Ciara's Ramblings and Whatnot

Super Bowl Sunday's Iron Man 3 Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:35:00 +0000

My kids and I go to several movies throughout the year, but there are a handful that we really look forward to. This Super Bowl Sunday, February 3rd, there will be a sneak peek into the new Iron Man 3 movie. If you're happy and you know it clap your hands! While we have to wait until it hits theaters, May 3rd, here's a little teaser for Sunday's big game spot. My girls and I are big Robert Downey, Jr. fans. :) I'm excited, are you?

Disclosure: I was provided with the information to share and was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions are my own.

Zapped! (or How to Scare Your Husband)

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:22:00 +0000

I am like the Ellen (Degeneres) of my house. I'm good at scaring my family: mostly my husband. He's quite easy to scare, and I think the fact that I'm a bit stealth-like helps out. I also like to amuse myself with dumb stuff like scaring him. I have hid in our master bedroom closet, right next to the mirror dresser in the bedroom, various places, and sometimes I don't hide at all. I just get super quiet and say something really quick and abrupt when he least expects it, but one of my favorite scare tactics happened most recently.

I purchased a 10th doctor sonic screwdriver from Think Geek right before Christmas, because 1. it was on sale for around $18 and 2. free standard shipping at for the holidays. Had I had more money, I probably would have gone to town buying various Doctor Who stuff. But, I digress.

About 3 weeks ago, I finally put the batteries into the sonic screwdriver (you know, because of all things, you need a tiny screwdriver to put batteries into the sonic screwdriver XD). I took it upstairs and waved the sonic screwdriver around my girls. They didn't get scared. Mini-Me actually asked to see it and started playing with it a bit. :)

I go downstairs, and I get it into my head that I should wave the sonic around my husband who is sitting at his desk. He heard and saw me come down, but when I whipped out the sonic screwdriver, pushed the button to turn on the light and buzzing effects, he cowered and his office chair almost scooted to the wall with him in it. I was DYING. I thought it was the funniest thing ever. (Okay, so maybe not the funniest thing ever, but it's pretty funny to see a 6'5", 250 lb., almost 50-year-old, man cower from a toy).

In his defense, it was making a 'zapping' noise. If any of you have seen Doctor Who, you know what I'm talking about. He said that he didn't know what it was and was trying not to get zapped. Also, what does that say about me if he thinks I'm trying to zap him with something? *shrugs* Sheesh, you would think someone would love getting a little sonic.

I wish I had thought to videotape it, but of course I though of it only AFTER the fact. Maybe next time. ;)

Here's a little video to show you the 'zapper'. Yes, that is me talking with the hideous young-sounding voice(and yes, I intentionally wore my 10th doctor tee).

Day 2 of 30 Challenges for 30 Days: Photo-a-Day, Day 1 of 30-Minute Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:01:00 +0000

Today's theme for Fat Mum Slim's Photo-A-Day is "new". I didn't really have anything new, well, anything that I haven't taken a photo of already, so I took a photo of some Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut candies. Hubs brought them home to me yesterday. He always seems to bring me lots of junk food when he knows I'm trying to lose weight. Actually, he brings home lots of junk food all the time, but the ones specifically for me are always bought right when I start my whole weight loss thing again.

Luckily for me, after trying just one yesterday (since I never had these particular things before), I'm not really fond of them. That means I won't eat them. Yay, for me! There are some truffles on the top shelf of the pantry that call out to me, but I think after having about six to eight of them a couple of days ago, I think I'm okay without giving into it. They're too sweet, and I can't handle a lot of sweet.

My second 30 Challenges for 30 Days that I started was the 30-minute walk. I didn't walk outside, instead I started back on my Leslie Sansone's Walk Away Your Waistline DVD. It comes with a 'walking band', but since I hadn't done it in so long, I opted to go without it this time around.

At first, I was only going to do the 1 mile (since it's broken down into 1 mile segments). Then I decided I'd just add one the last part along with the cool down. I thought, "What the hell, I'll just go back and do the second mile, too." So I got three miles worth of walking plus cool-down in 48 minutes.

Let's see if I can keep my momentum up. I've been pretty good with my caloric intake. Not always picking the best foods but not going crazy. Can't quite give up the soda for 30 days yet, but I did go all of yesterday without one. :)

So here's the 30 Challenges for 30 Days tally:

Photo-A-Day-2 days
30-Minute Walk-1 day

Disclosure: I have linked the DVD I used for exercise in case anyone was interested in it. I was not given a copy or compensated in any way. I bought this DVD a few years ago, and it's really great for those who don't feel comfortable exercising outside of the home.

Day 1 of 30 Challenges for 30 Days: Photo-a-Day

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 07:12:00 +0000

Today is day one of the challenges I chose from 30 Challenges for 30 Days. I've decided not to start them all at the same time, because that could get too overwhelming. I did, however, start the photo-a-day challenge by using Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-Day list. I'm going to try to keep to the list, but the best I have ever done is go two weeks. Whether I follow her list or not, I'm just going to make sure I take one photo everyday. I'll be posting the photos on either Instagram under SimplyCiara or Flickr: SimplyCiaraPhotos. We'll see how it goes. ;)

I'm taking on the 30 Challenges for 30 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:22:00 +0000

Yesterday, while I was on Twitter, ShutterCal had posted a link to an article on High Existence called 30 Challenges for 30 Days. It starts off with the '30 days to form a habit', then goes on to suggest 30 different challenges that you can try for 30 days. You don't have to do them all. You can choose one and keep track of it for 30 days, or as one of the challenges suggests, you can pick a few to combine. That's what I'm going to do. I will document it here on my blog.

Here are the ones that I've chosen:

#3 Take a picture everyday (Hard)-and boy, do I know how hard it is, because I have tried the 365-day challenge, and even Fat Mum Slim's monthly photo-a-day challenge, and have yet to complete one. I love photography, I love taking pictures, I've just never been good at follow-through.

#5 Take a 30-minute walk each day (Easy)-ha, for me, easier said than done. As a person who is hypothyroid, I often lack energy. You need to exercise for energy, but you need energy to exercise. Double-edged sword you see, nonetheless, I am determined to do this one. I am a little less than four years from being 50 years old, and I want to be proof that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks haha :)

#9 Write a 500,000 novel in 30 days (Hard) I know many do the NaNoWriMo, but I think I'm going to do a variation of this. Maybe I'm going to write one new thing a day, whether a poem, a story, or whatever. I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll work on it.

#11 Watch a documentary each day (Easy) To be honest, sometimes documentaries are hard for me to watch. They have to really be engrossing. BUT, I'm always on a quest to learn something new everyday, and I think this is a good way to start.

#13 Study a topic you'd like to master each day (Hard) and #21 Practice a random skill everyday Again, I'll probably due a variations of this. I'll find a way to combine it. What I would like to do is something art related whether it's drawing, painting, etc. I'd also like to teach myself how to play an instrument. Would be cool if I could teach myself to sing, but I've resigned myself to the fact that I sound like a kid no matter what I do. I also can't carry a note to save my LIFE. My son and daughters were all blessed with some talent, I'm the unlucky one. :/

#16 Read a new article on High Existence each day (Easy) I just found this site, and I like what I've seen so far. This is how I got the list, remember? :)

#17 Pick one bad habit and ditch it for 30 days (Hard) Oh, yes, this is hard, very hard. I know, I've tried it several times with my soda addiction. In the words of Whitesnake, "Here I go again on my own."

#20 Think of an achievement you'd like to accomplish over the next 30 years, a year each day (Very Hard) I think about this kind of stuff all the time. Of course, I have not accomplished any of these things, because my thoughts become 'next year' every year. I'm sure you know what I mean.

#22 Take the stairs every chance you get. (Easy) I usually do this, but there's not a lot of places around here with stairs. I do have a two-story house though. :)

#23 Keep a journal (Intermediate) I think I can do this. I used to keep a diary that documented my crushes, how my mom pissed me off when she wouldn't let me go for a drive with a guy friend and other people, and other trivial stuff that seem so important in my teenage life.

There are a couple of other things on the list that I won't do daily, but I will incorporate them into my life somehow when the chance arises. So, do you think you can do any of these things for 30 days? I'd love to hear about it.

Wordless Wednesday (or maybe not so much)

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 08:45:00 +0000

Untitled, a photo by simplyciaraphotos on Flickr.

Testing out the Flicker app. Works pretty good for posting onto blogs and such. It may be my new alternative to Instagram.

Blog Down, but Not Out for the Count

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:59:00 +0000

I knew my domain renewal was coming up, but I decided to put it off until the end of November. By the time I remembered, I didn't have the funds, so it expired and my site was down for a couple of weeks. I renewed the domain, but my site wasn't back up. It was like that for 3 or 4 days. I emailed every source I could think of to try and get it back up. I even just casually put out there on Twitter, for anyone who could help, if there was a way to fix it. Google was no help, but thanks to GoDaddy seeing my tweet from a few days ago, I managed to get the site going again.

Apparently, if you get a domain through Blogger, that's hosted on GoDaddy, you let it expire, it seems to revert back to default settings. I also discovered that Blogger won't let you host a blog on a naked domain (as in no: www. or whatever in front). I had to do all this redirecting, and by help from GoDaddy, and sheer luck on my part, I got it sorted.

Now if you type in my old URL, ciarasramblingsandwhatnot.com, you'll be redirected to www.ciarasramblingsandwhatnot.com. Same craptastic blog, just a little something added to the web address.

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:26:00 +0000

testing the new url

Mini-Me's Excited, but Not Excited

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 07:45:00 +0000

Mini-Me has been in a play for the last two and a half months. Her high school is putting on a production of Grease, and last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday was the first three of their six shows. My girls have always tried mentioning to their dad any events they are taking part in in the hopes that maybe he'll come see them sometime. It has never happened. Well, there was Mini-Me's 8th grade promotion, but that's different. Then miracles of all miracles happened. Mini-Me told me that her dad was going to try and come out for her play.

I hadn't put much stock into it, because it included the word "try". I didn't want her to get too hopeful, because she has put a lot of that into her dad and has been disappointed time and time again. You see, Mini-Me was 'daddy's girl', but that was before our divorce, my kids and I moving to California, and his girlfriend of about five years.

The girls go and visit him in Las Vegas about four or five times a year. At first, it was very extensive: spring break, seven weeks in the summer, alternating Thanksgiving, and one week during Christmas break. That changed not long after he got with his girlfriend. He became someone totally different than they had known. He was now doing whatever his girlfriend wanted. Our kids, plus his son from his first ex-wife, were constantly getting into trouble for the dumbest things or things they didn't do. My ex-mother-in-law happened to come out that summer to see them, but her time was cut short due to the fact that my girls wanted to come home after three weeks. My husband and I had been there to see my family during vacation, they ended up coming home with us. Every year since, they have wanted to shorten the time with their dad. From seven weeks, it went to three, and now it's two. My girls have told me on many occasions that they want to visit him even less, and at times, they say they don't want to permanently.

They usually complain that they don't see their dad much due to work or sleep. They are not allowed to go outside, not even in the backyard, without an adult. They are usually left to their own devices for a few hours everyday while everyone is at work. The girls love their little sister, but when they are there visiting their dad, they don't feel like it's taking care of her is their responsibility, or that they have to play with her constantly just because she'll whine if they don't. Sometimes my brother and sister-in-law will ask them if they can come over, but my ex doesn't like to let them do that much. The last time he did, it was because he needed them to stay somewhere for the first two days of their visit due to his girlfriend having a hysterectomy and needing 'rest'. I get it that a person needs rest after surgery. Heck, I've had my share, too, but I never sent my kids off anywhere in case they were too noisy. But I digress. Two days later after she told me he would try to come, she said that he was coming.

He's arriving tomorrow and leaving Friday. He said that due to some shake-ups at work, he could only come for a day. This is also his year for Thanksgiving, but it looks like we're switching years. He'll have them for the next two. He asked me to make sure that the girls were okay with it. I didn't have to. They had told me a few weeks ago that they didn't want to go. And just a few months before that, they said that they didn't want to go at Thanksgiving at all anymore. They never tell him, because he lays the guilt trip on them. I never tell him, because that's just not something I would do.

My girls love their dad, but they're tired of being disappointed. They're tired of not seeing him enough when they are with him, not being able to do anything, or go anywhere. There are many more reasons they have said why they don't want to visit or why they are disappointed, but that's best left to the girls and my ex to work through.

It's funny. Mini-Me told me the other day that she's excited but not excited about him coming here. She said that she's not super excited that he's coming, she's just excited by the fact that he's actually coming out for something that she's involved in because he's never before. Here's hoping that he'll do the same for Miss La-Di-Da-Di someday.

BlogBlast 4 Peace~November 4, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Six years ago, my lovely bloggy friend, Mimi, started a movement for peace. When you get the chance, please read the story of Papa's Marbles.

Today is Mimi's Papa's birthday, whom she has said was the most peaceful man she ever knew. I'm lucky to be sharing the same birthday. I'm also lucky to be sharing in this day of peace with my friends and people all over the world who have joined in this movement. Peace be with you all.
Pam aka

There Goes My Blogging Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 05:57:00 +0000

Well, as soon as I made a commitment to myself to blog for 365 days straight, I get sick. I am well enough to get on the computer to say that I'm sick, but I'm not well enough to sit here and write a well thought out post. Looks like I'll be sort of starting over. Basically, I'll just have to add a day or two at the end of my blogging year. I hope I'm not feeling this crappy too long, because being sick sucks.

Is This Halloween?

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 06:50:00 +0000

It was a very strange Halloween this year. Every year, since we moved into this community eight years ago, we have had lots of trick-or-treaters. Our house was always one that the kids knew they had to hit up. Tonight, however, there was hardly anyone passing out candy, and there weren't that many kids.

I usually leave the task of passing out the candy to my husband, because I don't like to deal with some of the teens. You know, the ones that don't wear costumes, get a little obnoxious, a little loud, and just suck the fun out of Halloween. I don't mind if older kids are coming to our door as long as they're in costume and are polite. But I digress.

I had told hubs that I would hold down the fort until he came home. He got home about 6:30 PM, and I had not one kid come to the door. I think it was around 7 PM when we got a group that included Miss La-Di-Da-Di. It would be another 20-30 minutes before another group came. We had one group of teen boys that had two dressed up, and the rest were not. The ones not dressed up just held out their hands to receive candy. My husband asked the boys without costumes where their candy bags were, and one said, "I lost it, sir." We finally got some little ones, and that's always my favorite.

We have this genie head in a 'crystal ball' that is motion activated. I remember how afraid the little kids were when we first got it. Now, the little kids love it. We had one little boy dressed as Spider-Man not want to leave because of it. He was probably around four years old and so adorable.

I have told my husband that maybe we shouldn't pass out candy anymore, mainly due to some of the teenagers. But, he loves seeing the little kids in their costumes, as do I, and we get a kick out of them saying, "Trick-or-Treat." I'm sure we'll be passing out candy again next year.

I don't know. Is the fun getting sucked out of this thing? Are people just 'over it?'

Anyways, I hope everyone had a safe Halloween, and I'll just leave you with this:

Me and the 10th Doctor having a bit of Halloween fun.

Father of My Son, Where Have You Been?

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:29:00 +0000

A few days ago I was checking out my son's Facebook wall as I do from time to time, and I noticed a plethora of posts regarding fathers and a few about mothers. The last time I had seen that happen came not long after his dad's wife sent him a friend request. There wasn't as many posts then, but I think it was because it was the not actually his father.

I scrolled down his wall a little further to see a post about his father sending a friend request. I knew there had to be a reason for the posts. You see, in my son's 25 years, his father has only seen him about 5 times. The last time his father came around was 10 years ago. The time before that was 10 years in between as well.

I guess I should give a little back story. For those who have read my blog since the beginning, you may remember the story about me getting pregnant at 19 (almost 20), and how my dad was there for me when I said that I wanted to keep my baby and not marry the father. Well, that happened about two weeks before I was supposed to marry my son's dad. I was already so angry with him at the way he announced my pregnancy to my parents, but I wanted to keep my baby, and getting married seem like the only alternative. For those two weeks, I cried. A lot. When my dad told me it was my choice, and whatever I wanted to do was what we would do, I had never felt so relieved in my life.

After I broke it off with him, I didn't see him for my entire pregnancy. It wasn't for his lack of trying, but I couldn't tolerate the way he was handling the breakup. He was trying to cling to me with everything that he had. You might think it's sweet, and I think had I still loved him, I would have thought so, too. I just knew that there was no future for us. At least, not on my part.

The day after I gave birth, I got a call from someone. It was from a female, who I maybe met only once. She was a friend of my son's father, and he had had her call to talk to me about our child. I had thought a lot about my son's father being in his life, so I told him he could come over. He came over a couple of times, but it was clear to me that he was trying to use our son to get back together with me. I wouldn't see him again for another five years.

I was suffering from extreme vertigo for two years, so I couldn't work. I decided to go on state welfare for the medicaid so that I could see a doctor. One of the conditions of getting state assistance is that they have to go after the father for child support. I had not collected anything in those five years with the exception of the help I asked for with diapers, formula, etc., when he first saw his son. I really didn't want them to find him, but I really needed to see a doctor.

My son's father didn't know where I lived, but one day he showed up at my door. Apparently, he had been driving by and had seen me outside(we lived off of a busy street). He came to my door with the letter from the D.A.'s office. I explained to him that if I didn't need the medicaid for our son and myself, he would have never heard from me.

He sat there telling us, my mom, our son, and me about his life the last five years. Apparently, he got marrried and divorced from one person. Then he told us he was getting married, he was married, no, he was getting married, and had another kid. He flipped-flopped so many times, but in the end, he was married. I think that he thought if he told me he wasn't yet that it would make a difference to me. He also sat there and told us that he had a new baby and loved his kid. I told him that our son was his kid, too. I also told him that I was up for him to see our son anytime he wanted as long as he called first. As you can imagine, my five year old kid was pretty nervous about the whole situation.

Well, he called me immediately after he got home, and I reiterated what I had said earlier, and I meant it. I didn't hear from him again for a week or two until he showed up late one night at our house, drunk, and yelling that he wanted to speak to me. My dad told him to come back when he wasn't drunk. Ten years later, I get a letter in the mail from the Family Mediation center. His father wanted to get visitation. I, of course, went to the mediation, because I knew that: one, I could be in trouble by the court. Two, I really wanted to give him a chance again despite the other times.

We sorted it out, and his first visit was with me and our son at a Taco Bell. We figured having a casual dinner with me along would be the best since he hadn't seen our son in 10 years. This was a little bit before our son turned 16. I then let my son go over to his dad's house for a BBQ. My son's father called me not long after and told me to pick our son up, because he couldn't handle it.

I don't know what he expected. Did he expect his kid to be like him? To be like his son's who are into sports? Did he really think he was going to have any influence on our son now that he was a teen and had his own personality? Our son is the total opposite of everything that his dad is. He was more into music, books, and writing than sports. He was not the outdoorsy type. He was also far more intelligent than his dad, and I think that had a lot to do with how my son felt towards his dad. The first thing my son told me after talking with his dad that first time was that his dad's an idiot. I could give an example here, but I won't.

He called me sometime between the first meeting with our son and the second. He had told me that he told his wife that he needed to start talking with our son, because he thought about him all the time. Then he went to a place where I don't think any married man should ever go.

He told me the reason why he didn't come see our son after the first time he found me. He said that when he saw me again, he still had feelings for me. He said that he had told his wife that I was the love of his life, that we had a son that he wanted to see. What kind of man would ever tell his wife that someone else is/was the love of their life? I told him that he really shouldn't be telling me any of these things, and he definitely shouldn't have told his wife that.

My son and I didn't hear from him again until our son's 16th birthday. He called for our son, but my son had went out with his friends for the night. So he talked to me for a bit with promises to help our son out with a car, because he had told our son he would. That never came to fruition. We hadn't heard from him again after that call.

I guess in some ways that was okay with me, because the separation from my ex-husband came during this time. I was also suffering from Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but I didn't know it at the time. I wasn't, and I'm still not, the best or perfect mom, but I did what I could. My son has said on many occasions he was glad not to have his dad help raise him. Then I see the posts, and sometimes I wonder how much of an affect has it had on him.

Every father's day he likes to post up the song, "Father of Mine", by Everclear, and discuss how he has no father. I think it probably bothers him in some small way, but not as much as some might think. Yet, here we are again in that every-ten-years pattern. I don't know if his dad has communicated with him through private message, but I don't think my son's dad should hold out too much hope.

New Writing Goal for the Next 365 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:01:00 +0000

I haven't been blogging here much in awhile. It has become easier just to make short and sweet posts, or to reblog things on tumblr. I didn't have to put forth any real effort into anything I did write. It's been a bit of a struggle for me to come up with any real content for this blog, probably because I felt a little bored, and my heart wasn't into it for the last couple of years or so.

I have made many attempts to try and start writing here again, but those are few and far between with occasional reviews/giveaways. So my goal is, for the next 365 days, is to post something on this blog. I think even if it's just a photo I've taken, at least I'm making a commitment to try and see it through.

I've started many 365 projects, mostly photography, and I've yet to see any through. Heck, I even tried to do the monthly photo-a-day thing. I couldn't get further than two weeks. I'm going to be 46 in a few days, I think it's time that I followed through. Wish me luck! lol

New Iron Man 3 Trailer!

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Iron Man 3 hits theaters May 3, 2013!

Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Disclosure: I was provided the information to share with readers and received no compensation. I will share anything that I think my readers will love as much as I do.

Why I'm Not Mad Miss La-Di-Da-Di has an "F" in P.E.

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 03:39:00 +0000

Miss La-Di-Da-Di told me she saw her report card today...all A's and B's except for P.E. in which she has an F. Yes, an F in P.E. Before you say, "How does someone get an F in P.E.?" I'll tell you a lot has to do with her P.E. teacher. ADD kids have to have things explained to them. They don't always get it the first time, but if you give them encouragement, and don't mind explaining it again, they tend to do well. If you embarrass or put down a child with ADD in front of their peers, that's the quickest way to make sure they don't try. I have sent a note to this P.E. teacher midway through the year, but Miss La-Di-Da-Di just says that he barely glanced at it, and then put it away. I also gave copies of information for teachers, from Miss La-Di-Da-Di's doctor in regards to how it's best to work with those with ADD. One was for the P.E. teacher. I'm pretty sure he ignored it. I can tell, because her teacher, and the teacher she has for two other subjects, gave her praise or direction, if needed, the right way. I'm not going to say the F in P.E. is all his fault either, because Miss La-Di-Da-Di is taking some responsibility for it as well. She had anxiety attacks, while running in P.E., the first half of the year. I think this was from the medication she was on at the time. The fear of having an anxiety attack, caused her to refuse to run, and just walk, whenever they were required to run the mile. I'm sure she could have tried a lot harder. We've already talked about it, and she knows that next year, no matter what, she has to try to put her best effort into P.E., too, not just the other subjects.

Anyways, the reason I'm not mad is because 1. this is a girl who had straight D's last trimester 2. she's been adjusting to her ADD meds, and we finally got her to a good place (you can read about diagnosis and the decision here.) 3. she's really put a lot of effort into the subjects that really matter and 4. this is the first year where someone's cared enough to work with me on making sure she did well in school. She's come a long way, and I'm not going to stress over the P.E. grade. I don't, and neither does she, use her ADD as an excuse, but it does take a parent and teachers working together.

I know that kids should want to get good grades on their own, but our kids needed some motivation for whatever reason. My husband started rewarding the kids for their grades with money. This started last year. It's $10 for A's, $5 for B's, nothing for C's, minus $5 for D's, and here's where he's changed his story, it's now an F means no money at all whereas the first year, it was minus $10. So as it stands, the other two get some money, while Miss La-Di-Da-Di gets none. P.E. is not even used for activity restriction anymore. It once was in the past until they decided to do letter grades this year for 6th-8th grade (it's a K-8 school). The whole money thing hasn't really motivated any of our kids, so I don't know why he keeps on doing it. But I digress.

I know that F's shouldn't be rewarded, but there's no way I can NOT see rewarding Miss La-Di-Da-Di in some way considering how far she's come these last eight years. She's had to deal with some really nasty teachers last year who constantly embarrassed or put her down in front of classmates. It got to the point where she felt like she was dumb and didn't think there was any point in trying if she was as dumb as they made her feel. I feel pretty proud of my daughter, because I know she put everything she had into getting her D's to B's and A's in the main subjects. I know how proud she is of herself for it, too, and I'm not going to let this F in P.E. take away from those accomplishments.

UPDATE: Hubs says that he's the F is canceling out one of the A's. Miss La-Di-Da-Di gets the most money out of the three kids. F's are going to void all monies starting next year. I'm just glad Miss La-Di did as well as she did. You can tell the progress from one trimester to the next. :)

Welch's Filled Licorice Review and Mike and Ike Have Split Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:42:00 +0000

I have two sweet treats to tell you about today. The first is Welch's Filled Licorice. When I was younger, I always remember having Welch's jelly in our house. Grape was always my favorite, but now I'm a big fan of strawberry, too. So when I got the chance to try and review Welch's Filled Licorice, I was all for it. I'm normally not a big fan of licorice, but after trying Welch's Filled Licorice, I think I'm a convert. The filling is made with real fruit juice and gives the licorice extra flavor. This would be a great family movie night snack. It comes in two flavors: Strawberry and Concord Grape.

Welch’s Filled Licorice combines a soft licorice outside with a flavorful filling inside. The unique jelly filling is made with real fruit juice and fruit pectin to deliver real fruit flavors. This new one-of-a-kind licorice treat is a blend of soft and chewy textures with a bold, real fruit filling.

The second bit of sweet-treat news is that Mike and Ike have split. Can you believe that? They want to know your reaction to the split. Your entry could win an Apple iPod Touch and other Mike and Ike prizes.

It’s True - Famous Candy Icons

Mike and Ike Have Split

Enter the “Tell Us Your Reaction” contest to win an Apple iPod Touch and other MIKE AND IKE® Prizes

Contest Deadline June 26^th 2012

Bethlehem, PA (April, 2012) – Just Born, Inc., makers of MIKE AND IKE®, PEEPS®, HOT TAMALES® and GOLDENBERG’S PEANUT CHEWS® Brand candies, confirms rumors that the legendary candy duo, Mike and Ike, have parted ways. The pair cited irreconcilable creative differences, which has been confirmed by statements from each party suggesting that Mike and Ike will stop collaborating on their famous fruit chewy candies.

The news of split has caused people to be overcome with disbelief. Therefore, the company has launched the “Tell Us Your Reaction”contest to run from now through June 26^th, 2012.

Entrants must create and submit a video that demonstrates their reaction to the MIKE AND IKE® split. This could show surprise, sadness, disbelief, happiness or whatever emotional reaction the news of the MIKE AND IKE® split evokes. The reaction video should have a maximum running time of 90 seconds.

One first prize winner will received an Apple iPod Touch and a MIKE AND IKE® t-shirt. Four second prize winners will each receive an Apple iPod Shuffle and a MIKE AND IKE® t-shirt. Fifteen third prize winners will each receive a case of MIKE AND IKE® candy and a MIKE ANDIKE® t-shirt.

To enter:

Entrants will need to fill out an entry form found on the MIKE AND IKE® facebook page under “The Story”, at www.facebook.com/mikeandike, which will ask them to provide their reaction video.

Judging is based on the following criteria:

· Overall presentation: the video spot should be well-organized and the key message clearly conveyed throughout the length of the video

· Social Engagement: the entry must portray an engaging emotional reaction to the news of the MIKE AND IKE® split

· Creativity: the entry should take a unique approach to the video concept that is interesting, appealing and attention-getting

· Use of MIKE AND IKE®: if possible, the video should incorporate the use of MIKE AND IKE® products

· Convincing Story: the entrant should clearly demonstrate their reaction to the split

Want to win some sweet treats of your own? One Ciara's Ramblings and Whatnot reader will win Mike and Ike candy and Welch's Filled Licorice. Entering is easy and only requires one mandatory entry.

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Disclosure: I was given one box of Mike and Ike candy and two packages of Welch's Filled Licorice for review. The opinions expressed above are my own and are in no way influenced by receiving said products. I was not further compensated.

Miss La-Di-Da-Di, Look How Far You've Come

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:03:00 +0000

Tonight is Miss La-Di-Da-Di's spring music concert. This is a bit bittersweet, because tonight will also be the last performance under her current music teacher. He has resigned his teaching job, because his wife is about to have a baby, and like most people, can't afford daycare. Luckily, he has another job teaching private lessons, but the kids have already told him they are going to miss him. He has told his students that he will miss them. And I know he means it...especially when my daughter tells me how he had tears in his eyes when he was talking to them. She said she had tears of her own. Heck, I had tears just listening to the story.

It should be a good night. These types of things are always enjoyable to me. There's one thing that's going to be extra special about tonight. Miss La-Di-Da-Di has a solo in the Disney Dazzle medley. She gets to sing Part of Your World. This was the first year that she had felt confident enough to try out for a solo. Last year, she let her sister have the spotlight when Mini-Me had a solo in Seasons of Love from Rent for the spring concert and 8th grade graduation. It was also at Miss La-Di-Da-Di's suggestion that Part of Your World be a solo, as the teacher had not decided to make it one as of yet. The solo was coveted by most of the girls in the choir. Thirteen of them tried out. Miss La-Di-Da-Di's teacher had not realized how well she could sing, and when she was auditioning, the music teacher and the other teacher, he had helping him choose, had smiles on their faces. Her music teacher told her personally that he did not know she could sing as well as she did. I guess that's what happens in choir when voices are just blending. :)

Singing is Miss La-Di-Da-Di's passion. She will sing almost anything almost anywhere. Sometimes I have to ask her to stop. Having this solo has given her confidence in herself this year, when she's had it a bit rough the last year and half. You see, she was diagnosed with ADD last summer.

Her teachers from last year always embarrassed her in class and made her feel stupid. When that happens, she just doesn't bother with putting forth the effort in her school work or anything else. We started off with no medication, but that didn't go too well, so she was started on generic Concerta. This helped her initially, but then some of her forgetfulness and tiredness came back. So the doctor switched her to generic Adderrall. What an improvement since the medication switch...not only can she focus better, but she says it helps her from being tired. I'm not going to give the medication all the credit though. Miss La-Di-Da-Di was determined to show that she's smart and can do things when she wants to. There are three trimesters at her school: the first, she did okay, the second, was not so good, but the third, she has really been making sure she completes all her homework, remembers to bring it all home and return it as well, participates in class, and she has been doing well on all her tests. She has showed such an improvement over the year that tomorrow she will be receiving Most Improved Student of the Year award from her teacher. She doesn't know it yet, but her teacher emailed me yesterday to tell me and to see if I could make it to the awards ceremony. I emailed her back right away and said, "Yes!"

I also want to say something about Miss La-Di-Da-Di's teacher, Mrs. C. Most of the credit goes to Miss La-Di-Da-Di, but without Mrs. C. working with me every step of the way, answering my never-ending emails, trying to find the best ways for Miss La-Di to learn, even accepting the information that the doctor had given me on how teachers should instruct those with ADHD/ADD, Mrs. C. giving her positive reinforcement, all of Miss La-Di-Da-Di's determination to succeed might not have happened.

She does have another teacher for a couple of subjects that is one that likes to embarrass the ADHD/ADD kids, and sometimes those without as well, but she has battled that and has come out on the other end. Her grades went from mostly D's to A's, B's, and maybe a C or two.

Sometimes I still have my struggles with Miss La-Di's attitude, her telling me that I'm a bad mother (something that it seems that kids with depression and/or ADHD/ADD seem to do) and her irritability, but I'm very proud of how far she has come this year. Her determination to prove that she's as smart, if not smarter, than some, her fantastic artistic and writing abilities (which she's had for a long time), and just showing that she's capable of doing whatever she puts her mind to, impresses me everyday.

The Stars are My Night Light: Miss La-Di-Da-Di's Song

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:08:00 +0000

looking at the blue evening sky peering through the clouds knowing there's a

star lit universe above us , it's where i wanna go now
and yes , i am afraid of the dark
but i know if i go away
the stars will be my night light, my night light
and as my shadow fades away
the world that i know turns to gray
a star lit universe
you brought me down
and now i want to go high , join the angels in the sky
locked in the bathroom with these thoughts in my head
knowing you'd dance on my grave if i were dead
all the things you put me through
now i am doing this for you
soon enough i will sleep
and you wont have to deal with me
slowly i will drift away
silently i will make my apology
for being an imperfect me
oh , and yes, i am afraid of the dark
but when i go away
the stars will be my night light
now it's time for me to go ... goodbye...

©Miss La-Di-Da-Di Music 2012

Thank You, Davy Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000

When I was younger, I used to love watching The Monkees. Now that I'm older, my crush would be Mike Nesmith, but I'll never forget the person who made me fall in love with this show in the first place. He was my first Monkees crush, as I'm sure he was to a lot of girls and women. He was Davy Jones. I loved his British accent, the way he sang the songs, and his little dance he did along with the tambourine playing.

Davy Jones, I'll never forget the joy you brought to a young girl, and even now, that that little girl has grown up. I have my Monkees CD that I like to play now and again, it always takes me back. Thanks for the memories, being my crush, and the voice. R.I.P. Davy Jones

Here's one of my favorite The Monkees song. It was written by Neil Diamond (as was Daydream Believer).

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Here's a gem to start your morning: last night hubs & watched Cowboy & Aliens. He says, 'That guy has a good James Bond accent,' referring to Daniel Craig. I look at him like, 'Really, are you stupid?' Then I say, 'seriously?' He's smiling. I say, 'Are you f*cking w me?' He says that he isn't while slightly smiling and laughing a little. I said, 'You're f*cking w me, aren't you?' He still says that he isn't. I said that Daniel Craig is British, and right now he has an american accent. I don't know...I still say he was f*cking w me. Oh, yes, I said the f word a lot of times :/ lol

Here's another little lovely gem: hubs tells me last night he lets Showboat drive home from Stockton after a dr.'s appt. As they near the freeway interchange they need, hubs tells him that he has to get over. So as he's nearing the interchange, he doesn't get over, he keeps going straight. Hubs lets him keep driving and says that he asked Showboat why didn't he get over. His reply: 'Dad, are you stupid? Tracy, that way (pointing straight), San Francisco, that way (pointing to where they needed to go).' Where do they end up? In the boonies of the city we pass through to get to where we live, nowhere near where they need to be (he was getting dropped off at his gf's house who lives in this city). This made them take a little longer to get to their destination. He told hubs, a bit upset, "Why didn't you tell me?" Hubs told him, "I did." But in his quest to be right, Showboat claims that his dad didn't. Guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, eh? By the way, did I mention Showboat got his driver's license last week? ;)

Project 365-Day Five: It's Not Easy Being Green

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:13:00 +0000

Project 365-Day Five: It's Not Easy Being Green, a photo by simplyciaraphotos on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Found this old metal flower pin...I love the retro green color and the way the color is peeling on some parts. When I first saw this pin, in the grab bag of old/vintage jewelry, I thought it was ugly. Now I can see its beauty.

Project 365: Day 4, January 4, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Project 365: Day 4, January 4, 2012, a photo by simplyciaraphotos on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Seems like I'm almost on the point of failure with these Project 365 photos, because I've been waiting until the very last hour of the day to come up with something. Here I am taking a picture of me taking a picture of myself with my webcam. Not very original, I know, but not bad for last minute. Maybe I'll venture outside sometime this weekend. I haven't been out very much at all this week.

I won't bore you with the actual webcam pic. You can always see that on Flickr. Besides, who wants to see my ugly mug on here twice :p~

Project 365-Day 3: My New Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:51:00 +0000

My New Baby, a photo by simplyciaraphotos on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Pardon her dust...nothing a little TLC won't cure, right?

Shutterfly Holiday Cards Review & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Pam J.) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:39:00 +0000

If you're like me, you were a bit of a procrastinator and didn't get your Christmas cards made in time for the holidays. Then I saw Shutterfly's New Year's cards. It was an 'a-ha' moment, because I could still send out cards to family and not worry about getting them getting there late.

I have used Shutterfly before when I ordered a photo book, so I know my holiday card will come out great. I chose the "Peace in 2012" card that had a spot for only one photo, but there are several styles that have two or more places for additional photos. I edited my photo with cross-process action to make it looked a little more aged. I ordered it just before New Year's day, so I don't have it to post. I will share it when I receive it, because I LOVE it.

One of the cards I liked with the option for more photos was the "Year in Pictures" New Year's card. You can place one photo for every month of the year. I think those are best with those who have babies or toddlers, because you can see how they've grown in just a year.

With Shutterfly, it's easy to create a holiday card. Simply choose your photo, upload it to Shutterfly, and drag into the card template.

More benefits you’ll enjoy only at Shutterfly:

Free online photo storage: Shutterfly has never deleted a photo.
Free online photo sharing: Your friends and family can view pictures you want to share without having to log in or sign up. They just click on a link in your email and instantly view a slideshow of your newest memories.
Express Uploader: Shutterfly Express Uploader is a free, easy-to-use software application that quickly uploads your photos straight from your desktop. You can also view and edit your pictures before uploading them.
Photo borders: Enhance your prints for free with more than 400 colorful, festive and seasonal borders that range from new baby to birthday, wedding to so much more. You can even add personalized captions.
Back-of-print messaging: Every photo you order from Shutterfly can be personalized for free with a short message on the reverse side. This ensures that you and future generations will always remember the who, what and where of special times.

Want to know how you can make the most of family photos, check out Shutterfly's Family Photo Days.

One of my readers will have a chance to win a set of 15-5x7 Shutterflyholiday cards.
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Disclaimer: This review was done as part of the Family Review Netowrk and Shutterfly. I received a complimentary set of 15-5x7 holiday cards in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not further compensated.