the view from here...

Changes and updates

2020-05-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

Since it's been so long since I've been on here, I thought I'd give some updates.

Boog and I moved! We're living in Woodbridge with a friend and the rest of the family moved a few hours away.

We also got a dog since the other dogs in the house we're ours, so when we moved, they went with my sisters. We got a female Siberian Husky puppy. She's got one blue eye and one brown eye. When I first saw photos of her, she had a three leaf clover on her forehead. Boog likes her eyes since I have brown eyes and he has blue, it's like she got one from each of us. Her birthday is coming up next week, she'll be 2 years old.

I had my fourth heart surgery about 18 months ago. It was totally unexpected. I had some great friends to help me out while I was in the hospital and during my recovery. I also lost a friend during that time.

Those are all of the major updates that I can think of for now. Leaving you with some pics of the puppy - when she was a puppy lol.

Working from home

2020-04-30T12:41:00.003-04:00

Wow, it's been a while. But I figured why not, what else am I going to do during quarantine?

Like some people, I'm working from home. But with the state of the country right now, my industry isn't very busy. As in THERE'S NOTHING TO FUCKING DO. But I have a job and some projects to work on, so I'm not going to complain.

And like every other parent, I'm also having to do school work with my fourth grader. Do you know how long it's been since I was in fourth grade? Me neither, it's been a while and I can't math right now. I can't remember half the shit they're working on right now. Or if I can remember how to do it, I can't teach it, cause I don't remember how it was taught to me.

The dog is over the fucking moon about having her people home all day. We went on a trip last weekend to drop some stuff at my son's aunt's house (which sounds better than saying my ex's sister). We followed the six foot rule once we got there, and we stayed outside. I was happy just to get out of the house. We were gone like 6 hours, dog acted like we'd been gone for three weeks.

But I suck at these, which is likely why I haven't kept up with it. To make up for it, I thought this video was funny - enjoy.

I don't know what to do...

2017-08-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

Boog is staying with one of my best friends this week - for the whole week. Being the single parent, I usually don't have time to my self. So I'm going to be completely lost this week. I could make big plans of all the things I'm going to get done, but I'm pretty sure I'll be napping and reading more than anything else.

I took off work Friday so we could drive down to North Carolina. I love going there, it always feels like I'm home. Boog has other kids to play with, a cul de sac that they can play in and not have to worry about cars speeding through and a nice big fenced in back yard. There are dogs for him to snuggle with and now they have chickens and rabbits. There are even baby bunnies there right now with a possible litter coming while he is there.

Saturday was tattoo day for the moms! I'm super happy with my new tattoo, by the way. It turned out awesome. And I left Sunday morning. On my drive home I got a message that Boog said he missed me, but it's okay because he knows he can call me whenever he wants.

Boog and a baby bunny

Bitter and Petty

2015-06-21T23:38:00.000-04:00

I know I should be the better person at all times, but more especially on days like today. But on days like today, I feel like being a bitter, petty bitch.

It's father's day. Boog's "father" isn't in his life at all for the past year. Boog hasn't seen him in a year. Hasn't heard from him either. The little contact I've had with him in the last 6 months were not him asking about Boog.

I don't know what to tell Boog when he asks where his daddy is, why he doesn't come visit or play with him. There was no parent handbook when I left the hospital, and I'm damn sure it wouldn't have had a chapter on how to answer questions relating to an absent father. It would have been different if he'd never been part of Boog's life, but I tried damn hard for the first few years to make sure he was. But I just couldn't take on that responsibility anymore and that's when the visits and calls went from occasional to non-existent.

So on this day, I say thank you to my (step) dad and my father for being there for me and for Boog. I say happy father's day to all the dad's I know who are stepping up to be the father they are supposed to be. I say thank you to all the step parents to step up and be the daddy that someone else couldn't be.

But I can't bring myself to say happy father's day to the sorry fuck that contributed DNA to my Boog, my greatest joy, my sarcastic, stubborn, sassy little man.

Getting too big

2015-06-09T11:49:00.000-04:00

Someone got his new big boy bed this weekend. It’s in between being a loft and a junior loft. It was made by my uncle for my cousin over 20 years ago. My other uncle cut it down so it’s just tall enough for Boog to fit underneath without bonking his head on it.

Boog is super excited to have a big boy bed and have room to stretch since he was as long as his toddler bed at this point. He likes that he has room to play up there if he wants and finds it hilarious that he can touch the ceiling. He keeps forgetting that his has to crawl and can’t stand when he’s up there. It’s only been two days, so I imagine he’ll remember soon enough.

He runs around and stands under it, just because he can lol. I told him we’d turn it into a little hiding space for him, like his own little clubhouse. I’m going to try to find either a dinosaur or Transformer curtain to hang across the front opening for him and maybe a small lamp to put on the dresser that’s going to be under there.

April Fools

2015-04-03T12:25:00.001-04:00

Six years ago, on April Fools Day of all days, was the day I found out I was pregnant with Boog. I took three pregnancy tests and still wasn't sure I believed any of them lol. But six years later, the evidence of their truth woke me up this morning telling me he had a bad dream and we were all zombies except him. Boy, how do you even know what zombies are!

Criss Cross Applesauce

2015-03-23T12:14:00.002-04:00

Long time no see folks!

Boog and I made applesauce this weekend. I used this recipe from All Recipes dot com. It turned out good and Boog liked it, so that's all that really mattered. It wasn't anything fancy and he had fun mashing the apples lol.

I used a bad of red apples and made it in two different batches. I didn't have any ground cinnamon, but found some cinnamon sticks. I simmered those for a while, took the sticks out, added the apples and sugar and let them cook until soft. Mashing them was super easy after that. The hardest thing about the whole process was peeling the darn apples!

Finished product

Mashing the apples

I'm a slacker

2014-12-09T08:52:00.002-05:00

So I've been a total slacker recently and I know it. But I'm pretty sure no one is reading or paying attention anyway, so it's all good lol.

Someone gifted Boog with an Elf on the Shelf a few years ago and he's been into it ever since. Elf's name is Birdie and he comes out Thanksgiving night. Now that there's a puppy in the house who has realized she can jump, I've been trying to keep Birdie in the bedroom and away from her.

Here are Birdie's escapades so far.

I'm really not sure what him and the TMNT were up to, but I'm sure it was no good.

Riding the Mickey ears on top of the TV

Leaving notes to remind Boog that he's watching

Hanging out with Marilyn and Gammaw

He's got a thing for the ears I think...

That must be the window he went in and out of that night

"Mommy take my picture with Birdie"

More coming soon!

Santa Train

2014-11-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

Guess who used her mad refreshing and internet purchasing skillz to score tickets on the VRE's Annual Operation Lifesaver Santa Train this year?

That's right, I did. I know a 5 year old boy who is going to be super excited come December 13!

For more information about the trains and the program, go to http://www.vrespecialevents.org/Seasonal_Santa_Trains/santa-trains.html.

You're free Genie

2014-08-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Not sure why the passing of Robin Williams is hitting me quite like it is - It's not like I've been obsessed, seeing all his movies over the years, going out of my way to make sure I catch all his movies. In fact there's quite a few that I haven't seen and will now make a point to watch.

I never saw Good Morning Vietnam, Hook or even remember him in Fern Gully. I wasn't a big fan of Happy Feet either. But I remember Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Nine Months, The Birdcage, Patch Adams, Jack (what a heart breaker that movie was!), Good Will Hunting, Night at the Museum and the sequel.

A few of my favorites were Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage and Patch Adams. I remember watching Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire over and over again as a kid. When I got older, Birdcage was a go-to for when I needed a comedy. He was awesome in that, I don't think there's any role he couldn't have played - and played well. Patch Adams was another that I could watch on a loop, even though it made me cry (shh, keep that to yourself).

Last night I fell asleep watching Aladdin, and restarting it each time I woke up through the night and again this morning. It's something that I plan on forcing Boog to watch while he's playing, so he gets interested in it. That's the only way to get him into something new lol. When he's a little older, Night at the Museum will be introduced and hopefully become a favorite of his too.

Fun at the Fair

2014-08-12T08:43:00.000-04:00

This is the male lion that was part of the big cat show at the fair

The white tiger

This shows the white tiger on the left, liger in the middle and the lion on the right

Fun on the merry go round

Fair food! Corn dog and fries for lunch

Look at that grin!

He got a Transformer name plaque - even the letters have Transformers in them

He tried super hard to stay awake - but we'd been up since 5:30 that morning

Casual Breakfast

2014-07-26T22:18:00.001-04:00

Things Boog gets excited about #23:

"Is nobody here?"

It's just us buddy.

"Can I eat breakfast in jammie pants?"

You can eat in your underwear if you want.

"Thank you! Thank you mommy!"

The rest of the family is at a softball tournament this weekend, so it;s just me and the Boog at home - and the dogs. Like most little kids, Boog doesn't like to wear clothes and any occasion to go naked or semi naked is a reason for excitement

Caused a scene

2014-06-16T13:59:00.000-04:00

Boog has a boo boo on his belly that I've been feeling a little worried about it being infected, so I made him a doctor's appointment for this morning. His boo boo hurts wicked bad and he doesn't want anyone to even think about touching it.

So I let Boog wear his new cape and mask to his appointment so he wouldn't be scared. And the cutest thing happened.

We step out of the elevator and there's like three kids waiting to get in. This little boy (3 or 4) FREAKS OUT. "Superman!! Mom look its Superman! Hi Superman!"

I told him we need to think of a superhero name for him now.

Happy Easter!

2014-04-20T16:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter! This year I did things a little different. There was no basket full of chocolate and candy to be had in our house...And instead of an egg hunt, there was a treasure hunt!

Boog had his Easter basket and with it was three envelopes, each with a picture clue for his treasures. I saved the last one for the toy I knew he really wanted.

The envelopes were numbered and he had to open them in the right order as well as tell me what letter each picture started with.

His basket had one hollow chocolate bunny, some regular goldfish cracker snack packs, some graham cracker goldfish snack packs and some packs of fruit snacks. His treasures were a Transformers RescueBots Memory game, a Heat Wave expansion for his Beam Box game system and last but not least:

Transformers RescueBots Blades transforming figure. This is the toy he's been asking me for for over a month. So he was super excited when he found it and kept jumping up and down. He said they're going to snuggle together at bedtime tonight lol.

April 17, 2012

2014-04-17T13:41:00.003-04:00

Really Octonauts?

2014-04-01T12:54:00.001-04:00

Things that make me say hmmm from the Octonauts...there are a few of them. Have you seen the show? No? Well it's not a bad show. It teaches compassion, learning about sea creatures and it's generally a fun show.

Some things from the show that I don't understand:

1. How is it that an octopus, polar bear, cat, dog, rabbit, penquin are all the same size?
2. Do any of the others have family, other than Professor Inkwell, Kwazi and Peso? So far we've met Peso's mother and brother, Kwazi's grandfather and Professor Inkwell's cousin. No one else's family is mentioned.
3. How did all these critters meet and someone not try to eat one of the others?
4. Who's funding this little operation of theirs?
5. How are Tweek's new gadgets and parts delivered? I've never seen the FedEx guy show up in their Octopod.

And while we're on the topic of things that make you go hmmm from the world of kids cartoons, let's go with Bubble Guppies, aka little mermaid children:

1. Where are their parents?
2. How does an airplane fly in WATER?
3. They don't have enough creatures under the sea that they had to create a Bubble Puppy for the kids to have as a pet?
4. Do the kids have homes, or is it like boarding school?

What about Max and Ruby, bunnies?

1. Where are THEIR parents?
2. Who the hell left Ruby in charge? She's kind of a snotty brat. Just saying.
3. Why does gramma come visit and then LEAVE them home alone again?

That's all I've got right now, but feel free to add some of your own...

I just want you

2014-02-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

This morning as we were sitting outside of daycare, getting ready to go in, I reached back and unbuckled Boog's car seat. He was looking out the window, not paying attention. I put my finger up right by his nose to mess with him when he turned his head quickly. My fingernail got him just on the inside of his little nose and he looked like he wanted to cry, but didn't.

I told him I was sorry and that I was just trying to tease him and he said he knew and it was okay. So I said I'm not very good at this mommy thing, maybe we should find you a new one. And then he spoke the best words ever:

"Nah, I don't want a different one. I just want to stay with you."

Me too buddy, me too...

I am NOT crafty...

2014-02-24T20:35:00.001-05:00

So why am I about to start this project? I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't plan, I just get an idea, get the stuff and cross my fingers...But this project is going to take planning...Like written, measuring, wood, cutting, nailing, sewing PLANNING!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/279363983109464590/

I was hoping to just find a bookshelf and go from there with half the work already done...So I'm taking the idea above and altering it slightly. I'm going to have casters instead of legs - locking ones I hope. I also don't plan to use the bins that this one has since it's going to be for Boog's books...this kid has so many books! And last but not least, I found a chalkboard sticker that is just over a foot wide and 6 feet long, so I'm going to put probably four feet of that on the outside back of the bench

Pray for me y'all- I'm gonna make a bookshelf/bench/chalkboard thang! (yes, i totally said that in the voice of Lurlynn from Sweet Home Alabama.)

Making cookies

2013-12-24T23:06:00.001-05:00

Waiting for our cookies to finish baking for Santa

Snow day!

2013-12-10T10:33:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again...

2013-12-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, the creepy little guy is back...Meet Birdy, our Elf on the Shelf...

Day One: Birdy appeared the day after Thanksgiving. I think this was his hint that he's watching all of us lol.

Day Two: A "Birdy's" eye view?

Day Three: Just trying to shed a little light on the situation. Boog never found him that day, so he stayed put.

Day Five: Just a early morning reminder to behave...

Happy Birthday Boogie

2013-11-10T07:24:00.001-05:00

So I've been doing the 30 days of thankful on my Facebook page...Here's my day 10...

Day 10: Today I am thankful for Boogie. Four years ago today, I was scheduled for a C-section at 10am...as we were getting ready for surgery and they were getting IVs in and last minute checks done, I looked at the boyfriend and said I changed my mind. I didn't want a C-section, let's just give this a shot the normal way...He wouldn't go for it and said they wouldn't either...

After finally getting me into the OR, they told me to take the hospital gown off, hug a pillow to my chest and then hug this very large Mr. T looking gentleman...I started cracking jokes of course, nervous as hell about the needle they're sticking in my back...With 2 anesthesiologists standing by the head of the bed for the duration and another on call (they were kinda worried about keeping me alive lol), they sliced and diced and presented me with this little blurry crying bundle...I couldn't feel anything from the chest down, so I couldn't wipe my eyes...

4 years later he still gets kinda blurry, but that's usually because he's running full speed ahead, or he does something that makes me laugh till I cry...Or because he's being a typical kid and i'm trying not to strangle him...

So in addition to being thankful for him, I am thankful for everyone who has been with us along the way. All my friends and family who have told me to WOOOSAAA and every other thing people have done for us. I refuse to name everyone, you know who you are - I have a party to go to this morning :)

Independence

2013-11-03T11:10:00.000-05:00

As I sit here, Boog is currently playing in his room - alone...I might be only 10 feet away in my room, but he is in his room playing without me. He's not asking if he can bring his toys in my room to play, he's not asking if I can come play with him or sit in his room with him...

I know this is independence we both need - he needs it to grow and become his own person. He cannot be an attached at the hip momma's boy forever...I need this independence for my sanity and to remind myself that I am not ONLY Boog's mommy...

I also took him to a "Parents Survival Night" at The Little Gym this week. For $25 (member price, membership is $40 a year), they spend 2 and a half hours playing with a break for a pizza dinner in the middle. For the last thirty minutes, they color to calm down and cool down. For three hours I can drop him off and know he is being fed, taken care of, having fun and exercising in a way I still can't really manage yet. He's interacting with adults and children he doesn't know. He's learning how to play well with new people and personalities. And I can go some where and have dinner and a drink alone, or I could actually have a date (OMG WTF is that lol).

This week, I watched the session for the first 15 minutes. I say it was because he's never been left with strangers before. That's true, but it should really be said that I've never left him with strangers before. Because he didn't seem to care. I, on the other hand, didn't want to leave. I stayed in the shopping center and made my way over to Subway for dinner and then hung out in my car for a bit. I went back to the gym for the last hour (my phone battery was dying and I was getting bored lol). He didn't even notice I was back at first, but when he did he came out to say hi and then went back in to play. He came over to the window and threw the ball at me a few times and then ignored me till the end.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2013-10-09T22:22:00.000-04:00

I made Buffalo Chicken Dip tonight, posted a pic or two on Facebook and got a few requests for the recipe...So here it is...

Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 12 oz bottle hot sauce
1 16 oz bottle Ranch dressing
2 8oz packages cream cheese

Boil the chicken until thoroughly cooked, let cool and then shred into a pyrex dish.

Once the chicken has been shredded, dump in the full bottle of hot sauce and mix so the chicken is drenched.

Pre heat the oven to 350. While you are waiting for the oven to heat, mix the cream cheese and Ranch dressing. You can heat it on the stove or in the microwave to mix better. Once mixed, pour it on top of the chicken evenly.

Pop it into the oven for about 20 minutes, until the top starts to brown.

Variations - You can use bleu cheese dressing, which I can't stand lol, or add chopped celery, yet another thing I don't like.

The best thing to eat this with is Fritos Scoops since they're a lot more sturdy than most chips. Something else I've done that was really good was to put the chicken dip on top of a big sturdy roll and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. And last but not least, mix it into Ramen noodles.

Boogie-sized Pizza

2013-09-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

Tonight's dinner was Boogie-sized Pizzas! Made by my Boogie and me...

1 roll refrigerator biscuits
spaghetti sauce
finely shredded mozzarella cheese

We laid out the individual biscuits and squished them a little, though they probably should've been flattened a little more...Then add spaghetti sauce, just about a tablespoon, maybe a little more, then top with the cheese...the flattening and cheese topping were Boogie's favorite parts, before the eating part anyway lol...

Preheat the oven to 375, then cook for about 12 minutes.

And BAM! Boogie-sized pizzas...

And Boogie-sized pizzas lead to a happy, full bellied Boogie...