This Side of Perfect

I've been working on this blog all day.
See that cheap-looking banner up top? Yeah, I made that. All by myself.

It wasn't my first attempt.



It won't be my last. In fact, I believe that this will be the year that I learn to blog - really learn to blog. I'm going to learn all I can about coding. I'm also going to delve a bit deeper into Paint.NET (a free version of Paint Shop Pro).


But for now...this is it.


Until next time...

I'll be updating and reworking my blog today. Things will be wonky at best. Yes, I realize the blog roll is kaput. It will be back.

Promise!

Happy New Year...

Tonight, the Turtlehouse is going to par-tay!

You haven't seen me around lately because the whole house (with the exception of Kitty and Phantom, lucky ducks...uh, cats), have been struck down with the flu. At least we think it was the flu.

Baby Gurl had it first. I thought it was a typical cold. But then, one fateful night at Awana, a fever broke out, and it has been downhill ever since. Then The Boy catches it. The Boy is always sick (I think it's because he likes to put things in his mouth - pens, pencils, bolts). I didn't think too much of it. Kids get sick.

Then The Man Beast and I started walking around the house like we'd been run over by a Mack truck. Ever exercise so much that every bone, muscle and cell in your body hurts? Yeah, me neither. But if I had, I imagine that what I was feeling is what it would feel like. Man Beast even commented that his hair hurt.

But the funny thing about all this was aside from the fact that we felt like dog meat, we felt…

The story of Christ never ceases to amaze me- especially as a mother. I mean, just imagine! Wow! Immanuel, in deed.

Mary, Did You Know?

In Christ, delighted,

Every Christmas, The Man Beast and I try something different in the way we give the Kiddos gifts. One year, we opted for a No Battery Christmas. My MIL, bless her heart, graciously went along with us, even though she thought we were off our rocker.

This year is the Rule of Three - three presents that is.

The idea isn't our own. I read it on a blog; I just don't remember where. The Rule of Three is simple. Each child gets only three presents for Christmas (plus a stocking).

Three presents?!?! Are you kidding me?

No. Three presents. No less. No more.

Every year, The Man Beast and I have worked to put exuberant amounts of gifts under the tree for the kids (usually anywhere from 10 to 20). Unfortunately, what we were finding is that only two or three gifts were really played with. The rest were just added to a pile in their rooms and soon forgotten.

This was such a waste! Not only were we spending more on wrapping paper and other wrapping supplies, but we were wasting money t…

(To read parts I & II of my story, click here and here)


Okay, by now, you're probably thinking - what were you thinking? Why didn't you get help? Why didn't you ask your family for help?

First, if you've ever received help from the community, know this: getting help around the holidays is really hard. That's why I encourage anyone who gives, to give especially well during the holidays - your efforts will not go unnoticed.

Second, and it's only now that I can vocalize this - I was really messed up as a young adult. I was never one for drugs or heavy alcohol use (alcohol doesn't agree me...and I don't care for it much, either). I wasn't a trouble maker by the regular definition. I just wasn't completely 'there' mentally.

My Little Bro and I were raised by my mother. Like most children who live in single-parent homes, we became very close to our mother. But no matter how close you get to a parent, that one parent cannot possibly ta…

(To read Part I of this story, click here)

The second part of my story is a bit hazy. I'll share what I remember. It will be fragmented, to be sure, but there are just some things you just cannot forget no matter how hard you might try.

Do you know what it feels like drive in a car and not have a destination? It's not like joy-riding when you're a teenager and you're cruising, using your freedom and your wheels as a chance to escape school and home. Because you see as a foot lose and fancy free teenager, after you're done joy-riding, you have a home to go home to. When you have no home, you have no real destination and no real place to go home to.

This is how it felt for us after we left Denny's. I had some money (although not a lot) that I had brought down to FL with me. When The Man Beast left a month, previous, I had applied for a job at the local CVS down the street. I worked developing film and although I was a 'single mom', juggling work and …

It's that time again, friends - How did you get here: Top Search Inquiries for Getting to Horizontal Yo-Yo. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Yo Iva - I have a good friend, Taxi, who lives in NC and calls me Ivuh (you know, because she's cool like that). And I can totally hear her calling me from across the room, "Yo, Ivuh!" like she lives in Brooklyn. Seems to me that the four people who searched though, missed the mark just a bit. Y'all - it's Ivuh, not Iva. Get right right.

Paula Deen Deep Fried Ham - Okay. This is just freaky. Has Paula done a ham? And here I thought we were the first.

Yo Talk - Yo talk. I listen.

Zicam Swab Reviews - I suspect when people see something on TV that sounds too good to be true, they come online (a truly authoritative resource) to get the 411 on a product. I know I do. I just hope that my review was beneficial to those who searched.

Day Late Dollar Short Blog - I think what they were looking for was this, but I'm glad t…

Okay, y'all. I had the chance to review a model car product and of course I jumped at the chance. Not only would I get to write a review (which y'all know I just love giving my opinions...I mean, writing reviews) but it also gave me an opportunity to exploit get The Man Beast and Boy together for a fun father/son activity.

Enter Ridemakerz - like Build-a-Bear - only for guys.

Ridemakerz is a custom model car experience. To participate, just go to the website and start building.

Chooze - Chose your body (we got the Dodge Challenger)
Sonicize - You can choose sounds! This is the coolest. We got the rocker-style sound effect (of course)
Motorize - What radio control? You can get it. (We did).
Customize - Wheels. Rims. Decals. You name it - you can get it.
Personalize - You can create a personalized license plate. Pretty sweet, huh?

After you -ize, you place your order (it's a la carte, so you can pick and choose. Take what you want, skip what you don't). About a week …

Meet Jellybean (formerly known as Baby Monster).


He is Monster Mama's (here out known as Tatas...you'll see why) first baby.

Notice the Tatas...well, I guess you can't really see them. But anyone who has delivered remembers the tatas (the very good part of having a baby is having an excellent chest to go with it). Okay, I guess I just took my blog to PG level. Sorry y'all. But I'm all about keeping it real. (Speaking of real, isn't she pretty?)

Uncle Man Beast holds Jellybean for the first time. (You can't tell from the look on his face, but he's lovin' it!)


Uncle Boy - Jellybean makes him a cousin



Aunt Gurl - in 7th Heaven. She was almost excited as Iva to hold Jellybean. Almost.



The proud Aunt...the first baby makes Iva an aunt. Oh happy day!



And the coolness doesn't stop there! Baby Brother (that's Iva's ... well, BABY BROTHER) is having his first boy in May. Check out the cool 3-D! (sorry it's so small...it's what I had t…

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