How can tomorrow come

How can tomorrow come if today never ends?

Lauren is still home - her fever has broke but at this point she will just stay home till monday. No sense in going back for Friday - we already have her work and well who knows who has been kissing pigs around that school right?

(photo credit: Originally - I have no idea but I got it from my friend Lindsay)

Lauren is almost finished with 3 days of school work - so we had to get crafty again today! I was still using the Book of Know How from Usborne and today we made Witches Brew and Fairy House Collages. The witches brew was WAY COOL! And the collages were fun but ours were not so Fairy-esque.

Gettin Crafty With it

First...Let me remind everyone that today(Thursday) is the LAST day of Usborne April over at Tales from the Nightstand.

It has been a fun month for me because I love children's books! Paige has been a wonderful sponsor to work with and the new people I have "met" have been amazing. Take a minute and read the last couple posts as we close out a super month!

Second - if you follow little ole me on twitter you know I had the girls at the Dr. today.

This morning "HE" asked Lauren how she was feeling her answer was:

"Not as good as I felt the day before yesterday"

I am happy to report we do NOT have the influenza (swine, bird, Asian, hong kong or housepet). Lauren does have an upper respiratory infection and confined to home until the fever breaks and the pandemic passes parents say it is ok to go back!

So, I have posted a lot about Hailey being a trooper, amazing at the Dr. etc. Lauren, NOT SO MUCH. Today when they went to swab her for Influenza (thanks to CDC guidelines) she screamed and hid in the corner, so much that our beloved Dr. looked at me and said "I'm handing this one off to the nurses" - Hey thanks doc - I love it when my 8 year old embarrasses me in front of multiple medical personnel. At which point little Hailey says

"Lauren, Lauren, Listen to me Lauren - I will hold your hand!"

My heart melted.

Lauren got swabbed and I got ready to leave - but "NO wait - you can't leave till we get this tested!" and the nurse left and shut the door and suddenly I was TOTALLY CREEPED OUT. Reality hit, if that little red testy thing says INFLUENZA then they will pry send us out of here in masks and call it a SUSPECTED Case and send it off to the WHO for further testing and that would just be crappy in so many ways.

But it wasn't and they didn't and we are home trying to pass some long, unexpected days. So this afternoon we got Crafty With It! Yes we did. I got one of my Favorite Usborne Books (the Book of Know How - reviewed today on Tales...) and a crafting we went:

We were learning about Centrifugal force and made these lovely spinners

(you can almost SEE her fever in the above shot)

Please don't forget to check out, participate and enter the giveaway in the post below...

Parenting Todays Teens and a GIVEAWAY!

***WINNER - Qualifying Post number 10 - Candi!!*** thanks to all that participated, tweeted and otherwise helped to spread the word! And if you didn't win, never fear - I will be giving away more of Mark's books this summer over on Tales!!!

I am taking a break from Wordless Wednesday this week to ask a favor of everyone who takes the time to stop by my little blog and maybe some of their friends too.

A dear friend of mine runs a fantastic program for troubled teens. Their program is located in East Texas, takes children from all over the country and really helps give these kids a new start, a new look on life and some wonderful stepping stones for their future. They recently celebrated their 20th Anniversary of helping children, families and communities through the power of love and the lord.

The name of the program is Heartlight Ministries and the person I am speaking about is Mark Gregston. This week I received an email from Mark asking for help with something I am not yet qualified to help with, though I know some of you and those who aren't might know someone who is!

IN HIS WORDS:

Another favor to ask...
Someone once said, "Heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless." Many parents are heroes in their own right. They do what needs to be done, even if their children may not like them for it. But in the end, they are heroes to their children as well.

The favor I'd like to ask is for you to share one or more of your heroic feats with me. We are taking a survey of the tactics that parents use that have proven successful in bringing about a change in thinking or behavior in their teenager. For instance, "My son was being mouthy and rude, so I did this and his attitude quickly changed."

I've set up an anonymous online form so we can all learn from your tactics. It is at the following link:

http://www.heartlightministries.org/survey

I'd really appreciate it if you would click through to the survey form and tell me how you successfully handled one or more difficult teenager issues in your home, so I can share your ideas and tactics with other parents, either in my blogs or on the radio or in an upcoming book.
Mark Gregston

IN MY WORDS:
Please take a minute to consider this survey and possibly forward it on. If you have any questions about Mark, Heartlight Ministries or this favor please feel free to comment and/or email me!

Because I REALLY want to spread the word as much as humanly possible I am going to offer another JUICY JUICE Goody bag to one lucky person who takes the time to answer the survey, Tweets the survey and/or passes it on to a friend or neighbor. You can get another entry if you post a link back to this post on your blog this week!

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL (do I sound like that Billy guy on the infomercials?)- that winner will also receive a copy of "Parenting Teens in a Confusing Culture" by Mark Gregston!

We are going with the honor system because I love you all and know you will be honest...There are SEVERAL ways to enter the contest (do as many as you like!)

Leave a comment if you take the survey

Leave a comment if you forward the post to a friend to take the survey

Leave a comment if you post a link back to this post this week

Leave a comment if you TWEET this post

Leave a comment including your tips, tricks or aggravations with teens

Leave a comment about your Teen Years Fears if you don't have a teen yet!

Contest will end Sunday at 10pm MST

So hop to it, lets really prove the power of the mom blogger and help me help my friend Mark!

THANKS TO ALL!

Tweets, Germs, Opinions, Cameras and a Swiffer

What I learned this week is hosted by JoLynn at Musings of housewife.

This week was eventfully uneventful. HA! We did a lot, we blogged about it and we moved on to the next. However I did learn a couple of things:

1. I learned that keeping a pig for a pet may not be a good idea - and I am glad I don't - I also learned that the OCD, germophobic side of this mommy will most likely be picking up some of those paper masks tomorrow (just in case)

2. Consider following @overhearddenver this tweeter is asking all of us Coloradans to tweet things we "overhear" when out and about doing our daily thing. Now come on you all know you eavesdrop - so SPILL IT and share with the rest of us! Use #ohdenver with your tweets!

3. I really enjoyed the Earth movie and am motivated to pull out our Planet Earth DVD's and give them a go in the player again! And I can STILL completely disagree with my friend and neighbor on her skewed view of this movie and we will still be friends, and I will still tell her she is wrong and she will still tell me I am and it will still be ok.

4. I learned that it is really stupid to go a downtown attraction with your children and some friends and only have your Camera Phone with you...ARGH - more on that later-

5. My swiffer sweeper WILL pick up WET coffee grounds when I hap-hazardly toss the full filter into the garbage and only half of makes it in the basket.

I also learned that I can be completely exhausted and yet wide awake at the same time, ok I already knew this - but it has been hitting home more and more lately. Nap time anyone?

1980 what? ***GIVEAWAY***

Recently a good bloggy friend Lindsay posted about the awesome people watching to be found at her local Buffet resteraunt. If you haven't read it I suggest you go find out about the business and the party - it was hilarious!

Then, shortly after that, I walked into Justice Just for Girls (fantastically fun store though a bit odd sometimes) and I was blasted with memories of puffy paint, splatter paint and the J-Giles band.

We walked out with this outfit for Lauren

Watch out Cindy Lauper - all we need is a scarf and some of that Aqua Net on Lindsay's post.

Only difference is in 1980 what - we had to make our own splattered painted stuff....and another friend of mine (Becky) has admitted to making said clothes for all her friends way back when...

Can you name the singers of these 80's songs (without using google?)

Girls just wanna have fun
Freeze Frame
Like a Virgin
Walk like and Egyption
We got the beat
I think were alone now
Everybody have fun tonight
Heartbreaker
Summer of '69
When I see you Smile
Runaway
Juke Box Hero
R.O.C.K. in the USA
Eye of the Tiger
Take me home Tonight
Eye in the Sky
We Built this City
Burning down the house
Shout
Owner of a lonely heart
Addicted to love
Tainted Love

Ok....I could have gone on forever - I LOVE music now it is your turn take a crack at it!

Email (link at top of page) me your answers before 10pm Mountain Standard time Monday 4/27/2009 and the person with the most right will receive a Juicy Juice Goody Bag from our party, for engaging in such a wonderful Brain Development Activity!!!!


***PLEASE USE THE HONOR SYSTEM -
***NO GOOGLING -
***IF YOU CAN'T GET THEM ALL THAT IS OK others pry won't either!
(Plus I have 3 more bags to giveaway in the coming weeks!!)

LORI - over at Weebles WON! She got almost all of them right! She "rocked"

Crumby People

I am wondering - Are you a crumby person? Is someone in your family rather crumby?

Chances are if you own a dog you can't even answer this question (ha, didn't think I was going there did you).

You see we had 2 dogs, then we had 1 dog and while I used to complain about the dog hair...I had NO idea just how crumby everyone in my family was until we had no dogs.


I have to sweep everyday, YES everyday - because there is a difference between stepping on dog hair and stepping on bread crumbs, cheese crumbles, and other various crumby foods.

So I ask you this, if you have a dog may I please borrow him for 5 minutes a day for the rest of my life?

Scratching the itch

Well, with the snow all melted and the warm temps moving in and the allergies filling up my sinuses and making my eyes itch - the girls have a different kind of itch they need to scratch. It is time to hit the links. They LOVE it - funny thing is, even with several years of Jr. Golf, I stink at it but I love taking them.

Lauren's first day out was a lesson with the Pro at Grams country club. NICE guy! Lauren did great! And had fun too! (photo and lessons courtesy of Grams Blackberry)


Hailey's first day out was a trip with me to the public course near our house. She is the talk of the town when we show up Little clubs strapped to her back and all! (photo courtesy my blackberry)




Our second trip out (earlier today) Back at the Country club (with a glimpse of Gramps in the background) Check out her follow through....

And this little one with a big ole Driver at the helm (see the 1 or so balls off to the left, those are hers)

I did a stupid thing yesterday

Lauren wanted to go shopping and spend some of her money. She is great at saving money and had recently received some at Easter that I told her I would take her shopping with. We first stopped at Target and she bought a new Lego Set, no surprises there. Then she wanted to go to the book store. Ooops. Read more on Tales from the Nightstand

Earth Day, Cookie Cutters and a drunken snowman

Today was Earth Day, that that it was. We played hookie from Lauren's school because they were taking one of their famous long distance, longer than the school day field trips that I don't believe in and we went to see the movie Earth. Near by in the melting snow I found these earthen treasures

We LOVED the movie - even Hailey sat very well through most of it, she was fidgety at times but she was also able to provide a full recap after the show! The movie was well done, well narrated - made us laugh, made us wonder and made us smile! Here is my quick once over of the movie SPOILER - DON'T read unless you really want to know - like if you're considering NOT going for some reason or want to pre-screen it for your little ones! If you choose NOT to read then scroll past the italics for the rest of the post!

Since it debuted on EARTH day - one could easily assume that it is about global warming and the harm humans may or may not be causing to our planet. However, humans were never even mentioned, it was truly about the Animals and how they live. It starts with baby polar bears and their mother in hibernation and moves to what they do for food, survival and "growing up" once summer comes. It follows a whale family on their 4000 mile migration across the ocean for warm waters and shrimp to eat from the safe and empty crystal clear waters where they deliver and keep their babies for a while, they meet a shark on the way (beautiful footage). It follows caribou across the dessert they meet a jaguar (a scary but not gory moment here), it follows penguins doing nothing but being cute for a few minutes. There was a scene about when the winter turns to summer on the ??? hemisphere (I need to go back to school) and all the ice melts and the grasslands bloom and flood and the monkeys wade through the water, so cute and confused, but the other animals love the flood season. (HUGE SPOILER AHEAD) It goes back to the polar bears at the end because the dad went too far out onto the frozen sea in search of seals and got stranded when summer hit, it follows him back to land (mentioning the warming planet) and he tries to take down walruses though they aren't his normal prey and he fails and he dies - but they make it look like he lays down and goes to sleep. (MAJOR SPOILER OVER) There is a fight between Lions and elephants that is awesome! There are storms in the rain forest and a mention of how much of the earth rain forests make up. It is awe inspiring watching how some wild animals protect their babies when predators are near!! OK, that is all I can think of right now! All in all I loved the movie, I recommend it for all ages - (well maybe not babies!)

Now, what I want to know is: Here is my movie ticket, Disney has said they will plant a tree for each ticket sold today - did they? How would I know? Do I get to name my tree like when you buy a star? (HA HA)

Moving on: Many have wondered about the cookies from the Juicy Juice Party. I love my alphabet cookie cutters. I hunted them down when Lauren was three! We have spelled many a word with cookies. I grabbed my tin, and took some pictures for all to see!

There is even a recipe on the back! How cool is that? I don't use that recipe, didn't even notice it till I had my camera aimed - but totally cool!

So mine came from William Sonoma - but they don't carry them anymore so I did some shopping for you. I found these Harold's Kitchen Alphabet Cookie Cutters, Set of 26 at Amazon but they don't come in a tin and I found these at Amazon in a box Alphabet Cookie Cutter Set and I found these at some random store as well!! Happy cookie making!

Also I felt the need to share this little ditty with everyone - during our blizzard last weekend (one week ago today through the Juicy Juice Party) we made this cute little guy on party day.

and because we live in Colorado and as soon as the snow stops falling the snow starts melting this is what we had left by the time the party was over. I like to call him our drunken snowman:

Oh, and it is going to be 81 degrees out tomorrow, the girls are going to be in shorts (not my white legs) and the snow is ALL GONE!

Wordless What?

Ok, so it is wordless Wednesday but I am not feeling very wordless. I have a lot on my mind that I want to post about and so many drafts in the works and...I am thinking about things like bedtimes, cookie cutters, thyroids, sponsors, good thoughts factory, my daughters emails, golfing with Hailey, "his" blackberry theme sales, boosting readers on Tales from the nightstand, all the books I want to read, transitioning to Wordpress and my name change (Have I mentioned that yet? I am working on it -slowly), the man that told me sitting on my thumbs would be uncomfortable, where my girls are going to school for the 2010/11 school year, the new server installation at Lauren's school, her teacher for next year, the same old same old with school, learning and the lack there of, all the balloons still floating around my house from the party, summer break is just 6 weeks away, SUMMER BREAK...OMG.

SO - I leave you with this:

Should I be scared?

The rest of the Story

Todays post comes from my mom (or Grams as you may know her) - I hope you enjoy!

The Rest of the Story……..

We all heard about the Banker from Miami (Leonard Abiss) who sold his bank, received a Sixty Million dollar bonus from the sale and gave it away to all of his current employees. He even went so far as to find 72 past employees. He gave it out based on a percentage of length of time employed at the bank. He did this in November, 2008.




He was invited by Michelle Obama to sit with her during the State of the Union address this year. Prior to the event he was asked by the First Lady to provide her with a list and brief description of the recipients of the money. The first lady chose one of those recipients to be at the event with him.



That guest was Geneva Lawson. She is 72 years old and has been with the bank for 51 years.
She is from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She hasn’t traveled much. Went to Michigan twice, and returned occasionally to Chattanooga to visit her sisters. She and her three sisters grew up in a very loving, but very poor home. Her dad was a coal plant worker and died in his early fifties from an accident in the plant. Her mother worked in the millenaries making socks. Geneva left home right after high school, went to Miami and soon went to work for that bank.

Finding out the night before, making the trip to Washington D.C. on a private jet, staying in a “fancy” hotel, receiving a tour of the White House from the First Lady was a once in a lifetime experience for her. She was the Banker’s boss in the print shop of the bank, when he first started at the bank. She held several teller positions with the bank and is now the Safety Deposit person. They didn’t want her to retire, so when she said she might, they offered her that position hoping she would stay, and she did.

Geneva, (Nita is what she is called) has always been a caring, fun loving, positive, person who has lived a simple, happy life. She makes you happy to be around her.

Nita is my aunt. My mother’s baby sister!

And that my friends makes her my Great Aunt - I think this story is sweet, inspiring and selfless. The part my mom left out is the part about how Nita went without dinner one evening while at the State of the Union - she did not know how to "do room service" as was agreed upon by her traveling partner. We sure take a lot of life for granted. The monies she recieved from her boss for her 51 years of service and the trip of a lifetime were truly life altering for her - smile and make someones day today!

Positive, Grumbly and Annoying -

What I learned this week is hosted by JoLynn at Musings of housewife. And much like last week she has some sweet reviews and giveaways going on over on her review site. be sure to stop by if you haven't already!

What I learned this week the positive, the grumbling and the flat out annoying

THE POSITIVES:

1. Wii bowling tournaments are FUN

2. Blackberry themes are a hot item – if you missed them go to zimplifier or check out this post

3. Juicy Juice for brain development and Immunity rocks – the kids all loved it and didn’t know they were getting the extra boost of vitamins till we told them - Lots of people asked about this party and how I got involved - I answered their emails directly but the scoop is: Sign up at http://www.houseparty.com/ and they will send you emails about opportunities - when you get the email you fill out an application that is reviewed by the sponsor and either chosen or not! So - sign up, wait, fill out app, wait and if accepted - host a great party!!!

4. I love getting together with friends and don’t do it enough

5. Someone is going to get very lucky with this week’s giveaway on Tales from the Nightstand because the odds are fantastic (hardly anyone entered)

6. Life unscripted is best – though sometimes we may forget

7. Late Breaking News: Dan Brown's new book - The Lost Symbol when I read the press release I about peed - seriously! Check it out -

THE GRUMBLINGS:

1. Twitpic and I are not friends –

2. Wordpress seems to be a lot less user friendly than blogger – I have not moved yet – at this point I am finding it very time consuming – I don’t like time consuming – I like quick and easy – need to play around more.

3. Blogher ads and I probably do NOT have a long lasting relationship – the revenue is so low on my little blog and it takes up a lot of annoying space?

THE ANNOYING:

1. My Hair
2. My Hair
3. oh and My Hair.

Preschool Dating Pool

Hailey has a ton of boys in her class! In fact in her small group the girls are totally out numbered with 5 boys and 3 girls - their are a lot of cute little boys

I especially like this little guy named Lucas (below) -

he has the nicest mom and he is always so sweet!

But I figure Hailey is likely to lean more towards this adorable character who goes by the name Cade. Cade has to spend a lot of time alone at school because he has trouble doing what is right, he is SUPER fun to watch in programs and always good for a laugh...

But, I of course prefer the sweet little Lucas, the mammas boy the one least likely to race off at 100mph with Hailey in the passenger with her blonde hair and probably too short skirts!