Don't look Grandma's!

I know the Grandma's are reading this now...I kept it private for a very long time...well..private as in not letting anyone in my family read my blog! The cat's out of the bag now...I pissed people off...but I can't please everyone. I was hurt. bad. and sometimes those feelings still come out. I probably shouldn't share everything with the world...but I would tell a stranger my life story. That's just me. It's how I've always been...it's how I'll always be. My life is an open book. What do you want to know?

The title of this..."Don't look Grandma's" is because the kids and I have been working on Christmas presents. Chasey is SO artistic. She would do "art stuff" all day long if I let her! She loves it so much and she's very creative and can draw way better than me! She gets the drawing skills from her dad...that's for sure!

We had half days at school all week so we've actually had a couple extra hours each day to get some projects done! We painted some Christmas balls. They are so cute. The kids did them almost completely by themselves. I did some of the detail, but for the most part, Chasey and/or Cash painted them!

check out the concentration on their faces!...and that's paint in Chasey's hair! She had it everywhere!



You like my creative "ball holder" Some unsharpened pencils, chopsticks from sushi take-out and a box...and I have a drying rack!

We walk...but wish we didn't need to!

I walked in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 5k on Sunday. I walked for people that are close to me, I walked for people that I don't even know. I wish more than anything in the world that I didn't feel the need to walk, but I have to do something. I have to do something for this cancer that is affecting my 34 year old friend and mother to 2 little girls. I have to walk for my best friends mom who is one of the most amazing Grandma's ever. I walk for my grandma, for my half brother's and sister's mom, I walk for so many people young and old who are affected by this terrible disease.

There were lots of people with signs...the one that got to me and made me cry was held by a girl about my age. The sign had a picture of another girl...about my age...it said "Last year Breast Cancer took her hair"..."This year...it took her life!" It was a picture of her, her husband and their 3 little kids.

I walked with 10 other girls and 2 babies while our friend lays in bed nauseous from chemo. She would be here for any one of us so it's the least we can do to bring attention to this disease and help find a cure! We all kept saying "I wonder how much money actually goes into cancer research" We all figured it all goes to advertising, administrative costs, etc....but to my surprise, I found out that 75% off all proceeds go directly into Breast Cancer Research and foundations right here in San Diego. At least that's what the Susan G Komen rep said on the news and I usually believe everything I hear! haha...but really I'm gullible!

I didn't do much...but at least I did something!


and then...we went out to lunch in Old Town!


and this...
this is just a random picture from junior high that someone tagged me in on Facebook....Yes...that is me...on the right...the one with the chicken legs! HOLY COW! I was skinny! Sheesh! And SWEEEEET parted down the middle feathered hair!

577 Measly Votes!!

So...we lost...The entire family is in shock! Thought for sure he had it in the bag! As we can see from the voting results of the entire country there is a huge shift toward Republican. About 80% of the Republican candidates on the ballot in Marion County, IL won.
I was online for hours last night...hitting "refresh" "refresh" "refresh"....just waiting for more precincts to log in their votes! At first it was 50% reporting and the votes were EXACTLY 50/50!!! I almost died when I saw that....Then...61% reporting...STILL 50/50!! It was nuts....Then at 71% reporting, the other guy pulled ahead to 52.6% and my dad at 47.4%....then at 100% it was 52% and 48%! SOOO SOOO close! Everyone involved with his campaign worked so hard and put so much time and effort into it. I'm super sad! But then...I think about the ballot....I guess someone has to lose! More people lose than win so it's not like we are the only family that is a little bummed today.

Lots of love and hugs to the world's best Grandpa!

Vote For Veltman! and a whole bunch of other stuff!

So....today is a HUGE day for my family! My dad is running for judge in Marion County, Illinois!! He won the democratic vote in the February primary election and is now the sole democratic candidate for the position on the ballet today! He's up against another local lawyer who is Republican. Although I live a couple of thousand miles away, I am there in spirit! I wish more than anything that I was with my family tonight! My parents split when I was little, but they still get along and my mom and step-dad are there, my step-mom, all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, grandma's, grandpa's...my ENTIRE family...except for the few of us here....are all there supporting him today!

They are all getting together and the votes start coming in at 5:30 my time (Pacific). I have the page bookmarked and I will be hitting "refresh" "refresh" "refresh!" just like I did in February! It's so nerve wracking!! Everyone says he has it in the bag, but...you just never know! A bunch of republicans can rush the polls today...who knows?!

The few of us here in Southern California got together last night to send our love...via Facebook!...


and...since I missed Halloween posts...here are a few pics!

My boyfriend..."The Biebs"

40 year old Biebs...and 36 year old Hannah Montana!"




Chasey was a kitty...but for some reason she refused to wear her ears or tail to school!


Hopefully I'm back with good news tonight!! :)
Vote for Veltman!! Go Dad!

Who Let the Dogs Out?

There is never a dull moment around here!

I guess I haven't totally F&#@ed her up! ....at least not yet!!

My poor kids....Divorce is never a good thing for kids...When you are 2 1/2, I'm not sure if it's harder because you have NO CLUE what is happening...or if it's easier...because you have NO CLUE what is happening! I'm thinking it's the latter...at least that's how I sleep at night. I feel like it was going to happen eventually so I'm glad it happened when it did.

My kids (according to those around me who tell me this...people like their old daycare providers/preschool teachers) are pretty well-adjusted. I've tried my hardest to keep their lives pretty normal and it was rare that I ever even cried in front of them. I cried ON Cash many many nights while he was nursing...taking a shower in my tears, but I kept my tears to myself when it came to Chasey. Looking back, I'm pretty sure I did the right thing.

So...Chasey is more my concern with long-lasting effects of divorce than Cash. Cash was oblivious to all that was happening around him and now he is just one lucky little guy to have a dad that loves him AND to have James in his life who loves both of my kids dearly. Basically my kids have 2 dads! I have 3 dads...and I consider myself one of the luckiest girls in the world! (I won't get into details on my 3 dads today...but really...I'm just lucky).

I was walking Chasey to school the other day and we walked past one of those dandelion seed things...You know..the kind you blow on and the seeds go flying into the air!? We walked past it and Chasey RAN back to get it. She brought it to me and said "Mom, make a wish!" I did...and I blew on it....I only blew half and told her to blow on the other half and make a wish.

As we were walking onto campus, she looked at me and said "Do you want to know what I wished for?" Of course I said yes. She told me in her sweet little five year old voice....
"I wished that everyone in the world was healthy!"

WOW! I thought for sure she would wish for the latest and greatest toy she saw on a commercial that morning...but no...she wished for everyone to be healthy! I don't even know if she realizes what it means to really be sick?!

My heart melted! I am one proud mom! I've done good! (and yes...I say I...because I take credit for about 75% of their upbringing! Disneyland Dad is just that)

and...just a picture of why it's cool to write reviews...When I get frozen products (ie...Seapaks new frozen "popcorn fish") the kids get to play with the dry ice!


oh...and HI MOM! We love you and miss you!

Blogging is so....time consuming!

So...I have completely and 100% neglected this blog all summer! I thought for SURE once I wasn't working I would have so much time on my hands! HA! That's a joke! I'm WAY busier now than when I was working full time. Not really sure how that works, but all my other unemployed friends say the same thing!

I HAVE been blogging all summer...just not here. I write for Lady & The Blog and it really takes up quite a bit of time to review products, gather info, pictures etc to get it all posted in a timely manner!

I'm LOVING this new gig though. I've reviewed everything from chicken nuggets, to beautiful Italian leather boots, to cookbooks, to makeup and everything in-between. It's so much fun to have the UPS guy or the Fed-ex guy or the mailman deliver packages to me all the time!

The kids are loving their new schools! Chasey looks forward to going to school every morning and always tells me how much she loves homework. She told me Friday that she REALLY wants to tell her teacher that she is the best teacher ever, but she's too embarrassed to tell her! AHHHH...how sweet! I told her she should make her a card....so when she gets home from her dad's tonight, that's what we are going to do! We will make the teacher a card! She needs to know how much she is appreciated! With 17 boys and 9 girls to deal with everyday, I'm sure a "thank you" every now and then is MUCH appreciated!

The kids have kept us quite entertained lately. Now that it gets darker a little earlier we don't have time to be riding bikes or playing outside after dinner. So now Cash entertains us with his "dinner dance" so we've named it! Around dinner time every night that kid lights up and dances, sings, dresses up in his sister's princess dresses and just does whatever to make us laugh!
Here a few pictures of his recent antics!




I have a headache...I'm going to take a nap before the kids come home! xoxo