2 more things....

okay, I got an email saying my 7 things were boring and that everybody already knew all that! SOOOO, fine! The email also said I should "fess up once and for all." Phooey! :P I know not of what you speak! okay, fine.

#8. Yes, I have had weight loss surgery. Contrary to popular teasing, I do NOT actually DENY having had surgery....nor do I "dance around the subject." 99.9% of the time, people will say, "So did you have gastric bypass?"....and I will honestly answer, 'no, I did not.' That's not a lie! :) I have a Lap-Band, and am darned happy I did it. It was totally worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I've counseled countless pre-surgery people online in the comfort of anonymity (sp?), but in my real life, very few people know I had this done. The people I work with now didn't know me when I was 100 lbs. heavier, and when I told some of them, they didn't believe me until I showed them pictures! And I prefer people not knowing....not that I'm afraid or ashamed to share my story....I just prefer to choose the circumstances and share it on a one on one basis vs. a group ambush at work! So there. I've got a Lap-Band. Anybody who's health is suffering from obesity like mine was (depression, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, bad knees/back, and borderline type 2 diabetes), I'd definitely recommend it. Worth every penny of my insurance's money (fully covered....I paid a grand total of $50 for my $15k procedure!).

#9. Anyone can tell from seeing pictures of me that I'm fair skinned......just HOW fair skinned am I? I chaperoned a waterpark field trip on Thursday and had to borrow someone else's sunscreen, which was SPF30. I am burned to a crisp! For me, SPF60 is the ONLY thing that works. I seriously am considering looking online to see if anything stronger exists.......so right now I'm sore and cursing the Irish genes I'm usually quite proud of! Even my FEET are burned (ouch)

Considering myself 'tagged'

I don't think I totally understand this whole "tagging' thing that everybody else is doing on their blogs, but I sure don't want to be left out, so I've been tagged (Vicki said she was tagging ALL her blog readers, so that includes MOI!)

So, 7 interesting things about me......thinking....

1. I never take makeup off. I guess I'm just that lazy. I just go to bed and deal with it in the morning when I wash my face. Perhaps I should change that bad habit now that I'm getting older and noticing a few laugh lines that just aren't as funny as they used to be...

2. I have ridiculously big feet. Most people that know me in 'real life' already know this. All my cyber friends dont'. Paris Hilton might have no problem finding HER shoes in a size 11.....but the rest of us Amazon-hooved gals are just SOL 99.99% of the time. It's SOOO unfair....especially since I really like shoes!!!

3. I took the LSAT.....didn't do so hot. I didn't study though, so that's my excuse. It was like that scene from "Legally Blonde" where they joke that she just woke up one morning and said, "I think I'll go to law school today".........that was me. I just said, "hmmm....law school would be interesting, how about taking the LSAT?" I found out my employer would pay for it, so I was thinking, "hey! free law degree! sign me up!" I neglected to consider that whole 5-year commitment thing in the process.....which is why I'm currently NOT a law student. How long do wait lists last? I was wait listed at SLU Law.......in 2004. I'm thinking I'll be getting that acceptance letter any day now!

4. Yes, I'm a mechanical engineer. But I didn't start off as one in college, and not many people know that. I initially majored in Civil Engineering (bridges and dams sounded easy enough to design, right? I mean, neither one of them even MOVE!). BUT, after my 1st semester (of all that boring freshman general ed stuff that has nothing to do with your actual major), I tried to book an appointment with a CE guidance counselor, but she was all booked, so I got handed over to a Mechanical Engineering guidance counselor, who scheduled all my classes for the next semester and therefore changed my curriculum path for the next 3 years. And I didn't say anything....because at the time I figured if I didn't like it, I could switch later. But I liked it....so here I am! I switched majors without even officially switching majors....cool, huh? :P

5. I'm blind in my right eye. I think they technically refer to it as a VERY "lazy" eye....but in reality, I see nada out of it. I cheat on the tests at the DMV....hehehehehehehe. Don't tell them I said that though, m'kay?

6. I habitually check email constantly.......like every 5 minutes (and when I'm at work, I really shouldn't even be doing it that much!). I don't know WHY, since I get very little email.....I'm just always HOPING I guess

7. DH and I met on a blind date. So don't knock blind dates....sometimes they turn out okay! Our roommates in college were dating and set us up. BUT, he swears he knew who I was because we had Chemistry together (lol....get it? chemistry 'together' HA!).......but it was a big lecture hall and I was such a serious student I wouldn't have paid any attention to him (really don't remember him, I swear)

So there're 7 random facts about me........for the 5 or so people that read this blog.....consider yourselves tagged as well.......spread the joy!!!

Necessity is the mother of many things....

I have found a new love. I love my hubby dearly, but this new love saved me a lot of heartache and a tantrum from our daughter. What is the new love? this:

If any of you have ever had a child dump half a plate of ravioli onto a brand new white dress, you'll understand my new love affair. Said dress was Alaina's favorite....she'd worn it a grand total of twice, and it was one of the rare articles of clothing that was actually purchased new (albeit on a clearance rack), which in itself is an event for this household. So we were both mortified when the whole ravioli incident occurred. Alaina was devastated. I was determined to get that darned stain OUT and salvage the dress so she could wear it the rest of the summer. I had a mission, and I chose to accept it. I would not be thwarted!

They told us when we moved into our house that we couldn't use bleach in our laundry because of the septic tank system we had. I still don't think I completely understand the logic of that statement, but since I don't particularly want to dive into the intricacies of how our septic system works (can you say EWWW?) I just followed the rule. So this little side rule was a hinderance to the whole ravioli fiasco. So we washed the dress....twice. We stain sticked....twice. We oxy-cleaned....twice. Nada. Nothing....just a wetter, less meater-version of the original stain. Enter my new best friend, the clorox bleach pen. God bless the women engineers at Clorox. Yes, I am assuming the inventors were women. Because we women think of things like this. If the dress had been completely, totally white, then tossing it into a bath of clorine bleach would've solved the problem, there would be no need for a bleach pen, and then I'd have no story to tell. But a white dress with green polka dots with green ribbons and a pink flower? A little harder to bleach. Again, God bless the bleach pen. I took said pen and being the smart-ish person I am, completely ignored the directions and treated the stained parts.....washed the dress, and presto! No more stain.

I'm off to go buy some Clorox stock....

Mother's Day weekend

I didn't ask for anything for Mother's Day....because if there's ever anything I really want, either I'll just go buy it, or Karl will! I asked for him to help the kids make me something.....which didn't happen, just as I figured. So that means that if I want some cutesy, homemade craft-type thing, I'll have to help them do it myself. Which I probably will, because I love that stuff. So I'll probably do that this coming weekend as a belated Mother's Day present to myself. Karl got me the Julie Andrews biography.....I don't recall asking for it, but I know I'll enjoy reading it since I love Julie Andrews, and heck, you know I love anything British! :P Seriously, I was Jane Austen's cousin in my former life. I KNOW I was!

The kids did make me cards at school...and Alaina made me a tissue paper flower. Plus, I got lots of hugs and kisses and a much-needed nap on Mother's Day afternoon (after being up late and early with a sick toddler, I earned that nap, darnit!), and Karl went out and got chinese takeout for dinner, so at least I didn't have to cook!

And we're ALMOST done with getting my parents' house ready to sell.....we spent last weekend removing wallpaper, ripping out carpets and painting. And looky what I found in my bedroom...I was SO EXCITED! I remember this wallpaper from when I was a little girl, and seeing it again was just so much fun for me. (lame, I know)

And for the record, I despise wallpaper....it is EVIL. 30-year-old wallpaper is the worst too!

Last Thursday was the PreK family bike ride. I didn't ride a bike, because, well....that would've been less than graceful! I speed walked and kept up with the kids on their bikes just fine. Oh yeah, and it was raining the entire time...Matthew had his Spongebob raincoat on, and I had a hard time not laughing at the absurdity of riding a bike in the rain like that...plus, he looked so funny! The kids had a blast though, rain or not!

How cute is that, seriously?

Ah, another child graduating from Preschool! Where does the time go? Next year we'll have two kids in school all day....wierd!!! So this is the invite I'm sending out to the family that won't show up for Matthew's graduation (why do I bother? because I'm nice, that's why!). Gosh he can be a cute little bugger sometimes, huh?

Race for the Cure!

Today I registered to be on the team at work for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure! A very worthwhile cause to support and something I've always wanted to do, this should be a lot of fun!

my page is here, please donate if you can!

Click here to visit my personal page.