Wine Please

I’m supposed to be researching presidential candidates so that I make an informed decision in the Virginia primary tomorrow.  But instead, I’m getting a little caught up on my memes.  This is one that Burgh Baby’s Mom tagged me with, um, a little longer ago than I care to admit. 

(Oh, and on a totally unrelated note, I am SOOOO happy that I did not order that Blackberry Pearl I was lusting over, because otherwise I would be shrieking like a banshee.)

Well, without any further ado………

5 things I want my kids to know:

1. How much I love them…as most parents know, there aren’t words to describe how you feel about your kids and sometimes hugs, kisses, and “I love you’s” don’t seem adequate for that overwhelming feeling in your heart.
2. To get an education…you can have your material possessions taken from you, you can have the people you love leave you (in one way or another), but you can never truly lose what you’ve learned.  Even if you don’t do anything with the degrees you get, they still help you out with Life in general.
3. Compassion for others…it almost gives you a sense of peace about yourself when you help others.
4. Be grateful for what you have…jealousy and lack of gratitude are ugly ugly beasts.
5. Have fun and laugh…there are SO many serious things in life and SO many negative things out there and it’s easy to let all of that get you down, but keeping things in perspective and smiling and laughing help you get through tougher times.

5 things you want to tell your children when they are grown up:

1. I really did NOT know what was best for you all the time, but I did the best I could the best way I knew how.
2. It really wasn’t all that critical for you to finish those vegetables, but as a parent, I couldn’t let you win because I needed you to learn to like other foods so that you’d grow up making (hopefully) healthier food choices.
3. Don’t lose your faith; don’t walk away from it.  Even if it seems everyone has let you down, God is always there.
4. You have no idea how much I love hearing your laughs and giggles…they are literally music to my ears.
5. Those grandbabies are mine MINE MINE!

5 things you want to tell your children before you die:

1. The location of my Last Will and Testament (assuming I finally have the thing written).
2. Please be sure to hug your kids and spouse every day.  Always let them know how much you love them because you never know when you won’t be able to do such things anymore.
3.  The days that each of you were born were the most exciting of my life.
4. The day I met your father was one of the happiest days of my life; my happiest was the day I married him.
5. Please take care of yourselves mentally, spiritually, and physically.  Don’t let addictions take hold of you, unless it’s an addiction to love and laughter.

5 things you want your children to know before they die:

1. Don’t believe the world that you need the nicest house, the fastest cars, the best-looking yard.  It’s not worth making yourself crazy–see above about being grateful.
2. Best Friends…I want each of you to have best friends that are always there for you, sharing in your laughter, and supporting you through your tough times. 
3. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll be able to marry your best friend.
4. The feel of your own child’s arms around your neck and those sloppy baby kisses.
5. Peace…peace about themselves as people, peace about the people they married, peace about the children they’re bringing up, and peace about their chosen professions.

Alright, I’m tapped out!  That was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.  And it’s way too late to do research on candidates now…guess I’ll be voting AFTER work!

I tagged myself for this meme from Karen at The Rocking Pony.  I’m a sucker for all things horoscope-ish because part of me wants to believe that I’m the same as other people born around the same time as me.  The other part of me is the pseudo-skeptic that pretends that all of these are WAY off…etc.  I can’t be the only crazy person who thinks this way, but I’ve a funny feeling that I might be. Plus, I was (and still am) really stoked to share the same birthmonth (and birth week, even) with a couple of my favorite bloggers! 

Here are the rules: copy and paste the 12 months with their characteristics below, highlight the characteristics for your birth month, and make a comment next to each one about how it fits you (either serious or funny). Then tag 12 people to do this.  My birthday was last month, and here’s what it says about me:

January people are:
Stubborn and hard-hearted.  I’m not so sure about “hard-hearted” but I am ridiculously stubborn.

Ambitious and serious. I can be serious, especially when no one is taking me seriously.  And I do get really ambitious, but not consistently because I get bored or impatient if I’m not getting results.

Loves to teach and be taught.  This is very true.  I considered going into teaching because I love sharing my fountain of useless information with people, but I am also greedy and got incredibly nauseous when I saw how poorly compensated teachers are.  So I decided I’d be a college professor, but um, I need a few more degrees first….  I actually would love to go back to school, but with the kids being so young and graduate school being so incredibly expensive, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.  Meanwhile, I just read Wikipedia for fun (no joke!) and consider buying those lecture series on CD to listen to in the car.

Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Um, mostly on people I don’t like.  If I like you, I ignore your flaws and weaknesses, often to my own downfall.

Likes to criticize.  Yes.  See above if you are on my list.  Although I do criticize more than I mean to.  It’s something I’m working on for the sake of my kids and marriage…or at least make it constructive criticism.

Hardworking and productive.Yes, very much so.  In fact, you might want to start calling me Thomas or Percy because all I want to be in life is useful and actively working.  When I start having a lot of downtime at work, I start getting itchy and nervous…reminds me of RIFs and such.  And then I start obsessing about what I could be getting done at home, and then I get annoyed and… 

Smart, neat and organized.  Smart, yes…I’d like to think so.  Neat and organized?  Um, not so much.  If you asked my husband, you’d swear I was one of those hoarders that barely has a path through the house.  It’s no where near that bad, but I’ve got clutter.  I can say I was slightly neater prior to children.  But only slightly.

Sensitive and has deep thoughts.  Yes.  At least I think they’re deep thoughts.

Knows how to make others happy. I definitely try!

Quiet unless excited or tensed.  Sure.

Rather reserved.  Yes, but I figured some of that was due to my WASPish upbringing.  Although I’m one of the noisy ones in my family.

Highly attentive. Yes, I love to people watch!

Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds.  Only because I was constantly sick as a kid…think I caught just about everything by the time I was in 5th grade.  Although the first year of Gavin’s life, and the first 5 months or so of Cooper’s I was pretty sick.  Mostly because they were nice enough to bring home whatever nastiness they picked up at daycare.

Romantic but has difficulties expressing love.  Yes.  But I used to be more demonstrative early on in mine and Justin’s relationship.  I swear that working together for 5 years in the same company did something permanent to our sense of romance.  But he knows that I love him fiercely and I try sometimes to be more sweet and such.  I do tell him at least once daily that I love him.

Loves children.  Yes, I love my children immensely.  I do like other children, but really only love the baby stage.  It’s just magical to me…and slightly intoxicating.

Loyal.To my friends and family, and to companies to the extent that I’m happy.  Get on my bad side, and well, I’m outa there.

Do not have great social abilities.  Correct, unless plied with a little food or alcohol.  That usually loosens me up enough to be friendly and occasionally charming.  Thankfully I married a very charming man…he makes up for my social inadequacies.

Very stubborn and money cautious. Yes, I am stubborn…didn’t we already cover that?  Money cautious?  Yes…  Although if I think (or know) we’ve got a little extra cash, I will spend it, although I try to get the best deal with that money.  But since my new year’s resolution is to get out of debt, I’ve gotten really strict about my spending in an attempt to become solvent.

I’m not going to tag anyone because the few people who I know who would do it either already have, or just did a meme.  Plus, I have some other meme’s in the pipe that I’d rather force on people so that I can see how they respond!  But feel free to tag yourself!

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

You’d think after being home for 3 straight days with a sick kid that I’d be able to post something.  You’d be wrong.  And I was wrong for thinking so as well, since said sick child screamed his head off if I got more than 5 inches away from him. 

So now that I’m back at work and the code release I was testing has been abandoned, I have a lot more time on my hands.

 Dear Various Co-workers:

I know when it snows it can be difficult to park properly in our parking lot since building management usually likes to wait for the snow to melt instead of removing it.  But there hasn’t been any snow on the ground in nearly two weeks, so I’m not sure why so many of you cannot figure out how to park your cars.  Are you in that big of a rush to arrive that you just screech into a spot?  Do you have poor motor (and motoring) skills?   I know it is not from a lack of driving experience, as 98% of the employees in this building are between the ages of 35 and 55.  Maybe none of you care about receiving dings, dents, and chips in your paint, and in fact INVITE such damage to your vehicle?  I can only imagine that this is the reason you park this way, because it’s certainly not to protect your car in a lot that is completely full by 9am (except for our 15 handicapped spots, which is a whole other story). 

How NOT to Park:

Thats my rear left tire next to the offending car…either that or park in someone else’s parking lot.

Sincerely,

A Co-Worker that is tired of squeezing into spots next to you (and too lazy to park 2 blocks away)

As you might’ve guessed, we are a household full of illness right now.  Cooper has had the sniffles pretty much since he first set foot in daycare 4-1/2 months ago, but he started developing a yuckier runny nose and a cough on Sunday…it steadily got worse until he decided to puke up a large portion of his dinner and his nightcap before bed, and has continued to bring back large portions of all his meals since then.  Meanwhile, Justin came home yesterday and went straight to bed with bad nausea and a wicked headache.  I teased him that he was pregnant, but he didn’t find the humor in it.

So Justin slept restlessly most of the night, which meant I didn’t get a decent-night’s sleep.  Cooper slept poor as well, doing that fun screeching-in-his-sleep thing (which I guess is better than him being fully awake and demanding food or snuggles or whatever).  Then Gavin came into bed with us at about 5am.  And Cooper got up for-real at 5:45am.  He was feverish and tired.  I tried rocking him back to sleep, but the second I laid him in the crib, he yelled out his protests.  So I stuck him in bed with is feverish father and hyper brother and took a shower.

I get out of the shower and Justin announces, “I think he’s reached his threshold with me” which translates to “I’ve reached my threshold with Cooper,” so he gets Cooper changed into some clothes and puts him on our bed with a toy while I attempt to dry my hair.  Cooper, without a jabbering brother next to him, fell asleep in less than 30 seconds.

I leave Cooper with Justin and bring Gavin to daycare, where he has turned into crazy clingy boy.  Just in case any of you weren’t aware, this child has not attached himself to me like this in over a year because he is Daddy’s Boy and no one can kiss boo-boos or chase away monsters or snuggle in bed like Daddy.  Even if Daddy isn’t around, Mommy is not to be used as a substitute.  So now I’m worried that Gavin may be coming down with this mess as well since he must have some fever in his brain to make him hang on me instead of saying, “Go, Mommy.”  I haven’t had a call yet from the daycare, so I guess we’ll see tonight.

Ginger is now home.  We got home just before 6pm last night and the silly thing started running the second I set her down (on three legs, mind you).  She was immediately banished to her crate so that she didn’t give me a heart-attack.

She would NOT stand still or lay still for me to take any pictures.  Thanks to the gals at the vet for the cute collar cover!  It’s like a duvet for Ginger’s filthy nylon collar.

Ginger was also the Saddest Dog on the Planet because she had to sleep in her crate last night.  I did not want her trying to get on the bed and tearing up her non-hip hip, or busting stitches.  Forget that we just had near-strangers tear her open and break off a piece of BONE!  No, we were the bad bad people that made her so sad by making her sleep in the large, well-padded, full of soft cozy warm blankets crate.  Wish I got a picture of the look on  her face as I climbed into bed 3 feet away from her. 

Meanwhile, we are experiencing lovely near-freezing rain, which makes the yard such a joy to be in with a dog that HOPS!  Weeee!  Splash some more freezing filthy water on the pup and the mom!  This time, though, I broke down and turned the heat up to 70 since it is so dreary and chilly and Ginger is missing hair off her left rear quarter-panel.  I’m doing it for her, really.