Learn About Me Challenge - Day Four

Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have.

Well, that's an easy one. I wish I didn't smoke. It's a habit that is not only unhealthy, but causes discoloration of teeth, ruins your sense of smell and taste, and makes you brave the heat of outdoors when a building is smoke-free.
It's an inconvenient habit, and wastes money. Smoking doesn't do anything that you couldn't do by other means. Stress-reducer? Use a different tactic. Squeeze a ball, take deep breaths. Something to do instead of eat? Chew gum... drink a glass of water... take a walk.

Yeah, I really need to lose this habit. It's expensive :o

Another habit is the computer. I really need to learn to cut back on the time I spend on the computer.

Learn About Me Challenge - Day Three

Day 03 - A picture of you and your friends.

Wow, so I don't have many friends, and I don't get to see them often. So I'll have to come up with something for this...





So my best friends in all the world are my sisters, so I have a picture of all of us together, taken a few years ago. One of them is no longer with us, and sometimes things are tense with another...but in all, we love each other and only want the best for each of us.

On a side note/thought... I absolutely love the way I look in this picture, and hope to get back down to that weight. :p

Learn About Me Challenge - Day Two

Day 02 - The meaning behind your Tumblr name.

Okay, so yeah, I got this list off a site on Tumblr. I don't have a Tumblr name, so I'll explain some common usernames I use.

Superscreen - Well, my last name is Screen, and I wanted the username to be a bit ambiguous, so I added the super to the front so it's not immediately obvious that Screen is my actual name.

Riddlemethis77 - I use this one on a couple of different sites. I came up with this one about 9 or 10 years ago. This one is inspired by an old TV show that only ran 2 seasons, called SOF: Soldier of Fortune (1st season) or SOF: Special Ops Force (2nd season) There was one character on that show I really like, and his character name was Benny Ray Riddle. So I used the name Riddle, and then added the methis part inspired by Batman "riddle me this, riddle me that" and of course, the 77 is my birth year.

Oh, and yeah, so I forgot to post this yesterday, but it was a busy day. I'll go ahead and post day 3 today too...

Learn About Me Challenge - Day One

A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.

Taken just this morning...not very flattering, but there you go.

Now for the 15 interesting facts.

1. I love to read. I read the Twilight saga (4 books) in just 2 days. I read paragraphs at a time, not sentences, or words at a time. I still retain what I read and understand the book. I've been able to read this fast since way back in grade school.

2. I loved giving book reports in grade school. Unless it was for the Reading Challenge, where for some reason I never did as many reports as normal. I guess I didn't like being told I had to read.

3. I can whistle. Not just loud annoying whistles, but actual tunes. I love to whistle. My dad used to say "A whistling girl and a crowing hen, are bound to come to some bad end." I would retort with "A whistling girl and a merino sheep are the best property a farmer can keep."

4. I like random sayings. The more random the better. Things to make you go... huh?

5. An IQ test I took in 7th grade was 4 points below genius. Genius IQ is 145. I tested at 141. I have since taken some online versions of the IQ test and scored a 157.

6. I don't know everything, and I'm quick to admit it. But not until after first making something up to answer your question. Most of the time it sounds plausible.

7. I must be either insane, or more patient than I ever thought. I watch 8 kids all day during the summer. Looking forward to school starting tomorrow :)

8. I have 2 children. My son is a miniature version of my husband. My daughter is a miniature version of myself.

9. I love to draw. I'm fairly decent at it. Check me out on Elfwood.

10. I hate cleaning, but love seeing instant results. Things like mopping, and using a floor finish for extra shine... Ironing... Shampooing carpet... Dusting... Cleaning mirrors and glass doors... Painting...

11. Speaking of painting... I plan on painting a mural on my children's bedroom walls. Dinosaurs for my son, and unicorns, rainbows, and flowers for my daughter. I'll have to take a picture of that when I'm done.

12. I usually draw a blank on #12 when making a list. I guess that's an interesting fact by itself :p

13. I don't think of 13 as an unlucky number. Not even if it's a Friday. I'm not superstitious about many things. But the knife one I believe. If someone hands you a knife, you return it to them the same way: Open or Closed, as they handed it to you.

14. I hate the words "Shut Up". They sound rude. Use "Be Quiet" or "Hush" instead.

15. E-NUN-CI-ATE!! I can't stand it when people mumble, or smear their words together. Speak clearly! If I can't understand what you're saying, I will most likely ignore you, or just smile and nod blankly.

I could keep going...now I'm on a roll. But 15 it asked for, and 15 you got. So be happy. :p

Here I come to save the day!.....yeah....

So... long time, no see!
Not been up to much... well, actually there was a time there a LOT was going on...but that's another story for a different day.

Found something online that was kind of a neat idea, and thought I'd give it a try. Basically, it's a 30 day challenge to post something every day, and it has a list of specific things to post.

So here's the list:

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.

Day 02- The meaning behind your Tumblr name.

Day 03- A picture of you and your friends.

Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have.

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to.

Day06- Favorite super hero and why.

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why?

Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days.

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad.

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends.

Day 12- How you found out about Tumblr and why you made one.

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Day 14- A picture of you and your family.

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play.

Day 16- Another picture of yourself.

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why.

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have.

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them?

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future.

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy.

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else?

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot.

Day 24- A letter to your parents.

Day 25- What I would find in your bag?

Day 26- What you think about your friends?

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge?

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned?

Day 30- Who are you?

And now it's up to me to actually post something every day. I'll start tomorrow :p

Moving in May

So yeah, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. But you see, I can explain.

FlyLady promotes "Moving in May" as a way to establish the habit of exercise. To fit in with this, she is going to do a tour to every country that her flybabies are from.

Well, one member thought a great idea to help her on her "tour" would be to take a picture of our "guest-ready rooms" and photoshop FlyLady into them, to make it seem like she was visiting each one of us.

So to take part in this "virtual tour", my sister and I have challenged ourselves to clean up our worst rooms to prepare for her visit. I have chosen the guest room downstairs. It's pretty bad.

Here's some "Before" Pictures...


This one is a view looking straight in from the doorway.


This one is looking to the left from the doorway.


And this one is a view of the closet (as close as I could get to it)

So I have another reason to get this room cleaned up. Randall's daughter will be coming down to stay with us for the summer, and that's the room she'll be staying in. So ... yeah... it needs some work.

But at least we are thinking about this in time to give us plenty of elbow room to get it ready for the visit (both FlyLady and Randall's daughter)

I don't plan on waiting until the last minute, I want to work on it a bit every day so I don't stress out about it. Maybe if I have time, I will also work on other areas, like the hallway, and the "pantry" area. They are both badly cluttered as well.

But anyway...it's late, and I'm tired. So I'm done blogging for awhile and off to get the kids settled into bed. Just glad there is no school tomorrow.

Saturday Woes...

So it's a Saturday morning. I was wanting to go shopping, pick out some clothes at Goodwill. But no, I'm stuck with extra kids... again. Love how I can't make plans anymore.

And to start my day off on the right note, Randall calls to say he hit a deer. I have visions of venison dancing in my head. But he didn't kill it, he says. And he didn't want a repeat of his last episode with a deer struck down on the road. Oh, you don't know that story? Well, it bears telling ;)

So we are headed to work on morning (this is when he worked in Troy, TN, for American Barn Company. It's still dark out, very early in the morning. We see this deer, young, maybe half-grown to adulthood, just laying down in the left land of the highway (4 lane divided highway). So he's thinking "MEAT!!" We turn around in the next illegal u-turn opportunity, head back past where the deer was, make yet another illegal u-turn, and head back. We get in the left lane and start crawling down, looking for this deer. There it is, still laying down. He asks "Where's my knife?" I look around futilely, but can't find it. "Well, I'll just grab it and snap it's neck" he says, a little disappointed that he can't finish it quickly with a knife.
So we are now parked on the highway, headlights illuminating this deer. He's looking at us with a "Now what are these idiots up to?" look on his face.
Randall gets out of the truck, leaving the door open and walks quietly, carefully, to the front of the truck. The deer by now realizes that something is wrong, and stands up.
So any sane person would give up. Obviously this deer is just not that hurt. But not Randall. He's nothing if not persistent. So he jumps at the deer, and grabs it around the neck. This deer acts like he's been shocked with a thousand volts. It stands straight up on his hind legs, and comes crashing back down, one sharp hoof landing right on Randall's knee, bending it sideways and backwards. Of course, this allows the deer a chance to escape. But apparently it's not quite aware of the danger he's in, because he just ambles slowly down beside the truck, passing right under my window from where I have a great view of the action.
Randall limps back to the truck door, and keeps going to the back of the truck, hoping to still catch this deer.
By now, the pain from his damaged knee is starting to fully reach my poor husband's brain, and he realizes that he can't walk anymore. So he grinds his teeth in frustration (slight embellishment, as I couldn't actually hear the grinding noise) as the deer slowly makes it way across the road and climbs up the bank.
Once the deer is out of sight, and Randall has still not come back to the door, I start to wonder if he's okay. But about the time I decide to go looking for him, he finally manages to drag his mangled body back into the truck. I wisely keep my mouth shut as he puts the truck in gear and we head on down the road. (He limped for a week afterwards)
So yeah, in view of that particular wrestling match, I could understand why he didn't want to tackle a full-grown doe this morning. I applaud his decision.

Okay, now to change the subject...
Last weekend, I was in Allen Park, Michigan. Why? Well, if it's that interesting, I'll share my reason... It was Easter Weekend, the kids were on Spring Break, and I wanted to see my sister.
Reason enough, right?
So anyway... I go up to visit my sister and her family. I left Randall at home because he doesn't like to miss the comfort of his own bed. Took both my kids, plus my niece, Heavan. Went up with my other sister, Angelia, and her two boys, and my Mom. We took two cars. I drove a rental, a nice little Chevy Cobalt. Surprisingly, the car was NOT blue, it was black, but I digress.

We went shopping, and shopping, and shopping. And for me, that's actually sort of amazing. Because I'm not a shopper. But I had SOOOO much fun. I love the stores up there. Well, probably because they have so many dollar stores, and thrift stores, second-hand clothing and all that. Plus, it's just too fun to go shopping with my sisters. We get to acting a little crazy, but I swear we weren't drinking! At least, not that time. ;)

Should I post a few pictures?
Ok, here we go...


This is my sister's house. Nothing remarkable, just a cookie-cutter house like all the rest on the street. Just wanted to let you know where we were ;)



A view looking out at the street from her house. See what a "ghetto" neighborhood it is? LOL. Oh look, there's my rental car, the black one there. That car had some serious "get-up-and-go", very fun to drive :D



This one is part of the little Easter Egg Hunt we had. The two youngest (this one is Alyssa) had a chance to hunt on their own in the front yard. We let the older ones have a free-for-all in the back yard, with all the dog poo. >:)



Here's Jacob looking serious as he hunts for more eggs on his half of the lawn.



Here's the three oldest kids. My niece Heavan, niece Amber, and nephew Cody, playing on the computer and generally goofing off.


Kia (Becca's dog) had puppies a few weeks before we came to visit. My daughter Alyssa was absolutely fascinated with them. In this particular shot, she was petting the blonde one when she was suddenly distracted by "He's getting my butt!"


Okay, now this one takes a bit of explaining. While shopping with my sisters, I was completely overtaken with an impulse buy of this little Garden Gnome. He's the travelocity Roamin' Gnome. Well, we decided he will officially become my traveling mascot. So of course, I had to give him a name. I decided to call him Bo, because I always liked Bo better than Roman. LOL. See if you can figure out what obscure reference THAT is ;)

Well, I guess I've rambled enough for now. More later :)

Cleaning has its rewards

No, really. I'm talking about a real reward!

You see, I saw this post the other day on the FlyLady Forums, about a woman who was keeping a marble jar for herself. The idea behind a marble jar is normally for kids. For each chore done, they get to place a marble in the jar. Once the jar is full, they get a reward. So this woman had adapted the idea for herself. For each routine that she gets completed, she gets a marble. She also gets a marble for any weekly goal that she finishes.

So here's my "marble jar".


So I have a morning routine, that begins as soon as I wake up. It ends when I put the kids on the bus for school. Of course, parts of it will not work on weekends, such as getting the kids on the bus, or hubby off to work, since those things don't happen :p

The catch is, I have to do ALL of the items in the routine to be able to put a marble in my jar. Okay, so they aren't marbles, they are glass pebble things I found while decluttering, and the "jar" is a votive candle holder, but the principle still works.

I put this into practice this morning, and have already earned 2 marbles, and am working on the 3rd. Just need to clear a hot spot and work 15 minutes Zone Cleaning.

Once my jar is full, I get to take $5 for myself. I can blow it on whatever I want, or save it to blow on something bigger ;)

So yes, cleaning DOES have its rewards :)

Procrastination has Consequences

So I'm on the phone talking to my sister about the FlyLady Crisis Cleaning segment on BlogTalkRadio. I had just finished mentioning to her about how I kept putting off washing the pots and pans. I would wash cups/glasses, plates, bowls, utensils, but would always find an excuse to stop before the pots and pans. So needless to say, they were all dirty, still waiting to be washed.

While talking to my sister on the phone, I hear a noise from the kitchen, so I go in there to investigate. Nobody's in there. Alyssa? I'd thought my little girl was playing in there. Then I see a cabinet door move. I open the door, and there she is, hiding in the cabinet where the pots and pans belong. Of course there's plenty of room in there for her to play, because all of the pots and pans are on the counter, still dirty, still waiting to be washed.

Here's a pic I snapped of her playing in the cabinet.


Okay, so now I need to go wash those pots and pans. I think my procrastination has gone on long enough, and I need to do something about it.

Flylady Musings

It's funny when you look back and begin to realize exactly how much influence a person has had on your life. Marla Cilley, aka the FlyLady, has had a tremendous impact on the way I clean my house. Even when I start to think that I've "fallen off the wagon", I just stop and remember that I can jump back on at any time. No catching up, just jump back in.

A short list off the top of my head of what FlyLady has taught me.

You can do anything 15 minutes at a time.
Even housework done incorrectly blesses the home.
My house didn't get dirty overnight, so don't expect it to be clean overnight.
Babysteps and Routines are important!
Do It Now!
My before bed routine prepares me for the day.

There are tons of other things that I've taken to heart, but those are a few of the important (to me) ones.

Wow, I'm up really early on a Saturday morning. And I haven't even done my Morning Routine.
Okay, part of it is done, because technically, getting Randall ready for work and out the door is part of my "Morning Routine", but there remains a few things to be done. Make the bed. Swish and Swipe. Start a load of laundry. Feed the dog. Eat breakfast.

Oh well, Farmville is calling, so I'll start on all that later.
Laters!

Flying High

So I went to the Western Kentucky Women's Convention, last Saturday. The FlyLady was there. It was so awesome to listen to her talk, and give us tips, and pointers for life. Not only for cleaning your house, but for living a healthier life. Leanne Ely, the Dinner Diva gave talks about how to work nutrition into your meals and still keep a budget, and taste good, too.

It has motivated me to again start FLYing in my life at home. Being a stay-at-home mom has some drawbacks, but the biggest joy is knowing that >I< am raising my children.

I'll try to keep things updated on how well I'm doing with the house, and the children. ;) So stay tuned.

Moving again

Looks like it is that time again. Time to move out of this dump. I can say with absolute certainty that I hate packing. :p

But maybe this time will be the end of moves for us for awhile. One can dream, right?

Found a new addiction on the web. Well, not really new. Neopets. Check it out!
Neopets.com

Look me up if you go. Let me know how you found the place and all. ;)

Yay, finally some pictures

I thought I'd upload a few pictures of the family.
This first picture is a group photo of my husbands side of the family. Starting on the top row of faces on the left:

Randall's (middle) brother Josh, holding his son, Michael Gene. Lucas's wife Shari holding her new baby Makayla. Lucas, (Randall's youngest brother), Randall's mother, Pam, myself, holding my new baby, Alyssa, my husband, Randall.

Bottom row:

Josh's oldest son Hunter, Lucas's oldest son Ethan, My oldest son, Jacob.

This next picture is one of my husband with his daughter, Kaytlynn, and son Jacob on the horse.

The Last Mimzy

I just bought this DVD, and it was a great movie. Then I went to the official website for it and found a few fun things to do.

FastAccess DSL

Yay!! I finally got DSL. Yes, I was stumbling along with regular old dial-up internet but today, I finally got my DSL modem and installed it and it is wonderful! I'll never go back!..!...!...

On to other things. I really wish I had a digital camera. I would upload so many pictures on here.
My son went swimming with his daddy and stepsister the other day. DH said it took him about an hour to coax him into the water but then once he was in, he wouldn't get out. Almost fell asleep in the pool playing so hard. He's only 3.
Speaking of the stepsister. She lives in Ohio, but is visiting us here in Kentucky for 10 days. DH hardly gets to see her because she lives so far away. It is a 7 hour drive from our house to hers. So we love any time we get to spend with her. She is 11. Wish I had some pictures to post.

My baby girl is 4 1/2 months old. Finally putting cereal in her bottle at night and last night she slept 10 hours because of it. Wow. I was really able to catch up on my sleep. Speaking of which, I really need to get to bed.
Bye!

It's Me Again, Margaret...

Here it is, late at night, and I'm still awake!! I can't seem to go to bed at a decent time anymore.

My baby girl is now 4 months old. She should be turning over and making distinguishable sounds but she isn't. Of course, I know, all babies develop at their own rate. And I have to keep in mind that she was about 3-4 weeks early, so these milestones will come later. But she's definitely getting more active. She plays with her rattle now for several minutes at a time before dropping it. She laughs and smiles at me whenever I stop to talk to her. She stays awake more during the day. She's trying her voice out, just not quite making good sounds, even though I swear I heard her say mama earlier today, although that was probably just wishful thinking.

Right now I'm watching Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. This is hilarious. I've always liked her comedy and this show is really tickling my funny bone. :-)

Can't wait for tomorrow night's new installment of Top Chef: Miami. Of course, I know I'll Have to wait, but I don't wanna!! I like that show. :-P

Well, that's all for now.

'Nite, 'nite..

Long time, no see...

Wow... It's been awhile since I posted anything here. Too much else to do with a brand new little baby!!

Well, let's get you caught up on a few things that have happened...

My dad's dog, Penny, died last week. I went over to help bury her in the back part of the yard, under the weeping willow tree. She lived 9 long full years, and passed peacefully in her sleep. Gotta be one of the best ways to go... I hope I'm so lucky.

My little boy is finally (mostly) potty-trained!! Yay... I thought he was going to be in diapers/pull-ups forever!! He finally decided one day that he was going to wear big boy underwear, and that meant he had to use the potty. We still have a few accidents every once in a while, usually when he's busy playing outside and doesn't want to stop to come in until it's too late. :-)

Also, been doing a lot of yard work at my parent's house. (With help from sister, Tammy) We've planted four trees, a plot of marigolds, I mowed the yard for my dad, as he just didn't feel up to it this week. Still need to do some more landscaping, plan on making a little patio area down between the retainer walls outside the basement door, and setting up the patio table and chairs, with umbrella, and planting a small flower garden. Also need to hang flower boxes on front porch and finish cleaning off back porch.

As for my house, I finally got around to taking down the garland and christmas lights from the front porch. Isn't that awful?!? Need to find someone with a trailer I can borrow to get rid of some junk from the yard. Also really wanting to do a little planting around the front porch. Is it too late in the year to try to grow plants?? Maybe if I get something already started and blooming.. hmmm..

I know I'm just renting here, but the place looks so bare, and devoid of personality... I want to do something to liven it up. Maybe I'll actually get around to posting some pics of it, too.

Housecleaning, Yay!!

Well, I've always been challenged by keeping my house clean... So I thought one day I'd look up motivation for cleaning on the internet. I found FlyLady. www.flylady.net

FlyLady is great. Since finding this site, and reading her tips, I've actually kept my house cleaner longer!! I suggest everyone who finds housework to be a challenge to go here and use her tips.

I'm a FlyBaby now... FLYing in KY!! That's me!! Ha Ha Ha...

It's all simple routines, and just 15 minutes at a time. Very handy now that I'm pregnant and seem to have NO ENERGY!! Yuggy... Sometimes....

Love being pregnant, though. Love it... This little girl kicks the crap out of me all the time though. I wonder if she even sleeps! I think she's going to be very energetic once she's born. Yay, just what I need. TWO kids to run after. Shouldn't have to worry about losing those extra pounds! I'll work them off just taking care of the kids!! LOL.

Speaking of housecleaning.... I've got some work to do this morning. I've just woken up, but at least I've already made my bed. Mainly as a deterrent from getting back in!! Ha ha. Now I need to get dressed, finish my cup of coffe, make some tea, maybe clean a little in my boy's room. That's my project for November!! Get that room clean and organized. He's got WAY too many toys. Poor thing! I don't think he even plays with them all, just likes to pull them out of the toy box and scatter them everywhere!! More cleaning for Mommy, YAY!! (Yes, that was a bit sarcastic!)

Then, it's over to Dad's house to clean there in prep for my Mom coming home from the boat. I'd like for her to be able to walk into a clean house. Makes things so much less stressful for Dad.

Well... Got lots to do, so I better get off here and get busy!!

Poker Night with the Boys

Well, my husband has gotten into the habit of playing poker several nights of the week with the guys who work for him. They sit around the kitchen table drinking, smoking, and throwing the cards. I don't mind letting him play, as long as he keeps an eye on how much he is losing.

Tonight... I got in on the game. I won $1.25 by the time it was over. Not bad... My husband broke even, with one guy owing him about $20. Another guy went home with his whole paycheck gone. Sucks for him, especially since he told his girlfriend that he had gotten paid that day, and was still working. So now he'll be going home with no paycheck, and the lie on his conscience about working when he was actually sitting playing poker with the guys.

I actually had fun. I was ready to quit once I'd lost my original $10 that I started with, but hubby kept loaning me money so I could keep playing. I ended up winning back all my money. Not too bad for a first-timer, huh? :-)

So now I'm sitting here on the computer, writing this blog, while my husband is snoring away on the couch. I'm snacking on some great little things. Saltine crackers spread with peanut butter, with a big marshmallow cut in half on top. Stick 'em in the toaster oven and let the marshmallows get browned and there's a handy snack. Love these little things.

Oh, had a Yard Sale this past weekend. Made about $70 on that. Not too bad, considering we didn't have very many customers, and all I was selling was junk I didn't want anymore. Of course, my eldest sister was there, and she bought about $30 worth herself of my stuff, but hey, money is money, right?

Going to do the yard sale thing again this Saturday, and then go to the Civil War days in Columbus Park. They always have this big civil war reenactment the second weekend of October down there. Pretty interesting, really. Maybe I'll get some pictures and post them.

Later!!

Another Late Night

Well, I sprained my foot last Sunday morning. I got up to turn off the alarm clock, and stood wrong on my foot which was numb/asleep. Down I went. Being 5 1/2 months pregnant, this was cause for quite a bit of concern, but luckily, I landed on only my foot. Not so luckily for my foot...

Today, I was walking all over the place. It seemed that way, anyway. I'm tired, my foot/ankle/leg aches. It is still sore and has a rather remarkable bruise all down one side of it.

Me being doctor-shy, I haven't been to the hospital with it. I think it will be okay, though. Just a little sore, no real sharp pains or anything. Now, if I can only keep my 2 year old off my foot things will be great! :-)

Can't sleep, though. Seems like I have insomnia most nights now. Looking at baby names... My husband is fond of a name that I can't find a spelling for. Guess I need to keep looking... It's a pretty name, though. It's growing on me.

Guess I'll knock off for now and try to get some sleep.

Later all...