Pictures from this week

Pictures will be posted as soon as they are available to me for posting!

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Until next time...

Well, last night, after a wonderful week of sightseeing, and enjoyment, my parents had to go back home to Southern California.

We went to church in the morning. The girls SO love going to church. It's been amazing these last few months to see them growing in God. Their night is not complete without prayers to Jesus. They are repeating our prayers more and more, and even making up some of their own. They sing church songs in the car, and many time will ask when we're going to church. It makes me so pleased to see them loving God.

This was the first time my parents had gone with me since I found the Adventist church. I think Mom really enjoyed going to Sabbath School with the girls. BFF and I don't usually go into class with them anymore, for various reasons. For me, one of those reasons is that I feel it's time for the girls to start going without me right there. I stay just outside their class, so if they need me, I'm there. I figure this will continue for several more years.

After church we took a quick trip to the American Girl store. We'd been meaning all week to take my parents there to see it. This was where we brought the girls for their birthday this year and they got their babies. The girls were SO excited, carrying their own babies and eagerly showing Grandma and Grandpa the other babies.

We came home and had a quick lunch and then had to pack up to go to the airport. BFF, the girls and I accompanied my parents to the airport. We hit a little traffic on the way in, not too bad. After sending them off we set to finding the elusive El Pollo Loco. WE FOUND IT!!!! :)

We came home with our goodies and ate. Then BFF's DH and I took 2 of their DS's to see the Hannah Montana Movie. Now, I MUST confess, I AM a Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus fan. I'm not crazy, I do NOT have any posters, etc. But yes, I've been known to watch the TV show, I do own a couple of her CD's (I like the "Miley" music better btw). And I was happy to go see the movie. And it did NOT disappoint me! Well Done Miley! Well Done Disney. Beautiful movie, beautiful music, a touching story. I will be buying this one when it comes out on DVD.

This morning I am back to work, and later this week BFF's parents arrive. I am not taking time off, except for the time for BFF and her family to go to a family event out of the area. My girls and I will enjoy some quiet time at home during that. :) After her parents leave we have a one week break and then my ex-DH arrives to visit the girls. I will be back with my regularly scheduled programming now. :) LOL Well, you know how it is, I write whatever I feel like writing!

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Salem, MA

Today was my parents last full day with us. They fly home tomorrow. :(

We decided to go visit Salem, MA today. As most probably remember from our history classes, Salem was the location of the infamous witch trials. Our plan was to go to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and tour the Friendship, a tall ship that is maintained and available to tour in the Derby Wharf area. Unfortunately, it set sail on Monday, for Maine, for a haul-out to have work done on it's hull. (Okay, re-reading that, I realize I've spent WAY too much time around my father and the marina back in California, because I TOTALLY understood what all that meant WITHOUT having to look it all up!) Anyway, it doesn't return until July. Well, after looking at the Friendship's schedule, it's gonna be HARD to get there to see the Friendship in between her "guest appearances." LOL

We then walked down Derby street toward The House of the Seven Gables which was the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's book by the same name. But... it's SUPER pricey, so we did NOT actually go in. Another trip. It was a beautiful home though, and I am very interested to learn more about it before we go visit again.

So then we continued our walk, admiring the beautiful historic homes. It really gave you more of a sense of what life was like "way back when." And then we arrived at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie. OMW... So many delicious treats. And MANY of them were safe for BFF's DS. :) That is always a GOOD thing! We walked out of there with SEVERAL things. Some chocolates for my parents, salt water taffy, some sour apple melt away candies, a treat for each of the boys, and one of my personal favorites, Girbralter's. These are so delicious. They were the first candy sold commercially in America. They are still made using the same recipe. They are a wonderful treat.

We also purchase some soda's that I am in LOVE with. Mercury Soda Pop is caffiene free, and corn syrup free!! ALSO, it appears to be completely dye free. We ordered an Orange Cream, Black Cherry, and Root Beer. NONE had dye, all tasted delicious. :)

Finally we went back to the van and began a driving tour around the area. We drove through bits of Salem, but as BFF and I do OH SO WELL, we got lost. And loved every minute of it!!! We ended up in Marblehead, MA. It is a beautiful little town. We drove by Abbot Hall (see also these pictures), Old Burial Hill, and Balch House. Again, we saws DOZENS of historic homes, and I so enjoyed seeing them.

Alas, all good things come to an end, and we knew we needed to get home for dinner. So we headed home where I enjoyed a DELICIOUS Greek Chicken Orzo meal with Mango's on the side. mmmmmmm. Now I'm hungry again LOL But it is time for me to get to sleep.

On the plate for tomorrow is church, followed by taking my parents to the airport, and then BFF's DH, DS's, and I are going to the theater on base to see the Hannah Montana movie. Please pray for me :)

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Slower Day

Well, today was a mostly slower day. We considered heading up to New Hampshire, but as luck would have it, we never did make it.

As we began our winding journey, we headed out toward the base, along a portion of the route that Paul Revere did his midnight run in April 19, 1775. The Minute Man National Historical Park is on this drive and includes an area dedicated to Paul Revere's Capture Site. Although I have not yet had an opportunity, I do want and plan to someday soon take the time to actually park and walk some of this area and get a little more hands on with some of our incredible US History. I really feel blessed to get to live in an area that has SUCH a rich history, and to be able to see and visit these places!

We then headed in toward Boston. We decided to go the route that takes us right through Harvard University. It is such an enjoyable drive. We then headed toward the USS Constitution... except we missed a turn and to avoid the tolls, we had to go quite a ways around. We then tried to find our El Pollo Loco. BFF spent time in California, and I grew up in Southern California. El Pollo Loco is a TREAT to us. We have it bookmarked in the TomTom, but for SOME reason, Tom no longer acknowledges it and cannot plan a route to it. ARG.

As we wandered our way BACK into the city, we passed by the Old North Church where the colonists posted the lantern to warn that the British were coming. It was this sign that prompted the beginning of Paul Revere's midnight run. We also passed by the Paul Revere House and Copp's Hill Cemetery. I have not had the pleasure of doing more than driving by these incredible pieces of our history, but soon I hope to change that!

We also drove by the New England Holocaust Memorial, a beautiful, and sobering site. Again, I've never done more than drive past it, but soon, I will change that. Even from the street it is impressive. If you ever come to the Boston area, PLEASE put this on your MUST see list.

Then we hit Mike's Pastry for some nummy goodness. And then headed on out to see what adventure awaited us! We headed toward New Hampshire, but again, the craving for El Pollo Loco, and KNOWING it was near, we tried to find it, but just had NO luck. I grabbed my cell phone and used the internet to search for it, and found an address. We plugged it into Tom and headed off. UNFORTUNATELY, this supposed El Pollo Loco doesn't really exist. :( *cry* SOOOO... we headed for the nearby Target to pick up a few snacks for later.

Finally, realizing how late it was we headed for home after a quick stop at the Commissary. After a delicious soft taco dinner (Mexican was a MUST tonight LOL), we got the girls to sleep. Then my parents took over for us so that BFF, her DH, and I could go out, JUST THE THREE ADULTS!! This has NEVER happened for us, never. BFF had a gift card to a restaurant so we went there for desert, then a quick trip to Barnes and Noble, and finally home.

Really, this was a SLOWER day for us! LOL We mostly stayed in the car. :)

Now it's off to dream land for me!!! :)

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Ikea and Plymouth

Yesterday was some more sightseeing. We knew that rain was coming so we did our last outdoor trip yesterday. We headed out close to lunch time. So our first stop was Ikea. Not for shopping, well, not really anyway! We went for the FOOD!! LOL We LOVE the cafe there. Delicious Swedish Meatballs mmmmmmmmmm. After we all ate our lunch, we headed off around the store for a little bit.

We were disappointed because Smaland was closed. Smaland is where you can drop off your kids to play for an hour or so while you shop. The boys have usually gone and they love it. BFF and I have been WAITING for the day that the girls were fully potty trained and tall enough to go. And we arrived thinking, today is the day! Unfortunately for us, Smaland is closed on Tuesday's. :(

We enjoyed watching the girls try to climb in EVERY SINGLE bed on display. And we picked up a couple of toy nets for the girls stuffed animals. Then back to the van. And off to Plymouth.

It is a shame if you travel all the way to this area and do NOT take a trip to Plymouth to see the famous Plymouth Rock. This is my fourth trip there. It's not as impressive as you might think, LOL. If you read the history, you realize the rock was not identified for 120 years after the landing. So, at least in my eyes, it's highly suspect that THAT rock is THE rock. HOWEVER, I DO believe in what it stands for, that our nation was founded on a rock, a solid, firm, rock. Furthermore, I believe FULLY that this location in fact IS the pilgrim's landing site. Especially if you've been there and seen the geography of the area (which I'm certain has changed over time, but still...). So to me, the location matters, not the rock. The previous three times I've been there, the portico above the rock was under construction. The first 2 times the rock was in a wooden box and we couldn't even see it. Last time they had a small viewing window to look through, but, punk that I am, I climbed down the rocks onto the beach and looked at it from below LOL. THIS time, all the construction is finished, and it is a beautiful housing for the rock.

We also walked down the pier where the Mayflower II is. We did NOT go on the ship, as it is a PRICEY tour. But we can see a good portion of the ship from the pier.

As we began getting cold and the children restless, we headed back to the van. We began our drive and we noticed signs for the Forefather's Monument. Since BFF even hasn't seen it, we decided to go ahead. I am SO glad we did. The National Monument to the Forefather's is an EXTREMELY impressive monument. Is is TOWERING and extremely detailed. I have been so blessed to see so many of the major monuments of the US, and this did NOT disappoint me. It was not the height, or general size, it was the attention to minute details. The attempt to show a story, and share the values that brought our forefather's to this country in the first place. If you ever come out to the Boston area, and have time to go to Plymouth, MAKE SURE you drive up the hill to see this monument!!!

After that we headed home, we hit quite a bit of traffic as it was rush hour. But we made it safe and sound.

Today it IS raining and we are not planning to do much. I am hoping to take my parents out to lunch.

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Sightseeing in Boston with Family, Memorial Day BBQ

As I have mentioned before, my mom and dad are visiting this week. We knew Boston would be crowded on Memorial Day Weekend, we went anyway. Largely because on the weekends we are capable of getting free parking. The rest of the time it'll cost us around $20 to park and finding places the van fits are tricky! SO, we braved it.

It was a beautiful day, but forecast for thunderstorms later. We parked and decided to head to the USS Constitution first. The USS Constitution is the oldest Naval vessel still in service. The line for the Constitution itself was actually so long we opted not to go on it Sunday. We'll try to make a return trip during the week when hopefully the line isn't so bad! We sat down in a covered area for some drinks and snacks, and the thunder began. We stayed put and enjoyed the show of a small thunderstorm that passed in a matter of 20 minutes. The girls were funny, they wanted to watch the rain, but were afraid of the rain getting their snacks! LOL

After it passed we headed down the pier to the USS Cassin Young. A couple other good links for the Cassin: From the Volunteer Group that maintains the ship and The Historical Naval Ships Visitors Guide. The Cassin is a Destroyer (I guess technically WAS). My dad was on a Destroyer for most of his naval career (when he wasn't on a sub) so being able to walk onto that ship and look around the main deck, offered me a glimpse into how my dad spent that time of his life. It was really great to watch BFF's DH showing his son's around the ship. As a sailor himself, it was a way to show them another facet of the Navy.

When we finished on the Cassin we headed over to the USS Constitution Museum. The museum was well maintained and VERY interactive, which was GREAT for the kids. Even the girls enjoyed it, playing with the various signs that you opened and closed. I am pretty sure that all the kids enjoyed it.

From the museum, we followed the Freedom Trail to the Bunker Hill Monument. One day, when I'm brave, I'm going to walk the entire Freedom Trail, start to finish!

But, back to Bunker Hill... I could get into all the history of it, but how about we talk about my legs instead. Did you know the Bunker Hill Monument, which looks like a smaller version of the Washington Monument, has 294 twirling steps from the bottom to the top? Do you know how much your heart is pounding and your quads are burning when you aren't exactly in stellar shape??? Do you know my calves are STILL hurting 2 days later??? LOL Yes, I wasn't necessarily quite so brilliant to choose to go up the monument, but I DO NOT regret it! The view from the top was beautiful.

At that point we headed back down the hill and over the bridge to go towards Quincy Market, etc. But after consulting out watches, we decided to go another day! We headed down Hanover St. toward the van, but made the choice to stop at Mike's Pastry to see what all the fuss was about. Every time we've passed there, there is a line/crowd waiting to get in. And we frequently see people carrying boxes from there. Besides, there is something TOTALLY quaint about a place that ties the boxes shut with string!!!! :) Once we pushed our way to the front we got some cookies for the kids, a couple of cream puffs for the boys, and cannoli's for the adults. OMW! SO delicious!!!

We continued our hike down to the van and headed home, as my parents and I were climbing in, the rain started to come down, and I'm not talking some lightweight little storm here. But I have to say, Thank You God for holding that rain back for us!!!! :) What a great Sunday it was!

Yesterday we didn't really do much. Hung out at home, BFF, Mom, and I headed out to pick up a few last minute things for our BBQ. The girls played on the trampoline for a while. And later in the evening we enjoyed DELICIOUS BBQ'd chicken, corn on the cob, salad, and baked beans. For desert we had Strawberry/Mango shortcake. YUM

Today we are probably headed down to Plymouth Rock since we are expecting rain for the rest of the week. :(

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Slow Day

Not much to tell you about today. Mom and Dad have arrived safely and we are enjoying movie night with the kids. We are watching the original Ice Age. Well, Bug is on my lap and making it hard to type. Love you all, I'll update more another time!

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Breaks

How exactly do we make Nique ALMOST cry at work?? Try NOT giving her a break!! Yeah...

Okay, so it's Friday, Friday's are always a little busy. But the Friday before Memorial Day? Just a little crazy. It wasn't horrible, but it was a steady flow of people. I worked from 1 pm until 6 pm. So my break should have been somewhere around 3:30, right? Well, I, like many people, would rather take my break a little PAST the halfway mark, so we have less time til we're done. But around 4 pm, I was more than ready for my break. Especially since I knew BFF was in the building. She'd come to get gas and needed my card for it.

So I asked about it. And was told that I had to wait for the supervisor to get there. She was scheduled for 4 pm. At 4:15 I ask again, since said supervisor has not yet arrived. And at 4:30, and at 4:45. Finally at about 5 min til 5 pm, I'm ready to revolt, shut my lane down and walk off the job for my 15 min break. I'm seriously ready to cry. This whole HOUR I've survived by looking out the window, seeing BFF's vehicle and knowing she was still there waiting for me.

At 5 min to 5, I had to go to the service desk for some stamps for a customer. My department manager is there (WHY exactly couldn't SHE let me go take a break???) and I ask her about it. I really was about to cry. She tells me that the supervisor had to call in for an hour late, and manager just saw her walk by, and she'd be sure to tell supervisor that I needed my break immediately.

Before I could FINISH the transaction, my supervisor comes over and tells me to turn off my light. OH THANK YOU!!! I had one more person already in my line. So I rang that person, had to turn away numerous people, including one punk, rude kid. I told him, "I'm closed, sorry" and he looks at me and in a rude, how dare you voice says "Are you serious? Gawd, how rude is that!" Ummm, hello kid?? My light has been off and my sign put out for the last like 3 minutes!!!!!!! YOU are NOT that special.

Anyway, by the time I left for my break, my watch read 5:10, come back at 5:25, worked about 35 minutes and went home. I enjoyed BFF's company and helped her do some quick shopping for us on my break. Normally I sit at the Starbucks next door where the employees all know me and rock! :) I LOVE YOU STARBUCKS EMPLOYEES!!!! :)

This evening the girls and I went and got haircuts. Not much, just to deal with the straggly ends. They look great! And tomorrow my parents arrive for a one week visit. YAY for mommy and daddy!

So, forgive me if I don't get as much blogging done as usual, but I will TRY to keep up on it for y'all.

SMOOCHIES!

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Gossip and schedules

Okay, do we all remember being kids? I'm sure you heard this phrase from your momma just as I did. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

One of my co-workers at Job A needs to remember that. Also, we should remember to watch our tongues at ALL times, you just never know who is lurking nearby. SLIGHT background info, New Girl isn't really NEW, she's new to our TEAM, she's worked there for a while. Co-Worker is back after an absence and I did not meet her until 2 weeks ago, so really, they don't know me yet. So the convo goes something like this:

New Girl (NG): Who is that girl who isolated herself at break?
Co-Worker (CW): I dunno her really, she's pretty new.
NG: Well it seems weird that she isolated herself.

A few minutes pass where I am NOT the topic of conversation. Until our supervisor came by...

NG: hey {Supervisor}, why does that other girl isolate herself?
Supervisor (S): Who Nique? She doesn't.
NG: well, she crawled behind the boxes and sat down like she wanted to be left alone. She didn't hang out with us during break.
S: She isn't like us, that's all. And WE boxed in her locker.
CW: Yeah, last time she sat out by the lockers and everyone else did too. She didn't get up and walk away, so obviously she doesn't mind company.
S: She is older than us, she doesn't like the gossip, and I think she doesn't like the break room. She's cool, she's just older.
NG: Well, what do you mean older?
S: She's older than everyone on the team.
NG and CW: no way!
NG: She doesn't look older than 24 or so.
CW: No, older than that, she's got 2 kids and is divorced.
S: guys, she's 31.
CW: NO WAY?!?
S: yeah, I saw her record, she's 31. So she just isn't the same as us, she's got different things on her mind. Now let's get back to work.

Seriously, lately people are acting like I cannot POSSIBLY be that old. I know I should take it as a compliment really. But it's almost annoying!

Now then, my rant of the day. Why oh WHY can't my TWO employers get their acts together and have the schedules up on THURSDAYS when they are supposed to. I had to ASK at Job A this morning to double check that I have next week off. (My Mommy and Daddy are coming to visit.) And what a pain that way, if I have the days off, the schedule just says OFF. But until they SCHEDULE ME, the days ALL say off. SO... I had to KNOW the schedule was DONE to be SURE, Do you KNOW WHAT I MEAN??? After asking the Store Manager, I got my straight answer, I have the week off.

Now then, I'll cut Job A a TINY bit of slack, because, I did clock out at 10:45 am. BUT... Job B gets NO SLACK in this department. I worked from 2:00 PM until 7:00 PM. And people who asked were being told to check back tomorrow AFTER 5:00 PM!!!

Now, I work tomorrow so I'm not too stressed, but seriously, that SUCKS. If you cannot get the schedules done by Thursday, STOP ADVERTISING A THURSDAY SCHEDULE!

Well, this poor soul is TIRED, it's been a long and tiring week with one adult missing from the house.

If you have a topic you'd like me to talk about, please let me know!!!! :)

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Carts...

Oh me oh my... I am TIRED, and achy from work today. I got a call from Job B asking if I could arrive at noon instead of 3. I agreed, because I would get off two hours earlier than planned, BUT, get ONE extra hour than expected.

Unfortunately, I believe I was covering for a bagger, not a cashier. :( I went out and "gathered" carts from 12:30 to 1:30, and then from 2:00 til 2:25. I took my break from 2:25 til 2:40. And then did carts AGAIN from 2:45 til 3:00. When FINALLY I got to go on a register to cover a break... and was promptly back OFF a register. I finally got back on at 3:45 and stayed on until 5 pm when I got off work.

Carts are HARD WORK. Especially when it's over 80 degrees outside. And you are wearing Jeans, a tank top, a button down shirt, and an apron. I was sweating bad! LOL

Part of me doesn't mind doing carts. Fresh air, a little sun, and I'm NOT dealing with anybody else. Sometimes, the customers get to me a little. BUT... did I mention our parking lot is an uphill slope from the parking lot into the store?? And we do it manually, we do NOT have a machine to help us?? Nope. we do it the hard way. I rarely take more than 5 carts at a time, NEVER more than 6. It's HARD WORK, but kinda rewarding in a way. LOL

Anyway, so if ya see me limping around tomorrow, that's why!

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Cookies, Candy, and Vitamins

Got your attention???

Today I stopped by Job B to pick up some food for our "picnic" lunch. Fruit and cheese. BFF's DS3 had asked for a treat. He has allergies... LOTS of allergies. The biggest are: milk, soy, nuts of all kinds, Red 40. These are the MAIN things I have to label read for, for his sake. And it can be TOUGH to find a treat that doesn't contain these. I was willing to forgo the HFCS and hydrogenated oils for this, just to get him something.

Well I took a walk down cookie row. I figured I'd have better luck with some kind of cookie than candy. Regular stuff? All out. Hydrogenated SOYBEAN oil all over the place. Organic?? NOPE, still has soy or milk. Started looking at shortbread like cookies, most had butter, which is MILK. *sigh* Would I EVER find something he could eat??? I picked up a pack of Lu Cinnamon Sugar Spice Cookies. Mmmmmmmm... Sounds good. I looked, fearing the worst. Guess what? NO milk, NO soy, NO nuts, NO dyes!!!! I couldn't fallen on the floor.

My next stop was checkout. I am SUCH a sucker for Skor Bars. The delicious toffee and chocolate... mmmmm. So I grabbed it, took a quick gander at the ingredients thinking, "I probably should NOT be eating this, I'm SURE it has a hydrogenated oil or HFCS." To my surprise, AGAIN, it didn't have EITHER!!! So I have found a candy, that I LOVE, that is still on the safe list as of today!!! LOL.

Among our many stops today we needed to pick up some supplements for BFF's DS3. Since he can't have milk, he needs extra calcium, and for other reasons, extra Vitamin C. He also takes Acidopholus (I can't spell today, i'll fix this later). At our fave store, Target, we began perusing the vitamin aisle. Now, all her DS's already take a daily multi-vitamin, which INCREDIBLY enough, lacks ALL DS3's allergens. So she was HOPING to find a gummy style chewable calcium and vitamin C for him. After much looking we found it, a gummy style Calcium and vitamin C's that lack the allergens. IN A MAINSTREAM STORE!!!! OMW!!! So I gotta give a shout out to the company that makes "Lil Critters" vitamins. How AWESOME is it that this company takes care of the kids (and adults) with allergies like DS3? And he says they taste good too! :)

As for the Acidophilus. BFF read the ingredients list for the A I take. It's a capsule, too big for DS3 to take, but it was a place to start. Sure enough, LACKS the allergens!!! We mix it into something such as applesauce for him. So another shout out to Origins brand at Target for again being a great company committed to producing a product that allergy prone person's can safely take.

BFF's DS and my own desire to lead a healthier, hopefully thinner, life have really taken me down a path. I strive to KNOW what's in my food, most importantly, I strive to know that what I am eating DOESN'T contain things that are unhealthy or unsafe for myself or the people I am with. I would go TOTALLY milk, soy, and nut free for this incredible little boy. I already am striving to stay away from red 40.

READ THE LABELS, know what you are eating. There's an old adage out there about not eating your food unless you can pronounce EVERY SINGLE ingredient in the list. I urge you to follow this! Also, know the HIDDEN names for things. Soy and Milk have so many names.

****UPDATE****

BFF found the link to these vitamins by Lil Critters!!! Gummy Vitamins Among the interesting things she has learned, I HAD to share this ONE:
Q. Are L'il Critters product bottles recyclable?

A. Yes. We use only #1 and #2 recyclable bottles and they are BPA Free.

I <3 them!!!! OMW!!! Good, allergen free vitamins and supplements, in recyclable bottles, that are ALSO BPA FREE??? I LOVE THEM!!!!! :) :) My DD's will be taking these vitamins!

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I HATE being sick, eating healthy

Oh yes I hate being sick. I managed to go over a week without getting this pleasant little bug, but now it's in me. Saturday morning I woke up feeling AWFUL. BFF heard me hacking and left me to sleep an extra couple of hours. Once I was awake enough we headed off to Whole Foods to get me the medicine I prefer for colds. Unfortunately, they did NOT have it!! I wanted to cry there in the store. But the extremely helpful clerk came over and helped me find an alternative. My only concern was that it was a cherry flavored liquid. However, it turned out to have a nice NATURAL cherry flavor.

I dragged through work on Sunday and yesterday. Yesterday, at Job A, we finished up our primary job by 8:45 am (shift starts at 5:45 and we usually finish at 10:45). I asked my supervisor if we finished early could I go home, since I wasn't feeling well. They let me go which I REALLY appreciate. I was able to come home and rest for several hours before my shift at Job B.

While at Job B I missed a call from Job A. I listened to the voicemail on break. One of my supervisors was calling to tell me that since today's shipment was going to be small, that she was giving me the day off, since she knew I wasn't feeling well. I really appreciate that she's looking out for my health (and everyone else's!!) BUT... I wasn't scheduled to work today!!!! LOL She "gave me" a day off I already had off! Knowing I had today off was what kept me going yesterday!

We are looking forward to a good day today. I'm feeling MUCH better. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. We are getting all the kids fed and dressed and then we are going to head out for some shopping and then some time at the park.

We also have some housework to accomplish, especially catching up with the laundry. My parents arrive Saturday and we'd like the house to be ready for "staying here" company. It's a little different when someone is staying here than just visiting for a couple hours LOL

Lastly, I am working on my health. I had quite a realization recently about HOW unhealthy I am. I am 5'8", weighing in this morning at 202.2 pounds. Yes, we can all agree this is considered overweight. By medical definition, I am JUST under the BMI for being obese. HOWEVER, I wear a size 12 jean! It's all about how the weight is distributed! A friend of mine is about 3 inches shorter, 20 pounds heavier, and 5 years older. We recently used one of those blood pressure machines in a pharmacy. My blood pressure and pulse were noticeably higher (although still within normal limits, just barely) than hers. BY ALL RIGHTS... I should have the lower numbers. For my height my weight is closer to ideal than hers, and I'm younger. Yet her overall health picture is BETTER.

I recently began reading Jillian Micheals book "Master Your Metabolism." Jillian is one of the trainers from The Biggest Loser. Her book is very encouraging and really hits home to me so far. She discusses that for many of us, our hormones are so messed up from what we eat, even the foods we THINK will help us, that we are CAUSING ourselves to gain weight. She encourages a fully organic diet. Well, I can't go totally organic, but I am starting to remove as many of the bad things from my diet as I can. I'm starting mostly with 2 things. Aspartame (aka Nutra Sweet) and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

Aspartame is the sweetener in MANY fat free and no sugar foods. It is a CHEMICAL. My gut has long told me that chemicals in my food are bad. But I have discovered that some people with migraine problems have aspartame as a trigger. I'm reading my ingredient labels now to make sure it's not there. I'm going to try to steer clear of Splenda as well, since I question the chemical process that takes sugar and makes it calorie free. As for the HFCS... it messes with your insulin levels. It can help cause insulin resistance which is a VERY BAD THING. HOW did these two come to be my newest pet peeves???

YOGURT. Yes, one little food, yogurt. I've LONG loved "Brand A" Fat Free Yogurt. I didn't get the fat free version BECAUSE it was fat free, but because I liked the taste and texture better. Well, I offered some to BFF who is also a migraine sufferer, and she said no and pointed out the aspartame. GREAT... So I've probably been helping cause those knarly headaches. LOVELY. So the next day at work, I grabbed the Brand A original container and read the ingredients. One of the very first ingredients (I believe is was the 2nd in fact) is HFCS! Oh My Word!!! Well, since I DID have gestational diabetes, and my mother has type II diabetes, I want to stay away from a CHEMICAL that is going to increase my likelihood of having diabetes (again). So I decided to look at other brands. I opted to look at the organic ones. One of which is a store brand so I'd get a discount on it. Sure enough, no aspartame, no HFCS. So I bought it. After discount it costs me 85 cents for one container. Not too bad, Brand A when on sale is 60 cents a container. And it tasted better!!!! So I will be buying organic yogurt from now on!

My next target is to remove as much hydrogenated oils from my diet as possible. I'm a realist. Removing these things 100% is next to impossible for me. Eating 100% organic is next to impossible due to cost and availability, but, I can make a start, and I can reduce and remove these things as much as possible.

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Tipping rant...

Look for my tipping rant tomorrow. I'm too tired to actually type it right now.
Okay, i had it all typed out, and apparently lost it... so... I will work on it later

Okay, if this will save this time...
On Thursday, I joined a group of the mom's from our twin club at a restaurant in Framingham, MA. (Unless it is a RAVE, I try to steer clear of mentioning names. IF you really want to know the restaurant, feel free to contact me with your email.)

I was the last person to arrive, and the waitress NEVER asked me what I wanted, I in fact had to flag her down to order a beverage!! Fortunately, BFF had ordered for me. Thanks BFF! The cook came out (hibachi place) and started cooking. I heard some mumbling from the others, turns out, the sushi we had ordered was supposed to come out BEFORE the rest of the meal, they'd SPECIFICALLY asked for it that way! We did not get served our sushi until we already had our fried rice on our plates!!!

BFF had ordered a veggie roll for me, I'm not a fish fan. She had asked for no mayo, another thing I'm not a fan of! Well, I dig into my first piece, am eating it, and suddenly it hits! Mayo, SUPER DUPER UPER SPICY mayo. I was doing the hot mouth dance, the hand waving, trying to keep my mouth shut... etc. I'm sure it was a hoot. (FTR, the mayo was LIGHT, but HOT AS HADES). Poor BFF thinks I'm gonna be sick. I gave her a piece and WARNED her. A minute later she eats it. Miss-I-Never-Lose-My-Composure was doing the hot mouth dance too, and she'd had WARNING!!! LOL I still ate the sushi, but at least I knew for the rest of it! And the sushi was pretty good, another friend had a FRUIT roll, mango and nummy's, I might have to get more of that next time!

Well, they serve up all our food and the other friend asks where her steak is. Apparently, they had NOT written it down. The cook asks if they can make it in the kitchen instead of on the hibachi. She begrudgingly agrees. Don't blame her, I would want my steak done on the hibachi too! So when it finally comes out, it is OVERCOOKED (cuz they never DID ask HOW she wanted it cooked), and it has a smoke flavor, it was grilled! BFF had a taste of it, and she described it as charbroiled. Ugh.

When all was said and done, we got the bill and had to split it. Let me start with, there were SEVEN of us. MOST restaurants do an "auto-grat" (automatic required tip) of 18% at SIX guests. There was NO auto-grat on our bill! Okay, no prob. The problem is, when you have a larger group splitting the bill themselves, bluntly, you are likely to get less tip. Most people forget about the tax. Our bill, PRE-Tax, was $214. At 15% our tip SHOULD have been $32. BFF and I tipped at 20% AFTER-tax (yes, we did math). I'm a supporter of the 20% tip unless your service was bad, in which case I give 15%. If the service was down right insulting, I'm all for the 2 cent tip. ANYWAY, our group should have left a $32 dollar tip at 15%. Our tip was apparently only $27. Now bluntly, the service was questionable. I know I tipped what I believe in, but it's not MY job to police everyone. Furthermore, since our friend was only comp'd THREE DOLLARS for the screw up with her steak, I don't feel she owed ANY tip! I think $27 was an acceptable tip.

Apparently, the waitress didn't. And her manager must have agreed, because they actually had the GALL to come over and tell our friend that we owed her MORE TIP!! OH MY WORD! Are you KIDDING ME????? We paid our BILL, legally, that's that! We left a tip, but apparently we are bad customers. This is close to a week later, and my blood STILL boils about this. I was a server for a while. I've been left no tip, I've been left low tips, I've even been stiffed for a portion of the auto-grat cuz the customers felt like that was okay (totally not). But never in a million years would I think to tell a customer that they owed me MORE tip!!! What HAS this world come to??? Between the friend with the messed up steak and a couple others, they added another $5. I don't feel it was AT ALL necessary, but they did.

Truthfully, if it wasn't for the fact that the food made up for the service, I'd NEVER go back. But the food quality was EXCELLENT! I will be very cautious about the service though and leave a written note explaining my tip if it is a penny under 20%! ARG.

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Getting into the coupons!

As a grocery store checker I have become quite amazed at what people manage to SAVE with their coupons. I've long felt like too often the coupons aren't for things I'd really buy, so I'm not saving. And also that most the coupons are for processed foods that I try not to eat.

Well, many of these arguments are still true. BUT... there are more coupons for stuff I'll truly use, and as long as we don't buy things JUST because we have a coupon, we aren't wasting money.

And the internet coupons ROCK. You find and print them, and ONLY the ones you NEED. How awesome is that??

Last night I did a small amount of shopping after work, JUST the coupons in our weekly flier, and a couple snacks for me. I bought 5 boxes of cereal, 1 bottle of mayo, 1 block of cheese, 1 box of cream cheese, 1 package of sliced cheese, 3 packages of hot dogs, a bakery box of cupcakes, an ice cream treat and a bag of flavored pretzels. I spent $23.49, and SAVED $31.42. And yes, we WILL go through all that food in a short time. We have 7 kids in this house!!!

Today will be interesting. :)

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Produce codes

Okay, if you've ever cashiered for a grocery store, you might understand this musing... hehehe

I am a cashier at Job B, a grocery store. One of the more tedious, yet fun, aspects of this job is learning, memorizing, the various produce codes. After all, apples and oranges don't come with a bar code to scan! LOL Well, when they are prepacked into specific weight bags they do, but that is another discussion altogether.

Anyway, I have learned many very quickly, as well as which ones require a quantity and which are by weight.

But the funniest aspect of this is that I no longer think of produce as avocado's, roma/plum tomatoes, and lemons... they are 4225's, 4087's, and 4053's. Yes, it's sick isn't it. I seriously look at a mango and go, mmmm, that 4959 looks delicious. Or oooo, the 4050's are on sale, gotta get some (cantaloupe).

Okay, so maybe I'm just weird. LOL

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Remembering

The last couple of days have been a little rough for me. I have been remembering my dear friend, CPL Jessica Ellis, who died in Iraq one year ago yesterday, May 11, 2008.

It has been a year, and yet it still hurts like it was yesterday. She was one of my best friends, a little sister, my confidante, beloved Auntie, and so much more. She was the first person I ever let watch Bug and Peanut. She provided so much laughter to our home. I just have such a huge hole left now, and I don't know that it'll ever be filled completely.

I try to only think about the good times, there were so very many. She and I never really had any bad times.

I remembered beating up the punching bag with her one day at the gym, after her first deployment. She lost some friends that time. I remember she had a lot of aggression that day, it had been building up for a while, and she was beating the bag so hard I could barely hold it still for her. And I outweighed her by nearly twice as much!!! I remember her uttering "take this for..." and "this is for..." They just came so fast, one after the other. When she finally stopped she said she felt better. Well, at work this morning, I was breaking apart boxes during shipment. It has to be done fast, for the most part there isn't time for a box cutter. So I was stomping the one kind of box, hard on each corner to break them. And the more traditional boxes, that are taped shut, those we turn over and punch to break a side free from the tape. The rest is easy. Well, I was stomping and punching like Jess had all those months ago, at least 2 years ago come to think of it! I was internally saying the same things. "Take that!" "This is for hurting my friend." "This is for causing her family this pain" "This is for making Mother's Day such a bad memory for her mom." And like Jess, they just kept coming. Through most of the boxes. Toward the end I was so exhausted, sweat streaming down my face. No tears, I was too angry for tears. And it felt better, just a tiny, little bit, but it did feel better.

Even now though, writing this, it brings tears to my eyes. I still wonder, when it will stop hurting. When will I be able to think about her and NOT start crying. I can talk about her now and be okay, when I think about her being gone though, I cry. Every time. And I'm not sure I mind it to tell you the truth. I don't WANT to NOT miss her.

It's been a rough year without her. Homecoming was the worst. Everyone else came home. She didn't. The memorial's in February were pretty hard too. Seeing her parents again (I had met her Dad just before she deployed, but hadn't met her mom until the funeral). Standing back and just remembering her. Seeing her name in granite on the 2 memorials. That was a tough one for me. And visiting her grave in Arlington was pretty tough. But for some odd reason, yesterday and today have been the worst.

I'm fortunate though. I have wonderful people around me who are understanding an supportive of me. People to hold me while I cry. And my two beautiful daughters who's hugs and smiles have the ability to ease my pain.

Jess, I miss you so much. I wish we'd had more time together in this life. But in the blink of an eye for you, we'll see each other again on Resurrection Morning. I love you girl!

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Happy Mother's Day!

I had such a wonderful day thanks to my darling's, Bug and Peanut. Along with a LARGE dose of help from Uncle (BFF's DH). The DD's let me sleep in later (not too much later since I had to work), and made me delicious pancakes, and gave me beautiful and touching cards! I got kisses before work and hugs after. It was just a wonderful day with my beautiful, sweet DD's.

And before anyone says anything about a mother having to work on Mother's Day... Honestly, I didn't mind. I enjoy Job B quite a bit. If they could offer me full time I'd do a bare minimum at Job A, just to keep the discount, and work just for Job B. Plus, they pay time and a half on Sunday's, so my 5 hours of work turns into 7.5 hours of pay! Can't complain too much! It was a good shift and I was busy the whole time so it was over fast!

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PINK EYE!!!

You know that moment, the one when internally you're saying "OH SH*T!" Because you know, just KNOW, that your whole house is about to get sick??? We had that last night.

BFF's DS, Lion, had had red, puffy, goopy eyes all day. As a former medic, and survivor of NUMEROUS cases of pink eye, I felt that it was good to take several precautions, however, I really doubted it WAS pink eye. Primarily because it affected both eyes simultaneously. That's pretty uncommon in my experiences. I thought it was either a cold like BFF has, or just allergies, which several of us are suffering from.

But since we couldn't be certain we took precautions against spreading it, JUST IN CASE... Including canceling our planned outing for the day.

Unfortunately, yesterday evening, BFF's 2nd DS, Monkey, shows up with one nice red, puffy, itchy, goopy eye. And you have never seen 3 adults move so fast. Purell to everyones hands, even the 3 year olds. Pulled ALL the bedding off the DS's beds, pillowcases for adults and DD's. Obsessive Compulsive behavior with the Purell. I know how fast it can spread. And I can't afford to get it. It's hard enough staying healthy with my work schedule.

I did IMMEDIATLY call Job B. I'm scheduled to work this evening from 8-10 pm. Because it's Sabbath I can't go in any earlier, but it's prom night and they were so desperate they said no prob to the short hours I COULD give them. They are a pretty good employer so I wanted to help. But I called to let them know and let my supervisor make the decision. I appreciated her approach. If I don't have it, Purell myself to the 10th degree and come on in. I can wear gloves if I feel it's necessary. But unless I have symptoms, please come in!

We're going to strip and replace ALL the pillow cases today again, as a precaution. And BFF's 3rd DS slept on the couch instead of in the bedroom with his sick brother's. He sleeps better on the couch anyway, so I don't think he minded! LOL

Please pray that the pink eye does NOT spread!!!! :)

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Raisin's, Craisin's, and Food Coloring...

Why do we panic when the little people are quiet?? Because that is the universal sign of TROUBLE. When we hear water running we know somethings wrong too. Which is how I discovered 4 little girls...

Quietly chowing down on the last of the raisin's and craisin's. Yes, all of them, all the unopened packages for our outtings and snacks, the packages we just bought LAST NIGHT!

And all over their hands, the couch (dark green fortunatly), their faces, their BRAND NEW SHIRTS (thank GOODNESS I'd only paid 9 cents per shirt at Job A for them). And all over the kitchen sink and counter, and all over the bathroom sink and counter...

Oh was I mad. As was BFF. Do ya blame us? These girls had PURPLE food coloring all over them. Yeah, they couldn't even use one that was a light color.

After stripping them, I made them sit in the hall while I washed them as best I could one after the other in lukewarm water. Meanwhile BFF had the shout and froze her hands in the bathroom sink in an ATTEMPT to remove as much as humanly possible from the 9 cent shirts. She did a better job than me! I scrubbed these girls, but we all know how food coloring takes hold and doesn't let go!!!

After all was said and done I had all 4, now naked, girls get in their beds, and lay down. I told them they had to take an early nap. I can hear them, they are NOT napping, but I'm okay with this. I couldn't handle them right now. It's better for them to be safely in their room!!!

Lesson: quiet children = danger. Also, put the food coloring EVEN HIGHER!

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Haircuts...

So, I have been mentioning to my BFF for a few days, possibly weeks, now that my DD's needed their bangs trimmed. Peanut in particular REALLY needed it. Bug's bangs are so wispy and light, but Peanut's are thick. Well, Tuesday when I was in a rush to change and get from Job A to Job B, I look down at Peanut, who is nuzzling me and meowing like a kitty, and realize her bangs have been cut.

No, they'd been BUTCHERED!! Poor BFF, who watches my babies while I work, had already had a rough enough day. I asked Peanut who cut your hair?!? And BFF lost it. HUGS BFF!!! Peanut immediately said "{Duck} did it!" Duck is BFF's DD. Now Duck has done this to her OWN hair twice.

On the good side of this... It is NOT horrifically short like Duck did to her own bangs, and it is a smaller section. I still see it, but it's possible to kinda cover it up til it totally grows out in a few months.

Lesson: find and put away ALL scissors. Not that this will stop our more daring 3 year olds, but it MIGHT slow them down long enough to catch them.

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HI!

Hi everyone, welcome to MY blog. This one is public, and it's all about ME ME ME... Okay, so I MAY sound a tad selfish right there. I want a place to write and tell about my struggles, failures, and triumphs, with all the minutiae of life.

And so it begins...

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