up up up

oh my goodness!  it's a quarter after one.  we went to bed at 11:30.  the previous times leyton has spent the night, once he's asleep, he's asleep!  tonight, however... asleep at 11:30 (his idea, even!) and up at 1, crying (i thought because he had to potty, which he did) and insisting we get up & have breakfast.  


*sigh*


well, we're not having any breakfast, yet, but we are in the livingroom watching Thomas again.  i just want to go back to sleep!  *laugh*  might as well be productive if i'm going to be up, tho.


so, as i said, i slept very late (so shouldn't -i- be the one who wants to be up?  *laugh*).  i left here about 4 & returned the shoes, which gave me money for gas and dinner!  God is good!  : )  i picked erin up & we went to subway.  mmmm!  i'd been craving subway for what now, a week?  it tasted very good!  and it was nice to chat about life and GH and whatnot.  but all too soon, i had to take her back because it was time to pick up leyton!!!  : )  


he was excited, and phil said he hadn't eaten yet, so we got all packed into the car & then went through a drive thru.  leyton decided he wanted BK, and their toy was an owl!  ironic, no?  LOL  


when we got home, it was after 7, dark, RAINY and cold.  i had leyton hold the umbrella so he wouldn't get rained on.  he also wanted to bring Happy (stuffed dog that i kept in the backseat for him) inside.  so, he's got Happy & the umbrella.  i've got my purse, his food, my drink, his drink, my leftover sandwich... and my keys.  i had this feeling that i needed to be very careful.  i thought i was being careful.  and still... my keys slipped out of my hands & slid right down btwn the porch & the house.  ARGH!!!!!  i hadn't put more $$ on my phone because the website was being a jerk and i hadn't gotten to the store.  


(sidenote - while i once praised virgin mobile customer service because they were very helpful & polite, my recent experience has not been good.  :(  first of all, on their website to top up, there is an option to use paypal.  i have $$ in my paypal account, so i chose that option as an alternative to getting a top up card at the store.  except that every time i click the link that says CHECKING/PAYPAL, it takes me to a screen that wants me to register a credit card.  bwha?!  so, i called their CS number, because i've had such good experiences in the past.  however, they've changed their automated system, making it VERY HARD to get to an actual person.  once i finally DID get to an actual person, i explained the situation, but they were apparently A) from india w/ a limited grasp of english or B) not listening to me.  then i had a coughing fit & they hung up on me!  i said "hang on" or "excuse me," for pete's sakes!!  so THEN i sent an email to their customer service.  that was on ... thursday, i think, and i still have not had a response from them.  so, virgin mobile, what's the deal?  i like you, and i would LIKE to keep using you, as i have been a good and loyal customer for over 5 years.  however, it's getting to be very inconvenient!  *sigh*)  


anywhoo.  so, i couldn't call anyone, i have a 3 year old who is hungry and tired, I am tired, and it is wet.  and of course i've locked the car.  thankfully, my neighbors were home, so we went over there & used their phone to call phil (then mom when phil didn't answer), then played w/ their little girl who happens to be the same age as leyton!  mike very kindly, somehow, fished my keys out, so phil didn't need to come to open the door.  he was already on his way, tho, and had skipped his shower to help, so he just took one here.  


oh, i picked up the train post cards i'd left in mom's car after our boone trip, and when i pulled them out, there were also a bunch from madison, wisconsin.  *boggle*  i tried calling mom, but her line was busy, so i'll have to remember to ask her tomorrow.  idk where they would have come from other than some stash of dad's, tho!  weird... but hey, i'll use them!  they're pretty!  *laugh*  


well, tootie bum has fallen asleep again.  i wonder if i can get him back to bed w/o him waking up?  or should i leave him on the couch?  i hate to do that, tho, and then if he wakes up & doesn't know where he is, he might be scared!  so i guess i'll try to move him.  


ttfn!  

OWLS!

My mom likes owls.  Growing up, we had a nifty woodwork owl (which is still in her house) and an owl portrait that were always just kinda "there" for me.  I didn't like them, or not like them.  And then Harry Potter came into my life, and Hedwig, and suddenly I really liked owls, too!  Not the same way I like turtles, of course.  But I see their cuteness now.  I don't find their big eyes creepy anymore, I find them fascinating.  : ) 


So, I tell you all that because I found the CUTEST owl pillows!  I bought one for my mom for Christmas.  I hope she'll like it... 


http://www.etsy.com/shop/aprilfoss?ref=top_trail

Take a look at the shop & let me know what you think!  : )  


Today I slept til 1:30.  Yep.  IN THE AFTERNOON!  Honestly, I think I could have slept longer, except I was hungry, and thought I should eat something.  (Just in case you're worried, I did get up at like 8 & have something to eat to stay on some sort of schedule.)


Talked to mom, watched CSI: NY.  Am leaving soon to take some shoes back to Famous Footwear & then meet Erin for dinner (Subway or Arthur's?  I still don't know!) & then pick up Leyton!!!  We're going to watch a movie & eat popcorn & stay up late & maybe play on FB - he likes to look at the pictures!  


Hope you're Saturday is going well!  


TTFN

Day 21 – Another moment Day 22 – Something that upsets you Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better Day 24 – Something that makes you cry

Day 21 - Another Moment
*blink blink blink*
there was that time when mom, daddy & i were at an iowa basketball game, and i jokingly told dad that wayne newton was going to be in town soon & we should go.  i was gauging his reaction, because i really did want to go, i thought it'd be neat.  i didn't think he'd go for it, tho.  and i was right, he scoffed a litle when i said it, like he didn't believe i was really excited.  


then a couple days later he called & asked if i could get that night off work.


we saw wayne newton.  it was neat!  man can sing!  (of course.)  


of those moments, even above actually GOING to the concert, the moment that i remember best and makes my heart go all warm & fuzzy is that phone call.  it was such a surprise, hearing dad ask if i could get thursday night off on short notice, because he "just stopped by the box office" and found out ticket prices "weren't that bad."  : )  i <3 him.  i miss him.  i love the memories of him i can bring to mind!


**********


Day 22 - Something That Upsets You
Injustice.  when i see/hear/read about ppl being treated unfairly for some reason, it makes me want to jump in & defend them, or rescue them, and pound whomever is treating them badly!  i believe in treating ppl well, with respect, no matter who they are and if you agree with them or not.  you don't think ppl should be gay?  okay, but those who are guy aren't any less human.  you can disagree with their lifestyle or choices without treating them disrespectfully!  of course, those ppl at least have "reasons" for their rudeness.  what really steams me is when ppl in positions of power (bosses, pastors, presidents, etc.) rude and get away with it.  THAT's steamy.  and not in the good way.  


Day 23 - Something That Makes You Feel Better

Day 24 - Something That Makes You Cry
missing ppl.  not just Daddy, but mostly!  at least when i'm missing April or Joy or Debi, etc., i can email them or IM them... happy books.  or, sad parts and happy endings.  movies and TV shows like that, too.  hallmark commercials, sometimes.  heh.  


**************


so, hi!  as you can see, i had some catching up to do.  i apologize for not dedicating a post to each "day."  sometimes life gets in the way of these things, and it's not a ruled kinda thing anyway, right?  *laugh*  


today my tummy did not feel good, it's still kinda queasy at this moment.  :(  thankfully it didn't hurt constantly, or so much that i couldn't work or anything!  i just felt icky all day.  and yet, i got a lot accomplished!  yay!  


mom didn't get off work early, so no movie for us tonight.  : (  but that was probably better... *laugh*  hopefully my tummy will be BETTER tomorrow, because it's a busy day!  so, instead of going to the movies, i spent tonight doing something i said i wasn't going to do - watching new shows.  lol  i watched outsourced, running wilde, and the event, and i liked all 3.  running wilde seemed a little awkward because it just jumped right in & stuff, but i warmed up to it once i "got" the style.  the event looks to be really good.  awesome cast, and great directing in the first ep!!  : )  


and that's my news tonight!  : )  have a great one & pray for my tummy!  oh, and don't forget to stop over to the menu to check out the site & leave your comments!  ; ) 


ttfn!

sounds like...

I needed music today.  I don’t listen to music at work a lot, because I normally am not bothered by the sounds around the office.  I actually use them to know what’s going on, ya know??  When I worked where I worked before my current job, music was my constant refuge!  There was always whispering going on, and ½ the time I felt like it was about me – only ¼ of the time was that true, probably, but I did have reasons for thinking so!!  To escape from the stress this caused me, I had a whole CD collection & headphones to plug in to my computer.  Alanis if I was mad, Yanni to calm me down, Phil or Def Leppard or Metallica to chill with.  I always feel like I type faster when listening to music.  Whether that is truth or merely perception, I do not know!  I just know that when I can focus on the music in the background, it helps me concentrate on what I’m working on!  *laugh* 

 

Today there was just a lot of CHATTER going on, and I didn’t really feel well, either, so it was extra annoying!  I just wanted everyone to SHUT UP! 

 

I broke out the Glee soundtracks, then Phil, then the boss opened his door & he was listening to muzak while on hold for a meeting, and it made me want to listen to my main musical squeeze (tied for 1^st place w/ Phil of course!), Yanni!  : )  I didn’t think I had any Yanni here, tho, and was sad …. Then I remembered I have his Ethnicity CD in my drawer.  WOOT!  Listening to that CD, I started to feel better… : ) 

*** auto caps OFF ***

and then, i got to meet mom & leyton at chick fil a, and all was once again right with the world!  : ) 

tatoos!

leyton went back & forth about the cow.  he loved the cow & wanted him to come visit again.  then he was scared of the cow & didn't want him anywhere near us.  then he was back to loving the cow (because the cow kept high-fiving him!  LOL).  i was happy when the cow made leyton happy, because I love the cow & wanted him to be around us!!  LOL 

there were two guys & their daughter sitting near us.  she was about 2, i think.   her dress was beautiful!  and the patterns looked like they might've come from Hawthorne Threads, which i just LOVE.  i wish i sewed, because i would love to make things w/ the fabrics they find.  they're unique and fun.  : )  anyway, as we were leaving, i told her dad (one of her dads?   honestly, idk if these two were together or just friends, i just got an impression that they were both gay, but even then that doesn't mean they were together, so at any rate, i apologize for any generalizations should one or both of them ever come across this blog & they weren't together.  whew!) that i loved her dress & he said her grandma made it (and many others) for her.  so, it very well could have been material from HT!  : )  

oh, there was also a balloon guy there, as evidenced by the blue sword leyton requested.  sadly, the balloon sword did not survive the trip home.  : (  

once we all got to mom's, leyton set up some train tracks & i played papparazzi!  my favorite activity... LOL  

we also played firefighter, which i don't have pictures of because i didn't want to hit leyton in the head w/ the camera as i was rescuing him!  heh.  then it was bath time & i had to come home & now i'm here wondering if i have time to watch something on hulu or if i should just wait til tomorrow night?  i am actually enjoying the silence right now - tho silence is a relative turn.  the A/C is going and the dishwasher is washing and every once in awhile the smoke alarm in the guest room beeps letting me know that i have STILL not replaced its battery.  d'oh!  

and now i must go and publish the give away on my menu.  please stop over & follow the link to CSN's site, then leave a comment there to be entered in the drawing!  $45 gift certificate is on the line, ppl!  you know you wanna look!  : )  

TGIF tomorrow and TTFN!

p.s.

i also received two postcrossings today, and a letter from one of my visiting teachers.  woot!!  happy mail!

from berlin  

from Connecticut!  

quickie

This is just a quick post to say that today was a good day!  Work went well.  Lunch was fun.  Kept busy all day.  Lots of troubleshooting!!  : )  Met Becks for dinner at Qdoba and it was so delicious I want to go there again tomorrow night w/ Mom & Leyton!  We'll see what they feel like for dinner tomorrow, tho.  : )  It was an amazing visit w/ my friend, as always!  


Now it's time for sleep!  Excited for tomorrow, and REALLY excited for the WEEKEND!  This week has been tiring, but a good week so far anyway.


Take care & TTFN!  

when inanimate objects become REAL and other stories

i was reading one of the new blogs i follow, pugh's news, and erin shared this quote from the velveteen rabbit at a blog where she was guesting:

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are real, you don't mind being hurt... It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all..."


i read it & it made me think of the turtle pillow i gave leyton when he was just a baby, maybe 1 1/2.  i bought it many years ago for my collection, and one day i just brought it over for him, thinking... idk, thinking i wanted to share my love of turtles w/ him, i guess.  i'd given him things before - and since - but this turtle pillow has become his velveteen rabbit, i think.  he sleeps with it every night he's at phil's.  it goes on our road trips w/ him.  he had to get a froggy one for his mom's.  he has a special name for them, and i can't remember what he calls them...!  oh!!  his pillow pals!  : )  

he has lots of stuffed animals, and taggies are still his favorite over those.  but this turtle doesn't even have a tag, and it's become REAL.  and i love that.  


and - don't judge - but i have my own rabbit, only it's a bear.  mr bear, to be precise.  you may have already guessed it, since he still travels everywhere with me.  : )  

so, thank you, erin!  thank you for reminding me of the specialness of our lovies.  : ) 


***********


so, today was an interesting day, on top of finding that lovely quote!  


i dreamed in cartoon, of flying through a city & looking through windows into livingrooms decorated for christmas.  then i was in one of the rooms, and it was like a mansion in an apartment.  very neat!  my imagination is cool sometimes!  lol  


was only at work for 3 hours, and they were crazy busy!  some of the things ppl come up with, i tell ya!  


then it was time to go to my first class on living with diabetes.  it went alright.  there were only 4 other ppl in it, and they were older, and everyone seemed nice.  i learned a lot, it was very intense but loose, tho.  i got a meal plan, so that helped ease some of my anxiety.  to see exactly what foods are considered what (most i already knew, but to have a LIST ... it's just different!) and have a clear expectation of how much of each category i can eat is a good thing!!  had a slight panic attack (shaking, felt like i was going to pass out, but didn't) about having to test my blood sugar in front of everyone.  :(  thankfully, i went last, and so that helped!


after class, i stopped at hy vee because by this point i was hungry & i wanted to get some cheese & deli meat.  of course then i thought i should get some cheese & crackers for work, and some veggies.  and that turned into, oh yeah, i need soda (diet, that's a change, eep).  and then it started to RAIN a lot, and i was stuck inside for awhile.  i remembered i needed milk (1%, that's a change, eep again).  the rain really wasn't letting up!  i ran (hahahahaaaaa) walked quickly w/ the cart to my car and i still got soaked.  it was already after 4 anyway, so there was no going back to work.  (i'd planned to put everything in the fridge at work & go back for an hour, but not being soaked, so i decided to take an hour of vacation.)


it was still raining when i got home & had to bring groceries in!  but i did manage to get the mail.  i received a beautiful postcard from poland, and a lovely card from my dear micaela.  rainbow hearts remind me of my younger days and lisa frank!!  love it!!

got to chat w/ april, which is always nice!  watched survivor finally - oh, wow, i really like this group of ppl so far!  then there was Castle.  : )  i was so excited to see nathan fillion again!  a couple episodes of GH & then i'm heading to bed.  tomorrow will be busy busy, and then i'm meeting becca for dinner at Qdoba, which i've never been to before!  thursday is leyton day & friday mom & i are going to see You Again.  that movie looks HILARIOUS, so i will let you know!  : )  saturday i'm hopefully hanging out w/ erin in the afternoon & then leyton's spending the night.  woot!  


i got an interesting email today regarding my menu blog.  at least, i think it was my menu blog... lol  at any rate, i may soon have some exciting news to share.  ooooh!  *grin*  


what's going on in your world this week?  : ) 


ttfn!

Day 20 – This month

what about this month?  i've had some really great times w/ leyton (and mom) this month.  i've received awesome mail!  but this month has also been DISASTER.  this month has been sad and angry and exhausting and tears and frustrations and confusion and delay (sorry, Thomas ref!).  this month has been pain and laughter.  salty and sweet.  pickled and puckered.  new TV shows start.  new chapters of life.  ... 


so, yeah.  i don't know about this month.  i'm not liking it, but i can't hate it completely, because this is the month leyton got to spend the night w/ aunt carrie for the first time!  this is the month he's grown up so much!  this is the month i got pictures of adam & jacob.  

so... this month is sorta bi-polar.  


today was sorta bi-polar, too.  nothing too exciting going on or anything, just BUSY (at work til 6) and a couple surprising things going on.  


tomorrow i'm really nervous about.  please pray that i won't have an anxiety attack, because i sorta feel it coming on.  i also really need to get to sleep, but feel like i don't want to because that will make tomorrow come faster!  silly, i know.  but there's where i'm headed. : ) 


i leave you w/ a lovely postcard i received the other day from belarus.  i wish i could show you the back, it's really neat!  

gotta take out the garbage to the kerb before bed.  ttfn!!  : )