Know what I know?

So.....................my birthday is coming up. It's right up there----------> around the corner, second Wednesday in April. April 14th to be exact. Yup. Not to far off. I wont be 27 much longer. I'm moving up and on to 28. Might not seem old you. Or maybe it does. But it's by far the OLDEST I've ever been in my life so far. So it feels........not old.....it just feels like I'm not sure where the last 5 or so years have gone. Seems like i just turned 23 a few weeks ago and then suddenly.............28.

Birthday's always make me think about life, go figure right. I think about where I THOUGHT I would be by now, what I THOUGHT I would have, want, need. I think about how I THOUGHT my life was going to play out. So far all I've realized is...................I shouldn't think, I'm not very good at it.

Nothing like a little therapy...retail therapy that is.

After the last couple of weeks I really needed to cut lose and do something for ME. NUMERAL UNO. I tend to not spend much money on myself.
For a few reasons~

1. I NEVER have money to spend.
2. When I do i would rather buy something for Sarah, Kanyon, Logan, Taylor, SOMEBODY.
   
3. I tend to feel guilty when i spend money on myself...and I'm not even a parent. I hear a lot of parents say that, but I'm not a parent, why do i feel guilty???
4. When i do spend money on myself, it's not really ON MYSELF ie. Groceries, electric, car payments, rent. You get the picture

Well this week I have some money. INCOME TAX MONEY. And yes i know i should save it and tuck it away for a rainy day...because in my world it rains...A LOT. But i figured I could spend some on myself for a change. I really needed some new clothes....let's just say someone sneaks into my apartment all the time and shrink a lot of my clothes. Someone name pizza and potato chips. Jerks. So I went out for a little retail therapy. And boy did it feel GREAT. I'm still looking for a spring coat, who would have thought a place called Burlington COAT factory, wouldn't have any coats. Interesting marketing strategy there my friends. But i did get a few new shirts (9 to be exact), a pair of shorts, jeans, work pants, head bands, nail polish, earrings, bracelets, and that purse from the other week. all for around $200. I love retail therapy.

cool clothes. I was TRYING for more color??

and my cool new purse. FYI~ the bed spread the clothes are on is new also. Bought that a few weeks ago on sale at Target for $25

GOOD NEWS

Just a little update on baby Leah (my cousins little girl). They took the breathing tube out and she's breathing on her own. Her heart is beating good and strong and she's hanging in there. They've been trying to fed her breast milk through the umbilical cord, some stays down, some doesn't. Typical baby. I had hoped to see her Friday but they discharged her mother at 11 a.m. Friday and i couldn't get in before that to see her. So now I must have either Niki or David with me to be able to see her. David, his mom, my mom and myself are planning a trip in this week. Niki and David will be going in after school (unbelievable) to see her. So far things seem to be as good as you could hope for. I'll keep you updated.

Had they asked me!

The Prompts: From Mama Kat.

1.) Ask someone who loves you what one of your weaknesses is.

2.) “I need all the help I can get and if repeating something healthy and inspiring to myself several times a day helps, then I’m going to do it!” -What affirmation makes you feel better? WELL THINK OF ONE.

3.) I Wanna Be MADE! You remember the MTV series where nerdy high school kids are made to be popular and what not? If you could be MADE into anything…what you be made into?

4.) I’m reading a book about dogs and kids…it says you may need to compromise some of your dog standards when choosing a dog that will fit every family member’s needs. I think that’s like marriage. What did you compromise when you married?

5.) Why didn’t they ask you? Write a list of 5 or 10 sentences that begin with the words ‘No one ever asked me’; then, write about one of them in detail, or use them all in a poem, or use several in a personal description of yourself.

• No one ever asked me if it was ok to put Fringe on the same time as Gray's Anatomy.
• No one ever asked me if it was ok to close Dairy Queen in the winter.
• No one ever asked me to host an awards show.
• no one ever asked me if it was ok to call in sick.
• No one ever asked me if i wanted more work to do at WORK.

I love Fringe and Gray's Anatomy so when the networks decided to move Fringe to the same time slot as G.A. I was not to thrilled. I hate when they do that. Shake up my life like that. I'm a creature of habit, i don't like change. who likes Change....aside form Obama. Just kidding. But really. I hate when they do that. However, I'm cheap. to cheap to pay for cable so the decision was basically made for me that way. I don't get Gray's Anatomy. I get FOX. So I watch Fringe. I love that show. I never got into X-files when that was on but i think this has a bit of an x-files feel to it.

P.S.
I would be a fun host for the next Grammy or Oscars. Put my name on the list already!

Thinking good thoughts......something new for me

I wont lie. I wasn't thrilled when i found out my 17 year old cousin had....for lack of a better word, knocked up his girlfriend. He's never been.....well grown up, i mean he's 17. Can't get through a day at school without pissing off a teacher, wont get a job, thinks he should be able to do whatever he wants on his parents dime....etc. You know he's kind of a little jerk kid, who acts grown up but is so FAR from being grown up it's laughable. so i was not impressed, excited, thrilled, or any other adjective for happy. I was PISSED. PISSED! He had dropped out of school....because he just didn't like it. He figured in this horrible economy when qualified people can't find jobs his 10th grade education would land him something BIG. I was not IMPRESSED.

But he knocked her up because apparently safe sex is for LOSERS. I know people who have had babies young and who with a little help pull there acts together and do great. I know people whoever had children young (his parents for example) and struggle for the rest of their lives. I didn't want that for him. his brother choose this same path. Knocked up his girlfriend while he was still in high school, she had TWINS, they struggle to make it EVERYDAY and she's pregnant AGAIN. and the twins are only 2. I was also not impressed with that.

These kids have the "Oh babies are fun" mind set. I wish they had the "oh babies are people, small people who depend on me to take care of them and teach them and love them, and I'm incapable of taking care of myself". But they don't. I think the one thing that concerns me the most is the fact that these two boys have twin sisters who are 8. who think this is perfectly normal. And I'm afraid that they will be in the same position in a few years. And i really worry that their parents.....don't so much care. I know they care, but i don't think they'll do much to prevent it.

But babies have a way of warming your heart. So I've come around, they know they have my support and I'm here for them.

sorry that was totally off the path i was heading for. My cousins girlfriend is 16. Her blood pressure went through the roof and they had to take her into the hospital. I commented last week at lunch to his mom that nicki didn't look like she was getting any bigger. at 6.5 months you should be bigger, she thought the same thing. Nicki had to be admitted to the hospital Sunday night because of her blood pressure. Monday they transported her to a larger hospital in the area where she and the baby both went into distress. They took the baby to save them both. Leah Rebecca Barton was born roughly 12 weeks early Monday March 22, 2010 weighting 1 lb. 11 oz. at 9.5 inches long. The doctors said her lungs aren't developed and from her appearance it looks like she hasn't grown in the last 4 weeks and her brain isn't where it should be development wise. Now two kids who don't even have their drivers license are forced to deal with what I can only assume is every parents worst nightmare because they thought they were grown up.

So if you have a minute send some love and happy thoughts this way for little Leah.

I highly dislike Tuesday

I'm exhausted. It's Tuesday. I'm always exhausted on Tuesday. I know....."It's only Tuesday McMean, shape up you still have days ahead of you." I know. But I'm always exhausted on Tuesday.

My schedule is.......dumb. I know i should use my words and express myself and my views better then that, but it's Tuesday. And I'm EXHAUSTED on Tuesday. My schedule is DUMB! I work Sunday 230-830, Monday 930-830, Tuesday-Thursday 7-230. DUMB!

Being here until 830 Monday night and being BACK in here at 7 a.m. Tuesday is..........everyone together now EXHAUSTING! I want to go out and enjoy the day, but I'm already dreaming about the nap I can take after work.

By the end of my day Tuesday, which never comes fast enough for me, I've already logged at least 24 hours of my (what should be) 37 hour work week. And that's on a good week. A week when I'm not staying late Sunday and Monday, a week where I'm not stuck here late Tuesday-Thursday.....those weeks don't happen often. And when I do have OVERTIME on my time card I have to listen to people grumble about how it's not fair I get paid for overtime and everyone else needs to take comp time. My question when should I come in late or leave early, because they decided they didn't need to replace my back-up co-worker. So If i come in late, I'm here late. If i leave early, I'm here late the next day. So honestly.......you can have the overtime pay, I'll gladly give it to you. Just shut up and do the work. And then maybe I wont be so EXHAUSTED on Tuesday.

how i spent my DAY OFF?

I woke up Saturday to my phone ringing, this is what I heard when i picked it up (it was in a sing song voice), "It's moving day, it's moving day, today is the day I move, It's moving day, It's moving day, I'm excited! Are you excited? Because today's what day??? MOVING DAY!" It was my big brother. It was also 7:45 in the AM on my day off. And yes, It was moving day, and Yes I was already aware but thanks for the wonderful wake music BB.

I was tricked/ volunteered to help him and the gf move. See Friday i stopped over to see baby Sarah and Jan told me that they didn't have any help to move the next day. So it was going to be BB and her moving the whole house.................themselves. Oh yeah my 6 year old nephew was going to be there to help.



So i said I'd help.......then BB told me he was picking the truck up at 8a.m. WHAT. So much for sleeping in on my day off. See Friday i was up early and at the laundry mat by 8 so i was looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday no such luck. My dad also said he would help but his back is bad so he pretty much just handled stacking the boxes in the truck. Not much carrying. My nephew pushed the boxes from the back of the 24 foot truck to the front so pappy could stack them. BB, Jan, and I moved the stuff. Lucky for us my brothers only dependable friend did show up at 130 when he got off work and he helped BB move the furniture.

BUT, the friend was unloading everything so fast, and we had just spent 4 hours loading it that we wanted to chill out and slow down before we all passed out, but he was just moving and moving and moving. I contemplated tripping him when he as walking down the ramp. But i didn't. I also forgot to take my camera so the only pictures i have are the few i took with my phone.

We finally finished unloading everything around 630. and then promptly stuffed our faces with pizza and passed out.

Welcome home BB, Jan, Kanyon and baby Sarah

FYI~ my body is VERY upset with me. It hurts ALL over

Can't be mad when you wake up to these!

I've been in a pretty bad mood lately. But I couldn't be mad today when I woke up to some pretty funny text messages from my friends.

ENJOY!

"What r u lookin @ Aunt Amy"

"Come visit soon"

and finally

"Where's my bottle of Guinness?"

See just try to be mad now. It's IMPOSSIBLE, if you don't believe me take another look at Sarah with her sunglasses! HAHAHAHAHA that's great!

Thanks for being such good sports Sarah and Taylor, Aunt Amy LOVES YOU!!!

Now what do I do............

I feel like I've hit a HUGE roadblock. Maybe an invisible wall or something. I can't see what's holding me back, but I can tell something just isn't right. I move to the left, it moves to the left. I move to the right, it moves to the right. I feel slightly like I'm trapped inside a box. Shit I'm a mime! Oh man. Nobody likes mimes. Mimes don't even like mimes. But I do lot good in black.

Maybe it's the winter blues holding me down and stifling my desire to doing things, go places, blog, stay up past 7 p.m. I don't know. I just don't feel like doing much of anything. I get home from work (at 230) and on go the PJ's and that's that. Unless I have something I have to do. Hey it does cut back on my laundry, just work clothes and PJ's. I'm really living the life. And it doesn't help that we had some GREAT weather followed by 4 days of rain!

Come on sunshine and happiness!

I'll leave you with a photo of my niece who is now a whole 8 weeks old. Her parents just became FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS on Friday, good luck with that brother.

Yeah, she's 8 weeks in this photo...she's TINY! An itty bitty baby. 8 weeks old and slightly over 8lbs. TINY!

What was I thinking

So I didn't have much to do this weekend. Everyone seemed to be busy....everyone.......but me. So i opted for a "Cousin sleepover". I invited monster 1 and 2 over along with my nephew.

Now this idea always sounds much better in my HEAD. I think these things up but as soon as it leaves my mouth my brain says..."uhm, this isn't going to be as much fun as you think". And my brain, the jerk that it is, is ALWAYS right.

Monster 1 and 2 were dropped off and then the 3 of us picked up Kanyon on the way to the movies. Yes not only was it a sleep over but also an OUTING. With me and 3 little kids.......

So we went to the cheap theater to see the Tooth Fairy, with the ROCK. I guess if you're under the age of 9 it's pretty fun. I just thought it was stupid. But whatever, i didn't go into it with high expectations of cinema magic.

4 movie tickets, 3 bogs of popcorn and 3 small sodas all for $20. not bad plus it was free refills on the soda. And boy did we refill those sodas.........the previews weren't even over yet and all 3 had finished off their sodas, AFTER i told them I'm not getting up to get you more so drink slow. They listen so well. After the movie we went back to my apartment and played trouble. I hate that game. I'm not good at losing, especially to CHILDREN. But i fought the urge to throw the board across the room a few times. I fed them a healthy dinner of pizza bagel bits and ice cream, and listened to them FIGHT the whole way through a game of Chutes and Ladders. Said a few things you SHOULDN'T have to say like "stop hitting her with your pants" "Please don't wipe ice cream in your hair", and today at Denny's i said "Don't pour the syrup into your hand" .

I figure these sleepovers are a great form of birth control. I couldn't do this everyday....not yet, so I'll keep doing what i do and leave the kids to other people for now.

The up side of snow

So back earlier in February we had a BUNCH of snow. As did many of you. so we did what any good person does when it snows, aside from curse and yell at it, we PLAYED in it!

BB Brought his son and girlfriend up and we played for about 2 hours, which felt like 6, in the knee deep snow. Talk about a work out trying to trudge up and down the hill at my parents place.

The snow was deeper in someplace then my nephew is tall.

I called this the turtle move. Once you got knocked down on your back with your head going down the hill and your feet up the hill, it was VERY hard to get back up. But VERY funny.

Here's BB and his girlfriend

Getting ready for his run down the hill, didn't work so well. The snow was to deep.

And our disturbing snowman.