Peek-A-Boo: Magick Among The Mayhem

Hey ya!

2011-11-22T10:58:00.002-05:00

I am getting ready to revamp my blog entirely....new layout, new blog title, new Boo! I may even make this blog (which I've had since 2003) completely private and start a fresh new one. We'll see. Anyway, I'm coming back soon. Stick with me a little longer, please. :)

I Needed A Break....

2011-04-27T19:49:00.005-04:00

I needed a break.

I've been blogging for 8 years and frankly, I needed a break. From time to time during the past months, I've signed on blogger with the intention of writing, only to stare at a white screen and a blinking cursor for hours. It would seem I simply misplaced my writing mojo. Of course, it's not that simple, is it? Writing comes from a creative pool inside me. Unfortunately, my 'pool' was experiencing a drought. Not only did I not have the ability to write, I didn't want to. For the first time in my life, I had no inclination to write. Even still, I'm struggling.

Nevertheless, I really want to try and do this again.
Do I still have any readers? If so, I *heart* you! :)

Where Is That Wascally Wabbit?

2011-02-01T09:43:00.004-05:00

I am going to try and do some writing later tonight! I really must get caught up with all my blogging buddies. Oh, how I've missed you all!

When I last wrote...

2010-10-03T10:42:00.004-04:00

When I last wrote, I still lived in a rented townhouse. I had a little boy who was awaiting the start of his second grade year in public school and a little girl who had not yet started her kindergarten homeschooling adventures. I'd just brought into the folds of our family an adorable Pug puppy who, at the time, weighed a little over four pounds. Our hamster, Copper, was elderly...but still alive and well.

When I last wrote, the passenger door of my car was still pristine and accident free. I had not seen Jason Mraz live in concert and I was not the proud owner of lovely Levolor blinds for our new (old) house, a 50 inch plasma TV, and a new couch and loveseat.

When I last wrote, the death and apparent suicide of my dear friend, Chris, was still fresh and incredibly painful. The release of the book by best-selling author, Steve Alten, in which I'm a character was still months away. Football season had not yet begun but was eagerly anticipated and I had not yet found our new local holistic pediatrician.

When I last wrote, summer was in full force and the sun was scorching. Flowers were in bloom everywhere I looked and evening thunderstorms were a constant occurrence. Mosquitos seemed to love feasting on my skin and our yard was not yet brown and dead from the many moles attacking the ground.

When I last wrote...I was feeling overwhelmed by my life.

--More to come...

Puglicious

2010-07-29T08:23:00.005-04:00

Because I probably won't have time to write again for awhile (we're moving this weekend), I wanted to pop in and introduce you to our newest family member.

Everyone, I'd like you to meet Harlow Audrey (named for Jean Harlow and Audrey Hepburn), our 10 week old Pug.

Doug and I drove to Scott Depot, WV, on Sunday to pick her up from 'Santa.' Yes, the children believe she came straight from Santa's workshop just for them. :) Autumn is totally in love with her...Parker thinks her kisses are "dirty," her pee is "yucky," and he actually yelled at her when she sneezed, "without using a tissue." LOL Nevertheless, he smiles like crazy when he sees her.

Harlow is doing wonderfully crate training so far. In fact, other than a few small poo mishaps, she's been pretty spectacular.

I'm sure I'll have more Harlow pictures to share with you soon. And I promise to share some house pictures shortly as well. I know many of you have been waiting for them. I'm just exhausted after 2.5 months of renovations (and packing). The past month has been spent solely on the hardwood floors in our new home...once you see pictures of what we discovered, you'll understand why.

I truly miss all of you oodles. If you're on facebook, please look me up. Right now, it's so much easier and less time-consumming for me to keep up with everybody there.

Much love to you all...

Loss & Perspective

2010-07-21T11:07:00.009-04:00

Early Monday morning, July 12, 2010, a dear friend of mine updated his Facebook status with the words, "loves his daughter so very much." He then drove to interstate 270 in Columbus, Ohio, left a note in his car, and proceeded to jump in front of a moving semi which was driving 70 mph. He was taken off life support Wednesday evening and survived until 7:47 Thursday morning. The brain damage he suffered was simply too much for any hope of survival.

We chatted nearly everyday on Facebook and I'm profoundly sorry to say, I had absolutely no idea how bad things were for my sweet friend. I let him down in a big way and I'm not sure I can forgive myself for failing him when he needed me most.

Nevertheless, he's gone. Forever. And I'm really trying to wrap my mind around the idea that I'll never again giggle at one of his over-the-top messages. We grew up together...and now I'll grow old without him in my life. Yet I can't help but feel anger and disappointment at his selfishness. Is that despicable of me? Perhaps. But I believe in the value of honesty...and these are my honest feelings at the moment.

So goodbye, my friend. May the peace you strove for in life find you easily, and without hesitation, in death. )O(

Happy?

2010-06-28T08:04:00.004-04:00

I watch him. Probably more than he knows. He's often so absorbed in his various activities, I can yell, "PARKER!" from three feet away and he won't/isn't able to respond. Does he truly not hear us? Or is he just choosing to ignore what seems irrelevant to him at the time? It's a question I can't answer, but one I ponder frequently.

He's antisocial--has been for years. The inability to socialize with others and the total lack of social awareness make up one-third of the criteria for an autism diagnosis. Sadly, these days it's also the area where Parker struggles the most. While his communication skills are still below that of most 8-year olds, he's had tremendous gains throughout the past couple years. As for the repetitive behaviors and body movements, while he still suffers from these issues occasionally (i.e. hand flapping when he's overstimulated), these 'symptoms' have also improved greatly.

But social interaction? Well, it's a wash.

I've been told he's doing better at school...sometimes picking up an item a nearby child has dropped and giving it back to him. Or perhaps saying hello or goodbye to a friend...but only if the friend has said those words first. Parker never instigates conversation himself...unless he's asking to play the Wii. ::sigh::

My question is...how happy is Parker? So much of his so-called 'normal' life was taken from him the day he received his diagnosis. And how happy can a little boy be who'd rather sit on his bedroom floor than go outside in the warm sunshine and play? How happy can a little boy be who has to be bribed before he'll go to the playground with his sister? How happy can a little boy be who walks outside and immediately covers his ears because the number of noises overstimulate his system? How happy can a little boy be who's whole world seems to revolve around his laptop, his Nintendo DS, and his Wii? How happy can a little boy be who never wants to go out to eat, go shopping, or just out for a drive?

Our home is his haven...his security blanket.

But what kind of life will he have? Being surrounded by the same four walls day after day is no kind of life, yet it seems to be all he desires. Sadly, he wants very little interaction with his family and often must be forced to play with his 5-year old sister. I feel as though he's missing out on so much of what makes childhood truly magical.

I want for him what any mother wants for her child...happiness, fulfillment, purpose. Yet he's always smiling--always so content. Who am I to dictate what it is which makes him smile? I just wish I had some simple solutions to a problem which is entirely too layered and complex.

Autism sucks.

Summer 'Fun'

2010-06-24T07:51:00.003-04:00

Have you missed me?

I've certainly missed all of you.

Life right now is simply...chaotic. No other word can properly describe the craziness I wake up to each day. I'm *hoping* things will settle down by August 1, but until then, don't expect to see much of me in the blogging community. I want to be here, I truly do...I just don't have time.

We're currently painting the new house and it's very slow-going. Before that, we had to figure out what to do with all the furniture and other items which were left in the house (we bought our house 'as is' which means most of the previous owner's worldly possessions were left for us to dispose). We must have thrown out 50 + black garbage bags worth of junk. This woman was a pack rat! Anything which looked remotely decent, we boxed up to include in the yard sale I had last weekend. I ended up making around $750, so it went pretty well. :)

Unfortunately, I still have a couch, two chairs, some dressers, mattresses, and a washer and dryer to find homes for. So I'll be having another yard sale the first weekend in July. Every cent I make goes back into the house, so I figure it's worth it to go through all the hassle a yard sale inevitably brings.

Anyway, back to the painting topic. I debated and stewed and debated some more about my color choices. Here is what I finally decided...it's a very autumnal palette:

Living room & hallway - Autumn Bronze by Benjamin Moore (think caramel)
Kitchen - Apple Crisp by Behr (think pumpkin)
Master Bedroom - Sagey by Behr
Bathroom - Indiscreet by Behr (It's a rather bright red, chosen by Doug, which I plan to tone down using taupes and golds.)
Parker's Room - Cobalt Glaze and Lemon Tart by Behr (He has a WVU themed room...it's bright!)
Autumn's Room - Pink Amore by Behr (It's a very soft, pale pink. Eventually we're going to add champagne and brown paint to match her bedding.)
Basement - Warm Muffin by Behr (think buttery yellow with brown undertones)

I thought the painting would go quickly...but we're trying to get everything as close to perfect as we can before moving in. We're using joint compound to fix every hole, minute crack, or rough spot we can find. Of course, that means waiting for it to dry and then rechecking to see if it needs more goop. We bought the primer/paint combo from Behr, which I really love...but the walls are textured and still need two coats of paint. Plus, Doug and I are terrible at cutting, so dad does all the cutting and Doug and I roll. Needless to say, it's time-consumming.

Autumn's room has paneling, which we're tearing down. That's on the agenda for Saturday. And we're also painting the ceilings. (Not fun.) After all the painting is done...we then start ripping up carpet. We have beautiful hardwood oak floors beneath the 40 year old carpet and I've been told they're pristine...so we shall see!

To make matters even more interesting, the first few weeks we were at the house working, the air conditioning wasn't cooling the house properly. It's an old unit, hasn't been used for nearly two years, and was keeping the house a very 'cool' 90 degrees most days. Agghhh! I called a heating/cooling company and was told there wasn't a drop of refrigerant left in the unit. So, $225 later, it's working like a charm and we're all much more comfortable while working. In my estimation, that's money well spent.

I've also been trying to pick out couches, artwork, light fixtures, shower curtains, curtains, blinds, as well as order supplies for Autumn's homeschooling adventures this fall...it's never-ending.

At the same time all these renovations are happening, I'm also packing up our townhouse...very slowly. Oh, and if that weren't enough, our new Pug puppy (who's name I'm choosing not to reveal yet), will be coming home to us the end of July. We have no puppy supplies! Eeek! I've already decided the food brand we'll be using, but if any of you have any suggestions regarding crates, food bowls, leashes, toys, grooming supplies, training, etc., please feel free to let me know in the comment section. The kids still aren't aware we're getting a puppy. I can't wait to see their faces when they walk into our new house and hear little puppy barks. Yay! It's going to be so much fun.

The kids are doing well and are really enjoying their summer vacation. We're hoping to take them to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D this upcoming weekend. They're still enjoying gymnasitcs classes and Parker has even moved from private lessons to a group setting! That's a big deal for him.

I finished the Harry Potter series. What great books! For years, I truly believed I wouldn't enjoy these stories. I was terribly wrong. I also just completed Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris (not one of the better Sookie books), and now I'm reading Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

By the way, I had planned on including pictures in this entry...but I accidentally left my camera at the other house. Pictures soon though, I promise! And on that note, I bid you all farewell. I hope you all had a very blessed Litha and are enjoying all this beautiful summer sunshine!

)O(

Meet us at the water...

2010-06-08T08:20:00.002-04:00

My soul sister and fellow co-author at Divining Women, I'm Not Hanna, has written an incredibly beautiful and impassioned blog entry about the oil spill in our Gulf coast. She's also come up with an incredible idea to help our Mother during New Moon rituals on June 12.

If you'd like to learn more about the ritual so many of us are participating in, no matter what your faith, please check out this entry:

Divining Women: Will You Find Your Way To The Water?

Please feel free to share this information on your own blog or social networking sites. Also, steal the button...pretty please? :)

Already, people from all over the world and all walks of life are participating in this healing of our Mother. Let your voice and energies be heard as well, won't you?

Blessed be, my friends.

Randomosities!

2010-06-02T08:50:00.002-04:00

Hello my friends. Long time, no write/read...right? I wish I could say I had a valid excuse for my absence...

...oh wait!...

I do.

We are the proud owners of a very old, but very sturdy home...our first! We closed May 24. Of course, now we're trying to figure out all the ins and outs of filing for our tax credit. Beyond that, the whole situation is just very confusing. We have a contract with our current apartment until July...since we'll be paying the rent here regardless, we figured we'd just continue living here while we start renovating the new house (i.e. painting, pulling up carpet, staining and polishing the hardwood floors, etc.). This means we're essentially paying two mortgages and two sets of utility bills.

And lucky us, the electrical system in my car decided to crap out Monday...the day before my yearly car inspection was due. So while we wait for the module box to fix the problem, I'm driving illegally because there is no way my car could pass inspection with problematic headlights. Grrrr. Seriously, what lousy timing. The money we'd put aside to buy paint, primer, and joint compound is now being invested in my car. ::sigh:: It's always something, isn't it?

We did have a lovely Memorial Day weekend, however. Our entire family went camping at a local state park with my parents. They own an RV which very comfortably sleeps all of us...so while the kids were swimming and playing with new friends at the playground, I spent a very relaxing weekend absorbed in book after book. :) Ahhhhh...it was wonderful!

I've been on a bit of a book binge recently. I think it's because my life is so stressful at the moment (packing up one house while renovating another, trying to prepare for our puppy to come home to us in 4 to 6 weeks, my car being a PITA, preparing to homeschool Autumn), it's just neverending. Books take me away and allow me to relax for awhile each day. In fact, I think they're saving my sanity.

Here are just a few of the books of read in the past two weeks:

1. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
3. Sweep #2: The Coven by Cate Tiernan
4. Sweep #3: Blood Witch by Cate Tiernan
5. Sweep #4: Dark Magick by Cate Tiernan
6. Sweep #5: Awakening by Cate Tiernan
7. House of Night: Burned by P.C. Cast
8. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
9. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
10. The Ruins by Scott Smith
11. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
12. Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline
13. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
14. The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer

And I'm currently reading Vampire Academy: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead and Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris. As you can probably tell, I've had my nose stuck in a book every free chance I've had. Like I said, it's my getaway. If you've read any of these books and are interested in discussing them, feel free to leave a comment about the specific book or e-mail me. I love book discussions. :) One of these days I should start a book review blog...

Parker has only three days of school left, excluding today. I'm so excited! I can't wait for summer vacation to begin...school, for all of us, has been tedious the past month. Parker is so ready for some free time, I think.

And with that...I think you've been properly updated on our lives for now. :) Much love to you all. I'll be making rounds to all your blogs soon!

Inked

2010-05-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

"Like a virgin. HEY! ~~Touched~~ Inked for the very first time!"

Yes, it's true. At the ripe old age of 31, my Doog is now strutting around town sporting his very first tattoo. While he debated between getting it on his calf and forearm, he finally decided to save his forearms for tats which represent what's most special in his life...Parker and Autumn.

I documented the entire process and yes, I think he was a little nervous. See for yourselves....

In the waiting area of Lure Tattoos. Just look at those adorable freckles.

The kiddos weren't nervous OR excited. Just bored.

Can you say 'heart palpitations?'

The outline...

In position, (hating me for taking so many pictures), and raring to go!

I told him he looked like Doogie Smurf...because, you know. I'm a supportive wife. Umm..yea.

A work of art in progress...

Almost finished!

I could not figure out why the green eye looked black on my camera's view finder. Then I realized it was blood. Luff-ly.

Voila! A finished tat. And one Doug is very happy with. In fact, I think he's a bit giddy. Maybe even feeling a bit badass?

For those of you who aren't football fans, this is the Seattle Seahawk's team logo. As you know, Doug was born and raised in Washington state.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I also got another tattoo (as if I'd let him get one without me!)...but for now, it shall remain a mystery. ;)

I Promised...

2010-05-21T10:58:00.006-04:00

...you would get to see Doug's birthday surprise--so, without further ado, here it is!!!

Takeout Outback Steakhouse!

Or not.

Okay, here's the real deal..............

A brand new charcoal/gas combination grill! And let me just tell you, Doug was in hog heaven when he saw this fine piece of BBQ'ing technology. :)

Happy birthday once again, babe.

You'd better be good...

2010-05-04T07:44:00.003-04:00

Or Officer Autumn will throw your arse in the slammer!

Hi everyone. I hope you're all having a lovely spring season! We certainly are. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching life slowly reemerge with the turning of the wheel.

I've been so absent from blogger lately, I'm feeling completely disconnected from all of you, which I hate. Simply put, I'm having a massive writer's slump. I have so much going on in my life, I'm having a hard time actually organizing my rampant thoughts into cohesive entries. Brain overload, perhaps? Probably so. I thought I'd try to remedy the situation this morning, however. :)

To my Pagan friends, belated Beltane blessings to you! This, my second Beltane as a practicing Pagan, was especially poignant to me as it was also my year and a day celebration. Yay!

And more good news! If everything goes as planned, we should be closing on our home one day next week! :D I'm really looking forward to tackling the renovations and actually painting the walls colors I've chosen myself, as opposed to staring at the white/cream walls standard in most apartments and townhouses. I do have a question for all you interior decorating geniuses out there..if the walls are sage green and the blinds are dark bamboo...what color should the couch be? And the curtains? I keep thinking an orange/coral/salmon colored couch would be lovely. But maybe too much? Feel free to give me your opinions as I'm always open to new ideas. I'm also interested in landscaping ideas. I'm aiming to give the house a real cottage-type feel and find I'm most drawn to flowers in oranges, reds, and yellows. Oh, and I DO NOT like roses. I'm an odd duck, I know. I live in Zone 6.

Take a gander at my upper left sidebar. Do you see it? It's a lovely new button provided by Stephanie of Dirt and Lace Designs. I won this free button as part of a promotional contest she held on Facebook and I couldn't be happier with the final result. So cute! Thanks, Steph!

Unfortunately, the good news stops there. As I sit typing this entry, my son is once again sick with a stomach virus. We've all been awake since 5 AM, which is when the puking started. Do I even need to tell you how tired I am of puke? ::sigh:: This past month has been a real puke-fest in our home. The kids keep passing the bug back and forth and it truly seems never ending. With Parker, it's particularly heartbreaking. Losing control of his body scares him and overstimulates his nervous system. He's been very teary-eyed which breaks my heart. Please send healing energies his way, won't you?

Doug's 31st birthday is Friday. I'm excited about his surprise. Are you dying to know what it is? Are you? Are you? ;) Never fear, dear reader. You will know soon enough, I promise.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and avoid all stomach bugs! (Seriously, avoid them like the plague. They're nasty!)

Nothing but words...

2010-04-21T08:20:00.003-04:00

I've had so many picture-heavy posts recently, I figured I'd better take a few minutes and actually update you on our lives...chaotic as they often are. I'm not even sure where to start. There's just so much.

Maybe...a house update?

THE HOUSE

The bank appraisal was completed a few weeks ago and afterwards we were given a list of things which needed to be fix, replaced, or removed before we could even apply for a closing date. So after a week or so of bickering back and forth with the sellers and figuring out who would pay for what...we started knocking out each issue one by one.

We had to having a plumbing inspection (Check!), a termite inspection (Check!)...which resulted in a $900 termite treatment (Check!), we had to install a smoke detectors on both levels of the house (Check!), replace the hot water tank and update it with the appropriate valves (Check!), and knock out the brick flower box on the front of the house, as the brick was broken and considered a foundation issue (Check!).

Basically we paid for everything out of pocket and installed everything ourselves. The sellers are going to reimburse us for the materials and treatments. Hopefully now that everything is completed, we'll finally receive our closing date for the house. Please send us 'closing with no further difficulties' energies. :)

ILLNESS

This seems to be a common theme in our lives lately. First, my grandma's heart starting failing, as she was in chronic atrial fibrillation. Because her heart wasn't pumping properly, the lack of oxygen made her weak, confused, and lethargic. She had absolutely no quality of life at all. Last Monday, she had a pacemaker inserted. On Friday, a cardiac ablation was performed to laser and destroy the area of the heart causing the disruption. The physical and mental changes in her since the procedures are nothing short of phenomenal. Her cheeks are once again rosey with color; she's completely awake, alert, and oriented; she's regaining her strength; and she's no longer wanting to sleep the day away.

Many thanks to those of you who lit candles and sent healing energies her way.

As for Autumn, most of you know she'd been having severe stomach pain and diarrhea the past couple weeks. This resulted in an emergent meeting with a physician at an Urgent Care in Columbus, Ohio, during our recent visit there. Thankfully all her bloodwork, stool samples, and urine cultures are within normal limits. We think a stomach virus she had back in March completely disrupted her gut flora which resulted in stomach cramps and foul stools. Now that she's back on probiotics and aloe juice, she seems to be feeling much better. Well, that is, until this morning...when she caught another stomach virus Parker brought home from school. Needless to say, I've had two pukey kids the past four days. ::sigh::

NEW PUPPY?

We just might become the proud owners of a precious Pug puppy in the very near future. A nurse, and fellow co-worker of my aunt Kay, has a pregnant Pug at home. She'll be having the litter quite soon and my aunt's friend is willing to *give* us a pup, since she knows it will be going to a good home and loving family. Woot!

This isn't a *for sure* deal yet, but it's looking good. I'll keep you updated on our potential new family member when I know more.

A VISIT

In less than a month my very best friend, Jennifer, will be visiting from California for a few days. We're both pretty excited to have this opportunity and I just hope she has a good time in my rural little town. :) While she's here we'll be getting tattoos (you can see my tattoo HERE), shopping, partaking of many alcoholic beverages, eating way too much good food (she wants to try out a Cracker Barrell and Chick Fil A since they aren't available where she lives), and basically just hanging out, sharing laughs, and making memories.

I. Can't. Wait.

BIRTHDAY

Doug's birthday is just around the corner...and I have a big surprise planned for him. It's really exciting! I'll share with all of you, dear readers...after May 7th. ;)

CELEBRATION

My year and a day falls on May 1st...Beltane. Although I held my dedication ceremony on Litha last summer, I'm seriously contemplating having another now that I'm more comfortable with my chosen path and the art of performing rituals. Of course, the tattoo I'm getting at the end of May is also part of the celebration. Getting a pentacle tattoo is my way of honoring Mother, as well as my chosen spiritual path (which is much more defined today than it was a year ago...but still needs some work). This day has been a long time coming...almost eight years.

And so...with that, I shall bid you all adieu.

Beautiful boy

2010-04-18T09:42:00.004-04:00

Spring pictures arrived home via Parker's backpack last week. I think they're beautiful. I think he's beautiful. I just wish you could see how truly blue is eyes really are; how thick and long the black lashes are which gently graze his cheek while he's sleeping. How precious and sweet his little bow shaped lips...lips so very much like my late granddad's lips...truly are.

Pictures just don't do my Parker Peanut Butter justice, friends. Neither do mere descriptive words....

The Boo Family: Spring Break '10 (Part 2)

2010-04-13T18:30:00.006-04:00

We're sad that it's over...but for the most part, Spring Break '10 was a very good week for our family. Here's a few more pictures from the memory banks.

Parker and Autumn received pet pillows from their grandma and granddad...Parker chose a bee and Autumn, a puppy, of course.

We spent a lot of time at the playground. We had record high temperatures in our area that entire week.

We even travelled to Columbus, Ohio, to watch How To Train A Dragon on an IMAX 3-D screen. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well as planned, as Autumn became quite sick during the movie. We ended up leaving early (although the part we did see was really cute and funny), and heading to an Urgent Care I found by calling 411.

Thankfully, she did eventually end up feeling better and we finished our day...but we've been very worried about her since. I even had to take her to the hospital for bloodwork. I'll update you on her condition when I know more.

On a sidenote...this was Parker's very first theater experience. He did so well! He didn't mind wearing the 3-D glasses and didn't even need his ear muffs! Yea Parker!

Because Autumn had such a rough day and because Parker was such a big boy the entire day in Columbus, their grandma showed up bearing a gift which Parker has insanely displayed for your enjoyment.

(I told him to smile pretty and this is what I get...yikes.)

And finally, as a farewell to spring break, we spent Sunday evening at the playground.

Although spring break was technically over when these photos were taken, I thought I'd include them anyway. These were shot Monday morning while we waited at the new house for the plumbing inspector. Yes, friends, this is the front yard of our house...and that man in the background sweeping his driveway? He'll be one of my our very kind new neighbors.

And now all I have to say is...summer vacation? Where art thou?

The Boo Family: Spring Break '10 (Part 1)

2010-04-08T16:04:00.009-04:00

A little look at our spring break...in photos!

So far, spring break 2010 has looked something like this...it started last Friday with Parker walking across the school parking lot, a big cheesy grin on his face, carrying this bunny bag he'd decorated, and yelling, "I doing spring break now, mommy!"

That same evening, Autumn enjoyed a lemon bunny sucker.

We then spent the weekend at my folk's house in the country and the kids spent an evening playing with their twin cousins, Andrew & Kayte.

They enjoyed their Easter baskets full of DVD's, clothes, and plush animals too!

Next up...making gluten/casein free, lemon flavored cupcakes decorated with pretty pastel colors and sprinkles...and then eating them!

Following the cupcakes, the kids tackled egg coloring...always a family favorite.

On Sunday, the kids went to church with their grandparents, dressed to the nines and full of spring cheer.

And finally, the kiddos spent a good portion of one evening playing in washer and dryer boxes in the front yard. After all, what's more fun than a box?

Spring break isn't over yet! More pictures to come. :)

Because they love me...

2010-04-06T08:26:00.003-04:00

...and I love them too!

Just a quick entry to show off some of the new things I'll be happily toting to my new house in the upcoming months.

A few weeks ago, Jaz of October Farms, posted some pictures of vintage cards she'd made. As I gazed at the St. Patrick's Day inspired card, I found myself drooling. Okay, maybe not drooling, but definitely salivating. The card was just so me. Jaz had mentioned that after making all the cards, she often wasn't sure what to do with them. I suggested either selling them or perhaps including them in her many giveaways. I then told her I'd happily purchase her Irish card. Just a few minutes later, she messaged me privately asking for my address.

A few days after that....this arrived:

Do I even need to tell you this will be hanging on the wall in the new house? Thank you, Jaz. I couldn't love this card more if I tried. It's truly cherished.

***********

After winning a giveaway at I'm Not Hannah, this gorgeous-ness arrived on my doorstep yesterday.

Seeds!!! Glorious, glorious seeds. Seeds of all kinds. Seeds which will hopefully help nourish my family in the months to come. I chose the Survival Pack from Hometown Seeds. Oodles of thanks to I'm Not Hannah and Hometown Seeds...I'm beyond excited to plant my very first garden. :)

More entries coming soon!

Wanna see my next tattoo?

2010-04-05T09:43:00.005-04:00

Is there anybody out there? Have you forgotten about me? Seriously guys, my sincere apologies for my absence around blogger-ville. I'm really trying to keep up...but it's not working very well, I'll admit.

I'm still dealing with this tooth. In fact, I drove 90 miles south to Charleston last week to see an endodontist who took care of the accessory canal and got me all ready for my permanent filling and restorative crown. Hopefully, in a couple months, this tooth with be nothing more than part of my history. I am SO TIRED of dealing with the darn thing.

As far as we know, everything involving the house is coming along well. If all goes as planned, we're looking at a closing date around April 30. I actually have some pictures now, so expect an upcoming reveal very soon. We had a lot of fun over the holiday weekend. Obviously, oodles of holiday pictures coming soon too.

Parker is on spring break this week. We had planned all sorts of little outings to celebrate...then our washer blew up and we're having to fork over $600 for a new one. Regardless, we are taking the kids to Columbus this coming weekend to see How To Train A Dragon on an IMAX 3-D theater. It will be Parker's first ever theater experience. In preparation, we bought a pair of ear muffs like you'd wear on a shooting range in case he can't tolerate the loud surround sound. I'm excited, as I've heard it's a really cute, fun movie.

The rest of the week, I'm going to be doing a thorough cleaning of the kids' rooms. I'm going to go through each drawer, every inch of the closet, inside the toyboxes...and anything that hasn't been played with or worn in months is going into the yard sale. I really want to limit the amount of stuff we have to move to the new house.

And now, how about I show you what you clicked on this entry to see in the first place? My latest ink!!! I went last week to check out the drawings my tattoo artist designed. My instructions to him included a pentacle which looks like wood, woven with classic white and yellow daisies. Here's what he came up with...I'm in love!

**Please note...a lot of the light shadowing didn't show up when the drawings were copied for me.**

Isn't it beautiful? I'm really happy with the final result and think it will be a lovely representation of my spiritual path, as well as my way of celebrating my year and a day milestone.

Okay, off to clean some bedrooms. Or, err, at least get started on cleaning bedrooms. :)

Have a wonderful week and expect some pictures very soon!

The Sweetest Spring

2010-03-24T22:15:00.002-04:00

Spring has truly sprung, and folks...this spring is especially sweet! After the long, snow-filled winter we just experienced (at least on the east coast), it's so lovely feeling the sun's rays on on my skin, hearing the bird's chirping happily, and watching the squirrels scamper about.

This spring, however, has a significance other than just the weather for my family. You see, we're buying our first home. And today, we officially started all the paperwork! Although it's an older house and certainly nothing fancy, I'm still giddy with excitement. Do you realize for the first time in my life, I get to choose the paint colors for the walls? And finally have the herb garden I've always dreamed of? I just can't wait!

I'm going to get pictures soon...I'm sure you'll all get a good laugh at the current orange and pea-green carpet, as well as the Pepto-pink toilet. :)

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I've been trying really hard to catch up on blogs. I spent the entire weekend sporadically reading whenever I had a free minute. When I started, I was about 16 days behind...I kid not. I'm still about a week behind, but I hope you'll all be patient with me. I actually try and read every single entry each of you write...and comment too (if I have something worthy to say, that is). So please know that I'll get there sooner or later. :)

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Speaking of blogging, the strangest thing has happened. Somehow, I have a blog on my blog roll which I never subscribed to...it's called something like, Life With A Chrysler. I was going to delete it, but it's not listed on the list of blogs I follow (which absolutely does make sense...I never subscribed to it in the first place). Which begs the question...WHY is it on my blog roll? And why would anybody write about their life with a car anyway?

Weird. Meh. Moving on.

**********

Ostara was just beautiful here! We spent the day with water hoses. I was muddy, wet, covered in bubbles, and so happy. It was the perfect way to ring in the spring season. And hey, our cars even enjoyed their baths.

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I also want to take a moment and thank all of you who've bestowed awards to me the past few weeks. I think you're all rockstars. And while I'm terrible about actually participating, I do sincerely appreciate each and every one.

Okay, on that note, I'm heading to bed. I have another dentist appointment tomorrow. Gah.

)O(

Parker = My Favorite Boy & 8 = My Favorite Number

2010-03-18T09:06:00.009-04:00

Parker celebrated his 8th birthday, March 14. I still can't believe my firstborn is already 8 years old. Coincidentally, I absolutely cannot remember my life without him. It seems like he's been with me forever....maybe because my life truly started on the day he was born.

Nevertheless, we held his party on Saturday the 13th. We always keep Parker's parties rather small and intimate, as he gets a bit overwhelmed otherwise. Although the day was a rainy one, we all had a jolly good time anyway. Well, until my grandmother had to be taken to the emergency room for chest pain. :(

Thankfully, she's doing well. She was admitted that evening and wasn't discharged until Tuesday, but she's home now and seems content...just weak.

As for the party it was just our small family, Parker's grandparents, Parker's great aunt and great uncle, and his cousin, Payton.

The theme of the day, because my son is desperately obsessed with the Wii lately, was Super Mario Brothers.

Here's a few pictures!

The table in our dining room, all decked out for Parker's party.

Doug's creative decorating. ::eye roll::

Luigi balloon...Parker's favorite!

Mario balloon...Autumn's favorite!

A sparkly star balloon. I also really love the ones which look like the sky.

A close-up of some of the decorations.

His gluten-free/casein-free Super Mario Brothers cake. He was thrilled when he saw this, as it's the first store-bought cake he's had since he started this specialized diet. He chose a white cake.

Living room decorations.

The birthday boy in his way too long Mario Brothers shirt. :)

Ms. Payton

Uncle Cookie and dad-dad (Parker's granddad)

Parker opening his presents. (I don't have many pictures of the presents because I was video taping it instead.)

Parker checks out his Mario Brothers figurines. (He loved these...he's been playing with them constantly.)

Autumn received a few presents too!

Boo and Payton.

For his piece of the cake, Parker insisted on having Luigi...it required some creative cutting, but we managed. :)

Parker, Autumn, & Payton.

Parker was so excited about turning 8. In fact, I don't remember him ever being so excited about a birthday before. As for gifts, he received $50 worth of gift cards, two Wii games (Mario Galaxy & Mario Party), Mario Brothers figurines, three summer outfits, a Nintendo DS game, and a few other odds and ends.

Here's to another wonderful year with you, little man! I love you.

Guess who cut off all her hair?

2010-03-15T08:27:00.006-04:00

Me!! It was me!! Muahahahaha.

It's an A-line cut and although it's hard to tell in the picture because the flash has blotted them out, there are soft auburn highlights throughout.

I really like my new look. As for my family...

Doug's response: Looks good. I like it.

Autumn's response: Mommy, you have little hair like me now!

Parker's response: It's pwetty, mommy. (Awww.)

Mom's response: It looks better than I expected.

Dad's response: You actually paid somebody to do that to your hair? (He was kidding...I hope. lol)

So...what do you think?

I truly apologize for not making blog rounds in the past week. Life has simply become super hectic recently. Between the house-buying issues, my dentist appointments, planning Parker's birthday party, and trying to do all the routine stuff that goes with being a mom and wife...I'm really short on time. I'll try and get to your blogs in the next few days. :)

I'd also like to take a moment and remember a fellow blogger who passed on March 9, 2010. I only knew Renee for a short time, but she made a big impact on my life. RIP Renee...you'll be missed. If you'd like to read about Renee's incredible life, you can find her blog here:

Circling My Head

Have a blessed week, m'luvs.

Sunshine Euphoria!

2010-03-12T08:23:00.006-05:00

The weather around these parts has just been phenomenal the past week or so. With temperatures in the sixties and clear, sunny skies...it's particularly hard to believe that just two weeks ago, the temperatures were in the twenties.

As you can probably imagine, we've been spending a lot of time outdoors, soaking up some beneficial vitamin D and reveling in the warmth of the sun's rays--rays we haven't seen in what seems like months.

We took the kids to the playground last weekend and I snapped a few shots I thought I'd share with you....

It was so much fun watching all that pent up winter energy come flooding out when they hit that playground.

The weather, however, is only one excuse regarding my absence from blogger this past week. As you probably remember from my last entry, Doug and I were in negotiations to buy a home. The deities must be smiling down on us because the sellers came within $1,000 of our offering price! Obviously, we accepted and I then proceeded to spend an entire day writing up a buyer's contract. (There are no Realtors involved in this sale...just two parties, a buyer and a seller. It's caused us to do a lot of the legwork a realtor would normally do...but it's worth it to me to save some money.) Obviously, I had no idea how to write a real estate contract, so it took some considerable research, as well as a group 'think tank' with my parents, aunt, and uncle to get the form just perfect.

The contract was mailed yesterday, so please keep sending those good home buying vibes our way.

And, of course, knowing we have a real home and not just a crappy rental tightly within our grasp, has definitely managed to bring out my inner interior decorator. We've spent a lot of time comparing paint chips, ogling carpets and blinds, thoughtfully examining kitchen floor tile, and even counter tops. It's fun and exciting...but totally overwhelming.

This is going to be an incredibly busy weekend for us as well...tonight I'm getting my hair cut, colored, and styled; tomorrow is Parker's birthday party; and Sunday is his 8th birthday. Obviously, I'll have lots of pictures and video footage come Monday. :)

So for now, I just want to thank you all for sticking by me even when I'm not around much, and also wish you an amazing weekend! I'll leave you with this adorable video of my munchkins playing at the park. You can really hear Parker talk in this one quite a bit.

Blessed be, my friends. :)

Oh, the changes a month can bring!

2010-03-05T09:10:00.007-05:00

February was a crazy month for us on so many levels. And while I was itching to write, I really wanted to get my new layout installed and the new blog title revealed first.

So allow me to give you a little run-down, m'kay? (By the way, this list isn't in chronological order.)

One of the absolute ickiest February events was a root canal performed on my #3 molar. I'd had the tooth filled at the end of last year. Unfortunately, it developed an abscess and caused me some pretty exquisite pain. I was literally living on ibuprofen around the clock. When I finally got an appointment with my dentist, he said the abscess was huge, performed the first half of the root canal, and started me on some very strong antibiotics.

Now any of you who know me well, probably know how I loathe antibiotics and most pharmaceutical grade prescriptions. Antibiotics always wipe out my good stomach flora and cause me considerable pain. This time around was no exception. Even though my tooth was feeling 100 times better, my stomach was a mess. Luckily, I was prepared with probiotics, aloe juice, digestive enzymes, and activated charcoal capsules...all of which helped a great deal.

If that wasn't enough, I had a reaction to the local anesthetic which cause my cheek to become blood red and hot to the touch. Thankfully, that resolved within 24 hours, but not before I was made to go back to the dentist to be checked out. Grrrr.

Last week, I returned to the dentist's office once again for part two of my root canal. It went well and at the end of the procedure, the doc took a quick x-ray to verify he was at the bottom of my canals and had killed all the nerves. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. Apparently, I have an accessory canal branching off one of my main canals and it wasn't accessible to my dentist. I have to go to an endodontist so this canal can be taken care of under microscope. Unfortunately, none of the local endodontists are part of our insurance network. FRUSTRATING. When all is said and done, I will have had at least 12 appointments for this ONE tooth. Bah. : I

We had a lovely Valentine's Day. Daddy came home with a single rose for each of us...yellow for Parker; pink for Autumn; and red for mommy. Awwww. I also received the sweetest card. I love my husband.

The kids had lots of fun playing in Autumn's Barbie tent.

We made a decadent dessert...Reese's Pieces cake. This was soooo not friendly to my ass and hips, but it caused my mouth and tummy to complete somersaults of pure delight. :D

I also thought I'd include a couple pictures Autumn took of my Imbolc altar. I threw a cloth over a plastic tote. It was really lopsided, but served it's purpose nevertheless.

Doug's financial aid for college was suspended. We're still not sure why...some weird glitch in their system, I guess. But his only plan of action is to appeal...and that can take 6 to 8 weeks. So he might end up missing his classes for the spring quarter. Obviously, we're a bit pissed off about this, to say the least. So much time wasted....

Parker finally learned to tie his shoes!!!! Yay!!!

And finally, if you've made it this far, you must really love me...but finally, the biggest news of the month is:

We're in negotiations to buy our very first home.

I'll tell you more about the home and share pictures (it needs a lot of work...it's definitely a fixer-upper), if we actually end up with a purchasing contract. Nevertheless, I think it would make a perfect little starter home for us, so please light some candles and send some good energies our way! :)

I'm sure as soon as I click the 'publish' button, I'll think of five other topics I want to talk about...but for now, this will do. It's quite enough information to take in, I'm sure.

Have a wonderful weekend and if you're in my area, enjoy the sunshine which has been making quite a comeback the past few days!

Knowing You're Loved....

2010-03-01T09:02:00.004-05:00

I just had to take a moment and give a shout out to somebody very special here in bloggerville.

A package arrived for me a couple weeks ago (remember, I told you my mailbox was a treasure trove), which was quite unexpected.

"What is this?" I thought to myself.

I hurried inside to open the smallish box...and my jaw dropped.

Inside was a beautiful representation of my patron Goddess, Brighid.

Do you know who so thoughtfully sent this treasure?

I bet you can guess.

It's Janie from Mother Moon's Message...my virtual coven sister and an all-around fantastic person.

Thank you again, Janie. She'll look just lovely on my altar this Ostara...and all the following Sabbats, as well.

For those of you who have wondered where in the world I am...I've been having major layout issues. Thankfully, another virtual coven sister has agreed to make me a new layout...with my new blog title...and is working on it as I type this. I simply wasn't inspired to write with my blog in shambles. My apologies. I promise to be back soon with many new stories and updates. :)

Fun under the covers...

2010-02-14T08:11:00.006-05:00

** While we're still waiting for the new look and title reveal of this blog, I thought I'd pop in with some cute pictures of the kiddos. Don't forget me! I have sooo many stories and updates. :D **

Parker was playing with his laptop a few days ago when Autumn plopped into the chair beside him and decided to cover both of them with a blanket.

Doug tried his hardest to get some cute pictures of them...but they obviously weren't feeling very 'camera ready' that day. :)

Enjoy the lunacy.

(And yes, in case you're wondering...my kids spend the bulk of their time at home in nothing but their undies. I think they're prejudice against clothing.)

I love this final picture...it's quintessential Parker & Autumn. :)

The BIG Reveal!

2010-02-13T11:24:00.006-05:00

Peek-A-Boo: Magick Among The Mayhem

The title was thoughtfully submitted by Mrs. B of Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom and the subtitle, which I had originally planned on coming up with myself, was suggested by my dear friend and co-author, I'm Not Hannah. When she suggested it, I swear the words, "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" went off in my head. Apparently I'm completely uninspired. LOL I'm letting everybody else name my blog for me. ;)

So here's the final voting results (from votes submitted both here and on facebook):

1. Broom With a View -- 5 total votes

2. The Family Cauldron -- 6 total votes

3. Peek-A-Boo -- 16 total votes

4. Doug & Boo + Two --13 total votes

Told ya it was close! I'll be honest, I was shocked by how many of you genuinely liked my old blog title. It was literally a name I'd thrown together in about 30 seconds when I imported my blog here from AOL journals. I guess it wasn't such a shabby name, after all! :)

I'll also confess something else to you, now that all is said and done. As soon as I saw Peek-A-Boo listed as a suggestion, I had another one of those "ding, ding, ding," moments in my head. I thought it was perfect. I'm Boo and I'm giving you a 'peek' into our lives each time I type an entry on my laptop keyboard. Thankfully, the bulk of you agreed with me regarding it's perfection. Although, had another option won, I would have been just as happy....seriously.

I want to thank all of you for participating in the voting and for being so extraordinarily patient with me as I struggled to revamp my blog. I'd also like to extend a BIG, HUGE thank you to Angie of Angelique Mroczka. She stepped up to the plate when I was feeling pretty down and out about my blog...and with just a few words of guidance, came up with this amazing layout. I owe you one, Angie.

Please be sure to snag my new button!

And finally, one last thought.

You guys just aren't going to believe what's happened this past month during my absence.

Stay tuned. :)

Messy, Sloppy Boo

2010-02-06T11:41:00.007-05:00

**UPDATE #3**
The new layout is almost done. My Brandi-girl is just tweaking it now. I'm hoping to have it up shortly. I'm really, really, really sorry for this delay.

**UPDATE #2**
We're hoping to have the layout completed this evening. I apologize for the delay. My layout designer is a flight attendant and a very busy girl. :) Thank you for your patience.

**UPDATE**
The new title/subtitle has been chosen and will be revealed soon. Please be patient as we redo the page. :)

Good morning! Just wanted to let you know, if you happen to visit this blog the next day or two and it looks a little...well...wonky, it's because we're doing some spring cleaning and getting ready for the new title reveal!!!! :D

So exciting! Remember, you have until 11:59 PM tonight to vote...so if you haven't done so yet, please do. I'm not kidding when I tell you, it's a VERY close race.

Big Announcement!

2010-02-02T21:18:00.003-05:00

Or, rather, THREE big announcements. But first, I want to take a moment to wish you all Imbolc blessings. I know this Sabbat has been very special for me, and I hope it has been for all of you as well.

I also want to take a moment to apologize. I have not made blog rounds for several days now. I know, I know. Naughty Boo. But once you hear a couple of my announcements, you'll understand why. :)

It's no secret that I love to write. In fact, besides Doug & Boo + Two, I also author three other blogs and co-author another. If you're keeping track, that is (count 'em) five different blogs I contribute to as frequently as I can. Granted, I let a few of them slide over the holidays, but I'm hoping to get back in my groove soon.

So when Not Hannah, author of I'm Not Hannah, suggested co-authoring a blog with her, I jumped at the opportunity. See, not only do we have similar writing styles (and a similar sense of humor), we also feel we're in the same place spiritually...sort of bumbling and fumbling around. :)

And so, Divining Women: Two Soul Sisters trying to figure out which end of the wand is up, was born. :)

The title says it all, doesn't it? :)

We're both pretty excited about this blog. For me, I suspect it will be a great learning experience with a lot of laughs and giggles thrown in along the way. Believe me, it's hard to read Not Hannah's entries without doing some major giggling. She's got a wicked sense of humor and I just adore her.

So, using my best West Virginia drawl:

"We'd sure be mighty obliged if you checked us out, ya'll."

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The second announcement is another reason you haven't seen me around much lately. Living where I live (in the Bible belt), well, let's just say finding spiritually like-minded people isn't exactly an easy thing to do. So, I solved that teensy little problem by joining a virtual coven! :)

The coven, called eWitch, was set up by Luna at Spelled With a W. For more information, you can check out her blog. So far, we have five members...spread literally from one side of the country to the other. Our first virtual ritual was scheduled at 8:30 PM EST tonight and it went beautifully.

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And finally, I just wanted to update everybody on the status of my new blog title. :)

You still have until 11:59 PM on Saturday, February 6, 2010, to vote. So please head down to this blog entry and VOTE! You can also contact me on Facebook and vote as well, if that's easier for you.

So far, two of the title choices are definitely dominating.

Choice #1 - 3 votes

Choice #2 - 2 votes

Choice #3 - 12 votes

Choice #4 - 11 votes

As you can see, it's neck and neck.

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Hope you're all having a wonderful week! Spring is just around the corner (no thanks to Punxsutawney Phil)!

Boo's New Blog Title: Vote Here!

2010-02-01T09:52:00.010-05:00

Well, the time has come. Throughout the month of January, I received 35 title suggestions for this blog. I truly appreciate all of you who racked your brains and tried valiantly to think of that perfect, elusive blog name.

As I received each suggestion via comment, I jotted it down on a piece of paper which I kept by the computer. Last night, I went through and contemplated each and every idea. I tried to pick the ones I thought were witty, yet reflected me and my blogging philosophy. If your idea wasn't selected, please don't feel it's because I thought it was 'stupid' or 'unworthy.' That's not the case at all. I thought you all were VERY creative and I got such a kick out of your ideas.

To vote, simply type the number of the title you like best in the comments section. I tried to insert an actual poll, but for some reason, wasn't able to.

So, without further ado...here are the selections chosen are:

Broom With A View
The Family Cauldron
Peek-A-Boo
Doug & Boo Plus Two

I would like to mention that no matter which title is chosen, I will be coming up with a subtitle to pair with it...one which compliments and expands on the winning choice.

Also, you may notice that my current blog name is listed as an option for which to vote. I had several of you mention you wouldn't change the title at all, so I figured it was only fair to have it as a voting option.

I'm quite excited!

Voting starts immediately and will run until 11:59 PM on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Now let's get this blog named, shall we?

My Mailbox Is A Treasure Trove

2010-01-31T08:36:00.005-05:00

A few entries ago, I'd written about my frustrations with my spiritual path...my inexperience, my lack of a proper teacher, my annoyance at the many books I've read which tell you twenty different things about the same subject, and lastly, my lack of proper tools.

As I was writing all these things, it certainly wasn't to garner pity. It was simply me, being real, and sharing the thoughts in my head. Nevertheless, Luna of Spelled With a W, decided to send me a little goodie box, which I just had to share. What a generous soul!

I let Autumn unwrap all the gifts inside and as each item was exposed, I found tears forming in my eyes at Luna's generosity and friendship. I tell you what...the kindness, loving attitude, and giving nature of our little blogging community never ceases to amaze me.

I took some photos of our goody box...check it out!

The box as I opened it...

On the very top of the goody pile were some spell/recipe cards, little fortune teller baggies, two sample oils which smell divine, and a personal note from Luna which reads, "Boo-Keep smiling. Love, Luna."

After all was said and done...my goodies filled my table! Luna sent three cauldrons (one for me and one for each of my children, copal resin, peppermint soothing balm, ceremonial white sage, chime candles in a variety of colors, a candle snuffer, three star shaped candle holders, charcoal disks and tongs, two loadstones with accompanying food, oil samples, and a pentagram for my altar. Just...WOW.

And some close-ups...

Please ignore my scratched and scarred table. The kids haven't been easy on the poor wood. :)

Many, many sincere thanks to Luna. You've absolutely rocked my world, girly. Please check out her Etsy store, won't you? She has some lovely items. :)

SPELLED WITH A W

**Reminder** My 'Name This Blog' competition ends at midnight tonight....so if you have any inspired ideas, please send comments! I am going to pick my top three to five favorites and let my readers vote on the winner.

Essentially, dear reader, you will be naming my blog.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

I've Jumped on the Bandwagon ::toot, toot::

2010-01-27T08:50:00.005-05:00

As most of you know already, Doug and I travelled to Columbus Saturday so we could watch Avatar on an IMAX 3-D screen (and because my dear friend, Liz, sent us a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory for no other reason than pure kindness).

We dropped the kids off at my parents house and then headed out on our little adventure. During the drive to Columbus, I listened to my Mamma Mia! soundtrack over and over. Poor Doug. There is just something about that music!

"Don't go wasting your emoooo-tion. Lay all your love on meeee."

"Honey, honey, how you thrill me...uh huh...honey, honey."

"See that girl. Watch that scene. Dig in the dancing queen!"

"Mamma Mia. Here I go again. My, my, how can I resist you?"

Yep. I love me some Mamma Mia!

The IMAX theater is located at a town center in Easton. We arrived over an hour early, so we spent some time looking around at various stores...all overpriced. Thankfully, we realized relatively early on that a line was forming for those with tickets to the Avatar 3-D experience. I say thankfully, because had we not noticed, we may not have been sitting together during the movie. The line extended from almost one end of the mall to the other. It was INSANE.

When we were finally seated, I sat in awe of the screen. It was enormous! And the 3-D glasses aren't those cheesy, flimsy blue and red lenses we used to wear for 3-D movies. Now they're just like a pair of sunglasses...very sturdy and comfortable to wear.

Doug bought some soda (for the bargain price of $4.25), and we settled in for an amazing journey.

Let me just say, if you ever have the chance to watch a movie on an IMAX 3-D screen...DO IT! I have never experienced anything even remotely like it before. It was breathtaking. And totally worth the $12/ticket cost. There was a preview for Zombieland prior to Avatar starting...it looked as if the zombies were standing right next to me! I actually felt like trying to punch them to get away from their deadly jaws. That's how real it all was. There was also a preview for a space documentary. The NASA flight crew took IMAX cameras with them to document every moment of their journey into space. I literally felt like I was floating around looking down on the world...it was so beautiful. And dizzying.

When Avatar finally started, I was engrossed immediately. I felt as if I'd been transported to this beautiful world known as Pandora, and frankly, I didn't want to leave. It was a dream world...so breathtakingly beautiful I had tears in my eyes.

The characters pulled me in...everyone was perfectly cast and very likable. I thought casting Sigourney Weaver as Grace was an inspired choice as well. She is, after all, the queen of alien worlds. :)

I'm not going to get overly detailed about the storyline for those of you who haven't seen this stunning movie yet (Go now! Go! You won't regret it in the least!), but I will say, I picked up on the very environmental subtext of the movie....as well as an underlying political tone as well. There was so much Pagan symbolism in the movie...so obviously, I was in love.

And James Cameron, writer and director of Avatar, has since admitted he's a 'tree-hugger.' To that little bit of information, I say, "Bravo!"

So, how many stars do I give Avatar?

No doubt about it...5 stars!!!

Following the movie, I was so filled with adrenaline, I couldn't stop talking. We walked a couple streets over to The Cheesecake Factory, and I babbled in Doug's ear the entire time. I was STOKED.

Dinner was so yummy, I inhaled my entire plate of Bistro Shrimp Pasta. Here's a brief description of my meal:

Crispy Battered Shrimp, Fresh Mushrooms, Tomato and
Arugula Tossed with Spaghettini and a Basil-Garlic-Lemon Cream
Sauce.

Yes, it's every bit as good as it sounds. I also ordered a piece of peanut butter cheesecake to go and actually just finished it yesterday. It was so rich and decadent, I had to eat it in small portions. But it was delectable. By far, the best cheesecake I've ever eaten.

My stomach is growling just thinking about all that food. Mmmmm. If you've never been to The Cheesecake Factory, I recommend it as well.

Following dinner, we started the trek back home. It was a lovely day, just me and my Doug.

Reflections...

2010-01-26T17:22:00.005-05:00

There are times in our lives we just need to step back and reevaluate a bit. Reflect, if you will. That's exactly what I've been doing the past few days. I can't tell you how much all the comments you left on my last entry helped to clarify this situation for me. The past eight months (and yes, I am a Pagan baby), I've been fretting the small stuff. But really, there's no need. I know my intentions are valid and true. Whether or not I have a chalice or a cauldron or even an athame isn't going to change that. So thanks.

I think I've found my mentor in all of you.

Rough

2010-01-22T18:07:00.003-05:00

Hello from Boo-ville and happy Friday to you. :)

I have to confess, it hasn't been the greatest of weeks. Doug unintentionally hurt my feelings, Parker had a really bad day at school, I thought I'd lost one of my closest friends, and to be honest, I'm feeling completely overwhelmed in my spiritual path.

It seems as much as I study, read, research, and learn, I don't even make a dent in the vast amount of information out there on Paganism. It's frustrating because from the first moment I found this path, I felt so at home and devastatingly happy. I finally found a spiritual path which reflected my inner Boo. :)

I wish I had a mentor. Someone who could take me under his/her wing and teach me what I need to know. Somebody I could cast circles, complete rituals, and do spell work with. I feel so awkward doing those things myself, always doubting that I'm doing them correctly...especially since I'm lacking in so many ritual tools and supplies. Household finances just don't allow me to spend frivolously. And while I certainly don't consider my spiritual path frivolous, when I have to choose between feeding my children or buying a cauldron, well, you know.

I have, thanks to Lyon, found a lovely way to keep myself grounded and centered...a monthly twenty-four hour candlelight vigil for Brighid, my patron Goddess. I held my first vigil from sundown on the 19th to sundown on the 20th, and it truly was just what this mommy needed. What a great cornerstone to my path! Now I just need a Brighid statue or some sort of representation of her....

Anyway, I know this is an odd entry from me....I just have hundreds of thoughts swirling around in my head which I needed to release, I guess. I'll be back soon with a more interesting post (hopefully).

In the meantime, if all goes well, I'll be seeing Avatar at an IMAX screen tomorrow!! Woot!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I just had to show you...

2010-01-18T18:50:00.004-05:00

...what I won in the 31 Days of Yule Giveaways, courtesy of Fae & Juniper of The Soccer Moms' Guide To Wicca. Both items I won are simply AMAZING and this is my way of extending a humble thank you to the Etsy store owners who so graciously donated items for the giveaway.

The first item is a print designed by Chris at ideasign. Chris is such a fantastic person. He let me choose any print I wanted, in any size, and shipped it for free! I was so astonished and inspired by his generosity. Thank you, Chris, from the bottom of my heart. I have your store favorited! :)

This is the print I ended up choosing...an 11 x 14, as I want it to be a centerpiece on my bedroom wall. I'm still trying to find the perfect frame...any suggestions?

I absolutely adore this print...yay!

The next item I won is a suncatcher, compliments of Stephanie Burciaga: Art & Glass. It's stunning. I have it hanging in my dinging room window...and despite the lack of sun in my area lately, this beautiful dragonfly piece still manages to send rainbows of light across the room. This little fellow isn't small either...he measures 6 x 13 and he's extremely sturdy.

Thank you so much, Stephanie!

I think it's really important in these tough economical times to support Etsy store owners like Chris and Stephanie, so I hope you'll check them out.

Thanks again, you two! )O(

Snowy with a side of woodchuck turds...

2010-01-12T18:51:00.004-05:00

Hello, my friends! I want to take a moment and extend my warmest welcome to all my new followers. Mrs. B really did send quite a horde to this blog! I can't tell you how many hits my site got last Thursday...but it was a massive amount of people. I'm impressed, Mrs. B. In fact, I'm STILL getting people trickling over here from Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. So thank you, you stirrup-wearing chickadee! :D (It's a facebook thang.)

Second, I've tried to visit the blogs of all my latest followers the past few days. If I missed you, please let me know by leaving a link to your blog in my comment section. I'd be very appreciative. I want to get to know all of you!

Third, I'm quite behind in my blog reading (by about four days), so please be patient with me as I work my way through. Although I can occasionally do some reading during the day...if the kids are otherwise distracted, that is...the bulk of my reading is done once they're snuggled into bed. I will get to you eventually, I promise! :)

Fourth, my blog naming contest is still wide open! You have until the end of the month to submit ideas. I have to confess though, I already have a personal favorite. ;) All I ask is that you leave any suggestions you may have in the comment section of THIS entry.

Okay, now that the housekeeping has been taken care of...off to the ~~races~~..errr...fun stuff!

As the title of this blog entry might suggest (actually, you're probably wondering what in the heck my title even means, right?), we've had a bit of snow lately...probably 6 to 8 inches in my area. For many of you, I realize, that's a mere pittance. But coupled with the arctic temperatures and our curvy country roads, it caused Parker to miss four days of school out of five last week.

Our back patio.

I honestly didn't mind the mini-vacation...we snuggled up in the house with our Superman robes, our Wii, some good books, lots of good food, and even a bottle of champagne thrown in for good measure. **Please note...the champagne was bubble gum flavored so the kids could enjoy it too.** ;)

Parker in his Superman robe.

Speaking of good food, as I was preparing one of our meals a few days ago, the burner on the stove started smoking quite badly. Apparently some food item had fallen on it, which I didn't notice prior to cooking. I turned the fan above the stove on, but inevitably, the fire alarm started going off. So not only was I dealing with smoke and a shrieking alarm, the smell of whatever was burning off that burner singed the crap out of my nose hole hairs. I kid not. It smelled (and here's where my blog title comes in), like a woodchuck turd. Or rather, what I'd imagine a woodchuck turd to smell like, considering I've never actively searched out a woodchuck turd to sniff. It was like 8 degrees outside, but I opened the windows and the patio door to air the joint out. It was beyond rotten smelling in here. TOXIC woodchuck turds, I say.

Okay, enough turd talk. All my new followers are going to think I'm obsessed or something. And considering I mentioned to you all that I took pictures of my son's turds a couple entries ago, I just might be....

Moving on.

I've had a really shitty (haha) couple of days. First, I backed into a parked car yesterday morning while taking Parker to school. Long story short, I didn't see the car. It's true. I promise. I really didn't see the blazing red car directly behind me. Thankfully, it was just a tap and no damage was done to either car, but what a way to start the day!

Then, on my way home from dropping Parker off this morning, I was attacked my mega cramps of the feminine variety. Too much information? Probably. Nevertheless, I've been so miserable today, I e-mailed my husband and asked him if he could leave work early to pick Parker up. It's THAT BAD. Ibuprofen isn't touching the pain...neither are warm baths and heating pads. I realize this is a sacred time of the month for a woman...but does it have to hurt so badly? Owwie. Owwie. Owwie. I keep trying to talk Doug into impregnating me again so I won't have to menstruate for nine months and even get an adorable little baby out of the deal...but he's not buying into my logic. Can't imagine why not.

Oh! And to top all that crappiness off, I had a meeting with the local Social Security office today. Yea...yuck.

Anyway...

My little boy won an art contest at school! He received first place within his first grade class. His artwork, titled Beautiful Is My Kissie Fish, was then submitted into a school wide competition. He didn't win, but still received an honorable mention.

Now, is it just me, or does this resemble the Green Man?

Obviously, we're quite proud of our little man.

And finally, a very quick, short video of my daughter doing 'magick.' :D

Love to you all!

Run! An angry Pagan horde is coming! :)

2010-01-07T05:00:00.004-05:00

Merry meet and welcome to my little space on the internet!

Population:

~ One 5 year old gymnastics loving, multiple boyfriend having, too smart for her own britches princess wannabe.

~ One 7 year old Wii playing, Mr. Potato Head and Buzz Lightyear loving, computer genius who I'm convinced will be the next Bill Gates.

~ One 30 year old college attending, freckle covered, beer-drinking Seahawks fan.

~ One 2 year old copper colored hamster, who greets us each morning by hanging on the side of his cage and who prefers chewing metal over wood.

...and then there's me...

~ One 34 year old Pagan who prefers lipgloss over lipstick, horror movies over comedies, sunflowers over roses, mary janes over stilettos, alternative medicine over conventional, writing over speaking, designer handbags over generic, tattoos over piercings, and doggy-style over missionary. ;)

Did I also mention I'm a bit of a jokester?

One day soon, I hope to add a French Bulldog to 'the population' as well.

I do hope you'll get comfy here with our quirky little family and perhaps decide to stay awhile. I'd also like to take a moment to thank Mrs. B of Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom for sending the horde to me. Who could want anything more than a horde of angry Pagans knocking on the door?

Merry part!

**REMINDER**

Suggestions for my blog title are still welcome!! I've received some really cute ones so far, but I want more! (I'm greedy like that.) Help a girl out, won't you?

Brighter Hours, Brighter Days

2010-01-04T19:11:00.007-05:00

My dear, sweet Parker Reece ~

Five years.

Five years of ups and downs.

Five years of triumphs and failures.

Five years of struggles and moments of sheer joy.

Five years since I sat at a computer in a small Washington town, tears running down my face, and typed you this letter.

Five years today, Parker, since you were diagnosed with autism...

...and baby boy, just look how far you've come!

I promised you all those years ago that I'd never give up on you, Parker; that I would be there for you always. I've kept that promise. Immediately following your diagnosis, I was numb. Shocked into inaction, I think. I spent my days crying and eating, eating and crying, and then eating some more. Little by little though, I picked up the pieces of our lives and was able to become proactive for your cause.

I read every book on autism I could find. I learned basic sign language to help you communicate. I researched on-line every spare moment I had. I even quit my job so you'd have somebody who could take you to your many therapies each week, Peanut Butter, and I was happy to do so. Every day while Autumn was napping, you and me, we'd work on letters, numbers, and the pronunciation of various words.

The first year following your diagnosis, your third, was by far the worst. You spent most of your time screaming in frustration. You cried the nights away. Your tummy was always distended and painful and you had chronic constipation followed by explosive diarrhea. You refused to potty train or even think about potty training. Loud noises would send you running aimlessly away from whatever sound you found offensive, your hands over your ears, a look of terror/agony on your face. When we touched you, your reacted as though our touch caused you pain. You flapped your hands incessantly, especially when you were excited or overstimulated.

Little by little though, the pieces of why this was happening to us started coming together. One day, it all clicked into place for me. You were a perfectly developing little boy, hitting all your milestones, beginning to talk, even singing Wiggles songs. That is, until I took you to the pediatrician's office for your 15 month vaccinations. Everything went downhill following that appointment, and after a week of fevers, diarrhea, and endless crying...you spent more time staring at cracks in the paint than you did playing with your toys or watching cartoons. You no longer let me hold you, Parker. No more was I allowed to cuddle you while you drank your bedtime ba-ba (bottle). Your little butt was red from the foul, horribly smelling bowel movements you were having multiple times daily. The words you'd learned were gone, replaced by grunts and terrible high-pitched screams.

At the time, I didn't make the connection between the vaccinations you received and the resulting regression. I simply didn't have enough information...until I did. And that's the moment our family became advocates for greener vaccines. In fact, we stopped vaccinating you and your sister at that moment (and I'm so grateful we did). Your daddy and I even helped make history when we marched in the Green Our Vaccines/Too Many Too Soon rally in Washington D.C. with Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy, Robert Kennedy Jr., and several well known members of Congress. Daddy managed to make the national news holding a sign with your picture, Parker.

Prior to the rally, I did an interview at our state capitol building with arguably the best news anchor in our state, Jessica Ralston. By the end of the interview, she was as convinced by my assertion that vaccines caused your autism as I am. Our interview, which was the leading story for the evening news that day, caused quite a stir. I received e-mails from all over the country, even some from other countries like England and Canada, all of them offering support and telling me their own nearly identical stories. Ms. Ralston still checks in from time to time to see how you're doing, PPB. You made quite an impression on her and literally everybody who has had the privilege to meet you.

It was, however, the day I spent in Washington D.C. with thousands of other parents who had recovered their children from autism, which inspired me to try some of the same 'alternative' treatments with you. So I dug in, researched like a mad-woman, and on a June morning in 2008, our lives changed. We haven't looked back.

I eliminated dairy products from your diet first. Within four days, you'd potty trained. You were six years old at that time, and had never used the potty. We started the casein-free diet on Monday. On Friday, you walked to the bathroom, closed the door, and had your first bowel movement in the toilet. There was no fuss or fanfare from you, but I was so proud, excited, and happy, I was jumping up and down, crying, and calling everybody I could think of with the amazing news. I even took a picture of those little turds floating in the toilet for prosperity and I knew at that moment I'd made the correct decision.

Next, I eliminated gluten which includes all wheat products, barley, rye, etc. Your distended belly started shrinking, the flatulence you had so frequently nearly stopped, your bowel movements looked normal for the first time since you were a baby, and you started giggling again. I think the chronic pain you'd lived with all those years was finally ebbing...and it showed.

After we had your diet under control, and believe me, it wasn't easy for me to take all the foods which contain dairy or gluten proteins (essentially everything you loved) away from you. We then started you on gut healing supplements like probiotics, digestive enzymes, and aloe juice. Again, we saw improvements, both physically and mentally. Next up was yeast treatment for your gut...and boy, did that make a difference! You started talking! Despite years of speech therapy (and a ton of other types of therapies), you didn't start talking until we fixed your belly.

Next up was immune system boosting supplements like vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Your awareness level improved dramatically. No longer were you in a fog.

We eventually found a holistic doctor (and a fluoride free dentist, as well) for you in Columbus, Ohio, and we adore her. Yes, it's a three hour drive to her office, but a mere car drive isn't enough to stop us from doing everything we can for you, Parker. Our doctor was quite impressed by your journey and how far you'd come. She was slightly worried about your speech and phonics, as you're still hard to understand at times...so we decided to start you on methyl b-12 injections. These injections were just started a few months ago...but the improvements we've seen so far are dramatic. Your speech has improved immeasurably, you're much more involved with the family, the hand flapping has completely stopped, your teachers are all amazed at the differences in you, and you don't even cry when mommy gives you the shot in your bum! What a big boy you are!

As of today, January 5, 2010:

You're speaking in complete sentences which nearly everybody understands.
You're writing, quite clearly, I might add.
You're reading (better than most of the other first graders in your class).
You know our phone number.
You know our address
You're completely potty trained, even at night.
You've nearly learned to tie your shoes.
You can count to 100 and beyond.
You've stopped hand flapping.
You're socialization skills have improved immensely.
You're transition skills have improved immensely.
You're able to tolerate changes in your schedule more appropriately, without having a meltdown.
You've learned addition and subtraction.
You know all coins and their value.
You can tell time.
You play Wii games with your sister and laugh hysterically.
You've almost completely integrated into your first grade class, most of the time, without assistance.
Oh, and did I mention you're a bit of a computer prodigy?

When I think of how far you've come, Parker, from the toddler who I thought might never speak at all to this beautiful little boy who's watching football with his daddy and discussing the plays...I get tears in my eyes.

All the fighting I've done with the school districts, all the letters I've written to the Board of Education, all the calls I've made to our state/national government, all the petitions I've signed...it's all been for you, Parker. It's always been for you. And we'll continue to fight for you and your rights, especially until West Virginia allows religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccinations. They're only one of two states in our country which refuses to recognize these basic human rights.

This journey has been a team effort, there's no doubt about that. But the majority of the positive changes can be attributed solely to you, Parker. You want so badly to be considered a 'normal' little boy. I think you're well on your way, little man.

I predict 2010 is going to be a year of fantastic strides and accomplishments for you.

I love you, my firstborn, and I will continue to be there for you every single day. Keep striving!

All my love,
Mommy

2010 Equals New...Names?

2010-01-03T04:00:00.003-05:00

I hope you this blog post finds you all happy, healthy, and recovered from your New Year's Eve celebrations. I, for one, think I may have traded my blood supply for Brut Rose champagne. Apparently, I was dancing, singing...ummm....loudly, crying one minute, laughing hysterically the next, and adamantly trying to convince Doug I absolutely was NOT drunk.

Fun times.

Which I don't really remember.

::ahem::

Moving on!

My little 'display' happened after a lovely evening of Mexican food, the movie Paranormal Activity, and the board game Scene It: Movie Edition.

I also spent some time outside trying to find our beautiful Blue Mother Moon. Unfortunately, it was very overcast here and I couldn't see a thing. I'm still quite disappointed about it...but I did manage to put out a Mason jar and collect some Blue Moon rain and even a little Blue Moon snow. If anybody was able to get some pictures of her in all her glory, I'd be very appreciative if you could send them to me via e-mail.

Now, on to the reason for this post.

When AOL Journals closed their doors for the last time in October 2008 (or was it 2007?), I was forced to move to blogger, which ultimately ended up being a very good thing. I knew I wanted the move to represent a fresh start, so I quickly came up with my blog title as a take on the now defunct TV show, Jon & Kate Plus Eight.

Obviously, after recently watching Jon's douchey antics and seeing Kate's reversed mullet way too frequently...my blog title no longer inspires me, to say the least.

This is where you come in, dear readers.

I need a new title for this blog.

Although I often talk about other subjects here (i.e. my Pagan faith, movies, books, the weather, etc.), this blog always has been and always will be about our family life. It started out as a diary for my children, and I hope to always keep that focus. One day, I want them to look back on this blog and giggle when they read the funny things they said and did. So far, I've written over six years worth of memories here. I really hope to print out and bind this blog into yearly chronicles in the years to come.

Anyway, the point of all this rambling is, I want my title to reflect our lives, my family, and the love we share for each other.

To give you an idea, here are the other two titles I've had in the past:

My Life With A Toddler (I started blogging when Parker was only 15 months old and Autumn wasn't even a blip on the radar yet.)

...And Then There Were Four (This title was chosen by my readers in J-land after Autumn's birth.)

Now, I know I've got some very intelligent, loyal, creative readers here, so I just know you'll help me come up with some fantastic suggestions. :D

I'm going to allow title suggestions for the entire month of January. At that time, I'll pick my three favorites and put a poll on my sidebar so my readers can choose the new title of this blog. Yay!

And who knows...the person who comes up with the winning title just might win a prize!

Happy 2010, everybody!

A Little Girl and Her Daddy

2010-01-01T17:49:00.005-05:00

The day Autumn was born, I just knew she was going to be her daddy's little girl. Doug was over the moon about his baby daughter. Pure joy was reflected in his eyes when he looked at her tiny swaddled body.

Not that he wasn't excited and happy when Parker was born, of course. With Autumn, though, we were both a little older and more secure in our relationship, we had almost three years of parenting experience under our belts, and we didn't fear the unexpected like we did with Parker's birth. In short, we weren't scared to death about parenting a newborn like we were with our little Parker Peanut Butter boy.

Not only that, Autumn looked like her daddy. When Parker was born, it was difficult to differentiate his newborn picture from mine...he was my little mini-me. These days, though, he's starting to favor Doug in appearance as well. Autumn, however, has looked like her daddy from birth...with the pale skin and blonde hair. Even her feet are shaped just like Doug's.

And then one quiet winter evening, while my sweet baby girl and her daddy played Mario Kart on the Wii, I looked up from my Patricia Cornwell novel to see this....

I mean, really, WHO sits like that? It looks incredibly uncomfortable. Yet there they were, my husband and our daughter, sitting on the floor like matching bookends.

It seriously made me smile.

A few nights later, daddy took his little princess to the movies for a 'date' night. I tried to talk Parker into going as well, but he's not interested in The Chipmunks, which is what they were seeing. So, I stayed home with the little man while Doug and Autumn enjoyed some time at the theater.

Here they are before they left...

Autumn informed us she wanted popcorn at the movies too. Gotta love a girl who knows what she wants...and a daddy who adores his children.

Ostara Luna

2009-12-30T23:01:00.002-05:00

One of my very bestest friends, Brittany, who some of you might remember from this entry, has very recently fulfilled a dream she's had to open a witchy Etsy shop. There are only a few items for sale at this time because the store is still very new, but she's listed other items on the home page which will be available soon. All her items are charged with good intentions, as well as under the light of our mother moon.

Here's what Brittany has to say about her shop:

We pride ourselves in giving you the best quality magical items!
All handcrafted items are cleansed and charged under the moon.
Ostara Luna is about helping you and your spiritual needs.
Our shoppe is run with honesty, integrity and a lot of love and light!
In time we will be offering:
*Hand Made and Dipped Incense (loose and stick)
*Hand Crafted Wands
*Herbs in Bulk
*Room and Home Witchie Decor
*Hand Crafted Witchie Woodwork Items
*Coconut Shell Bowls, Boxes and other Witchie Items
*Hand Crafted Strongly Scented Witchie Candles

Also, if you order now, you'll receive a grand opening complimentary gift...a FREE lavender vanilla sache of bath salts with every order.

Check her out, won't you?

Ostara Luna

Inspiration

2009-12-30T04:00:00.000-05:00

December 25

The sky was so hazy. The clouds a soft orange and a gray-blue. Water drops were balancing on the green pine needles, threatening to plummet to the Earth, while a layer of clean, sparkling white snow covered two random hay bales.

What can I say? Despite my very modest point and shoot camera, I was so inspired.

A Yule to Remember

2009-12-28T08:00:00.009-05:00

**I'm hopelessly behind on my blog reading...by more than a week, in fact...so please be patient with me as I make my way through all your posts. Thanks for your patience!**

I hope you all had a wonderful Yule/Christmas holiday with your family and friends! Lots of amazing memories were made in our household. We celebrated our family gift-giving on the morning of the 24th, travelled to my grandma's house that evening for a get-together, spent the night at my parent's house, and had another gift-giving on Christmas morning. Here are a few pictures...

Our Yule tree and all the gifts Santa left us...

The kids dug right into opening their presents...

Autumn received some new boots, lovingly chosen by her mommy.

Autumn's 'big' gift...a pink Nintendo DS.

Parker checks out a DVD (or Wii game, I can't tell).

And Parker's 'big' gift...a new blue Dell laptop. (Parker's a bit of a computer prodigy.)

The gifts Parker bought for me at the Santa Shop at his school...a snowman ornament and an angel pin. So cute!

Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk, while the reindeer polished off their oats.

Parker made us this ornament at school. LOVE it!

Doug received some fun Wii accessories from his folks.

Parker's presents to his daddy from the Santa Shop....a treasure box and a #1 Dad pen.

Dad-dad (my father) checks out Parker's new computer.

Parker's gift from Autumn...an Eva doll, from the movie Wall-E.

Autumn poses with Parker's Wall-E robot (she's also wearing her new boots).

On the evening of the 24th, we visited my grandma (the kid's great-grandma) for our annual Christmas Eve get-together. Twenty-eight family members showed up...it was complete chaos. That didn't stop Parker from eating his chocolate chip cookies though. ;)

The kids opened one gift at grandma's and granddad's house on Christmas Eve...

My cousin, Amber, made me this frame. My uncle found all the four-leaf clovers and Amber arranged them on the frame. How beautiful is this??? Everybody who knows me well, knows I love shamrocks and four-leaf clovers. This was definitely one of my favorite gifts.

After the kids were all snuggled into bed, dreaming of Rudolph's hooves tapping on the rooftop, the adults opened their gifts. One of Doug's gifts was a Seattle Seahawks 'third' jersey.

On Christmas morning, the kids were back at it again...ripping and tearing through their gifts. :)

Autumn with her new interactive Woody doll.

Parker was checking out his new interactive Buzz Lightyear and pirate ship.

Daddy helped Autumn get her Barbie camper put together....

He sure loves Buzz.

Parker and daddy snuggle together at Grandma Betty's house for Christmas dinner.

Autumn with her Uncle Gary (or, as she calls him, Gee).

Doug was cracking up at one of Gary's gifts...a camo hat with a light included. Sorry it's so blurry!

You've seen the bulk of the kid's gifts already, but as for me, I received several Pampered Chef items, a new wrought-iron shelf, a phone, a bunch of books, lotions, body scrubs, a pan of homemade apple dumplings, and a $75 gift card for Amazon.

Doug received his Seahawks jersey, a gift card for JCPenny's, a gift card for the Shoe Carnival, a gift card for Outback Steakhouse, a Pampered Chef cookie pan (he loves to bake), a new cell phone, lots of Wii games and accessories, the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation DVD gift set, and the fifth season of House on DVD.

I'm still hoping for that new French Bulldog puppy though....

The Days Leading Up To The Holidays

2009-12-27T18:42:00.003-05:00

We've had some good times throughout the past weeks. And aside from Parker having a bit of a 24 hour bug last week, life has been full of giggles and fun.

We've....

...played Wii Ski. This is Autumn's and Parker's mii characters. Autumn said it looked like she was letting toots and the smell made Parker mad. :D

...constructed and decorated a gingerbread house as a family project. (The icing was melting right off the house...but we decided it looked like snow and ice.)

Oh, and mere minutes after we finished, there must've been an earthquake because the roof fell off. Never fear though! Mommy fixed it.

...played in the snow and built Sherman the Snowman (who was later tortured and brutally murdered by the neighborhood brats).

...visited the 'Singing House' in our neighborhood. (It's one of those houses that's computerized to twinkle in time to the music.)

...and we even indulged in some chocolate chip cookie dough!

More holiday pictures coming soon! Stay tuned. :D

Happy Winter Solstice and a Blessed Yule To All!

2009-12-21T08:19:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to come here and wish you all a very blessed Yule. May the Light of the Sun God be with you this Solstice season.

On a personal note, I feel so fortunate to have found our little Pagan community on blogger and I can't imagine life without all of you. I have so much to be thankful for on this Winter Solstice day.

Love and peace to you all.

Let the light shine!

)O(

Secret Yule Thoughts...

2009-12-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

Parker: "Hey, is that Rudolph? Oops. I just tooted. If Santa asks, I'll blame it on Autumn."

Autumn: "Ha ha! Santa actually thinks I've been a good girl. But why does he smell like cooked cabbage and beef jerky? Doesn't he only eat cookies?"

Santa: "Tiger Woods is my hero. And what's with Megan Mullally in that I Can't Believe It's Not Butter commercial? Wonder if I'll make it home tonight in time to watch So You Think You Can Dance? ::humming:: Every kiss begins with 'K!' "

So tell me....what funny things would you put in their 'pretend' thought streams? :)

Yule Bliss

2009-12-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a truly blessed witch.

Yes, I am.

A truly blessed witch.

When you see what I received in the mail a couple days ago, you'll be hard-pressed to disagree with me. You see, Janie, author of Mother Moon's Message, had a giveaway. I won. And I simply couldn't have asked for anything better than these handmade willow moon runes and accompanying box.

Let me just say before I show off this rune set which has become my pride and joy (don't fret, they'll never replace my children...LOL), as I opened this box, the smell which wafted out was intoxicating. Janie, what's in that herbal sachet you included in the box? It's the most beautiful scent...

I took pictures as I went through the box...so you're seeing exactly what I saw--although you're probably not feeling all the happiness and excitement I felt. ;)

I was allowed to customize my box...so I chose to have a pentacle burned on top and two shamrocks (a symbol I very much identify with), on either side. Janie even put a little shamrock pendent on my rune bag. She's so thoughtful. :)

The runes themselves are exquisite. And the energy I feel when holding them? Amazing. I can only imagine all the loving intentions that have gone into these runes, both from Janie and her husband, who helped make them.

Janie also included several pages of information about runes, which has been incredibly helpful. However, I want to know more. Does anybody have any recommendations for good books on basic rune instruction?

I'll say it again, Janie. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You'll never know how much this gift means to me.

And as for the rest of you...please don't hate. ;)

You Know You Want It...

2009-12-16T08:38:00.004-05:00

...and I do too!

I'll confess something to you, my sweetest friends. Since starting this spiritual path I haven't really been able to purchase any of the appropriate tools. For us, the kids always come first and it seems there's never anything left for mommy's wants. And truly, I'm okay with this. But I'll also confess it's nice to win items that can actually help me honor my deities with more complete rituals.

Which is the only reason I'm doing this because I really hate doing giveaway posts on my blog. ;)

Magickal Enchantments is having an amazing giveaway...a custom spirituality kit!

This giveaway includes a, "custom blended oil, a custom blended herbal sachet, and a crystal specific to the intent we decide is right for you. Each item will be made to your specific spiritual needs."

Sounds awesome, right? If so, then head over there and enter! The winner will be announced on New Year's Eve. :)

Thank you to Magickal Enchantments for offering such an amazing prize.

Love Cubed

2009-12-15T08:01:00.002-05:00

Although this is my first Yule season as a practicing Pagan and I haven't really established any traditions yet, I've nevertheless been tagged by three lovely ladies, each of whom I happen to adore. Obviously *somebody* wants to know more about me...so the rest of you are left so suffer the consequences. :D

I was tagged by :

Janie at Mother Moon's Message

Dessa at Heartsease Hollow

Mica at The Old Silver Oak

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So here we go, peeps. Enjoy!

1. Have you started your holiday shopping?

Other than a few little things and a some stocking stuffers, I'm finished. ::the crowd cheers in amazement and awe::

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.

My family watches National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and The Christmas Story more than any rational people should. And Doug, being an avid Seinfeld fan, likes to jokingly celebrate Festivus. We make a lot of cookies and Chex Mix as well. This year, we've begun a new tradition...driving each weekend of December to look at Yule lights in various parks or neighborhoods. And finally, after my kids were born, we've adopted a practice where the adults open their gifts on Christmas Eve, so we can focus 100% of our attention on the joy of our kiddos on Christmas morning.

*Note* I refer to the holiday as Christmas while answering this question because that is what my children know it as. I'm Pagan, but relatively new to the path; Doug is agnostic; and my parents are Christian. My children are exposed to all these spiritual paths, but are forced into none. Religion, like everything, is a very personal, individual choice and I refuse to pressure my children into a path that is wrong for them just because it happens to be right for me. Parker and Autumn occasionally attend Sunday school classes at a Methodist church and they also help me set up my Pagan altars for Sabbats and Esbats...and that's okay with me.

3. When do you put up your tree?

We seem to do it a little earlier every year. :) This year, our tree was up on the Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving day.

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper?

Absolutely, 100% NOT! I'd rather get an enema. One of these days, folks are going to realize if you just research a little, you can find the same deals on-line from the comfort of your own home. And you don't have to worry about bodily harm to you or your loved ones either. ;)

5. Do you travel for the holidays or stay home?

We travel...but only about 45 minutes away. Does that count? :)

6. What is your funniest holiday memory?

At the time it wasn't funny because I didn't know any better, but looking back, it makes me chuckle. When I was a kid, we opened our presents late into the night on Christmas Eve (or technically, REALLY early Christmas morning). Anyway, we'd spend the early part of the evening at my grandma's house with the rest of the family and then head back to our house to see if Santa had come while we were gone. However, prior to leaving for my grandma's house, my dad would always distract me with something outside....one year, and I'm not kidding, he taught me every instrument under the hood of his car. At the same time, my mom would always get a mysterious phone call which would last a really long time indoors.

Yes, you guessed it. My mom was getting all the presents under the tree and eating the cookies and carrots I'd left out for Santa and his reindeer while dad was distracting me outside....so it would appear Santa had come while we were at my grandma's house.

Geesh. How could I have not figured that one out? LOL

7. What is your favorite holiday movie of all time?

Hand's down, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Doug and I crack up every single time we watch that film. It never gets old...even though we can practically recite the entire movie by heart. ;)

8. Do you do your own holiday baking? What’s your favorite treat?

Actually, my husband is the baker in the family. Me? Not so much. And my favorite treat? Probably my mom's peanut brittle. YUM.

9. Fake or Real Tree?

We started using a fake tree several years ago because everytime we'd bring a real tree inside, I'd get bronchitis. Now, however, cutting down a tree and condemning it to death for our own personal enjoyment seems so destructive and not at all environmentally friendly. I've been hearing you can now buy firs and pine trees in pots so they can be reintroduced to Mother Earth following the holidays. I do love that idea.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?

For me, it really doesn't. I'm pretty mellow.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice Eve?

Nope. Because we've often opened our gifts on the eve of the holiday.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at the holidays?

What isn't my favorite part? I love everything about this holiday, especially after becoming a mother. Seeing the excitement and magic of the season through my children's eyes is like reliving everything all over again. It's amazing.

13. What holiday craft do you like the best?

I'm not a crafty person at all. Other than painting pictures, we don't really have any Yule craft ideas yet. Any suggestions are welcome! :)

14. Holiday music? Yes or No? If yes, what is your favorite song?

I really love O Holy Night. My favorite song to sing along with is Sleigh Bells. And, of course, I always smile when I hear the Christmas Vacation theme song.

15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?

It's pretty much done, bay-bee! Woot!

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I'm not tagging anybody for this because I think most folks have already participated. However, if you haven't and would like to join in on the fun, please feel free.

Blessed Yule to all!

Older...But Wiser?

2009-12-14T08:18:00.004-05:00

I'm thinking...probably not. :)

Yes, I celebrated my 34th birthday this past Saturday. And while the kids were wondering, "where's the party?", I was perfectly content with the chocolate chip cookies Doug made for me, the decorative planter *see below* and Border's gift card my parents sent (mom has been sick with a nasty cold, so they chose not to visit), and the Outback Steakhouse take-out for dinner. It was a lovely day, indeed!

The past two weekends we've also gone to various parks to observe the light displays. Parker and Autumn have really enjoyed this a great deal, so I suspect it will become a new tradition for our family.

Unfortunately, there still has not been a single snow accumulation here. I admit, it's bumming me out. Snow always manages to put me in the holiday spirit. I don't want so much of the white stuff that it hampers driving conditions or knocks out the electricity...just enough to enjoy that pristine white beauty which makes the world shimmer and sparkle. And enough snow for the kids to make snowmen would be nice too.

Doug travelled to Columbus yesterday to do some shopping at Whole Foods. We get the bulk of Parker's GF/CF foods there. $520 and a tank of gas later, our freezer is now full of oodles of yummy foods just for Parker. He is so excited. Me? I'm suffering from EWS. Empty Wallet Syndrome.

Speaking of shopping, other than a few stocking stuffers, our Yule shopping is officially complete! Woot! Now we just need to get everything wrapped, which is a real chore for me. I am not a great wrapper and I find the job beyond tedious. I'm notorious for either a) using too much paper or, b) not using enough paper. Needless to say, the packages I wrap are certainly no works of art.

Well, my mom just called and informed me she's coming to visit. Maybe I'll go shopping with her and finish up all the last-minute odds n' ends.

My very first Yule celebration is just around the corner. Yay!
I hope you all have an amazing week.
Toodle-oo!

Platinum Flashback

2009-12-08T07:29:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of Doug and me. I like it mostly because I was five months pregnant with Parker here and I love my belly pooch. I don't have many belly pictures of either of my pregnancies, unfortunately, which makes this one particularly precious. As my belly grew...so did my bubble butt. Those were the only jeans which would fit me...they had an elastic waist. ;)

And yes, I totally dyed my hair while I was pregnant. Would I do it now? Absolutely not. But, as the song says, "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger."

So now we have three Boo hair colors to choose from: caramel, brunette, and platinum. ;) And yes, I've been multiple shades of red as well, for the record.

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We did take the kids to the light show Sunday night...so more on that coming up.

Ciao!

Whassup?

2009-12-06T09:58:00.004-05:00

As the days get darker and my 34th birthday draws slowly closer, I find myself lagging in holiday spirit. The decorations are up (see Yule tree above), cookies and Chex Mix are being made on a regular basis (currently, the flavor of choice is butterscotch oatmeal), and we've even had a couple dustings of snow. Tonight, I'm hoping to take the kids to the city park across the river in Ohio, to see the light display.

Yet for some reason, I'm not feeling very jolly. Maybe I need to buy tickets to see The Nutcracker. Or, better yet, maybe I should simply plop my butt on the couch and watch Mamma Mia! over and over again. Those ABBA songs get my blood pumping every time. :)

Parker gave me a scare in the early morning hours Friday. He woke up sobbing because his head hurt. Because I'm a worry-wart mommy and registered nurse, I was totally performing neurological exams on my baby boy. When he finally puked up wads of phlegm, I figured the problem was sinus pressure. Thankfully, he's been fine ever since. Nevertheless, I kept him home from school that day. I think he might have allergies like his daddy. :(

Speaking of Parker, we took the kids to Toys R' Us Friday evening to look around. We were hoping Parker might show some interest in something...anything. The only thing he's asked for so far is a blue computer that's 'the color if his eyes.' :) As expected though, Autumn wanted everything she saw and Parker had eyes for only one item...................a drum set.

Goddess help me!

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Parker's granddad was an all-state percussionist in high school and I was section leader of percussion for three years during my high school days. I guess it runs in the family.

Doug and I were supposed to drive to Columbus yesterday morning to hit up Whole Foods for some of Parker's specialized gluten/casein free food. But with the weather being a bit unpredictable, accompanied by freezing temperatures, we decided to stay home and try again next weekend. I wasn't overly upset though...there was lots of good college football on TV.

Go WVU...Gator Bowl bound! See you in Jacksonville on the first day of January, Florida State!

And finally, since this post seems to be centered around my little man, Parker Peanut Butter, please allow a mommy to brag just a bit. In his first grade class, the teacher had a list which included four columns of sight words she wanted the kids to read to her in under a minute. PPB read these words more quickly than anybody in the class...in only 30 seconds! Autism isn't holding Parker down!

Have a good week, my loves!

P.S. I think the consensus is I look better as a brunette. ;)

Flashback

2009-12-01T18:53:00.002-05:00

This photo was taken of Doug and me during the summer of 2001 in Seattle, WA. We were attending a Mariner's game with some friends and I'd just discovered I was pregnant with Parker.

Nobody was aware of the pregnancy yet; just Doug, Doug's best friend, Lenny, and my roomie (who also happened to be Lenny's girlfriend at the time), Jessica.
However, the fact I was eating nothing but relish directly from the little plastic packets throughout the game, might have been an obvious clue to bystanders. What is it with pickles and pregnancy anyway?

After the game (and I can't remember who we were playing or whether we won or lost), we went to 13 Coins, a restaurant in downtown Seattle. As Parker would say, it was "yummy delicious!"

Now, be honest, darling readers....what do you think of my hair color in the photo? I personally think I make a much better brunette, which is my natural color.

This photo was taken a couple years before Doug's jaw surgery too, which happened to change his appearance rather drastically. His entire upper jaw was moved forward via orthognathic surgery, also in Seattle.

Anyway, I'm just rambling. I happened to come across this picture over the weekend and it made me smile. So many memories we've made together. And we look like such kids...

Heck, I didn't even have glasses yet! :)

The turkey, the family, and the dining room table..

2009-11-29T19:41:00.005-05:00

I took very few pictures this Thanksgiving season, mostly because we forgot to charge our camera's battery. However, I think I captured the essence of our holiday perfectly in the picture above. After all, what could we possibly be more thankful for than our children and their health?

We had Thanksgiving dinner, as is tradition, at my grandma's house in the country. Many aunts, uncles, and cousins were in attendance. Our meal was pretty typical T-day fixings...turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry salad, corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, noodles, broccoli and cheese casserole, deviled eggs, and for dessert, pumpkin pie and eclair cake.

In other words, a carb fest.

Especially for me. I chose not to eat any meat. I've been pork and beef free for almost two years now and I'm working on eliminating turkey next. My goal is to one day, in the distant future (chicken is going to be so hard to eliminate from my diet!!), become a vegetarian. I figure if I slowly stop eating these proteins, as opposed to stopping all at once, I won't miss them as much later on.

If this isn't true, current vegetarians, please don't tell me otherwise! :)

The rest of our weekend, which seemed entirely too short, was spent watching football, reading, playing with the kids, and simply relaxing.

Doug, being a conscientious college student, took a walk around my parent's property looking for a rock bed along the creek to photograph for his geology class. Here's a few of his shots:

Not bad for a point and shoot camera.

Today, we spent the day cleaning the living and dining rooms and putting up Yule decorations. (Pictures to come in later entry.)

And now? Now I'm going to nestle into my chair while wearing comfy clothes (i.e. pants with an elastic waist band), watch some TV, read, fiddle with my laptop, eat some ice cream, and whine a little because Parker has to go back to school tomorrow.

Gobble, Gobble!

2009-11-25T15:24:00.003-05:00

I'm not certain I'll have a chance tomorrow to send my holiday wishes to all of you wonderful folks...so I'm doing it now.

Without further ado...HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM BOO'S CLAN! :)

Keep Striving

2009-11-19T08:31:00.003-05:00

Yesterday evening, my husband and I, along with three (yes, three!) of Parker's teachers attended a speaking event at the illustrious Blennerhassett Hotel. The speaker of note was autistic author and journalist, Sean Barron. Mr. Barron was diagnosed with classic autism in 1965, at the age of three. Also speaking was Mr. Barron's long-time girlfriend, Barbara (I never caught her last name), who was diagnosed with autism at age 2.

It was a thought-provoking and inspiring evening on many levels and I'm so glad we went. Because we were a few minutes late arriving, I was only able to purchase one of his books, Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, which he co-authored with Temple Grandin.

Following the question and answer segment of the event, Mr. Barron autographed his books. When I arrived at the front of the line, I told him what an inspiration he was to parents and grandparents of autistic children. I told him about Parker's diagnosis and subsequent recovery (which isn't complete...but we're getting there), and I told him what a wonderful influence Parker's sister, Autumn, has been for him.

In response, he wrote this in Parker's book:

It reads:

To Parker,

I hear from your mom that you're a pretty cool guy. Keep striving.

Kindly yours,
Sean Barron

I must confess, I got a little teary-eyed when I read that passage. What an incredible man. If any of you are interested in knowing what autism is like from an 'insider' point of view, I suggest Mr. Barron's books. I'm certainly a fan. :)

...and then she was 5

2009-11-17T10:11:00.008-05:00

I'm not sure how it happened.
I mean, everybody always told me it would happen.
Indeed, I even tried to prepare myself for it.
But now that it has happened, I feel a myriad of emotions...happiness, excitement, sadness, loss, and most importantly, a love so encompassing it knows no boundaries.

Happiness that my little girl reached her fifth year as a happy, healthy, sunny child.

Excitement which I caught from her...like a contagion.

Sadness that my little girl is one step closer to not needing me quite so much anymore.

Loss for the infant who resided in my womb and the toddler who toddled her way into my heart forever.

And love. (No other words are needed here).

Yes, Autumn turned five years old on November 16, 2009. As she's been saying quite frequently since then, "I'm a big girl now."

**She pronounces 'girl' like 'gill.' Sooo cute!**

As usual...I have pictures! I'll include brief descriptions for each.

Autumn's birthday party was Friday the 13th (gotta love that!), to accommodate schedules. This is how she looked for her party. Beautiful, yes? :)

She requested a puppy theme for her party. This is the puppy paw banner we found for her...

Her balloons...which were lavender, pastel blue, and lime green.

More puppy decorations. :) It wasn't the easiest theme to find around here. LOL

After a dinner of East of Chicago pizza, Autumn opened her cards and gifts.

Obviously, she likes Strawberry Shortcake now. :) This is most of her loot. [More coming from Washington sometime this week.]

The Cold Stone Creamery cake! We couldn't find a puppy themed cake, so we just got a standard birthday cake and added a puppy candle. Hey, it was the best we could do! :)

And yes, the 'A' in Autumn does look more like an 'R.'

Autumn chose chocolate ice cream and devil's food cake. Appropriate for Friday the 13th, don't you think?

After her party, she stripped off those confining clothes and instead, confined herself in a 'cage.' A cage made of balloon strings, that is. ;)

Yes, she's been carrying this balloon around since Friday. Gah!

I think the colors are just lovely...

On her actual birthday, she decided she wanted to wear the same shirt because it's so 'pretty.' She also received pink carnations, a birthday balloon, and a birthday bear which sings "Happy Birthday" from her grandparents.

Then she decided she needed to draw a picture of her bear...and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed!

Autumn also requested to go bowling on her birthday...so we did. Here are their scores.

Parker = 84

Autumn = 72

(Please note, Parker got a spare in the second frame.)

And...

Autumn = 76

Parker = 65

So they each won a game! Perfect! :)

After bowling, we had dinner at Bob Evans. Once we arrived home, Autumn enjoyed more of her ice cream cake.

Overall, I think she had a very memorable 5th birthday. I hope so anyway. :)

Happy birthday, baby girl. Mommy loves you oodles!

Meet Our Turkey-Peacock.....Parker Jr.

2009-11-12T08:56:00.004-05:00

Last week, Parker's first grade teacher sent an 8 x 10 turkey picture home with instructions to decorate it however we saw fit. The key was to get as many family members to participate in the decorating as possible. Everybody who helped was instructed to sign their name beneath the turkey.

So yesterday, since Parker didn't have school in remembrance of Veteran's Day, my mom came to visit and we made the trek to Craft 2000 for supplies. Parker and Autumn picked out most of the items they wanted to use to decorate 'Parker Jr.'

Yes. Parker named the turkey Parker Jr.

After finally finding a glue gun and glue sticks, we paid for our purchases and headed home to create a gobbley masterpiece. Mom was in charge of the glue gun as the rest of us took turns carefully adding each decorative piece.

The end result?

It looked like a peacock.

But Parker was thrilled by the stunning good looks of Parker Jr., and even said, "Wow, check him out, maw-maw!"

So without further ado, dear friends, meet ::errr:: Parker Jr!!!

I also had to include this adorable picture of my little man doing his homework. He's so cute.

Happenings...

2009-11-08T08:31:00.004-05:00

I haven't really posted anything of substance for awhile now. Our lives have been rather quiet...and, frankly, that's not a bad thing.

So today, I thought I'd write a short update of our comings and goings. :)

* We've been watching our West Virginia University Mountaineer football team every weekend. Although their record thus far is 7-2, they're a pretty stinky team. Of course, I say that with lots of love in my heart. ;) But boy, do I ever miss Pat White.

* Parker has been getting his methyl b-12 injections for over a month now and...W.O.W! What a difference! Everybody has been noticing the changes which have since resulted. He's talking more and the words are spoken with more clarity. He's more affectionate. In fact, he comes downstairs every evening just to snuggle on my lap. He also calls his grandparents every night to chat. His speech therapist told me this past week that suddenly, everything seems to be clicking for Parker. He's even started going to the gym each morning to sit with his 1st grade class! He's never done that before because it's a very loud environment with the entire student body chatting and laughing. The school principal pulled me aside last week and told me she'd had a short conversation with Parker too. She said, "I passed him in the hallway and said to him, 'Hi Parker. How are you?' " He replied back, "I'm good. How are you?" She told me this with the biggest grin on her face. The staff of that school just adores Parker. Of course, how could they not? The kid is a gem.

* Unfortunately, despite having insurance and Medicaid for Parker (which he qualifies for because of his autism diagnosis), we cannot get these injections covered. It's a huge frustration for me. Although they're not super expensive ($56, including shipping, for 10 injections...Parker receives a shot every third day), it's just another thing added to our monthly budget, which is already straining at the seams.

* My herbs are inside the house...all 19 of them. It doesn't matter that we're now unable to use our dining room table or that we can barely walk through our living room for fear of tripping over a green, leafy being. I must take care of my herb babies...love them! I just really wish I had a greenhouse.

* Autumn's 5th birthday is in just 8 days. She's asked for a puppy theme for her decorations and an ice cream cake. Due to budget constraints, we're just having a small family get-together. I honestly can't fathom that my baby is almost five years old. But she's growing into such a sunny, happy, beautiful little girl. It's a joy to see.

* I'm currently reading the sixth installment of the House of Night series, Tempted, by P.C. & Kristin Cast. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown is waiting in the wings.

* Doug is doing amazingly well in his college classes...he currently has all A's! And he seems to have a real interest in geology. Yes, friends, my husband enjoys studying rocks. A pagan-in-training, perhaps? :)

* Doug's best friend, Lenny and his wife, Stephanie were blessed with their first child in October. Welcome to the word, Brennan!

* I avoided a root canal, thankfully. Unfortunately, even after the permanent filling was added, the tooth is still sensitive to cold and even to chewing some textures. I really hope it passes...it's quite inconvenient and annoying. And just an FYI, I'm no longer getting the silver, mercury-filled amalgams. Mercury in our bodies is bad, bad, BAD.

* It's supposed to be in the 70's here today...sunny and beautiful. So it's time to get off this computer and get this day started.

* And finally, I am officially CAUGHT UP on all your blogs! Yay! How long did it take? Only three weeks? Bah! That's nothing. :) Nevertheless, I'm glad I'm reading current entries and not ones which are 4 or 5 days old for a change. :)

Have a beautiful Sunday (or Monday depending on where you are in the world)!

Runes, Runes Everywhere!

2009-11-06T11:25:00.004-05:00

I don't normally do this....but because I desperately want my very own set of runes, I'm doing it today. :)

Two equally lovely ladies in blogger-world are giving away runes this month! It couldn't have come at a better time, frankly. I've been pricing them the last few weeks and trying to find the perfect set.

The first giveaway, compliments of Domestic Witch, is a set of rose quartz runes. They're just lovely.

The second set was lovingly crafted by the author of Mother Moon's Message, and her husband. They also come with a handcrafted, custom designed box. Simply amazing!

Please check these giveaways out...won't you?

Our Samhain/Halloween Season In Pictures...

2009-10-31T22:57:00.009-04:00

...and a few words thrown in too!

You didn't really think I could publish an entire entry without rambling a little, did you?

I hope you all had a blessed Samhain. Happy new year to my pagan friends! Thank you to all of you who helped make October such a successful, interesting, educating, and just plain ol' fun blogging month.

And now for some pictures:

Parker & Autumn visiting their grandparents. Their 'dad-dad' put this little pumpkin display together just for them.

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We received an amazing little package in the mail from Jen at Rue & Hyssop. And it wasn't even a giveaway! She's just a kind-hearted soul who wanted my kids to have some fun Halloween coloring and craft books. Oh, and stickers too! Plus, she included a lovely card and a little note to me too. I was even given the opportunity to see her beautiful face! Yay!

Can you tell Autumn's excited to do some crafts? :) She's been coloring away in the coloring books, Jen. You did good!

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And this, my friends, is the beautiful print I won in Mrs. B's 31 Days of Giveaways. Thank you to Emily Balivet for participating in the giveaways and offering such a beautiful piece of work. I'm trying to find the perfect frame for it now. :)

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And this! This was the very cool gift I won from Wendy at The Halloween Tree. The actual prize was a Halloween CD, but she also sent some Halloween stickers (which my kids went crazy for), and Halloween pencils and paper. Wendy, you had the CD wrapped so beautifully, I hated to rip the paper! :)

Here's the CD...we've listened to it non-stop since it arrived in the mail. It's VERY good. And Wendy is even the photographer responsible for the amazing artwork on the front cover!

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And finally....this is the AMAZING hand-painted gourd I won from Haunted Swamp Designs. How adoarble is he? This little guy will definitely be sitting in my home year-around.

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My two little clowns on 10.30.09, the morning of Parker's school parade.

She's such a ham...

Big, floppy footsies.

I'm not convinced he can see around that big, red nose.

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This is a pumpkin Parker painted with acrylic paints and covered with clear glitter at school. The picture doesn't do it justice. It sparkles like a diamond in the sunlight. Please note my spearmint and chocolate mint in the background. :)

Of course, Autumn had to make some too after seeing her brother's.

Ta da! We couldn't find clear glitter...so we had to use silver. And because it's hard to tell in the pictures, Autumn's pumpkins are purple.

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Autumn at Parker's school, waiting for the parade to start. She calls that 'her tree.'

The witchy principal at the start of the parade, marching to the beat of such tunes as Thriller and Ghostbusters.

Post-parade...with his autism teacher.

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And finally....Samhain night! Trick or treating we go!

Showing off their pumpkin artwork.

Our little front porch. Living in a townhouse, we don't have much space to decorate, obviously. The herbs on my front porch are a bay leaf, peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, lemon balm, thyme, and Italian parsley.

Happy Samhain! (Please ignore the garbage we were taking to the dumpster.)

Our little family.

Trick or Treat!

I thought these trees were so pretty!

Doug's pumpkin creation...can you tell what it is?

And the other one....

And finally, (sorry for the photo heavy entry), Autumn checking out her loot...and daddy checking it out too, making sure it's not opened or obviously tampered with. Parker had already eaten one of the milk-free peanut butter balls I bought especally for him, since he can't eat normal candy. (FYI, to help recover Parker from autism, we have him on a gluten/casein-free diet.)

It's been an amazing month and I'm so happy I have you all in my life. Thank you to all of you for taking the time to get to know my family and me.

As a sidenote, I watched the remake of Halloween last night, the one directed by Rob Zombie. I wasn't impressed. After that, we watched Day of the Dead. It was kinda fun. :)

Guess Who's Rocking His School Pictures?

2009-10-30T04:00:00.003-04:00

It's my little peanut butter boy, Parker, with his striking baby blues and his big boy front teeth.

Check it out, won't you?

[Please notice the rockin' hair his mommy lovingly styled for him.]

And for a comparison, here is last year's school picture. He still had all his adorable baby teeth then....

::sigh::

They really do grow up fast, don't they?

I'm so proud of you, Parker. Don't grow up too fast, okay?

A Friendship For A Lifetime....

2009-10-28T18:37:00.005-04:00

Meet Brittany....one of my very best friends.

We've been through so much together...including pictures which showcase ~~our~~ my double chin.

She's like the sister I've never had.

I even love her pooch, Moogie [pronounced Moe-gee].

Our time together was amazing. Sunday evening, we spent nearly eight hours together dining at the Outback Steakhouse, having drinks at a local sports bar, getting/giving a tour of my townhouse, and even stinking up the bowling alley with our gutter balls.

Although our activities for the evening were mundane, doing them together made them extraordinary.

Brittany even spoiled me rotten with spectacular gifts which included:

A bottle of wine...

...called Bitch. :D

A Vineyard tart warmer (with Vineyard tarts included), from Yankee Candle...

...which is sooo me. The girl knows me well.

And this is the exciting part...having lived in the Boston suburbs the last few years, Brittany and her boyfriend, Anthony, travelled to Salem one last time before their move to Missouri.

This is what they generously chose for me at Laurie Cabot's shop, Crow Haven Corner [and yes, I even kept the bag]....

...a Salem Witch Bottle which protects against dark magick, evil, and mischievous spirits.

Included inside is Atlantic sea salt; soil from Naumkeage, Massachusetts; a rusted iron nail; a DOMUS DEFENDIO charm; and herbs of clove, rosemary, and sage.

And finally, she chose for me some beautiful glass jars. I haven't decided what to use them for yet, but I'm thinking of maybe making bath salts with some of my harvested herbs included.

She also brought me a copy of one of her photography prints...a stunning view of Provincetown.

Like I said....spoiled!

But who's complaining? Not me!

On Monday morning, we had breakfast together and said our good-byes. I'm definitely not referring to them as final good-byes, because we plan on hanging out again very soon. Britt and I are two peas in a pod...and so are the men in our life. Doug and Anthony were quoting Seinfeld episodes to each other all night long. And one point during the evening, they both started singing a Tom Petty song at the exact same time.

Yea, freaky.

To end this post about my amazing Brittany, I thought I'd share this little gem I recorded while we were at the bowling alley. :)

I love you, Brittany, and I'm so glad we were given this opportunity. Here's to next time!

They say it's your birthday...

2009-10-26T20:54:00.002-04:00

...it's my birthday too!

My blog's birthday, that is.

Yes, indeed, I started blogging on AOL journals on October 26, 2003. The title of my journal at that time was My Life With A Toddler and Parker was 18 months old.

After Autumn's birth in 2004, the title changed to ...And Then There Were Four, via popular vote.

And finally, during my transition to blogger, the title became a play on a show that's since become an embarrassment to American television...but we won't go there. :)

I couldn't let this day pass without at least mentioning the birthday of what has become an incredible part of my life.

Happy 6th Birthday, Doug & Boo + Two!

**Sidenote**
My laptop is fixed, I'm done running around for a bit, and I will be blogging in full force starting tomorrow. Also, expect some visits from me to your blogs as well!

Where, Oh Where...?

2009-10-22T09:58:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry I've been MIA, guys. My laptop battery died and refuses to charge...we had to order another and we're still impatiently awaiting it's arrival. In the meantime, my husband is on our desktop PC every evening, completing homework for his college classes.

All this means no computer time for Boo. And it may not improve anytime soon...I'm visiting my parents in the country this weekend and on Sunday evening ::drumroll, please:: I'm meeting one of my very best friends for the very first time!

Brittany and I met on-line via AOL journals nearly 7 years ago and have been friends ever since. We've been through a lot together...and I CANNOT WAIT to give her a hug. A real, true-blue, physical contact kinda hug.

So if you don't see me visiting your blogs in the next few days, it's not because I don't want to...I'm just sort of unavailable at this time. :)

I absolutely promise I'll be back as soon as possible. I just hate that I'm missing Mrs. B's giveaways, darnit.

Anyway, have a witchy weekend, everyone!

A Few Thanks To My Peeps...

2009-10-16T09:30:00.005-04:00

I've been honored to receive many blog awards recently and I just want to take a moment to say 'thank you' to those who bestowed them upon me. They're so appreciated and I truly do love you all.

I couldn't possibly comply with the rules of all these awards, because if I did, this entry would be four gazillion words long.

Instead, this entry is simply meant to be a big, whopping THANK YOU to........

Hyla, of Green Earth Journey, who made this totally sweet award just for me! Hyla's blog is amazing...and the two of us are very like-minded, so this award means the world to me. She's become an incredible new friend. Thank you, Hyla!

Bella Foxglove, of Wanderings of a Wandering Mind, who has totally become one of my favorite bloggers. She's funny, down-to-earth, and so beautiful. Thank you, Bella!

MarZel, of The Play of Light and Shadow, who is without a doubt, one of the most artistically talented people I know. Her blog is always so interesting and I just love her little pug, who happens to be my namesake. :) Thank you, MarZel!

Rowan Silverstar, of Candles & Wicks, who I happen to have so much in common with! She's a beautiful soul, inside and out. I just adore her! Thank you, Rowan!

and...

Mother Moon, of Mother Moon's Message, who I am just getting to know and who I'm so glad I found on blogger. She's a sweetheart. Thank you, Mother Moon!

I was also given an award from one of my best friend's Brandi, which I will write more about in another post. :)

They're A Little 'Boy George...'

2009-10-16T08:53:00.005-04:00

Today was 'Crazy Hats' day at Parker's elementary school. It ended up working well for us because after a dinner at Bob Evans last night (where I partook of some yummy chicken pot pie), we made a pit stop at the Halloween USA store.

While there, Autumn was totally freaked out by a a giant, mechanical clown which removed it's own head, all the while smiling maniacally. I was totally thrown off guard by a giant, animated Jason (of Friday the 13th fame). I swear he was ogling me with his demonic yellow eyes. And he lunged at me with a machete!! Totally true too. Parker? He just thought everything was funny. Personally, I was a bit grossed out by the man seizing in a morgue bag with blood all over his face.

But anyhoo.

The point of my story is that the kids each found a hat they just 'had to have' at this store. And with today being 'Crazy Hat' day at school, I figured, "why not?" Autumn isn't actually in school yet...and I'm actually hoping to homeschool her...but she had to have a hat too, of course.

So, without further ado...check out my Boy George wannabes.

This final photo was taken at the school this morning. Most of you know, since out trip to the Columbus Zoo last spring, Parker has been wearing this Outback hat almost every single day....literally everywhere we go. His teachers get such a kick out of it, they found similar hats at their respective homes and wore them to school today in honor of Parker.

Look, they all match! :)

Of course, after this picture was taken, Parker had to switch back to his fuzzy purple hat. :)

Speaking of costumes and clowns...that's what my kids are gonna be for Halloween this year! Their costumes arrived this week, and let me just say....they're gonna be the cutest clowns ever!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I Got One!

2009-10-13T19:01:00.003-04:00

Now if only his school picture turns out half as well.

Curious as to how I managed to capture this smile?
I insisted he say, "Cheeseburgers in paradise."

By golly, he was able to say it too. :D

I'm Too Sexy...

2009-10-10T17:31:00.004-04:00

Digging through my blog archives today...I found an entry which I'd completely forgotten about, but which had me in stitches remembering. Since I have so many new readers, I thought I'd give you a little 'essence of Boo.' :D

Originally posted September '08.

Without paying any attention to the time, I decided I was hungry and stuck a Smart Ones meal in the microwave. My flavor selection, you ask?

Chicken Alfredo.

Is there anybody out there who doesn't love the creamy goodness of yummy alfredo sauce? It's one of my favorites.

After heating and stirring it all together, I realized I only had a few minutes to eat before I had to take Parker his digestive enzymes at school. I started forking my alfredo in faster.

Five minutes later I'd finished my meal, peed, and was shuffling Autumn out the front door. The lawn man was out front with a leaf blower. I stopped and talked for a few minutes. I noticed he was looking at me a little oddly, but I honestly thought it was because of my hair. It's a bit....bouffant....today.

I waved goodbye, looking curiously at his shit-eating grin, strapped Autumn into the car and drove away.

Halfway down our street, I glanced in my rear-view mirror.

I totally had white, crusty stuff all around my mouth and down my chin. Even some on my neck.

Oh yea. I think we all know where this one's going......

Smile Pretty!

2009-10-08T08:51:00.004-04:00

This is the big day...the day Parker's school is taking student pictures. I put him in a brand new shirt (seen below), and spiked his hair to perfection. Now let's just hope he'll actually smile when the camera flashes. With Parker, you just never know what kind of picture you're gonna get.

Last year at this time, he still had his two front baby teeth. This year, his adult teeth are almost completely in place. Ahhh, the passage of time. It makes this mommy sad to see her baby growing so quickly.

He's been filling up his 'good boy' chart with stickers, much to my delight and his. In the past 9 days of school, he's only had to go to time-out once. [For all of those new to my journal ::waving hello::, my son has autism.]

Of course, after seeing her brother with a chart, Autumn had to have one as well. So, to get her stickers, her responsibilities include cleaning up after herself, listening to me when I tell her something with no arguments, and keeping her room spotless. If, at the end of the day, she's accomplished these goals, she gets a sticker. I tell you, it's working like a charm!

**********

My herbs are still growing like mad...in October! And my pineapple sage is blooming beautifully. Check out my before and after pictures...

Pineapple sage bloom 1 week ago

Pineapple Sage bloom last night (10.7.09)

My sage pot...this pot includes pineapple, white, golden, and purple sage. I didn't realize the pineapple sage would get so huge, or I would have given it it's own pot! Aggghhh! I think it's keeping sunlight from my poor purple sage.

A few of my other herbs including, common sage, rosemary, two types of lavender, catnip, eucalyptus, and citronella. The rest of my herb babies are sitting on my front porch.

Okay, so this is my first time growing herbs. Please help. I live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country and while the days are still getting to the high 60's and low 70's, the nights are typically in the mid-40's. No frost yet though. When should I bring these plants inside? Any suggestions?

**********

While the weather is still decent, we've been spending the bulk of our evenings outside, letting the kids play in the backyard. Yesterday evening, because she has a nasty blister on her heel, we made Autumn wear her Crocs to play outside...shoes which don't rub her already incredibly raw heel, in other words.

As she was running, they kept slipping off her feet. She ran barefoot up to us, a childlike joy on her face and said, "My shoes fell off on a BEAUTIFUL day!" It was just such an Autumn thing to say...my little witch-in-training. :)

I did manage to get a semi-decent picture of my Peanut Butter Boy too...

**********

I'd also like to take a minute and thank Mrs. B for giving me the opportunity to participate in her Haunted Halloween tour on October 2. I've gained so many wonderful new readers and I owe it all to her. To all of you who are now following my blog, WELCOME! I appreciate you more than you know.

I hope everybody has an amazing weekend!

Welcome To BOO'sville!

2009-10-02T01:00:00.001-04:00

Graphic by Brittany

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Merry meet fellow zombies, ghouls, skeletal remains, vampires, corpse brides, werewolves, and witches!

I'm Boo Shamrock [aka Bridgett], witchy mother of two little imps and wife of an evil faerie prince.

:P

Sorry, babe. Couldn't resist.

I've been blogging for 6 years now and have no plans to stop. I'd like to take this very special moment to welcome each and every one of you to my blog, Doug & Boo + Two.

Stick around! We'll have some fun. :)

And now for a little ghost story to set the mood....

[Please be gentle. Although I adore writing, this is the first bit of creative work I've done for quite awhile. Eeek!]

BALANCE

On a long ago autumn day in 1975 Ireland, a baby girl was born. She was a beautiful baby with tufts of curly black hair, piercing green eyes, tiny bow shaped lips, and a perfectly round little face.

Everybody marveled over her beauty...then marveled much more when her birthmark was revealed. On the back of her tiny, delicate neck, in an earthy sage-green hue, was a perfectly shaped shamrock.

"She must be the luckiest baby in all the world!" her mother said in a clipped Irish brogue.

"Indeed," stated her proud father, staring adoringly at his daughter who was already the talk of the town, and only a few hours old.

Her given name, from that moment forward, was Lucky.

As the years passed, she proved to be as lucky to her family as that stunning mark etched into her pale, ivory skin. If her father needed a job, one would quickly become available after the former worker mysteriously disappeared.

If her mother was emotionally hurt by a friend, that friend would be found mere hours later floating face down in the pond or hanging from the rafters of their attic....each believed, by the local law enforcement, to be accidents or suicides.

What nobody noticed, because it was hidden by her ebony curls, as these so-called accidents were occurring, Lucky's shamrock mark glowed an alien neon green.

Lucky was the apple of her father's eye. She basked in his warmth and liked nothing more than curling herself onto his lap, the smoke from his pipe wafting through the air and creating little curly cues around her head, as he read to her from a book of classic ghost stories.

Her life was perfect. That is, until her parents announced they were expecting another baby.

Their second daughter was born with a sheen of auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes which focused intensely, and with interest, on each person who visited her. Within that rich gaze, her visitors felt a sense of contentment and joy pure enough to rob them of their breath. The happiness which blossomed around her was infectious.

Infectious to everybody except her older sibling, that is.

This baby was as beautiful as her elder sister. She, too, possessed a birthmark on the back of her neck...a perfectly detailed full moon in an intense shade of blue. Because of this, her parents blessed her with the name Luna.

Growing up together, Lucky was viewed by the residents of their tiny mountain town as cold, distant, and difficult. Luna, however, was warm, affectionate, and playful. And although it was somehow overlooked by the masses, Lucky would often stare at Luna with unveiled hatred sparkling in her emerald green eyes, while a pale green mist crept around her head.

On a cold Halloween night, during her 12th year, Luna once again felt her sister probing her mind...trying to find a way, any way, to force Luna to take her own life.

"It won't work," Luna said sleepily. "I feel you in my brain, Lucky...I've always felt you there. And I know what you're trying to do...the same thing you've done to countless others. But I'm telling you now. It won't work."

Lucky sat straight up in bed and glared at Luna. "I don't know what you're talking about, baby sister, " she said, the sound of her voice menacing....with just a trace of the surprise and shock she felt coming through on the final syllable.

"Oh, I think you do, big sister. I was sent here as your balance. The light to your dark. The good to your evil. The yin to your yang. For every horrible atrocity you commit on humanity, I'm here to put a healing salve on the open wounds you've created. I'm here to fill those people with love and tenderness instead of hate and despair. You can't hurt me and I can't hurt you...because we're two parts of a whole."

Following this speech, Luna sat Indian-style on her twin bed, watching the array of emotions as they played across Lucky's face. Finally, a look of satisfaction won the war. "So if I kill myself, it will also kill you. Correct? I mean, if we're two parts of a whole, there must be balance. If I die, you die."

Looking unsure for the first time and feeling her heart flutter in her chest, Luna stuttered her reply, "I....I....I don't know."

Smugly, with the utmost calm, Lucky pulled a knife from beneath her mattress and said, "Why don't we test this theory, dear Luna?" And with one quick motion, a satisfied smile tainting her lips, Lucky plunged the blade of the knife deep into her own chest.

Immediately, Luna felt an enormous pressure in her chest. No pain. Just a pressure so deep and so cold, she couldn't breath. As her sister, Lucky, convulsed on her own twin bed and blood pooled beneath her on the clean white sheets, Luna fell to her bed gasping and grabbing at her throat. She knew she was dying, could even feel the cold seeping into her extremities, but could do nothing to stop it from happening. With one final strangling, guttural sound from her mouth, she fell forever still, one slim leg dangling over the edge of the bed...a fluffy pink sock covering the toes.

Although neither girl was among the living, their birthmarks glowed on.

Written by Boo Shamrock

West Virginia

October 2009