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Name::April_Mommy
From::Small Town, Arizona, United States
What information would be important here without being too personal? Hmmmmmm... I am a stay at home mommy who loves her kids. I started this blog as an attempt to have fun while keeping track of important things in my life. Alright, not everything in here is important, but it is all from me.
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. : About Sultry Husband : .
The ever Sultry man in my life has chosen to go by the name of Sultry Husband within the walls of my blog. Occasionally he will post his thoughts and experiences here as well.
A writer by trade as well as passion, he keeps our home a happy and inviting place.
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Saturday, December 31, 2005
Farewell 2005, you have been an eventful year. Full of up's and downs. Moments of joy and times of sorrow. A virtual roller coaster that is my life these days.
At the beginning, I was full of hope for the future. New adventures to embark on and exciting prospects just waiting to come forth. Later on, I found that some of those hopes were beyond my grasp.
What did 2005 bring to me and my family? The sure knowledge that everything has it's opposite. We have experienced almost every emotion possible this year. Up's and downs, blind corners that bring the unexpected and terribly large hills to climb.
I suppose that it is time to write my hopes for the future... Hello 2006, may you be full of promise and a little more level. I am done with roller coasters. I am ready for stability, sanity, and above all, I am ready for the winds of positive change... May they blow swift and sure.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thoughtful GiftsTypically I have no idea about what my husband is getting me for Christmas. He can usually be very secretive about everything and misleads me at every turn. This year however, he was giddy with excitement. He kept telling me how he couldn't wait for Christmas day because he knew that I would love the gift he purchased for me.
The fateful morning arrived, and I finally opened the item. It was an XM satellite radio. I can now listen to anything I want, any time I want, with no commercials to interrupt my listening pleasure. Can I just say that I absolutely love it?! He is keenly aware of my love for music, we share it in fact. He is always thoughtful in the gifts he gives to me.
On to another gift of mine. My parents visited us for Thanksgiving and my Mom helped me clean up the house a bit for the holiday dinner. She turned on my vacuum and was given quite a shock. You see, mine is one that has been passed from family to family starting back about 12 years ago. It still works, I would defend, not to mention, I couldn't really afford another, so I made due with what I had. Mom purchased a vacuum for me as my Christmas gift! She apologized that it wasn't very personal, yet I was jumping up and down inside with excitement.
Which gift was better? One that was fun or the one that was practical? Let's just say, I have spent the morning cleaning my house enough so I could use my new vacuum, all while listening to the Broadway channel on my XM Radio. The time flew by, my house is cleaner than it has been in months, and I had FUN while doing it! This is an unusual occurrence for me. Typically, when I clean my house, time drags by and I have a bad attitude... Not to mention I would wear out the knees in my jeans because I spent so much time on hands and knees picking up all the loose items (cheerio's, popcorn seeds etc.) that my vacuum wouldn't suck up. I am in heaven. Both gifts were extremely thoughtful, and both bring me great joy...
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Tasty FrogsMy husband and I enjoy listening to different CD's while we travel. We were on our way to see family for the Christmas Holliday where we will have a fun filled week of festivities. I packed our favorite music including one of my personal favorites of Josh Groban.
My hubby finds it hard to not make fun of a few of his songs. Make fun is probably too strong of a word, he just teases me by changing lyrics into funny and unique rhyme schemes...
One particular song struck his fancy. He has teased me with this song before, seeing at is one that I love for the melodic lines within. The main problem is that the piece is sung in Latin. I still quite enjoy it, yet hubby has to tease me about it. He has taken to changing all of the words to "Tasty Frogs". Every word to this very romantic sounding song is belted out with the new words. According to him, the leggs of frogs are especialy tasty... My husband makes traveling interesting and fun, yet I want to punch him when he changes this particular song... which is why he does it I am sure.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Secret Santa AdoptionsIt is really no secret that we are struggling a bit financially this year. My husband and I are in the process of interviewing for a new job, so this problem will hopefully be rectified soon. We haven't really told too many people in the neighborhood, but someone must have found out. I have a few friends who really care about us, however the interesting part, is that I have no idea who they are. I have an idea, but they are choosing to remain anonymous.
For the past three days, we have found various packages wrapped up in bright Christmas paper and placed lovingly in a plastic sack (for protection from the elements). Each package is labeled either "to M, from Santa" or "To L, from Santa". My girls will have presents under the tree! Each time we find packages, the handwriting on them is very different, and new wrapping styles are used. Therefore, I know that more than one family this year has adopted us.
I love this town! It will be bitter sweet to leave it if we get a better job. I know in my heart that it is time to move on, but we have really come to call this little place home. I truly feel loved.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Work In ProgressJoining yet another band wagon... I have been very unhappy with the blogger templates that are offered. I thought them boring and predictable. However, I didn't think that I had much choice in the matter, till now. I saw what Karen did to her site, loved it. Then Julia changed hers as well, loved it. Fourth Fret has been trying to change, haven't loved it... My turn.
I am still tweaking with the template to make it my own, it will be a bit of a work in progress, so bear with me.
Friday, December 16, 2005
WallsI decided to join the band wagon here and write one of the weekly anamnesis from Pete and Natalie. Great idea guys.
I had a friend in high school who was not like me. At least, I thought he was not like me. We had very different moral beliefs, very different philosophies on life, and mostly we had very different homes.
Within the walls of his home one could often find yelling, anger, and most of all fear. I hated going over to his house because of how different and uncomfortable I felt. My home was one of love, comfort, and rarely fear.
Rex* introduced me to the first primitive internet. Actually, we would just use a modem to dial into a server where we could all chat together. You had to have a user name which was never your own name. You could literally be anyone. I chose to join into this fun room, where I met all kinds of people. Most of them were interested in this world of chat where there were few who actually knew who you were. I was a very lonely teenager ostracize by many for some physical traits of mine, but the friends that I did acquire were fiercely loyal and I loved them for it.
Rex and I would go out on weekends, I would tell my parents that we were going to a movie, yes I lied, but I knew that I wouldn't be allowed to go where we were headed. Rex and I would head to a specified meeting place within my home valley where all of us who talked over the computers would meet up and hang out. It was usually a coffee house, where I would buy an Italian soda and sit. I always felt accepted at these gatherings because these people knew me from what I said and not what I looked like or how I walked. This was before the birth of internet predators, in fact, if my children ever wanted to meet someone that they met in a chat room, I would strangle them for sure.
Rex and I both had walls. His was one of despair for his family life while mine was from my perceptions of myself and how others reacted to me. Walls are always of our own creation, I have labored long and hard to destroy mine. I ran into Rex a few years ago while visiting my home. His wall was still high and thick. I will always remember Rex as the friend who saw me for who I was and loved me for it.
I was one of the few that Rex allowed within his wall. He knew that I would accept him because of the way he accepted me. He told me once that he loved me and wanted to take our deep friendship to another level. I had to stomp on his hopes and explain that our moral differences were enough to keep us apart romantically. His wall suddenly came between us because I had hurt him. Not intentionally, but I did hurt him. Do I regret this? Of course I do, but really, it wouldn't have worked out. I only hope that some day he is able to allow another within those thick walls. Thanks Rex for loving me and showing me that we were not so different after all. We both only longed to belong somewhere.
*of course Rex is not his real name :-)
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
EntrepreneurThe hills around Antioch are full of mystery. A young child could get lost in his imagination for hours on end within the boundaries of nature's playground. These hills had numerous trees which were perfect homes for tree forts, cables to swing from, and even an ancient windmill to battle and conquer.
It was within these hills that my husband found a way to generate much needed cash for the endless Christmas shopping. His mother had enlisted his help in finding some mistletoe for her home. Thus the light bulb in his head went on. Who would think to go into the hills and find free mistletoe? Only a twelve year old boy, that is who.
Armed with a large pillow case and some clippers, he sojourned back into the wilderness to collect his bounty. The trees were full of the stuff. It was ripe and there for the taking.
After packaging each one in a sandwich baggie or a freezer bag tied up with red ribbon. Then he was off to the front of a grocery store to sell his product. He was a shrewd business man. If someone was near him selling for a dollar, he would drop to fifty cents. If he wanted to sell in a particular location but it was taken, he would stand right next to them and sell for less. Eventually, he ran the competition off to other places. By the end of the season, he had made well over three hundred dollars.
Oh how I wish that mistletoe grew in Idaho...
Thursday, December 08, 2005
The Importance of ShoesMy little girly-girl has taken to shoes. She doesn't have many different pairs in her own closet, so she has chosen to expand into mine. I like them to all be lined up real pretty in this shoe rack that my parents gave to us. Each pair of shoes has it's own little cubby hole.
I made the mistake of asking her to put a pair of Daddy's shoes away one day. Life in my closet has not been the same since. She first thought it was fun to match each shoe with a different one. I would find one of my nice Sunday shoes in with one of Daddy's work boots. It is most inconvenient when I am trying to hurry out the door but have to stop and check all the holes for the match to my chosen shoe.
Now, this dress up queen has found that if she shoves her feet all the way forward in our shoes, she can clomp all around the house. It was funny at first to see her walking around in Daddy's slippers or work boots, but now she has decided that Mommy's high heals are pretty and she won't take them off. I can hear her coming down the hall clomping and I just imagine where I will be able to find my shoes next. Will they be found in the bathroom? Or perhaps under her bed? The middle of the kitchen floor? One will never know until Sunday morning when I am rushing to get our family out the door on time... And to think that one of the things that attracted me to this house was my walk in closet. Oh how I wish now that my closet just had a door with a lock.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
The Art of Being PrettyThis morning my two year old came in and found me. She stated that "My finger is missing." which prompted me to ask her to repeat herself because there was no way that she would have meant what it sounded like she said. Again she repeated, "My finger is missing." I laughed and told her that her finger was right where it was supposed to be to which she replied "Oh, ok." and walked away. I wrote it off as a silly little two year old girl.
About five minutes later, she returned to tell me once again that her finger was missing. I finally asked my husband what he thought she meant by all of this, he gave me a pretty good guess. We had painted her fingernails a few days ago and the polish has begun to chip. Thus her "finger" is missing. I then asked the little one if she wanted me to paint the nail again and she grinned and nodded.
I haven't re-painted her nail yet, but I will. I chalk it all up to her girlie habits. I was never so picky. I was more along the lines of I will dress up and look pretty if it doesn't take me too long. I could never make the polish look perfect on my nails, not to mention that I can't stand to play the Viola with polish on, (it is quite distracting to see red or purple fingers working the strings), anyway I had underestimated the power of being pretty. She is my girlie-girl, who would wear a fluffy dress every day of the week if I would allow it. The more lace and ruffles, the better for her. I think she takes after her aunts instead of her mother.
Friday, December 02, 2005
A Complicated RiddleSo, my daughter decided to tell us a joke a few months ago... my husband and I still laugh about it often. I decided that it is time to share her joke with all of you, so here goes. Just remember, she is all of five years old.
"Daddy, what is green, bumpy, and tastes kinda like a pickle?" she asks with a wide toothy grin.
"Uh, a Pickle?" Daddy replies.
"YES! A Pickle!" she exclaims as she squirms in her car seat. Someone understood and got the right answer to her joke! I was tempted to make her dress up as a pickle for Halloween, but I took pitty and let her choose her own costume.