Happy Halloween!

Happy Friday

W Magazine cover, current issue

I live inside my head

This was originally published at The Literary Side

Often times I read a blog post and I think why can't I write like that? I don't necessarily mean the way a person writes, though there's a bit of that too I admit, but more that I wish I could be so honest. I wish I could write from the deep down inside and spill it out onto the page. I often don't. I keep to trivial things, meme's, mild nonsense because I don't know how more would be taken.

The worst possible thing would be rejection. As a writer facing rejection does not get easier no matter if it's your first or your fiftieth. It hurts, it stings, it slaps you in the face and points out all your faults.

So what worries me is writing down the those 'deep thoughts' and being told they aren't good enough, interesting enough or worthy enough. I don't know where that leaves me. Maybe I will write 'deep thoughts' and be okay with whatever result they generate.

When I write for my characters, they aren't real. I can make them say and do and feel anything I want, that's the point of fiction. Yes, naturally they are all in their own ways a part of me the author because in order to make them believable (which I have to hope they are) I need to have a reference on their emotions. I need to have had something in myself that is in relation to the character. Often we think of it as the other way around, the character relating to the reader but when you are the author I think the character lives inside us.

I wrote this out the other day when I was trying (probably horribly because a lot of the time unless you live in my brain, you likely have no idea what I'm talking about) to get across a point to someone else about their own words. I said:

"Every POV is inside the author"

It doesn't matter who or what we write about. I think inside each of us is that POV we hope to send down onto the page in pen and ink.

As I said before, sometimes unless you're in my head you have no idea what I'm talking about. For now I'm okay with that.

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepover Success

Monday October 26, 2009 10:44 pm

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Give me the Fugly or give me death

Happy RTT! What's RTT you say? Why that would be Random Tuesday Thoughts! Go see the fearless inventor of RTT, Keely at the Un Mom. If you don't get Random then you don't get Me.

Recently I came across this article in which they describe torture music used at Guantanamo Bay. That just makes me laugh. Favorites were NIN, Marylin Manson and the Barney theme song. I could add my own list and it would include Thor's Cheez-It's song and the imitation of his grandmother's doorbell. And Handy Manny anything. Any of these will make me confess to whatever you want.

FYI don't search 'torture device' in Yahoo. There's some seriously messed up stuff that comes up.

World Series (starts Wednesday) Yankees vs Phillies. Game on NYC. Game on.



Did you know ladybugs suck the joy right out of fall? In the last week it's been like the Great Ladybug Convention of 2009 inside my house. Good thing I have a swiffer and I'm not afraid to use it.

Have you ever had the most awesome idea for blog post and then surf around and realize someone else already posted your awesome idea? It really sucks.

This just in - Stacy, The Random Cool Chick wants to meet up when she comes to Philly mid November. Ya! I'm up for it and I'll even drag my kids along! That should be good for a blog post or two.

I was invited to a ladies neighborhood party on Friday. You know the ones, where the neighbors sell things like tupperware or baskets? This time it was organic health food and beauty products. I'm not good at these kind of things. I really don't want to buy anything but the guilt factor takes over. (I've written about this before.) So I end up with 4 bottles of grapeseed oil, 3 boxes of organic oatmeal cookie mix and 2 bottles of zoom-zoom red nail polish all of which will be stuffed to the back of the cupboard behind the preservative laden box dinners and the dye filled fruit snacks. Your total will be $138.56 please. But neighbor relations are important to the suburban culture (so I hear.)

I shouldn't whine. Everyone was very nice. Somehow I ended up spending the evening talking to the two pregnant moms and I had very little to say. I'm not sure they wanted to hear about my emergency surgery after Thor's birth, the fact that I threw up for nine months straight or that I lost all the baby weight within two weeks. I played the wallflower card and pretended not to speak english.

When you eat salsa and chips and you run out of chips but you still have a lot of salsa leftover in the bowl, what is the correct thing to do? Eat just the salsa or get more chips? But then what if you take too many chips and then have no salsa. Do you just get more salsa? See this could be a never ending cycle.

H1N1 revisiteth? I sincerely hope not. That means no fever Thor you hear? And no ralphing chunks either.

Have you ever been inside a Toyota Prius? The techy stuff is really cool and all but it looks like it's ten feet long when you're trying to see out the front window. CP was considering this car for when he moves but I think we are crossing it off the list. Now if I can just convince him to get that Jetta...and trade me for the minivan...all my evil effort will have paid off.

Chick woke up at 6:30 on Sunday morning. I made her lay with me until 7 (where she sang to me and played with my hair while I tried to sleep) then I slapped her in front of Mickey Mouse with a sippy of water and some cereal and went back to bed. I jolted awake about 8:40. Oops. No fear. I had a headache the rest of the day from getting a lot more sleep than normal. So that bad mother/tv thing always bites you in the end.

Two weeks till Punkin Chunkin people - two weeks! I'm not sure if it's just on local Comcast on Demand but if you go into On Demand, select History and Nature tv shows and the Science Channel there's Punkin Chunkin shows. Awesome. I can't wait. I hope my neighbor and her kids are really prepared for what we've invited them to. My favorite line from the show? The Chunkin machines were described as 'the finest in Redneck engineering' by one of the contestants. Love it.

Do you have a Random affliction? Know someone who does? Then send them over to Keely's place. It's better than therapy and way cheaper too. That's www.theunmom.com

Monday's Muse: Fall Leaves

It's Monday's Muse time with Robin at Cinnamon and Honey. If you don't know what Monday's Muse is head over to Robin's and check it out. This past week I wanted to get out and take some pictures of the fall colors before they disappear. Cycling Papa and I took Chick to Valley Forge Park and captured the following.

Fall is my favorite time of year because of the changing colors on the trees. Each year I find myself declaring this year and this tree the most beautiful I've ever seen. Until the next year comes along and I end up saying the exact same thing I said the year before.

Fall Leaves Fall

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

Emily Jane Bronte

Do you enjoy the change of seasons? What does fall look like where you live?


For more Monday's Muse head over to Cinnamon and Honey and see what else is inspiring people today.

Dear So and So: Google Reader Sucks

It's time for another fun round of Dear So and So. I have absolutely no idea if our hostess with the mostess the lovely Kat at Three Bedroom Bungalow is playing the game today (seeing as the lucky girl is on vacation and has wicked jet lag) but I'll throw something up anyway just because. So hang on and here we go.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Google Reader,

You Suck. You think you don't but you do. Remember when I switched cause THAT blogger (SciFi Dad) said it was so superior and easy to use? Well, you're really not. I was trying to mark one post feed as read and you marked every effing feed as read.

Much love,
Girl Who Hates Google

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Critique Writer,

I sent you my work like the agency asked. Please don't hate it. Please. After getting the go ahead and an agent and all that it would really, really suck if you tell me it sucked.

So please don't.

Kind regards and I love your shoes,
ONe WOrried WriteR

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear School Picture People,

Tuesday was picture day. I looked over your "reasonably priced" picture packages and I have to tell you - not so "reasonably priced". I mean let's just be honest for 2.5 seconds, $42 for the cheap package was a whole lot more than I was really willing to pay for some crappy pictures. It's a good thing he had Swine Flu, sorry H1N1 and missed it then.

Lot's of affection,
Reaped Over the Coals

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Chick,

When I said "Please keep the crayons and stickers at the little red table." I actually wasn't kidding about that. Finding you holding crayons in the sun room did not make mommy a happy mommy. Finding stickers on the hardwood floor? Even less so.

If you'd like to stop standing in the corner then remember these simple words: "Please keep the crayons and stickers at the little red table."

Love you always,
Mean Mommy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you have something you want to get off your chest? Then visit Kat's and link up to your very own Dear So and So letters. We all need a place to tell people what we really think.

To end in the TGIF mood Trick or Treat with this (available at Target, just so you know)

Caption this photo! & Book Giveaway Winners!

Let's have a "Caption This Picture" contest. Tell me what you think should go with the picture below.

So let me hear it. What would you call this photo?

*Neither the child or bottle of Tylenol were harmed during this photo shoot.

Winners of the Alienated book giveaway are:

1. MoziEsme
2. Captain Dumbass
3. Vic
4. Sidni
5. SciFi Dad
6. BlueViolet
7. CK lunchbox
8. Elle (please send me an email - bloggingmamaandrea @ gmail {dot} com )
9. Valerie
10. Dolphin Girl

Thank you to everyone who entered! I'll be contacting the winners via email this afternoon.

The God Question: Otherwise known as stuff in my head

Recently I was reading over at Braja's place and she had a very interesting little post about God versus Science. It kicked off my own thoughts.

There have been a couple of blogs I've read recently asking for theories and opinions on God and the existence of God. I tend to stay far away from that here but give my opinion elsewhere. But because the blog world seems to have abandoned blogs for the likes of the evil Twitter I thought controversy is an awesome way to reel people back in.

I was hunting my bookshelves trying to find something last night and I came across a book I've had for awhile and have only managed to read a couple chapters of so far. It's controversial to say the least and gained a lot of press when it came out. God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens. (link provided for reference). I enjoy reading books that make me think. I don't always agree with them (and in this case I likely won't agree with the authors view that "God didn't make us, we made God") but that's what might make it a good book. Reading opinions that are not like my own makes me think. It challenges me and that can only be a good thing.

On most days I believe God exists. After all how could I not given the fact that I'm still alive at the age of 30 something? Here's a list of reasons why:

• When I was 5 I nearly choked to death on an ice cube at my friend K's house. I'm talking I was turning blue and they nearly had me upside down trying to get it out of my throat. That was save number one.
• On my 7th birthday I fell off the dock at the lake and nearly drowned. The lake was deep, I didn't swim well and not a single adult was anywhere near me. (They were all either out on the boat or up the hill in the cabin which begs the question: Who leaves a 7 year old who can't swim on a dock by herself?) Obviously someone pulled me out just so I could write up this post. However I am terrified to sit in a lawn chair on a dock. Even now.
• I pretty much almost died having Thor. Even my obstetrician said it was a 'miracle' I lived after losing so much blood. We now refer to that incident as my Lifetime Oil Change.

So I can only theorize that something exists. I want to believe something is out there. No one has proven there isn't. But what is it? Obviously that's a super personal question to be determined by each person. I'm going to ask you for your thoughts.

Do you believe in the existence of God? Are you practicing the faith you were raised in (if you were raised with faith)? In what way do you teach your children about faith? Do you believe in reading something even if the content disagrees with your own beliefs?

The innocent mind of a seven year old...or the not so innocent

The other day Cycling Papa went to meet Thor’s teacher (and as an aside the other day when we went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch – our waiter’s name was Thor. CP and I couldn’t even look at each other for fear of laughing out loud). So CP went to see Mrs. M. since they’d never met before. She told him the funniest story.

There’s this kid in the class that Thor doesn’t get along with. I mean really doesn’t get along with. It’s fair because this kid doesn’t like Thor either. Apparently the other day something happened at recess and when they came inside to class it escalated.

I’m afraid to say Thor took it to the next step.

He got up from his seat and walked around the class to this other boy’s seat and stood behind him and…

He gave him bunny ears.

Oh yes he did.

I think I laughed so hard when CP told me that I had tears streaming down my face. The fact that Thor actually acted on giving this kid bunny ears is what is hilarious. He is the type of seven year old that doesn’t actually do that sort of thing.

When CP put him on the bus the next day he told him:

"Now Thor, no bunny ears okay?"

giggle giggle

"Okay."

Now Chick on the other hand…oh yeah, she’s got bunny ears written all over her.

The teacher also told the little story of one of the first days of school where they were supposed to come in and sit down for a story. None of the kids except Thor wanted to sit close to her so she told them it was Wednesday and she only bites on Tuesdays.

Well, never tell a kid with a photographic memory something like that. On the next Tuesday he walked into class and whispered into the teachers ear:

"It's your biting day Mrs. M."

Is this kid priceless or what?

What do your kids do to make you giggle!? What do they do or say that makes you go "oh no!"? Go ahead, give someone bunny ears today!

Have you entered my giveaway of the book Alienated? Click here to enter today!

I'm on the Do Not Call List but people still call me anyway

How is it that I only use a cell phone, I don't have a landline and yet I've gotten more phone calls in the past four months than all of the three and half years I spent living in Germany? I get some real jems too. First is the "My name is John and I have an important messsage from the President..."

They call, on average, every single freaking day. I'm very sorry John but if it was that important and the President wanted me to know I'm pretty sure it'd be on the internet. If the economy imploded again, he got a new dog or he sported "mom jeans" I'm sure I would have read about there before you could call me to tell me the news. Thanks for calling but in the future? Please don't.

My other favorite is this one: "I'm calling about your recent credit card transaction. Don't be alarmed..." Alarmed? Why should I be alarmed some unidentified recorded voice is telling me about my unidentified credit card with their unidentified company? That's right. The END button is in your future.

I also get phone calls from Thor's school. Not the usual Thor is sick or giving Bunny Ears (hehe) but recorded calls from the school district about stupid things like...flu shots or the coming evening computer awarness program I wasn't planning to attend anyway. They moaned on numerous occasions about my out of state phone number (since I was living in NJ when I got my phone) and how they needed me to change it so I say why? Why change it? Will it mean you'll stop wasting my minutes with annoying recorded phone calls? Because if it does I will be down at T-Mobile first thing in the morning getting it changed.

But the legendary phone call of crap is when you answer and the recorded voice says please hang on for the next available operator and thank you for your call. Excuse me? You called me not the other way around. So No I will not be hanging by a thread waiting for you to answer.

I did manage to eliminate the middle of the night calls from the Chinese guy and Mr. Spanish Speaker (both of whom LOVE to call me at 3 am) by simply turning off my phone when I go to bed. Nothing jerks a person with slight insomniac tendencies out of a peaceful sleep faster than a ringing phone. There are only so many people who have my number. Cycling Papa, my parents and my MIL - all of which if they called me at that hour I would know some seriously BAD thing had happened. Work contacts would not be calling me in the middle of the night. So that leaves crank callers. Which is why I sleep with the phone off.

You're going to ask me why I answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. Have you ever not answered a ringing phone? Especially when the voicemail for said phone is kind of hit or miss if it works or not? The suspense of not knowing who called would in fact make me nuts.

Do you use a landline or are you strictly a cell phone user like me? Do you get crank calls in the middle of the night? What's the most annoying phone call you've ever gotten?

Have you entered my giveaway of the book Alienated? Click here to enter today!

A Book Review and a Giveaway!

Recently I was asked by a representative of Simon & Schuster children’s books to do a review. Always up for a good book I agreed. Alienated is a fun entertaining book aimed at children 8-12 years old and is written by David O’Russell and Andrew Auseon.

When I first saw the cover it grabbed my attention immediately with the brightly colored tentacles clutching a red cell phone. Alienated is the story of two teenage boys, Vince and Gene who write a newsletter called The Globe. Not your ordinary newsletter they interview aliens or ails as they call them and publish exclusive articles on the otherworld that has taken up residence on earth. Laughed at by the other kids at school and commonly referred to as dorks, they nevertheless continue to publish the stories they feel the public need to hear.

Vince and Gene soon discover that guidance counselor Walter Sparrow at the rival junior high is actually the dreaded nephew of the evil alien Vargon. Between fighting over publishing a tell all about Walter, Gene kissing their best friend Lucy and sprouting tentacles out of his back things go about as horribly wrong as they can. From alien fights to space ships to broken friendships the book is nothing short of entertaining.

While intended for pre-teens I still enjoyed reading the far reaching imaginative story. The storyline is creative and the characters mishaps relatable and amusing. It’s a fun read and one that appeals to kids of all ages.

If you'd like to read an excerpt you can do so here: Alienated At Simon & Schuster you can also see the author's video interview to give you an idea where the story came from and some insight into the aliens in this Author Revealed Video.

The best part is that I now get to give away ten of the advanced reader copies of Alienated. All you have to do is leave me a comment between now and midnight Wednesday October 21 telling me who you think would like this book. It could be for your own children, a niece or nephew or even for yourself. I will randomly select ten winners and announce them next Thursday.

Be sure to spread the word to win this great book!

Not much to say

It's a slow day (blog wise) around here so you'll just have to make do with these pictures. But tomorrow I'm reviewing the pre-teen book Alienated and I'm going to be giving away ten copies so be sure to stop back!

Paging Dr. Chick, Dr. Chick, you're wanted in emergency.

Faster Mommy! Go faster, my Cinderella shoes are falling off!


Are you feeling inspired about anything today?

What the Hell Wednesday with Blue Monkey Butt

These two ladies are genuis. I mean really. Why didn't I think of this idea? Go forth and check it out and then link it up people. It's more fun than lots of other things.



On the way home from the airport yesterday at four o'clock there was this itty bitty Toyota weaving in and out of traffic like a manic. A manic maniac. A cop pulled up behind him and stayed with him for awhile then the Toyota exited and the cop let him go. WTH? He's just going to get back on an wreak havoc on the freeway again!

Also on the way to the airport there's this long one lane road I have to be on with the worst timed light in history. So traffic backs up for about three miles on a good day. Mr. Mercedes rode the butt of my minivan the entire way. I was pretty sure he was just checking me out though cause as soon as it turned into two lanes he waved! WTH?

So far in this rented house this is what's happened (keep in mind I moved in August 3) - the master bathroom toilet broke, the smoke alarm in Chick's bedroom keeps coming unhooked, the trim and front door had to be painted, the office window was leaking copious amounts of water, a bird flew into the sunroom window and cracked it and the driveway was seal coated on the hottest day of the year. WTH? I thought renting was supposed to be easier than owning.

We got an invitation from Nissan in the mail the other day that if we come in and test drive a car we get a $25 gift card to Target. Cycling Papa will need a car whenever he moves and he just happens to be considering the Altima coupe. WTH? We'll take a gift card and say thanks!

Speaking of one car, Friday morning Cycling Papa has to go to NYC (Lucky lucky man, twice in one week) but his train leaves at 6:08 am. We have one car. Guess which family members all get to get up and take him tot he train? WTH? It's only cool to be up that early if I was going with him.

For more WTH Wednesday go see the gals over at Blue Monkey Butt. They're always good for a laugh.

It's late but It's still Random Tuesday Thoughts

Hop on the tilt-a-whirl and get Random with the Un-Mom, Keely. She may not have elephant ears or the Ferris Wheel over at her site but she's got Random and a whole lot of it.

Parental Units leave this afternoon for home. My kids are going be freaking out from lack of attention come 6:01 this evening. I mean I don't totally ignore them or anything...I toss them food and water and stuff when I remember.

I finally went to the mall just down from my house this week Three times. I'm good for the year now.

We are almost finished Christmas shopping for the kids! Wahoo! I love it when there's a theme type of gift and everything you buy has to do with it. Now I just hope they like it.

We had four deer this morning in our yard. It was a nice way to have breakfast. This as opposed to my sister who doesn't have deer but moose. Not in her yard but on her dinner table. She ate it. Ick.

The most awesome wonderful fantastical thing happened this morning. But I can't tell you about it yet. Don't you love it when I do that?

We've been to Dairy Queen twice since my parents have been here. I'm not exactly thrilled that we discovered there's one less than two miles from my house. Because now I'm going to want something. all. the. time.

Do you know the muffin man? Me neither.

The Phillies won the game last night and moved on to the next round of the playoffs. Yippee! It's aboutt he ONLY time baseball holds any interest at all for me.

Give me hockey thanks. That's a real sport.


That's all that up my Random tree today. If you want to join in you should know by now what you need to do. Happy Trails.

Blogging Mama Andrea

Monday's Muse: New York City

It's Monday so that means it's time for another edition of Monday's Muse. Want to learn about Monday's Muse? Then go see Robin over at Cinnamon and Honey to see what else is inspiring people today.



For me this week's muse was an easy one. Three of my favorite words:

New York City

I Love New York City. I know, a lot of people think they love NYC but I LOVE NYC. I would live there if I could. I wouldn't even care about having no space or about roaches (well okay so that last one is a lie but I could probably deal with it.)

There is something about New York that I find electric. The city pulses or something and it gets under my skin and I become this dopey, happy, wanna-be New Yorker whenever I go. So yesterday's trip to NYC left me feeling just like that.

We originally went into the city to take my parents to see the 9/11 Museum. For whatever reason we could not find it. We found the Preview Site but not the museum. It was disappointing because I really wanted to go there but we went to the site of the former World Trade Center and that in it's self was humbling.

Even though they have the view of the site itself covered you can see into parts and see the construction taking place. Thinking about what I was doing when it happened (working) and were I was at in life (pregnant with Thor) what I saw on tv then made it so real when I was standing right in the same spot that changed American history forever. If you ever get the chance to go I think it's worth it.

New York is New York. We saw the Naked Cowboy (I declined to have my picture taken with him though). Does anyone know why he is famous? I haven't quite figured that one out.

We saw the M&M's store, Toys R'Us and Times Square. We drove past Cipriani's and Grand Central Station. We kept the Empire State Building in our sights most of the day (it made it easy to remember where the car was). We drove through the Lincoln Tunnel and the Holland Tunnel. The Statue of Liberty waved to us as we headed down the NJ Turnpike towards home.

It was one of my favorite days because I was in New York. New York inspires me. There is something about the variety of people you find there, their toughness and strength and that makes me wish I could claim to be one of them.

I can't explain exactly what it is that I feel when I am there but it is something. Something good. Something awesome. Something...

New York

Where do you go to find that "I can't explain it" feeling? What's your muse this week?

For more muses head over to Cinnamon and Honey. She gets my I Love NYC feeling. That may be just one reason why I like Robin so much.

*irregular spacing thanks to blogger

Welcome to nyc

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Dear So and So: From Minivan's to Boots and everything in between

It's time for Dear So and So over at Kat's place. It's the time of the week where you can just let it all out and tell people (and things) what you really think. Link up for more fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Sally Minivan,

Cycling Papa put gas in you on September 7th before he went back home to Germany. I finally filled you up again on October 3. You impress me with your gas saving ways. Though what does it say that we never go farther than three miles from our house...

Your most grateful driver,

Loves to turn up the music

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Aussie and Indiana Mom at the Bustop,

I know what you are thinking. Just for the record the older man with me at the bustop this week is NOT my husband. He's my father. Thirty years would be a bit much don't you think?

Much love,

30 Something Mom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Trim Paint Guys,

You were supposed to be here at 10 on Tuesday. I know you probably didn't know this but my parents were flying in that afternoon and I had a house to clean, I still needed to bath myself and the small child who lives with me and I had to buy a weeks worth of food. All by 3:30. Since I had no idea when between 10-2 you would be showing up I wasn't really 'cool' with not being here when you arrived so I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Thanks for not stressing me out about when you were going to show up.

I should have known the answer would be 1:58.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Renter of House from Hell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Boots of the World,

Why do you hate me? Why can't you just freakin' fit correctly? Better yet why does every brand size 8 fit differently? Can't you people get together and have a universal size or something?

It was funny the first three times I returned a different pair, now it's just pissing me off. The guy at UPS store is giving me "the look" everytime I bring in another return.

Your new BFF,

Boot Lady

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mom,

I know you were just being funny but even jokingly suggesting that Cycling Papa and I hit a hotel on the way home from the airport kind of freaked me out. Mmm K? I doubt he would object seeing as until you leave on Monday Thor will be shacked up in our bedroom and nothing more than platonic affection will be taking place.

Thanks for thinking of me though. But until I say otherwise - we don't have sex okay? Just like you and dad don't either.

Your loving and affectionate daughter,

Andrea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you'd like to see some more Dear So and So letters then you really need to see Kat at 3 Bedroom Bungalow. It's a guaranteed* good time.

*I may have used the word guarantee but no reimbursement if you don't is implied or stated. If you don't like it, suck it.

Ah the good old days...

Visit day three with the Parental Units brings us some lovely pictures. I'm sure my sister will kill me but...she'll have to break into their house and snag some terrifying pictures of us herself.



I'm Little Orphan Annie and my sister is...a bum maybe?

If you will recall I did this once before too and those pictures are here: Embarrassing Photo's

How will day four shake out is anyone's guess.

All that's fit for a Thursday, Wednesday, Friday - Oh forget it! Random Tuesday Thoughts

Random Tuesday oh Random Tuesday! Where did you go? Oh yeah you're HERE at the Un Mom. So link up and play along.

This post originally should have 'aired' two weeks ago. But due to this, that and the other I moved it so many times I can no longer remember the point. I'm busy playing hostess (and getting the trim on the house painted) so enjoy it anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 5, 2009 Merry Christmas! Love, Kohls



Old news but...Did anyone watch Flash Forward Thursday before Grey's? I have to say I never liked Lost but this new show...I really could see myself getting into it. I did miss the first 10-20 minutes putting the kids to bed (and we don't have a dvr, wahh!). I love it though.

What shows new or old are you getting into this season? I'm sticking with House, Grey's Anatomy and my absolute favorite Numb3rs.

LAMB Signature Small Shopper. Yes, please.

To prove that I'm not really that wimpy here is my neighborhood.

And this is the reason we often drive to the bus stop, especially in the morning.

If you were to look down from the mailboxes (just before the last turn to the bus stop) you look at the tops of the roofs on my street. The entire area where we live is all hills.

But there's good news. wii Fit will be hiding under my Christmas tree this year. Maybe it'll help me get my tush up that hill on a more frequent basis.

So I was hanging out over at CaJoh's virtual place on Friday and he was talking about pumpkins. I mentioned Punkin Chunkin (see side bar for link to details) and he said if I went I should write it up for his Friday's Feast meme. So...

It's Punkin Chunkin in slower, lower Delaware. What is more fun than that?? Anyone in the MD, DE, PA, NJ area want to do a road trip Nov 7 with the BMA Crew to see some pumpkins being launched out of cannons in Southern Delaware? Be sure to email me if you do: bloggingmamaandrea @ gmail.com {no spaces} It'll be a Redneck good time.

Last week I was sitting watching tv in our sunroom. It's a sunroom so it's got a lot of windows, across one wall and a slider and above the slider one of those big arched windows that look really nice but are impossible to put curtains on. A gigantic bird flew into the arch window and it cracked. I'm thinking Crazy Landlady may not be quite so crazy afterall when she said this house was one thing after another.

I saw three people in the past two days making left turns out of different parking lots (at lights) and turn down the wrong side of the divided highway. I mean how hard is NOT to see the gigantic concrete barrier telling you which side to drive on?

For more Random see The Un Mom.