Mewsings of the Catlady: April 2006

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Thursday Thirteen 04/27

Thirteen of Cat Lady's FAVORITE Movies

We have about 90 DVDs and a few hundred VHS movies... I don't watch a lot of TV, but I do like to watch a movie once in a while. My husband definitely watches more than I do, but I do have the ones I watch over and over again. There are more than 13 for sure, but here are 13 worth noting...

1…A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. - Ok... odd that this is at #1, but I love this movie! It is one of those that gives warm fuzzies every time you watch it. I took it to the delivery room to watch while having Boo and Punkin. I watch it when I'm feeling down and it always gives me a pick-me-up. It's great... and not just for Thanksgiving time.
2... While You Were Sleeping - I can probably recite this movie. Great feel good chick-flick, although my husband loves it as much as I do.
3... The Last of the Dogmen - If you have never seen this movie... WATCH IT!! Fabulous scenery, great story line, well acted... I love it.
4... The Last Starfighter - Old and cheesy, I still love it.
5... The Last of the Mohicans - Another great movie with fabulous scenery. I also love the soundtrack.
6... My Big Fat Greek Wedding - Windex anyone??
7... So I Married An Axe Murderer - Always good for a laugh. "We have a piper DOWN!!"
8... Bed of Roses - Christian Slater is great in this movie.
9... Young Frankenstien - You can't go wrong with Gene Wilder, this movie is hysterically funny.
10. Back to the Future - How can you NOT like this trilogy??
11. Only You - I love Robert Downy Jr., but this is a great story, too.
12. Galaxy Quest - Funny
13. Star Wars - I love the 4-5-6 trilogy better than then the newer 1-2-3. I remember waiting so impatiently to find out what happened to Han Solo. I still enjoy watching these.

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Friday, April 21, 2006

Tagged

I've been tagged by Chilady. In fact, I was tagged several days ago, but I haven't had two minutes to myself to respond. I'm lucky I got my T13 up. SO....

6 weird things about myself.....

1. I hate shoes with a passion. I will go barefoot in the winter. I take them off to drive, I take them off once I'm at work, and they are off my feet the second I am in the house.

2. When I'm tired, angry, or excited, I speak with a Texas accent. I lived there for 13 years! I can hold my diction most of the time, but it sneaks out when I least expect it.

3. I have a 19 year old son, and I'm pregnant with my 5th child at the same time.

4. I don't like watching TV.

5. I don't like to wear make-up. I wear it for special occasions only. My husband likes it that way though. I actually had a little lipstick on today and when he kissed me he said my lips were sticky... LOL

6. I went to 6 different high schools. It was hard to make and keep friends, but we moved around a lot.

And... I have to tag 6 people. I was going to tag my husband and other family members... but HE got tagged by someone else. Coincidence??? He has more time than I do, so he already tagged the people I would have. That's okay though, I read a lot of blogs. SO... here are my 6 victims.. err... tagees.

1. TigerSue
2. Surrender Dorothy
3. Jen's Horde
4. Island Queen
5. Lisa
6. Treasure of Jewels

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Thursday Thirteen 04/20

Thirteen Reasons Why I'm Glad Yesterday Is O-V-E-R!!!

1…. I went to my OB appt, only to find out it was LAST Wednesday, not yesterday.

2.... When I picked her up, Boo was complaining that her ears hurt.

3.... After 2 calls to the pediatrician, I was told they couldn't see her till tomorrow.

4.... Boo started running a fever, so we decided to go to the Kids Care after-hours clinic.

5... After an hour wait, a doctor with a serious attitude and a nurse that had the bedside manner of a stick... Boo has an ear infection.

6... Did I mention she just had an ear infection??? She only finished the antibiotics Monday night.

7.... My son, the Goober, lost his keys... at a gas station of all places, so we have to run the spare set across town to him.

8.... He decided he couldn't wait for us so he decided to PICK THE IGNITION!!! ????

9.... I have a son with no brain.

10. Once we had the spare set to him, the ignition was BROKEN so the keys don't work anymore.

11. Somehow he also managed to break the spring on the trunk and now it won't close, either.

12. After trying to get it to work for 3 hours, we called a towtruck at 1am, and $110 and another hour later, we have the car home. I didn't really have an extra $110 just laying around doing nothing.

13. It is now almost 2:30 in the morning and I haven't been to bed yet. I have to get up for work at 5:30!! That is in 3 hours!!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Finally Spring!!

It was so beautiful out today! I loved it. It was warm and sunshine and my kids were chomping at the bit to play outside. Punkin loves being outside.

We even ate our dinner outside in the sunshine. A pair of ducks came waddling up, (we live by a river) and Boo threw them some old bread. She was so excited that they came right up to the wrought-iron rail around our patio.

I love warm spring, early summer days when the weather is warm enough to play outside and have picnics, and go for walks without be so warm that you get heat stroke. The trees are in blossom, the tulips and daffodils are out... it was a beautiful day.

Thursday Thirteen 04/13

Cat Lady's 13 Favorite Cookbooks

I LOVE cookbooks. I'm always collecting them and have an entire bookshelf in my kitchen devoted to them. I love to cook, and am always looking for something new to try. My husband and family are more than willing to try new dishes. Some of them aren't ever repeated, and some of them become family favorites. Here are a few of my favorites.

1…. Pillsbury One-Dish Meals Cookbook - This is a fabulous cookbook that has page after page of wonderful recipes that are quick and easy, along with nutrition information.

2.... Cooking with the Groundhog - This cookbook used to belong to my grandmother, who is from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania... the home of the groundhog. I know I've found them for sale on E-bay. Good old-fashioned recipes from the Adrian hospital Auxillary, printed between 1958 and 1967... a great classic. (And there is not a single recipe that calls for groundhog!)

3.... The Cake Doctor - Lots of great ideas using a cake mix... and not just for making cakes.

4.... The Betty Crocker Cookbook - A reliable stand-by. I like that it has cuts of meat and how to cook fresh vegetables, as well as substitute charts and basic recipes.

5.... Better Homes and Gardens Potato Favorites - I picked this up at the grocery store check-out line and I love it. Wonderful side dishes instead of the same old mashed potatoes.

6.... Pillsbury Hamburger - Another great cookbook(let) I picked up in the grocery line. When I want something quick and I have hamburger on hand, this is the book I turn to.

7... Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook - This book has great slow cooker recipes that are healthy and tasty, with nutrition information.

8.... The Five Ingredients or Less Cookbook - I bought this from a high school fundraiser and LOVE it. From appitizers to main dishes, vegetables to desserts, this book has quick and easy recipes that my family likes.

9.... Lion House Classics - The most wonderful, best tasting dinner rolls you will ever eat in your entire life. The other recipes are good too, but I would have bought the book just for the dinner rolls. They are in a class by themselves.

10. Star Trek Cookbook - My husband didn't believe me when I told him I wanted this cookbook. He is a Trek fan, and I thought it would be fun to have this book. I love the recipes, and even if I don't cook many of them, it is fun to own.

11. Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook - Another reliable standby with classic recipes and simple, easy to follow instructions.

12. Betty Crocker Casseroles & Slow Cooker Meals - Contains good ideas for after-work dinners that the family will eat. Most are fast and use only basic ingredients.

13. My Cookbook - Probably my most used... my husband bought me a specially designed three ring binder for 5x8 paper. This cookbook is designed with a flap in the back that makes it stand upright, and dividers for different recipe categories. Specifically printed 5x8 paper lets me write down my favorite recipes and keep them in one place. If I find a recipe on the 'net, I can print it and hole punch it and add it to this book. I love the unique design. He found it at a store called Consider the Kitchen, and I've looked online but can't find one that looks like it.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Skittles

3. Lazy Daisy

8. Lifecruiser

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

More birthdays & holidays

April and May are always hectic. My son turned 19 April 2, and then we have Easter, and coming in May I have Sunflower's 18th birthday on the 1st, which needs to be really special, and Punkin's 1st birthday on the 10th, which needs to be really special. It occured to me yesterday, as I was thinking about Easter, that I have 3 weeks till Sunflower's birthday and only a month till Punkin's. I haven't thought about either one yet. I'm still trying to figure out Easter... and I have 5 days left.

We do Easter a bit differently at our house. I don't like all the candy holidays. Starting in the fall... there is Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter. Why does each holiday have to have its own candy? I also think religious holidays, like Christmas and Easter, tend to stray to far away from the religious message. So, for Easter, we try to stay clear of the Easter bunny and focus instead on what Easter really is. Easter is a celebration of the greatest gift from God... His son. The sacrifice that Jesus Christ went through, and the resurrection, are the greatest gifts given to man. We celebrate the great and wonderful gifts of God at Easter. We talk about what Christ did for us, and the reason for the holiday. My children also get one gift that celebrates a gift from God. This can be almost anything. When they were little, they got books, coloring books, art sets, craft kits, cross-stitching kits, anything that helped them develop their talents. Our talents are gifts from God. One year we focused on animals, one year they got those inexpensive recorders (flute like instruments) with the music book, one year they got cds of their favorite church/primary music. Everything we have comes from God, and we use this holiday to recognize that, and work at developing the talents and gifts that God has given us. I'm still not sure what we are going to do this year. I'll figure it out in the next day or so. I have a few ideas.

There are a few milestone birthdays that require an extra effort... 1, 5, 8, 12, 16 & 18 specifically. I want to make Sunflower's 18th birthday special. I have no ideas. None. Punkin's 1st birthday will be a little easier. Hopefully it will be warm and we can go to a park and have a picnic, and let her eat her cake. I don't even know what to get Sunflower for her birthday!!! She loves clothes... what teenager doesn't. I just always do that. I want something different... something unique. I'm completely blank... and I'm running out of time.

Friday, April 07, 2006

My last day...

I turned in my notice to quit working in February. I gave my boss 7 weeks notice, not the normal 2. My last day to work was to be March 31. So... why am I still working?? I have never seen anyone drag their feet so much in hiring. We would interview people who were totally qualified, and there would be just something that didn't connect. I reviewed 253 resumes, and singled out over 70 for interviews. We actually interviewed less than 10. Finally, though, we have extended an offer and a new person will start on Monday... 10 days AFTER my "last day." I agreed to stay and train this person, so I will probably work through this month.

I arranged to quit working while I still had some time before the Little Cat is born because I wanted to spend some time with my two little girls, and get them into a routine at home before we bring home a new little baby. I think of Spring Break, coming up next weekend at the high school, and how Sunflower will have some time off school... but I'll still be working. I think of the things I wanted to be doing right now, and accounting isn't one of them, and I get a little frustrated that my employer assumed and pressured me into staying another month. I'm trying not to let it eat at me, because that will only make me miserable and won't solve anything.

So, I'm looking forward to the day when I can walk out the door and know that I won't have to walk back into it... and yet I know when that day finally comes, it will probably be accompanied by tears. I have worked with this family owned company for five years. They treat me so well, and think of me as family. I love each of them, and it is breaking my heart to leave. I would call my husband in a panic every time we interviewed someone... "are you sure I'm doing the right thing to quit?? I don't want someone to take my job!!" I would always calm down, because I know in my heart I am doing the right thing.

I've never had such a clear example of mixed emotions. How can I be filled with joy and dread at the same time? I am so excited to be home with my girls, and yet I am sad about leaving my job. I've worked for the last 23 years. I've wanted to be a stay at home mom since Goober was born... and he just turned 19. I'm finally getting a chance to do something I've always wanted, and never thought I could do. I just have to come to grips with the ache of leaving something familiar to go into the unkown world of a stay at home mommy.

I'm plagued with questions... Am I going to go crazy without adult conversation? Am I going to get a shower or any alone time? Am I going to go stir crazy being in the house all the time? How are we going to make it financially? What if something happens to DH's job and we have NO income? There are no answers. The only answer I have is the look on the face of my sweet little girls when I pick them up each day and the promise in my heart that I will never regret the decision to stay at home with them.

The most important thing a mother can do is raise her own children. My job is to teach them what they will need to be successful adults. There isn't enough time in the world to do that on a part time basis. They can learn math and social studies in school. They learn tolerance, love, sharing, honesty, & charity at home. The home is a haven, a safe place away from the outside world. What better place to be than that?? Watching my little Punkin try to walk, watching Boo learn a new letter, those are rewards that are unmatched. Having them reach for me after nap time, and cuddling on the couch with a story. That is what moms are for. That is my chosen profession. It makes the other questions seem not as important. It makes the leaving easier. The panic goes away.

So, I look forward to soon having picnics in the park and walks along the river... pointing out ducks and birds and caterpillars... talking about clouds and leaves... learning to skip, learning to walk, learning about life. I'll be where I want to be, and in some ways it will be a dream come true.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Thursday Thirteen 04/06

Thirteen Reasons I Quit My Job To Stay At Home With My Kids

1…. They only get one childhood

2.... I don't want to miss first steps.

3.... or first words.

4.... That totally forlorn look when I drop them off at the sitters in the morning.

5.... I like my kids better than my boss (well, ex-boss)

6.... It's more fun to fingerpaint than to collate.

7.... More hugs and kisses.

8.... I can work in my pjs.

9.... Dancing in the living room is more fun with a three year old.

10.. Nap time.

11.. I don't have to take vacation time when one of my kids gets sick.

12.. Story time.

13.. The most important job I can ever have is being a mom. Nothing can ever take its place and nothing should ever be more important.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. http://www.bloglegion.com/skittles/
2. http://thoughtsandjots.blogspot.com/
3. http://lazydaisylog.grrrlmeetsworld.com/
(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Mewsings of the Catlady