Owner: Full Plate URL:http://fullplate321.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:42:24 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: The life and times of a 41 year old stay-at-home mother of 3 kids, along with 2 dogs and 1 husband. Kids are 6, 4 and 3; dogs are springers, and the husband is a hard-working corporate boy. Welcome to my hectic, wonderful life. Site statistics:Click here
Moi? 2007-04-25 23:01:00 Oh. My. Gawd.While I was away on vacation I was nominated for not ONE but TWO "Thinking Blogger Awards?" Huh? Thanks, of course, to Jenny and Elle - you are 2 of my more favorististist people, and have wonderful, delightful blogs that I enjoy reading daily. But moi? It's more like I make people think... about...Poop? Dishwasher maintenance? Dropping food on my shelf (as I lovingly call it. You know, the knockers.)? How to not smack your hubby up side of the head? 101 uses for duct tape with 3 kids?Whatever the reason, I have been singled out. I've never won an award for my verbal diarrhea, so this is SOOPa. Let's see... what do I supposed to do with this award (and where on EARTH will I display the big fat trophy coming in the mail)? What? No trophy? Oh poo.Ok, here goes. I supposed to pick 5 other bloggers who make me think. Ok, let me think about this...Be right with you.Ok, ready.Jill! She writes from her heart, and I love that about her. She's like my little si
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly. 2007-04-25 06:30:00 My Vacation. Where the heck do I start? Do I start with the coldsore on my bottom lip that I woke up with the FIRST day of our journey? The same one that bugged me the entire week? Good thing I wasn't out to impress the hotties down south, eh?I've had a hard time deciding how I want to share this stuff with you - do I focus on the great visits? The happy times? Do I share any of the poop stories or the many times I wanted to hit my husband over the head with a cast-iron skillet? How about that warm Florida sun that I LONGED for - oh, it was so delicious, and thank GOD that it isn't TOO cold up here in Connecticut now. It is a bit cool, but it's not snowing. I would've been RIPPING to come back to SNOW! And how about all the GREEN we saw on the drive down? It was SO nice to see budding plants, trees... hell, the GRASS was getting me all moist because it was so GREEN! And how about how good the kids traveled in the van? How many DVDs we watched? And how many pools did t
I Am Home 2007-04-24 14:32:00 I'm home. Kids are sick with new colds, I'm tired and Hubby is working from home this week. I need some coffee...lolI hope that everything is going well for everyone - I am SO sorry that I really didn't get many chances to get online as I thought I would. Funny how vacation wipes you out so you collapse every night! I thought of you often, and am looking forward to reading your blogs to play some catch up. I truly missed you!I'll give you a full rundown on my vacation soon, promise. And yes, I'm glad to be home. XOXO
SHH! KNOCK IT OFF! 2007-04-29 15:56:00 Every now and then we as adults stay up late just because we feel like it. I think it was after 2am when I finally fell off to sleep last night. I remember hearing sounds from below me (the dining room) from some computer shoot-em-up game, every now and then sprinkled with "son-of -a b!tC%!" and "oh MAN!" I don't know what time Hubby finally came to bed, but he was sawing wood when I heard the kids up this morning @7:30am.The kids were awake and making noise. Not a good thing. I got all the kids and dogs downstairs and proceeded with soft TV and some breakfast. The rest of the morning thus far has been about shutting up these beasts so that they don't wake up Daddy. And of COURSE the rooms that we are occupying are the WORST in terms of noise. The noise goes STRAIGHT upstairs. There is no place to hide, really - and I can't exactly banish them to the garage!So Pumpkin and Princess are bored. They are trying to play Shoot-em-up-chase-you-around-the-house-and-make-the-loudes
Made Me Laugh Out Loud 2007-04-28 21:21:00 A teacher was doing a study testing the taste sense of first graders, using a bowl of lifesavers.The children began to say:Red......................CherryYellow.................LemonGreen...................LimeOrange................OrangeFinally the teacher gave them all HONEY lifesavers.After eating them, None of the children could identify the taste."Well," she said, "I will give you all a clue. It's whatyour mother may sometimes call your father."One little girl looked up in horror, spit her lifesaver outand yelled, " Oh, my God, they're assholes!"
Our Life Choices 2007-05-03 02:23:00 This girl, let's call her Christine, is my age and is married to my brother. She is very neurotic and is a bit of a stress case. She has low-self-esteem and is mostly a pain in the patookas, to be nice about it. Everything has to center around and be about HER. I'm sure we all have those types of people in our lives.As I've said, she married my brother - this was over 20 years ago, when my brother knocked her up. Who knows if they would've gotten married if that hadn't happened, but they are still together, so yay for them! They have 2 boys, 21 and 15.I was chatting with her online yesterday - we chat every few weeks online - and we were talking about vacations. She is getting away by herself on Mother's Day weekend, and I offered understanding and support of this, for sure. It was a pleasant conversation to start with. Of course, it was all about her, but I can see around that to actually enjoy a little conversation with her now and then.I mentioned to her that I need a
It's Meme Time 2007-05-01 18:43:00 “This my dear friends is a game called Chinese Freeze Tag" - I'm probably the last one to do this one, but thanks to Burg (and Teri!) I am blessed with using the old noggin today. "What are the rules, you wonder? Well then, allow me to explain. What you are about to read are ten - hopefully - interesting facts and/or habits of mine. After you are done reading you will find a list of ten people in no specific order. These are the names of the innocent bystanders whom I have tagged and thus drawn into this game. They will then be forced to write their own blog listing ten interesting facts about themselves, and also select another ten people to tag - No Tag Backs! Very simple, hopefully interesting. Now, sit back, relax, and be amazed.”1. I'm barefoot most of the time. It's not because I have pretty feet - no no no! I just don't like sliding everywhere, including down hardwood stairs. (Note to self - PEDICURE STAT!)2. I enjoy cooking, but I think I could live the rest of my l
A Musical, Linky Confession 2007-05-01 06:00:00 Hi, my name is Lee, I'm 41 years old and I like many kinds of music. In fact, I used to be a music teacher (how many lines in a staff?), sang in a rock band (Pat Benatar), sang opera in college (a little Puccini) and have sung at many a wedding (Ave Maria or We've Only Just Begun? OR how about The Wedding Song?). I've also directed and performed in many theatrical productions (check out All that Jazz from Chicago) and have given private voice lessons to young and old for years. I used to direct church choirs. I used to sing in the mirror with a hair brush. My mom listened to all sorts of music, and to this day I STILL know lyrics to LOADS of old songs because of that. I had a real crappy AM radio growing up, but that didn't stop me from listening to Neil Sedaka music (in 1975, when I was 9) or Lovin' You on it and grooving. I remember sitting on the front lawn and trying to hit those high notes! I also remember my older brothers listening to Queen and Steve Miller. I l Read more:Musical
Friday Funnies 2007-05-04 15:40:00 I'm going from a sweet story about my son (yesterday's post) to a video about "Sexual Consent". It's been a crazy week! Enjoy! Read more:Friday
, Funnies
Pass Me Some Sugar Love 2007-05-03 16:28:00 As parents, I think that we can get into such a groove with our kids that gestures of love, affection, sweetness can not get lost, but can get so routine that we forget how special those little moments really are.As I was dropping off my son at school today, I said, as usual, something like, "You know I love you, Pumpkin?" I hugged him tightly and he said, "Mommy, I love you more." (heart swelling)Then he went on and and said, "I love you as HIGH as I can reach and as HIGH as I can stretch, Mommy!" (heart bursting)We exited the van and made our way to the schools steps, where he decided to run ahead, because he was a "big boy." I followed behind him, and as we both giggled, he started climbing the stairs. I stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched him climb, with his backpack on his back and his lightning mcqueen hat on. My big boy alright. Half way up he turned around and blew a kiss to me. He climbed all the way up, waved at me, and went into his classroom. When did he g Read more:Sugar
5 Answers to Chelle's 5 Questions 2007-05-08 01:44:00 So I've owed these answers to Chelle for many moons - hopefully she'll forgive me! She asked me some questions, based on what she knows of my life, and I was more than happy to answer! Hopefully some of you will find it an interesting read as well. Here we go ... 1. Potty training or Paper training ... Pros and Cons?I trained my puppies, and it took a LOT less time to get those puppies to stop making messes in my house compared to potty training the kids. I gotta say that there was less of a chance to step in pee while training the humans in the house. Ew. Looks like I have 1 child left to train. I think she'll get it soon - she constantly sits on her potty and says PSSSSSS. 2. Would you let one of your kids try out for American Idol, even though you knew the judges would be cruel?I'm one of those people who believes in honesty. I also think that Simon Cowell has it right, although perhaps he can go a bit overboard in his word usage at times. You don't do anyone ANY fav
Measure in Love 2007-05-07 06:11:00 If you haven't heard this music, go listen to it. Buy it. Breathe it in. If you haven't seen the musical live, go. Go feel it. Go become a part of the energy in that room. If you haven't seen the movie, go. Go rent it. Go buy it. Own it. Watch it. Feel all that it is.I first heard this music when it came out in 1996. I breathed it in and I let it stay inside. I instantly think back on what I was doing back then - I think of my roommates, I think of the theatre work I was doing, and I think of friends. Do you have music that instantly brings you back to such strong memories? Before I got married and moved away from that life of theatre, I directed kids musicals, and I put on an annual kids show with Broadway tunes. I taught a great group of kids this song. Oh I wish you could've heard them sing this! Their performance was breathtaking.I think back, and I can only smile.Have a GREAT week! Read more:Measure
I "KNEE"D Some Medical Attention 2007-05-05 20:43:00 So I messed up my knee. I woke up LAST Saturday with pain around my knee, and I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why. Did I play field hockey in my sleep? Did Hubby kick the ever loving SNOT outta me while we slept the night before? Did one or both of the dogs sleep on the leg all night? Perhaps I ran too much, playing with the kids a few days before? I didn't run THAT much. HIGHLY unlikely.No clue, folks. I had no clue. All I figured was that it was a muscle pull, and that I'd be fine.Not fine. All week it has gotten worse. Can't bend it all the way. Forget about crouching down. I've had to ice it every night, and ibuprofen is my best friend now. I came to the conclusion on Thursday that walking on it was PROBABLY making things worse. All those stairs. All those kids.So I called the doc, and of COURSE she is out of town for some conference until next week, and she has some Joe-Shmoe doc that I don't know covering for her. Ever my doc's nurse said, "oh,
Here Are Some Things That I Know. 2007-05-09 15:24:00 Day 3 and I'm HUNGRY! From all I've heard, it is very normal to feel hungry like this when you cut the carbs. Drinking my coffee with sweetener. YUK. Just not the same, but I'll be able to manage.And by the way, thanks friends, for the support on this diet. I'll definitely be looking to you guys in my days of cravings.Today is Wednesday (right?). Here are some things that I know.If Pumpkin wants to wear his favorite shirt for picture day, he can GO FOR IT. He wanted to wear his surfing shirt and I fluffed it up and let him wear it today. He had pictures taken earlier in the year, so this round of pics can be "getting ready for the summer" pics. And I don't have to buy them (although I probably will!) so as long as he smiles like Mommy is there saying "PASS THE SUGAR!" he'll be great. Only a few more weeks of pre-k for him. This year FLEW!All the grey hairs on my head came directly from Princess. That girl is so awesome, but keeps me on my toes EVERY day. The mini-mel
So I'm a Chubby Girl... 2007-05-08 20:42:00 I started my diet again yesterday.I've had such struggles with my weight over the many years I've been here in this world. I was always the "big boned" girl. I always looked older than I was - never petite. I became quite a hottie in high school, looking back at pictures. I didn't know it then, though. I was "built like a brick shithouse" as my mother would say about herself when SHE was young. Big boobs, a little waist, and a nice round butt. I really wish I knew that I had it all going on back then. I think it's God's joke on us - He gives you the looks and/or the bod when you are young, but you really don't know what to do with it then. As you age and your body goes south, east and west, you finally know what to do with your body. It's at that point that you sigh as you look in the mirror.Well I've tried lots of diets over the years. I had some good luck with weight watchers - in fact, I got pregnant while on it twice! I've also tried South Beach and Atkins in r
Pick ME! 2007-05-08 14:44:00 Have you checked out this girl's blog? Not only does she design the BOOTS off of a website, but she actually has a great blog as well.And I want to win. I can win a new design for this here blog. Wouldn't that be AWESOME?? I'm tired of this template, and this blog needs a good kick-in-the-pants!I don't know what I'm going to receive for Mother's Day - our budget is a litle tapped out right now, so THIS would be great! And go check out Everyday Mommy!
My Wish - To All Of My Mommy Friends 2007-05-12 17:14:00 "My Wish" (Rascal Flatts) I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,and each road leads you where you wanna go,and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.And if one door opens to another door closed,I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.But more than anything, more than anything...My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,You never need to carry more than you can hold,and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,Yeah, this, is my wish.I hope you never look back, but you never forget,all the ones who love you, in the place you left,I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, and you help somebody every chance you get,Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,and always giv Read more:Mommy
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Why Do I Blog 2007-05-12 02:55:00 I've been tagged by Charmed and Dangerous' Dariana. The purpose of the meme is to give 5 reasons WHY you blog and then to tag 5 other bloggers to do the same.Hm.1. Keeps me out of the bars.2. I don't have to wear heels and a push-up bra to whisper sweet nothings in people's ear about my ass, my cramps OR what I'd LOVE to do when the lights go off. (SLEEP, buddy. Geez, you guys are a bunch of pigs.)3. Noone else will listen to my yada yada yadas.4. It surely beats calling long-distance to tell my bestest buds about my POOP episodes. Now who wants to pay for THAT?OK. The REAL reason...5. Because I like all that sharing my daily life brings - friendships, healthy vents, some education and some great laughs. Thanks for reading and wanting to know more about me and my life.Who can ask for anything more?And who do I tag? Tuesday Girl, Burg, Maria, Mamma and Janet.
FUNNY Trailer 2007-05-12 01:48:00 From the Upcoming Movie, "Knocked Up" Read more:Trailer
I See Stupid People 2007-05-11 00:40:00 Why do people think that THEY rule the road? Today I saw the craziest thing. Picture a road with 2 lanes going one way, and 1 lane going the other. I was in the left lane on the 2 lane side. The chickie in front of me was trying to turn left, but this WOMAN coming from the other side, from her driver's seat, was pointing at both the chickie in front of me AND the guy trying to turn into her lane (in front of her). Both people trying to cross her path hardly moved, perhaps in shock. I sat here watching this, and this chick was DIRECTING TRAFFIC with her index finger. She was telling the woman in front of me to WAIT. The chickie in front of me kinda turned in front of her, and by this time, with LOADS of traffic going (this was in a nearby CITY at dinnertime, so LET'S GO PEOPLE!) I finally leaned on my horn out of disgust, because noone was getting OUT OF MY WAY! They moved.That topped the 3 incidents of people turning in front of me and NOT putting a blinker on today. Or th Read more:Stupid
Still Have Willpower 2007-05-10 16:44:00 So I went to the market with my list of low-carb food this morning. Was it a good sign that the septic guy and his truck were in front of the store, sucking up waste? Not sure.I'm just amazed at how much money good food costs. Hey, I'll pay it - that isn't the problem, but I was amazed at how much more the bill was this week. Never mind that gas bill! I filled up the tank of my mini-van to the tune of $50. Gulp. I'm gonna have to sell my body soon!At any rate, I spent the moolah, came home and put all the goods away. And my counters are gushing with green vegetables. It's lovely! I still have some foods for the kids, but I seem to have the willpower to avoid them. Hubby was asking me all week if I had gone shopping for low-carb stuff, and I told him that I would get to it, and that there was enough good stuff at home that I could survive a few days. With my schedule and my desire to NOT walk with this bum knee (doc appt in this afternoon), I just had to wait until toda
What's With YOUR Wallet? 2007-05-16 03:37:00 Schmitty-girlfriend is going to kick my butt for taking so long to get to this, but I am FINALLY delivering! She tagged me a longgggggggg time ago for this "What's in Your Purse Meme." Today is your lucky day, blog-lovvahs, because I KNOW you were dying to know!My purse. I am in the process of looking for a new one, but this holds everything but the kitchen sink, so it aint all bad.And these are pics of the contents of my purse. EEK. We got tampons, children's pepto, advil, hand sanitizer, a sewing kit, bandaids, benadryl, triaminic thin strips, makeup, a few different lip balms, hand cream, breath spray, hair clips, combs, barrettes, elastics, Pumpkin's sunglasses, GARBAGE (gotta love THAT pic, and no, I didn't put that BACK in my purse...)My wallet, keys, change, bluetooth, pads of papers, pens, zicam, treats...Mail, important receipts from the day, baby wipes and pullups...And Leapster cartridges!Of course I left my cellphone in the van the day these pics were taken, so I f
Happy Birthday Daddy 2007-05-15 16:16:00 My Daddy
would have turned 71 years old today. Hard to imagine him that old.My Daddy died 8 years ago in July. He had a kidney disease for many years, and was checked for cancer many a time in those years. They could never find any. The last few years of his life were a bit uncomfortable, and his cheery mood was harder to come by. He started getting very sick in the spring of 1999, and ended up in the hospital at the end of June.He was diagnosed with leukemia on July 4th and died on July 31st. The poor man never even had a chance to retire and enjoy some life for a change. He worked hard all of his life and didn't have much time to relax. I wished more for him.But today I celebrate his life. He was a sweet soul, who had an undying love for his kids. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of him. I miss him every day. It's like he is here with me as I raise my children. He never got to walk me down the aisle or hold my sweet babies, but I know that he'd b Read more:Birthday
, Happy Birthday
, Happy
Don't Go Away Angry, Just Go Away 2007-05-15 04:00:00 Dearest Mother of Brat,Why do you insist on making your evil spawn child come over to me and Pumpkin as SOON as school lets out to ask if Pumpkin can come over to play at your house EVERY OTHER DAY? As in RIGHT then, after school? And WHY do you have to have this asked in front of our kids, when it would work much more effectively if you called me on the phone (or email)? I'd still find an excuse, frankly. And why is it always last minute? No notice? And why do you make your son ask ME in front of MY son? To get the boys excited, so I can't HELP but say yes? Pumpkin likes your son, but knows not to hang out with him when he starts misbehaving. That pretty much covers most of the day.Hey, I know you do your best, I guess. He doesn't have his Daddy around, and you work 3 jobs to send him to a Catholic school. Perhaps he really isn't at fault here. But that doesn't change the fact that he is a bad influence, and I just don't like how my son acts after spending time wit
Monday Weigh In 2007-05-14 16:19:00 Morning. It's morning, everyone! Today's the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are gonna get out of... The tank is clean. The tank is CLEAN!First of all, thanks SO much for the wonderful comments on my last post. I just kinda blurted things out there, and I'm so glad to find the support I needed. Nice to find some good friends, for sure.And let's hear it for my ass. I lost 7 pounds in my first week on my diet. The first 2 weeks are pretty strict, and then I can add more carbs back. Hubby lost 10. I'll keep track of my weekly progress on the left sidebar, with weigh-ins every Monday
morning. LOTS more to go, but this feels good. I do miss my breads, though!Does SMELLING donuts qualify as cheating? Read more:Weigh
I Wish Again 2007-05-13 15:04:00 Today is Mother's Day. For some, it's a wonderful day of celebration. For others, it's filled with sadness. Hundreds of reasons for each.I fall somewhere in the middle.My husband took me out on a date last night - we found a babysitter (our friends' daughter) and we went out for a little shopping and then to a nice rodizio restaurant in the city. Lots of food that we both could have on our diets. It was great. In a sense, it was my mother's day gift. He also promised me a morning to sleep in and breakfast made for me. Those 2 things never happened.I didn't marry a romantic guy. Yeah, I did know that going in. Sometimes it's fine with me, and sometimes it's not. It's hard to explain. Maybe I don't want to complain about him here. I'm torn about it.Today I called my Mom, who lives across the state, and I wished her a happy Mother's Day. We aren't that close. In fact, she really isn't much of a Mom to me, never mind a big part of my life. That is sad to me, b Read more:Again
13 Things 2007-05-17 16:13:00 Here are thirteen things that I am grateful for today:That I was looking ahead while driving home this morning and narrowly missed getting hit head-on by a guy driving his pickup truck. He was getting off of the highway and did not stop at the stop sign at the end of the ramp and drove RIGHT in front of me. My heart was going so fast, but me and the girls were fine. I had some choice words in my MIND for that guy!That my kids are healthy and happy.That the sun is shining. We had a bad thunderstorm come through here yesterday, and now the sun is out and the birds are back eating the birdseed out of the birdfeeder. There is this one bluejay that keeps on coming back for more!That I can still get around with my bum knee. I bought a brace for it today, and it feels good to wear it. Some people can't even walk, so I'm one of the lucky ones.That I have a choice of foods to eat today. I may be on a diet (OMG I'm starving right now) but I can eat food here and make that
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