soapbox.SUPERSTAR

Test Post 2

2006-11-11T09:18:00.001-05:00

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. In non velit. Vestibulum placerat tincidunt erat. Donec scelerisque, dolor ut pellentesque ultrices, metus ligula dictum est, eu molestie enim diam nec magna. Nam sed risus. Suspendisse potenti. Vestibulum mi. In pharetra nibh vel justo. Phasellus feugiat. Vestibulum at lacus eu ligula volutpat sollicitudin. Ut vitae dolor et felis facilisis feugiat. Mauris pulvinar turpis non ante. Duis ultrices. Aenean ac ipsum. Suspendisse potenti. Nulla facilisi. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos. Ut non nisl. Mauris aliquam, odio vitae feugiat gravida, urna sem lobortis pede, eu laoreet massa sapien at est.

Fusce pretium odio quis purus. Proin et ante in ipsum dictum tincidunt. Suspendisse pellentesque purus. Suspendisse potenti. Duis eget ligula. Nam arcu. In erat justo, rutrum eget, dignissim sed, malesuada eget, quam. Morbi sed lectus et ligula scelerisque fermentum. Donec egestas magna id dolor. Ut consequat. Pellentesque eu mauris nec turpis tincidunt porta. Integer faucibus porttitor justo. Aliquam elementum tempor nibh. Quisque ut felis et justo fermentum sagittis. Pellentesque vulputate, nisi ac sagittis consectetuer, lacus dui dictum massa, at venenatis lacus mauris in sem.

In bibendum augue ut dolor. Sed nec odio sed mauris cursus euismod. Vestibulum convallis rhoncus erat. Nulla eget leo. Nulla vehicula lacinia ante. In vehicula lacus molestie elit. Morbi pellentesque tempus massa. Proin nibh. Nulla egestas libero et lorem. Duis libero elit, malesuada a, pulvinar et, dignissim eu, eros. Mauris luctus ultrices lorem. Aliquam mi dolor, commodo eget, feugiat vel, tincidunt iaculis, ligula. Sed imperdiet purus quis ipsum.

Fusce hendrerit. Donec cursus dolor cursus enim. Suspendisse potenti. Etiam tempor libero ut eros. Aenean vel eros ut augue tempus ultricies. Pellentesque fringilla, est eu vestibulum hendrerit, tellus nisi aliquam arcu, vel euismod urna enim vitae neque. Nunc accumsan. Mauris feugiat, justo nec scelerisque porttitor, leo nunc pulvinar tortor, in sollicitudin felis dolor ac augue. Donec sollicitudin placerat urna. Aliquam et orci. Sed eu arcu in magna pellentesque iaculis. Cras pretium, ligula eget porta volutpat, est nisl imperdiet purus, vitae aliquet justo turpis at odio. Vestibulum vel tellus in turpis luctus commodo. Sed sed mi. Sed ut odio. Donec adipiscing congue sapien. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos.

Ut sodales massa bibendum nisi. Donec aliquet nisi dictum tellus. Curabitur semper dolor a tellus. Sed eleifend sollicitudin nisl. Curabitur augue quam, hendrerit in, ultricies non, aliquet in, justo. Praesent sodales. Nunc volutpat est porta dolor. Vivamus imperdiet justo sit amet nisl. Praesent placerat mi id nulla. Fusce enim lectus, commodo et, tincidunt non, pulvinar eget, urna. Maecenas at mauris.

Donec et orci ac tortor sagittis molestie. Nunc molestie dui at libero. Cras ultricies, tellus vitae malesuada vehicula, dolor dolor dictum tortor, vel aliquet felis leo eget sem. Vivamus turpis massa, volutpat quis, malesuada nec, aliquam in, purus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla quam massa, blandit sit amet, commodo sed, accumsan in, sem. Etiam commodo nisl non leo. Nam egestas purus sed mi elementum venenatis. Fusce porttitor tincidunt nunc. Quisque eu nibh vulputate tortor varius cursus. Vestibulum neque. Nam viverra, arcu quis ornare tincidunt, velit ligula egestas libero, vel consectetuer pede sem non ipsum.

In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Pellentesque elit. Aliquam vel est. Suspendisse arcu. Phasellus a lacus vitae quam accumsan laoreet. Proin lacus. Sed mollis metus sit amet nunc. Maecenas bibendum nisl. Nulla diam. Praesent enim. Etiam pharetra nibh sit amet ligula.

Test Post

2006-11-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

Fusce pretium odio quis purus. Proin et ante in ipsum dictum tincidunt. Suspendisse pellentesque purus. Suspendisse potenti. Duis eget ligula. Nam arcu. In erat justo, rutrum eget, dignissim sed, malesuada eget, quam. Morbi sed lectus et ligula scelerisque fermentum. Donec egestas magna id dolor. Ut consequat. Pellentesque eu mauris nec turpis tincidunt porta. Integer faucibus porttitor justo. Aliquam elementum tempor nibh. Quisque ut felis et justo fermentum sagittis. Pellentesque vulputate, nisi ac sagittis consectetuer, lacus dui dictum massa, at venenatis lacus mauris in sem.

BAD BAD KAIDEN!

2006-10-04T13:48:00.000-05:00

BAD BAD KAIDEN!, originally uploaded by soapbox.SUPERSTAR.

I cannot for the life of me get this child to remain buckled during a trip.

Flickr

2006-10-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

2006-09-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

adfsadsa

Download File

2006-09-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

Chad Vader

Download File

2006-08-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

Rip Curl

Download File

2006-08-21T16:20:00.000-05:00

Freedom Hawk 1

Download File

2006-08-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

Freedom Hawk 1

Download File

2006-08-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

Freedom Hawk 2

Download File

2006-08-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

Freedom Hawk 1

Download File

2006-03-29T20:57:00.000-05:00

Misty

Misty Morning

2006-03-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

Family Guy Pukes

Download File

2006-01-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

MP3 File

2006-01-25T13:36:00.000-05:00

123

soapbox.SUPERSTAR is MOVING!!!

2005-05-31T08:15:00.000-05:00

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINKS-
CAUSE soapbox.SUPERSTAR is MOVING!

Although, it is technically still under construction, I thought I would start letting everyone know now.

New Address: http://thescanlons.net/weblog

YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE REDIRECTED IN 15 SECONDS!

The Scanlon's Visit Southpark

2005-05-17T09:14:00.000-05:00

Saw this over at Zoot and laughed my ass off, so I thought I would give it a whirl... here is Todd and Misty as Southpark Characters:

You too can make yourself a Southpark Character here.

Remembering the 80's

2005-05-16T14:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, so my girlfriend Dena and I were on the phone last night and she was telling me about a birthday party she had to take her son to yesterday. She was telling me about one of the mom's that was there and how she seriously could not let go of the 80's. So her and I started joking around and naming off the things that were probably in her closet. We were laughing hysterically (which was good, cause I had just finished crying my ass off watching Extreme Home Makeover - that show gets me every week!) So, I thought I would share the list with you, along with some others that I can remember...Enjoy, and let me know if you too remember these great styles. If I have missed some, let me know!

Twist A Beads Necklaces (you twist them and clasp them in back)

Banana Clips

Bangle Bracelets

Woven Barretts w/ ribbons that hung down

Benetton Brand

Scrunch/Slouch Socks doubled and tripled (Multiple Colors to match your shirt)

Billabong Jacket (Cordoroy, Multicolor) You know you had one or wanted one!

Jordache Jeans

White Velcro Hi-Top Reeboks

Colored Mascara (I wore blue...)

Body Glove

Bongo Jeans

Camp Beverly Hills Shirts

Checkerboard Vans Shoes (I had these and the navy/red ones)

Chuck Taylors Converse (I had the pink ones)

Co-Ed Naked shirts

Denim jackets with lots of heavy metal patches

Guess? Jeans

Color change lipsticks

Corona Beach Club T-Shirts and Tank Tops

Crimped Hair

Esprit (Especially the little purses)

Eastlands (Holy Shit do you remember these?)

Express Foldover Button Fly Jeans

Flojos Sandals

Sex Wax T Shirts

"RELAX" t-shirt (Mine was from Wave Riding Vehicles)

Friendship Bracelets (I always had my clipboard and ziplock full of thread)

Hypercolor Clothing

Gitano Jeans

Gotcha Surf Brand (Shit this still makes me laugh)

Thick Fabric Headbands

Sunglasses with speckled paint on the lenses

The ever popular Jean Jackets & Purses

Jelly Braces/Shoes

Swatch Watches (and the swatch guards)

Jimmy'z Velcro Waist Pants/Shorts

L.A Gear (Do you remember this brand?)

Sam & Libby Shoes

Liz Claiborne Perfume

T-Shirt Clips (For that big shirt you wore over stretch pants)

The "Surfer Roll" on your jeans (fold over, then roll up)

Oakley's

Permed Hair

Ron Jon Surf Shop shirts

Stirrup Pants

Tiered Dresses and Skirts

Tube Skirts and Tops

Mood Rings

Ugg Boots (I had to beg my mom for these!!!)

Vision Streetwear

Suede Boots w/ Matching Suede Belt (I had Hunter Green, Purple, Black and Ivory)

Don't Lie - You know you remember this stuff!

P.S. When I was growning up - I seriously wanted to be a Solid Gold Dancer, I would watch and practice every night.

I would kick my kids ass...

2005-05-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Almost Free...

2005-05-13T15:27:00.000-05:00

Alright, it is almost time to leave work and begin my evening of no children. Now that we are settled in to the new house, my mom has resumed her duty of taking the kids on Friday nights. Friday Night Date Night is back!!!! (which also brings with it...Saturday Morning Sleep In!)

Tonight we are heading to my most favoritist restaurant in the world - Shogun Japanese Steakhouse & Hibachi Grill. I could eat at this place 7 nights a week, but it would break me. I don't think we ever leave there for under $100.00. By the time we are done with sushi and Sapporro's, we basically have to take out a second on the house to pay for the bill! When I was pregnant with Ashton, I made Todd take me every Friday night for Hibachi Filet Mignon w/ Fried Rice. With Kaiden it was steak fajitas. I called it Fajita Friday!

Anyways, Hope everyone has a great weekend.

P.S. Not to change the subject, but is anyone else as excited as me to see Britney Spears new reality show? I am 99.9% positive that this show will back up my notions that she is a complete moron with no self esteem. We'll see!

Much Going On!

2005-05-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

So much to discuss...

We are finished moving into our house. Thank GOD that is over.

We are getting ready for Kaiden's 1st ever Dance Recital. She will be ~~performing~~ standing like a dear in headlights to the tune of "Me and My Teddy Bear." We have already gone for the pictures and dress rehearsal is 05/20 with the big night on 05/21 at the Harrison Opera House. Here is a picture I snapped at the photo session:

We like to let them start wearing the hooker make-up early!

I am starting school at the end of this month. I am going back to learn some more detailed web design and database stuff. Todd said that it was okay and that he can handle the kids...we'll see!

I am in the process of implementing the new blog and design. When done, you will be able to view it here, until then, it is a work in progress. I will also have a photo blog, so that will be fun, something else to take up time I really do not have in the first place. I have been paying to host my family website for a long time and am finally going to move the blog over there, so I can have a little more creative freedom, shit, I am paying for the space, might as well use it.

Well that is all for now. I need to say thank you to you for you know what! I can't help but think that if we lived close by, we could probably get arrested together and have fun doing it! It gives me hope that there are others like me out there!

I will leave you with some updated family pics. Enjoy!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

2005-05-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it is May already. We have been very busy at the Scanlon house. We are finished moving, which just reinforced how much I hate moving! Ashton is done with surgery. Now we are waiting for the warm weather, so that we can take advantage of living 3 blocks from the beach.

Here in Virginia Beach, the road that runs parallel to the boardwalk has become known to the locals as "the strip." On "the strip" there are a string of bars that are where the locals go, these bars are known as "the block." Todd and I spent many a night down at the block stumbling from bar to bar, when we lived down at the beach prior to getting married and buying a house more inland. Although we lived at the North End of the beach, which was a little to far to walk (we lived on 53rd street and the block is located around 21st street). Now, we live on 26th street, which is within walking distance from all the great local bars...

And so it has begun! I have started receiving the phone calls around 3:30 everyday at work from Todd and they all sound the same:
"Hey honey, do you mind if Barry and I walk down to Harpoon Larry's and have a couple beers? I promise it will only be a couple. I'll probably be home before you get home from picking up the kids. Barry is going to meet me at the house after work."

I can see that I am going to have to nip this in the bud quickly! So I get to shuffle around town picking up the kids, while he is relaxing at the bar with his buddy. Somehow, I have been dealt a bad hand here. Maybe today I will join him to celebrate the festive holiday (which is not a part of my culture or background, but is a great excuse to drink nonetheless).

So... Happy Cinco De Mayo Everyone!!!

Ashton's Surgery Went Well

2005-04-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

Ashton had his surgery yesterday and I am happy to say that all went well. He had his adenoids removed and had the tubes put in his ears. Although nobody warned me about how small children act when coming out of anesthesia. It was hands down, one of the worst things I have experienced. He was screaming like I have never heard before, arching his back, kicking, banging his head. It was like this for 45 minutes (which seemed like 5 hours). They finally gave him some Tylenol with Codeine and in about 20 minutes he passed out. He slept really hard for about 3 hours and woke up more like himself.

He gets to stay home from daycare till Monday with Mommy - yeah for him!

People on acid should not make cartoons!

2005-04-21T14:10:00.000-05:00

This morning, I was fortunate enough to have been awake early enough to catch the show Boohbah on PBS (due to my vampire son that does not sleep). I cannot believe the shit they put on T.V. now. I actually bought one of these damn things at Christmas time for Ashton, because it was bright and made noises and he seemed to like it - this being before I watched the show. I thought the homo Teletubbies were bad, but these things take the cake. There is barely any talking during the whole show, and when there is - it makes no sense. What's next.

NOTE: Ashton was glued to this show the entire time.

Redneck Doorbell

2005-04-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

I don't even think I need to comment!

Hide & Go Hide

2005-04-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

Kaiden and her buddy Ethan playing hide and go seek in her room at the new house. Both wanted to hide at the same time.

HAHAHA

2005-04-19T15:53:00.000-05:00

Sent from a girlfriend of mine!

Oh God the truth hurts!

2005-04-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

Giving up on the dream to build!

2005-04-06T15:19:00.000-05:00

Well, the 5th piece of land to build our home on has fallen through. The last four all fell through because we could not get the land to perk for a septic system. This one didn't need a septic system because there were city utilities, but after 2 months of negotiating prices with the owner, we finally agreed, just to have the lawyer come back after the title search and say that the guy owed about 4 years of back taxes. Then the guy wants to be shitty about it? He wants to up the price of the land to cover the taxes that he never mentioned. I said forget it! This is a sign that I am not supposed to move from the beach to the country.

Soooo...
We looked at a house at the Oceanfront. I am going to try real hard not to get my hopes up, but here are the specs:

3 Bedroom 2-1/2 Bath with Garage
2100 SF / Built in 2002
2-Story w/ Vaulted Ceilings
Master Bedroom w/ Sitting Area
Walk-In Closets in Bedrooms
(2) Linen Closets
Jacuzzi Tub w/ Separate Shower in Master Bath
Upstairs Laundry Room
Granite Countertops in Kitchen
Gas Oven/Stove/Microwave
Gas Grill Hook Up on Deck
Gas Fireplace/Ceramic Logs
Spanish Tile Downstairs
White Berber Carpet Upstairs
Plantation Shutters and Blinds Throughout

3 BLOCKS FROM OCEAN!!!!

Here are some pictures of it:

Front of House - Narrow but very Long!

Front Entryway - Door is Cherry w/ Stained Glass

Kitchen - Cabinets are Cherry

Great Room

Master Bathroom

Anyways, I will keep everyone posted. If we get this, we could be moving as soon as 3 weeks. If not, we keep searching. Pray for us!

Embarrassing Moment of the Week

2005-03-28T16:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, so Kaiden and I take a trip last night to Harris Teeters to pick up some groceries. Half way through the store, my stomach starts to hurt and I very quickly realize that I have to use the bathroom - I'm talkin, got the sweats, hair standing up on your arms have to use the bathroom! It was so bad that I actually started planning the "shit your pants escape route" in my head. So Kaiden and I head for the bathroom, which just so happens to be right next to the Customer Service Counter in front of all the registers.

So, I leave the cart at the door, grab my purse and my daughter and head inside the restroom to take care of business. My daughter doesn't say a word the entire time we are in the bathroom. Upon exiting, she proceeds to say (loudly):

"Mom, do you feel better? Does your stomach feel better because you had to poop so bad? Do you have to poop some more, or are you done?"

At this point, all cashiers are looking at me smiling, along with everyone in line and all the nice Customer Service Representatives.

I turned bright red and exited the store leaving the cart at the restrooms!

Maybe I should have bought some of these:

I love my kids...I love my kids...I love my kids...

Some Funny Links for You

2005-03-28T16:32:00.001-05:00

A funny site by Sega to promote one of their games. Make sure you watch the "class" and "swim meet" ones. Hilarious.

My Big Ball

A funny video to make you chuckle...

Go Jason Go!

Getting in the Easter Spirit

2005-03-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

Cracks me up!

Happy Birthday Ashton!

2005-03-22T16:48:00.000-05:00

Hip Hip Hooray! We made it to your 1st Birthday. Today you are a big one year old and we are amazed that we have made it this long on virtually no sleep!

Ashton was lucky enough to have his one year checkup on his birthday. What a nice mom, happy birthday buddy, time for your shots! We did find out the latest big boy stats, which are as follows:

Weight: 24 lbs, 9 oz
Height: 31"
Head Circ: 18.5"

WHAT A BIG BOY!!!

HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY - WE LOVE YOU!

Hangover Hell!

2005-03-21T15:54:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Night, I went out with my buddy Nadine to celebrate her birthday. Her, I and two other couples went to a The Comedy Zone to see some stand-up comedy. Nadine and I decided that our drink for the evening would be Parrot Bay and pineapple juice (mmm-mmm). We kicked things off with a round of some kind of green shot that was on special, then proceeded with the ordering of our drink of the night. We probably had seven of those in the comedy club. After the comedy club, we went to "Dixies Tavern" and then onto "Bar Norfolk" all of which are located in "Waterside" in downtown Norfolk. We had about five drinks at Dixies Tavern and I cannot remember how many at Bar Norfolk. But what I do remember is the last shot Nadine ordered, which she called a Woo-Woo:

- 1 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
- 1 1/2 oz Vodka
- Fill glass(es)Cranberry Juice

This was the shot that did me in (probably because the last part of the recipe he switched out for more of ingredient #2)! My headache started on the way home from the bars, which was strange, because I thought hangovers happened in the morning? I was up all night taking various mixtures of pain killing medications, praying one would work. I finally emerged from my bed at around 1:00pm on Sunday. Thank god Todd was able to handle the kids, because drunk-ass mommy was not!!! Remind me again why I continue to do this, never learning my lesson? I am sure Nadine and I will be at it again in about 3-4 months.

Surgery for Boo-Boo Head!

2005-03-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

Well, we (Mommy and Ashton) just returned from the Ear, Nose & Throat doctor, where we were finally referred after a year of constant nose running and ear infections. Ashton has yet another double ear infection, which is crazy since he is on day 10 of a 14 day course of antibiotics from the last infection. This boy has been on antibiotics for so long, that AIDS should not even be able to live inside him, but what do you know, another ear infection. So the doctor has decided that we are going to remove his adenoids and put tubes in his ears. This poor boy has been sick since he was one month old, and probably thinks that this is what life is like - constant pain. When he finally does feel better, he won't know what to do with himself (although, I know what I will be doing...sleeping). So, surgery is scheduled for April 27, which was the earliest we could schedule it. Poor little boo boo head!

Tushoobi Flu-Round 2

2005-03-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

We have started Round 2 of the Tushoobi flu at the Scanlon household. Ashton spent the entire weekend throwing up. I thought he was over it, but as I was in the shower this morning getting ready for work, I heard the familiar sound coming from the bedroom. He had thrown up everywhere. After getting him bathed (not planned) and getting to work (late) I received a call that Kaiden is now throwing up. What the Hell?

Apparently, someone upstairs has said..."wouldn't it be funny if we picked a family and made sure that at least one family member is sick every week this winter, and sometimes, we'll make sure there are multiple illnesses, yeah and then we'll let them just pass it back and forth until one of the parents loses their job from missing so much work, and that family will be......THE SCANLON'S!!! - Oh what fun!"

The sad thing is that I am not good with throw up, I can handle the diarrhea, but when the baby starts to throw up, instead of comforting him and making sure he is not scared, I hold him out with straight arms facing the opposite direction as I run towards a sink, toilet or any non-carpeted area, him throwing up the whole way. My husband yells at me when I do this, saying that I am scaring the hell out of him, but I cannot help it, its instinct. I am sure that Todd and I will have it too!

Long Time no Blog...

2005-03-08T14:44:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems like I haven't written in forever. I have been super busy. My birthday was at the end of February, so me and the hubby went out of town to Charlottesville, VA. We went to Luray Caverns and to historical Lexington (home of Stonewall Jackson and VMI). I will post some pictures when I get off my lazy ass and download them from the camera.

I have been particularly swamped at work. I did get a new Treo for my birthday. So I have been playing with that. I thought that I would post some pictures of where I have been spending my life lately - my office at work. I took the pics with my my Treo, which is why the quality is so poor.

Not much has been going on, fat boy has slept through the night for an entire week and I felt even more tired than when he does not sleep - my body isn't used to the sleep and now is craving more and more.

Kaiden's words of wisdom for the week:

"Collection"
Me- "Kaiden, take all these toys back downstairs where they belong"
Kaiden: "Mom, I am starting an upstairs collection, you can't have a collection without stuff in it"

"Piece of Junk"
Me- "Here Kaiden, you can take a picture with this camera" handing her a small digital camera that was a present.
Kaiden- "Oh mom, this thing is a piece of junk" tossing it in a drawer.

A Family that is Gay Together, Stays Together!

2005-02-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

Walked into the room, to find Daddy and Ashton playing with Kaiden's dress up toys! I don't think Daddy's are supposed to play with their sons like this? I could be wrong.

The Rings are OFF!

2005-02-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

Previously I posted that I coudn't get my wedding rings off (Reason #24 to lose the baby weight) and that I had developed some dry skin under the rings. Well, this weekend while I was in Philadelphia visiting relatives, the problem got worse and my finger hurt so bad that I had to go get the damn rings cut off. See below:

Well, if that wasn't depressing, I do not know what is!!!

Check out Nadine!

2005-02-22T08:53:00.000-05:00

I have finally talked my best friend Nadine into writing in a blog. She is, hands down, the funniest person I know, besides myself. Of course, she curses technology, so I had to set it up for her!

Please take the time and go see her, add her to your blogroll, I am sure, she will prove to be funny reading!

Nadine, Is That Your Name?

The Cost of Raising Children

2005-02-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with 160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.

The best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite. What do your get for your $160,140?

Naming rights,--- First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God everyday.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney Land, and wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal.
You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communication, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
You have all the power to heal a booboo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

Too cute not to post

2005-02-14T12:49:00.000-05:00

Got these in an e-mail today and thought I would share...

Reason #24 to lose the baby weight:

2005-02-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

I have recently gotten extremely dry skin on my finger under my wedding rings due to washing bottles all the time. So now I cannot get my damn rings off to let my skin heal because I am still lugging around all of the baby fat. I tried so hard to get these rings off tonight that now my finger is so swollen it has doubled in size. I tried lotion, shampoo, soap and vegetable cooking oil and nothing!

Funny how I wanted those rings on my finger so bad and now I just want them OFF!

Just Airing it Out...

2005-02-08T21:31:00.000-05:00

This morning, for the second morning in a row, I went to dress my 3 year old daughter for preschool, just to find that under her nightgown, she had no panties on. So the conversation begins:

ME: Kaiden, why don't you have underwear on, again?

KAIDEN: Because mom, I am letting my tootie get some fresh air.

ME: What?

KAIDEN: Sometimes your tootie needs some air, so I don't sleep with my underwear anymore.

ME: Ummm, okay.

Are you serious? This is my three year old! The only thing sadder than the fact that she said this is .... she is absolutely correct - sometimes it just needs some air!

Mom of the Year Award

2005-02-07T17:03:00.000-05:00

AND THE WINNER IS...........ME!

My poor son, if he makes it to one, it will be amazing. Last week, I knocked a lamp off the dresser, sending broken glass everywhere. I thought I did a pretty good job of cleaning it up, but apparently not. On Saturday morning, I was working at the computer and Ashton was sitting on the floor playing with his toys, I looked over and he had blood all over his lips. I went over and sure enough, he had a piece of glass in his mouth. He found the one piece I missed - what are the damn odds?

As if this wasn't bad enough, this morning Kaiden starts yelling, "Mommy, Ashton has money in his mouth!" I look over and he is standing next to the nightstand on my husbands side of the bed, where I distinctly remember there being two dimes, and now there was one. When I got around the bed, the dime was gone - and by gone I mean not in his mouth and nowhere to be found. So basically I can only assume that my son is worth ten cents more than he was yesterday! We will have to wait to see how this tale concludes...

Tomorrow I am thinking about leaving a straight blade around for the little tyke to play with!

Task Troubles

2005-02-03T13:48:00.000-05:00

Above is a screenshot of my life, literally. Since I have become a grown-up, my life has become nothing more than a series of tasks. Big tasks, small tasks, personal tasks, work tasks. The problem with this? I suck at completing tasks! The sad thing is that I have all the necessities to remind me to complete my tasks. When I am at home, I list them in my outlook on my laptop, I sync my outlook with my pda, I get to work and sync my pda with my computer at work, where I add more tasks to my outlook at work, still syncing with my pda. I set reminders for everything and my pda chimes at me for at least 4 hours a day. The problem with this is that you are given that option to "dismiss" and I choose this option every time. Usually to shut my pda up, but mostly because I am to busy to choose "snooze" and reassign it with a later time to bug me.

I feel like I can never get anything done. I am consistently late on the bills, I forget to do things all the time, I am always rushed - and I actually made conscience decisions that made my life like this??? I love my kids, but man do I miss things like sleep, peeing by myself and going out without a diaper bag, bottles and three My Little Ponies. Oh well, my life must go on...maybe I just need two of these...

Kaiden's Question of the Day...

2005-02-01T21:26:00.000-05:00

Well I thought that since my last post was dedicated to my son, I would honor my 3 year old daughter tonight. Everyday since she has turned 3, I look forward to hear what will come out of her mouth... and what is the latest? Well I am glad you asked. This weekend, in front of all the family, Kaiden asked her Gammy "Gammy, when am I going to get hair on my tootie?" Of course, I die laughing, but my mom, who is very conservative, did not.

Not two hours later and she asks me, "Mom, is Ashton your son or your son of a bitch?" To which I say, "Kaiden, do not say that again," and that was when the eyes started rolling and she replied "Why, you say it all the time."

Unfortunately, she is correct. Okay, I have time for one more story...

Every year (the 3 she has been alive), I take Kaiden to The Picture People to get her photo taken for the annual Christmas Cards. Last year, I waited until the last minute to make the appointment, so the only appointment I could get was right smack in the middle of nap time. Things were going okay, until it was finally our turn, at this point Kaiden turned into the spawn of satan, kicking the camera over and kicking at the photographer. I quickly thank the lady for her time and state that we will have to try this another day.

Now I HATE screaming kids in public places. So you can imagine how I feel when Kaiden begins freaking out in the middle of the mall. So I pick her up and start high-tailing it to the nearest exit (I am 8 months pregnant at this point in time). She is screaming so loud that I decide to whisper in her ear..."If you do not stop right now, I am going to whup your ass." Well it is at this point that I learned one of many valuable parenting lessons - do NOT say anything to your child that you do not want repeated louder than you originally said it.

Kaiden starts screaming at the top of her lungs - "You do not whup my ass mommy," over and over again for all of the mall to hear. I could hear the cell phones dialing social services faster than I could escape. And of course, I don't dare say one more thing to her or discipline her in any way once at the car, because all I can see in the back of my mind is that woman at the Wal-Mart that was caught on video whuppin her kids ass. She was probably there trying to get a picture taken.

Needless to say, this is the photo that ended up going out in the Christmas cards (take notice of the high dollar onsie):

The card stated this:

Please excuse the updated picture of Kaiden, we were unable to get a Christmas photo because:

1. She is 2
2. She is 2
3. She did not want 2!

Letter to my son....

2005-01-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

My dearest son,

What the hell is wrong with you? You are 11 months old, did you miss the memo about sleeping through the night? I was willing to over look it in the beginning, since you were premature and everything. But now? You look like a miniature sumo wrestler, and if your doctor was correct and weight is the major factor in sleeping through the night, then you should be sleeping for days at a time. You do not take naps and you do not sleep at night. Have mommy and daddy done something to make you mad? Not to keep bringing it up, but we do both have very hectic careers that require some sleep. Okay, well thats all for now, see you in a couple hours.

Love,
Mom

I love you XM Radio!

2005-01-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

About every two years, I trade my vehicle in for a newer one. My vehicle of choice...a Ford Expedition. With my last trade in, I really lucked out - a new DVD player to keep the kids quiet, and XM Radio for Mom. I am addicted to XM Radio like a bad drug habit. But I am addicted to one station in particular.....Channel 150 . I listen to this station from the time I leave for work till the time I get home. It has single handedly resolved my road rage issues, while it simultaneously started my obsession with listening to stand-up comedy. I guess there are worse things you could enjoy, again, a bad drug habit. I thought I would use tonight's post to share a few of my favorite comedians from the comedy station with you...

...and the list goes on and on. Take some time and visit their sites, it is definitely worth the laugh.

Sweet Victory is Mine!

2005-01-24T22:10:00.000-05:00

I believe that it is healthy for a couple to have some competition in their relationship. It keeps things exciting and fun. Well I take competition to a whole other level and last night SWEET VICTORY WAS MINE! My husband is a typical man, and is completely engrossed in sports. He watches football, golf, baseball, NASCAR, in fact, if it has a fantasy league that he can participate in, he watches it.

Me, on the other hand, could care less about sports, unless I am at a sporting event, and then I am only there for a hot dog, some peanuts and a beer. But lately I have found it quite amusing to pick a team, race car driver, etc. just to spite my husband. I will pick whoever I think can beat whichever team my husband is loyal to. Well my husband is a die hard Steelers fan. I chose to root for the Eagles this year. Last night's gloat-fest was so much fun, I should probably feel guilty! My team will be moving on to the Super Bowl, and my poor husband's team will get to spend some time resting at home, watching the game. I really thought he was going to cry...especially this morning, when I kept text messaging his phone at work with the words "who is a loser? my husband is a loser..."

Good Luck in the Super Bowl Eagles! I will be watching (but only to see the commercials, as I do not need to worry about the score... my victory has already been achieved).

Random Photo 3

2005-01-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

Kaiden & Uncle Billy - and we wonder why they get along so well?

Can't Move...Must Sit Down!

2005-01-19T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I can barely move tonight as I type this, due to the fact that I forced my fat butt back to working out today. I feel that I have let myself go long enough without working out (since my son was born 10 months ago to be exact), and besides, people are starting to not believe me when I say that I just had him 3 weeks ago, since he can almost walk now. So I went to "Curves" during my lunch break today. The sad part of this story is that I have been paying for this membership for about a year now and have probably been a whopping total of 10 times. But, as with the other 10 times, I have promised myself that I will stick with it this time. You see my ultimate goal is to start running again...we'll see if that happens. So I will now be dragging my sore sack of bones to bed now... tune in tomorrow to see if I actually go two days in a row.

The Courtesy Wave

2005-01-17T19:29:00.000-05:00

It is common knowledge that when someone lets you (meaning your car) into their lane, you owe them the "courtesy wave," just as you would expect this wave from them upon letting them over. This morning while I was on my way to work, an asshole motorist took it upon themselves, to not only decide for me that I would be letting them into my lane, almost causing me to wreck my car, but they then made a conscience decision not to give the courtesy wave. If I wasn't already 15 minutes late for work (for reasons totally unrelated to the lane cutting incident) I would have followed this person for a good while, making sure to stay dangerously close to their bumper. I hate these people, they make me an angry, road raged driver.

Thank you unknown motorist, for starting my Monday out wonderfully.

Tushoobi Flu

2005-01-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it is official, I have now passed along the stomach virus that my children had last week to everyone I know...my extended family, my friends and my co-workers. Everyone I speak to starts the converstaion out the same..."I hate you and your family..." I guess I cannot blame them, it is an awful virus, it starts with the watering of the mouth, although it hits everyone different. Here are some symptoms, so you know if you have it:

1. You feel like you have gas, but you end up crapping in your pants
2. You are throwing up and shooting water from your butt at the same time
3. You can not tell if you are peeing or crapping and you don't care

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, chances are you have the dreaded Tushoobi Flu (flu name provided courtesy of my best friend Nadine). We believe that this flu originated from this tribe:

They are a Pygmy tribe from the tropical forests of Central Africa. Anyways, if you get this flu - good luck to you, and make sure you have plenty of laundry detergent on hand.

Random Photo 2

2005-01-12T11:02:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my best friend and my husband at our 10 year high school reunion. They are very drunk and are not doing a good job if hiding that fact!

New Year, Same Story

2005-01-11T15:55:00.000-05:00

Here we are a little over a week into the New Year, and same old story ~ both kids started the year out with another round of stomach viruses that spread like a wild fire throughout the household. The best part about this one is that it only seems to strike in the middle of the night, which is the best kind...there is nothing like having a 3 year old standing over you at 2:00 in the morning ready to vomit.

Ashton is really starting to get vocal, he says "mama" and "keykey" which is supposed to be "kitty-kitty". Kaiden has been trying to get him to say her name, but after many failed attempts, informed me that she is going to let Ashton call her ma-ma too. So now, whenever he says ma-ma, Kaiden comes running from out of nowhere and says "I am here baby, what do you need?" - She is a nut!

We are getting extremly close to finalizing on the land we are building the house on. We did go ahead and purchase the plans to the house. To see the full floor plans and specs, click here: http://www.williampooledesigns.com/SearchEngine/results_Plans.asp?ID=5. If all goes well, we should have the plans into the city for approval this week, which takes about ten days to turn around and once approved we can order material and break ground. I know this is probably going to be a stressful next eight months, but I am really looking forward to having a say in everything that goes into the house. Well I hope that everyone had a great New Year. Talk to you soon.

It was a Very Merry Christmas!

2004-12-27T17:31:00.000-05:00

Christmas has past and we are looking forward to the New Year. The Scanlon's had a wonderful Christmas. Kaiden got everything she asked for from Santa and then some, including her new tickle blankee. Ashton got some really great toys as well. I was the most spoiled of all ~ Todd got me my IPOD Mini, a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings and last but certainly not least, he and his mother got me my Nikon D70 Digital Camera, which made me cry like a baby.

Kaiden loved putting out the milk and cookies for Santa and putting out the magical oats in the lawn for Rudolph and the other reindeer. We were pleasantly surprised to get a bunch of snow the day after Christmas, making it an almost white Christmas. Now we have to try to get back to normal with work, school, etc. We hope that everyone had an equally wonderful Christmas.

Random Photo 1

2004-12-16T19:03:00.000-05:00

Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Kaiden and Ashton are in the tub.

The Holidays are Here!

2004-12-16T11:07:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my first posting into the "Blog" so we will see how this goes. Today was Kaiden's Christmas Program at her Preschool. She did really well and looked adorable. They basically just sang some Christmas songs and smiled for all the crazy parents. I cannot believe that the year is almost over. So much has happened this year, we had a second child, sold our house and are building a new house in Suffolk. It seems like just yesterday I was a kid myself, and now I am raising two of my own. Kaiden is 3 now and is smart as a whip. Ashton is 9 months old and is really starting to get some major personality - it is so much fun to watch them both grow.

Kaiden is very excited for Christmas and insists on talking to Santa during each and every trip to that mall. She is also very quick to let me know that Santa is watching mommy too, when she is upset with me. Well I hope all is well with everyone and will post again soon.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

100 THINGS (5 AT A TIME-WHEN I HAVE TIME)

2004-12-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

I am a natural blond.
I have a horrible driving record.
My husband & I have a lot of tattoos.
I get a pedicure every two weeks.
I am the oldest child of three.
Ever since I had children, I am a cleaning fanatic.
I have a red-nosed pitbull that looks like a cow named Moses.
I drive a black Eddie Bauer Ford Expedition & will not feel guilty.
I could watch Comedy Central all day, every day.
I love hard music.
I can drink an entire bottle of coconut rum and still be okay.
My mouth is the worst potty mouth ever!
My father is a high ranking retired military officer & pilot.
I have lived in Florida, California, Rhode Island & Virginia.
At one point in my life, I liked Guns & Roses.
I work for a commercial construction consulting company where I work on construction schedules all day.
I was baptized and raised an Episcopalian.
My two children were also baptized Episcopalian.
My husband has never been baptized & probably never will.
I love steak fajitas from real mexican restaurants.
My husband I met over the phone through my ex-boyfriend and fell in love in one conversation.
My first kiss was in 1st grade on the circle time rug while the teacher was reading a story.
I play practical jokes on my parents very regularly.
I hate driving next to 18-wheelers, especially on two-lane roads.
I started smoking when I was 13 and quit when I was 23.
I do not like being around smokers now, which my best friend Nadine gives me shit for everytime she lights up.
Somehow I ended up working in the Construction Industry.
I loved the show Alf when it was on the air and begged my mom to buy me a stuffed Alf.
Some of my best elementary school memories occurred during the last couples skate at the school skating party to the soundtrack of Journey.
I was pretty good at Shoot the Duck at those skating parties, but not limbo.
I was always that friend that was the worst influence, but somehow was the most loved and trusted by the parents.
I HATE Seafood.
I was a bartender while I was in college.
I can drink my husband under the table.
He will not admit that fact.
I never got good grades.
But am smarter than the average bear!
My husband grew up in Hawaii.
Where he sported a mullet.
He denied this fact until his mother gave me a picture.
He then said that they were in style in Hawaii.
I told him that when I saw North Shore, no one had mullets.
He told me to shut up and he hates me.
He also wore homemade OP shorts, which I refer to as "PO's," as in "you were to po to buy the real thing."
I have a warped sense of humor!
I hated being pregnant...both times.
Fortunately, I had very easy deliveries...both times.
My first was induced and my second was pre-mature.
I hated being in the hospital both times.
I am half way through this list.