Merry Christmas!

Well, the kids made out like bandits- as I am sure all of yours did !
Baby got her Nintendo DS- and a bunch of games and clothes and whatnot.
My son got a drumset- he was soooo happy!
We had it hidden in the office/den- so in the morning- I had baby get all the presents separated for everyone-
So, here she is, in this mountainous sea of gifts(literally!),and my son has maybe 5 lol
Anyways, the look on his face- he opens a box- " wow, sweatpants, on Christmas- thanks..."
Poor kid looked like he was getting the jip-so I told him to get me the telephone out of the office- and he opens the door and was like
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!
there was a brand new, shiny black drumset!- he was VERY happy! What's the point of having kids if you can't torment them once in a while? :)

Bellydancing

I just got this DVD a couple of weeks ago- It's called "My Personal Trainer" with Rania
As some of you may know, I take a bellydance class once a week. But, I also decided to get some DVDs to get extra excercise at home. This one, while it doesn't stress the technique, kicks your A**! You really feel like you worked out- and the nice thing is you can customize it-so take a look....

Twisted Ankles

My stepbaby twisted her ankle at ice skating a couple of days ago- thank the lord nothing was broken! No swelling or bruising either-which was a good sign. Although she couldn't put weight on it at first.
Yesterday though, she was able to walk on it- I saw her lol
But this morning, here she comes down the hall with crutches, and I'm like- "what happened? you were walking yesterday!" She said, " I know, but it hurts-" Me and Dad exchanged looks and he told her to leave them at home that she would be fine.
I wonder if she was milking the crutch thing for attention. Not sure-
any of you had a similar situation? I don't like to accuse a kid of anything like that, but I know kids can be that way sometimes.
My son will milk an injury for all it's worth if you let him. He will work you over if you don't know how he can be!
He used to do that to his first grade teacher- tell her he was feeling sick and she would call me at work and I would ask to speak to him and realize he was faking! I would tell him to go back to class and then tell his teacher to watch out for him faking illness, because he could be VERY convincing! Not to brag, but my son is very cute- and batting eyelashes at a teacher bowled her over every time!
he doesn't do it anymore- thank god it was a phase, but I also didn't play in to it.
Stepbaby isn't like that- but I could tell she was working this injury lol
I just don't want my kids growing up to be hypochondriacs-

FINALS!

well, I have made it one month without smoking and also without killing anyone!
I haven't gained any weight either- I have tried to replace smoking with excercise and schoolwork- seems to be doing the job for now-
I took my Photoshop final last night- and PASSED! Thank GOD!
I am studying for a certification as an Adobe Applications Specialist-
I am coming up on my third semester- taking night classes and working full time as well-
I did some college when I had my son ( I was 19 when I had him ), and work in administrative office jobs- but I always wanted more, a chance to make more money and do something I really love.
Art is wonderful, I love to draw, paint, play music and write- so being creative in my work would be a dream come true!
Any other moms out there going back to school??? Let me know- let's talk!

Holiday Activities

Well, loyal fans, it has been a busy week at my house so far!
I had dance class and a neighbors party after work Monday-
volunteered for my sons play Tuesday
went to see his play Wednesday
drum lessons and christmas shopping today
stepbaby's chorus AND band performance tomorrow
gift exchange with some of the fam damily sunday
WHEW!

My son played the villian in a musical The Castaways- he was GREAT! I think he may be a natural- he has been taking drama for almost 2 years now and he really has a knack for it-
he's a natural ham! I was watching him on stage last night and couldn't believe how big he has gotten- he's 13 already! His first stage performance he was 4 and was a pirate in Peter Pan- it seems like yesterday!
Stepbaby is excellent in chorus and clarinet-she has been in ADVANCED band now for 2 years, and HONOR chorus- both are by invitation only- so we are very proud of her. I will post pics as they arrive LOL

Baby Mama Blues

Ok- so if some of you have been reading my blog, you will know that my stepbaby's mother is a real piece of work- not only moved out of the county, but cut her visitation from 50% to about 10%- hasn't been willing to pay any support and won't take the initiative to get paperwork to give us sole physical and legal so we can keep her in her current school etc.
She again has a new boyfriend, and has already taken my little one to meet this guy on more than one occasion. She can't wait and see if this one (of like 8, in the last year) will work out- she has 2 weeks without her kid, you think she would handle her shit then, but no, drags her daughter around like some prize to any dude she happens to be seeing at the time.
This one is a fireman at a university, and found it appropriate conversation to tell my little one about a sorority hazing where a girl's fingers got blown off- as well as part of her head and stomach, and proceeded to tell her that there was blood everywhere WTF???? What kind of person thinks this is appropriate conversation for a 5th grader?
This woman is an imbecile-sorry, had to vent-

More Beauty Recipes

Yes, I am searching for some really wonderful, natural facial scrubs and beauty recipes. Please feel free to comment or add any if you have one you really love!
Remember, as with all natural,preservative free mixtures, to keep it refridgerated!
Enjoy!



Tropical Sugar Scrub
Sugar granules gently remove dead skin cells, which are in turn nourished by the combined power of coconut, mango, and orange.

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup fresh mango puree
1 cup coconut oil
Instructions
Mix sugar into coconut milk until evenly distributed before stirring in lemon juice and mango puree. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, scoop out a generous amount of sugar scrub and rub with open palms into skin. Rinse well.

This delicious scrub is a lovely way to celebrate the bounty of the autumn season in your home spa. The cranberries and sugar make a great natural light exfoliant while the orange essential oil makes your whole body smile. The sweet almond oil soothes and nourishes the skin.




Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
1/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 drops orange essential oil
2 tablespoons (+ more if needed) oat powder


Blending Procedure:

Combine cranberries, glycerin and almond oil in a small food processor and process for about 30 seconds. Do not process much longer than that because the cranberries may become too mushy. Pour the mixture into a bowl.


Add the sugar and stir. Add the essential oil and stir.


Add the oat powder last, and add enough to make the mixture hold together lightly in the palm of your hand so you can apply it easily. Cranberries vary in terms of their juice content so it is not possible to include a specific oat powder measurement.


You can use this in the bath or shower to refresh, revive and enliven dull skin and leave it glowing and lightly scented from fresh oranges and cranberries.

Don''t your feet work hard enough to get a regular serious pampering workout? The peppermint oil is nice and tingly and the lavender oil cuts it with a soft sweetness ... the combination is very pleasant.
Ingredients:1 1/2 cups sea salt1/4 cup sweet almond oil2 drops peppermint essential oil3 drops lavender essential oil


Blending Procedure:
Combiine the sea salt and almond oil and stir well to mix. If the mixture seems dry and does not hold well together in your hands, add almond oil by the tablespoon until you can scoop it comfortably. Add the essential oils last and stir well.
Rub Peppermint Lavender Foot Glow Scrub vigorously all over your feet and ankles. Pay special attention to your heels and the soles of your feet so they are thoroughly exfoliated. Rinse well with warm water and follow with a rich lotion or cream. Sleep in socks so the moisturizer is absorbed well into your skin.
Do not use this mixture on broken skin and remember, it''s best when used immediately but you can store it in an air tight container and it will keep well so long as it is not exposed to moisture. Enjoy!

Lucky The Rat

Lucky she wasn't snake chow- just kidding PETA people!
She escaped! I'm telling you, rats are smart as hell! That little thing figured out how to open her cage and got out! We were looking for 2 days- wondering if she got outside or worse, inot our snakes cage! EEEK!
Well, last night, hubbo is in the dining room, and there;s the little stinker right there plain as day.
Now, mind you, my hubbo is a reptile and snake fanatic, but he hates rats! he looked at her and called me, frozen, like a little kid LOL
She took this as her cue and promptly ran under the defunct fridge we have in the office and holed up there for quite some time. We tried to lure her out with cookies and carrots- but to no avail.
So, I put her little cage in front of the now defunct fridge and waited lol- then i went to bed- I figured she may come out when she got thirsty.
Well, my plan worked- hubbo trapped her this morning!
She went in the cage to eat and he was able to close up the cage and secure it- hopefully there will be no more rat adventures for a while!
So take that PETA people- ;P

Girls in General

Well, the gossip thing with my stepbaby has blown over- seems the girls are friends again- go figure!
Well, her and I had a talk about all of that, how not to take someone else's word for it that someone else is talking bad about you- Always go to the source and ask them directly.
I had to explain how some people like drama and will do whatever they can to make it happen, even try and break up friendships just because they're bored or jealous of what these 2 friends have.
It's strange to see history repeat itself, the same things that happened when I was young are still happening- in this land of IPODS and Nintendo Wii, the more things change, the more they stay the same.....

Thanksgiving

Well, I don't know about you, but I consumed mass quantities for Thanksgiving. I enjoyed food with the family and a rousing game of pictionary. I never knew my kids were so competetive ;)
I took some time to think about all the things I am thankful for-
I am thankful to have 2 eyes to see
2 legs to walk, 2 arms to hug, a brain that works (most of the time), I am thankful for the blanket on my bed, heat in my house, food in the fridge, and a job that pays the bills,
I am thankful that I live in a country where I can be myself, and no one can tell me how to dress or what religion to be.
I am thankful my children have the same things to be thankful for.
Most of all, I am thankful I have a family to share my life with....

Girls and Gossip

My stepbaby was all upset last night because her best friend all of a sudden doesn't want to be her friend anymore.
This started with the typical schoolyard girl gossip that my baby was spoiled and never got in trouble (uh, not true!LOL)
So, my baby took this to heart, she has been friends with this girl for several years now-we know her parents and they sleep over at each others houses all the time.
We had to confiscate the cel phone also, because there was some crank calling and game playing going on, so Dad thought it best to repo the phone until things cooled down a little.
Girls are so much more sneaky at gossip and hurting each other than boys. At least boys will duke it out on the playground- girls, it's a slow death.
All of this just really started up this year- 5th grade- it took me back, to all the backstabbing and whispers of " so and so has been talking about you" that I heard in school.
I am hoping this just blows over,

To Tell The Truth

My 13 year old son approached me last night asking- " If someone tells a lie, but believes it to be true, what does that mean?"
I was in the middle of cleaning, cooking dinner,and thinking of ways to take over the world when I answered,
"That is called a compulsive liar."
Whereupon he said, "ReallY?"
I then took myself away from my task and asked "Why do you want to know?"
And he proceeded to tell me that he had, on a few occasions, stretched the truth or completly lied about things he had done when talking to his friends.
He had my complete attention now.
I put up with a lot of things, but lying is not one of them. I was raised that in life, there will be times when all we have is our word, and without it, we are nothing. I did my best to instill this in my son as well.
I let him know that it was not OK to be telling lies, because, they make things very complicated, and you have to keep going back to the source of that lie to make any sense or you'll get caught.
I also let him know that if you got to be known as someone who tells fables all the time, no one would believe you when you were telling the truth, and would take everything you said with a grain of salt, and that is no way to be.
he took all this in and went to his room for a while.
He came back later and looked very sheepish and sad.
I asked him what was wrong.
"You think I'm a bad person." He said.
"No," I said, " A bad person wouldn't have told me these things, and wouldn;t care who he hurts with his lies. You are a good person for telling me, it means you have a conscience."
And with that, I gave him a long hug and let him know how much I will love him, no matter what.

Make your own facial scrub

http://www.makeyourcosmetics.com/recipes/

If you're like me, you like to pamper yourself once in a while, especially if you can use natural products. But we all know these can be expensive, so why not make your own? The above website is a cool resource for making your own bath and body stuff.

Yield: Approx. one full body application
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil (canola oil can be substituted)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blending Procedure:

Pour the brown sugar into a bowl and pack it tightly using the back of a spoon. Add the olive oil and mix together to form a paste.


Add the vanilla extract last for a hint of scent. To use, scoop some into the palm of your hand and massage gently from limbs to torso, avoiding broken skin and face. Enjoy!


PS- you can also just add any essential oil that you like- or just enjoy the natural scent of the brown sugar!
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Bellydancing

Anyone who lives in the Santa Rosa area and is interested in taking bellydancing classes-
Elana Quihuis is the BEST!
http://www.raksrosa.com/
Wonderful teacher and a graceful dancer....
Just feel like plugging products and people today.

DAY 5

I have not smoked in 5 days and have not killed anyone in the process- I am going to do a shameless endorsement for Nicoderm CQ- they really work! So far so good- no headaches or any of the other BS associated with it!

Ozzy

My kids have been going on NONSTOP about wanting to go see Ozzy in Oakland- 10 and 13- not sure if we should take them-although I was 14 when I first saw ozzy- man, I AM getting old!
anyways- tix are like 50 clams a pop- we have been telling them it will come out of their savings if they want to buy tickets for themselves. I think this will teach some responsibility.
It is a long way tho- we are in Santa Rosa, and this is in Oak town- at least a 300 dollar night
and btw when the hell did tix start getting so expensive? I remember getting lawn seating at the Shoreline and it was 14 bucks!
Such a rip off- and the musicians dont see much of it- they make most of their cash from merch-
it's a shennanigan- why does a family outing have to cost so much????
I do like Ozzy tho.....

Quitting Smoking, yet again

Ok- day one with the patch and I havent taken anyone out yet at home or at work- so far so good. This will be the thirs time I have quit in my smoking career. When I was pregnant at a young 19- and then again when I was 30 - yeah, I know, it was a long stretch! And now, I committed again to trying to stop for good after my 33rd birthday.
I know it's bad for me, but sometimes I felt I had to indulge in that guilty pleasure. But, it's better to be able to breathe, that and I want to be able to play with my grandchildren.

I must be insane

LOL- I wonder how I do it sometimes- I work 40+ hours a week- raise 2 kids 95% of the time- take 2 classes at the JC - go to dance class once a week - make time to workout at least 2 other times a week, post my blog and also work on some freelance graphic projects WHEW lol
my spouse is a webdeveloper- I am studying graphic design-we make a good team- lol

www.vargasmedia.com

I do wish I had the energy I had when I was 20- and my son was a little kid- but now, I have to have my 8 hours of sleep and take my multi-vitamins LOL when did I become such an old fart???
I wouldn't trade it for the world- I'm more alive now than I have ever been....

Bellydancing

Tonight is my bellydancing class- I go once a week with my stepbaby- she's 10. It's really good excercise! And it's nice to able to sweat like a pig and not feel bad about it, the music is pretty rockin too-! It gives me and baby some girl time, and my hubbo, he plays guitar and fiddles with pro-tools and my son trys to conquer the WWF on Playstation- so all is good in the kingdom!
Ladies, seriously tho- if you are looking for a fun way to get your waistline down, try bellydancing- very low impact on the joints, but a hell of a core workout- and it beats those silly pilates balls!

You Tube

Have any of your kids ever watched anything on YouTube and gave themselves nightmares? What kind of crap are they posting on there? Stepdaughter and friends looked up aliens and she got freaked out and didnt sleep for 3 days!
When I say didn't sleep, I mean coming into our room at 3am and sleeping with us. Amazing things they do with special effects these days- in my time, Clash of the Titans was killer-man, I think I'm getting old!

Rat In A Cage

OK, my pet rat is again attempting a jailbreak- I have never seen a rat climb the sides of a glass tank! Every pet we have is bizarre- our rabbit growls- the lizard hisses, well, thats normal- I guess...
The snake is well, a snake, and no, I am not raising my rat for snake chow, so all of you PETA people can pack it up and take your business elsewhere-

SIMS

Again with the Sims- enough already- I have not seen my stepdaughter in like 2 hours- what on earth could be so exciting- they only come out of the room when they want food- is that all I'm good for? Dessert? This Sims must be from those World Of Warcraft people-

My Son Wants A Job

My 13 year old son wants a job- what is the deal- is allowance not enough these days? It's not like we are poor and he has to go and toil for the family - we are not Appalachians or anything- I think he wants to make money- but I think he is way too young to be worried about a job-
although he does want a drumset and an Ipod- so maybe something under the table....
hmmmmmmm......

Disneyland

My son, at this moment, is with his father and on his way to the happiest place on earth. This will be his second trip this year- one with me and one with his Dad. As Napoleon Dynamite would say "Lucky!"
I am sure he will have an excellent time- there are some advatages to being in a blended family.
Meanwhile- my stepdaughter has a friend over for the night and they have been locked up in her room playing SIMS- what is it with this game? They are obsessed! This little virtual world of houses, people, pets and whatnot- I guess its the Barbie Dreamhouse of the Millenium!

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Blended Family

Hi There
How many of you are living in a blended family? I have one son and a stepdaughter- my son is 13 and my stepdaughter is 10.
My soon to be spouse and I have been living together for 2 years- I have to admit, the first year was a real adjustment- getting used to the routine of having not one but 2 kids - but, it has been worth it- to see them grow to love each other.
One thing we made sure of, that a LOT of couples don't seem to consider, is that our kids got along and that they were OK with the living arrangement before we did it.
we felt it wasn't fair to be selfish and just do what we wanted without taking their feelings into consideration.
They have bonded well over the last 2 years- they call each other brother and sister, and look out for each other as such- they also tease each other as such! They have a lot in common, but also have their differences.
They are with us 95% of the time, so being stable is very important. My spouse and I were raised by both parents, and divorce was not an issue with us- this blended family thing is new to us as well. Children these days deal with a lot more of that, so we try to make it as easy as possible, and let them both know we love them.

Kids and Money

Hi There
How many of you have noticed that when kids get to about the age of nine or so, the toys they want start costing A LOT more? My kids are wanting Ipods, drumsets, concert tickets, ugg boots, etc etc-
When this questions arise from the mouths of my babes- I wistfully remember the adorable toddler age- where a trip to the pet store was like going to the zoo- the local park was a wilderness trip, feeding the ducks was an adventure, and playing on a swing could be an all day affair.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining-
I love my kids- I just hope they don't grow up to be too materialistic.....

Bonding

so, how do you bond with a child that isn’t biologically yours? I was very nervous at first because I didn’t want the child to think I was trying to take her mother’s place- and this is a dilemma I think many of us “steps” face. Where to draw the line? My spouse and I don’t push labels on either kid- we are a family, but we don’t say- “you need to call me Mom or Dad” - we are aware of our roles as caregivers and parents- but there is a place where I get nervous that I am overstepping-

Being Maternal

I consider myself to be very maternal- I had my son when I was 19- and was very happy to be a mom- I am a nurterer- of children, animals and adults at times- I never once contemplated not being a mother- and could never understand women that would have children and then later walk away from the responsibility- I dnt mean teeage mothers who are so young that they can’t handle the responsibilty alone, or women who choose to give their child up for adoption to a childless couple- both of these circumstances take great courage.
My stepdaughters mother- who had her at age 36- has taken it upon herself to move out of the county 40 miles away and to cut her time from 50% to maybe every other weekend if we are lucky. She calles every couple of days to talk to her daughter- only to talk about herself and never asks her about her school or her personal life at all- she has no involvement with her schooling and is not even offering to help pay some kind of extra support-
Instead of coming to get her daughter this Friday, she is going to a concert with a “friend” - one of many boyfriends that have been in and out for the last 2 years- I think it’s selfish and mean to tell your child that you are going out somewhere without them instead of spending time with them when you havent connected in 2 weeks.
I don’t understand it as a mother-
anyone have any advice?

Love My Kids

I just wanted to say to the world how much I love my kids! I am very proud of my son who brought home a 3.4 GPA yesterday!
We had a lost bunny rabbit toy mishap last night-lol- the thing is like half an inch high- little Pokemon looking thing- needle in a haystack it was!
Little girl was very distraught over losing it- so much so she barely ate dinner-
Her Dad found it outside in the front yard of all places!
Kids and their attachments to little doo dads- !

Being Paternal

How can a father who sees his son every other weekend and never really calls in between not feel like he is missig out?
My son’s biological father was in and out of his life and then split for 6 years due to a drug problem.
He finally came back around almost 2 years ago-and takes his son every other weekend.
I didn’t force the issue with my son- I made sure he was OK with it and wanted to see his father.
But as far as the mundane day to day tasks of being a parent, both the other parents are not in the picture much at all.
What is it about people that they can give the responsibility of being a parent away? I could never imagine it- I guess I am just not wired that way.

What Would We do Without Children

When I first was with my new spouse- we would have every other weekend free- and this was new to me-
My son’s father had just come back into his life and I was used to having my boy with me most of the time, save for the occasional sleep-over.
I remember the first weekend alone, he asked me-
“Do you want to go to the fairgrounds and watch the fireworks?”
And I asked, “Why? We don’t have the kids with us.”
He laughed, and said I was so used to being a mother, I had forgotten how to be an adult.
This is so true of so many of us moms- we lose ourselves in being a mom- it becomes our whole identity.
Having time for yourself is imperitive towards being a good parent-