More music

This is the final week of January's Self Portrait Challenge... or maybe the first week of February's, I am not sure. So i did a mix between the two themes. The January theme was/is New Years Resolutions and the February theme is/will be black and white... SO I am doing a resolution in black and white :)

This year I resolve to actually *learn* to play my guitar... real music, write songs, not just play the few chords I know...

Wishes and candles...

Well, I am *finally* getting around to posting for Create a Connection. I don't know where my time has been lately, but I seem to run out of it quickly these days.

As I was going through the different challenges from last week I came across two that I liked very much... The first was Thursday's photo challenge of taking a candle lit photograph, and the second was Saturday's Try day challenge, Making magic happen...

So, first I give you my candle lit photo... not too impressive, but considering I took it at about 2 in the AM with no preparation and no fooling around with the settings on my camera i am not too dissapointed. Also there is no photoshopping on this except for cropping... I am short on time today:)



And what is more appropriate to go along with a candle than wishes??? On Saturday the theme, or challenge for Try Day was to make magic together... to do this we made wishes... Here, I will just cut and paste the actual description of it all here so you can read it...
....................................
I’d like to ask you to both make a wish (as many as you'd like) and to support each other’s wishes. It’s very simple. Just post on your blog something you really, truly, deeply (and maybe even secretly) wish for and leave a comment here to let us all know that you’ve done so.

Then everyone who is participating in Create a Connection, and anyone who sees this post, please go to each and every one of our wishes and in the comments write, “As _______ wishes for herself, so I wish for her also.” Encourage people to go over and do the same.

And just in case people come to your blog who aren’t yet a part of Try Day, feel free to ask them to join in. Just include something like, “For Try Day, I’m posting this wish of mine. A part of the experience is having other people support my dream by including in the comments, “As _____ wishes for herself, so I wish for her also.” I’d love it if you’d take part and help bring my dream come to life.”

There is great power in knowing our dreams, in saying them out loud, in having them witnessed and in the shared enthusiasm of believing in and hoping for each other.
............................................

So, there you have it.... Here is my wish. I wish to be able to manage my time well, so that I can have time to play with my kids, hang out with the hubby, and still have lots of time for my own projects.

So go over to Create a Connection and check out what is happening over there, meet some new lovelies, and have a GREAT day!!!

Look ahead, move forward, dream

I didn't get around to posting a SP last week... I suddenly seem so busy all the time. I have been painting, and working on some new idea's for that Etsy shop I keep talking about... soon I will open it... soon.



Anyhow, my Resolution this week is to move forward... Look ahead... Keep dreaming, and make those dreams happen.

Have a wonderful week!!!

Oh, and for those of you wondering... Yes! Yes, I did change my hair color. :)

Arizona makes my eye twitch...

Urrrrggg! And Pfft! And @#*&!!!!!!!! Arizona really irritates me sometimes. A couple posts ago I talked about how this year I was applying to become a surrogate... well, it turns out I cannot become a surrogate simply because of the state I live in.

I was getting ready to fill out the application for surrogacy when off to the side I noticed a little section that had a few states listed in it. On closer inspection it said that if you lived in any of those states you could not be elligible. Arizona was the 3rd state listed. So, I checked a couple other sites and sure enough Arizona is one of the states where the laws are written in such a way as to completely prohibit surrogacy. SO STUPID! I honestly do not understand why.

So, I suppose at least for the time being my plans of becoming a surrogate are on hold... Perhaps once I move to Utah. Utah was only listed on one of the web pages as a state they could not work with... And a google search did not turn info on the matter like it did for Arizona. My thoughts *hopes* are that Utah is a state that allows surrogacy... maybe the laws are a little tighter or whatever and that is why that once clinic does not work with Utah surrogates... I will have to keep investigating this matter as it is something that i *really really* want to do.

I am trying to not be too upset about it though. The way I figure it, when the time is right it will all happen. I will keep positive and continue researching my options.

And on a different note... Several bloggers have talked about the movie The Secret and for literally months now I have been saying to myself, "Self, you need to watch that!" So the other day I am driving and they are talking about it on the radio and I think again, that I HAVE to watch it... Then that night at work I massage my boss and after she gives me a gift... I open it up and right there in my hands is the move The Secret!!! So, I am going to watch that movie and soak up all that it says. I am going to apply it all to my life and just see where it will all lead me to.

A resolution for the new year...

Many thoughts in my head today...

There are so many thoughts I have had going through my head these last few weeks, these last months... So many things I want to get started on, to get done.

I have idea's and no idea how to make them happen... I only know that in order to get them done I must put one foot in front of the other and take a step. This post is most likely going to be very scatterbrained and there will probably be no connection from one paragraph to the next so bear with me... I am writing it mainly to just get it out there, I will work on refining it all after I jut get it all out.


I have spent most of last year getting in touch with the more artistic and creative side of myself that I had pushed to the side for too many years. I know that I am more whole with this part of me coming back out. I want now to do something more with this than create gifts for friends and family, more than just scrapbooking and making cards... More than just the occasional painting or pencil drawing. Now I just need to figure the steps out and take them. I have been OBSESSED with the thought of learning lampwork for over 2 years now, and have yet to actually go out and learn... I would like to finally do that this year, along with many other idea's I have floating around in my brain.

Last year (that feels weird to say, I am not used to this being a new year yet...) I was blessed with some amazing friendships. I was able to get in contact with some very old, very close friends with whom I had somehow fallen out of contact with. This happened at a very good time for me, a time when I really needed people in my life who knew me and knew what it was that I needed of them. I was also lucky enough to find some new friends who have also been a huge support to me. I look back at last year and I just feel so blessed by it all. I know in this year my friendships will continue to grow and I am going to put a greater effort into getting to know new people... You never know when you will meet someone who will have a profound effect on your life, and you never know just how you can effect someone else's. I never would have thought that some of the people i have connected with would have such an impact, but they have and I am thankful.

An on a completely different subject, we have decided to move *for sure* to Utah this year. It wont happen for some time still, but when we were there over Christmas my husband was able to secure his job transfer. So... sometime this year we will be making a HUGE move. A good move we both think, but still a little scary. There is much to do before we can sell the house, before Chad can leave his position here in Arizona and transfer to the office in Utah... but we have already begun on the first steps and THAT is a good feeling.

Another thing I have spent a large amount of time thinking about is having another baby... Now, I do not want to have another of my own... I want to be a surrogate. I have had many many friends who have had difficulties conceiving, and I remember in the summer I was walking one night and the thought popped into my head that I should be a surrogate. Immediatly I thought to myself "Self, you are CRAZY... You just thought that being pregnant again and having someone elses child is a good idea!" And then I said back to myself... "Self, why would that not be a good idea???" And I began thinking, really thinking about it. And to be honest I could not think of any really great reasons why it would not be a fantastic idea. So.... A couple weeks ago I finally got serious about it and started researching it. And, I have found several places that I am looking at now to send in an application :) The only thing I forsee being any kind of an issue at this point is that at this point I have no health insurance and that is something I would need to have, and also that we would be moving towards the end of this year and if things go like I would want them to, I would be pregnant at that time... Not too huge of a deal really, many families who choose a surrogate choose one from out of state anyways. So... yeah I am seriously seriously considering becoming a surrogate, and if for some reason that did not work out I will do egg donation... Maybe I will do egg donation first to come up with the money to pay for health insurance so I can be a surrogate... Hmmmmm... :)

Alot to think about, alot to do... Many steps to take. I imagine by the end of 2007 I will have walked many many miles.

Little bits from the trip

The last couple weeks have been really great. We went to Utah for Christmas and New Years. It was nice to be there. I did not get to see everyone i had hoped to but I got to see 2 of my best friends, and we spent alot of time with family. I don't have much time to write today but I will leave you with a few photo's from the trip... I don't have photoshop on this computer so I have not done anything with these photo's yet... some need to be cropped and all that good stuff... But, at least these will give you a visual of some of the trip. Oh yeah, all the images are clickable too :)




We said we were not going to buy any presents this year I had handmade them all... Then someone anonymously donated our family 100$ and at the last minute (The store had less than 45 minutes till closing) Chad and I ran to the store and loaded up on stuff for the kids... We can sure stretch a dollar!




This is my mom. She got this Buffalo Skull (I think it is a buffalo anyways) from my dad for Christmas... Don't ask me she really wanted it. At first it really creeped me out.



But then we started to play with it, and her beads trying to get some really cool new photo's for her website and for her myspace page that will be up soon.

Beads and bones go well together don't you think?? This first one the lighting was off, but it is still kinda neat.







And that is all for now... I will be back later tonight and hopefully get some more photo's of the trip up, and maybe my SP for this weeks challenge...

4 things...

I have been tagged by Romina!!!

So here ya go:)

4 Jobs I have had

1. KFC (Still one of my favorite jobs EVER!)
2. Lerner New York (I never had money, but was always well dressed...)
3. Classroom Manager and Student Coordinator at Arizona School of Massage Therapy... (I rocked! My students lurved me!!!)
4. Massage Therapist

4 Movies I could watch over and over again

1. The Goonies!!! (Goonies NEVER say die!)
2. The Princess Bride
3. Fight Club (In the industry we call them cigarette burns...)
4. Memento, Napoleon Dynamite, Milo and Otis (what???) A Christmas story... The list goes on...

4 places I've lived

1. Orem Utah (eeeek!)
2. Lehi Utah... (Double EEK!)
3. Mesa Arizona (meh...)
4. Mesa Arizona again.

4 places I've vacationed

1. Connecticut
2. New York *sigh*
3. Hawaii *double sigh*
4. Hrmmm... ummm... California.

4 websites I visit daily

1. Google
2. Myspace... I am such a nerd!
3. friends sites
4. Friends sites again:)

4 of my favorite dishes

1. Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan and Gulab Jamun with a Mango Lasse... *drool*
2. Tom Yum Kai soup
3. Oven roasted Garlic Sweet Potato with lots of garlic and onion and spicy stuff...
4. Fresh fruits and veggies

4 places I would rather be

1. Costa Rica...
2. Hawaii
3. Sitting on a beach somewhere watching the waves.
4. Not here...

4 people i am tagging....

1. Nina
2. Thea
3. Cinda
4. bronxbt

Pink eye...

Well, we have been a big lump of sick people here the last couple weeks. We have all had gross colds, and now Kayden and I have PINK EYE!!!! Gross. So, for this weeks Self Portrait challenge in the theme of "red" I give you a lovely portrait of my son and I with our oozy, red, puffy, bruised looking eyes... fun times!



And also I will give you all a little sneak peek of one of the MANY MANY little projects I have been working on this month. This is a little 8x8 scrapbook that i have painted the cover to. I have about a billion of these books, I bought them a while back figuring I would do some thing with them. And now i have. I will be painting the covers of them all and replacing the crappy flimsy paper that came inside them with a heavier acid free card stock... I might sell them on my Etsy that I am planning on opening up one of these days... along with my bottlecap jewelry and magnets... and other random Georgia items that I create.





This is the first book I painted, it is not done yet in these pictures, but you kinda get the idea. Anyhow... Have a fantabulous day, and don't get pink eye!

As a side note I just wanted to send well wishes to Darlene and her family. Her son was in a horrible car accident and they could use everyones prayers.

~Georgia

My red jacket and kitchen

This week I am boring. I have not had much time to create a super cool red post for today because I am spending all my time creating other stuff... :) After Christmas I can post pictures as much of what i am making is christmas gifts.

Red is one of my favorite colors EVER! I love anything bright and vibrant.

Here I am in my red Jacket sweater thingie... in the background can you see my red kitchen??? It is tiny looking in these pictures:) I *heart* red.

Winter *inspire me thursday*

This weeks suggestion for Inspire Me Thursday is Winter.

I was goofing around with my watercolors a couple nights ago, just playing with color washes and some other techniques. What I came up with for some reason reminds me of winter. Maybe its the blue, or the snowflake look that the salt I sprinkled in the wash gave it... I am not sure, but it brings up thoughts of cold, and ice. The little specks of brown make me think of the glimpses of soil you see when the snow begins to melt, or the bit of bark on a tree limp... I wish *sometimes* that it would snow here. I LOVE LOVE LOVE wearing winter clothes. Sweaters and scarves, big thick comfy socks... *sigh* I am soooo excited to go see snow for Christmas :)

Seeing red

Red, like fire. Red, like anger.

Anger... It comes in and it feels all consuming. It pulses through our veins and turns us ugly with all that it reveals. Like a forest fire it burns up all that it comes in contact with. But on closer inspection we might see something else.

A forest fire will rage through the tree's and bushes, leaving behind ash and soot. It also clears out the underbrush, dead animals, insects and disease. These fires privide an opportunity for new, healthy life.

In 1988, 13 fires were started in Yellowstone National Park by lightning. People were concerned that too much land was being destroyed and were wondering if they should try to stop the fire from spreading. It was decided to let the fire burn out naturally, and by the end of that summer nearly a million acres had burned... Now, 18 years later we are seeing the benefits of letting the fire cleanse the forest.

Certain trees send out more seedlings after a fire. The Lodgepole Pine has pinecones that will only open in temperatures of 55 degrees fahrenheit or higher. In the colder areas of Yellowstone a fire is necessary to achieve these conditions. The fire has proven beneficial to not only the plant life but animal life as well.

Anger can be healthy or it can destroy all that it touches. Will your anger lead to harsh words and destructive thoughts, or will it lead to a new beginning. Will you become so angry that you build a fortress to surround yourself and then find you are trapped? Will the flames of your life consume you? Or, will you decide to let go of the hurt, the pain that is driving your anger. Look at it and see why it pains you so. Will you find out what it is you must do to move beyond the fire.

Anger peels back the many layers of our skin leaving us raw, hurting, naked... But, if we can take a closer look at our anger it can lead us to healing truths.

If we can swallow the fear that usually accompanies anger (at least with me) we can reach through the flames, emerge on the other side reborn. Like the Pheonix we can rise from the ashes. We can become new and whole, if we allow ourselves the time and effort it takes to transform.

In the last hour

On friday night we sat down as a family. And in the last hour before the kiddies went to bed we watched the end of Superman Returns. We got out the blankets and squished together on the couch in one great big snuggely pile. It is not very often that we all get to enjoy each others company like this. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been if we had popcorn with m&m's... Mmmmmm m&m's mixed with popcorn is the BEST!

Poetry Thursday *If these walls could speak*

Okay, I have been a major slacker for the last long while. I started writing in this blog to stoke my creativity and inspire myself... And that is just what I intend to do Damnit! So, I am finally getting off my butt and participating in Poetry Thursday again.

This weeks suggested theme is If these walls could speak. Well, I originally started to write my own little poem but was interrupted by my fighting children... And suddenly my inspiration was gone (unless I wanted to write about the 4 walls I was about to lock my two older kids inside of so they could "work it out"... did anybody elses parents ever do that to them??? My mom and Aunt used to do that to my cousin and I when we would fight... but I digress) Anyhooooo, the lyrics to a Shawn Colvin song came to mind and I must say they are pretty much PERFECT for this weeks challenge... So perfect infact that I am going to bet somone else is going to have this same idea... I don't know yet I will have to go check everyones posts later tonight :)

So, without further adieu i give you the lyrics to Shawn Colvins lovely song If these Walls could Speak.



If these Walls could speak

If these old walls, if these old walls could speak.
What a tale they have to tell, hard headed people raisin' hell.
A couple in love livin' week to week.
Rooms full of laughter, if these old walls could speak.

If these old halls, if hallowed halls could talk.
These would have a tale to tell, the sun goin' down and dinner bells.
And children playin' at hide and seek.
From floor to rafters, if these old walls could speak.

They would tell you that I'm sorry.
For bein' and cold and blind and weak.
They would tell you that it's only that I have a stubborn streak.
If these old walls could speak.

If these old fashion window panes had eyes.
I guess they would have seen it all.
Each little tear and silence step fall.
And every dream that we came to seek,
And followed after, if these old walls could speak.

They would tell you that I owe you,
More that I could ever pay.
Here's someone who really loves you,
Don't ever go away.
That's what these walls would say.

To all the women in my circle

A friend sent this to me today, I loved it so much I figured I would share it here.


When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
and then I started to become a woman.

And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.


One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.

One friend will say, "Let's cry together,"
another, "Let's fight together,"
another, "Let's walk away together."


One friend will meet your spiritual need,
another your shoe fetish,
another your love for movies,
another will be with you in your season of confusion,
another will be your clarifier,
another the wind beneath your wings.


But whatever their assignment in your life,
on whatever the occasion,
on whatever the day,
or wherever you need them to meet you with their
gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself ..
those are your best friends.


It may all be wrapped up in one woman,
but for many, it's wrapped up in several...
one from 7th grade,
one from high school,
several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
on some days your mother,
on some days your neighbor,
on others, your sisters,
and on some days, your daughters.


I hope you all have a wonderful day!! :)

xoxox
Georgia

Teenage Glam

Wow. The memories that these pictures bring back... It makes me giggle a little bit:)

It all started the summer I was 16... Our family was all in Connecticut visiting my grandparents (by all I mean ALL. My cousins were all there with their parents as well). We had just had a huge get together with all the extended family for the holiday and as things were winding down my cousin Harvest, her friend Tiffany, and I all got into my makeup bag and started playing around. I did Harvests make-up, she did Tiff's and Tiff did mine... We all made our hair up with my barrettes and headbands and what not, and then our cousin Joey walked around the neighborhood taking pictures of us. We walked to the corner store and posed out front. We walked to a bridal dress and prom dress store and pretended to be mannequins. We walked to the cemetery and took pictures hiding behind gravestones *creepy*... All in all it was a great time, Joey even let us put make-up on him, haha he looked sooooo funny. He was the coolest adult ever... He was in his 20's at the time. I wish I had a picture of him that night it would be GREAT blackmail material.

The dressing up did not stop there for me. I was kindof 'out there' I guess. I wore faux fur coats to school with lam`e (I don't know how to make that word look right... its that shiny fabric...) mini dresses and big platform jelly shoes. I wore zebras striped shirts and my beloved black plastic pants... And then the next day I would come all granola'd out with a little hippie flowy sundress thingie on over some old jeans and flip flops... Complete with a crocheted hat I stole from my mother that she wore in the 70's. I had several vintage dresses from the 60's and 70's that I wore with such style people were always jealous :) my favorite was a mini dress with the long bell sleeves. It was a horrible itchy polyester fabric with a white background and huge orange flowers. I wore it with knee high white boots... I loved my clothes!!!

But of all my wardrobe one of my favorite items was the afore mentioned pair of black plastic pants. I was the first one in my school brave enough to buy them and wear them. After I started wearing them several other people started to get them too... But I was first:) I loved those pants. They were shiny, and black, and sexy and comfy, and oh sooooo me. I wish I had more pictures of me in these pants, better pictures... But this is all I could find. And no, it was not Halloween... Just a random day in the life of Georgia. I don't dress like this anymore *sigh* but sometimes I wish I still had these pants.

I will leave you with several pictures I found. The first 2 are of me in my pants, although you can only see the pants in one picture... Just know that they are there.

I would have been just 17 in these first 2 as we had just moved into a new house, that is me in the unfinished basement.



And yes... I am totally grabbing my boobs. I don't remember why exactly but I do know it was because of something my mom had just said... In the original photo you can just barely see me mom looking at me with a look of confusion and horror on her face. I cropped it out because it did not scan well, but if you can imagine it that way it makes the picture even funnier.



And these next three are from the first time, the original 'Glam' photo shoot in Connecticut. July 4th 1996... Sixteen years old... Weird.

In the first photo Harvest is on the left and Tiffany is on the right.

Busy busy week :)

WOW! What a busy week this has been!! Monday was Kayden's Birthday, he turned 5 years old. I can't believe it, I am really not sure how that much time has passed. But his birthday was great. In his kindergarten class they did the cutest little birthday thing for him. I got to go into his class and be the "sun" and he got to be the "earth". All the kids in his class sat in a circle on the floor around Kayden and I, while I sat in a chair that was surrounded by yellow "rays" of sunshine made from paper that had the months written on them. Kayden stood next to me holding a globe. His teacher walked in and started talking.

"In the Milkyway Galaxy, on the Planet Earth, on the Continent of North America, in the state of Arizona, in the city of Mesa... Kayden was born... And then he became a traveler!"

Kayden started walking around me stepping on the rays of sunshine while all the kids in his class sang.

"The Earth goes around the sun, Fa La La La La La La. The Earth goes around the Sun, Fa La La La La La La."

Kayden stopped and stood on November. And his teacher asked the class.

"How old is Kayden?"

Everyone in class yells out

"ONE!!!"

And his teacher asked me something that happened when he was one. Then the whole thing was repeated. The class singing the song, while Kayden holding the globe walkes around me and eventually stops on November. They do this 5 times until he is "five" years old. And then his teacher brought him a candle to blow out and make a wish.

It was the GREATEST!!!! He was so proud of himself and he still is talking about how cool it was. :)

We had a little party for him today with just some family. Here are a couple pictures from that. You can click them to see them larger.





Also this week was Thanksgiving (as if you didn't already know that...). My parents and sister came into town for the holiday. It was really fun seeing them all. My parents are pretty cool, and my sister is freaking awesome. She and I had a good time staying up late talking and watching a zombie movie.

My Auntie Karen had us all over to her house and we all stuffed ourselves silly on turkey and mashed potatoes, and homeade rolls *yum*, and the best stuffing ever, and my homeade cranberry relish... Mmmmm... I am hungry again.

Somehow I ended up not getting many pictures of any of us on Thanksgiving, but I did get a few, and my sister got a couple too.

Here is me and my little sister Hye Soo. She is such a hottie, every guy she meets falls madly in love with her. :) And look at my teeny tiny pig tails... hehe.



And here is one of me and Kael playing around in the grass. Hye Soo took this one for me.



Here is one from today at Kaydens party.



I am soooo tired now. We have had a week full of late nights and lots of good times. I will miss my family (they are driving home in the morning), but we are going to go up to Utah to visit for Christmas. I can't wait!

Well, I should get going... I have a ton of dishes to clean up from the party today. But, before I go I will leave you with this little gem that my sister recorded today... warning. I am being totally STUPID. I was singing songs like Edith Bunker from the Archie Bunker show.... I warn you, it is bad... really bad. This is what a lot of late nights and hanging around my sister will do to me... Gheeeeee!!! And really, I don't always sing this badly, usually i am not quite this horrid ;)

Singing like Edith

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Wedding Dress

Here I am a couple weeks after Chad and I got married, in his parents back yard for our second wedding reception (we had 2, one in Utah and one in Arizona). That is me... on the left in the wedding dress, and I am with my wonderful Auntie Beanhead (really her name is Karen I just started calling her beanhead when I lived with her after high school. I designed that dress myspelf, I wish i had a better picture of it... but alas I seem to have misplaced all of my wedding photo's except a few that other people took and gave to us... GAH!!!! I hope i find them when we move... *fingers crossed*

This is one of the more Glamorous days of my life, and until I get this new computer set up with Photo shop and all my other goodies I will have to settle for posting pictures that I have already scanned. Next week I have a DOOZY for you all... HA! You will get to see a WHOLE other side of me... You may have heard about it, but next week you will have the pleasure (or misfortune.. I can't decide which) of seeing me in a different light... Think plastic pants and corset tops... hehe

Go see other Glam people here.

Oh!!! I almost forgot to ask, does my blog show up funny on anyones screen? I used to use Safari as a browser and everything looked fine, but now I have switched to a different computer and I use Firefox or Internet Explorer... Both of them have my blog with the links all the way down at the bottom of the page below all my entries... and sometimes a video I posted up in the right hand column where my links all used to live when i used Safari... Just curious if it looks like this to anyone else... GRRRRR. I guess I am going to have to tweak my template or something.

Why Batman and Church do not go together

Ahhh... Memories :) This is a post from my mypace blog I wrote this year in January... Fun times REALLY!!! :) I am glad the Batman phase is finally (mostly) over. I figured I would repost it here as It gave me a good laugh remembering this little time in our lives.




Why Batman and church do not go together.

Okay... Here is my rant for the day.

My dear sweet son Kayden is a HOLY TERROR! I kid you not this child just might be demon spawn... At least it seems that way some days. Like today, or any Sunday for that matter. Church has to be one of our most difficult experiences as a family. You see all those perfect little families with the cute, perfectly behaved, clean, happy to be there kids sitting in the chapel all folding their arms and listening with a serene look on their faces. Occasionally spewing forth some scripture or something church related to their proud parents who gaze at the child lovingly and then look at eachother smiling to themselves... Patting themselves on the back for a job well done. You know the ones. The "Perfect" family. People are always telling them how "perfect" little Jimmy is. "Oh, he is such a wonderful boy." Jimmy's parent's are sooo proud. He never gives them trouble. Blah blah blah!!!

Well, That is SOOOO not my family. We are the family sitting in the very back row, right next to the door... Just incase one of us needs to make a quick exit with a screaming child.

Every week it is the same thing. Before we go to church I sit down with Kayden and we have a little talk. I tell him how we are supposed to act, and tell him how I expect him to act. "Kayden, if your teacher asks you to do something you need to listen to her okay?" To which he responds, "Mom, call me Batman. I am Batman today, not Kayden." Hmmm... Okay. "Batman, what will you do today when your teacher asks you to listen?" Batman then says, "I will kick the bad guys and shoot them with my pshoom thing (That is what Kayden, I mean Batman calls the gun things that the batman toys shoot.)!" Um, allrighty then. I see I am not getting too far with this. So I try something else... "Kayden can you be a big helper today for your teacher?" A very angry looking child then says "You called me Kayden AGAIN! I already told you. I AM BATMAN... Who is Kayden anyway?!?!" (No, Im not joking... He did say that, says it all the time.) Well, Its time to go to church now so I cross my fingers hoping for the best.

When we arrive at church "Batman" is wearing jeans, a long sleeve stripey t-shirt and some grundgy semi dressy shoes. Sigh... At least we are here right? I think to myself.
When we sit down (Back row) is when it starts. I can almost feel it coming, like the rumble of a train as it comes down the track towards you. Far enough away that you can't hear it yet, but you know its there and it is coming. I try to get Jett and Kayden to sit quietly in their seats. I am prepared to fight this war. Armed with an arsenal of treats, books, crayons, quiet toys... You name it, I've got it. But the books are boring apparently (they must take after their father) the treats are gone almost as soon as I pull them out, and the toys, although quiet can still grab someones attention from three rows up when launched at their head by a screaming 19 month old. Oh dear... That train I was worried about has now arrived at the station a little ahead of schedule. Well, I guess its time to walk the hallways for a bit then return for the closing hymn. Ahhh, the closing hymn. I can't tell you what the hymn was because as soon as the organ music begins to play and people begin to sing Jett breaks out in a thrilling rendition of Twinkle Twinkle ABC.... Its his own creation, a mix of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the ABC's... WOW, that kid has some lungs, maybe I will put him in voice lessons in a few years.

Finally it is time to bring the kids to their classes. Jett, long overdue for a nap is delirous at this point and proceeds to lay down on the floor in the hallway and "go night night". So I pick him up and drag him to nursery. You are going to play with these kids and eat snacks and you will DAMN well enjoy it!

Then its off to Kaydens... oh wait, Batmans class. I see a look of dread cross his teachers face as he walks in, she is quick to hide it however and smiles at him sweetly. "Come with me Kayden." "Im BATMAN!" He says and jumps into the air executing a perfect karate ninja type kick. I quickly run out of the room praying that today can be the day that he will sit through class and be good.

About this time I am really wanting to sneak out of the building and buy a pack of cigarettes and smoke the whole F&..@ing thing... Ahhh SO relaxing! But then I remember I don't smoke, havn't had one in like 7 years or something so I guess thats out of the question.

About 10 minutes into my last class I see my husbands head poke into the room, I can see he is not exactly happy. So, I pick up baby Kael and all my belongings to meet him in the hall. "We are going home." He informs me. I see that Kayden is standing behind him. What happened I ask him. "Batman didn't do anything!" He tells me. And then Chad tells me the real story. Apparently Batman was running around the primary room punching and kicking the air, spinning on his chair and letting out with the occasional unintelligible yell... Fun, sounds like what he does when we are at home.

So, we go pick up Jett, drag him out of his happy playtime. Load all three of the screaming children into the car, and head home. Aaahhhh home sweet home. Where the cribs and beds are. where my kids will sleep... YEAH!

So... That is a day in the life of the Cranston family... more specifically our typical sunday routine. Fun stuff! Really! I wonder how Super Nanny does it. Cuz I have tried all the "techniques" and I am beginning to think they are all al big steaming pile of poop! Oh well.

I really do love my kids, its just that sometimes I feel my sanity sneaking away from me, and really that is not so fun. Kayden can be soooo sweet when he wants to be too. Like just now as I tucked him into bed he pulled me in close and gave me a great big hug. "Mommy." "Yes Batman?" I say "Oh, Im not Batman anymore. I am Kayden." He replies "Oh, I'm sorry. What's up Kayden?" And here it comes.... "I just want to tell you that I love you." He says smililng at me. "And you have been such a good girl today that I am going to let you play wih my video games tomorrow when the sun wakes up!"

Oh yeah! Now I remember. That is the reason I am a mom. :)

Glam?!?!?!

November's theme for Self Portrait Challenge is Glam...

"Lets ditch those imperfections and go all out GLAM. Yes lets glam it up with some disco, diamonds and glitter.

I suggest some gorgeous shots - really over do it on the posing and makeup and dress ups and show us the extrovert you. The sexy mama in the kitchen with the peek-a-boo apron or how about some diamonds on those dungarees, stilettos, feathers and lycra. Looking for ideas then go no further than Glam Rock as your inspiration, KISS, David Bowie, and Queen and Garry Glitter. Glam means dressing androgynously in make up and glittery, florid costumes such as David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust phase or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Get Glam everyone!"

So... I thought about it for a while and had a few idea's... but realized I do not have the wardrobe necessary to do what I was thinking... I do not own a stitch of clothing that would fit into my minds idea of "Glam"... I did however find an old black slip that I used to wear about 10 years ago under a cute little baby doll dress that would no longer fit me unless I lost about 15 pounds and did not mind my girly parts peeking out from under the hem... which I do mind so I don't wear it. I don't wanna go all Paris Hilton on everyone flashin' my business around town... but I digress... back to the slip... :)

The little black slip kinda looked like a little black dress... which as all women know is VERY glamorous. So.... *drum roll please* I give you a kinda glamorous looking Georgia in a pretend little black dress... which I realize now I mostly cropped out of the picture... DOH!




And then one more that I still kinda like but is not the one I chose for the challenge this week...