Happy Happy! Joy Joy!

Once upon a time, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away... I used to be a blogger or a writer or some kind of online social butterfly... I think. I can't quite remember... Maybe it's the new elevation.

I don't know... Boy! Am I in need of a happy list today. Something sweet and simple. Something to put the wind beneath my wings on a no-energy day like this month week day.

Evelyn's Happy List on a No-Energy Thursday:

*Newsies showed up in my mail box last night. Thank you Netflix!

*Jeigh is totally on board with my brilliant Get-a-Penny-Every-Time-I-Catch-You-NOT-Sucking-Your-Thumb idea.

*I got the dishes done yesterday. That means I can skip today, right?

*Hearing that an ultra-cool package is in the works for me from my ultra-cool swap partner, Sami! Can't wait!!

*SYTYCD was on last night! And it's on again tonight! Just can't get enough.

*I woke at 4 am to a gentle hug and kiss goodbye from my hard workin' hunka' hunka' burnin' love. What a good guy!

*PAYDAY!

*The upcoming Fourth of July holiday! The fireworks! The food! The family!

*My kids could happily eat apples all day.

*I don't have a car; therefore I don't have to feel guilty about not getting the grocery shopping done. Ha!

*Watching my little son playing intently with his plethora of cars. What is going through his mind as he parks and pushes them around??

*Laughing about my mom answering her phone while she is at Girls' Camp and chatting with me for awhile before reminding me that was where she was. Coverage all the way out there? I just think that is hilarious!

*Plans to go see Toy Story 3 on Monday with the family. Anyone seen it yet?

How's that for trying to find the silver lining today, eh? Oh and thanks to Mamarazzi for the happy list inspiration!

OH! Aaaaannd! Speaking of Mamarazzi...go check out her game giveaway! I figure if I keep entering, I'm bound to win someday...

So, what is wrinkling your face with smiles today?

What do 21-Year Olds Know?! NOTHING!

Eight years ago, I worked for a plasma collection facility as the medical supervisor. My job, among other responsibilities, was to interview and evaluate possible candidates for plasma donation. This involved performing physical examinations.

Have you ever donated plasma? I have. Between being a donor and a resuscitator of unconscious donors, my professional opinion is: DON'T DO IT!!! But I digress...

Allow me to preface my little story. Eight years ago I was a 21 year-old single college girl. I was brim-full of all sorts of ideas of what LIFE was...or at least what MY LIFE was going to be.

One day, eight years ago, two different woman entered my office at different times. Both were in their late twenties. Both were married with young children. Woman #1 (shall we call her "Agnes") walked into my office and slumped in the chair across from me. Agnes looked haggard. Sweats, greasy hair pulled back into a ponytail, no makeup, dark circles under her eyes. Being in my office was a welcome respite from Agnes's children.

Woman #2, "Veronica", came later in the day. Veronica was a vision in pink. Her colored hair was styled to perfection. Makeup done. Nails done. Smile on. Perky in every sense of the word. Veronica was so "put-together" that I remember interrupting the interview and complimenting her on how "put-together" she was. Then my stupid, immature, unwise 21-year old mouth opened further and gurgled forth something brazen and idiotic like: "That's how I am going to be when I am a mom!".

To the present day...More specifically, yesterday, June 17, 2010.

In spite of our stuffed, snotty noses and achy body parts, the kids (all three) and I braved the town of The-Middle-of-Nowhere to do a little Father's Day and grocery shopping while we had the car for the day. There had been no time for a shower or much other grooming at that. I made a minimal effort and brushed my teeth and pulled my greasy hair up in a pony tail. A pair of jeans and a T-shirt completed my "look". The kids were lucky to have their shoes on...even if they were on the wrong feet. The girls' hair was untouched by brush or comb. The boy's glasses were all sorts of mucked up. Whatever. Let's just get our errands done.

We went to JC Penney first. For the two seconds I absorbed myself in trying to find the correct size, I managed to lose 23-month old Elle. Code Adam was called and she was located all the way at the opposite end of the store. Code Adam?! {snort} It would be more appropriately named Code Loser-Mommy-Can't-Keep-Track-of-All-Her-Rug-Rats-or-Her-Birth-Control. At least that's what the clerk that brought my lost lamb back to me said with her eyes. Whatever.

I still had shopping to do, but after that little humiliating display, I gathered up my brood and left as quickly as possible. Since they had announced exactly what my child looked like and was wearing, the whole store knew I was THAT mom. Whatever.

We made our way to the post office and managed to keep everyone together this time...kind of. Elle managed to make it out the door of the post office without the rest of us, but I could see her the whole time I was running to catch-up. That's gotta count for something.

Knowing we still had a hefty grocery shopping trip ahead of us, and realizing we just weren't going to make it through gracefully, I stopped at Burger King. I proceeded to make negotiations with the kids. Their end of the deal: play, burning off enough energy to not be total hooligans in Walmart; eat, filling their bellies enough so that they are not asking me for every cookie, cracker, candy, and pop we will undoubtedly see; and behave perfectly, especially when we get to the store. My end of the deal: to not eat my own offspring. Oh! and to drink copious amounts of Dr. Pepper. Done and done.

On to Walmart...Two hours later, with one grocery cart overflowing; one grocery budget gone horribly awry; three whiny, bickering children; one husband home from work, locked out of the house, and in desperate need of a bathroom...I found myself in the Walmart parking lot...

almost in tears...
not-quite-yelling-but-speaking-forcefully...
sweaty...
overdrawn, in every sense of the word...
remembering that day eight years ago...
muttering something about how this wasn't how MY LIFE was supposed to be...
still clinging to that 21-year old belief that I was supposed to be a Veronica. NOT an Agnes...

Whatever.

I'd like to find Veronica and dump all my snot-nosed kids on her while Agnes and I go out for a Ladies Night...or just take a nap.

The One Where I Participate in Mamarazzi's Red, White, and Blue Swap

(Optional titles: The One Where I Buy a New Friend or The One Where I Don't Tell My Husband What I Do on the Internet)




Mamarazzi @ Dandelion Wishes is hosting her famous Red, White, and Blue Swap and I just couldn't help myself. I am in! I participated in her Favorite Things swap, had so much fun, and made a life long friend. I like to think she likes me for my dazzling personality and not the super cool package I sent her.

I have to admit I am a little nervous about putting together a package after moving so recently. I am not very familiar with my new town and all my craft supplies are in storage. I don't want to resort to filling my box with Walmart fodder...So! I am making a little challenge for myself: Only 50% of my box can be purchased at Walmart. I am loading up all three kids in the van and making a bit of a scavenger hunt out of this for us. We're going to go discover our new town! Whew! Hope I am up for this!

My husband doesn't get why I like swaps so much. But is it so hard to understand? Who doesn't love making a new friend? Or getting a personalized package in the mail?? Or even just sharing yourself with someone by putting together a creative package and in red, white, and blue no less??! Who?! I ask you! WHO?!? Okay...well, probably not him, but I totally dig it.

Can't wait to meet my new swap partner! Thanks for hosting Mamarazzi!

Oh the snotty tissues we sneeze...

We had all sorts of plans today. Well, actually just one big, exciting plan at least for the kids and I; Daddy's plan as always is to work work work. The big and exciting plan: Our first play date in our new town! The kids and I alike were thrilled for the opportunity to get out of the house and MEET people. People who we secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) hope will become new friends.

But alas, a nasty little virus snuck its way into our familial doors during the night. And not really snuck, so much as hostilely took over leaving us with no choice but to surrender to its wearisome and snotty regimen. Result: No play date for us. *sniff sniff*

Poor little Elle has suffered more than the rest (meaning Mommy and Daddy suffered right along too). She was up through the night, tossing and turning, moaning and crying, fevering and wanting to be cuddled. It's hardly fair. To her, not me. The poor girl was sick with stomach flu just last week and right before that it was a yucky respiratory something-er-rather that lasted for weeks.

What on earth am I doing wrong here? Is this normal? Each time she coughed or cried out, the hypochondriac in me staked territorial rights...right next to the mommy guilt camp.

And why feel guilty? I mean, being sick is part of life, right? Hardly what I would consider blog-worthy. But three bouts of illness one right after the other???

Oh well...Instead of going to the park and making lifetime soul mates today, we are vegging in our jammies, sipping fluids and eating dry toast, and watching loads of PBS, Backyardigans, and Food Network. Might as well take full advantage of our quarantined state, right?

If you GIVEAWAY it, they will come

***Giveaway is now closed!***

In an attempt to shake off my blog funk, why not host a GIVEAWAY, eh?

CSN Stores contacted me again about sponsoring another giveaway. This time it's a $20 gift certificate to any of their 200 plus stores! Have you checked out CSN Stores yet? You should! They have everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink...or at least those of the bathroom vanity sort. Wait! I just checked. Yep. They've got kitchen sinks too. Wander over there yourself and get lost in the possibilities of what CSN Stores offers.

So, you want in on a chance to win a $20 gift certificate for any of the 200 plus stores of CSN Stores???

*For one giveaway entry, follow my blog (see the side bar on the right) and make sure to leave a comment so I know you want in on this giveaway goodness.

*For two additional giveaway entries, share this giveaway and my blog address (http://hangingbyasilverlining.blogspot.com/) on your Facebook page.

*For three additional giveaway entries, blog about the giveaway on your own blog, linking back to this post. Make sure to include the link to your post in your comment.

That's six possible entries! Only leave one comment for each thing you did. I'll do the math and let random.org take care of randomly and fairly selecting a winner.

You have one week to enter. Giveaway will close Thursday, June 17, 2010 at midnight PT. I will announce the winner on Friday, June 18th.

Good luck and let the giveaway goodness begin!

Let me re-phrase that...

I do not "hate" blogging.

That and I really need to learn how to filter myself before I start writing. But maybe that's why some people like to read my blogs...Let's see what other stupid things Evelyn can say without realizing it.

"Hate" is a rather strong word, isn't it? For example, I totally HATE coconut and snakes and child molesters and Farmville invites on Facebook and that group of girls that were so mean to me in junior high. (Time heals all wounds?? Maybe in another twenty years.)

But hate blogging?

No.

How could I hate something that has brought me so much joy and opportunity to express myself? And friends! Blogging is about connecting people. People who encourage you when you say dumb things like "I hate blogging". People (my sister actually, who although a mom herself, I believe still qualifies as a "people") who coincidentally send you ideas and sketches for a new blog header that instantly taps into some deeply stashed creative juices.

I liked what some of you said about not letting blogging become a chore. Sometimes I get a little too big for my britches and begin thinking things like "But my public neeeeeds me!"

Eh...No you don't. Pretty sure I'm not on your mind 70% of your day. I'm betting you make decisions without first consulting my blog for direction. I imagine you even stalk other blogs more frequently than my little neck of the blogosphere. At least that's what my therapist was telling me the other day.

So! No, I do not "hate" blogging. I will not let it become a "chore". I will use it freely in a very selfish manner, doing myself a service and not deluding myself into thinking it is a public service. I will embrace writer's block as a gracious device that will allow me to dedicate myself to other areas of my life such as laundry and meal planning and morning showers. I will continue to read and admire others' blogs whilst simultaneously feeling pride and expressing individualism in my own blog.

Aaaahhh. Now doesn't that feel better? I think we have made a lot of progress today...

Anyone else need the couch now??

i hate blogging

Did I just anger the blog gods?

Hmm...I must not hate it enough if I am still worried about what someone might think of me.

Or maybe that's just me. Always worried about what others think of me.

Dumb. I hate that about me.

Well, I don't care what you think blog gods. {lie}

This blog well is all dried up and trying to remember why I lovedobsessedbreathed blogging.

Deep down, I know I'll remember. Just today, the day I plannedwantedneeded to get something written...

i hate blogging.

I'm Baaaa-aaaaaaack!

Anyone out there???