laugh on the way home as we asked everyone what their favorite thing about the new baby was...Victoria and Jason loved her cry, I loved her long feet, but Alyssa---she loved the bow on her head! Leave it to Alyssa for a laugh. She was 7 pounds 11 ounces and 19 3/4 inches (I think..). Denae was a trooper and had an accidental naural birth---labor started at home at 2:30 AM and baby barely at the hospital at 3:40! WOW---We are all so thrilled. Here are a few pics of the girls with her last night!

Late list!

Okay...so I am feeling a bit negative and a bit like Eeyore ---whiney, negative and complainy *my own word*---hence I haven't been writing. I will keep it to myself as to the many reasons why...but I guess you could say I have been in a funk. It's been a challenge to understand a number of the things that have happened in my life over the last year---but I guess what it all comes down to is that "no man is an island". I think one of the most crazy ironic statements one can make is "It's my life." Every thing we do affects others for good or bad. Okay...so this may be a myriad of thoughts. Despite all the drama lately, I am truly grateful for a lot of the little things. I have probably spent more time being grateful this Thanksgiving than a lot of other ones...grateful for random things...things outside "the givens"
So here goes my random list:

• Electricity in the basement! YEE HAA! Loving my new laundry room light!
• Employment---need I say more
• A good class of kids at my work---I love these little ones!
• A decent hair cut---it's not perfect---but it sure beats some of the 80's do's!
• A new niece or nephew in a week or so
• A warm halloween and Thanksgiving--it was great!
• Blogging-it gives me an opportunity to think about my life and keep in touch with people I have lost!

Allright it was short and sweet, but it had to be before I mentioned the "givens"---SOOO what are you grateful for beside the givens?

I am a FRIEK!

Okay...so WHY would I say such a thing about myself--well the truth is that it is time that I acknowledge my strange gift. We all have been given strange gifts some that we are born aware of and others that we come to accept, love, and deal with. SOOO...what is it I am getting at...? Well as some of my long time friends have discovered I have an unbelievable LONG term memory. My short term memory sucks rocks! I could hardly tell you what I did yesterday (I have been told that is due to Long term use of meds for my OCD--but justify it as I may...I think I am just stupid sometimes...NE WAYS---I digress), however I can tell you stories that often you won't remember and many I would like to forget. Okay...so that is dealable right? It goes a bit further, I have anability to recognize people I hardly knew, after having not seem them for long amounts of time. This wasn't such an issue when I lived in North Carolina, afterall how often did I really run into people on the streets that I went to college with or high school, but having returned to St. Louis I have opened a huge can of worms. Here's the latest story:
So Friday I am at my work picking up Alyssa from school, a girl walks by the doorway as I am standing in the room, I recognize her without a moment's hesitation and say "Hey Jessica"---She is walking by so she returns...she looks at me, I say "Jessica---Melanie Silva"---Now she is frieked out---and we talk blah blah blah. This was not a close friend, or anything, just someone I chatted with at times. It had been sixteen years since I saw her and undoubtedly we BOTH look different, yet my mind recognizes her. The worst part is I cannot tell you the number of times I have done this and it is like I cannot control myself---we all know I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut---but this is like some friekish, tourette's syndrome thing---I know you, I see you, I must yell your name whether you know or remember me or not. SO there you have it...it has created some pretty interesting moments (especially on a number of occassions when the person has no clue who I am and how the heck I know them (until of course I use my gift to tell them exactly where we knew eachother from) and then they feel sheepish if they have no clue. Oh well...what are your unique gifts? Spill the beans friends!

Mouths of Babes

SOO it's been a while...things have been unbelievably busy---I will leave it at that. I have to brag about my girls for a minute---I hope THAT is allowed on blogging. They are my joy in life. They make me laugh and the following are a few stories on why!

• Torie (7) and I had a discussion on how it probably wasn't best to tell people on the phone I was in the shower or bathroom, and so if she could just tell them I was in "dispose" (after the following scenario, I would MUCH prefer she just told them where I was). As life would have it, I was in the potty and the phone rang and of course Victoria answered, much to my gratitude or so I thought. As I emerged from the bathroom Victoria said, "Mom, I answered the phone, but don't worry I told them you were Exposed"---In shock, I said "What did you tell them"--to which she repeated "exposed"---I broke into laughter and was greatful that she could bring such a good laugh to a friend! When Victoria actually realized the word she accidently used she was horrified---which made it funnier.
• Alyssa (3) did the child like thing to do and farted in the car---Victoria was appalled (while Alyssa giggled her heart out) and said "Alyssa--that is gross--it's not funny." To which Alyssa happily replied--"It's funny to me."
• Torie recently went to the ward chili cook off---when she was talking about it the next day she said, "You know mom, last night at the hot chili stand off."---It painted quite an interesting picture!
• Alyssa was outside watering plants with my mom...my mother told her that the plants were saying "thank you" to her for giving them water...my mom then sees Alyssa watering the plants and saying "your welcome, your welcome."
• Alyssa was helping me fold laundry tonight and was doing quite an amazing job of folding wash cloths---I expressed my gratitude to her for doing such a great job and gave her a hug, after each wash cloth she reached out for more recognition and another hug---to which I said, "you really love mommy to hug you don't you," Her response was, "yes and I like it when you call me the "bomb"---
• Torie loves to play soccer, however we have had a lot of laughs as she would literally skip to get to the soccer ball. I once stated, why does she want to play soccer when she is dancing on the field. We also enjoyed as she would run after the ball, and next to it, but rarely kick it.
• Lastly, Alyssa was a Poodle for Halloween---however no matter how hard she tried to pronounce it --it came out "piddel"---when people would ask what she was going to be for halloween---she would say "piddel" and people would say..."A pillow"---and I would explain a Poodle. It became a joke at work as none of the teachers could understand her and would laugh when the heard it...she got tired of saying it and a wee bit embarassed so she would just say "I don't know." I suggested she say a puppy---but she had other plans...when people would ask her then, she would say "A piddel" - get on all fours and run around like a dog. She figured if they couldn't understand her ---she would FIND a way to get the message across!

And there my friends is a little insight into my world of laughter. They make me laugh and bring a ray of sunshine into my life. EVERY DAY! I can't say enough how much I love my little girls!