Christmas Break Catch Up

This may go a bit out of order... I'm fancy like that...

Update on the last two days... Yesterday I come down with a NASTY stomach bug. I quarauntine myself in the back bedroom/bathroom. A few hours later, Justin gets same stomach bug. I call in reinforcements. Mother in law comes over to help us and bring us Gatorade and crackers. Susan (the best babysitter EVER) comes and gets Sam and takes him home with her. Justin and I continue to live in agony.

Hence why I now have time to update. I get stir crazy a bit too easily and I miss my son like CAAARAYYYZZYYYY! So what better way to cure that than to blog about him?

This would be my son's first visit with Santa. He stared like this pretty much the whole time. We finally did get a smiling picture but it isn't as fun as this. I love my little watchful man.

Here he is opening his first Christmas present. He was much impressed with wrapping paper. Minorly impressed with the presents underneath.

Over Christmas break, while at my dad's, my little porker finally figured out how to conjure up his mass of self into a standing position. This is actually the second time he did it. I wasn't quick enough to capture the first time. He is so proud of himself.

I'm sorry... but Christmas bows on babies heads is just precious.

This was also a recurring theme over the break. We were tuckered out.

Him and G are big buddies. G goes around saying, "MAMMY!" and Sam looks at him like he's crazy. And then they play. Spice that up with a little G finding things to use as weapons against Sam and you have their playtime rituals.

Is this not the cutest hat ever?! I think the fat rolls make it better.

This is his official first Christmas photo. Could he be more crammed in that outfit?!

This is my favorite picture from the holidays. Seriously... how cute is he?!

Update for Sam (and you if you must)

Dear Sam,

Your momma loves you very much but she is VERY bad at recording things. This hit me today that I may start forgetting when you did certain things, so I thought I should go ahead and record what I can remember.

First smile: 3 weeks old
Pushed up on arms: 3 1/2 months old
First laugh: I can't remember, but we have it on video. I think that counts.
First cereal: That's on video too. You liked it. We didn't. You didn't poop for days.
First word: As much as it pains me, "Dada" at about 10 months old. Words to follow were "Mama", "Pawpaw", and "Byebye" with a wave. So cute.
First time to put weight on legs: You did this WAY early... you were like 8 weeks old or something ridiculous. We thought that would mean you would walk early. We were wrong. :-)
First time to crawl: That all depends on the definition. 10 1/2 months old to start army crawling (yup its on video). First time to actually crawl was a little over 11 months old.
First time to pull up: That is so close within reach it is ridiculous. You try so hard but can't quite get it together. You are close though.
First time dancing: SO CUTE! And at 11 1/2 months old.
First real food: It was banana. And you loved it. And we found out today (are at least 95% sure anyway) that you are allergic. You probably had that around 9 1/2 or 10 months old.

There you go. That's what I can remember anyway. I love so much. Words, hugs, and all the ponies in the world could never express how much.

Right now you are asleep in your crib, on your side, on top of the blanket. You are very particular how you sleep, but it changes from night to night. If I don't lay you down right, you grunt, scrunch up your face, and quickly remedy the situation; whether that be to stick your butt straight in the air and put the blanket over your head (my favorite), or roll over on your side and hug the blanket, or to simply turn upside down in the crib and remain on your side, I can garauntee that you will be fervent about getting there.

I love you so much. You have been the biggest blessing your daddy and I could ever have imagined.

Hugs and kisses,

Momma

List of Things I Love

1) Eggs. I freaking love eggs. My favorite is eggs over medium... but I haven't found an egg today that I don't like. Funny story from childhood (or a story explaining why diets will never be a part of my vocabulary):
My dad was making breakfast for me, my sister, and my two cousins one morning (I don't know where mom was but she wasn't cooking or this wouldn't have been an issue).
Dad asks, "Dale how many eggs do you want?"
I said, "Four."
He said, "What? You can't eat four eggs."
I said, "I do when mom makes them."
He said, "Why don't we start with two and see if you are still hungry."
So I ate my two eggs and looked up at dad and said, "Can I have two more?"

I. Love. EGGS!

2) I LOVE my son's chubby little grin! I know everyone loves their child's smile, but it doesn't take away how much I love his smile! It is because he has a different smile for each aspect of his personality. He has his "You just got on to me but if I grin real big you'll forgive me" smile. He has his "Look at what I can do" smile. He has his "You are so funny" smile. He has his "I am so funny" smile. And finally, and possibly my favorite, the "I'm doing something super cute with mom, but I better look over real quick and make sure dad is watching too" smile. He's all ate up with precious.

3) I love cookies and milk. Like... enough that I have to seriously limit the amount of Oreos and chocolate chip cookies that enter my household. If I don't, I will inevitably have this conversation with myself:

Good self: "You should eat breakfast."
Bad self: "There are Oreos in the cabinet."
Good self: "That is a terrible breakfast idea."
Bad self: "But it would taste so good, and would technically fill me up."
Good self: "And your butt will look like cottage cheese and jello got in a fight."
Bad self: (with cookies shoved in face) "Bu at weest umm habbin miwk fo bwek fas!"

4) Foot and shoulder massages. I could give a good rat's crap about any other type of massage. But rub my feet and shoulders and I'll tell you all my secrets. And give you one of my cookies.

5) Starbucks owns a portion of my soul, I'm sure of it. Seriously, think about it. The owner of Starbucks is a terrorist. He's waiting patiently on all the Americans to spend all their money on coffee (that HAS to have crack in it), develop a dependency, and then BAM! no more delicious Starbucks in my belly, Sarah Palin will be President, and well... who needs bombs and airplanes when all the Americans are going through withdrawals and Purgatory Palin is in office? I mean really?

6) Lastly... sleep! omgomgomgomgomgomgomg... If I am ever President, I'm making naps mandatory. You don't want a nap? You sleep with the fishies.

I have no desire to stay up late talking to you. I'd like to stay up to a reasonable hour, sleep, then continue our conversation in the morning. I have been this way my whole life.

I'd spend the night with my cousins and at some point they'd all wonder, "Where'd Dale go?" They'd find me in bed. Asleep. No amount of playing or scary stories could keep me from my beloved sleep.

Bubby is Back! (Warning: Post is LONG)

This could go down as one of the hardest weeks of my life. I realize that in the grand scheme of life it could have been much worse... but watching your child not get any nutrition and not being able to do anything about it (while people keep reminding you that you should be worried)... I'm sure that it's my own version of hell. (Like literally... I'm sure that if Satan has me a spot reserved in hell... that's what I'd have to endure).

I'm just going to write in the order that things happened...

Tuesday he was sick all day long basically. And at night he would refuse any liquids. Great. We debated and debated and debated whether he should go to the emergency room. We cried. We prayed. We repeated this cycle. I knew in my gut he was fine. The whole time he has been sick he has played and smiled and giggled. He just won't eat or won't keep it down. At this point, he hadn't wet a diaper in two days. (I dare you to comment on that).

I knew that it was a warning sign of dehydration, but he had gone to the doctor the day before and he told me how to hydrate him and not to worry. I called him Monday night to verify that it was still okay. He said, yes, put him to bed and try again in the morning. He did good eating all day Tuesday but started refusing liquids at night again and still hadn't wet. I couldn't get a hold of his doctor so I called the nurses line. Big. Mistake.

This is not to bash nurses. I loves me some nurses. They save lives and do a thankless job in the mean time. However, the nurses that work the nurses line MUST get commission on every baby they send to the ER. They have to. I realize that not wetting a diaper is a serious thing. I get that. But this lady wouldn't even answer other questions because, "Well I have to tell you that he needs to be seen." And every time I have called the damned nurses line, their advise is "he needs to be seen."

Has he ever needed to be seen right then? No. Not one time. Bitches. (Disclaimer: I know that being sued is a big deal, but to an anxious, worried mom, my worry of you getting sued is pretty freaking low.)

So Wednesday rolls around and he does good all day long. He eats well and keeps it down for the most part. But the afternoon comes by and I got overzealous and fed him a little too much. He threw up. He still hadn't wet. I took him to the doctor.

Doc sees him and says, "he is not dehydrated. He may be on the verge, but he is happy, and smiling, and playing... that is not a dehydrated baby." THANK YOU! I KNEW THAT! IN YOUR FACE FAT LADY NURSE!

I left out a very important part of Wednesday... I have the best babysitter in the world. Want to argue differently? I dare you. I will win. Huzzah to Susan... she rocks.

Susan calls me and says he and her youngest son were coming over to see us. (How sweet is that?! She knew I needed a break, she loves Sam so much she had to see him, and her youngest loves him so much he refers to himself as Sam's uncle or stepdad... depends on the day). So... they came over and Susan says, "Well we are planning on staying until 2 pm so if you need to go do something, go on."

My babysitter kicked me out of my own house... and I loved it. Shut. Up. I win all!

So I go out to my car to go pick out Sam's and Justin's ornaments, and what do I find?! Some thug stole my radio... again. This is twice now. Awesome.

At least they didn't break my windows to get in. Know why? I left the car unlocked. That's right. Because it was such a pain in the butt to fix the window and replace the radio last time I figured just leave the window unlocked and save the window hassle. Know what? I don't regret it. There were at least two other places in the parking lot with shattered glass... they would have taken it either way.

He did pretty good Wednesday night so I made plans to take him to daycare for Thursday. Susan was excited and I was nervous. But he did so good! He threw up once there but it was again because we got cocky with the formula and fed too much at once. Other than that, he did good. AND HE WET HIS DIAPER! Now all the naysayers can back off.

Friday he played hard. HARD! I went to pick him up and he was so tired. Susan told me he was going to go to sleep as soon as we got home. I asked if he didn't sleep well. She said, "Well... we were just having to much fun to nap. He played so hard!"

So alas, my healthy baby boy is back! And I couldn't be happier!

Meanwhile, yesterday I got the house COMPLETELY clean (with the help of one Gena) and I climbed Pinnacle Mountain, to the top, for the first time! This is after 3 tries. Best part of this story? That would be me slipping and falling and instead of just accepting, I tried to grab Gena on the way down. How she managed to not fall is beyond me because I grabbed her sports bra on the way down. Her reply?

"I'M NOT A TREE RIKKI!"

Ohhhh with the vomit

Bless Sam's little heart. He had his first Thanksgiving... slept good and crappy that night (just terrible!)... then it all went to pot.

We were on our way home Saturday night and what happens? About 10 minutes away from home he pukes... everywhere.

We thought that was weird but no huge big deal. I spent a lot of time that night cleaning vomit out of every nook and cranny that car seat had... but it seemed like a fluke... so we went on...

Yesterday?

Diarrhea and vomit all. day. long. He kept some things down long enough not to worry... but it was gross. Lots of gross.

Today, I thought we were doing good this morning... then SPLAT!

And SPLAT!

And wait... one more... SPLAT!

All before the ripe bold time of 8 am. So I thought to myself, I could call and make him an appoitment. They open at 8:30 am... OR I could load him up and just be there at 8:30 and demand to see my doctor right away.

So we did option B. And might I say, that's the way to go. If you make an appointment its like... 20 or 30 minutes before they get to you. Show up, look concerned, and don't ask for anything, just tell them what you need. You are seen within 10 minutes. Awesome.

Dr. says to give him 1 tsp of formula or Pedialyte every three minutes (yes 3 whole minutes) for an hour. Then for the next hour give 2 tsp... etc until he is doing really good and can handle a bottle.

This went really well. He was up to 2 oz at a time...at one point he had about 6 oz down him and took a nap. All is gravy.

Then momma got cocky. And gave him bananas.

Ever have a "I can't believe I did that?!" moment? Well it happened to me. See, he had his bananas (and was LOVING it... poor kid was hunGRY) but gave it to him in his bouncer seat (you know exersaucer...)

He blew chunks. Then for the rest of the night wouldn't keep anything down.

Formula? There is a great amount of it on my couch and several rounds of clothes.

Pedialyte? Lots of it on my floor and couch and clothes.

His nose? Probably sore as both of the previous ingredients shot projectively through it several times.

He is such a trooper though. Through this whole thing, he has been happy and playful. Momma? Not so much. Momma has cried several times today. And not just *tear*... I'm talking violent sobs.

He was getting tired tonight and not keeping down anything so I broke down and called the doctor (that's right, my child's doctor gives us his cell phone number. What. Up.)

He put my mind at ease. He said to give him a break for the night and start out slow with liquids in the morning.

So, that's where we are. He's sleeping well now. I'll be on the air mattress right beside him. Humidifier is on. Benadryl in his system. It's go time.

P.S. I can't wait to find out what baby Patillo is. Tomorrow is the big day! Yippee!

Things I Don't Understand

I love lists....

1. Why would anyone ever order fajitas at a restaurant. (Admittedly I have done this but it was at a restaurant that said they had the best ones in the world. They were mistaken. I could have had tacos.) If I am paying for someone to cook my meal for me, what on Earth would I be doing making it at my table. That's like going to a masseuse and asking if I can rub his shoulders. DUMB

2. Why spiders exist. I know... they eat things... blar blar blar. But they just look evil. Anything that looks that evil has to be of the devil.

3. Why Sarah Palin is even being remotely considered to run as president. I mean, a Republican could usurp Obama... I get that... but her?! Really?! She was Governor of ALASKA for a whopping TWO YEARS! How does that even qualify her for a Senate seat... let alone PRESIDENT!? And she was a quitter! And she has verbal diarrhea that only further perpetuates her ignorance! BAH! (I'm all worked up now. Anyone have a valium?)

4. Why heterosexuals are threatened by homosexual marriage. (That's right. I went there.) You can have your own beliefs on whether its right or wrong. But how does it cheapen your marriage at all? Churches don't have to grant them if they don't want to. You don't have to get one if you don't want to. With all the Elizabeth Taylors, Britney Spears, and all the people you know who have gone through divorce after divorce... are we really worried about the homosexuals cheapening marriage? And there sure are a lot of things that are "legal" that aren't biblical... so don't go there please.

5. Why there is braille on my dad's steering wheel. I can semi-understand ATMs... but steering wheel?! Is that on the off chance the non visually impaired driver knows braille as well and doesn't have to look down while driving?! Don't. Get. It.

6. How people don't believe in God. Or better yet, how people do believe in God and continue to ignore it. There isn't a doubt in my mind of His existence so it is really sad when I encounter people who not only don't believe but don't get to feel His presence.

7. Why people put post after post after post on facebook about every little personal detail in their life then another one to complain about people being in their business all the time. We are all smart here... there is a pattern...

8. Why people think because a person is pregnant all social norms are out and you can feel free to assault them.

9. Why anyone watches UmiZoomi. My blood pressure goes up just thinking about it. (If you don't know what I"m talking about... its tiny little people who have sexist super powers. The boy's (dressed in blue)superpower is building anything with shapes. He can build anything. That's super. The girl's (dressed in pink) superpower is... wait for it... her dress can make any pattern.... WTF?!)

10. Why it takes my husband at least 45 minutes of alarm to wake up in the morning. Once is plenty... that sound is obnoxious... GET UP! (love you honey...)

11. Why does Cookie Monster look like he has Mad Cow Disease? His eyes are FAREAKY!

Remission BAY BAY!

That's right... Mom is in remission! Officially!

I cannot express how thankful and relieved I am at this news. I've cried, I jumped for joy, I've told people who absolutely could not care less about it... and I feel like telling more! Tag you're it!

I got the phone call yesterday that her oncologist called her and told her she was officially in remission. I think she was still in shock. She was expecting the worst (even though he had already seen that no cancer was present in the bone marrow).

Now some of you are thinking, "Rikki, you posted a few weeks back that your mom was cancer free? Why are we so excited about remission?"

For all of those not asking that question... you are done reading now. It only gets confusing from here on out.

Mom's leukemia is caused by two chromosomes switching tails essentially. When they tested her bone marrow and it was "cancer free", it really was, but it didn't tell us if the chromosomes are still out of whack. If they were still out of whack, she wouldn't be cancer free technically because they would still produce the protein (evil little protein) that would still cause the leukemia.

So they ran this really expensive blood test to see if the chromosomes were still there. They were NOT! (Have I mentioned Hallelujah, Praise Jesus, Mighty and Awesome is our God?!)

She still has to take her medicine... but hey, what's a pill everyday right? It is just insurance that she stays in remission.

And... NO MORE BONE MARROW TESTS!

In case you didn't know... that is basically the most painful thing you can experience ever. Childbirth? Nothing compared to this. My mom says that she would have 5 births back to back with no pain killer at all before she'd want to do this again.

The first one she had, they offered her a valium. She declined. One year later, its time to have it done again, and she has several panic attacks and takes 6... SIX valium... and it was still the most painful experience of her life.

So yeah, super excited that I don't have to cuss anymore doctors for hurting my momma.

Flashback to last year at this time...

Mom goes to doctor because she thinks she has pnuemonia. Her blood count comes back suggesting leukemia as well.

Poop.

Is my mom gonna die? How bad is it? Surely its just the pneumonia causing this? Waiting a few weeks feels like eternity.

Hurry the eff up on the tests already.

Phone call: Mom does have leukemia.

I get sick to my stomach and immediately want to cry.

Phone call continued: But its chronic and not acute which means magical pill cures all.

I'm confused... Am I happy or sad mom has cancer?

Phone call continued: It sucks but it sucks way less than it could.

Ok... so I'm happyish that my mom has cancer. This makes me sick to my stomach...


But she doesn't anymore! Prayer works! Believing works! My God heals everything!

Word of the Day on Sesame Street TURMOIL

No, the word is not turmoil. I'll get more to that later.

Back story: I love Sesame Street. Like, LOVE it. I think it is amazing. Barney... Teletubbies... Do do do do do Dora... they can all suck it. Sesame Street is DA BOMB!

Why? Because they are non-profit-dedicated-to-literacy-even-in-the-worst-parts-of-the-world-awesome. That's why. If you want to know more, contact Amanda Allen and she'll inform you of all their lovelies.

I really want Sam to like Sesame Street. I could go on and on about kids shows that piss me off (UmiZoomi in particular) but I really love Sesame Street.

Sesame Street is NEVER ON when I'm at home with Sam. Or it is and Justin is also here and demands that the Discovery or History Channel has something on that we CANNOT MISS! BAH! (he's not that dramatic. I am. HYPERBOLE MUCH!)

Anyway, I'm here late with him today and WAH! Sesame Street is on!

I turn it on. I'm all excited. Had I thought ahead there would have been popcorn.

And what is the word of the day?!!?!?!?!?!

ARACHNID!

WTF?! A freaking RACHNID!

RIKKI DON'T DO SPIDERS!!!!!

Woe is me. Woe, oh, woe is me.

So far... Elmo held a taratula (as a result, I quivered with fear and fought back vomit).

Since that unfortunate turn of events, I have had my head turned from the tv. From what I can tell, there is a talking spider asking them to count his legs. Next they'll celebrate with a round of "Itsy bitsy spider" which I am fairly sure is the battle cry leading you into hell.

Teaching Sam to love Sesame Street FAIL!

Blasted.

**UPDATE** I'm enduring this hell on Earth smut so that I can teach my son to love Sesame Street. What is he doing? Crawling into the other room, finding things to put in his mouth, and generally getting into trouble.

And there is an ant talking on the Street in his best Billy Bob Thornton in "Slingblade" voice of "I like french fried taters and mustard... mmmmm hmmmmm." Not. Kidding. He even did the "mmmm hmmmm."

Video of Sam Crawling

Ok guys, I've finally mastered the high-tech world of YouTube. I've been trying to upload a video of Sam doing his fat kid crawl (AKA army crawl) and all attempts have failed. Miserably.

Backstory on this video:

Sam has been fat kid crawling for about two weeks now. And he is snappy good at it too. But fat kid crawling doesn't compare to slightly chunky kid crawling... that ones a weeeeee bit quicker.

Sam's friend "M" at daycare is easily 3-4 months older than Sam... and Sam outweighs him by at least 5 pounds... but Sam really wants to hang out with M. So this video is Sam trying his best to keep up with M...

Spoiler alert: It includes a shortcut AND one mean lunge...

My Mom is CANCER FREE!

That's right! Praise Jesus!

I got a text from my mom yesterday that said her bone marrow biopsy came back and no CML cells were present.

As I am the only one in my family that is not in the medical field, I always doubt myself if what I'm reading is what I think I'm reading. So I thought it was good but wanted to make sure that I wasn't jumping to conclusions.

My mom called later that day and asked me if I got the text. I told her yes but admitted that I doubt my medical terminology skills and while I thought CML had to stand for chronic myeloid leukemia, I'd hate to assume and then it means something else that is bad.

Guys, to hear my mom talk the way she was talking was a blessing in itself. She dumbed it down for me and said, "It means there was no cancer in the biopsy." Which is AMAZING!

Then she started telling me how her day went and how when she got the news she started to cry. Her thoughts were that she was diagnosed with this about 20 years before most people are diagnosed and she fought it for a year and SHE WON!

I tear up right now even remembering the conversation. SHE WON! Is the battle over? Nope. She will have to continue taking the medicine probably for the rest of her life (because this is a DNA problem it will likely keep producing the protein that causes all of this mess in the first place). She will have to continue having her bone marrow tested (which SUCKS but is necessary).

But she BEAT it! Hallelujah!

I miss crib bumpers!

Bubby woke up crying at 4:30 am this morning. I could already tell it was legitimate and not one of those "I woke up in the middle of the night and don't know what to do with myself" cries. I got into his room and his chubby little leg is hanging outside the crib, almost wrapped around the corner of the crib.

My heart broke for the little guy. As cute as it was (and it was really cute), the look of shear confusion on his face was just terrible. I got his leg free and picked him up to rock him and calm him down. Within just a few minutes (if that) he was calm and falling back asleep in my arms. I wanted to make sure he'd go back to sleep because he had at least two good more hours of sleep in him. So we rocked for about 5 min of him being asleep to insure he was asleep and I could go back to bed.

Well that's what I thought. But his little eyes shot open about an inch from the crib. And judging by the look on his face, I must have just bought him a puppy, told him about the puppy, told him that with the puppy came and endless supply of candy, then slapped him across the face and killed the puppy with my bare hands.

HOLY CRAP was he mad! It was shrill screaming terror. Want to see a haunted house? For a reasonable price, let me wake up my son in the middle of the night and you hang out to see the nightmare that ensues!

I tried patting him, singing to him, reassuring him from a far that he was okay and needed to go back to sleep. He didn't care much for that. So I went ahead and made him a bottle (I know you aren't supposed to but frankly, I don't care), he didn't want it. And you know he's mad if he's turning down a bottle.

So the only option was to cry it out. And boy did he ever.

One day when he reads these posts about himself, I feel like he will be laughing a lot. It is times like these when I shake my head and go, "Oh my gosh, you act just like your daddy!" His daddy is so head strong and when he gets stuck on an idea, its going to happen come hell or high water!

At least I can laugh about it. It is easily one of the hardest things ever to have to listen to your child cry and intentionally do nothing about it. There are those that disagree with this tactic, and that's fine. Everybody has to do what they feel is best for their child and it changes with every person what they feel that is. But regardless, choosing to do what is best for your child versus giving them what they want is just that... a conscious choice.... every day... and man is it hard!

Its now 5:00 am... Bubby has stopped crying for about 5 minutes... now Momma contemplates how to get back in the room to get the bottle out of the crib... Oh. Snap.

Lots of Thoughts

This post is going to be RANDOM... you've been warned.

I love Southwest Airlines. It caters to my OCD. You see, if I check in early (which I always do) you get a better seat. Simple as that. And everyone who flies Southwest generally knows this. So as I like the aisle seat, I get to pick one. Normally that means one that no one is in the window or middle seat in. Every once in a while that means I have someone in the window seat but rarely does it mean someone is in the middle seat. And my anti-socialism rejoices.

Last weekend, my son and I were supposed to be  baptized. Instead, Justin took care of Sam, my grandma and dad and stepmom turned around halfway to Little Rock to go home, and I found a walk-in clinic to go to. I was in between a dose of antibiotics and mid round developed an allergy. Sunday morning greets me with hives from literally the top of my head (in my hair, on my face) to the bottom of my feet (seriously, in between my toes). I find myself thankful now that a few came up the night before and I mistook them for bites because I took Benadryl before bed. I am convinced this is why I didn't have an asthma attack in the middle of the night. I'm almost all good now though. And the devil is just going to have to find a new victim... we are getting baptized. Deal with it.

Speaking of the devil, most of you know this but last November my mother was diagnosed with chronic myleoid leukemia. What does that mean? It sucks, but it doesn't suck as bad as it could. Her father died of leukemia. I think that was where the devil got his idea. Mom took it very hard when her dad died and its always been a fear that one of us would be stricken by it. This leukemia is not the same. This one attacks the blood because of a mutated gene. BUT, there is a magical pill now that you can take and it basically keeps the disease at bay... so long as you take the pill. Mom is on the pill and her blood work continues to be good. So its almost like she doesn't even have the C word... except she does. Its really weird.

Where am I going with this? Here. The devil is showing his stupid little butt. My mother is a very strong lady. And while, yes, leukemia is a curse word in our family, it is still just a word. It is just a thing to overcome. And you'd think Mr. Devilman would get that. I got to thinking about Mom's situation the other day while waiting on said Southwest flight (see how I tie everything together?) and it just sucks. Every month she has to go get her blood drawn. And every month she has to wonder, "Will it come back this time?" Every year she has to endure a bone marrow biopsy... just to be safe.

Piss on you devil. That's what I say. I understand the pecking order... you need to bring people down and build your evil little army... whatever... but it has been written good sir. You will be defeated. And even if it wasn't already written... why her? She's a strong woman. She is going to beat this. You will not win. You would think you would pick someone weak and vulnerable and not stupid enough to fall into your spineless tactics.

Did my grandpa die of leukemia? Yes. Did the devil win that battle? Absolutely not. My grandpa died in the arms of Jesus. My grandpa died knowing exactly where he would be the next second. And he left that with all of us.

So to bring this full circle (I think), we are getting baptized Sunday. We are. I can wake up with hives, puking, a third arm growing out of my head... whatever. But this too will pass and I will be baptized. I'm so not kidding here. My child will grow up in the house of the Lord. We will be a Jesus filled family. And this declaration will happen if I have to kidnap a preacher, steal a rickety old van, and throw all of us in a creek to make it happen. Back off devil man... it's happening.

Update on the Bubby

What am I super proud about today? My little boy ate 3 puffies last night and didn't gag! Then for dinner, I mixed some of a stage 3 dinner with a stage 2 and he ate it all without gagging!

This is such a big deal for him. At his last appt., I told the doctor about his gagging problem and the doctor said that if he doesn't make some major progress by his 1 year appt then he would have to do a swallowing study.

Momma is not okay with that. Of course I'd do what is best for my child, but I cannot imagine any part of a swallowing study would be fun for either of us. So we are working HARD on getting that gag reflex turned down. And he's doing so well!

Other updates: No he isn't crawling yet and no I'm not concerned. (Can you tell I'm tired of answering that question?)

The fact of the matter is, crawling isn't a milestone no matter how much people want to make it one. Some kids crawl, some don't. At his last appt, he was off the charts for weight and head circumference, and 75th percentile for height. He is BIG! That's a lot of body to be coordinating into a crawl (plus he is top heavy with that big ole' noggin).

He is, however, darn near turning flips midair he is rolling so well (insert fat joke here). He also uses his arms to position himself anywhere so he can roll and get there. And I noticed just this morning that he is starting to pull himself forward and push himself backwards with his arms a little bit.

He is still a jumper. Always has been I guess. Now when he's in his excersaucer it looks like he's jumping on a trampoline almost. He gets some air time.

He is also jabbering up a storm. He can say "Dada" although he has no idea who "Dada" is. He'll only make the "ma" sound every once in a while. Other than that, he squeals, and laughs, and grins, and talks his special little language to anything and everything that will listen.

Other tricks he does (I'm talking about him like he's a dog): He gives high fives (as long as you give applause) and he also can give sugar on demand (although I'm the only one he's done that for).

That's all the updates I have for now!  He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I couldn't imagine life without him! (Its hard to remember life without him!)

UT-Austin: The Latest Victim

*Disclaimer: I'm an emotional student affairs professional as I write this. Take it for what it is worth.

Today, I'm at home sick. I should be resting and recooperating and getting ready to return to work tomorrow. What am I doing instead? Worrying myself sicker about what my friends at UT-Austin are going through.

For those who don't know, read this.

I realize that this is not a catastrophic casualty list and it probably won't stay on the mainstream news for even just a few days, but it is a big deal. It is a big deal because this kind of crap is happening more and more.

Have our responses gotten better since Virginia Tech? Sure. I couldn't be more proud of our university police teams all over the nation for the hard work and gruelingly training  they are going through every day.

But what is the answer?!

I remember exactly how I felt the day I got the call from one of my previous RAs that shots were fired at UCA. My heart left my chest that day and joined all of the young men and women at UCA who were having to deal with it. It happened there. It happened at my... MY college!

You see on the news when it happens. Virginia Tech's logo with the black ribbon around it. Then it was Northern Illinois. Then... MY SCHOOL! The University of Central Arkansas! It was too real.

And now, I have friends that work at UT-Austin. And yeah, no one died but the one sad individual who couldn't just take his own life in the privacy of his own home, but had to scare an entire campus (an entire NATION) who are just trying to better themselves. It takes the selfishness of suicide to the next level.

Why do people spread terror on Earth? Why can't we just leave each other alone?

I obviously know the answer. And I know I have my answer. My answer of peace. Thank heavens I serve a God who takes the responsibility of judgment away from me, who protects, and who gives peace to those who seek it.

My heart is in Texas right now. It's bleeding for those who are having to make sense of this act. It's bleeding for those who have to clean up the mess, for those who have to return to school tomorrow, for those parents who have to continue to allow their children to attend school, and for the parents of that poor individual who took his own life in such a selfish manner. They are at the forefront of my prayers.

I have no original thoughts

Survey!



I stole this from Ashley... who stole it from Kaitlyn... who very likely didn't make it up herself...


1. When is your “engagement” anniversary:

June 11, 2005


2. When is your “marriage” anniversary:

June 24



3. How long have you known your spouse:

8 years



4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged:

Approximately 3 years



5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time?

He was a mentor in State Hall. I lived there. We talked in the lobby.



6. What is your spouse’s full name:

Justin Turner... his mom doesn't believe in middle names... lol j/k



7. Do you have any children:

The most precious one ever!



8. How many – boys/girls:

1 big boy



9. Do you have any house pets:

Probably... but not on purpose LOL There is a cricket that I refuse to squish because I hate that sound and I never see it when Justin is around. Then there is a teeny tiny spider that, while I don't like spiders, he doesn't seem to be harming anyone, he just wants to be left in his corner. The cricket's name is Juanita. The spider's name is Hugh.



10. Do you own a house or rent:

Neither... its complicated.



11. Do you live in the country or town/city:

City



12. What is one of your favorite activities together:

Lately... Scrabble. But we also like the zoo.



13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot:

He has one... Washington DC. I have one... almost anywhere else. LOL



14. When did you first kiss?

I know it was in my dorm room. Maybe a few weeks in? I dunno.



15. What church do you attend?

A cute little Methodist one. They are so nice. And do a lot for the community.



16. Is this the church you were married in:

We went the heathen route and got married in a conference center.



17. What town is your current address at:

The big Arkansas city.. you know...



18. Do you work or stay at home:

Kind of both... but mostly work.



19. Where did you go on your honeymoon:

Cancun



20. What was the funniest gift you gave when dating?

A mechanical singing hamster in a hamster cage. I'll leave you to ponder that.



21. How long have you been together?

8 years.



22. How long did you know each other before you started dating?

About a month.



23. Who asked who out?

I did. He drug his feet. But the story is a whole other blog post. That I may have already done.



24. How old are each of you?

27 and 26



25. Where do each of you go to school?

Neither of us "go to school" any more. But we both did and still do for jobs.



26. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?

Honestly... small stuff... like just getting on each other's nerves. We don't really fight about anything big.



27. Did you go to the same school?

Nope



28. Are you from the same home town?

Nope



29. Who is smarter?

Depends on the subject. Math/Communication/Etc. = Me. Computers/History/Etc. = Him. Physical science makes my eyes clothes although he got a lower grade. I'm better at grammar, he's better at content. We're like yin and yang.



30. Who is more sensitive?

Both of us. He would say me. But it depends on the day who is more sensitive.



31. Where do you eat out most as a couple?

Chick fil a?



32. Where is the farthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Honduras



33. Who has the craziest exes?

Well he has one that's pretty bad, and most crazies from my past I didn't actually date... so you decide.



34. Who has the worse temper?

Him actually. Although hit the right button and I could take him. LOL



35. Who does the cooking?

Me.



36. Who is more social?

Me. Which is weird, because I"m the introvert.



37. Who is the neat-freak?

We don't know that term.



38. Who is more stubborn?

Him. No contest.



39. Who hogs the bed?

Him. And he shh's me if I try and remedy the situation.



40. Who wakes up earlier?

Me.



41. Where was your first date?

Started at Dairy Queen. Ended at a park. Shakey's in between.



42. Who had more boyfriends/girlfriends?

Me fo sho.



43. Do you get flowers often?

Not anymore. But I'm not bent out of shape about it. They cost money.



44. How do you spend the holidays?

Opening presents and eating.



45. Who is more jealous?

Neither. We both have a weird spot for jealously, but its pretty much a non issue.



46. How long did it take to get serious?

About a month. I'm either in or I'm out. I don't take much time to test the waters.



47. Who eats more?

He does.



48. Who does the laundry

Me, although he will help if I ask.



49. Who’s better with the computer?

I touch a computer and it breaks. He spends a lot of time trying to keep that from happening.



50. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples.

Treat your spouse better than you would treat yourself. Laziness can make the other person feel very unimportant and the simplest things can really add up. Build each other up and constantly put their needs above your own. If you both do that, you will be forever happy.

The Zoo

This is Sam approximately 15 minutes into the zoo.

So Momma and Daddy entertained themselves.

Sam then woke up and got to try cotton candy for the first time.

He ended up liking it, with a mixture of uncertainty.

Trip to Alma in Pictures (and Video)

He's a stud.

This is his lunch of spinach and potatoes. You be the judge if he likes it or not.

Aren't they cute? Aunt B, Sam, and G (who had eaten a marker earlier, hence the joker like smile on his face).

G thought Sam was his. He kept saying, "Mine."

Aunt B had her work cut out for her. G is determined.

See. Friends.

Meet Meatloaf. He's the life of the party.

Me and R's like peas and carrots.

And R finally claimed Sam as her cousin (and someone that exists) and helped feed him his lunch.

Just for some flavor, this is what one of our nights looked like. A kid being entertained by an adult babbling, dad watching tv, my sister petting a bulldog she found on the side of the road, R and G getting into things and me documenting it all. It was a good night.

Brag About Sam

Sam has been doing some really cute things lately and I really need to document them.

1) Preferences on songs sung to him...

We were on our way home from Alma this past weekend and Sam was super tired of being in the carseat so he began to cry. Justin started singing "Old Macdonald" and he quit crying. SUPER CUTE.

About 15 minutes after Justin stopped singing, Sam started to cry again. I then tried to sing him "This Old Man Came Rolling Home". Nope... Justin started singing "Old Macdonald"... he was fine. What a stinker!

2) The little Johnny Jumper...

The kid loves to jump. If I could pick a career for him right now, it would be track and field, long jump and high jump (except the chubby kids rarely get to do those so I may be a bit off). The kid gets extreme joy from jumping in the doorway. And I do mean EXTREME joy! You know this if you have ever held him and he starts jumping in your lap. That's 24 lbs of solid boy jumping up and down in your lap. It's tiring.

And yet it makes him laugh, grin like an idiot, and squeel like a banshee! Love it!

3) He's a little feeler...

At daycare, there are two little girls who can cry up a storm. One day I went to pick him up, he was in the jumper, and one of the little girls was having a mad, screaming fit. He looked at her with concern in his eyes, then looked up at me and made the saddest little "pucker" face and started bawling himself. I had to pick him up and take him away from her for a minute to get him calmed down.

This morning when I dropped him off, the other little girl gets upset when her mom leaves. She doesn't really scream or anything, but she cries for about an hour after her mom leaves. I was holding Sam, he looks over at her, then looks up at Susan and makes that "pucker" face like he is about to cry. I distracted him, but he kept looking over at her, as if to check on her, and when he saw her still crying, he'd make the "pucker" face all over again.

He's so sweet. I love that kid so much!

10 Minute Photo Shoot

Justin needed to take some pictures for some illustrations in his Journalism class at school so Sam and I were models! 

Here they are! 

These two were probably the sweetest. He's such a jolly kid. 

See... jolly. 

And really interested in grass.

This one is probably my favorite. I heart him! 

This one is also high up on my favorites. 

This one just cracks me up. He is his mother's child. He is jolly 90% of the time... sometimes more. But he got my "vibrant" facial expressions FOR SURE!

What is...

What is something you dislike about yourself?
     How easy it is to hurt my feelings.
What is something you do well?
     Laugh
 What is your favourite room in your home and why?
    Sam's room... because he has a room! 
 What is a good neighbour?
    State Farm?
What is the worst thing parents can do to their children?
    Abuse them for their own  personal desire
What is your favourite time of day?
     Morning... its quiet
What is your idea of a dull evening?
     No one calls me
What is the best way to treat meddlesome people?
     With love and a healthy dose of ignoring
What is something you are optimistic about?
     A cure for cancer
What is something you are pessimistic about?
     Human stupidity
What is your most indispensable possession and why?
     I would be really hurt if my childhood Bible was ruined, or my grandma's wedding ring
What is the meaning of "He laughs best who laughs last"?
     They truly get it and aren't willing to pretend
What is your favourite song and why?"
     This is like asking me what is your favorite food. I like lots of songs and several make me cry. It depends on my mood really. Currently... "That's Not My Name" Ting Tings, "Fancy" Reba, "Lights Went Out in Georgia" Reba and several sad ones I'd rather not name.

What is the best birthday present you ever received?
    I'm not that into gifts so I rarely remember them... cleaning for me? a massage? 
What is the best birthday present you could receive?
     Anything really thoughtful.
What is something that makes you feel sad?
     Thinking about losing family members
What is your favourite book and why?
     To Kill a Mockingbird... it is very wise
What is something that really bugs you?
     Ignorance, selfishness, breathing loud, and smacking
What is something that really makes you angry?
     Ignorance, selfishness, hurting children
What is the best advice you ever received?
     If you wouldn't be proud of it, don't do it.
What is your favourite holiday? What makes this holiday special?
     Mother's Day! Because it is just the best one ever created! I get to celebrate my wonderful blessing... what is better than that? 

What is your favourite day of the week?
     I don't have one. I don't hate Mondays. I don't look forward to Fridays. They are all just days.  What is your favourite month? Why?
     Don't have one of those either. October for the weather (as well as April), December for time off, June because its summer and my birthday and anniversary... you see the trend.

God Is Not A White Man

I just watched this video. Its pretty spectacular.


God Is Not A White Man


Thoughts?

The House that Haunts Me

This could be a long one... you've been warned...

My job: I love my job. I am a hall director which means I am in charge of 350 students, 10 Resident Assistants, around 5 Lobby Managers, and a full time Night Clerk. I handle judicial cases, budget, programming, etc... basically keep the building running without much alert to the higher ups. A part of this is to respond to emergencies at all hours of the night. This means I'm bound my contract to live here. This is a great thing actually becuase along with not paying rent, I don't pay utilities or anything else associated with apartment living (and its a really nice apartment).

The situation: This is hopefully (fingers crossed) my last year in my current position. This means I should be able to live off-campus next year and no longer have zero privacy. This is all provided that a new job is created, I apply for it and get it. We are a growing department so this is a very real possibility but there is always that possibility that it doesn't happen.

So Justin and I are in a unique situation of trying to find a house that we want to buy that we may or may not be able to buy or move into.

House We Love Round 1:

We went swimming one Saturday and decided to drive around some neighborhoods and just look around. We saw this one house that we both really liked and noticed it was for sale.

Beautiful right? Love this house! We got out and peaked in the windows... loved it. Just went to the backyard and noticed it was unlocked! We went inside... LOVED IT!

Justin called the realtor and left a message. She calls us back the next day (after we couldn't sleep wondering about this house) and they were about to accept an offer on it.

:-(

So we moved on.

House We Love Round 2:

A month or so later, I get an email that this listing has been updated. I go look and it has come down in price $10,000.... that's right... TEN GRAND! So Justin calls again and the lady who was going to buy it lost her job and its back on the market now AND the bank wants to short sell it.

So we are all excited again thinking maybe this is it! We go to the bank to find out what we can get pre-approved for. Turns out our credit is great and we start signing applications. One particular page was about having to move into the house within 60 days of closing...

FRICK!

I can't do that. I would have to quit my job to do that. A couple of things wrong with that... 1) I love my job and have no intentions of quiting. 2) If I were allowed to do that by some weird act of God, I wouldn't be okay with it. The building needs someone there to respond to emergencies. It just isn't feasible and I couldn't do as good of a job staying in another town, no matter how close it is.

My Anxiety: So turns out spending money makes me extremely uncomfortable. Any time Justin and I have had to spend a significant amount of money (furniture, car,  etc) I turn into a walking ball of stress. I get tense and nervous. Most of me wants to throw up.

Yesterday was no exception. Except for we are spending thousands of dollars (potentially) so its only magnified. I was on the verge of a panic attack, I promise. I really did think I was going to throw up at one point. I was having chest pains. Real anxiety.

All of that for nothing... again.

So now, Justin and I have a deal that we are not LOOKING, INQUIRING, or ANYTHING RELATED TO REALTY until the date reads 2011. Until then... all bets are off... I can't handle the stress.

I Think I'm Getting Fatter

Hear me out...


As I write this I'm enjoying a lovely cup of chocolate milk. And trust me it is lovely. But it is a little too chocolately. Which brings me to the fat comment.

Way back in the days of childhood, I'd go to the kitchen, pour me a glass of milk, and I'd go get the chocolate syrup, begin to squeeze... and it would take FOREVER to get enough chocolate in the cup. And back in those days, I was no chocolate fanatic like I am today. I just enjoyed it. But I'd squeeze and squeeze and squeeze... then stir and stir and stir... and still barely enough chocolate to afford it the name chocolate milk.

Now I go to make my chocolate milk and I'm still squeezing like I did when I was five... and its all syrupy! Way more chocolate comes out than it used too!

I still squeeze for just a long (which is the problem I'm sure), but I can't break away from the childhood habit. It's very frustrating.

So here is my thoughts on this phenomenon...

In the last 15 - 20 years, the engineering of the Hershey's bottle has dramatically increased. My brain's capacity to adjust for this feat of engineering, however, has not.

And as a result, I'm getting fatter. Because even now, after knowing if I squeeze the bottle just as much as I did if I was a kid it will be really syrupy... I can't stop myself.

Arizona and my day thus far

Dear Arizona,

Get over yourself. Like what you have done already isn't enough, now you just want to directly go against the constitution. Secede from the union please. We no longer need you. You and Texas, get together, have an ignorant party together, start your own ignorant country, and leave the rest of us alone.


Now that I have that out of my system... I'd like to tell you about my day thus far.

We have orientation today at work and I need to be wearing my housing polo. I get up this morning and get dressed doing just that. I then go run some errands for work. I come home for lunch, pick up my son, and SPLAT! Spit up all over my housing polo.

FRICK!

It isn't salvageable. I know that. I"m going to have to change. And I'm thinking about this as my son decides to pee on me as I'm changing his diaper.

DOUBLE FRICK!

Now I need to change my pants too. Not a problem. I go find some pants and put my other polo (that doesn't match the other one but is still technically a housing polo) and put it in the dryer to dewrinkle.About 10 minutes later I realize the dryer isn't going anymore. I go to check on it. Somehow... my last housing polo instead of getting de-wrinkled... gets wadded up into a ball with a string wrapped all around it. Now it is sufficiently 1000 times more wrinkled and I have 10 minutes before I have to go back to work.

TRIPLE FRICK!

You just have to laugh at days like today... LOL

Bieber now vs. Joey McIntyre circa 1988

A very comical person I know posted this status yesterday and boy did it cause a debate...

"Question: Fight between Justin Bieber and Joey McIntyre circa 1988. Who would win?"

The comments are as follows:
1) Bieber. He's got the street smarts that McIntyre lacks!
2) Ditto. Plus he has Diddy, Jay-Z and Usher on his side, so he probably wouldn't even have to fight.
3) Dude. Joey was a scrappy Boston boy. Bieber is from Canada. I think we know who has the street smarts. However, Jodie, good call on the Jay Z. Donnie could get his brother Mark and whoop up on Diddy & Usher. Jay Z can hold his own.

4) I am team Joey.
5) Canadians are much tougher than we give them hem credit for (hockey, frozen winters, caribou road crossings...) and while Bostonians may have their own street toughness, I doubt Joey ever so much as had a sleepover in any of those neighborhoods before meeting Donnie. I'm going with Bieber on this one although I wouldn't rule out a double tko

1) ‎^ Yes! Canadians are tough! At 16, I think Justin Bieber is tougher and taller than Joey McIntyre is today!
3) All very valid points, Mike. However, Joey got pushed around a lot by the older new kids when he joined. He had to fight his way through to get respect in the boy band. :-)
5) Baha, pushed around by the older New Kids? If that's the case then imagine all the internet bullying Bieber had to fight through, not only the respect he had to earn from the likes of Usher and the others mentioned above!

/cannot believe I'v...e been dragged into defending Bieber
3) I gave my heart to Joey when I was 12 and he still has it. But, I will confess that Justin can sing circles around Joey.
6) I am so ashamed of this entire thread. Mostly of you, Michael. One of all, Joey McIntyre may not have been born in Boston, but he was def raised on the streets of Beantown and found plenty of trouble before meeting Donnie (who, for me, is c...learly beyond reproach in this situation). And Tonya is right, he took a lot of hell from the other guys when he joined the band, however, T-Town, I'ma yell at you too, because in no way does Justin sing circles around Joey. Hanging Tough and the Step By Step albums contain a lot of full on ballads in which Joey is front and center, clearly without the assistance of autotune or other pitch correctors. While Justin has yet to prove his staying power after the ol' voice change, Joey's voice not only improved, but also afforded him a pretty decent solo career in the late 90s and early 2000s, not exactly the warmest climate for an aging boy bander.
But really, the main thing I want to weigh in on is this: Justin Beiber looks like Ellen Degeneres circa her unfortunate stint in bad Hollywood movies in the early 90s. Joey McIntyre (and the rest of the NKOTB boys) were not only wildly attractive (there is, naturally, some debate about Danny Wood, but I stand by what I said) but also built--even in their pubescent greatness--and were part of a movement in music that may be panned now, but was a really big deal then. What does Beiber have? The unfortunate Miley Cyrus and Sean Kingston grouping. A staying star that does not make.

Mostly, in 20 years, you won't see 30-year-old women flocking to Justin Beiber reunion concerts at the crab buffet at Harrah's Casino. You have, however, seen sold out events for NKOTB at MSG, The Pyramid, and other various locations Beiber is fighting to sell out now.

3) Bahahaha! #6 - I will bow to your passionate defense of Joey's singing ability. I think Justin is a better R&B singer - Joey is more of a crooner.
I love pop music - which means I have love for Bieber. But he will never match my love ...for Joey & the New Kids. I was 12/13 when they first arrived on the scene. Which means my hormones were out of whack I cried and screamed every time I saw their videos and watched their concert vids. I still do...just a little tear because my dream of meeting Joey has yet to come true. And yes, I know I'm on team girl now - but Joey was my first love. And I would...I really would.

Glad you're with me on who would win the fight. Beej is with us, too! But...I have to part ways with you on the Bieber hatin'. (Although I also question his staying power). I'm totally jealous that I won't be at his concert tonight with Abby and Jodie! Have fun, girls!

2) Just because you wouldn't go to a Justin Bieber reunion concert in 20 years doesn't mean the hoards of tweens showing up at Verizon Arena to watch him tonight wouldn't. They'll grow up eventually and probably argue on someone's Facebook sta...tus about the validity of their obsession with Bieber vs. Random Teen Pop Star of 2030. The fact is that Biebz' video for "Baby" is the most viewed video on YouTube right now. What are the stats on NKOTB videos? Let's face it, Little Biebzy is the most popular teenager in the world right now and he didn't need a whole hoodrat boy band to back him up, just some filipino kids he saw on YouTube.
Every generation has a Justin Bieber, Joey McIntyre, N*SYNC or whatever. Let's be real guys, Biebz and Joey McIntyre probably wouldn't fight anyway, they'd probably drink milkshakes and share stories of life on the road as a teen pop sensation. Then Donny Osmond, Justin Timberlake, and that one mildly successful Backstreet Boy would show up, and they'd throw a badass party while their parents are out of town.

3) Bahahaha #2! They would so have milkshakes together. But chocolate ones. Not vanilla. Vanilla is for wimps.
3) And as far as teen idols go...I think we all know the Leif Garrett would be the worst in a fight. He really had issues.
7) justin beiber was not yet thought of in 1988. ...at least joey was alive. i think the winner is obvious.
1) ‎#3 you will be with us in spirit tonight!
and didn't people question Donnie Osmonds staying power? I'm just saying...
 
8) Rhinos a really good and fun post. I would like to chime in on this argument, because I believe comparing Joey Mac to Justin Bieber is like comparing the Tin Woodsman to Darth Vader, it doesn't work due to the context. Joey Mac continue hi...s fame based on his previous work with NKTOB, which would put him on more of a parallel with Justin Timberlake.
Justin Bieber's popularity originates in a time when market segmentation is at it's highest, for him to garner the amount of recognition in this day in and age puts him on par with a Donny Osmond level celebrity (that and their giant teeth).
What's also interesting is that Bieber has appeal in different cultures, I mean the kid is played on BET. Parallels could even be drawn to him and (dare I say it) Eminem because of his rise from obscurity, grass roots support, being mentored by a successful Black recording artist (Usher and Dr. Dre respectively), and presence in a predominately African American music genre (Pop Rap and Pop R&B). Only time will tell if Bieber falls on the celebrity spectrum closer to Elvis or Vanilla Ice.
 
4) Ok, I just have to say this- Joey McIntyre sang "Please Don't Go Girl" before Bieber was even born. NKOTB crossed many lines of music, they were played across all genres. Joey had my heart at 6 years old when I saw him dance across that stage at the Target Center, and he has my heart today. Bieber, while talented, will always be remembered as the kid with the weird hair. Just saying.
 
2) With all due respect #4, he will be remembered like that by you, but not the millions of girls singing his songs right now. Only time will tell how successful Bieber truly is, and if he has the hearts of many young girls right now, I would say he is on the same playing field as Joey Mac WAS, if not higher. I am agreeing to disagree with all you old, closed minded fogeys. You know that the song "Baby" makes you want to dance, if you can't admit that, you're only lying to yourself.
 
3) Thanks for the passionate discussion! What a great way to spend a Friday in the office!
9) Joey with his hands tied behind his back. Beiber is a p word I don't say.
8) Haha, #9. I think Joey Mac would turn the other cheek since he dedicate his life to the Lord. Bieber however I'd from the Godless land of Ca-Na-Da. His god is science.
9) I think even God supports a Beiber beat down. Just saying...
9) I would like to take a moment to point out one thing about the Beibster...
He has successfully combined "lover" and "eenie meenie miney moe" into a successful song (only God knows why... and I think even He is confused on what went wrong the...re).
Based on this alone, I may switch teams to the Beibster... he is an evil genius. He'd probably orchestrate a coup with the Cullens or something.
 
2) #9--He also has a pretty rockin' rendition of Lovefool. And his song "Bigger" is actually quite inspirational. Peace. Love. And Justin Bieber!
 
9) He's evil and looks like a girl.
9) And sings like a girl.
9) And pees like a girl.
 
 
So what do you think?

Adults Say the Darndest Things

I think I have a sign on me that says, "Just say what you think. I have no feelings."

I was getting my coffee today (everything happens when I get coffee it seems) and someone to be left unnamed saw me and said, "Wow! Your hair is age appropriate!"

What?! I mean, the person liked the hair. They said it was cute. But... age appropriate?!

How bad was my hair before? Really? I don't come up to you and say everything on my mind...

GRRRR I'm a bear. A big, cranky bear.

Captain Cranky's back... uh oh...

Preface: I do not have diabetes. I'm not at a significant risk for diabetes. I also have remarkable blood pressure. I do not have high blood pressure in the slightest. May God not strike me down for what I'm about to say...

One way to quickly get under my skin and lose all of my sympathy is to go on and on about "woe is me, I have diabetes, there is no cure, its a slow cancer, my blood pressure is out of control, afraid of a stroke..." and then turn around and ask someone for a Honey Bun and salty chips.

Well yes, you would have some trouble with your high blood pressure and diabetes if you are packing away these types of foods!

I see this all the time! And it infuriates me! If you want to eat what you want, then fine, go for it. But do not expect me to feel bad for you. Don't waste my time with a sob-story please!

Justin and I have a family member that has diabetes and she is extremely obese. She doesn't take care of her insulin, she doesn't watch her sugar (other than eat what she wants). She can flat pound down a cheesecake but she will go on and on about how she feels bad... STOP!

It is my same opinion with weight loss. If you think you are fat, fine. Feel fat. But don't tell me about it as you are downing french fries and Dr. Pepper. I'm not saying you don't deserve to have indulgences. I certainly enjoy them. And I am occasionally unhappy with my body. But I will not bore anyone with those feelings unless I am super close to them and they know I'm having a crazy moment.

This is why I married such an amazing man. One thing he is not is a complainer. He doesn't even have high blood pressure. He is "pre-hypertensive." And what does he do immediately? Almost eradicates salt from his diet. And this is a big deal because he'd be giddy like a school girl on test day if I gave him a salt lick for Christmas. The kid loves salt. But his health is more important. So sacrifices have to be made. This is the man I married. I love it.

Captain Cranky out...

From Sam: "Meet My Friends"

Hi. My name is Sam. I'm awesome. See...

I would like to introduce you to my friends. You see, Momma and Daddy put me in the exersaucer thing all the time because when I'm in it, I jump around and smile and laugh a lot. So they think I'm so darned cute when I'm in it, I should get to play in it all the time. Anyway, I have some friends on the saucer that are pretty cool and I'd like you to meet them.

This is my sheep...

Our relationship is pretty self explanatory by the  picture. I eat him. All the time. He's the silent type so he doesn't talk much and I try not to bother him with words. But he tastes nice. So I chew on his butt.

These are my chicken friends...

My goal in life as far as they are concerned is to spin them until their heads fall off. I haven't succeeded yet... but one day....

This is my cow friend...

We are "into it" 90% of the time. I'm mean to him. He stares at me. I yell back. He's hateful.

This is my friend Piggy...

I love Piggy. He's my favorite. I pet him and love him and rarely ever eat him. Piggy is awesome.

And this little sucker... this is Horsey...

I'm afraid if I touch Horsey, I'll turn into a girl. I just stare at him but keep my distance. He's not my friend but he hangs around the others so I just deal with him. You know...everyone has one of "those" friends.

And those are my friends. Thanks for letting me tell you all about them!

What if we all acted this way... and other rants from Captain Cranky

I had a doctor's appointment today at 1:15pm. I show up at 1:00 pm. I get all the forms filled out, pay the co-pay, and sit and wait. At 1:15pm I'm called back to the room. I talk to the nurse for a few short minutes. She gets her information and then says, "The doctor is just finishing up his lunch break. We'll be back in a few minutes."

Now I think to myself, "If he is just finishing up his lunch, I'll probably be sitting here for about 15 minutes waiting." That seems perfectly reasonable to me. At 1:30pm, I think, "Maybe just a few more minutes. Won't be long now."

At 1:50pm, I begin to get irritable. We are officially past "finishing up" lunch. We are now taking another lunch on top of our previous lunch.

At 2:05pm the doctor graces me with his presence. I was out of the office by 2:15pm.

And now I ask... why is it that doctors/doctors offices can act this way? If you made an appointment with someone at 1:15pm and then moseyed on in 50 minutes later... would you not be reprimanded? Or lose a client? Or lose your job?

I make appointments with students all the time. Sometimes things happen and I'm 5 to 10 minutes late. But darned near an hour?! After I've been told you are "finishing up" lunch? How unbelievable arrogant of you to assume your time is more important than mine. And to come in and not even apologize for taking so long. GRRRRRRRR!

It is unfair I tell you... Unfair. All I'm asking for is a little honesty.  Here is a list of things (I love lists) that would have made this experience okay.

Nurse: "It'll be a little while. The doctor is just now getting his steak on the grill."

Nurse: "The doctor went to school for 8+ years so when he's good and ready we'll get started."

A sign at the front desk: "We tend to run 30 min to an hour behind. Twilight saga in the corner if you want to read them all in the mean time."

When they called to confirm: "Yes, I see your appointment is at 1:15pm. If you could roll on in between 1:30 and 2:00pm we should be fine."

Lastly, upon signing in receptionist says: "It'll be a while. You can watch HBO in the room to your left or the napping room is down the hall on your right. We'll wake you when he's ready."

Ahhh if the world would just ask me for suggestions more often...