Saturday, December 30, 2006

Saddam is dead.
I'm terrified.

First and foremost, let me admit that I have no definite stand on capital punishment. Most times, I lean towards the opposition. Then again, I don't believe sex offenders can be rehabilitated and I think that the truly horrid ones are better off dead so that there's absolutely no chance of them ever hurting anyone else.

I agree Saddam Husein was an awful man, but I wonder what good his death will do. History is full of mediocre men who were damn near canonized simply because they were killed. One can easily become a martyr. All you have to do is die. Your followers will write and rewrite your story to fit their needs.

I'm holding my breath. Dh is scared. What will this mean for our military? How many more attacks will we see in retaliation? Will Stop Loss be reinstated? Will our friends who have just come home be sent back? Will our friends who are there be more likely to be injured? Will dh have to go back again? What now?

I don't know what to think. On one hand, I see Iraqis celebrating and I hear that they feel safer now. On the other hand, I wonder how safe they'll feel when the next retaliation car bomb explodes on their street.

Friday, December 29, 2006

the Nutless Wonder

We are the proud new owners of a dog.

Our dog, however, is no longer the proud owner of testicles.

We dropped him off at the vet yesterday and picked him up today. He is now nutless and I have taken to referring to him as the "nutless wonder."

He's a pretty sweet dog. He's the perfect dog for kids. He's playful, but not too spazzy. He'll curl up and sleep in our laps. I'm still a bit undecided about him, but I'm warming up.

You see, with every animal that's come into my life, I get apprehensive for a while. I tend to go through that, "Maybe this was a bad idea," stage. Granted, I would never agree to give the animal up, it's just that it takes a bit of adjusting.


As a kid, I never went through that. Once I hit 14, though, every animal I adopted after that point left me feeling detached for the first few days. The only animal I adopted where I didn't have this feeling was Funnel Face. I actually did have a minute where I wondered if we made the right decision right after we adopted her, but then the tiny little grey ball of fluff (see the picture to your right of an 8-week-old FF on dh's lap) curled up next to me on my pillow and kissed my nose. That was the end of that.

So now we have the Nutless Wonder and I'm warming up to him. The kids adore him as does dh. The cats, however, not so much.

I know we're insane for getting a dog when we have an out of state move looming on the horizon, but...well...I've never been a fan of sanity. :-) At any rate, we have a dog and that dog is now nutless.
:-)

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

The s-word

For homeschoolers, that would be "Socialization."

I figured we lived in a far more enlightened time where people realized that typically isn't a problem with today's homeschoolers. With the advent of co-ops, message boards, homeschool PE classes, and other such things created to bring homeschoolers together, I assumed the vast majority of the world understood that homeschooled kids aren't just locked away from the rest of the world.

A fairly recent post at Motherhood Uncensored proved I was wrong. Well, the post can't take credit for my awakening. The comment section is where I repeatedly found references to how homeschooled children lack socialization. Um...ah...what? Our fellow homeschooled children are not only social creatures, but they have friends of all ages. A friend of mine summed it up perfectly at a homeschool field trip a few months back. "Where else would you find an 11-year-old who actually WANTS to play with a 4-year-old?" Some of my children's best friends are other homeschooled children who are all vastly older than them. Some are twice my kids' age and you know what? Not only do those children play happily with mine, they actually ENJOY it.

This rant was inspired by an article I came across over a year ago, but I just found it again in my old sent mail. Here's a link to the article: No Thank You, We Don't Believe in Socialization.

She raises some fabulous points!

Dog

We are getting a dog...TODAY. blink. blink.

Dh has a friend at work who's deploying soon and needs someone to take his puppy. We are that someone.

Before we were married we had plans to get a dog, but like I've said a hundred times, dogs just don't fit well into the military lifestyle (as is made evident by the fashion in which we are acquiring this dog and that this is not the first of dh's friends to have this dilemma). I've also insisted that we will not get a dog until we move (when dh is no longer in the military).

What's that line about "Best laid plans?" Um...yeah.

So, as of this evening, we will have a dog. No, the kids don't know yet. We're going to surprise them. Plus, that way, if this falls through for some reason, they won't be crushed.

We're getting a dog. Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.

Makeup: a dilema

My last post has thrown me into a dilemma. Yes, the whorish painted face of a doll's head has wreaked havoc on my brain.

You see, I can't stand little girls in makeup. I HATE it. My girls dance and I've been really turned off by the parents who paint their little girls up for the dance show. True, a certain amount of blush can be a good thing so they're not washed out by the lights, but heck, my kids are cute. I'll know they're cute regardless of whether the lights are bright.

I own bunches and bunches of makeup, but I very rarely wear it. I like it that way. I hope my girls feel the same way when they grow up.

But then I have to wonder about the styling heads. The dolls didn't come with makeup (well, Girl2's did, but we took it away right away). I only let the girls play with mine as a special treat. I repeatedly tell them that makeup doesn't make someone pretty. They know they don't own any Bratz dolls because those blasted things have WAY too much makeup.

I remember fighting my mother tooth and nail when I was about 5 because I wanted eye shadow, but she wouldn't let me have it. So what did I do? I used my Strawberry Shortcake lipstick on my eyelids. My mother was PISSED. She refused to leave the house with me looking like that. I refused to back down. I don't remember how it ended, but I vividly remember how important that eye shadow was. Then again, I watched my mother put her makeup on every single morning. She had this ritual--where she put it on, how she put it on, what she put on. She had it down to a science and that always fascinated me. I even remember when I was 6 asking her if she would leave me her makeup bag in her will.

She did let me have some kid makeup. When I was 8, I had this horrible looking peach lipstick and green and blue eyeshadow that came in these clip-on doll-looking cases. In every single one of our pictures from Disney that year, I wore that horrible eyeshadow. Now I'm pissed about it (although I am impressed with the the application). The pictures are ruined.

How do I strike a balance? That experimenting, made makeup not so new and fabulous. I got it out of my system and moved on. I remember how I longed for eyeshadow when I wasn't allowed to have it. How do I let my children play without violating my morals? Is letting them put makeup on a doll a good compromise? I just don't know.

Most importantly, I want them to know that they are beautiful, but know that #1. the most important thing is that THEY recognize their beauty and #2 beauty is not only in appearance.

Monday, December 25, 2006

Ariel is a crack whore.*

See?



This entry could also be titled, "When makeup-bearing-kindergarteners attack."

*My husband must be credited with the title of this entry. He was trying to explain how badly Girl1 had maimed this doll just within the first day and he explained that Ariel, "looks like a crack whore."

Jan 9, 2007 Edit:
Lots of people are finding their way here when they search for "Ariel Styling Head." So I figure I'll help you out. Click here to see where you can find Ariel Styling Heads including our model which has hands and nails to paint.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Just a note

For anyone considering buying those styling heads, just be advised that those things will FREAK YOU THE HELL OUT if left out in the open. I can't tell you how many times dh and I have jumped because we turned around and saw the girls' new styling heads sitting on their school desks. And they only got those blasted things on the last night of Chanukah. So if those things have been able to sneak up on us and scare us that much in just one day, I shudder to think what the next week/month/year will be like (assuming the girls don't destroy them in the next few days).

And FTR, it's difficult to find one of those blasted heads much less two different ones that aren't Barbie or Bratz. Girl1's Ariel head will make an appearance on this blog soon. You see, my daughter has given her a rather interesting makeover that I simply must share with you all. I'll save that for another day, though.

On the last night of Chanukah

my kids gave to Daddy

one pair of sunglasses and a bag of frozen french fries.

I kid you not.

I took the girls to the Dollar Tree to let them pick out a gift for dh. Oh boy was that fun! Before we even got there, Girl1 decided she wanted to buy a "robot with black sprinkles." Um...best of luck with that. When we found an orange robot-looking toy, that was not good enough for her because it lacked sprinkles and a dark color.

At one point, Girl2 wanted to get a pack of play dough. I couldn't fault her for it, though, because she explained, "I want to get that so daddy can play with me with that."

She settled for sunglasses (which was actually a good idea. dh always needs more). I preferred the first pair she picked, but she opted for the second one. Let me tell you, it was a HUGE struggle to let her make her own decision and not jump in for her.

After informing Girl1 that her father most definitely did not want a pink sparkly make-up bag, she opted for the robot sans black or sprinkles. That is, until we wandered past the frozen food (yes, our $tree has a frozen food section). There, low and behold, were the fries. She wanted to get that for daddy and she wanted him to share them with her.

Yes, we got them. Yes she did wrap them, but luckily, she wanted dh to open them right away. Girl2 also wrapped hers, but she held off on giving it to dh until after dinner (and yes, dinner did include french fries).

And get this, the girls insisted on getting a gift for their baby brother too. I told them they had to work together to agree on one gift (that baby does not need any more toys/bibs/anything that comes from the $tree). They agreed on a glow-in-the-dark skeleton shirt (Target reject, but I couldn't find anything wrong with it). We got it in a size bigger so he can wear it next Halloween, but they insisted he wear it to bed tonight. And so he did. Yes, they did come in in the dark to see it glow.

And so Chanukah ends. Big sigh from me. I love it. I love lighting the candles with them. I love singing the songs and reading books about it. And yes, the chanukah gelt is awfully tasty too. :-) As Chanukah ends, we'll clean off the silver menorah, take down the decorations, and pack it all up. I take heart in the fact that this year for the very first time, we'll also pack away the menorahs the girls made and lit themselves. This is what it's all about.

The real miracle of Chanukah isn't that a flame burned for 8 days. The real miracle is that Chanukah flames still burn over 2000 years later. Judah Macabee lit a flame, but it's our children who kindle that same fire today. THAT is the miracle of Chanukah.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

The war on Chanukah

I'm sure you've all heard of the ridiculous "war on Christmas." Just because some people say, "Happy Holidays," instead of wishing everyone (including people who don't celebrate the day) a "Merry Christmas," people insist we are heathens who hate G-d and are out to destroy Christmas.

My feelings are this (in brief): Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Even if you do celebrate Christmas, there's also New Year in there. Holiday means "Holy day," so why pitch a fit?

Granted, a Christmas tree is a CHRISTMAS tree. It is NOT a holiday tree. The other day, dh and I saw something on t.v. where Santa was referring to a "holiday" something or other. Dh said, "He's Santa. He's a Christmas figure. Just call it Christmas." I have no issue with calling things their correct names. If it's a Christmas symbol, calling it something else won't change that.

I also have no issue with trying to respect every one's religious beliefs. Wishing me a "Happy Holiday" will in no way knock you down a notch on the Christian ladder.

In short:
"Holiday tree" = stupid
"Happy Holidays" = respectful

Now here's what prompted this post. On a message board, I shared a picture of the family lighting the candles. I specifically referred to us celebrating "Chanukah." FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE wished us a "Merry Christmas." (one of those wished a "Merry Xmas"). WTF?

Now I understand that some people don't get the whole Jewish thing. Some people assume we celebrate both. We don't. Yet those posts ONLY wished us a "Merry Christmas." There was no mention of Chanukah (the subject of the post and very obvious subject of the picture) at all.

Granted, the vast majority of people wished us a "Happy holidays," and I really do appreciate the warm wishes. I'm just baffled by the Christmas stuff. What are people thinking?

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Another dream to interpret. This one's dirty.

But no, not in THAT way.

I had a dream a few nights ago. Our yard was just mud. It was raining hard and mud was pouring in from everywhere. It wasn't coming in the house, but in the dream, we lived on a hill and it was just pouring down the hill. I remember being really annoyed at dh in the dream. I don't know why specifically, but I remember thinking he was doing something to make it worse. There was some common sense thing that he was supposed to be doing, but wasn't.

A quick glance at the dream dictionary shows that rain symbolizes fertility. No shock there. What does it all mean, though?

Anyone up for dream analysis?

I had a very strange dream. Anyone care to analyze it?

I dreamt that I was eating shrimp. These were 4 jumbo shrimp. No breading or anything like that. Just 4 large shrimp. I specifically remember there were 4 because at one point, I only saw 3 and got annoyed because I was supposed to have 4. After pushing them around the plate, I found the 4th hidden under another. They were on a plain white plate and I ate them with a metal fork and knife.

I woke up feeling horribly guilty until I realized I had only broken the kosher rules in my dreams. Then I just felt baffled. What on earth does it mean?

I checked out all the symbols in the dream dictionary (see my links on the left), but I'm still very confused. Anyone else care to try interpreting it?

Sharing time part 2
happier, more upbeat, and won't make you want to injure someone.

Okay, we had sharing time where we talked about the worst of times (or comments).

Now let's flip it and have a happier sharing time.

We covered the worst comment, so let's try a happier twist.

What's the nicest thing someone ever said/wrote about you?

I have two.

A friend once told me, "You're so insightful." I LOVED that.

The second is something my midwife wrote to me. I'm going to print her e-mail out and put it under my pillow so I can pull it out and read it whenever I need to. Should I be blessed enough to get pregnant again (see below), I plan on printing out copies and posting them all over the house. I won't be able to open a cabinet without seeing that letter. The whole letter rocked, but this is my very favorite part, "You are an awesome woman.... I hope that you know that. I know it with all my heart and soul."

Does that not rock? And could you imagine an OB ever saying something like that? Hm, I think not.

And now on to something else that's been bothering me:

I don't think it's fair that you all shared your cruel comments with me, but I didn't share with you. Some people really bared their souls and I sat here quietly. I kinda didn't actually want to post about what prompted the last sharing time since she who made the comment reads my blog, but I guess I will.

First a note to she who ticked me off. I love you. You know I do. I'm having a tough time with your pregnancy. You know that or at least you should since I specifically told you 3 times and then I run away whenever I can't take it anymore (despite my name, I don't mean that to be as bitter as it sounds. Well, some days I do, but not right now). But yeah, when you made that comment, it hurt.

You remember that I may not be able to have more kids, right? I met with my midwives and have been going over my records and having some diagnostic tests to see if another baby is a possibility. It's all very stressful and I still have no answers. On top of that, I had a difficult time with my birth experiences. On the anniversary of my most recent c-section. I was on the phone with my sister. Not only had she not acknowledged the day (which was also her godson's birthday), but then she made a comment about how if her baby isn't out fairly near to the due date (remember, my girls were premies and that was the worst experience of my life), she would "cut it out with a spoon." I told her I didn't appreciate it. The conversation ended right after that. At that point, much screaming, cursing, and crying ensued.

So yeah, that's the cruelest thing anyone has said to me.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

DISScards

Someone found their way here by searching for "Disscards." As luck would have it, I actually have a link saved to that very thing. And so, I'll share that with you now.

Enjoy:

DISScards

If you have a few free minutes, you really should go take a look. They are hysterical.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Xmas carol

I found this on Giselle's blog and of course I had to try it myself. My addictive personality took over and I had to try it for myself over and over again. :-)

Rudolph the red-nosed bitter rose
Had a very shiny nose.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :


Shall I play for you,
Pa-rum-pum-pum pum,
On my bitter rose.

Little Drummer Boy
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :


Brightly shone the moon that night,
Though the bitter rose was cruel.

Good King Wenceslas
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :


Of all the trees
That are in the wood,
The bitter rose bears the crown.

The Holly and the Ivy
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

Sunday, December 17, 2006

On the third night of Chanukah...

My true love gave to me,
an arm strap for my MP3s.



Let's recap. Thus far, I have gotten a new MP3 player, an arm strap for it so I can use it at the gym, and a DVD collection of some of my very favorites (the 3-disc set includes Dark Crystal and Labrynth). I am very pleased.

For the first time ever, the girls have been able to light their own menorahs (which they made themselves in Sunday school. That's one of them over there on the left). It's so awesome to be able to share this with them.

Oh, oh, oh and get this. Did you know the Little People are Jewish? Well, not all of them, but at least this family is. The girls got that set and they are absolutely in love with it.

Although, the very best part of it was when they turned their backs and I replaced the baby in the high chair with the dog. It took the girls a second to notice, but when they did, we all cracked up for a full 2-3 minutes.

They may drive me nuts, but I love my kids. They are SO much fun.

We will once again be returning to GratitudeVilleLand.

Here is the link to the site where you can get your letter for the day. As per Giselle's instructions, set all the numbers to 1. Then it will give you one letter.

I'm tired of traipsing over to Giselle's site every time I need a letter, so I'm posting that here.

My letter of the day is O.

Oh boy! (no pun intended)

1. Orgasms. No further explanation necessary.

2. Ocean. I'm a water sign. I love the ocean.

3. Oseh Shalom. It's one of my favorite songs and I just love the meaning behind it.

4. Oxygen. Because breathing is a good thing.

5. Oriental Trading Company. Hey, they have some cool stuff. The kids got some blocks from there for Chanukah. Plus Oriental Trading has some super cute craft supplies.

6. Outdoors. I would go insane if cooped up in here every day. Plus, if we just spend a little time in the great outdoors every day, it's amazing how we can reduce our reliance on unnatural substitutes (Among other things, I'm thinking Vitamin D here. For your average fair-skinned person, just 15 minutes exposure to the sun every week is enough for adequate Vitamin D production with no added supplementation needed).

7. Other people. Thank G-d I'm not alone in this world.

8. Ostriches. They're nasty suckers, but those birds are proof that G-d has a sense of humor. :-)

9. Olives. Whether they be black or green, I do so adore their yummy goodness.

10. Old age. I'm very thankful that those family members who are with us today still are. I'm also thankful for the promise of old age. I'm looking forward to growing old alongside dh.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Big J little J what begins with J?

Jerry Jordan's Jelly Jar. J J J

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for creating that blasted ABC book which was read ad nauseum in the bathroom when the girls were potty training. So I can now recite the entire book from memory.

For today's installment of the gratitude alphabet, I got J.

Hmm...

#1. Jade. I once had a coach from Scotland named Jade. I adored her. She was funny, smart, and very sweet. Plus she had an awesome accent. I haven't seen her in ages, but I'm grateful that she was part of my life.

#2. Jewelry. Sure, I like a wide array of "shinies," but there are specific pieces that are very important to me. I wear a mezuzah necklace that was once dh's. I have worn it for every major life event in the past 6 years. Since dh and I are both the youngest in our family, we plan to pass it down to the youngest of our children. I also have a few very special rings that dh gave me which are very important. Plus I have jewelry from both my grandmothers and from dh's great aunt who passed away recently (a few pieces are rose shaped which I thought was very cool). I'm so thrilled to not only have these pretty pieces to wear, but also to know that I can pass them on to my children some day.

3. Judaism. It's who I am. It's what I believe. It contains rituals and prayers that link my children to their ancestors. It reminds me to behave ethically. I love it. I respect it. I will forever be thankful for it.

4. Journal. I can write. I can put my thoughts down on paper for my private use or here in a public forum to share with you all. It's cathartic. It's capturing a moment. It's a tool for understanding. If I couldn't write my thoughts down, I'd go insane.

5. Justice. Even though it may not always seem like it, there is justice in the world. Sometimes it's blatantly obvious. Sometimes you have to search for it, but it exists. I can be an agent of Justice. When we work together, we can help find it. If you find that something isn't fair, you have the power to work towards fairness. That is a wonderful thing and a great power.

6. Jacket. I have this awesome blue furry coat that was my mother's back in the 60s. I ADORE it and I get all kinds of great comments about it.

7. Jokes. I love to laugh. Anything that helps me do so is fabulous in my book.

8. J'taime. "I love you" in French. I try to make a point of always making that the last thing I say to all the kids before bed and I just LOVE hearing it from them.

9. J.K. Rowling. Without her, there would be no stories about my beloved Harry Potter and my life would be far too dull. Plus you've gotta be thankful for anything that entices kids to read, especially when it's well-written.

10. Jouer. Okay, I'm cheating yet again. Although, I don't believe the rules said my answers had to be in English. French for "To play." I'm grateful that I have moments to play. I'm thankful when I watch my children play. I'm glad there's still lightness and imagination in the world.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Happy Chanukah to all and to all a good night.

It's the first night of Chanukah. WOO HOO.

Took the kids to a party at shul. Gave dh and the girls lightsabers. Got a new KICK-ASS MP3 player that was a complete shock (I love it when I'm surprised). The mailman delivered my brand new diaper bag (my Chanukah gift to myself). I had VERY GOOD latkes cooked just the way I like 'em.

I know we're only 1 day into this holiday, but so far, it's rocking my world. :-)

A very happy Chanukah wish is extended to my fellow yids.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

This post brought to you by the number 10 and the letter C.

Okay, I got C for the grattitude thing. Let's see...

1. Costumes. I'm such a dork, but I LOVE Halloween. I also love dress-up and watching my kids play. Add to all that the fact that my brother has a pretty cool costume collection which has made him a favorite among my kids.

2. Children. I'm very grateful for my 3 (and hoping for another). And while we had some issues with creating/having them, I realize our path was not nearly as frightening as it could have been.

3. Challah (the bread we eat on Shabbat). That stuff is GOOD. I also love that I can make it with my kids. They just love braiding the dough to make it themselves. And FTR, the apple challah our shul has for Rosh Hashanah is FABULOUS.

4. Cats. I'm an animal person and always have been (note the picture of a 3-year-old me with my fuzzy sisters* *photo removed). If we weren't military, we'd have a dog too (traveling with dogs and caring for them by myself when dh deploys does not sound like fun), but for now, we just have the cats. Even though they can drive me nuts, I love 'em. And besides, sometimes, they provide me with fodder for the blog. You've gotta be thankful for that.

5. Calculators. The public school system crushed my ability to do math in my head once we moved on to pre-calc and all that stuff. So now I rely on calculators in order to do any math at all.

6. Camera. I adore taking pictures. Without my camera, I wouldn't have been able to document so much of dh and my life together as well as the lives of our kids. Very few pictures exist from my childhood, so I'm particularly thankful for all the pictures I've been able to take of my kids.

7. Candles. Whether it be shabbat, Chanukah or a yarzeit, I'm so very thankful to be able to sanctify the day with candles. I light the candles and say the blessings with my kids just like so many other Jews around the world have done for centuries. There's nothing like sharing that connection.

8. Cousins. Family is hugely important to me. I'm so very thankful that I'm close to my cousins. I'm also very VERY thankful that my children have a chance to know their cousins and to form friendships with them.

9. Cloth diapers. They've saved us a ton of money they help save the environment and they're cute as hell.

10. Coffee. I have three children, insomnia, and until recently, a deployed husband. Coffee is my friend.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

I'm tagged and grateful.

Giselle has tagged me for this journaling challenge. Okay, I'll bite (no, not really. Well, yeah really, but that can get kinda TMI, so the only thing I'll bite right now is my tongue). This looks like it's right up my alley.

I went to the generator (see Giselle's post) and it gave me H.

Here are 10 things that start with the letter H for which I'm grateful. I'm not gonna take days to ponder this. I'm following Giselle's lead and just going with the ones that pop into my head.

1. Heroes (the people, not the show). Granted, I'm grateful for dh, his friends, and our family members who are heroes because they're veterans, but I'm also thankful for everyday heroes. Everyone out there has their own hardships to endure. Some people shoulder through those hardships and go on to give back in ways that are just astounding. I am lucky enough to have known some of those people. I'm forever in awe of them and I'm trying to decide on a huge life change as a direct result of one of them. A number of my friends are my heroes for different reasons. You may not consider your life to be exceptional, but just by being your funny/caring/sweet self, you are touching lives in ways you may never full understand.

2. Hiltons (as in Paris and Nicki). To quote Dr. Seuss, "You ought to be thankful a whole heaping lot for the places and people you're lucky you're not." :-)

3. Huge goofy grins. I just glanced over at a picture of the kids that's here on my desk and in it, Girl1 has her typical huge funny-looking grin. All my kids have mastered that. It cracks me up.

4. Home. I am so very thankful that we have been able to create our home wherever we happen to be. I love this Oliver Wendell Holmes quotation because I think it's so perfect for a military family:“Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

5. Horseradish. Hey, it makes everything taste better.

6. Help. I don't like to ask for it, but I'm SO very thankful that there are those around me who are willing to offer their help.

7. Help! No, I'm not being redundant. I'm refering to the Beatles' song.

8. Hope. Um...I can't think of any way to explain this one. It should be pretty obvious.

9. Harry Potter. I LOVE those books. My husband loves those books. My kids love those books.

10. Head (the one on your shoulders. GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!). Because um...er...I guess without one, life would suck. "Your feet are going to be on the ground. Your head is there to move you around." Sorry. It's stuck in my head (no pun intended) and I had to share the joy that is that song with you all.

Oh, oh, oh, and I'll add a bonus:

11. Hebrew. It's the language of my people. My children sing the same Hebrew songs that their great great great great great grandparents sang many years ago. It's a tie that joins Jews together. And besides, without it, I wouldn't have a name. :-)

Now, does anyone else care to join the challenge? This could prove to be very interesting. What happens when the generator gives one of us the letter X? There are only so many X things for which I can be grateful.

Ut oh. I just had a flashback to my (now former) SIL's bridal shower. I didn't go (It was in a different state. I couldn't stand her. And to top it off, her brilliant goy family scheduled the shower for Tisha B'av), but I was assigned the letter V. Oh, you stupid stupid people! I almost considered going just so I could give her the PERFECT V gift (a vibrating cucumber).

Gather round in a circle everyone.

Let's all come sit together on the rug for sharing time.

This is interactive blogging at its finest.

I'll throw out a topic and you all leave your answers in the comment section. Feel free to take this as a blog topic idea for your blog as well. Let me know you're doing it and I promise I'll pop over to take a look.

Here's today's sharing time topic:

What's the cruelest thing anyone has ever said to you?

Did mom say something that left you bawling? Did a stranger (at Walmart--the idiots are always at Walmart) say something that made you want to punch them in the face? Has your kid said something that made you wish you could sell them on ebay?

Do tell. Enquiring minds want to know.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

By the power of Gray Skull...

I swear I had no idea this existed:

The Bitter Rose

Although, I am admittedly thrilled by these findings. I did so adore He-Man (and of course his sister She-rah).

I also found there is another Bitter Rose out there who apparently has a thing for reptiles (sooooo not me). There's some Christian-themed book that shares my name as well as a play. And did you know the name Rosemarie also means "Bitter rose?"

Hey, you learn something new every day.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Um...ah...

Testing. Testing. 1-2-3

I get by with a little help from my friends.

I love my friends.

My friends keep me smiling. They keep me laughing. They keep me sane.

Yeah, one could argue that last part, but at least they keep me as sane as I'm gonna get.

I don't have anything specific to report, but I've just gotten a lot of support lately.

I adore my husband. For those who see us together, we may not seem too lovely-dovey, but at home at night, we are (and I don't mean it in the TMI way although yeah, that too). He's my very best friend. But he's a guy and there's just so much to the female mind/life/mood that he can't understand. My girlfriends, however, get it. For that, I am eternally grateful.

I recently did this tarot card reading thing to try to get some insight about the baby issue (I'm not as newagey as I sound, but I'm pretty open-minded). One of the cards I got was the 8 of coins and I didn't think it fit at all (the others all did quite well). I sent the reading to Giselle and she pointed out that one aspect of that card is not asking for help. Yeah, that's me. I would much prefer to do things myself rather than ask for help. I'm fiercely proud of the fact that even after an epidural, I insisted on putting my own feet in the stirups. With my friends, though, I don't need to ask for help. They know I need it without me having to say a word.

I will be forever grateful for their kind words, hugs, stupid jokes, and even their silence while they let me vent.

CONGRATS.

Who would have thought that what I needed to help pull me out of the baby-related funk is yet another pregnancy (someone else's not mine)?

A friend (who shall remain anonymous until she outs herself publically) just told me her news. Bless her heart! She was worried about how I'd take it (we've both been ranting to each other about our birth experiences and how we feel around pregnant women). I'm not at all upset. I'm just thrilled for her. I know I said I needed a break from the pregnancy stuff, but honestly, I'm not at all upset. I'm just super excited and very very happy.

She's been trying for a long time. Although she doesn't always think so, she's a fantastic mother. She deserves this.

I'm SO excited for her and her husband. Yay!

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Dear pregnant ladies
(since there are so freaking many of you),

I don't want to hear about babies! I don't want to hear about pregnancy. I don't want to hear about birth. I don't care who you are. I don't care how bad/wonderful of a time you had/are having.

I don't want to hear about it.

Those who know/love me should realize these discussions are NOT a good idea on any day, but TODAY they are a really bad idea for oh so many reasons.

If you're happy, then I'm thrilled for you, but I just need a break.

Please, PLEASE, can we pick a different topic?

Grudgingly/begrudgingly yours,
Reiza

P.S. backstory can be found here.

Pearl Harbor

Today is the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kamrin already posted a fabulous entry about it. Go there and read it (see my "read" list).

I can't say anything more than she does, but I wanted something here to acknowledge the day.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Just because this made me laugh

I simply must share this entry from Science Fiction Twin. We could all use a giggle.

The Inelegant Universe

When I read it a few days ago, I laughed. I just read it again and laughed yet again. Anything that is that powerful deserves to be shared. :-)

Stealing a survey from Kamrin

Where are you people? I go away for a week and my readers vanish.

Hello, hello, hello
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?


Sorry, it seemed like a good time to bust into a Pink Floyd song. Then again, is it ever a bad time to do so? My roomate freshman year and I didn't always get along well, but damn it, she had great taste in music (aside from Live. Ohhh how I hate Live).

Wow. I really took a trip into Tangentland, didn't I? I'm sorry about that.

Anyway, I'm stealing this survey from Kamrin:

What was your first car?
A grey 1991 Nissan Stanza (nicknamed the Phairmobile because of the Liz Phair sticker I had on the back).

When did you go to your first funeral?
My aunt's when I was 16. I wasn't allowed to go to my other aunt's when I was 2 and 1/2 nor my grandfather's when I was 6 (almost 7). I still wish I could have been there.

Who was your first grade teacher?
Ms. Pamela. To this day, she's one of my very favorite teachers.

Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
California when I was 6 or 7.

When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
I was alone.

Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them?
A girl my family called "Little Michelle" was my first best friend. My parents occasionally run into her mom. Apparently she's married and living in FL now. I haven't seen her since we were little kids, though.

Who is the first person you talked to this morning?
Dh

Whose wedding were you in the first time?
My oldest sister's.

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Open my eyes. After that, I silently plead with G-d to give me at least a few more minutes of rest.

What was the first concert you ever went to?
Tiffany and no I'm not ashamed.

First tattoo or piercing?
I got my ears pierced when I was 6 or 7.

First celebrity crush?
tie: Michael Jackson and David Hasselhof.

First crush?
Sammy. He was a friend of mine when I was about 8.

When was your first detention?
Freshman year. My honors English class was a nightmare for substitutes. When we made one run crying and refuse to sub again at our high school, our regular teacher gave us detention when she came back.