This is basically what my washer and drier are like.  They are really tall and are really crammed into my little laundry room.  I have never liked my laundry room but dislike transitioned to downright hate this morning when I discovered the painful little room was flooded! At some point during the last couple of days, my stupid washer started leaking from the cold water connection.  It is close to impossible to see behind the huge machine so it wasn't discovered until t...

  Ashley with her pumpkin last year   The cool breezes and turning leaves have me thinking about Halloween.  The kids are already talking about what they want to dress as.  I must admit, I really enjoy Halloween! I'm a Fall person.  I love the sweater weather.  I love the beautifully colored leaves and the smells.  I just wish Fall was longer and Winter was shorter! I look forward to decorating with gourds and pumpkins.  I love...

Brad has his benchmarks of his myriad of computers. So what computer do I get? I thought I'd check it out... His laptop is 5 times faster than my laptop and this the only computer I get access to. Shame on him!

Most of us know what is good for us.  Knowing it and doing it are very different things.  How many times do we say "I know I should exercise, but..." or "I know this pop isn't good for me, but...".  We make decisions between knowing and doing constantly. I am addicted to coffee and chocolate.  I KNOW that for a fact.  I have tried to cut them out of my day before and am not convinced that my life will be good without them.  I am aided in my addiction by some repo...

Happiness has been a subject on my mind a lot lately.  I have been taking a look at my days to figure out what made a "good tired" or a "bad tired" at the end of each.  The things that seemed to lead to a good day are pretty consistent: -I got to spend time with my husband (especially if we ate a meal as a family) -I enjoyed some coffee in the morning -I enjoyed watching my children play and truly listened to their voices -I spent some time outdoors even if it was just for ...

I have lived a very blessed life.  I grew up in a family short on money but big on love.  I had everything I needed and my parents did the best they could to get me things I wanted when they could.  I look back and wonder how they did it and now am in awe of them. My parents did a good job of teaching me to appreciate what I have.  I have always followed the "Happiness is wanting what you have not having what you want" approach to life.  In turn, I have ende...

I think we all have something that we depend on to get us through each day.  For some it's an addiction and for others it's just something they look forward to each day.  Let's call that something your "crutch". So what's your crutch? My main crutch is coffee and it is a full on addiction.  If I don't get some of the life giving fluid in the morning, I am cranky and get a headache.  My other crutch is chocolate.  I don't know if it is an addiction or not but I just...

I have a theory about why people use drugs:  They are trying to return to their days of childhood TV shows.  Have you ever seen the show "Yo Yo Gabba Gabba"?  What a trip!  It looks like something right out of the late 60s or early 70s.  It totally reminded me of how "groovy" some of the shows I watched as a small child were (like the Electric Company). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it just m...

I recently had an interesting experience.  I initially met my son's friend's mother on the phone then met her in person today and got totally different impressions.  I don't think this has ever happened before.  Sure, some people have seemed a little different in person or I envisioned them looking a little different.  This woman seems very ditzy on the phone and not at all in person. This lead me to wonder what kind of impression I give on the phone.  Do I sound like...

Talking to a 6yr old is always an adventure.  My 6yr old, Ryan, got home from school and was in a very chipper mood.  He told me his teacher was sick and one of his best friends is now on Club Penguin.  For some reason these things made him very happy. Here comes the question I was expecting..."Can I have a cookie?"  Followed by a statement I wasn't expecting at all..."I didn't eat any boogers today."  Wow!  Didn't see that one coming!

Here's our darling 4 month old, Ashley Grace, sitting on Santa's lap for the first time.  Big brother Alex helped coax the laugh.

Hi All!  Just so you know, I'm still around.  I just rarely have both hands free long enough to do anything other than the absolutely neccessary stuff like cooking, cleaning, etc. Our baby girl is 7 weeks old now.  She is growing like crazy and is starting to goo and gah and smile.  Her nighttime sleep habits are still pretty random.  She is alert more during the day now so I'm hoping that will translate to more sleep at night. The start of the new school year alon...

Well I just got back from spending 11AM Friday-3PM today at the hospital.  No, I didn't have the baby.  I spent that time being "observed". I went to my OB checkup Friday morning and my BP was 162/92.  I have a track record of preeclampsia with my first and high BP with my second so the doctor sent me to the hospital for a non stress test.  I figured they would monitor me for an hour or so and send me home...wrong. I guess my consistently elivated BP along with headache...

Today I thought I was just going out for lunch for my birthday.  I got to the restaurant and all of the ladies from Stardock were there.  I thought "What a nice birthday surprise!".  I didn't even notice the pile of presents I sat right next to until I saw a little mint bag in front of me that read "Ashley Grace Wardell".  These wonderful ladies gave me a baby shower! I was totally and completely surprised and delighted.  They all picked out such sweet, pretty and use...

One of my requests for my birthday this year was a massage chair.  Yesterday it arrived.  Oh how I love that chair! It is in the bedroom right by my side of the bed.  You can watch TV or listen to music while enjoying it.  I gave both a try yesterday.  When it first arrived I got in it for about 20 mins.  My sons of course were begging me most of that time for a try.  That 20 mins gave me such a boost in energy! It is amazing how much lower back pain can ...