"Blacker..."

Yep, that's right, a new word folks... a "BLACKER" or, a Blog Slacker, if you will, is my NEW WORD THIS WEEK! I have been so busy with work (both Y and Bookmyblog.com) that I haven't had a minute to myself. Between those two jobs & Ruby & everything else that life throws at you, who has time to even poop properly? (and by properly I mean with no interruptions and a good book!)

Anyhoo, TMI, I know... but just thought I'd toss out a few tidbits of news:

-by MY home scale, I'm down 56 lbs...
-by the HOSPITAL scale, I'm down 46 lbs... don't ask.

(It's kinda like how my mirrors in the house LOVE ME, but pictures tend to tell a whole different story. I get up & get ready for the day, glance at my reflection in the mirror & think, "damn girl, you're lookin' FIIIIIIIINE!" while every photograph ever taken of me by SOMEONE OTHER THAN ME, screams a completely different sentiment: "psst, your mirrors LIE! fatty..." So I guess the things in my world are all pretty happy & fun & complimentary whereas everything else in the REAL WORLD ie: hospital scales & photos taken by others who aren't familiar with the look from above, sideways head tilt that always successfully creates the illusion of 'thin face' begs to differ.)

-My surgery date for gastric bypass is still scheduled for June 30th, and I recently received word from my insurance that it's going to be covered 100%, yeah me! (or more really YEAH for those pre-existing health conditions like sleep apnea & morbid obesity, and MS and type II diabetes... good times)

-I have a sleep study scheduled for this coming Tuesday night, only thing I'm looking forward to about this is their TEMPURPEDIC BEDS! *drool* I may refuse to leave come to think of it... could quite possibly be the first time any one's ever called in the jaws of life to remove a sleeper who refuses to budge!

-Ruby's bangs are nearly nonexistent now, she's thrilled & obviously still insisting on growing them out, se la vie'.

-My girl has mastered the game of CUT THROAT CANDYLAND, and will happily BEAT any fool who takes her up on her offer of a "friendly game." ...it's neither friendly NOR a game to this girl, man, when Italian's do anything, they mean BUSINESS! (she can be more frightening than some of the serious Italian's I know who may or may not be involved in shady activity of some sort...)

-Bookmyblog.com is now on it's 5Th customer and rising. Every blog I book makes me completely happy to know that we can A. provide such a service & B. that we even figured out how to do it in the first place! Happy forever families everywhere, just feel good work is all I'm sayin'.

-Tuesday's with Uncle Steve, this week only, changed to Thursday's with Uncle Steve, and as I type this I hear his car door shutting & so I must fly to the kitchen to get his chicken veggie wrap ready... ah the joys of spoiling one's cousin!

HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WEEKEND & I PROMISE TO POST MORE & EVEN SOME PICTURES ONCE I FINISH UP WITH MY CURRENT BMB.COM CUSTOMER! I'm focused so must finish that first!

*hugs*

-Amy (& one sound asleep miss Ruby roo who ASKED to go to bed tonight at 6:45pm.)

3 Words...

...just don't seem enough this time:



God's Newest Angel...



Praying For Chapman's...



Missing Maria Sue...



Praying For Strength...



Hugging Ruby Tighter...




Humans Make Mistakes...




...the list goes on and on, my heart too is broken. I've been sad all Week.
I have tried several times to put myself in their shoes & I can't even get past a second of what that might be like as I break down in tears & run to find Ruby, wherever she may be in the house & scoop her up in my arms & hold her so tight. Poor kid doesn't know why I'm acting this way but things like this certainly make us all think about our blessings & how amazing a gift it is to parent our children.

May God bless and keep the Chapman family at this terrible time of sadness and loss in their lives and may He comfort & guide Maria Sue's brother & help him to understand that we're all human and it truly was an accident. May God help him and the whole Chapman family to live their lives in a way that honors their girl's memory and may He hold their sweet Maria Sue just a little closer as well.

Amen.


-Amy & Ruby Cate

My Pockets Are Empty But My Soul Is Full...

(setting the scene: Had my friends daughter over the other night for dinner & a play date with miss Ruby. Only stipulation was that Elizabeth was to practice her multiplication tables from the 1's to the 6's during dinner...)

Fast forward to dinner:

Me: "Five times six is?"
Elizabeth: "thirty?"
Me: "EXCELLENT! Ok, five times seven is?"
Elizabeth: "thirty five?"
Me: GOOD JOB!

Ruby pipes in: "AND FIVE IS TEN!"

Roar of laughter out of me & Elizabeth is snickering saying "She's so cute!"

Ruby is LAUGHING out loud & then stops abruptly & says:
"This is holy crap sad!"

OMG it was all I could do to NOT WET MY PANTS!

hehehe How blessed I am to call this little math whiz my daughter!

(Oh, and on another 'feeling blessed' note, I received today in the mail, my letter of PRE-APPROVAL from my insurance co. for my upcoming SURGERY on June 30TH!) AND finished TWO MORE blog books & working on a THIRD as we speak... not to mention that I'm now down nearly 35 lbs & that's after being on the scale this morning WITH my period so imagine the weight that will magically disappear in about a week when that's over? WOOOO HOOOOO life is pretty fandamntastic these days!)

My Pockets Are Empty But My Soul Is Full...

(setting the scene: Had my friends daughter over the other night for dinner & a play date with miss Ruby. Only stipulation was that Elizabeth was to practice her multiplication tables from the 1's to the 6's during dinner...)

Fast forward to dinner:

Me: "Five times six is?"
Elizabeth: "thirty?"
Me: "EXCELLENT! Ok, five times seven is?"
Elizabeth:

My Pockets Are Empty But My Soul Is Full...

(setting the scene: Had my friends daughter over the other night for dinner & a play date with miss Ruby. Only stipulation was that Elizabeth was to practice her multiplication tables from the 1's to the 6's during dinner. Fastforward to dinner:

Finally...

...a SURGERY DATE!

Well, the second one technically... as the first one, originally scheduled for May 28th, was pushed back because my surgeon said, and I quote: "You're an apple, I need you to lose another 20lbs & then we'll schedule it for June..."

UGH, when he said that I felt like I'd had the wind knocked out of me!
Just wasn't expecting to hear that since I A. followed EVERY RULE BY THE LETTER and did everything that was requested of me & lost their 20lbs they said would be necessary before surgery.

I'm another 10lbs down now, which makes it 30 to date... 10 more & I'm good. Although I suspect that I'll lose more than another 10 as I still have 40 days until surgery.

The last 10 I lost in 3 weeks, so maybe I can surprise him & lose 15 or more?

I truly am living a whole new life... eating differently (no liquids with meals & not only no liquids with meals but stopping DRINKING a half hour before eating anything & NOT RESUMING DRINKING until AN HOUR AFTER EATING THE SOLID FOODS.) And by solid foods I mean high protein foods, ie; cheese, lean chicken, tuna, yogurt...etc)

I know, sounds fun doesn't it?
Well, honestly... it isn't that bad really.
It sure beats knowing I'll live the rest of my life, overweight, overtired, and in pain. I just am looking forward to NOT having to worry about whether or not I'm too heavy for a certain seat at someone's back yard 'cook out', or if I'll fit into the seats at the ball park (haven't ever seen a Red Sox game live because of that concern...) or if my ass makes my jeans look fat, that one's a killer!

I'm reading a book currently, "Such A Pretty Fat" by: Jen Lancaster, and the best part in the book thus far, had me CRACKING UP OUT LOUD at my doctor's the other day:

"What gets me is the 'pretty face' bit. 'Cause I won't mind being reminded I'm fat as long as you water it down first. Why not say, 'Hey, I'm going to insult you, but first I will congratulate your fortunate genetics and appropriate application of Bobbi Brown cosmetics to prevent you from hitting me. Shit; I kind of prefer being called a 'fat bitch.' At least it doesn't pull any punches. 'Pretty face' is only used to counteract addressing someone's weight. Nobody ever says, 'you have such a pretty face; it's a shame you're a whore.'

OMG I NEARLY DIED LAUGHING & WAS LAUGHING OUT LOUD SO MUCH SO THAT HALF THE WAITING ROOM SLOWLY SHIFTED THEIR SEATS & MADE SURE THEY WERE JUST THAT MUCH FARTHER AWAY FROM THE 'CRAZY WOMAN' LAUGHING TO HERSELF...!


hehehe, totally worth it, let them think I'm nuts, hell, I am on occasion, but one thing I know for sure, DURING THIS PROCESS, this whole WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY JOURNEY & LIFESTYLE CHANGE, if you DON'T have a sense of humor about most things, you'll never get through it, period.

Thankfully, God not only granted me with a tank ass AND a pretty face, but a SENSE OF HUMOR to boot! Good times...

So, more to come as I'm tired for now & need my Zzzzz's, but trust me, there's so much more to share, but for now, I'll share this: I'm Thankful for the light at the end of my tunnel.

Finally...

...a SURGERY DATE!

Well, the second one technically... as the first one, originally scheduled for May 28th,

3 Word Sunday...

...Tear Free Mass.

Miss Ruby went to Mass again with me today, we've been going every Sunday now since just prior to her Baptism & aside from the FIRST time at Church & the actual day of her Baptism, EACH MASS since has been nonstop clinging to me for dear life accompanied by much crying.

Not today.
Today, call it divine intervention, call it whatever you want, but my girl, not only did PHENOMENAL, but was HAPPY for the WHOLE MASS! She even shared the sign of peace with others AND smiled at Father! A far cry from last week's shenanigans.

Now we're home & I have a screeching headache courtesy of the insence used this morning. Love it but ALWAYS has this effect on me sadly. So, a couple of advil & some whole grain crackers & water later, it's slowly, hopefully on it's way out.

I hope whether you attend a service or not, that you all have a fantastic Sunday & count your blessings each & every second of every day.

And, please keep China in your prayers as they continue to deal with such an enormous tragedy & momentous loss. They've announced 3 days of mourning for the deceased... I have a feeling most of us will be morning for years to come, as I still remember 9-11 as if it happened yesterday.

Always in my prayers & never forgotten.

God bless.

3 Word Sunday...

...Tear Free Mass.

Miss Ruby went to Mass again with me today, we've been going every Sunday now since just prior to her Baptism & aside from the FIRST time at Church & the actual day of her Baptism, EACH MASS since has been her clinging to me for dear life & crying.

3 Word Sunday...

...Tear Free Mass.

Miss Ruby went to Mass again with me today, we've been going every Sunday now since just prior to her Baptism & aside from the FIRST time at Church, EACH MASS

A Simple Question...

...deserved a MUCH BETTER reply.

The Question: "Wha's dat Momma?"

Seems simple enough, right?

Now, allow me to give said question some 'life' and insert it into it's proper place in the following scenario:


Me: *just out of a shower & wrapped in a towel sitting on the edge of my bed in my bedroom*
Ruby: *playing quietly on the floor of her bedroom with her little people.

Me, in my infinite wisdom, thought it would be fine to perhaps attempt to use THIS, quickly & quietly, before heading out the door for a baby shower we were attending. Had my towel laid on the floor, lotion near by, etc, etc, TMI, etc...

Ruby, who was like INSTANT STEALTH KID & APPEARED FROM OUT OF NOWHERE,
peeked at me, caught a glimpse of my little friend & asked: "Wha's dat Momma?"

My reply?

"RUBY, GO PLAY IN YOUR BEDROOM!"

Nice huh?

I really should have had something, ANYTHING at the ready JUST IN CASE of a situation like this... Christ, what am I gonna do should she find the rest of my gadgets in my bedside drawer?

Perhaps, it's time for a new hiding spot...

UGH!

A Simple Question...

..."Wha's dat Momma?"


Seems simple enough, right?

Now, allow me to put that question in a paragraph

3 Words...

...for the whole week & beyond: PRAYING FOR CHINA





A mother mourns next to the body of her child discovered in the rubble of a collapsed school...

I Put My Finger On It...

...Such A Pretty Fat, by: Jen Lancaster.
A mere 29 pages in & already I've laughed out loud so much so that I have tears running down my cheek! A good read thus far & honestly, if I weren't falling asleep trying to make it to page 30, I'd still be laughing (crying) instead of typing.
Time for bed, Church in the morning & then Mother's Day Family Fun. (said with a slight hint of sarcasm, truly, if you only knew my family...)

I'm sure I'll post tomorrow. Every time I say I probably won't post for this reason, or that, I end up posting more than I normally post during a week with NOTHING scheduled.
Go figure...

Oh, and before I go, what the HELL is this KINDLE gadget I keep seeing on Amazon? Are you SHITTING ME?



I gotta pay 400 bucks for some clunky piece of electronic bullshit FIRST and THEN, only if I'm lucky, I'll find the book I want is available in 'kindle' and if so, I have to STILL PAY EVEN MORE for the privilege to DOWNLOAD said book to my waiting white piece of shit clunkmeister that probably weighs more than my very own ass!
Are you kidding me?
Well people, at this point let's get REAL, let's call a spade a spade, it's A DOWNLOAD, NOT! A! BOOK! Cuz, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but don't books HAVE PAGES? INK? A SPINE? A COVER? AN INDEX? CHAPTERS? There is something so seriously wrong with this world today that people are willing to pay over 400 bucks to own an UGLY plastic thing by which to read books when HONESTLY, THESE SAME PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE POWER ALL ALONG TO READ BOOKS, IT'S CALLED THE LIBRARY! Oh yeah, AND THE BOOK STORES! And I am pretty sure the books haven't staged a coo or anything, they're still there, still on the shelves, still hopeful that some of us haven't lost the love, the desire to feel the pages between our fingers, to smell the history within each chapter, to truly love not just the act of reading, but the LOVE OF THE ACT OF HOLDING THE BOOK ITSELF!

These Kindle buying freaks are the same morons who NEVER sit down to write an actual letter, and by letter I DON'T MEAN EMAIL! I mean, wow, look at that, A PEN! Wow, and is that paper? And what's that little sticky guy for? A stamp you say? How nifty! Perhaps this paper would fit nicely into that other paper, the folded one with the pointy top? Oh, an envelope, yes, that's right, I remember now! *SMACK UPSIDE THE HEAD*
Ok, sure, email has it's place, but there is something so sad about a world where now, not only is letter writing a lost art, but READING A BOOK is coming in a close second.

What's next?
Wait, don't answer that... I can't process this right now.
Need sleep. More later.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... night.

"Hi, I'm Amy..."

"...and I'm a BOOK ADDICT!"

Truly, it's insane. Every time I go to B&N, I can't NOT leave without buying a new book for my shelf. Tonight, it was TWO BOOKS for me, TWO for Ruby & her Uncle Steve spoiled her & bought her & Bear a NEW FRIEND. His name, according to Ruby, is "Butterscotch Bear". I think he's cute, I also think that I'm NOT going to allow TWO BEARS to now accompany us wherever we go, THAT'S OUT! However, she may snuggle with Butterscotch Bear (henceforth known as: BB), play with him, have tea parties with him, even carry him out into the yard, but BB will NOT be leaving this house by way of a Volkswagen, PERIOD, AMEN! I'm a 'ONE BEAR MOMMA!'





Now, on to my books. Question: How do YOU buy books? Generally it's assumed that most of us KNOW before hand which book we're planning on purchasing, yes?
Well, yes... for the most part I think that's fair to say.
However, for me personally, there are times that, I find myself wandering aimlessly through aisle after aisle of books, and really not necessarily being there for any one particular book, but more just enjoying the atmosphere. The sights, the smells, the various people reading in cozy chairs, lost in their own book while sipping slowly on their toasty beverage of choice. It may very well be my own personal heaven. Being surrounded by so many possibilities, so many stories just waiting to be told, so many yummy treats that ALL GO SO GOOD WITH TEA! *sigh* That's how it starts, but it always ends up, it ALWAYS happens that ONE jumps out at me. Just one, but it has me transfixed staring in it's direction. Taking in every aspect, every detail of it. The cover first and then the size. Is it paperback (trade paperback being my book of choice mostly) or hardcover? And then, the back... curiosity gets the better of me & I pick it up & glance at the back, even just skim it... always the kiss of death.
Because every time, EVERY time, just enough of what I managed to see & read has me now
HOOKED & the book is clearly going to be coming home with me, I just KNOW it! And I'll admit, sometimes, those are really the most fantastic books for me to read. I mean, don't get me wrong, I have my favorite authors, but it's these 'impulse' books that follow me home, that usually tend to lend themselves to the possibility of being a new favorite author that I wouldn't have ever known about otherwise. (the blessings of being nosey by nature...)

Here are the two that I just could not manage to leave the store without:

Playing by: Melanie Abrams

Such a Pretty Fat by: Jen Lancaster


Decesions, decesions... just can't quite put my finger on which one to read first...

5 More Reasons Why B&N Is A DANGEROUS PLACE...

...for me & my CREDIT CARD! It's insane, every time I go I can't NOT leave

3 Word Sunday... (X's 3) *UPDATED*

...oh yeah, AND it's two days early:



Honestly, SERIOUSLY, that's a Corelle plate. The same Corelle that boasts "crack & break resistant"... BLAH BLAH BLAH.
AS YOU CAN SEE, it can & does break. I have dropped them on the floor before & they've survived. Excellent. Today, for whatever reason, one fell out of my hands & landed just 'so' onto one of my Rachael Ray pots in the stove & SMASH, broken in a heartbeat.
Sure, I have other plates but it's just annoying because now I have to try to explain to my OCD that having FOUR big plates and only THREE small ones, is well... ok?

IT'S NOT OK! IT'S FREAKING ME OUT! I WANT MY PLATE BACK!
Damn those people at Corelle, they don't just sell individual plates, or if they do, I haven't ever seen them! GRRRRRRRRRRRR
And who KNOWS if my pattern is even being made anymore?
I digress...

And because I could NOT resist to add this one as well:



We've been going over writing the alphabet for a while now & she's known how to spell her own name... "R- U- B- Y- dat spewls Ruby! Momma, I did it!" so she knew what was up, but when I ever showed her how to write the letters & then left her alone with the paper & my pen, never did I think that upon returning to the kitchen table about ten minutes later, that I'd find that. I was proud as could be & just told her, simply:
"Good job Ruby, you wrote your name all by yourself!"

She smiled at me & said, "Awl by self!"


(Saturday May 10th) And finally...



"PROUD AS'A PEACOCK!"

We went to the "Mother Daughter Tea" that the YMCA hosted this morning for all mothers & daughters, not just Staff, and we had a very nice time! As you can see, there was FACE PAINTING! (Ruby loves that) and arts & crafts etc...
I brought my Mom, and Ruby brought me. ;) Just couldn't resist sharing my little 'Peacock's' picture as she's QUITE PROUD of her face!
Said Miss Roo after her face was complete: "Momma, I a peacock now, we needa go an getta peacock costume at babies are a us, ok? Nayme dey haf one for Ruby? We wiw wook Momma, ok? C'mon Momma, wets go! No wanna haffa be wate!"

So, I've posted THESE early (you'll all please note how I didn't say 'these ones', as doing so would have been redundant. Clearly anyone who's anyone, or anyone who's lived her whole life with an English major as her best friend & been HIT OVER THE HEAD ENOUGH TIMES to KNOW that making SUCH GRAVE mistakes only results in assault & battery, UNDERSTANDS FULL WELL that it's either, THESE -OR- THOSE, AND NEVER these ones or those ones... GOD FORBID! *ducking*) because I may or may not be posting this weekend as, although I will want to, we're very busy around here. I have a 'Mother Daughter' tea tomorrow morning at the Y that I'm going to with my Mother and with Ruby too obviously. Tomorrow is also my parents anniversary so there's that, and then Sunday is Mother's Day! So, I'm sure we'll have family over & be quite busy but I didn't want to miss those wonderful "3 Word Sunday" vid's that, I swear, she outdoes herself on week after week! Don't you agree?

Everyone have a wonderful weekend & to all of you Mom's out there, whether you're children are home or you're still waiting, ENJOY YOUR DAY! A MOM IS A MOM IS A MOM, period... Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Now, back to GOOGLE to find SOMEPLACE where I can replace that damn plate!

*The Things We Do For Love... (updated)

...Bear does TENFOLD. hee hee



*It has been pointed out to me that 'the things Bear does for love', needs a little more explaining as, merely wearing a velor jumpsuit wasn't exactly what it means to love. LOL It goes beyond that... what most of you clearly don't see but what I knew when taking this picture, was that Bear is wearing at LEAST 5 layers of clothing as Miss Ruby couldn't decide what he should "wear to a ball...". So, first some undies for bear (courtesy of BAB), then some socks, then a sweater, then, nope... wrong undies, new pair simply put OVER old ones, good. Then a fancy silk dress that, OOPS, has matching undies too, 3rd pair of undies join the party. Then a t-shirt that says "princess" on it. Then, "Oooh Bear, you gonna haffa be cowd so you not go wiffout a jakket, you gonna haffa put dis on Bear, cuz I wuv you, an you haffa be warm, ok?"

Thus, the velour hoodie.
And then, the Pièce de résistance, little white silk 'FAAAANNSSSSEEEEE SHOOOOS" for our friend, for what would going to the ball be if not DISASTROUS had he forgotten his shoes. CINDERELLA ALL OVER AGAIN PEOPLE! (sadly the shoes were added after this photo but trust me, he WORE THEM!) hehehehe

So, even though to you & me, Bear is just a stuffed animal... something about him sitting there, NOT of his own free will, wearing just about everything she owns to put ON him, looking QUITE DEFEATED, just tugged at my heart strings, and so I took the picture. And yes, in this particular moment, I felt Bear was real, and so was his love for Miss Ruby.

Oh, and according to Roo: "Bear haffa wovewy time atta bawl Momma, he stay up too wate & now he is gonna haffa havva time out!" So I reiterate; the things we do for love.
(cuz you know that Bear didn't deserve a time out for tardiness, he deserved a MEDAL OF HONOR FOR WEARING ALL THAT JUNK!)

Yes, I Can Make Calls On It Too...

BUT, it's more often used for this...



...and this,



and ABSOLUTELY for this next one, where, before you watch it, I should tell you that she's just received money from our wonderful neighbors, Charlie and Joan, for her Baptism. Something to keep in mind... oh, also, Ruby refers to Church as, "God's House".

*smile*

Sick But Still Silly...

...look at those cheeks. My girl has had a fever the past two days of 102.4.



Her cheeks were on fire, her neck, her head, her hands, her back, her everything.
So, you'd think that when I suggested we visit the doctor to dig a little deeper & find out what's causing this fabulous fever, she'd have a fit, right?
Wrong.



This, was my girl earlier today at our doctors office. All smiles & twice the silly as normal. My doctor even looked at me like I had two heads.
"You sure she's sick Amy?"

*Ruby just giggled even louder*



But, that's my girl. Even when she's sick, she's still in the best of spirits. Sure, she's been taking 3 hour naps the past two afternoons, but hey, she's just resting up so she can BRING the SILLY SMILES when needed.
And don't we need them... keep smilin' baby girl.
Momma loves you more and more with each one...

XoXoXoXo