Get ready to call animal abuse on me.....





Miyagi has chewed up another freakin' phone! What the hell???? I'm sitting here, scrapbooking and in the corner of my consciousness I realize, he's chewing da hell out of SOMETHING...and then it really hit...HE'S CHEWING THE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL OUT OF SOMETHING!!! GET YOUR BUTT UP AND CHECK IT OUT! Lo and behold he's got my phone..without the freakin' back to it. I was furious. I had to back away from the dog or someone was going to die. The sonofabitch ( and I dont mean that in a nice doggy animal way) buried the back of my phone in the couch...I was kind of hoping I'd find my OTHER phone but no such luck....urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


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I know why I havent had chicken in awhile. All the nasty little feather thingamijjies that stick out of chicken wings. The boys wanted fried chicken wings for dinner so in cleaning the wings I found all kind of nasty little things all over them. Those are the grossiest things to me. I gag just thinking about it.

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I must have went back to my valley girl stage with the 'gross' and the 'gag' from the above paragraph.

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Ducky pucked up a helluva furball or two or three so Okoye cleaned it up for me. With bleach. Yeah. Enuff said.

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I.AM.EXHAUSTED.

Say it with me folks...with feeling...

I.AM.EXHAUSTED.

Thank you...I know you feel my pain now.

Okoye had a dance to go to Saturday night. The Winter Sports Carnival. And since he's an athlete...he went. At first he really had no plans to go because Jalil had a tournament in Warrensburg and Okoye lovesssssssssss staying in hotels. But other friends decided to have a group date/dinner and girlfriend wanted to go...so they went. Since I had to go out of town...this is pretty much all the pictures I could get...I know...pretty heartbreaking isnt it.....

Please ignore my streaked mirror...

I.AM.EXHAUSTED.

Say it with me foks...c'mon.

I.AM EXHAUSTED.

At the tournament Jalil played in, before every game the teams came together for a prayer.

Yes, can you see the whole awkwardness at having to play against a girl...i yelled at him one time

'SHE AINT A GIRL! ON THE COURT SHE IS A PLAYER ON THE OTHER TEAM!'

It messed with his mind a lot.....

Moment of prayer...I reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallly liked this......

Jaaaaaaaaaaaaalil.

Say it with me folks....LOUDER....I cant heeeeeeeeeeear you....

I.AM.EXHAUSTED.

Thank you

Okoye had a game Saturday morning.....

This is Leah...I call her LeahPeah....beautiful little girl who decided that I was her best friend...at least for a little while.....

OkoyeBoyea...

OkoyeeBoyee again....

Jalil and Dad...Jalil wont smile because he is hungry and he's irritable...boooooooooooooooh Jalil

Sooooooooo tonight I am in my pj's....with houseshoes...cooking a big pot of spagetti and garlic bread. My boys and I will become couch potatoes for the night, since I'm in for the night while it snows, sleets and snots all around me....

Perfect.

During the week I'm ususally out of the house before the boys are up and getting ready for school so at different times during the morning we call each other to say hey or whatever. This morning I hadnt heard from Jalil yet so I called him and when I said hello he said 'hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooo Clarice' just like Anthony Hopkins from Silence of the Lambs. I cracked up! Now, trust me, he has not seen the whole movie, too scary for him but at one point he happened to come into my room when it was playing and Anthony Hopkins was saying at that time. I guess it stuck with him.

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Speaking of thriller's.... I'm going through my memory cards to delete photo's I know I dont want and came across this one....

I went to work yesterday prepared. Prepared for SOMETHING. A little excitement maybe. A comment here or there. Hell, even a snide comment here and there. But NOTHING. I was not prepared for that. My ex and I had talked about it the night before, about being prepared for snide comments…not to take them to heart TOO much. Rather to even confront the comments are not. So I was prepared. I was not prepared for total disregard. There’s a slow anger building for ignorance…urgh…
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My dad has surgery today. Mom didn’t want me at the hospital. I wonder why? She was very adamant about it which she usually is but eventually she gives in and says okay okay okay. Makes me wonder if something is going on. In ways, I called them this morning about 5 because the hospital is about 60 miles from them and surgery was scheduled at 8 so I thought they’d be up but I woke them up. They had stayed up watching coverage of the Inauguration, flipping channels to watch things they’d seen earlier in the day. My mom…bless her heart, even took pictures of the coverage of the Inauguration. ON.THE.TV.
Yeah….that’d be my mom…
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I’ve got to call Petco. Part of the agreement for getting another dog was that the boys had to give it a bath every other week. We used to do that in bathtub but when he got bigger, it was harder to do that. Not because he would fight but because both boys would have to be in the tub at the same time and lets face it. He’s huge. So we got a wading pool. Which is fine during the summer months but once it got cold…baths had to move into the garage which there is no running hot water through the garage so we had to fill up the wading pool with huge pans of hot water, filled from the downstairs bathroom shower and carried into the garage. Well, hello…I heard Petco lets you use their grooming center to give your dog a bath! Genius! I cant see spending the money to pay someone to groom my dog but I will pay to use the facilities to do it.
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I got an email about upgrading my camera. Right now I have a Canon Powershot S3 13 and the word is to upgrade to the S5 13. Of course my eyes are bigger than my wallet and I would become a love slave to have the EOS 5d Mark II, or work as someone’s intern to have the EOS 40D or let some one move in with me for the EOS Rebel XS but my budget calls for the S5 13. I know I say that almost with an attitude but hey…I want what I want. I still love my camera. Am not going to trade it, sell it or give it away. I’m keeping it. I love the Powershot’s but I’m interested in the EOS’s too. Anybody go from one to the other and prefer one to the other? I know Jodi has the 40D and I love her photo’s but I'm surt that is more because of the operator and not just the camera.
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Just got a phone call that my dad’s surgery went well and he’s in recovery. They have hopes that he will be going home this afternoon. Yay! Now he will be hell on wheels and we will have to avoid each other for the next 4-6 weeks.
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Just talked to my dad. He is at home now but when I called... he answered the phone 'mercibeaucoup'...yeah...he's higher than a kite. Although I guess I cant talk...I often go off in bits of foreign languages too....

*Saturday: Totally shocked by the fact that Simple Scrapbook magazine will no longer be coming out. Damn...that makes me sad. I'm SO glad I've kept every issue for the past 3 years. I've always like this scrappin' magazine over all the others because of the 'real' feel that comes from it. Sad to see it go.

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I really need to go mop my floors but I'm really sleepy this afternoon for some reason. I'm supposed to go bowling but I really dont have energy.

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Yes, I bowl. Or really I slam the ball down the lane with the hopes it knocks at least one pin down. I hate bowling. I hate it because I cant conquer it.

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It is Monday and time truly slipped away from me from Saturday. After bowling was a get together that ended up draining me more than it should have. Sunday Jalil had a game which they lost but he maned the boards and made 17 of their 31 points. He's improved tremendously. Not necessarily because the coach knows the game but he gets to know his players and treats them accordingly.

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I feel awful. Jalil asked me last night what we were going to do to celebrate MLK and I promised we would do something and I've barely managed to brush my teeth today. Urgh...I suck.

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Lawrence wanted me to go to KC to take pictures at a 'ball' that he's taken part in for the Inauguration. I keep saying I'm tempted to but I know I wont. I'm so sleepy lately and plus my dad is going into the hospital for surgery on his rotator cuff on Wednesday.

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Here's Ava...she's doing a lot better....thanks for all the well wishes and prayers!

I'm tired.
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Look out…I think I might be premenopausal.
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Nothing is cuter than a car load of funky 15 year old boys singing Alicia Keys song No One, at the top of their lungs, all off key. The ENTIRE song.
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I can take cold below zero degree temperatures over snow and ice ANY day. N E DAY!
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This picture reminds me of when our parents use to make us sing at Christmas time..'OHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh they so cute!!! Cmon baby...sing for everyone'...and we would stand in front of everyone and sing...we hated it but we did it. Well, this picture has the same kind of vibe....a friend made these hats for them so I made them put them on so that I could take a photo with them on to send to her so she could see them wearing the hats...I think Okoye, right, likes his...

Brazilian nuts….God was thinking of me when he designed them
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Okoye had a game last night and I was torn between watching the game and playing with the cutest baby girl who decided I was her new best friend. This little lady sat behind me with mommy, daddy and I’m thinking grandfather and she had this delayed yell. After everyone would cheer for whatever reason, a few seconds later, she’d let out a battle cry that was so cute. By the end of the night, she was sharing her toys and had climbed into my lap. I was torn between thinking Momma was crazy to trust her baby with a complete stranger but still having this huge ache to have another child.
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I have really got to get back into watching my carbs. Here lately my readings are high. We are talking 160-211 high. Normally it should be about 99 to 105. HEY! I’m finally above average in something…..
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I really do NOT like Kanye West but I love his music. His sound is amazing and cant just be put into one category. But seriously SERIOUSLY I love his song Heartless. Love Lockdown is not too far behind but Heartless…that is even my ring tone.
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Its funny to see my niece with her first boyfriend. REAL boyfried. She’s been seeing this guy for a few months and I started to notice things. They were always going to dinner. To the movies. She went and got a new tattoo and instead of me going with her, he went. He show’s up at her job…just to surprise her. He brings her flowers. Wants to meet all the family. All that stuff. So this weekend, they had stopped over for a minute. Later on that night, I asked her when she was going to let the rest of the family meet her boyfriend. ‘he aint my boyfriend!’ ummm okay. Soooo just two minutes ago I get a text…’guess what’ I said ‘what’…and she says ‘I GOT A BOYFRIEND!’. Too funny.
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Who came up with the phrase ‘cold as a witches tit’?
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Ava got to go home on Saturday. Friday was probably the worst day. I've never known a doctor to give an IV in the head. My niece called me crying and in the middle of her trying to tell me what was going on she said 'here comes Nana'. My mother. My mother got on the phone and SHE was crying. She said 'Jak, I couldnt do it'. Now for my mother to run out of the room...I just could NOT be there. I think that was one of my weakest moments in my life. I'm the one who buckles down and 'takes the bullet' for myself and everyone else. But the thought of my great niece with an IV needle....in her scalp...I just could not do it.

She does a lot of sleeping now which before she hardly slept at all. 3 to 4 hours a night, TOPS. Since she's been home I'd say in the past 48some-odd hours she's only been awake 3-4 hours. Yesterday we went out there and she woke up long enough to rock for Jalil to pick her up (She loves her Jalil) but once he picked her up, got her to laugh a couple times, her head was nodding back and forth. She still doesnt have to much of an appetitte. Wont take a bottle of milk, but juices she will drink. Not to much food. But she is having dirty diapers. All day Friday she had one dirty diaper.

Whew...I dont know. All this pain and drama for a little baby....I think I might take teenage problems anyday....

*Busy night Monday night and now my hair and makeup are showing the effects. Resolution: GET MORE SLEEP! Anywho…one son had a game 30 minutes away, to which I made it but we left early so that we could make it home for my other son’s practice and a parent meeting. I have to admit I was almost in tears at how tired I felt rushing back home but when I watched Jalil at practice…the boy is glowing on the court. The coach is great and I can tell Jalil really responds to him. Even when its to correct him.


*My great niece Ava is in the hospital :-( She's had a steady fever for several days and they ran test to find out she has an infection in her bloodstream. That sounds very vague, I know but trying to ask my niece what is going on is like pulling teeth. She's 25 so she has the adult version of 'I doitmyself!!!' that 4 years old have. Anyway, I had my camera ( like always) and I got some shots...

Her foot is wrapped up because that is where her IV is at and she's really interested in the IV so they want to keep it out of sight....yeah. she cant see it but what do you do about her being able to feel it??? The other band is because she is on house arrest....i kid i kid i kid....that's so she doesnt get kidnapped.

Her little red lips! She had a fever and she had that 'delirium' talk that babies get when they dont feel well...she just talked and talked and talked...LOL

A few weeks back, our department had new carpet put in our cubicles were torn down. In tearing down the cubicle’s, we had to take a lot of personal items home. I am here, pretty much 5 days a week and did not realize how old some of this stuff was! I have drawings that the boys did in 2001! Of course I had to stock up on the spray that makes items acid free but it was fine for what I wanted to do. I decided to take a page out of Laura’s book and creating a Anytime Anywhere scrapbook. Nothing in chronological order. This is huge for me. My first creation is this. I am so excited for this album….

I took the photo's outside. Since our run-in with the crazy man a few weeks back, all windows are locked up tight with blinds closed. It is hella dark in my house all the time now. This is how the layout goes

Any who...I really felt out of my element doing it but I really am excited about doing random layouts.

sigh....springtime....

A friend of mine lost her job in November. She just called me, trying not to cry while she was in line to apply for food stamps. It hurts. It hurts because she is a lot like me. A single mom. A strong single mom. A strong single mom that a lot of people depend on. She’s raised 3 kids basically on her own. She works two jobs to make ends meet. She takes in people until they get on their feet. She’s a helper and a nurturer and now she is in an area that she doesn’t know how to handle or control. I tell her she is not a failure. That the country is in a recession. That jobs are being cut left and right. But she isn’t hearing that. And I know I would be the same way in her place. When you are used to be the go to person, its hard to go to someone else. To ask for help. To say, I cant do it.

I, like many women, tend to put so much on our own shoulders. We tend to not ask for help. We tend to make do or handle it all. Only when it gets truly bad (and sometimes not even then) do we ask for help or reach out to someone to say ‘hey, I’m hurting’. To admit that…means that the world as we know it is done and over with. And that simply can not be.

Get the hell out of here Gina!!!! Danka Danka Danka....and without further ado....









ONCE YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED, THE RULES ARE:



1. Thank the person who was so thoughful for giving you this award by linking their blog to this post.



2. Put the logo on your blog or post.



3. Nominate 10 blogs which show great attitude/gratitude.



4. Link your nominee to your post.



5. Comment them to tell them about the award they've won.


My four are.....

Jodi

Patrice

Raven

Adrienne

Lisa

Sonrie

A Bit East

K

Shutter Sisters

Perfectly Shelly


When you check these out you will see that halfof them are photography blogs and I picked them because photography shows so much of a person heart, attitude and soul. I love that. Damn...I think I just figured out why I love pictures so much....

Is it Spring???? Man I miss spring....

The Monday following serious holiday-age (holidays grouped together) are always hard to handle. It’s hard on me and its hard on the boys. Really, the boys bounced outta bed this morning pretty good. For some reason that made me grumpier because I am the adult here and I should have joy no matter what but I just couldn’t do it this morning.

Okoye’s getting a little jealous of Jalil. At least that’s what I see it as. A coach called and wanted Jalil to play on a league, which makes this the second coach that’s called. Okoye went through the same thing at Jalil’s age but he’s forgetting that. He went through the coaches wanting to meet him, wanting him to play on teams, and trying to find out what he was about. I reminded Okoye of that and he gave me this look that only teenagers have. The look that borders on ‘What planet do you come from???’ or ‘I WILL NOT ADMIT YOU AR RIGHT!!’ . I think him being shorter than his younger brother is starting to work him. It doesn’t help that when people see them together, grown azz people say ‘Good Lord boy…your shorter than you brother!’ . People! Understand…the teen years are already hard on teens. Don’t add to their angst. That falls into the realm of how would you feel if people seen you they said ‘Good Lord woman have you gained weight since high school?!’. Or something sensitive to you as a person. Aint too cool is it?

I was trying my hardest to sleep in this morning but my butt was up and out of the bed at 7. Urgh...damn body alarm clock! Not like I had a lot PLANNED to do but cleaning and getting laundry done for the week coming up. The boys Christmas vacation is ooooooooooova on Monday YEAH!!!! back to a workable livable schedule. My childhood friend called and we decided to go meet for lunch. Since she lives 45 miles away, I let her decide and she decided on Mexican. I was running late because, of course, I ended up having 10,000 things that just HAD to be done at the last minute. WHY does that always happen? It cant just be me..... fun times was had. She got a lot more of her chest and really, so did I. It was good. One thing that bothered me was she seemed to think that because I am single (not married) I would know where to go out to bars and such. Yeah...I"m a lush and I go out drinking and screwing men....
:-/

I know that isnt what she meant but I always get that feeling from some people, when they give me a nudge and wink when they comment on how fun my life is without a husband anymore... I dont get those comments all the time. Just some times.

Angela and me. Lord, my face is puffy.

You know, I always consider my city small and have never really taken pictures of the 'skyline'. While I was waiting for Okoye to come out of practice I thought it was a pretty nice skyline. It even looks like a bustling city. A little bustling city. Okay, a little town trying to be a little city.

Jalil's eczema is acting up so we went to the doctor on Friday. He's gained 6 pounds and a inch and a half. He's my other gentle giant....He really likes his doctor. When we left he said ' I like her. She's nice but she talks too fast'. Gotta remind of her that. I love her because she talks to both of my boys. Not AT them but to them. She recognizes that they are actually human's which most doctors talk over kids to the parents.

Stay at peace....

New Year's Eve...some shots that made me...sad. It ended my party early....

Jessiah, Angela, Brylie and Syncere.....Angela is my niece...the younger ones are my great niece's and nephews.....Jessiah and Brylie are sister and brother and this is the first time I've seen them in about 9 months even though we all live within 20 minutes of each other. Jessiah is very quiet and withdrawn. Brylie is loud and loves attention. Oh , Jessiah and Brylie are Angela's niece and nephew....

Jessiah again. When he walked in he grabbed my hand and I tell you what we never let go of each other for the rest of the night. Here he's laying down because he didnt feel good. The toy is his and the leaf he found in my living room and he asked if he could have it. When I told him he could he said that it needed to go to sleep on the pillow with him.

Jessiah again. He has the cutest cowlick!! Red curls and a cowlick...But really, I know women who would KILL for those eyelashes....

And these are pictures that made me very happy. Black and white pictures always do.....

Jalil is a Packer fan all the way............

Here he's explaining to me how hard it is to kick a football....like I"m going to let him play football next year.....

As you can see...he kicked the ball almost through the goal....I was shocked my damn self....can you see the ball on the left side of the pole, near the top of it?

I really like this shot of Jalil and his dad...