Abercrombie & Sex...

"These Brown Eyes Will Break Your Heart"... This is the tee shirt that Emily has been wanting and wanting for months. Of course it is at Abercrombie & Fitch... the super expensive place her girlfriend shops at. So off we went to Lakeside Mall. We walk in... the music is BLARING and it is extremely dark in there. However it was tastefully decorated with slate blue walls and white cabinetry and trim. Thankfully this is the time when you want a salesperson to ask you what you need. I asked for the shirt, and luckily they had it.

The shirts are folded into minuscule size and stacked on top of each other 20 high. WHO folds their clothes like this. I instantly pictured the teenager working there, and how she must keep her clothes at home... wrinkles anyone?

As we're looking at the shirts, I happen to start noticing the lyrics of the song blaring away.... "Your sexy eyes, your hot lips.... I want you so bad".... Um hello? Is this NOT Abercrombie for Kids? I mean this wasn't even a little section of the main store. This was an entirely different store across from the adult Abercrombie. This was a store devoted entirely to children. Helloooo? Can you say Teenage Pregnancy? We quickly made our decisions purchasing an additional tee shirt along with a cute pair of shorts. We bolted to the check out with our hands over Greg's ears, trying to keep his fingers from groping the female mannequins.

Through out the entire excursion, Dennis and I kept shooting each other looks that said, "Is this what we've been reduced to?". "OMG she is only 8!!!" "Gone are the days of buying stuff from Walmart that will undoubtly get destroyed by the sandbox". "It's OVER".

She's 8... Remember my post on how fast 10 years went by? Another 10 quick years and my beautiful baby girl will be 18................................... excuse me while I go breathe into a paper bag... yet again.

What Do We Do With Her?

This is the EXACT thought that went through my head when we were being discharged from the hospital. Who in their right mind would let us take this precious little baby girl home from the hospital? How do they know that we are fit to be her parents? Are they nuts?

The day we were discharged, my thoughts proved to be true... My mom had to dress Emily for the first time. I was so used to her being in a hospital infant shirt and diaper, that I didn't know what to dress her in. Regardless, we figured it out quickly.

Emily was a GREAT baby. She was happy, and inquisitive. She loved shopping in Nana's cupboards. She would wear her little apron around to clean, and would regularly stop at the cereal cabinet for a quick snack... apron and all.

I always wished I could have gotten a picture of her pucker. She would pucker up and her top lip would easily touch the bottom of her nose. It was the sweetest pucker I have ever seen, and quickly outgrown.

We had 14 visits to the hospital in preterm labor with sweet Emily. In fact, we spent our second anniversary partly at Troy Beaumont due to contractions. I was SURE we would have her early... but we didn't. Emily was born exactly on her due date; May 30 1999 @ 9:28 am. 29 hours of labor only to have a C-Section. She is worth EVERY second of it.

Of all the gifts I received on our Anniversary, the greatest one of all is my children. I promised that I would be a good mother to them. I would help to raise them into respectful, confident and decent human beings. So far... so good.

Happy 8th Birthday to our sweet "Peepers"

Tribute To America

With Gratitude...

10 Years...

May 24, 1997

Dennis and I were married.

10 Years...

It is amazing how much can happen in 10 SHORT years...

We bought a house... sold a house, bought another house.

Got our first Fur Child... and lost him.

We had two babies... they are now almost 8 and 5.

We've taken too many vacations to count...

Dennis is at the same job,

while I've worn 5 different hats.

We've had 10 different cars...

.

.

.

.

The one thing that is the most clear to me...

.

.

.

I would marry him all over again.

Thank you Dennis,

for what are proving to be the best years of my life...

For our 10 year anniversary, our gifts were...

Concert tickets in the 9th row to see Genesis (my gift to him)

A stunning 3 Diamond (Past-Present-Future) ring

and the beautiful frame you see above (his gifts to me - he even put the pictures in it)

Cat Talking

Omg, you MUST watch this!

How to Wash A Cat - By Bud Herron

A friend that I met off The Pioneer Woman's site, sent this to me. It is so funny, I couldn't help but post it. Watch it. It takes a bit of time, but the laughs you will get, are worth every second!

WHO is THAT?!

Pardon the laundry... It was laundry day. Focus on psycho kitty.

A New Friend

Are You Ok?

The words are still reverberating in my head. "No Lady, I'm FRIGGEN NUTS, Where is the GD CAT shampoo?!" ........ story to follow.

When the Veterinarian that put Booster to sleep asked if we were going to get another cat, I was almost shocked by her question. "For god sakes lady, the corpse isn't even cold yet." (These are things that go through my head that I WISH I could say).

It's been a rough week for Pumpkin. The spunky, tail chasing, shadow boxing kitty, that used to irritate the hell out of Booster, seems to have aged A LOT during this 1 week. He was a wreck. Once we finally got him eating, he spent the next few days going from room to room, over and over looking for Booster. What a heart breaking thing to see. With that... Dennis and I decided that because Pumpkin is still very young (age 3), we wanted to give him another buddy. The search started and ended at the first place I went to on Thursday. The Humane Society of Macomb on 22 Mile Road. The EXACT same place that we adopted Booster from.

Meet Charlie!

Charlie is 8 weeks old and was named by his new buddy Greg. Charlie is a spunky little dude. I personally wanted to name him either Thumper or Thunder because of the sound he makes when he runs down the hallway.

Charlie was a stinky kitty. In fact, the humane society smelled so bad that it actually got to me. Me! The one that can handle ANYTHING.... except copious amounts of pus. yish...... chills....

Anyhoo... Charlie needed a bath, so the kids and I ran up to the exceptionally overpriced pet store on the corner. We went there because there has been A LOT (understated) of traffic around here due to road construction going on nearby. So I ask the burn out chic... "Do you have any cat shampoo?" "You're kidding, right?" she replies. "No, if I was kidding I wouldn't ask for it". "Have you EVER given a cat a bath before?" she asks. "Absolutely" I reply. "It's not really that hard". As we are walking through the store she looks at me and says, "Are you OK?" And this is what I WANTED to say, "No BIATCH, APPARENTLY I'M NOT OK, AND YOU JUST LOST THE FRICKEN SALE, WHERE IS YOUR MANAGER!". But thinking about the traffic (and I'm talking A LOT -imagine taking 20 minutes to drive 2/10ths of a mile), I said, "I'm fine, Kitty stinks, where is the shampoo".

I got the shampoo and off we went. Charlie wasn't too thrilled about how his new adventure was starting out, but after all... I AM the Queen of this house and he needed to know his place... as court jester.

At first, he was so cute and did quite well.

Then something reminded me of the movie Gremlins... NEVER, NEVER get them wet!

After a nice bath, his new Papa held him in a towel. See video below. (If you don't see the video, then YouTube dropped the ball) At first Pumpkin kept looking at me, wishing I would turn away so he could eat this new "snack". Afterall, Pumpkin does weigh in at 15.8 pounds and Charlie at 2.5 - you do the math.

We have been supervising their "visits" to make sure that Pumpkin doesn't accidently hurt his little friend. It has been going quite well. In fact, Pumpkin has been swishing his tail, and batting at Charlie with his huge marshmellow paws. He just isn't sure how to "play" with Charlie, because he is so much bigger than him. I would be willing to say that I think things are going to work out nicely...

Wouldn't you agree?
Booster will never be replaced. But a cat's broken heart is on the mend.

What the H*** was that all about?!

The very question I wondered over and over as I watched Grey's Anatomy this evening. Is George leaving?! Derek and Meredith are over? Christina flipping out at the end was a replay of myself earler this week, although I wasn't screaming that I was free. Oh and what about Meredith's sister introducing herself to George at the end! OMG THAT was the chic that was hitting on Derek. THAT is going to go over like a lead balloon. I totally can't believe how this season ended and I'm already chomping at the bit to see how next season is going to go. I already know I'm going to like Addison's spin off - Private Practice. With that kiss that guy planted on her during their sort of "pilot" episode, I was hooked. It's like reading a romance novel w/o having to even pick up a book. Yep. Hook, Line and Sinker. This season finale left me totally shocked at all that took place. Let me know what you thought... reply my friends... reply...

Tomorrow I'm going to have a surprise for y'all. IF I have time to post it before going to save lives!

Wanted...

So we have decided... Booster CAN NOT be replaced. We are NOT looking to replace him as he was so unique. However... We have decided that Pumpkin being only 3 years old, needs a playmate. He is still so lost without Booster. He is finally eating, but to watch him go from room to room, and camp out by the door waiting for Booster's return is heart wrenching. We have all the means to help a boy out. So we are on the search.

We are looking for a male kitten. MUST BE SHORT HAIR. NO fluff balls wanted. We want it young so that it will be fun and spunky. Plus he won't be set in his ways yet. There ARE RULES to this house. Kitty's on the counter is a NO NO. I would like to find something with interesting color, stripes or spots. Pumpkin needs to have a little wirey friend that will play with him. I think it's exactly what the doctor ordered.

Know of anyone with Kittens? Inquire within.

Coming Around Again...

It's been a rough couple of days. I will be the first to admit that. My husband thinks I'm manic. I awoke at 5:40 this morning to what I would call an anxiety attack. I INSTANTLY missed Booster the moment I was conscious. I spent the next hour and a half crying about how I was second guessing what happened. OMG Did I murder my cat? This is the feeling that comes when you have to take your precious fur child to someplace other than his veterinarian.

I got online and chatted with Katrina while I could barely see the screen. I have been feeling horrendous over this. The anxiety, guilt and grieving have been unbearable. While chatting with her I began to feel better. I decided that I needed to talk to Dr. Ruiz @ The Kitty Clinic. Talking to the doc totally relieved me of the guilt I was feeling. I will spare you the details as you may be eating, but she basically said that Booster made it easy for us. There was no "guessing" on what day we should end his suffering. He went from being "OK" to critical in a matter of hours. There was no other choice to be made. I could not put a price on how she made me feel after that call.

Pumpkin (pictured in front w/white and orange fur) on the other hand is dealing with his own grief. He is a train wreck at the loss of his buddy. He hasn't been eating and did not use his litterbox in 24 hours. She made me an appointment for him.

Pumpkin and I arrived promptly at 1:30. He was a nervous wreck. His paws were sweating and the hair was falling out in clumps. She checked him out and said he looked pretty good for a kitty that hasn't eaten since Saturday night. She shot an appetite stimulant down his throat, then syringe fed him about 8 syringe loads of food. She warned of one side effect with the pills... Howling. The cat may start to howl like he is in pain, but he won't be. Great.

Dr. Ruiz gave me a hug and an angel kitty pin. She was very warm and comforting about what has happened. They really liked Booster there. Then again... they love all the kittys. Pumpkin is still walking around in a daze. He is a lost soul. We will get through this. I keep telling him we will because I know we will. It sucks, but we have to keep on living.

Thank you again for all of your warmth and support. I have some breathing exercises to do. ;o)

I have decided...

Grief is the most powerful and WORST of all emotions. I feel like I am losing my mind. One moment I'm fine. The next, I want to throw up. I would like to thank all of you for your kind emails and phone calls. It is very nice to know there are people that care. It doesn't make it any easier, but knowing that people care - means a lot. I probably won't be posting until I come to grips with what has happened. Long story short, he was fine one moment, and bleeding out of the nose the next. I am second guessing myself like crazy which doesn't help. Out of the entire family, for some reason, I'm the one that just can't seem to handle this at all. I am praying that this will get easier and just stop hurting the way it does. It is like being eaten from the inside out... literally. Again thank you for all of your thoughts and condolences.

Valerie

As It Was In The Beginning, It Was In The End...

We got Booster in September 1997. The year we were married. The house was too quiet, and we needed a companion. What a wonderful boy. At the Humane Society, I picked him, because he was rubbing up against the door of the cage. We went into the little room and he proceeded to try and chew the buttons off my sweater. He was a keeper.

I brought him home. He was scrawny, had fleas and a respiratory infection to boot. We cleaned him up, medicated him and debugged him. What a quirky cat. He LOVED to get celophane wrapped candies out of the dish on the coffee table and would bring them to us in the middle of the night. We would throw them down the hallway and he would fetch them and bring them back.

When I would come home from work, he would hear the car pull up and would jump on the counter by the door. He would smash his head through the blinds to see me and couldn't wait for me to get through the door. He would instantly give me "brown sugar" (I called it that because he was orange). He still met us at the door to this day. He was our FIRST child.

When I left for the hospital to have Emily, I remember worrying that I didn't want him to lose his place in the family. He never did, although many times he gave me the "what were you thinking" look.

He came to be known as the speed bump in the hallway. You never went down the hallway at full speed, because he would be there. He learned to sit and shake his paw for a treat the way a dog would. He would beg for food from the dinner table.

We had a Cat/Dog. I never wanted a dog, because all dogs I had known, begged. How did I manage to get a cat that begged? Booster would spend hours watching the birds out the window and was very intrigued the first time we had a squirrel come to the door of our old house.

Booster could hear a can of cat food being opened from a mile away. He would wake up out of a dead sleep and come running for it. He would purr at the sound of Aunt Donna's voice when I put the phone up to his ear. You could hear him snoring from across the room.

This past year, he took an interest in sitting with me. It was the first time in his whole life that he actually liked to sit next to me and to snuggle. He would come running to the front door when it opened, because he loved to cook himself in the sunshine that it provided.

He was a wonderful pet. I loved him so much and will always. My heart is broken because today, on Mothers Day, I had to put him to sleep. He developed a bleeding disorder which I found when I awoke this morning. I took him in and there was nothing that could be done. He tried to meow to me when I spoke to him in the car, but nothing came out. He purred the whole way there which made this even harder.

I loved my sweet prince. I will miss each and every little thing he did, including watching over us at night while we slept.

Good Night sweet boy. I will always love you and will NEVER forget you.

Love Momma.

Booster Patrick Milobar
May 13, 2007

NO one is THIS lucky!

So today I went to my annual Scrapbooking Megameet aka The Superbowl of Scrapbooking as Dennis calls it. I have been going to this with Kim ever since I met her, so this is my.... 3 or 4th year. We lost count.

This year Katrina went with us. She is a newbie. I told her... wear comfy shoes, get there early and by all means... PREMEDICATE. It is like sensory overload. A gazillion women all pushing and shoving for the best deal. (Picture one of those bridal dress give aways you see on TV where they are all tripping over each other).

I am proud to announce that I did not spend a million dollars this year. I admit I may have been coerced into buying somethings that I don't know what I'm going to do with yet, but I had too... they were cute!

So we took 3 classes. Awesome classes which I will post a photo of some of the projects on another day. First I have my story to tell...

In each class, we have a registration ticket to hand in. The instructor draws names from these tickets and gives the winners some fabulous prizes.

First class... Katrina Wins!!! She was the first name drawn. We were so excited!

Second class... Katrina Wins again! What are the chances?! Again we are laughing and excited for her.

Third class.... The biatch wins again. Are they kidding? Katrina, if you're reading this take notice... you're not invited next year. wink wink It was a TON of fun even if I'm the BIGGEST LOSER.

It was a ton of fun, and again... worth the trip. I bought some stuff and will now have to unload some things in the garage sale to "make room".

"The Smart Kid"

When Emily was in Kindergarten, she floored many people with her accelerated reading skills. One parent still recalls the time Emily was reading out loud and read the word metamorphosis correctly and without hesitation. That parent urged her son to "sit by the smart kid" from that point on.

Now that she is finishing up second grade, she still "wows" the crowd and is frequently asked to help other students with their work as she flew threw hers.
That is the Emily that many of the students and parents know at her school.

My favorite version of Emily is the one that asks for Lip Blam because she can't get the BALM part right. Or today she gave me a chuckle when she asked for a Neopitopian (Neopolitan) ice cream cone.

Now if we could only end the confusion of Emily calling me her teachers name, and her teacher being called 'Mom'.

Barracudas Opening Day

Emily hitting the FIRST pitch!

Ahhh the peace and quiet...

I did it. I have been threatening to do it for years now. Having 6 loads of laundry on a beautiful day such as this, I packed it all up and went to the laundromat. I had ALL of it washed within 45 minutes. It was a little pricey, but how can you put a price on your time?

There is something very peaceful about an empty laundromat. There was one other elderly man there and the woman that was working there. I went in, loaded the machines and had just enough time to quickly glance over my latest BHG magazine.

The dryers were another story. After putting in quite a bit of money, I finally decided to bring home the damp clothes to hang what I don't dry all the way, and the rest I will work through as the day progresses.

I also stripped our bed, cleaned it, turned it, (have you ever attempted to turn a KING size mattress by yourself? Hello 1-800-BAD-BACK? lol). Plus I took the skirt off of it, which now will be a comical event trying to put it back on. The top mattress must weigh all of 100 pounds or more. Plus Dennis is working today. Sheesh.... I feel like Laura!

Regardless, most of my laundry is done. A huge weight has been lifted. So I stand here at the kitchen counter, typing on the laptop, with a HUGE bowl (think party size from nearest grocery store) of fruit salad and "dip" to pick through... No TV. No Kids. No nothing... but the whirr of the dryer.

The BIG Event!

On Sunday, Emily made her First Holy Communion. It was a beautiful and touching mass. Father Mike was entertaining while officiating the Mass. She was absolutely beautiful. Emily was very appreciative for of all those who thought of her on her special day. I was very proud of her as she was a gracious child.

Click the Photo...

FYI to make a photo bigger, CLICK on it.

Barracudas Opening Day!

2007 Barracudas

(Emily is sitting, second from left)

Charles in Charge...

Kayla, Emily, Gabrielle, & Lauren

Post O'Rama...

BUSY weekend for us. Busy being an understatement. I'm going to upload as many photos as I can, but there may be multiple posts, so read on...

Mrs. Milobar... Can we see you for a moment?

Ahhhh yes. Words every mother wants to hear. This is what I got to hear at the Dentist office this afternoon. Emily and Greg both had cleaning appointments. Greg offered to go first. He was so excited.While Emily and Greg disappeared through the door, I relaxed in the waiting room and caught up with the latest edition of Family Circle with the sun warming my back. It was after Greg had finished with his cleaning that I heard those very words.

The receptionist showed me the way to the room. As we approach the examination room, I find the Dentist outside the door, laughing hysterically. Uh oh. I peek in to see none other than GREG. Emily is in the chair with the hygenist cleaning her teeth. Greg has on goggles, a mask and gloves. He is "assisting" in the cleaning. Oh No...

The hygenist was laughing so hard I'm surprised she didn't hurt Emily. That kid totally made their day. And they made his by sending him home with gloves, and a mask along with a tooth brush, paste, flossers and a water gun.

No wonder they LOVE the Dentist. Oh... Greg is changing careers now.

Boy in a Bubble

I'm becoming addicted. To The Pioneer Woman's website that is. Every since I began reading it, I haven't stopped. I read it EVERY DAY. As funny and photographically (is that even a word?) talented Ree is, I am learning something about myself the more I read her blog. I am an overprotective parent. The photos she shows of her rather young children on these beautiful horses, gathering cattle, makes me feel like I'm in the process of raising sissys. To see her 4 year old on his own horse, makes me feel stupid that I won't let my kids on their bikes without helmets. A horse has a mind of it's own and can "flip out" at any given moment. And here I am, worried that my child will fall off his/her bike in which they are approximately 6" off the ground, and in full control of.

In the past couple weeks, I have realized that I need to relinquish some control and let them be kids. Yesterday was a great experience for me. Dennis, Greg and I went to Weigands Nursery to look for a tree. While the storefront is beautiful, the BEST part is exploring the back 40 to find a hidden treasure. It is dirty, and rocky, but peaceful and enlightening. Greg was fully dressed to catch the bus as soon as we would arrive home.

As we walked through the back of the nursery, Greg found a rock that he wanted to carry around. Then he found a large chunk of wood, approximately 12" long. As he is carrying his "treasures" I happen to look over at him and found that he was covered in dirt. His coat, shirt and pants had dirt all over them. My first inclination was to flip out, but then I remembered Ree's kids on horses and how relaxed she seems to be. Instead of doing what I would normally do, I blew it off and let him have his moment. He's a boy and what damage is dirt going to do if he happens to take it to school with him? Nothing. So with that, I felt that I had a breakthrough moment.

Greg went to school, dirty and all. Dennis and I planted our new tree - A weeping Eastern Redbud which we put in front of our house by the bedroom window. Then when the kids got home from school, we all worked in the front yard. Weeding, putting in weed mat and lots of new, fresh mulch. It was EXACTLY what I needed. I feel so refreshed and renewed, and much more relaxed. Thanks Pioneer Woman. You have enlightened me.

www.thepioneerwoman.com

Crazy for a Reason

Sometimes I feel that I have to watch what I say to certain people about my feelings on prescription drugs. I mean here I am, working in health care where prescription drug use is the norm. I see people every day, that just want the "quick fix" in a pill. Unfortunately I'm not one of those people. I am mostly against prescription drug use, because I feel that it is important to get to the root of the problem, instead of masking it. However, I MUST ADD that some things NEED the drugs. For these problems, it is impossible to "fix" the problem, so therefore the drugs are needed. So before anyone starts spouting off on the defensive side, know that if your "issue" can not be solved in another way, then I 100% agree that you need the meds. THERE.

So, this past week hasn't been a cake walk for me. As you know, I've had this dumb sinusitis. Along with my antibiotics, I was prescribed Deconamine which is an allergy pill. I took 1 Deconamine and spent the next 12 hours stoned... waiting and praying it would wear off. I must add that I was at work during this "episode". During my impairment, I lost an entire box of new scalpels, forgot why I was calling a patient on the phone, right about the time they answered, and gave my coworkers some really good laughs. Just as it wore off, my doctor happened to walk in, wearing a tee shirt and jeans. He had just brought an Ultrasound Machine to the practice (which is next door). I told him what happened, so he told me to grab samples of Allegra D. Allegra is a great allergy medication, however the "D" has been having a profound effect on me.

While I can't believe how well I am breathing, the side effects are killer. Just this past weekend, I went to my "happy place" which is Nino's of course, and had a very strange thing happen. In fact, it almost required a paperbag to cure the problem. I am chalking all of this anxiety up to the meds that I am taking. Lucky for me, the antibiotics will be finished tomorrow night, however, I desperately need to find an alternative to this Allegra D. I have been avoiding coffee like the plague, because the caffeine in combination with the pseudoepedrine are making me feel like I'm nuts. Literally.

So... I need to get to the root of my seasonal allergy problem, because the current course of treatment just isn't working. Well it's working, but it's doing more than I would prefer. I can't just stop taking it without another method, because that's one reason I ended up with the sinusitis in the first place. Well that and the fact that I didn't finish my antibiotics the first time... in March.

Operators are standing by. Feel free to post your "holistic methods" for my reading pleasure.