Happy Birthday Angel Eyes

My life changed 11 years ago, today. I met the most beautiful soul and gazed in the eyes of an angel.

Her father and I were blessed with:

10 perfect fingers...
10 perfect toes...
a cute little button nose...
a full head of dark hair...
and yummy soft cheeks.

My Sweetpea, my girl.


I've watched her take her first steps and heard her first words.
I've lived through the "I do MYSELF's" and "NONONONOs" (barely).


I've listened to her many, many, many versions of the "why did the chicken cross the road" jokes, and watched as she slept in my arms (I still watch her sometimes *sigh*).

I couldn't be prouder of her. She has a sharp mind, the curiosity of Alice in Wonderland (and her blue eyes - we're in for quite a few adventures...), a giggle and a snort that never fail to make me chuckle, a kind and thoughtful heart and some day she'll accomplish great things (like become head of the United Nations or raise her own little chicklets).


I can't say I'm ready for the pre-teens... not by a long shot. But time waits for no mother.

Soon enough I'll be at wits end with requests for cell phones (this has already started...) and "Mom, I NEED my driver's permit... "


and raids in my shoe closet... (this too has already started *sigh* - she'll be stealing my Guess wedges any day now)


My only wish is that she continues to stay true to herself. She has an awesome sense of what is good and right and I know she'll be just fine.

Go on, little wing, explore...


Discover new worlds...



Solve the mysteries of life...



But remember to bring your cape when you head out to save the world.







Bonne Fête mon trésor. Je t'aime.

"We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves"
- May Lamberton Becker

it's great when our kids make it easier...

In my last post I shared with you one of the questions I'm bombarded with on a regular basis by my entirely too curious girl.

Thankfully, a blogger did my dirty work for me. He's a lot braver than I am. There's no way I would Google the word panties, you just never know what will pop up. Thanks John, you are a prince among men!

So, he found out that panties comes from pantaloons and those used to come in two parts... one for each leg, kind of like chaps (which as Turnbaby knows, are always assless). I told Chicklet about this and she gagged.

The very cool thing about my almost 11 year old is she has quite the modest streak.

Case in point, a while ago, mah Honey was coming to spend some time with us and there is a picture of Chicklet in our bathroom. It's of her taking a bath *gasp* nekkid! She left the picture.. but provided some, um, well... see for yourselves:



Our boy dog has to leave the room when she gets dressed or undressed so he won't see her ladybits.

So the "kissies are gross" combined with this, I'm hoping I'll be safe from boys causing trouble for a few years yet. Of course, just in case... I have a backup plan *evil grin* oh, gotta go... the acid vat is being delivered.

Cleaning his Gun by Rodney Adkins

when Google just isn't an option...

It was inevitable...

My daughter sat in the car one morning this past week as I was driving her to school and asked me the mother of all questions.

It took some fancy hemming and hawing and finally I broke down and said I just didn't know...

"Mom, why do they call it a pair of panties?"

You know, I'm kind of scared to Google that... for reals.

If I ever leave this world Alive...

or, when it hits you where it hurts.....

If I ever leave this world alive

I do pretty well, most of the time.

But I just kicked myself in the teeth today.

You know how one smell can take you back to your past? For example, I often bring a shirt mah Honey wore then gave me (apparently we look good in their shirts even, or especially when they don't fit) when we get to spend time together so he'll wear it and I can bring his scent home with me. It makes me feel close to him.

Well, today, after taking Chicklet to school I did the grocery shopping I wanted to do this weekend but had to give up on because of a mean headache (getting too many of those lately).

My girl loves ham. It's one of those things my mom made for her and she misses her grandmother's baked ham (so do I).

So as I picked up what was needed for this week's meals, I grabbed a small ham. Chicklet has been working hard at school lately, really trying to get herself organized and she deserves a treat.

Once I'd put everything away in the fridge and pantry I heard: "Now you've gone and done it!"

"What did I do now?"

"You realize you can't waste that ham... you are going to have to cook it."

"oh yeah... crap!"

"yeah... good luck, chica!"

I racked my brain... "How did she make that?" Because this? Is one of those recipes she never wrote down. I mean how hard can it be to cook a damn ham.

"Hello! Clueless!!!"

"Go online, maybe you'll figure out how she used the beer, cloves and all that other stuff."

"How did our mothers and grandmothers manage before the interwebz? I will never know."

I found a recipe that looked like the odds and ends I have floating around my head, bits of memories veiled behind a slightly fluttering opaque curtain. Glimpses slowly revealed if you wait for the breeze.

I rubbed some dry mustard on it, poked some cloves in, drizzled maple syrup and beer on it and added some pineapple and stuffed it into the oven.

And now, the house smells just like it did when Mom was here. *sigh*



Beagle snuggles help.

thank goodness for typing...

First of all...


WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! (thankfully, when I type this it doesn't hurt my throat)


Congratulations to THE STEELERS!!! WORLD CHAMPIONS!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

You may wonder... (and if you don't HA! I'm still gonna tell you) why does a girl from Montreal root for THE STEELERS!!WORLD CHAMPIONS!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! ?

I'm sorry. I can't seem to mention "you know who" without letting out a big WHOOP! *giggle*

So, why Anndi? Why did you root for THE STEELERS!!WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! ? Well, I'm gonna tell yinz *giggle*. I know my buddy Gail knows... We had that discussion yesterday afternoon on the interwebz. She calls it: the LOYALTY CARD.

This IS a loyalty issue. Mah Honey, the dude that rocks my world, originates from the greater Pittsburgh area. My life changed in Pittsburgh a few years back when he walked into my life, all handsome-like and tall and blue-eyed and yummy. It's where we met. It's where he gave me the first kiss that ever curled my toes. No one has ever, in my whole life, managed that (and he still does *sigh*).

My friend Gail and I had fun online yesterday during the game. She picked the Arizona Cardinals cause she thinks their QB is cute... *giggle* I kid, she only discovered that after watching them a while *giggle*. She picked them because she wanted to root for a fairytale team, and that's a good enough reason for me. Besides, it made it fun and friendly.

The Cards played an awesome game. They believed in themselves, managed to capture the imagination of legions (including my friend Gail - she's so cute) and that's a great thing. They set a goal for themselves, not to beat the other team.. but to win and be the best they have ever been. It's semantics to some, but it's attitude to me. It's also how I choose to look at life.



The players have quite an inspiration in their QB Kurt Warner who won the NFL Walter Peyton Man of The Year award for his outstanding work off the field.

``When people look back at my career, I want them to see a fierce competitor. But more importantly, I want to be remembered for my consistency of character.'' - said Mr Warner

Indeed we will, sir. Young children can look to you as a role model not only for your skills as a football player but also your graciousness and character. Refreshing, really.

My friend's pick got me thinking though... about the whole underdog/fairytale team phenomenon. It's quite fascinating.

Do we do it because of all the stories we've heard as a child? Is it because we don't identify with the successful top seed? We see ourselves as "the little guy" and if they can make it, maybe we have a shot at that coveted *insert dream here*?

I still remember watching and cheering for Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards during the '88 Calgary Olympics. Many people thought his presence at the Olympics belittled the caliber of the other athletes and it actually led to a change in the rules. But I found it refreshing. The dude LOVED skying and just wanted to "do his best" and break his country's record (which he did). And although I am not British and he didn't represent my country, there was something endearing about him. He WAS the little engine that.. well, that tried. I watched him and thought: "it's not just about the medal".

We are all faced with our own personal struggles, not all of them are life and death struggles... but they are important to us and I expect when an "underdog" a "Cinderella" wins, it gives us hope.

What better reason to root for someone? Well, except kisses that curl your toes *wink*.

Oh and Bruce Springsteen ROCKED!



The commercials? WE don't get them live here in Canada (CRTC... a POX ON YOU!)

But, these stuck for very personal reasons...

Emigrating horses...



Horses in love... awwwwwww!



Being on the ass side of a job... THAT made me laugh.

I've been on the ass side of a few things lately. And not in the good way. But I'm changing that, little by little. One ass at a time.

DISCLAIMER: I don't moderate comments as a rule, but any trash talking of EITHER team will cause your comment to be deleted and you will be banned from further comments. PERMANENTLY. Win gracefully, lose graciously... do your favs proud.