Grand Prize Cake

Picture I did of a cake & won Grand Prize

Andy's First Valentine

Happy Valentines Day Everybody!



Made these for Andy to give to his little friends

There is a tag inside that reads: To guess his name, play the game...
The name for the tag rhymes with whats in the bag (Candy/Andy)
There are 4 spaces on the tag for his name

I have created a Monster!

A Big Monster, A Big Purple Monster...by the name of Barney.

Andy absolutely loves him, and it makes him so happy, and it gives me a few free minutes, and he doesn't fuss as much. So, how bad can it be?

Hello? Is this thing on?

God, where have I been? December 15th? That was last year! Well Happy New Year to all. I have some great new photos to post soon. As for me I am just looking for a job, hanging in there day by day. Andy & I have been enjoying the zoo & Busch Gardens since the weather has been so beautiful (high in the 70's) Sorry to all you people in the frigid north, time to move to Florida. Oh, & while you are at it buy some Real Estate so our market will recover! Updates coming soon.

Ho, Ho, Ho

Few pics under the Christmas Tree

Happy Birthday Nonnie

Today is my Mother's Birthday. Happy Birthday, I know it will be great, Andy is going for a visit. We love you Nonnie!

Babys 1st Thanksgiving

We went to the country club for Thanksgiving. Andy tried mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, & whipped cream-Yum!-Thanks Nonnie

Alligator Wrestling

Andy decided it was time to take on the Ikea Alligator.

Calm Before the Storm-Update

He is crawling! Has been for about a week. I think these pics says alot. Sorry Ollie, good boy, love ya

"I'M NOT LOOKING"

"OH NO, HE'S COMING RIGHT FOR ME"

"HELP ME"

Calm Before the Storm

There comes a point, like the calm before the storm, when you look at your baby rocking back & forth on his hands & knees & know that crawling is immanent. You look around at "Stuff" sitting on the floor, at outlets uncovered, power cords dangling, scrapbook stuff & innocent dogs lying on the floor in peace & think OMG-we are in deep doo doo! I want to apologize now to our dogs, Ollie & Emmie, for the upcoming torture they will likely endure.

Happy 1st Halloween!

We had a very nice evening hanging out with our neighbors. Andy got to Trick or Treat around the street. Happy 1st Halloween my little Chili Pepper-you are Hot Stuff!

Here are the pictures from our trip to Portland. We got to visit with Tony's family, see some apple orchards, & see Roloff Farms (from the show Little People, Big World on TLC). Can I just say how nice the Roloffs are. They were so welcoming & genuine. Their farm is gorgeous-a fun place to visit. We also got to visit some friends. Thank you Steve & Gail for your great hospitality!

Been Busy

We are in Portland Oregon right now on vacation. I will update you soon on some exciting (at least for me) news-one quick hint. Roloff!

Safer Plastics

We all know there are some questions floating around about the safety of plastics. Even my Pediatrician mentioned not using certain plastic baby bottles. I thought I would post a great link from the Oregon Environmental Council on plastics. Visit for a quick guide to plastics

http://www.oeconline.org/resources/publications/kitsandtipsarchive/saferplasticswalletcard

This Is What 5 Months Old Looks Like

Love You more everyday!

Welcome Back Kitty!

I must tell you a crazy story. 8/8/08-my parents cat, Shadow (who is a hermaphrodite-I know you wanted to know that) went out in the morning with my Dad to get the paper. Shadow then stayed outside to do her "business" as usual. She must have strayed off & never came back. My parents were pretty upset.

Flash forward to Saturday night (9/13/08) Tony & I went to my parents for dinner. After dinner we went to out old house (in the same neighborhood as my parents) to clear out some things. On the way we stopped to help a boy catch his dog & picked up a free playset that someone was giving away. We unloaded the playset, reloaded the car & headed back to my parents to pick up Andy. Half way there a cat runs in front of the car & I yell "Holy S**t" "That's Shadow-stop the car" I started calling Shadow, Kitty. She started coming toward me but when I stepped toward her she stopped. I was so afraid she was going to run into the woods & be lost forever. So, I sat down on the sidewalk & called her. This time she came close enough that I grabbed the scruff on the back of her neck. Then I started saying to Tony, "get in the car, get in the car." He had to then get out again to close my door because I wasn't going to let go of the cat & take a chance on losing her. When we got to my parents house Tony opened the door & told my parents we had a surprise for them. I walked in with cat in arms. My Mother said "That's not Shadow!" I was freaked I thought I had kidnapped someones cat. Then tears welled up in her eyes & she sort of lumbered toward me, I knew she realized it was Shadow. Since she was holding Andy I told her to give the baby to Tony. Dad had to go get a new litter box & food at the grocery because they had thrown them out that week, thinking she was never coming back. After he got back we had dessert & what a celebration ensued that night. Welcome Home Kitty, I guess you used one of those 9 lives!

Tech Fast

Tony & I have been feeling like we are on a whirlwind. So, we have decided to do a tech fast next weekend, which is basically laying off technology for 48 hours. So from Friday (9/12/08) 6pm to Sunday (9/14/08) 6pm we will be unplugged, here are our rules.

1. No TV (Unless there is an immediate threat from a hurricane, then The Weather Channel is occasionally permissible to receive updates)
2. No computers, laptops, blackberries, PDAs (must be in the off position)
3. No Radio (MP3, iPod, XM, Cds or other music is also not permitted)
4. No Phones-home or cell (cell phones will be allowed to remain on in case of emergency. Anyone calling to chat will have calls returned after the fast ends)

I think that is it-sometimes you just have to slow down & quiet your mind, ya know? I will give a full report of the weekend after the fast.

Compact Fluorescents

Can we talk about compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)? I am all for saving the planet, have been since I was about 15.
I have recycled since 1993 when I had to haul my stuff to USF.
I hauled all of my recycling from Zephyrhills to Carrollwood.
I reduce, reuse, recycle.
I use reusable bags at the stores.
I take my hazardous materials to a dropoff location on the first Saturday of the month
I drive a gas guzzler & hate it (get a Volkswagen-you'll love it)
I changed to compact fluorescent light bulbs

This is where I have to put the breaks on. Two nights ago while changing a light bulb in my 4 month old son's room I broke a CFL. Did you know they contain mercury-that stuff that causes neurological problems, linked to autism & a host of other problems. Did you know you have to treat it as a hazardous spill? Here is the cleanup instructions from the EPA

What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are lighting more homes than ever before, and EPA is encouraging Americans to use and recycle them safely. Carefully recycling CFLs prevents the release of mercury into the environment and allows for the reuse of glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights.

EPA is continually reviewing its clean-up and disposal recommendations for CFLs to ensure that the Agency presents the most up-to-date information for consumers and businesses. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection released a CFL breakage study report Exit EPA Disclaimer on February 25, 2008. EPA has conducted an initial review of this study and, as a result of this review, we have updated the CFL cleanup instructions below.

Pending the completion of a full review of the Maine study, EPA will determine whether additional changes to the cleanup recommendations are warranted. The agency plans to conduct its own study on CFLs after thorough review of the Maine study.


Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal below. Please also read the information on this page about what never to do with a mercury spill.

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

* Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
* Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
* Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

* Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
* Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
* Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
* Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

* Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
* Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
* If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
* Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

* If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
* You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
* If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials

* Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
* Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
* Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

* The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
* Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

So, after doing all of this & ventilating the room for 2 days we now HOPE all is clear. I also spent yesterday on the phone with the health department finding out if the cleanup measures passed the mercury into my breastmilk. So, please use the energy sipping bulbs...just use them outside!

Bumbo Seat

These Bumbo seats are cool

Grandaddy & Andy

Cute, Cute, Cute!