In Memory Of James Scott Terrill

Do you ever get really creeped out by something and cannot shake the feeling that something isn't quite right?
I received a comment on the Guerrilla Parenting blog, late Friday night. The commenter informed me that Scott Terrill, a former Supernanny dad had committed suicide that night. The really creepy part was that the commenter knew before anything had been reported. They even told me that it was a suicide. Yet, there is no other information in the media that points to suicide. The commenter knew all of the family's names, ages and other details that only a family member would know.
I just received an email from my friend, Christy Schrage (also a Supernanny parent,) with a link to Scott's obituary. What I had suspected was a mean prank in the form of a blog comment, is 100% true. The comment was left on my blog at 11:30 pm, July 4th. Scott's "suicide" happened shortly after 9:00 pm on July 4th. Doesn't it seem strange that a family member, if it was, would be scouring the web for blogs to report Scott's death, immediately following the incident? I'm baffled by this. Maybe it is the Nancy Drew in me...but I don't feel at ease with the fact that whomever this person is, knew of the incident right after it happened and every detail. He/she even told me where it happened. Coincidence? Maybe. Family member? Maybe. I emailed the commenter at their address, to ask for confirmation and information sources, but they never responded. What do you think about all of this?
All mysteries aside...My heart goes out to Scott's family, especially his two boys, Lane and Tate. They were abandoned by their mother and now by their father. It makes me want to bawl my eyes out for them. I wish I could just hug them and tell them that I know how it feels to lose a man who you love and cling to. My prayers are with them.

The Battles I Choose

Even parents of one child know that in life, sometimes it's necessary to appease. Sure, you could choose to battle 1,000+ times a day over outfits, food, toys, oral hygiene and who gets the blue cup at dinner. Or, you can choose to engage only in battles that are of the utmost importance and let the small stuff fall to the wayside, while your child basks on the glory of one small victory. I have to remind my husband of this...a lot.

Like the times that we are at the dinner table and all of the kids want the drumsticks. This conundrum usually ends in fighting and whining over who was the last child to get the drumstick. Daniel's usual solution is to tear all of the chicken off of the bone and say, "There! Now nobody gets it! You wanna whine? Whine about that!" All of the dinner time crying could easily be solved by going the extra mile and carefully tearing off a large piece of the chicken, wrapping it in some skin (the kids' favorite part,) and giving it a clever name. "Here Aiden, you get the chicken's arm!" This kind of clever thinking usually makes dinner a more peaceful event. Sure it takes more effort and some ridiculous names, but why not do it? Trust me, listening to seven whiny kids at one table makes me lose my appetite and want to tear my own ears off. If I can avoid it by calling a piece of meat a chicken arm...so be it.

Then there are times when we have to put our foot down about things that don't seem like a big deal, but could end up costing us later. For instance, Trenton found an old, frazzled shoe lace. It was black and looked like a horses mane. So he decided to glue it on over his male appendage and call it his "Wiener mustache." He went all day wearing this thing and laughing to himself. When I finally made him spill the beans, he told me all about how having a wiener mustache would make him look older. As silly and insignificant as that may seem, I could just see him wearing one to school and trying to hit on the sixth grade girls with a cleverly thought of pick up line like, "Hey ladies, wanna see my mustache?" I'd rather not let it go that far. So the mustache had to come off...much to Trenton's dismay. He got so mad at me for insisting that he remove it and wait for real hair to grow there, that he ripped it off in anger. Ouch. Not a smart move.

I think that the knowledge of which battles to choose, come with experience and a few calls to the school to explain to your kindergartner why he cannot bring mommy's silicone bra inserts to school for show and tell...and the like. It is all trial and error. I'm sure I'll look back in another ten years with perfect hindsight vision and think, "Oh yeah....that's why I should not have given those chicken pieces such stupid names!" But for now...I'm just going to keep on keepin' on and enjoy my ignorance. After all...when it comes to raising kids, there are times when it really can be bliss!

The Freedom To BBQ, Use Kids As Tools and Park Your Cart Wherever You Please

I forced my moping husband out of the house. We had a fabulous day at the pool. Not our pool, of course. We don't have one, unless you count the plastic 12 dollar pool with the hole in it. No, I'm talking about the pool that we have used twice, while Daniel's brother has been at Doheney Beach. Today, we decided to use his barbecue that sits up on their deck, which was on the second story. Not a problem...well, not a huge problem. Not unless the neighbors call the cops because they see Daniel using a ladder to climb onto the deck and think he is a burglar. What kind of burglar wears swimming trunks and no shoes? And didn't they think it coincidental that Daniel looks a lot like the owner of the house? I wish we had neighbors who would call the cops on suspiscious people.


After we got the hot dogs barbecued, I accidentally locked the keys in the car....again. After an hour of trying to jimmy the door, we realized that a window on the back was ajar. Hmmmmm... we picked the skinniest kid who was old enough to know what to do and shoved him in through the window. Whaddaya know? Kids are good for something after all!


We ended the day with a quick stop at the video store to return the videos we had. As I was sitting in the car, I noticed this sign on the window of Little Ceasars Pizza:

" No Shopping Carts In Lobby Please."

I'm guessing that they were referring to the 99 cent store carts, since there is one right next door. Are they seriously suggesting that people bring shopping carts into the pizza place? If that doesn't just sum up the people who frequent the shopping center, I don't know what does. Hey...at least the pizza place has an "A" rating displayed in the window, which is more than I can say for the McDonalds down the street.

Welcome to Hesperia... home of the sub par McDonalds and people who use shopping carts to carry their pizza home!

Yesteryear...when the 4th of July was a day of cheer.

Today is my husband's favorite day of the year. Or, at least it was until a few years ago. He used to enjoy celebrating this day with his family, at a huge barbeque event, complete with fireworks. He and his brothers would be absolutely giddy at the thought of this approaching holiday. Yes, they are a bunch of pyromaniac freaks who only get to exercise their love of starting fires and watching things explode, on this day. We have always known that today was not for the kids at all, but for the boys who refuse to grow up. Watching them set up the fireworks and decide which ones are going first is like watching little kids open presents on Christmas. Then seeing the resulting sparkle in their eyes as the sky comes alive colorful little dancers, is just priceless. Grown men...transformed instantly back to little boys simply by making things explode. It was a day like no other.
Now, he wakes up, every fourth of July, grumpy. He gets up, quietly makes eggs and bacon, while pondering the reasons his family betrayed their long standing tradition in favor of camping at Doheney beach. My husband has become the anti-Doheney. He protests the very idea of camping on a beach that has such contaminated water, that it is off limits to swimmers. Just to accommodate our family, we would need to rent an RV, which is not cheap. Everyone else seems to afford this vacation with no problem. It saddens my husband that we are excluded from Fourth of July, simply because we cannot afford to rent an RV. The lack of the fireworks tradition is the straw that broke the camels back. It is like having Christmas with no presents. This day has become somewhat of a downer for my poor husband.
So he sits on the couch, watching people scarf down hot dogs in a traditional competition and wears a small frown. I have to figure out how to turn this day around...

This is why she's hot...

I just have to brag...my new business partner is the most kick ass partner in the world. We now have two events lined up for the month of July and we've only been in business for two days. I told my husband how impressed I was with Cherish and he gave me the usual response, "So are you two gonna make out or what?" Men are pigs.
Anyway, I just have to say that I am so very excited about how business is going so far. It almost makes the weener painting episode of this morning, seem not so stressful. We have an event lined up for July 26th at La Bella salon in Norco. For more info, see the website. At this rate...we are gonna be some rich bitches....er, mommies.
On another note, I'm listening to a tennis match in the background and am really wondering why they make such weird noises when they go to swing? It's almost like a karate yell, but dumber sounding. "Whaaaaaapa!" Kind of like that. I think my husband is watching tennis because it is girl on girl matches. I guess he figures that if Cherish and I aren't going to provide him with some nasty visual aides, he can resort to women's tennis matches. Like I said....men are pigs.

"Two" Terribly Cute!

Ahhh....the terrible twos. My last child is quickly approaching this monumental milestone and I must say that I am NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. Ella is still at the tail end of it and she's already way past the three year mark. Shitballs! Is this stage ever going to end? This morning, I found Reed playing in the art supply basket. He was painting his male appendage with my white acrylic paint. Lovely. I'm pretty sure that he thought it was diaper rash cream. This never would have happened if he had not decided to potty train so early. Yes, I'm lazy. I like the idea of diapers because it minimizes the poop messes and pee spots on the carpet. Pull Ups are too dang easy to take off.

Perfect example, Reed took off his Pull Up yesterday and decided to wear some of mommy's g-string undies. I guess I should not have told him to put on his big girl panties and stop pitching a fit. Who knew he would take it so literally? Check out his super atomic wedgie:

OUCH!! Here's to the terrible, yet hilarious 2's!

Let's Get This Party Started!

Yes, I'm sure you are sick of hearing about my business, so this is the last time I will mention it (today.) I wanted to tell everyone that our business website is up and running, so check it out if you have time (which is pretty likely, since you are reading this.) Here is a blurry picture of our business card:

Our next event will be another Ladies' Night on July 23rd, at the Rancho Cucamonga Winestyles (pictured below.) More information is available on our website, in the "Upcoming Events" section. Starting in September, we will be hosting wine tasting events in five different cities: Claremont, Rancho Cucamonga, Mira Loma, Torrance and Pasadena. If you are interested in attending, or being a vendor, please contact us to reserve your spot. We already have a list of interested vendors and a limited amount of space, per event. Availability is on a first come, first serve basis. If you are interested in hosting a Ladies' Night (or any other themed event) at your place of business, feel free to visit the site and fill out the contact form. We are also planning a huge grand opening affair for Cherished Events, so be sure to check the website for updates on that!

Have a happy Thursday!! Be sure to visit Humor-Blogs for your pre-holiday dose of sarcasm and crude humor!

The Day I Got To Be A Business Woman

Sorry for the lack of posting today. I was too busy being a business woman. Our meeting went well. Other than the point when I felt like poking one of the owners eyes out, it went smoothly and got us some more business. I'd call it a successful day. So here are my thoughts on being a business woman/mommy:
I only had to change my shirt once before I left. Apparently, trying to hide the white shirt I just ironed, is not possible, unless I hide it somewhere other than my house.
The baby sitter was late, as is always the case when I depend on someone else. But, in her defense, she is a mom. Running behind is just natural. Plus I did not mind because she is a kick ass babysitter.
I got my adjustment done at my Chirosport Doctor's office, just before the meeting. Ahhhh....a well aligned spine is just what I needed to help counteract the fact that I had to wear high heels! I hate those things. Being the klutz that I am, heels are just asking to trip and fly head first into an expensive wine display and ruin a possibly good start to a successful career. Luckily, I avoided that little mishap, this time.
Only one kid got hurt while I was gone. The cut did not need stitches, so I was thankful for that. I actually got to miss my kids, which was nice and a little weird...but way more nice.
I got to sit in traffic with all the other 9-5ers and curse out the slow asses who refuse to drive in the slow lane. Why the hell do those crazy people think that they invented the slow lane? It's like someone forgot to tell them that the other two or three lanes are only for the un-retarded people who actually drive faster than the speed limit. I got to experience road rage and anxiety over the thought of a pissed off baby sitter, sitting at my house, wondering what was taking me so long. I just prayed that she wouldn't drink all the wine while I was gone.
I decided that being a working mom is tiring and that I'm glad I'm not a full time one. Sure, the lunch break is nice. And yes, it is great to be able to go pee whenever I want. Also, talking to another person who does not speak Whinese, is quite refreshing. But I missed my kids terribly, today. Wait...did I just say that? It must be the exhaustion. Sorry. I'll be back to my resentful, stay at home slave mode, tomorrow.
P.S. When I handed my "Mommy" business card to one of the store owners he asked if all the names on the cards were my kids' names. Ummmm...no. I just threw in a bunch of random names that I thought sounded good. Shitballs...some professional people are such dumb asses.

The Start Of Something Great (and I even got to shower!)

Today is the day that I prove to myself that I am good at more than the butt wiping occupation I've been perfecting, the last ten years of my life. My brain will be put to the test and quite honestly, I'm not sure if it is capable of functioning on a level that is anything above deciphering toddler language and solving the perpetual missing sock mystery.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. In fact, I'm not even nervous for the meeting that Cherish and I have today. We will be meeting with the owners of different WineStyles, to discuss our involvement in Ladies' Night. I feel like I should be way more nervous than I am. I guess I am just confident in the knowledge that we are highly skilled in the business that we have chosen. We formed our LLC yesterday, designed business cards and are working on designing the website. All of which are things that I love! Plus, our event planning business mainly relies upon our ability to communicate, organize and impress people...which we are both experts at!

My only concern is that our new business will force me to throw one more ball into my juggling act and make the kids feel like they are no longer my priority. I will just have to make sure that when I am home, I give them my undivided attention. Fortunately, I have a husband who is supportive and understanding of my need to do work after he gets home. We have devised a work schedule that allows me the time to get my writing done for the blogs, make business phone calls, manage the websites and maybe (just maybe) have a restroom break.

So I have my little brown slacks (the only pair I own) hung neatly in my bedroom and business like top next to them. I got up early to shower. The sitter will be here at 10:30, this morning. I have homemade chicken soup ready for the kids' lunch. I have dressed the kids, fed them breakfast, mopped the floor and left some time for the last minute emergency that I'm sure will happen right before it is time to leave. I even made time to stop by my wonderful Chirosport doctor, as I always get a bad muscle spasm in my neck when I have something important to do. I feel ready for success! Now...where did I put those car keys??

What The Hell Is Wrong With People...And Also, What The Hell Is Right

I really have trouble figuring out how a person would consciously make a decision to slaughter a pregnant woman, cut her open and take out the fetus and expect to get away with the crime. Especially since she had evidence of the crime in her purse. It is clear that this looney bird was mentally disturbed, but is she completely stupid, as well? Here is the story on Baby Lune. I got sick, just reading about it. I hope that someone repays this lady for her deeds, when she gets to her prison cell. I don't give a shit if she isn't right in the head, she doesn't deserve to live.

In other news, yet another teacher was arrested for making advances and sending inappropriate MySpace messages to one of his junior high students. Two things come to mind here, the fact that way too many teachers are crossing the line these days and the realization that MySpace does way more harm than good in this world. I have a solution to both. Make harsher punishments against teachers who feel it appropriate to get inappropriately involved with students and shut down MySpace and Facebook and all other social networking venues that have a certain number of crimes committed due to the use of such sites. Keep it clean, or keep it off the internet. Of course, that is opening a huge can of worms and depriving people of their God given right to profit from people's ill will and misfortune. So it will never happen.
Likewise, did you hear the story of the mom who beat a known child molester with a metal bat? I love this story! Apparently, the lady took a metal bat to a 7'3" sex offender for some reason (I'm sure it was a good one, though I cannot seem to find the whole story online.) She was arrested but released on bail. Her statement went something like this, "My only regret was that I did not do more damage." Yeah baby!! That's what I'm talking about! Angry, bat wielding moms who are out to right the wrongs against sicko child molesters...regardless of their size. That woman has balls!! My hope for the human race is renewed when I hear stories like this!