The Brangelina Babies Have Arrived

For those of you who are living under a rock and have not yet heard, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins were born last night in France ..... one boy (Knox Leon) and one girl (Vivienne Marcheline). Both babies are healthy and each weigh right around 5 lbs.

This clocks Brangelina in as a modern day Brady Bunch with 3 boys and 3 girls.

I wonder if they'll have more kids? I'm betting on..... YES.

I'm not quite sure why I find Brangelina so fascinating, but I really do.

For one, I think it's very cool that they adopt kids from all over the world, and I also think it's cool that they give so much money to charity and work so publicly with social issues.

I Think Bella is Rubbing Off On Me

OK, yesterday I was concerned about my coughing.... today I have developed a toothache.

What is UP?!

And it's not one of my molars either... it's my little "vampire tooth" (as my kids say....) You know, the sharp pointy one that's like 2 or 3 back from your front teeth? Why in the world would THAT tooth hurt?

But it REALLY hurts!

Maybe it will keep me from being such a glutton this weekend.

That would be a good thing, esp since Hubster has decided to make a home-made Cherry Cobbler.... (I could be in big trouble.... his desserts are da bomb. I see myself easily eating that DESPITE the tooth pain...)

One of the Prettiest Things I've Ever Seen

Once again, I'm in awe of Michele's lens, and (more specifically) God's amazing creation.
(Thanks for sharing with us, Michele!!)

http://chunkymountains.blogspot.com/2008/07/painted-tongue.html

Do I Have Asthma? Or Is My Cough Due to a Surplus of Dog Fur?

Does anyone know if you can develop asthma in midlife?
I have had this weird, dry (slightly wheezy) cough all Summer.... I feel perfectly fine but have this weird cough. It's not all the time, but occasionally...

My Mom has asthma as does my son. I'm thinking maybe I'm developing it too.
Or maybe it's just the huge amount of animal fur in my house? (despite the constant vaccuuming....)

Anyway, whatdya think? Especially those of you with medical training - let me know! (Bella, my darling nurse friend - whatdya say? Boquinha - ask that doctor husband of yours if this is possible?)

I really hate to go to the doctor for something so trivial, especially since I feel fine.

Let's take a general concensus diagnosis here and I'll go with that, ok? :-)
(Next best thing to self-diagnosing via Web MD....) :-)

One Worn-Out Little Puppy!

UPDATE: Our poor baby Chocolate Lab has little blisters on her hind paws.... we noticed this when we took her out to poo and she was walking "oh so tenderly" through the grass.... (normally she just plows right through "DAMN THE TORPEDOES"...)

Hubster feels quite guilty but who knew that Jaws With Paws was such a delicate little violet... (I'm sure she'll be fine by tomorrow.)

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Little Diva was EXHAUSTED after her long morning walk with Hubster today. (She was trying to keep up with Ruby, who was trying to keep AHEAD AND AWAY from Diva...)

Diva came home and immediately passed out, on her back, on the couch. The video tells the humorous tale.... :-)

The Unintended HUMOR Benefits of SiteMeter

I can't thank Smileygirl enough for turning me on to Sitemeter! I now feel like Inspector Clouseau with a big magnifying glass (and goofy hat), lurking behind the scenes to see who is visiting my blog. Turns out LOTS of people, from all over, are visiting my blog (which is great - the more the merrier!).

With Sitemeter, I can also find out what people are searching on to wind up landing on my blog.... The most humorous example I have found is a recent visitor from the United Arab Emirates who was searching on the phrase "Wild Party Wife" and was directed to my blog, and in particular, my posting on Diva's Wild Party at 3 AM. (and my vivid description of scooping up puppy poop at 3 AM while my husband snored loudly on the couch...) I'm sure my UAE visitor was WOEFULLY disappointed, as that was undoubtedly NOT what he wanted to see when he typed "Wild Party Wife" into Google. :-)

So sorry fella. ;-)

The Problem With Oil Speculation

Part of the issue with the insane run-up in gas prices has to do with the speculators.
Think about it.... they are basically "gaming the system" and then, ultimately reaping the profits of their own speculation. (And who's keeping them in check? At this point.... absolutely no one.)

I stumbled upon a very interesting post over at Don's Mind - definitely worth a read, if you're interested and concerned about energy costs (as we all are....)

(Unfortunately our elected leaders have taken the Ostrich Approach to this problem.... however, if you're interested in contacting them, here is a link with all the information to reach members of Congress.)

Yummy Yum Yum

Now, before you read the below recipe, realize that I don't cook. Hubster does 99% of the cooking in our house - he's a fabulous cook and he knows it. I am an admittedly very mediocre cook (see #9 on 40 Tidbits About Me....)

However, I found the BEST (read: Tasty & Easy) recipe in a cookbook and thought "I could probably pull this off without too much effort". It was fabulous. My kids said "Mom, this is great!" (with genuine shock in their eyes). Even Hubster (who is VERY skeptical when I cook) was impressed.

So, without further ado, here it is (I tweaked it a little bit):

Steak Pizzaole Over Linguine
1 - 1 1/2 lb steak (cut it into pieces - I used Kroger FlatIron steak - nice and tender.)
Olive Oil
2 tsp dried red chili flakes (the kind you sprinkle on pizza)
1 small onion, chopped up
2 really big (or 4 regular sized) cloves of garlic, minced
1 small bell pepper (any color), sliced up
1 small package pepperoni (slices)
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup dry red wine
salt to taste
linguine
parmigiano-reggiano cheese
crusty french bread
________________________________
OK, in a big frying pan put in some olive oil and brown the cut up steak 3 minutes on each side, then remove the steak and set on a plate. Drain off all the steak juice from the pan. Put a little more olive oil in the pan, then add the garlic (I like lots of garlic), the chopped onion, the sliced bell pepper, the pepperoni, and the chili flakes. Sautee until the onion and garlic start to become a little translucent (2 - 3 minutes), but make sure you don't burn the garlic. Then add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt (if needed) and the wine. Stir gently and work everything together. Then put the pieces of steak back into the tomato sauce mixture, turn the heat down and let it all simmer for 10 minutes or so, while your linguine is cooking.

Serve like it's spaghetti - linguine first, then steak/tomato sauce mixture on top. Sprinkle parmigiano-reggiano cheese (the GOOD stuff, not the kind in the green can!!) on top.
Serve with crusty french bread and a crisy salad and voila!

Hamster Thrown From Remote-Control Monster Truck*

Hamster Thrown From Remote-Control Monster Truck
MILTON, MA—
Tragedy was narrowly averted in the Bourke household Monday, when Harry, the family's pet hamster, was violently thrown from the 4" by 4" payload of a toy Ford F-350 monster truck.

The site of the accident that nearly claimed the life of Bourke family pet Harry (inset). According to reports, the toy vehicle was racing through a living-room obstacle course—which included a coffee-table-coaster slalom, a cardboard ramp, and a Dixie-cup pyramid—when it swerved out of control and crashed into a Lincoln Log structure, sending the hamster flying through the monster truck's driver-side window and knocking over three nearby Fisher-Price Little People.

The scene quickly devolved into pandemonium, with the launched hamster tumbling humorously in mid-air several times before landing at the foot of the sofa and fleeing in shock.
A frantic, living-room-wide search for Harry ensued and, after extensive search efforts behind the sofa, under the recliner, and behind the bookcase, the hamster was found between the vertical blinds and the sliding glass door, shaken but alive.

As of press time, Harry was resting in his cage, his condition described as "skittish but stable."
"This is a tremendous shock," said Bourke next-door neighbor Paula Gates upon learning of the mishap. "Harry is well-liked by all the neighborhood children, and for his life to be jeopardized in this manner is terribly upsetting."

Parental investigators have determined that the toy's two operators, whose names are being withheld due to their ages, successfully navigated the monster truck through the obstacle course numerous times before adding the hamster in an attempt to increase the activity's entertainment value. If found guilty, the boys, 7 and 9, could be sentenced to an evening in their rooms and fines of up to two weeks' allowance.

The accident's cause has been the subject of much debate. While many blame the toy's manufacturer, Playcorp Unlimited, for making a substandard product, others say the monster truck's operators are at fault. Angry at the operators, an unnamed Bourke parent is pressing for a strict ban on the use of family pets in play activities, with a penalty of three days without PlayStation for those found guilty.

Playcorp spokesperson Paul Ionesco expressed "deep dismay" over the crash.
"This is a flagrant and obvious misuse of our product," Ionesco said. "No Playcorp product is intended for the transportation of live cargo, no matter how cute and humorous the spectacle of a little hamster driving along in his little truck may be."

Monday's crash marks the fourth time that Harry, 1, has found himself involved in dangerous play. In October 2000, Harry was placed on the back of family dog Raggles, who ran through several rooms within the house before being stopped by mother Lorraine Bourke. On Feb. 20, he was strapped to an army-man parachute and dropped from a second-story window. Three days later, the hamster was placed inside his glow-in-the-dark run-about ball and pushed down a flight of stairs. Both acts occurred with no parents in the vicinity and were never brought to trial.

(*Story reprinted from the (formerly) humorous (but now fairly LAME) online "news" source The Onion)

That Wild Little Diva-Dog is SO worn out....

She is passed out under the kitchen table as I type this. I just tried to gently shake her awake to go out and pee, but she is 'dead to the world' as they say.

S. had 2 little rambunctious girlfriends over from 4 - 8 this afternoon, and these 3 girls EACH had more energy than Diva, but BOY did that puppy give her ALL to try to keep up with them. They had her running up and down the stairs, playing fetch in the backyard, running in and out of the kiddie pool (which now has several Puppy Puncture marks...) and attacking an old Barney & Baby Bop stuffed animal set.

And now Diva is all tuckered out. (To be honest, I'm enjoying the peace....)

I told Hubster we should probably take her for an evening walk around 10:30 to make SURE she stays worn out for the whole night.

Diva is literally growing by the day (visibly) at this point. Every morning she looks just a bit bigger to me. Chloe (our dear departed Black Lab, who we had from 1993 to 2005) was a Big Girl, weighing in at 90 lbs.... Diva may not be quite that big (Chloe was an exceptionally large female), but I think she'll probably be around 75 or 80 lbs.

I'll put some new pictures up her blog soon.

But tonight, I'm looking forward to at least 6 or 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep - hooray!!

Is it Just Me, or is Suze Orman Mean?

I'm watching Oprah, and Suze Orman is being really mean to Oprah's guests. The topic today is debt, and these couples have been brave enough to come on national TV and admit they're in debt (one couple is $300,000 in debt - student loans and credit cards combined!) and Suze is raking them over the coals!

I'm all about getting out of debt, but I much prefer the Dave Ramsey approach. At least Dave treats folks with dignity and respect and educates them, rather than berates and belittles them.

Suze Orman is just plain mean. (Maybe she's related to Laura Schlessinger....)

Last Night's Bizarre Dream

(Clearly I spend too much time reading blogs.... )
Here is a brief synopsis of last night's dream:

Hubster and I were out on the West Coast (this must be from the fact that I was telling Sugar that I've never really explored the West Coast, but one day, I will!). Anyway, we decided to stop in and see Smileygirl, Wrigs and Chumley. While we were there, we fell in love with her house, which is for sale. (See her really funny post about the perils of showing your house after a night of hard partying.) Smiley and her husband made us an incredible offer we couldn't refuse on the house - AND Smiley told me she would throw in her "prize possession", which was her hot pink Toyota Land Cruiser.
Hubster and I looked at each other like "This is quite a deal. We need to ACT NOW!"

Then I woke up.
Any dream interpreters out there??

Holy Cow!

S and I took Diva to the vet today for her first "official" visit.
We have had this little puppy for 2 weeks and in that time her weight has increased from 10 lbs. to 13.9 lbs!

That's a 39% weight increase in TWO weeks! Can you imagine if your weight increased 39% in two weeks???? Holy guacamole.

The vet gave her some shots and told me that the vaccinations might make her lethargic for the remainder of the day (I asked if he could guarantee that, and he looked at me funny....). :-)
He also said Diva has some sort of intestinal parasite (I forget which one) which is common. He gave her the medication to de-worm her and announced that we would see some "worms that resemble spaghetti" in her poo over the next few days.

Boy oh boy. How THRILLED I am by that development. (Let's hope THAT pile of poo happens outdoors.)

I'm happy though, that we have a healthy pupster. :-)

Musings from a (Semi) Stay At Home Mom

This is my first Summer (ever) as a SAHM.
I guess that's probably a revelation to some.

Last August, when I got laid off from my job, and started my own business, my kids had just gone back to school. Prior to that, I've always worked in Corporate America.

So, this Summer is a "first" of sorts. The first Summer that the kids didn't go to Day Camp (where they had Really Fun Activities scheduled every single day) and the first Summer that I've had to juggle being a working entrepreneur with the demands of having a 12 year old and a 10 year old at home.

And, to be candid, it has been HARD. Really hard.

There have been pros, of course: the kids get to sleep in every morning, and they get to watch cartoons and eat cereal while wearing their PJ's. (They love this.) Also, I am right here in case they need me for Extremely Urgent Things ("Can you please make blueberry muffins?"). And, the pros on MY side of the coin: I love having more time with them - that has been wonderful. I love the fact that if they feel "puny" (as we say in the South) I don't have to worry about taking a day off work.... I can easily work and take care of a sick child. Also, from a financial perspective, I'm not dropping $1,500 a month on Day Camp over the Summer.

But the BIG con is this: they get BORED. Really bored. They're so used to having fun daily activities, that they wind up wandering into my office, usually around 11 AM or so and saying "Mom, we're bored." (I remember doing this as a kid.... and eventually, this led to my love of reading, creative writing, and the development of my imagination.) So, I guess it's not all bad. BUT I do have some Mommy Guilt about not "entertaining" them (is that silly of me?) To say I have NOT been productive in my business this Summer would be an understatement (but really, so what.... I can get back on track once they're back in school...)

So, here's my question: How do other full-time-working-while-at-home Moms juggle all this? Or is this just The Way It Is? (ie: Barely Restrained Chaos and Bored Kids...)

One really good thing.... they will be VERY ready to go back to school. And school starts early here in GA. Our local school system goes back on August 11th! (Am I a bad mom for looking forward to having a bit of "freedom" again once they are back in school?)

Some Thoughts From "The Shack"

"It is not the nature of Love to force a relationship, but it is the nature of Love to open the way. Love that is forced is no Love at all."

"Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors."

From the book The Shack by William P. Young