FLASHBACK 1993

"lies lies lies yeah...."
dustin is 6. it's almost time for easter. which means it could be february at your local discount store. the cadbury creme eggs are lined up at the check out counter. dustin "mama, can i have one of these?" me "no. you won't like it". d "yes i will". m "no. you don't need any more chocolate. and you WILL NOT like it. i promise you won't". we get home and dustin bolts into the house. i get the baby and the the bags, with noah's help. a few minutes pass and dustin comes back down. "what have you been up to?". dustin "nothing". me "really? nothing? nothing at all?". d "nope. nothing". me "then what is that brown stuff all around your mouth?". d "what brown stuff? you're crazy mama...". me "am i really? let's just go upstairs a sec and see how crazy i am...". i get upstairs. i go in the bathroom. i look in the trash can. there. in that trash can. a partially eaten cadbury creme egg. i don't say a word. i turn and look at dustin. little thief. little liar. he starts blubbering. i hardly understand a single. word. he. says. "you were right mama!!!!!!! it totally sucked!!!!!". how do i punish him, you ask? are you flippin kidding me right now?  eating that creme egg was punishment enough!
FLASH FORWARD today
today is big whopper liar day. what kind of lies have you told? and, will you tell any today? i bet you will ;)

FLASHBACK august 2011

"when you're weak, i'll be strong...when you let go, i'll hold on"

my mom sends me an email.  she says a friend of mine, that i had (unfortunately) lost contact with, is battling breast cancer.  i contact her via facebook and mend that relationship.  why? because the moment you hear someone is battling the "big c" you realize how precious life truly is. you realize how petty you've been. 
FLASH FORWARD christmas 2011
jamie gets a text.  it's devastating news.  a friend of ours has stage 4 colon cancer that spread to his liver. how do you come back from that?  no really.  how DO you come back from that? 
FLASH FORWARD september 13, 2012
julie is a survivor.  she was declared cancer free a little while back.  and craig.  craig with the stage 4 cancer that had already begun to spread.  today.  TODAY he was declared cancer free.  yep.  that's what i said.  CANCER FREE.
medicine helped...of that i'm sure.  but i am 45000% positive that it was something else that helped them heal.  their attitudes.  yes...people prayed.  yes...people sent good thoughts.  yes...people offered support.  but they never gave up.  they never backed down.  they always kept a brave face.  when other people were on facebook complaining of migraines (hello? if you have a migraine, why are you on the computer?).  when other people were on facebook complaining about how unfair life is because someone bought the last newspaper.  they were on facebook talking about how beautiful life is.  they were on facebook smiling because cancer patients get special parking spaces.  they were on facebook inspiring us to be better people.  
FLASH FORWARD today
today is "stand up to cancer day".  1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will suffer some form of cancer in their lifetime, according to the american cancer society.  the big c can affect us all.  a friend.  a partner.  a parent.  a sibling.  cancer can touch all our lives.  so today (and everyday) consider donating to the cause.  raise money in support of cancer research and treatments.  volunteer your time to charities that support this cause.  but, most importantly, honor those who have been affected.  LET'S KICK CANCER'S A$$!!! 

FLASHBACK 1993

it's 4:30a, and my (now ex) husband is up and getting ready to board a bus to buffalo. it's a 5 hour trip to see the bills play. i can't talk. i have a sore throat and a fever (strep...ugh). i have 3 boys...6, 5, and 3. i tell him "go anyway" because that's what women say when they mean "duh doy! OF COURSE i want you to stay home!".  when i regained consciousness, the sun had gone down and a horrible winter storm was blowing. when i regained consciousness, my house appeared to have suffered a tornado. when i regained consciousness, we had a new pet cat. my fever had spiked and made me a little delirious. the kids tell me they took care of everything. they watched videos and played games. they cleaned the house (oh!!! so this is what a clean house looks like?!!). they invited a cat, that had been hanging around our porch for a week, inside because of the impending storm. dustin had made breakfast, lunch, and dinner. the menu of the day? peanut butter and jelly.
FLASH FORWARD today

today is kid's take over the kitchen day. let your kids get involved in the planning and preparation of your family meal today. maybe, then, your kids will get more than just pb&j when you're unconscious on the couch.

   

 
^then and now^

^noah's epicmealtime mexican pizza^

FLASHBACK september 12, 1966

"hey hey we're the monkees..."
i don't remember when the monkees premiered on tv. i wasn't even 1 yet. but i do remember watching every episode about 45,000 times in my lifetime. i remember how every little girl was going to marry davey jones. not me. i was gonna marry mickey dolenz. he was the funny one. i like the funny ones. as i got older, i realized they actually made good music. no. they made great music.
FLASH FORWARD today
i need some motivation. so much unpacking to do...and a deep desire to procrastinate. i turn on the radio. "i thought love was only true in fairy tales...". fun music. that's EXACTLY what i need to get motivated. put on some fun music and quit procrastinating!!!!

 

FLASHBACK 1974

"do yourself a favor, don't come out at night, 'cause the freaks come out at night...the freaks come out at night"
the exorcist came out in 1973. i'm only 8. i don't get to see it. but every single night, when i "lay me down to sleep bless the lord my soul to keep", the theme song comes on the radio. i've seen the commercials. i know i should be afraid. very afraid. in the spring of '74, the neighborhood teenagers punked me. they punked me hard. they told me and queenie that susie was possessed. they asked if we wanted to see. ummmmm...hell yeah! so off we go to susie's house. weird noises are coming from her bedroom. when we get inside, the room is cold as ice. susie is cussing at everybody, partially strapped to her bed. her face looks odd. dale gets a little too close. she throws him across the room. well. maybe not  THROWS? pushes. queenie and i run home. terrified. well, i was terrified. queenie was probably more like "whatever. i ain't skeert". now. i may have made all this up. it could have all been an elaborate nightmare. but, if it was, it was a nightmare that has stayed with me since i was 8. i have never asked queenie if it was true because...well...if it isn't i'm gonna look like a crazy person.
FLASH FORWARD september 2011
i keep seeing previews for paranormal activity 3. i REALLY want to see it, but haven't seen the first two. off i go to the redbox and rent them. they scared the PEE out of me. for the next few weeks, maddie has to be in the bathroom when i shower. yep. i can't even be in the bathroom alone. and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night? no thank you. i'll just suffer til dawn. finally, i can't take it anymore. i REALLY have to pee. it will not keep. i get in the bathroom. i check behind the shower curtain. it's all good. now for the long journey back to bed. i'm blind in the darkness. i finally find the bedpost. then it hits me. zombies. monsters. serial killers. any of those things could be lurking under my bed. what do i do? i certainly don't want anything grabbing my feet. my solution? grab the bedpost with both hands and marylou retton myself into bed. the bk jumps straight up, out of a sound sleep, "what's going on?!! are you okay?!!". ummmmmm....i never go to the bathroom without a flashlight again. 

^2 dorks out of breath after climbing the exorcist stairs in d.c.^

^as far up the exorcist stairs as i would go in the dark^

^trailer for zombie flick my kids made :)^

FLASHBACK september 2009

"if you want to find all the cops they're hanging out in the donut shop...they sing and dance..."

our first sunday morning together, jamie wakes me up early. we go to the donut shop. we get a humongous cup of coffee. we get a donut. we get the cincinnati enquirer. we are in our pajamas. we do this every sunday. every sunday. they pour our coffee when we walk in the door. they can't get our donut because...well...we like to mix it up a bit.

FLASH FORWARD june 2011

our first sunday morning in tega cay. we get up early. we search high and low. we find a donut shop. dunkin donuts. the coffee is fabulous. the donuts are...ummm...well...let's just say they aren't donut shop donuts. oh, they're good. they will do in a pinch. but we are not happy. and so ends our little tradition.

FLASH FORWARD today

our first sunday in our new apartment. we slept like babies in our OWN bed. we get up early ready to start unpacking. but first....we get in the mini and drive into town. we stop at bonnie lynn bakery. we get a humongous cup of coffee. we get a donut. actually...we get TWO donuts (we have to be sure ALL the donuts are worthy of a return trip). we get a cincinnati enquirer. we are in our pajamas. and the sunday morning tradition is back!!!

 ^a good cup of joe^

^living room picnic courtesy of bonnie lynn bakery^