Taryn has taken up a new hobby. It involves going through her ENTIRE wardrobe each day, mixed in with her actual dress-up clothes, and making the most interesting and garish outfits she can. She calls herself everything from a princess to a ballerina to a grandma (???). Usually, she'll start out in one outfit for about a half an hour or so, and will go to her room to play, then come out w/a new one on (usually inside-out). This goes on several times throughout the day. She does seem to understand that they are not "street clothes" though, b/c if we leave, she will immediately run to her room and put on normal clothes...that, surprisingly, she picks out on her own and not only match, but look great together! I wonder if this is a sign of something to come?...



All three of these were taken in the same day...and yes, she is wearing ONE sock outside in the dirt (mud)!

Trey is going to kick my ass, but I have to do this. I think it is the cutest thing in the world! He can't close his left eye w/o actually pushing it shut right now (due to the bells palsy thing). So, everytime he blinks, his left eye stays open. When he does, the pupil or whatever shoots upward. I love it! I chuckle when I see it, but I swear it's from excitement!

Okay, okay, so I'm just now getting around to watching the video of Tom Cruise that was all the rage in January. Yeah, he's NUTS! What I gathered from what he said was that Scientologists are the only people who have consciences, and are good people. The rest of us choose not to do good in the world, b/c it's too much work. He swears that he's out to fight the good fight and "help people", yet I can't think of a single work of philanthropy he's done in recent times to "help people". No, wait, I looked it up, and here's a site that says he donated $20,000 to Jackie Chan's Hong Kong scholarship program? There you go, $20K...What's that, a couple days' income? Most of what I hear of him and Katie are how they attended this party and that....What a whack job!

The video

So, yesterday, Trey was taking a shower before work. I overheard him say, "This does not seem good at all." I wondered what he meant, so I asked. He said his face felt like it was going numb on one side, and told me about when he was little how the same thing had happened. Shortly after getting out of the shower, his arm on the same side went numb, which really freaked him out. So, he went on to work and told them the story. Then they sent him on to the doctor. The diagnosis: Bells Palsy, which is what he had before. Now, the left side of his face is completely numb (his arm is fine now, though...thank goodness, b/c he was worried it was a stroke!). He can't close his eye all the way, which is making it dry out and seriously bothering him. It's weird, his cheek skin is all saggy and soft, while the right side is tight. I keep putting my hand in front of his face and saying, "Trey now, Trey later. Trey now, Trey later. Trey now...." you get the point. Other than saggy face, he seems to be fine, though, thankfully. The dr. said he caught it early enough that he shouldn't have any problem. He has to take some medicine five times a day for ten days, and then some other med. twice a day. Igh! Supposedly, this should last about ten days or so. Unfortunately, he's going to have a problem w/his eye, especially when he goes to work tomorrow, since the heat from the lamps will really dry it out. Soooo, he might have to wear a patch. I say he goes all out and plays the best damn pirate California Dreaming has ever seen!

Anyway, that aside, I have to take TJ to the dentist tomorrow morning to get his cavities fixed. It will cost $400-something up front. Then, I'll have to take him back later to finish the job, and that will cost $300-something, also up front. I'm squirming just thinking about it! Anyone want to make a donation? I don't know what happened to just tying a string around a tooth and hooking it to a door to slam. Much, much cheaper. That kid better love me!

Well, gotta go to bed now. Busy day tomorrow, what with spending my life's savings on a couple of teeth! I hope you have a great day, and I'll see you later!

PS-Watch the video in my post under this one. It's crazy!

Watch this (don't worry, it's short):

video

Kurt, this is clearly a misuse of such a wonderful website!

Our weekend began yesterday. It was supposed to be my semi-day off, but it really didn't end up that way. My mom and Bo took TJ and Taryn to the zoo in Columbia (where, apparently, TJ's main concern was his candy and the person cleaning the tank in the aquarium!), leaving Cole with me.






(note Taryn's butt in the first pic! It seems to enjoy hanging out of her pants!)
My plan was to go grocery shopping, hang out, and take a good, quiet nap. I got my nap, but that's about it. I ended up having to work for a couple hours, but it wasn't so bad. However, before the kids left, we realized that the hamster had gotten out of her cage, and we couldn't find her. Butch found her while I was working...in the back yard! (I can not for the life of me figure out how she ended up outside!) Turns out something tried to eat her, and she was barely alive by the time I got home. I had to take her to the vet and have her put to sleep. I never realized how much it would bother me, but I was very upset about the whole ordeal. She had a seizure while I was on the phone with the vet, and it just made me want to cry. When they took her away to "put her out of her misery", it just felt, I dunno, wrong, weird, something. It was a very sad moment for me. Needless to say, as far as TJ knows, Snoopy is still out there somewhere, and we'll find her someday. We did, nonetheless, get a new hamster last night. Her name is Annie. She is a teddy bear hamster, and she can supposedly eat through metal. Wonder how long she'll stick around?!

Today has proven so far to be another emotional day. We got up early to go to an Easter Egg Hunt at the Y. Of course we were running late, then I went to the wrong place. We got there in plenty of time, though, and managed to get right through the line to take pics w/the Easter Bunny. Taryn refused to pick up her head, so TJ was so kind as to hold it up for her!

After that, they had the hunt for kids 1-3. For some reason, they felt it necessary to actually hide the eggs all over the playground for this age group. Cole found one, which was cool b/c he was more than happy with it. TJ helped Taryn find hers, and she got about six or seven. Good enough, I suppose. It was a little scary in there!


Then came time for TJ's age group, 4-7. I had to stay w/Taryn and Cole, so he had to go it alone. I noticed he didn't look very happy when he was heading out, and when he got to me, he started crying and said he only found one egg. It broke my heart. I almost cried, too. I told him the Easter Bunny's bringing him lots of candy tomorrow, and that we're having another egg hunt at Nana's, which seemed to help. Then Taryn shared some of hers by giving him all but two of them! However, I am still not over it! I still keep thinking about it and wanting to cry for him!


We made it though that, and decided to go to Julia's to play for a bit. We didn't stay too long, and as we were leaving, TJ said his ears itched. I just figured he was hot from running around, and didn't think twice about it. However, as we were driving home, he kept saying he was really itchy, and I noticed, as he was wiggling around and his shirt came up some, that his stomach was covered in bumps. Yeah, so it seems that Julia has poison ivy that will sometimes pop up in her back yard, and TJ managed to find the smallest possible poison ivy plant and get it on him enough to make his entire body break out in hives. The poor kid is just having a rough day! He's now covered in Cole's Desitin, and full of Benadryl. He seems fine, but man, I am just feeling awful for him! I guess that means I have to now put "poison ivy" in the blank at the dr's whenever it asks if he's allergic to anything, eh?

I hope your weekend is going well. We still have tomorrow left, when we will be traveling to Nana's house for church and Easter dinner. I hope you have a great Easter, and I'll see you later!

"Take it where you shake it", a popular new phrase out on the "streets", has now made its way into the Urban Dictionary. Here, the definition means to "go away". However, I may have found a different meaning for this phrase that fits my own life.

Last week, we went over to Julia's mom's house and played on her new Wii. It was instant love for Trey. We had already talked about getting one in the future, b/c it's much more active than most video game systems, and the games look like fun. We'd considered getting one w/the tax relief money we're supposed to get soon. That was the plan.

However, since Friday, Trey has thought of nothing else. We ran to Wal-Mart the other day, and he was supremely dismayed to find that they were sold out. Sam's, too. Best Buy, too. Target, too. The man who can't pick up a phone to call his own mother on Mother's Day actually picked up the phone to call Circuit City and every other place he could think of to try to find one. All sold out. Even online. I figured it was over.

Little did I know, someone decided to sell theirs on craigslist for a steal. So, guess what...we now have a Wii. He's playing it right now. Has been all day long. He wants everyone we know to come over and play it. TJ loves it. Even I am kinda enjoying it. I beat TJ at bowling, so yeah, I enjoyed it (only b/c he beat me the first game, and said, "I'm gonna let you win this one, Mommy, so you can win one, too. Oh, but I'm still gonna win." ???)

Anyway, back to my point. I would like to enter an alternate definition of "Take it where you shake it" to mean "Get your stuff where you live". Yep, cause that's what I do w/craigslist. So far, just this week we've gotten a Wii and a play car for Cole for the back yard. The list is too long to go into of all of the stuff I've gotten from craigslist. Even our new AWESOME babysitter was found through craigslist. So, I think that craigslist new motto could be "Take it where you shake it". Yep, I shake it here in SC, and that's where I want to take my stuff!

PS-Go here: Wii Have a Problem
It's a website devoted to bad stuff happening w/people's Wii's (breaking tv's w/remotes, remotes flying out of windows, etc.). Great stuff!

This was on Christie's blog, but it's SOOOOOO cute! It's a three-year-old describing Star Wars...

That is what I really want to tell my boss right now, among other things.

So let me tell you about my work drama now: Last month, after a very bad second half of 2007 at work (we had high complaints, and that's not good...means bad service), our boss told us he would begin charging $5 a day everyday that we were late coming to pick up our papers (after 4 am), starting in March. I didn't like the idea, but I figured he would drop the threat like he does everything else, and the problem would work itself out. So I said nothing.

Fast-forward to our paychecks we received this past week...for the month of February. Two of my fellow carriers were charged for being late, and more than once. Neither could remember being late, and were obviously confused. I was, as well, since we were told the charges wouldn't begin until March, and these were charges for Feb. days. I was a little pissed, even though I, personally, wasn't charged anything (only b/c I had to move my alarm clock to the other side of the room so I'd start coming in on time!).

So, I wrote an email to my boss, urging him to drop this new idea of his and return the money. My main argument? It's illegal what he's doing. We are independent contractors, and sign a contract when we start. We are only bound by what is in that contract, and nothing else. Never did our boss come to us with new contracts to sign, and thus, the charges are not justified. As well, he set up no system whatsoever to determine who was late, other than to ask the guy who is there each day who was late. Therefore, when you receive the charge on your paycheck, you have no idea what day(s) you were charged for, how late you were, or if it's even a legitimate charge. It doesn't help that the guy he has in charge happens to be very fickle, and goes from day-to-day on who his cronies and enemies are. Oh, and it also doesn't help that half the time he's not there at 4 am to know if you're late or not! I said other stuff, but that was the gist of the letter. I tried not to sound mean, accusatory, or threatening, but I did say, in not so many words, that if it wasn't put to a stop, I would take the steps necessary to do so.

I sent him the email, as well as a few people I thought might be interested in my thoughts on the matter. Most were, and told me they agreed. I later found out that the rest went crying to the boss-man that I had been sharing information with them. Whatever...Anyway, he said he'd look over my "charges", and get back to me the next day.

That next day was Sunday, and I heard nothing. Nor did I hear anything yesterday. So, this morning I asked a girl who I know regularly talks to him if she'd heard anything. She told me he's super pissed and that he thinks I'm not being loyal to him. WHAT!?? LOYAL!???

So, I wrote him another email today (I don't like to talk on the phone, b/c then you have to hear their side, too, and everyone knows that's no fun! I mean, I already know I'm right, so I'll save them the trouble of trying to change my mind!). This one was about my loyalty to him. I told him that I am loyal to him in that I will do my best at my job, and that's as far as it goes. First and foremost, I am loyal to my family, and what's best for us. I am fighting this charge he has created b/c it's not only a threat to my income, but also morally just wrong. I mean, most businesses, when you have people who are late, you write them up and/or fire them. Instead, he's punishing us by taking our money. Look, when you are late, you run the risk of getting late complaints for papers not delivered on time. Complaints are super costly. That in itself is punishment enough! Basically, he doesn't want to go out and find new carriers, so instead of dealing with the repeat offenders he's got, he's just going to take it from everyone and not deal with the problem. It's a fact that we all deliver papers 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We have no sick days or anything. If you want time off, you have to find a substitute, and you not only have to pay that person, but you have to pay for any mistakes they make. Therefore, if I oversleep a bit one day, I think he could show a little compassion. I need that money, and it's pretty crappy that he's decided to take it from me. Not to mention, where does it go? My being late does not take anything away from my boss, so basically, that money goes straight into his pocket. Pretty crappy if you ask me.

Anyway, he wrote back to me after that. He wanted to know why I was speaking for all of the other contractors, since this didn't even affect me. WHAT!??? It affects me! If I oversleep, I know I'm going to lose my hard-earned money, and I still have to go in and do my job! That's bull-shit! I told him I'm fighting this now, b/c it's easier for me to do it now, while it's still fresh in everyone's minds and they are upset about it, than later when everyone's become complacent about it and aren't so willing to fight. He said he's going to get his attorney to draw up a new contract, and I wish I could get everyone to refuse to sign it. Sadly, I know that won't happen. At least, though, if we do sign it, then it will be legal. I still don't think it's right, though. He just basically gave himself a raise. Yeah, yeah, we could just come in on time, but...we're talking principles here!

One chick told me I'd better watch myself and what I say to him. I don't know what that meant, but I'd sure like to see him fire me. I need something to feel passionate about lately, and what better than fighting my ex-boss! He'd have to find a really good reason, too. I'm one of his best carriers. I haven't paid for complaints in a long time, and my service is stellar. Before this, he loved me. Now, I dunno...I have stood up to him before on issues, and I think he's realized that I'm not playing. Oh, one chick called me and told me she was mad that I beat her to the punch. I didn't even write to him until two days after we'd gotten paid, and she actually did pay late charges. I'm not sure when she was planning to talk to him about it, but it would seem a good idea to do it sooner than later.

Wow, this has gotten LONG! Anyway, that's my work drama for now. As of yet, he hasn't put an end to the late charges, but we'll see where that goes. I have a feeling this is far from over. I'll keep you up-to-date on what happens from here on out, if you so desire.

Talk to you later!

Yesterday, I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and I chose to lie on the couch for a little bit while the kids ate their breakfast. Cole and Taryn chose to climb all over me. It sucked. Cole decided that he really wanted to play on the end table next to the couch. That's a no-no in our house. So, I pulled his leg to get him back down onto the couch. Somehow, in the process, he got turned upside-down and his head came crashing down onto my nose. It hurt. A LOT. Strangely, my eyes didn't well up with tears as they usually do when my nose gets hurt, but it was painful beyond anything that has ever happened to my nose before. It still hurts now, and it's giving me a nasty headache. I don't think it's swollen, at least not much, but man it hurts!

TJ started karate last week. The teacher said he did really well, which is good. Julia said he's not the type to tell parents their kid is doing well if they're not, so that makes me happy.

Cole is also doing his swimming lessons now. He's not quite taking to it like Taryn did, but maybe he'll open up soon enough. Thankfully, this time we only have to go every Saturday, instead of every other day.

Oh, get this: We have found a BABYSITTER! She's perfect! The kids love her! She charges a decent rate! I'm so HAPPY! We went out last night and ate at Carabba's (sadly, all we had time for after we spent an hour and a half waiting to sit at my brother's table!). It was great! We got out and got to be ALONE for the first time in I don't know how long. I can't wait till we can afford to hire her again and go out, and neither can the kids! Oh, and Kurt, if you read this...I found her on craigslist!

I've got probably a hundred more things to tell, but I have to go to bed now. Gotta work in a couple hours, since we changed the clocks. UGH! I was gonna tell you about this drama at work, and see what you thought, but I guess I'll wait till it plays out, then I'll have more to say!

Have a great day! See you later!

No, I'm not talking about my library books, although they always are by the time I turn them in!

Really, though, I've been pretty absent lately, eh? Been pretty busy. We just got back into town the other day, and man, did we have fun! Oh, and I have a story to tell you, too, from when we got back!

So we went to the mountains. The house was great, and everyone who was supposed to come did. Well, at first. The second day we went out and checked out downtown Gatlinburg, which is like a mini version of Myrtle Beach. There were all those Ripley's places and candy stores and stores that sell crafty stuff and basic souvenir shops. My favorite was the Harley Davidson store, of course it was also the most expensive, and therefore, not in my price range! That night, Ashley showed up with her aunt and a couple other people, and we sat up drinking and hot-tubbing till the wee hours.

The next day, Ashley and her people got up EARLY and went shopping all day. When she got home, she said she'd spent all her money and promptly left. I was pretty pissed off. Also, Mike's friends left that same day, b/c their tiny baby was sick w/a cold. Suddenly, the house seemed pretty empty. However, we still had fun.

We went skiing the next day, and I discovered that I am NOT cut out for skiing. Amanda and I split the cost to rent one set of ski equipment, and that was a great idea. We each went down one time, which took about an hour for each of us, and we both fell at least a hundred times each! Trey was our teacher, and he's pretty darn good. Justin was snowboarding, and I guess he did well, I never got to actually see him. Mike, I think, got better as he went. Near the end, TJ wanted to ski some more (yes, he skied, and so did Taryn...sorta!), so Trey took him to the little practice place, or so we thought...They were gone for a LONG time, and no one could see them. The next thing I knew, I looked up the slope, and there were Trey and TJ coming down the mountain together! I almost died! However, it seems that TJ, with the aide of Trey, is pretty good, and only fell two times. Who knew! What I don't get is how TJ made it up on the ski lift, b/c that was by far the most terrifying event of my life! I was 100% sure I was going to die! The funniest part, to me, was that according to Trey, I wasn't doing too badly. However, every time I started going fast, I would freak out and make myself fall down! I'd say I need to learn how to slow down, but I'm pretty sure I'm done with skiing...at least for a LONG time! I'm still sore from all of the falling...my butt, my arms, my neck, etc...

We came home the next day, and as much as I liked being there and seeing snow (that's all the kids really cared about, quote Taryn, "I maked a snowball fight with you, Daddy!") and getting away, I was happy to be home.

Oh, so I forgot to tell you, I dropped my camera while we were at the ski place and broke it. Therefore, I have no pictures, igh. I hear Justin made a video of me skiing (well, mostly falling), but I have no desire to see said video, and I hope it accidentally gets burned up in a fire or melted by acid. So anyway, when I got home, I made it my goal to get a new camera. I went on craigslist, my new shopping home, and found one for a great deal. I picked it up on Thursday. I brought it home and goofed off with it. I made a video of TJ, and put the memory card into the reader. A screen popped up asking me if I wanted to view the video. I found it a little strange that it didn't let me download it first, but I went ahead and pushed okay. As TJ and Trey sat in anticipation of my little video of TJ being an idiot, they were, uhhhh, surprised to see a guy and a girl butt naked going at it instead. Yeah. So, what did I do? I watched it for a few minutes in total shock before I realized TJ was still watching, and it needed to be turned off. Afterwards, I figured out that I was trying to figure out if the girl was the chick that sold me the camera, which is why it took me so long to cut it off. Naturally, Trey and I freaked out, so TJ begged to watch "the bad movie" again! I searched the camera and the memory card. There were no porno videos on them anywhere. There were, however, a couple of pics of the people I got the camera from, and it was not her in the video! I searched our computer and found nothing, either. Oh, and I failed to mention that we got a BRAND NEW computer the day before (yep, 40 GB memory was stone-age...we've moved up in the world!)! I do not know where that video came from, but man, was that an interesting experience!

So, anyway, I guess that's enough for now. I leave you w/pics from my new camera of my babies and their new haircuts from last night (well, not Taryn, but...):