Why I Play Bejeweled and Other Nonsense

You may have noticed, oh thee in cyberspace, that I haven't exactly been in a bloggy mood lately. It's not just that I've lost my passion for writing this blog, I haven't been reading anyone else's blog either. I used to check on my fellow bloggers every day, and now I check maybe once a week. Not really sure why this shift has taken place, I think it is because I have just become so busy with real-life stuff. Stuff that occupies my time and my mind. When your kids are small so much of your world is wrapped up in them, what they do and what they say and how they act. You want to share with the world how darn cute and wonderful they are. The way they change and grow and amaze you every day. Eventually though, they stop amazing you quite so much, and turn you into a taxi driver instead. Once they start school and sports and activities, and start to have their own lives outside of you, its easy to become wrapped up in to-do lists and schedules and before you know it, it's 10 at night and you feel like you have barely taken a breath all day. If you are like me you start volunteering for Cub Scouts and PTO and book fairs. I like to be involved, and interacting with the other parents at school, PTO, Taekwondo and other such places is enjoyable. It just doesn't leave much time and energy for blog writing. I do enjoy writing though, it is something, really the only thing these days, that I do for myself and my goal is to try to write at least once a week. I am going to try to hold onto my thoughts and ideas through the week (yes, I said try) so that I can get them down in some sort of organized fashion. This brings me to the title of this post. I am not going to lie to you and say that Facebook and Bejeweled and Farmville don't take up way too much of my precious little free time, but I will explain why I enjoy it so much. Whenever Dennis sees me checking my crops or playing bejeweled he gives me a hard time. "You're playing that stupid thing? Why?" I know he really doesn't want an answer, he just wants to make fun of me for playing. The real reason I do though is that it is mindless. Harvesting fake corn or trying to line up 3 matching colored jewels takes very little brainpower. It is an escape that I think I really need. It relaxes me. While attempting to beat my high score in bejeweled I'm not thinking about what's for dinner, who needs new snow pants or if we have enough milk donated for the PTO spaghetti supper. I'm not packing lunches or calling doctor's offices or helping with incredibly frustrating Everyday Math homework. I'm just resting. My brain is resting. So yes, this is why I sit at the computer and do these inane things. My brain is tired. It needs to rest. Doesn't yours?

A Mess

Have you ever heard that Laurie Berkner song? It goes, "I'm a mess, I'm a mess, I'm a big ole' messy mess." Well, that's how I feel today. A mess. I am sneezing, coughing, tired and blah. My throat hurts. My voice is shot. I am an incubus of germs and snot. Just wanted to share that. What? Too much information?

Much Needed Me Time

This weekend I went away to the lake for my annual cousin/sister weekend (with me being the sole cousin to the 3 sisters). This year my aunt also drove up with a wonderful friend from Florida to surprise one of my cousin's who turns 40 today. (In reality she doesn't even look remotely near 40. She just did a triathlon and according to Craig, our sexy waiter at Margarita's, she looks 24. I think he was pushing it a little bit with that answer). So,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY - you don't look a day over 33!

Since my aunt was coming my mother was able to come up for a night too, turning it into the Annual Cousin/Sister/Aunt weekend. Anyhoo, we had a fabulous time getting manicures and pedicures, drinking and eating (and eating and eating and eating - must start diet!) and shopping. I found fabulously comfy gray pants from EMS at a consignment shop for $4 (yes! $4!) and I bought 4 pairs of shoes which pretty much doubled the amount of shoes I now have for winter wear. This weekend away from reality came at a perfect time, since I was still feeling sad after losing Max last week, and we were all worrying about my dear grandmother who took a bad fall and is in the hospital. She is doing good though, and on the mend. So away I went, and the kids were so happy to see me go, which is slightly disheartening. It's not that I want them to cry and scream and cling to my legs, but they don't need to be doing happy dances as I pull out of the driveway either. They LOVE having weekends just with Daddy. On Friday on the way to school I reminded Abbey that I was going away and she said "yay!" and I asked her why she was so happy about that. She answered "I can't tell you, it's a secret." To which I replied "is it that Daddy lets you eat lots of junk, doesn't make you brush your teeth and lets you stay up as late as you want?" to which she answered "awww, who told you?"

How Did This Happen?

Lately I've been asking myself "how did this happen?" or more like "how did I let this happen?" No, I'm not talking about how I got sucked into starting a Farmville farm on Facebook, but how did I let myself gain all this damn frickin' weight? Last fall I started out needing to lose about 15 pounds. Then over the winter when we had the lovely ice storm and all the repercussions from that horrid mess (living in a trailer, far from my treadmill, buried in snow), I gained another 10. So beginning this summer I had about 25 to lose. Not 25 to lose to get to a "pre-baby what I weighed on the morning of my wedding weight", but a "I feel OK about myself my clothes fit and I'm feeling pretty good" weight. And now I am further away from that than ever. I am feeling out of shape and out of sorts and out of time. Last week I actually wrenched my back shopping. Yes! Shopping! I took the kids back to school shopping and after our trip I could barely walk. I think I hurt it pushing the cart. The cart! I had to lay around on a heating pad, popping ibuprofen like an addict for 3 days. At that point I realized, something must be done. I am 35 years old. I should be able to push a cart around for goodness sakes. I started Weight Watchers at the beginning of the summer, but at the end of the summer all I have to show for it is a loss of $30 bucks and 0.5 pounds. No, that's not 5 pounds. That's 0.5 pounds. As in ONE HALF OF A POUND! Pitiful.

Grrrr. So I will try again. I will jump back onto my point counting dragging my tired fat ass on the treadmill exercising routine, and hope for a positive outcome. I'm thinking that with the kids starting school next week, us getting back into a routine again (which we SO need) and the crisp cool air of fall approaching, I can do it this time. I think. No, I can. I will. Wish me luck, I'm off to harvest my wheat in Farmville now.

Just Call Me Mrs. Weasley

In recent months I have spent a little bit of time on Facebook, much of the time taking useless and random quizzes. I wondered when all layed out what Facebook quizzes say about me. Let's take a look, shall we?

In the Facts of Life I would be Mrs. Garrett

My Spell of choice is to Stupify

If I were a Death Eater I would be Lucius Malfoy

If I were an Entourage character I would be Vincent Chase

I should marry Ron Weasley

Ironically, my Harry Potter Character is also Ron Weasley

My Hogwarts House is Hufflepuff

My Hippie Name is Freedom Daisy Sunshine

If I were an 80's Toy I would be a Lite Brite

If I were a Star Wars Character I would be Luke Skywalker

If I were a Billy Mays (R.I.P.) product I would be the City Sliders (hamburger makers?)

If I were a 90's sitcom I would be Boy Meets World

If I were a Muppet I would be Scooter

If I were a Random Object I would be a slice of American cheese

My aura is blue

In a past life I was a Jester

In a horror movie I am the besieged protagonist, watching all my family and friends get killed off but surviving

I should live in Maine, but when I go camping I should stay in a travel trailer or 5th wheeler

I would survive 5 minutes in the Ghetto and 5 minutes in an alien invasion

I am 42% crazy, 15% bitchy, and 100% girly

Facebook deems that my life is "Average" and that in a movie about it Debra Messing should play me

Finally, I am 79% addicted to Facebook

To Blog Or Not To Blog, That Is The Question

Lately I've been feeling a little bit, well, blah about blogging. In the beginning I felt like I had all these ideas and thoughts running through my head that needed to get out. My kids were doing a lot of things that were either damn funny or damn cute, and so totally blog-worthy. But lately? Although they are still funny and still cute, they haven't done much that is very blog-worthy. We are just busy living our life. Work and house stuff and summer fun. Camps and cookouts and bug spray. Not very blog-worthy stuff in my opinion, so I just haven't been writing. Last year when I went on vacation for a week I could not wait to get home and blog. I missed it. This year? Not so much. It was nice to not even think about it, and it took me a full 3 days after we got home to even write anything at all. It's not that I don't want to write. I would love to be so creative that I could write a hysterical or touching or brilliant post every day, but apparently I am not that creative. Maybe I am having some sort of writers block that will come undone soon. Maybe not. I was starting to stress out a little bit about my lack of good posts when my tell it like it is friend told me to relax. Blog, don't blog. People will get over it. They like to read, but no one is going to die if you don't write an interesting post every day. And you know what? She's right. You'll all be just fine.

Who, Me?

I just wanted to share a couple of blog awards I just received (my first EVER) from my good bloggy friend Jen over at Yours + Mine = Ours. You may be thinking "wow Kirsten, awards, congratulations!" or maybe you were thinking "but of course you are a brilliant blogger and deserve oodles and oodles of awards" and you would be right. You may also be thinking "and awards from Jen, that is an even bigger accomplishment" and you would be correct there too. So here you go, feast your eyes on these babies. After this they will reside on my sidebar, for all the world to see and marvel at.

Confession

OK, so last night I was flipping around the t.v. channels when I landed on a channel with a movie just starting. That made me excited because it was 9:00 and I really could have gone for a good movie. Then I discovered it was "You've Got Mail" and I got disgusted and changed it quickly. That is when I realized that I DO NOT LIKE MEG RYAN. Yes, that is my confession. (What did you think it was going to be?) I know that she is supposed to be the all cute girl next door all sunny and bright girl, but she bugs me to no end. In every movie I've seen her in she always acts pretty much the same, which is like she is on heavy drugs. She is always loopy and weird acting, and way too perky when perkiness is not called for. And really too skinny, bony actually. The only movie I enjoyed her in (besides "When Harry Met Sally") was when she played the drunk alcoholic mother in "When A Man Loves A Woman." Now that role she nailed, mostly because she seems to be in a perpetual state of drunkenness anyway. I watched "Proof of Life" recently with Russell Crowe and the entire time I just kept thinking what a better movie it would have been if someone else had been cast in her role.

So that's it my loyal readers. Now you know. I do not like Meg Ryan. Can't stand her. That's all.

Random-ness

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging. I'm tired, and honestly I haven't been able to think of much to say. Why don't I just throw some random things from the last few days out there, shall I. We had fun camping, or should I say "trailering." We ended up getting to stay in my aunt and uncles trailer so we had the whole place to ourselves. It was delightful. My own big bed, our own bathroom. Ahhh, camping. The only crappy part was that Jack was being a pain in the ass half the weekend, he is going through a serious bratty stage that I am desperately afraid is not a stage at all but just his personality. I feel like all I ever say is "Jack, knock it off!" and I know you are supposed to love your children at all times but honestly sometimes I do not even like him very much when he acts up. And he acts up plenty. Oh and when he is especially acting up Abbey acts even more angelic so that we can all be sure to see how angelic she is in comparison. The girl is smart, way smart.

Also, I feel like all I have been doing is laundry and picking up, picking up, picking up and my house is still full of junk everywhere. I think my main problem is that I am feeling Disney-less and missing not only my vacation but planning and looking forward to having a vacation. My friend Jenna is going in August though and is letting me help plan their days out, so that is helping a bit. I mean, sure, we'll have lots of weekends away this summer and we always have an awesome family week up at the lake coming up soon, but this last vacation was a real vacation in the sense that I was completely away from my life of constant cooking, cleaning and laundry. In all honesty I don't actually cook constantly, because I don't like to cook and hate the question "what's for supper?" more than anything in the world. Oh boo hoo me, right? Sure, people have real problems and I'm bitching about not being on vacation. I'll stop now. Oh and I went back on Weight Watchers not in the sense that I am going to a meeting which would involve finding a meeting that met at a convenient time for me when I wasn't at work or had the kids, but I am writing down my points and drinking my water and thinking about going on my treadmill (do you like how I am thinking about it, like I have to psych myself up to get really back into the swing of exercise). But I hate to diet and watch what I eat and I just want to have some Tostitos and lay on the couch because I freakin' love Tostitos and I love to eat.

Another random-ness, while writing this post I dropped not 1, not 2 but 3 grapes I was munching on onto the floor where they rolled under the hutch or fell into the box that holds the printer that we still haven't hooked up, and I'm not even going to find them and pick them up. I am just going to leave them and let them turn into raisins.

Tweet Tweet

Do you Twitter? Do you Tweet? Do you know what I'm talking about? I really don't. Lately all I see EVERYWHERE is stuff about Twitter.

"Catch me on Twitter"

"Woman saved from suicide by Demi Moore on Twitter"

"Madonna has swine flu, according to Twitter"

"Find us here, on Twitter"

I mean, I blog. I feel pretty cool just doing that, but do I now have to supplement my blogging with twittering? These words are just crazy. I do like that word "twitter" better than "blog." "Blog" sounds like a weird animal that lives in a muddy swamp, while "twitter" sounds like a fun and light bird type action that makes you happy. I have to admit I am completely clueless about this whole thing. I'm not really that surprised, considering it took me about a year to catch up with the rest of the world regarding the whole Facebook thing. But this Twitter intrigues me. Is this something you do on the computer? I get the feeling it is something that is done from a cell phone, but am quite certain my phone does not have any "twittering" applications. Or does it?

As a side note, I just spell checked this post and the words "twitter" and "blog" were NOT considered misspellings, leading me to think that they are so popular that they have been accepted into the land of computer dictionaries. Facebook on the other hand was totally flagged, as was "intrigues," although that is just because that is a hard word to spell and I spelled it wrong.

Like Yellowed Paper

At work today I had a bit of a revelation. I am getting old. I know that I am not young young, belly button ring wearing party all night downloading music girl, but I still don't picture myself as that old. Right? I mean, I'm only 34 which is not even remotely close to that big one of 4-0. But today as I was updating our many many law books I was faced with the undeniable fact that I am getting really old. When a new law is made, or amended, or if an old man in Washington decides we need to add a ; somewhere, new pages are printed up and sent out. It is my all important job to pull out the old pages and replace them with brand new ones. I know, you are in awe of me. Admit it. Anyway, today I was replacing pages like usual when I was able to replace some really old pages. They were wrinkled and yellow with age, you could just tell they had been in the book for ages and ages. I glanced at the top to see when they were published. 5-96. That's right, as in May 1996. I realized with a start that it was the exact month I graduated from college. When I graduated from college (which seems not that long ago to me really) these pages were white and crisp and brandy new. Now they are weathered and yellowed and . . . old. Just like me.

Tired and Cranky

Do you ever just dislike your children? Or one child in particular? Today Jack has really been pushing my buttons and annoying me. As soon as he got off the bus it started. He didn't want to bring the trash barrel down the driveway (which is like his only damn chore and he does it every week), whine whine whine. He didn't want to stop playing with the Star Wars people strewn all over the den to get ready for taekwondo. Whine whine whine. Then we get to taekwondo and he is obnoxious there. Not listening. Picking his nose INCESSANTLY. Why? Why must you pick Jack? It's disgusting and embarrassing and downright gross. So stop it please. Of course, I am watching from the sidelines while he just picks away and am trying to will him with my mind power to make him stop, which never works. The only saving grace was that his teacher, an extremely tough guy who is referred to as "sir" was out today, having a colonoscopy. His daughter who is equally tough and I believe on her way to the Olympics for taekwondo or something was filling in and really didn't garnish the respect usually reserved for sir himself. When we got home the whining just continued. "I'm hungry, I want cheezits" and then I had to call him 4 times to come to the table for dinner which was also annoying because he was so damn starving 20 minutes earlier, and now he's not listening to me. After dinner it was homework time and that was a nightmare as well and like pulling teeth. But Abbey was a sweetheart today of course. I've noticed that when Jack is being especially obnoxious Abbey takes that opportunity to be extra sweet. Saying "please" and "thank you." "This is a very good supper mommy" "thank you for putting my Barbie's dress on" "I love you mommy." I'm sure tomorrow she will be a pain and Jack will be angelic. Well . . . maybe not tomorrow. . . since he hasn't exactly been angelic since he was at least 4. But maybe sometime soon. But now it's bedtime and I've had enough. I am just ready for them to go to sleep and then I am just going to bed. I'm cranky and tired and annoyed. Goodnight.

Bad Driver Award

We had a nice weekend. Besides the usual yard work and laundry we took the kids to see Monsters vs. Aliens and out for pizza Saturday night. The movie was OK. I would give it a solid 6 on a scale of 1 - 10. Jack liked it, Abbey actually fell asleep and so did Dennis. Nice. I just kept looking over at them snoozing and thinking, "hello, we paid $10 for you two, WAKE UP!" I think it may be better in 3D, but our theatre only offered it in 2D. I found the "2D" description ridiculous. 2D is just regular viewing. Why say anything at all. Or maybe put "NOT in 3D" instead of making you think you were going to get a new cinematic experience seeing a movie in "2D". Sunday my mother took both the kids to see Disney on Ice which they loved, and I loved having a morning child-free to work around the yard. We still have quite a bit of cleanup from the ice storm from Hell and we are hosting Easter in a week so I'd like to yard to be somewhat tidy. My dad came out and put the handles onto my cabinets. Go dad! Then Jack had his very first baseball practice. So it was a busy weekend, not exactly relaxing in any sense but are any weekends relaxing when you have kids?

So all is well and Monday morning hits and what do I go and do? Something totally stupid. Jack was being slow as usual and the bus drove by. I told him I would just drive him (I go right by the school on the way to work anyway) but he insisted he wanted to ride the bus. "We can catch it mommy, come on, hurry" so out we ran and jumped into the van. The windows were a little big fogged over but whatever, we had to go. I threw it in reverse and heard the horrible screeching scraping sound of car against car. I had completely scraped the side of Dennis' Subaru with the van. The same Subaru that recently spent 1 MONTH in the shop getting repaired from ice storm damage. The same Subaru that had a shiny and new paint job. Yes, that Subaru. Not so shiny and new anymore. I pulled this exact same thing years ago. I was 16 and newly licensed and jumped into the car, threw it in reverse and completely scraped up the side of our friends car. To protect their privacy, lets call them, the family that lives in a House on the Hill. That time I didn't even realize what I had done. I actually thought I had scraped against the bushes on the side of the driveway. Oh well, I guess I'm not going to win any good driver awards this month.

About Mommy

This is a cute idea I got from a Facebook post that I figured I would do, since we are home today enjoying our 548th snow day of the year. The idea is to ask your child questions about YOU and see what is going on inside those adorable little heads of theirs. I decided to ask Jack (age almost 7), since Abbey is currently in the tub. First I had to convince him to pause his gameboy long enough to give me his answers. This was of course no easy task.

1. What is something mom always says to you? No

2. What makes mom happy? Us not bothering you

3. What makes mom sad? When our house got destroyed (that was quite sad)

4. How does your mom make you laugh? Tickling me

5. What was your mom like as a child? Not as lucky as I am

6. How old is your mom? 57 (OMG!!!!)

7. How tall is your mom? About 6

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Watch General Hospital (which I hardly EVER get a chance to watch by the way!)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Go to work

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Living in Chicago

11. What is your mom really good at? Helping us

12. What is your mom not very good at? Flying a plane

13. What does your mom do for her job? Sit in an office

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Chicken

15. What makes you proud of your mom? When you do something cool

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Yogi Bear

17. What do you and your mom do together? Play

18. How are you and your mom the same? We both love each other

19. How are you and your mom different? You like to go on the computer and I like to watch t.v.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because before I go to bed you kiss me

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Swanzey Lake

Well, there you go. Now that Abbey (age 4) is out of the tub I will ask her and see what she says. Hopefully she doesn't think I am in my fifties!

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you

2. What makes mom happy? Going on your treadmill

3. What makes mom sad? When I take away your blankets

4. How does your mom make you laugh? You tickle me

5. What was your mom like as a child? You liked to play with your mommy

6. How old is your mom? 14 (that's my girl)

7. How tall is your mom? 12

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Play Barbies with me

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Wash the dishes

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? You would know all the questions I told you

11. What is your mom really good at? Drawing

12. What is your mom not very good at? Playing stuff

13. What does your mom do for her job? Draw stuff on paper and put it in a book

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Green pointy beans (I think she's talking about snap peas)

15. What makes you proud of your mom? I'm proud that you're really good at drawing

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? A mama bear

17. What do you and your mom do together? Snuggle in bed

18. How are you and your mom the same? Our eyes are the same color

19. How are you and your mom different? Your ears are bigger than mine

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because you just love me (very true)

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Disneyworld

Well, I have to tell you, Abbey was way more thoughtful with her answers, and they were much more accurate, except about that whole drawing thing. I am a little worried that Jack answered "No" to question number 1, while Abbey answered "I love you." Hmmmm, are they living in the same house?