The Apple Doesn't Fall Too Far From The Tree

I was able to talk to Alex for a few minutes before work this morning and realized that he is defiantly his mother's son! The apple doesn't fall too far from this tree (thanks Kerrie - I stole the line from your last post) He is camping in Michigan with his father this week and Heidi - his father intentionally choose a spot where there is no electrical hookups.

Mom - How is the camping trip?

Alex - I'm bored, there is no TV.

Mom - The point of this trip isn't for you to watch TV, it's for you to spend some quality time with your father.

Alex - I know, (sigh) I just wish we could have stayed in a hotel

Yes, that is my boy! On an additional note, thank you all for your kind words regarding the death of my friend. It was difficult seeing him as he had put on so much weight being confined to a wheel chair. Of course my faith gives me comfort because I know that he is in our father's hands. Thank you for you thoughts and prayers!

Night Out On The Town

It's going to take awhile for my brother Josh to want to hang out with his two older sister after Friday evening. Jessica, Joshua, and myself have never ventured out on the town before so we decided to meet up for a cocktail over the weekend. We watched the Twins game and hung out with each other most of the night on Friday. At one time Josh got up and walked to the washroom when some guy came over to my sister and I and asked if that guy was bothering us. We looked at him with a puzzled look and he said "everyone in the bar is talking about that guy following you two around like a creeper"

After we stopped laughing, we explained to him that "the creeper" was our brother. Josh was SO embarrassed and told us to stay at the other end of the bar for the rest of the night. He was certain that his chances of meeting any single girls were slim to none after that.

Schools In

I decided to take six credits again this summer and I really debated on it because Alex has baseball Monday and Thursday nights (not to mention an array of other activities this summer like VBS, golf, football, etc) and my Money and Banking class is online, but Information Systems is in SF which is about 50 miles away two nights a week....Monday and Wednesdays thus, I will miss four of Alex's baseball games. Luckily, my sister is stepping in for me and helping me on Monday evenings get Alex to and from baseball....but I will miss seeing him play those games :( After 5 weeks though, it will all be over.

I need some tips - has anyone ever had to get cat urine out of carpets? My father's cat has kicked the bucket (believe me...nobody is upset over this deal) and I shampooed the carpet, but there still is an odor. Can anyone help me on this deal?

Big Oops

WARNING - this clip has the f*bomb in it but it cracked me up! This news anchor in NY thought they were taping the teaser, but they were actually going live and this went out on the airways. You hear her going from "professional news anchor" to giving her co anchor the business. I love her

Graduation

My baby brother Joshua graduated this past weekend with an associates in diesel engineering! When Josh was a kid, he was always tearing things apart just so he can see if he could put them back together so I always knew he was destined for a career of some sort in mechanics.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

Josh in his cap and gown after the ceremony



My aunt Jean, uncle Larry, Josh, and my father


My sister Jessica, me, Josh, my father and the handsome guy in the front is Alex


Alex LOVES hanging out with his uncle Josh! Josh usually can't shake Alex from his hip when he's around



Congratulations Josh - I'm very proud of you and as always, love you very much!

Working Through The Pain

Last week was finals week and I get so extremely stressed out during finals week. For some reason, everything else in my life also seems to fall during finals week - Alex starting baseball practice Monday and Tuesday nights, long work projects...etc and for those of you who don't know, in the past.....I'm ashamed to admit, I use to smoke during finals week. I hid it from almost everyone that I knew so I'm sure that you out there in blogging world didn't know about my nasty and disgusting once a semester habit. I would turn on a movie for Alex and sneak across our alley behind a tree to light up which, I realize, is really pathetic.

However, I now jog when I get stressed and yes...it takes a bit longer to wind down than smoking an ultra-light Marlboro, but I feel much better. I've been smoke-free for two semesters now!! You can see last weeks finals week had me stressed from this picture.



I ran 6 miles one night and when I arrived home and took my shoes off, the insides of my shoes and socks were bloody! I know....EWE right?!?!! I was so focused on everything else that was running through my mind that I didn't even feel the giant blister that had formed and popped on the bottoms of my feet.

Melt My Heart

Alex has been into drawing lately and he has been using my accounting paper so I went out to the store last night and bought him his own drawing notebook. He settled into his drawings and I was busy studying for my operations/production management final when he jumped up and grabbed the tape and dashed into my bedroom.

He came out with a grin on his face and when I asked him what he was up to, he smiled and directed me to walk into my bedroom and look at my closet door.

Here is what I found





and some people think parenting is a thankless job - those people have a lot to learn

President Alex Lindner

While watching Senator Obama on Fox News last night.....





Alex - Is that our new president mom?

Mom - No, but he wants to be the next president

Alex - I want to be president someday

Mom - Really?

Alex - Yeah, it can't be that hard. All you have to do is listen to people complain and stuff

“Why is it the ship beats the waves when the waves are so many and the ship is one? The reason is that the ship has a purpose.”
- Winston Churchill