Better MEM Day Wkend but still 5 for 5

This was the best Memorial Day weekend since 2004. Why? Here's my track record:

2005 = in the hospital having laser lap surgery
2006 = in the hospital pg with twins on 58 hrs of mag sulfate, a poison that prevents contractions and makes you VERY sick
2007 = Mom's 70th birthday party of 50 guests had to be turned away when the entire family came down with the stomach flu and terrible vomiting.
2008 = I caught a horrible virus and was in bed for a week
2009 = got a call mid-week last week that Lk projectile vomited at daycare. Lm puked all night. Sat I was so nauseous I took some leftover Zofran that I had leftover from my morningsickness days, sick through that night but could function Sunday.

Saturday at the park...this was a different one than usual but not as nice...



Lk on the butterfly...

Grandma chased Lm to the fence.

We took a break at the picnic table at the park.

All in red!

They met a girl at the park whose 4th birthday it was; she got a new wagon that day and gamely took my boys for a ride in it.

Sunday my sister's family came out. Here's my lovely neice.

I love Lm's new shirt!

My mom and aunt Marylee...

For once the weather was perfect and we all ate outside.

I've got a great family (sniff, sniff...)

The boys just LOVE having their cousins over! They are so excited to play with them and then Lm cries when everyone leaves.

My sister is knawing on corn. This is payback for a bad pic she took of me at a restaurant last year.

I was glad my cousin's husband Tim brought the clan even though she had to work. We had a great time with them. My dad's cousin John is sitting next to him.

My sister sent a balloon rocket toy to the boys this past winter. Needless to say I kept it well hidden until we could take it outside! Definitely not a toy you want to play with in the house.

The way it works is that you pump up the balloons and then let them fly; they make a lot of noise and fly pretty far.

I braided my neice's hair.

What a cutie!

Monday my sister's clan came over again and we had lunch and all played outside.

Me and my goddaughter...

My sis and her nephews.

My peppy BIL and thrilled-looking kids here...

Lm is SUCH a ham!

Gotta love those shades and yellow hat...

Lk with his safari hat and cup of milk "driving" the tractor mower. Seriously, he knows how to work the thing, turn the key in the ignition and everything. Scares me, I tell you!

Sweet Lauren and Soph!

Mr. Serious...

I love Sophia's hair! So luxurious and beautiful.

And Mr. Drama himself...

Notice Lm's bruised legs, he is so active he doesn't care if he takes a tumble now and then. He just loves life and taking risks! My sweetie!

Man, I am lucky to have such a great family! I have about the best a person could hope for. I wish we all lived really close by and could get together much more often.

Cliff notes on Men

Like my wise aunt one said (this is the same one who told me I'd be better off with a vibrator and she's been married for over 40 yrs), she said you can put all men in a paper bag, shake it up, pick one out, and he'll be the same as any other you would have picked out. At the time I thought she was being cynical and jaded. But this was 10 yrs ago.

My friend Nat sent me the following cartoon. This one she keeps taped to her file cabinet, and I think I will print it out and put it on my refrigerator next to a photo of me and my kids on the odd chance I ever need a reminder as to why I'm a single mom. Love this one!


This one was on Post/Sec*ret last week for the mother's day run, and it struck a chord with me, because the same thought has crossed my mind many times...

I've yet to find a man that could prove me wrong, but I no longer wish, hope, or believe that is possible. There's something refreshing about finally accepting the truth!

Trite Platitudes & Motivational Posters

Around the time we got a change in management here at work, all these motivational posters went up and we started having meetings to discuss our company's Core Values. My boss's boss, C, whose promotion last year is what caused my entire department to resign (I would, but I'm a single mom and can't find anything that pays as well in this market), actually believes that going to her leadership seminars, hanging up posters that say BS like "Have fun - it's contagious", and now, making us fill out a 3 page personality test, is somehow going to "help" us.

I have some better ideas about improving morale, so I'll just list them here to save any managers the cost of these seminars. Who knows, maybe I can have a second career at writing pamphlets on what NOT to do if you are a manager. So here are a few suggestions:

• If someone's mother is in the hospital for a week, don't hound them about using their vacation time and if the person says they hope their mom has healed and more missed time won't be needed, for God's sake don't say: "That sounds more like a wish. I want a backup plan."
• If we are pressed for time on a deadline, don't take up 2 hours of our every day to host meetings on personality tests, and discuss core values like Dream Big when frankly the only "dream" we have is that this company will finally make a damn sale so we can get our benefits back.
• Don't say "We need leaders, not followers" in a meeting where we are forced to follow your proven unaffective regimen.
• Instead of taking several days off to attend leadership confrences that teach you trite platitudes to bring back to the team for a 2 hour snoozefest around the conference table, how about finding out what our jobs actually entail and (gasp!) performing a task or two to help out "the team."
• More meetings about nothing is not the answer, I'm sorry.
• Use this mathematical formula: A shitload of meetings + motivational posters + threats of layoffs + personality tests + Brown Bag sessions on lessening stress = low morale, less productivity, and still no frigging sales.
• Is it me, or is it just plain insensitive to hang a poster that says "Work Hard" over an area of empty cubes of people who have just been laid off?

Yesterday our meeting lasted the entire morning. Just as we thought we were free, we get this "exam" titled "The Various Roles Team Members Play and Where you Fit in". We have to circle the letters that match our actions on 2 pages, then tally up for each column. Next we analyze it all on a quadrant graph by plotting the first score (B-A) on the vertical scale and mark an X that represents our "number." Next we plot the second number (D-C) on the horizontal scale.

This all culminates to where we can connect the two points by drawing a line out from each number until they intersect on the graph. The quadrant where they intersect indicates your TEAM personality style (T = Targeted, E = Enthusiastic, A = Accommodating, M = Meditative).

I haven't taken it yet but suspect my score may be something like T=Time Wasted, E=Emblem of despair, A=Ass kissing? Can't do it, M=March the hell out of here if you possibly can.

Mom's Day & New 'Do

On Mother's Day as I was changing Lm, I noticed that it got very quiet. Lk usually chooses these moments to sneak food. He's very crafty. He can reach high up to everything now and when he gets what he wants, he just hides in a corner or behind a chair and chomps away to his heart's content if I have my eye turned for even a second. So after changing Lm I found this:


My beautiful mom got beautiful roses on Mother's Day...

When my folks got home from church, the boys and I gave mom her gifts: a gift card to a bookstore and glut/en-free food from an expensive food store.

Then Mom gave me a gift from "the boys" of flowers to plant in my front yard...

...and a nice necklace.

Yesterday was my mother's day gift to myself. I took the day off work and had my hair cut and highlighted, which cost a staggering $120 which is a lot for a tightwad like myself. I've always liked Heather's hair so I asked her where she got it done, and she referred me. The pics below suck and don't do it justice but the cut is really sleek as it's so thick and hard to deal with; this really lightens it up. Plus the highlights bring more dimension to it.

I think I'll try the POF site everyone is telling me about; it's free, why not? So if my gentle readers would vote for one of the following pics below OR for none of them and a different one be taken, I'd appreciate it.