Your Age in Chocolate

A friend send this to me...it was easy, fun, quick, and painless ;-). If you are a chocoholic like me, this one's for you!

YOUR AGE IN CHOCOLATE MATH

Don't cheat and scroll down to the end...work this out by

reading all the way to the bottom.

1. Pick the number of times you would like to have chocolate in a week (more than once, but less than ten).

2. Multiply this number by ten (just for the heck of it).

3. Add 5

4. Multiply by 50...yes, you can use a calculator!

5. If you have already had your birthday this year, add 1759. If you haven't, add 1758.

6. Now subtract the 4 year digit year you were born.

7. You should have a 3 digit number.

Did you get the number of times you wanted chocolate in a week and your age? I did! I said 5 times a week, and my age is 34. My answer was 534.

Now...if I could only have chocolate 6 times a week...without it showing up on the scale. Somebody should come up with a math formula for that!

Frustration

DEFINITION: Frustration

frustration

n 1: the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted
in attaining your goals [syn: defeat]
2: an act of hindering some one's plans or efforts [syn: thwarting,
foiling]
3: a feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized; "her
constant complaints were the main source of his
frustration"

It seems like things have just not been the greatest around here lately...not really bad, but not really good either.

Christina has struggled with #2 ever since we started potty training her over 2 years ago (yes, 2 years and counting now). She'd been mostly fine for a few months, but now the potty business has eluded her and we're back to having accidents. Frankly, I am sick of it...seriously, heartily, and wearily sick of wiping and cleaning off a 4 years and 8 months old little girl. Plus...she has been having the worse temper tantrums, screaming, kicking, earth shattering tantrums, at the frightening rate of nearly one per day. In fact, she is having one right now because I wouldn't let her have a bag of chocolate chip cookies for snack. I can't help but wonder if she'll be ready for kindergarten this fall after all. Sigh...

Gabriel's had a bad diaper rash for nearly a month now...we held off going to the pediatrician because at one point we didn't have health insurance (when David lost his job). We do now, but it took until last Friday to get the new insurance cards. I finally got an appointment this morning, and was floored when I was told Gabriel has strep of the anus. Yes...down there. (Well...I never!) At least it can be cured with a course of antibiotics for 10 days. Hopefully, that is taken care of now.

Both the older two kids have decided to not listen to me when I tell them to do something. It probably has to do with the fact that I have let discipline slip a little. But I've just about had it with the "But MOM!" attitudes and the back talking around here!

Last weekend, it poured rain, and David couldn't work on the new garden shed he's building behind the garage. So this weekend, even though I've not been feeling great...David worked all weekend on his shed. I try really hard to be supportive of his projects, but it just irritated me to no end...even though I begged the Blessed Mother for patience, and tried to just keep going.

It doesn't help that I've had a cough for over 2 weeks now. I don't have a chest cold, and I don't have a head cold either...so I can't figure out why I have a cough. But it keeps me up at night, so I am just really tired. I dragged myself to Rebecca's soccer game on Saturday, and the March of Dimes Walk yesterday, tried to nap when we got back home, only to be awakened by David's vigorous hammering on his shed in the back yard and the kids fighting over the computer. Sigh...

I know I should go in to see the doctor, but Gabriel's had a fever for 2 days, so I need to wait until he is well before I can go. I'll bet I'll be sitting at the clinic for hours too...because even with an appointment, we still usually have a long wait. Sigh...

I am sorry to have this pity party...really...I know people have it worse out there. But I really wish Christina would just poop in the potty, David would just hurry up and finish the darn shed, Joshua and Rebecca could be more obedient, Gabriel would just be well, and that I would stop coughing!

Cough...sigh...

March of Dimes Walk

Every year we participate in the March of Dimes Walk, held on the grounds of the University of Houston. This year, we walked with David's new employer, Sterling Bank.

In the past, the kids get rather cranky about halfway through the walk, but this year, they were marvelously well-behaved, and we hardly heard a whimper out of anyone. The girls took turns riding on Daddy's shoulders, and Gabriel was perfectly content in the stroller (even though he came down with a fever last night, and had one this morning too). We told Joshua he had to walk the whole 5 miles, since his ADHD gives him PLENTY of energy (ha ha!).

Here we are just starting out. It's pretty slow going at first, because the route is so crowded. Joshua kindly pushed the stroller for me for just a second--he's at the bottom of the shot.

Last year, I remember it being very hot, and there wasn't a breath of wind. Today, it was warm, but not too humid, and we had a good breeze most of the morning...thank goodness.

We had 10 rest stops, were we got bottled water, coupons from Macy's (I know who is going to put those to good use, lol), and Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches--yum! That rest stop is always the kids favorite :-).

At the end (it took us just under 2 hours), we got a family picture.

Lately, Gabriel hasn't let us take his picture, (it must be a two-year-old thing) but I managed to get one cute shot before he started to fuss at me.

It was a long wait in line for lunch, but it was catered from Taco Cabana (yum again!).

There was an DJ who played great music, and little toys and sidewalk chalk for the kids (always helpful while waiting for food). Rebecca even tried The Macarena, and David showed off his juggling skills.

I have to make a little confession here. David's former employer, that other bank had a tent too, but it wasn't even half the size of Sterling Bank's tent. David thinks their marketing budget was drastically cut, because they didn't even have lunch brought in for their walkers, just some breakfast rolls and bags of chips. I admit...I let myself be human for just a minute and was thankful David wasn't working for that other bank anymore.

We finally got our fajita plates...everyone was hungry... and Gabriel ate on David's lap (poor baby, his fever was starting to come back, but he still had the best temperament).

We got home, I crashed for about an hour, and Gabriel slept for nearly 4 hours. He woke up without a fever just before it was time to go to mass, so I told David I'd stay home with him. I still hadn't had a chance to grab a shower anyway...and didn't want to go to mass smelling like sunscreen and sweat either (always a lovely combination!).

So it was a long day, but truly worth it. Our nephew Daniel was born at 26 1/2 weeks gestation and he's now a perfectly healthy 5 year old. I always think about him during the walk.

Here's to a great walk, and a day of fun. We'll be back again next year!

What I Won

If you want to see what I won on a blog giveaway, click here.

Vegetable Streets

I was meeting up with a friend for lunch today, and there was construction at the major intersection I normally drive though. So I took a shortcut (a detour really) through a part of town I'd never been to before.

I knew the first road was Carrot Street, but I didn't realize that all the streets in this little area were named after different vegetables.

Later on, after I got home, I googled the neighborhood, pulled up the map, and couldn't help but laugh. There's Tomato Street, Turnip Street, Squash Street, Cabbage Street, Okra Street, and Carrot Street.

What was the developer thinking? Was he thinking? I can't help but wonder...

David has class tonight, and when he gets home, I feel like saying,

"Hey honey...do you want to move and buy a house on Cabbage Street?"

Christ is Risen!

Happy Easter! May the wonderful cross bring you ever closer to our Lord!

Christ Has Died