What a week!!

Sorry that I was absent and missed all the discussions....

My neighbor was unemployed so she was letting my dog out for me during the day while I am at work. Tuesday she called me and told me I had to "come home immediately". Well, I got home and Mia had torn a two inch gash on the top of her paw and we could fold the skin back over an inch!! Needless to say, I had to make an emergency vet visit and they were talking surgery. Then they remembered that she has kidney disease and surgery must be a last resort, so the poor little puppy got 8 staples.

Rob stayed home with her on Wednesday and I stayed home with her Thursday and Friday to make sure everything was okay - no infections and she doesn't pull off the bandage. She seemed to be doing fine, so Saturday we decided to go out for breakfast. We were gone no more than 1 1/2 hours and we came home to find that she had torn off her bandage and had proceeded to rip out every staple!! Back to the emergency vet we go....

Here we find out that the wound in not healing properly and the skin is dying. To make a long story short, they end up cutting off the dead skin and restapling her with 10 staples. I am concerned about how this is going to heal - possibility it won't. This is my child so I have been a little bit upset but I plan on paying more attention now......

I want to make a website

I'm not getting much bite on my Etsy shop, because I don't think many Brits have heard of it and because the prices are in dollars. I want to make my own website to sell my bath bombs, bath melts, scrubs, etc. So I have a few questions and I know someone out there will have an answer:

1. Where do I begin?
2. What makes a good website versus a bad website?
3. What do I need to do to make my website come up near the top on search engines?
4. How much should I be looking to spend to create and maintain it?
5. Is this something I could do myself, or is there some secret thing I need to know to build my own site?
6. Anything else I've forgotten that I should know?

I'd appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks.

Reality Check

So something happened to me yesterday at work and I want to talk to you about it. There's alot of back story which I'll try to keep brief, but I probably won't. This is going to be a long one, so get a cup of coffee and sit down for awhile.

There are five people in my department - all women - and we're like sisters. We're in and out of each other's classrooms constantly, we share stupid jokes, we commiserate (sp?) and celebrate together. We make fun of each other and support each other. We're mates, get it? In 2004, one of my friends in this department had a baby. He was disabled, but no one would know how disabled until a couple of years later. This took such a toll on my friend. She was off work for nearly a year, trying to put things in place to help her son. While she was off work, I went on maternity leave and had my son. During this time we all tried to be supportive for her. We tried to help her see the positive side of life. We were a shoulder when she needed it, we'd laugh with her and cry with her.

Four days before I was due to go back to work, we met for coffee with the boys. She was tired, frustrated, and angry. Her marriage was on the skids - her husband made it clear that because she was the one that wanted the baby, his disabilities were her problem. She didn't know what to do and was exhausted.

Two days later, her boy died. He literally just fell asleep and died. He was two years and four months old, exactly the same age my son is at this precise moment.

Anyway, the past two years haven't been easy. He died in July 2006, and it was February before she came back to work. She was on and off work for a long time after that, and we all did our bit to cover for her professionally. Personally, we were all at a loss. How do you comfort someone who's lost their child?

So we've just passed another September, and another start to the school year. She is determined that she is going to put on a brave face and get back to life and work. She's getting on with it and I'm proud of her, but I know that she's struggling. She's putting on one hell of a brave face. As for me, I have survivor's guilt. I know that. I have a son that is healthy and robust and doing all the things her son could never do. I don't talk about him around her. A couple of weeks ago she said, "Vicki, you can talk about him. It's okay." But I can't, because it's like a slap in the face. During this same conversation a couple of weeks ago, she told me that she and her husband are considering reversing his vasectomy so they can try for another baby. I thought that was a mistake but I didn't think it was the right time to say that.

Fast forward to yesterday. We both had a free period at the same time, so I went into her classroom and said, "Okay, you're full of shit. I know that you're struggling and I want you to tell me about it." So she did. She talked about her marriage, her daughter (she's 10) and how she's coping with the loss of her little brother, the possibility of having another baby and why that might or might not be a mistake. I know that she wants to have another baby because she is trying to fill the space her son left. I also know that because her daughter is 10 and becoming a young lady and independent, she has nowhere to channel her energies. I told her that if she's looking to fullfil herself as a mother, she's done that, because her son left this life a happy boy who knew that he was loved and wanted. And what happens when that other baby grows up and she's looking for somewhere to channel those energies again? Was it fair to involve a third person in her grieving process? She nodded in agreement and then she said, "Vicki, I envy you."

What???

She said, "You have it all. A family, a job you love and take pride in, a hobby you enjoy, a husband who supports you and believes in you. You have it all. I really envy you."

Okay, I realize that she's right, and what shocks me is that I never thought I'd live a life that someone else would envy. My life isn't anything remarkable, but to her it is. It made me stop and think for a minute about all the things in my day to day existence I might get wound up about. It made me think about how sometimes we moan and bitch about how sucky things are. But I have my son and she doesn't have hers. My daughter is happy and isn't trying to cope with the loss of her little brother. My husband is my best friend, and she's thinking of leaving hers.

Talk about a reality check.

VP debate

Did anyone watch this debate last night? I was disappointed in it. I felt that both of them did not embarass their parties, but Palin was a huge disappointment because she wouln't answer most of the questions. I would hate to think that she couldn't answer the questions so I will believe that she had an agenda and refused to waver from it. I was hoping that I would see some of what everyone thinks is "special" about her, but I didn't. Oh well, I am more convinced that I am voting for the right person when I vote Barrack/Biden in November.

Any other opinions?

Could this be the year????

PHILADELPHIA — - Cole Hamels pitched eight innings, Brad Lidge escaped a ninth-inning jam and Philadelphia took advantage of Mike Cameron's miscue for a 3-1 victory over Milwaukee in their playoff opener Wednesday.Chase Utley's two-run double slipped out of Cameron's glove in the third, helping the Phillies take a 3-0 lead. Lidge gave up a run in the ninth but struck out Corey Hart with runners at second and third to end it."I can't let him get a hit there," Lidge said. "I've always been a strikeout pitcher and that's what I wanted to do."Hamels allowed two hits and struck out nine.
The Brewers got the tying run up in the ninth, but Prince Fielder struck out. After J.J. Hardy walked to put two runners on, they advanced on a wild pitch. Then Hart struck out swinging."Not too many times you can say you're happy to see Lidge, but we didn't hit the ball hard off Hamels," Brewers manager Dale Sveum said.Yovani Gallardo allowed three unearned runs and three hits in four innings, while walking five for Milwaukee.Carlos Ruiz started Philadelphia's third with a single. Hamels then bunted hard to third baseman Bill Hall, who bobbled the ball and couldn't get Ruiz at second. His throw was dropped at first by second baseman Rickie WeeksGallardo retired the next two batters, but Utley ripped a liner to center.

How Much is $700 Billion?

The short answer: a lot. The long answer: depends on how you look at it.Whatever your viewpoint, here's how $700 billion - the figure inked in the initial dead-in-the-water government bailout bill for Wall Street - compares to other vast sums.NASA in fiscal year 2009 will launch several missions into space and pay for hundreds of people to operate a host of space telescopes and even remote robots on Mars and run a PR and media department that puts most large corporations to shame. The agency's budget: $17.6 billion, or 2.5 percent of the bailout sum.The National Science Foundation (NSF) has an annual budget of $6.06 billion to support research and education on astronomy, chemistry, materials science, computing, engineering, earth sciences, nanoscience and physics (among others) at more than 1,900 universities and institutions across the United States. You have to turn to much bigger initiatives, like war and defense, to get beyond this chump change and approach the bailout figure. From 2003 through the end of fiscal year 2009, Congress has appropriated $606 billion for military operations and other activities associated with the war in Iraq, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The entire military budget for fiscal 2008 is $481.4 billion.Social Security is a $608 billion annual program.Many analysts fear the bailout because the cost must ultimately be borne by taxpayers.Based on the U.S. Census Bureau's estimate of the current population of about 305 million people, each person would have to pay $2,300 to fund the $700,000,000,000. If each American (including children) paid a dollar a day, it would take more than six years to pay the money in full. One might argue, however, that this $700 billion would be a modest splash in the bucket of national debt, which already stands at well over $9 trillion (which means you already owe $31,642 each).Even the New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez would lose sleep over all those zeroes. Currently the top paid major league baseball player, Rodriguez takes home $28 million a year, meaning it would take 25,000 A-Rod salaries to carry the $700 billion.

2 old men

Two old men decide that they are close to the their last days and decide to have a last night on the town. After a few drinks, they end up at the local brothel.

The madam takes one look at the two old geezers and whispers to her manager, "Go up to the first two bedrooms and put an inflated doll in each bed. These two are so old and drunk, I'm not wasting two of my girls on them. They won't know the difference."

The manager does as he is told and the two old men go upstairs and take care of their business. As they are walking home the first man says "You know, I think my girl was dead!"

"Dead?" says his friend, "Why do you say that?"

"Well, she never moved or made a sound all the time I was loving her."

His friend says, "Could be worse, I think mine was a witch."

"A witch? Why the hell would you say that?"

"Well, I was making love to her, kissing her on the neck, and I gave her a little bite. Then she farted and flew out the window.....took my teeth with her!!"

Debates anyone???

So did anyone besides me watch the debates last night? What are your thoughts after watching. I am slightly leaning toward one candidate but am still not convinced. There are 2 issues I have with McCain. First the tax cuts for the rich. Personally I don't see how that will help the economy. Is a millionaire really going to miss the tax money I mean how much money does one need anyway. Can we really afford to be giving anyone tax cuts right now? Second I am pro-choice and don't want to see Roe vs. Wade overturned which many say he will lean towards. Then there is Obama slightly inexperienced, great ideas wanting change but will he have the power to really "change" anything. The economy is in the crapper and I don't see either one making much headway until they turn that around which will take years. This sounds crazy but I fear McCain will die in office or Obama might just get assassinated. Will any of us really win here???

Blonde's First Football Game

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench.

After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

'Oh, I really liked it,' she replied, 'especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents'

Dumbfounded, her date asked, 'What do you mean?'

'Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!'

I'm like.......Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!''

Halloween Came Early This Year

I came home from work today and found that someone had sent me the most WONDERFUL halloween parcel - Reese's pumpkins (they lasted about two seconds) and peeps. I'm sorry to say that John hid most of this from me and the children because he knows what we're like (see the comment above about the Reese's pumpkins!) but he did leave us some treats so we could stuff ourselves. He'll requisition the rest at the end of October.

I was going to send a private e-mail to say thanks, but the package was so big and so generous, I wanted to tell everyone that Sonya spent a small fortune on postage to send me this unbelievably nice and totally unexpected gift. From the bottom of my heart (and my tummy) thank you.

So whats everyone watching?

Talking about TV that is what shows are waiting to tune into in the next few weeks. Personally I will be glued to the TV Thursday night for Greys Anatomy and Sunday for Desperate Housewives. I also really like Samantha Who and have to wait 6 more months for Lost. A new Amazing Race starts also on Sunday and we liked that show last night Opportunity Knocks.

Ist Birthday

My little baby has turned one. Yesterday was Brian's birthday and I thought I would share his cake pictures. Everyone likes cake and ice cream, right?

Surround Yourself with Intelligent People....

George Bush meets with the Queen of England. He asks her, "Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government? Are there any tips you can give to me?"

"Well," says the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."

Bush frowns. "But how do I know the people around me are really intelligent?"

The Queen takes a sip of tea. "Oh, that's easy. You just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle." The Queen pushes a button on her intercom. "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"

Tony Blair walks into the room. "Yes, my Queen?"

The Queen smiles. "Answer me this, please, Tony. Your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"

Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answers, "That would be me."

"Yes! Very good," says the Queen.

Bush goes back home to ask Dick Cheney, his vice president, the same question.

"Dick, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. It's not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"

"I'm not sure," says Dick Cheney. "Let me get back to you on that one."

Cheney goes to his advisors and asks every one, but none can give him an answer. Finally, he ends up in the men's room and recognizes Colin Powell's shoes in the next stall. Cheney shouts, "Colin! Can you answer this for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Colin Powell yells back, "That's easy. It's me!"

Cheney smiles, and says, "Thanks!" Then, Cheney goes back to speak with Bush. "Say, I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle. It's Colin Powell."

Bush gets up, stomps over to Dick Cheney, and angrily yells into his face, "No, you idiot! It's Tony Blair!"

Happy 40th

To Maryjo & Jamie!!!

Grease Is The Word...

At least in this house lately....It all happened a few months ago. Lucas wanted to watch High School Musical on TV...ok, fine, we watched it. Then I said, "ya know, if you like this, you'll loooooove "Grease"." "Ok, let's watch it." he said. Well, you don't have to ask me twice! I popped it in the VCR (yes, VCR), and Trisha & Lucas & I sat and watched the whole movie, no talking, no bathroom breaks. When it was over he said, "yea, I like that." So weeks went by and no one mentioned it again. Until about 2 weeks ago. Trisha decided she wanted to watch it. And she has watched it almost every day since. She has to take it to Nanny's and Nana's and make them watch it too. She sings the songs and mimics the actions. Yes, there are some words & actions in the movie she should not know, however, those usually go right over her head. The best thing is, the other day, my mom bought her an outfit for Halloween. It's a silky material and the pants are all black like the hot pants that Sandy wears at the end of the movie. She puts those on, and her high heeled play shoes and out her mouth comes "Tell me about it, Stud!" I guess "There are Worse Things She Could Do."

My Hobby - Now A Business

So you all know that I think I'm Laura Ingalls and I like living off the land! I also like making lots of things in my home, and I've decided to take the next step and see if there's anyone out there crazy enough to buy it. I've only got a few things listed, because I have to make a few more things and I'm waiting on some jars to arrive so I have something to store it all in. My shop is on Etsy.

Northern Naturals

Wish me luck!

Takedown

I go to Taekwondo twice a week and I love it. It's great for the body and soul, and I have less grey hair than I did before I started. At my Wednesday night class, while Georgia is sparring with the black belts, I do self-defense with the patterns coaches and lower belts. I always enjoy coming home and showing John what I've learned. Usually though, he makes fun of me, because I'll say "grab my shirt this way" or "come at me with your right hand". He asks me if I'm going to stop my attacker and say, "Hey dude, you're not coming at me the right way for me to do this move."

So on Wednesday night, we learned a takedown - you know, when someone comes at you and you floor them. I came home and asked him to let me show him what I learned. He snickered as he does and walked over to me and -- WHAM!!!! He was on the floor. He was looking up at me in total surprise, and then I leaned down and said, "Now I can finish you off with a kick to the head."

He won't mock me again, will he?

Back to school

My son started Kindergarten this year and I wanted to ask all you teachers and parents out there about any experiences you've had with children with ADD. It seems Matt has alot of trouble focusing on instructions given by the teacher and doesn't seem capable of paying attention for very long. Two teachers have filled out paperwork from Matt's pediatrician and both seem to think he will be diagnosed with ADD. We have started him on some exercises and got him started with guitar lessons. He also wants to try swimming. What are your thoughts on drug therapies, are they effective, is one better than another? Any feedback would be appreciated. Matt is a very good little boy, and they do not believe he has the hyper component of the disorder, but he just can't concentrate without alot of reminders. I am just at a loss because I don't want him to loss his personality because of medication.

Vacation

In late August we went to Ocean City, MD for a long weekend....definitely wasn't long enough. This picture is of my daughter and I on the boardwalk. We had great weather and saw 4 dolphins in the ocean.

Williamsburg Virginia

Before Labor day we went to Williamsburg Virginia for 5 days. Here is a picture of the kids with some soldiers and us when we had are authentic themed dinner. It was a really nice family vacation. The kids learned a lot without trying. I love that, a bit of education in disguise. We also went (and had a blast) at Water Country USA and Busch Gardens. If anyone is looking for a nice vacation with lots of different things to do consider going here. The beach is like an hour away so that could fit into the plan as well. It was only a 6 hour drive from home. Plus we lucked out the weather was only hot when we were in the water park.