Can you smell it?

Enjoy your week kids - we are off to Breezy!

p.s. I created this post Thursday night and came into work to publish this a.m. But, the Doctor beat me to the pop-culture reference!

I just might be selfish...

I have friends who will CHEER this post and others who will think I have lost my ever-lovin' mind. But I am torn...

Where I work there is a program that gives IT education and JOBS to inner-city youth at GREAT companies where they get experience working part-time in these companies IT Departments their senior year of high school.

Sounds good, right?

But why limit it to inner-city youth? Why don't my kids qualify for a program like that? They could use the training in professionalism - they have OUR EXAMPLE, but what does that mean when there is real EXPERIENCE to be had working for a Fortune 500 company in their IT Department?

Someone's excuse to me was these kids cannot afford a decent pair of shoes???

Bull! I see them in the elevators with EXPENSIVE CELL PHONES, do not tell me they are THAT poor that they need THIS HUGE A LEG UP.

This is the problem I have always had with the descrepencies of education and the fairness it just does not offer to middle class students.

Everyone expects that middle class families will just continue to suck up huge amounts of debt, the parents AND the children, to get a good education...

AND THEN they say that debt is spiraling out of control...DUH!

So Obama, whatcha gonna do about making EDUCATION fair and accessible to all? You want us all to go back to school - so after Healthcare are you on the EDUCATION parity for all Americans?

Really Sir, I want to know.

I rock - I rule!!!! I am so PROUD!!!

See this right here? THAT MommyLisa is YOUR MommyLisa - I am the

FEATURED REVIEWER

at ViewPoints.com

I am the happiest girl in Galtier Plaza today!!!

You know you make me want to SHOUT!

I finally watched this...it WAS for charity, but PAINFUL to watch...

Norwegians are funny like that...

Okay there are a few reasons that this is the Friday Video this week.

1. I was going to go to You Tube and search for "wet hair" but realized I did not need to with this video handy...(Morten's hair always looked a little "wet" to me...)
2. I no longer dry my hair because someone said it was a waste of energy and I am trying to do one thing at a time to be "greener".
3. My friend Nettie is back in Norway and this song reminds me of when I lived there because it had JUST been a big hit in the US.
4. Why are Norwegians "funny like that"? Their "Ti pa (sorry, I do not have access to the little cicle a - forgive me Nancy!) Toppen" radio program that plays the top ten songs of the week...even though all the A-ha songs had ALREADY been Ti pa Toppen they brought them BACK because they were "tops" in the USA.
5. Norway is our biggest ally, next to England, they fight with us...but instead of trying to be more like US we should be more like them!!! Hello healthcare for all & hot blondes going rock-climbing!

Happy Friday! ;)

Mommy loves...

OMG Free Chocolate???

EVERY FRIDAY???

Did I die and go to heaven?

My yard has more flowers through the spring and summer than it ever has thanks to the kind generosity of my parents. My father was/is a Master Gardener and he keeps a family history of sorts in blooms.

...like these large hostas from our "Grandpa Tom" and "Grandma Marvel"'s yard when they sold their home and downsized to senior apartments.

Or these loverly daylillies. I cannot be positive they are from my grandfather's yard - but he always had this color combination...plus, I have Stella D'oro's and Iris from my dad too and I am confident some of the iris came from Grandpa.

And of course the peonies rescued from my GREAT-grandmother's yard when they auctioned off her home and its contents. (those are done blooming now, but they are HUGE and heavy in the early days of summer...The striking flower above is off a plant that blooms LIKE CRAZY that my Boo Boo La La chose when we went to Malmborg's this spring...it loves sun and the blooms last and last!
And these daisies? They did not come from anyone else's yard, but my great-grandmother ALWAYS had them by her front door. Daisies are so cheerful, don't you think?

So - why do I garden...or try to garden?

I was raised in the gardens of my Grandfather's. They were very different men, with very different ways, but they both took me to the garden to "work".

Grandpa Bye always had me weeding and chasing the moths away from his cabbage. I got a nickle a piece for all the moths I would catch. I would even help him change out the beer in the pie tins he used to keep away other creepie crawlers.

The bounty that was his vegetable garden is legendary. Tomatoes and beets, peas- just for me! I always got the peas. Cabbage and carrots, corn and potatoes. And CUCUMBERS BY THE BARREL!!! We crunched them on the stoop with our little picnic size salt shakers and soaked them in vinegar and onions...so many cukes!!!

The whole family, my dad and his three sisters, got so much that the mother's canned for days every year to keep it all. He even gave away to the neighbors he got so much out of his little plot on the side yard!

My Grandpa Studer was another kind of gardener. Nothing in his garden was particularly practical, but we spent as much time caring for it. Each evening after dinner dead-heading the seemingly hundreds of daylilly plants. Weeding and pruning. Picking just the "right" rose for grandma to have in a little vase. He and Grandma even entered small bouquets in the Freeborn County Fair to show off his beautiful flowers.

All I need now to be more like him is some hydrangeas.

But, to aspire to my Grandpa Bye's garden...I need Boo Boo La La to be a little older so we can share that time too. We started this year with tomatoes - but they might not be so fruitful...it has been pretty cool - and herbs that failed miserably. However, I feel that I need to try to do both because the only Grandpa she has that gardens much is my Daddy - and unlike the original Grandpa Bye, this one sticks to flowers, shrubs, roses and trees.

I still have my jumbo patch of chives though! I'll get there.

Oh and my random vidoeo -- it is Friday

I love watching this girls videos...she is a hoot.
Yes, dear. I am a Mum and I Rate you.

Visits are never long enough...

Last week Boo Boo La La's daycare was closed so Jackie could take a much needed vacation from everyone else's kids - except her nephews, but that is her own fault she has them in her daycare. ;)



Boo Boo La La and I decided to take off to my Aunt Penny's and see my Grandma in the process. She is the last living grandparent I have and she is 95...so it is fun that my baby gets to see her...And my Aunt Penny - (she is awesome. I will have to talk about her some time because how many nearly 70 year old women do you know that are involved in their own home renovations? Seriously?)



My Grandma used to have us stay with her in the summer for a week or so - and we would go for weekends with our parents too - and Grandma always had fun things for us to do.



One of my favorite things were telling stories; you know when one person starts and then the next person adds on some more...

My Grandma was awesome at telling stories. And I loved telling her stories too.



So I felt bad when we were in the kitchen and I notice the photo above on her fridge & we just had no time for me to tell her the story of that photo. Everyone was rushing about to get her out the door for a doctor appointment and Boo Boo La La was trying to help ..."get Great-Grandma dress...I help her mama."



So here is the story. It is not long or complex, just cute.



One Friday night last winter T-Bone was going up to get J-Dogg at the hill after a long day of snowboarding. He had been talking about how J-Dogg always wanted to show off some "moves" when he got there...and I wanted to see too!!!

So, Boo Boo La La, T-Bone and I piled in the Aviator to go pick up the J-Dogg.

It was like an adventure and we were talking and laughing the whole ride up there...and this was the grin she had when we opened the car door after she had been "ohhing and ahhing" over the snowy and brightly lit hill.

We went up and got J-Dogg, he showed off for a good 20 minutes while we ran around at the base of the hill and took pictures.

It was the best.

The End

To all the Republicans worried...

About the $1.5 Trillion pricetag on healthcare for all of US. People living in the United States!!!

Think about this:

I do not want to be angry...

This morning they were talking on the radio about a new reality show where plus-sized girls are competing for a "husky guy". (The radio guy's word, not mine!) And he started talking about the backlash created when one of the girls said something about it being time for "normal-sized" people to have a show. (again someone else's word, not mine!) The backlash is coming from the size 6-8-10's who wonder if 14-16 is NORMAL; what are they? Okay I get that, but....

WHO THE FRICK CARES!!!???!!!???!

YOU are a size 6-8-10~! The last time I was a size 10 I was borderline bulemic and ran 10 miles a day to keep myself at the "normal" weight of 145lbs.

WHAT is "normal"? Is it the average of everyone? Guess WHAT!!! That means whatever YOU are is "normal" for YOU!!! And only YOU!!!!

Here is me 6 months after I had my daughter at a "normal" 14-16. I was happy, wanted to lose about 5-10 more pounds, but felt GOOD about myself.

Here is me 9 months after my daughter was born...I put on about 5 more pounds, but it was OKAY...I still fit in my Calvin Klien size 16 khaki's. All is good.
Then, I quit pumping at 9 months - still breastfed morning, nights and weekends - the weight began to creep up more....

At twenty-two months I quit breastfeeding - YES, 22 MONTHS I breastfed my daughter and forgot entirely how to eat normally and the weight PILED on from there...to NOW.

I weigh 12 lbs more than the day I gave birth to my gorgeous girl. And I am working sooooo hard to get back to "normal". I am sick, sick, sick of everyone talking about their weight.

It makes me so mad I want to scream...

The ONLY time I WORRY about it is when other people talk about it.

DAMN IT ALL....now I am crying....(I was NOT going to cry over this...)

STOP IT! STOP IT!

My grandmother told me my whole life, "You have a PERFECT shape." And that is how I feel inside. I am a perfect shape...when I do NOT listen to other people I am fine....I have to keep that in my head! (even if it IS hard to do.)

And you need to PUT IT in your child's head.

Do not EVER tell my daughter (OR ANY CHILD) she is too thin, too chubby, too much or not enough of ANYTHING.

She has a PERFECT shape. period.

You're Beautiful...

THIS.... is the most gorgeous picture of Patrick Dempsey I have ever seen....

Thanks Mama!

and...if you don't recall....here is my list. It may need revising! ;)

I have been out of town...Friday Video for ya!

Pools, Fireworks, Camping and Costco

The weekend began Friday with my hubby out working on the hot tub while the BBLL and I headed out for some shopping to prepare for the weekend.

Old Navy

Whole Foods

Costco

Then we came home and the whole fam-damily had grilled steak dinner and pretty much vegetated.

Saturday morning T-bone and J-dogg went on their annual quest to get cheap golf at Hollydale and try to beat the Lowry's at the game of all games. T-bone shot a 88! (and apparently J-dogg was charming the girls working that day...)

BBLL and I went to the Victory Park kiddie pool and got home just before the DOWNPOUR! Totally crazy...lasted about 30 minutes...thank goodness because...

We were then OFF to Rose Hill courtesy of our lovely hostess Faux Martha and her family for an evening of eating too much, drinking too much and enjoying the seemingly ENDLESS fireworks of all the entire Twin Cities metropolitan area.

YES, at Rose Hill you can see for MILES around.

It was awesome. (and I made these brownies - I am ashamed of the name of them, but they were DE-LI-CIOUS!)

Then, Sunday we leisurely packed up to head home - after a bit of a restless night in the tent, "I want LOTION on my FEETS MOM!" at about oh? 4am?

We unpacked at home and got cleaned up then went to my Auntie Becky's for my Uncle Jeff's birthday - he is 60...happy birthday to you! Got to see all my cousin's and it was FUN.

Then BBLL took off with my mom - daycare is closed this week.

and do NOT think the fun is over. TWO DAYS KIDLESS? Then TWO FUN FILLED DAYS WITH BBLL???

it is the summer of fun, or george. i forget.

You should see me be June at karaoke...

When the night has come...(John Lennon version)

I am listening to my Pandora station as I work and blog today...John Lennon's version of Stand By me is on and it reminds me of my pledge to myself.

TRY to live more green for the earth, and children of the future like my Boo Boo La La.

So? How do I plan to do this???

Well - the first thing I did was my Envirosax...You don't want to hear me talk about them again do you??? Nah.

Then I gave up coffee - because it seemed to me that tea was more environmentally friendly to produce - THEN, I gave up soda and so now I don't use many cans/bottles because I have my reusable tea mug and water bottle.

NEXT - Dryer balls. Yes, Dryer Balls. I have seen them priced from $9.99 infomercial style to $20!!! At Target.com.

These I purchased at Babies R Us a few months ago and the clothes actually seem softer...YES, with NO OTHER FABRIC SOFTENER. And $14.99 plus tax, over 1000 loads per set...I will use them for over 3 years before they tell me I need to replace them - figuring 6 loads per week for our family of 5.

Compare that to Bounce which I notice is outrageously priced these days and these babies are quite the bargain too. (Yes, yes, bargain brands...most make me itchy, except Snuggle, but still it is like $5 for 80!)

Plus, the kitty loves them- so they can be his toys when I replace them in a few years.

And if I had known about it beforehand, I could have saved Fifty Cents! But, you can by using this link...