What I learned from SUNBEAM Ryan...

You all had sound advice about my de-follower...and I thank Annie and Mariko for jumping on the Shelle wagon. (You money is in the mail)

After reading all of your replies I grudgingly went to the trash can with my assumed-identity-of-the-defollower and burned her Voodoo doll.

On to the subject of this post.

On Sunday I went radical. Or tried to go radical...it's hard to go radical when you seek attention all of the time, because people sometimes notice the attention seeker has left the building, or is trying to leave the building, and abuse the notion of missing you.

Especially if you are a member of MY ward.

It's insane.

Can't a semi-perfect sunday attending person decide to play HOOKIE once in a while?

It's absurd!

Here is the full story, believe me, you don't want to miss this...there is a moral at the end of this story...

After sacrament commences I rush out of the pew and make my way out the doors into the hallway...except there is an older lady SLOWLY making her way to the same hallway directly in front of me.

I'm like a little kid trying to see around a TALL mans head...poking my body around to the left, can't get by, then poking my body around to the right, still can't get by. I face defeat and shuffle my steps to the same cadence as the older lady. I know at this point that my plan to escape might be thwarted...but I still wanted to take the risk...I could do this, I had stocked up on Milkduds all through the High Councilman's talk...I was on a sugar HIGH!

Finally, I found a space where I could squeeze passed the slowly shuffling old lady and made for my escape, only to be stopped by an old friend from high school who was visiting. CRAP!!! I talked and enjoyed the conversation, but at the back of my mind I could only think of the sweet new pajamas I had gotten for Christmas and the prospect of an HOUR in bed undisturbed.

We said our Goodbyes...

As I make my way up the Hall I run into my husband.

Me: "OH! Hi...you off to class?" Looking quickly right, then left, then guiltily at him.

MSM: Looks at me suspiciously, "Um...are YOU off to class?"

Me: Deciding to be honest, since it was SUNDAY, "No, I'm going to play HOOKIE today...want to come?" Excited as a little kid!

MSM: Starts laughing. "Seriously? You are leaving church?"

Me: "SHHHHHH...." looking left, then right again, then slyly smiling, "Yea."

Then all of a sudden the Primary President taps me on the shoulder.

I jump 10 feet.

Primary President: "Hi, Shelle...we are short a Sunbeam teacher. Could you possibly fill in today?"

Me: Can't say NO if my life depended on it...but I had to this TIME, my LIFE did depend on it, and I wasn't giving in...with the strongest pretend-non-hookie voice I could muster I said, "Sure!"

Crap!

I endure an hour of singing...pining for my pajamas and hour of undisturbed sleep. As we sing, "If your Happy and you know it clap your Hands"--I STOMPED my feet...that'll show them!!!

We get into class. No manual, no lesson, and 4 big eyed sunbeams.

I pull out the blank papers and crayons and tell them to draw Jesus in the manger, while I speak about Christmas and Santa Claus being the same day as the day we celebrate Jesus' birth...

Finally I look over to Sunbeam Ryan who had tapped me on my arm.

Me: "Hey Sunbeam Ryan." with a fake, if-it-weren't-for-your-teacher-I-would-be-sleeping half smile.

Sunbeam Ryan: "Like my manager?" Eyes all BIG and BLUE and dusted with dirty blonde LONG eyelashes.

Me: Looks over to the squiggles and stick lines drawn in yellow and reply in the most awed voice that I could and said, "Wow Ryan! That is FREAKIN' awesome!"

Sunbeam Ryan: BIG BLUE eyes go wide and he cowers as if I have hit him. And then gasps and shouts to the floor, "YOU SWORE!!!"

Me: "I did! No I didn't, I NEVER swear! What did I say?"

Sunbeam Ryan: Whispers in a still small voice, "you said, 'freakin'."

Me: "You right I did...WOW, I am so sorry, I had NO idea that was a swear word. Please forgive me."

Did you know how hard it was to go without saying FREAKIN for the next 45 minutes. I didn't realize I used the word so much!

But it is always good to learn a lesson on Sunday...and I sure did learn a lesson.

NO, not to avoid Primary Presidents or playing hookie...

But that Freakin' is a swear word. But I will have to admit that Crash has been a bad influence on me GAD TAMN-IT--she has been swearing up a storm according to Sunbeam Ryan's outline for a swear words and they have sort of a charming ring to them, so much so, that they have wiggled their way into my blog vocabulary, their coming OUT being today. I might need an intervention.

i'll let you know.

Love,

Shelle

P.S. Did you know that Freakin' is a swear word? Learn something new everyday! I would like to hear somethings you have learned!!! :)

Don't You Hate It When you feel under-appreciated?

I have been gone, I understand that, but the loyalty astounds me!!! Really! I only lost ONE follower...which I think is kinda optimistic thinking on my part...ONLY ONE...except for that I have obsessed about it for the past few days, (okay maybe just the last few minutes).

Stupid, really...

But it's like a train wreck, I can't stop thinking about it, at least while I write this post, and that says something that is worth saying!

I love knowing that people out there enjoy what I write...I LOVE, LOVE it...just as much as I love people who enjoy my pictures or who enjoy watching something I choreographed...I believe it is the middle child in me who seeks for the praise and the pat-on-the-back or the JOB-WELL-DONE.

From my studies as a family and marriage counselor there are theories as to how a middle child behaves or turns out. One way is that they are shy, reserved, and abhor attention because growing up the attention is bestowed upon their older and younger siblings! They are okay and content with that...and are uncomfortable when thrown OUT of their comfort zone to be in the middle of any crowd or ANY kind of attention.

The other way is that they are ALWAYS seeking ways to get attention from their older and younger siblings, so they are outspoken, sometimes to the point of being obnoxious, in every bodies business, loud, sarcastic, easy to laughter, and very much a people person always striving to be the CENTER of attention.

I believe I fall into the latter category. Along with wanting all the attention, I have found I LOVE people, I love to see their differences, I love to know their stories, I love to gain new bonds and friendships and I virtually HATE to be shunned...

SO...

it seems with this follower thing that I feel shunned in a BLOG sort of way...that I haven't upheld my end of the bargain for that person and they have decided to give up on me...GIVE UP ON ME!

It's not that I haven't been de-followed before...I haven't mentioned it because I'm okay with people not liking my writing and I have usually figured out who de-followed me and realized why they did...usually because they were changing profile's or something like that...

OKAY-ONE person I offended and they wrote me a kind email letting me know that they were de-following me. I like to think they did it so that I would not worry why my follower numbers went down, it helps...(I simply don't know about the others and I love to be ignorant to it, so please don't come out now and tell me about offending you...like I said, I'm more of a like-to-be-kept-in-the-dark about those sorts of things)

Anyway...Can't figure out who de-followed me...I'm not psycho...


(Not my best angle...i can give you that...thought the picture went well with the whole..."I'm not psycho" part of the post...feel free to make your own assumptions however!)

I just want to make sure that if I DID offend them, maybe from my last post about not HELPING people out, that I could talk about them behind their backs and say lots of nasty stuff about them...I mean...apologize. (I hope everyone knows I'm kidding...total sarcasm there, about the talking about them BEHIND their backs, I would like to think I would say it to their face also...)

So on Christmas EVE when I opened my ANNUAL pajamas...let's just say...

I felt a little under-appreciated! :)

Okay, now I feel better about the whole ONE person who de-followed me. Writing about it is like freeing my inner-imprisoned, de-follower hater's SOUL!!! LOL--who winced when they read that!

I did when I wrote it...which is why I'm keeping it on this post...I want people to remember me...ya know?

Love,

Shelle

P.S. Anyone else feel under-appreciated...or more importantly...recently SHUNNED???

All I want for Christmas is to be UNAPPROACHABLE!

Okay, I've decided that I'm WAY to approachable.

I don't know what it is about me...but...every need-a-ride child, adult, and dog approaches me first!!!

I'm not kidding.

Just the other day I was shooting pictures of a beautiful couple when a boy rode up on his bike and sat himself right there beside me...

I, having this kind of thing more often then you would think, decided to ignore the boy and see if he would go away.

I had NO idea who he was...don't pin me as a CHILD hater...cause I'm not, I'm only a CHILD-ask-stranger-for-a-ride hater...

Anyway, he just sat there, and sat there, and sat there.

I continued to shoot pictures until finally I couldn't stand it anymore.

I turned to him with a grimace of a smile and said, "Did you need something?"

He looks at me and says, "Do you have a dollar? I need to get home and it is WAY to far for me to ride a bike."

Me: "I'm sorry I don't have a dollar." I really didn't, I don't carry cash, I carry that magical plastic thing that plays as money!!!

The COUPLE I was shooting both shook their heads no.

Boy on Bike: "Could you take me?" Maybe it was that I didn't look busy ENOUGH?

Me: "I'm sorry, I'm taking this couple's pictures and won't be done for a while. Sorry."

Boy on Bike: "okay", then proceeds to hunch his shoulders and SLOWLY turn his bike around.

Then I felt like scum...because I REALLY couldn't help him.

But why me? We were at a park area...FULL of people to ask...FULL of potential, not busy and carrying cash, people to ask.

Yet I'm the one he approaches?

Then I'm walking out of Albertson's carrying a BUNCH of groceries when I get surprised by a dirty-tired-in-the-eyes-kinda-scary guy as he asks, "Ma'am, can I ask you for a ride somewhere, my ride can't make it and I need to get somewhere."

I'm alone people...with a BUNCH of groceries

Me: "AAAAAHHHH" with a shaky voice and BIG surprised eyes,"Crap, you scared me!!! Uh...I'm kinda in a hurry...sorry I can't help you."

Scary Guy at Albertson's: "Sorry I scared you, but I REALLY need a ride somewhere, I'll carry your groceries!"

Me: Hoping the trick of not looking them in the eyes will work, (Like it does with the creepy guys handing out Porn in Vegas), "No thanks, I really am in a hurry", then feel a stab of guilt I add, "Good Luck with that". And I scurry off with my head down, hoping beyond hope that he isn't following me, but not wanting to look back so that he isn't suspicious of me thinking he's going to attack me, because I'm TOTALLY judging him on his outward appearance!

Seriously, WHY ME? There were like three other people walking out the doors with me holding maybe a BAG of groceries, but he approaches ME?

If there is a LONE dog in a crowd who has lost their owner, guess who they find to sniff and follow and NEVER LEAVE...that would be ME!

So all I want for Christmas is to be UNAPPROACHABLE!

I would fix my facial features into a mean frown, but my Grandmother says it will cause me to have wrinkles...

DILEMMA...

So any suggestions guys? No suggestion is a BAD suggestion.

Love,

Shelle

Our Precious Frozen Water...we will always remember you

Okay this is a quick one...but I had to throw some snow pictures up for all of you that might be heading down to GOOD ol' Southern Utah!

So we built a SNOWGIRL...because PEEPS demanded it, and let's be honest, she runs the show!


This is the first day it snowed...we didn't figure it would stick so I made PeePs go out and let me take a picture of her in the snow...but she wouldn't really pose, she just wanted to catch snowflakes on her tongue! :)


But by the second day...we had decided to go out and build a snowman/girl before it all melted...




My kids were optimistic about the SnowGirl having a long life...so we made her and adopted her and brought her in to love her along with our other children...making sure to love her equally, even though we may only have her for a short while!

Then we woke up this morning to a tragic end to the snow girls life...her head had been decapitated!!! Such a horrible way to go...so tragic...and such a short time with the one we called "Our Precious Frozen Water"...

So I dedicate this post to you sweet girl...and hope that you are in a happier place...where the sun never comes out, and elementary school children are never around to bother and decapitate you.

We loved all of you...your sunken in eyes, your stretch cord mouth, and your un-proportioned body.

Please remember us as you move on to your next phase of Snow Girl Life.


With Love,

The Blok Head Family

p.s. go ahead and pay your respects through comments, I know she will hear and appreciate them.

p.p.s. Now go join Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

High Heeled Flip Flops in the SNOW?

***UPDATE: Hey the tally is in...Emily/Sewl is our DECEMBER winner!!! Send me your address via email and I'll get that amazing purse out to you!!! oh and the gift cards! :)

Thanks for playing guys!!! it was tons of fun for me this time! :)

So apparently when I marked on the poll that people could vote for more than one person or many times...it still recognizes you computer address and sometimes doesn't let you vote...so then you have to go in and erase your cookies for it to allow you to vote again on that same address...

Crazy weird!

I know...

But whatever you guys want to do!

It has snowed for the past two days where I live...

To most of you that is not remarkable, but where I live, it is pretty much amazing because it only snows, IF EVER, once maybe twice, and then doesn't stick throughout the day.

School was even canceled because they don't really have the necessary equipment to remove the snow from the ground to make it safe to drive...even though the roads are just slushy, more like a really bad rain storm, and I just chuckle because coming from a place that snowed ALL.THE.TIME and even held the winter Olympics one year...

It's laughable. :)

But people that live here all their lives or have lived here for awhile, and don't get out much (I was once that person and I miss it terribly, terribly) freak out to drive in the snow even if it is just starting to snow...we opt to stay inside, deciding not to BRAVE the hazardous, non stick to the ground snow.

I'll admit I was surprised that the snow stuck to the ground over night...and we probably have like 3 inches deep on our front lawn...

Okay, it's laughable...hahahaha...my kids are stoked though, so we are off to build a snowman...which will melt by end of day today or end of day tomorrow. Such a short life for a brave DESERT snowman or snowgirl, as PeePs is determined it will be.

So let me just send out this letter to the lady I encountered at Walmart:

Dear Lady at Walmart wearing Flip-Flop Heels:

I understand we live in the desert. I understand that sometimes it seems pretty much pointless to buy any sort of toe covered shoe, flip-flops are the easiest and most convenient, when you add the heel you get the add height along with an edge of classy, depending upon the style of shoe (excluding the picture I found on the left off of Google images), yet, it DOES get cold in the winter, and it WAS snowing and sticking pretty good last night.

So I just wanted to blog out my advice to you...when it is snowing and sticking to the ground, yet not freezing outside, it pretty much means its going to be wet, slushy, and slippery for flip-flop heels.

Payless Shoe Source is having its BOGO sale right now, and you can get some pretty comfy, yet stylish, toe covered shoes on sale. I'll buy one, then let you buy another for half off!

I'm a giver that way.

I just don't find it fair to your feet to leave them naked when the rest of you is nice and bundled up? Even your head was covered, you big bushy warm coat, you thick pleated wool pants, but then your feet had only its thong on!

So sad, and somewhat prejudice for your feet.

So take me up on my offer and get those feet covered up for the winter.

Say NO to the thong and YES to the boot for the winter!

Plus it will save you from the humiliating half-slip-half-split I witnessed on your way in.

That's what I'm here for...advice...and, YOUR WELCOME :)

Love,

Shelle

P.S. to all those thong high heeled flip flops winter wearers out there...I love you...but please heed my advice or don't get offended by my harsh true words, because come Spring and Summer that choice of shoe apparel will be in style and there will be no letters forth coming!

BUNCO and BINGO

***UPDATE: Okay here are the TOP TWO--except for there was a tie amongst the panel, so to appease everyone, and because it's my contest, my rules (which can change at anytime)-- And just to clairfy...my panel consisted of people that don't read my blog often (except for one of them who is UBER dedicated!... and I knew would show no impartiality--but whomever wins...it was probably someone's Aunt/Cousin/Sister in law twice removed--so I'm just getting that out there so no one can argue later!!!)

Here are the top TWO/THREE in NO particular order:
1. Emily/Sewl--we all agreed that she has had some ROUGH times...yet we laughed at her!!! (goes to show who I selected to judge)

2. Binks--She has entered many times...but I honestly laughed SO hard at this...partially because I have a similar experience that I'll have to tell you about someday...but this post had just the right CREEPY/DRY-Heave/Funny mix-which won the panel over!!!

3. Lisa at the CLan of the cave Hair--I'm sorry, but this one literally made me vomit in my mouth...really it did...and then I had just finished Binks' and was nautious the rest of the day! We all agreed that if we weren't vomiting in our mouths we would have been ROFL--but that would have caused major clean up!

Congrats ladies. Now it is up to your FANS to vote for you!

The rules about voting--there are no rules...Vote as many times as you want! And the winner will be determed by 5pm MST on December 18, 2008 (Thursday).
______________________________________________
Holy Gross, funny, crazy, and just Freaky funny you guys are! Seriously! Way to really put my panel to the test...this is hard to choose!

Sometime today I will announce with an update on this post who the top two are...then it is up to you to choose who the Grand Prize Winner is.

I kept reading..."I am going to enter again in hopes of winning or I'm going to enter ONE more time"--come on guys...make this seem like BINGO where you just keep trying and trying to be the one who ultimately stands up making a fool out of themselves...but they don't care because they WON!!!

So just keep doing it...just keep entering and being a part of the club! Some day YOU will be the ultimate fool standing up and waving your hands around, and all of us will smile, yet think in the back of our brains..."they must know the person yelling the numbers...this thing is fixed!" Yet we will show up next week to play again anyway!!!

Be like that...K...

Cause I look forward to hearing from you guys...even if it might only be once a month now!

Now quiet children...I need to read along with these other qualified judges on my panel to decide who is up for this month's Don't You Hate It When Grand Prize!!!




Love,

Shelle

P.S. I'm more of a BUNCO chick...I just want that out there...BINGO is not really my style! But I used BINGO as my example...because I didn't remember I liked BUNCO better until after and I'm not very good at editing, you would know that if you read my BLOG faithfully...

So insert BUNCO for BINGO for me! Thanks!

Okay Fa-Lurkers and Je-Lurkers--Come Out and Play with the DYHIW CLUB!!!

Okay guys!!! Ready to play? It's only once this month...by end of day Thursday we will know who wins the purse by Nannybird over at Nannybird crafts and the 2, count them 2, $20.00 Gift Cards and whatever else I send inside the purse!

So get your most hilarious post out...you know the rules!

Now I encourage you to NOT use foul language. Reading it is like listening to it, and it hurts my ears...don't get me wrong, I love all potty mouths equally and shun them only behind their backs, but to their blog faces I am the epitome of sweet and accepting...

But let's say for Family night I want us to gather round the computer to read a little bit of hilarity and fun and teach my kids the etiquette of making fun of others...only to have to put a parental block on the best ones because they made a PG post PG-13, in the should have been posted PG-17 way, if you know what I mean!!!

Don't You Hate It When--

Shelle makes you play the "Where is Shelle's Photography Assistant" game during the Don't You Hate It When club's dooms day!!!

So I got to editing a families photo's and started laughing--

so here's a short game for you to play...

Can you guess where the charming, beautiful, best photography assistant ever is standing?

1)


How about now?

2)


Now I know the first two were sorta easy...but this last one may stump you!

Wait for it...



Wait for it...


Okay--go--where is she now?
3)


Okay, never mind...I think that one may have been the easiest!

But the middle one tricked ya right? That girl is a solid ROCK--no one could make her look away from her 15 minutes of fame! :)

Seriously, kids are what make the world go round...
___________________________________________________

Okay your turn.

Link up and don't forget to leave a comment and tell me where you think my assistant is standing...cause I KNOW you have some witty comment to add--

come on out and play you lurkers-Fa lurkers (singing while lurking)-and Je lurkers (jerks who lurk and won't comment--okay I kid, I appreciate personal space, I get it, but I don't have to try to understand it--even IF I start to contradict myself!)



Love,

Shelle

DYHIW CLUB-DECEMBER STYLE!!!

It's like our OWN secret FIGHT club society...except it's our own DON'T YOU HATE IT WHEN...club! Only the most EXCLUSIVE club on the BLOG BLOK!!!

You want to be in? You want to be a part of the club?

Are you one of those people that always feel on the outside looking in?

Well now you don't have to be...

Okay get out your cell phones and get your texting fingers ready, twitter all your friends and add me to your technorati favorites...Google talk your friends, MSN your use to be high school friends and now you only talk to on Facebook...and then update your profile on Facebook, then Yahoo Chat all your relatives, call your BFF and then comment on all your BBFF's blogs because it's time!

Tomorrow (TUESDAY) is the DAY...so write your most hilarious Don't You Hate It When post and you could win the following Grand Prize!!!

Nan from Nannybird Crafts made this INCREDIBLE purse. (Made out of candy wrappers, magazines, and other stuff! It takes her many hours to make one and it is SO cool--I know, I have it in my posession right now!)



And it will be filled with some fun things when sent to you...including two $20.00 gift cards...one to Target and one to Amazon.com ) (Okay these might be emailed to you but you get my drift) because those were the TOP two online stores my peeps (you guys) shop at!

So let all the MOST important people know and make sure to shun the unimportant, and I'll see you around for the contest! :)

If you don't know what this contest is even about...click HERE for more INFO!

So enter on Tuesday...Me and a few selected people will pick the TOP TWO entries worthy of competing for the Grand Prize on Wednesday and let you know who it is by end of day...then THURSDAY you guys come into play and VOTE for your favorite on a poll!!!

Yea for FREE stuff!

***If you are into bullying and BLOG bashing this contest is not for you...if you like to gamble, embarrass yourself, and just like to be plain silly with a hope of winning something cool but okay if you don't, then this CLUBS for you!

To hold you over until tomorrow:

Don't You Hate It When your kids get into your lingerie stash? LOL--I love Christmas! :)


Do you think those kids in the commercial really knew what they were looking at either? LOL!

I don't have a reindeer hitting whip...

Love,

Shelle

Post Surgery PICS--FX4!!!

I'm so late for Friday Foto Finish Fiesta that I shouldn't have even bothered showing up at all...but I had to, because if I'm a friend...

I'm a loyal one...

plus, what other excuse would I have to post these pics of my boy before and after surgery?

I got to work with the cards I 'm dealt! :)

It was funny though...they were expecting a normal size 6 year old when we showed up for Surgery.

See DCar is TALL and hefty...not fat, but just solid. So we showed up and he was asked to put his gown on...we all started laughing quite a bit.

Of course I have a camera on hand anywhere we go...so I had to show you guys! lol!


I wanted to record that I WAS there...supporting him...and NOT freaking out.

Even though I was...

Freaking Out! I'm a wimp, it's something I have found out in this whole process, and I'm not afraid to say it.

Total.Complete.Wimp!

MSM got in on the picture taking action. I think DCar's face looks exactly how I felt! :)

MountainSport Man was explaining to DCar how to tell us his pain scale.

MSM: "If someone asks you what your Pain Scale is...they want you to give them a number from 1-10. So like, when we were messing around and I tapped you on the arm, what was your pain scale?"

DCar: "A 9 or 10...it hurt really bad!"

ME: "Okay, I think you understand!"

A Post Surgery Pics Post wouldn't be complete without the Post Surgery Pics:

Here he is waking up...I'm sorry, but I laughed when he was trying to wake up...he looked pretty stoned!

Not that I know what that looks like, but I'm thinking pretty close to this!


And this!

Love ya DCar...

This look can break a Momma's Heart!

But that kid is seriously tough because he is doing awesome! And we finally have some soft solids to feed him so his stomach is happy...which always makes for a happy kid! :)

I wanted to publicly thank all of you that gave me advice...I was able to read them while I waited for him to get out of surgery. I know that this surgery was a normal and easy surgery but I was freaking out nonetheless and it was nice to hear that you guys weren't mocking me in front of my blog face...and a lot of you said you felt the same way when your kids went through it! So I honestly LOVE you all!

Thanks

Shelle

P.S. For those of you that got this far in the reading...I need to buy 4 random gift cards that people can use online. What is your FAVORITE place to get a gift card from that you can shop and buy from them ONLINE?

Secret Santa Soiree--I was hooked up! and DYHIW!!!

I got my Secret Santa Soiree (SSS) Gift!!! It was So fun to get a package in the mail just for me! It was from Florida but that doesn't give me a clue at all!!! I only know ONE lovely person from FLORIDA and YOU GOT ME if it was you, but I'm thinking it wasn't? I don't know, I'm so confused...but it's all in fun!!! :)

My kids tried to open the package without me...luckily my SSS totally taped it up so that it could go through a war zone and not be affected!!! THANK YOU SSS!

I opened it up and this is basically what I got:

Only the lotion and other things were wrapped...my SSS totally paid attention to DETAIL...so amazing, she totally put forth the extra effort.

Oh and there were two packages of Peanut Butter M&M's...but I ate those before I remembered to take a picture of them...sorry! :)


She had a pretty card all filled out and written in beautiful cursive...seriously love her writing...I SO wish I had beautiful cursive writing...

if you ever tell me who you are SSS...can I send email letter typed to you and you can write them for me and send them out to my loved ones...they will think I put forth that extra special effort having such beautiful hand written letters... :)

...get back to me on that! :) lol!

And my daughter walked around with that Santa Hat on yesterday thinking she was the bomb diggity!!!

DCar decided to help me point out one other thing my SSS sent...and that is this cute SnowMan ornament!

***SSS...this is for you...so everyone else shut there ears because this is where I get all sentimental...go ahead, I'll wait, this is personal between me and my SSS.

Snowman are MY favorite part of Christmas. I have always been partial to them. My Christmas tree is a SNOWMAN Christmas tree full of snowman ornaments. You wouldn't have known that, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this beautiful ornament...it is now my favorite! :)***

I'm assuming all of that Pedicure stuff is for my kids...hence the picture above...you must have seen my kids' nails, I'm horrible at keeping up with them, but now that I have this stuff I will try my hardest to stay ahead of the dirt, grime, and hang nails!!! So my kids thank you as well as my husband! :)

GEORGIE and AMY--thanks for hosting this fun SSS event. I loved participating and I loved the stuff given to me.

Love,

Shelle

P.S. Anyone want to tell me who it is? Anyone? How about giving it a fun guess? Even if you have NO idea what this SSS even is...just come up with something in the comment box! :) lol! Just HUMOR me all right!

P.S.S. Don't You Hate It When post coming up next week!!! So get them ready to compete for a HUGE prize...at least I think it is huge!!! Remember this time I pick the TOP TWO along with a professional top-two-picking-panel and then you guys VOTE!!! Love ya all!

Tonsils and Adenoids and some Freaking Out!

Okay...I'm FREAKIN' out here.

I've realized I'm not really that strong of a person when it comes to putting my son down for a surgery.

He's getting his Tonsils out and his Adenoids. They are enlarged, apparently, and it will help is Breathing, sleeping, and all around health. I went to have DCar checked because when he was sleeping at night, if he could sleep, he would snore and his breath would catch and it would be like he was choking for about 5 seconds...

It scared me...

So I asked his Pediatrician...who I think is the greatest around...and he had x-rays done on the kid.

And here we are.

Coming from a family who believed in NOT even getting immunizations, we believed in the Natural system of things...(I think partially that was because we were stinkin' poor...but I could be totally reading into that!)

Ummmmm...I'm freakin out!

I understand it is a basic procedure...in and out, I think it's only an hour and a half total time of being at the hospital. Won't even put a Chink in my normal schedule...

But they still have to put him under...and he still is going into surgery...and I'm a little hypochondriac/paranoid and so we are back to...

Freakin' Out!

So this is the face I will see after the surgery:


Or maybe this one...


Or it could be just me since I heard my son say when he didn't think any one was listening, "this is going to be the BEST day of my life tomorrow! I get to eat all the ice cream I want and I won't even get in trouble!"

At least he's positive about it!

Love

Shelle

P.S. Have any of you had kids go through this? Or have you yourself gone through a similar procedure? What recovery time should I expect? What is the best to feed him while his poor little throat recovers? Any help or suggestions would be awesome! Thanks. I'm going to go suck on my thumb and lay in a fetal position now!

Don't Tell me what to do!

Here is one of those times I get to tell you a little more about me.

I know...TOTALLY...

Lucky you.

So after this you may either hate me or love me...but it's going to have you going one way or the other.

I'm lazy when it comes to telling me what to do.

If someone COMMANDS me to do something, or tells me how to do something, or issues me to do something, instantly I revert back to being a child and I resist.

Strong and Immovable.

Most of the time people are just trying to help, or just trying to get my help, but for some reason it is like teeth scratching on a balloon or fingernails scratching down a chalkboard to my system, and I immediately rebel.

When I was first married I decided I wanted to cook my husband spaghetti. Easy enough, for someone that almost always cooked sandwiches and cereal and dry Ramen.

I began cooking.

My husband got home and I had a bunch of pans out and had dirtied them all. I was so excited to show my husband that I was cooking for him. I knew I didn't need to rush to him to welcome him home, we had a ritual as a newly married couple and that was for him to come up behind me, find me, and kiss me senseless...aaaahhhh, the good ol' days.

After our ritual had commenced he looked at the NOW disasterous kitchen and said, "Shelle you know you can use one pan to cook spaghetti. Two at the most. You don't need every pan we own. Ya know, just for next time so it is easier on you and me...clean up won't be so much."

I went from normal, content, and ready to please newlywed to demon-screaching-ready-for-revenge-hell-bent-on-defying my husband, newlywed. The NERVE of him...he was a MAN...who was HE to tell ME how to cook?

Was it logical? Yes.

Did I care? No.

And I continued for the next year to purposely dirty more than two pans when I cooked anything to prove that I KNEW what I was doing.

When I dry some batches of laundry and let them sit in the basket, sometimes forgotten, to fold...intending to fold them, but haven't yet.

If my husband walks by them and asks me when I'm going to fold them?

I leave them that way for a few days to prove them I meant to leave them there in the first place.

Are you catching my drift people?

I don't really like to be TOLD what to do. I like people to assume I have a brain and that I KNOW what I am doing.

Even though, underneath all the craziness, I KNOW I don't know what I'm doing!

Have I totally confused you yet?

Good. Maybe that will stop your from judging me...because this is a really bad personality glitch I have...and have been working on it since birth!

Love,

Shelle

Anyone else suffer from this personality plague? Does anyone have fast remedy for it? I'm sure my husband will love you FOREVER!!!

This Just Isn't Like Her!!!

The coolest thing about shooting families is that with some of them...you truly bond with them.

When I flew out to take these pictures of the family I was picked up by Mom and this cutie pie!


She was a quiet little thing so I didn't even know she was in the car until she giggled. Then I looked back and fell in love with this bundle of smiles and energy!!! She wrapped me around her little finger...and fast!

I told her Mom..."Well she will be an easy subject!!!"



At the first of the Photo Session she was exactly how I predicted. Smiles, energy and fun!!! In this pic she is trying to copy what her sister was doing...it was so cute.

Sometime between this picture...and the picture BELOW...my little subject got to crying and being sad.

Her Mom kept saying, "This isn't like her!"

I could verify from earlier that afternoon, this really wasn't like her! But she couldn't communicate to us what the problem was.



During the photo shoot...as long as her favorite song was on she was half smiling and half giggling. But she just wasn't herself.

After the shoot we were sitting in her living room and as they stripped her down for her pajamas we found out that the poor thing had Cactus in her leg!

It was SO sad. NO wonder!

What gets me...is even though the little one had cactus in her leg...her Mom and Dad and Sisters and Brothers could STILL get her to smile if they sang her favorite song...which I wasn't even familiar with!

So I had to dedicate this Friday Foto Finish Fiesta to the Little Stodd. Thanks for being such a TROOPER!!! Now go join in the fun!!!

Love,

Shelle

My kids and Risky Business

UPDATE FROM YESTERDAY: Okay people...my powers of subliminal messages have shone through...I was able to convince a few and totally have others close to Crash confused about how they felt.

Let me clarify...Crash is a REAL live person...her blog is written by her and solely her. She doesn't Plagiarize and neither does WolfGang, although his feelings on Love or lack thereof made me NOT want to clarify for him...but I have to be equal and fair in all things as long as it pleases me...and this pleases me.

Now...

Read on...

I think it should be mandatory that if you are asked to be in a commercial that you should have at least grown up when the Movie came out...or even been allowed to watch it because of the Rating or when it was even a hit! Ya know? Or had older brother's and sisters that knew about it and told you about it...or....or

I mean...was Corbin Bleu even ALIVE when it came out? The movie "Risky Business"? Was he? What about David Archuletta?

Just saying...

So when I was sitting on the couch yesterday editing photos and my daughter and son yell, "Mom! We want this for Christmas! We want this! Come look!"...PeePs adds, "I want the pink one!"

(Thanks to all advertisers and Marketers who run commercials NON-STOP to my kids so they can fill their pretty little heads with all the stuff they NEED!!! Jimminee Christmas...give a Mom a break! I know, I know...some of you are saying in your Holier than Thou heads, "Well my kids don't even watch T.V."--I praise you and give you Gold Stars on your Heads.)

I mumble and scuffle into the living room only to miss the sacred commercial...oh, but don't worry DCar has mastered the DVR Remote he just went over to that remote and pointed it towards the T.V. and re-wound until we got to the beginning of the commercial and this is what I saw...




K I'm going to admit...I like these commercials...they remind me of my OWN good times andCorbin Bleu looks a tad bit different since High School Musical 1 and 2...but then I haven't seen 3 yet so maybe not too different. His version actually works for me to be honest...yet it's just weird.

But on point of this post is instead of Dolls, Trucks, Lollipops, and Sugar Plums dancing in their heads, they have Corbin Bleu and Nintendo DS's...

WOW...that mother of the year award I have been campaigning for is totally NOT going to like this...I mean think of the horror struck faces on Moms out there all over the world.

I'm ashamed...

I'm going to go drown my sorrows in a Frosty with Fries...thanks for the TIP Kritta!!!

Love,

Shelle

Now go ahead and talk amongst yourselves. Go ahead, I'm not listening. ***Walks away with head down and feet dragging***

I've figured out the WIT behind THE blog

***UPDATE: This story is TOTALLY fictitious for all of you that Googled CTD and found my site. She is a REAL girl...but sometimes her nose grows when she lies! :) Okay I kid...Crash is a real person, just wanted to get that straight!

Well I've figured it out...Crash Test Dummy's site is totally fictitious. Well I know you KNOW that when you read it...because she always enhances the truth for a good laugh...but I've kind of had this feeling that there just was something SNEAKY about it ya know?

She is continually witty...and continually coming up with stuff that boggles the mind.

So this is what it comes down to...and she can correct me if I'm wrong...and Alyson, Old Boat Guy, and the Nutty Hamster Chick can confer, or just humor me if you feel even remotely feel like I do...I think her blog is ONE BIG creative writing assignment. I believe she started it with one of her classes.

Each week she has her students turn in creative writing assignments to post on her blog so THERE is where she gets all of her material...she has a few rules like the paper has to be relate-able to a Mom who is Mormon and happens to be a Professor-who freakishly likes Twilight the movie...

Then she contacted an old friend from college or high school like the Funny Farm and had her PIMP her out and tell how COOL she was so people such as myself would wander over to her blog only to be wrapped into it and feel a part of a group or clique, so to speak...

and then they sit back and see how many people get wrapped up into this blog...

which is really a CLASS blog posing as a Professor of Literature or Creative Writing/Mom blog.

Then not only do I read and laugh at EVERY post...(I could also be witty if I had young fresh minds filling me with witty creative papers...just saying) but we also have full on conversations in her comments section...and so I have, for the first time, started following the comments because I don't want to miss out on the comments/conversation party over at the DUMMY site. Ya know?

I mean she calls me her TWIN...which means I look like a DUMMY, and I'm not sure if I should take offense to that?...

Okay you're right...I'm okay with that because I love the camaraderie and the feeling of being involved in a clique or group, and most people that read her are also very funny writers like Navel Gazing at it's Finest and Seriously So Blessed...and Annie who pathetically is selling really cool Stupid Vampire Shirts...that are not EVEN stupid but way creative!

Then since I'm her twin, I have conversations with some unknown distant cousin Art-n-Sewl that I don't even know about but love her wit. It's like one big happy family at her blog.

Even in Crash's witty posts she also posts about NEW FOLLOWERS so that they can feel included also! She must split the class up into groups...one for posts, one for comments, and one for following up on followers!

Ya know those Word Verifiers that MOST OF US Hate?

Well she has made sort of a joke of it all and she asked us to come up with humorous meanings to what the words mean...so she has a word verifier on her blog...but I look forward to what meaning I can come up with the word it wants me to verify!

So in honor of totally figuring out the wit behind her blog...

and pretty much thanking her for making me somewhat of a student of hers because I am always trying to one up the person before me in her comments...

and making me feel a part of a group/family...

and I invite anyone else (Especially if you are from PROVO) to come join the group and fun!

But in MY comments section...

That's right...

All of that to tell you to feel free to read others comments and have a conversation with them...make jokes...let loose...BE FREE!!!

Love

Shelle

P.S. I think I am going to do a community creative writing class and have people turn in blog posts for me...just so I can keep up with the DUMMY'S!!!

P.P.S. I'm sorry but I just couldn't help it...I LOVE when kids aren't paying attention when I'm poking a camera in their faces!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner and 24 hour Flatulence...

Don't You Hate It When--

You've been very courteous to the other shoppers at the Park City Outlet Mall, AT Midnight, to save your normal bodily functions to do OUTSIDE where people can breathe fresh air and get away from your bodily functions more quickly... then inside a trapped store with HUNGRY deal-grabbing-Mama's who are boxing you in? Yea I hate that...especially when it is the rotten egg smelling ones! For the LOVE...

Whomever let that one go, IN STORE with more people then fire hazard allows, is sick and wrong...you HEAR me out there person...inconsiderate...sick.and.wrong! (Of course nobody claimed it!)

I was totally Cocooned in a rotten egg smelling fart...I had to duck and cover because hot air rises...which made me look like the guilty party, and then people where give me crazy looks. Which made me want to shout that "Hey it wasn't me!"...but then I would've eaten the fart...and that would've been worse!

But I still Love Black Friday's...

Love,

Shelle

P.S. Later that morning. My sister-in-law let one go in the car...then locked the windows before I could roll down the window...which made me laugh as I threatened her life to the point I was crying, then I was crying for real because I SWEAR I could taste it.

Has there been a study linked to Thanksgiving Dinner and 24 hour Flatulence?

Black Friday and Heaven...two peas in the same pod!!!

I LOVE LOVE Black Friday!!! The day after Thanksgiving is filled with Euphoria! When I get a MAJOR deal I feel like a warrior...a conqueror...a Samurai Warrior!!!

Seriously, there is no feeling like it!

People don't like the crowds


I LOVE them. It's the only time where you can push and shove...elbow here...bleeding nose there...

Where people over look it because they want to do the same thing! :) It's great!

Not that I do that...I just see it...and fill out all the witness reports for police!

Either way.

I didn't go to bed Thanksgiving night...I stayed up and headed to the outlets at Midnight. Was there for FOUR hours and then headed back into the city to hit all the major stores and their deals!

Yes I came home and crashed...but it was the same feeling of exhaustion and pleasure filled tingles that comes along with ...well...you know...Bedroom Fun!!!

Then I woke up and went to BOLT with the kids!!!

Hope you all had a good Friday also...if you do Black Fridays, then what deal did you get that YOU want to Gloat about?

Love,

Shelle

Yea...this is me frustrated...

Before I say anything I want to say...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I hope your turkey's dead and your naps long!!!

Don't You Hate It When--

Yea Don't you hate it when you put a fun game out there on the internet and people get all crazy over it and make it NOT fun by accusing REALLY good people of cheating!

Let me get this out there so EVERYONE understands my side of things.

First of all...I'm a chill person. I don't take things that seriously (you would probably know that if you read my blog on a consistent basis)...that goes for my contest. I set boundaries and rules and for the most part people adhere to them.

Voting on a poll.

I CAN'T help how the poll vote comes out. It comes out how it comes out. I checked my FeedBurner and from what I could tell...voting came from legitimate websites. I checked in the history of hits and where they came from. There was a time there where 3 contestants were kind of neck and neck...all getting a crazy amount of votes from a site that blocks peoples addresses...so someone or people were voting for EACH contestant of the three throwing in more than one vote.

Guess what...

I don't care.

The last votes coming in towards midnight were all legit from what I can tell.

So this is the part that makes me sad...

I'm okay with people NOT happy about the outcome emailing me and venting out their frustrations...

What I really think while I read the emails is this...IT'S a CONTEST...a GIVEAWAY of sorts...its FREE STUFF...why are people crying over it?

I can understand being mad...venting...and then it's done...

sometimes even I have to do that...which is why you are getting this post.

But what I HATE and what made me decide to write this post is--PEOPLE EMAILING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CONTEST AND SENDING THEM HATE EMAIL accusing them of CHEATING.

I want you to know right NOW...that if you point the FINGER and accuse people you DON'T EVEN KNOW of cheating...then you better be a freakin' SAINT...and I mean PERFECT!

Especially over MY contest...where I am just happy for people to enter and be a part of it! And because I KNOW in my gut that no one cheated on PURPOSE...yes there was someone voting for each contestant from an hide-your-address-site...but that was for those TOP three in the running...and even for the 4th contestant...but only like two votes.

So basically there is NO need to accuse just ONE person...point fingers at all four!

This is what makes people not want to HOST contests or GIVEAWAY's because some immature people.

So this is how it's going to be for this contest.

I am going to FORFEIT the poll and choose myself who I thought was the funniest post along with a few other trusted sources...

Drumroll please...

And the winner is...by a split decision...

Crash Test Dummies!!! Congrats Crash...

Please email me with your address so we can send the quilt VIA snail mail!!! And I'll send you the Amazon Gift cards through email!

Now...nobody cheated and everyone is happy! Or at least I am...and let's be honest...that's all that matters.

Love,

Shelle

P.S. Because Of this...I am going to host the contest probably ONE more time to give the last of my Donated things away and then I'll probably bag it! So watch for my upcoming post for the ONE day in December! Love ya all!

Don't you hate it when that happens?

P.P.S. If you have Hate tendencies where you get volatile over free things...please stop following me because you probably won't like the way I do things! Or how I handle them...and you make me sad. I hate being sad. :)

P.P.P.S. I am blocking comments because I just needed to get this out...

Where I talk to PeePs about love...

This is a day to go down in history.

The day that I talked to my daughter about love.


Picture taken by FunnyFace Photography.

Conversation:

Me: While doing my hair, out of the corner of my eye, I see PeePs walk by and say, "PeePs, I love you..." in my best mother drawl.

PeePs: "I don't love you." I hear her say as she walks into her bedroom.

Me: Not to worried about it, I shrug and say, "That's rude..." in my best...should be astonished voice.

PeePs: "When you take me to McDonalds then I will love you." In her fairy-high-squeaky-voice.

Me: WOW...now I'm bugged, "PeePs! That is not where you take someone when you love them...have I taught you nothing? McDonalds is a trashy way to tell someone you love them. If you are going to show your love to someone and REALLY show you care for them you take them somewhere a little classier than MCDONALDS. Listen up PeePs and listen well...you take people to Wendy's. Got it?"-***Shakes head***

PeePs: "OOOOkkkkaaayy Mom...can I get a chocolate frosty when we go?"

Me: "No I gotta go to work...Mammy is taking you to McDonald's. Have fun 'kay?"

And here I thought I had taught her better. I mean she has been on this Earth for 3 years...3 YEARS people...that's enough time to know the difference? Wouldn't you say?

I better double check her seat belt on the airplane the next time we fly...maybe she doesn't follow that Etiquette rule either!!!

I'm so ashamed!

Did your talk go any better with your kids? This raising them stuff is hard!

Love,

Shelle

P.S. If you don't hear from me before Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving!!! :)

P.S.S.--Results just in...CONGRATS Crash--you DUMMY! You get the Quilt and the Amazon.com $25.00 gift card!!! :)

When did THAT come unbuttoned?

First of all...I'm BACK...no I haven't abandoned you, I just have ACTUALLY been busy with photography! I guess Christmas and family pictures go hand in hand!? Who would've thunked it?

But I have read most of your posts in my Google Reader and I expect to get over to your sites to leave my dry humor there!

But first...

For the next TWO days you can vote for you favorite Don't You Hate It When post on my right hand side bar for the Month of November. The winner receives the quilt made by Kritta and a $25.00 gift card from Amazon.com. So go ahead and vote! And then next month I will warn you the day before I hold the contest and tell you then what you could win. It will be like in that movie, "Never Back Down" where they text everyone the day of the fight where the fight will be...except cooler because it will be my Don't You Hate It When contest! I'm anticipating great things with all the secrecy!!!

In the meantime...I'm going to continue to post a Don't You Hate It When post because they humor me and make me laugh and I have a plethora of experiences to indulge myself...so deal with it!

Don't You Hate It When...

You are speaking to your boss about something important (because why else would you speak with your male boss?)--Only to get up and leave his office to look down at your button up blouse to see that the button that is suppose to be closed at your breasts is open for all to see what color your bra is? (White, BTW, I'm very boring!)

Yea I HATE when that happens...dang over engorged breasts of mine!!! Buttons have a hard time keeping a hold of themselves...it's a strain on them... poor things!!!

Does this only happen to me?

Love,

Shelle

Indecisive...middle child...black and white...F X 4

So I know a couple of Friday's ago I mentioned how I just LOVE color in my photo's...and I still stand by that...

Only...

I found myself loving the black and white.

I blame it on being the middle child. I'm somewhat indecisive...My opinion jumps around like a grasshopper on cocaine...it about drives my loved ones crazy...if they weren't already crazy!

Plus...I'm feeling a little TWILIGHTish and since SUE absolutely BEGGED me to post about TWILIGHT...I have decided to show these Black and White's especially for her and TWILIGHT and all those who wishes they were with their Sister-in-law's watching the midnight showing in a private rented theater instead of sitting here blogging about it...

Plus...I'm a mom...and I just got done editing these photo's and since I suck at scrap booking and printing my pictures out to put in a photo album...this is their 5 minutes of fame...humor me okay?







Now go have a Fiesta party yourself over at Candid Carrie's!

Love,

Shelle

P.S. I am SHOCKED so many of you did not know about airplane seat belt etiquette...seriously...SHOCKED! Your mothers should be ashamed of themselves...and Fathers too! But I'll forgive...because I have kids and can't remember to hold a grudge.

But if I ever want to get revenge on someone...I'm totally using Momma Trish's suggestion and setting all the alarms for 3 in the morning for the people who get the hotel room after me...so EVIL I love it!