tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157399052012-01-25T23:47:33.374-08:00It sounds good to me.sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.comBlogger4741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-69299641636603575432011-03-13T23:37:00.000-07:002011-03-13T23:41:05.491-07:00

There is something different about my baby.I've known it since about halfway through her kindergarten year. That teacher was a year shy of retirement. She didn't see any problems. "She's fine." Are you sure? "She's fine."Her first grade teacher said the same. "She's the youngest in her class. She'll catch up."Second grade, same thing. "She's so bright and cute! She'll be fine. You don't want to

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-86837106958262029662010-11-26T16:31:00.000-08:002010-11-26T16:33:53.496-08:00

Ain't got no regrets. Ain't losing track of which way I'm going. Ain't gonna double back now.-- Lou GrammI just took off the last of the babyproofing latches. And I started bawling! It's hard to believe Jacob is going to be 4 in a month.I guess I'm done hitting the snooze button on the biological clock. Which is strange, because:1. I never really thought I'd be a good mom before I had kids.2. I

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-3308207638544659742010-11-09T18:39:00.000-08:002010-11-09T18:44:53.525-08:00

Bad news comes, don't worry even when it landsGood news will make its way to all them plans. -- Modest MouseThe tests are clear! I can't say the process of getting the good news was pleasant, but I am assured my boobs will live on. :)That's one less thing for me to worry about. On to the next.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-47780820684866424412010-11-01T22:14:00.000-07:002010-11-01T22:17:01.551-07:00

I don't know about you, but I like some of the quirky stories that come out of October. And the unique places that pink turns up. I'm not so keen on seeing pink on my NFL players, though. I think it's cute for about two weeks, then… I dunno. I'm glad they stick it out, but seeing that pink mixed with gold and green and maroon… Not visually pleasing!But…. the month of November has begun, and what

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-49895019336555863612010-01-13T22:17:00.001-08:002010-01-13T22:17:38.716-08:00

I need to blog more. So much going on. It's funny like that. The more you have to talk about, the less time you have to talk about it!One of the things that I have the least control over is my dad. He has recently retired, and now he has fallen into depression. Not a good time for me! But I have been calling him daily and inventing ways for him to be useful. I'm hoping he doesn't *really* want me

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-79297323217240452242009-12-10T23:57:00.000-08:002009-12-10T23:57:00.294-08:00

I am broke.I love my future husband.Snow is better when it is not so cold out.I wish I could afford to put shade plants all the way around my house.Steelers suck. Pens, not so much.Foreign cars cost too much to repair.Good food is a luxury sometimes.There is no such thing as an honest plumber.I hope Tom doesn't die.That is all.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-76148452524706372862009-12-02T21:57:00.000-08:002009-12-02T22:28:25.476-08:00

I am going to get married. Again.About a month ago, Liam and I got engaged. It wasn't the traditional surprise, down-on-one-knee episode. We were talking about related stuff, and it just came up, and we agreed.I think I caught Liam off guard. He mentioned to me that he didn't think I was the slightest bit interested in ever marrying again. And… I wasn't. And I'm not.But the facts are, Liam is one

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-22406551762473815472009-10-29T23:06:00.001-07:002009-10-30T00:08:43.497-07:00

OK.I haven't written in a long time, mostly because of summer and the opportunity to spend more time with my kids.As the seasons have changed, I think I've gotten more and more down about the weather. Which is weird, because I prepared myself for this and planned all kinds of indoor projects. Mostly stuff leftover from last year, but a few new things.Transition is tough for me, and I'm afraid I

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-73073217690574700032009-08-16T20:52:00.000-07:002009-08-16T21:08:36.984-07:00

The kids on the spillway.The salamander that the kids named "Buddy Jr."Jacob takes a hike with me and Liam.The fishergirl.Zoe watches Jacob try to rip a root from the ground while we gather kindling.The girls went to a nature program and made me walking sticks for my birthday.Once Jacob decides it's OK to get dirty, he loves tossing rocks into the water.On the walk back from the beach.Jacob

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-44077014301241601522009-08-06T22:56:00.001-07:002009-08-06T22:57:00.691-07:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-17324946220821770252009-08-06T22:30:00.000-07:002009-08-06T22:46:48.121-07:00

My kids weren't around much this month, sadly. (Bwahahahaha!) Zoe took a trip to see Aunt Kelly for a week. The last week of July we went camping. I'm working on posting those photos. I know, you're holding your breath. Just shut it. :)HollyhockHarvest from the gardenView while getting my car fixedBehind the gas stationDad and me, HofbrauhausUmmm, the two bigger beers are mine. Of course.Saw a

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-54146788408273811192009-07-01T21:27:00.000-07:002009-07-01T21:29:25.007-07:00

I was so nervous, I don't think I fully got to appreciate the greatness.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-39250344716868802772009-06-30T23:08:00.000-07:002009-07-01T21:21:01.245-07:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-90274252563560526292009-06-17T21:14:00.000-07:002009-07-01T21:17:16.942-07:00

He was born June 12. My second nephew. I'm mum on the name. As any good aunt should be. :)

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-5456405706332192672009-06-06T21:30:00.000-07:002009-06-06T23:41:48.727-07:00

I spent a much-needed day off on the Yough today.Makes me think hard about how I can fit in more of these kinds of days!I will probably continue blogging sporadically throughout the summer. I bit off more than I can chew around the house this spring! I will be updating photos more regularly as soon as I can get my hands on some decent photo-editing software.ASIDE: It occurred to me today that

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-60694283168378410522009-05-27T21:27:00.000-07:002009-05-27T21:38:51.332-07:00

I've been a little busy. Sealing the deck, installing the veggie garden, getting out the patio furniture, etc. I still haven't gotten my computer back up to speed (re: I have no photo editing software!) so I've been a little out of touch with the blog. I have tons of photos to share, so I need to remedy that soon. I'm still in anguish over all I lost when the drive crashed, but I'm slowly coming

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-71576700409964639182009-05-14T21:56:00.000-07:002009-05-14T22:19:34.150-07:00

Shortly after my last post, I was syncing my phone, and my computer just signed off. So long. It's not you, it's me.I want to blame it on Zoe playing Webkinz, or some electrical problem in my house that MUST be under my (expired) warranty, but really, I'm a freaking dumbass for never backing up my files. All drives will fail, and I am yet another idiot that ignored all the suggestions to back up

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-86062098358818220852009-04-12T22:49:00.000-07:002009-04-13T21:06:43.457-07:00

Jacob seemed to like his football. I wanted to get him a real one, but I didn't want him to get frustrated. (ERRRR, I MEAN, NICE CHOICE, EASTER BUNNY.) Zoe pretty much whined throughout the day about how everyone else on the planet got more and better stuff from E.B. than she did. Ahh, to be 7 again and have such pain and torture.We hit up Aunt Roberta's for some free food and candy. Zoe is in

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-63114712873390189752009-04-11T23:14:00.000-07:002009-04-13T20:46:49.623-07:00

In a rare act of volunteerism that led me to remember why I'm not into volunteerism, I took on all four kids for a Saturday. I had not a moment to myself, not even a few minutes to run down and do laundry, which was all I wanted to accomplish. I really wasn't asking a lot. I'm talking LAUNDRY.But..... sometimes it takes a day like this to make me slow down and realize what I have.A brood of four

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-61557782853963015002009-04-09T20:29:00.000-07:002009-04-13T20:37:29.237-07:00

The quarantine in our house has been lifted!Ever since I found out the dead raccoon we found in October had rabies, I have had to endure a lot. The Department of Agriculture got involved, and they sent over a field officer who thoroughly GPSed the site of the carcass, gave me three whole printouts on rabies that I had to read, and forced me to tape a piece of paper to my front door that concerned

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-29325165244783525832009-04-01T19:52:00.001-07:002009-04-01T20:19:58.733-07:00

The web site 419eater is really jaw-dropping. If you haven't heard of it, give yourself some time to check it out. These are people who turn the tables on the near-illiterate idiots who send out emails asking you to help them get their hands on millions of dollars in exchange for a cut of the profits. The "scambaiters" who post their results to the site get these scumbags to do amazing things

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-89918030364438267722009-03-31T22:28:00.000-07:002009-03-31T22:45:55.117-07:00

I have been planting flowers in the front yard for the past two summers that we've been in the house, but this year, we are trying something different: SEEDING.Some are seeds that I ordered, others are seeds we took from the plants in the fall. My goal is to keep it under a hundred bucks this year, instead of the few hundred I have spent on the past summers. And it has been keeping us busy!There

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-18931552944948587142009-03-29T22:29:00.000-07:002009-03-29T22:31:11.347-07:00

IT'S SNOWING.I should say something witty here, but I really didn't believe that nasally weather guy.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-62568273693403699392009-03-25T19:55:00.000-07:002009-03-25T19:59:20.944-07:00

We were sitting at Benihana tonight, and the first thing I noticed was the woman to my left. I noticed mostly because she kept stepping on my foot and bumping into me, asking me to move my plate over and nearly grabbing my glass to drink from. But she seemed to spend most of the meal observing me. It was more unusual than awkward or annoying. Every time I had her in my peripheral vision, I could

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-45363538079971075322009-03-23T18:25:00.000-07:002009-03-25T22:37:18.562-07:00

Liam was telling me the other day about his experiences with his newfound love for Mass.He was using words like "sermon" and "communion" and "the God, Jesus, Holy Spirity thing."It's been a long time since I've been inside a house of God (and I'll capitalize God just so some political faction doesn't come after me next time I run for president), so he had to re-explain to me the Abraham story.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-13761808795915291012009-03-19T23:59:00.000-07:002009-03-19T21:37:23.729-07:00

Jay Leno: Mr. President, I must say, this has been one of the best nights of my life.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-56721500993224126262009-03-17T22:07:00.000-07:002009-03-17T22:21:57.056-07:00

I have been a little worried about my health lately. For the past couple of weeks or more, I have had some pretty serious fatigue. I blamed it on my meds, the time change, the kids.... nothing has really changed in life except the time, and the fact that I have more light after work completely thrills me. The kids and I take full advantage of the later sunset.There is not a whole lot weighing on

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-39273121925409059552009-03-07T23:00:00.000-08:002009-03-10T23:09:21.284-07:00

The bulbs are coming up. Spring is here.We spent the day outside riding bikes and getting our spring on!I warned the kids that this would not last. I had a hard time convincing them that after 70 degree weather, we would probably still see snow before spring.Still, Jacob got his pink on:

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-60409918097811440072009-03-02T13:54:00.000-08:002009-03-10T22:55:39.744-07:00

"I've been stabbed before. I can handle this."

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-65784731919251060362009-03-01T22:08:00.000-08:002009-03-10T22:50:02.776-07:00

The Build-A Bear Workshop is not something I would ever think about indulging my kids in. Sure, it sounds like great fun for a kid, but who can afford that (and I've been dying to say this and really mean it:) IN THIS DAY AND AGE.I have a cousin who makes six figures and got Zoe in the grab bag at Christmas. I almost tacked "luckily" to the beginning of that sentence, but then I thought about the

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-10076206094427445502009-02-25T20:45:00.000-08:002009-03-10T22:48:11.023-07:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-85032261449339682172009-02-23T21:34:00.001-08:002009-02-23T21:36:02.293-08:00

Go call your mother. And thank her for putting up with you.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-35529863607946689512009-02-21T23:15:00.000-08:002009-02-23T21:24:05.077-08:00

Zoe had a wonderful time, though it was tough for her to say goodbye.Bob brought his brand-spanking-new dog, Tilly. And as brand-new as it was, it needed no spanking.In fact, the dog was great! It was a little bit freaky, looking like it would cry at any moment. And it has weird double claws on its hiind legs.Speaking of freaks, Jacob was happy to see them too!

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-4388305500245251492009-02-15T20:31:00.000-08:002009-02-15T20:36:32.216-08:00

We have been trying to plan a night of pool and darts for a while. Tonight we got 'er done. In my basement.The guys thought it was hilarious that one of my support structures doubled as a stripper pole.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-56212251601786510442009-02-15T16:12:00.000-08:002009-02-15T20:14:02.739-08:00

Don't open a salad spinner while it's still spinning.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-58356443818797479692009-02-12T22:26:00.001-08:002009-02-12T22:30:17.461-08:00

I know this will make no difference, but because I have maintained my right to broadcast my opinion across the internet for a number of years, I am going to do this...I HOPE THIS WOMAN ROTS!!!!!This bitch came up from my left, in bumper to bumper traffic, and wedged her front end into the four feet of space between my car and the car in front of me. I was ready to scream, honk, shatter the hell

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-54041868520571544472009-02-08T22:51:00.000-08:002009-02-08T22:56:03.066-08:00

When I was in college, I smoked Camels. One day, I took all my Camel Cash to the post office, hefted it onto the counter, and sent away for my prize.The post office worker behind the counter blinked at me. "Why don't you just send them a lung?"In time for my junior year, my dart board arrived. Just in time for my first off-campus apartment. My roommate and I used to order a case of American Light

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-60228514775665153112009-02-04T22:14:00.000-08:002009-02-04T22:15:33.896-08:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-218203398027940982009-02-02T22:29:00.000-08:002009-02-02T22:30:55.481-08:00

"He who throws mud only loses ground."-- Fat Albert

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-14763144201917792722009-02-01T20:36:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:39:00.334-08:00

Worth a celebration.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-79628667645462936952009-01-31T23:26:00.001-08:002009-01-31T23:55:25.877-08:00

Ever since summer began disappearing, I noticed more and more wildlife in my yard. And I noticed that the birdfeeders were draining at an unusual pace.One night as I was getting ready for bed, I caught a deer, not eight feet from my kitchen window, munching on the seed. I grabbed Liam out of bed to witness it, and I think he barely caught the thing leaping away. Or so he said. He probably wanted

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-27845313614901634012009-01-31T20:10:00.000-08:002009-01-31T20:22:00.623-08:00

Illness swept the house once again this week. If I wasn't cleaning puke off walls and beds, I was throwing up in my own right.Last weekend started off well! I reunited with my goddaughter, who is now 15 years old, smart as a whip and funny as hell. Here is Alex, with her dad Gary:I lost touch with her mom over the years, and after joining Facebook a few months ago, I caught up with a few people

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-92081057576433817212009-01-23T19:26:00.001-08:002009-01-23T19:27:28.009-08:00

Before:After:

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-84861546100121559922009-01-20T22:40:00.000-08:002009-01-20T22:43:24.019-08:00

I am so looking forward to sleeping -- alone -- in my bed tonight.I might even kick the dog out of the room. No children, no stuffed animals, no boyfriend, no blankies.Just dreams of finding binkies stuck to my back and lip balm smeared on the pillowcase. I can deal with that.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-2484485695570754212009-01-19T21:55:00.000-08:002009-01-19T21:56:10.861-08:00

I reluctantly got out of the shower tonight -- and only did so because the hot water was running out. As soon as the air hit my skin, I could feel my pores, every last one of them, tighten in pain. The kind of pain that forces hair follicles to try to flee by their roots, making shaving an exercise in futility.Tonight I tried something different: cranking my furnace to 70 before my shower. I

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-1885072431299651522009-01-18T21:52:00.001-08:002009-01-18T21:53:47.729-08:00

The girls love the Steelers. When they're not bickering over bingo.HERE WE GO, STEELERS!!!

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-76433602919425699302009-01-18T17:39:00.000-08:002009-01-18T21:45:27.590-08:00

I was putzing around the house tonight after shoveling the driveway when I noticed... there was something... different.There was SUN!After all the doom and gloom the past week, seeing temperatures I can't ever remember seeing before, it was wonderful seeing a little light.I didn't know my little 10-dollar gizmo could even register such insane temps. I'll have to find one that stops at zero so I

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-69459620275930748702009-01-17T23:58:00.000-08:002009-01-18T21:39:28.234-08:00

We had a night out for grownups, joined later by Rob and Jenny. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-89641925367020193602009-01-14T19:52:00.000-08:002009-01-14T19:53:14.003-08:00

I went outside after work and shoveled snow. It was peaceful and quiet. And I wondered why the rest of my neighbors weren't digging out from under the day's snowfall.I guess I should check the forecast more often. It has been coming down so hard in the three hours since I shoveled that it looks as though I didn't touch my driveway, minus some small bare spots where apparently I spilled enough

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-69274908791270487512009-01-07T21:52:00.000-08:002009-01-07T21:55:31.027-08:00

But if the deer keep devouring it, the birds may fall prey to the economy.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-15979489822941459472009-01-05T20:37:00.000-08:002009-01-05T20:39:02.322-08:00

There would be refrigerated purses. And I would buy one for my cheese.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-29415968238820232812009-01-03T08:58:00.000-08:002009-01-03T09:15:30.650-08:00

Liam tries for the 115th time to beat me at Scrabble:He is one persistent man. While he was struggling with, errrr, thinking about his next moves, I was rummaging through his CD collection to import onto my laptop.When I got to the end of his CD case, I found this:I. AM. SPEECHLESS.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-19481620503128878772008-12-28T22:17:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:20:49.239-08:00

We were at Liam's house watching football, and I was goofing around with the kids on the floor until I decided I had enough bruises.Zoe, however, was not ready to stop. "I was born to have fun, Mom.""Oh yeah?""Yeah. I actually think I was."

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-54854962223730622902008-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:16:25.750-08:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-34005456811318766792008-12-24T23:21:00.000-08:002008-12-28T21:29:53.994-08:00

We had Jacob's birthday cake on Christmas Eve.We got to open presents. I got a great sweater from Aimee, a deer spotlight from my dad, a knife set from Kelly, and AN IPHONE FROM LIAM!!!Yes, we've been in negotiations about our relationship, and we are together. And I'm so, so happy. The iPhone didn't hurt, for sure.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-42046228556967252592008-12-23T22:51:00.000-08:002008-12-28T21:21:51.208-08:00

Jacob made me an ornament at day care!The same day, Zoe brought home her own creation, which she and Jacob quickly devoured.Zoe's dad arrived the same day, and the next morning I gave him the task of the annual gingerbread house. It was beautiful!!

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-85974203598089386422008-12-21T20:53:00.000-08:002008-12-21T20:57:09.870-08:00

It is so windy -- and cold -- that I am hearing sounds I have never heard before in this house! We have already been informed that there's a two-hour delay for school in the morning. That's two extra hours I get to wrap gifts tonight!I finished my shopping today. I am so relieved. I think I managed to get it done with minimal financial damage, though we'll see what the critics say on Christmas

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-72569324371626155742008-12-19T23:33:00.000-08:002008-12-19T23:37:39.418-08:00

Tall, quirky co-worker: I need some stuff added to this file.Short, catty co-worker: Why are you telling ME?Tall, quirky co-worker: Because at the top of the file, it says to ask you if stuff needs to be added to the file.Short, catty co-worker: UGH. It just says that, because, like, no one else can do it.THANK GOD FOR WEEKENDS.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-77382039659671400962008-12-19T12:45:00.000-08:002008-12-19T12:47:18.409-08:00

...from Sun-Sentinel.com. This one had me, uh, scratching my head...

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-55466300205817539742008-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:002008-12-18T21:46:22.358-08:00

I will never tell anyone that you wear Zoe's shoes. Never. After today. I swear.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-84877976506546370792008-12-18T20:43:00.001-08:002008-12-18T21:35:46.553-08:00

Zoe's vocabulary sheet asks her to write a sentence for "discover.""DISCOVER: find out; learn for the first time. DISCOVER where an adult at home was born."At first I thought: This is a teacher fishing for identity theft information. But Zoe totally threw them off:"My Dad was born in Japan."Her dad doesn't live with us, and he was born in Massachusetts. I bet this, and her 100 percent Irish last

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-86710351056108683212008-12-18T20:32:00.001-08:002008-12-18T21:45:29.319-08:00

After getting in her jammies, Zoe came out of her room and approached me tonight with a fistful of dollars."I have to pay the boys at school."WHAT????????"Yeah, they made me laugh, and I promised them a dollar for every time they made me laugh."Zoe would laugh if you told her favorite color was pink."You are absolutely NOT giving your money to them," I told her. "You do not pay for kids to be

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-38929291268133678732008-12-17T21:47:00.000-08:002008-12-17T21:48:20.331-08:00

If you live in Pittsburgh and have never heard of Good Apples, you are missing out.We've had a program at work for a while now where this company, which bills itself as a "virtual farmer's market," delivers every Friday. I shop online, and the stuff shows up at work. In the past year, their merchandise has expanded greatly to include not only produce, but meats and pantry items, gift baskets and

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-38447874837874988332008-12-15T22:14:00.000-08:002008-12-15T22:16:04.151-08:00

Take your eyes off me.There's nothing here to see.I'm trying to keep my head together.-- Freedom, David GrayWednesday would be one year together, Liam and me. We didn't quite make it.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-20531027623038217582008-12-14T20:44:00.000-08:002008-12-28T20:51:14.594-08:00

Zoe was on the webcam with her dad, and Jacob was fascinated. So he got out his own toy computer and followed her throughout the house.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-47135602793185910772008-12-13T23:41:00.001-08:002008-12-13T23:58:13.652-08:00

"Now I don't want you back For the weekend,Not back for a day, no no no.Baby, I just want you back And I want you to stay."-- Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the WavesThe sun decided to pay a visit to Pittsburgh today. Lately, this seems to be about as rare as, oh, I don't know... me cleaning my baseboards.We've had the tree up for a week, which is what I blame on an otherwise unblamable ladybug

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-72356502168646727942008-12-11T22:11:00.000-08:002008-12-11T22:21:20.224-08:00

I'm so far down, Away from the sun again. I'm over this.I'm tired of living in the dark.Can anyone see me down here. -- Away From the Sun, 3 Doors DownOK.I moved back three years ago, right before my first ever driving winter. I lived with my dad then. Any time I had a problem with snow, he came, got in my Jetta, threw the gears all around and used a lot of gas, but he got my car out of all the

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-88161217847215268532008-12-10T22:15:00.001-08:002008-12-10T22:15:20.499-08:00

Zoe: So, what do skunks do when they fart?Mom: (Silence.)Zoe: MOM.Mom: I don't know.Zoe: It's a joke. You have to answer.Mom: OH! I don't know... they smell good?Zoe: No! They give out their spray!!! Bwahahahahahahahaha!Mom: (Silence.)Zoe: Hahahahahahahaha!Mom: Did you make that up?Zoe: Yeah. Isn't it funny!!!!Mom: Maybe on the next library day, you should get a book of jokes.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-11469182739216421602008-12-09T20:57:00.001-08:002008-12-09T21:03:10.282-08:00

My time at home has been mostly preoccupied with projects that cost me little to no money. So, I turned my attention to my basement. Even though I have been living in this house for less than two years, I have accumulated a good deal of CRAP. Much of it is stuff the kids have outgrown. I put the broken stuff on the curb, and I stuffed my trunk full of old stuffed animals and

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-57066364737604836442008-12-06T00:54:00.000-08:002008-12-06T00:58:52.640-08:00

I got sick again today... and left work abruptly. That's... hmmm... three out of the last four weekends that sickness has overcome me.I tell myself it is because I have two young kids, or that my co-workers are germy, or that the change in season has an effect. Those seem to be among the top reasons I hear cited whenever anyone has anything from a slight sniffle to violent vomiting. But something

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-91314174242133033332008-12-03T22:49:00.000-08:002008-12-03T23:04:26.565-08:00

... is making it crazy around here. I know I have pictures of my sister's Thanksgiving visit, but I can't find them!!Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past couple of weeks, and I'll post more as soon as I find whose camera has pics of what!Jacob voluntarily goes mute.Geotrax rocks when you have lots of it.This is Jacob's favorite dress-up get-up. I PITY THE FOOL....Let me be the

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-74634185233363659752008-11-27T22:10:00.000-08:002008-11-27T23:17:20.788-08:00

I started cooking for Thanksgiving two days ago. The bird was brined, I made dinner rolls from scratch, I got up early today and made sure there was enough stock in the roaster to make gravy. I chopped up sweet potatoes and yams and made a salad, boiled some potatoes, and took a nap while my sister made the stuffing.Salad, milk, butter, whipped cream, wine glasses, coffee, football, Wii, olives,

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-43053671145203094232008-11-25T12:57:00.000-08:002008-11-25T13:00:47.441-08:00

We were pulling up to Zoe's school this morning when she remarked that the American flag was "half-way down.""It was like that yesterday, too," she said."That's called 'half mast,'" I told her, "and they usually do it when somebody dies."Last week our lieutenant governor died of cancer, and her funeral was today. I launched into a civics lesson about the people in charge of the state and

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-49018952496836182752008-11-24T23:15:00.000-08:002008-11-25T12:56:58.118-08:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-41367002539324418362008-11-20T12:16:00.000-08:002008-11-20T12:17:04.650-08:00

I (heart) Fuelperks.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-15905744331268421532008-11-14T22:32:00.000-08:002008-11-14T22:50:44.653-08:00

It's not only disturbing that I found this t-shirt after searching cafepress.com for "SCRABBLE," but it's more disturbing that it's available in kid sizes.In fact, it seems available ONLY in kid sizes.When you click on the link to the shirt, you find it's actually a women's shirt. But still, is that any better??? Am I too sensitive now that I have kids?The other day, Zoe and her dad were doing

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-56449400052116687252008-11-09T20:52:00.001-08:002008-11-09T21:01:31.240-08:00

It was my first time inside the stadium, even though I drive past it every day on my way to work!! Aimee gave me a blanket to take, and she insisted I wear her blue windbreaker instead of my trusty, decrepit suede jacket. It wasn't until I got to the game that I realized I WAS WEARING COLTS COLORS!!It was.... COOOOOOOLD! So the Colts won. Shaddup! Liam and I had a great time. He heard a Colts

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-54925554612300244932008-11-07T22:49:00.000-08:002008-11-09T20:51:57.833-08:00

Zoe and I split a Subway meatball hoagie and an Icee inside the local Walmart.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-82800969047967481172008-11-04T22:25:00.000-08:002008-11-04T22:29:29.046-08:00

A conversation over dinner...Zoe: Why can't I watch cartoooooons?? Me: Because it's an important night and I want to watch TV.Zoe: What's so important?Me: Today we pick the next president of the United States. Did you learn about that in school?Zoe: Yeah, we had an election.Me: And who did you vote for?Zoe: Ummmm... what are the guyses names again?Me: McCain and Obama.Zoe: Oh yeah. I picked John

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-84223011657379775822008-10-31T19:39:00.000-07:002008-10-31T19:41:38.651-07:00

I don't know how my parents did it with three.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-42018199764926847922008-10-28T21:06:00.000-07:002008-10-28T22:29:18.876-07:00

This is not bad Photoshop work... these are actual life-size cutouts. Well, I guess that could qualify as bad Photoshop work. Damn, Obama is TALL!!!

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-9822459468041636522008-10-26T22:52:00.000-07:002008-10-26T22:54:15.724-07:00

...between two 7-year-olds.Zoe: So, do you have any other kids? Like, any sisters?Lewis: No, I'm single.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-17773826606505002412008-10-22T18:08:00.000-07:002008-10-22T18:11:16.060-07:00

Boss: You know those new PC commercials? Where they say, "I'm a PC, and this is my office?"Me: Yeah. "I'm a PC, and I wear headbands."Boss: Someone on the internet found the commercial and stripped it down to the code. That commercial was made on a Mac.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-13584455055125586662008-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:002008-10-22T18:08:19.294-07:00

Sign on a business on Banksville Road: Tom the Heating Guy works here.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-51497377317306386292008-10-18T22:40:00.000-07:002008-10-19T19:46:43.446-07:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-12340971291865050402008-10-17T22:18:00.001-07:002008-10-17T22:19:52.387-07:00

"You can grab me 'cause you're nasty."-- Filthy and Gorgeous, Scissor SistersIt is truly amazing the filth you can find online.I do a lot of research online for work, and I often come across shit that catches me off guard. One day I needed a digital picture of a Hershey's chocolate syrup bottle. Ever try Googling that? Don't.Years ago I did a search for Edward Norton to fact-check something I was

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-40012892529135215632008-10-15T22:38:00.000-07:002008-10-15T22:39:03.971-07:00

On Sunday, I was letting the dog in the house when I noticed an immobile creature on the back patio that didn't belong.Liam said I started screaming for him, but I swear I merely called out. Screaming is what you do when you win the lottery. Calling out is what you do when you find a dead animal in your back yard.We soon discovered the fly-covered carcass was a raccoon. Being ever so dutiful, I

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-74384657622166118732008-10-15T22:08:00.001-07:002008-10-15T22:08:59.989-07:00

I haven't been very forthcoming about my Comcast woes here... mostly because my attempts at dealing with the company have fallen woefully short. Don't try withholding payment to Comcast for shitty service. Doesn't work. Nor does screaming at some poor technician, or his cubicle mate who is trying to pass off as his supervisor. Come to think of it, calling up sales knowing they are the only

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-29411430872633506512008-10-08T23:12:00.000-07:002008-10-08T23:22:42.211-07:00

I have been taking a fish oil supplement to help get off the Zoloft. The HUGE pill is coated in some kind of vanilla crap, and normally it doesn't bother me. I, however, have been burping up fish junk all night for some reason. All I had for dinner is Apple Jacks, so I don't get it.Which leads me into this natural segway: I have been working on a new site. When I started this blog a few years ago

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-53585557414942170432008-10-08T21:45:00.000-07:002008-10-08T22:16:06.971-07:00

I have been so sick this week. And it's only October.Zoe is on her first round of antibiotics for the season. And Jacob began coughing last night. I feel like I have so much to get done before fall is over. And it seems like it just got here! Being a homeowner is hard work. I guess it's a little more difficult than I anticipated. As a single mom, it's hard to rely on people... family say they

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-26506470882049538362008-10-05T22:19:00.000-07:002008-10-06T22:18:53.805-07:00

"If you don't give upAnd don't give in,You may just be OK."-- The Living Years, Mike and the MechanicsI have been hard at work getting the yard and gardens ready for fall... I had a blast with the kids today, putting away the pool and cleaning off lawn furniture. Hello, autumn.It was a great escape from everyday life. I guess normally I would dread all that work of carting shit to the garage for

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-64907981515301930522008-10-04T23:15:00.000-07:002008-10-06T22:16:51.319-07:00

I made tuna noodle casserole for the first time in years. Jacob was the only holdout. Wait until he gets to college.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-64018393643870256512008-10-03T23:08:00.000-07:002008-10-03T23:17:11.116-07:00

I had to be a little innovative with my schedule today, so I took my sick Zoe to work and hid her in my cubicle.I have to say, it was fun having her there. She camped out and watched a movie in between cuddling with me until my dad got off work and could pick her up. I almost wish I could have kept her with me. Of course, she was very subdued because she wasn't feeling well, and our internet was

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-55769341599163322252008-10-02T22:45:00.000-07:002008-10-02T20:51:23.651-07:00

I have to say, I'm about as interested in politics as I am in collecting jelly shoes. But tonight I listened to much of the vice presidential debate for the entertainment value. And entertaining, it was.I like Sarah Palin. Not because she's a woman so much, but that's some of it. I actually forgot a few times that she was the Republican.If she were running for president, I might consider her. But

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-17679432168784102242008-10-02T22:17:00.000-07:002008-10-02T22:22:54.189-07:00

The school nurse called today and suggested I remove my infected daughter from their campus. Thus began a whirlwind tour around the county to get my daughter to the doctor and in protective care so I could get back to work.I ended up in my father's kitchen, eating his famous boiled pasta and heated Ragu Super Chunky Mushroom (which he has absolutely perfected), and while we were cleaning up, we

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-47729934637441038152008-09-30T11:09:00.000-07:002008-09-30T23:29:17.688-07:00

"The weekend comes to this townSeven days too soon."-- Let It Rock, Bon JoviEvery week I pick against the Jets now. I loved Favre until he pulled this stunt. Everyone I tell this to argues with me that he was soooooo wronged. He made "Something About Mary" tolerable. I'll give him that. But his legacy is tarnished, and I don't think too many people can argue with that. What was he peddling in

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-64241464716202696352008-09-27T10:39:00.000-07:002008-09-27T10:41:11.927-07:00

Zoe: It says "Made in the USA." Finally!! Something not made in China!

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-29992674090506710242008-09-25T08:46:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:47:39.647-07:00

8. pittsburghA drinking town with a football problem."So what if we won ugly?" - Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill CowherMore definitions of Pittsburgh from Urban Dictionary.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-50233487217247365812008-09-23T08:29:00.000-07:002008-09-23T08:35:29.313-07:00

It's pretty sad that the shock value of school shootings has worn off since Columbine. It's pretty sad when news stories about school shootings can include many grafs about past school shootings.What is with young people these days???? I'm afraid sometimes to let my kids out of the house.See the news video here.

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15739905.post-92021646645551677002008-09-20T22:13:00.000-07:002008-09-20T22:14:59.656-07:00

sirschyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183939784737966825noreply@blogger.com0