Daughter's First Heartbreak

On Friday before coming home from school, my daughter had her heart broken when a girl told her that my daughter's boyfriend was breaking up with her. What made it really bad was this girl, who the boy used to do his dirty work, is the same girl that has been nasty to my daughter since she started going out with this boy at the end of last school year. The fact that he allowed this girl to do that, and then he used this girl to do his dirty work, tells a lot about how respectful he is towards girls (or not in his case). She's better off (she'll see that eventually).

Today is the first day that she will see this boy since getting the news. I hope she does ok today. I'm worried about how her day will be today.

They ride the same bus as well but I drove her this morning because she had two bags and her cheerleading uniform to carry today for cheerleading pictures. Not only was she carrying too much to sit three to a seat on the bus, but I was hoping to minimize her having to deal with him today (they don't have any classes together) so she doesn't have too upsetting of a day. I don't think she'd want cheer pics that look like she's been crying.

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Jenna Bush Hager on NBC's Today

Did you hear that President George Bush's daughter, Jenna, is now a correspondent for Today on NBC? I was surprised to hear it because it seems like some of the networks have been a little one-sided with the current President.

Jenna Bush Hager is a teacher and author. Now she can add television to her resume. Good for her if it is what she wants.

Speaking of President's daughters, I don't hear much about Chelsea Clinton anymore. We all watched her grow up basically, which has to be awkward for her. While most of us as kids are worrying about the best acne treatment, she had to go through the awkward years in public. I think the last time I remember seeing her in the news was during the last presidential campaign.

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The Vampire Diaries Coming to the CW

Did you hear about the new vampire show that is coming to the CW on September 10th? It's called The Vampire Diaries and it is based on the book series by L. J. Smith.

Don't get confused about the other vampire series on HBO called True Blood. That is for mature viewing, which disappointed my twelve-year-old.

I don't know yet how they are rating The Vampire Diaries so I'm not yet sure if my 12-year-old, who wants to watch it, will be able to but she's excited about it and hopeful.

I'm just thankful not to have another medical drama on television again. I guess wardrobe changes are easy given they usually wear medical scrubs but given the popularity of vampires right now, thanks to the Twilight series, it'll be nice to have something else to choose from on television. I just hope they don't overdo it with the vampire stuff.

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Health Care Reform

Boy, the health care reform debates sure are heating up. I agree that there needs to be reform, but I do not want the government to have a large role in it. I just don't think that is what our country is about. It seems like the people who feel as I do are now the majority as the approval ratings for the reform goes down.

I want choices. I want to have some control over my health. I want to be able to pick and choose what my family's coverage is, have insurance options with insurance quotes for competitive pricing, and go to the doctors and specialists I choose to in a timely fashion. It's up to me on who and when my children see doctors. I certainly don't want my most important little lives to be on the government's schedules!

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Great Review on Playmobil Toys

I recently posted about Playmobil toys on my Facebook page and a former classmate talked about how much her son loved his Playmobil toys. It was a good review and helped me decide to add some of their toys onto my kids' Christmas lists this year.

It's hard to know which toys are going to go over well with kids and which ones will be tossed aside. These toys are in the "play with them" category so that's great for me. I don't like to spend money on toys only to see them not played with.

I'm glad I posted about them on Facebook. Having friends who can vouch for purchases, before you spend the money in this economy, is a bonus.

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Congrats to My Little Brother

My little brother surprised me a couple weeks ago and married his girlfriend. Many of us were all expecting a wedding next year. He pulled a "me" and had a quickie ceremony in front of the judge in a civil ceremony instead. It's what my husband and I did when we were in the middle of a court fight with his ex, no extra funds for a wedding, and we just wanted to be married without all the family hassles involved.

Everybody has met his new wife, except me. I'm hoping to meet her the next time we head to their state for vacation. Everybody talks highly of her and my little brother (who towers over me by the way) is a good guy so I'm sure she's great.

I did see a picture of them afterwards but you know what? I didn't notice if they were both wearing rings and what kind! I should have looked. I can't believe I didn't. My only excuse is that my kids are running me ragged this summer. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to think of much of anything except where which kid has to be next.

There are so many choices now for wedding bands available. It's not just gold or silver anymore. I really like the palladium rings. I think my husband would too (and we always planned to update his wedding band eventually because his band just isn't very comfortable).

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Parents of Small Children: Ink Remover

How many of us parents have had our children get hold of an ink pen and write on themselves, on clothing, even on the walls? I know mine have. They've also gotten hold of make-up, markers and scissors too but that's another story.

There is a product called amodex. It's marketed as great for lab coats and scrubs for medical personnel but what parent couldn't use a bottle of this stuff? It has an unlimited shelf life so you can keep it on hand (for those trying time as a parent) without worry that it will go bad.

Here is a list of what it can be used for: ink stains, permanent marker, food stains like chocolate and coffee and more, blood stains, lipstick, makeup and more. I think I want more than one bottle of this to keep handy in the kitchen when kids make messes but also in the laundry room.

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Horse Loving Family

We have two horses. One is my horse and the other is my oldest daughter's horse. I ride Western (when I ride...it's been a year since a horse of ours died and I haven't rode since) and my daughter rides English. I like to ride casually (at a walk) while my daughter likes to canter and jump. We are complete opposites when it comes to what we enjoy about horses.

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Just Reduce Your Calories By 100 a Day

That's what my endocrinologist told me during my last visit when I complained about the weight gain because of my thyroid disease. I told him I don't over-eat, used to be tiny, etc. Instead of him even considering that my thyroid disease, which slows down your metabolism, is to blame, he said, "Just reduce your calories by 100 calories a day and you'll lose 20-25 pounds in a year." I wanted to hit him! A doctor who is SUPPOSED to be knowledgeable about thyroid disease was an idiot!

I seriously doubt anything but getting my thyroid function optimized is going to drop this weight, not even diet pills. I am going to change doctors. I was just not happy with this doctor at all. His "cookie cutter" treatment for my thyroid disease was:

• Synthetic drugs;
• Another biopsy; and
• Removing my thyroid.

Oh yeah, and this was before he'd even examined me for the first time!

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Vegetarian Magazine Shocker

I received this vegetarian magazine in the mail recently. I thought it was going to be about how to become a vegetarian eating all the proper food groups, but it was more of a "let me show you what they do to the animals with full-color pictures and see if you can live with yourself" magazine (at least that was as far as I got which wasn't far). I didn't get past the second page. I love bacon! I didn't want to see more. My husband looked through it and told me I probably wouldn't like bacon after seeing the pictures in the magazine.

I buy organic food when I can afford it and if my kids will eat it. I found that some products, like organic milk, they can't stand. I haven't seen organic clothes sold in the stores I frequent so far but I heard that there are good lines of organic baby clothes available.

I haven't picked up the magazine yet to finish reading it. It's sitting on my table staring at me, waiting for me to pick it up.

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Racing

My son saw some kids on dirt bikes racing around a track over hills and became interested. It looked like they were having a blast but I also see the downside of it. I see broken bones, but all he sees is fun.

My husband has been trying to get me to agree to get our son some type of small ATV for the last couple of years but I want to wait until he's older. I'm worried that a small ATV will grow into a larger ambition for bigger racing vehicles like a yamaha rhino 600 and the racing world.

Do you think he'd settle for a video game about racing? I guess it depends on how serious he is about wanting to race, if it is just for play, or if it was a momentary want after seeing the kids on the dirt bikes.

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Twitter Used Illegally

Were you wondering what happened to your Twitter recently when something took them down? Reports are that the attack on the Twitter system was politically motivated and had to do with Russia and Georgia. There was a secondary problem found while investigations were taking place with a user using it to control several hundred computers in Brazil causing problems online for others. That account was taken down. I've barely managed to figure out how to use Twitter correctly and others are using it to cause mayhem.

Computers are great...when they work right and don't create more problems, aren't they? You have to be careful about what information you use your computer for and what information you have available on your system for others to steal. Taking safety precautions can go a long way in helping you avoid this. There are companies who can help you do this, as well as companies that will provide you great computer support (for back up, networking, etc.) like orange county computer services.

I've had my identity stolen. I am not sure whether it was done online or if my credit card number was passed along by a merchant in a store I visited, but it's not pleasant getting it all fixed.

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Finally Bought Paint!

We finally bought paint for our kitchen and entryway. I picked out an olive color because I like Autumn colors - deeper greens, reds, golds, browns. When the leaves change color, I just love it! I thought that meant that my husband was going to start painting since it was his idea to get the paint when we did. I've been waiting for months now. Nope. It's been sitting on my kitchen counter since we bought it this past weekend and the next couple of weekends are already scheduled (and painting isn't on the schedule). I bought two pictures for my kitchen over a year ago (wine pictures). Now I'll have to wait longer to hang them I guess.

What kind of decor do you like? Some like country (hearts, geese, and rooster dinnerware), others like modern, traditional, etc.. I don't have any one style. I'd be happy just to have my kitchen painted!

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Kids' Hair Cuts

A few weeks ago, I cut and colored my daughter's hair myself. I didn't do too bad of a job, considering I'm not a hair stylist, did I? She's never liked precise cuts - very straight lines - so that's right down my alley since I can't cut straight lines.

However, now that she's seen the cute new hair cut of Selena Gomez, she wants to style her hair like that. That'll mean a trip to the hair salon, like the Snip-Its kids franchise, because it's like a bob with very straight edges. Since I'm not good at straight edges, it'll mean a trip to the stylist and a bill. Gone are the days when I can give her the hair cut she wants for free.

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Bathroom Faucets

I am looking for new hardware for the bathrooms and I am thinking about going with Moen faucets. They are a well-known brand and there are plenty to choose from. I want a really nice shower head that feels more like a massage than a shower. I have to have some stress reliever when I hide from the kids in the bathroom!

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Thyroid Support at Local Health Food Store

I went to the local health food store today looking for some thyroid support medication that included Iodine. I've heard from other thyroid users that if you are deficient, Iodine can help shrink thyroid nodules (which I have many of) and some have had weight loss as well. You have to be careful not to put yourself into hyperthyroidism though. I looked at some herbal weight loss pills as well but I want to try to restore what my body needs and see if that helps with the weight first. You can follow my thyroid journey on my thyroid blog.

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Texting While Driving

Did you know that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving? According to a study by Car and Driver...that's what they say.

The Obama administration is bringing together individuals next month (reports call it a summit) to discuss what to do about this. Hope it's better than the beer summit he just had (which I thought was really stupid). In one study of truckers, the risk of collision was 23 times greater if texting. Dialing a cell phone or reaching for an electronic device put the risk at 6 times greater.

I hope teenaged drivers aren't doing this (they're probably the biggest group that would?). Combining new driving skills, texting, and the erroneous thinking that you're going to live forever is a bit scary to me. I wouldn't let my teenaged stepdaughter (with the new driver's permit) drive my Durango before...now that I realize texting is a major issue (and she's a huge texter), that just put her chances at driving my truck even further away.

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Proud Mommy Moment: Gifted Program

We received a letter in the mail from my children's school the other day. My eight year old daughter has been recommended for testing for the school's gifted program. We're very proud of her!

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School Starting Soon: Good or Bad Thing?

The start of school is only a few weeks away. I love my kids more than anything else in this world but I'll give a sigh of relief around the second or third day of school (the first day of school is always a little teary/bittersweet) to have a few hours of quiet without the bickering between them.

I need to start getting them back into a routine. They've been staying up way too late this summer so I need to start inching them back towards their school night bedtime. It doesn't make that any easier when Disney puts all their new shows on that they want to watch (like Wizards vs. Vampires shows they have on now with Selena Gomez in Wizards of Waverly Place).

I am not going to invest heavily in back-to-school clothes until sometime in September since they usually get a heat wave through here in September while the kids sit in classrooms with no air conditioning. They'll be wearing shorts for awhile yet.

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