Thursday Thirteen...

This weeks Thursday 13 is taken from an email i received the other day. I thought it was just too important to ignore.
So, this weeks Thursday thirteen is....

13 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You:

13. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

12. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

11. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

10. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

9. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

8. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

6. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

5. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

4. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

3. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

2. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

1. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

And here is a bonus 8 more things a burglar won't tell you:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Picture update...

Lunch time is one of our favorite times...

...we always make time for playing, especially hide and go seek...

...she doesn't like her sweatpants covering her diaper...

...she loves to help with the laundry...

...and she always has time to stop and pose for a picture...

...and then, before you know it, it's nap time.

Thursday 13

This week marks the start of the Lenten season. So for that reason, this weeks thursday thirteen is...

13 things i have previously given up for lent
13. Soda. I've given this up in the past, and this is what i'm giving up this year. It's very difficult for me, as i'm an adict. Yes, there, i've said it. To me, it's like nicotine is to smokers.

12. Ice cream. This is a rough one also, as ice cream is one of my favorite things at night.

11. Chocolate. This one isn't as bad, especially knowing that i'll be eating lots of sweets on Easter.

10. Television. This one is particularly difficult, as tv is everywhere!

9. Cursing. This one wasn't so bad. I don't really curse all that often (except when i'm driving to work and i get behind slow people...then look out).

8. Soda. Have i mentioned this one, because if not, it's really hard. My total nemesis.

7. Shaving my legs. This one was actually kinda nice, but gross for everyone that had to see me, hahaha.

6. Praying the rosary. So this one isn't something i've "given up" per-say. This is something i DID. This was hard too though, as nighttime isn't very "open" time-wise for me.

5. Chips. When i gave this one up, it was hard because i was eating them everyday.

4. Elevators. This one i did while i was at college, living on the 5th floor of a 6 floor building. This one was particularly difficult after a hard practice, or when i was carrying a lot of books. This one also went hand in hand with #2.

3. Bread. This one i thought would be easy, and it turned out to be quite difficult.

2. Drinking water. Ok, this is another one of those "i didn't give this up" things. But if you know me, you know that drinking water isn't something i do very often. So when i did this, i made sure i had to drink 6-8 glasses a day. This was a toughie for me.

1. Soda. Ok, ok, you get it already, it's hard for me. But it's my good old fall back thing to give up. Especially since it's so hard for me, i tend to give it up the most often.

Ashes to ashes...

Today, as you all know, is Ash Wednesday. To us Christians, it's the beginning of the Lent season. It's a day where you only eat 2 small meals and 1 regular meal all day long, no snacking. It's the beginning of no meat fridays. It's also the beginning of the "giving something up" days, which lasts a whopping 46 days.
Now, for most people, this isn't a big deal. For me, on the other hand, it usually is. Giving things up for lent is difficult for me, but i guess that's why its a sacrifice. If it wasn't hard, it wouldn't be a big deal to give it up, and therefore it wouldn't be worth the time and i'd have to find something else to give up.
So what, you ask, is the thing that pains me so much for these 46 days? Soda. I know. It's totally lame, and really shouldn't be this addictive. But it is. Soda to me, is like nicotine to smokers. I go through withdrawl and everything! I get headaches, and i get really crabby...yes, more so than usual! And poor Frank has to deal with it. He tells me every year "Don't give up soda, because then I have to suffer right along with you". But yet i still give it up. Mainly because it IS suffering for me, as lame as that sounds. And that is the whole point of Lent, to give something up that you love, and suffer, just like Jesus did for us during this time.
So it's farewell to soda for 46 days. I will miss you old friend!

Attack of the...piggies?!

That's right. Madylinn is in her newest stage...the "I don't want to wear socks OR shoes OR slippers" phase. She will keep them on her feet long enough for you to stop paying attention, and then off they come. And once they come off that first time, you have a better chance of seeing Leno at 10pm than you do of her keeping those things on her feet for the rest of the night. Now don't get me wrong, my house isn't freezing by any means...but even I don't want to run around bare foot in the winter, even in the warm house! But not her, she is all about those free piggies. I can see it now..."Free those pigs, free those pigs".

Thursday Thirteen...

In honor of the recent blizzard that has hit my town this past week, my thursday 13 for this week is...

13 reasons i love the snow:
13. Hot chocolate. A blizzard and being snowed in is, by far, the best excuse to have hot chocolate at home.

12. Movies. I know, movies at home are good all the time. But on a snow day, cuddling up on the couch and watching a movie is so nice.

11. Wii. A marathon of Mario Kart, Monopoly and Wii fit.

10. Shoveling. I know, it sounds weird, but i love the extra workout i get shoveling all that snow. It makes me feel better about all the things i eat on a snow day, lol.

9. Watching the dogs play in the snow. They love it (for a little bit at least).

8. Sleeping in with my hubby. This is a great start to the day.

7. Sleigh riding. I don't get to do it much myself anymore, but it's just as fun to pull/push Mady around and let her do it. I can't wait for the days when we spend hours going up and down the hill until we are frozen to the core, lol.

6. The thoughts of summer and how much we can't wait for it. Isn't it funny how you can't wait for the next season to get here, and when it does, you are already waiting for the next one to arrive. There's always something wrong with the season you're in...it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too rainy, it's too windy.

5. Snow ball fights. Yes, we still do it. But the snow has to be just right.

4. Fighting over parking spots. This definately isn't one of my favorite things, but it wouldn't be a snow day without it.

3. Building snowmen. I've loved this ever since i was a little kid...and it never gets old!

2. No school. Enough said.

1. Playing with Mady in the snow. Nothing is better.

Snow days are the best days...

She loved riding in her sled...
...and she loved pulling it herself even better...

...but she loves pushing it herself the best!

She also loved to pick up the snow and put it in her sled, so she wasn't wasting her time pushing and pulling nothing, lol

It's been a hard days night...

No, this post isn't about the Beetles, though i may have led you to believe that. This post is about the horrible night Frank and I had last night. It wasn't just horrible, it was down right ugly. Let me start at the beginning...

Neither Frank nor I felt too great yesterday, but neither of us said anything to the other one, mostly because we didn't think too much of it. We both went to work and went about our days. I left work, and sent him my customary "i'm leaving now" text, so he would know when i left, just in case. Well, a few minutes later i got this "retrieved" text (which is just really a text that he sent while my phone was turned off, and it was just getting to me then). Well, the text said that Mady was at my mom's house, and he was really sick. Hmmm. So i sent him another message that asked him if Mady was still at my moms, and he replied with a "yes, i'm dying". So needless to say, i had to call my mom and tell her i was on my way home, not to worry. Well, i got to my mom's and picked Mady up. We went home, i folded a quick load of laundry, and then i took her up to bed. Frank was already in bed when we got home. I changed Mady, and as i was rocking her to bed, Frank emmerged from the bedroom in a sick haste. As i was putting Mady down, i heard him seriously puking in the bathroom, it was so gross! I felt pretty bad for him, it sounded like no fun at all. Well, i got a drink, got changed, and went to bed myself. Frank felt bad that he was so restless and up and down so much, that he went downstairs to sleep for the night. I had just started to dose off, when it hit me, like a mac truck at 100 mph. Wow, was i sick. Needless to say, without going into graphicly disgusting detail, that we took turns being sick for most of the night. But because his sickness started earlier in the evening, he was feeling better by around midnight, so he got some sleep. I, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. I didn't stop puking until around 7am. I finally fell asleep (for more than 20min) and it felt like only 10min and Mady was awake.

Seriously, i wanted to die. Thank god we are both feeling better today. I have no idea what could have caused it. Whether it was a virus, food poisoning, or what. Whatever it was, it's definately welcome to never, NEVER come back!

Bi-level baby...

Mady is now a bi-level baby. What does that mean, you ask? Well, she now knows how to come back down the stairs. She has already mastered the “up” part, but it was the down we weren’t too sure about. Well, over the weekend, we were at Maria and Joe’s house for Tavy’s first birthday party (see last post). While there, we were of course playing with Keegan. He is a month older than Mady, so he learns things before she does. Well, it never fails…when we play with Keegan and she sees him do something she isn’t, she has to learn it. Well, he was going up and down the stairs at Maria’s house, so of course Mady had to learn it too.

So I stood in front of her, and I let her try to come down the steps on her own. I was very scared at first. She isn’t the most graceful baby ever. Normally she keeps walking straight, thinking the ground will just come up to meet her feet. She doesn’t understand the whole “step down” thing. Well, today she finally got it. Now, she doesn’t walk down the stairs like you and I do…she more or less sits on her butt and slides down them one by one…but hey, it’s a start right?!