Ten years ago already???

I just can't comprehend how fast 10 years has gone by. My 'baby' boy turns 10 today. How did that happen in the blink of an eye? My 'baby' is just about the same size as me. Matter of fact , I just had to buy him snowboots and I got HIS hand-me-downs. Yup - his foot is bigger than mine?
I wonder if kids are like puppies are grow into their 'paws'???

Learning Technology

Ok.... I am trying to learn some technology here! I follow Mckmama's blog and she is posting a cool contest on it. To join it I have to link to her blog so I am trying to learn how to do that.
You have to check out her blog it is so awe inspiring about her Miracle baby!

Click on Mckmama to go and read her website.

If this link thing works I am going to be totally amazed and quite proud of myself. (of course I owe it all the mckmama who 1) inspired me to try it and 2) gave me directions on how to do it.

It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks!!

Am I a terrible mother?

WOW - I feel guilty, but I just can't take anymore.  Brad has ZERO ( or negative infinity) pain tolerance. He has a stomach pain for FOUR days and I have had enough.  I know, I know a mother should be comforting and consoling, but can it really hurt him this long? I can never tell if he truly having a problem or its just his exaggeration of simple pain.  He has no fever, no vomiting, no diarrea, nothing. Just constant complaining. He has been awake for the three nights. 

Awake All. Night. Long.  In my bed out of my bed.  I find myself getting frustrated and I feel horrible about that. How can a mother not be compassionate?  What's wrong with me? I feel like a failure....but I still can't take the constant moaning, crying, complaining.  It can't be that bad if he still was able to play his soccer game and go to practice the next day. BUT, as soon as he gets home it hurts again????????

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Today would have been my dads 86 birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!  We miss you! 

When is enough enough???

Ok... How much can one person take.  Tuesday I was driving to work in my brand new Toyota Matrix. You know - the one that I have had for a WHOLE three months!!!  The one I HAD to buy because my Jetta was totalled on Route 78 in June.  Well this Tuesday I was driving down the road and a 2x4 board was right in the middle of the highway. I was going 65 mph ( the speed limit) and had no choice but to run it over.  I look in my rearview mirror and see two hubcaps flying through the air.  I suspected that they might be mine so I pull over to the side of the interstate.  YUP - they were mine.  The little 2x4 managed to bend both of rims on the car and it had to be towed to the dealer.  I have had enough of this!  I think that I might take up a new career. I am going to work at Weis market stocking shelves or at the corner gas station. That way I don't have to drive anymore!!  

I am addicted!

Everybody has an addiction - right??  I guess some are stranger than others.  Here is my addiction. 

SHARPIE PERMANENT MARKERS!!!!

I have them :

• In my purse
• In the car
• At work
• On my downstairs desk
• In the kitchen
• In the living room drawer
• On my upstairs desk

 I have sharpies everywhere!  I have them in all sizes too. Check out my collection:

I have all colors in thin point width. 

I have little ones that hook only your key chain.

I have thick width ones.

I have regular width in many colors:

AND---- the newest addition that I found in Lowes the other day. 

SUPER DUPER FAT SHARPIE.

I have never seen one this big before.

OK So I am really strange.... but most of you knew that already- RIGHT????

In the Minority

Ok... I have a rant. And well... since this is MY blog I can say it here.

Today is 9/11. I know this was a big deal, but after watching some people on the news over the years I have to say this...

Yes, its horrible you lost your parents, friend, son etc.....

But guess what - I have no parents either. My mom died when I was 3 and my dad when I was 21. Their death is no less important than anybody elses. I am alone in this world because of it. 9/11/2001 was seven years ago. Life needs to move on and you need to accept you have lost a loved one. SOME people believe they are owed because of their loss. SOME people still can't function. Everybody loses somebody in their life and you just have to find a way to deal with it.
Its hard to not have parents and my son has never had a grandparent. Our loss is just as hurtful to us and theirs is.
NOT to make light of it at all, but people need to realize that there are a whole lot of people in the world who are missing people.

Then and Now - The End of an Era.....(Part 1)

The end of an era has come :( I just really can't believe how much my baby boy is growing up. This summer was a year of big changes. It all started in Wildwood. His beloved dump truck has come with us to Wildwood for the last 8 years. Many years I have wondered WHY are we bringing this huge truck with us , especially after we got rid of the van. BUT, he loved it and played with it on the beach. That is until this summer.... This is where it sat the entire week. It came out of the car, into the hotel and sat in the corner. Sigh.....

The TRUCK all alone in 2008

Check out the life of the truck here:

2001 2003
2004
2005
2006
Even here in 2007 when he was 8.5 he still played with the truck.
His reply this year was MOM.... I am almost a man now. I am no longer afraid of the ocean. Why would I want to play with the dump truck when I can do this......

Brad started off Boogie boarding and then somehow talked us into buying him a skim board too. Spoiled kid.....

His first day of skimboarding... He was a little frustrated in learning how to get it move...

So.... This is then and now of the Wildwood trip....

Wildwood Summer of 1999

Wildwood Summer of 2008

Mom- I have conquered my fear!!!!

Brad has always disliked or been afraid of the ocean. This year he decides to go in. He comes running out and yells MOM - I have conquered my fear of the ocean!! Now I can't get him OUT! He loves his boogie board and riding the waves.
The ocean water is absolutely FREEZING this year even though its end of July. Does that stop Brad? NOPE! I had to drag him out of the ocean after FIVE hours of him boogie boarding.

Mr. Mold

How depressing.... we get to Wildwood, unpack the car. I can't wait to go to the beach and when I open up the beach chair it looks like that.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW - it is covered in MOLD. UCK! It was on the front porch since our last trip to Wildwood in June. Apparently the rain reached the chair and turned it into Mr. Mold.

Guess what John said --- Oh its not bad sit on it anyway. HOW NICE OF HIM HUH?????









So for this week the chair has been nicknamed Mr. Mold. I cover him with a towel when I carry him down to the beach.

Next year I will have a new one!!!!!!!!

Mom, I think I need to shave!!

ACKKKKKK!!!!! Could the teen years REALLY be this close???

Brad went into the bathroom this morning to ( supposedly) wash his face and brush his teeth.

He all of a sudden yells excitedly "Mommy,.. Mommy - and comes running out of the bathroom.

He said I think I need to shave soon. I feel a whisker growing!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I so don't want him to grow this fast.

Melt my heart

Did you ever wonder how a little being could drive you so absolutely crazy one moment and in a split second melt your heart??

I had just spent a weekend where Brad was being extraordinarlily annoying. PURPOSELY trying to drive me crazy and it was working. Oh and yes it was on purpose because when John tried to stick up for him and said Oh Cher I don't think he is doing it on purpose - Brad piped up and said Oh Dad , but I am !! STINKER!

Anyway .... that night when I went outside to water the flowers Brad went into the kitchen. John asked him what he was doing and he said I am counting my money. John said for what?? He said because I want to see if I have enough to buy Mom the Blackberry phone she has been wanting.

AWWWWWW..... just when you want to strangle them they do something like that!!

I love that kid!!

Always a ringbearer never a groom!

We just got back from Florida where my niece, Ashley got married on 7/12/08. Brad was the ringbearer. He is quite the pro at it since this was his fourth performance. He was quite pleased with himself because he got to carry the actual rings again. Lindsay let him do that in her wedding and he thought that was so cool. I think it is safe to bet that this is his last ring bearers performance. He is getting too grown up for that job. Here are his ringbearer jobs in order:

This is his first time! 3.5 years old in cousin Keri's wedding. 6/15/02.

Cousin Courtney's wedding. 7/3/04. Brad was 5.5 years old.

And here is Cousin Lindsay's wedding 1/1/06. Brad was 8.

And finally his latest performance was Cousin Ashleys wedding 7/12/08. Brad is 9.5 years old.

I bet his next tuxedo will be when he goes to his high school Prom. YIKES!!!!

Meet the family!

A good place to start my blog is to introduce my family. Most of my stories will be stories about them so here goes.....

• I have one husband ( thank god- can any woman imagine having more than one?!?!?!)
• one son
• one dog
  

This is John. We were married on 11/11/88. YUP - that really is supposed to say 1988. I can hardly believe that I have been married 20 years already. I don't feel nearly old enough for that. My reward for putting up with him for 20 years is a Disney cruise!! I can't wait to go this October. John is trying to hold his wallet shut. He is very VERY cheap.... oops I think I am supposed to say thrifty. Bottom line is he HATES to spend money.

This is Bradley! I picked this picture cause he is a total character as you will get to know through my posts. He is 9.5 years old and loves to be goofy!

One more member of the family to meet. FRED!!! How can we forget good old Fred. Somehow we ended up with another dog and here is is......









This is Winter Fred................This is Summer Fred.


Fred is quite a character. His favorite pasttime is garbage picking and sock stealing.

And here is ME!!!

I am now 40 - damn I can't believe that either. I am an Accountant in Flemington for the last 16 years. My favorite thing is doing things for my son and watching his soccer games. If there is any free time after that I like to crochet, scrapbook ( although I own more supplies than a craft store most never make it to an actual page.), read and watch a few favorite shows.

Welcome to my blog!

WOW!! I am moving into the correct century. I actually have created my own blog. It will be probably be a little bland at the beginning, but I am sure I will learn what to do. I got the inspiration to create a blog from reading Nathan Lawrensons blog everyday since January. That truly is an amazing story .. check it out cfhusband.blogspot.com. He has inspired me to blog my random thoughts and capture the little things in life that I can share or just keep to remind myself of the daily things that went on in my life.