week wrap up

So I had a great week this week.

I firmly established myself at the head of my class in vocab and terminology.
yesterday I scored a 98% on my waxing final where I had to wax a pair of eyebrows.
I waxed Bianca's eyebrows to pefection but lost 2 points when I accidentally put the used muslin strip on the table first instead of throwing it directly into my soiled implements bag.
But I found I have a natural flair and ability to rip peoples eyebrows off and make them look good. Plus I learned the proper way to tweeze eyebrows. Did you know you are supposed to pull the skin taut and then pull in the opposite direction of hair growth?? It made it so mcu better and comfortable. learn something new every day.

But Poor Bianca. She has fairly sensitive skin, and though I used the cream wax for sensitive skin her eyebrows still got puffy and red. Even the cooling gel with aloe didnt help. She ended up putting seabreeze on it and tha helped quite a bit. So hint...buy some seabreeze if you have sensitive skin and pluck your eyebrows...

Mimi did my eyebrows and they turned out quite nice as well.

Today is my first written test. I expect a 100%.
We are also moving onto the anatomy and muscles of the face and starting skin analysis and facials. I cant wait to have one done on me. I LOVE facials.

Today is Halloween, so the boys got to wear their Transformer costumes to school (minus the masks). That was the fastest they have gotten dressed all year.
So tonight we are taking them to my mom and dad's house to go tricker treating. They have THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD to go T-o-T'g in. I expect to come home with a haul.

on another positive note being in school has really helped with my diet.
I eat breakfast, I dont snack in between meals and I bring my lunch. I dont have money with me so I cant use the vending machines, and then after school I go home and it is dinner time. and By the time I get home I am so worn out and tired that I dont really feel hungry so I just eat a tiny portion. I lost 7 pounds this week not even trying! YAHOO!!

So have a great weekend all.

They call me MISS Computer

so I have a new nickname.
"Computer".

Nothing cute like Muffy or Buffy or Bambi or Peaches (now isnt that a lineup from Old School Fantastic Sams? Remember back in the 80's and you would go to Fantastic Sams and get your hair cut and the names above their station would be Foxy, Muffy, Bambi, Peaches, Pumpkin etc? For some reason i remembered that. Sorry for the tangent and here i am back to reality.)
Just plain old Computer.

The past 3 days we have done nothing but theory and book learning. We have been learning all the layers of the skin, the various forms of bacteria, and a zillion different types of skin lesions, diseases and disorders. We played a game in class where we grouped up in teams and she would ask us the name of a disease and we had to describe it, or she would give us the definition and we would have to come up with the name of it. Our team had 3 people on it. We beat the other teams 12 to 6.
When the teacher said something like "Whew, your team is really remembering. Good for you!".
One girl from the other team said "Their team! I think you mean Sarah. She's the one with all the answers!".

The teacher asked if I had an easy time remembering words and had a really easy time memorizing things and I said yes. She kind of made a joke like my brain was like Google and I was a computer.
It stuck.

So throughout the rest of the day when something would be asked everyone would look at me like I knew the answer and would say "Ask computer! She will know it".
so I have established myself firmly at the head of the class in theory. We will see how well I do in practice. Now I have to keep up with it and retain my place on the queen of vocabulary throne.

No my name aint baby, it's computer. Miss Computer if you're nasty...

why I Love My Husband

He gets me.
He doesnt ask questions.

I tell him what I like or used to like or used to be obsessed with. He just shakes his head and goes about his business. He files away that information to be used for his benefit sometime down the road.

Last night I get out of the shower and he says, "Go into the bedroom and turn on the DVD player".
I was thinking maybe a romantic CD, I was going to get a massage, you know something nice.
I press Play and this was 10 times better than a night of romance.



I used to watch this show every day for it's full run.Then I graduated with the Kids of Degrassi into High School and continued to watch until it was over.
I would run home from the bus and turn it to PBS. I LOVED this show.


So my hubby has gotten me the complete series of Degrassi Jr High.

I love him.

My first day of school

So Sunday night I was so excited I couldnt sleep a wink. I tossed and turned. I hemmed and hawed. I felt like I looked at the clock every hour on the hour. I get this way before Christmas, I get this way before disneyworld, I get this way when I am nervous or excited.

So I finally get up and we get the boys off to school. Charles takes me out for a "First Day of School Bagel". I had the Leonardo De Veggie on rosemary and olive oil bagel. I ♥ Bruggers
Bagels

SO I get to school and there are 12 in my class. We are in a little room with those folding chairs with the attached flip over desks on them...you know the desks that have been so abused by previous students that they no longer lie flat.
We get to know each other. I am the oldest in the class, followed by a girl who is 29, then there is one who is 25. The rest are all 18 through 22. Several of them infants, fresh out of high school Ink Barely dry on their diplomas.
We have one male in our class and he made it clear from day one that he liked girls. He wanted to clear that up early.

So we take a mini tour of the school and get our lockers. (yes Lockers...just like High school)
THEN the fun began. In rolled the huge Cardboard boxes. One giant box for everyone. It was our first shipment of supplies.
It was filled with a giant black roller wheel suitcase Then we had all of our textbooks, 3 mannequin heads (tiffany, courtney and destiny), 8 brushes, 9 combs a zillion rollers, rods, pins, bowls etc etc etc. So we had to go through and check off our inventory list to make sure everything was there. We played with our mannequin heads for awhile, getting used to the feel of them, learning to attach them to the rod base on a table or chair or anywhere that a clamp can be used. They are real human hair and come complete with grey hairs, split ends, cowlicks and more. They are really amazing. Courtney is my favorite. She has my kind of hair. Thick, with split ends and grey hair and a tendency to curl. So she is the one I think I will work most vigorously with.

After lunch we got into skin. Learning all about bacteria and communicable disease. Today we are going into skin diseases, how to recognize them and the proper treatment.
For the next two weeks we will be working on skin and facials and skin disorders and things like that. We jump in from day one. They dont waste time and there is no messing around.

Of course we are in uniform. We have to wear straight black and/or white. No patterns, no stripes, nothing. One solid color.
They also recommend you always look your best, hair and make-up etc. That way we present a good image for the school. So I guess I am being forced to get manicures and pedicures and highlights . sigh, my life is so hard.

So that was my first day. we are jumping into facials and skin care full time today.
Our next shipment comes in a few weeks, it has our haircutting shears, color supplies, nail supplies and remaining mannequin heads, including Kyle, the male mannequin who has long shaggy hair and beard, nose hair and ear hair.

I am really excited and got a much better night of sleep last night, now that the excitement of the first day has passed.

Tagged again

So while on Vacation I was tagged by Artyallsorts, one of the photography blogs I REALLY enjoy.
I have to reveal 6 secrets about myself and tag 5 others.
So I really had to think about it. I dont know that there is a whole lot people dont know about me. i am a pretty open book and fairly forthcoming about my life, thoughts, feelings, passions etc.
So I really had to dig deep and think of things I hadnt revealed before. So for those of you reading buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

1. I have a tattoo on my right hip. Really the only reason I got it was because my mom said I couldnt. Boy I sure showed her. I went out and got a tattoo where no one would ever see it. She had no clue I had one until she was with me in the hospital when Peter was born. Boy was she mad. I look back and although I love it, part of me wishes I didnt have it. It is no longer the perky brightly colored symmetrical tattoo it used to be. After weight gain, weight loss, pregnancies etc It is now misshapen and faded and looks kind of silly. What am I going to do when I am 80 and have saggy wrinkly skin?? I am going to have a silly wierd looking blob on my
hip. Oh well, live and learn.

2. I start school on Monday and am scared poop-less. I feel like High School all over again. Most of the people in my class are infants newly out of High School. There is an older woman, older than myself, but she is a part time evening student. Will I make friends? Will I be good enough? Will I get good grades and get to sit at the popular table? It is just kind of scary for me to start this new endeavor, but I know I have no excuse and need to DO IT! I cant let my fears of the unknown and self imposed feelings of inadequacy stop me from doing what I know I need to be doing for myself and for the benefit of my family.

3. Sometimes I buy boxes of Little Debbies and hide them so my family doesnt know I have them and then eat them and not share.

4. There are days I lose my voice from screaming at incompetent drivers on the road.

5. I didnt cry when I sent my Finn to kindergarten. He is my baby, but actually i was just so relieved and happy to have them both out of the house I did a little dance of joy.

6. I am not voting for Barak Obama and if I lived in California I would vote yes on Proposition 8.


I am not good at tagging, so if you want to do this, go right ahead and be my guest. Thanks A for the tag!!

Cake follow up

The cake turned out really well I am proud to say.
It was very dense, almost like a pound cake. It wasnt really a "caramel" cake, it was more of a buttery brown sugar cake. But it was tasty and I did get to bring home one little piece for charles.
Definately worth the time and effort. It was sweet, but not the sickly sweet of a box cake mix.
I was very proud of myself.

I was tempted to sprinkle a few heath Bar chips over it, but refrained. I think i shall try that next time.

Neighbor Dorothy's Heavenly Caramel Cake

Tonight is Book Club. So in honor of LAST months book, Cant Wait To Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg, I am making "Neighbor Dorothy's Heavenly Caramel Cake".

I will stretch my culinary acumen to their furthest limits. This recipe requires sifting, more sifting, making pastes out of flour and milk, beating, blending and mixing.
I hope these ladies realize what an effort I am making for them!! Just kidding, I have been wanting to try out this recipe for myself. ( But I will make it this morning and if it doesnt work out I will bring the old standby- peanut butterscotch rice krispie treats. I ALWAYS have a back up plan)
But for anyone interested, here is the recipe, courtesy of Fannie Flagg and Can't Wait To Get To Heaven.

1 3/4 cup cake flour, sift before measuring.
resift with 1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soft butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp double acting baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

beat for 3 minutes and bake in a greased pan for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

FROSTING:

2 TBSP cake flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 tsp salt

over a low heat combine cake flour and milk. Cook to a thick paste and cool and set aside.
Cream sugars and vanilla with butter and shortening. Beat until Light and Fluffy.
Blend in salt. Mix in cooled paste. Beat until fluffy. SHould look like whipped cream.
Frost cooled cake and voila you have a perfectly(hopefully) delicious southern cake!

has anyone tried this recipe? Is it as good as it sounds?
Wish me luck!

That's not acting...thats sheer terror

I feel as if I should be taken out back and flogged for my incompetence.

I know Disney like the back of my hand. I knwo which rides are scary, which rides are not. I know every twist, turn, drop etc. I know how fast each one goes, how slow each one goes. The vacation Nazi felt prepared to take her kids to Disney World.

However, I had spent the better part of 6 months largely ignoring Universal Studios and the rides and descriptions.

It was Our first day at Universal Islands of Adventure. We had been on Spider Man and Cat in the Hat and ET and Poseidons fury. As we were walking through Jurassic Park, we saw a log ride. It didnt say anything about "You WILL get soaked" or "You must be 54" tall to ride this" etc. It didnt show any signs of being a scary water ride. We thought we would be taking a log ride through "Jurassic Park". DInosaurs and a Log Ride, a perfect way to end the day.

After all the height requirement was only 42", and the only sign was "twists and turns and sudden drops". Well all the rides said that, and not having done any research I ASSUMED we would be fine. Plus there was a little blurb that read this: "Take an unforgettable river raft ride, and see dinosaurs in their natural habitats. "

We got on the ride and meandered through Jurassic Park. Then uh oh, the dino's escaped and we went through the restricted part of the park. Oh No the dinosaur is getting out of the crat! Watch out for those velociraptors, they are fighting over a maintenance man's shirt! Silly stuff the kids loved. It was calm and fine and slow and a little jerky, so I figured it was more or less the "Its a Small World" of Islands of Adventure. We go up a hill "into the lab" and at the top a giant T rex lights up, roars and scares the pooh out of everyone in the log. Next thing I know we are dropping, hurtling down at lightning speed. This drop was 85 foot plunge! We had no idea it was coming and it was scary. I had the presence of mind to put my hand on Peter to keep him back, but Charles was sitting next to Finn and did nothing.

At the end my boys were crying, Finn was at his breaking point he wanted nothing to do with Universal studios after that. It was horrible.

The picture however was HILARIOUS. Of course I had to buy it. Every time I look at it I laugh out loud...then feel shame for my lack of research.

There is no acting, that is SHEER TERROR. I scanned it and cropped it to just the kids faces.

But Finn's face, is PRICELESS!

It's almost something you see in the cartoons.

wow....

387.

That is how many posts I have unread on google reader from all the blogs I follow.
You people write way too much!!

So I will be trudging my way through a weeks worth of my favorite blogs...

I need a vacation from my vacation 2

well we are back!
A LONG yet very fun week.
We went to Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood studios(formerly MGM) and Animal Kingdom.
We have lots of memories, a few funny stories and tons of pictures, which I will post all throughout this week.

Turns out my "No Fear" 5 year old who is my adventure junkie thrill seeker is not much into fast rides, coasters or things that go down hills. He did fine until Universal Islands of Adventure and we went on Jurassic Park. It just got worse from there. All week he fretted and fussed about how fast or slow a ride was, how big or little the hill was, would it go up fast or up slow. He cried before he even got onto rides. It was actually a little surprising. Finn is always the one who is jumping out of the tree house, finding new and inventive ways for an adrenaline rush. He has always been my "lets go lets go lets go" boy.

Peter, who has always been a little more timid and reserved and seems to be scared of everything REALLY surprised me. He doesnt have much use of his left hand and arm. He is always more shy and scared to do things, for the longest time he didnt even want to go down tall slides at the playground. But he promised me that at WDW he would try all the rides at least once. Turns out Mr shy and timid is a roller coaster enthusiast! He rode Space Mountain TWICE, and Expedition Everst FOUR TIMES!! He just loved it. I think I could have gotten him back onto tower of terror again if we had more time. He really loved the thrilling rides and the rollercoasters and the fast rides.

A few highlights From Each park:

(Epcot)They LOVED Mission Space. We didnt do the wimpy green one either. We did the full out orange team with the spinning and the G-force pulling your face back to your ears as you blasted off to Mars. The one where as you are blasting off you can feel your stomach sinking lower and lower and it just keeps sinking. I actually cry out every time I ride it. I dont think my stomach can sink any lower and it does. It is just such an amazingly realistic ride.

(Animal Kingdom)- Peter loved Everest.(four times it was awesome). Finn Loved the Kali River Rapids. I happened to be sitting in the wet seat BOTH TIMES. I was soaked. A Bugs Life was a big hit as well.

(Hollywood Studios) I Loved Tower of Terror. It is my favorite ride. The one we went on had a GREAT sequence of drops and ascents. It was fantastic. The boys LOVED Star Tours. As soon as the movie was over, Finn in a loud voice said "That was TOTALLY AWESOME!"

(Magic Kingdom) Peter Loved Space Mountain. Finn did not. Finn and Peter both loved one of my favorite rides "Peter Pans Flight". Splash Mountain was fine until the last drop at the end and Pirates of the Caribbean was a big hit for all. Mickeys Philharmonic was so much fun too.

Universal studios and Islands of adventure was really fun all around. If anyone is going to IOA anytime soon you MUST ride the spiderman ride. It was amazing. The boys loved the Cat in the Hat ride, E.T and the Woody Woodpecker kiddie coaster.

So thats kind of a brief synopsis. I will post pictures this week etc.

To Quote Clueless, "I'm Outtie"

Remember this post?

Finn will FINALLY get his chance at WDW.

Hopefully next week i will have a REAL picture of the gang at WDW. We are leaving before the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. Peters Make A Wish trip is finally here!!

Have a great week y'all! I know I will.

I've got a golden ticket

Yesterday was just one of those days that went right.
Everything fell into place.
I got stuff done.
Good things came my way.

First I started in the upstairs bathroom. I went through all the drawers, under the cabinets etc and I pulled out a HUGE garbage bag full of junk and trash and shampoo bottles with only a squirt of shampoo left in them etc. i threw out old razors, old make up, face cleansers and more.
Then I cleaned, scrubbed the tub, cleaned the toilet, cleaned up boy pee that had missed the toilet, it was just so much better. It looked so good, it was sparkly clean, smelled great (thanks tea tree oil!) and I just felt a million times better without all the junk cluttering up the drawers and cabinets.

Then I got a call from the cosmetology school asking I come back in and re-sign some paperwork.
They were able to get me even more grant money! So basically every 3 months I will get a grant check for $950! It is like a little mini paycheck every few months. It is the exact amount I will need for after care at the school for the boys!!

THEN we got a nice check in the mail from Charles old job profit sharing! I took it to the bank and usually they put a hold on them for a week because they suck. BUT I got a nice guy who asked "When do you need these funds?" I told him by Monday would be great, and he said that usually it would be a 7 day hold, but since it was a company check etc he would override the hold and the funds were available first thing this morning. How AWESOME is that??

The boys mostly behaved. Dinner turned out fantastic (grilled checken in whole grain flat out wraps), and a whole garden full of more peppers than I will know what to do with.

Hopefully I can have even more of those days. They make me happy.

Our tooth fairy comes on the 1st and the 15th of the month...

Finn has been OBSESSED with losing his teeth. He thought it was so cool that when Peters teeth fell out he got shiny gold dollars under his pillow (hey the tooth fairy has to use those things up from the post office somehow!)

So for the past few weeks he has insisted his tooth was loose.

I felt it and perhaps it was the teenyist bit loose. Well he hooked onto that tooth with a mission. Every time I looked his direction his finger was in his mouth and he was just a wigglin' away on it.

That tooth got looser and looser. One day it got so loose it was about 1/4 of an inch taller than his other teeth. When he would breathe, the tooth would pfff forward with exhales and ffftt back with the inhales. He wouldnt let me yank it though. All it would have taken was a quick tug and it would have come right out. He insisted it fall out without any medical or parental intervention.

So,I gave him a donut for a snack and as he was eating I hear "Hey, I lost my tooth!"

I go over and sure enough his tooth fell out. He spit it out and said "I cant believe it! I lost my tooth. I was eating my donut and next thing I know I was chewing my tooth! Can you believe it? I lost my Tooth! Hey Peter, I finally lost a tooth!"

He was so proud.

The next morning on his breakfast plate was a crisp, beautiful Disney Dollar (a dollar from disney world that can be used as money there)

FINN: DAD! I got a Disney Dollar. The Toof Fairy left me a Disney Dollar! Isn't that awesome?

DAD: Wow, a whole disney Dollar? Thats pretty Cool buddy!

FINN: I know. Look Peter, the Toof Fairy left me a disney Dollar!

PETER: Yeah, thats great finn.

DAD: Hmmmm, I wonder how the tooth fairy knew we were going to Disney World?

FINN: Hmm, maybe she heard us from her castle or something.

So yay, he finally lost a tooth. Now if only I can keep him from yanking out all his other teeth. That dollar thing was a pretty good deal!!

They see me rollin...

So we were driving up to the Renaissance festival, and I notice peter in the backseat doing something kind of silly.

I turned around and asked "Peter, what are you doing?"

He looked at me and said(in all seriousness) "Im driving while I shake my boo-tay...DUH"

Ah.

I grab the camera and tell him to do it again. So here he is in his home video debut.

The upcoming week

To quote Queen (my favorite band EVAH), "I'm going slightly mad..."
What a week I have planned. Just looking at my gigantic dry erase wall calander, it is full of red!

• This week I have to take all my finished paperwork back to school to complete my registration (I got some grants and pell grants and a student loan, so I just had to take the paperwork home, have charles sign it and bring it all back).
• Then on Wednesday we are going to Disney On Ice (free tickets, courtesy of Make a Wish),
• Thursday is the first day of The Stringing Group (the jewelry making and beading group I started. If anyone in charlotte is interested, let me know, new classes are forming!) Then i am working at the Media Center at the kids school.
• Friday I am taking the dog to the kennel, then I am cleaning house, packing and finally on saturday heading to Disney World!

I have my first day of orientation on the 21st and start full time on the 27th.
So sometime between today and then I have to enroll the boys in an after school program for 2 1/2 hours a day.

But on the plus side;

• I am going to Disney World.
• I am going back to school and I will be done in a year.
• I started a beading group that I am very excited about.
• My book club is reading Enders Game by Orson Scott Card for Octobers book.

All good things. so despite all the red on my calander, it leads up to good things. I cant complain.

So I will just crank up my Queen CD a little louder, put on my big girl underwear and get it all done.

MIA...again

I havent been able to get onto blogger this week, I have been kind of busy.

Tuesday I had to take Peter to UNC for a check up with his cardiologist and a biopsy.
Turns out it was time for his yearly heart catheterization as well.
So what was SUPPOSED to be a quick in and out thing, turned into a long day.
PLUS on the way home on I-85 outside of Kannapolis there was a wreck with a fuel spill. SO 85 was a parking lot. I was stuck in the thick of it with no way to get off the road, exit, turn around etc. I just had to sit there and wait. I moved three tenths of a mile in an hour and 15 minutes.
I left at 630am and got home at 9pm. I was tired, grumpy, and was ready for bed as soon as I walked through the door. I didnt even watch my shows on DVR!!

Then yesterday I was busy working on the mothers bracelets for our Super Saturday activity.
36 bracelets are being made. I had to order 612 letters! And figure out how many crystals for each bracelet, and determine how many beads and clasps etc. It literally took me all day. But it is done and I came in 8$ under budget. YAHOO.

Today i am going to COSTCO with my friend Amy. My one day of just nothing.
Actually this morning I am going to clean like crazy. Yesterday while I was working away the sister missionaries had stopped by and I hadnt cleaned my house in 2 days. Wow was I embarassed.

Hopefully this weekend will be quiet and relaxing.