September 5, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #44

Collab question #44:
Go to your blog and post a poem, post or picture that you feel expresses friendship. Was there a friend you lost? One you found? What qualities does your IDEAL friend posses?

My ideal friend is one that is loyal and true.
Stands by me during the rough times, picks me up and holds my hand during the sad times.
One who laughs with me at my lame jokes or mishaps, one who would do everything they could to help defend me.
Holds my hair back when I puke, one who sits by me during lockup.
Someone who tells me all her secrets and keeps mine.

There's so many amazing qualities about my very best friend Shell, that there's no way I could ever list them all.
No matter where we live, or what we are doing in our lives, we take the time to stay in touch and be there however we can for the other.

They asked for a poem or picture, so I found this one which truly sums up the friendship between Shell and I.

August 2, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #42

Collab #42:
We all had them, those dreams of what we'd be "one day" when we grew up. Who we'd marry, what kind of wedding we'd have, how many children we'd bring into the fold (what we'd name them), etc.
We want to hear your childhood dreams. Maybe one from when you were five or fifteen.
Give them to us!

Hrm, my childhood dreams?
Yikes!
Well like most girls, I wanted to get married when I grew up, but I wanted to marry a rockstar, I wanted to be a rockstar myself. *laughs*
Then that changed, and I wanted to be a radio dj. Now most radio sucks ass, they play the same damn playlist of 30-40 songs on shuffle, every single day, and most of the programming is well, programmed.
It's mostly done by computers now except for some morning shows, and the occasional locally run stations that have actual dj shifts.
But they still run playlists bought by record companies.
*Boo hiss suck*

Then, I never really figured out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
I had my heart set on doing radio and when that dropped, I was left with a big empty space of no plan.
I did go and take some college courses in business, English lit, and some other stuff, and then dropped it to get married.
I did go back to school off and on to finish a few classes, but never got my degree.
Then I became a mom full time, and took whatever jobs I could get to pay the bills.

Dreams - 0
Real life - 1million

July 25, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #41

This weeks topic is:
I scream! You scream! We all scream for ICE CREAM!!

Ok first, the CHBM seems to have gone to a name change and is not a carnival anymore but a collaboration.
Alrighty then! On with the show!

I love ice cream, chocolate mostly, or anything with chocolate in it. No nuts. Not a fan of nuts in my ice cream.
I love Ben and Jerry's Phish food. OMGDZ yum!
I also like to put popcorn in my ice cream occasionally. Don't know why, I just do.

In the summer months, we go through a lot of ice cream, the boys eat it for snacks, I do etc. I wouldn't even dare to guess just how much.

July 18, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #39

This weeks topic is:
"We all strive for something in our lives. Maybe you want to keep a cleaner home, climb the corporate ladder, save the gay baby whales, or just raise productive members of society.
Whatever it is you strive for, we want to hear about it."

I strive to be happy, and raise happy, healthy kids.
I'm not out to impress anyone but me, and just do my best with my sons every single day.
I think just being the best mom to them that I can be, is a hard enough job.
This world we live in now is crazy, so raising kids who will be able to survive in it, is important to me.
I keep their heads level, tell them everything, they are not shielded from reality for sure.
I often wonder how some kids that I know, will function when they grow up and move out on their own, after the way they have been raised so sheltered from every thing.
I think the more you know, the better off you'll be.

So yeah, my goal is to be happy, raise happy, healthy, well rounded kids.

July 11, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #38

This weeks topic is:
Whatever your definition of "camping" is, let's hear your camping stories. If you're unfortunate enough not to HAVE a camping story, what would your ultimate camping dream trip be? To the middle of nowhere or the top floor of a penthouse?

I posted this before, but it's worth repeating for the CHBM carnival.
Here are some of my camping stories from when I was a kid.
Needless to say, my idea of camping since then involves a hotel room with AC and a full bath.

Our family was middle class, and with so many kids, myself, my older brothers and sister, Mike, Jo, Frankie, and many foster kids, camping was what we did every summer for vacation.
We went to all kinds of campgrounds. Some good, some bad.
Some of the places we went had leeches in the water. Ack!
Some, had black flies buzzing about all the time, so the only safe place where those nasty critters couldn't get you, was under the water. Come up, take a breath, go back down.
We started to make games as too who could stay under longer.

There was the time it rained for hours, and our tent nearly floated away.
Another time, moms grill rack fell in the fire, and we ate really well cooked, charcoal flavored chicken, for dinner.
The time Frankie slept on a fold out chaise lounge chair and tied his dog to it for protection from all the wild beasties.
It was a great idea until the dog caught glimpse of a raccoon and went chasing after it.
With Frankie holding on for dear life.
And then there was the time with the spider.

I was about 8 or 9 years old and at bedtime, I told everyone I saw a spider crawl in my sleeping bag.
No one believed me. They humored me though and did a quick search.
I went to sleep knowing that spider was in there.
I knew. It was in there.
In the morning, I went out of the tent and showed my parents what that spider had done to me.
I was hysterical, screaming at them, "I told you it was in there! I told you! And now look! Look what happened! What the hell is wrong with my arm!?"
My mom took one look at the giant sack of blue, purple and green colored flesh hanging off of my left upper arm, and screamed for my father to get the car.
We went to the local hospital where my parents were told within ear shot of me, "A brown recluse has laid eggs in your daughters arm. These types of spiders sometimes lay eggs in the flesh of dead animals so when the babies hatch, they have food to eat."
Excuse me, what?!?!
"We have to make a small incision in her arm and suck them out."
WHAT?!?!?!?!
So the doctor told me to look away, my mom and dad held me down, and they made a small slit in my arm and stuff started oozing out. Then they stuck in this sucker needle and sucked out all of it.
They kept squeezing it, sucking, squeezing. Then they bandaged my arm and let us go.
We left the campground that day.
To this day, I see a spider and climb the highest piece of furniture I can get on, and demand the cats and children kill it by whatever means necessary.
I don't care if not all spiders bite, I don't care if not all spiders do the same thing, one interaction has scarred me for life.

June 20, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #35

This weeks topic is:
"Something I made that I was REALLY proud of, or Something I tried to make that didn't turn out quite right."

The very first piece of jewelry I ever made.

It took me about 6 different tries to get that piece the way I wanted it, but I finally got it right, and that started my little side business.
With each piece I made, I got better and better at it.
I haven't been able to get back to it again for quite some time, but it's like riding a bike, you never forget how to do it.

I actually have a bunch of beads I bought a few months ago, and the project is still in my head.
As soon as I can do it, I'll be making the bracelet and earring sets I have imagined for them.

June 6, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #34

This weeks topic is:

The charitable cause that is dearest to my heart…
I don't have just one. I am often reading up on various medical conditions like MS, spina bifida, and scoliosis. I donate money to all of these causes when I see requests for donations, and I have donated my time and DNA samples to help for finding a cure for scoliosis. I have no idea if they will find that cure, but they have pinpointed the genetic markers that cause it. That's a step in the right direction.

The one charity that I always give to is the Salvation Army.
Unlike most churches, the SA is the only one that consistently gives back to it's own communities.
The church leaders don't live in huge houses and drive nice cars, the churches don't expand and get gold plated pews and bibles, they take the money that they get in every single week at services, and give it back to the people where they are located in many ways. Homeless shelters, food pantrys, clothes closets and job training. They help people pay utility bills, buy their medications, pay rent, and give out food vouchers. They also do a toy drive at Christmas for needy children.
It is the only one that always gives back, and the workers work tirelessly to make sure they have helped every single person that comes through their door day in and day out.

My sister and I were just talking about this the other night on the phone.
We both found it funny that here we are, atheists, who think the best charitable organization is a church.
It is the church we grew up in, it's the church neither of us ever want to step foot into again, but it's the only one that we both donate money to without question.
The Salvation Army is just that, an army. They wear military style uniforms, their church flag is the fire and the blood, they are very organized yet, they never stood on the pulpit on Sunday mornings preaching hatred of any kind.
They never discussed gays in a bad way, I don't ever recall them discussing it at all. They had no problem with women as church leaders, in fact they encouraged it.
They never turned any one away. It didn't matter how you came dressed to Sunday service, no matter where you were in your life, rich, poor, down on your luck, drunk, they were always glad to have you there. They would shake your hand and smile, welcome you in. They didn't pressure you into giving tithes, it was if you could. If you ended up needing something, they made sure that when you left, you had it.

I remember a Christmas when a local families house burned down, and the church opened it's doors in the middle of the night within minutes of hearing about the families total loss. They brought the family there, gave them one of the church houses to stay in on church property. Fed them, clothed them, and then called upon their flock to help out.
In the middle of the night, all of us kids donated some of our unopened Christmas presents to this family, my mom started baking immediately, closets were dug through for coats and clothes for the kids.
The whole church community did this. The church was packed with it's congregation bringing in whatever they had to help out this family who just lost every thing.

It's funny to me how much I've turned against the idiocy that I feel the bible is, how much I despise it's words and it's hell to those who don't believe, but how much this act of giving whatever you had stayed with me.
This is something I have passed onto my sons. Whenever we see those red kettles, we dig out change and bills and give it. I know the good this church does and I support it.
I support their work, but not the religion that started it.

May 30, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #33

This weeks topic is:

Introduce us to your current favorite band. Doesn't matter what genre, or how old they are or how long they've been around. If you dig 'em, we want to know about 'em!

Well this is totally a no brainer, TOOL!
A more updated site is Toolshed, you can get a ton of info about them and the tour, lyrics etc, from there.

Anyway, the members are, Maynard, Adam, Danny and Justin, and they have a very unique sound, thought provoking lyrics, absolutely incredible.
For a sample of their music, here is one of their songs. This is one of my fave songs off the new cd, 10,000 days (wings for Marie pt.2). Gone. Hope you enjoyed it. :)
Please right click and save as.
Lyrics are in the extended entry,

May 2, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #29

This weeks topic is:
"What do you wish you were taught growing up?"

My parents were great parents, they taught us every thing they thought we should know for that time.
It was a different time when I grew up though. Kids played outside all day long until the sun went down, there was no internet to play on or get in trouble on.
"Stranger Danger", while it was happening, it wasn't as prevalent as it is now.
You know, I honestly don't know what I should have been taught.
I do know that the time I'm raising my kids in is totally different, that I have taught, and still have to teach them very different things than what my folks taught me.
I have to teach them net safety, and had to warn them about strangers far more than my folks had to teach me.
I have had to talk to them about drugs and alcohol a lot more, sex is a huge topic. Not just to abstain till they really love someone, or are married, to use condoms, but the health risks involved, pregnancy, AIDS. AIDS had really only just begun being heard about. I think we're on the 25th year of when AIDS first started happening. People still weren't entirely sure how you got it, how it spread etc. Now we know.
When I was growing up, my family paid cash. You didn't buy what you couldn't afford.
I think if any of us back then had known about identity theft and credit scores, we would have guarded our personal information a bit more.
It just wasn't an issue 19 years ago when I was 18.
If people were stealing your identity, it certainly wasn't being talked about on the news.
If credit scores were that important, it wasn't being talked about either.
So trying to figure out what I should have been taught, is kind of difficult.
The times have changed drastically.

April 25, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #28

This weeks topic is:
"What’s your dream job? (Other than Motherhood)".

My dream job growing up was to be a radio dj. Seriously. *laughs* But radio is mostly automated now, and the parts that aren't are mostly talk shows or morning shows. Plus they have bought play lists now. Ick.
I actually hate todays radio stations because of the play lists.
They play what music execs pay for, play our group or band, we'll pay you well.
I want a radio station that plays what they want, takes real requests, not just if it's on the bought and paid for list, real requests from listeners.
Ok, so that's what my dream job would be.

April 24, 2007

Mom of the week!

That's me!
I am this week's Crazy Hip Blog Mama of the week.
CJ sent me a few short interview questions to answer for the site, so if interested, head on over and check them out.
She also gave me the cool button above.

The CHBM weekly carnival is one of my fave weekly ones to do since I first found it over at Belle's quite a few months ago.
Every week, it's a new question to keep you on your toes. Some of the questions are submitted by moms in the carnival, or that CJ or Kel made up, but they are always interesting.
They post a new question every Wednesday, and you have till the end of the day to write up your post, and submit your url and name in the linky form.
Not only do you get to read about how all kinds of other moms live, but it's not bad for traffic either. I've picked up several new readers from doing it, and added several new reads to my own feed reader through it.

So head on over and check them out, they have recipes, contests, and the carnival!
crazyhipblogmamas.com

April 18, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #27

This weeks topic is:
”Favorite Beauty Secret/Product”.

I really don't have any. I'm not a super girly girl, even though I own a ton of product, I still learn something new all the time from other women.
For years I just used liquid foundation and applied it with my fingers. Then I learned from other women about a foundation brush.
I was like what the hell are they talking about?!
But I went out and bought one and it made a huge difference in the way the foundation applied and looked, and best yet, stayed on.
Amazed.

But one thing I am always on top of is hair care products.
I have naturally curly, super long hair. When it's not put up in a really high pony to help me stay cool in the Florida heat, it comes down to my ass.
But being so curly, it tends to get dried out, and when it's humid, I am the frizz monster.
I have tried every shampoo and conditioner, and frizz control on the market.
I am the queen of trying new hair care product.
So here are the best ones, not all the same brand either, but work perfectly with each other.
Loreal Vive pro-smooth intense shampoo.
Pantene hydrating curls conditioner.
And a combo of Infusium leave in (original) applied first, then Frizz-Eaze serum to end it.
Absolutely no blow drying either. That dries out hair so bad.

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas crazyhipblogmamas.com

April 5, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #25

Ooopsie, missed a few weeks.

This weeks questions is; "What are your strengths and/or weaknesses as a mother?"

Hrm, I would have to say that one of my strengths is my open-ness.
I talk about every thing and any thing with them. They have a question, no matter if it's about sex, drugs, drinking, child abuse, spousal abuse, what color the sky is, or what's for dinner, I answer it, honestly.
I never hold anything back from them telling them about all of my experiences in life, what I did, what happened, how it effected the outcome of my life.
I believe because of this, my sons come to me with what ever thing is on their mind, speak freely, trust me, and are honest with me.

My weakness is I let them stay up too late, and also allow them to play video games for hours on end.
Mark is actually so good at GoW, (Gears of War) that he's entering a tournament, that might actually win him a spot on the finals in Prague.
Yes, a video game tourney in Prague which would require an adult chaperon.
Me.
Hey, it would be an all expense paid trip to Prague. He could play GoW, I could sight see.
I encouraged him to enter.

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas Gears of War

March 7, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog mamas #22

This weeks theme = “What was your favorite t.v. show when you were a kid?”

The 70's weren't the best time for tv shows, but the Saturday morning kids shows were pretty cool.
One of my favorites was Land of the Lost.
It was far fetched, it was a combination of prehistoric and futuristic.
You had a modern day family trapped in some weird world where dinosaurs were and also these strange creatures from the future called Sleestacks.
The original series from 1974-1977, was campy and cheesy, but fun.
They tried to redo the show again in the late 90's, with a family in a jeep. But it sucked.
The show never had an official ending, but the whole series can be purchased on dvd now.
I don't know how kids today would react to it, it was really low graphics and kids today expect everything to be mind blowing.
We watched it and we liked it.

February 28, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog mamas #21

"Funniest parenting moment".

There have been a ton of funny parenting moments with the boys.
Now, this may not be seen as funny to any of you, some people just don't find the same humor in things as I do, but we'll go with this anyway.

My mother had mailed me a pair of clip on earrings, they were really pretty, but I had left them laying on the coffee table.
Sebastian came home from school, I think he was about 10 or 11, saw them and asked what they were.
I told him they were clip on earrings, so he picked them up and clipped them on his ears.
He was laughing, asked if he looked pretty, just being a goof ball.
Then he took his shirt off and clipped them onto both his nipples. Still laughing, now showing myself and Mark and our room mate at the time. We all laughed, great stuff, funny kid.
Then he went in the bathroom and came back out with only his boxers on.
He said, "Guess where they are now?" with this huge grin on his face.
My room mate's face turned red, and she spit out a mouthful of soda, Mark was howling with laughter, and I screamed at him, "No! You did not put my mother's earrings on your balls?!"
To which he replied, "Yup" and then proceeded to dance around the room like a Las Vegas showgirl.

I never wore them after that.

Sebastian is the son who is going to do wild and crazy things. I fully expect him to be the one to come home at age 16, and not be able to sit down for dinner because he just came home from the tattoo shop.
I see this happening in my head as though it's already happened.
He loves fun and stupid. If Johnny Knoxville is still doing dumb shit when Sebastian turns 18, I see him finding Johnny and volunteering to be a guinea pig.
He is my funniest parenting moment all the time.

February 20, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog mamas #20

I missed two weeks. eh.

"The best Valentine's Day I ever had was...".
One that I'm not sharing with anyone.
It's a memory just for me to have and cherish forever.

But I've had quite a few memorable Valentines days over the years. My kids always go out of their way to let me know I'm loved, with hand made cards and lots of hugs and kisses.

Valentines day is something I don't pay much attention to. It's a Hallmark Holiday. It's a way to get people to spend money on flowers and gifts to give to someone one day of the year, when you should be letting that special someone know all throughout the year how much you love them.
At any time, they can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye, without warning, and all you'll have left is I should have told them I loved them more often.
But my best, most memorable one is staying with me, it's mine and I'm not sharing it.
I'm greedy with my memories like that.

February 7, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog mamas #18

This weeks topic = "Famous moms you want to meet".

I don't really know if there are any famous moms I want to meet.
I think famous moms have it way easier than the rest of us do though.
They can hire nannies to help them out all the time. They can Leave the house to go to movie premiers and stuff like that and not worry because the nanny is always there.

I think though that if I had to choose one famous mom to sit down and have a heart to heart with, it would be Britney Spears.
I'd tell her off for being an idiot.
I don't like her music but that girl had a lot going for her and then hooked up with that loser Federline, a man who was already involved with one woman, had a kid and another on the way. He cheated on that woman to hook up with Britney.
That is a major red flag sweetie. Never ever get involved with a man who cheats on his wife or girlfriend for you. He's a loser who will do it to you just as he did to her.

I'd also tell her to start wearing underwear all the time.
Even a thong is better than letting your cooter hang out for all the world to see.
What a wonderful impression all those pics are going to make on her two son's and their friends as they grow up.
Kids get taunted enough, so just imagine as her sons grow up and other kids start bringing copies of those pics to school with them or taunting them repeatedly about having seen their moms vag on line.
Once it's on line, it's there forever sweetheart.

And oh yeah, stop hanging out with that skanky Paris Hilton. She's trash no matter how much money she has.

January 24, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #16.

This week's topic= "Who's your favorite role model and why?".

I'm going to be one of those cliche people.
My parents.
Lois and George didn't have a lot, they had what they needed, but most importantly, they had love to share.
They had their own son, Mike, but they still had room.
They took in foster kids like Frankie who stayed for awhile, and some others who got to go back home to their parents.
They took in Joey, and more foster kids.
Then they took in me.
They adopted both Joey and I.
But they still had room, still had love.
All the while I was growing up, the house was always full of children and pets.
You want a duck? Ok. We got a duck.
Frogs? Mice? Gerbils? Hamsters? Bunny rabbits? Cats? Dogs?
Ok.

Recently, I dealt with a woman who said my parents were poor and raised us badly.
They may not have had a lot of money, but they raised us in a house full of love and laughter.
They took great care to make sure we had everything we needed and tried hard to give us everything we wanted.
Dad would work 2 jobs to make holidays special, mom would make elaborate birthday cakes, and have parties with all of our friends over and invent crazy games that made everyone laugh and have fun.
Mom could feed a family of 8 on like $7.00. Amazing.

They are my role models because they taught us that love was more important than stuff.
Stuff is temporary happiness. Love is forever.

January 16, 2007

Crazy Hip Blog Mamas #15.

This weeks topic = "How I will be a better parent in 07".

I have committed myself to being more active in their educations.
Most of 2006 was so hectic for me and them with school.
Starting in December of 2005, I was beginning to get ready for surgery. It seems that every day of the week from that December right through till February 8th, I was doing something to get ready for my surgery.
I wasn't home when they came home from school and when I would come home, I would be exhausted from having to donate my own blood, or from driving to appointments which took most of the day.
Then I had the surgery in February and spent from the 26th of that month, and the next several months, recuperating.
I was heavily medicated and they were taking care of me.

Between all of that stuff, school sort of took a backseat.
they were going and maintaining their grades. Not improving, simply maintaining.
By the time I came out of my heavy narcotic fog, school was over for the 2006 year.
I made a commitment to them and myself this year, the 2006-2007 school year, that school was going to be our family priority.
The first quarter was a bit rough, always is. They get 3 months off for summer vacation and then head back in with a ton of new classes and teachers. First quarter is always hard.
The second quarter grades just came home today, and they both made major improvements over first quarter.

We all have been working really hard so far in the new third quarter already to make sure that homework gets done, projects, classes are attended on time, notes are being taken. I make sure they have all the needed supplies for school.
Mark had a list of things he needed to start off his third quarter with when he went back to school on January third for his block scheduled classes. I made sure he got everything he needed.

I want them to be successful in school so they can be successful in careers.
We talk about college and career options all the time. They are setting goals for after high school, finally, after years of saying they didn't know what they wanted to do.
So that's how I'm going to be a better mom in '07. I am going to help them be better, and do better, in school so they can be better later in life.

January 11, 2007

I would be the hippest of the hip!

If I got a Pink Nintendo DS Lite, Sebastian would possibly love me more than he already does.
He's been wanting one since they hit the market and I just could never afford one.
He may not dig the pink, but he'd surely be digging it just the same.
I'd be the coolest, hippest mom ever!
Heck! It might even get him to clean his room and finish his dinner!

December 24, 2006

Carnival of the crazy hip blog mamas #13

This week's topic: "New Year's Resolutions"

I do not make resolutions because I feel they set you up for failure.
People always say I want to lose weight, exercise more, do this, do that.
They end up not doing them.
So instead of saying I want, I say, I am going to, or I will.

I am going to keep working on getting stronger and healthier.
I will keep taking all those calcium supplements to help my bones get stronger and my fusion heal.
I will keep wearing that hideous brace and bone stimulator because even though it's uncomfortable and icky looking, I want my bones to heal.

I am going to get back into my jewelry making slowly.
It's still very hard for me to sit in one place very long and it frustrates me that I can't just sit down like I used to and whip out 10 pieces a day.

I am going to make and save money as much as I can.
Some people feel and have told me, that they are annoyed with ads on blogs.
Too bad. I live on SSDI and it doesn't keep you afloat.
If they allow me to make so much money every month, and I am not allowed to work a conventional job, I will take whatever kind of paying "jobs" I can to pay my bills and stay afloat.
I'm sorry if that causes people to stop reading my blog but come live in my house for a month and see if you can figure out how to live on such a piddly amount and maybe you'll change your mind about paid advertisements.

I am going to stop over analyzing myself so much.
I get criticisms about what I write on my blog and I all too often take it as a personal attack on me. I allow other people's opinions to get to me. This is my blog about my life and I need to stop worrying about what people think of me so much.
I know how I live my life and what I'm doing or not doing, and I know that I'm doing the absolute best I can.

I will be a better parent this year.
I am not a bad parent, but this past year was the first time in all my years raising them alone that I slacked on certain parental duties like being more forceful about education.
I was so out of it after I came home from surgery, that I wasn't paying much attention to homework and class schedules and the like.
I take the problems the boys have had this past year on my shoulders just as much as I place it on theirs.
We are all equal in not doing what we needed to be doing.
Now that the fog has lifted, I will be far more attentive to their schooling and help them get out of the educational ruts they are in.

I will try to be a better friend.
I have trust issues with people and that tends to make me withdrawn and antisocial.
I will try to open up more to the people who have stayed in my life and to the new ones who have entered.
I owe it to them to be more open and to give trust with parts of my life which I hide away from people.

So there ya go, my list of things I will do this year.

December 17, 2006

Carnival of the crazy hip blog mamas #12

This week's topic: "Favorite holiday memory from your childhood."

I've been thinking about this since Kim posted it several hours ago and wouldn't you know it? I can't think of any one particular holiday memory that sticks out as favorite.

I had a lot of great Christmas' as a kid. I usually got most of the stuff I wanted save for those really big fancy items my folks couldn't afford. I don't blame them though because we always had nice holidays. The house was always decorated and food was aplenty. Family was endless seated around huge tables stretched from the dining room through to practically the front door in the living room.
There was always room for one more too.
Mom made enough to feed an army should they arrive on our doorstep cold and hungry with no families of their own. One more chair could always be squeezed in, or a teen could happily move to the kids table.
The good dishes were brought out with the good serving utensils. The tables were covered in lace cloths. (Except for the kids table of course, that was plastic coated.)

I'd have to say no one single Christmas sticks out because they all were great and happy.

December 10, 2006

Carnival of the crazy hip blog mamas #11

"Things you've done to get that special hard to find toy".

I didn't pay a few bills. Took a major risk having some things get shut off so they could have it.
I think that's probably the only thing I've done to get something they really wanted.

December 3, 2006

Carnival of the Crazy Hip Mamas #10

This is my first time doing it but it's #10.
Sometimes I run out of blog ideas so memes of this type can be fun to help me write things.

This week's topic: "Traditions".

Since it's holiday time, I am going to limit this post to holiday traditions....more specifically, Christmas traditions. (stolen from Kim).

As a kid, holidays were magical, we always watched all the specials on tv, Rudolph, Santa Claus is coming to town etc.
The tree would be real except for those few times we had a fake one but you'd never know it was fake because mom always decorated it so well.
Mom would bake dozens and dozens of cookies and make home made frosting for them and we'd all help decorate them.
I'll tell you the story of the last batch of cookies in a minute.

The house was always done up, and the tree was always in the front window. Music would always be playing and mom would be in the kitchen baking and singing right along.
I remember the giant Sears wish book and I'd carefully go over it for weeks picking out exactly what I wanted.
I think I knew Santa wasn't real from a very early age. I remember a few times hearing my folks talk about how they could afford presents for all us kids. (They had Mike, Joey, me, Frankie and a few foster kids all the time plus nieces, nephews, cousins.)
But even knowing he wasn't real didn't take away any enjoyment at all, it as still magical.
I still watched all the shows and decorated cookies and helped mom as much as she'd let me in the kitchen.

With my own kids, I didn't do things as they did. I never told them Santa was real. I have always told he wasn't. I get a lot of crap for that. I've been told that I'm ruining Christmas for them by taking that part away. I've asked them about that and they have said no, that it was never ruined. They appreciated what they got more because they knew the gifts were from me.
I've never baked dozens of cookies with them, I have never baked pies for days on end. I buy cookie dough and frozen pies. I buy my meals pre-packaged from Publix.

We do have our own traditions though. We always decorate together,hang up our stockings, watch all the classic kids specials. Most of which I own on tape because I loved them so much as a kid, I wanted to be able to watch them with my own kids when ever and not have to wait for a time and date to watch them. We can watch them without commercials when ever we want. Sebastian has even watched them in the middle of July...lol

We pick out what we want from Amazon together, adding things to our wish list and going back and forth on what we want like a bunch of little kids.
We decide what we want for our dinner, what kind of pie or cake for desert, they help cook it all that day. We watch the parades that are on while it cooks, we have the same snacks while watching the parades. We have crackers and a cheese ball, home made punch made with ginger ale and sherbet, bacon and eggs for breakfast. They help me clean up all the mornings dishes, and set the table or get our school trays out and ready.
Since getting those two years ago, we have used them for every holiday except this past Thanksgiving.
We love those.
We open our presents together and give the cats their cans of cat food from their stockings. The cats only get cans once a year and Christmas is that time. They love it and seem to know, they paw at their kitty stockings that morning when they see us opening gifts.
The boys then open their stockings and dig out all their candy and small presents.
Then I try to explain over and over that no, the mall or Best Buy or what ever store they got gift cards for, is not open Christmas day and no, I will not be going to any of them the day after either because they will be jam packed with people returning gifts they hated and getting day after xmas deals.

We spend the afternoon watching movies or playing with new toys.
All in all, our traditions while not like the ones when I was growing up, have suited me and the boys well. We do what we like doing and aren't set to a standard or rules.

Now, the last cookie story.
I don't recall where my parents had to go that day, but they left me, my brother Mike, and sister Joey, in charge of decorating the cookies.
This was when we were much older, I know I was at least 17 and had been out partying the night before.
They left and my brother decided he was going out some where. My sister left too. I was left alone with like 12 dozen cookies to do alone and I was quite hungover from the night before.
I was pissed off I got deserted and thought it was totally unfair I had to do them alone.
I did the first few dozen ok, did them really nice but after several hours carefully spreading frosting on and making the trees look like real tress and the Santas look like Santas, I gave up and just started splatting frosting all over them and threw sprinkles at them.
I bagged them up with still wet frosting and left the house myself to go party with friends some more.
When my parents got home, I took all the shit that came from ruining the cookies.
Yes, I ruined them, I admitted to that. But I was not left alone to do them, they were supposed to stay and help. They bailed on me before even doing 1 stinking cookie.
My mom was upset, my dad was pissed. But not at them, just me.
They didn't get yelled at, just me.
I hated them for that. The left and went out to have fun and got in no trouble at all for the cookie fiasco.
I still harbor a bit of resentment over this as you can see. It still bothers me to this day that the two of them never got in one bit of trouble for it but I got yelled at for the whole night and most of the next day and when ever anyone asked why the cookies looked so bad, they were told it was all my fault. I suffered dirty looks from relatives that whole Christmas and have been reminded of it for many years after.
I really think this is a big part of why I never made home made cookies with my kids. I didn't want to deal with it, go through the hassle and make any one kid feel like it was their job to do them perfectly.
I know my folks didn't mean to make me feel bad about it, it just happened.
I wish I could get over that, but I remember it every year in vivid detail and it always makes me feel bad.