I do puke, Mark does blood...it's really that simple.

Mark and I have this deal. He is a sympathy puker. So when the kids are sick and they are puking, I take care of it. ANYTHING else the kids need and he is there for them. When they puke they are on their own. While blood doesn't make me feel faint it DOES make me sort of feel panicky. Hence our deal. I do puke, Mark does blood.

I began to realize that this was NOT a fair deal fairly soon into Marks first patrol. Hey now....I was having to deal with the puke AND blood! What the heck? So while Mark has had his fair share of 'blood' (Paige has split her head open three times..all while Mark was home THANK GOD) there have been times when I have had to deal with it while he is gone. Today was a good example. I took the kids with me to the hairdresser while I got my hair cut. Now they LOVE to go with me. They get to pick a special snack AND Cathy (my hairdresser) hands over the control of the tv remote to them! So while there today, Ben was sitting on the very slippery bench and slipped off. He hit the edge of a metal coat rack with his butt first (owie!) then continued to slide and hit his head. There was that dreaded silence. The silence that EVERY parent knows. It is the silence before the storm. I looked over at him and he was trying SO hard to be a big brave boy. But I could tell he was hurting. I asked him what had happened and where he was hurt and he said he fell on his butt and he was ok...but as he went back to the bench he started to cry. So up I got, wet hair and all and checked him out. At first I thought it was 'just' his tailbone that was hurt. But being the person I am and ALWAYS check the kids heads. I don't know why I do this, I just do. Maybe it's because I know that head wounds bleed profusely and if I can check it and staunch the flow early on I will be ok. Anyways, there it was..a nice little gash...but not bleeding..more like 'seeping'. Ben came as close to splitting his head open as you can get without actually splitting it open! YAY Ben...no blood...well, at least not copious amounts of it. The gals all ran around getting cloths and ice etc. and in no time at all we had Ben laughing and back to his old wonderful self.....

It was a close call. I guess he's heard us talking and knows he can't bleed when Mark is on mission! Puke yes...blood NO...lolol...


Here is a picture of the 'almost split open head'. Of course, Ben thinks this picture is WAY cool!

Americas first BLACK President?

Ok. Someone has some 'splainin to do! I am confused (trust me it doesn't take much!). Everyone is all excited that if Barack Obama (I am voting for him, actually Mark is voting for him because I can't!) is elected as the next President of the United States, he will have made history as the first African American President. UH? True, his father is Black, but his mother is as caucasian as they come! Born and raised in Wichita Kansas! Why is Barack being labeled BLACK? He is just as much WHITE as he is BLACK.

Five other Presidents in American history have black ancestry. Harding, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln and Coolidge all have black heritage in their histories. Why were THESE Presidents not said to be black Presidents? Is it because their skin tone took after the caucasian side of their family? What if they had taken on a darker tone? Would they even have been voted in? Is Barack playing the 'black' card because he thinks America is finally ready for an African Amercian in the White House? If he was running for President 50 years ago, would he have said he was white?

I just find this all very interesting to say the least. As far as I am concerned, if Barack is elected President (and I hope he is!!) he won't be the FIRST Black President this country has had, he will be the 6th. He will also be the 43rd WHITE President elected.

I just don't get the hooplah. But not a bad American History lesson from a Canadian gal right? :)

Hugs to all,
Jaye

O Frabjous Day! Callooh! Callay!

I was sitting in the dentists office today when my phone started to vibrate. I was expecting it to be one of two people. But to my joy and surprise it was MARK!! I guess they had to surface for some reason or other and all the guys were standing topside calling their wives! YES!!! It is always nice after weeks and weeks of not hearing from him to be able to hear his voice! We have been very lucky this mission in that we have been able to send and receive email with some regularity, but to hear his voice was very nice indeed! Ben got to say hi and tell him that when he gets home we are going to the Go Kart track here in town. Paige was in the dentist chair but they held the phone up to her ear so she could hear her daddy! :)

It made my day to say the least....

Hugs to all,
Jaye

ps. My title? It's from a famous poem, can you tell me which one??

3 years, 6 months, 1 week...but who's counting?

I am so glad we decided to make this blog private! This way I can let you all know about the stupidity and 'huh?' moments we deal with on a regular basis with Mary. As my Grandpa Charlie would have said "When God was handing out brains, she was standing behind the door".

So...I'll make the story short! When Shelby flew out for Spring break, Mary paid the unaccompanied minor fee (UA fee from here on in) out of Chicago. When Mark went to Seatac to pick Shelby up at the gate he waited while all the passengers got off. No Shelby. All the crew got off. No Shelby. By that point he was thinking 'Mary didn't put her on the plane' . He called me and I said "no, she has to be there. I called the airlines when the flight left and she was checked in". So Mark went to the crew still standing at the gate and asked 'is there anyone else on board'. Nope. 'Are you sure?' Yup. 'Could you PLEASE go check?'. Eyes rolled..but the crew went to check. Oh..yah...she was on the plane sitting by herself waiting for someone to escort her off (by now Shelby knows the drill with flying UA).

They had all just assumed someone else would get her and didn't bother to double check! See what $100 buys you with United? lolol....Mark then goes to the United service desk and lets it be known that he is NOT angry (Mark never gets mad...), that he doesn't 'want' anything..he just wants them to know what happened and that for the fee that is paid for someone to keep track of his child, they had better do a better job. The lady was SO apologetic and gave Mark a $100 coupon for Shelbys next flight out. He explained that we book online, but this was no problem according to her. Just bring your credit card you used to book the flight with, the itinerary and the coupon to the United kiosk the next time you fly Shelby in and viola the amount will be applied back to your card. So we did that for the summer visit. Only when I went to the kiosk to get the $100 put back on my card, they wouldn't do it! UH? I was told I had to pay for the ticket at the AIRPORT not online. I didn't argue. I just decided to handle this another time, another way.

So began the phone call log. I started calling numbers in June. Being in the legal profession, I always keep a log when doing something like this. Time called, whom I spoke to, date called etc. I talked to no less than 37 different people in probably as many different countries, none of which being the good old US of A! Some I couldn't understand, some couldn't understand me, but ALL said that the 'policy was'....and proceeded to explain to stupid little me just what the policy was.
After two months of this crap, I went on the United website, found an email address and told the story (paid the UA fee, your company lost track of my child, got a coupon, you failed to honor it and now I have a phone log with 37 different people on it and no one can help) and also informed them that they had three days to get back to me with a resolution OR I would contact CNN, Good Morning America and every other major US news agency with the story that they lost my child and didn't do anything about it!

The next day I got a call. The lady was ever so sorry (and lo and behold, was in the USA!). She said she had refunded the credit card used to pay the UA fee in Chicago. I said 'ok, well, you just gave my husbands ex wife $100 bucks, which is ok with us but WE are the ones with the coupon that won't be honored'. She said 'well, I see your credit card that you used to book the ticket with. I will put $100 back on that AND send YOU an e certificate that you can use next flight no matter HOW you book your ticket. Hows that?" I said GREAT! Then emailed Mary to let her know she would see a 'refund of UA fee' on her credit card statement and wanted her to know the story (ok, I left out the part that we got an e certificate...forgive me!). I told her that we each got a $100 refund out of the airlines for the mix up with Shelby.

OK! So the STUPIDITY I had to deal with? I get a letter from Mary two days ago. Was it a 'hey, THANKS for fighting for a refund for me' letter? Nope... 'The airlines refunded me the UA fee. YOU didn't send Shelby back UA so that means that YOUR refund was for the airfare which we split evenly. This means you owe me half of your refund'. UH? Is she THAT dumb?

I emailed her back and said 'Actually, we EACH got $100. YOURS was refunded directly to your credit card beacause you used it in Chicago to pay for the UA fee. OURS was put on our credit card because we used it to book the ticket. We EACH got $100. You are NOT getting yours AND half of ours'. I also told her that I didn't HAVE to get her a refund, that I could have just got one for us and not said a thing! I then went on to say how I keep her in my prayers. That I pray that God can work on her heart and let her see that all the things she does to get back at Mark is really only affecting Shelby.

I bet THAT really made her day! :)

So like my title says, 3 years, 6 months and 1 week. But who's counting?

Hugs to all...
Jaye aka the refund getter! lol

Ribbet....Ribbet

So Dino the lizard is no more. He died. In case you don't remember, Mark chopped his tail off with the weed whacker last summer. He was an alligator lizard, native to WA state. Paige rescued him and then her and Mark went to petsmart and spent over $70 on a stupid habitat etc for the damn thing. He lived a great life. Crickets...lovely habitat etc. Paige wasn't too sad when he died. As she said "He lived a good life mama. If he'd been left outside a bird would have eaten him so he lived a lot longer than he normally would have'. Good attitude I guess!

Well...a few weeks ago, Paige (our animal kid!) found a big old tree toad and put him in the habitat with Dino ( I kind of wonder if this didn't kill Dino). She named this ugly old toad "Wembley'. Cute name...ugly frog. This week, she found two tiny frogs. In the house they came and into the habitat they went (at least it's not going to waste!). They were quickly dubbed "Hopper" and "Peeps". Cute names, cute frogs!

Tonight we looked into the habitat and Hopper was sitting on Wembleys head who was sitting in the water area. Apparently they are good friends now!

So, along with the bird, two cats, and hamster, we now have three frogs.

Lucky me.

Hugs
Jaye

Summer Storm

Today was a really nice sunny day. Not hot..but not cold. Then all of a sudden the heavens opened up and the thunder and lightning started! It was an AWESOME display of mother nature! Mark loves storms like this but as he is out to sea way under the water, this movie will have to suffice when he gets home! The storm lasted about 20 minutes and then was over....what a weird summer we have had here in WA state. I hope it's not indicative of what our winter is going to be like (read SNOW..lots of it!).

About 17 seconds in you can hear the thunder!!
Enjoy!

Hugs
Jaye

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mamma Mia!!!!!

If you like Abba...if you know their music..if you aren't afraid to make a complete and utter ass of yourself, then GO SEE MAMMA MIA!!!!!

OMG! My friend Bobbi and I went last night! Let me tell you...we sang...we danced...we laughed...we cried...we sang some more...

This has got to be hands down, one of the most FUN movies I have seen in a VERY long time!!

Go...go see it!

You still reading this??? You should be at the movies! GO!!!

Go!!!!

Mamma Mia..here I go again....MY MY...how can I resist ya!!

Mamma Mia.....

Hugs to all,
Jaye

Kitsap County Fair!

Every summer the kids look forward to several things. Our annual family camping trip which we couldn't do this year due to Marks sea schedule, and the County Fair which we DID do! We spent 7 1/2 hours there yesterday! Let me tell you, when I woke up this morning I had sore muscles in places I didn't even know I HAD muscles!

What a fun day it was! I had bought wrist bands at Burger King (nope, we didn't eat there..have you been following my fast food adventures?) last week and so the kids were able to have unlimited rides all day for a mere $20. Not bad considering that at the fair, tickets were $18 for 24 tickets and rides were 3 or 4 tickets each. That meant that for $18 a person could go on 8 rides MAX, IF they choose only 3 ticket rides! The kids more than got their money out of their wristbands! It was also Military Appreciation Day (they do this every year) and so military members or family with military ID got in for free AND received tickets to the Rodeo (we didn't go to it this year as we had another obligation last night...but we were also pretty wet and tired by the time we left at 5:30 anyways!). The kids each were given a 'passport' which they could go to each of the barns and get a stamp in. This was a great way to motivate the kids to see all the exhibits AND we moms got to do more than stand around while they went on rides! :) Our first stop however was the miniature doughnut stand. How can anyone go to the fair and NOT get a bag of fresh fried cinnamon sugar covered pieces of HEAVEN!?!

Around noon we went to the food court for lunch. Paige and Lilly both had 'super burritos'. Ben had chicken strips and fries (big surprise!) and I had a lamb Gyro (pronounced Year O). For a snack later on in the day, Paige and Lilly shared an elephant ear (deep fried bread with cinnamon sugar on it!) while Ben had a soft serve beenilla (his was of pronouncing Vanilla) cone.

It was a wonderful day and we look forward to the fair next year! We already have it all planned out how we want to see everything. And rain or not, we WILL go to the rodeo next year! YEE HAW!!!!!



This year the kids were old enough to be interested in going to ALL the barns! We saw all sorts of cute cute cute little guys. Even I wanted to take a few home!


We saw baby donkeys....






Baby Llamas...how could you NOT just love this little guy?? He was SOOOOO cute!!!!






Baby piggies....







and sheep of all kinds. It really isn't a fair until you see the sheep!








Then of course there are all the rides! Here is Lilly and Paige their first time on the 'go up really high and plummet down several times' ride. They must have done this ride 10 times! Crazy girls! Notice the smiles....







We weren't smiling so much by this point in the ride! After this first time however, they were all up for doing it over and over and over....








Bens favorite ride of them all, the airplanes. He is still young enough to love the kiddie rides, but did try a few 'big kid' rides this year. He went on the egg beaters and after the first 30 seconds or so was ok with it. Not his favorite but he DID like it. His FAVORITE 'big kid' ride was the bumper cars. I had to go on it with him as he was just a tad too short. He was able to steer while I pressed on the gas. What a CRAZY driver he is...must have learned from me! haha






Twila, Paige, Lilly and Ben on the tilt a whirl....this was in the 'kiddie ride' section but still a bit more than Ben was used to, but really liked it! Next year he will be all up for these rides I am sure....







I love this picture! I took it while Ben and I were waiting for the bumper cars to start. It's just a very typical 'fair' scene...see the games..the lights..the other rides. I wish there was a way for me to have smell o blogger so that I could put the smell of the corn dogs and cotton candy and poop......ahhhhh...NOTHING like the County Fair! This is the stuff of childhood memories!!





We can't wait to go back next year!!! Wheeeeeeeee.....

Hugs to all,
Jaye

Zoo trip #2 of the summer

I figured that with an annual family pass to the zoo we should go again this summer. The first zoo trip this summer was great but one of the exhibits wasn't finished yet so what a great excuse to head back for zoo trip #2! And yup, the exhibit was finished! What was it you ask? MEERKATS! They are so darn cute! Of course, Paige was plotting how she could convince me to allow her to have a meerkat of her own at home! lolol...what a kid! I am sure that by the time she is ready for College, our home will really be a zoo! Then we can SELL annual passes instead of buying them! :)




Paige and Ben at the zoo entrance. Of course they were THRILLED with me wanting to take a picture right from the get go! haha....








Ben on the Merry Go Round. The kids love this thing (it is an antique that was donated to the Zoo by a Seattle family) and so I bought a punch card enableing them to ride it whenever they want. Of course, Ben had to make a goofy face!




Hugs to all,
Jaye

Bible Soccer Camp

I don't know HOW I could have forgotten this summer event, but when I was going through the photos on my digital camera I was reminded of it and so have finally posted the pics! Every summer our church (Newlife) holds a Bible Basketball Camp in the summer. This year they also offered a Bible Soccer Camp...it was for five days and was 9-1130 each morning. The kids LOVED it! In fact, Paige now wants to sign up for a soccer league!




Here is Ben doing drills on the last day of the camp...





After drills they played a game. Ben was pretty funny trying to be 'cool' AND play soccer! He played the game with his hands in his pockets!





After a while he just decided it was better watching the game from the sidelines rather than actually playing. Soccer isn't his passion but he still enjoyed his week at Bible Soccer Camp!






And then there was Paige! She was all over the field and really put her all into each game, but then when does Paige ever do anything without putting her all into it? :)






Here she was throwing in a side line pass (or whatever it's called. I didn't go to soccer camp! haha)




Hugs to all,
Jaye

How many more years till Shelby is 18???

I shouldn't be surprised. I'm not actually. I AM sick of the cycle we go through though. Mary petitioned the courts to have Marks time with Shelby cut from 11 weeks a year to 5. As we didn't want to get into yet ANOTHER months long court battle, nor did we want to spend over $5000 fighting something that we KNEW we would win, we are letting it go. We are sick of fighting. It's been 14 years since their divorce. Enough is enough. And funny enough, we are actually very much at peace with this.

While here this summer, Mark had a few very honest, very long talks with Shelby and let her know that as she is almost 15 (amazing isn't it? Yikes!) it is up to her now to use her voice and say what she wants. More time with Dad? SAY something! Anyways, when Shelby is here, she is Marks shadow. Every time he leaves the house, even if it's just taking the trash out to the can, she leaps up 'where are you going Dad? Can I come?'. She goes everywhere with him. Tells him she loves him all the time. Hugs him. Leaps on his back. Teases him. Talks to him constantly about nothing and about everything. Once she is back at Marys, we never hear from her.

Prior to her coming out for spring break, Mark had called her once a week for six weeks and not one call was returned! FLAGRANT disregard to the court order on Marys behalf as each parent is obligated to make sure the child returns calls in a timely fashion. So I called last Monday and Shelby was not home. Mary answered the phone and I left a message with her to have Shelby call back. She did not call. All week. I called again today, left a message on the machine. I doubt she'll call back. Now keep in mind, when Shelby is here, Mary and her family (including family from Canada!) call Shelby the three times a week allowed by the court order (even though Shelby is there 47 weeks a year!). If we aren't home, they leave a message and we ALWAYS get Shelby to call back. Left to her own devices, Shelby calls her mom on average once every 8-10 days. But with her Mom and family calling HER, we make sure those calls are returned. If we didn't, well...we all know Mary would have a holy living FIT.

So now we are at another crossroads. This would make 8 missed calls. This is beyond a contemptible issue. So do we haul Mary into court for contempt? She's already been in contempt for this VERY issue in the past (she's been in contempt of court five times in the past four years!). She was fined $50 for each missed call. She was also 'officially' written up for contempt. What would one more contempt charge mean? Nothing really. Maybe another fine. Maybe another contempt charge. But the family courts do NOTHING else. She gets a slap on the wrist. Oh...she will make sure Shelby returns calls for a few months. Then we'll be back into this same pattern. And it's darn irritating. We know Shelby is not encouraged to return calls. We know Mary and her mother take EVERY opportunity to say horrible, nasty things about Mark and I to Shelby. We know Shelby is rewarded emotionally for ignoring our calls. Heck, the GAL we hired when we went for custody flat out told our old attorney (he retired!) that the ONLY reason he didn't recommend to the court that we get custody was that Shelby was so emotionally bullied and mentally battered by her mother that if we got custody, he feared it would only get worse. So there you have it.

The endless cycle we find ourselves in. Do we spend the 5-800 dollars to take her in for contempt? Do we just let this too go? Do we keep taking the high road and take solace in the fact that Shelby will be 18 in 3 1/2 years and can then have a relationship with her dad without us having to go through her mother to do it?
I don't know the answer to this. I don't want to keep Shelby in turmoil. I know if we go to court Mary will make it well known in her home what is happening and use it as another reason to spew about Mark to Shelby.
I don't want to waste money. But I do want to do all I can to make sure Mark and Shelby are able to have contact...even if it IS only once a week.
Ugh....
What I do know is that we are in the countdown to Shelby being 18. What I do know is she is going to have some very hard questions for her mother in future years. What I do know is that Shelby has been changed forever by her mothers actions.
What I do know is that this blended family thing can be one of the hardest emotional roller coaster rides you can ever take.

Hugs to all,
Jaye

Girly Post

Ok. If you are a male...stop reading right now! The following post will A) bore you B) confuse you or C) confirm your suspicions that I am nuts!
Ok..boys all gone? If there are any males reading at this point..I can assume that A)nothing I say bores you B) you are not easily confused or C) You KNOW I am nuts but love me anyways! :)
So..my girly rant!
Why oh Why oh Why is it that companies that make things for women like to discontinue items? Huh? Case in point. Bath and Body Works. I can no longer go into Bath and Body and buy Cotton Blossom scented products. Now Cotton Blossom is my ALL TIME favourite! ALL TIME. It is a clean, crisp scent with an underlying 'mmmmm' factor...very subtle..but makes you go 'mmmmmm..yummy' ...when you smell it. So WHY is it that I can't walk into my local store and buy it? Tell me, I'd LOVE to hear the answer. Oh...I can order it online and pay for shipping! But I can't buy it in the store anymore. When I tried to a few months ago, I got this response "No, we don't carry that anymore, but have you tried________?" (fill in the blank). Is it because they get us hooked and then KNOW that they can stop supplying it and we'll gladly buy something else in it's place? Are we that fickle a sex?
Guys don't have this problem! Case in point. Aqua Velva. Old Spice. Both have been around since when? The 50's???? Mark is able to walk into a store and buy the same Armani fragrance he's worn since we started dating 12 years ago!!! what the heck????
We need to band together and protest this outrage! I want to be able to buy my gall darned Cotton Blossom bath gel 20 years from now! As it is, I regularly scope out my local bath and body and scoop up any Cotton Blossom products they've 'forgotten in the back' and put out on clearance! Last month I found six bottles and bought them all. I am down to three bottles (shower each morning, bubble bath each night!). I am starting to panic. I might actually break down and pay the darn shipping to order it online...sigh....

If I didn't like my boobs so much I'd consider a sex change. Oops...did I just say that out loud? hehehe....

Hugs to all
Jaye

Texting Junkie

So I FINALLY got a texting plan on my cell phone! :) and I have to start going to texters anonymous! lolol..I LOVE it!
So seeing as this is set to private and I know all of you, if you have Verizon Wireless, go nuts! Text me! (ok..that just sounds wrong! lolol..) If you DON'T have verizon? TEXT ME!!! (ok..that still sounds wrong! lolol)
360-620-9104...go..now..text me...text me...

Hugs
Jaye

Where's a brick wall when you need one?

I am SURROUNDED by stupid people! I swear to God! I had another "McDonalds Moment" as a new friend of mine calls it. I took Ben to the bowling alley today. There happens to be a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut inside and as it was lunchtime I thought 'how convenient!'. Little did I know I was up for another DUH moment! So Ben ordered a personal pan pizza/breadsticks/drink combo, while I ordered a Zesty Chicken Salad Bowl. Easy? I thought so. So after a half hour (no such thing as FAST food anymore apparently!) our order arrives. Bens order was right. Mine was wrong. Mine was actually DEADLY for me to be honest. It was a BEEF salad bowl, and for those who don't know, I am DEATHLY allergic to beef (weird, I know..but then weird suits me! haha). I will end up in the ER very very ill. So, I take my order back to the gal and said 'I ordered a CHICKEN bowl, not beef. I am actually very allergic to beef, this could have put me in the hospital'. She looks at it and says 'Oh, that's not beef, its steak'. I KID YOU NOT! I just looked at her. STUNNED. I said to her 'Steak IS beef' ( you will be proud to know I didn't add MORON to the end of that sentence! haha). She said 'Oh, it IS?'...uh..yah...last time I checked, a steak was a hunk o' cow...AKA, BEEF. Ugh....she was really sweet and really nice and really trying...but HELLO, McFly!
I got my Chicken bowl and it was yummy...and actually lowfat and healthy too...when I was leaving the bowling alley, she gave Ben and I each a fruit smothie for free, which I thought was very nice of her.
Still doesn't change the fact that she is dumber than a door knob. But then, maybe I just expect a certain level of intelligence in people. Who knows. What I DO know is that eating out is off my list of things to do for awhile. My faith in humankind, at least of the server variety, is at an all time low! :)

Hugs to all,
Jaye

Is it just me??

Ok, either I am getting old and crotchety (don't tell me if I am!) or people are getting stupider by the day!
Case in point. I took the kids to the zoo yesterday. The zoo is a 45 minute drive from our house, so to save time, I thought I'd do McDonalds for breakfast. I know...really nutritious right? But hey, I figure once every few months won't kill them and the time saved was worth it (it also meant I didn't have to make breakfast for them! haha).
So. We pull into McDonalds and go in. I have long ago given up on drive thru. They screw up the order so often that I am tired of pulling away and getting a half mile down the road only to hear "Mom, my burger has ONIONS on it!"...ugh...so...
We stand in line and realize that at the late hour of 10:30 they no longer are serving breakfast. That should have been my first clue that this was not going to be a good experience! WHO in their right mind eats lunch at 10:30? Turns out, US! lol...
So the kids pick what they want. I order it and figure it is easy to understand. I don't have an accent. I don't have a speech impediment. I am articulate. So, here is what I said "I'll have one number 8 meal, no tomato, no sauce. I'll also have one number 6 meal just the way it is". Simple right? Apparently NOT. Her: "So that's one number 8 and one number 6". Me: "Yes, but the number 8 has no tomato and no sauce". Her: "No tomato or sauce on the number 8?" Me: "Right". Her: "And the number 6 has no changes?" Me: "No, no changes". So we wait THIRTY MINUTES!!! Hello, this was supposed to be a time saver!!!! We get the two drink cups and the kids fill them up. We finally get our order. A number 8 no sauce and no tomato. Uh...WHERE is the number 6? "Oh...you wanted a number 6?"
Ok, I am not trying to be rude or mean..but working at McDonalds does not require a degree and is NOT rocket science people!!! How hard is it to punch in a few buttons to reflect an order of two meals????
I guess I was being a bit hard on the poor gal though...after all, I HAD taken the kids to McDonalds last week (ok, that makes it more than once every few months but it's summer and my hubby is out to sea ok?!) and had the same problem placing my order. They screwed that order up too.
Needless to say, those two trips to McDonalds are it for us for the next few months...heck, it might be more than a few months.
I am now on the search for a quick (not McDonalds), reasonably healthy (NOT McDonalds!) restaruant where the employees are a little smarter than your average bear (DEFINITELY not McDonalds!!!).
Any suggestions?

Hugs to all,

Jaye

Meteor showers and childhood..mine AND theirs!

I remember my mom being so excited when there was going to be a meteor shower. She'd get snacks all ready...blankets and pillows out....she'd set this all up on the roof of the house and somehow coax us up there with her...we'd be grumbling and complaining the whole way. I think I really only ever went for the snacks to be honest as not much else about the whole thing interested me. After all, meteor showers happen in the DARK, late at night. A)I am afraid of the dark (yes, even now I have a fear of the dark!) and B) it's late..HELLO...time to sleep!
So there my poor mom would be, up there on the roof with two not so happy kids...watching meteors plummet their way to earth.

Flash forward a bunch of years (you DON'T need to know how many!) and here I am. "Hey kids, there is a METEOR SHOWER tonight". Silence. No jumping up and down. No excitement. Nothing. "Hey..how about I make some snacks and we go outside later when it's Dark and Late?". Again, nothing. Not to be deterred, I plow on with the 'plan'. As it gets darker, I go outside to 'scout' the sky. "I SEE ONE" I yell. The kids run out and stare up at the most beautiful night sky. Millions of stars have come out to see the shower and the summer air is just perfect. There is nothing. No meteors. Nothing. After a few minutes, the kids head back inside. I stay out a few more minutes and of course another meteor rockets by. The kids are NOT impressed. They want to see one but don't want to invest the five minutes at this point that it will take to see a meteor shoot past. I assure them that in a few hours it will be REALLY great, the news said over 100 an hour, that works out to more than one a MINUTE kids! Yah...they are as impressed with me as I was with my mom.
And then I realize something. Of COURSE we adults are excited about meteor showers. It gives us an 'excuse' to go outside, in the dark, late at night and just sit. And watch. And enjoy. No cell phones. No deadlines. No laundry to do. No meals to make. No place to be. Of course we love meteor showers! We get to stop in our tracks and act LIKE KIDS AGAIN! And then the really obvious point hits me! Of course kids aren't impressed by meteor showers like we are! Cause they act like kids ALL DAY LONG, ALL SUMMER LONG! Duh!
I finally get why my mom loved them so much and why we kids didn't.
I wish my mom and I could watch a meteor shower together. We'd have so much fun, and probably annoy the crap out of the kids! Now THAT is even more fun than watching a meteor shower!
So I'm off to check the sky again as it's 1138pm. Should be getting really good pretty soon.
Oh..the kids? Yah...they are all asleep. Silly Rabbits.

Hugs
Jaye

Where did the time go???

21 years ago today, I was holding my firstborn newborn in my arms. She was so tiny, 5lbs 5 ounces and five weeks early. As tiny and as early as she was, she was perfect. Absolutely perfect. And strong. And gorgeous. And wonderful. And her father and I were stunned at this little miracle that had been placed in our care. She was ours. We were barely in our 20's...I was not quite 21, Len was 20. What did we know about raising a child? But despite everything..her small size...our young age....two days later we took her home. And we loved her. It was that simple. Katie was a 'bald head diggy dum' as my Dad called her, for the first two or three years of her life. Then magically almost, a full head of curls appeared. And she had curls from then on. She was amazed when her brother Sam was born. But then, Katie approached life with a wonder and amazement that was beyond her years. Even now, at the tender age of 21, I hear that she is wise beyond her years. She has had her share of heart ache and sorrow...and her and I have yet to find our way back to each other...but I believe in my heart that it will happen...it is happening now...ever so slowly...we chat on occasion...she calls to talk to Paige or Ben or Sam and we chat a bit. Cautiously. But we chat. I let her know that I will always be there for her. That I love her unconditionally. Mothers and Daughters. From time immemorial, mothers and daughters have waged battles against each other...with each other...because of each other. I should not be surprised that Katie and I are in this battle. I have yet to resolve the battle with my own mother. I only hope that Katie will not be 42 and still feel motherless. I will do all I can to not let that happen.
Anyways...to my sweet, adorable baby girl...my first born...
Happy Birthday!
I hope your life is good...and full of everything you could ever hope and dream of.
I love you much.
Mom

%&^#$#@@ Navy!

Most of the time I love the Navy life. It has given us some great adventures and wonderful friends. I've learned alot and been able to really do some fun things (ie be the OMB). So mostly, I love the Navy life.

Not today.

Today is Mark and I's 10th wedding anniversary. And today, Mark left to go out to sea. So here I am with a houseful of kids. On my anniversary. Lovely.

Some days the Navy sucks.

Hugs to all,
Jaye