First full week of school... YEAH!! 

Having a teenager...
- is like looking at a new person everyday
- is wishing you never, ever complained about having a toddler
- makes you re-examine every rule
- is frickin' hard on your brain and your heart
- gives you moments of flashbacks to your teen years
- makes you realize your parents may have been, sometimes right
- is wonderful, yet not
- takes away some of the parental freedom you have earned



Having TWO teenagers...

may put me in a straight jacked, in a padded room, rocking back and forth while humming "rock-a-bye baby"

As posted by Elle, who was told by BigDubb... yesterday was Nekkid Thursday. Luckily I read the full post that asked to take a picture of hands, cause it could have gotten scarry! I have a great shot of my husbands ass... maybe next week!

I know your lives are so busy (like mine isn't) and you have so much on your plates (I do nothing all day) and you are both so stressed (with ONE child)... and that all the millions of things you deal with (can you hear the violins playing?) just overwhelms you both. But it would be nice if you remembered my kids birthdays (at least every-other year) and get them (at the very least) a freakin' card.

Purple Flower 

What do you see? I see a bear with smoke coming out of it's mouth. 

It is very quiet in my house. All are gone. It is guys week in the Dells and I have been left with just the cat. The counters have stayed clean, the laundry is done, the TV has not been turned on so that neighbors down the block can hear it. No bikes to trip over, no toys to step on. I can pee with the door open, eat where and when I want and come and go with no ohter schedules to attend to. There are not ten million kids coming and going... and eating all my food. The phone is not ringing every minute and when it does, it's actually for me.

This is not something I wish for all the time, but it is sure nice to have a taste of. I miss my kids and my husband, but a break was definately needed. In my own house, with my own stuff... alone.

On the menu... 

Jen asked her readers, "Who are you?"

I am a mom of 4 boys, all of whom came from the same genes but are very different. They are wonderful, cute and independent... they make me laugh and cry... one still cuddles, one does not, one is goofy, one is serious. They all look alike on the outside, but are not at all alike on the inside.

I am a friend... I am a great friend. Sometimes this is hard for me because I don't prioritize this area of my life very well. Notice I started with mom, then went to friend. My friends get a lot of me... sometimes too much. My mother said I always "fed the hungry", and she did not mean with food. With support, with time, with trust. It's not a bad thing, it just takes the "food" away from myself and my family. I am learning... I am trying.

I am a wife to a husband who I truly believes loves me with everything he has. No matter what scraps I may throw him. We have known eachother since the age of 13. More than half out lives.

I am a daughter and a sister. Family is important. Togetherness is important. Spending time is important.

I am a Doula. Supporting women through what can be the most terrifying time of their lives. Seeing the crowning of a babies head, watching the shoulder ease its way out, and then the rest of the body... the little tush... my favorite part. Hearing the first cries... makes me want to have another. But no, that chapter is closed.

I am a do-er. I like to do it myself, my way. I stress. It think. I prioritize. I manage. I volunteer.

I am me. Mostly I am not sure who that is. Mostly because it changes. Mostly because as my kids grow from newborns to teens my roles change. My feelings change. My life changes. My interests change. Sometimes I am funny... mostly I am serious. Tears do not come easily to me even when I am sad. Hugs are precious from me, because I do not show affection easily. People think I am forward, but I keep a lot bottled inside. I like to observe and take in. It takes a lot for me to be on the dance floor... if you see it, you are seeing a rare moment.

Seems like a simple question, "Who are you?"... But not so simple. I challenge you to answer the question... TAG, You're it!

The reunion DVD's are finished... weekend pictures are added, copies are made, labels and cases are finished and all will be in the mail tomorrow. I made 20 copies, so far only 6 have been ordered... so I think I made enough. As much as I like the final product, these are a pain in the ass. I am sure I have the lowest quality programs... I use Movie Maker to "produce" them and then have to transfer it to Sonic MyDVD in order to get it onto DVD. Neither program ever works the first time... always have to do it twice. Part of the problem could be that I am a bit anal... but we will blame it on the programs, right?!?
Now I am thinking of posting the photos used and not used on flickr... anyone use it? Does it take forever to upload pictures? Can people save the pictures to their computers? I will try it out tomorrow... Shit, I did say I was DONE... guess not!

Got mud? 

Bright light 

Ever wish people would take an interest in something that is important to you even though it is not important to them?