PSA for August 2011

I'd like to use this PSA to talk to all the brides out there.
The ones who are planning their weddings.
Dreaming about their dresses.


I, being an avid watcher of "Four Weddings", "Say Yes to the Dress", "Say Yes to the Dress~Atlanta" & "Bridezilla's" not to mention other wedding shows, knows a thing or to about the do's & don'ts on your big day.


Let me show you the #1 don't on your list:

SHAZAM!

Fingerless, elbow length gloves.

Sure Madonna rocked this look in the 80's.
I may have coveted a pair when I was in my early high school career.

Today, in 2011, no, no, no.
This does not lend an air of class to your day.
In my tv watching experience, it lends an air of "retired or future pole dancer" to your day.

It really takes away from the beauty that is your gown & you.

People are focusing on your gloves, thinking, "Do I give them the gravy boat or will she shake her money maker at the reception for dollar bills?"

Shhh...I know what you are thinking, it's not true.
It is.
True.

So please before you try those babies on, think of your photos when you've been married for 50 years.
Do you really want to look at them & wonder what happen to those & your platform lucite heels?

Just sayin!

A boy scorned...

It all begin with an after dinner swim at the pool.
Cheeks met a girl.  I chronicled the budding romance here.

Last night we went to the pool for our extremely early evening swim.
She was there.
I saw her first and pointed her to Cheeks.

He quickly got out of the pool.
Put his hands on his hips and walked like John Wayne in a last showdown over to her.
She was in the water.
He strutted back and forth.
Finally saying "Hi Alexis"
She smiled.
Waved.
That was it.

Cheeks was not understanding that she was playing with her girlfriends.
2 other 8ish year old little girls.
He just kept trying to get her attention.
Yelling at her, waving, saying "Look at me!"
Alexis was having her girls night out & wanted no parts of a "boy".
Guess playing Cougar for the evening wasn't on the agenda.

I comforted him by letting him play in the splash pool.
He found solace with all the trucks, cars & beach balls in the pool.

We left with the final words from Cheeks being "I guess Alexis left."

I had to pull his lip up off the ground.

Have no fear, he spotted the very tan, brunette 15 year old life guard on our way out.  His eyebrows wiggled and he asked if we could go back and play with her!

Sigh.
This. Is. My. Life.

I. Can. Read.

So I do.
Here is what I just finished reading:

Can I just say...what a great book.
Yes.
Losing It by Valerie Bertinelli is really good.


By the title one would think it would be about losing all the weight she did.
Nope.
It's an autobiography.


She talks about life growing up, life in Hollywood, life with Eddie Van Halen & life as a mom.
I never lost interest.


I was astonished at some of the things she admits.
Her image doesn't really fit with what her life was really like.
Her writing is like listening to her speak on a talk show.
You can hear the sweetness in her voice as a writer.
Which is one thing I definitely admire.


Very easy read as well.
One that I didn't want to put down.
Sad say but her life is a page turner!


If you are looking for a light read to keep you going this summer, then get this book!


Tell me what have you read lately?


Ciao!

He's a baller, He's a playa...

The East Coast is in the middle of a gosh awful heat wave.

Disgusting really.




So we've been hitting up the pool.

We live right across the street from it.

I think it takes 20 seconds to get there.




Mr. Suave & Debonair up there loves it.

Last time we were there the girl behind him, approximately 8ish, took a liking to him and he lead her around like a horse chasing a carrot.

That's "Mr. Playa" to you.

Earlier there was another little girl who wouldn't leave him alone. He played with her but didn't show much interest.

You see Cheeks likes girl with dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin. That little one was blonde & blue eyed.

Notice the little chica up there...dark hair, dark skin, dark eyes.

He was in love!

Guess he likes the total opposite of his mother, since I am about as glaring pale as you get with red hair & green eyes.




I fear for the teen years.




Earlier, the 17yo has a "friend" come over.

She was pale like me, blonde & blue eyed.

Nice girl.




Cheeks was like "Yea, she's ok"

Sorry she didn't meet your criteria.




I do not encourage this with Cheeks. I think he has plenty of time to like girls, he's a little boy.

It's just hard not to laugh when I see him gravitating towards certain kids or should I say girls.




I will continue to not encourage him but I can't promise to not laugh when I hear him say "So yea, I live around here, how 'bout you?"




Caio!

Snippets of Life in the Casa

It's hot.
White hot.
Africa hot.
The heat index is over 100 & the humidity...forget about it.
Ugh.
As soon as I open my door to go outside my hair poofs to 3x's it's size.
Then sticks to my neck.
Hate it.
That's life in Jersey.

On a lighter note, Cheeks asked me if he could flick my freckle the other day.
I have a mole on the base of my neck & it's risen, not just flat on my skin.
Of course I told him no & then showed him his own flat freckle on his arm that he could flick.
His response:
No, Mommy, my freckle is flat,  I wanna flick your freckle because its a mountain, no flat.
Um, thanks.

I am in the process of getting him evaluated for ADHD or Hyperactivity or both or none.
This has been going on for a long time.
Roadblock after roadblock is what I seem to hit.
This evening I made a little progress, so keep your fingers crossed that something will give and we will be able to get the help we all need.

What I haven't said is that Cheeks has been kicked out of 3 preschool in a little over a year.
Currently, he's attending a new one.
3rd week and everyday but the first two I have received phone calls in regards to his behavior.

Very frustrating.

If you have experience like the one I am currently having I'd appreciate any advice you are willing to give.

I've put my appointments to get my own health checked out (i.e. severe stomach pains, non stop intestinal issues) on the back burner. 
It sucks but I really don't have the time to take off from work nor do I have the copayment moola.

I digress.

Let's end on a happy note.

It was my birthday this past Saturday & Bobster made me breakfast in bed.
OOOOOH! LALA!
I loved it.
Wish is was my b-day every day.

Caio peeps!

41 Things for a 41st Birthday

They say it's your birthday.
Danananananana
It's my birthday too!

Seriously, it's my birthday today.
41.
Sigh.
Where did the years go?
One month from today Cheeks will be 5.
5!!!

I digress.
Today I am going to be totally shameless and post a post entirely about moi.

41 things about moi.

Can you stand it?

Let's start:
1.  My middle name is Kathleen.

2.  I am the 13 years & 6 days older than my sister.

3.  I have a birth mark on my pinky toe, which The Nana thought was poo & tried, relentlessy to remove. 

4.  My fav movie is a tie between "The Matchmaker" w/ Janeen Garafelo & Dennis Leary and "Steel Magnolias"

5.  I was on Dancin On Air in high school.  Local dance show that branched to Dance Party USA which I was on that show.  The show that launched Kelly Ripa's career.

6.  I'm LDS.

7.  My favorite dinner is chicken cutlets, green beans & mashed potatoes.

8.  I split my upper lip when I was little & had a huge bump on it for years, it's since gone away.

9.  I failed gym in high school, not once but twice.

10.   I am math challenged.  It's so sad.

11.  I secretly love iCarly.  She is just so cute.

12.  I was 36 when I gave birth to Cheeks.

13.  Flew to Fl to meet a guy I knew just from the internet.

14.  I married someone (not Bobster) that I met on the internet.

15.  Met Bobster on a blind date.

16.  I lived at home til I was 31.

17.  I didn't drive until I was 21.

18.  Still have my tonsils.

19.  Finding 41 things is hard.

20.  I type with my fingers on the correct keys & do not have to look at the board thanks to taking typing in high school....that's right...typing, not keyboarding.

21.  I was playing with Barbie when I was 12.

22.  Favorite # is 15.

23.  I despise water ice.

24.  If I could cook in my crockpot every day I would.

25.  Chore I hate the most...cleaning the bathroom.

26.  Chore I love the most...food shopping.  Could do it every day.

27.  I love to use coupons.  Love it! Love it! Love it!

28.  Favorite color is pink.

29.  Fav ice cream: Turkey Hill Chocolate Marshmallow.

30.  Fav candle scent: Yankee Candle Cherry Lemonade.

31.  I took Spanish 1 two years in a row.  I am a scholar no?

32.  My degree is in English w/ an Elementary K-5 certificate.  Yes, the state of NJ has deemed me educated enough to teach your children.

33.  I work in customer service.

34.  All time fav song: Rock the Boat by some group from the 70's.

35.  Secretly wish I grew up in the 40's.

36.  Glad I was born when I was because if I didn't have a/c, microwaves & cable I'd go stir crazy.

37.  Addicted to blogs!

38.  Lived in NJ all my life.

39.  I was in Dublin, Ireland on vacation and ran into someone I knew.

40.  Love to thrift store shop.

41.  Glad this list is over.

Now tell me something about yourself.

Caio!

Production Duction, What's Your Function?

Alright, who remembers the original School House Rock?
I loved those little education diddies.

Ahem, "I'm just a bill, sitting on Capitol Hill".

Anyway, when I say I've been productive, I have been productive.

First, I cooked dinner 2 nights in a row.
Yea, go me.
Seriously, this is productive.  I usually cook a night, make pasta, then order out, then make a sandwich, then go with cereal, then say screw it & feed the children bagels & yogurt.
I am stellar, no?

Anyway I made Tuscan Pork Chops night before last.
OMG! Delish.
If you want, I will post the recipe.  Let me know.

Tonight, caesar salad & tacos.

Then I cleaned up & made a meat loaf for dinner tomorrow.
Although it is quite small, so it may just be for Bobster but cest le vie.

Then I started the laundry.
Put some laundry away.
Gave Cheeks a bath (well ok he played, I poured soap over him, bath over).

Now I just have to make the King's lunch. 

How have you been productive lately?  Let me know.

What I've Read Lately

The Borgia Betrayel by Sara Poole
At first many characters are introduced so it was a bit much but all the characters are a vital part of the story.  Set in 1493, Rome Italy, the tale follows that of the Pope's Poisoner, Donna Francesca and her plight to stop the murder of the Pope.

Many twists, turns and attention to detail of that century pepper this novel.  Donna Francesca is a character you can relate too but one that makes you stop & think, hmmm. was a woman really this "powerful" in this century? Perhaps she was, we will never know.

What I really liked about this book is that it makes you want to turn the page, find out what comes next.

What I didn't like, was the ending.  Sara Poole leaves the ending open for sequels.  Smart for her, sucky for me as the reader.  I like a good clean ending.  Tie up all the loose ends.  Happy endings are my type!

Tell me, what are you reading this summer?
Give me a suggestion for my next book.

What's the number again?

Tonight, Cheeks & I got caught in a really bad storm.


Luckily for us, we were inside the store picking up my medication.


Cheeks is not a fan of thunder...at all. So when the thunder clapped really loud he asked me, in all seriousness, to make it stop.
I told him I couldn't only Heavenly Father or Jesus could.


So with his big blues eyes he looked at me & quietly asked "Would you call Jesus & ask him to make it stop?"
I laughed & said "I can't. You have to pray to Jesus or Heavenly Father & ask them"


Thinking I had averted this situation we sauntered to the front of the store.


Only to have my son ask the crowd, gathered at the door, for someone, anyone, to please call Jesus & make him stop.


He then asked the woman behind the counter at the pizza place.


While sitting in the pizza shop, waiting the storm out, it thundered again.


He put his hands on his ears, looked up at the ceiling & asked "Please Jesus, please make it stop!"


I love him!

Conversations with a preschooler

Yesterday
Me: How is your new teacher? Do you like her?
Cheeks: Yes, she's cute.
Me: Cute?
Cheeks: Yes, she looks like a kitty cat. She's cuuuuuuuuuu-uuuuuute!


Today
Me: Do you know what tomorrow is?
Cheeks: No
Me: It's Mister Softee day. Do you know Mr. Softee?
Cheeks: Yep, he's the giant ice cream head. Is the ice cream head coming to our school.


I love this kid!

*Disclaimer: Yes that is the most recent pic of me.  I have since "enhanced" my hair & gone a rapid weight loss regime b/c O.M.G!

Latest News in Casa de Meghan

Life.
It keeps us on our toes, no?
It has been keeping me busy, that's for sure.


For instance, we have a graduate among out mists:

That is Miss Vanessa...we love her!
He graduated on a Thursday.
That's my little kindergardener up there.

Can you believe it?
He's going to be 5 this August.
I can't stand it.

Of course, one week to the day of his preschool graduation, the director asked to speak to me.
I knew it was coming.
He was kicked out.

What I don't mention on here is that angelic face up there...he has extreme behavioral issues.
He was evaluated with my district's child study team over the course of the winter.
Passed everything with flying colors.  Academically...smart as a whip!
The team told me to have my pediatrician to evaluate him for ADHD, ADD or Hyperactivity.
My ped, who was my ped when I was a wee lass...that should give you insight on how old he is, says Cheeks is too young to be evaluated for any of that.

So I have been trying on my own to find a behavioral specialist.
I wanted to take him to another pediatrician who is known to at the top of his field in this area...he doesn't take insurance & it's $1300 for the consult.
Well sign me up!

I've contacted my insurance company to give me names.
They did.
So far I am running into roadblock after roadblock.
Either they no longer participate in his insurance or they do not see children as young as he is.

I'm ready to pull my hair out.

On a brighter note, he starts his 4th preschool since March 2010 this Tuesday.
You read right.
His 4th.

Like I said I've been keeping this to myself for the most part.
The first school he was at, was the longest & they suggested the child study team.
He was asked to leave.

The second school said "We can handle him & he will never be asked to leave."
Imagine my surprise, after being told by the "owner" that my child needed Ritalin, when I got a letter in his cubby saying I had 2 weeks to find a new daycare.

This school was the best out of them all.
Very down to earth.
Miss Vanessa...she's the best! 
Very diverse school too but the director, as kind as she could be, told me they couldn't met his needs.  He needs more one on one.

Now he is onto his 4th daycare.
Please pray this one works out.
Keep your fingers & piggies crossed that I can find a behavorial specialist that takes his insurance too.

That's some of the latest news, what's going on in your neck of the woods?

Sprouts...they just aren't food.

I am at Jersey Mom's today.


Discussing Sprouts & not the kind you eat.


Click me! Sprouts.

Walk down memory lane

Remember being a preteen/teen reading magazines for anything fashion/life related.


I read them all.
For example:

Honestly I thought Teen folded years ago. Like over 20 years ago. Who knew? I used to read this & Young Miss. Loved them both. Sadly I couldn't find any Young Miss covers from when I read it. It was either covers from the 70's & Highlights was more my thing in that decade or YM, which would have been more my sister's era.
I was an 80's Young Miss reader.
Sad that publication folded.


Of course then we have:

I adored this magazine.
It was different than the other mags.
Great fashion but stories that were about issues in the world. Not what eye shadow to wear to the prom.
I remember this issue particularly.
Think it was when I realized these two were not good for each other.


After Sassy folded, the owner developed:

Another hard hitting yet with fashion magazine.
I remember this is where I first read about female circumicision.
Um, Ouch & OMG! Those poor women.


Now in my adulthood, I look forward to reader Food Network Mag, Rachael Ray & Family Circle.


How far I've come.


What brings back your teen memories?

Advice

This advice goes out to all the singers/groups that are turning out songs left & right.


My advice is...there is no need to say/sing your name in the sone.
Anywhere.


A great example of this is:
Jason Derulo
I really believe that every single he has out he sings his name.

Today I heard a song on a local top 40's station & it was by Nikki Minaj.
I knew it was by her because after a minute, she rapped her name.

Britney Spears did it on her one song where in the beginning she goes "It's Britney b*tch"

Obviously these singers think this is what one should do.

I have decided to start referring to myself in the 3rd person.
Like when I enter a room I will sing "It's Meghan".
When I great my mom I will say "It's Meghan b*tch"  I expect to not have any teeth left after that greeting.

So singers/groups, do us a favor, just leave your name out of the songs.  The dj/vj will tell us who the song is by.  Trust us.  That's how it's been since, well, since the age of radio/MTV.

Oh & as for getting your name tattooed onto your body...really?
Is this in case you forget who you are?

Caio!

Psst, over here

To come see what I thought of Cars 2, click this word: Cars 2

It's the Can Can!

Did you ever notice soda tastes different from a can then a bottle?


I can’t pinpoint it other than to say perhaps the metal of the can alters the soda.


Whenever I get my drink of choice, Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, it’s in a 16 oz or is it 20 oz plastic bottle. I get on in the morning & it taste divine. The right amount of sweetness, the right amount of artificial cherry flavoring. Of course, the exact right amount of caffeine to get me going in my morning work routine.


During the day if I get parched I will buy a bottle or can from the vending machine. Occasionally I get the can. I have to tell you, it’s a bit on the fizzy side, tart and not as flavorful. I drink it, it still tastes ok. My mind just wonders if it’s the metal of the can changing the taste. Not concerned about any long effects on my health as I have been drinking diet Pepsi pretty much since I was a teen & that was a looooong time ago.


It just happened to cross my mind.


So tell me, do you think soda tastes different from a can vs. a bottle?


Better yet, do you call it soda or pop?

Babblin Fool

Children.
Aren't they great when they cooperate for a great photo?
Nothing like getting Bobster's arm in the photo as well.
Thank God they are all varying ages.
I could imagine if they were all 4 & under.
Good Lord!

OOH! OOH!
I won a prize in Target's Bless Your Nest Sweepstakes.
2nd prize, matter of fact.
Are you ready?


Wait for it!


Wait for it!


I won a recycling bin.
Yep.
It's black & says Dasani on it.
We will be using it for toys since we have a big ole recycling bin out back for the complex.
It was a nice surprise tho.
I love to win.

A few weeks back I got a coupon for a totally free bag of Ore Ida Sweet Potato Fries.
Cheeks called them "Tiger Fries" because they were orange & black from were they got a little too done.
Sadly, no matter how done they were, they sucked.
Bobster ate all his only because he was hungry.
I wasn't that hungry & mine hit the trash.
I really just don't get the whole sweet potato phenomenon.
Like the Grandpop says "Good is what you like!"
Have you tried them?
Did you like them?

Now that summer is here, I'd like to address a little wardrobe issue.
I understand it's hot.
I understand plenty of people don't give a hoot about what others think
BUT
Just because of these two reasons, does not give one the right to let it all hang out.
You know what I am talking about.
Bra straps showing.
Muffin tops spilling over.
Cellulite jiggly on the thighs in the Daisy Dukes.
And most of all, unsightly feet in flip flops, sandels, slides, whatever.
It takes minutes to make your feet pretty.
Please.
Do it for the public.

I tend not to wear shorts.
I'm more a capri girl.
Why?
Well Casper is tan compared to me & my thighs are not for the eye of the public.
Trust me.
I am keeping them to myself.

So just a note.
From me.
To you, if you fall in that category.

So tell me, what do you like to wear for the summer.

Caio!

What I'm Reading Now: Here, Home, Hope by Karia Rouda

Let me tell you about this book...love it!
It is such a fun read.


Here's a little background about it:

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her ordinary middle-American existence and her neighbors’ seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding but exhausting.

This book is a fun, easy, relatable read.


For the first time in a long time, I relate to the main character. She wants something to call her own, do what she wants to do, loves her dh, her kids & takes in a daughter of her friends. Hello...that's me. I've taken in peeps before. That is just what I do.


Kaira Rouda writes with such ease that I feel like I am in the book. You know it's great when you get that involved. Not to mention I am sneaking, reading it at work. Tsk tsk...that's a no no but my boss is great & she is also an avid reader.


Kelly seems a lot like me. She wants to help others, wants to help herself, please her husband, raise good kids, & decorate all at the same time. Anyone whose followed my blog for awhile knows I am trying to redecorate on a budget...ha...that's means I am not doing anything because we have no budget for decorating but I digress.


Anywho, if you'd like something that is an easy read & will keep your interest make sure to check this book out. You will not be sorry.


Leave me a comment & tell me what you are reading now.
Give me ideas for my next book!

*I received a copy of the book for review from One to One Network. All opinions are 100% mine.

Signature Scent

Do you have one?
A signature scent that triggers what time of year it is.


I do.
This time of year I love:

I love Yankee Candles Cherry Lemonade.
Screams summer.


I also love their Harvest & Mistletoe.
I'll let you figure out what time of year I burn those.
Don't hurt yourself.


Cherry Lemonade is not part of their regular collection.
I think it's part of their Treasures Collection...don't quote me on that.


Other scents trigger smells associated with certain times of the year or certain memories.


There is a cologne, I have no idea what it is, but when I smell it, I remember being a kid, running around in my Uncle Bob's house. Guess he wore this scent. I think it's Stetson but I don't know...I was like 8.


What scent is your signature scent for certain times of the year?
I'm dying to know.

O is for OMG Olives!

I’ve had food on the brain lately. Must be because I have really been unable to eat anything except bread products. I’ve been living on bagels & soft pretzels, albeit last night I had mashed potatoes. Having some stomach issues. Hopefully getting them sorted out with all these visits to the docs & specialist.


What this post is really about is: OLIVES.
I do not know whose bright idea it was to eat these but they should be shot.
Don’t get me wrong, I love me some EVOO but an actual olive. Ew, patooey.
I wouldn’t force feed those to my enemy.


They are just so bitter. Then you have that little pimento doohickey if you are eating the green ones. Ick! As for the black olives that are loved by our local diners you can keep those too.


I have never tasted anything worse than an olive. That includes watermelon & if you read my last entry you will know I am not found of watermelon.


For some unknown reason these olives love to show up in pasta salads for the summer. Almost every single recipe I find has those in it. Yes I know I can leave them out but come on! Can’t we find something else to put in ‘cept the olive? Does it even have nutritional value?


I think I am just exasperated with the whole food thing lately.


Tell me what food to you despise?

Watermelon, an evil fruit

You know how you play the game of tell me something no one else knows about you.
A fact.


*deep breath*


I skeeve watermelon.
Oh yes.
Tis true.


I loathe this fruit.
I hate the taste.
Detest the smell.
Loathe the texture of the rind/fruit.


Normally, not a big deal for your average American woman.
Not so much for me.


See I used to cashier for a long time.
Summer would hit & customers were buying these babies in droves.


I took massive amounts of Zanax before I'd go to work in the summer.
Not true...not a Zanax type of girl.


I'd suck it up because I needed my job.
Truthfully, everytime I had to touch one to move from belt to the bag, I got a shiver up my arm.


I thought my phobia of watermelon was behind me.
No.
No.
No.


Cheeks loves the melon.
So like any good grandmother, the Nana, buys him watermelon, cuts it up & gives it to him.


Thank God because if he waited for me, he'd be 35 wondering why he never heard of watermelon.


Don't get me wrong.
I think watermelon decor is nice.
Little watermelon dresses for little girls...cute.
The fruit...not so much.


So please, if you invite me to your picnic, don't ask me to bring the watermelon.