Hi Readers!

Welcome to my Blog!

I don't post on this blog anymore, but feel free to check the archives for something that interests you.

You can also head over to my new blog, Just Add Laughter. This one is updated very frequently. Be sure to add it to your blog roll!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Just Add Laughter

Well, people. It's time. I couldn't wait until Monday to start using my beautiful new blog!

So, if you're here, then you obviously want to read about my life. My life as a Pirate is slowing changing into one that revolves around my family. I'm not even spending as much time on the computer now. Isn't it CRAZY? HAHA. I blame it on Summer, and the fact that my kids are here ALL THE TIME. I wish I could have gotten Big Sis into that Girl Scout Camp.

Speaking of Girl Scouts, when school starts, I'll be heading a Brownie Troop, along with working. So if you follow me on MySpace, don't expect much from me in the way of messages or anything. If you have my email address at Gmail, please use it.

Otherwise, check out my new blog, Just Add Laughter. That's where you'll find me. And pics of the girls and reviews on books I've read and just basic updates on my life. What I love is that I can send pics from my cell phone straight to my blog, so I can even update when I'm not able to get to a computer!

So, I'm going to say farewell to A Pirate's Life for Me. I will probably link back to it every once in a while. And all my blog posts are staying put, forever archived in the Blogger directory. I've gotta say, it's been fun, but not as much fun as I'm about to have.

So, go check out my pretty new blog. The layout is from Leelou Blogs. I love it. It fits my outlook on life perfectly! See you there!!!

My Poor Girls

Big Sis asked to call her Dad right now. She called him, and he finally answered. He rarely answers when she calls. It's sad really.

So they talked. Big Sis asked how he was doing, and how "step-mom" is doing. They're not married yet, but that's what Big Sis calls her.

Then Little Sis got to talk to him. She takes it the worst when she finally talks to him. She handed the phone back to Big Sis, and said, in her pitiful little voice, "I miss my Daddy."

*sigh* It's so hard. Big Sis hasn't seen him since December 2006. She spent a week with him, when she was supposed to spend two weeks. Little Sis hasn't seen him since he brought down the divorce papers in November 2006. She saw him a total of about 45 minutes. He wouldn't even take her on the carousel at the mall!

I just wish he would either step up and be the dad they want him to be, or disappear. After he pays all his child support, of course. It breaks my heart that he doesn't want to talk to them. He never calls, and didn't even answer the phone when they called him on Father's Day.

Flashback Friday .. take 2

Ok, so LVBelle, my Disney and Blogging Buddy, at Monkey Memories posted her own Friday Flashback in response to mine from earlier. She posted a pic of her as a kid at Disneyland, then showed how her pic was in a Happiest Faces on Earth montage at Disneyland!
Well, I have one to share, too, and I just can't wait until NEXT Friday. So, here it is. Alex and I went to California Adventure on March 17, 2004. We had a 2nd day on our Two-fer (this was before we were APers) and I took her. It was a blast! She was just getting the hang of potty training, so I didn't need much more than a little backpack for her with a Pull-Up and a change of shorts. She did great that day!


Here she is on King Triton's Carousel!


When Disneyland put out the word to send in your happiest memories from Disneyland, that is one of the ones I sent in. I sent in a few, mostly of Alex. She was in several montages, but they were all up high, or she was cut off because she was in the bottom or side of the montage. BUT, she was clear as day in the Cinderella one in Fantasyland, near it's a small world. She thought it was awesome that she had her picture at Disneyland, and that she was on Cinderella!


Flashback Friday

While I was organizing my filing cabinet and scrapbooking stuff, I found a pic of my best friend, Christina and me at Knott's Berry Farm. It was probably taken about 7th or 8th grade. Possibly 9th...but it was before we transferred from Dana Jr. High to San Pedro High School. I was going to post it here, but now, I can't seem to find it. I love my filing system. Seems my filing cabinet likes to make my pictures disappear.

But, I have this one, from the last day of 9th grade at Dana Jr. High. It was 1995. Like my blond hair? What about my Lion King lunchbox? HAHA. I was so kewl.

I apologize for the quality. I don't have a scanner, so I had to take a pic of the pic.

Photobucket

Christina passed away on September 2, 2006. I hadn't talked to her much since high school, since I moved away in 10th grade. We would write letters to each other every once in a while. In Feb 2006, I was heading to Disneyland on a trip with my girls and my mom and sister. I called Christina to meet up for lunch while we were there. It was great. We had lunch at Rainforest Cafe. After she passed, it was very hard for me to go back to RFC. I went back in April 2007, and the whole time I was there, I could think of nothing but Christina and the last time we saw each other.

My message for Friday is this: Tell those you care about how much they mean to you TODAY. Right NOW. Because you never know when they'll be called Home. Christina was only 26. She didn't have cancer or something else where we could prepare for her passing. She was in a freak accident. No one ever saw it coming. Don't wait until tomorrow to tell your friends and family you love them. Because tomorrow may never come.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Ways to Know You are Obsessed with Disney (NOT that that's a BAD thing!)

1. All your ring tones on your phone are Disney songs!
2. You know the exact number of miles from your front door to Disneyland.
3. You know the names of the Cast Members at Disneyland and The Disney Store.
4. All your friends, and friends of friends, come to you to ask you questions about Disney movies and Disneyland.
5. Your kids can beat you at the Disney Trivia game, but you give them a run for your money!
6. Every event in your life can be summed up with a quote from a Disney movie or ride.
7. You know all the words to Pirates of the Caribbean song (from the ride) and the Stretch Room spiel from the Haunted Mansion (Welcome, Foolish Mortals).
8. You've won an award for being a Know-it-all at Disney Trivia.
9. You have every edition of "The Unoffical Guide to Disneyland" from 1998 to 2007 and you order the Disney Vacation Planning Video to watch on Family Movie Night.
10. You have a bigger collection of Disney VHS from when you were a kid than you have Disney DVDs!
11. You make plans to meet up with perfect strangers at Disneyland every year on July 17.
12. You have a Disney "Mom and Dad" -- friends who are wise enough to be your parents, but they go on Disney trips with you, instead of telling you to clean your room!
13. You know where all the hidden Mickeys are at Disneyland, and you treat your kids to surprises by putting Hidden Mickeys in your house!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Tip Junkie's Featured Website!

I was reading Tip Junkie this morning, and as part of their 20 Days Birthday Giveaway, they are featuring a pretty awesome website today!!

Doodle Bugs Stationary has the CUTEST stuff!!! Tip Junkie is giving away a $20 gift certificate, so go over there and sign up for the contest! I want to buy one of everything on the site, the stuff is so cute!

Take a look!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

I'm Moving!

Just my blog is moving. I'm not moving again!

Starting Monday, July 14, 2008, my new blog address will be http://justaddlaughter.blogspot.com/

Right now, there's no blogs on it, but it's all set up, so feel free to add it to your blog list.

Take a look. Let me know what you think!

Ten on Tuesday

So, here's the first of my daily ideas. I actually did a search for it.

10 favorite movie characters (in no particular order)

1. Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy
2. Dory from Finding Nemo
3. Giselle from Enchanted
4. Edward Bloom from Big Fish
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars Prequels
6. Satine from Moulin Rouge
7. Christian from Moulin Rouge (are you seeing a Ewan McGregor pattern here??)
8. Robin of Loxley from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
9. Forrest Gump
10. Princess Mia from Princess Diaries

These movies are usually ones I can watch over and over, and I'm sure I've left out a few characters...like Lucy Whitmore from 50 First Dates or some of Adam Sandler's characters.

So, what are YOUR 10 favorite movie characters?

Six Words Memoir Meme

Tena from I Love My Punky Monkey's tagged me with the "Six Words Memoir Meme".
Here are the rules:
1) Write your own six word memoir
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links
5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Ok..this was a little difficult. There's a line from a song by Sheryl Crow that I love, and remind myself to live by when things get tough. So, I'm going to try and condense it to make my six words:

Want what you've got, not want.

Okay here are the five people I am tagging:

1. LVBelle at monkey memories
2. Jenni at Jiggity Jigg
3. threeundertwo at Lit and Laundry
4. Kira at Although Life May Choose The Music, I Choose The Dance
5. MrsElderP at Pedroza's Place

Monday, July 7, 2008

Independence Day Weekend!

We had Honey's daughter, E, this weekend, which is always fun! My girls were all over her, and the poor baby didn't know what to do about it! Of course, Little Sis had some problems sharing her toys and being asked to be the "big sister" and letting E use the toys. Little Sis is used to being, well, the little sister, so it's going to take some getting used to!
Here are some pics from the weekend:
Here are Big Sis and E dancing to the new CD I burned for them over the weekend. Honey gave them a CD Boom Box for their room, since Grandma gave the girls a bunch of cassette tapes (remember those??)

Here are the girls watching "Monsters, Inc." E asked to watch it, and then fell asleep. But, it was perfect. Dinner was ready by the time the movie was over, and E woke up right as the girls were finishing their dinner, so she was able to take her time and eat.


Here's E sleeping. She's so adorable!

Here's Little Sis watching the movie with all her babies.


Here's Big Sis being bored with the movie. She's been asking to watch "High School Musical," but the DVD is missing from the case. I have it on my list to replace it next time I get a chance. "Cars" is missing, too. :(

Currently reading

I am currently re-reading The Da Vinci Code. I love love this book. I'm at the point where Langdon just went into the Louvre. I have to remember that this book is fiction. After I read it the first time, I researched the Knights Templar and all that other stuff in the book. If you've seen the movie, but haven't read the book, I highly suggest you read the book. It is so very much better.

Random Acts of Kindness

Today, I had to go to the post office to mail out a few more books for Paper Back Swap. Before I could do that, though, I had to go to Calico's to print up the labels, since both printers at home are out of ink.

The girls were being very good, so I told them that I would buy them a cup of fro-yo to share while I finished taping up the books. I guess while they were in line to order, the AT&T Guy in front of us heard and bought them each a cup of fro-yo! The guy behind the counter told me the now-long-gone AT&T guy paid for it!

The girls were pleasantly surprised, and since I had only planned on buying one cup, I was able to enjoy some, too!

I mailed out four books: Diary of a Mad Bride, Something Blue, Heaven Scent, and Pride and Prejudice. I also received a movie from the Disney Movie Club. It was Enchanted! I already have TWO copies of Enchanted! So, I have to go back to the post office tomorrow to mail it back!

And, oh yeah...it's hot as H-E-Double Hockey Sticks out there...and humid as a bathroom where someone's taking a hot-water-only shower!

Gotta love Mondays!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Scrapbooking


So, I love the idea of scrapbooking. Looking at pictures and displaying them in fun and creative ways.


When Big Sis "graduated" from Kindergarten, my dad and step mom gave us a pre-made "school days" scrapbook. I find it absolutely adorable, but I can't find the pics I took of Alex's first day of 1st grade. I'm sure it's on my computer, so I'll probably upload it to Walmart.com and have it printed out.

Anyway, here are some pics of the first few pages where I've actually done something.

This is the front cover. Originally, it had a black background with white words that said "School Days" but I changed it to say "Class of 2019."

Oh, um.....2019??



This is the first page. I'm thinking I'll put a picture of Big Sis in Preschool on the yellow background, and her Senior pic in the green.
I just have to find the preschool pic on my computer!!



Here's the Kindergrten page. I'm sure I have another pic of her in Kinder (probably one from her promotion ceremony) that I'll put in the green at the top.





First Grade! I know I have a picture of her on her first day that will go in the blue. I even think it's in black and white. And the second set of pics, the "character pose" that was taken in the later part of the school year will go in the bus.

Second grade. She'll start on August 19. I will put a first day pic on the blue, and her school pic on the yellow. I will wait until the end of the year to make it final, just in case I have other fun pics to add. Especially since she'll be starting Girl Scouts this year!!

New Contest at SITS!

So, have you been reading The Secret is in the Sauce? Last week, that had that adorable purse for their giveaway. I didn't win, darn it.

But, this week, they're giving away a $100 gift card to Target! Hello??? I know what I could do with $100 at Target. I need new clothes! What could you do with it?

So, go over there, comment on their blog with the give away, then link back to their blog on your blog!

Oh, and if you win...buy me something! :)

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Fireworks for you...

I am very sad I won't be at Disneyland tomorrow, like I was last year. In fact, the only fireworks I'll be seeing are on TV! No fireworks in town, except for the (shhhhh) illegal sparklers I bought for the girls.

So, here are some fireworks for you to enjoy!!! Sit back and relax and enjoy the next 17 minutes of bliss......

Thursday..

So, I'm trying to come up with daily themes for my blogs, so even if I have nothing to write about, I have something to write about!

I've seen "Wordless Wednesdays" listed more than once. This is actually a great idea! Can someone explain a little more? A personal pic? Or can I add a funny or thought-provoking graphic that I've found on the internet?

Today's SITS Featured Blogger does a "Tirade Tuesdays" where she vents. I love that idea, but the idea of keeping notes throughout the week on what ticks me off just doesn't sound like me. If something ticks me off on Saturday, I'm going to write about it on Saturday. What other "Tuesday" themes should I consider?

What about the rest of the week? Ideas? Anyone? It would mainly be for the weekdays, but some ideas for the weekends would be much appreciated!

On another note, have you all read The Secret is in the Sauce? Awesome blog! They're doing 6 weeks of giveaways, and they're only on their 2nd week! Go read it! Also, Tip Junkie is doing 20 days of give aways. This weekend (they're extending it because of the holiday!) they're giving away a gift certificate to purchase a custom blog layout. Go check these blogs out!

One last thought....my girls come home today!!!! I'm so excited to see them! I've got the stuff I brought up yesterday unpacked, I just have to put it away. Once the girls get here, I'll put a DVD on in my room and work on my filing cabinet. That's going to be the biggest job for me!

Currently watching: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Oh, how I love Johnny Depp! :)

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Today....

...will be BUSY.


It's not even 7am. I've been up since 5. I finished "Something Blue" (more on this later) this morning. I've finished my homework that's due today. In about 20 minutes, I'll be leaving to go back to the old house to finish packing up the rest of my stuff, and to clean.


I have to pick up my paycheck today, too, and deposit that into the bank. Pay car payment and rent. Buy groceries.


My mid-term is at 6pm. I'm nervous beyond belief. I took this class last semester, and while I'm having an easier time with it this semester, I bombed the mid-term last time. I have an A in the class, so I'm not too scared, but I would love to KEEP my A!


Ok, so like I mentioned before, I finished Something Blue. I started it yesterday morning when I woke up, and finished it this morning, at 5:30.
What a fabulous book! I can't remember much of "Something Borrowed," but the first couple of chapters gives enough background information that I was able to enjoy the book. I felt like I *was* Darcy through the whole thing. About half way through, I was expecting an ending fitting for the Darcy we meet at the beginning, but was very pleasantly surprised by the ending Emily Giffin wrote.
I highly recommed this book! It's on both my BC and PBS bookshelves. If you want it, let me know, and I'd be more than happy to mail it off to you! Just a fair warning, though...keep some tissues handy for the last 3 chapters!
So, this will be the last blog from me today, unless I send something via my cell phone. Wish my luck on my mid-term this evening.
Oh, yeah....my girls will be home TOMORROW!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Thinking...

I've been thinking of giving my Blog a major overhaul.

since I've been blogging more, I was thinking about changing the name, which means I have to change the web address.

I'll give a heads up when I do this, so don't worry...but I need to get creative. Threeundertwo, LVBelle, Kira, Tena...help! LOL Give me ideas!!!

Ok, now I'm going to close Blogger and turn on iTunes so I can get some work done here around the house! I also need to eat lunch because I'm hungry!!!

July??

Ok, where did the first six months go? Boy, does time fly!

So, today, I've unpacked another kitchen box and got stuff put away in the girls' bathroom. I still have their suitcases on my coffee table, which have clothes they didn't take to grandma's, so I need to put those away too. I'm still looking for the box with the hangers in it!

I woke up today at 10. Of course, I didn't go to bed until after 1:30, so it's not like I got a whole heck of a lot of sleep...8.5 hours, typical for me. Once the girls come home, I'll be getting up between 7 and 8am.

Honey went into work at 5am this morning, so he'll be home at 1:30. At 10, I got the text messages from Weather.com saying it was already 101 degrees outside! I know what some of you are thinking...if I'm waking at 10, and it's already 101 outside, HOW am I supposed to be doing my C25K workout? Umm...that's a good question! I don't have an answer.

Also, as you can see, I've spruced up my blog a bit. I was playing around with it last night. I've added some new blogs to my blog list. Two of note are The Secret is in the Sauce which is having some giveaways on their blog. Check it out. I know some of you who read my blog would be great on their featured blog list. Also check out Tip Junkie, who is also having giveaways every day for 20 days! Make sure you tell them I sent you!

So, take a look around. I've added some new stuff, switched some stuff around....let me know what you think! I have one question for Tena, though. How did you get your page all spiffy? Did you pay for a membership? How did you do that? Ok...that was three questions. Sorry.