Calmer Sunday

This is what I woke up to this morning - yes, I was actually up, on a weekend, before my little guy. Heaven...

The fog in the photo is over the river - this is actually a pretty typical fall morning for us. The sun was just about to peek over the foot hills. Gorgeous.

Later I had to neb my little guy, he has asthma and is just getting over a cold. We were still in our pajamas. I thought this was a cool shot - you can see he is laying in my lap with his feet crossed just like mine. Too cute!! Neb time is snuggle time so my husband and I sometimes "fight" for who gets to do the neb treatment. And Thomas is always very content as long as Baby Beethoven, and only that show, is playing. We are SO tired of that video!!!

Aside from playing with our little guy and watching "Blade Runner" and "Terminator 2" we did little else - much needed after a busy Saturday. Back to the grind tomorrow...

Wirlwind Weekend

So much going on - Saturday was busy, busy, busy.

First, my in-laws came over and brought Aunt Phyllis with them. What a nice visit! She is my father-in-law's younger sister. As you can see Thomas had a fun time meeting his Great-Aunt.

Then we went to a kids Halloween/Pumpkin Carving Party at a mom friend's place. Again, lots of fun.

Mom friends and their babies (puppy and chic)

T Rex hiding in the shadows!

Thomas and the baby chic had shed some, if not all, their costumes by this point!


Video of a toy at the party - it was either thrilling or scary - isn't that what Halloween is all about?!?

Lastly, the gang came over for gaming night - D&D. I was running the campaign - a variation on the theme of "Mirror, Mirror Universe". It was agreed by all that we had a good time! Here are a few shots from the evening:

D&D Gang in serious gaming mode - "What's the situation, Captain?" (Note the jar of M&Ms on the floor in the bottom left of the photo)


The MUV with the party inside has just been attacked by revolutionary clay Lawn Gnomes - "Beware the Destroyers!"


DM for the night - Jenn aka Evil Mistress Eve (red eye left on intentionally to make me look that much scarier!)

"Tom Legion" on the left and "Mul-Dur" on the right taking a break during the gaming session. (Note the handful of M&Ms - a staple when gaming!)

"Cas" on the left and "Thor" on the right - it appears to be obvious, at least to me, who the neutral druid is and who the fighting dwarf is!


"Nimue" the Witch - "Hey, I died thrice"

All in all, a great day! Thanks to all the friends and family who made it such a happy and memorable day! I love you all..

Crossover Episode

Today my blog and my mom friend Caitlin's blog crossover. We recently had a chance to spend some time together with our other Mom friend as well as let the babies play too. She has some excellent photos on her blog: It's Spelled C-A-I-T-L-I-N.

I think one of the funniest moments was trying to get a semi-posed photo of the babies - it was SO much easier when they were non-mobile.

Caitlin spread out puffs on the table and our other Mom friend made funny faces and sounds to get them to smile.

Here's the video of us trying to capture that perfect shot!

And the finished product...

Idaho Officially in a Recession

Idaho, like 23 other states, is officially in a recession. I am thanking God that both my husband and I still have jobs. Home foreclosures are up in Idaho 130%. Health and Welfare reports they are receiving 100 applications a day for food stamps, many from people who have never requested assistance before.

When I was in a pediatric office working yesterday, one of the nurses said that several Micron moms had called in checking to see if they accept Medicaid because they were just laid off. Then when I picked Thomas up from daycare yesterday the teacher told me two of the babies were leaving the class because their parents had been laid off from Micron.

Even I have been finding myself doing less shopping for groceries or toiletries. I consider myself to be an excellent consumer but in these tough economic times, I find I don't want to spend for fear of what the future brings.

There has been so much talk about another economic stimulus package. When we were on our walk, my husband and I discussed this. Where is the money coming from? Either the US Treasury is printing money or it's being borrowed from China. Now why would China lend us so much money. They're going to end up owning our country. Not to mention, I do not feel right taking money from a Communist state - what does that say about our Democratic nation?

The situation is, of course, more complex than that. China has a vested interest in why they would want to loan us their money. We are their number one consumer. If we don't have money to spend on their products, then their economy collapses too.

I was glad to hear Representative Simpson opposes this new stimulus package. I don't want China's money and I don't want the Treasury Department to "create" the money - it just devalues what money I currently do have.

What I do want to see are more jobs being created here on US soil and less being sent over-seas. This way, Thomas' friends are not leaving daycare and being relocated with their parents because of cut-backs and lay offs.

These are tough economic times. Not entirely sure if I want to see what a Democratic House, a Democratic supramajority Senate, and a Democratic President will do with this situation. These are the considerations we face as Election Day approaches.

Incredible Video Footage

A police officer friend e-mailed this to me today. WOW!!!

(When T-Rex starts to act up in his teen years, we'll be having his Uncle, this friend, take him on some strategic police ride-alongs and visits to juvenile hall!)

Per my friend: This is the ACTUAL audio and video from a San Diego PD helicopter on a vehicle pursuit that went to foot pursuit.

The video is in infra-red because it was filmed at night from a helicopter but you can still see what happened to the person. That's the disclaimer.

(You can so clearly see the people's images as well as the dog's! Amazing technology.)

Check it out...

BlackBerry Visit

Today I ran out for a quick visit with BlackBerry. Wow! I was not prepared for the cold wind. I was thinking of going for a quick ride but I was way too cold. So, I let her out for some free time, groomed her (she had her feet trimmed yesterday so I admired her pedicure!), and gave her some grain. Here are the highlights.

Enjoy!

Before grooming (note the temporary shelter in the background for use until new barn is built complete with port-a-potty)

This is why she needed a grooming! She was very curious about the camera so she came right up to it. That's why I cut the video off. See how Dusty it is? Hence the name "Dusty Acres". And you can hear how windy it was. Cold...


This is the construction of the new barn - it's going to be VERY nice. BlackBerry already has her stall reserved!

After grooming - note all the braids. Also, if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will see the two new barn kittens playing just past BlackBerry's shadow - they're really cute!


Grain Time!!!

"Tipping Point"

Today I spent four hours in the car driving for work - as a pharmaceutical rep in a largely rural state my job often involves lots of driving. I don't think many people realize how large Idaho is - it's the fifth largest state.

Since I often do not get a lot of time for reading having a young and very active child, I listen to books on CD while driving - some work related and some not. Last week I finished listening to "The Hobbit". This week I finished "Tipping Point" by Malcom Gladwell.

Have you ever wondered why sudden and unexpected changes happen - why a book might become a best seller or why shows like Sesame Street are successful? Well, this book breaks it down. I found it to be a decent assessment based on some anthropological theories. "Tipping point" refers to the point at which something moves from mediocre to sensation. In my job I'm trying to move from mediocre sales results to sensational. Is there something I can do with the way that I present things to achieve that sensation?

Basically in a nut shell - the book is an examination of the social epidemics that surround as.

What I liked most about the book - it demonstrates to me that I, too, can make a difference. It is possible for one person to start a positive social epidemic that permeates enough to evoke change.

Now the question is, what kind of epidemic would I like to start and how am I going to go about doing so? I'm currently taking suggestions. I guess we'll have to see what I come up with...

In the mean time, for more information, here is the author's website:

http://www.gladwell.com

And you can read directly from the book if you would like:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B001G60FSO/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Saturday's Nap

This is what I did during T-Rex's afternoon nap today...

(Many of you will be seeing the real thing in person - they will be in the mail Monday morning!)

I finished the birthday invitations I've been working on for a few weeks now. I found some really awesome invitations online but they were $25 for eight. Since I needed thirty, I just could not justify spending $75. So, with some left-over scrap booking pieces, this is what I came up with.

These are the baby shower invitations I pulled together very quickly since the birthday invitations took a little longer to finish up than expected. For these I took card stock paper and put scrapbook stickers for ornamentation. The lettering I did on the computer, printed, and used decorative scissors to cut out.

This week's allergy shot photo

This is the photo of the hive from one of yesterday's allergy shots.

(That's a quarter for comparison.)

Two week's ago I had a systemic reaction to my allergy shot - not fun (tongue swelling, difficulty breathing or bronchoconstriction). After a shot of epinephrine, benadryl antihistamine, and an albuterol (Xopenex) nebulizer breathing treatment, I was significantly improved. Since then, my very excellent physician has adjusted my meds so I can continue, at a slower pace, my immunotherapy.

My goal is to get through all these shots so I can get off the pharmacy of drugs I take to control my allergies. In a way, immunotherapy is an option for anyone who does not like taking medications for allergies. It does take time and commitment. In my case, I go once or twice a week for shots (I have to get two shots each visit - one in each arm - because I have so many allergies). At this rate I will achieve maintenance levels within 6 months. Then I will only have to go once a month. Then it is once a month for four to six years. However, I think the benefits definitely out-weigh the risks and hassle. And the shots really are not that bad - aside from the giant hives!

Oh well, after 36 hours of labor with my son, this is a piece of cake!

My Halloween Costume

One of my favorite holidays is Halloween. Maybe because I used to get the day off of school when I was a kid because I lived in Nevada and it was Nevada day, or maybe it was because I got to wear a costume to school. Regardless, I love the holiday and I love to dress up.

Generally I will sew my own costume. And this year was no exception. The theme - 1950's. When I was around age ten I became obsessed with 1950's music and style. Maybe because it was such a happy prosperous time for our country or maybe I had a thing for Ricky Nelson (still do!).

Side note for anyone who is curious about this Ricky Nelson guy - two of my favorite songs he performed. One from the beginning of his career and one from the end. Note, the second, "Garden Party," makes reference to the first, "Hello, Mary-Lou."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLkCWT2neuI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_exY9ptMbA

Here are some photos of the finished product. I sewed the skirt, petty coat, and belt. I have a red scarf and white blouse to go with it. When we attend our Halloween party this year I will make sure to take lots of photos. In the mean time, these will have to do.

About me...

So, I am the mother of a 10-month old.

You can read all about him and his adventures on his blog:
http://trextales.blogspot.com/

When I am not at home playing with my son or spending time with my husband, I am either at work, riding my horse, or working on the various hobbies I enjoy.

Here are my two guys:

This is where I live:

This is my family:

This is BlackBerry (and the little girl who leased her this past summer while I was busy being a new mom):

One of the few photos of the three of us: