midnight_siren

I listed about twenty books up on half.com. I went through my book case and decided to clear out some stuff I’ve already read or didn’t want. Nick and I sold our bed yesterday on craigslist to someone in Myrtle Beach who already picked it up and we’re selling a desk today and another group of toys that the kids don’t play with anymore. I have a giant pile of stuff to sell on eBay.

I'm about to head to Mount Pleasant for the rest of the day. I have a lot to do.

Zaid’s Birthday week in some pictures:

(  +TWELVE  )

Arrested for smoking pot out of a corpse head! What the frickin' HELL! My friend posted this on myspace so I thought I'd share this disgusting piece of a current event.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5764886.html

Last night was amazing! I had the most delicious crab cake sandwich but one thing for sure is that Vickery’s needs to figure out a new way to cook fries. I actually meant to order mashed potatoes but after my 4th margarita I didn’t even care anymore. I stopped after number four even though my sister was harassing me to drink another shot with her. I didn’t get trashed and stopped after I felt super good but Vickery’s is a beautiful place and if I had thought about it more I would have taken more pictures. It’s right on Shem Creek and the whole area is gorgeous and we were able to sit outside with a view of the water and it was just fantastic. My best friend’s parents who are also my good friends (and ex boss from Earth Fare) came and Valerie almost basically set it up for me. These are my hippy parents with the cool hippy party pad that I talk about from time to time:

(  +THREE from Shem Creek  )

Now this is Charlotte and Dave arguing, haha!

And then the skirt my friend in Asheville made for me!

Yesterday was also lovely weather and I was TEXTED and CALLED to DEATH! If I didn't reply to everyone I'm sorry, but I tried to at least say thank you to everyone, haha! While the kids napped I stretched out on the back porch and read more of the book that I'm right smack in the middle of! I had no idea that mothers day was on Sunday as well...I'm so slow! I was supposed to also get my wisdom teeth taken out on Monday but we're having to schedule a no interest payment plan since even with our insurance it'll cost us about $500! I might be taking a slight hiatus after I clear out all the pictures on my camera because if things go accordingly I'll be starting a job, selling a lot of furniture, painting more of my house and such. I have the biggest "to do" list in ages. I've already been de-cluttering more of the house which is always tedious work. *sigh* I also picked out duvet/comforter from ikea I want for Zaid after I re-finish his furniture. I can't WAIT To re-do his room. I was talking about it with someone on the phone and Avalon got jealous. I wonder if she's going to try and make me re-do her's as well.

Oh my goodness, the funniest thing just happened! Avalon stood up real quick from playing and goes, "I have to poop!" So she runs to the bathroom and a minute later she says, "Yay, I pooped!" So I go in to check and I told her how awesome that was and she goes...

"I made a big poop, yay! That's for your birthday mommy!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So, tomorrow is my birthday and there’s going to be a rather good bunch of really close friends who are going to sit on the deck at Vickery’s on Shem Creek. Hopefully I’ll remember to bring my camera, but it’ll be good food and good drinks in celebration of a good year in my life. This year had been filled with many changes. I’ve managed to change my whole aspect on life and the human race as a whole and have attempted to maintain an optimistic outlook on all situations and for the better part I have been able to do so. Sure there have been trials and slip ups but I have truly lived my life with no regrets. I’ve closed certain doors and opened new ones but I’ve always managed to provide closure to parties involved. Some people never reciprocated or acknowledged these things, but that’s okay. Forgiveness doesn’t make it right it makes me right. I will never just shut somebody out. As a lover, I embrace all true friendships and have had some of the most wonderful friends in the universe. Do I sound like a complete hippy dork? If so, then that’s okay. I’ve struggled with this change myself as I was such a depressed negative Nancy for years before but I have broken down those walls and changed in many ways…all good ways.

As a wife, mother, and friend I have become the most utmost honest and loyal of them all only making educated and rational decisions in my life. Sure, I turn backwards once in a blue moon as there are of course some issues that pop in on certain days to say, “Hello, you suck!” but I just push it aside. I will no longer use past memories, issues, or mistakes to justify a bad day. I’m better than that.

No regrets. Through the hang ups and bang ups it has only made me wise because I learned from it. I don’t regret meeting anyone (yes, I realize I said I did in a previous Friends Only post) but honestly it’s only taught me valuable life lessons.

Since last Monday I had been cleaning, straightening up non-stop trying to get ready for the party! I was very happy with the outcome but sad that most of my family could not come. My aunt Melissa and uncle Bill brought my Pawpaw which I was very happy about and it seemed like he had a lot of fun. Nina is in a nursing home/rehabilitation center trying to get better. I saw her the weekend before when I went out to SwanSea for a family reunion and she looked so much more better…amazingly so. Zaiden was able to open his present just in time since he soon thereafter passed out! My little man was so exhausted! I hardly got to eat at the party since I was busy playing hostess and trying to chat everyone up to make sure they were comfortable! About 35 people were at my house (kids included) so I was super busy. They party went fantastic. I was up until midnight the night before and accidently slept in till after 8 the morning of and ran around frantically doing this and that and getting ready! If it wasn’t for the in-laws and my parents I would have exploded!

On Saturday I went to my mom’s to decorate the cake and met up with the in-laws, kids, and Nick at the Isle of Palms and we walked the beach. There were TONS of kites out and Avalon stood in the water with Shellah and we walked down the beach and then back to the shops. Shellah, Zaid, and I went into a store so she could buy some gifts and Travis, Nick, and Avalon went to Coconut Joes to get a table. I really wanted to sit outside so we had to wait…it was a really busy day on the beach. By the time we were seated It got a little overcast but it wasn’t TOO cool out. We got free nachos to share as an accidental order by someone else and I ate some delicious crab cakes and shrimp and had a wonderful Margarita. Shellah left with me because we were going to go to the grocery store to get the food and Travis, Nick, and kids drove separate. My car was jam packed with tables and chairs and we went to drop it off. We even beat Travis and Nick! I was a little confused and wanted to turn the sprinklers on but Shellah insisted we go straight to the grocery. I thought she was just tired and wanted to get it done with and just offered to go by myself so she could go to bed but she insisted.

When we got back, I was busy putting food away and getting things prepared and Nick comes at me with a birthday gift for me! He says, “I know it’s early but it’s something you’ve been wanting for a long time!” So he hands my a mini RC Batman Tumbler! Haha! I want a REAL tumbler to drive, and then he tells me to bring it out on the back porch so we can play with it and he opens the door and heads out so I go. While I was gone decorating the cake he went out and got more mulch, two knock-out rose bushes and some African Daisy’s and had all of it out. So THAT’S why Shellah didn’t want me to run the sprinklers! I was SO SURPRISED! It was so sweet, I was shocked! Aww! Nick planted them after the party the next day since we didn’t have time but my husband is flippin’ AMAZING! On Thursday, my birthday (AND it’s nativity’s birthday! Happy Birthday!) we’re going out to Shem Creek for good food and drinks since a year ago that day, I was up in a hospital bed. Haha! Life is good.

I will have to post the rest of the birthday pictures once I find time to go through them all. Also, I had painted the bathroom and framed Van Gogh's Starry Night in there and it fell off the wall yesterday and shattered the frame! I still can't figure out how it fell. The hooks are still anchored in the wall and the back pieces didn't fall off so what the heck!?

WOW! LONG weekend! My in-laws just left and the kids are still napping. I need to wake them up but I was anxious to share the cake I decorated! Check out the cake I did for Zaid's first birthday! More pictures will follow later once I find time!

I have been thinking about Vanessa lately. Her sister sent out an e-mail not too long ago with a personalized m&m she made that looks like her along with some pictures. I can’t even begin to describe how nice, honest, caring, and talented she was. She was a giver, not a taker. Always sweet no matter who you were or how you treated her. She’s one of those rare individuals you just can’t not like because there was nothing she could ever say or do to you that would turn you away… She was too good for this Earth.

Speaking of cancer, there are a couple of friends I have that have it right now. Friends in person and friends I’ve known throughout the years online. I think once I grow my hair out long again, I’ll grow it out extra long and donate it to those going through cancer (Locs of Love).

I finished painting my living room and kitchen. So they are painted and the guest bathroom downstairs is painted. The playroom will be next. I need to steam clean the carpet perhaps after we get back from the park today and the kids go down for their nap. I’ve been paying bills and annoyed with them.

Log in for the before/after photos on next entry.

I am really disappointed in my family right now. I sent out 20 birthday invites and only five people responded properly, and two of those were not family members but friends. I actually ran out of invitations and called numerous people and those that I called are coming. This does not include my parents, in-laws, and sister. It’s really sad how my family has just fallen away from these sorts of things. This is a different celebration for me and it also means a lot to me considering this is the first birthday celebration we’ve experienced all together as a whole family. This past weekend I also went out to Swansea for a Jordan (My mom’s) family reunion and it was interesting and sad. My mom’s parents died when I was very young, and her dad only has one living sibling. That is my great Uncle Howard and seeing him broke my heart. Don’t get me wrong, he’s in awesome shape for his age but his looks reminded me so much of the vague memories I had of my mom’s dad that it tore me up. They had pictures out on tables of the family that is no longer with us and it was so interesting. Avalon looks so much like my mom’s mom some days…I really see it in her. I never thought about it until my mom did a framed collage of pictures in her house with her and my dad’s family and there was a younger picture of my mom’s mom and I was like thinking, “Wow…I can see some of that in Avalon right now…”.

I have to paint the kitchen and finish the door frames, pull up weeds and lay out more pine straw, fertilize, cut the grass, steam clean the carpet, and do last minute laundry. I also want to wash Nick’s disgusting car. I washed mine a couple of weeks ago but I also want to clean out the inside. I brought the mats in a while back and have been meaning to clean them with the steam cleaner also. My appetite is still lacking from my flu.

Zaiden is awake and I have more to say but I must go and do the motherly, house wifey type thingies that I do. But I’ll leave you with two more things:

My hair is getting long! It is actually longer than it looks in this picture, but this is the longest ALL my hair has been (by all I had stupid chopped layers that my sister did when I asked her NOT to):

And this song means a lot to me and I think it’s underlying meaning is the best ever. It’s about forgiveness and compassion:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7440617

I have been meaning to post a lot of things lately but that stomach flu wiped me out hardcore! I still can’t even stand the smell of food despite how much I want to eat. I get hungry and then smell food and just immediately feel nauseous again. Not cool! I still have to post the before and after pictures but to tie everyone over I’ll go ahead and post the recipe to the taco ring!

So last Wednesday or Thursday I went downtown with the kiddos to go to the Charleston Children’s Museum which is an amazing place for play and discovery. crescentmuse called me that morning to inform me that she was going and since my awesome mother-in-law bought us a year pass we went because we can now go for free! It is such an awesome place with 6 big rooms of themed discovery. There’s a gravity/momentum type room with various activities with balls, there’s a water room with a huge play 3D map of Charleston to show the water cycle, there’s a room with a giant shrimp boat with play fish to catch and weight (there’s even a little kitchen and cot inside), and then there’s a mini super market and buggies for them to buy, scan, pay for food with a little juice bar where they can buy or serve food/drinks, there’s an art room where they can paint, a giant castle where they can dress up and run around in a big circle upstairs and downstairs, and then there’s a room for 3 and under where babies can crawl around and they even have an area with a curtain for those who breastfeed! Avalon had a lot of fun with her friend L until she peed her pants in the water room. I had brought an extra pair of underwear and pants but she soaked her shoes and socks so I had to take her socks off just to get her shoes back on her feet. We were there until noon and the kids were getting cranky and hungry so I had to leave. I called Nick and picked him up at work since it was on the way and we went to Applebee’s for a nice family lunch. It was good and we were cheap and since it was so rainy and dreary out it felt good. I got home and both kids sacked out for three hours so I could work out.

On that note, I have been working out. I’m toning muscle and working on my legs and stomach. My stomach is toning up a lot, especially since I’ve been rubbing some special lotion on it several times a day with collagen and elastin that’s rich in vitamins as well. It’s weird though, because due to my depression with Avalon, I ate a bunch and gained a lot of weight and had a lot of stretch marks. After my second pregnancy with Zaiden they look better and not only that, you can hardly see them! Now that I’m toning, my stomach is starting to look more and more like I never had kids! Now that I’m working out again, I’ve been feeling better stress wise and on that note, there’s a lot of stress issues lately…

My mom called me on Sunday night from Lexington. My parents have been over there at the hospital with Nina again since Thursday. My dad’s been in Charleston ONE DAY since last Friday when Nina flat lined. She’s in a progressive care unit, but my mom said that the nurse told them that she was seeing a lot of “end of life signs” such as jaundice, blue hands, shallow breathing, etc. My Nina only has 25% of her heart left. The doctor told them the next day that he wasn’t concerned with that and some things were due to medication and her kidney function, etc. I left first thing in the morning yesterday and drove to LexMed (about a two hour drive) with just me and the kids. Avalon really cheered Nina up and Zaiden walked in the hall where she could see. I got Avalon to sing the WHOLE “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” song to her. Hahahaha, it was too cute. I sat with Nina for a couple of hours while she slept and opened and read her mail to her and fed her some ice chips. I looked over at her while she started to doze and noticed she was crying and got up and wiped her tears away and she looked at me and smiled. I told her I loved her and she said she knew, that she could feel it and that she loved me so much. She keeps telling us that she’s basically ready to go (to heaven). She’s the only grandmother I’ve known. My mom’s parents died when I was about 3 I guess… I’m worried about PawPaw as well…he’s lost so much weight and he’s in denial. I hate this so much…I’ll probably go back tomorrow, and if not tomorrow I’ll go this weekend.

P.S. - My booby is back to normal! It was indeed a clogged duct! I'm glad I know my body as well as I do. Woohoo to being educated and sure about my body!

The Children's Museum:

(  The Children's Museum +FOURTEEN  )

It is currently 87 degrees out! Wow! Yesterday we had a BIG lightening/thunder storm that was loud for about thirty minutes and then a GORGEOUS bold DOUBLE rainbow broke out. It was so amazing. I told Avalon to step out on the screened porch to show her and she just started screaming, “Oh my gosh, it’s a rainbow! Look at that gorgeous rainbow! It’s a biiiiiiig rainbow!” I don’t really recall her seeing a “real” rainbow before that day. Maybe she has, but her excitement was so fun.

So I don’t have a cyst. I just have a retarded uterus. I feel better though. My doctor is so awesome…we started chatting away because we both have the same dental hygienist (my friend does my dental work and I’m in a small group with her). We started chatting about our kids and church and this and that…it was nice. I think she just needed to sit down for a minute and get away from the ob/gyn bustle. I went by the party store and looked at stuff for Zaiden’s First Birthday. I wasn’t very happy with the selection but it’ll probably be the same design Avalon had except the boy version. I was going to do Spiderman but I think I’ll just do that next year and have his first more tame.

(  Rainbow +TWO  )

(  What I Say Meme  )

These are two images from Tuesday. Granted it wasn't an actual photo session, I still had a lot of fun with these few pictures I took of her, most were snapped when she wasn't even paying attention. And no, she wasn't fondling her boobages. I had to do touch ups on her arms in order to post these because she didn't like how they looked...hopefully it's not -too- obvious:

(  Lauren +One  )

I made Avalon's cake yesterday and decorated it with my mom! Looks like my hard work paid off though my hand still hurts from making all the stars!

Tomorrow Avalon will be turning three years old and today Zaiden is 10 months old…I can’t believe it! Yesterday Zaiden had a doctor appointment and all went well. No shots but they did a finger stick to discover that his iron was really low so he’s on some drops for that. Aside from that…life is busy and good. Right now I have some workmen over at my house from Beazer to fix all the things that were wrong when we moved in. Yesterday they were supposed to fix the yard but the workers did the yard NEXT DOOR instead so they'll do the yard on Monday! That is all!

(  Avalons Cake +Two  )

(  Powerhouse +9 )

I scouted a location with the hottest chicky in the world, my good friend Lauren. We need to do a real shoot on a brighter day considering we has tornadoes spawning around us. She was smokin' today, but for now I have one image. I took a bunch around the abandoned old Charleston Powerhouse that is located right on the water...so amazing. This place blew my mind...if only we could have gone inside.

(  Lauren  )