New Vote PSA

Happy Tuesday.

Well, last week Maggie and Nate decided that they wanted to be a dinosaur and a tiger for Halloween. They saw some sewing patterns that I have, and made up their minds on the spot. Cassie has wanted to be Barbie Mariposa for about a year now, and was confident we could find one in the store.

After the girls got on the bus last Thursday, Nate, Lino and I headed to the fabric store. We found some great deals on fleece and striped fabric. (around $20 for all of it) Saturday we went looking for Cassie's costume. Lino discovered 2 different Mariposa's in the aisle, miraculously both in her size;and they were the only 2 left! Cassie fell in love with one of them, so that solves that.

Head to Target for sparkly pink shoes and then home. Cassie tries on her costume, as soon as she takes it off, it starts to rip. I am pretty confident that I can fix it, but I also offered to make her one, too, now that I know what Mariposa looks like. She wants no part of it. She adores the store bought one, so I will get it all fixed up for Halloween.

I had traced/cut out the patterns and started sewing the dinosaur on Sunday. Made some good progress. The feet had me a bit confused, but Monday I took some time to really figure it out. The instructions weren't super clear, so I was confused on some of the steps. Now that I figured it out, it makes perfect sense! Now I just have to decipher how they say to attach the feet to the legs!

Unfortunately, it took longer than I expected to do the feet, and I am a bit behind. No worries, though, I have 3 days to get them done!

I think when the dinosaur is finished it will look super cute. Maggie tried some of it on so I could measure cuffs, she loves it. She picked the colors, purple body and green spines. I just hope she isn't called Barney all night long!

***
Yay for the Patriots for holding on and winning! They are faring okay this season, despite all the injuries that have occured.

One word answers

Lanny tagged me.

The rules are to answer the following questions in one word and then pass it on to seven others:

Where is your cell phone? N/A (I don't have one)
Where is your significant other? Work
Your hair color? Brown
Your mother? Heaven
Your father? Home
Your favorite thing? family (mine)
Your dream last night? N/A (don't remember)
Your dream/goal? author
The room you’re in? familyroom
Your hobby? Sewing
Your fear? death
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Disneyworld
Where were you last night? Home
What you’re not? Mean
One of your wish-list items? Serger
Where you grew up? Massachusetts
Last thing you did? busstop
What are you wearing? jeans/sweatshirt
Your TV? on
Your pet? cats
Your computer? Desktop
Your mood? okay
Missing someone? Always
Your car? Minivan
Something you’re not wearing? socks
Favorite store? Joanns
Your summer? Warm
Love someone? Yes
Your favorite color? Teal
When is the last time you laughed? 7:30
Last time you cried? Oct 14/15


Hmm...tagging 7 people.....Leia, Dawn,Lori, Melissa, Emily,Doreen, Katie. HOpefully they will play too!

Love and other things

Super excited that the Pats could come back from their loss last week to a win over Denver this week. Not the smoothest game to watch, but the plays they got right were nice.

Lino's car needs an alternator. Friday he was on his way to work and only got about a half mile away when the car died at a stop light. Luckily he was able to get it started again to turn around and come home. It died close to our street, and he was able to coast down the hill to get the car home. The kids were surprised when we left for the bus that the 'Big Red Car' was gone and Papa's was home. So, called the tow truck today and off it goes to the mechanics....again.....

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This is something that has been in the news for a while. Massachusetts approved gay marriage in 2004, California approved it over the summer. Connecticut recently approved it as well. I read this story last night, that Sarah Palin has broken from the McCain camp about her views on gay marriage.

I just don't understand why there are people who are so against allowing gay people to 'marry', why there are some who feel so threatened by it. I don't feel as though my marriage to Lino is diminished in any way by having my gay friends legally able to marry. In fact, I feel that the whole idea of love and marriage is strengthened, the more people that do marry.

Love is such a gift-such a blessing, that if two consenting adults find that, then they should be allowed to spend their lives married to each other.

I mean, wasn't there a time in our history when the very idea of interracial marriage caused people to react in the same way? Again, if two people are in love, color shouldn't matter. And it doesn't.

So why is gay marriage such a 'threat'? For those that do oppose, why is a civil union okay, but not marriage? (civil unions aren't the same thing, they don't offer the same protections that marriage does)

I really don't understand it. This past summer, when California legalized same sex marriage, one of the first couples to marry were two women who were in their 80's. They had been together for 55 years. 55 years! And only this summer allowed to marry. One of the women passed away shortly after that. I was so happy for them, though that at least she lived long enough to see her love be affirmed and be allowed to marry.

If loving someone for 55 years isn't a true testament to true love, I don't know what is. There are many hetero couples who marry and don't last nearly that long.

Anyhow. I read the news about Sarah Palin last night, and I sighed. Really. The Governor scares me much more than the idea of gay marriage.

School Pictures!

Maggie and Cassie came home with school pictures today. I was super excited! The class picture wasn't included, I guess that will come after Retake day, so all the kids can be in it. I thought that was nice.

I am very pleased with how they came out. The pictures scanned a bit darker, you can see all the pigtails in the actual pictures.

♥♥♥ 65 ♥♥♥

Today is my mom's birthday. She would have been 65. I don't know how old she was in that picture, I am guessing 3 or 4. I look at it and can see a bit of Maggie, a bit of Cassie and a bit of Nate, too. I am glad for that.


My mom was great. As a teenager, I probably would have rolled my eyes and been all, whatever, but she really was. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to be friends with her as well as her daughter. Now that I am a mom, I look back at different things and think, Wow, she was just so good at being a mom.

She loved her family. She took such pride in us, if we had an achievement she would just beam. She was always our biggest cheerleaders, really rooting for us to succeed, and so proud when we did. She was also the first with a hug or comforting word if things didn't work out. And would get angry on our behalf at whatever made us mad/sad.

She loved books and reading, she worked in an elementary school library for at least 10 years. She was technically an aide, as she didn't have the college degree, but she ran that library better than anyone...knew where everything was, knew which books the kids would like, and loved doing story times.

She loved movies that were so bad they were funny. She loved Elvis. She had quite a collection of Elvis records, and even got to see him at one of his last shows. She bought my Aunt tickets, under the condition that she take my mom and that my Aunt drove into Providence. (My mom wasn't a fan of driving, especially on the highway. She could find back roads to anywhere.)

So the day of the Elvis concert, my mom was out running errands before the show. Well, Uncle Ralph was a police officer, and knew that my mom and Aunt Barbara had the concert that evening. So he sees her out driving, and to be funny, pulls her over. (I can only imagine how horrified my mom was to be stopped by a cop!) He gets out of the car with his sunglasses and hat on. Well, when she realized that it was my uncle, she got so mad she just drove away! (I wonder what people who saw thought!) "Oh that Ralph" she would say-all mad, when the story was retold.

She loved to laugh, and I was usually good at making her laugh. She would only ride on ferris wheels with me, apparently my shaking the cart to tease her helped ease her fears.

I miss her immensely. I think of her every single day. I wish I had her wisdom and patience. I wish she were here, giving me an 'atta girl' and loving my kids. I think she would have enjoyed them to bits. I hope so.

Happy Birthday, mom.

Quick assumptions

We had a rough start to our morning today. Cassie stayed in bed a bit longer, which made breakfast take longer so we came down to the wire getting hair brushed and sneakers on for her.

Nate also slept later. He still gets up usually once between going to bed and the alarm clock. We are down to nursing at bedtime and I will nurse him when it is still 'sleep time'. If he doesn't fall back to sleep, then I have to let him know when it is almost time to stop. (Otherwise he could nurse for hours and be fine, but that doesn't work for getting ready for school)

Well, he came into bed with me to snuggy, so I could turn off the alarm when it went off. (Lino was leaving for work). Nate fussed a bit, but is getting used to no drinks/just snuggies. At one point he rolled over and cried that his neck hurt. Well, he finally went back to sleep, and I waited til the last minute to get him ready to go. I figured it was better to let him sleep.....

We are normally the first ones to the bus stop. There is another set of twins (1 st grade) and their dad who get there after us. I think he is a single dad, from observatons and things that he has said. No mention ever of a mom. There is another girl in Maggie and Cassie's class who has started getting the bus at our stop. The mom drives her and sometimes the grandmother walks up (she lives right near us).

So anyhow, we were running late and got there a few minutes before the bus. The other twins were running late and as the bus pulled up I could see them come running from around the corner. As the kids were running to the bus, with the dad walking behind, the little girls grandmother turns to me and says "That is the difference between a mom getting ready and a dad."

:::shakes head::::

I told her, I think he is a single dad..... "Oh" she says, "god bless him then." ?!?

Nate and I left shortly after that, the bus had pulled away and he isn't feeling well. In my head, I am like, 'Listen lady, how dare you judge! I was running late today, and I am the mom. Did you have a snappy comment for your daughter about us? I am sure you could hear Nate crying as we approached the bus stop. Sometimes Lino is able to get all 3 of the kids ready faster than I can. Sometimes not. You have been coming to this stop for what, 4 days, and you are judging a guy you don't know, because they are running a bit late today? '

Ticked me off. I mean, we all run late sometimes. And when you have more than one kid that you are trying to get ready, it can make it a bit tougher. The other twins are always on the bus, and always give their dad a big hug/kiss/ I love you Dad before they go. Don't make a snap comment about Dads not being capable........

And is she judging me on stuff? If she is, I hope she keeps quiet about it, at least to me.......

rrgg.

Flu shots, Bribes, and a PSA

The kids got their flu shots today. I fully expected it to be loud, with tears and crying and screaming. When the girls had their 5 year old checkup, Cassie had the biggest tantrum I have ever seen when she was getting her shots. I was mortified. She was kicking and screaming, literally...I had to physically hold her down.

Well, today I let them know this morning that we had to go after school. They were not thrilled at all. Started to get whiney. When they got home from school Maggie and Cassie informed me that they didn't want to go. Nate told me he didn't have the flu. Sorry kiddos, you still need the shots. If I could get one today, I would too.

I will admit, I have been known to on occasion bribe my children to do what I need to do. Today was one of those days. I told them that if they did well at the doctors (no major meltdowns, etc) then they could have doughnut holes afterwards. Whoever didn't do well-no doughnuts.

They did a great job. Maggie went first. Rolled up her sleeve without hesitation. She started singing the song they learned in school as a distraction, and didn't even notice when she got the shot.

At this point, Nate was starting to cry and Cassie moved behind a chair. I convinced Cassie to go next, as I wasn't sure how long Nate would cry after his shot. Surprisingly, she went next without too much protest. She decided to sing, too, though she definitely noticed when she got the shot. But, no tears, and that was amazing.

Nate was still crying, so I picked him up and held him for his. He stopped crying by the time we left the exam room.

All in all, it went pretty well. And all three got doughnut holes!

~~~~~

A Public Service Announcement about Turn Signals.

I think that I was the only one on the road today to use my turn signals. I know that all the cars have them, it isn't an option. Come on people, use them! They are designed so you don't even have to look for them, or move your hands off the steering wheel! Don't expect my psychic powers to kick in when you decide you want to be in my spot of my lane!

(I know I just used a bunch of exclamation points, but I think they were necessary)

Okay, mini rant done....

Hysterical

This set of pictures made Lino and I laugh out loud. Super funny stuff.

Register-or not....

You can still register--some states only until tomorrow. This election is so, so important.