Wednesday Weigh In

No pictures today.......wow, I wonder how I managed that...........who knows.........anyway........I have been back to counting calories, which equals to........I am "trying", I am keeping a record of what I eat, but have not really been keeping track of the calories yet, I keep telling myself I can go back to my lists and record them at a later time, which again probably equals to "never." Ok but I am trying......I am not "really" snacking at night........you didn't notice that quotations right? Good....ok.....well, I am making a dent in how I use to do things with my eating....not eating like a pig, I have never been like that.......but I don't always eat that healthy. I would always have a snack at night........so that is slowly changing. I might have a cracker or something. I have not weighed myself yet, I guess I should do that. Maybe start taking pictures again like I did years ago when I started counting calories and seeing a dietician......she was so proud of me, because I was actually losing weight. I think that had more to do with her than me........I wanted to prove to her I could do it.......I didn't want a lecture, or anything. Someone to answer to means big business. LOL..maybe a bit dramatic on my end there, but oh well, it makes me feel better.......or does it?

Well I am trying...and those baby steps.....albeit newborn steps...are making a difference in my mind, and isn't that what really matters?

Off to pick up things around the house and get the boys settled early tonight.........we had a friend over last night and a good visit, but that visit didn't end until 2am........boys were all riled up......Aiden fell asleep a bit before that, but he kept me up all night with his right leg hurting him........he was crying so much, and I tried to rub it, hold him, I tried it all, before realizing he needed more than just mommy, so I finally gave him some medicine. He just kept holding me saying it hurt so much.......mommy make it stop.......oh man, does he know how to make the water works in mommy go full blast!!

Monday Mania!!

Ok you may be wondering why my dad is holding his chest while playing Hop scotch....well......Aiden got out his sidewalk chalk, and wanted AJ to help him draw boxes that you jump in....he saw this on some cartoon earlier..........so they did and it was funny watching the boys jump in each box...so I told them that is not how you play hop scotch.........so I showed them........but me being a lady with a ladies "chest" I had to hold mine so they would not go smacking me around........LOL.........well AJ doesn't get it, so he does it himself with his arms crossed, and tells me that is how I did it.....so my father had to get in on the act......they were all making fun of me!!! LOL

Well I am about ready to give up on my van, I don't even get mad anymore, I don't have it in me to get upset anymore, this has been going on for over a month now........I have put too much money it in, and it is still not getting fuel.........so I don't know anymore, I do know that I don't like riding the bus much..........a quick trip to Wal-mart is not so bad, but any farther around town, and I think I will go crazy!!!!!

That is it for my crazy Monday!!! Now I am off to crochet a pattern I am testing for a lady.

Beating the Heat!!

I featured this in my Crochet in Common group...........I thought I would post it here as well. Heat is just too much today.

Got the summer blues? How do you try to stay cool in the summer months and especially those days that are like sitting in an oven set up to 500? How much does your electric bill go up during the summer? do you keep your thermostat set to a certain temp no matter what the temp is outside? What steps do you take if you don't have air?

It seems that no matter what you do....you can't get away from the heat......turn on the tv and you will certainly hear about some state going through a massive heat wave..........then you will start hearing those so called "experts" telling us that this is the world now, and it will only get worse.........and that it is called this and that. Well in my opinion, we can't change the heat.......it will always be around for those of us who live in areas where the heat just loves to play with our heads......LOL..........I don't mind warm temps. I love to go swimming, but I don't like stepping outside in such awful heat that it feels like it is slapping you in the face and making it very hard to breathe........that is what today feels like.......the weatherman says it is about 100 degrees out here in Kansas today...but with out heat index it feels like 115 out there.......ok hello??? can you say dangerously hot out.........Excessive h eat warning out there right now.......ok so on to the links.....pass this info on to anyone you think could benefit from this.

here are a few links to hopefully make this summer more bearable.

http://www.wikihow.com/Cool-Yourself-Without-Air-Conditioning

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Health/Beat-the-Heat-Without-Spending-a-Dime.html

http://www.modbee.com/2009/06/17/748681/question-of-the-week-how-do-you.html

http://www.bambooandtikis.com/blog/how-to-stay-cool-during-summer-heat-waves

http://www.girlslife.com/post/2010/06/25/8-keep-cool-summer-tips.aspx

http://seniorhealth.about.com/library/prevention/blheat1.htm

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Do you or someone you know run a daycare, or take care of "extra" kids during the summer months.....here is one link that will help survive these months a bit cooler.

http://daycare.suite101.com/article.cfm/summer_heat

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Some foods that can help you stay cool.......

http://thesoko.com/thesoko/article1465.html

http://summer-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/ideal_foods_for_hot_days

http://lifehacker.com/5314584/summer-foods-that-cool-you-down-and-those-that-dont

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/summer-spices/

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When our temps go up, remember the advice you hear on the news.....check on your neighbors especially those who are elderly/disabled.......In this day though some people just don't want to answer their door, try leaving some cold water, a fan, knock on the door and tell them you have something to help them cool off and you will leave it on the floor in front of their door..........leave a note telling them who you are and you can come back at a certain time to check on them. Hopefully this will help them out, and what better way to help your kids to realize what doing a good thing can feel like. Start your kids out early in life by teaching and showing them how you can help people out by doing little things........sometimes even saying hi and smiling to someone you don't know can really help you and that person feel better about their day. Try not to wait until a massive heat wave hits to ch eck in on people.

Hopefully you will find something here to help you, family, and friends out.

Stay cool!!!!!!

Some old and some New!!

Well I did this Uncle Sam coaster for a Crochet-a-long for a group I am in, and I think it is too big to be a coaster, and too "bumpy" for one too....so I made just the one, and will use him as a hanging decoration. I do think he came out cute.

I did this Whale toilet paper cover....this is Ivory's pattern, and you can click her name to go to her Etsy site. I think this is too cute, and I have another tp cover she made me in my bathroom too. Now I never thought of any kind of crochet for the bathroom, I always thought that was just not right.....but you know? I love crochet and I love decorating a room to make it look "comfortable" and when I first got my tp cover from a swap, I have to say I do like it........so I think there might be just a bit more crochet in my bathroom.

These were also for a crochet a long in the same group, and they are cute!!!

I was organizing my pictures on my computer and came across some ones from May...these are from when my father took the boys and Fernando to the River Festival. Here the boys are sitting by the river watching the boats go by.

Mr Aiden cleaning my van......he was vacuuming it out, I had to snap this shot.....my dad had been doing it, but Aiden insisted he do it. He did a great job too.

AJ and Fernando coming back from boating on the river.

Aiden tumbling down the hill.

My mom and AJ......very rare that she gets her picture taken, but I did manage to snap this.

Holiday is Over

My holiday was wet and stormy.....so we had to put table and bbq on our front porch because it is covered. Friends showed up.........but one could have just stayed home, she is not a friend, just someone I put up with because her husband is my best friend and also because of the kids.......but it never fails when she is invited, she can't drag herself away from texting or talking on her phone.......or finding a reason to bitch.........she just sits around doing nothing but looking like she has been sucking on lemons. She just ruins everything. I was cleaning up the outside porch, had a trash bag there, that was within a few inches of her, and what does the twit do??? Holds her paper plate and trash in my face waiting for me to grab it and throw it away!! I was so pissed!!! and I am really trying not to yell in front of the kids at her, so I just let it go........then her son was standing in front of me and he was throwing his stuff away, but taking the silverware off and going into the house, and she asks him what he was doing, and he said to go to the kitchen to put the silverware in the sink and she says no you can just leave it there.............OMG!!! yeah just like a kid leave your trash and dirty dishes laying around, because it is Aurora's job to pick up!!!! I could have just slapped her right there!!!!! How dare that.......ok nevermind...........anyway I get EVERYTHING picked up.......go to the kitchen to throw stuff away in there, load dishwasher, wash the dishes that didn't fit.........clean the counter tops........sweep the floor, then clean up the dining room that also had food and stuff.........all while she sat on her butt!!!! She came in twice to "stare" at me asking me if I was having fun.......I said, no it is never fun having to clean up..she walks away!!! I hate her!!! My son asked me if her son could spend the night and she says nothing.....cuz she always wants to get rid of her kids........she will let them spend days on end here........but I said no because I am tired and want a quiet house....so he asks if he could spend the night, and she doesn't even let him finish his sentence......she just gripes out a rude, "NO".........but she never says no to other people and their kids. I am threw with being nice to her.......Even my son asked why she always says no. Anyway........I talked to Scott later that night and told him she was no longer welcome in my home. I don't mind him and the kids coming, but not her, she has just done this too many times.........she comes over, has no problem drinking my stuff, eating my food, yelling at people for no reason, but can't use that same energy to help clean up after herself. I am done!!!

Hopefully next holiday celebration will be better. The kids did have fun, and they got to set off the fireworks.....we had a friend from across the street come over to watch with her son........we ate watermelon, and enjoyed the show.......Nando and AJ ended up setting them all off.....with my dads help though. So it ended up being a good night.

We have been getting a lot of rain.....and yesterday it slowed down a bit, but it looks like the rain could come pouring down any minute now.

I am going to go crochet, I am working on a graduation doll for a lady who wants it for her niece, then will work on swap stuff.

Saturday

This is a pattern I tested for Alisha, an Amigurumi Beach Babe......she came out cute, I added earrings to her and some eyelashes.....I did spend a long time on her hair........I wanted to make sure it came out right. I love the pattern.
Another pattern I tested, this time for Caroline, she calls this one the "Rectangle Uglee" and it came out cute........I did a star and cirlce eye..........Aiden took this from me......it works up fast and very easy. She really gives some great advice and tips with her patterns.

This bear is a Crochet a long we had in our Crochet in common group, for the month of June.....I did this one in I love this yarn from hobby lobby, in white, and made it for Aiden, who also wanted the sweater on it........the bear also has a collar in pink camo, that Aiden requested as well. I think this bear came out cute, and I just finished a pink one for my friend, Melody. She named hers, "Lizzy Bear"

My goofy Aiden trying to be cool. LOL

We haven't had any rain in awhile, but today our 20% of showers turned into 100%, I woke up to rain rain rain.........all day........we got soaked running to walmart to get some charcoal and then to get some fireworks........I did not buy as many fireworks as I have in the past........I usually went overboard with them, and it would take us 2-3 days to set them all off, not this year......We are going to have friends over and have a bbq........on the list of dinner...

Hamburgers

Chicken tenders

Chips N Dip

Fresh Vegetables cut up

Sweet Corn on the cob

Some kind of Pork N Bean bake.....(yuck)

homemade coleslaw

homemade potato salad

I think that is it.......I will try to get pictures this time.

Decided to call my brother, which was a mistake.........he and his wife are seperated and Charlie decided a divorce would be best, she has put Dylan my nephew in harms way, but doing drugs, drinking and smoking dope a lot..........since the marriage started, it has been constant battles with her and her always trying to commit suicide......so finally my brother said no more..........anyway he told me that he is giving her primary custody of Dylan......hello???..........he complained about the money being taken out of his check for insurance..........then said Texas is a mom only state, meaning that they don't care if she is abusive, on drugs or what, they ALWAYS give custody to the mom unless they are in prison..and he doesn't have the money to fight.......so he is putting his son in harms way......he said he has a method to his madness by making her see that she can't handle it and then he will go to court saying he needs custody....she gave up her first son.......she can give charlie primary custody and have visitation.the last time they split up, she had her "new" bf shoot at her with a gun.......run her over...........and she had Dylan with her....I was furious at my brother...he was married once before and had two beautiful kids with his first wife, she cheated on charlie during the marriage and wanted a career having kids for money...........they divorced and she asked Charlie to sign the kids over to her, and she would "sell" them to this couple......and then pay for the divorce...........he agreed...........and I hated him so bad for that.......I missed out seeing them grow..........and now have no relationship with them, even though Danielle is on my facebook, but they don't know us, they don't remember us, and I feel like a stranger to them.......cody will have nothing to do with us saying we are not his family.....it hurts...........but today hearing what my brother wants to do.......is wrong........and I could not crying............I am devastated that I will lose my nephew or see him get hurt. I had to hang up on my brother..............

FLORAL HEXAGON CROCHET A LONG

Well today is the first official starting date of this crochet a long. So grab those hooks, grab the yarn you chose, and get busy!!! LOL.......you have plenty of time, so don't get too busy and tire or bore yourself out too much. LOL. I would like to see weekly updates.....so if you are following this through the blog, you can either update on your own blog and post that here in the comments section, or you can email me if you don't have a blog..........if you are in the Crochet in Common group, you can update there. I am thinking every 2 weeks for updates.

Have fun, and if you have any questions, just let me know and please refer to the ORIGINAL POST for all the info and incentive.