Day One

Day one of vacation. I LOVE my new washing machine! It is sad that I've reached an age where new heavy appliances excite me, but oh well!

The girls and I spent the day at Jenkin's Beach. Kayla and I went to Jenkin's Beach yesterday, too. Tomorrow, I am going to lay in the sun a bit and then around 1 or 2, head to the Fair. We're going to be there until closing time. Or try anyway! :) $6 a person to get in and $15 for wristbands for all you can ride. We're taking Hayley's friend Tabitha and hopefully will be meeting up with Erin and Eric at some point. We'll already be there. The girls and I are serious about rides, so we're going to try our best to at least ride 15 rides. That will make each ride cost only a $1. We'll see what kind of fair folk we run into so I have something to blog about. I always have the carnies to make fun of, I guess. I'll bring my digital and take pics of major fashion faux pas.

On to more news...there really isn't any. When you spend the day in the sand and sun, there isn't much news. My eyes are bloodshot. Can you get a sunburn in your eyeballs? I'll have to google that. Oh wait. I had a 15 year old tell me I was hot. I was like, "What are you, 12?" "I'm 15." "Yeah, whatever. Go play."

This just in...yes, you can indeed get sunburned corneas. Fantastic! I was even wearing sunglasses. I am experiencing eye pain, redness, mild discharge and a feeling of sand in the ball of my eye. I have to have photo taken for my new driver's license. I can NOT be wearing eye patches! This picture will stay with me for 6...that is SIX...years!

So Hayley went out to eat with her dad this weekend and he found out about her tongue ring. There wasn't a whole lot he could say about it. I did get a lovely letter saying what his insurance would cover and that he wouldn't be responsible for reimbursing me for any procedure involving complications from unauthorized consent of BOTH parents for piercings, tattoes, or birth control. I'm like, WTF? Hayley, are you having sex? Nope! Obviously, in his obvious present psychosis for having to pay me so much child support, he isn't thinking clearly. Because every sane parent automatically assumes that once you get a piercing, you'll be immediately out having sex! I almost called him and blasted him a new butthole. I was going to say, "Look, just because she has her tongue pierced, does not mean that she or Kayla plan on having sex in the near future. I obviously wouldn't expect you to buy birth control...nothing has changed with you since you were out getting me pregnant! Furthermore, if you knew a damn thing about your daughters, you'd know how serious they are with in their walk with Jesus Christ and how important it is to them to save themselves for marriage, or at least with the person they are engaged to. And if you're implying that I am a bad mother, and that therefore they'll naturally be out having sex, then you can hire a lawyer and try to prove it to a judge. Unfortunately for you though, you can know longer afford that option!" But, I did not say a thing. I threw the letter away. He is not worth the effort.

Even Better!

I am so much better tonight. I spent a couple hours at my mom's, visiting with my sister and niece. Nieces, I should say. My brother Darren came home from the fair with Gaby and my sister-in-law Julie came by with Lexi, who learned how to ride a 2-wheeler. She is only 5! Kayla is going back to Connecticut with my sister when she leaves Wednesday or Thursday. She'll be gone for 2 weeks or so. I made them promise me they wouldn't go see Wicked without me!

The girls and my mom and I are going down to my sister's in October and we're going to see Wicked then. I can't wait. I loved the book.

My sister still hasn't gone back to work. She is just enjoying staying at home with Gracie, who is 7 months now. Not that she has to worry too much about that. Her $200,000 a year job will be there when she is ready to go back and if not, she'll just get a different one. My brother-in-law has his Master's in something with computers. He's making almost as much as she was.

It is nice hanging out with my sister now. She and I still share our designer shoe and purse fetish. Now Kayla has joined our club! That doesn't surprise us. She was about 6 months old when my sister had her out shopping! Kayla always preferred pretty dresses over any toys! Hard to believe my sister was only 15 when I had Kayla. My little brother was only 11. Darren was 13. Hayley and Zach have always been all about the toys!

My Uncle Pat and Aunt Karen are up from Portland. They are out to the lake at my grandparent's. My cousin Nick came up with them. He is the same age as Kayla. Justin and Brandon are coming up tomorrow, I think. I can't believe Justin will be 20 in October. Brandon is like 24 now. Aunt Cindy and her boys were up last week from Freeport and my Aunt Dawn will be home from New Jersey next week. When I was born, Uncle Pat was 13, Aunt Dawn was 12 and Aunt Cindy 8, so they are more like older brothers and sisters to me, then aunts and uncles really. I was the first grandchild and niece so I was spoiled for a bit. Mimi (my mother's mother) sent me the nicest birthday card. She must be back on her medication. I wish I was kidding! My other grandmother, Grandma, seems to have forgotten my birthday. Ah well, it is probably for the best. Sweaters in July are a bit hot! I was still getting dolls from both of them until I started having my own kids! Though, Grandma was the cooler grandma growing up. She used to take me school shopping every year at the Portland mall and spend a ton of money on us kids. Always made sure we were in Nikes and had Levis or Jordache jeans, back when Jordache was BIG! I don't think Mimi knew what Nikes were. Actually, I think Grandpop was the reason I got the Nikes and Levis. I was his absolute favorite person on this earth and I think Grandma was under his orders to buy me whatever I wanted. I miss him so much. I miss being that special to someone.

Current Mood: much happier
Current Music: Shook Me All Night Long.............ACDC

July 29, 2006

I'm feeling better now. I had a bad morning. I woke up early even though I had planned on sleeping in. Waited for my washing machine, because it was supposed to be delivered in the morning. Got a phone call from my step-dad and he said maybe in the afternoon or tomorrow the latest. That was enough to set off a small meltdown. Not to him. It just put the last nail in the coffin. The humidty is getting to me. I am exhausted. My body has been so achey lately. Brian never wished me a happy birthday. I was at least expecting an offline message. I don't care how things are between us right now, after everything we've been thru, I at least deserved a small acknowledgement of my existence.

Plus it has been way too hot to clean, so I don't have my usual way to deal with things. Jim and I aren't talking to each other right now. I'm not sure why I am mad at him, but I am. Brian and I started things so suddenly 3 years ago, I didn't deal with the whole "Jim" thing fully and I think I am just finishing going thru all of those old thoughts and feelings. I think there are some things I need to sort thru before I can fully forgive him. I just need some space. I'm also working on forgiving Brian but after this birthday setback, it will definitely be an act of God when that forgiveness occurs.

Don't get me wrong, I've been doing pretty well with the whole thing. Keeping my mind focused on my priorites...the kids, Sierra, work and church. But I don't cry easily and because of that, after awhile my body gets physically ill from holding it all inside. So the cry this morning was much needed. I'm feeling better this afternoon. I cleaned even though it was too stinking hot. I swept and mopped. I did two loads of laundry and folded some clothes. I "springcleaned" the living room and kitchen. Then I relaxed on the couch, listening to Bob Seger and then Don Henley. I just get so tired sometimes of being the one who has her shit together. I know I might seem like I do and compared to a lot of people, I really do, but sometimes it is just an appearance. Being the oldest, and a mother, I have gotten used to being the leader and taking care of everyone else. I know people depend on my being the strong one. My grandmother. My kids. Shannon. Brian. My friends. Even my parents. I feel a lot of pressure to keep up appearances. And most times I can do so effortlessly. Because of this, they have come to depend on me even more and sometimes I just get mad. When is it going to be my turn to fall apart? This morning apparently. I could tell them when I am having a hard time, but that makes things worse because I have to keep up the facade for me, too. Otherwise, I'd feel weak and then I'd drop all of the balls I am juggling. When I itemize it on paper, it does appear that I have my stuff together. I have so many blessings in my life that I have to thank God for. I am a college graduate. I am the mother of 3 beautiful children. I have wonderful nieces and a nephew. I have the greatest dog to have ever lived, who is currently resting at my feet. I live in an okay two-story home that I can afford. I pay my own bills. I get a sweet child support check in the mail once a week. I am relatively sane. I still look pretty good for being 34. I am part of a great church community. I have a job that makes me happy for the most part. I have inspectible transportation. I can travel when I want to travel. I eat out when I want to eat out. I have food in the fridge and in the pantry. I feel like such a cliche...the poor little rich girl syndrome or something...I am rich in so many ways.

On a bright note, my birthday was nice. The girls and I had the worst chinese food experience ever! I'll blog about that another time! Tanya called and sang Happy Birthday to me. It was sweet and made me laugh. I talked with her today. I talked with Eric for a bit, too. I'm feeling better, like I said. Zach called a couple of times yesterday and left me a ton of messages. I finally talked to him last night. I told him about the pool disaster and the snake/mouse escapades and about the washing machine trouble. He said, "Don't touch anything else. Does the whole house fall apart when I am not around? I didn't realize how much I was needed! I'll be home soon to restore balance, Mom, don't worry." One week and 4 days. Not that I am counting or anything. He also tried to cheer me up by saying, "Hey, guess what? In 1 year and 10 months, I'll be 14!" He's completely bypassing 13. I can't believe in a year and ten months, I'll be the mother of a 14 year old, a 17 year old and an 18 year old. It didn't exactly cheer me up.

My sister and niece Grace came up last night from Connecticut. I'm going to spend some time with them tonight. My house is CLEAN! I feel organized and orderly again. Church tomorrow.

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: The Last Worthless Evening..............Don Henley

It is SOOOOO OVER!

My relationship with Fox television, that is! So we all know how much I love The O.C. and because of this love and the trust that I once had in the Fox network, I let myself miss the season finale this year, thinking, oh, I'll catch it in a rerun, or just wait until November 2nd when the new season starts...BUT, I've been watching Season one episodes back to back, and started feeling a little nostalgic, so I googled the season finale, thinking that sometimes you can download an episode. What I got was news that has chilled me to my very core! They killed Marissa in the finale. She isn't coming back this season. And to top it off, she dies in Ryan's arms without telling him she still loves him, and I've heard rumor that he leaves the pool house at Sandy and Kirsten's and moves back to Chino to be with skanky Theresa, who he thinks is pregnant with his kid, only he's not the baby's daddy; the baby is Eddie's. A big F.U. to Hollywood right now. Marissa couldn't meet up with Dylan and Brenda, who are backpacking in Europe?


And why is it, when a man is pushing a baby carriage, sans woman, he can not push said carriage with TWO hands? He has to do the one-hander, like "Hey, girl, this really isn't my kid, cause, see, I'm doing the one-handed push, so how 'bout we hook up sometime?" Test all of your boyfriends, ladies. Borrow a friend's kid and see if he does the one-handed push...it says a lot about his character. Two-handed pushers are the ones you want to spend your life with, or at least share parenthood with.

July 27, 2006

Still muggy...waiting for it to end.

This has been such a long week. I will not be sad to see it end. I think the weather has something to do with it.

I don't have much to blog about today.

I need some more coffee.

I get my new washing machine on Saturday. I am happy about that.

I have to get my driver's license renewed. I'm supposed to have it done tomorrow, but I'll do it Monday, since I am on vacation.

His Name is Eric

SOOOOOO I finally find out my boyfriend's name at church...his name is Eric. He was a marine. The bad news is that he is leaving soon to spend two months in Africa as a missionary! :( I'm not sure when he's leaving. That was depressing tonight. And Ken wasn't there. He had to be rushed to the emergency room because of some trouble with some dangerous fumes. He's fine now, just resting. He was in all of our prayers tonight.

I am still cranky. I am going to be eating some nachos for supper, watching The O.C. and relaxing.

I saw my mother again tonight. I had to pick Kayla up. Two times in one week. I'll be seeing her on Saturday, too, when she and my stepdad bring over my new washing machine.

I got to cuddle with niece Gaby today. She is just so cute.

Okay, The OC is on.

July 26, 2006

I have had enough of this humidity! I wish it would just rain and get it over with and get it all out of its system. My throat hurts and I am pretty sure it is the weather. Hot humid days, cooler humid nights and sleeping with the fan on...it is drying out my sinuses and making me feel yucky and headachey.

Sandy and Rich came over last night. Rich was helping Shannon and Andrew move Shannon's bed back in and Sandy stayed downstairs with me, talking. We all go to the same church. Desaraye and Shannon are sisters. Desaraye is married to David and Shannon is dating Andrew. Andrew and David are the sons of Sandy, who is married to Rich. Needless to say, I've gotten pretty close to Sandy and Rich, between showers, weddings, church, and assorted parties (candle, tupperware, etc.). Rich came downstairs at about 9 PM and they both stayed until about 10:30, just talking with me. Sandy has a bible study with some friends of hers from work (she is a nurse) and they take turns having it at each others' houses. She invited me to be a part of it! I'm so excited. We talked a lot last night about how God has been working in each of our lives and about forgiveness and discernment. It was so helpful to me.

Prior to Sandy and Rich coming over, I had to go to my parent's house. I got there about 5:30 and stayed until about 7ish. Kayla ended up spending the night there and I saw my Aunt and cousin Meghan. Both of my brothers were there, as was my niece Alexis. My niece Gaby was with her mother. Mandy and my brother split up again and she's given my brother custody of Gaby, who is 2. She said she can't handle her. She tried but I guess Gab was just being miserable and wouldn't knock it off until Mandy said she was taking her back to Daddy's. Something is definitely going on with Mandy. I thought things were going better, especially after she surprised me at church. Normally, I would be very happy about all of this, because I never really liked her in the first place, but like I said, something isn't right. I can't imagine her walking away from her children. I guess the other two are living full time with their father, as well. She has three in all. I hope for Gaby's sake, she gets this all straightened out.

The center was packed again today. The kids were all moody and fighting with each other because of the heat. I did have the air conditioning going, so that helped a little, but we were all testy today.

Tonight, I am going to watch some O.C. and then try to go to bed at a decent hour and try to catch up on sleep. This heat is so darn exhausting. Right now, I have to get to Movie Gallery and drop off some movies and Hayley and Shannon want Dairy Queen. We have to pick up Kayla at 5:30 and then we have church at 6.

July 25, 2006

Work was busy today. We had a full house with 8 kids at the center. It was very nice catching up with Iona and Claire in the office this morning. I am on vacation next week, then I work for a week, then I have the next week off, too. I have to use up 2 weeks vaca by the 19th of August or I lose them. After that, I'll get 3 more weeks, because the new year will officially be starting.

I talked with Brian this morning. I asked him what he thought of Kayla's picture.
Me: "She is just so beautiful. She keeps getting prettier everyday."
Brian: "Indeed! She comes by it naturally, though."

I am not quite sure if that was a compliment for me or not.

Anyway, church tomorrow night. I wonder what excitement that will bring! :) Maybe I'll remember my name.

I have to go to my mother's this evening. I haven't talked with her for awhile actually and I ended up talking to her twice in one day. I called to ask if my stepdad could deliver a new washing machine for me if I bought one this weekend. The delivering part isn't as important as removal of my old one, which is why I need his help. He has a dump permit sticker on his truck and that way it will only be like $10 for them to dispose of the old washing machine. SOOOOO, that opened the floodgates, so to speak. Now, my mom needs me to do a favor for her this evening.

I'm excited for vacation. I need a break. Just some time when I don't have to get up at any specific hour. Recharge my batteries.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Bad Medicine.........Bon Jovi

Looking Innocent!

Looking Innocent!
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

I'm not sure how I can be the mother of someone so pretty! Today, I found the Mother's Day 1999 tape she made for me when she was nine.

Looking Not Innocent!!!

Looking Not Innocent!!!
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

I believe the torch has been passed! Kayla now has the best hair in the house!

Kayla & Sierra

Kayla & Sierra
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

My extremely beautiful daughter and dog! I am a very lucky mommy!

Crazy Weather

I wonder how often it occurs that both the east and west coasts are hit with such a large number of blackouts, whether because of the extreme heat or thunderstorms. Air-conditioners don't work without electricity! Except for car air-conditioners.

The heat around here is cooler than it was, but still quite humid.

Secrets

We're gonna play a new game. One I like to call "Secrets". You've all heard me say that secrets with me have a shelf-life. Now is the time to dish!

Former lover, AJ, works out every other day...to Christina Aguilera!
Imagine my horror, when I went downstairs to use the tanning bed, only to find him lifting weights to "Genie in a Bottle". I said, "What crap are you listening to?" "I listen to this cd everytime I work out!"

July 24, 2006

I'm glad Tanya found humor in the mouse debacle! Hayley's back at home now, so my snake tending days are over! :)

Oh, oh, guess what? I forgot to tell everyone that I shook hands with my boyfriend at church yesterday morning. He was standing at the door greeting everyone. I threw caution into the wind and tossed my hair back and walked right up to him and shook his hand! Of course, I forgot my name, but whatever...this is progress! And now, my hand rash is GONE! I shook his hand, Ken (our pastor) sat next to us in church, as we had a guest speaker during the morning service. In the entire church, he sat next to us, in the 4th row of the bleachers. Instead of where there pastors sit, instead of with his wife...weird. At the evening service, he came over, shook Deb's hand, Hayley's, then mine and then stood there until he had to be up on stage when the service started. I think he and God have a direct communication line going about how much help I need! Actually, what it probably is, is that he is desperately trying to find out my "story" and I'm pretty tightlipped about it, except in blogland. Alot of people at church ask for prayer about everything, but I'm not like that. But with all this handshaking going on, my rash is gone. I'm healed! :)

Now that I mention it, I wonder if anyone else has experiences like this with their pastors. Sometimes, Ken is just Ken. No weirdness. Sometimes though, it is like the Holy Spirit is working so strongly thru him that even his eyes don't seem his own and it is almost like communicating directly with God. It is those times when it seems like he hunts me down, grabs my hand to shake it or yells at me across from the parking lot, "I'll be seeing you," and it really weirds me out, like he'll touch me and I'll start talking in tongues or something.

I am not dealing with the pool right now. I needed to step away from the situation. I'll fix it soon.

Shannon moved back in today.

Hayley got her hair cut very cute, as did Kayla. Kayla also got her naturally dirty blonde hair dyed BLEACH blonde! I believe it is called whiplash blonde! :) She looks very beautiful.

Allison's birthday party was fun. It was fun hanging out with her family. They are much more normal than she is! :) Her sister Stacy's house is just BEAUTIFUL! We had lasagna, chicken parmesean, different salads, homeade bread, garlic bread, peanut butter pie and ice cream cake for dessert. VERY DELISH!

Well, that is about all that is new. We're having pizza tonight for supper.

July 22, 2006

Did I sleep through an entire weekend? Is it Monday? No, it is Saturday, so imagine my surprise when I woke up and things began to quickly go downhill, like it was a Monday!

I am still having problems with my pool. I will fix it...again! In order for me to enjoy my pool experience, I like things to be just perfect. They weren't just perfect enough, so I adjusted what was wrong and now it is way more wrong than ever!!! I am starting to feel like Bill Murray with gopher trouble!

I also woke up to clouds. No rain. Just hot humidity with only clouds in the sky. So not only can I not swim in the pool today, I can not lay in the sun, either.

I have a zit on my face. I have a rash on my hand. Because of the humidity, I will now have frizzy hair. I will be 34 years old on Friday. I won't have all three of my kids together again for 2 weeks and I can't even blame any of this on my period!!!

List of Good Things:

I have a great dog.
I had a great pool.
I have 3 great kids when I can get them all together.
I have a job.
I have a career plan.
I have a wonderful God who will fix all of my problems.
I have great friends.
I go to a great church.
I have great hair when the weather cooperates.


I miss Zach. I miss Brian. I miss the sun. There are days when it is easier to be happy with the little things. This is not one of them. I need something big. I pray for something big to happen in my life.

Don't even get me started on Zach's snake! Okay, now I am started. First, this little fucker likes to eat once a week. That would be one mouse a week. He is only supposed to shed his skin once every 3 months or so and he did it right before Zach left. He should be good until then end of August. NOPE! He's starting in again. Not a terribly big deal, but Zach handled it the last time and Zach was supposed to be handling it this time. Hayley inherited the snake for the summer. I distinctly recall hearing her say, "Don't worry, Zachie! I'll take care of your snake. Go and have fun and don't worry at all!" To her credit, Hayley has been taking good care of the snake. However, Hayley is at my brother's this week. The snake needs to eat. So I bought the mouse. Conversation at PETCO, after waiting for 20 minutes for someone to help me, so I could get a mouse. Long enough so I could make friends with all of the mice.

"Can I help you?"
"I need a mouse."
"Okay, have you picked one you want? Male? Female? Females are nicer."
"This will be snake food. I'd like to not get attached.'
"Oh. Okay. Male, then. They're not so nice. C'mon little buddy, you're going to be in someone's belly in a little while."

I think to myself, Yeah, please give me some demon man mouse that I have to drive home with and then try to get into the snake's cage. The snake with the cloudy blind eyes, snapping at everything because he can't see well right now, because he is beginning the moulting process AGAIN...early...(snakes lose all of their skin, including the skin covering their eyeballs...this is how you can tell they'll begin the process because their eyes get cloudy, like with cataracts.)

I say, "Thanks."

I stop at Goodwill next door. I buy some books. I am at the stop light in town and Kayla is like, "Oh no."
"Oh no?" I say.
Kayla holds up the cardboard mouse house with a giant hole chewed into the side. No mouse.
"Holy Fuck!" I say. More like scream.
"Mom, keep your hands on the wheel!"
"I can't keep my hands on the wheel! I can't have this happening, Kayla. Do something!"

Meanwhile, the giant ferret-sized mouse is running frantically all over the front seat, scared from the screaming.

"Mom, stop screaming! You're scaring him!"
"I'm scaring him? The fucker has touched me and I'm scaring him?"

So I clutch the wheel tightly, 10 and 2, and close my eyes. "Catch the mouse. Catch the mouse. Catch the mouse." This is the moment when you begin to question your life. How did I get to here? How did I go to bed 16, carefree and beautiful and wake up an almost 34 year old, zit-faced, rashy handed, frizzy haired mother of three, feeding mice to SNAKES??? This is not my life. This is not what I signed up for.

Kayla catches the mouse and holds it tightly to her chest the rest of the way home, making friends with the monster.
"Can we stop at Dunkin' Donuts for some iced lattes?" Kayla asks.
I didn't realize I could speak with my eyes so well.
"After we feed the snake, can we come back for some iced lattes?" Kayla asks.

July 21, 2006

I'm watching The OC right now. I think I am in love with Peter Gallagher. He could use a brow waxing, but he's still handsome!

I'm going to Allison's birthday party tomorrow night at her parent's house.

Flint's been "in the shower" on his yahoo messenger for 3 days now...I'm not sure when someone should call the authorities! :) It's likely he's away on vacation and left his computer online, though that would be extremely unlike him.

I had a nice supper last night with Eric and Erin. We had a chance to discuss our business plan. We want to open a daycare/preschool together. Eric will be our business advisor and accountant. Erin and I will be teachers. The 3 of us will be owners. We want to hire one or two more teachers. It is like a 3 month application process to get licensed with the state. Now we have to look for a site. It would be good if we could get one that was already a previous school, then it would already meet codes.

I bought an AWESOME extra large duffle from LL Bean. You can carry it like a duffle or wheel it. There are wheels on one end and a handle on the other. It will be great to take to Greece and other trips.

Cool!

Sunset Grill

July 19, 2006

It was a nice day at work today. We painted, made sand art and some other craft projects.

I am home now and just got out of the shower. The humidity is lower than it has been, so maybe my hair will look halfway normal after I do it.

Still watching Buffy, Season 6. Last night I watched my least favorite episode. It is my least favorite, not because it isn't done well, but because of the subject matter. It is the one when Buffy keeps blacking out, and waking up in the mental hospital and they keep telling her there that the last 6 years have just been a schizophrenic episode...then she blacks out at the mental hospital and comes to back in Sunnydale and her friends are telling her the episodes are being caused by a spell or a demon. It just freaks me out. A long time ago, I remember seeing an Alfred Hitchcock show and there was this girl having a picnic with her boyfriend, and then she'd black out and wake up in this chamber where a bunch of other people were lined up, sleeping standing up, with the wires sticking out of their heads, and everytime she'd wake up, two scientist guys would tweak the wires...I guess she was shorting out or something. So you couldn't tell which part was the dream. Was she dreaming about the scientists or was she dreaming about the picnic? Anyway, that Buffy episode reminds me of that and it freaks me out.

Kayla and I are going out to eat with Eric and Erin tomorrow at 99. Should be fun.

I have to go finish my hair. Church tonight.

Taco Bell It IS!

That is what Kayla and I had for supper. I want dessert now. I need some chocolate. And cherry pie. With whipped cream. And a whoppie pie. And no-bake cookies. And upside-down cake.

I can't believe I am still hungry! I had a weakly made order of Nachos Bell Grande, but that is all I had today to eat, so that might be why I am still hungry. I have such a sweet tooth! Not for candy either. Not usually anyway. Though, I have been known to eat my share of red hots and conversation hearts and of course, my body weight in Jelly Bellys.

I finally made it to Joshua! Yay!!! Judges is next.

Too Hot for Clever Titles

I'm not sure what Kayla and I are going to have for supper tonight. Maybe salads. It is way too hot to eat something that needs to be cooked. Hamburgers and hotdogs sound good, as long as I don't have to cook them. Standing over a hot grill does not sound fun.

We're watching Season 6 of Buffy.

I got a new bookshelf for the hallway and eventually today, I want to switch the books and pictures over and put the older one in my room. I was going to do some laundry today, too, but I am losing motivation fast! I did fix the pool when I got home for work.

Church tomorrow night. My boyfriend at church wasn't there on Sunday. Maybe tomorrow.

About once a month I get some pretty whacked out dreams. Last night was day two of weird dreams. I was in church and Ken said that someone in church prayed for something specific and that God told him to write a word and then the person who said the prayer would know that God wanted them to talk to Ken. Of course, it was me, in the dream. This is where it gets weirder. At that moment, once I realized that I was the one, I woke up because my portable radio/cd player turned on fullblast, playing Ken's new cd...I woke up, because one, it was loud, and two because Ken's voice in my dream suddenly started to sound like it was coming from my house, which of course, it was. I have know idea how the cd player came on. I was listening to cd's outside in the sun and I brought it in for the night. It was sitting on the table. I am assuming that the cat brushed up next to it and pushed the power button on and then the cd button and then play.

It is getting dark again. I think we're going to get another thunderstorm. YAY!!! The last one, really wasn't one, and didn't really cool anything down.

July 18, 2006

Hayley has been at my brother's since Sunday evening. It is kind of cool just hanging out with Kayla, even though I miss Hayley and Zach.

We are finally having a bit of a thunderstorm! Yay! Maybe with it will come some relief from the heat. Coast to coast 90 degree weather or higher...unusual.

I am signing Kayla and Hayley up for a week long Teen Bible camp at our church. They will be spending the week in Bar Harbor hiking, swimming, sea kayaking, and of course spending time with the Lord. Ken and Aaron (our youth pastor) will be there all week with them, as well as some female chaperones. This Bible camp isn't free, like some, but the price will include a week's stay in Bar Harbor and all their food and snacks. They will be gone August 7-12. I will be without all three of them for a few days. I like it because Ken encourages the kids to spend an hour alone with their Bibles and with God. We did this everyday at our women's retreat and that hour of mediation, early in the morning, is something I still continue. It is a nice way to start off a day.

I am almost finished reading Deuteronomy and will be starting on the book of Joshua. Things are finally getting a little more exciting again. Moses is about to die and will be passing on things to Joshua in the next page or two. Things were moving fast until Moses came on the scene, and after reading Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, I feel as if I too, endured 40 years wandering in the wilderness! I have read the entire New Testament on more than one occasion, but aside from an assortment of books in the Old Testament, I haven't read it from start to finish.

Well, I am going to take advantage of the rain and clean up around here!

Samantha Dawn!!!

I just saw my (former) preschooler Sammi! She will be 6 next week and going into the first grade! She passed her swimming test and can now swim in the deep end of the pool! Bobbi (her mom) said they saw Caitlyn a short time ago and Caitlyn didn't remember Sammi. Kind of weird, but when I saw Katie a few weeks ago at Jenkin's Beach, her dad said that she (Katie) didn't remember Noah and they had been best friends since about age 1 1/2! Adults forget sometimes, me included, that kids' brains don't hold memories like adult brains.

Anyway, Sammi hugs always manage to put a smile on my face, as do Bailey, Noah, Katie, Amya, Zach B., Caitlyn and Ashley hugs!!! That seriously was one of the greatest years and a half of my life!

Thoughts

The swim was nice. I am feeling much better.

I'd like to thank my boss for getting me addicted to reading The Progressive and The Week...two weekly magazines, with a definite liberal slant, but considering I go to a moderate-high conservative church three times per week and work within the welfare system, which can turn even the most devout liberal into a staunch Republican, I need these weekly mags to balance out my thinking and my ideas. I will admit that lately, I peruse the headlines of the newspapers but I haven't watched the news on tv for sometime. I have been very busy in my free time reading the Bible, from cover to cover. I like to stay independent in my thinking and the older I get, the more I have realized the importance of having both liberals and conservatives running the government. I tend to identify more with Democrats on the big vote issues, like abortion and gay rights, than I do Republicans, but that does not mean I don't ever agree with the Republican side of life, especially regarding the welfare system.

The welfare system is a wonderful thing when it is helping single parents, or even parents who find themselves out of work or even too sick to work, helping people who want to work but are just down on their luck. Hardworkers, out of work, were the face of America when the welfare system came to life. Unfortunately, I am just not seeing the numbers of hardworking or willing to work individuals receiving benefits in this area, and I find it hard to believe that only Bangor houses the lazy or the infirm. When you're dealing with generational poverty, you're dealing with individuals who have only known this system. Their parents received welfare and the mentality is that this is their money. This is money that is owed to them, that is owed to every American. You run into people who become so invested in being disabled, they don't even have time to look for a job. You mention, "McDonald's is always hiring, " and they look at you and say, "Sorry, I've got my pride!" Excuse me, buddy, but you lost your pride 100 welfare checks ago! These same people are smoking Marlboro Reds and are sure not drinking the cheap beer every night.

I have to admit, it gets hard to literally hear the SAME story every day. I do not know how Claire and Carl, and other social workers do this every day. There is an extremely high burn-out rate among social workers. The top reason why individuals come in to see us regarding homelessness is because of joblessness. The top reasons (listed in order from most to least poplular) why these individuals are jobless are:

1. They are waiting for their disability check to come in and you can't work for a year, from time of injury, to apply.
2. They have been denied SSI disability and are waiting through the appeal process.
3. They lost their license for an OUI charge.
4. They are convicted felons and nobody wants to hire them.
5. They are leaving an abusive partner. ( I got suckered in on this one, having been in my own abusive relationship, but after they get into a unit, a few days later, they will have their partner sign the lease).
6. Their landlord was a slumlord and the conditions were just so bad, they had to get out...only after some pointed questions do you find out that it was from non-payment of rent!

I used to think education was the answer. Now, I am thinking, a few years in the REAL world might do the trick. A few years of having to work one or two jobs, crappy wages, long hours, with no help from anyone and maybe, just maybe, they might appreciate what taxpayers and their government have done for them, and maybe, just maybe, they might then want an education and try to give back to society. Perhaps the best thing that can happen is for the system to crumble. People need to be reintroduced to self-reliance. You don't work, you don't eat. I am curious what the older generation (people in their 80's and 90's) thinks of the welfare system of today.

On a positive note, they DO make beautiful and wonderful children and I get the pleasure of working with them everyday and I hug them and love them and hope that I have reached some of them and have shown them by example, that there is more to life than living welfare check to welfare check, that people spend MONEY on groceries, not foodstamps, and to never give up on yourself. Finish school and never look back.

July 17, 2006

Today was good for a Monday, but I still am not crazy about them.

Hayley had her tongue pierced yesterday. It took all of 30 seconds. No swelling, no bleeding, no pain. Her biggest complaint right now is that she is hungry! She is super happy and it is cool when you can give your child exactly what they want. Not that I am crazy about her getting her tongue pierced, but I DID let Kayla get her belly button done after I had gotten mine done, and I do have to let her have some say as to what she can and can not do with her body. The kids know my thoughts on body piercing, other than the tongue and belly button and ears...I'm really not cool with them putting holes in their faces. No tattoos until they are 18. I waited until I was 26 for mine!

Allison's birthday is Saturday and mine is the Friday after that.

It is still very hot. I'm not as cranky as I was, though.

Well, you all know where I am headed right now. It is too hot to sit in here and blog.

Sunday

The girls and I were home all day yesterday, except for about 45 minutes, when we grabbed something to eat at Governor's, and during this time Charlie decided to pay his visit. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to see him or say goodbye, but I don't read minds and without a phone call or an email, I didn't know I was about to miss something.

Ken's sermon was interesting this morning. He asked if we ever regretted not saying something to someone when you had the chance. He pretty much encouraged everyone to not leave things unsaid, in case it is the last time you get a chance to say them. It was pretty helpful for me because I've been thinking a lot lately about all of the goodbyes I've had to say in the last 2 years or so. I've been feeling kind of depressed because most of my close friends have all moved away. Terri is in Alaska. Lynette is in Bar Harbor. Brian and I aren't talking much anymore. Amy is in Ohio. God only knows where Kristen is. I had her contact information on my First Class account. She just had my UMaine email address and my now defunct AOL address. Tonya (Morin) was in Rhode Island last time I heard from her. I did get to see Judy last summer. She is in Ohio, too. Welch and Karen both died. Gerry and Elaine are in Maryland. All of my friends from my College of Education classes have all moved away and are teaching all over the place. Jim and I are "friends" but I'd say we only really talk 2 or 3 times a year. Funny how you talk to someone everyday of your life for 3 or more years and then nothing.

I do try to stay positive about it because someone new always enters your life after someone leaves it. And it is true that some people are in your life for just a brief time and some are in your life for longer. It is just that, after a certain age, you begin to notice the phase-out stage more prominently. All the more reason, I guess, to say what you want to say before you don't have a chance to do so.

I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends in my life. They've come at times when I've needed them most. It is easy to look back and say, "Wow! How would I have ever gotten thru such and such if I hadn't met (fill in the blank) when I did!" God has been very generous about the people he has put in my path.

Happy Birthday Hayley Jordan!!!

It is hot...it is making me grouchy. One of those days when it's hot even in the early morning. I took Sierra out to go pee and it was already hot. A good indication that things will only get hotter as the day progresses. That bad news with days like this, my morning run is definitely NOT an option. Cleaning the house is definitely NOT an option.

I think I am headed outside to go for a swim. Putting on my bathing suit and walking to the backyard just seems like too much work right now.

Friday Already!!!

I MISS MY BABY!!! Some days are worse than others. 3 weeks and 4 days until he gets back to Maine!

Our field trip to Peaks-Kenny went off without a hitch! A huge thanks to Carl for driving the Police Van and for putting up with the long day in the heat and sun!

What a beautiful day for it! A nice lake to swim in. It was a little warm. We've been swimming in the ocean a lot lately, so the lake water definitely felt WARM!

The weekend forecast looks nice and beautiful, too! We'll be in the pool a lot this weekend. I rescheduled my hair appointment for tomorrow, too.

Current Mood: fantastic
Current Music: Magic Man..............Heart

July 13th, 2006

I got all of the stuff on my list of things to do today actually done TODAY! Now I am exhausted. I am going to take a quick dip in the pool and then do not a thing! I think.

Just when I thought Leviticus was the most boring book in the entire Bible, I moved on to Numbers.

I am presently watching The Brothers Grimm. I love that movie.

Busy Busy

I have a headache from the heat. It is very hot and humid today. I went swimming after I got home from work and that cooled me off for a bit. I almost fell asleep while floating in the pool...it is very relaxing floating on that plastic float.

The girls and I need to figure out what we're going to have for supper. I'm not too hungry. Kayla and I snacked on some nachos earlier.

I just put a ton of pictures into a new photo album and it is already almost full. I still had DC pics to put in there from April 2005! 2005 was a very busy year for me, travel-wise. I went to DC, Virginia Beach, Laconia, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Mass, Rhode Island, and Canada. Plus I had lots of instate travel for work...Bar Harbor, Belfast, Augusta, China Lake, Presque Isle, Freeport, Portland...I've seen enough hotel rooms to last me awhile! :)

I checked the weather and we are going to have a beautiful weekend. We're taking the kids at the center on a field trip to Peaks-Kenny State Park in Dover-Foxcroft on Friday. We leave 9ish and will be back about 3:30ish...a good excuse to hang at the beach! :) A pool party this weekend for Hayley and I plan on being in the pool all day Sunday, too, except for church...which is where I am supposed to be tonight, but my head really is killing me. I even skipped out on my hair apointment, so you KNOW it is bad!!! Bangor PD is loaning us their PAL (Police Athletic League) bus/van for the trip, which is very generous of them.

I bought some razors today so now I can stop being a cactus! :)

Kayla and I gave Sierra a nice bath today. She has a bit of a heat rash on her belly, so we figured the cool bath would help. She doesn't have a lot of hair on her underside and her skin gets irritated very easily.

Well, this was my daily update. I hope everyone had an enjoyable day!

Current Mood: Good
Current Music: none.........I'm watching "In Her Shoes"........

July 12, 2006

I have to run to Walmart before heading to work to pick up my pictures and some emery boards because my fingernails are driving me crazy. I have one or two little snags and I pick at it and pick at it.

I can not believe it is the 12th of July already! Zach will be back in Maine in exactly 4 weeks! I can't wait!

My birthday is in 2 weeks and 2 days. That I can wait for!

Laguna Beach

The girls and I are watching Season One of Laguna Beach. I NEED to get out of Maine!

One more year. One more year. One more year.

The conference was nice. We were right down on the water. Very nice. Last year's group actually had their's on a yacht, but whatever. Next up for us? Tea with the Governor in his mansion on August 9th. Laa*tee*dah!!!

Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment. Work of course and I can't forget to buy a mouse to feed Zach's snake. Church at 6.

I finally did some laundry. Two loads tonight! Yay me!!!

July 11, 2006

I have to leave to get Stacey and Chelsea in a minute. Correction. I have to leave to go get my latte, and then go get Stacey and Chelsea. We will then be on our way to Belfast. We have to stop in Searsport on the way and grab Steven and then head down to the Boathouse in Belfast. I guess that is where we're having our conference today.

The conferences aren't terribly exciting, but it does break up the monotony of my job...plus they are catered! Yummy food to eat all day! I gain about 10 pounds at our 2 and 3 day conferences! :) There are worse things than having to hang out in Belfast and on the coast for the day! I was just there on Saturday with the kids!

I fell asleep last night at about 8:30 and slept right through until 6 AM. I have to do laundry today when I get home. Fun, fun! I am seriously slacking, though. I am officially out of towels! We're still doing alright with clothes...the girls are wearing bathing suits most of the day, swimming in the pool. Maybe I'll go swimming tonight when I get home.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Looks That Kill..............Motley Crue

July 10, 2006

Can it be almost 2 days since I blogged? Don't fret, nothing too exciting has happened in my world, so no one missed anything! :)

Today is my (ex) niece Hannah's 20th birthday! Talk about making me feel old! She was born in 1986. The girls' dad and I started dating in 1988 when she was almost 2. Time goes by so fast!

Hayley's birthday is the 15th. She'll be 15 on the 15th. Zach was 12 this year, on the 12th and my niece Lexi was 5 on the 5th. It was a weird year for that!

It was a nice day at work. Everyone was in a fairly good mood. I had a good laugh after I found out about Carl's chair breaking and him falling on the floor last week! I'm glad he was not hurt. I am horrible to have around in a situation like that, especially if you are in pain, because if you went down in a funny sort of way, I can't help but laugh.

I will be in Belfast all day tomorrow at a conference.

Charlie emailed me today. He's leaving in 2 weeks, so we're going to try to get together this weekend.

I talked with Tanya this weekend. I hope I was able to cheer her up a little. I talked with Sarah today. Now, I just need to catch up with Eric and Erin and Amy.

Sierra is finally resuming her regular sleep schedule. After we got back from vacation, she had her days and nights mixed up or something. All I know is that she was wanting to go out to go pee several times in the evening. Last thing I want to do, unless I am drunk, is hang out in my yard in the middle of the night while my dog goes to the bathroom.

We had an amazing thunder and lightening storm at work today. The road got flooded and there was pea-size hail. It was very cool.

I think I am going to read for a bit and then call it a night.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Feel Like Makin' Love...................Bad Company

July 8, 2006

The beach was nice today. I got a lot of reading done. Very hot to sit in the sun, though. You definitely had to keep getting wet. Today would have been a perfect pool day, floating around on my suntanner float, but I have to shock the pool and it will be a day before we can get back in. I am pretty sure we are staying close to home next weekend. Hayley wants a pool party for her birthday and that is fine by me. So much for not taking so many road trips this summer! There aren't a whole lot of people out there. Tons of vacancy signs in Old Orchard and in Belfast and Camden. This never happens in the summer on the coast of Maine. People have to usually book their vacations a year in advance. The kids and I are taking advantage of it.

I got a lot of sun today so that makes me happy. I like the days when you can notice your tan getting darker!

I went to bed last night around 9:30 PM and slept until 6 AM. Not bad. I really adjusted well to the lack of sleep to Boston. Usually the trip screws me up for a few days, but not this year. I even had less sleep this year. I think the two days in Old Orchard really helped take the edge off and definitely broke up the trip into more manageable pieces.

Conversations From the Car....

Me: What do you guys want for supper tonight?
Kayla: Food.
Me: What kind of food?
Kayla: I don't care.
Me: That wasn't the answer I was looking for. Do you want seafood or something different?
Kayla: Whatever.
Me: Did you have fun at the movies?
Kayla; Yeah
Me: Care to elaborate?
Kayla: No
Me: Did you do drugs last night?
Kayla (disgusted look on her face): Yes, Mom, I did and then I drank a 40 in the parking lot!
Me: How do you know what a 40 is?
Kayla: You make me read.
Me: I see. Good talking to you. Go back into your little iPod world.


Then...Kayla, Hayley and Spring were down in the water and I overheard Kayla telling the girls about the movie. I was like, "OMG!"
Kayla (startled): What?
Me: You can talk! With inflection in your voice AND expressions on your face and everything!!! Unbelievable! I can't believe it!
Kayla: Mom, you're such a retard!


Gee, teenagers are fun.

July 7, 2006

Hayley and I are going to the movies tonight. Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Kayla is going tonight with Shannon. Zach is going tonight with his dad!

The girls and I are going to Lincolnville Beach tomorrow. We're getting up early, and heading out. Having a picnic lunch there and then a nice lobster dinner in Camden or Belfast. I haven't decided which direction we'll be heading.

I talked to Zach for about an hour on the phone last night. He'll be back in Maine on August 9th! Sooner than I had planned. He'll spend a week at his grandmother's in Presque Isle and then he'll be back home to me to enjoy the rest of the summer! I can't wait!

I talked to Brian (briefly) today. I probably should not have done that. I can go from happy and peaceful, to sad in under 2 minutes! He said he'd figured I had spent the 4th in Boston. He was glad I had a good time. Last year, he and I spent the 4th in New Hampshire. I was surprised to find out he had even thought about me at all this 4th.

Anyway, the movies tonight will be fun and the beach tomorrow will be very relaxing. Hayley's birthday is next Saturday. She is having some friends over for a pool party and then she wants her tongue pierced. She'll be 15, so I agreed. I don't want her to get anything on her face pierced, but a tongue is not so "in-your-face" and when she takes it out, the hole will close up, so no lasting effects when it stops being the cool thing to do. Plus, it will bug her dad! :)

Current Mood: still kind of sad after hearing from Brian
Current Music: Same Old Song and Dance....................Aerosmith

Phew!!!

I've loaded up all of the pics that I am for today! There are Old Orchard Beach ones on the next page...so don't miss out! :)

Kayla & Mrs. Steven Tyler

Kayla & Mrs. Steven Tyler
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Hayley & Jessica

Hayley & Jessica
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

The concert is about to start! FINALLY!!!

Concert Crowd

Concert Crowd
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Group Shot

Group Shot
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

We got beaded!

Keith Lockhart

Keith Lockhart
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

The conductor of the Boston Pops.

Boston Pops

Boston Pops
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

On Piano

On Piano
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Just Give Me a Kiss!

Just Give Me a Kiss!
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Anytime, Steven, anytime!!!

On Screen

On Screen
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Steven Tyler

Steven Tyler
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

I love this man!

Walk This Way

Walk This Way
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Picture in Picture

Picture in Picture
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

in picture, in picture, in picture...

Joe's Arm

Joe's Arm
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Friend Joe's arm...this is a side shot of one of the screens.

We're Back!!!

Home safe and sound. We got in about 10 PM last night! I'll post the concert pics next. All I can say, seeing Aerosmith...watching Steven Tyler on piano, singing "Don't Want to Close My Eyes"...the greatest night of my life! I have loved Aerosmith since 7th grade! A dream come true for me! They go on tour next month with Motley Crue! Guess who is going back to Boston??? :) That will probably surpass this event!

What a great holiday! So many stories to tell. I'll be blogging about this for a long time. Shopping at the Portland Mall, and supper at Eggspectaions, followed by fireworks and beach party on the beach at Old Orchard Beach on the 3rd, Boston Pops concert with guests, Aerosmith (Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) and Rockapella on the 4th, followed by the Nation's very best fireworks display, and then sunrise AND sundown on Old Orchard Beach! What a grand time! We left OOB at about 8 PM and headed for home.

Old Orchard Beach...2006

Old Orchard Beach...2006
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

July 3rd...Fireworks on the beach in Old Orchard.

July 3, 2006

July 3, 2006
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Day One

Day One
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

All smiles!

Allison...Day 2

Allison...Day 2
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

4th of July morning at about 4 AM...waiting in line. Allison got us a great spot! 4th row or so. Great seats! :)

Hayley...Day 2

Hayley...Day 2
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

4 AM...waiting in line for the concert...this is how the conversation went down...

Me (nudging her with my foot): Hayley, smile for the camera.
Hayley: Mom, get your foot away from me.
Me: Well, smile, then.
Hayley: Mom, I am serious, get your frigging foot away from me!
Me: Temper, temper!!! Suit yourself, you'll have lots of grumpy looking pictures to show your grandkids someday!

Cowgirl Kayla

Cowgirl Kayla
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Under the pier...hard to believe she will be someone's Nana someday! :)

Hayley

Hayley
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

She is adorable when she is sleeping and not mouthing off.
She fell asleep while we were waiting in line to get into the "oval"...the supreme spot on the Esplande.

Miss Grump

Miss Grump
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Can you tell she's had about enough of the pictures?

40 Hours of No Sleep & No Coffee

40 Hours of No Sleep & No Coffee
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

This would be what I call the "transition" stage...like in childbirth...about 2 hours before the show, you can almost see the beginning of the end, but sheer exhaustion and no coffee makes everyone a little short with each other. It is pure elation once the concert starts though and makes this all worthwhile!

Allison & Jenn...OOB 2006

Allison & Jenn...OOB 2006
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Under the pier...this is where we ate out lunch...we got a pizza from Pier Pizza...yummy!

Day 3

Day 3
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

You'll notice Allison has now stopped smiling in pictures. We walked a total of 16 miles over this 3 day period. She had had just about enough of the walking!

My Cowgirl

My Cowgirl
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

She got a Louis Vuitton purse and a cowboy hat on this vacation! Can she be anymore like her mother?

Hayley...OOB 2006

Hayley...OOB 2006
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Shark???

Shark???
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Kayla (who was taking the picture) thought she saw something swimming in the water behind us!

And She is Down!

And She is Down!
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Allison falling down in the waves...or was she pushed??? Seriously, I was going to help her up after I stopped laughing!

Have a Great 4th!!!

We're off! Have a great holiday everyone! I'll blog when I get back!

Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) will be performing with the Boston Pops! I am SOOOOOO excited! I am a huge Aerosmith fan! I am so happy!

Sunday

I got home last night around 1 AM. I could not fall asleep. It was hot and stuffy in my room and the girls had taken over the living room, so I had t endure! I finally fell asleep at 2ish and had to wake up for church at 7. I was going to spend the next few hours doing some laundry and picking up last minute items we'll need for Boston, but I think I am going to take a quick nap. We have to be back at church at 5:30. My cute boy was not at the morning service, or at least I did not see him. Hopefully, I will run into him tonight.

I had a great time with the girls last night. My poor sweet Bailey found out about that little girl that was kidnapped at Walmart (in Maine)...some guys thwarted the abduction attempt in the parking lot and the girl was reunited with her mother, but David and Karen both said that Bailey has been scared to death! Last night, just after the sun went down, she had to lock the porch door. Then at bedtime, she locked the front door and deadbolted it ( I didn't know this until David rang the door bell at about 1) and she went around the house shutting and locking all of the windows and made sure the shades were pulled down in the bedroom. They don't know how she found out about it but they are not happy with whoever told her. I'm not either. She is only 5. Yes, she needs to understand about strangers and not talking to them and about good touches and bad touches...all that stuff...but it just broke my heart to see my sweet girl so scared of being kidnapped. She is super-shy as it is!

Madison's birthday is tomorrow. She wanted Zach to come over but he, of course, is in Virginia until August. They'll have a play date when he gets back. She has such a crush on Zachie! They'll make a lovely couple when they are grown! :) Bailey had some surprises for me, as always. Lovely pictures and she's been practicing writing my name. The sweetest picture ever was in her room, with her hugging Emily.


After I got the girls to bed, I watched some MTV and then switched it over to A & E and watched their Cold Case show...probably NOT the show to be watching alone in the middle of the night. I kept looking out the window and just how the front yard was lit up by the streetlamp, it looked a perfect scene for Michael Myers to walk slowly up the driveway! Completely freaked myself out! I kept waiting for the phone to ring and either say, "Seven Days" or "Have you checked the children?"

Speaking of scary movies, I rented "The Hills Have Eyes"...not so scary if you've seen Wrong Turn...almost the same plot, just different location. Still good. I like blood and guts. I watched the movie Indigo. Very sweet. I also rented The Big White...very similar to Fargo. I liked it but you have to have time to watch it and pay attention. Not a movie to put in if you are puttering around the house.

Okay, I really need a nap.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Don't Stop Believin'...........Journey

Bailey & Me

Bailey & Me
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Bailey and I waited all day for this! Notice my nose is about the color of the wall after spending the day at the beach.

Waiting for Supper

Waiting for Supper
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Sweet Girls

Sweet Girls
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Bailey, Jamie & Madison looking too cute!

Baxter & Madison

Baxter & Madison
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

The kitten I gave the girls...Baxter is now one year and one month old!

Me & Bailey

Me & Bailey
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Games, Games, Games

Games, Games, Games
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Madison, Jamie and me, playing Yahtzee...good times!

Bedtime At Last

Bedtime At Last
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Bailey, with Baxter, Jamie, with stuffed animals and finally Madison.

Pajama Party

Pajama Party
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Jamie and Madison (with Madison looking exactly like her mother in this pic)...fast forward 10 years, and they will be sorority sisters! :)

Hayley & Sierra

Hayley & Sierra
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Sierra & Me

Sierra & Me
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

In my backyard.

Me

Me
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Kayla

Kayla
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Hayley & Allison

Hayley & Allison
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Get your own box!

Vonnegut

Vonnegut
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

What I'm reading...I got more comments at the beach yesterday, while reading this book, than I have ever gotten.

3 in One Weekend!

I will have seen 3 of my former preschoolers in the same weekend this weekend! I saw Katie with her dad at the beach today. She starts kindergarten in the fall, as well! I will be seeing Bailey tonight and Amya tomorrow at church. Now, I just need to see Noah, Sammi, Zach B., Crystal and Caitlyn and it'll be just like old times! :) I miss my kids so much. I look at their sweet faces everyday at my new job. Their picture is on my desk at the Learning Center.

The hole in the ozone over Jenkin's Beach is as big as ever, Erin! :) We all got a good dose of much needed sun today!

A darn near perfect day! I spent the day with my girls and I'm spending tonight with my favorite preschooler and on the drive home from the beach today, one of my favorite songs was on the radio by Don Henley. Let's see if you all remember which one that is! :) My tan is getting darker and my excitement for Boston is growing! I have soooo soooo many errands to do tomorrow.

I'll post pics of the beach and of Bailey and Madison when I get home tonight.