ABC Song Re-do

Is it any wonder why kids have problems learning the letters, L, M, N, O, and P?  I was singing (or what I call singing...) the ABC song to Galina, and thought to myself that someone needs to re-do that song!  There are 2 parts of the song that need revision.  The first is the middle part, mentioned above.  And the second is at the very end, "...X, Y, and Z".  There is no "and" in the alphabet!  So when I sing it, I just draw out the Y a split second longer to compensate for the "and" that I omit.  The last part is no big deal, but that middle part is a real problem!  Listen to kids who have started singing the alphabet song, and at that part, they kinda just mumble something.

 

Super Mad

I am so upset! (Okay, not really that upset, maybe more like slightly annoyed, b/c there are way more important things to be upset about...)

I received an e-mail ad from Babies R US this morning, and I checked out all the deals and things.  I saw an ad for a Fisher Price Ocean Wonders jumperoo!  Now for those who don't know me, I love all things beach/shore/ocean related, and that's what the theme of my nursery was.  I checked out the website and saw that they had an entire line of Ocean Wonders products!  If that was only available about a year ago...

Here is what I would have put on my registry if they were available then...

Yes - I would have wanted everything in that room... crib set, mobile, diaper stacker, etc.

Yes, I'm still stamping my feet in protest...*sighs

Tea Time

I'm ready for some more tea time with my aunts Susan, and Michelle :)

My Cutie Pie

I got your tail, cat!

Peek a boo!

I like my tea!  So can I join you, mommy, on your next tea outting?

A Woman's Right to Choose...

to change her mind!  That is me.  I am editing my blog.  I will no longer be sticking to my schedule of Monday Musings, Two Part Tuesday, What If Wednesday, TV Thursday, Feel Good Friday, Silly Saturday, and Snapshot Sunday. 

I do things when I feel inspired or energetic enough to do them.  Managing this blog and sticking to a specific schedule sometimes makes me feel like it's work.  I'm doing this blog for me, and when I feel like writing about something, or revealing "stuff" about my life (via home videos/pictures, etc), I'll do it.  And not on some schedule.  Whew, I feel better now :)

I kept a journal when I started high school.  I didn't have an entry every day, only on those days when I really had to get something down on paper.  So why shouldn't my blog be like that?  Well guess what, now it will be.

To be continued...(when I feel like it)...    

Snapshot Sunday: Fire

Taken at the Atlantis resort/casino on a cruise with my hubby:

Silly Saturday: The Bicycle Prank

Feel Good Friday: "I Hope You Dance" - Lee Ann Womack

TV Thursday - The Galina Edition

Galina's First Spoon Feeding

She still makes those noises whenever she eats her solid foods :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Here is Galina's version of Irish Dancing :

What If Wednesday

What if you were a character in a fairy tale - who would you be?

I think I would be the Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen.  I felt very much like the Ugly Duckling.  In grammar school, and even high school, I didn't fit in.  I pretty much was a wall flower. 

There was a boy that I liked in 6th grade.  I was at a school dance and a girl from my class found out that I liked him and shoved me towards him.  Well, the boy moved out of the way, and my knee ran straight into the railing, slicing it open.  I didn't need stitches, but I still have a scar there. 

At the end of my high school years, I found a guy in an AOL chatroom that eventually became my boyfriend.  After a few years of dating, we had a conversation, during which he told me that the first time we met, he thought to himself, "Oh wow (in terms of my looks).  Well, I'm here now so I might as well stay".  I guess my personality won him over, b/c we dated for a couple of years.  (This was the same guy in my posting, The Revenge of a Jilted Ex-Girlfriend).       

I didn't have any real friends until I went to college.  Sure, there were some girls at my high school that I talked to at lunch, and before school, but we never got together outside of school to hang out, or to talk.  I remember going to only one birthday party in my childhood, and I think it's b/c the whole class was invited.  At the party, I pretty much was ignored.

When I started college, I decided that I no longer wanted to be without friends.  At Drexel, I met a couple of awesome girls, whom I am still friends with today.  I also met a guy in a Yahoo! chatroom, whom I went out with a few times.  We didn't click as a couple, but we were good as friends.  When he met his wife, we became good friends as well.  (And because of her I met one of the followers of my blog :), who is also becoming a good friend).  One of my girl friends from Drexel was in a relationship with another Drexel student.  He was best friends with my hubby, and was the one that introduced us.  He is also a good friend.  And because of my hubby and his best friend, I have several more good friends.

And so, this ugly duckling became a swan.  She found a place where she belonged.  She is home.  She has a wonderful husband, who gave her a wonderful daughter, and wonderful friends.  

What if there was no such thing as money - what do you think the world would be like?
 
At first, it seems like it would be a good idea.  If there was no such thing as money, I could have the house that I wanted, all of the books that I could possibly imagine in my bookcase, a plethora of movies to choose from, etc.  However, without money, people wouldn't work, b/c there would be no incentive.  And without people working, there wouldn't be the things that people buy.  If you wanted a house, you would have to cut down your own trees, and find all of the other necessary materials to build your house.  And that's just it, you'd have to physically build your own house, unless you found someone to help you (you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours).
 
Also, if there wasn't any such thing as money, the services that you would need wouldn't be available.  Doctors visits, and hospital visits, and health exams/tests - all of those things cost money (training, materials to make the microscopes, MRI machines, etc.).  So while it sucks that there is such a thing as money, I guess it's necessary.
 
(Is this what Communism is?  I'm not a history person, and what little history I do know about, I'm really bad about the details...This whole no money thing may look good on paper, but when you really think about it, it's not... )  
 
For some reason, whenever I wonder about money and what it would be like if the world didn't use it, I think about the book, The Giver.  That was a really great book, and so were the other two books that involved the same characters. 
 
Next week's What Ifs:

• What if you could turn any book into a movie - which book would you choose, who would you cast, and what changes would you make?
• What if you could know the details of your death - would you want to know?  What would you do with that knowledge?

    

Two Part Tuesday: My Favorite Things

Part Two: Shelle's Favorite Things

(in no particular order)

*Watching my daughter gain new experiences and do new things
*Playing Trivial Pursuit on the Wii with my hubby
*Seeing my hubby come home from work (when he's not in a bad mood...)
*Spending time with my family
*Hanging out with friends
*Reading a book by Robin Cook, Gary Birken, Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, Nicholas Sparks, Mary Higgins Clark, or Dean Koontz.
*Watching House, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, CSI (Las Vegas), NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Bones, Numb3rs, Flash Forward, Project Runway, Survivor, Property Virgins, Sell This House, Designed to Sell, Bang for your Buck, or Fringe
*Watching sappy love movies
*Going out for walks
*Listening to music
*Seeing plays at the theatre
*Playing computer games of the Seek & Find, and thriller genres
*Visiting new places
*Traveling
*Line dancing
*Planting flowers in my garden (not weed, though...)
*Taking photos
*Fishing
*Going out on a boat
*Walking on the boardwalk
*Walking along the shoreline
*Girl time at the Wild Violets Tea place

Two Part Tuesday: My Favorite Things

Part One: "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music

Monday Musings: Romance

Romance. What is romance? To me, romance is doing something for your partner that you know will make her/him smile.  It's the thought behind the gesture.  While women can most certainly be romantic, for this posting, I'm going to focus on the man's perspective. 

For some men, one romantic gesture is to give the woman they love flowers.  At the surface, it appears to be a very romantic thing to do.  However, if they really wanted to be romantic about it, after presenting her with the flowers, they could take them back, cut the stems diagonally at the bottom, fill the vase with water (and plant food if it was included), and arrange them in the vase.  Then they could keep tabs on the flowers and change the water as needed.  It would be truly romantic for the woman to be able to sit back and really admire them, without having to do the work of keeping them alive.

Another thing some men like to do is give their women a box of chocolates.  Men think they are doing something romantic by doing this, but for us women who loooove chocolate, but dislike the way they look and are trying to do something about it, this can be a major setback.  "Yeah, hun, I appreciate the sentiment, but thanks for the temptation..."

It may seem like I'd be ungrateful with those kinds of gifts, and maybe I am a little, if I'm being honest.  But I don't need material things from the man I love.  If he wanted to be romantic, I'd be tickled pink by the small things.  For instance, instead of me making dinner every night, maybe one night he could say that he'd take care of dinner.  Even though he doesn't cook, he could still stop somewhere on his way home from work and pick up dinner.  Or, after making dinner when I cleanup the kitchen and do the dishes, if he could intervene and say "why don't you go put your feet up and I'll take care of this".  Or he could suggest going out for a walk with our daughter. It's the little things like that that I appreciate the most.

Sometimes I wish I was the man in the relationship.  I've made his lunch for him for the following day when he was out late with his guy friends, so he wouldn't have to make it when he got home.  I even took a marker and wrote "I love you" on the outside of the baggie.  I gave my husband the PS2 game, Madden for Valentine's Day a few years back b/c I knew he'd like it (his co-workers said I was a keeper and that they wished their wives/gfs/etc. would have given them that gift :) )

Sometimes I just wish that I could be one of the characters in a Nora Roberts novel, or a sappy chick-flick.  (I'd say that I'd like to be one of the characters in a Nicholas Sparks novel, but usually one of his characters dies in the end...).  I want to be able to feel the passion.  You know, get the butterflies in your tummy feeling.  The kind of feelings you get when you go on your first date.  Maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm the only one holding myself back.  Maybe that's the problem with me wathching those kinds of movies or reading those kinds of stories.  Life just isn't like that.  But why can't it be like that?        

Snapshot Sunday: Footprints in the Tub

(Not to be confused with the poem, Footprints in the Sand :) )

Silly Saturday: Guys as Girls and Girls as Guys

Now I could write an entire blog about the stereotypes in this video, but I think I'd rather just enjoy it for what it is :)  Or I could be a girl and change my mind (*wink*), and do a future edition of Monday Musings on it.

Feel Good Friday: "Amazed" - Lonestar

Imagine being the inspiration for this song.  Doesn't it make your insides feel all gushy?  It does for me.

TV Thursday - The Galina Edition

Here's Galina sitting up and playing with her cars :)  I just love how she sends the one car flying.

What If Wednesday

What if you could live anywhere in the world - where would you live?

If I could live anywhere in the world, I think I would live on a cruise ship.  I think I remember (I wouldn't quote me on this) coming across an application while I was working at the passport agency that had "cruise" for destination and a duration of something crazy like 180 days.  I think I remember one of the specialists calling the applicant asking her about it.  I believe she was a widow, and retired.  She said that she didn't want to live alone in some place and instead of giving money to a retirement center, she would just live on a cruise.

What a wonderful way to live!  You wouldn't have to pay a mortgage, or utilities, or pay for groceries.  You have your entertainment and housekeeping done for you.  And you could travel the world, getting off the ship whenever a particular port pleases you.  I think I'd like that lifestyle for a while.  Although, there's only so much trivia that I could take on the 5-day cruise I was on :) 
  


What if you were given one wish - what would you wish for?

As much as I would like for there to be no war, famine, grief, etc. in the world, I would wish for me to be happy.  I wouldn't wish for all the money in the world, b/c all of the money in the world can't make you happy.  I wouldn't wish for eternal life, b/c the conditions in the world are not right for that.  Not to mention, having to work forever to be able to afford eternal life...  But if I were happy, it wouldn't matter how much money I had, I'd find a way to be happy.  I could get through sickness and still be happy.  I could get through the sad times and still be happy.  I know that without sadness, you can't appreciate happiness.  Without sickness, you can't appreciate health.  Without the Winter (and what a Winter this one was!), you can't appreciate the Spring (I am sooooo ready for it!).  But having experienced all of that already, I know what I would be giving up, and what I'd have.  So bring on the happiness!

Next week's What Ifs:

• What if you were a character in a fairy tale - who would you be?
• What if there was no such thing as money - what do you think the world would be like?

Two Part Tuesday: Galina's first tooth!

Part Two: Funny clip about a baby getting his first teeth -

(I love Stewie!)

Two Part Tuesday: Galina's first tooth!

Part One: Galina has a tooth!

Galina's first tooth came in on Sunday, March 7th.  Even though the dr. said that she had a tooth months ago.
"See that white spot there?  That's a tooth".  I think the doc was seeing things.  But it's there now! She's not really complaining about it either.   Although, she is biting on her spoons, and chomping on her gums.  My baby's such a trooper! 

Monday Musings: Mean Mommy

I am going to be a mean mommy.  Even before I was pregnant, I said I was going to be a mean mommy.  What exactly is a mean mommy?   

Well, several years ago, I was an assistant early childhood education teacher at a daycare.  Basically, I floated from room to room wherever and whenever the daycare needed me.  In this daycare there were three classrooms of infants, two classrooms of toddlers, two classrooms of the next age group, one pre-K, and one half-day classroom.

Well, one week I was in the half-day classroom filling in for the lead teacher.  There was this little girl, I'm guessing around the age of 4, who refused to eat her sandwich and healthy foods.  She would only eat the junk snack foods that her parents provided her.  I was not okay with that.  So at lunch time, instead of presenting her with all of the food that was in her lunch box, I only put out her sandwich and healthy items.  She decided to try and push my buttons by just sitting there without eatting anything.  It's not long after lunch that the parents come to pick up their kids.  Well, when it was time to pick up this little girl, the mother picked up the lunchbox, and noticed that it was still heavy.  She looked inside and saw that all of the food she had prepared was still there.  I explained to her that I wouldn't permit her to eat the junk without eatting the healthy first.  Her comment to me, "You're a mean mommy, aren't you?" (said with a smile).   After a couple days of doing this, the girl realized that I wouldn't budge, and she ate her sandwich :)  So yes, I am going to be a mean mommy.

I will follow through on any consequences (not punishments, mind you...) that need to be dished out.  Even if it means I need to sacrifice something.  For example, if we are on our way somewhere, and my child is misbehaving, and I say to him/her, "If you don't stop right now, we are turning around and going home", then that's what we'll do if the behavior continues.  I hope that when the time comes for me to have to discipline my child, I remember my values and philosophies and put them into practice.

I hope I never, ever say "because I said so".  I always hated that as a child.  I have a logical mind, and so that answer never worked for me.  Tell me the reason why I couldn't go outside. "I don't have the time right now to go outside with you and make sure that you are safe".  I would have accepted that. 

Or when it's time to put toys away, that I have the patience to sit with my kids and make sure that they put their toys away, instead of me doing it for them.  And if they refuse, that I have the will and patience to pull them aside and explain to them why we need to put the toys away.  Then give them a time out for defiance (if the talk didn't work).  After the time out, I hope that I ask them if they understood why they were in time out, and then continue with a follow-through of them helping to clean up.

I believe that, while it may take some time, embarassment (read as: "hissy fits in the store"), and a lot of patience, it is worth it to guide the child towards doing the right thing, instead of giving in and letting the situation carry on, which will only make it that much more difficult in the future.

If being a mean mommy is ultimately looking out for the best interests of my children instead of playing by their rules, then that's what I am.  A mean mommy.  My daughter may think I'm her BFF now, but she has no idea what she's in for... 

Snapshot Sunday : Beating Up Daddy

Silly Saturday : Wipeout - Where's the Pole

Have you ever seen the show, Wipeout?  It's an awesome show with obstacle courses, where the majority of contestants wipe out.  It's hilarious!  I wish they would air more episodes, and soon...

Here's one of my fave contestants:

Feel Good Friday: She Smiled at a Sorrowful Stranger

This is one of my favorite poems:

She Smiled at a Sorrowful Stranger -- Author Unknown

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindness of a friend.
And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you.
That he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Bet the whole thing on a hunch.

The next day she picked up her winnings,
And gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room.

He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
That hadn't cost a cent.

TV Thursday - The Galina Edition

Subtitles : "Dada", and "baba"

What If Wednesday

What if you found $20 lying on the ground - what would you do with it?


First off, I would hang around the area for a couple of minutes and see if there is anyone looking for their lost money.  I once went to a shopping outlet years ago near the Poconos, and found over $100.  I think it was around $150.  I sat on the bench for about 15 minutes looking around and seeing if there was anyone looking around like a crazy person for their lost money.  When no-one fit this description, I looked at it as my gain, and spent it on clothing. 

Okay, now if no one claimed the hypothetical $20, I would probably put it into Galina's saving account.  It's never too early to start saving for her future. 

  

What if you could choose your relatives - would you keep the ones you have?
 
Despite some family members annoying me more than others, I would probably keep them.  I love them, quirks and all.  Although, there is ONE family member I would probably trade...my Uncle Jim :)  (I only say this b/c he's one of my blog followers).  And if I could choose some people to make my relatives, I would probably add some of my girl friends to be my sisters :)  I bet my brother would just love that...seeing as how he always wanted a brother.  What a great revenge - to give him more sisters, muwahaha :)
 

The Beben Family Reunion

 
Next Week's What Ifs...

• What if you could live anywhere in the world - where would you live?
• What if you were given one wish - what would you wish for?
  

Two Part Tuesday: Happy Birthday, Raga Muffin!

Part Two: Raga Muffin today

And here are some recent pictures of her:

She's still tiny, but long.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAGS!!!!

Two Part Tuesday: Happy Birthday, Raga Muffin!

Part One: My Birthday Present

We bought Raga Muffin on June 22, 2007.  Her birthday is March 2, 2007.

These are some pictures of her when we first got her:

She was soooo tiny!

Monday Musings: The End of Winter

When will Old Man Winter settle down for the season?  Have we seen the last of the snow for this year?  The snow this year was so awful, that my hubby was granted 2 days off from work, which almost never happens.  I'm going stir crazy with cabin fever.  I like taking walks with Galina in her stroller, but with icy and snowy sidewalks, I'm not taking any chances.

So, in review:

12/19/09 - 13.5 inches

2/6/10 - Almost 14 inches

2/9/10 - (Got tired of measuring...)

In summary, that was a LOT of snow!!!  If I hear the "s-word" one more time this winter...