tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61788642803445638042012-01-16T09:32:38.489-05:00Diapers, Data Entry, and Paul Sorvino....mmmmmmmmmmAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-61908941811316561782011-09-08T21:35:00.002-04:002011-09-08T21:37:14.180-04:00

I posted this to Facebook in June, but then realized that not all the people I know are on Facebook, so to share with the world.....taaadaaaa!!!!!My door was open, so she didn't see the "go away" sign. This little girl asking me to join her cause of getting AEP to clean up it's coal fired plant somewhere in Ohio. blah blah blah. I signed it. Then she asked me to write a letter to the CEO

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-62012371116382902912011-07-11T07:40:00.002-04:002011-07-11T07:49:51.001-04:00

Foster 4 basset hounds? Sure no problem! Babysit 7 kids 5 days a week? Sure, I'm cool with that! Add 15-20 hours of data entry work on top of all that, plus cook full breakfasts, lunches and dinners? Keep all the overflowing clutter in the corners and the floors hair and food free? Sure! I can even get the laundry done (but not folded or put away) I can do all of this, every day for

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-37825971382465135692011-01-18T13:25:00.003-05:002011-01-18T15:50:07.633-05:00

Slowly, slowly, but surely, I'm tiptoeing back to the blog. I've been in a creative rut for the past, oh..year or so. But as my muse matured and left me with fewer moments of incredulity, the little one has entered into the muse arena.I speak of Little Eebo, 21 months of destructive fury. A walking, babbling reminder of just how hard it is to be an old lady mom. Today we did not have to

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-58639847280032953802009-12-10T13:46:00.001-05:002009-12-10T13:46:32.535-05:00

a not- great video of Ian escaping tummy time and then getting irritated when I roll him back into it, showing him at a young age that I am the meanest mom in the world.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-54523716452489269172009-11-28T21:30:00.001-05:002009-11-28T21:30:37.423-05:00

A friend sold me his jumperoo, has a few missing toys, but as you can see, he doesn't care. His first outing lasted 103 of nearly nonstop jumping. He didn't want to get out of it. When he does become a movin' baby, we are in for a world of hurt!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-85552090234631203362009-10-19T13:36:00.004-04:002009-10-19T13:53:43.019-04:00

Isn't he just the cutest thing ever? Yeah, that was last week. Then we found out that we had H1N1....the dreaded flu. Bug is the only confirmed case in the family, the rest of us were diseased by association. He had a little cough for a few days, felt a little warm, but was breathing fine and eating like normal, no worries. Then Saturday came....why is it always a weekend?He was crabby,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-87066085288616016942009-10-05T22:28:00.001-04:002009-10-05T22:28:39.928-04:00

He's a kickin' machine!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-32143421717841548512009-10-05T22:24:00.001-04:002009-10-05T22:24:54.676-04:00

Ian being super happy in his Gymini.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-20411191746838155952009-10-05T21:38:00.002-04:002009-10-05T21:56:31.697-04:00

I feel like a teenager who has forgotten her dear diary, after swearing to divulge her innermost secrets to it's secured and forgiving pages.I suffer through bouts of insomnia, and what I should do is hop onto ye olde blogger and scoop the thoughts out of my head. But instead I spend my time on Facebook. I never should have joined, it sucks the time right out of your hands.Things are going

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-22489013466274558162009-08-25T22:57:00.001-04:002009-08-25T22:57:29.717-04:00

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-29768714661579315642009-06-09T17:50:00.001-04:002009-06-09T17:50:36.623-04:00

Oh man, this guy's laugh is just incredible!! Beats the old grandma and the machine gun hands down!!!!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-33166268982039703772009-05-14T03:05:00.001-04:002009-05-14T03:05:34.569-04:00

he's just so cute! Ian at 7 weeks of age, still 7 weeks premature, smiling in his sleep.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-42217372611822227082009-04-27T14:16:00.001-04:002009-04-27T14:16:32.345-04:00

Ian hates getting his nose suctioned, we have captured his reaction here, to show you why they call him The Little Hornet. Some might want to cry, or be upset by seeing a baby cry like this, but in the NICU, the world is turned on it's ear, and a baby who fights and cries is a baby that nurses are happy to see. The ones who lay there and don't respond are the ones that break your heart.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-84129762157795996392009-04-07T22:18:00.002-04:002009-04-07T22:21:35.162-04:00

Everything about this kid has been a surprise. Yep, I had me a baby boy on March 25, 2009. He just had to have a March birthday like his sister and brother.You can find out all about the birth and his progress atwww.caringbridge.org/visit/ianrappThanks!!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-69663505710469231482009-03-02T10:45:00.001-05:002009-03-02T10:45:03.748-05:00

I want to be this kind of grandma when i grow up..... it's something to aspire to.....

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-430771239624421142009-02-07T19:16:00.003-05:002009-02-07T19:50:59.589-05:00

For the uninformed, a RINO is a Republican in Name Only.There are three RINOs in particular that I think need to be sent a message:Arlen Specter (R-PA)United States Senate711 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510-3802Olympia Snowe (R-ME)United States Senate154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510Susan Collins (R-ME)United States

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-13300678088547588702008-12-22T22:57:00.005-05:002008-12-23T07:57:27.969-05:00

I'm sorry to say, I've found a new mistress, in the form of Twitter.com.I'm Bugnbuddysmom on twitter. I don't tweet much, that is SuperG's time sink. But I did get tweeted by Ohio's former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell who is now running to be the RNC chairman. Woot! Brush with greatness, ping!At any rate, I'd like to introduce you to our newest addition:Say "Hi" to Blobby, who has

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-70701524765464574652008-12-11T14:39:00.002-05:002008-12-11T14:47:30.530-05:00

hmmmmm I just don't know where I stand on this.Having worked for a subsidiary of one of the Big Three, Ford Credit, in the 90's, I saw first hand the waste, and the largess that a powerful union has on a company. I didn't pay anything for my monthly benefits, actually got some money back. Had 5 weeks paid vacation each year, 3 weeks of 100% paid sick days. I had a $550 yearly out of

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-12519941237203484812008-12-09T19:23:00.002-05:002008-12-09T19:32:57.242-05:00

Them dawgs and their food theivin' ways is gonna git 'em kilt but good.Twice in as many days the dogs have been literally throttled by me. I just see red and then I'm off the hook. The hormones suck.Been so absolutely dead tired and sick lately, today I stayed in bed until nearly 4pm. My son was sweet enough to hang out with me and force me to endure hours of the darkest days of animation in

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-15270869425760185542008-12-07T18:39:00.002-05:002008-12-07T19:14:52.788-05:00

Can I just say right now that I usually enjoy being pregnant. It's thrilling and exciting, especially after the baby starts to make itself known in nice ways, like kicks to the spleen and whatnot.This time around, however, is different.I'd have liked to regained my health to a greater degree. And gotten down to my goal weight, although I was close. But those weren't the cards I was dealt. So

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-41588372800343439572008-11-10T22:12:00.002-05:002008-11-10T22:18:20.119-05:00

I've gotten several e-mails from Rita with giant lists of baby names.Honestly, I owe my life to Hightower, because if I had gotten one of the monikers SHE wanted, I'd have been a grease spot in the schoolyard by third grade. Some of the names were okay, but most of them had me wondering what she was smoking. She asked not to read about my opinions of her names on my blog....heh heh heh,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-86057525681872719472008-11-06T20:34:00.004-05:002008-11-06T20:57:12.526-05:00

Yes, it is true. I have spawned again. I'm all of 6 weeks along today, and we were able to see a fluttering heartbeat this morning. Nothing makes you feel better than that. Especially when three days earlier an OB resident who comes to the ER where you are being treated for flank pain, decides to tell you that they could not see a yolk sac, and with HCG numbers as high as mine, you

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-76060988694679004242008-10-29T21:12:00.005-04:002008-10-29T21:50:24.905-04:00

Holy Smokes!!!So I signed up for the McCain for president newsletters some time ago. I really wanted him for president in 2000.At any rate, this past weekend they sent out a request for Ohioans to send in their "Joe the Plumber" story. I read that, and decided to stop working and pound out an abbreviated version of my last 3 years. You know, how I worked my data entry job, ran an

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-41894997135687913792008-10-22T22:11:00.002-04:002008-10-22T22:23:23.687-04:00

Well, ladies and lurkers, today was something amazing.Woke up at 1am, came downstairs, finished off Ben and Jerry's Turtle Soup. Woke up to pee again at 4:30am. The most amazing, incredible, miraculous thing happened then. I couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up and got ready to go to the Come-To-Jesus-Meeting with the Evil Overlord, which is never as bad as I anticipate.The amazing,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-69446580676961192002008-10-20T21:10:00.002-04:002008-10-20T21:21:58.528-04:00

Been back to work for a week now. Two weeks ago, I fell and fractured my tailbone. Does anyone know how much that hurts? A lot. And it hurts to sit, which I do for my job. I bought an inflatable donut thing, but it wasn't made for people with real asses, so it doesn't help much.The heating pad works amazingly well, until my butt gets so hot I feel as though I'm sitting on a

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-10416495073790661422008-10-12T20:15:00.003-04:002008-10-12T20:46:07.243-04:00

So, here it is the last Sunday of rest. The last day of no pressure, the last day.....before I go back to work.I got a call on Friday, at 4:30pm, telling me that if I don't go back to work by this coming Wednesday, I'm terminated. How nice. Since I'm part-time, I'm only eligible for 60 days of FMLA. Oh, the lowly part-time employee, how you are so needed and so mistreated all at the same

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-3470591346436982762008-10-06T16:53:00.002-04:002008-10-06T17:28:23.929-04:00

Been gone for a while. Sorry. Rita came for a visit....."hi mom" I survived, my children wore them out. I even bought a swimsuit and wore it to the hotel pool, in front of her. and I might add, I think I looked better than she did too (granted she's over 60, but I'll take it)Had my Achilles Tendon repaired last week. Not very painful, not bad at all. BUT the recovery is one class

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-79778034330170552062008-08-28T20:49:00.006-04:002008-09-03T02:00:58.389-04:00

Warning, opiod induced ramblings ahead.Tuesday I had an autotransplant of my right kidney. They took the kidney out, cleaned it up, severed all the nerves and put it back in my body in the groin, the pain in my flank is gone!!!!!I'm still in a lot of surgical pain it is hard to get that under control once you let it get away from you. Today is Friday, and I'm still trying to get the pain under

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-78371057197109214232008-08-24T19:40:00.002-04:002008-08-24T19:47:24.034-04:00

Hi everyone.It's me again. The pain on the right side is back. It is like fire that burns AND stabs at me. It drove me from my room, down here, where I can hear people moving about and talking, so I'm not alone, scared and hurting. Scared and hurting so much.Hightower (my dad) is coming up tomorrow, will stay for my surgery and leave on Wednesday. His Uncle-in-Law, Uncle John, passed

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-12035572683555374232008-08-24T13:36:00.002-04:002008-08-24T13:59:15.423-04:00

So, I am still here, in lovely downtown Rochester. Everyone here is as nice as they can be, knowing that most of us staying here are sick, or dying or both. There is one little old lady who parks herself in the lobby all day long, everyday, dressed to the nines. I've found out that she has lived in the hotel since the late 70's, she is 101 years old.Interesting.Lots of soldiers here today.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-86583966714047135992008-08-21T18:42:00.002-04:002008-08-21T18:51:01.684-04:00

ah yeah, the BDU clad people. Seems there is a reserve base or soldier factory up near LaCrosse WI, as the motel I eventually stayed at was completely full of soldiers. So the next morning as I prepared to leave, I didn't need to drag my luggage, coffee was poured and given to me and my car was loaded for me.I love men in uniform.So, I visited with the transplant surgeon, who is Italian.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-84506195352678504552008-08-21T09:44:00.002-04:002008-08-21T10:11:57.466-04:00

And so it is that my medical mystery has taken me to the Mayo Clinic. I'm blogging from the business center of the Kahler Grand Hotel. A nice, if pricey, full service hotel directly across the street from the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building. Next to the Mayo Clinic Eisenberg building, and down the block and across the street from the Hilton building. I can walk to everything, which is nice,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-50364482140260682542008-08-03T08:55:00.004-04:002008-08-03T09:05:55.221-04:00

I had a post on ebay, for about 5 days, with well over 6000 hits because of my description.My public adored me and although I have been having a really rough time lately, I felt great about all the feedback I had gotten.Until I woke up this morning and saw this in my inbox: Dear arennerf(arennerf@xxx.com),You recently listed the following auction-style listing:230276272270 -

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-76683169995320295012008-04-02T18:49:00.003-04:002008-04-02T21:26:35.013-04:00

Today is nice enough that I can put jackets on the kids, hand them chalk, balls, drinks and kick their butts out the door.Blessed is she who heralds the coming of spring, for it is she who is truly blessed.Or something flowery like that.I've stopped and started about 50 blog posts since the last one. Here's the scoop. I've now lost a total of about 90 pounds. Funny. The entire time I was in

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-81509465826141334812008-03-07T10:48:00.002-05:002008-03-07T12:20:03.426-05:00

It's hard to realize your limitations. It is even harder when you're in denial. I babysit. I take care of the kids, the dogs, cats and the house. Sometimes I even do things for Super G. I work 30 hours a week, own my own business, just got done pimping Girl Scout Cookies, I've adopted a soldier. I hardly ever say no to helping people out.But, I've had to realize today that I'm sick. I

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-70247808481482569262008-02-18T21:32:00.002-05:002008-02-18T21:39:49.646-05:00

Here I am, totally dog bound under three Basset Hounds. The one in the middle, Annabelle, was adopted last week. The one kissing me is Carmen, and she will probably never get adopted, as she makes the worst first impression ever. and the one closest to the camera is Banjo. The dog that everyone loves. The Paul Sorvino of dogs. He's the best dog ever, according to Buddy, who regularly

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-55694784018652199442008-02-17T22:02:00.002-05:002008-02-17T22:12:23.524-05:00

There is a book, based on a true story about two chinstrap penguins, both male, that hatched and raised the chick together.Not surprisingly, some backwater redneck homophobes demanded that the book be pulled from a school library in Virginia because of the "homosexual agenda" that the book supposedly purports. It's a book. About two penguins. Two male penguins that do what male penguins do,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-41633499985751314942008-02-17T08:08:00.002-05:002008-02-17T08:15:00.849-05:00

So, Buddy has some sort of coughing, sniffling, sneezing hacking virus. He actually took a nap yesterday, and fell asleep before midnight too.But some time during the night, I felt him climb over my body and flop in between Super G and me. He then snuggled up close to me. And closer, and closer, until I was riding the edge and teetering.I put on some clothes and went downstairs to sleep on

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-70405351223518585082008-02-15T12:35:00.003-05:002008-02-15T22:06:28.665-05:00

Ay yi yi where to begin.I was on the phone Wednesday with my grandfather, trying to tell him of my latest medical mishap, but I kept getting interrupted."Amy, I need you to wipe my butt" Said Whitey, the recently potty trained. This is great, because that kid can crap like no other. Huge, monster poops that fill and overflow a diaper. Adult-sized crap out of a pint sized package. Since he

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-66959108264405788702008-02-03T08:29:00.000-05:002008-02-03T08:43:13.407-05:00

Working from home is a curse. Yes it has it's blessings, but mainly, it's frustrating. I don't even want to start working. So there, you benefit.Super G's car wouldn't start yesterday. Major bummer. So it got towed away to a dealership. I suppose on Monday we'll discover how much our auto-rape will damage us. Serves us right for sending in that last payment. So we are down to my car,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-77174224602546115462008-02-01T11:13:00.000-05:002008-02-02T11:47:40.847-05:00

So, it seems that I've not been posting regularly, sorry. This thing called life gets in the way sometimes, and more importantly, I'm lazy. Always have been, always will be.Sunday, Bug approaches Super G, the following conversation ensues.Bug: Daddy, does Mommy have any eggs left?SG: a few I supposeBug: And do you have any of those seeds left?SG: oh yeah, billions of them!Bug: Well,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-35227242242896211892008-01-04T21:03:00.000-05:002008-01-04T21:42:27.700-05:00

Say Hello to Banjo.Banjo, or "Joe" as we call him, is the newest member of our family. He came to us as a foster dog, to give the previous foster dog a playmate. He ended up staying.Banjo is a purebred dog, but not a good quality bred dog. Meaning that he was probably the product of a puppy mill, no super long ears, no face full of wrinkles. But boy, does he have the "ahhrroooooo"

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-15336938257167350552007-12-27T11:55:00.001-05:002007-12-27T12:33:19.357-05:00

The MOAT is gone.I swore that on Christmas Day, that sonofabitch was comin' down, and I meant it.Shortly after the children dove into their booty, we pulled down the tree.Here you can see the forensic evidence, like my very own Conifer Crime Scene:The scene of the take downNeedle-spatter evidenceWhere the victim was draggedmore needle spatterWhere the corpse was disposedThe day after Christmas

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-32067253460215466992007-12-26T22:20:00.000-05:002007-12-26T22:31:15.535-05:00

So, you may be wondering, how is it that I have kept this head of long, fabulous hair even as I approach middle age.My secret it to get it cut once a year, whenever the gift certificate fairy gives me the cash to go to my favorite salon. So for a month I have a style, and then it becomes one giant mass of follicles.But two weeks ago I discovered the first sign of impending doom. Amongst the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-52976005956433070622007-12-20T22:18:00.000-05:002007-12-20T23:00:24.179-05:00

something bad is happening.Tuesday it was peeling the backing off of maxi pads and sticking them on the walls.Wednesday, it was getting into the cookies for his sister's Christmas party, and giving them to the boy I babysit, who promptly took one bit out of six different ones. Today, it was food coloring.I was working, and after being interrupted every two minutes all morning, I suddenly

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-54914079338333404402007-12-12T11:32:00.000-05:002007-12-12T14:55:12.647-05:00

Honey, I'm taking back the IPod Touch, the 60 inch flat screen Sony and the Swedish Swimsuit Massage Team, because I'm gettin' you the Nutty Buddy.That is right. You saw it. One lunatic former baseball player, a tennis ball and a giggling teenager, what more could you want?Some guys never grow up. You know what is wrong about this? He's going to make millions, like Ron Popeil, but

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-26065651250475141142007-12-11T22:30:00.001-05:002007-12-11T22:39:50.101-05:00

Here we see why my son will never win the Oscar, play well with others, or complete the basic training in the branch of the military of his own choosing.Keep your eye on the little guy in the maroon turtleneck as he wanders around.He has a Christmas program at preschool coming up soon. His teacher stopped me today and expressed concern that he didn't stay in one place, sing or want to behave

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-65601914121825135422007-12-02T17:42:00.000-05:002007-12-02T21:15:20.184-05:00

The Mother Of All Trees.On a crazy whim, we decided to get a live Christmas tree this year.Dropped a ton of money at Target getting lights (our fake tree was pre-strung) and a stand and a cheesy skirt. It should be noted that I believe, in my heart, that children need to have loud, gaudy and garish Christmas trees. I let my children decorate our tree, so once it's done, all our ornaments

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-10707531512719110182007-12-01T09:29:00.000-05:002007-12-01T14:52:46.835-05:00

Well Monday 11/26 was the big day. I now have had drastic bariatric surgery, and I don't regret anything, so far.Sunday was hard, I was all ready and willing and able to go except that the in-laws were not here, and not here, and not here. They were sucked into the morass that was the Dayton I-70 I-75 interchange.This interchange has been under construction since I moved to Ohio, in 2000.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-30393411223268168672007-11-19T18:02:00.000-05:002007-11-19T18:18:47.252-05:00

Deer are stupid. I've yet to see a smart one. They're like giant 500 pound moths drawn to my headlights.I was on my way in to work this morning, at 5:30 am, cruising along the country roads, going about 50, when I saw in the ditch, a buck grazing.So I slowed down considerably, but he seemed to not notice me, until, of course, I was right up on him, and then suddenly he headed to the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-52129462759245211982007-11-16T10:41:00.000-05:002007-11-16T10:55:34.723-05:00

With all this blessed time on my hands, I'm like an Israelite wandering in the desert. I have "things" I should do, but not some huge pressing list of things I HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW.I guess when I'm under stress, I get stuff done, but when left in quiet solitude, I just sit here. And surf the interweb. So I've not cheated at all on my pre-op liquid diet. This is good, because there is

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-86603694871664206802007-11-14T20:45:00.000-05:002007-11-14T21:00:05.882-05:00

Buddy and Super G went back to the Nebraska for Orpha's funeral. I'm here....alone....with Bug.Monday night went like this:Me: "So, whaddya wanna do?"Bug: "Umm, I dunno, whadda YOU wanna do?"Me: "Uh, I dunno."and on and on and on.Then, last night, I put her in the tub and let her play until she was cold. She came wandering into my room, dripping, as I was folding clothes and watching Law &

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-48619615472006307472007-11-11T13:21:00.000-05:002007-11-11T13:23:34.795-05:00

So Super G broke the news to Bug that Grandma Orpha had died.Bug: She's died?SG: Yes, last night.Bug: You mean somebody shot her and she's dead?ummmmm no, not quite like that.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-28154469540370632382007-11-11T09:03:00.000-05:002007-11-11T09:25:41.111-05:00

The first time I met SuperG's grandma, Orpha, I was so terrified. From what I had heard, she was a woman who commanded respect, who was quiet and gentle, but she was the matriarch of this clan that I had come to know and love.I walked into her tidy duplex, and felt the pang of nostalgia. Everything was neat, every item placed Just So, and most everything was just as it was in 1977, still

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-28486471630841366612007-11-09T13:47:00.000-05:002007-11-09T13:57:25.984-05:00

Men and their penises. Why, oh WHY did God give them their own toys to take with them wherever they go? Women do not play with their breasts just to have something to do with their hands. What it is about guys?Buddy prefers to be naked. I encourage clothing choices, he prefers clothing optional. During one of his au naturel moments, he wanders into my office."Hey mommy! Check this out, see

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-12045646036737561332007-11-07T07:30:00.000-05:002007-11-07T08:22:16.301-05:00

So, it has been a while. I've been a little busy....Okay, very busy. Halloween came and went. The candy is all gone, but the costumes are still in a heap on the living room end table. Super G was kind enough to gather the accessories and put them in a bag on top of the costume heap on the living room end table.I feel that February will be a good time to hang them up.See this box of tampons?

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-64334855838994013962007-10-20T21:53:00.000-04:002007-10-20T22:09:56.496-04:00

You're the first to read about it, the worst ecosystem invasion ever to be discovered by a three year old in modern history.IT is the invasion of the missile sharks. Laugh if you must, but Buddy will tell you in no uncertain terms that they will come flying up out of the ocean, crash right through the window of the Hulking MiniVan of Death, and eat his brain.Missile Sharks LOVE tender young

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-44537259954473838012007-10-14T21:50:00.000-04:002007-10-15T14:35:35.388-04:00

More times than I can count today, little voices are heard from around my midsection, and tiny hands lift my shirt."Mommy? I can I see your tummy?""Mommy, is that blood?""Mommy, can I see the hole?"Mommy, did it hurt when they stapled your tummy?"My children are endlessly fascinated with my surgical scars, or as I prefer to call them, my Roadmap of One Really Bad Day.All day long, we have

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-33914379055925936082007-10-13T21:44:00.000-04:002007-10-15T14:35:56.900-04:00

So,on 10/11/2007 I had 40% of my left kidney removed. I had been having pain off and on for two years since they had to go in, twice, to remove staghorn calculi in that kidney.I would like to just say "I told you I was hurting" right now. The surgeon said the kidney was a mess, and he had to fight through a lot of scar tissue to repair and reconstruct the portion of kidney that he

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-31449115100946064442007-10-06T19:27:00.001-04:002007-10-06T19:56:13.750-04:00

I was an only child. For many blessed years I was it in my world. I was a lonely, but good child and life was serene.Then Hightower and Rita got divorced. They remarried, and suddenly I had three step brothers and a step sister. I got along fairly well with them, since they didn't really live with us, I still maintained my only child status on the weekdays.So when Buddy came along, I

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-63432990845930686872007-10-05T21:41:00.001-04:002007-10-05T21:44:11.877-04:00

I have this sick affinity for Basset Hounds. Slobbering, chewing, drooping, drooling, goofy love sponges.There is a place called House of Puddles, where old Basset Hounds go to live out their lives in dignity. If this works, you'll see a video here, and understand my day. Replace the dogs with one basset, and two kids, and she is me......

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-91365327252615641122007-10-05T20:12:00.000-04:002007-10-06T08:23:42.364-04:00

I'm sure others have thought of it. But I'm voicing it here, because millions upon millions of people look at my blog every day. People throughout the galaxy depend on my words of wisdom to get through their pathetic little lives.*ahem* thanks for reading, dear husband....you're the best.So several months ago a toy recall happened that shook our world to the core. Thomas and Friends Wooden

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-15012250429213505622007-09-29T01:31:00.000-04:002007-09-29T01:53:33.328-04:00

So, My better half informed me tonight that the US is in short supply of sperm donors from Scandinavian countries. I guess there is a high demand for blonde haired, blue eyed Nordic looking babies, everyone wants that lutefisk look I guess.BUT, according to Slate.com ( http://www.slate.com/id/2174789/ ), the FDA banned any sperm donations from countries that have had Mad Cow Disease

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-2618118228659991922007-09-27T11:44:00.000-04:002007-09-27T22:35:31.954-04:00

I have an uncle, Evinrude. Former Marine, quiet guy, very dry wit, the kind of guy that you respect. The kind of guy that you listen to, and trust. He is the reason I re-started this blog. Every time I'd send him an e-mail detailing the antics of the children, or my life, he would tell me that I should write a book. I don't like deadlines, and I don't think I'm that good, so a blog is the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-72873599893793258562007-09-25T16:54:00.001-04:002007-09-25T17:13:46.564-04:00

Once, a long, long time ago, in a land far, far away, I went to college. I wanted to be a teacher, I studied hard and got good grades. I went to my field experience and fell asleep just like the students. I was a total True Believer, I knew that I would be a wonderful teacher.Then I moved to Ohio.And had children.And enrolled one in elementary school. I realized that I had neither the creativity,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-73410396342591109262007-09-21T16:09:00.000-04:002007-09-21T16:30:28.400-04:00

Last year, around this time, I announced that I wanted a Basset Hound puppy, known in basset lover circles as a "buppy"We got involved with a rescue organization and came home with Henry, aka Pee Circles. He was about 2 1/2 years old, very wild and crazy, very affectionate and totally what I wanted, 100 % basset, but didn't have the droopy face, drool and a bit on the small side. Chalk it up

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-80235158180839311612007-09-17T16:57:00.000-04:002007-09-17T22:56:47.820-04:00

I'm so very happy!!!Lumber Liquidators called us, our bamboo floors and laminate arrived on Friday!!!! Woo hoo!!!So we found sucker to take the kids for a while and headed over there to pick everything up.When I got the Hulking Minivan of Death, Super G resisted it greatly. Something about Bill Engvall, who we all know is the arbiter of manly greatness, saying that the non-tinted driver side

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-69684549958406307062007-09-14T21:20:00.000-04:002007-09-14T22:04:41.707-04:00

The long day gets even longer.......falling asleep at well after 2am, then lying half-awake from 6am to 7am, I just wanted to go back to bed. But Bug had to get ready for school, do some classwork that she couldn't complete in class, eat breakfast and watch an episode of "Drake and Josh".Oh yeah, and tell me how I'm the meanest mom in the world and recounting all of my failings thus far in

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-81688675359371528352007-09-14T00:51:00.000-04:002007-09-14T02:08:32.655-04:00

So, I was thinking about this today, and have come to the conclusion that what is happening to my body is not so much a sad turn of events, or perhaps even some would say a tragedy in the making, but rather, a vast medical wing conspiracy.It came to me this morning in the glorious cleansing ritual that the commoners refer to as a "shower". It is a Conspiracy of Pauls.Exhibit A: My urologist

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-63611600885113720332007-09-12T23:24:00.000-04:002007-09-12T23:52:09.850-04:00

And so, it would seem, the lower pole of my left kidney has felt the need to mutiny, by attempting to secede from the rest of the kidney, forming it's own little pool of stagnant urine, allowing little of it to drain out, thus forming a wicked stone with lightning speed and THEN, having the audacity to fight back when they attempted to insert a nephrostomy tube.Adios, muchacho, you are gettin'

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-12942329623329259162007-09-08T21:06:00.000-04:002007-09-08T21:26:44.593-04:00

I often wonder how other parents deal with explaining puberty, body changes and all that to their children. I remember my mom buying me books, one entitled "Period" and then the requisite Judy Blume library.I do remember feeling embarrassed and weird reading these books, I was around 10 or 11 I think. I told her I wanted to take "Period" to school and she got this panicked look and said "NO!"

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-79267327362585537652007-09-02T19:40:00.001-04:002007-09-08T00:18:44.398-04:00

I have decided to break my posts up by subject.Today's subject: The Kidney, and how it kills you.Most people assume that your organs are there to help your body function as a whole. Doctors wax poetic about the mystical symbiosis that exists within the complex structure that is the human body. If your doctor is speaking to you in quatrains, get the hell out of the room now, because he's

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-78203464263561532662007-08-28T22:59:00.000-04:002007-08-28T23:23:51.174-04:00

Back in the day, when I was getting ready to stand at the bus stop on a cold January morning, I remember hearing on the radio that it was 15 degrees below zero, but the wind chill index put the temp down around 40 below. School was not, however, cancelled. This was Nebraska, if they closed schools because kids had to wait in sub-zero temps, no one would go to school for the entire month of

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-73150129509152752852007-08-27T22:27:00.000-04:002007-08-28T08:04:34.113-04:00

That is how much of a loss I'm at today.It started yesterday, as I finished up my last post, Buddy yells down from upstairs "We're washing the dog!" Bug has been wanting to wash the new foster dog since he came here, even though he got a bath the day he arrived, even though he's the cleanest thing in our house, she has been bugging me to "take him a bath". She's good at bugging me about stuff,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-21174751122131168392007-08-26T10:07:00.000-04:002007-08-26T19:01:56.032-04:00

Saturday, August 25, 2007 Dinosaurs invaded the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. For the 8th time by 3pm.We took the kids to "Walking with the Dinosaurs". I had to sell a kidney to scrape up the change to get our nosebleed seats, but that is the kind of mom I am. Turns out I sold the wrong kidney, but we'll get to that later.My three year old son, Buddy, doesn't understand death,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178864280344563804.post-4745492557251020472007-08-25T09:53:00.000-04:002007-08-26T19:00:54.573-04:00

Hello.A year ago I started this blog. It was fun, for those who know me, to read about the life as a stay at home mom. You know, eatin' bon bons, watchin' soaps, doin' the cabana boy. Uh huh. But then I got pissed one day, (once again a speck of dust was found under the divan, I had to flog the maid, then hide the body) I realized that I just could not do it ALL by myself, and deleted the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06764485506588609760noreply@blogger.com1