CrAzY Working Mom

Scrooged in 3D

2009-11-07T23:35:00.000-06:00

Shelby and I went to the IMAX theater to see Disney's A Christmas Carol in 3D. We took pictures in our awesome 3D glasses where Shelby declared me "Geek of the week" in mine. I'm certain that is not a good thing. I know that all of you are on the edge of your seats while reading this waiting on my review of the movie. For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook you have already gotten insight about the movie and my strong opinion of it. For those of you who haven't, here goes...

We all know that my family and I are huge Disney fans. I have been collecting Disney movies long before my children were even thought of. This movie was not your typical Disney movie. We've seen Mickey's portrayal of Marley in Mickey's Christmas Carol, as I'm sure you have. This movie is quite the opposite. It's a very dark and drab movie. Don't get me wrong, the special effects are out of this world!!! The snow fall seemed to be falling right on the tip of your nose as you looked through those very "geek of the weekish" 3D glasses. At one point I was cupping my hands in front of me as to catch the snow when I was informed by my 6 year old that the snow would melt as soon as it hit my hand, so there was no need. The movie begins with the death of Scrooge's business partner, Marley who later visits Scrooge as a ghost to inform him that he will be haunted by three ghosts. At one point, Marley's chin becomes unattached from his face leaving his mouth wide open. This was the time when Shelby informed me that she couldn't see (there was no one in front of her) and she needed to sit in my lap. I knew immediately that she was scared. After all, it creeped me out a bit. He was trying to hold his chin up with his hand so that he could talk, and it became a bit comical for a lot of adults in the audience but I heard several other children telling their mothers that they were scared.

Shortly after the visit from the first ghost, the next ghost who happened to be the ghost of Christmas' past came for his visit. This one was but a flame with a gown on who flew him around. This point in the movie contained some of the best 3D special effects when they flew over the town, but this ghost was a bit odd and sort of resembled the leprechaun from Lucky Charms. He only spoke in a whisper. He looked the most like Jim Carey than any other character in the movie (short of the young Ebeneezer) and he was just, well weird. There was a cool scene when Ebeneezer tried to extinguish him and it causes him to sail up into the air like a rocket on a candle snuffer. He flies up in front of the moon similar to the scene in E.T. The whole theater laughed at this one, myself included.

In the visit from the Ghost of Christmas Present, one of the scariest scenes occurred. But, let me start out by saying that the laugh was really over the top. He laughed throughout most of his screen time and it was incessantly annoying. More cool special effects were brought to life when the floor of the house disappeared as they traveled over the city which made for a pretty cool feel in those 3D glasses. It felt like you were actually in the house with the two characters. Of course at this point in the movie, Ebeneezer finds out that if he continues down the path that he's been leading it will lead to the demise of little Timmy, Cratchett's son. We begin to see ole Scrooge's heart warm during these scenes and the tone of the movie starts to take a turn upward, but not much! Once the Ghost of Christmas Present finishes his presentation to Scrooge, he begins to disappear (which is also a very gruesome and graphic scene). But, not before we see a hand sticking out from under his long coat. It is then that we are introduced to two characters who were a total scare factor. Shelby and I both were a bit skiddish at this point in the movie. I won't go into details too much as to ruin the effect for those of you who might want to see this one. But, suffice it to say that it's just creepy!!!

The ghost of Christmas Future is none other than the Grim Reaper himself. We never see his face, only a long robe and bony fingers. His presence is known when Ebeneezer sees two black horses with red eyes pulling a carriage. They begin as a shadow on the wall and emerge from the shadows to scare the crap out of you. Yes, I admit that I jumped! This ensues a chase scene that seemed to last forever. Once again, more awesome special effects and at one point, Scrooge shrinks down smaller than a mouse. He sees his own dead body and more sadness and dreary scenes take place. He is called an ass by his nephew and forsees the future of the Cratchett family. At this point he begs the final ghost to get him back to his bed and promises that he is a changed man.

In the end, of course he is changed and the movie ends on a happy note, with the famous, "God Bless us, Everyone" line by Timmy but it takes a lot of darkness and death to get there. It's just not a movie that I would take my kids to see. Parents, take heed the warning on the trailer that this movie "may not" be suitable for younger viewers. I will agree, this movie is NOT suitable for younger viewers! If had seen the movie prior to taking my 6 year old, we would have waited for the next bit 3D release, maybe Alice in Wonderland?

If you have seen it, let me know what you thought of it. If not, has this review helped you to decide?

Looking at the Sky on Friday

2009-11-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

More puffy clouds from my visit to Memphis with my best friend, Becca. The skies here have been beautiful all week, but I've been so busy enjoying some outdoor time with the kids that the poor Canon has been locked inside it's carrying case all week. It has been so nice to not have to worry about trying to find health or life insurance for my family (don't EVEN get me started on this!!!) and just enjoy some time with my two kiddos outdoors. The rain that we had for most of October gave us cabin fever in a bad way. We are trying to make up for lost time!!! How has your weather been this week?! More importantly, how have your skies looked? I can't wait to see them!!! Happy LATSOF, friends!

Chocolates and Concussions

2009-11-05T22:15:00.002-06:00

It's been a pretty easy week for us. The weather has been beautiful. It's so nice to not have rain in the forecast. It's been unseasonably warm so the kiddos have spent the afternoons in the yard raking the leaves up high and jumping inside. It's been nice that hubby and I could take time away from our netbooks and enjoy some time with the kiddos. Of course we still have mounds of Halloween candy from last weekend's trick-or-treating take, as evident on little Emily's face:

Today, I was in the laundry room which has two steps down from the house. Usually Emily will come to the door and I will help her down. She had been playing with the other two kids and must have heard me open the door so she came to the door and about the time I saw her and began to walk her way, I saw her tumble out the doorway, down the brick steps and on to the concrete floor!!! Oh, I was terrified. She began to scream and I scooped her up into my arms and ran inside with her checking her for blood. All of her teeth were in tact. She didn't have any bones sticking out, and her head still looked symmetrical. I was still worried sick thinking that she might have some sort of concussion or hidden fracture. She didn't cry much, but you can definitely tell that she got into a fight with the concrete and the concrete won. She posed for me so that I could get this shot:

I am so glad that we did family pictures LAST weekend. My poor little baby girl...she is fine I suppose. She was back up and playing within minutes of her injury. Of course I feel horrible about it. I wonder if the eye will end up black. I hope not.

Dona Nobis Pacem

2009-11-05T09:25:00.000-06:00

Family Portraits

2009-11-04T21:46:00.007-06:00

On Sunday we spent the afternoon with Tyler's pre-school teacher who also happens to be an amazing photographer. She was very patient and gave us her undivided attention for 4 hours. She gave us over 300 images to choose from. These are just a few of my favorites.

Ruby Tuesday

2009-11-03T09:03:00.000-06:00

I took this photo in Memphis. I thought that the red trolley would make an awesome shot for Ruby Tuesday. I had a close up shot and then realized that it was stopped behind a red light, so I moved my focus out to the traffic lights and got two red stop lights, a red trolley car, the red recycle bin to the bottom left of the photo as well as the Orpheum sigh that seems a bit more orange in this photo than I thought it was when I snapped the shot. To see more RED photos, visit Mary by clicking the graphic below.

Breakfast Time - Snickers, Butterfinger, or Milky Way?!

2009-11-01T07:57:00.000-06:00

The kids had a wonderful night trick or treating. Since Emily was only a month old last Halloween she didn't do much trick or treating. We got her out at a few houses of people we knew, but for the most part she was just along for the ride and she did a lot of sleeping. This year was quite the opposite! She was eager to be out and about. She was almost asleep at one point so we left her in the van with Brien's parents who were chauffeuring us around the neighborhood. She screamed the entire time. Somewhere along the way I must've snapped this picture of her. I don't remember getting it, but I think this photo right here sums up the whole night! Look at the excitement in her eyes. This is the face of a happy girl. She enjoyed herself and thought it was so cool that we got to go to all of these people's houses and get candy in a bucket. The funny part was that when we went to the porches, she would sit down and put her bucket in between her legs. She was waiting paitiently for her sugary treat. After they placed it in her bucket she would peer over the top to see what she'd received. It was the cutest thing ever. Of course the older two had a wonderful time. They did the usual, fighting over who was going to ring the doorbell, running to the houses and then arguing over who got there first, etc. You know, typical brother and sister stuff. Tyler had a melt down at one point and had to sit with Dad in the van for a bit, but finally calmed down and joined back in on the fun. I think this might have had something to do with the fact that he did not have a nap. The girls did and they were fine. Tyler, on the other hand was just too excited!

It seemed that there were less and less trick or treaters out and about and less porch lights on as well. I suppose that we live in different times now and it's dangerous to be going door to door collecting candy from strangers. I did it as a kid and I can't imagine doing anything else with my children on Halloween night. They have so much fun. We always go to neighborhoods that we know and are familiar with. But, I guess you just never know. It's sad to think that in the near future trick or treating might just be a thing of the past! What a shame. But for now, I'm reveling in the fun we had on Halloween night 2009. I leave you with a few (of the 82) photos that we snapped along the way. If you'd like to see more, you can click this link to take you to my Facebook page where I have uploaded them.

We loved the "self-serve" candy bowls! Don't worry...we left a few. *wink*

Emily sitting down, waiting for an answer at the door.

Posing with the kiddos by this HUGE pumpkin!

The loot!

Now, I must find some weight loss pills since I'm having candy for breakfast. Snickers with coffee, YUM!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T05:13:00.005-05:00

From our family to yours, we wish you a Happy Halloween! We will be trick-or-treating tonight, hoping the weather is good. Tyler will be Bumblebee, the transformer. Emily and Shelby are both bats of some sort. Emiy has a purple/silver costume while Shelby's is pink/black. Being as Emily does NOT like long sleeves in the least bit, she's not a big fan of her costume. We are looking forward to some Halloween fun full of lots of treats and hopefully no tricks! Sunday, we're having family pictures taken. I am SO excited. :) It'll be our first family picture since Tyler was only four months old! Hopefully the kids and the weather will be cooperative! We might even drag Oscar the wiener dog along provided we bring some pet supplements and treats to keep him happy.

Looking at the Sky on Friday

2009-10-29T18:00:00.007-05:00

This was the view of the sky last week at the Memphis River Arts Festival. I spent the weekend there with my best friend of twenty years. We had an amazing time and the weather in Memphis was beautiful. We couldn't have asked for a better time. I am so fortunate to have an awesome friend to spend time with and a caring husband who trusts us enough to unleash me for a weekend.Civil Right's Museum. We did not visit the We did hang out on Beale Street, visited a Haunted house, and as I mentioned before visited the Memphis River Arts Festival. All in all it was an awesome weekend. I was glad to be able to take advantage of the beautiful day with my camera and snap some wonderful sky shots! I think that time and money permitting I would love to make this October trip an annual vacation for the two of us. Maybe next year we can plan one of those orlando vacations. So, what did you do last weekend? I'm looking forward to seeing some of your skies today since the rest of the week it's going to be bleak and dreary here. To find out why Looking at the Sky on Friday was created, click here and here.For more information on LATSOF, click the graphic above.

Happy Friday, my friends!

Now Available on Disney DVD

2009-10-28T22:32:00.001-05:00

We are a big fan of the faries in our house. Shelby's last birthday party was Tinker Bell themed! When we heard that Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure was coming to DVD Tuesday, October 27 we knew that we would be getting this one! This DVD did not disappoint. There are new characters introduced in this film. One of the great things about this movie and most Disney movies is that they all tell a great story with a wonderful underlying message! This story tells a beautiful message of friendship and love. Before the fairies can bring autumn to the mainland, they must restore the moonstone. This year, The Tinkers' get to make autumn happen and restore the Pixie Dust Tree. Tinker Bell is is the lucky one to replace the scepter. Terence is a bit annoying and noisy and a little too helpful. The precious moonstone gets broken and she goes on a quest with Terence ( voiced by Jesse McCartney) and her new friend Blaze to find the magic mirror which grants you three wishes. Bonus Features include: Fairy Bloopers: Fairies Make Mistakes Too, Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow: Explore the magical Guide Ths Time in the Autumn Area of Pixie Hollow, Pixie Preview: Exclusive Animated Vignette featuring Tink and her friends, Deleted scenes with filmmaker intros, Pixie Hollow comes to Florida: Discover how the filmmakers help transform Epcot Center into Pixie HollowThis one should be at the top of your to buy list. If you need more information on where to buy, you can always click over to the Disney site. The box art will take you there. For more information on other Disney releases including upcoming releases click here.
* I received a review copy of this DVD in exchange for my opinion of the movie. No other form of compensation has been received and the opinions stated above are my own. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Emily's First Love

2009-10-28T08:42:00.000-05:00

My 104th Wednesday Previously Speechless ~ More WW

Carving up some fun!

2009-10-26T05:51:00.005-05:00

It was a beautiful day on Sunday! The weather was perfect for carving some pumpkins. Since I had an extra hand with my best friend Becca who will fly back to Baltimore tomorrow I decided to take advantage! We had two large pumpkins that we were going to carve up and three small ones that the kids could put the tattoo faces and use the plastic Mr Potato head like parts that we bought last year. Brien and Tyler teamed up and chose a skull head type stencil. Becca helped Shelby make a pumpkin with a kitty cat face.

The kids had a wonderful time. Oscar, the weiner dog looked on hoping for a treat. It seemed as though he thought that the pumpkin was some type of pet supplements because he kept his distance. I took the opportunity to snap some photos to capture those memories in time! Thanks to Becca for also getting some shots of me with the children. Here are a few of the photos of the pumpkin carving fun. You can find more on my Facebook page located here.

Shelby emptying out her pumpkin so Becca could carve.

Tyler and Brien emptying out their pumpkin.

Emily snatched a sharpie while no one was looking!

Tyler's finished tattooed pumpkin.

Emily's finished tattooed pumpkin.

Shelby making the same face as her pumpkin.

Shelby and Becca's finished black cat pumpkin.

Tyler and Brien's skull head with a spiderweb brain.

A Special Occasion Calls for Great Fun!

2009-10-25T09:27:00.000-05:00

I have been best friends with this chickadee for 20 years! TWENTY years she has been by my side through some of the most important moments in my life. I am so happy to have a friend like Becca. This weekend we took the opportunity to spend some time with just the two of us in the heart of Memphis. We were lucky enough to get to enjoy the River Arts Festival. Exhibitors brought their work and displayed some of the most beautiful and creative things that I have ever seen. There was some great music and belly dancing as well. We had dinner at the "world famous" Rendezvous. We had a long wait, but the food was worth it and the company was fun during the wait. We danced at Coyote Ugly and had some yummy daiquiris at Wet Willies.

All in all we had an unforgettable weekend. I am so fortunate that I have an awesome best friend to hang with and a special husband who doesn't mind unleashing his crazy wife on the town. I am such a lucky girl. Thanks to Becca for staying my friend for twenty years. I look forward to the next twenty, girlie...wrinkle cream and all!!!

♥

Looking at the Sky on Friday

2009-10-22T17:59:00.000-05:00

I loved all of the cloud formations going on in this photo! This sky was stunning. The sky was so brightly blue colored under all of those cloud formations. I enjoyed watching it swirl around and change right before my eyes. To find out why Looking at the Sky on Friday was created, click here and here.For more information on LATSOF, click the graphic above. Thanks to you all for your participation. Don't forget to sign McLinky and leave a comment to let me know you were here!

What do I Brush?

2009-10-22T09:56:00.000-05:00

It is so entertaining to watch little Emily (age 13 months) with her big brother, Tyler (age 4) and Shelby (age 6). She wants to do everything they do. Tonight they were brushing their teeth. We only have two step stools in the bathroom. She was first upset that she did not have a stool. Shelby offered up her stool since she is tall enough to make due without one. Then Emily was given a toothbrush and she brushed her teeth...well, sort of. She did have the brush in her mouth at one time before she moved on to her hair.

She is also talking a lot more now. She will point to things and say, "What's That?". She also loves to say "Bye-Bye", "No-No", "Night-Night". It seems as though she picks up more and more each day. In no time she'll be choosing a Medicare supplement plan. I think that her being in day care is making her personality really shine as well. She is just too funny. She was singing itsy bitsy spider yesterday while we were waiting at the doctor's office. She was quite the trooper as she had to have an in/out catheter procedure done to collect some urine as well as blood drawn out of her teeny tiny arms. The staff at the doctor's office are all so great and treated her with the utmost care and respect for myself and my mother-in-law who was of course by my side. Emily has been really sick for the last week. She has been sick at her little tummy. She has eaten very lightly and what little bit she does eat she vomits up shortly there after. The doc tested for urinary/kidney infections, strep throat, and pneumonia. Once those three were ruled out he determined that she must have had a stomach bug that has left her with ulcer-like symptoms. She was not dehydrated. That was my main concern since she was not drinking very much and what little she was did not stay in her body for very long. She seems to be feeling better now. She's still not in tip-top shape but she's doing much better than she was. It was so good to see her playing with her siblings tonight, and back to her silly self!

Ever Feel Like This?!?!

2009-10-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day, my friends!

Ruby Tuesday - Ride Day

2009-10-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we took the kids to the county fair on "armband day". We purchased an arm band ($15 each) and were able to ride all of the rides we wanted as many times as we wanted. The kids had a wonderful time and I LOVE to ride the rides, so it's fun for me to have them at an age where they can ride with us. Tyler and I had a fun time riding rides together. Shelby rode with my niece and sister on most of the rides. My little guy loves the big rides. He refused to ride the kiddie rides. He's such a thrill seeker. Even when he first began to walk, he would hang from ceiling fans and candle sconces at the house to get airborne. Okay, well maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, but he did (and still does) LOVE to climb. Unfortunately, his baby sister seems to be following in the same steps as her brother. *sigh* As evident in the photo above, he does love to stick out his tongue. No amount of threatening can break this habit. It seems to just be second nature to him. Must have something to do with the "snakes and snails and puppy dog tails" theory.

To check out more Ruby Tuesday photos, click the graphic below. Thanks to Mary for hosting such an awesome meme!

Just Say No To Spam!

2009-10-19T06:17:00.000-05:00

It seems that as of late I've been getting a lot of spam. Not the oooey-gooey meat like substance in a can, but those annoying comments left by idiots. It's something that I've never had to worry much with. Of course I'd get the occasional comment here or there but it has not been much of a problem. The trouble is that these spammers do leave comments. Sometimes they even go to extremes to make the comment relevant to the post. But, the one I got yesterday topped the cake. The post below titled Time for Mom To Let Her Hair Down was a post about an upcoming trip I am taking with my best friend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our friendship. It had absolutely nothing to do with the length of my hair. THIS comment was left by a spammer:

"Long hair is better! I love long hairt instead of short hair ! "

Obviously the comment was deleted. Not because of the fact that it had no relevance to the post, but simply because it was spam. To future spammers, if you want to send me an e-mail we can talk about getting a link to your company on this site the proper way, but spamming my comment section is not tolerated and it completely uncool. Obviously I don't like to sift through these sort of comments like searching for diamonds in the middle of a diamond field, but in order to maintain the quality and integrity of the comments left by those who actually read the posts, I will do whatever it takes.

So, how about you? Are you getting annoying spam comments as well?

Camera Critters

2009-10-18T00:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, the kids and I attended a birthday party. We had a great time. My sister and her husband actually hosted a sleep over for a total of 11 children complete with weenie and marshmallow roast. Three girls 8 boys ranging in ages from 4 to 11. They are brave souls but the kids had a wonderful time. They have not stopped talking about it. By today they might be looking for orlando vacation homes to find their sanity. Luckily my sister and her husband recently built a large log home so the kids had lots of room to play and have fun. They also have plenty of room out doors for the many animals they house such as ponies, cows, chickens, rabbits, and this turkey who has a rather serious anger issue. Apparently he doesn't like to be photographed because when I pulled out the camera he got his feathers in a ruffle and began to yell obscenities at me. Well, okay maybe he wasn't yelling obscenities, but he was making some awfully loud gobbling noises directed at me. Thankfully there was a fence between he and I. Next month when it comes time to carve up a turkey, I might be paying him another visit, that little bugger!

My mother-in-law made the cake you see pictured. It is a three tiered waterfall cake complete with wild horses and even ducks swimming in the falls She is an amazing talent. She has had no formal training other than the many cakes she's made over the years for weddings and birthdays for family and close friends. We've tried to get her to branch out and go into business for herself, but she refuses. I am proud to have her around because she makes all of the cakes for my children's birthdays. She has full creative controll when it comes to the cakes. We pick out a theme and she just works her magic!

Do Flu Shots Cause The Flu?!

2009-10-17T06:12:00.005-05:00

All three of my children were given a vaccination for the seasonal flu on Wednesday. Emily, who is 13 months old had to take a shot. She handled it like a champ. She did a bit of crying, but overall she wasn't too upset with the whole ordeal once she was back in her mommy's arms. Tyler (age 4) and Shelby (age 6) were able to take the nasal mist. Shelby volunteered to go first and I informed her that the "first" one gets an extra scoop of ice cream, which to a six year old is better than diamonds. She was very excited and stepped right up to the nurse, sniffed it right in and we were ready to move on to the next child. Unfortunately, the next child was Tyler and he was NOT ready to be moved on to. He began to kick and scream so we moved on to Emily who was also beginning to get upset because her big brother was so upset. Thank goodness my wonderful in-laws met me there. Memaw held Emily while the nurse injected her as Papaw and I tried to convince Tyler that the nasal mist was a great alternative to the shot. To convince him that he should choose the mist, we informed him that we could not MAKE him take the mist but we could the shot. We could hold him down like we did baby sister. He perked up a bit as well when he was reminded that the local ice cream shop was about to close and we needed to get over there if we were going to get our ice cream treat. Finally he sucked it up and "took it like a man".

We were off to the ice cream shop where Shelby had a dish of vanilla with chocolate syrup. Tyler had a cone of vanilla while Emily and I shared a nutter butter (vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and nutter butter cookies mixed in). We all shared our cool treats and between the four of us we were unable to finish off the sweet goodness, although Emily enjoyed the remainder of Tyler's ice cream cone and made quite a mess of it!

Fast forward to Thursday morning. Emily woke up and acted very lethargic. She was not acting like herself, but I took her on to daycare anyway and informed her teacher that she seemed to be feeling bad again. She ran fever on Monday, but had been fine since. I did inform the nurse of that on Monday she had been sick but was fine since. She assured me that she was fine to get the shot. I had to return home after dropping the kids off at school and daycare because I left my cell phone there. When I reached the house, I grabbed the phone and headed back out. I had two missed calls from the daycare. I returned the call where her teacher told me that she was running a slight temp. It was 100°. I was a bit concerned at this point wondering if the flu shot was making her sick. After alerting my Facebook friends and calling my Mother-In-Law, I was quickly reassured that it was normal to run a slight temp and actually show some mild flu-like symptoms after getting a shot. I called her pediatrician and he was out of the office.

Within 30 minutes, I recieved another call from the daycare. The co-director called this time and explained that they had taken her temp with two different thermometers and it was now 103.1°. With her temperature rising that fast, we decided that she needed to be seen by a doctor immediately. I didn't call the office because I was still waiting on the nurses to call me back. I walked in and told them that she needed to see a doctor. I was shaking, and my voice was cracking because little Emily was almost life-less as I spoke to the receptionist. She was NOT being herself. The receptionist then asks, "Is she sick?". I ~~replied~~ thought... Ummm...no I just thought the doctor should look at her outfit, isn't it adorable?!?! Of course she's sick, you moron! But, I nervously replied, "Yes, she's sick." So, while waiting to see some other kid's pediatrician since ours is out of the office on Thursdays, my mother and father-in-law come over as well as my sister. They all knew the worried tone in my voice.

At this point, my mind was racing. I was thinking that she was probably already sick with the flu and now we've given her this shot and it will just speed things up. There is always the possibility of the Swine or H1N1, whichever you prefer to call it. I call it a constant worry when you have three children attending a germ-filled school and daycare! I tried to keep my cool and hide the fact that I was scared out of my mind, although I was later informed by my sister that she could see right through me. *LOL*

Upon examination by the pediatrician it was determined that the poor little angel had a double ear infection. While I hate that she has this infection, I was very relieved that it was just an ear infection and we can take antibiotics to treat it and drops to dull the pain. I am not sure about the flu shot. This is the first year we've taken them. Of course the H1N1 shot is not available and I am still up in the air on whether or not we will take it. What do YOU think? Do you and/or your children take a seasonal flu shot and will you take the H1N1 shot if it is available to you and/or your children?

Looking at the Fall Sky on Friday

2009-10-15T18:00:00.005-05:00

For information on Looking at the Sky on Friday, including graphics click here.

To find out why Looking at the Sky on Friday was created, click here and here.

A chill of autumn is in the air and I'm lovin' it!!!

Time for Mom to Let Her Hair Down!

2009-10-15T07:03:00.001-05:00

You might remember a while back, I posted about the upcoming twentieth anniversary of my best friend, Becca and myself. We were debating on a trip to meet up for the weekend and celebrate by spending some time with one another. Our destination has been decided. Becca will fly from her home in Baltimore, MD to Little Rock and spend the night with her Mom. We will meet up on Friday morning and travel to Memphis! We're super stoked about our trip. We'll be visiting the area during the RiverArtsFest so there should be plenty to do. I am looking forward to some time away. I love my kids and my husband is the best, but even the craziest of working moms need to pack up their Samsonite luggage, put on their big girl panties and hit the road with their best friend! So, who lives in or around the Memphis area? If you want to meet up while we're there, I'd love to have lunch or dinner with you (next weekend). Leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

Wordless Wednesday - Bubble Girl

2009-10-14T05:28:00.000-05:00

My 103rd Wednesday Previously Speechless ~ More WW

Ruby Tuesday

2009-10-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, our town hosted a "Get Down Down Town" Festival. There were lots of vendors selling everything from food: funnel cakes, giant corn dogs, polish sausages, freshly squeezed lemonade, and snow cones to hand made items, such as John Deere tractor replicas made from old metal sewing machines, purses, and much more. There was a rock climbing wall for the kids but most importantly in front of the court house, there was a stage set up where many great acts performed. There was some local talent like Haley Stevens. She's a young country music singer with a lot of talent. She opened up for a country music band that has been around for most of my life, Shenandoah. Back in the day, Brien and I used to go dancing at a local teen dance club. In fact, this is where we met. I remember dancing to great songs like, "If Bubba Can Dance", "Rock My Baby", "Janie Baker's Love Slave", and "Momma Knows", and my all time favorite, "I'll Go Down Lovin' You". What a great band. Listening to them brought back so many great memories. If you would have told me 15 years ago when I was a teenie bopper two-stepping and line dancing to their music that some day I would be sitting on court square with three kids in my lap singing along to their songs I would have told you that you were nuts and I'd most likely be single working one of those boring IT jobs! I am so happy with the way my life has turned out. I can't imagine things any other way. I married my sweet heart and we have three sweet hearts of our own to raise. I only hope that music can be as influential in their lives as it has been in mine.

To visit more Ruby Tuesday participants, click over and visit our wonderful meme hostess, Mary.

Hope Faith and Charlie - An Inspirational Story

2009-10-12T11:16:00.001-05:00

A mother knows when something is not right with her child. Deirdre, a 33 year old marketing agent, wife, and mother of two knew that her six month old son, Charlie was sick and not getting better. After bouts with a five week ear infection, RSV, and stomach bugs, suddenly Charlie became lethargic and seemed to tired and weak to even hold his little head up on his own. At this point, Deirdre knew deep down that something was wrong and she intended to get some answers, no matter what it took.

As she sat in a hospital waiting for her husband, a UPS delivery driver to arrive, a doctor delivered the most dreadful news imaginable. Her baby boy had a massive brain tumor so large in fact that the whole mass could not be seen on the ultra sound machine. Further testing would reveal that Charlie had a rare form of brain and spine cancer. He was given a 20% chance of survival.

Charlie was not aware of the grim prognosis given to his parents. Charlie was a fighter. So much of a fighter, in fact that he had to be tied to his bed not long after brain surgery because he was trying to climb out! Nobody told Charlie that he wasn’t supposed to live because that’s just what he did!

I could not hold back the tears as I read this emotional roller coaster of a book, Hope Faith and Charlie. As a mother of three, I was very sympathetic to the memoirs of this mother as well as the rest of the Capodanno family. As I read their story of the struggle to fight their baby boy’s cancer head on, while trying to maintain some sort of normalcy (is there such thing???) for their then 2 year old son, Jay I did a lot of crying and soul searching. This family fought this disease head on and their courage is more than inspiring!

You see, I carried this book with me to the hospital as I sat with my sister-in-law and her family while her 38 year old sister was having emergency surgery to stop massive bleeding caused by ovarian cancer. She had been diagnosed less than a year ago, took chemo and radiation and was on the road to recovery when she took a turn for the worse. As we prayed at her bedside I was comforted by the fact that little Charlie had survived Stage 4 cancer and he is a living miracle. I explained to the grief stricken family how Charlie had overcame the odds and that she had every reason in the world to fight it head on as Charlie did. She has a loving husband, a beautiful 12 year old daughter, and lots of family and friends who sat hours by her bedside waiting for the news that they had stopped the bleeding.

Miracles occur every day and I believe that the power of prayer is un-stoppable. I believe, as Deidre believes that Charlie has a purpose on this earth. He is not supposed to be alive, but he is! Charlie is a living miracle. Their story is proof that miracles do happen. We should never give up hope, for there is a plan for each and every one of us and we must always fight for our loved ones. Don’t stop believe and never accept just one opinion. Believe in the power of prayer, miracles, and never for one moment doubt that if the “chances of recovery are one in a million” that you can’t be that “one”.

I have been fortunate enough to correspond with the author of Hope, Faith, and Charlie. Deirdre Carey has been through more than any mother should ever experience. She has seen the graciousness of friends, family, and even strangers, witnessed a miracle, and has two beautiful sons that she loves dearly. This book really hit home for me. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I think that I was meant to pass along the word of Charlie’s miracle. Someone, somewhere that will come across this post was meant to find it here. That is why I am proud to be posting it. Hope, Faith and Charlie is available for purchase here. But, Deirdre has been gracious enough to give away to a reader a copy of this inspirational journey of one child’s courageous battle with cancer, his family’s fight to safe his life, and the blessings that happened along the way. All I ask you to do is leave a comment on this post letting us know what miracles have touched your life. It doesn’t have to be such a large miracle, as Deirdre’s but anything that has happened to you, or a loved one that you believe is a true miracle. As with any other give away on my blog, tweeting, posting on your Facebook, your blog, or grabbing my badge to post on your blog will get you extra entries into the contest. You can find out all of the details below.

This contest will end on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at midnight CST. One winner will be chosen randomly. Please make sure that your profile links to a valid e-mail address if you do not leave one in the comment. If you are chosen as the winner, you must respond within 36 hours or an alternate winner will be chosen.

You can earn extra entries by doing any (or all) of the following:
Please be sure that if you do have extra entries, put them each in a separate comment (this is very important).

- Follow my blog via Google, Facebook, or Twitter (if you already do, leave it in a comment - it counts) and leave your user name in a comment.

- Become a fan of CrAzY Working Mom on Facebook.

- Blog about this contest on your blog. Be sure to leave the link in your comment.

- Tweet this: Enter to win a copy of Hope Faith and Charlie: http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/2009/09/hope-faith-and-charlie-inspirational.html Come back and leave a link to your tweet.

- Add my badge to your sidebar or add my link to your blogroll.

Good luck to you all and thanks for reading!

* The statements made in this post reflect my personal opinions and not necessarily that of the sponsoring company. I received this product in return for a review post of my opinion. No other form or compensation has been received by myself nor any other member of my family.