Sunday, June 25, 2006

Okay I've had three dreams in the last two weeks on a similar theme. The most recent was last night. In all three I'm looking for something I've lost or forgotten where I put it. In one it was directions, in another keys, last night it was a box of tea. The other cominality was the mix of people from both my past and present, some of whom I'm still in contact many of whom I'm not.

Last night's was just weird to begin with. I'm cleaning out my car and somehow Ken has rigged it so that we have a turntable in the dashboard, so I'm cleaning out the mess of album covers. Pulling out the empty ones I because I want to keep whatever they hold on the turntable and the ones I don't I just, want out of the car. So while I'm cleaning a bunch of friends come up to see what I'm doing. Some are online friends, that I met at least one was an old friend in HS. I'm looking though the album covers weird mix, like one was a box set of something on Charles Manson, like an audio book in album form, the next was from Living Color a best of type of thing, (even though I already have everything in cassette) a Lenny Kravitz duets type thing (I was buying CDs by the time I bought his stuff). The last two have sexy men at least, not sure what's up with Charles Manson. But along with this stuff was an accordion folder of gov't files. It had been sealed at one point and I had opened it to start reading it but never got around to unsealing the actual files. It was on some scandal in either the Kennedy or Nixon presidencies. That's all I knew and Amy, the girl I knew from HS asked if she could read it. I said sure and let her have it.

From here it's almost like I went back in time to when I shared a house with several other single women, so before I met Ken. I had recently moved to another room because someone had moved out and I had been there longest, so could move up to a bigger room. I had all my online freinds in the room and we decided tea would be a good thing while we hung out. I had a particular kind I was looking for. It wasn't where I thought I put it. But it had been a couple months since I'd had tea because of warm weather, so I thought I'd put it somewhere else or lent it to a housemate. I end up going through the house looking for my box of tea. I find everything but the one I'm looking for. I asked the housemate I thought borrowed it. She was in the middle of setting up the dinning room for her very small wedding ceremony. (This woman had actually been one of my housemates several years ago) She said she'd returned it almost right after I lent it to her. Then I wander into the kitchen and talk to two more friends, Kris, one from HS and another former housemate, Jen (both of whom I talk to regularly and see a couple times a year) All I find are the boxes I had given to them as gifts. This is about when I woke up with [I]Delta Dawn [/I] stuck in my head. I haven't heard this song in years and even then the last time was a clip from a TV commercial so not even the whole song.

But waking up from my dream reminded me of the other two dreams. In one I'm supposed to meet up with Ken and Alex after going out with Aimee my best friend from college (I haven't heard from her in 5 years though I have tried contacting her, never heard back but nothing was ever returned to me either), and Sherri(the HS friend I met with last time I was visiting my mom). But I couldn't find my directions to the place I was to meet them anywhere in my bag. And I knew I had put them in there before I left.

The other dream is only a vague rememberence at this point. All I really remember was being at playgroup and losing my keys and needing them because I was going to meet Jen. The last I had remembered seeing them Alex had gotten them out of my bag.

I used to be really good about recording my dreams but I got out of the habit once I moved into the TH with Ken. For what ever reason my usually vivid and lucid dreams nearly vanished while we lived there. Obviously they're coming back of course this could all be pregnancy induced as well.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

I got this from one of my journal buddies over at LTJ

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it
was, the more fun the answers will be.

1. Who was your best friend?
Robin Merski

2. What sports did you play?
I took pictures of sports for the yearbook, does that count?

3. What kind of car did you drive?
A blue Ford Econoline window Van

4. It's Friday night, where were you at?
Sometimes working, sometimes at home, sometimes sneaking out of the house

5. Were you a party animal?
No. I wanted to go out and party, but was clueless as to where and when most times.

6. Were you considered a flirt?
Nope.

7. Ever skip school?
Not usually a whole day but I had two study halls ending my day the last semester so I just left early

8. Ever smoke?
Nah

9. Were you a nerd?
Kinda sorta

10. Did you get suspended/expelled?
Nope

11. Can you sing the Alma Mater?
Are you kidding?

12. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Wintrode

13. Favorite class?
Name a math class any math class

14. What was your school's full name?
Girard High School

15. School mascot?
Yellowjackets

16. Did you go to Prom?
nope

17. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
Probably not.

18. What do you remember most about graduation?
Not a clue

19. Favorite memory of your Senior Year?
Finally finding out about a party and watching Chuck Miller almost fall into the fire.

20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall?
huh?

21. Did you have a job your senior year?
Dishwasher at the Girard Diner

22. Who did you date?
I didn't

23. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Cafeteria

24. Have you gained weight since then?
Oh yeah

25. What did you do after graduation?
went to the University of Maryland

26. When did you graduate?
1986
I know this is TMI but at least once a week when I brush my teeth it sets of my gag reflex and I start gagging and coughing. It usually happens on the days when post nasal drip is especially bad. We'll today it was so bad I actually threw up I wasn't even feeling nausious, so I know it was my gag reflex causing it. Oh the joys of pregnancy.

It's one of those pregnancy annoyances. Though I've noticed it's worse if I bend over the sink, if I stand up and look in the mirror I don't gag as much. My husband is now getting sympathy heartburn. :D This happened when I was pregnant with Alex too. I think it's kinda funny we both end up getting heartburn no matter what we eat but only when I'm pregnant.

Anyway I meant to get on here last night but things went down hill yesterday as soon as Alex got up fom his nap, until I put him to bed at 8:00. He woke up and I heard this "help, help" over the monitor. I go upstairs and the first thing he says as I open the door. "Diaer chane" I go to get him out of bed and he doubles over, crying. Then he's squirming around so in obvious pain. I can smell that he needs a change. I pick him up and carry him to the changing table. He's crying the entire time I'm getting him cleaned up. Just as I get ready to stand him up so I can pull up his diaper pants he lets go this long pee arc. He's upset, embarrassed and then he sees most of it landing on his comforter, which makes him even more upset. I wait until he's done get him cleaned and dressed then console him as I clean the floor and strip the bed. He obviously had a pretty full bladder so I'm thinking that may have caused the cramping.

Most of the rest of the afternoon, he was either crying or whining or acting helpless. I used to think this male trait was because moms catered to sons when they were sick, now I'm beginning to think it's genetic. Well we soon find out why he's acting like such a pistol. After the second bout of diarreah, I put him in the tub, and let him play for 20 minutes. He came out acting like his normal cheerful self. He's been fine all day to day. He hasn't really eaten anything different lately so I'm not sure what was up, there was no fever either. So I cancelled going to playgroup last night since we were going to a pool and even if he's feeling fine it usually takes a day or so before he has a normal poo again.

So last night I ended up working on a new digiscrap challenge in photoshop, the other reason I didn't post. This was also the third night in a row I've had the song [I]I'll make a man out of you[/I] stuck in my head as I go to sleep. Alex's new favorite movie is Mulan, I've watched it at least once a day if not twice for the last week and a half. He likes Mu Shu. Any time he wants to watch it I hear. "Red Dragon, Red Dragon" He likes the music too because he sings along with every song, especially the Christina Aquilera song.

Before I came on I did some work. I designed two albums from an order we got in last week a bridal and a parent album. I don't think this bride is actually giving the parent album to a parent, I think she's using it as a candid album for herself. Because I have never before put together an actual parent album that didn't have any formals or any of the big events in it before (dad bringing daughter down the aisle, first kiss, recessional, presentation, first dance, parent dance, cake cutting) Ah well it's her money.

Just to let everyone know I don't alway post pictures in here but if you hit my Gallery link on the side I'm always uploading new stuff there, usually weekly.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

I think I've decided I really don't like playgroups that end up being other than someone's house. This is because my son has to go his own way which means I can't sit down and chat, hell half the time I just plain can't sit down. Anyway this weeks playgroup was a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. And I know it was held here because the mom lives in a condo and the kids are just getting too big to keep them in a small space like that for too long especially in warm weather. But the fact that I had to corral my son in a booth just so I could get a bite to eat was left me a bit frazzled. I wouldn't have minded him playing on any other rides or games near we were sitting but I knew if I let him out he'd take off to the other side of the room. And yes CEC is better than some places in that they stamp the mom and the child and check stamps before letting you leave, but still I know Alex can get into all sorts of trouble in a few short minutes.

Friday was my biannual cleanign at the dentist. I took Alex with me this time because they requested I me too. They like to have kids come in at 2 1/2 so they can see what goes on before their first appointment at age three. He was very good. This office has windows in their waiting room as well as a kids area, so he didn't even notice we had to wait 10-15 minutes past when my appointment was. Even during the cleaning he was good. Of course the fact that I brought his colorwonder markers with us was probably the real reason.

After we came home had a quick lunch then headed over to Coldstone Creamery to get a Father's Day cake for Ken. I told Alex we were getting daddy and ice cream cake. So the entire ride I hear him chattering about "ice cream daddy" Of course once we got there we had to have a little ice cream first. Alex was all excited he did his little dance swinging his arms in front of him and grinning. At the end he didn't realize I already had a cake for daddy and kept pointing out which one we could get him in the freezers. I showed him we had one already and he was like "oh all right" Cmae home in time for nap time.

Today was the playgroup annual BBQ. We hosted this year. Ken made his Almost famous wings. Everyone brought side dishes so we had pleanty of food. Too much really, we had a couple of people cancel out the last few days so three families less than expected. It was a good time, I inflated the pool and most of the kids played in it. Except Alex. He'd splash the water with his hands but he wouldn't get in. He was good about sharing his toys, well at first anyway. Once we got close to nap time he was just having a breakdown everytime someone was playing at his train table. So he was quickly taken upstairs for a nap. Of course as soon as he woke two hours later he still expected all his friends to be there to play with him. Clean up wasn't too bad, we'll have food for a couple days.

Tomorrow I work of course. Ken said he'd sand down the patches in the nursery. That means I can start painting next week. Monday, Ken has to go out to VA to meet with the family and the trust lawyer. I switched nights with a co-worker so I'll work Friday night for him this week. Should be a quiet week. The week after I have my dr appointment then I go up to Erie to pick up my niece and nephew. I was talking to my mom last night, she asked me how long I expected to have them I said "two weeks". "your sister seems to think it's just a week and asked when I was leaving on the 7th to go get them." My mom is like if she wants the kids back sooner than the 14th she'll have to go get them. "I have a charity golf tournament on the 7th that I already promised to participate in becuase I was planning on the 14th, to get them."

Looks like CA is out this year. My mom decided that it really wasn't a good time for her to go moneywise. She's been doing really well getting out of her financial problems. If I didn't find a cheap air fare she could have ended up spending as much as a $1000 for the trip. Not something she can afford right now. That combined with a new client that needs their year end reports by Aug 15. Taking a week before a big first project is due, not a good idea. So I go to my 20 year class reunion on the 11-13th.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

I learned something new this week. Small boys are like dogs playing fetch when there is a ball around. Even when you are closer they'll run to get it to hand it to you. I kept Alex entertained with the game for a half hour, Ken joined in when he got home so I think we had Alex running around for a good hour all together.

I swear the boy is trying to give me a heart attack. He woke up from his nap at one point yesterday afternoon screaming. It was so loud I heard him down in the basement without the monitor. I was working on an album order we got in last week. So I rush up two flights of stairs. I open the door and he's obviously crying in pain. I get to his side and I see an indentation just below his right eye. He turns his head everytime I try to touch it. Finally he lets me open his eye. I needed to make sure there was no blood or bruising on the eye itself. Nothing I clean up his face give him a little tylenol then go back downstairs for a little ice. I think the cold helped more than they tylenol, he started to drift off. By the time he woke at his normal nap end it was just a small indent. He had a couple books open and leaning against the bed rail. I think he must have rolled over and hit his eye on the corner. By bed time tonight it was just a small red mark.

You know there are lots of things that aren't a good idea to do when you're hormonal. I've been researching preschools for Alex, for fall of 2007. I'm doing this now because many schools in the area fill a year in advance. So a couple days ago I send in an application for the Goddard school near by. They sent me information which I recieved today. I could barely get through a page of the booklet without starting to cry. I guess I don't want him to be old enough to go to school. Anyway we plan to start him with three half days a week and see how that works, possibly making it three full days in the spring.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Last night made me realize that doing photo restoration of old family photos when pregnant isn't always a good idea. Now the older stuff, from like my mom's childhood isn't bad because I have no memories of that. But the stuff from when I was a kid can bring up some bittersweet feelings. And it's really hard to be precise when you have tears clouding your eyes. I'll try and post some of the stuff I've been working on.

I called my mom Saturday and asked her how dramatic I was at 2-3 years old. The answer "very" I wanted things my way and was stubborn enough to wait it out. My sister on the otherhand was very passive aggressive about stuff. :sigh: Guess that means Alex is just following in my footsteps.

Now what brought this up was earlier in the evening at dinner time. Alex was basically finished but he stays at the table with us until we're all done. He wanted to color in a particular coloring book, and therefore wanted the specific crayons that came with it. I started digging those crayons out of the jar but told him to move his trains off the table. I just wanted him to have room but I wouldn't give him the crayons until he moved the trains. He didn't want to move the trains, so started throwing a temper tantrum. I calmly looked at him and told him as soon as the trains were off the table he could have the crayons. So he starts rolling around on the floor, then he starts asking for everything under the sun. Peanut butter, milk, Madagascar on the tv, finally diaper change, in addition to the crayons. I'm trying so hard not to laugh, luckily part of the time he was throwing his fit behind my chair, Ken was having a hard time keeping a straight face too. It was all drama and fake tears, and whining. As I'm cleaned up the dinner dishes, he dropped the trains on the floor, and grabbed the crayons and his coloring book and moved them to the side table in the family room. He really did need a diaper change, I think during the fit he wet himself one last time and filled the diaper.

I sure hope my feelings about this second kid are right in that he's calmer, more laid back than Alex. Not sure I can handle two drama queens.

I keep forgetting to mention, I saw it in the Sun last week. The guy who made my wedding cake is getting his own reality-based show on Food Network. Called [I]Caking it to the Limit[/I]. They're in the middle of the 12 week shoot right now. I don't think this will be a continuous show, just one of those one season things, probably this fall. I thought it was kinda cool. I know he's been in a couple of the Food Network Challenges. A neat step to a little more publicity.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

So now we know why the carpet smelled in that room. Ken rolled up the carpet and there was a huge urine stain on the underside going right into the padding. I remembered our neighbors mentioning the previous owners had a small dog. Guess that's the room he hung out in. Ken patched the small holes he made when he pulled off the base moulding. Next we need to unscrew the shelves we put up then I can paint.

This morning my boys were so sweet to me they let me sleep until 9am. Too bad I have to work tomorrow so i have to get up. So I made Alex clean up his toys so I could vacuum. Of course the room is lsowly going back to chaos already. Little does he know nex Friday we'll have to do this all again, we're hosting the playgroup's annual BBQ. This is why we hit BJs today, had to get all those little things like buns, forks, plates,water.

You all probably know how much Alex likes Blue's Clues. It's been about a year now. But it's funny watching how over time the way he watches has changed. At first he liked it because of the characters, including Joe. (he'll pick up our home phone and start talking I ask him who's on the phone he'll say Joe) Now he watches and participates. This last two weeks he has to have a notebook and crayon before he watches. He also won't let me sit in the room and watch with him. If I come into the room he holds up his hands to stop me. If I'm in the room he nudges me until I get up and leave. :lmao:

So for the last week I've been doing some touch up work on old photos. Trying to get them presentable to send to my cousin. He requested pictures of him and his brothers growing up for something he's doing at the wedding in September. I found one from when the entire John family was in Ocean City. I must have been 12-13 at the time. I looked at the T-shirt I was wearing, oh man I was such a geek, not that I'm much better now but I don't at least wear dungeons and dragons stuff any more.

Thursday, June 08, 2006


For this one we were to use an ad for inspiration. I think the hardest part on this was the extraction, no it was writing using the wacom tablet. Posted by Picasa

For this one the idea was to use overlays, words, art, or other photos could be used for the effect. Posted by Picasa

The challenge here was to scrap something where the focus wasn't people Posted by Picasa

I've been doinf some challenges at a digiscrap site here are a few of my most recent. This one was to use a feminine kit for a boy or a masculine one for a girl. Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Seems like lately, I’ll pop on during the weekend but I don’t get around to posting in my own journal until Tuesday or Wednesday. Let’s go back to Thursday. We were supposed to go to Sesame Place for playgroup. Several people over the last three weeks had cancelled out for various reasons, until we were down to 4 of the ten families. Well the night before the mom who had arranged for the trip had to cancel too. She’s 33 weeks pregnant and her husband, ended up having to travel for work. Since he wasn’t going along she didn’t feel she could handle the park on her own, with a two year old. I don’t blame her not sure I could either if I was that far along. The rest of us decided that it wouldn’t be as fun with out more of us going. Playgroup ended up at a local park and lunch at Cheeseburger Cheeseburger. This meant it was too late to go to Ken’s nephew Alan’s graduation. It was the same day we said we weren’t going because of this trip but by the time it was cancelled it was too late to get tickets to that. At least we got our money back on the Sesame Place tickets.

Kids are funny. I think all of them had fries and chicken tenders. One mom had taken the chicken out of the cars they served kids meals in, broke them up and put it on a plate. Her son kept saying “Car, car” She thought he wanted to play with the car and told him he could have it after he ate. He wouldn’t touch the chicken on the plate. She got fed up and dumped everything back into the car. As soon as she did he started eating. My son on the other hand ate all his French fries from the car but refused to touch the chicken. So I moved it out of his way and put it on my plate. As soon as I did he started eating them.

Friday was our kick back and do nothing day. The fact that it was raining probably contributed. I did start my hotel/airfare search for our trip to CA in August. And in the three weeks since I last checked airfares they’ve nearly doubled. Needless to say the trip was probably not going to happen. We’d been hoping to keep the trip for the three of us under 1200. Well it was around a thousand now to just fly. Two thousand is definitely out of our reach.

Saturday started out not looking to promising either. I let Alex actually get up out of bed at 6am because I needed to put him down for an early nap. The appointment for my cut and color was at 2:30 which is normally smack in the middle of his nap. Ken had a wedding so wouldn’t be home and we had a birthday party at 4 pm. It was just easier to make sure he napped early. I called my mom to tell her we probably weren’t going. Ken definitely wasn’t. She said she’d find and book a room and told me to keep checking fares. She has a feeling we’ll be able to make this trip one way or another. Ken said as long as I can get fares under 250 each Alex and I can go.

Alex was very good while I was getting my hair done. I brought his color wonder markers with us. That and the hair dryers kept him occupied. The trouble came when it was his turn for a haircut. Now all last week he was complaining about his hair sticking to his forehead in the 90+ heat. Ken and I figured we’d get his hair cut real short. Michelle started with the clippers on the back but his hair is still kind of thin so she didn’t want to cut it that way all over. The real trouble was getting him to hold still so she could cut everything else with scissors. I think it took like 20 minutes, at one point she had him sit by the dryers to distract him. By that time it was almost four, so we booked over to Bel Air Athletic club, where the party was being held. I brought all Alex’s swim stuff because they had the baby pool reserved. Alex did not even want to change into his swim trunks; there was no way he was getting in the pool. I have no idea where this fear has come from. He’ll gladly climb into the bathtub. He’ll get into the inflatable pools but he will no longer get into in ground pools. I guess Swim lessons will be out for a while. Our group was given the opportunity to use what’s called the Tree House. This is a kid’s play area inside the club. All the kids had a grand time there. After our time was up it was time for pizza and cake. The family had arranged for everyone to return for to their house for a special treat. They had Dora come visit the kids. Alex was hilarious. He was so into it. As soon as she brought out the map he was right up there pointing everything out. He danced to all the music. Though at the end he wouldn’t sit in her lap, but his did sit right next to her for a while. After Dora left all the kids were out in the back yard playing. Alex ended up playing volleyball with one of the dads and an older brother of one of the other kids instead of watching the present opening. The party broke up around 8pm because all the kids we’re starting to act out. It was definitely bedtime.

Sunday was the usual. I could have definitely used another hour of sleep but had to be at work by 8:30. When I got home a little after three Alex was still napping, Ken was editing so I took my own nap on the couch. Alex ended up having an almost 4 hour nap. Guess Saturday wiped him out. Ken made a pork roast on the grill rotisserie, sweet potatoes and salad rounded that out. Yesterday I was still dragging because Alex got me up at quarter after six. Seems he’s gone back to his old tricks of being up at the butt crack of dawn. Hope it’s only temporary; Tuesday was 6:45 so a bit better.

I so screwed myself up yesterday. I was feeling very tired and had a migraine brought on by the fact that I know I didn't have enough water Sunday, though I kept myself hydrated Monday I didn't add extra to make up for the previous days loss. So I took what ended up being an hour and a half nap. I should have kept it short because I was up until close to 1:30. You can probably tell as my post was kind of messed up towards the end. At least Alex let me sleep until 7:20 today. But since my eyelid is still twitching occasionally I know I still need to catch up on some sleep.

This weekend should be a quiet one. No weddings or parties maybe we'll get some work done on the house. Other than that I wish the weather would just make up its mind and either be sunny or rain and get it over with.