Name::Abq MomFrom::Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wearing it on my Sleeve
I've often been told that I am a cry baby. Even by my most closest friends all throughout my life. I'll admit it, I am easily brought to tears. I always have been. My brother in law the other day told me that I'm not a cry baby as much as I am a person that is sensitive to other's feelings and burdens. That's a good way of putting it, I think I'll stick with that.
Music is an interesting medium. Music has the ability to stir emotions in you that you sometimes forget you have. Or maybe just those that you thought you had buried. I think music often has the same power over us that the sense of smell can. For example with smells you may go for years without smelling something and yet when you do it takes you immediately back to the first time you ever smelled it. I believe music can effect is in that same way.
I love to sing along with the music, especially on long distance trips and my drive up to Washington earlier this summer was no different. My car has a 6 disc player which is awesome! I have a 5 cd box set of Disney classics that I absolutely love to listen to, especially on long drives.
It was while listening to these cd's that I really started to think about my emotional well-being and the influence music has on it. Because you see for as long as I can remember there are songs that I have NEVER been able to sing along with because I get so choked up and about to cry that I physically CANNOT sing!
You may find my list of songs silly. I know I do, for you see I have NEVER been able to figure out what it is about these specific songs that stirs up so much emotion in me. Maybe someone out there can analyze my list and let me know.
Chim Chim Cheree-Mary Poppins
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah-Song of the South
Candle on the Water-Pete's Dragon
The Age of Not Believing-Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Feed the Birds-Mary Poppins
Best of Friends-Fox and the Hound
On the Front Porch-Summer Magic
When You Wish Upon a Star-Pinnoccio
You've Got a Friend in Me-Toy Story
My Name Is James-James and the Giant Peach
Stay Awake-Mary Poppins
I Will Go Sailing No More-Toy Story
That's Wat Friends Are For-The Jungle Book
Baby Mine-Dumbo
I Won't Say (I'm in Love)-Hercules
Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)
Boo Bop Bopbop Bop (I Love You, Too)-Pete's Dragon
This is a song that has caused me to cry every time it's been song or played since I was 8 years old. Even now as an adult I have a hard time getting through it.
Families Can Be Together Forever
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/31/2006 01:17:00 PM :: 5 Comments: 
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Friday, August 25, 2006
Happy Blogiversary to me!
Today is the one year anniversary of starting my blog. But I had actually started writing posts before my blog. In June of last year I had started a music department alumni yahoo!group. I had started writing little posts for that in hopes to spur conversations on the site. So technically my first post was June 30th.
But that's all right, I'll celebrate the day I started this blog with the web address "the art of patience". Hoping that one day I will be the patient mom for my children and husband that I always want to be.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/25/2006 10:15:00 AM :: 6 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Throw Me a Life Preserver Please!
We're drowning over here! Seriously. There are parts of Albuquerque that have received over 9 inches of rain just in the month of August alone. Gotta love those Monsoons. They're micro-cells so one part of town could be perfectly clear skies and the other side of town will get a deluge of rain. This month we've been on the drier side of town. All the rain has been focusing on the East side of town closest to the Sandia Mountains.
The entire state has been under a constant flash flood warning almost every day. The soil is so water-logged and some of these storms dump so much so quickly the water doesn't have anywhere to go. Some towns after storms have looked like New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. It's been nuts.
There have been roads washed away, mudslides wiping out roads and cars. Cars getting stuck in flooded streets, every night there has been one news story or another that's been weather-related. It's been really humid and our backyard has been over-run with fleas. Kinda yucky.
On the upside we've hardly had to run the sprinkler system for our plants! Here is a picture of our front yard. It looks a little piddly but those little plants will be much bigger next year.
This summer we have seen the longest bloom on our Crape Mertle tree EVER! Usually it will start to bloom end of june/early july and be done by middle of July. This year it's been blooming non-stop since mid-june and here it is nearly September. Apparently all it needs is a lot of rain and cooler temperatures!
This was the sight when I walked in the front door after taking the pictures of my front yard. I couldn't resist putting it up too. It was just too funny.
I would put up some pictures of the backyard but it's about to rain but the sun is still shining so it's creating a weird light and we just thinned out the beds and some flowers are really overgrown so aren't that pretty anymore. The beds are mostly zinnias of all colors right now.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/24/2006 03:59:00 PM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Life's like a Roller-Coaster
So apparently my hubby is quite the roller-coaster enthusiast. I caught a glimpse of this when we were engaged and he told me "If we're going to get married you have to like roller-coasters." I replied that yes I did like roller-coasters, I had been on quite a few growing up. I thought to myself "how often are we actually going to be on a roller-coaster anyway?"
That's where I assumed wrong. For you see, any time my hubby can get on a roller-coaster he will! We went to Vegas for our One year anniversary. We had a lot of fun walking the strip, staying on the 10th floor of a hotel, and trying out a few nickel and penny slots. But when he asked me to go on the roller-coaster up on top of the "Seattle Space Needle" I laughed! "That things WAY up there!" I told him I'd do the New York, New York ride instead. But he thought that was piddly. The last day we were in Vegas we went to a outlet mall south of town, but when we were done instead of heading back up to the strip he headed the car south. Apparently there's a small little town called Primm, Nevada that has a "really cool, roller-coaster"! He pushed, pulled, prodded and dragged me onto that old rickety thing. As we stood in line the cars would rush along the tracks over our head. Somehow I ended up in the car all strapped in. You know how some roller-coasters start out nicely, just go up a hill or something before you go tumbling down to your death? That didn't happen on this one. We started high and the next thing I know I was going down the track that felt almost perpendicular! It went by really quickly so I guess thats a good thing. Unfortunately I think my newlywed hubby was a little disappointed with my roller-coaster riding!
I guess all the roller-coasters I had been on previous to being married were really tame! I really am terrified of heights. I don't mind being up at the height but the idea of coming down really fast that scares me. I even have a hard time jumping off the roof of the house boat at lake powell into the water below. Or when I went bridge jumping at college! Thats another story. The thing is, that even though I am deathly afraid I somehow convince myself to do it. Don't I deserve some love for that?
We lived in North Phoenix practically next door to DeVry when we were there for school. Not even a mile away was Metrocenter mall. Being that we were college students, and it was always really hot outside a lot of our free time was spent walking around the mall. Also right there in the mall parking lot was Castles N' Coasters amusement park. Its right there on I-17 so it's very easily seen. It's one of those things not easily missed. When I moved down to AZ I "knew" that we would be going there sometime during our three years in Phoenix. We did some miniature golfing while there, that was a lot of fun, but difficult to be patient when there were people in front of you you're waiting on and people behind you waiting on you. One mild winter day my hubby decided we needed to go on some of the "coasters" referred to in the amusement parks name. This was about a year after our Primm, Nevada ordeal. I "forgot" about the experience (just like a mom forgets about child-birth when she gets pregnant again). We went on a few of the small rides, and I think we decided to skip the wooden roller-coaster, for some reason I think it was my hubby's idea. We stood in line for the metal loopty-loop coaster. I don't like going on rides that make me go upside down but I was ready for it. (I thought!) We get into our seats and make sure we're buckled in tight. The car slowly starts to move, it gets hooked and we begin the jerking pull up to the top. Next thing we know we're screaming down, then back up, through the first loop, my head gets slammed against the back of the seat. Between the first and second loop my head went forward and it didn't go back against the headrest before the second loop. I went through the second loop with my head forward. I got off the ride with intense pain in my neck! Three chiropractor appointments and 6 months later it finally got fixed.
That was my last roller-coaster ride. I haven't been on another roller-coaster since. But that doesn't neccessarily mean that it was out of my hubby's system. My hubby, my 16 month old son and my 6 month pregnant self went to Orlando with my parents and grandparents. I watched as my hubby went on ride after ride with my dad at MGM studios and Epcot Center. I was a little bummed that I didn't get to go on the rides, but also probably secretly a little relieved at the same time! Two months later my hubby left me 8 months pregnant with an 18 month old for a week so could go to Cedar Point, Ohio with his dad and brother.
So it must have been like a song singing in my hubby's heart the other day when he saw his two children pretending to be on a roller-coaster when riding in the car. They've done it with me a few different times but this was the first time HE had been able to witness it. We have a sporty little car that we tend to like to take corners fast in, and jump over speed bumps and that kind of thing. When we go around a corner we hear a duet of "woah" and "wow" from the backseat. When we go over speedbumps they throw their hands in the air. When we speed up the on-ramp they throw their hands in the air, lean and yell. Now when we're all in the car together we're "encouraged" to throw our hands in the air over every bump, and scream on every turn. It made my hubby so proud of his children's newly discovered love without it being "learned" he had to brag to his brother on the phone that night!
One day my hubby will have his roller-coaster riding partners, and it won't have to be me trying to suppress my fear and look happy while standing in line!
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/22/2006 07:53:00 AM :: 4 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Friday, August 18, 2006
It's COMING!
You can feel it in the air! It's the topic of most conversations around town these days. The anticipation for it is rising with every morning! Can YOU feel it? Do you know where you will be when it happens?I know where you SHOULD be when it happens.
People ask seasoned vetrans how to make plans for the event. Problem is seasoned vetrans don't truly have all their plans set. All they can do is tell them how it works and what they can do.
Can you feel it?
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BALLOON FIESTA IS COMING!
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/18/2006 12:47:00 PM :: 6 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The traditional spelling
Yesterday evening was the open house at the preschool W will start attending tomorrow afternoon. It was fun to go meet his teacher, find his classroom, get a little apple magnet, a new book and a t-shirt with the preschool's name on it. They got to play on the playground for a little bit, get their pictures taken for their cubby and have some fruit, cheese and crackers. Looking back the funniest part was when we were in his classroom.
The teacher was talking to another little girl and her parents when we walked in. I heard them mention the name of my daughter. I thought to myself, that might be weird for W to go to school with a little girl that has the same name as his sister. A short while later the teacher came over to meet W. My husband and I introduced ourselves and W's little sister. The teacher immediately made the connection between the two girls with the same name. The other girls mom heard and turned to talk to me. Just then the little girl turned and I was able to see her nametag. I got a little confused.
I asked the mom "is it Sydney or Cindy?" The mom said "oh, it's Sydney, you know the traditional spelling, like the city". I looked down at the little girl's nametag again and was still confused. Because as you see it was spelled Syndey. To me that was Cindy, with a very untraditional spelling. I looked back up at the mom and quietly said "oh, I guess I was confused because it's misspelled on her nametag." The mom then got quite embarrassed and passed the blame onto her husband saying "He missed happy hour." I then quickly said as they were leaving the classroom that my daughter's name was the untraditional spelling that ended in "n-i-e".
I found the whole thing quite funny, but at the same time felt really bad for pointing out the misspelling. As we were laying in bed my husband brought it all up again. "Oh, I'm sorry I guess the misspelling threw me off." And we both continued to laugh over it for a few more minutes, even though I did feel bad for pointing the whole thing out.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/16/2006 08:23:00 AM :: 5 Comments: ---------------------------------------
New Record
Yesterday I believe W set a new record for causing me frustration. By 9:30am he had already broken his sister's baby doll stroller that she had gotten for her birthday and hadn't even had for a month yet, AND while I was putting it outside in the trash can snuck out the front door and took off down the sidewalk. Seriously there are times that I believe he has picked up on the traits of our old dog Jack. You know the little nursery rhyme "Can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man"? That little cookie man would be my son. It frustrated me to the point of tears. I walked back into the house and waited for him to come back in. He runs down the sidewalk hoping I'll chase him, if I do chase him he'll just run farther and faster. Just like a basenji.
A short while later a woman in my ward called. I've mentioned her before she's the one the kids refer to as "grandma jill" she's babysat them, and she's the one that did the Lake Powell picture for my hubby for Christmas. She had borrowed a couple of coolers for her family reunion last week and was on her way over to return them. She walked in and could tell I was having a bad morning. She turned to W and said "Go get your shoes. You're gonna spend the day with grandma jill". She took him with her while she ran errands all over town for 4 hours.
She called to check in after 2 1/2 hours. I asked how everyone was getting along. She told me that he was quite the "chatterbox". He had been talking nonstop. She then said "I can see that he is very bright. That might be the problem, you have to keep him busy that keeps him entertained or he gets bored and he finds something else to entertain himself which menas he ends up getting into trouble." Wow, she had him for a couple of hours and she nailed it right on the head! "She then said, "preschool is going to help out a lot."
Which leads me to my next story...
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/16/2006 08:11:00 AM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Monday, August 14, 2006
Injury Update
It's been awhile since I've posted so I figure I'll give an update on the various injuries our family has endured lately.
Me: Two days after my crash on the top of the mountain we were able to get in to see an orthopedic specialist. They looked at the original x-rays from the urgent care office and took the splint off my arm. I was to continue to wear a sling but to try to extend the elbow and twist the wrist, neither of which were easy to do as it was extremely painful.
After a week I didn't need to wear the sling anymore but still had to take it easy. I was able to do more things around the house but still couldn't do any heavy lifting.
Last wednesday I went back in to see the orthopedic specialist. They did another set of x-rays where they confirmed that the injury is an "impacted fracture". The best way to describe that is if you were to hold a stick, one hand at each end and try to push the ends together horizontally (not bending). The point where the stick gives and it "mushes" together is where it "impacted" picture that happening in a bone, specifically the radial bone close to the elbow. It's doing a lot better now I just have to remember that I do have a hurt arm before trying to do something. Most of the time it's just a dull ache feeling just above my wrist.
Sy: As you recall Sy didn't get stitches in her chin. They just glued it and put the steri-strips on her chin. After a few days those fell off and too the scabs with them. Now she just has little pink lines on her chin with a slight indentation. With a little Mederma Kids it should heal well enough that you can't even tell that she hurt her chin.
About a week after the crash I noticed that it looked like she had chipped her front tooth. She had chipped one before it had even cut through the gums last October but now both top front teeth have little chips in it. She already has a space between her front teeth and now with the two chips the space is more prominant. But at least they're baby teeth!
I was just to the point where I was thinking everything was okay and that we would walk away from this event without too much to show for it. Ya of course, I had spoken too soon. The other day (friday maybe) when I was changing her diaper I noticed that the more recently chipped tooth was looking a little discolored. GREAT! (hear sarcasm please)
Yesterday at church I talked to a friend of mine thats a dental hygenist. She was able to look at Sy's tooth and told me to expect it to continue to get darker until it's black. As long as it's not causing her any pain and we don't see an absess developing to leave it alone. Right now it's a place holder for the adult teeth. When she's a little bit older we can take her into a pediatric dentist and they can put a cap on it. Because she got her baby teeth late, I'm pretty sure that she'll loose her baby teeth late and get her adult teeth late. I'm thinking those front teeth might not fall out until 7 or 8.
W: No major injuries to report for W. Just being a boy and being completely covered in bruises. Every day I notice a new bruise. The newest one that's worth mention is right at the end of his chin. On the bottom, if it was a scar he and Sy would match. From what little information I was able to get from him, he had been climbing up the slide and his feet slipped out from under him and he banged his chin on the slide. It was a pretty good bruise, but not it's just that yucky yellowish-green.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
No more injuries to report. W starts preschool on Thursday. Tomorrow evening is an open house for the parents and teachers to meet the child's teachers. I'm really hoping that everything goes well and W doesn't have too hard of a time adjusting. I don't know how much help I'll be able to offer to the class with having little Sy at home too, but I'll do what I can to help him get settled in the new class. One day he's really excited about starting "school" and the next day he doesn't want to go to "school" so we'll see how it goes.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/14/2006 08:06:00 AM :: 4 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Hallelujah!!!!!
My new refrigerator has finally arrived! After waiting for over a week I finally have a fridge again. I could have kissed the delivery guy when he arrived at 11:30am instead of the scheduled 12:30-2:30pm!! I could have kissed my brand new HUGE fridge. It's bigger than the old one! I'm so excited! It's still the same design, freezer on bottom, but this one has an ice maker! WOOT!
They took away the old one, and I looked outside to see the other delivery guy removing all the packing from my new fridge. Its then that I realized the door was not correct. When I had ordered and bought my new fridge I had given specific instructions that the door needed to be switched so it would open the other way. I had been told that was part of the reason why it would take so long for delivery! I almost lost it on the delivery guy inside. The two gentlemen were gracious enough to take the doors off and switch them around. And they also helped me find the shut off valve for the waterline that runs to the icemaker. They took down the Associate # of the salesman that sold me the fridge, they're gonna make sure he gets in big trouble.
Just as I was signing the paperwork, the phone rang. Both my kids handed me a phone, it was my brother and I would just call him back. After the delivery guys had left I called my brother back. I've spent most of the morning making a grocery list of things I need to restock my fridge. My brother is driving down from Farmington to Albuquerque to take a friend to the airport. He's gonna stop by! He's going to take me to the grocery store so I can stock my fridge. Because of my arm I still can't drive or do any heavy lifting so it was either have my hubby do the shopping on the way home or all of us go together. This way my hubby can just come straight home. I almost cried when Dale said he'd take me to the grocery store!
Yay for my new large fridge!
Yay for my brother coming down to ABQ for the day!
Yay for my brother taking me to the store!
YAY, YAY, YAY!
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/01/2006 12:10:00 PM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood...
I have a confession to make. I love Winnie the Pooh. I never tire of watching Winnie the Pooh movies, I could watch every one of them over and over, which is a good thing because Disney Channel is showing all of them today except The Tigger Movie (one of my favorites, I cry at the end every time).
I have different Winnie the Pooh books, and a giant Tigger, Eeyore and Pooh in my children's room. (Though I had gotten the Tigger for myself when I was in High School, the Eeyore and Pooh were after W was born). I even did my baby's nursery in Classic Pooh.
With the help of my mom we painted the murals in the nursery when W was just 10 months old. Now that my little girl Sy is 2 and a big girl the Winnie the Pooh murals have been painted over, but that doesn't mean I don't still love Winnie the Pooh.
"TTFN-Ta Ta For Now!"
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/01/2006 07:55:00 AM :: 6 Comments: ---------------------------------------
