tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67350298520237537402024-03-13T06:05:00.913-04:00the trials and tribulations of being a working stay-at-home mom *smile*kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-2734455377598902392012-10-22T20:18:00.000-04:002012-10-22T20:18:07.371-04:00Already?I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged. I blog all the time in my head, but finding the time to type it out is hard to do.<br />
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We're all moved, but not completely unpacked. We'd lived in our old house for 8 years and still weren't completely unpacked. We've been here a little over a year, and I still have stuff in storage at our rental property. Some would say that if I haven't used it in over a year that I really don't need it, but I beg to differ :)<br />
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The kids are huge now as well. And we've transitioned from Mommy doing baths to them taking showers on their own. Alexander likes to shower downstairs in Daddy's bathroom and use his Irish Spring, which is terrible for his eczema. He's also been using Daddy's Axe shampoo so that the girls will find him irresistible. Really? Already? Good Lord! He's only 6! I am SO not ready for this!kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-27441704929328976932011-07-15T00:58:00.003-04:002011-07-15T01:11:36.226-04:00freaking out a bitso everything's moving on at a jolly good pace, which is totally freaking me out!<br /><br />i just went online & downloaded the school calendar for 2011-12 & realized that christopher's first day of school is august 15th & the kids start on august 22nd. our buyer wants to close on august 24th. that means that we need to move the weekend of august 13th at the latest! ideally, i'd like to move the weekend of august 6th so that we have 2 full weeks of sleeping in the new house before school starts so that the kids can start to get acclimated before we totally change their world again. and somewhere in there we'll have both kindergarten orientation and pre-k orientation. <br /><br />but thankfully i have amazing kids. the other day, the kids and i painted their rooms. at the time i thought i was crazy for having them help with the painting, but it actually turned out really nicely. chris had found little rollers & paint trays for them, so they actually got to paint their own rooms. we had gone to home depot the day before and picked paint colors, which totally thrilled them, and they did an awesome job painting. so their rooms are done. barbara & chuck are supposed to come in this weekend to finish clearing out the house & then we'll be able to paint our room, the dining room & living room; rip out the carpet & have it replaced; buy a new refrigerator; and replace the bathroom sink. all in 3 weeks. the painting and carpeting NEED to be done before we move in. the existing carpet has been there since they bought the house in the 50's. seriously. it needs to go. every time barbara vacuums, she's vacuuming up the remnants of the padding through the carpet. i was really trying to convince christopher to go with the hardwood, but i had to be a gracious loser in that battle. oh well. i won the battle of the paint color for our bedroom, so :)<br /><br />and i haven't even started packing what's left in the house. pretty much everything that we don't need is already in the new house or stored in the duplex. what's left is really just the bare necessities. i really think it's harder to move across town than across the country. it doesn't feel like you need to actually pack to move down the street. and we've been doing it so piecemeal that it's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that we need to get everything else ready to go. but i can't pack the toaster, cuz we still eat toast for breakfast. i guess i could pack my cardigans, sweatshirts & sweaters. i probably won't need those for a bit :) but the kids clothes are done. i actually need to get out what i packed away from the spring to see what we need for school. crap! another thing to add to my to do list :( and i wonder why i'm not sleeping & eating way too much chocolate :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-24038692678859493952011-07-10T18:52:00.003-04:002011-07-10T19:00:10.533-04:00another day, another bath in paint thinnerso it has begun. we got an offer on our house, so we are officially moving. well, assuming that nothing goes wrong & we all know what happens when we assume...<br /><br />but we are stepping out on faith, as my mother would say, that all will be well and the deal will go through. so we are busy getting the other house ready. it hadn't been painted in literally 50-60 years, although the bathroom was repainted by my husband about 3 years ago, and one bedroom had been re-painted in the 80's. so christopher & i spent the last 2.5 days scrubbing walls, chipping paint & primering with oil-based primer/sealer. the fun thing about oil-based paints vs latex paints is that oil-based CANNOT be removed with simple soap and water. hence my daily bath in paint thinner. oh joy! i can only imagine what my daily paint thinner facials have been doing to my skin :)<br /><br />but i'm totally excited that we're finally moving forward! there's SO much work to be done before we can even think about moving stuff into the house. and most of the stuff that we don't need right now is already in storage at the duplex or the new house. thankfully, chris & i agree on most of the immediately necessary changes to the house. we've compromised on the carpeting, but now we need to agree on paint colors. that should be fun :)<br /><br />as we were scrubbing the walls of what will be alexander's room with bleach, i was kicking myself for not taking pics so that i could do a before and after, but c'est la vie... by the time we're done working each day, i'm so tired all i really want to do is take a shower and sit on the couch with my hand down my pants a la ted bundy :) at least all of this work is just physically exhausting. by the time we move, i should have fabulous, ripped arms. whoo hoo! :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-3834904518653536302011-06-23T00:55:00.003-04:002011-06-23T01:06:42.195-04:00how to tell if you're too drunk to paintwell, in my defense, i only had one twisted tea. but it was "light" and it had artificial sweetener in it, so i didn't really like it, so i drank it pretty fast. it made the daily show & the colbert report really pretty funny :)<br /><br />but when i went downstairs, i saw that the floor that i'd just primered was 99.4% dry, so i decided to go ahead & apply the final coat of grey paint. i didn't feel inebriated. just nice and happy. and i had music that i knew all the words to, so how could it be bad? :) plus, if i hadn't finished the floor, i wouldn't have opened the door to the garage & realized that the garage door was open. that would have sucked.<br /><br />clue #1: my early edging wasn't the best. but i corrected that on the 2nd wall. unfortunately, now there's grey paint on the white walls in a couple of spots. but it's just at the bottom.<br />clue #2: my jazz scatting was really good & flowed really naturally.<br />clue #3: i couldn't remember where i'd put the lid to the paint. i found it eventually, but...<br />clue #4: i almost painted myself into a small circle on the floor. it was close, but thankfully i realized my mistake before i completed the 4th side of the circle.<br />clue #5: circles don't have sides :)<br />clue #6: i stepped on the lid. luckily that was at the end & any footprints will dry the same color as the floor. thankfully i realized it before i stepped on anything that SHOULDN'T be grey, like our beige carpet. :)<br /><br />i was really amazed at how much easier painting was after a nice adult beverage. and i'm proud of myself for finishing the project. i just started celebrating a little early :) hopefully christopher will notice the finish & not the mistakes :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-82841154619328631122011-06-03T16:52:00.002-04:002011-06-03T22:05:10.352-04:00mouth feeli'm starving. really really starving. and it's totally self inflicted. i'm hungry but i don't want to eat becuz none of the things i'm *allowed* to eat right now make my brain happy. i need something with a good mouth feel. something that my teeth can sink into. <br /><br />right now i'm doing a "carb detox" as part of a dietary change. it's supposed to kick-start everything by letting my body know that we're going to be doing something different. it's really not that bad, cuz you can eat a lot of food. it's just that the only fruit you can eat are either oranges or grapefruit, and you can only have 2 slices of bread: one for your mid-morning snack with either margarine (i've been using butter, but shhh!), hummus or peanut butter; and one with dinner, plain. there's also this really yummy chocolate protein powder for lunch and breakfast that really helps. but the snacks are all either almonds (for which i substitute soy nuts) or veggies. i need something that feels good in my mouth.<br /><br />i did break down yesterday afternoon and have 2 pieces of Hershey's cookies & creme. i just relished the chocolate melting in my mouth. but yesterday was day 2. i really wanted today, day 3, to be as close to perfect as i could. but cauliflower just kinda crumbles in your mouth. and soy nuts leave little chunks in your teeth. and neither of them have the delicious aftertaste of fudge. or cake. or even just plain bread. with butter.<br /><br />but i have a good friend who needs my help. she wants to run the Chicago marathon & needs to drop some serious weight. and she needed her friends to do it with her so we can be a support group of sorts. and if it means that i can get rid of my muffintop, then all the better :) and you can do ANYTHING for 3 days. this too shall pass :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-31360994906505381552011-05-02T12:21:00.003-04:002011-05-02T12:47:05.933-04:00the many ways in which i am a terrible mother...i sing opera. i have multiple degrees in vocal performance. but right now my *full-time job* is MOM. hunh.<br /><br />right now i'm doing a show, and i just kinda let my home life go to hell in a handbasket :). for example:<br /><ul><li>alexander completely ran out of underwear</li><li>we haven't had any bread for almost a week (cuz i haven't had time to make any)</li><li>the laundry was literally overflowing</li><li>there are absolutely no left-overs in the fridge</li><li>becuz there's no left-overs & no bread, i had to give isabelle pb&j on rosemary olive oil triscuits</li><li>i took a 4 hour nap after church yesterday, completely neglecting the bread and laundry that were totally calling to me<br /></li></ul>instead of taking care of my family, i made a ton of new jewelry, which i sold to the girls in the opera chorus. making jewelry is a lot more fun (and pays a whole lot better than doing laundry *smile*), but i feel terrible that i let things get so far behind. i don't remember tech week being so grueling and exhausting. i literally couldn't do another thing yesterday when i got home after church (after buying beads for stuff i need to make for tomorrow night *smile*). i made it as far as the couch in the living room and then just collapsed. i even made isabelle find a couch pillow for me, cuz i couldn't make myself get up and find it for myself :)<br /><br />a large portion of my exhaustion is, of course, my fault. every night i'd come home from rehearsal & make more jewelry for the girls in the dressing room. at this rate, i will totally be able to finance my trip to boston with the kids this summer (which has yet to be *approved*). but, seriously, what's a girl to do when we've got to sit in a dressing room for 2.5 hours waiting to go onstage? shopping is definitely the way to go, and i'm glad that i gave the girls an opportunity to spend some of the money we made sitting around for hours :)<br /><br />so today is all about makeup work. i had 3 loads of laundry that needed to be folded, and i did 2 additional loads last night, 3 loads already today with one more to go. the bread is in its first resting/rising period. and i've got all the beads i need to make more beautiful jewelry for the girls at opera tomorrow night. :)<br /><br />of course, the opera is totally worth it. i'm doing <a href="http://www.pittsburghopera.org/">Dialogues of the Carmelites with Pittsburgh Opera</a>, and even though we literally have 10 minutes of music to sing, and most of that doesn't even have words, it's a totally fabulous show. all of the leads are amazing, and pretty much the whole audience leaves crying every night. nice! :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-12941392389992534762011-04-17T15:13:00.003-04:002011-04-17T15:34:25.183-04:00Parenting 101?i was truly blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom. true, at times, it's driven me a little crazy, or at least made my craziness more apparent, but i'm grateful that i've been able to avoid serious daycare with my 2 little ones. but when my husband & i decided to have kids, we were both old & definitely wanted them. there were no *accidents*. although, by the time you're in your mid-30's there really shouldn't be any *oopsies* anyway :). <br /><br />but it really gets my goat when i read another news story about seriously irresponsible parenting. i just read an article today that makes my heart sick. a mom (34 years old, so she should totally have known better!) left her toddler to drown in the tub while she played on facebook. really? drowning isn't a quiet way to go, so didn't she hear him thrashing? or was she that far away?<br /><br />and the one that really gets my goat is the one about the parents who walled their naked kids into a room so they could get blitzed on whatever. seriously? they should just be taken out back and shot!<br /><br />now, don't get me wrong, i'm not a perfect mom. i'm not expecting any medals. i've done my share of letting the tv watch the kids so i can pee/bathe/eat/cook/check my email/blog etc... but i still forget to shut the door when i'm in the bathroom cuz it's just gonna open again. i'm finally able to shower without a little head poking through the shower curtain. parenting isn't easy, but it's not supposed to be. if it is, you're doing something wrong!kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-19588000915926718212011-03-17T13:15:00.004-04:002011-03-17T13:34:40.468-04:00buying secondhandi noticed recently that all of the knees in alexander's jeans have holes in them. in fact, i sent him to school one day in jeans that were perfectly fine, and when he came home there was a huge hole in 1 knee and a small one in the other. craptastic! now, i shop pretty much exclusively at children's place. not becuz i love their clothes, which i do, but becuz i have a credit card for them & the bill goes to my mom (thanks, nana!). but i'd already gone shopping there this month cuz isabelle's on a dress & skirt kick. all of a sudden, she's a totally girly-girl. headbands & skirts with tights every day. and even though my mom would be cool, i didn't want to do that again. especially since spring is coming (someday!) and i need to go through the totes of stuff i packed up from last year to see what still fits & what needs to be replaced.<br /><br />so we decided to go to goodwill. i could have gone to kmart, but their quality isn't the best. and i couldn't find the once upon a child in the north hills. i really wanted to go to old navy, but their prices are outrageous unless you catch them on sale. and at goodwill i found a great selection of jeans in his size that are heavier than what i would have found at either old navy or children's place for a fraction of the price. and honestly, in this economy you've got to watch your pennies. i spent as much for 5 pairs of jeans at goodwill as i would have for 2 at old navy or children's place. plus, they had an organ (unplugged, thankfully) that the kids sat and played on while i shopped. i definitely wouldn't have found that elsewhere :)<br /><br />for some reason, shopping at once upon a child doesn't seem like secondhand. i think it's becuz they're so picky about what they'll accept, while at goodwill you still hafta check. but if i'm looking for special occasion clothes, once upon a child is my first thought. 2 years ago i found this beautiful deep plum velvet dress for isabelle that still had the tags on. originally it was $50 and i got it for $10! of course, they wouldn't take it back once isabelle'd outgrown it when i included it in the piles of stuff i was trying to sell back. oh well. we got awesome Christmas photos that year :)<br /><br />for myself, my favorite place to shop is my church's rummage sale. i always help with the sorting so i get to shop early. and there's a couple of older ladies with impeccable taste that are tall, so their trousers fit me well :) a couple of years ago i got a black pin striped pants suit for $3! talk about a bargain! :) but i can't always count on the rummage sale for the kids. <br /><br />when i was a kid, i hated shopping at goodwill. hopefully, my kids won't be as snobby as i was & will just take it in stride. :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-83041629896751543682011-03-11T10:25:00.000-05:002011-03-10T23:47:17.143-05:00you can't unlearn the knowledge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K1d7_LGW_04/TXmo9ulx0tI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/ojzuxVcbgpE/s1600/dr%2Bseuss.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K1d7_LGW_04/TXmo9ulx0tI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/ojzuxVcbgpE/s200/dr%2Bseuss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582678991534412498" border="0" /></a><br />this week at my son's school they've been celebrating dr. seuss and they've invited parents to come into the class as guest readers to read their favorite dr. seuss story. well, i couldn't pass up a performance opportunity, so i went in to read "green eggs and ham" which happens to be my favorite. but i was talking about it with a client at work and one of the other clients chimes in that i don't really know who dr. seuss is and once i find out the truth about the man i won't be celebrating him anymore. now, this piques my curiosity, and thus my downfall.<br /><br />i'm one that MUST KNOW. i question everything. it drives my husband mad! but my brain is unsettled if i don't know why everything. but in this case, that's really unfortunate. several years ago i was watching an episode of oprah and she was talking about <a href="https://www.meganslaw.com/">Megan's Law</a> which requires the police to make available to the public a list of sex offenders and where they live. so, of course, i HAD TO KNOW, so i promptly went to the site and found out that we do indeed have a sex offender living on my street. now what? i haven't been back to check, but i'm pretty sure he was an adult rapist, and not a pedophile or child molester, so from a mom standpoint i'm relieved. but it's still unsettling to know that there's a registered sex offender living within walking distance of my house. i know he's done his time, but there's a reason they make them get registered. and now i'm stuck with this knowledge that i cannot erase from my brain. if only i had one of those flashy-thingies from men in black!<br /><br />so do i want to do the research to find out if dr. seuss is a racist prick? not really, becuz then every time i read one of my kids favorite stories i'd be thinking about it. but it brings up another question: does it matter? according to the other client, his character the cat in the hat is based on a lazy, shiftless black man. ok. does that mean he thought all black people are lazy & shiftless? i don't know. do i know some lazy, shiftless people of all races? sure! but is that how i label all people of a particular race? no. but do i really want to open this pandora's box and ruin the simple enjoyment of good stories? some of his stories are incredibly political, at least the cartoon versions. so i definitely think he had more to say than simple entertainment. but is it wrong of me to want to just enjoy his stories without delving too deeply into the how's and why's of his creative process? part of me REALLY wants to know. but once you know, it's there forever. that sucks.kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-5072602466111668582011-03-09T13:45:00.003-05:002011-03-09T13:47:39.216-05:00welcome to Lent :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uFsnJNw7BSg/TXfLHYHksiI/AAAAAAAAA0I/IkX4jCxH4gI/s1600/no%2Bsmoking.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 162px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uFsnJNw7BSg/TXfLHYHksiI/AAAAAAAAA0I/IkX4jCxH4gI/s200/no%2Bsmoking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582153590742757922" border="0" /></a>so today's the first day of Lent -- traditionally a time of deprivation. but a thought came to me today. does it hafta be? i mean, i usually struggle with what i'm going to give up for the 40 days of Lent. it really shouldn't be something you shouldn't be doing anyway, like drugs or watching porn. but what's the point of giving up something like chocolate or coffee that you're just going to pick up again on Easter? can't we give up something that will make our lives better?<br /><br />this year i really want to give up unhappiness. why not? i'm tired of being depressed. i'd really like to figure out what it is my brain needs for lasting happiness. i'd really like to spend the rest of my life doing what i enjoy and being happy doing it, instead of suffering and slogging through my days. wouldn't that be awesome? i don't think God would have a problem with it :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-61649045952240853142011-02-23T11:54:00.004-05:002011-02-23T13:12:04.340-05:00our government is run by idiots!it just boggles my mind that we keep electing these stupid people into office who have the power to ruin so many lives. i don't usually blog about politics, but this time i <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hafta</span> make an exception.<br /><br />i keep hearing about how there's a bill that's being considered that will take away funding for crucial things like <a href="https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pp_ppol_ws_I_Stand_with_PP&s_src=TitleXPPOLAlert">Planned Parenthood</a>. clearly congress & the senate are full of men & women who've never been down on their luck, without medical insurance & in need of good <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">gynecological</span> care at an affordable cost. now, don't get me wrong, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">i'm</span> totally pro-life, but i don't feel that i have the right to tell you what you should do with your body. i couldn't imagine what kind of circumstance would compel me to have an abortion, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">i'll</span> do everything in my power to talk you out of it, but it's YOUR choice. i won't drive you to the clinic, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">i'll</span> be there for you afterward. but Planned Parenthood does SO MUCH MORE than just abortions! in fact, the 2 clinics <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">i've</span> been to don't do them AT ALL! what i loved about them is that they had a sliding scale. i had a job, but i didn't have insurance, so i couldn't afford to go to a *real* ob/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">gyn</span> but i still needed to have my annual exam & get my birth control pills.<br /><br />now <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">i'm</span> reading that they're thinking about passing a bill for <a href="http://www.addictinginfo.org/?p=1625">birth control for wild horses</a>. WHAT?!? i was sure that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">i'd</span> read the post wrong, but, alas, i hadn't. i don't understand why horses are more important than women. how would these congresspeople & senators feel if their daughter was denied care <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">becuz</span> she couldn't afford it (since they're intent on repealing the health care bill too!) and had no other options. are we going back to back-street abortions with no aftercare and inhumane, unsanitary conditions? really? especially since they're planning on cutting more and more public sector funding, like head-start, is now really the time to cut funding for contraception? you can't just make a decision like that and not think about the long-term consequences. no <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">contraception</span> = more babies. do they just expect people to stop having sex? clearing they don't watch <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">maury</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">povich</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">jerry</span> springer enough.kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-62760596058134664632011-02-09T14:55:00.002-05:002011-02-09T15:09:59.586-05:00living on the edge of perfectionso we're moving. it's such a pain in the butt! we've got a house that we want to buy, and the sellers are willing to wait until we're ready, but we've got to sell our house first. and in order to do that, we need to keep it in pristine condition so we can show it at the drop of a hat. so stressful! and i hate to clean. i've done so much cleaning in the past month or so that i'm sick of myself! but now that everything's clean, i find myself not wanting to do anything. chris & the kids were in youngstown over the weekend, and when i came home from work i came in through the garage and went no further than my basement computer room & craft area. i don't want to cook, cuz i don't want to mess up the kitchen. i would actually prefer to not be in my house right now for fear that i'll make something dirty & hafta clean it again!<br /><br />it was a shock to see the <a href="http://www.northwood.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=856747&PRM_MlsName=Westpenn&VAR_AgentCode=204135&VAR_OfficeCode=15104">listing</a> online. it made it seem so real! and when i came home from the gym yesterday, the sign was in the front yard. i guess we're really selling our house. the kids keep asking for toys that we've packed to take to Miss Bea's house. as long as we're not giving them away to other little ones who don't have any toys, they're cool. :)<br /><br />but the kids and i took a mental health day today. it's a beautiful day & as soon as isabelle has awoken from her nap, we're going outside to play in the snow (which we probably shouldn't do, cuz it'll mar the perfection of the yard...) and i'll bake cookies & make cocoa for when they come in. thankfully the cookies are in the freezer pre-made, so there's no mess there. just crumbs to clean up afterward, but fresh-baked cookies are always worth the effort :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-91802459983207616832011-01-13T19:21:00.003-05:002011-01-13T19:34:27.146-05:00technology hates metoday has been a pretty craptastic day. today we met with our realtor for the first time so that we can put our house on the market so we can move. so i spent the ENTIRE day cleaning, which pretty much sucks cuz i don't clean. but today i found myself scrubbing everything, which i hate, and vacuuming everything, which is exhausting. especially when the little shop-vac decided to stop sucking. i vacuumed my entire basement with a dirt devil on my hands and knees. needless to say, when my husband got home from school i wasn't in the best of moods :)<br /><br />but for my *lunch* break (which consisted of 2 nutrigrain bars) i decided to sit & get online & list an item in my <a href="http://heavenlycreationspgh.etsy.com">etsy shop</a>. but my external hardrive, where all 14000+ photos are stored, decided to take today off. it's on a little vacation. totally craptastic. ALL of my photos are there. as well as all of my documents. my computer runs really slow cuz it's old, & my dad sent me this nifty little portable hard drive to free up some space on my computer's hard drive to help make things a little faster. so now it's holding my info hostage. on the bright side, we're doing shop makeovers on etsy right now, and i was thinking i needed some new photos :)<br /><br />but then, i was finishing up my cleaning, and ready to order the pizza for my kids to eat while the realtor was here, and i pulled out my phone, & it's DEAD!!! i'm swimming in a sea of craptastitude! i don't know ANYONE's phone numbers. my phone is my alarm clock & keeps track of my schedule so i get where i need to be on time. how am i gonna get out of bed in the morning. i have a dr's appt tomorrow. what time is it? who will tell me when to leave? do i have clients next week? WAAAH! how did i live for so long without a phone? how do people get through the day without texting or checking the calendar to see if they're free? crap crap crap!!!<br /><br />so, tomorrow will start with dropping alexander off at school, and then isabelle & i will go DIRECTLY to the sprint store to get a new phone. it won't even turn on. and when you get a new phone, they can transfer your address book, which is good, cuz i don't know anyone's numbers, but they can't transfer your calendar. craptabulous. i guess it's time to drink :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-540658614127545662011-01-01T23:53:00.002-05:002011-01-02T00:09:22.321-05:00QuiBidsso, i stumbled across this website this evening where you bid on stuff & can get it really cheap. it's called QuiBids, and it's truly brilliant! i just watched an auction for a BRAND NEW ipod nano & someone bought it for $4.34. each auction starts at $0.01 and every bid moves the price up by $0.01, BUT each bid costs the bidder $0.60 and adds 3 seconds to the clock for additional bids. so even though the final bidder only paid $4.34 (plus $11 shipping), QuiBids got paid $260.40 for an item with a retail value of $199.99. so they're able to sell stuff AND MAKE MONEY DOING IT while we're able to buy stuff for a mere fraction of the cost. and just cuz the retail value is $199.99 doesn't mean that that's what they paid wholesale. amazing!<br /><br />but i don't think i have the patience to sit and bid on stuff. since each bid costs $0.60, if it takes you 20 or 30 bids to finally win an item, if you just come in at the end, you're still paying $12 to $18 on top of the purchase price + shipping. and since each bid adds 3 seconds to the clock they take forever to end. when i started watching the ipod nano auction, there were only about 15 seconds left. but i watched for about 45 minutes (off & on *smile*) before it finally ended. but even if you used 80 bids, which would be $48, but managed to get something like an ipod nano for $5, you're still getting it for more than 50% off. and all the people who lost the auction just spent however much to TRY to get the item, & the price of your bids is non-refundable if you lose the auction. so losing an auction at QuiBids sucks a LOT more than losing on eBay. you're actually losing more than just your time. cuz i'm sure the people who lost the auction placed at least 10-20 bids, which means they spent like $12 so that someone else could have the item they wanted. that blows! :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-16782847734913758392010-12-30T00:09:00.002-05:002010-12-30T00:18:33.588-05:00New on Ebay! :)I used to sell Mary Kay. I started cuz I wore it & I figured it'd be an easy way to get my stuff & I'd be able to support my habit. But I hated doing classes & parties, so I just stopped doing it. But I had a ton of stuff just sitting around my basement. Then my friend, Jara, told me about selling it all on Ebay. So about a week ago I finally got around to listing a bunch of stuff.<br /><br />What a thrill! Over half of it sold, which is really awesome! And it was really exciting waiting at the end to see how much everything sold for. I've got another half hour or so for the final batch to finish up so that I can see how much I made. I've got some stuff that I listed this evening & more stuff that'll I'll try to do tomorrow, plus relisting the stuff that didn't sell yet. <br /><br />Now I'm looking around my house for more stuff that I'm not using that I can sell! I had no idea how easy it would be to sell on Ebay. The only downside is that now PayPal has a hold on my account. They're holding each deposit for 21 days to make sure there's no issues. I guess there's a lot of disputes with Ebay purchases, so even though I've had my Etsy shop open for over a year & have had no problem with my account, they feel the need to check now that I'm also selling on Ebay. Oh well. Thankfully I had a good holiday season, so I've got a cushion to take care of the shipping fees until they release my funds. But it still sucks. Especially since they're not just holding my Ebay deposits. I've never had a problem with my Etsy sales, but they'll be affected as well until I increase my Ebay seller profile. <br /><br />Well, I've got 20 items that I'm waiting for payment on, and as soon as the last of my auctions finishes I'll send out revised invoices to all of my customers & get that money! Whoo hoo! :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-88768128980769671542010-12-22T21:12:00.002-05:002010-12-22T21:15:32.238-05:00sadnessi so thrilled with my new sewing machine & the embroidery capabilities. but any software i want to install requires at least a mac operating system of 10.5. right now my computer runs at 10.4.11 and it WON'T ALLOW ME TO UPGRADE!!! seriously!?! i'm so frustrated. whenever i try to install an upgrade it tells me that my harddrive does not meet the requirements for installation. there's enough space available. it's a macintosh. i don't know what the problem could be. maybe they just don't want me to have what i want. poopey-heads! :(kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-87546764431879314452010-11-18T19:49:00.003-05:002010-11-18T20:00:26.281-05:00defiant use of urinei just don't understand it. my daughter uses urine as a weapon. defiantly. it really drives me bonkers. if she's pissed off, and getting completely naked doesn't get her what she wants, she'll pee on the floor. sometimes she just pees while she's still fully dressed. the other day she peed on the couch while she was watching a movie & by the time i found out, it was cold, which meant it'd been a while since it happened.<br /><br />it's almost like she's a dog with that extra store of urine so they can mark their territory. she can pee on command, as long as it's her desire & not mine. and she can hold it all day. there was one day that she hadn't gone to the bathroom all day. it was after dinner when i realized she hadn't gone all day & i finally forced her to go potty.<br /><br />i know you're not supposed to *force* them to pee or it'll become a control issue & they'll be scarred later in life. i also know that you're not supposed to *punish* them for having accidents. but if i tell her she can't have something & her response is to pee on the floor, then that's not an accident.<br /><br />and i'm so glad that we found a little spotbot for cleaning the floor from these incidents. if i had to pull the big carpet shampooer upstairs everytime we had a DUU then i'd be exhausted! we had 2 this evening: she peed while standing on the stool IN THE BATHROOM washing her hands, and again standing in her rocker picking pajamas. the ones in the bathroom just really blow my mind. she's peed on the floor IN FRONT OF THE POTTY. now, when she was sick & had unhappy poopey that was all over the bathroom carpet, that was different, cuz i really do think it just came out of her bottom. i'm just glad that one was IN the bathroom, cuz i could just take that carpet & throw it in the washer, where i'd have had to use the carpet shampooer in the hallway or her bedroom.<br /><br />but i just don't know what to do to get her to stop DUU'ing. she still doesn't get what she wants, despite the stripping or peeing. and she gets a spank on the bottom (which is usually conveniently naked *smile*). and she hasta help clean it up (except for the unhappy poopey). but i'm tired of cleaning up pee pee! and i can only imagine what our house would smell like if we didn't have a shampooer. bleh!kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-56417336131840141832010-11-11T01:06:00.002-05:002010-11-11T01:11:11.401-05:00joy & sadnessi am SO in love with my new sewing machine. it's absolutely amazing. but i'm also sad. it won't use coats & clark embroidery thread. i love c&c cuz it's cheap. my kenmore was totally cool with it. and when i was at joann's today, i discovered the c&c embroidery thread. i don't know how i could have missed that entire display of thread in all the years i've been shopping at this same store, but... :) so i bought 6 or 7 spools of it today, and the first spool i attempted to use caused me to take apart the bobbin case AGAIN! it looked like there was 1/2 a spool of thread tangled up in there. what a mess! and what sadness, cuz i have to upgrade to better thread. at joann's that's much more expensive, but at the store where i bought my machine, it's really not. when i finished cleaning out my machine, and started the embroidery design again, this time using good thread, there was no problem. and it's a fabulous piece of work -- it totally looks like i bought it! :) i'm so excited, cuz i'll be taking my bags to a whole new level. yee haw! :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-36696783157359896932010-11-08T23:08:00.004-05:002010-11-08T23:37:17.282-05:00my new toy! :)over the summer i went to see my dad, cuz he had some pretty major back surgery, & my sister was there at the same time. she had this fabulous bag that i knew i couldn't afford to have her make for me (she does AWESOME work & she's totally worth it *smile*) so i decided to make one myself out of denim. i ended up making 3. and i love doing it, so i started doing it to sell. i don't know what it is about making these bags & wallets that i love. it's actually a pain in the neck to take apart all of the jeans so i can use ALL of the denim, including the seams, instead of just cutting them. but i love the process of it. instead of being a normal person, i do it more patchwork style like a quilt, and cut up the denim & sew it back together. it's awesome to see it come together into something completely different.<br /><br />so the ones i made for myself were a lot of fun, and it didn't matter that my little kenmore machine had some issues. it really doesn't like to sew lots of layers of fabric in general, and it really hates sewing more than 3 or 4 layers of denim. even with the right needle & the right heavy duty thread. i've broken more needles than i can count & the thread would break constantly. so i started thinking about getting a new machine.<br /><br />now, my sister, being a *serious* quilter, has a viking sapphire. the last time i went to visit her i wasn't even allowed to touch it. when she told me how much it cost, i totally understood why! i knew that my husband would have a fit if i even thought about something that cost that much money. but then i got an email from a local sewing machine shop that they were closing one of their stores & liquidating their inventory. my mind started going to the bad credit card place *smile*. so, of course i stopped in and saw the machine i *really* wanted, that was on sale for $1688. not bad for a machine that has an MSRP of $3000. but still definitely in the heart attack range for my husband. and it had a lot of features that i really didn't need, but would be really nifty to have if i were a quilter, which i'm really not. so i went back and told the lady what i do & what i was looking for. she introduced me to my new baby, the babylock sofia 2. LOVE IT!!!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TNjO2BAkYqI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/hgkfApb_264/s1600/new%2Btoy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 167px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TNjO2BAkYqI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/hgkfApb_264/s200/new%2Btoy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537403169231102626" border="0" /></a><br />it's a little machine, but it's got a lot of power. and it does embroidery, which i wasn't even thinking about, but am so excited about now! such a fabulous machine. so awesome, that i didn't even realize what time it was. i finally got a chance to play with it this evening around 8pm once everyone (including my husband *smile*) was asleep. the next thing i knew, it was 10:45! hunh? where'd the time go? :)<br /><br />sewing on this machine was like a dream. it's got so many decorative stitches. i haven't even learned how to do the embroidery on it yet. i had a lesson at the store for almost an hour just to learn the basics of how to thread & wind the bobbin & access the nifty stitches & whatnot. the girl suggested that i play with it for a couple of weeks until i'm comfortable & then come back to get a lesson on the embroidery side of things.<br /><br />i sewed for 2 hours or so, once i got the bag i wanted to do designed & pinned together. i had not one broken thread or mishap at all. it was so fabulous. of course, i've only had the machine for mere hours (i bought it this afternoon) but i'm already convinced it's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. why didn't i do this sooner? :)<br /><br />one thing i'll hafta get used to is not using the presser foot. there's a stop/start button that really is easier to use. and an adjustable speed regulator. i don't even know where the presser foot plugs in at! :) it also ties off the thread & pulls it to the back & cuts it for you. i feel so lazy now! the only thing it doesn't do is wipe my butt for me! :)<br /><br />i had to stop, cuz i still have the rest of life to do tomorrow, so i do need to go to bed sooner rather than later. and i've got tech week for lucia starting tomorrow night, so i won't have time to play again until maybe friday. but maybe i'll be able to sneak in some time during the day this week. :) do i really need to finish the laundry? :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-15153267752871205172010-11-02T14:07:00.004-04:002010-11-02T14:20:34.216-04:00I HATE VOMIT!!!i really hate vomit. i hate doing it, i hate seeing it or smelling it or seeing someone else doing it or cleaning it up. but unfortunately, it's one of the joys of motherhood. ick! someone (either alexander or christopher) brought home these germs & i'm really sick of it! <br /><br />alexander threw up the 1st time at school a week ago today. and then he was sick last wednesday night. i guess when i was cleaning up, i didn't wash my hands well enough, cuz i was then sick all that night & into the day on thursday. bleh! but i discovered that i am blessed with two of the best friends a girl could ask for. both my friend kellie & my friend michele came over into my germ infested home to help me with the kids while i was on my deathbed. how awesome is that?! i am so grateful, cuz i really had no idea what i was going to do with them while i couldn't get out of bed, except to throw up. i'd told alexander to climb up on a chair to get down the cereal & bowls so they could eat in front of the tv (with no milk!) and i told them that they had to be quiet cuz mummy wasn't feeling well. of course, just before that i was a scene from the exorcist with my head spinning and my demon eyes glowing as i ordered them out of the bathroom so i could worship at the porcelain goddess :) i think that helped them figure out that mommy was a little bit sick.<br /><br />luckily, i've been doing frequent shots of pepto, which has kept BOTH ends happy. alexander hasn't gotten sick since saturday night. but now isabelle has diarrhea, which is the other component of this virus (which we think is rotavirus). i'd thought she'd been vaccinated against it, which would explain why we've been dealing with this for a week now & she hadn't gotten sick. but maybe it's too strong for a mere mortal vaccination. maybe it's SUPER VIRUS! able to leap tall daddies in a single bound! with the power to lay low anyone in it's path with either vomit or diarrhea! make way for SUPER VIRUS! but whatever it is, i hope it passes soon. i've always said i'm better with poop than with vomit, but when the pooper isn't wearing diapers anymore, it's a slightly different story :) getting poop out of panties is not for the faint of heart. what i wouldn't have given for a pair of rubber gloves! and to make it worse, we were out shopping, so we were in the bathroom of a sewing machine shop. they had sewing machines piled everywhere! including the bathroom! but thankfully they also had clorox disinfecting wipes, so we were good :)<br /><br />anyway, i must go do battle with my can of lysol. there are surfaces that have yet to be disinfected yet today! GERMS BE GONE!!!kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-40628858204855471672010-10-19T15:58:00.002-04:002010-10-19T16:07:19.424-04:00bleh...well, it's been a crappy week already & it's only tuesday!<br /><br />first, my husband is sick. that just sucks just in general, cuz he's a terrible patient. most men are, but he's so high energy (i.e. ADHD *smile*) that it's impossible to keep him in bed. when i left this morning to take alexander to school he was in bed asleep hunkered down under the covers. when i got home, he was outside moving boxes out of the basement to take to the duplex. still feverish. still nauseous. stupid man!<br /><br />of course, i'm sick, too. i've got a sinus infection that makes my head ache something awful. and i've still gotta get up & get the kids up & dressed & fed & get alexander to school. i was proud of myself cuz i went to the gym anyway, even though i felt like ca ca. amazingly enough, the workout felt good. it kinda cleared my head a little, which was awesome.<br /><br />but then i got home and found out that i didn't get chosen for my first juried craft show. i really anguished and agonized about which photos to send, cuz you only get to send 3 thumbnail size pics. and i've got over 13,000 pics on my computer, most of which are jewelry. that was a really tough choice! i'm on the waiting list, and my sister made me realize that it could be worse. i guess i won't sell off all my inventory of beads and start panhandling or anything :)<br /><br />but on the upside, we got a great package from grampa yesterday containing fabulous movies for the kids, and some movies for MOMMY! i was so excited, cuz usually the box contains nothing for the parents, and tons of stuff for the kids. but my dad is letting me borrow the complete 1st season of the tudors, and i'm totally stoked! my friend kellie are planning to have lunch dates to sit and watch them while the kids are in school :) yay me!<br /><br />and i'm anxious about my first jewelry party. my friend kellie is hosting it at my house, and i'm really excited about it. i'm working on making new displays for it & trying to get my inventory ready. i just need to know that people are coming! i'm terrible at throwing parties. for my 21st b-day party i was so convinced that no one was coming that i was pretty toasted before the 1st guest arrived! oops! :) i'll try to control myself a little better this time :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-4831047803850438992010-10-02T22:21:00.002-04:002010-10-02T22:54:23.495-04:00...on corsets and choral interjections...well, i'm just back from dropping my family off at grandma's house. i have to sing at church tomorrow and then opera rehearsal, so i didn't get to have a sleepover. oh well. but since i had the car to myself on the ride home, i took the opportunity to work on the opera i'm working on -- lucia di lammermoor. <br /><br />i'm really excited about it, cuz it's my first repeat opera. unfortunately, the last time i did it i sang alto & now i'm singing soprano. for most of the show, it's not a problem. but occasionally the chorus has a random interjection that's in 4 parts, and my brain goes to what i know, and not what i'm learning. it's amazing what your brain remembers! :) and of course, i'm practicing in my car, which has always been my favorite practice space, so i'm not looking at the score. i've got my handy note-cards with me & using passing headlights to see the words i can't quite remember, but i've got no way of seeing the notes. so most of the time i'm cool with what i'm singing, but every once in a while, i'm not quite sure if i've done the soprano part or the alto. oh well. i guess i'll find out in rehearsal tomorrow :)<br /><br />and i had my costume fitting on friday before rehearsal. this show is awesome cuz we've got fabulous corsets that are REAL corsets. they hook in the front & tie in the back. 8 years ago, when we last did this show, we had a fabulous dresser in the ladies dressing room, and she could really yank on those corset strings. i felt like i was in gone with the wind or one of my books holding on to my bedpost so my maid could get me into my corset. and we looked FABULOUS! it's amazing what proper foundation garments can do. :) but i was surprised this time, becuz it's been 8 years & 2 babies since i last did this show. it's the same production, so we have the same costumes, but i don't have the same body. but once i put on the corset & had the dresser cinch it up tight, YEE HAW! :) the do have to do some alterations, but they told me that if they don't let the skirt of my gown out a little bit, christopher will never let me do another show :) sometimes it's not good to work in the same company of your husband. :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-88546104672535921602010-09-29T21:55:00.010-04:002010-10-01T22:46:45.886-04:00I AM NOT A HOARDER! :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKabD1DrSqI/AAAAAAAAAro/Es1vPDV-BHA/s1600/my+senior+portrait.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKabD1DrSqI/AAAAAAAAAro/Es1vPDV-BHA/s200/my+senior+portrait.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523272483100904098" border="0" /></a>it's rummage sale time again at my church. it's really my favorite time of year. i volunteer during the set-up week, since i can never work or go to the sale since i work. i've fallen into a routine with the ladies -- everyone has their section that they sort. my section contains sweaters, pants & skirts. it's really an awful section for me to work, cuz my weakness is sweaters & cardigans. i love them. and every rummage sale, i come home with an enormous pile of *new* sweaters. but every rummage sale, i go through my stuff & the kids' stuff and get rid of stuff. i really don't understand how i can get rid of so much twice a year, and still have so much stuff!<br /><br />but this year is a little different. we're planning a move, and so christopher is all about getting our house ready to put on the market. since we're planning to live in the house while w<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKaWzG-p2XI/AAAAAAAAArQ/4BYqtO3_VMo/s1600/passport+picture.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKaWzG-p2XI/AAAAAAAAArQ/4BYqtO3_VMo/s200/passport+picture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523267797807389042" border="0" /></a>e're trying to sell it, it needs to be ready to show at any moment. and that means that we need to downsize the amount of junk we've got. that means *I* need to reduce the amount of junk i have. but as i'm going through my stuff, yeah, i've got a lot, but no where near as much as i thought i did.<br /><br />there was a trunk in our under-porch storage area that i've had since i graduated from high school. i had it shipped over to the states from germany when i started college. it went into storage <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKabEFeo7zI/AAAAAAAAArw/xqh-R1GSmsE/s1600/joel+picture.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 161px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKabEFeo7zI/AAAAAAAAArw/xqh-R1GSmsE/s200/joel+picture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523272487508963122" border="0" /></a>every summer in ithaca & has gone everywhere with me since. i really had no idea what was inside. but what i found really surprised me -- there <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKabJw_mu5I/AAAAAAAAAr4/OKfFzmQvC_c/s1600/michelle+senior+picture.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 166px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKabJw_mu5I/AAAAAAAAAr4/OKfFzmQvC_c/s200/michelle+senior+picture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523272585089301394" border="0" /></a>was really nothing inside! lots and lots of moldy junk (since we had a water problem under the porch), but nothing of any real importance. i mean, i found a lot of sentimental crap, and i did find my passport (which expired in 1993), and pictures of my brother & sister from high school, and a fabulous letter to charlie peltz, orchestra conductor & sex maniac extraordinaire. :)<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKaW7Xr8MfI/AAAAAAAAArg/h6xyJU2nKmU/s1600/SAI+composite+92-93.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKaW7Xr8MfI/AAAAAAAAArg/h6xyJU2nKmU/s200/SAI+composite+92-93.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523267939731255794" border="0" /></a><br />i'm a sucker for pictures. i found a photo album of pictures of me taken in a random park. really odd. i also found 2 composites from my fraternity in college. totally awesome, but i really don't remember some of the older girls in the <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKackBZVIOI/AAAAAAAAAsA/bkmRc3lg2pM/s1600/SAI+composite+91-92+pt+2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKackBZVIOI/AAAAAAAAAsA/bkmRc3lg2pM/s200/SAI+composite+91-92+pt+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523274135680393442" border="0" /></a>fraternity. and the hair! my word! :) we thought everything was so important back then. and some of my fraternity sisters are still really good friends, even 20 years later :) <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HEij7jF2-QE/TKaWbYZvG8I/AAAAAAAAArI/YYxFI63L0Uw/s1600/SAI+composite+91-92.jpg"><br /></a><br />but most of the stuff that was in the trunk that i thought i absolutely had to keep got thrown out. letters from high school friends in texas about people that i don't remember. posters from shows i don't remember doing. really random stuff that i don't remember why i decided to keep it. it actually feels good to let go and stop allowing myself to be defined by the things i own. now, if only i could feel that way about my shoes.<br /><br />i have an entire collection of heels on a special shoe rack in my bedroom that christopher built for me. they're all arranged by color. i have an entire row of red shoes and one of purple shoes. i'm searching for the green shoes i see in my head. i only have 1 pair of orange shoes, but they're flats, and i'd love to find a pair of pumpkin pumps. :) but i only wear them on sundays to church. i don't go anywhere any other day that wearing clickety-clickety heels would be appropriate. i definitely couldn't stand up in them all day at the salon. and i'd look weird wearing them to drop alexander off at pre-school. so why do i need so many pairs? it always seems that i wear the same ones all the time anyway. but i love to look at them. christopher tried to get me to keep them in the basement, but i need to be able to see them. on sunday mornings, sometimes i'll lie in bed and look at them while i try to decide what i'm wearing. OOH! i just bought a new pink silk cardigan at the rummage sale that i think would go with my pink slingbacks for church on sunday with a white shell & a black pencil skirt :) nice! i love it when inspiration just hits me :)kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-88952376045041764852010-09-10T16:55:00.003-04:002010-09-10T17:11:02.695-04:00who's that girl?i've spend a significant portion of today in the kitchen. so much so that i have my practice disc of lucia di lammermore set up in the kitchen cd player & my music stand with my opera score set up right next to it. i never imagined a life where i'd bake my own bread and granola on a regular basis. and i've actually even graduated from using my bread machine to making the bread with my kitchenaid stand mixer & kneading it by hand. hunh?<br /><br />any of my roommates from undergrad could tell you that the kitchen was never my domain. i was always the last to take care of the dishes or cleaning up of any sort. and i think joanna had just about given up on me ever actually washing the silverware. she once commented that i was the only person she knew that could wash dishes without getting my hands wet :). and here i am now with 2 kids, baking artisan bread on a weekly basis and making gourmet granola on request -- special with nuts just for my husband to take to school for breakfast.<br /><br />even though i never actually had clear picture of what the future held for me, i know it wasn't this, and it's taken me a while to be comfortable with it. my husband and i are still in the process of redefining our roles. i don't think i will ever be a typical housewife/stay at home mom. i was raised by a mother who routinely tells people to "bite me." it really does make you feel better, even if you don't say it out loud. my husband, on the other hand, was raised as one of 8 by a good catholic mother who took in sewing. so we have very different images of what a mother should be doing during the day. my vision includes surfing the web and tending to my online business. his vision includes pearls & and apron, meeting him at the front door with his nightly scotch. :) needless to say, we've still got some work to do to find the middle ground. but we're getting there. <br /><br />luckily, he's progressive enough to realize that he's got to adapt as well. his mother once mentioned to me that his father never changed a diaper for any of the 8 kids, while christopher will often be the one to offer to take care of that duty. and he's awesome with vomit. my therapist thinks that i have an actual phobia about vomit. thank goodness i didn't have morning sickness with either of my pregnancies. but last night when alexander threw up at the top of the stairs, christopher didn't even think to tell me to clean it up myself. before we had kids i told him that i would do poop forever if he'd take care of the vomit. and there were many instances with isabelle especially where i was called upon to get poop out of all of the nooks and crannies. gotta love that runny breast-fed baby poop! it tends to get everywhere. not so much of a problem with a boy, but a completely different situation with a girl. ick! :)<br /><br />but i'm excited, cuz i start rehearsal for my next show on monday. it's always nice to slip into a different personna every once in a while. i get to dress like an opera singer and go somewhere with other adults and sing in a foreign language. and i've heard they're the same costumes from the last production of lucia, which involved fabulous corsets. the kind of corsets that go from right under the boobs to your hips & require you to perch on the front of your seat with perfect posture. and last time we had an awesome dresser who really tied us tight into our corsets. we looked fabulous! i can't wait! yay me! :) i just hope our lucia this time is as fabulous as the last one. without an awesome lucia, both vocally and acting, the mad scene really sucks.kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6735029852023753740.post-80040266740208715532010-09-07T15:14:00.003-04:002010-09-07T15:21:37.394-04:00working outok, so i've been going to the gym & working out like a fiend. not becuz i really care, cuz my clothes fit for the most part, but mostly becuz my dr. told me that if i can commit to working out 5 days a week for at least 45 minutes of cardio i can get off my meds. awesome! but for the past 2 weeks, i've taken alexander to school & gone directly to the gym 4 days out of 5, and i've actually GAINED A POUND!!! really? what's up with that!?<br /><br />now, i've been going to the gym and doing at least 35 minutes on the elliptical machine (cuz 45 minutes is too blasted long!) and then either walking on the track if kellie's with me, or doing some weights or something. and i'm trying to make better food choices cuz if i'm doing the physical part, i might as well get skinny, right? but i still feel fat and sluggish, and this morning i actually had to cut my workout short cuz i thought i was gonna pass out. thank goodness i'd packed some apples for isabelle & i for afterward, cuz otherwise i would have gone straight to the drive-thru at mcdonalds :) i would have gotten a smoothie, but they're SO good with a small fry. and the calories cancel each other out, right? :)<br /><br />so i'm starting to think there's something else going on. i need to see my dr. anyway to talk about this mysterious non-carpel tunnel pain in my hand, so i'll mention this to her as well. i know my dad's pre-diabetic & my brother's hypo-glycemic & i'm a hypochondriac, so... :) either i'll be fat & medicated or skinny and neurotic, so we'll see what happens...kymidivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10663643554160825971noreply@blogger.com0