WELCOME TO MY "OTHER" BLOG!

If you are coming from Building Heavenly Bridges (BHB), WELCOME and if you are finding me for the first time and looking for support after a loss, then please check me out at my grief/loss blog!



This blog is a series of anecdotes from our life after losing our first child, a stillborn daughter, then going on to birth the two other lights of our lives!

Bear is 6: serious, organized, my cruise director and my time keeper.

The Comedian is 4: She is pure comedy always doing something unintentionaly funny that I attempt to put into words.

Enjoy our stories, conversations, and delights as we embrace the lives of our second and third daughters without ever negating our first.

Children's Widsom - Quote of the week...

Children's Widsom - Quote of the week...
"I Wish Emma Was Alive Because I Would Tell Her Where The Bathroom Is"

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Show and Tell - A Day At The Museum

For show and tell this week, I bring a family day trip to the Monshire Museum of Science. It's a totally awesome place for little kids on a cold November day after 5 days off from school and another to go!

I even managed to convice DH to put off cutting-up the two deer he agreed to do, for OTHER people, and come with us!

It was great fun, until about five minutes in when the worst possible thing happened! THE BATTERIES IN MY CAMERA DIED! Ok, melodramatic I know...but seriously, this is ME we are talking about. Lucky for you, I seem to average a picture/minute ratio so you are still gifted with five pics!

It was a blessing in disguise, because I was able to participate fully with BOTH hands! What a day.

Bear solved crazy mind-blowing puzzles in record time.

DH made the BIGGEST bubble I have ever seen with a hula-hoop.

The Comedian stared at fish for a record-setting time, I'm sure.

And I, had my fill of Perfect Moment Mondays on this Perfect Saturday.

Oh- and Yes - we were cutting and wrapping deer until 7pm, not so perfect, but hey - what can you do?

The Museum


It was a "daddy" day from the start!

Bear, perched high up in the playhouse.


The Comedian...staring at fish.

And, a moose, with a sign that read..."Please Don't Touch Me, I'll Lose My Hair."

And the Award Goes To....Me - then YOU!

Now I have matching awards on both blogs! I'm touched! Thanks Wiseguy.

Just for fun I'm going to link to my answers from last month on BHB - but I'm not going to look until I'm done. Here Goes...

1. Where is your cell phone? ON THE CHARGER
2. Where is your significant other? COLORING
3. Your hair color? BLACK
4. Your mother? ORGANIZED
5. Your father? SICK
6. Your favorite thing? KIDS
7. Your dream last night? A FIRE
8. Your dream/goal? AUTHOR
9. The room you’re in? OFFICE
10. Your hobby? SCRAPBOOKING
11. Your fear? ILLNESS
12. Where do you want to be in six years? CITY
13. Where were you last night? HOME
14. What you’re not? FLEXIBLE
15. One of your wish list items? HOT TUB!
16. Where you grew up? VERMONT
17. The last thing you did? SHOWERED
18. What are you wearing? CLOTHES
19. Your T.V.? NOPE
20. Your pet? TWO
21. Your computer? LAPTOP
22. Your mood? SETTLED
23. Missing someone? YES
24. Your car? MESSY
25. Something you’re not wearing? SOCKS
26. Favorite store? STAPLES
27. Your Summer? RELAXING
28. Love someone? ABSOLUTLY!
29. Your favorite color? YELLOW
30. When is the last time you laughed? THIS MORNING
31. Last time you cried? THIS MORNING

Ok - for inquiring minds...here's the link to MY OLD ANSWERS.

I know this award has been going around for a while, so please...if you don't have it - TAKE IT and have fun trying to use one word!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thoughtful Thursday (A day early)

Tomorrow - DH, Bear, The Comedian and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving. I am so glad there is a day that brings us all together to be grateful AND to say those gratitudes out loud.

Last Week On THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS: The Comedian's idle stream-of-concsiousness thoughts on... just about anything!... The Comedian shared profound thoughts about hunting season.

This week, she has been a bit cranky (molars? growth spurt? having internal conflict about turning four?) I cannot say for sure, but instead of documenting her disgust with all things "too loud for her ears", we have a guest speaker.

Please welcome Bear as she shares her view on... An Early Winter.

We are getting ready for school on a particully bitter morning. (Try to imagine January in November - Brrr!)

Bear: (grumpily) - "Nooooo. I don't want to wear a hat. I dooon't want to wear mittens. It's too cold out."

Me: "Yes. I totally agree with you. It is very cold out. But that is exactly why you need to wear your hat and your mittens."

Bear: (riding in the car, still stewing about the weather) "I don't want it to be Winter. I want it to be Spring again!"

Me: "Yeah! Me too. Wouldn't that be great!"

Bear: (suddenly inspired and in great spirits with a lift in her voice) "I know. I'm going to call God. I'm going to tell him to change Winter back into Spring!"

(Silence. Apparently - it was final. She had a plan and was satisfied.)

Me: (unable to resist because I know how literal she is and will in NO way get my sarcasm) "Great. Super. Just let me know how that works out, allright?"

Bear: (exiting the car at school) "Ok. Yup! I'll tell you what he says."

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Show and Tell - Domestic Uncluttering

QUICK UPDATE: I POSTED THIS SATURDAY. TOMORROW IS WEDNESDAY AND THE HOUSE STILL LOOKS LIKE THIS. A MIRACLE? YUP! I THINK WE HAVE COMMITTED TO BANNISH THE CLUTTER! (PLUS EVERY KID TOY WENT UPSTARS...THAT HELPS)

TOLD DH THAT YOU ARE ALL EXPECTING HIM. HE'S CHECKING HIS SCHEDULE!

Yesterday dawned an exciting day. I had a meeting at a cafe with a well-published author. She is the client of a friend, and we were connected! I got up, showered, did my hair, picked a nice looking outfit, and even put on make-up - on a SATURDAY! (note- this process took much longer than usual due to the phantom toe-nail of 2008)

DH said, "You're probably going to be a while, huh?"
I said, "I hope so. That would mean she likes what I have to say!"
And, so I hobbled out the door with a smile and a wave.

When I left...our house looked something like an area that has been declared a disaster area after a large tornado went through. Well, something like this: (Ok- the whole house wasn't this bad...)
When I returned it seemed FEMA had come and gone in an extroidanarily quick time. It looked like this:






He even managed to get to that back hallway you just throw stuff in!

Me: "Wow! It looks great in here! You really got inspired."
DH: "No. I just got sick of the clutter. I hoe'd-out."



Another clear indication that I live in hicksville! "Hoe'd-out" is a commonly used term. And, in this case it means that our old, ratty, stained, blue chairs now live on our porch.
Regardless, I loved that he said it and that he did it!
Now, here's more show and tell!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Thoughtful Thursdays - #2

(Big Newscaster Voice) - "Last week on THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS: The Comedian's idle stream-of-concsiousness thoughts on... just about anything!... The Comedian spoke earnestly about, her dog - Ginger.

Today, she shares with us her profound thoughts about...Hunting Season

Last night we ran out of soy sauce (shocking I know) and as I was making chinese fried rice The Comedian and I went around the corner to our neighborhood store to grab some. An innocous trip, to be sure. However, recall I live in Southern Vermont and futher be informed that Hunting season started this week. (Note: Hunting season IS a season here, like Spring, Summer, Mud season, haying season and black fly season...)

We pull into the parking lot and there are a large number of pick-up trucks, camo-clad men and their proud ladies gathered around...the scales. The Comedian, always the curious one peeks through the crowd and announces, "That's not a deer. That's a bear!"

(minor note: we then saw two dead deer in the back of the pick up trucks as I steered her through the crowd and into the store)

Once in the car, she began the verbal mental processessing I knew was coming:

"I this it was a baby bear, but it wasn't a big bear, but I don't like he to shoot a baby. I didn't see he head. The baby bear had blood but I didn't see he head. The deer have a head. He have blood too, but he not fighting. Grampa's deer fighted, but the bear have blood and I not like he to hurt baby bears. I not like he to shoot a gun. (slight pause) Mama, will he eat he bear?"

(Fun Fact: Gramp and Gram bought both my girls their LIFETIME hunting and fishing licenses for the first birthday. Sweet, huh?)

ME: "I don't know sweetie. I hope not."

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Too Funny For Words!

I just have to ask - An Altogether Different Kind of Stirrup Queen?

Monday, November 17, 2008

Perfect Moment Monday -

Or...an alternative title could be: "The pointing out of something im-perfect".

I am a picture taker!
I take Looooooots of pictures.
I scrapbook, alot.
I often tell my kids they will need a u-haul to take all their albums when they are grown up.

Yesterday, The Comedian points to this picture:


She says, "Is that my family?"

"Yes dear" I answer, a little confused, but I'm talking the Comedian so anything goes, right?

She continues: "Well, that's-a my daddy and that's-a my mommy and that's-a Bear as a baby. So where am I?"

Too true my darling. Too true. I wish I could report that I ran the closet-of-wonders and whipped out a family portrait that I had somehow forgot to hang...but no. There is no such portrait.

She is nearly four and we have yet to return to a JcPenny's, a Sears, or even a Walmart to smile for the camera.

That is Perfect! Perfectly sad. It will be done. I will post it.

Comment and give me a deadline - I respond well to deadlines! (but, please...keep it reasonable with the holidays and long lines and all, ok?)
Here's some other good tales to read!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Show and Tell - I Never Thought She'd Do It!

The Comedian was invited to her first birthday party today. You know - one for HER friend, and Bear wasn't coming. HUGE, right? It was a gymnastics party. Even bigger!

How do I say this gently. You all know The Comedian talks a good game, wow does she talk - but walking is a different story. She can't really do it! She moves like she talks: she skips, she hops, she twirls, but she doesn't walk. And, inevitably - more often than not - she falls. In fact, she has been known to turn her head when, just about anything catches her attention, but keep on walking - right into a post!

She is the sweetest kind of clumsy you have ever seen. And yes, at least 50% of her food ends up on her shirt! So, the idea of a gymnastics party intruiged me. As I was filling out the "if your child gets hurt it's not our issue" form, I chuckled, wondering if that might actually be the case.

I, DEFINATELY, never thought she would do ...THIS! What is everyone else showing?




Thursday, November 13, 2008

Tagged - But this is gonna be good!

OK - I have a really great post lined up for you about kids - world war 3 and needles...but
Kristin tagged me to share 6 things about me...so a bit of randomness first!

The rules are as following:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Random Facts:
1. I could easily be a Vegetarian, but I married into a family who raises and slaughters their own beef and hogs. (yeah - I know)
2. I am a born and bred Vermonter and I don't like cheddar cheese.
3. My biggest pet peeve is drawers being left open, especially file cabinet drawers!
4. I hate stupid-funny movies, but I ADORE the Austin Powers series..go figure!
5. I am the pain in the you-know-what mother at the elementary school. They see me coming and say, "Oh no. There is that high maintenance mother." (Seriously - I heard the principal say it the other day.)
6. The reason why is... I am by child's best advocate and I don't care what they say about me. She will receive the services she needs!

I struggle with tagging, but this is a really fun one. I think we will learn more about each other, for sure! So, please play along if you read this - and - of course - haven't been tagged yet!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY (It's NOT what you think!)

Ok - Today is Tuesday, not Thursday...but hey they do start with the same letter even if the phonics don't alliterate very well. This is a new weekly post I have devised.

Yes, I know, I didn't really need something else to balance on my already overflowing plate, but I couldn't resist. AND - YES IT WILL BE ON THURSDAYS...USUALLY!

And so...without further ado

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS: The Comedian's idle stream-of-concsiousness thoughts on... just about anything!

This week, for our debut we feature our dog, Ginger. She's old, realllly old. In fact, we don't know how old she is as we adopted her from an elderly couple who was getting to old to take care of her! But I can tell you with certainty that her behaviors and digestive actions are very typical of an elderly dog - or human for that matter. THIS is Ginger. And these are The Comedian's thoughts (in an all knowing / professor three-year-old tone of voice):


"I loved Ginger a long time ago but I don't love Ginger anymooore, because she is a naughty dog. She is white, but she poops on the floor all the time but I don't love her to poop on the floor. I love dogs to poop outside but she poops on the floor so she is a naughty dog. She takes a long sleep, why she take big naps? She slides on the wood and she is very old so I don't love her to poop on the floor. (quick breath -quick grin) I love the cat."

And that - was the first edition of: THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS: The Comedian's idle stream-of-concsiousness thoughts on... just about anything!

Monday, November 10, 2008

PERFECT MOMENT MONDAY - THE NEXT ANDREW SISTERS?

I don't know...but they sure are cute!



I don't know who their lyricist is - but check out the homemade instrument band, and for bonus points....can you tell who is singing lead?

Now, feel free to check out the other participants HERE .

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Show and Tell - Birthdays Gone By

It is that time of year again! It is HOLIDAY time! Thanksgiving will be upon us before we can blink, then Christmas (which is already displayed throughout stores) will follow in just as brief a manner. New Years Eve will have us chanting 2009 and then we can take a breath, right?

Um - nope. Not in this house for the new year brings with it two birthdays. In January The Comedian will be 4 (YIKES) and in early February Bear will be 6 (DOUBLE YIKES). Funny backstory - they were due a day apart, but my tricky Comedian came just a tad early, effectively putting her in another month altogether. A jokester from out of the womb!

Anyway - their birthdays are so close together, I always do a combined party. This is how my reasoning goes, "Until they are able to come to me with a well-thought out, logical arguement for why they SHOULDN'T have a combined party...then we will". I don't think we are quite there, but the battle over theme is about to begin. I can see it now, even as they look of the evil represented in the Birthday Ex.pre.ss Magazine that came yesterday.

I'm sure I will have more comercialized drama to report in these holiday months...but for now, here is The Cake from last year.



(Just so credit goes where it is due: I did pink frosting, the candles and the skittles rainbow. Sweet contractor hubby did the twirling pony and the twizzlers rainbow with electrical wire threaded through!)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008