I have a confession to make.

Well, it's not going to be a confession when my sisters read it. 'Cause they've always known it. Always made fun of me for it. The jerks. Okay, here goes (deep breath in, deep breath out)....

I had bad hair as a child. No really, I did. You think I'm kidding? You say you want proof? Okay, you asked for it.

Tell me that is not horrible. And believe me, that ain't the worst one. I asked my mom once why she let me go out of the house like this, and she answered "Because you wouldn't let me brush your hair!" Well, can ya' blame me? Look at that crazy mess. Imagine the yelling that came out of me when she tried to jam a brush through it. What was my mother thinking? Yikes.

All I can say is, I'm glad The Girl doesn't have my hair. I think The Boy may have inherited it, but he's a boy, and we can just shave it off (which we do). The Girl, however, has beautiful hair. Smooth and straight. Those are the two things I wish my hair had been as a child, and really, the two things I still wish my hair were (was, would be?). She's got The Hubster's hair color (very light brown, but she gets blonde streaks in the summer). The Boy has that hair color too. It kinda' sucks, 'cause I wish I had had a dark haired baby. She's got a slight wave to it, but NO CURL and NO FRIZZ! Praise the LORD!!!! Okay, can you tell hair is kind of an important thing to me? When you grow up with hair like mine, it kinda' has to be. Anywho....

I braided The Girl's hair this morning for the aforementioned Class Picture. I think her hairstyle:

is much better than this one of mine was:

Again with the WHAT WAS MY MOTHER THINKING?!?!?

Okay, one last picture, just to show you how beautiful My Girl is. She looks so much better with her bangs cut.

Okay, I know it's a cheesy smile. But she's cute, huh? I love this girl!

I'm going to post a picture later, after I get back from taking her to school, of my whole famn damily. It's a whopper. But, that's later. Ta ta for now.

My bragging rights for the day.

That, my friends, is thyme. And I grew it. From seeds. Oh yeah, I'm cool. I rock.

Okay, can you tell I've never grown ANYTHING from seeds before. Shoot, I can't keep houseplants alive. But I'm doin' it now. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah (okay, picture me standing on the computer chair, chanting this, doing the Cabbage Patch...frightening, I know).

Aren't I so cool? Yeah, I thought so.

Okay, so I know it's been forever since I've been on here. Wait, does four days qualify as forever? I don't have time to do a big post right now (I have to get The Girl ready for school and class pictures), but I'm hoping I'll get on here later to post. I have soooooo much to tell you. Okay, not really. But I can make something up. I should go and get said Girl ready for said school and said class pictures.

See ya' later!

The Kewlest Shirt EVER!

Just thought I'd share with you all my very favorite shirt. Here it is:

I don't know why I love this shirt so much, but I do. I love random t-shirts like this. I think they let me show the weird, random side of my personality that I don't let out very much anymore. And yes, I do own this one. And I can't wait for the weather to get warmer so people can actually see it, and I don't have to wear a jacket over it.

Here is another one that I love:

TB, my sister, just bought this one. So totally reminds me of my childhood. I loved that song, man! I may have to copy her and buy it.

By the way, these two shirts are from Delia's. They have an enormous selection of random t-shirts.

Okay, I just thought I'd share with y'all.

What's in YOUR purse?

So, I stole this idea from Mom to the Screaming Masses. She had a post that listed everything in her purse. So, I thought I'd play the game too. Here's a list of what's in my red/blue/green/orange/yellow/black striped purse from Target...(hold please, while I sort)...

• iPod Nano in bright pink armband with exercise headphones attatched
• blue iPod Nano skin
• earbuds that came with the Nano
• Belkin TuneCast II (FM receiver for the car)
• Crystal Light On The Go packet (lemonade)
• Special K Bar (strawberry flavored)
• Trident gum (original flavor)
• zippered pouch with: Cool Citrus Basil lotion, Listerine Pocket Mist, small Kleenex package, nail clippers, Aveeno cold sore treatment, Blistex Silk N Shine, and Rimmel Twist & Shine Sheer Lip Polish in Brilliance
• 2 pens (Pampered Chef andWindmill Inns)
• a lock for when I go to the gym
• today's workout log from the gym
• 2 Trident wrappers
• Oral-B Brush-Ups
• a $20 bill
• a KCFCU envelope with 18-one dollar bills
• a $5 Safeway coupon for any Claritin product
• 5 receipts (Safeway, Fred Meyer, WalMart, Hollywood Video, and Kitsap Credit Union)
• reminder card for our next counseling appointment
• Safeway shopping list with everything crossed off but Jumbo Pasta Shells (had to get them at Fred Meyer)
• change purse with $1.03 in change
• Yellow notepad with mini-pen
• wallet with various store club cards, debit/credit cards, membership cards (library, AAA, gym), kids' health cards, driver's license, coffee (i mean hot chocolate) punch card, pictures of family, and social security cards (I KNOW you're not supposed to carry those with you. I just haven't taken them out from the dentist trip five months ago.)
  

WHEW. Okay, that's it. Well, that's in the purse I'm using now. I've got one up on a shelf that I'm not currently using but it is storing some stuff for me.

So, what's in your purse? Post it on your blog, or if you don't have one (ahem....Yella), post it as a comment.

OH, THE INSANITY!!!

So much to say, so little motivation. I know you are all anticipating and waiting patiently for my next post. Too bad for you.

There has been some stuff going on in my life. Not much. But enough to keep me from shriveling into a little dried up bethbean. But I have NO motivation to sit down and write about it. I've got too many shows on my DVR to watch from the week I was gone!!!

Speaking of shows that were on while I was gone. "America's Next Top Model." I CAN'T BELIEVE MOLLIE SUE WAS KICKED OFF!!!! Over JADE!!! That was the stupidest thing I ever saw. I hate Jade. She is arrogant and rude and mean and more annoying than anyone I have ever seen!!! I HATE HER!!!! And I hope the judges see through her manipulative crap soon, and get rid of "THE undiscovered supermodel." Grrrr. Can you tell I was yelling at the TV while I was watching yesterday? Anywho....

I went to yoga today. My first class. Went with My Neighbor. Her ex-sister-in-law was supposed to go with us, but she couldn't find a parking space (read: the parking at Westcoast Fitness SUCKS!) and got in too late to join the class. So, it was just me and My Neighbor. It was pretty cool. Very relaxing. I'm hoping all the stretching will help me with my incredibly horrible, non-existent flexibility. But remind me next time to use two mats. 'Cause laying on my stomach, doing the stretch were you lift only your legs. Yeah, that hurt. As TB knows, the hip bones are a little (okay, a lot) pokey. And those suckers were poking right into that hardwood floor. Ow. So, on Thursday, I'll use two mats. Anyway. It was good.

Alright, that's it. You have dragged enough out of me. I will not write anymore. I told you I didn't have any motivation, and darn it, I DON'T! So, no more. I have to change The Boys diaper and put him to bed. And I have to figure out what the heck he is doing with his "hoot nacks" (that would be fruit snacks, to the english speaking world).

Later.

I'm baaaaaaack!!!

Again with the uuuunnnnnhhhhhh..... We are home. We left Cali at exactly 2:00 pm today. We arrived home at 11:45 pm. Not bad. Under 10 hours, with three(?) potty stops, and an hour and a half for dinner.

I am going to bed now. Because I have been home for almost two hours, and I'm still not sleeping.

I will post tomorrow. Hopefully I will have something brilliant and witty and side-splittingly funny to say. Keep your fingers crossed.

Good night.

typing quickly

not going to bother with proper english composition tonight. the boy is sleeping about ten feet behind me, and i'm trying to type quietly. and without turning on lights to find all those annoying keys like shift. you're lucky i'm using a period.

today was a good day. the kids played outside for most of the morning, while I napped. i love it here. after i decided to get my lazy butt out of bed, i showered and the kids and i headed out. we went to yreka (no, not eureka) to meet the hubster's mom for lunch. before we went there, we stopped at the bank where i used to work to say hi. stopped at walmart to drop off some pictures and so the girl could go potty. met GC for lunch. the girl used the potty two more times while we were there (three if you count the time we went in for a butt spankin'). it was a potty day. after lunch we stopped by wally's, picked up the pictures and a few other things (read: i am a sucker and buy my children way too much stuff). headed back to the valley. stopped by ray's in fort jones, but walked over to the bookkeeping office where i used to work. found out one of the girls who eventually took my place walked out a couple of weeks ago, leaving my old job open. found myself wishing the hubster could find decent work in the valley so we could move back, and i could work there again. walked back over to ray's and picked up something for dinner and a cherry coke (read: drink of the dEVIL). drove to etna, stopped at ray's in etna to get caf-Fiend free coke (to cancel out the cherry coke, you know?). drove home. put the kids down for a nap at 4 pm (what am i, INSANE?). sat and read a little, listened to my pretty pink iPod, and slept for a little bit (i am such a lazy bum!!!). Got up, started dinner, made dinner, ate dinner, cleaned up from dinner. watched the girl, the boy, and gg have a tea party. i'm pretty sure it's their fortieth one since we've been here. hung out for the rest of the night until i put the kids down at 9:30 pm. hoping they'll sleep a little later tomorrow for the late bedtime (YEAH RIGHT!!!). took a bath, read and prayed a little more. came to bed and decided to email the hubster a love note. got sucked into the evil world of the internet. blogs, emails, dictionary word searches. damn you, internet, damn you!

okay, so there is a very long run down of my oh so interesting day. getting off now, before i give into my urge to go back and capitalize everything. going to get into my electric blanket heated bed. loves to all!

p.s. can i just say that i love the little bumps on the j and f keys that let you know your fingers are in the right position. great for midnight in-the-dark typing.

It has been 26 years since my last confession.....

Okay, I have a confession to make. I love being on vacation here. 'Cause I don't have to watch my kids. I have been in the back room, on the computer, for almost an hour. And my kids have been outside with GG.

I hate being outside (**shudder**), especially when it is so frickin' cold out. This is pretty much the only time The Boy gets to go outside, when we are here. The poor thing. They have gone in the Tonka Truck (four-wheeler truck), they have gathered chicken eggs, they have tried to feed the horses (the stupid things didn't want carrots. what's up with that?). They have gone on walks, and played out on the deck. All while I was inside, nice and warm and cozy.

Don't get me wrong. I still get meals ready, and change clothes and poopy diapers, and put them to bed. But I don't have to play with them!!! It's so nice. Thank God for still-active GGs (great-grandma's, for those that don't know).

Speaking of putting them to bed. It is nap time. I must go deal with the screaming and crying (mostly from The Boy). Say "Nuh-night!"

We have survived! And other random conclusions....

Uuuunnnnnhhhhhh.......we're here. I have come to some conclusions on this trip.

First, the drive from Bremerton, WA to Etna, CA (approximately 535 miles) is a bit like childbirth. It's long, it's painful, it's stressful. It completely drains all of your energy and leaves you recovering for days (okay, maybe one day). You'd like to have some sort of drug to get you through it, to just knock you out for the duration. But you know you're better off going natural so that you are all there for it, so you can concentrate and give 100%. And the end result of the drive/childbirth is so worth all of the effort you have put forth, and all of the pain you have endured. To see the smiling faces of the kids, and the smiles and tears from GG and Papa makes that 10+ hour drive all worth it. It makes listening to children's movies for nine hours worth it. It makes sharing a hotel bed with a magnetic four-year old worth it. (Okay, just to clarify that statement: When you share a bed with The Girl it's like you have a piece of metal strapped to your back and she is a magnet. Everytime you wake up, she is on your back like white on rice, no matter how many times you move her away.) It's all worth it. And the way the drive is MOST like childbirth? You forget how painful it is shortly after it's over, so that you continue to do it time after time.

The second conclusion I have come to is in regards to caffeine (or, as I like to call it, caf-fiend). I'm sure some of you know that Caf-feind is my arch nemesis. We do NOT get along. Actually, since I have semi-given it up, we are faring much better. I can have it occasionally without any bad side effects (i.e. peeing every 10 minutes, staying up until 5 o'clock in the morning). I have actually had A LOT of caffeine this last four days, what with scrapbooking and the drive down, so now I'm working on getting off of it. But caffeine's role in my drive down here is what I would like to focus on today. It is amazing to me what a super-drug caffeine can be. I was so tired driving down that I actually had to stop just outside of Olympia for a short nap. I was afraid I would fall asleep while driving, and I didn't want to take any chances. After I woke up, we got started again. A while later, I stopped somewhere (I don't remember where) and got a Cherry Coke. And I'm not kidding you, after two drinks of that soda, I was wide awake. Before I stopped, my eyes were all heavy, and I was starting to worry about falling asleep again (my body goes into sleep mode when it even THINKS about long-distance driving). It was awesome. And I did it again on Monday morning. I had gotten a fairly decent nights sleep, but as soon as I got into the car, I was tired again. So I stopped in Grants Pass and got a Pepsi. And immediately I was awake. Shoot, I didn't even have to drink it. I just looked at it and I could feel the magic elixer coursing through my veins. Okay, not quite, but you know what I mean. So, I have concluded that caffeine, whether injected, ingested, snorted, smoked, swallowed, or just drunk out of a 20 oz bottle is my new "energy drink." I don't have to spend $3.00 on a bottle of RockStar or Full Throttle to get my boost. I'll just go buy a 50 cent can of Cherry Coke and be done with it (only 50 cents outside of WalMart, of course).

My third conclusion. When I watch children's movies now, I laugh at how much I identify with the parents in the movies. I'm talking Disney cartoons here people, not after-school specials. The kids were watching Bambi II on the way down (cute movie by the way, lots of funny parts). There is a part where Bambi yells "I wish Mother were here instead of you!" to his father. And I'm not sitting there thinking "Poor Bambi. His dad isn't being very nice to him. And he misses his mom. Aaawwwhhh." I'm sitting there wondering how bad that made Bambi's dad feel. Thinking about how much that must have hurt him. This is a cartoon deer we are talking about, people!! I'm sympathizing with a cartoon. I think I'm losing it. But I find myself doing that more often. I feel bad for parents in movies and shows when their kids act out, or say mean things to them. I give advice to fictional parents when I see their stories (it's usually "You need to smack that kid" but who cares, right?). I can't quite figure out when the shift happened. I don't think it was the minute I got pregnant, or even after The Girl was born. But sometime in the last several years, I think I have truly become a parent. I guess I can stop feeling like I'm pretending now. Like I'm just babysitting these kids for someone else. I can feel like a real adult now, not like I'm still in high school. But, that is a post for another day.

Right now I should go hang out with The Boy. The Girl went with GG to get a haircut (yes, TB, she is getting her bangs cut), and The Boy is not feeling well. So, I leave you all to your lives. Enjoy them!

Update

Just posting a quick hello and update.

Got back from scrapbooking tonight. Only got six pages done the whole weekend. Boo. Had a good time though.

Leaving for California sometime tomorrow morning. Have to get up early and pack all the bags (mine, The Girl's, and The Boy's). Looking forward to a 12-hour drive. Okay, not really. Possibility of staying overnight in a hotel, depending on time of departure and weather conditions. Hopefully I"ll be able to post a couple times from down there to let you all know how it's going.

Feeling guilty about recent spending habits. Did good before about paying off bills, but now that they're gone, we've gone a bit nutso. Gotta' rein that in. We'll work on it after the kids and I get back. Pat us on the back, though. We did turn down going to see a big country show this summer. The tickets were 80 bucks a pop, so we said "Uh uh." Yay us!!

Okay, I'm going to go take a bath and go to bed. I slept on the hotel floor last night (I know, nasty, right?), so I'm looking forward to my nice soft bed tonight. Maybe I won't get up at 6:00.....

Okay, signing off. See you on the flip side.