Life of an Albuquerque Mommy

Friday, September 29, 2006

"It's Just Another Manic Monday..."

Well actually No, it appears it's going to be a Random Friday!

I have a bunch of things I want to write about but non of them feel strong enough to stand as their own post, so I guess I'll just combine them all together.


I'm kinda feeling like I might want to change my template for my blog again. I don't know, I may bat that idea around a bit before I do anything drastic.


Went to Volleyball this morning. Second time I've played since hurting my arm back in July. (Well actually it's the third time, but the first time doesn't really count I was only using one arm). Today went really well. Two weeks ago when I went I played hard and about half way through my right arm was starting ache a bit so I thought I'd try to take it easy the rest of the time. Today my once injured arm hardly even crossed my mind. I played well, got some pretty good serves in and my arm didn't start to ache at all. I really love to go play volleyball, and getting those good serves and sets and spikes in just feels sooo good. It's probably my competitive side coming through a little. But I find myself being really self-conscious while playing. I find myself feeling fat and clutzy, which in turns makes me play bad which just leads to a viscious cycle of playing more badly. I need some good workout clothes I think. Something that I feel comfortable in without feeling like I'm wearing pajamas.

I also had the chance to visit with one gal for a bit. She's a photography nut like I am and just got home from a trip to St. Louis. She was telling me she was looking for a way to make a digital scrapbook of the pictures she took on her trip. I told her about mypublisher.com and she seemed really excited about it.



Speaking of taking pictures. Yesterday after dropping W off at Preschool Sy and I walked around the mall. Just out of curiousity I went into Ritz camera to ask them about the Minolta 7D Digital SLR camera. I had been keeping my eye on that model for awhile and I wanted confirmation that the lenses I have on my film minolta SLR would work on the digital. He immediately informed me that they didn't sell that camera anymore as Minolta had been bought out by Sony. But he did show me the new Sony Alpha which is almost completely based on Minolta's technology and design. It was so awesome! 10 MP. An amazing autofocus, quick like a cat picture taking I was so immediately in love. "Someday, my prince will come..."



Speaking of Preschool. W has been doing really well. It seems like on every Thursday the teacher tells me that he has run up to her near the end of class and whispered in her ear "I want to do the whole day again!". The teacher thinks it's so cute, and I think it is too, he really loves going to preschool. This past Tuesday I took him to class just like any other day. We were walking along the parking lot when W had discovered this black piece of plastic. An old wiretie or something. He wanted to pick it up. I asked him to not pick it up and gave him some pretty good reasons why, so I thought. He of course then REALLY wanted to pick it up. I put my foot over it. He started to cry. All the other mom's are walking by with their kids. I quickly picked it up and put it in my back looking for a garbage can. There was one near the front door and I put the thing in the trash. W continued to cry wanting this random piece of trash that had quickly become treasure! I stood between him and the garbage can waiting for him to calm down enough so we could go into the school. Just then the director (principal) of the preschool came out and asked what the problem was. I explained to her the situation. She then turned looked into the trash and pulled out the piece of black plastic. She smiled as she handed it back to my son and said "It doesn't bother me, does it bother you?" YES IT BOTHERS ME! and I told her "yes actually it does". She then replied as I walked into the school "we must pick our battles." Yes, she's right, there are some battles that just aren't worth fighting, but you know what lady, this a battle I picked and therefore I must stand my ground with my son! You just underminded me in front of my son and he will forever think "My teacher is nicer than my mom. She'll give me what I want when she won't". It made me SOO angry that this woman would do that to me. I was hot and bothered for the rest of the day. I told the story to my husband and asked him if I was over reacting. He told me No, I had every right to be mad. I told the other moms at playgroup. They all agreed that I had every reason to be mad. OOOHH!!!! I really want to complain, but guess what she's the one I would be going to complain to. I can just imagine: "I have a complaint." "Yes? Who with?" "Well actually you..." I'm sure that would go over well.


When I got home from volleyball today there was a message blinking on the answering machine. I thought and assumed that it was my husband calling from work. When the message started to play it wasn't a voice I recognized so started to listen more carefully. It was a man from a local delivery company with a shipment for us from Vintage Tubs. We had finally gotten brave enough to order our tub on Sunday and it's already here in Albuquerque. I called the company back it our tub will be delivered on this following Tuesday. Tuesday will be a tight schedule but I'm sure everything will be fine. YAY! Our bathroom remodel is almost finished!

My parents left Washington this morning. They'll spend a few days in Salt Lake with my brother and a day touring Arches National Park and they should hopefully be here on Wednesday. They'll then stay for a whole week. We have plans to go on W's preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch, go down to Carlsbad and see the caves and of course go to Balloon Fiesta. The kids are really excited to have grandma and pap come down for a visit!


Our relief society is doing another cookbook this year. Quite a few people in the ward asked me if I had submitted any of my recipes. They were quite bummed that I didn't. I kinda feel bad about that, but at the same time I don't. It's not that I don't want to share my recipes, I have no problem sharing them with others I know will like them and use them. But to just blindly submit everything I have to a cookbook where who knows will be looking at them felt kinda like casting pearls before swine. Plus, I kinda like the feedback. Besides, most of the recipes that I make were given to my by Christy. Even though she gave me permission to do whatever I wanted with the recipes I just couldn't put them in this mass cookbook. So I guess I'll just tell the people that are bummed that I didn't put anything in that I have no problem sharing my recipes with them individually.


I have the feeling I need to express some tender feelings here. Lately I have really wanted to express some words of thankfulness. I am so thankful for being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There are so many reasons and so many levels. I am greatful for the opportunity I had to go to Ricks College. There I made friends with so many wonderful people, women that I am so lucky to have touched my life. I met my wonderful husband there. Because of the church I know that wherever I move I will never have to be lonely. I know there is a built-in network of "family" anywhere I go. Because of the church, we were in a ward in Phoenix that allowed me to become good friends with Christy and her fabulous husband and kids and her sisters (hopefully they think of me as a friends as well). Over the past two years, I have really been struggling, and I am just so glad to have the friends that I have. The friends that I made at Ricks College 8 years ago and haven't seen in person since. But I know that if I'm having a hard time all I need to do is switch on the computer and there will be someone ready and waiting to wrap their virtual arms around me and show how much they love me. So thank you Heather. Thank you April. Thank you Sariah. And Laural, and Julia. And thank you to Claudia who every day has been there online to talk to me when I needed it. And thank you to Christy, who helps me sort out so many questions and dilemnas I have (or think I have). And thank you to the friends I've made through my blog, Karen, and Cara, and Timber, and Joyce, and Alyson, and Sariah in Vancouver. Thank you for your blogs, for the words of comfort you've given to me when you thought you were just writing for you. I don't know how I would have managed these past two years without you all, I'm sure I would have gotten through but you all have made it much easier. I hope I can keep you all in my arsenal over the next years as well.

Thank you.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/29/2006 12:57:00 PM :: 10 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Glorious September!

This is the time of year we look forward to most around our house. We love the fact that monsoon season is over, the humidity level goes down quite a bit. Our overnight lows are in the 50s and our daytime highs are low 80's. We've already winterized the evaporative cooler and haven't turned on the heater yet. We love that the trees are just barely starting to change color and it causes in us a want to put away shorts and pull out long pants and long sleeves.

But you know what?!? Those are all great and terrific but the reason we look forward to the end of september the most is because it's the end of the Fiscal year at my husband's work! October begins the new fiscal year. His work hands out their yearly bonuses and raises at the end of September that take effect in October. We were expecting to find out soon, and hoping with fingers crossed that it would be a good year. We have debt to pay off from the bathroom remodel! I mean come on! We started hearing rumor's that the raise's and bonuses were pretty good this year, but we didn't know what that meant for us.

Today I sat on the couch while the kids played in the backyard waiting for my hubby to come home from work. I had already started dinner which of course wasn't soon enough for my tired, hungry kids. W thought was going to die of 1. starvation and 2. of an imaginary something in his eye. My hubby finally walked in the door at the time I was about to either start screaming or crying or both. To ease my mood my husband slyly said to me "I have something that might put you in a good mood!" and then handed me a slip of paper. It's THE piece of paper we look forward to every year! The one with the bonus amount and the raise increase percentage! In the past four years a typical pay increase has been between 5-7%. This year was 14%!!! What that means is they increase the previous year's salary by 14% of that year's salary. This is huge for us!

We're totally celebrating, but not rushing out to go buy anything of course. It just feels so good to have a sigh of relief as far as the budget is concerned! I just updated the monthly budget today and felt like crying. We can get the credit cards paid off and then maybe after that I can get a new car. Our little focus is just getting too small. I need a car where there's space between the kids so they can't sit there and torment each other the whole time we're driving!

Best part is November is a three paycheck month!

Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/26/2006 06:23:00 PM :: 5 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Monday, September 25, 2006

Attention!

Calling all mothers of little girls! Or aunts, or grandma's or older sister's or cousin's orwhatever!

I am in search of hair clips for my daughter! They seem to disappear so easily, and now I'm having a hard time finding hair clips at the stores that will work in her fine hair. I found a few when she was just a newborn, looking back now I should have bought them all! They were circo brand at Target in the baby aisle next to the socks. Apparently Target doesn't seem them anymore! They're the only one's that will work, the goody brand are for thicker hair and just won't stay in her hair. Here is what I have found. The green heart and yellow star kind seem to stay in her hair the best.


Now here is where you all come in. I want to know where you find hair clips for your daughters, neices or granddaughters. What brands to you like, where do you find them? Have YOU seen these clips at your local Target stores? If you have PLEASE pick them up for me, I'll pay you for the cost of them and the shipping! I'm serious!

My next beg: What do I do with her hair? It's starting to grow out, it tend to grow in the back faster then the front. I have been consistant at trimming her hair along her neckline till it all grows out to be a cute little bob. The hair in the front is barely long enough to go into a hair clip. Oh and she has this funny little curly-Q cowlick right at the back of her head, It makes the hair grow in one direction like a big swirl. This prevents me from putting her hair in a small ponytail on the top of her head, everything else goes forward. Here are examples of the two ways I do her hair. Suggestions are welcomed!

Sydnie 2 yr pics bosque 2





100_0246

I have always hated staticky hair, I can't stand it even more on my daughter! I wash her hair with shampoo and baby conditioner and leave-in conditioner, it makes her hair really shiny and soft and no static! I know her hair will grow out and it will be really cute and I will be able to do lots of things with it, but what do I do with it in the meantime?


~Signed, a frazzle-haired mommy!
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/25/2006 04:45:00 PM :: 8 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Are you talking to ME?

"You must be talking to me. I don't see anyone else around. So you must be talking to ME!"


I don't know why I had thought that way. Maybe it had something to do with my tomboy childhood days. I played with my brothers and the neighbor boys, I was rough and tough and boys weren't known for handing out compliments. Usually they were handing out insults.

Maybe it was the clothes I wore. Maybe it was my dark brown hair that wouldn't hold a curl for anything. It was straight and it was fine. Maybe it was my freckles. Maybe it was being told I would have big thighs by my grandma and being told I was flat-chested by my "friends" in junior high school. I guess I just always thought beauty lied with being blonde with or without curls, and skin unblemished by freckles.

As I went through high school and college the freckles and big thighs stayed with me. I dated a few guys. There were younger guys that had crushes on me. Was I pretty? NO way. If my self-esteem could have been crushed any more it's when I met my college roommates. I was the only non-blonde in an apartment of 6!
(The 5th blonde was so blonde and beautiful she was never home!)

There was a guy in my ward that could boost anyone's self esteem. Sam. He was a bit overweight but the nicest guy ever. Any time he saw me he would tell me how beautiful I was and give me a huge hug. He was such an awesome guy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


One night after work I just wasn't feeling up to going home and making dinner. I was 8 months pregnant, it was still quite warm outside (it was Phoenix afterall) and just the thought of my husband's "usual" of a chicken breast with some random Cambell's soup poured over the top made me want to heave. I stopped by Papa John's pizza on the way home. I placed my order and took a seat. I was staring out the window into a darkened parking lot just daydreaming. A young family with two little girls broke me out of my reverie. They came in placed their order and walked back out. As they walked along the sidewalk the youngest little girl looked at me through the glass. She then looked up at her mom and I was able to read her lips as she said "Mommy, she's pretty." I could have cried!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Saturday night was our date night. I can't remember the last time we went out on a date. Actually, I can, I blogged about it! We were about due and after the week we had both had we really needed a break.

We went to dinner at Tony Roma's. While sitting at our table, I noticed a table of four to the left and over my hubby's shoulder. Two couples; one younger probably 30's and the other older, probably in their 80's. It was an odd grouping but I assumed the older couple were parents or maybe grandparents of the one of the younger couple.

About half way through our dinner I looked over at the table. The server was going over the desert menu and I didn't want to miss anything. The older gentleman noticed me looking at their table and gave me a funny look, sort of a smile. I wasn't sure what it meant so I looked away, embarrassed that he caught me looking at them.

During our desert their table got up to leave. The next thing I knew the older gentleman was standing next to our table. I didn't have any idea what he was about to say. He leaned in to me and whispered in my ear "You are a beautiful woman!". I immediately blushed, he began to walk away and then turned around, nodded towards my husband and said "You don't have to tell him what I said", then he walked back over and joined his group. The younger woman asked him "Are you flirting with beautiful women again?" He turned back to look at us and shrugged his shoulders with a look that said "Oh well, what can you do?" He then walked away. My husband and I both just about bust a gut! My hubby said "I can't punch a guy with two hearing aids!" through tears of laughter!

I am nowhere near where I would like to be physically. I weigh 20 pounds more than I did before and immediately after my daughter was born, and 30 pounds more than I would ideally like to be. I've been having a really hard time lately and since seeing pictures of myself at my Sister-in-law's wedding in June haven't even wanted to look in the mirror.

This compliment couldn't have come at a better time, and you know what, the fact that he was a man in his 80's made the compliment have more weight. He's been around for awhile, he must know a beautiful woman when he sees one!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was taught in young women's that one rule of good manners was to accept a compliment when one is given. Nobody likes it when someone argues with them when they have given you a compliment. So I've accepted the compliments that have been given me without argument. Maybe I should start believing them, they might be on to something.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/19/2006 06:59:00 PM :: 4 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Monday, September 18, 2006

His Talent

He has always had this amazing fascination with cars. I guess I don't really have a problem filling that desire either. Ever since he was big enoug to push a car across the floor his fascination with having them in order has developed as well. We would often walk into a room and find all his cars lined up in perfect order like in a parking lot. We've seen them lined up two by two like a traffic jam. We've seen the cars grouped together by size, color, style (car or truck) and even specific type (all the Ford trucks over here please).

As he's gotten older the complexity of his orders has grown. It's been very interesting to follow. He has often freaked out if his little sister messes them up, and gets frustrated if the cars won't line up the way he would like them to.

So I guess this afternoon really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise. While sister was taking a nap and I was doing some internet searches he was playing quietly with a few of his cars. I heard him make many trips between the toy box in his room and the living room. He even came in and asked "do you see any more of my cars?" I helped him find a few.

About 30 minutes later he came in with a big, proud grin on his face and asked "Mommy come look at what I did!" He took me by the hand and led me out into the living room. He ran and jumped on the couch as I viewed his masterpiece. He grinned even bigger as I smiled, giggled a little and told him we should take a picture.

Every single one of his cars has been lined up perfectly around my kitchen table. He's attempted to line his cars up on my table before but usually it was one long line that began on one end of the table and ended on the other. This is a new level to his talent.

Who knows, maybe he'll be a car salesman, or a parking attendant or something along those lines when he grows up. :-) I believe he has the potential to become anything he wants to, including an engineer or designer or a rocket scientist that has absolutely nothing to do with cars, whatever the field I'm sure he will have a mind for organization and order.


Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/18/2006 04:15:00 PM :: 3 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Friday, September 15, 2006

Sabotage

Apparently THEY didn't get the memo...

After the LAST one WE decided to wait a bit longer before having the NEXT one. Did you really think I could survive having ANOTHER one only 20 months later?

THEY are like moths to a flame to the "things". No matter where they are hidden they alway seem to find them. the "things" are in brightly colored wrappers and they're fun to throw around the room or collect up like treasure.

I've been "charting" for 7 months now. THEY seem to be drawn to my pencil, thermometer and paperwork too.

Do THEY know something WE don't?

Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/15/2006 08:44:00 AM :: 6 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Made with Love

As if this glorious day couldn't get any worse! I go ahead and top off the day!

I burned RICE! Yes, that's right you read correctly, I burned boiling white rice!

Don't tell me how I did it. I started it to a boil and then completely forgot about it. It wasn't until the burning smell reached my nose that I realized what I had done. I went running into the kitchen to see the entire room full of smoke and smoke rolling out of the pan as well! It must have boiled over getting the water onto the burner, and then it boiled all the water right out of the pan! Here is what it looks like.

Every window and door is open in the house, all the fans are running full blast, everything stinks of smoke. I figured this being such a rare occasion that I mess up dinner. ;-) I better capture it in film. Here is the side of the pot. As you can see it burned the outside of it as well.
 I didn't want to put the pan directly on our outdoor table so I stuck it on a scap piece of sheetrock that happened to be out there from the bathroom remodel. the pan was so hot it scorched the sheetrock.


It looks like we're going to be having plain burritos without rice for dinner tonight...


Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/13/2006 05:18:00 PM :: 4 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------
Personality Test

There are so many of these personality test meme's, but I liked this one. There were a lot of questions so I think it was really able to get a look into who I am. I even learned a lot about myself through this particular test.



Stability results were low which suggests you are very worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious.

Orderliness results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and fun.

Extraversion results were high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.
Trait Snapshot:
open, tough, irritable, worrying, does not like to be alone, craves attention, low self control, emotionally sensitive, interacting, sad, very social, aggressive, prefer organized to unpredictable, dependent, social chameleon, suspicious, values the heart over the mind, likes large parties, outgoing, likes to make fun, likes to fit in, mildly phobic, vain, makes friends easily, enjoys leadership, clingy, rash
Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/13/2006 09:25:00 AM :: 5 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------
A beautiful morning

The day only started an hour and half ago and I am already SO ready for it to be done!

I had such great plans for today. I would wake up happy, while W ate his breakfast I would type out the post about the motivation behind starting my blog and enrichment last night after I got dinner going in the crockpot. Later on we would go to playgroup at the park.

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

My hubby has been having a hard time at work. Personality issues. He has a PHD "boss" that's over the projects he works on, he has his manager, and he also has a Safety Inspector that watches over him when they're out at the test site. It's this safety Inspector that is driving him insane. My hubby is a very laidback quiet type, he'll get things done, at his own pace, and usually its very good quality work when it is done.

This Safety Inspector is a micro manager to the Nth degree. He drives my husband and everyone else in his group completely crazy with his constant questioning about when they are going to do something. Something so simple as "are you going to pick up that wrench and put it away?" For the past two weeks he's come home from work with that sick knot tightening feeling in his stomach. Dreading having to go back to work the next day and deal with this guy all over again.

Monday he finally snapped, he told the guy off, told him he wasn't the only one that felt that way and that he would appreciate it if he could show him a little respect. The guy was totally shocked, and ran off to the PHD over my husband and another PHD, luckily management wasn't involved. But yesterday was the showdown, my husband had to meet with the PHD and the safety manager and they all had to "kiss and makeup". Being the sensitive, quiet person my husband was, having everyone in his building know that he had stirred up trouble made him feel worse then the actual confrontation.

To try to ease my husband's suffering I took the kids to enrichment with me last night. I finally got them off to bed at 9pm. Miss Syd didn't get a nap last night, and didn't sleep well last night.

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

W woke up at 7am this morning. I woke up with a positive attitude, got him some breakfast and set about to start on dinner. It's this delicious, beef & chipolte burritos that have to cook in the crockpot. Anyone who's cooked in a crockpot knows that you gotta give that baby time to cook. 7:30am start time, 10 hours cooking time would put it ready at 5:30pm right when we would be ready to eat dinner. I dumped the meat into the crockpot and opened the cupboard for the can of diced tomatoes. Couldn't find it, search the pantry, still couldn't find it. Okay, well I knew that I was going to have to make a quick run to the store to get a can of tomatoes. Just then Syd woke up. I brought her out, let her eat some cereal and then got their sandals on so we could run to the store really fast.

That's when it all broke loose. Both kids started crying hysterically. I had no clue why. I got them into the car, they're still crying. They cried to the corner grocery store. They cried as I got them out of the car, and when I put them in the cart they started to cry even more, harder and louder. I walk into the small, quiet grocery store, where all 10 people in the entire store turn and look at me and my crying kids! I hurried to the aisle where the canned tomatoes were, grabbed 2 @ $.75/each and hurried to a checkout line. There was only one register open. And all 10 people in the store were lined up in front of me. The kids are still crying as loud as they possibly can, and believe me they can cry loud. I stood there in line trying to quiet them down, at this point they were just looking for reasons to continue to cry. "I want candy. I want donuts, I want a toy..." They would ask for things, because they knew I would say NO just so they could cry louder.

By this point I'm thinking "I'll just make something else for dinner, I'll come back and get the diced tomatoes later", when the manager of the store ushered me over to another register that they were opening. The cashier asked me how I was doing I said over my crying kids "Oh, I'm good. And if you believe that then..." The manager was standing behind me in line and commented "by this point they've probably forgotten what they're crying about right?" I thought in my head "No, you would be wrong, they come up with new reasons to continue to cry", but said "Ya probably" grabbed my receipt and the cans of tomoatoes and rushed out of the store. I got them back into the car and hurried home. They were still crying as we pulled into the driveway.

We walked into the house and I headed directly into the kitchen to start putting everything into the crockpot. Syd was still crying, by this point I started to cry too. Oh, you think I lost it didn't you? You think I started to cry because my kids had pushed me over the edge? No, it was the onions.

"Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh what a beautiful day.
Oh, what a glorious feelin',
Everything's going my way."

(I'm sorry that it seems like the only time I write about my kids is when something has gone horribly wrong. But I guess that's when I feel I need the outlet the most. I do love my kids and there are moments when things are going good rather than bad, I promise.)
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/13/2006 08:34:00 AM :: 3 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Monday, September 11, 2006

Where were you?

I was living in Phoenix at the time. We had just had our 18 month anniversary 8 days earlier. My husband had left for work around 6am that morning. My job with the cable advertising company didn't require me in the office till 9am so my alarm didn't go off till 8am (PST) that morning. It wasn't unusual to wake up to the morning talk show people talking instead of music but as soon as the radio turned on to wake me up I could tell that something had happened. The radio Deejays weren't their happy, funny selves.

I jumped out of bed and ran into the living room and flipped on the t.v to Fox News Channel. Only one of the towers was still standing, the other had just tumbled to the ground. I picked up the phone and called Christy. She having two little ones I knew she was awake and had probably been for awhile. She told me that terrorists had high-jacked airplanes and crashed them into the towers and the pentagon. I think by this point the 4th plane had crashed in Pennsylvania. I sat down on the couch in shock. Christy told me that Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind behind it. She had some Pakistani neighbors; they had often said that Osama had been looked at as a hero, Christy and I only hoped that after this horrific attack they might find some way to support the country they live in now.

After hanging up with Christy I called my office. I talked with Sue. I worked very closely with her. She confirmed what Christy had told me and that so far everyone was to come into the office. Sue and my job was to put commercials that didn't air back into the rotation, switching them out with promos and free spots. She told me that for the past four hours not a single commercial had aired on nearly 15 cable channels. Everything was running live coverage of the attacks.

I hung up, got showered and dressed quickly and hurried into the office. By close to 9am most people were in their offices and Phoenix was quiet but there was an erie quietness to the city as I drove into work. There were no car horns rudely honking, people weren't rushing through the street lights; everywhere you looked people were being kind and considerate to each other.

I walked into the office to find the same somber silence. Every tv in the office (it was a cable company there were a lot of them) was tuned to CNN, MSNBC or Fox News Channel watching the coverage. I knew it was pointless to try to put the fallen out commercials back in, so I put started to work on the future orders. I remember looking up at the t.v. watching a reporter giving a live detailed report when directly behind her the second tower began to tumble to the ground and she along with her crew went running for cover.

I found it hard to work and hard to concentrate and it wasn't just me. One of the televisions was right above my desk and everyone else in my department was standing around watching the screen. I was only in the office for 30 minutes when our boss came around telling everyone that they were going to close up the office. Slowly the rest of my department filed out of the office.

My specific job at Cablerep was to build the playlists for all the commercials schedules for all the different channels in all the different zones for the next day. We knew that the cable networks would most likely not be running commercials for a few days. I built the modified playlists, finding myself alone in the office. The tv was still on. I took the tapes with the new commercials into the Master Control and walked back out to my desk.

It felt so odd and unreal to turn off the tv and my computer and walk out of the office before Noon. I went back out to my car and drove home. I don't really remember much about the rest of the day. My husband was at school. Did they let out too? I don't know. Did I stay at home for the rest of the day till my husband came home? I don't know.

I do know that the next few days were a very odd feeling. It felt wrong to be happy, and return to our normal every day tasks. I remember a feeling of patriotism so large I couldn't remember ever seeing the country so patriotic. The radio station arranged a giant concert for charity to donate to the families of the victims of 9/11. For many going back to their regular lives was easy, but down at CableRep it wasn't so easy.

Looking at the computer showing the commercials that played and the ones that didn't was a simple reminder of what had happened. The news channels were still running live coverage almost every day. Our clients felt the need to revise their commercials to include some sort of remembrance of what had happened in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. Some clients asked to have their commercials removed completely, they didn't want to appear as being insensitive for running their commercials so soon. And we in the traffic department did what the client wanted.

A few days later President Bush declared a day of prayer. Churches and organizations gathered together across the country. President Hinkley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints had arranged a worldwide broadcast that would include talks from leaders of the church and patriotic songs sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. There were a few Mormons in our office, and just a few that were good friends with members of the church that were interested in listening to the broadcast. We gathered in a small office where a tv had been turned to BYUTV so that we could watch the broadcast. It felt so wonderful to stand there with other members of the church and listen to the Prophet speak and to hear the beautiful choir sing.

It's been 5 years now. You just have to look out on the street to see that people have settled back into their normal every day lives. No longer does every house on the street have a flag flying high. An email was sent out to encourage everyone to fly an American Flag on this the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I want my children to know that today is a special, solemn, sober day. Our main task for today will be to go buy a flag and make sure it's flying high.



This picture was taken by my Brother-in-law Sterling at the house in Idaho.

Eden and
Sariah in Vancouver and
Karen have very good posts about today.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/11/2006 07:00:00 AM :: 1 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Welcome to the blogworld

Someone very close to me has decided to join the blog world. I know I've mentioned her in previous posts probably numerous times, so I'm so excited to be able to share her with my blog friends.

She and her husband and their two little ones (then) were our best friends when we were all living in Phoenix. We moved to Albuquerque shortly after my first baby was born and a few months before her third baby was born. Shortly after that they moved back to Portland. We have kept in touch over the past 4 years and try to see each other whenever my family would make it up to Washington. Things working out the way they do and He started go back to school to prepare for Dental School. They moved their now family of four children across the country to Upstate New York to begin Dental School.

Being far away from family and friends she has now been encouraged to start a blog. Hopefully she'll eventually write and post pictures. She is a wonderful woman and I have been so blessed to know her and have her in my life. Her children ARE my neices and nephews and I love and miss them all so much. I hope that she'll be just as inspiring in your lives as she has been in mine.

Welcome to the blog world Christy, glad you could come. So far she hasn't written any posts but I'll hold out hope that will change. Click here if you want to see her blog.
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/10/2006 04:36:00 PM :: 2 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Thursday, September 07, 2006

What's in the bag?

I saw this on Alyson's blog and thought it might be kinda fun. The question is posed :What's in your makeup bag? Then you show using pictures what's in your bag.

Here is my makeup bag. As you can see it's not even a bag. I have used a plastic box ever since I was in college, it just made for traveling so much easier to have it all in a nice waterproof box. This is actually the second one I've gone through since college. My first one had a hinged lid and the hinges had finally broken off.

Here is my makeup bag with the lid off. Everything I need to do my makeup fits perfectly in this little box. If it doesn't fit I don't really need it do I?

I have always thought my eyes were my best feature. I love my eyes, I've never thought of them as exactly green. I've always said their hazel but that was until I learned what a true hazel eye looks like. So now I just say they're green. Because I think my eyes are my best feature I try to enhance them. This is a picture of all my assorted eye makeup. My 7 eye liners on on the left. They're all covergirl self-sharpening pencils. They just seem to go on the best for me. In the middle are all my eye shadows. They're from Merle Norman. At the top are two mascaras, the smaller one was a free sample from Merle Norman and the other is Revlon Fabulash. I am always trying out new mascaras looking for the one that makes my lashes look the longest. I won't be buying this brand again. It comes out all clumpy but so far it doesn't go on my lashes very clumpy. Next to the mascara is my eyelash curler, and below that is my favorite makeup item ever. It's an Automatic Shadow Base. It's a cream that you put over your entire eyelid before applying any shadow. It helps the shadow stay in place and keeps the shadow from settling in the creases of the eye. On the far right are my shadow brushes. Biggest to smallest from left to right.

These are my lipsticks, chapstick, lip gloss and lipstick pencil sharpener. The lipstick pencils are from Merle Norman, there is lipliner on one end and lipstick on the other. Next to it is softlips chapstick. The tube of lipstick was a free sample from Merle Norman. On any given day I will use these in any combination depending on how much or how little color I want on my lips. On an average day I will usually just wear lipgloss or chapstick.


During the summer I don't really like to wear foundation. It feels thick, and I perspire on my face quite a bit and I just want something light. This summer I have opted to use the sunless tanner on my face. Then a little powder to just there's no shine. I have my blush brush, with more sample containers of blush and bronzer. I don't use the bronzer very often. The tube of lipstick is also used as a quick way to add color to my cheeks without using a powder. Just apply to the cheekbone and rub in. After all the makeup has been taken out of my makeup bag this is what is left at the bottom. Lots of clips to help keep my hair out of my face. I've discovered that I'm also starting to get a collection of my daughter's clips in my bag too.

It wasn't until 2 year of marriage that I learned the proper way to apply makeup, along with the colors best for my eyes and skintone. I love going to Merle Norman because I can sit at the counter and they will help me with every single thing till I walk out of the store happy that I have found the colors that work best for me. I don't wear makeup everyday, but on the days when I do I apply it only once in the morning and that's it. Part of being a woodwind musician is accepting the fact that you don't get to wear lipstick. It would always be all over my clarinet reed by the time I'm done. Chapstick is a clarinet player's best friend, so when I do get to put lipstick on, again it's only once and hope it lasts.

I've now shown you what's in my makeup bag. What's in yours?


Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/07/2006 01:30:00 PM :: 5 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

A Very Labored Day!

After reading Feathersky's post the other day about "Thomas and the very bad Day" I felt for her, I really did. But then I had a repeat of hers yesterday and I felt for her that much more!

Yesterday being that it was Labor Day felt like a good day to try to accomplish some work on our bathroom. Being as it is that we have two young children that have a tendancy to like to help in their own little ways it really ends up being my hubby that does the work and I keep the kids busy with doing something else. We have learned from experience that it's best when I take the kids somewhere outside of the house than it is to stay home and have them banging on the door because they want daddy who is locked behind it.

Monday's are kids get in free days at the zoo. It's awesome. We've gone during the summer when school was out and it wasn't too crowded, and we've gone once school was back in session and that was just wonderful, there were hardly any people at the zoo at all. I figured that a holiday would be like a day during the summer or at the very worst a Saturday, and thought it would be the best way to spend our time so daddy could get a lot done.

I loaded up the kids into the car and we went to lunch at McDonalds first. My first mistake, picking a McDonald's without a playplace. The kids were disappointed at first, but once they started eating and remembering that we were going to the zoo they quickly cheered and everything was well. We finished our lunch with very happy faces and full tummies and loaded back into the car.

When I was still two blocks away from the zoo I knew immediately that the place was going to be a ZOO! As I got closer my suspicions were confirmed. There were people every where, cars parked on the street and that the baseball park across the street, there were cars weaving in and out of aisles looking for a place to park. I said quietly to the kids in the backseat that it looked like it would be too busy for us to go to the zoo. W about melted onto the floormats right there on the spot. To ease the mounting meltdown I told him that we would drive through the parking lot and if we could find a place to park we would go to the zoo. We wandered up and down every aisle looking for a spot to pull into. It just wasn't in the cards for that day. We drove away from the zoo sad, and forlorned trying to figure out what to do at that point.

I figured we might go by the aquarium/botanic garden, it couldn't possibly be as busy as the zoo was. As we drove down Central Ave (old Route 66) I comforted W by telling him we'd see if maybe we could go to the aquarium instead. He perked up and got himself excited about seeing the sharks and turtles. I pulled the car into the parking lot and it was the same picture we had seen at the zoo. I tried to comfort a disappointed (again) son as we meandered through the parking lot. Once again we pulled back out on to the street depressed.

W wasn't happy at all by this point. He had been let down two times now (three if you count the McDonalds). He didn't want to go home, and I COULDN'T go home till I got the "all clear" call from my hubby. I was trying to be quick on my feet. What could we do now that could take up at least an hour? I then suggested that we go to the park. The kids were okay with that idea, so west on Central Ave I headed again. I was just about to turn to head to the park close to our house when I received sudden inspiration! I looked farther west on Central when it occurred to me: Go to the Humane Society! The kids love to go there to look at the dogs and cats. Sometimes we've even had them take one out to the petting area so the kids could play. It was perfect! I could see no flaws with this plan. W and little sister were talking animatedly about seeing the cats and dogs. I pulled into the parking lot of the Humane Society, very few cars, a good sign! We pulled into a spot right in front of the building. I opened the doors and got the kids out of their seats. Walked up to the front door and pulled. The door didn't move. I tried again. Still the door held firm. I stepped back to look at the business hours, they couldn't possibly be closed on holidays could they? No, they're closed EVERY Monday!

By this point, my little ones could not take it anymore. They BOTH started crying and screaming right there on the sidewalk in front of the doors of the Humane Society. I felt like sittingdown and crying with them. But I couldn't, I had to keep on a brave face. I somehow managed to get them back into their carseats and buckled in. I began to think furiously about what I could possibly do to entertain them on a holiday where it wouldn't be so crazy, busy that I might start to cry! I knew they were very disappointed, and as I was deep in thought accelerating onto the highway W told me I had forgotten to buckle him in! Luckily the very next exit goes towards our house and the park nearby.

As I pulled into the parking lot at the park there were only 3 other cars. I scanned the playground for other kids. So far so good. I get the kids out of the car and we began to walk down the hill. That's when I saw them. A middle aged couple rapped in each others arms sitting on a picnic bench sucking face! I was so upset. I did not want my children seeing this very disgusting display. The couple happened to come up for air and notice my and my children. Even so we went to the other side of the playground where they would be out of our view. W and Sy spent a marvelous time on the swings and shortly after that the couple walked back to their car and drove away. Then the kids raced each other down the grass hill and back up again. While running I recieved the call giving me the "all clear". W exclaimed that he wanted to go home when he made it back up the hill.

We loaded back into the car again but this time went home where little sister took a nap and big brother showed daddy some seeds we had collected while at the park. While driving around I had told W that we could maybe go to the store and pick out a new toy. Lately he has been saving coins in a jar for a new toy instead of asking me at the store for EVERY-SINGLE-THING-HE-SEES! Or we've gone to "maybe that's something we can put on your birthday list". Both ways have really seemed to help him from nagging for everything and then freaking out because he didn't get it.

While sister was napping at home he reminded me of the going to the store to get a new toy thing. So we spent a good 30 minutes counting out all his change. He was a really good helper counting out the money. We then went to the store where he picked out a set of 8 cars. They were pretty cool, and with the left over money he got a new My Little Pony for Sy. It was really sweet of him.

All in all it was a very long and tiring day. But on the positive side we were able to finish up the drywall, get up some more wainscotting and even spackle a little in the bathroom!
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 9/05/2006 09:01:00 AM :: 5 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------