We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcasts...

It's been a busy weekend and that's putting it extremely mild. I missed a post for NaBloPoMo yesterday...*OH NO!* But I promise to make it up to ya internets.

Here's a brief round-up of the not-so-innerestin things I've been up to:

~ I let the dogs in and out about a million times
~ I searched and searched for the perfect laptop and then hunted it down in store.
~ I shopped til I dropped
~ I cleaned the house top to bottom and did 12 loads of laundry
~ I took care of Little Miss Pneumonia (the phrase High Maintenance is NOT even close)
~ I grocery shopped
~ I saw Twilight and desperately want to see it again

All of this and more in about 2 days. I still have tons to do, but I'm not all that interested at getting any of it done. LOL I do need to purchase a new wireless mini mouse for the laptop. Touchpads and I? We don't get along all that well. I get frustrated when I can't get things precisely how I want them. OCD? Yup, I know. And I do believe I've admitted to that in an earlier post so THERE!

Tomorrow promises regular witty posting with plenty of blah blah blah stupidity and possibly some new photos. All depends on my level of motivation to run out and get a mini mouse. Chances of that are looking good today, but are subject to change at any given moment. ;0P

And internets? Never ever give two tween girls free reign of a high end mall. Never ever!

We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcasts.

Oh! But it's so beautiful there.

It's an inevitable comment once I mention where I live. And, while I do appreciate the compliment. While I do agree that, yes, it is beautiful here. There is always that part of me that wants to scream out BUT do you know how hard it can be to live here. To live here full time. Not just have a summer or winter home here as so many do. Not just to visit with the throngs of tourists which invade us each season. But to truly be born and raised here. Do you have any idea how difficult that can be?

Growing up in the Pocono Mountains is fun. Our small hamlet is extremely safe. It's a place where you can let your children run free in the yard (free range children. OH MY?!!) without concern. It's a place where your neighbors know you and your parents and usually your grandparents as well. There's tons of outdoor adventures to be had from skiing to river rafting. We've got great hiking trails and are a virtual mecca to the mountain biking enthusiast. Yes, all of this is wonderful.

But, for someone like me. Someone who needs action. Someone who loves to go to NYC just to sit at the cafes and read or people watch, this town can be stifling. I long for more. I'm admittedly a bit high maintenance. I love nice things. I enjoy having the latest tech toys. Do you know how far the nearest mall is? It's nearly 25 miles. Do you know where the closest Barnes and Nobles is? Again 25 miles. My closest store is Walmart and even THAT is 2 towns away.

I never had the luxury of just grabbing my two ladies and heading out to a zoo for the day. Not without a pain in the rear drive to Philadelphia anyway. Everything interesting to me is a full day event. A long drive. Tolls and gas. Even my favorite runs to NYC don't fill the need. I want to live in the middle of it. I want to experience all there is out there. I want my girls to see everything this world has to offer outside of our protective mountains. I don't want them to be close minded to certain ideas simply because of this town.

But I'm just a big dreamer, really. I have hopes that NYC will rub off on the girls (and they do love it there) and one of them will attend college there. But I know I'll never really get to live in New York City or any other city for that matter. No, this town, this place, it doesn't allow you to leave so freely. So I have my daydreams. I have my weekends spent wandering around lower Manhatten. I'll always have my dreams.

And I'll always hear:

Oh! But it's so beautiful there!

This one's for the girls. My girls.

This is a post for you to read a bit later in your lives. I'll know when the time is right. And, that time may not come for quite awhile. I know this because I've lived it. This is also a post that may hurt you a bit. It may slightly upset how you see our family. I'm hoping you'll see beyond that and understand that all I want for you is the best of everything. This is why I'm writing this. So, please, trust me on this one.

This is also a post which will have the power to hurt someone I love and care about deeply should he read it. This is not my intention. I simply need to put this out there for our girls and I'm sure you of all people will understand eventually.

So, here I go jumping off into the unknown on this one.
This is a post about what we long for, what we settle for, and who we're meant for.

Dear Ladies,

Of everything I hope for the two of you, the one thing which I hold highest is the wish that you find true love. It does exist. I know this for a fact. It's elusive and painful. It's a long time coming sometimes. Yet at other times it's right there in your face and you are too young to fully get it. It has the power to destroy you, but it also has the power to make you whole. It is what makes you feel the most alive. It makes all of the colors in this big world we live in just a little brighter. It can give you everything you've ever dreamed of, everything you've ever hoped for, and everything you will ever need.

Love is the reason to go on.

Love should never leave you hanging when you need it the most. Not true love. Love should never make you feel like less of a person or belittle you. Love should never be screaming in your face while listing all of things that you do or have ever done wrong. Love should never be manipulative or controlling. This is not real and true love.

Love will hurt you at times, though. You should know this. You should be prepared for this. It's powerful and all consuming. It's wonderful and it's painful. If you should lose the person you love, you will grieve even if you did not lose them to death. I have lost someone to death. It was like having part of my soul torn right from my body. He was my very first love and you never ever forget that. But he was not the love which I was truly meant for.

You will learn that what we long for, what we settle for, and who we're meant for can all be different things.

What I want for you is to find all of this in one person. It does not just exist in movies. It is very real and very powerful. I believe we do have soulmates. I also believe that our paths in life twist and turn around so swiftly that we may miss our opportunity to be with this person. So we find another love. A comforting and warm love and we cling to it. We'll eventually get to our soulmates. Maybe in another lifetime. But, remember, there is a reason for everything. Everything.

So, my ladies, please love deeply. But, pay close attention because as you walk through life, the person who is truly meant for you could be right in front of your face and you do not want to be too late to capture it. Always be happy. And NEVER EVER regret anything which brought a smile to your sweet faces. Never.

This song, this movie, this is what love truly, honestly is. It does exist and not just in film.

Dear whoever decided early dismissal is a good thing,

First I'm going to clear the air so I don't get any hatermail because I know ya'll are out there ready to strike. You can come out of the dark corners...it's ok, I don't bite...hard. Yes, I love my girls. I love spending time with them and *gasp* there are days I keep them home from school to have a girly day and go shopping. However, those are usually days when I am all caught up with school, house, and work, work. ;0) However, these dreaded early dismissals always get me when I'm swamped. Or, maybe, when I'm just not in the mood for them. Either way, they can suck.

You see, having two girls is a blessing and a curse.

I was an only child and grew up across the street from a family who had 4, yes FOUR, girls. Sisters were super cool to me. I wanted that special closeness, that shared genetic makeup, and I even wanted the fights. Hey, being an only child is not all it's cracked up to be. Spoiled rotten? Yes. Lonely? Also yes. So you see, sisters were my dream. Once I had the one girl, I just prayed and prayed for another girl. And when Mags was born it was a dream come true in many ways.

But I clearly had not thought it through all the way.

I never saw the mother of those 4 girls and how utterly frustrated she'd become when the bickering just would. not. stop. And now that I am that mother, I can so understand the look of exhaustion she'd have before they even left for school. Here's a news bulletin for ya: Girls, they fight. They fight alot and they fight over everything. They also tend to whine. And that just grinds my nerves to the core. Yes, I know boys fight too. I know all siblings fight, but this is about me right now. :)

So, since the weekend I have been dreading the early dismissals because, truthfully, after listening to their fighting from the time they get up in the morning, I am THRILLED when it's time to walk to school. But these damn early dismissals mean that they will be dismissed...EARLY. Like right after lunchtime early. This also means that regardless of the mammoth 15 foot trampoline in our large yard, regardless of the gajillion toys occupying the play room (including enough American Girl clothes for an army), regardless of the ipods, Nintendo DS, Playstation, 6 computers, and enough other crap to occupy a normal child, regardless of all of this they will fight. And it will be over something stupid.

My other bitch about these early dismissals is that they are normally when it's cold out. Ok, not cold, but chilly-ish. It's going to be 50 degrees today which isn't really that cool for us here in NE, PA. And it will get increasingly frigid in the coming months, I know this. But it still limits what I can get the little critters to do outside of the house. The only blessed saving grace of summer is our pool, but that's clearly out. This means that by about 2 pm, but very possibly much earlier, I will be considering taping their mouths shut and shoving them in the attic. No, no, I would never reeeaaallllyyy do that, but it is a comforting thought when the bickering starts. Ya know. The option which, even though you know is not possible, still gives you the warm fuzzies.

So, thank you Mr. School Director or whoever you are. Thank you very much. I'll send the therapy bill straight to you. My therapy bill. The girls will be just wonderful. Me? Dead. Dying from bickering. I wonder if that's possible?

Did I mention the damn early dismissals are the rest of the week?
Margaritas please. El Grande Margaritas.

Yes, they are cutes, but the evil lurks just beneath the surface.

Playing Ketchup...

Since I'm 11 days behind on NaBloPoMo, I'm going to ahead and make a pathetic attempt to catch up by posting pics. :)
Easy stuff and cute faces. How could I go wrong?

First, our pumpkin patch collage. Pardon my fugliness, I was windblown-ish.


Next, Mags cheerleading collage. Another season of football done, time for basketball!