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Damien at Riley Central says, “Today I hereby unblog my mind with this post. One reason MANY of us writers get writer’s block is because we don’t nurture the things that give us joy. We spend too much time on the computer trying to write when we haven’t done anything worthy of writing about! To illustrate what makes me tick, and what gives me pure joy I am choosing 3 things I enjoy more than blogging and writing about them! Pick three things that enrapture, consume, fascinate, or otherwise enliven you more than blogging. Then write a few lines about each to explain what the nonblog activity does for you, why and how.”

Top 3 things I enjoy more than blogging:

1. Reading: I used to say ballet was my first love, but now, I don’t think so. I started to read when I was 3 and have never stopped. There is nothing that has the power to calm, teach, excite or motivate me like a good book. Not every piece of reading material has to be deep or meaningful, but I do like most of my reads to be educational in some way and/or fun. I know a lot of people don’t consider 19th century women’s brit lit fun, but I do!

2. Ballet: It’s hard for me to put into words the way dancing makes my heart sing (hehe). I love the music, the passion, the movement, the way I can feel the story I am watching or dancing. There’s nothing like it. I have really stayed away too long and it makes me very sad.

3. Traveling: I’m going to have to agree with Ebonymommy on this one. My mom has worked in the airline industry since she was 18 and so travel has always been a part of my life. I haven’t been to many places, but I’ve been to places that were cool enough to really open my eyes to the possibility of world travel. (Alaska is the most beautiful, besides St. Lucia, of course and London the best shopping so far.) My grandmother used to travel a lot as well and I loved seeing her pictures. With my aunt in Japan, with friends in Curaçao, it was really inspiring. I hope to check off every country on my “to visit” list and to add more as time goes by.

ZB lost the second front baby tooth. It’s been at least a week, but the tooth fairy has been busy. Hope she gets here tonight!

Bebe on the “horshie”. BTW, these were taken at the Fall Festival at the school a few weeks ago.

I don’t think you can tell, but Girlie had the biggest cheese grin on her face. She can’t wait to start taking riding lessons. (Probably next year)

This is right after he said to me: “You’re not a lady, you’re a mommy.” Thanks son, for confirming that I’m not a girl, no longer a woman, heh.

She tagged me and so…

Four Things About Me:

Jobs I’ve Had

1. Graphics Printing Company secretary

My first job! It was in a little office in Chinatown and was very fun.

2. Travel agency Gal Friday

This one was fun too, except for my slightly creepy boss. He tried to yell at me one time and I pulled the mom card b/c he knew my mother (it’s how I got the job). This was my first grown up job (on Madison Avenue no less) and I spent pretty much all my money going out and buying clothes. I made a very good friend there and I wish we were still in touch!

3. Jewelry sale clerk-Macy’s

Ugh, hated this job. You were supposed to prevent the customers from trying on the jewelry, but hardly anyone listened. Also, I got hit on a lot and then got accused of stealing. Whatever, Macy’s! As if!

4. Babysitter

My favorite charge was my “cousin” Kiki who I picked up, took to music lessons and helped with homework, etc. DH and I were dating at the time and he couldn’t stand DH stealing my affections from him, lol. The few times Luis was around, Kiki would ask dryly whether he was leaving yet.

Places I’ve Lived:
1. Brooklyn, NY
2. Castries, St. Lucia
3. Coral Springs, FL
4. Yeehawsville, TX
Foods I Love:
1. Greenfigs and saltfish
2. Roti
3. All sort of pasta
4. Fruits and veggies, yum!

Websites I visit

1. Google Reader (I get my news, weather, etc there too)
2. Gmail
3. Xanga
4. Flickr

Places I’d Rather Be
1. Tokyo, Japan (word)
2. Secret beach in Cap Estate, St. Lucia
3. Paris (visiting the sibs I’ve never met before)
4. Brooklyn, New York (of course)

Movies I Love
1. Grease
2. High School Musical (shutup)
3. Like Water for Chocolate
4. Lord of the Rings trilogy

TV Shows I Watch
1. Heroes
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. Brother and Sisters
4. Desperate Housewives

People I Tag:
Yo at Ebonymommy
Traci at The Fashionista and baby
My salsa at Trishshack’s life
Rashida at I Heart Linen

Kids are sick, but on the mend I think. Girlie with her non-strep streppy thing still. *eyeroll* She’s had so many wrong diagnosis (strep, rash, strep, rash, eczema, exactly like strep, but rash.) I’m pissed at all the time and money I’ve spent in her ped’s office and in the ER (really painful itching on her palms, soles of her feet, hives, etc) only to find out they didn’t really know what the heck was going on either. Then I find out ridiculous things like my insurance will only cover Zyrtec for a child two or under. I mean, w.t.f.?? I miss Tricare.

Why do we only have 5 spoons?? We probably have 20 butter knives, but somehow, our spoons have dwindled down to one for each family member. Mind you, all of them are from different sets of cutlery!

How is it possible to run out of so many basics at one time? This morning I had to buy bread, sugar, milk, eggs, and tissue.

My dog snores. It’s not cute.

I guess this is a bulleted list without the bullets.

I guess I should turn my computer on and put some pictures up here at some point, huh? We’ve been doing fun things when we aren’t itchy, stuffy, or sneezy.

I need to do some utilitarian sewing. We need placemats and I need some floor mats that won’t unravel like those cheapy woven rag rugs I love.

I finally scored some Bob the Builder DVDs at the library, woot! I’m Bebe’s new best friend.

I also got him a toddler bed in perfect condition for $5 at the little old lady thrift shop. Let’s see if he’ll actually sleep in it. I’m not ashamed to be a cosleeper (actually, the opposite). I’m just ready to have my bed back. I’m not ashamed that I’m still nursing him either. Just ready to have my b.reasts back.

I’m going to go make chocolate bread and fantasize about going antiquing in Paris while the kids watch Bob.

celebrating my 9th wedding anniversary.

bribing my kids to clean their rooms with promises of marble cake afterwards.

glad it is not too hot.

feeling guilty because I listened to A Prairie Home Companion while the radio station asked for listener support (money).

wondering if Girlie has allergies.

trying to figure out how to get silver sparkly nail polish off one of her dresses. (Thanks for that, ILs. :-/)

going to make a new tooth pillow for ZB. He lost a tooth two nights ago while he slept, and lost the pillow some time before.

dreaming of vacation.

going to see if I can’t find some more Elizabeth Gaskell in local libraries.

wishing the kids’ friend from down the street would stop freaking me out by running across the grass and peeking in my window before ringing the doorbell.

• October is a busier month than expected this year. To put it plainly, I’ve been off actually living life. Good and bad. And it feels great.
• It’s National Chocolate Cupcake Day.
• I heard that on the new Everyday Food show on Sirius. Ask Reesie, I only ever listen to Martha Stewart or Cosmo radio in the car, heh.
• I wish the weather would make up it’s mind!
• ZB is reading Freckle Juice for homework this week! And coincidentally, I’m reading this book.
• Girlie is better.
• Hub is so-so.
• I was finishing up that doll quilt…but ran out of thread…and apparently I bought it somewhere I don’t go often b/c calling/visiting three local quilt shops hasn’t enabled me to find it. (Mettler quilting cotton)
• My monitor died and so I’m sharing one with DH for the time being, part of the reason I am not blogging much.
• I got my anniversary gift early. Her name is Isabelle (and she needs a haircut..). She’s a year old Lhasa Apso (supposedly) mix. We call her Izzie (It’s the most adorable thing to hear Bebe say “Ishie”). But she isn’t named after that one. We’ve had her two days and she’s a perfect fit for our family. Love her. She’s making me a dog person. We have a 5 y/o golden, but he and I have never been…friends, lol. He’s loving enough, a spaz, but Izzie is different. I picked her out, I am responsible for her care, etc.
• I accomplished or will accomplish everything on my “to do” list this week including having lunch at school with both older kiddos.
• Except laundry. That is never ending.
• The reason I’ve been able to get so much done is b/c I cut down on two bad habits: tv and internet. Now, neither of these are really bad, but I do tend to get distracted or not sleep enough because of one or the other, so buhbye.
• I’ve been buying up books that the school library is discarding here and there for 50 cents each. My favorites so far are first (school) edition This is London, and The Red Fairy Book. Funny, I have wanted this Fairy collection for a long time and this is the second one to fall into my lap super cheap. I’m going to a book sale Saturday, so who knows what else I might find!
• On that note, I have thought of maybe starting a little children’s bookselling business on ebay, but I dunno.
• There’s an antique store not far from me that is going out of business. Boy, oh boy the gems I have picked up. Lots of handmade, hand embroidered linens. And pyrex and glassbake, to aid me in my deplasticization (real word? used correctly? who knows?!) of my kitchen!
• I’m bored with my hair.
• I need an external hard drive. My computer is soooo slow b/c I have about 3 years worth of photos on it. I know, I know. Anyway, any suggestions for an “inexpensive” one?
• The title of this post has nothing to do with anything. It just cracks me up.

5 minutes to type this

4 kinds of medicine

3 missed days of school

2 doctors visits

1 busy mama

Girlie has an unidentified illness (maybe strep) and DH has carpal tunnel and arthritis in one hand. I hope they are mostly better next week. That is all.

…and it was fun.

Darlin’: Friday was Crazy Hat Day at the kids’ school. Bebe got wind of it and of course, wanted to don his own “crazy hat”.

Dancing: We went to our favorite local park Saturday night and there was a concert going on! A little bit of country, a little kids music, a little R&B. It was cool.

Dots on my dress: I spent a good part of Saturday watching the kids ride, skate, and run on our block. They even let me sit down sometimes. This is me sitting.

Daring: I challenged myself to spend less time online this weekend so I could get more done around the house. And I did it!

Dana Milena: That’s the name of Girlie’s first (new) cabbage patch doll. (A gift from her god/dess mother)

Dragged her: That’s what Teresa claimed I did in order to get her to go to the little old lady thrift shop last week. I didn’t see her complaining when she got 5 books for Tristan for 50 cents. (Oh, we must organize game night Reesie, the kids are asking.)

Dream: I had the strangest one. I wanted to participate in some kind of highbrow art show and went to audition with my friend who was a painter. IRL, this friend doesn’t paint…and died two years ago. Anyway, her art was accepted into the show and all I had with me were some hokey embroidered onesies. The girls giving the audition tried to let me down gently by telling me that maybe I should sell my stuff at a craft bazaar. Ouch. I think I know why I had this dream though. I’d really like to step my handbag sewing up and make more structured bags. Learn proper handbag construction, etc. BUT, I am also afraid to try something new and fail. It’s kind of silly as it’s only fabric, thread and handwork, but there you have it. :-/