Mama's Losing It! Writing Prompts: "4.) Your pets least likable character trait."

We don't really keep pets in this household. For various reasons...

I have an issue with hair.  With myself and three girls having long blond hair (so some of us lighten it, big whoop...) and the hair falling out whenever and wherever, I really can't handle all of the hair around the house (and neither can my vacuum).  So, enter a cat or dog... Simply ick.  Don't get me wrong... I love animals, I would just have a massive coronary if hair floated into my kitchen or food or my craft room. (I use glue/adhesives and fluffy hair-attracting fabrics all the time.) I don't believe animal hair would be an additive that would be well-received.

I also have an issue with feces, POOP, that is.  It was hard enough for me to change children's diapers. I am a total gagger (if that even is a word), and the sight and/or smell of crap - no matter the source - sends me into fits of involuntarily air-vomiting. Another ick. So, simply put... You KNOW the kids aren't going to clean up after a pet (no matter how much they lead you to believe the contrary). Sure, they might do okay for a couple of days or even a week, but after that? Mom ends up picking up the slack, or someone steps in it, and then it is everywhere, including inside your house, on the carpet, etc.

And so... with all of my "issues"... We have fish.  We had a pretty full tank. And then they started dying... or so I thought. (This leads into the writing prompt... hee, hee!) We currently have two fish. And I'm not getting any more (until these two either die off or kill each other). Why? Because the other fish didn't die of their own accord... they were killed, and some were partially eaten! So... that being said, my pets' least likable character trait is... CANNIBALISM! Another ick to add to my issues.

These fish are African Cichlids. Ok, okay, alright... I know they are aggressive fish. BUT, I was told (by "experts" trying to sell me fish) that they are 1) territorial (so move things around when adding more fish); 2) aggressive (so add equal amounts of new fish to not single any fish out); and 3) they won't attach fish of same type and/or size.  This is W-R-O-N-G, people!

1) I totally got that. I re-arranged ALL of the plants, rocked, shells, hiding places... even gravel.

2) I had three fish and added three more (who ALL came from the same tank... so they were "used" to each other).

3) All of the fish purchased and blended were two inches long AND African Cichlids.

Guess what? I have two remaining fish. One is from the first batch, the other from the second batch. I had to dig for little fish bodies, because well... my fish are serial killers and HID the bodies (under a rock, in gravel, etc.) THEY ATE THEM, TOO! I feed these fish (and they eat what I feed them), but I guess that wasn't enough.

If I didn't believe in life (and saving money, too), I'd simply flush them down the toilet and send them to Little Fishy Heaven. I'm just biding my time, and waiting for them to duke it out. And next time, I won't count on a salesperson (no matter how expert he/she is!) to tell me all about the fishes of the sea (yeah, yeah... lake, river, stream... whatever).

Life Goes On... Lasting Memories Linger, We Learn...

On Tuesday, my dearly beloved great-grandmother passed into another great adventure.  She had lived on this Earth for over a century (104 years, to be exact).  That's a lot of life.

Oma, as we young folk called her, was a wonderful woman... a little old lady that had lots of stories to tell, and lots of things to teach.  She was a strong woman, full of life and a strong belief - in people.  I'm not going to get all religious now and tell you she has left to be with Jesus, because, well... different people believe and think differently.  But no matter, I believe she (at least her spirit and her memory) is off to galavant the next mystical experience.

And she has left us to learn from her.

I met her when I was 20.  (I know... a little late in life to meet a grandparent or other relative, but hey... it's a little complicated.)  I spent almost a year getting to know her.  I learned her stories. I also learned how to make a pie crust (with perfect flakiness) and Stollen (German fruitcake).  I skipped on the sauerkraut, as the smell made me nauseous.  I developed a love for gardening and came to know all the flowers. (My 5yo can name a bunch of different flowers, now, too!)  I nurtured a love of bird-watching.  And I wrote.

I left and semi-kept in touch over the years. My two oldest have met her. My youngest... didn't. But, I teach my children what I know, what I've learned from her. I also pass on her stories.  Stories tell of a true life.  A life that was long and full.

I won't be able to attend services, but that is understandable. Everything is so far away.  But her memory is not. Yes, I am saddened at our loss. But... she lived a long and full life. She left in peace. She deserved that.  She taught me a lot, and for that, I can pass that on as well.

Rest and fly in peace, Oma. Your memory and teachings will be cherished forever.

**Note: If you would like to read the obituary for my Oma, please click on this link.  Thank you for understanding my randomness and all-overness, as that's where my mind is... at the moment.

Blog Her '10 for Some... Home Her '10 for the Rest of US!

This week has been a whirlwind of busy-ness.  There have been babysitting jobs, tennis practice, fun trips to LAX, doctors' visits, playdates, Chuck E. Cheese, cooking, food, drinking, driving (not together... don't worry), school registrations, car-pooling, and I could go on...

Lots of my Twitter, Facebook and Bloggy-World friends are in NYC, living it up at BlogHer '10. I envy them. They are visiting, socializing, eating, networking, learning, and hopefully... having a great time. I've never been.  First of all... I don't blog enough to "make it worthwhile." Other reasons I didn't go? Um... finances being what they are, I seriously didn't have the cash (or the credit, for that matter) to go.  I have lots of reasons:  school starts next week. Ick! Our summer is O.V.E.R.!  Also, my 16yo European traveler was coming in Wednesday night (yes, she arrived quite safely, thank you for your concern...) and had late registration Thursday morning.  I also had tons of laundry to do (vacation stuff + regular everyday stuff = LOTS of laundry). AND not to mention there would be no one to take care of my three lovelies here, at home.

My kids are old enough to stay by themselves. Uh, yeah. Well, they should be. And yes, they (the older two at least) could probably watch the 5yo. However... how would they all get to practices, babysitting jobs, etc. AND how would my husband be able to sleep during the day without me to keep the place quiet? Hmm?  You have no answer? Well, I do! I am staying home.  Yes, that IS in my job description... SAHM (stay at home mom). But... today, I met someone in the bloggy world is also a SAHM, but the end letter refers to something entirely different. He is a student, who I believe stays at home otherwise, with his kids. This is fantastic. I believe it's greatness.  Anyway, he is fabulous. His writing his witty and fun. AND he created Home Her '10!!!

For all of us who didn't getta go! Now there is a great network of people who are enveloping this experience and making the best of it.  There is lots of fun, and lots of charm, and a whole lotta incredible people. They might not all be SAHM's (moms or men), but they all blog to some extent. (Most are a lot more on top of it than me...)

Oh! What's his name? So sorry... I got so excited about the whole thing... @BackpackingDad on Twitter and you can visit his blog (Backpacking Dad). If you're interested in checking out other writers (complete with some giveaways!) of HomeHer10, check out these linked up blogs... We're all in it together, and making the best of it! (And thanks to Toni for hosting the link-up!)

I'm just glad to be a part of it and see so much participation. FYI, though... Next year, I hope to actually be able to go to BlogHer... I heard (from a little bird... Thanks, Tanis!) that it will be in San Diego (August 5th and 6th).  Hmmm... I could even commute there... (provided SCHOOL doesn't start even sooner next year!)

Another GIVEAWAY - Something to Cherish FOREVER!

I've recently discovered something, thanks to Linda, at MyTrendyTykes.com. First, let me tell you... I don't wear jewelry. I usually tend to think it's rather gaudy and not my type. But... I found a place that makes classic, unique jewelry, customized to you, and includes everything important (FAMILY!). The Vintage Pearl is this such place. Yes! It really does exist.

I'm shooting for the eternal heart (on the "Unique" tab). I would actually wear it! It is gorgeous, hand-stamped artwork that fills my heart with WANT!

You can choose to order one on your own, or you can take your chances and enter TrendyTyke's giveaway (for a $75 gift to The Vintage Pearl) and wish yourself luck. Hurry, though. It is only until tomorrow (August 2nd).

And the "Eagle" has Landed!!! (or at least called...)

I couldn't sleep last night... Marissa (age 5) had a fever throughout most of the day, and was finally asleep. I had sat through (endured, really...) the newest Cats and Dogs movie (more about that one later), and wasn't sleepy. Couldn't sleep, actually. My eyes were tired and burning, but something in my brain wouldn't let me sleep.

I still hadn't heard from Rey (my European-bound 16yo). BUT! It's a good thing I didn't go to sleep, as I wouldn't have heard the phone ring at 3:03am (my time-PST)! I was catching up on my shows (see sidebar... I'm a self-proclaimed addict) and the landline rang! OMG! You've got to be kidding! Yes... it did!

And it was my lovely daughter, that left for Europe on Monday morning. She apologized for not calling sooner. But I knew she was safe and was having a good time. She had just gotten off the night train from Florence (or Assisi... I don't really know, but somewhere in Italy!) and was in Paris. The boys in the tour had already gotten their rooms, and the girls were waiting (I guess "ladies first" isn't in their etiquette...) for theirs.

But she took a minute (3 actually) and gave me a ring. I can breathe, now. I already knew from a post of a chaperone that they were ok, but I really wanted to hear it myself. I consider myself lucky.

Other parents are still waiting for calls. They have only seen their kids post on Facebook that they are ok and/or having a good time. They all have international calling cards and some even have international cell phones. But... those parents are still waiting. I'm sorry that they are. There's something about hearing your child's voice on the other end of the line, knowing they took the time and let you know how they are. It's as close as face-to-face as you can get, without actually getting there. I'm glad she called me, and wish the same for the other parents.

When I heard her voice, all I could think of was the cliche line, "The Eagle has landed..." It fits here. First, her school mascot is the Eagle. AND! her favorite animal is... what? THE EAGLE! AND it happens to represent our country, as well. How totally appropriate on a whole lot of levels. (*snicker* I thought it was cute... anyway...)

As for the fever of Miss Marissa... it's gone today, but yesterday was low-grade for most of it. She still wanted to go to the movies... ick! I usually enjoy kid movies, but this one? Ugh! (The first one was rather cute...) The first one was MUCH better. Marissa had a good time and laughed in all the right places, but me... I couldn't help but see how fake some of the cats and dogs looked. Be consistent, people! It's not just kids you are trying to please; it's the parents, too! And the villain cat of the movie just reminded me too much of "Grandma Wrinkles" from The Real Housewives of New Jersey (sorry, Dina Manzo!) and creeped me out. Hopefully, that movie will end up in streaming format from Netflix, so I won't have to buy it.

Tonight I'm going to bed much earlier. We've been out and about for a good portion of the day (hubs didn't tell me we were gonna be hitting Ontario Mills!), and my feet are now killing me, as I wasn't prepared and wore flip-flops. Time to hit it! Night...

Did You Get a Spammy EMAIL from Me?

Let me tell you...

Around 8:30'ish PST, today, a whole crapload of emails went out from my Yahoo account. They were not pre-meditated and were unknown.

The email was an empty subject email. It contained a link for who knows what. Spam has gotten into many Yahoo group accounts recently and has been making the rounds to anybody on some lists. I don't know if this is where it originated from or not, but this is what I've heard.

I do not open unknown emails, nor do I click on links I am unsure of. So... this was not MY doing.

I am terribly sorry if you received one of these. Please, in the future, if you do not see my signature at the bottom, or if there is no subject and only a link (without an explanation... 'cause I usually say something about everything)... Please, PLEASE, please! Do not open it! It is as simple as that.

Things happen, and short of cancelling out all my emails, this is the only thing I can think of and the simplest. It applies to most emails, not just from one or more of my accounts. But so far... the only account (of mine) this has happened to is the one belonging to Yahoo and signed up with various Yahoo Groups.

I beg your forgiveness... moving on...

Thinking of Sending Your Kid to Europe?

Just make sure you have all the answers and the glitches ironed out... BEFORE he or she leaves. This has been a whirlwind week.

Rey got off to Europe. Yes, there were glitches... like a lot of them. Things just never seemed to go as planned, even when you are dealing with a "professional" group like EF Tours. Changes were constantly made. Questions still remained unanswered. AND... Rey left at 6am Monday morning... Have I heard from her? Uh... no. But, I'm not blaming her, I'm blaming the stupid-a$$ calling cards that seem to be failing to work. They are a "little tricky". And we only know they are safe and busy and having a good time from a teacher/chaperone who left a message on the parent board. Eeek! Oh well... it would've been nice, but again, not possible.

The hugest problem? We found out less than 2 weeks ago that MORE money was needed. What? Yes, everything was already paid for, and they asked for MORE. Apparently, even with all of the professionals involved, the Eiffel Tower was NOT included in their educational tour. Um... yeah... This trip has been planned for well over a year. You'd think that SOMEONE... ANYONE... would have realized and/or offered to add this to the tour.

The trip is for Italy (Rome, Florence, Assisi), France (Paris), and England (London). The Vatican City was automatically included. (Like, duh...) And they offered other mini tours that were optional, most of them got knocked down, because there weren't enough takers.

But... the Eiffel Tower was not offered. Most of us would assume it was included, because, well... It should have been. Who (that is/might be a tourist) would go to Paris for the first time (and possible the only time in their lives) and NOT see the Eiffel Tower? Uh... I don't see any hands raised. That's right! Because we would all go. Afterall, this is an "educational" tour. And what's not educational and enriched with history about the Eiffel Tower? Exactly! It is full of history. It is a monument.

So my point being... Hello, EF Tours! How the heck did this slip past your radar. You people are supposed to be fluent in all things educational-tours.

And a little "other" note... a blanket email to the parents of the kids safe arrival would've been nice...

There were other glitches, and probably still will be. But I sincerely hope my daughter and all of her tour companions are having a GREAT time. I also hope that the "professionals" at EF Tours have learned a little something... to actually go over the whole trip itinerary prior to signing up a group!