25 Random, and Mostly Pointless Things About Me:

So this Chain Letter thingy is going around on Facebook.  I finally gave into it, because I felt I had no other choice.  I had beed tagged like 2 dozen times to fill it out!  So in order to stop the insanity I decided to join the crazies and fill it out!  As promised on FB, I have posted it as today's blog.  Enjoy!  (BTW- all hate mail can be sent to Facebook.  I didn't start this thing, I'm just along for the ride!)

25 Random things about me

25. I detest Chain mail. The ONLY reason I'm doing this is because my INBOX is jammed with all the notices and forwards from this ONE! (haha!) I have a feeling that the only way I'll get my INBOX back is to relent and fill this out. I apologize to all I "tagged" in this note. Feel FREE to not continue the insanity!

24. I can't stand to read something is "single space". If I MUST, then I like the paragraphs to be separated by an extra space. See how neat it looks now? Plus, my head doesn't hurt from trying to decipher it all!

23. I can't spell, or type, to save my life! No, really. If someone held a gun to my head and ordered me to spell something, I'd be worm food. 

22. Spell check is both my lifesaver and my arch nemesis! 

21. I sneeze more times in a row than it is thought to be humanly possible. Like a minimum of 5 times EVERY time I sneeze! ( my friends and loved ones have learned to just hold off the "God bless yous" until I have finished my Epic Sneezing! It's like a sneeze-a-thon!!!!

20. I blog. A lot. This may not be news, but it's a bit random... kinda. P.S. I'll be posting THIS on the blog. Like I'm gonna waste this prize-winning piece of prose on a CHAIN LETTER~ HA!

19. I've been scared to death all my life to finally "get healthy". I was afraid that I'll just slip back into the "old ways" and be right back to where I started. 

18. I'm loving that I am living my life, FINALLY! I have plans to visit friends in far off places (Christina-NY!!!!) and hopes to do some long postponed travels! Not to mention trying things that I have never had the gusto to do!

17. I struggle with self esteem issues. 

16. I want nothing more than to be a wife and mother, but I know that God knows my heart's desire, and in His time, He will grant those for me. 

15. One of my favorite people in the world is my Mom. She makes me laugh, she cries with me, she's my BIGGEST cheerleader, my sounding board, and my voice of reason. I am soooo blessed to realize this while she is still around to enjoy these things about her. And my greatest fear is of loosing her. 

14. Of all the things my parents taught me, the thing I cherish most is my Faith. I thank God each day for the love and devotion my parent fostered in me for the Church. I am so grateful for their example and witness.

13. I am terrified of tornadoes. Terrified.

12. I have every intention of living in St. Augustine, FL until I die... I will then be residing UNDER St. Augustine. (haha!)

11. My joy is my nieces and nephews, and my God-Children. They remind me why I love to laugh!!! (Don't shake your booty in church!- a very important life lesson!)

10. WoW! I thought I was going to have a hard time coming up with "random" things about me. Just goes to show you how random my life IS!!!

9. I'm addicted to Facebook, my more specifically the FLAIR app! I would like to apologize to all my FB friends that I have inflicted this obsession on. I will try to send LESS flair, I promise! 

8. I have been a professional nanny for a decade now. Does this qualify me for mental health benefits? I somehow doubt it, but I could use 'em!

7. I had an amazing childhood! I WISH I could be either six or ten again. Those were GREAT years!!

6. My sister has become one of my best friends, something I highly doubted would ever happen when we were kids. And she's about to become a business partner, too! Love ya, lil' sis!

5. I never really had a nickname growing up, except for maybe "Whoody", but that was when I was a baby. "Shannon" isn't an easy name to shorten. My mom did often refer to me as "Little Mis-Information", because I get things wrong- a lot. The kids I nanny for used to call me "Nana", but grew out of that :), and my nieces and nephew call me Aunt Sissy, because my sister has always called me Sis or sissy. I don't think she really ever called me Shannon growing up (except when she was tattling on me!!)

4. I homeschool the younger kids I nanny for. I can't believe that I wanted to be a marriage counselor when I was in high school and in my early years of college! How depressing. Teaching can be depressing, too. At times! HAHA!!!

3. I hope to marry a man much like my father: strong, honest, funny, kind, a good provider for his family, and hard working. I only hope he's not as big a NASCAR fan as Dad is! ;)

2. I have two sweet kitties and a fish: Domenic, Rosie, and a Beta- (as yet to be named!)

1. This took WAYY too much time to do! But my last statement is a serious one. While I fully recognize the historical and fantastic moment this past Presidential inauguration was, I believe that we have just elected a man into the highest political office in the world who has officially proclaimed peace on the terrorists and declared WAR on the unborn children of both the children of this country and those of the international community as a whole. For many, many years we have enjoyed God's blessing on this great nation of ours. We often say, "May God bless the USA!" But due to the moral choices we are now making as a country, I believe it's time for us to cry out, "May God have MERCY on the USA!" I pray that President Obama will be the president we NEED. It is my fervent desire that this 44th president will indeed be remembered throughout history as the "change" this country needed. Pray for our new President and our country. 


May God bless and keep you all safe. You are in my prayers!! XOXOXOXOXO

To The One Who Loved Me First...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

Today is a very special day!  This is the day that my glorious mother came into the world!  I shall not reveal her age, a Lady NEVER does, but we'll just say that she's a little older than me... by a quarter of a century!  

My mom is the most special-est lady I know!  She's one of my FAVORITE people, (even when we don't agree).  In my opinion, this woman has contributed one of the, if not THE, most wonderful gifts to all man and woman kind... ME, of course!!  Only kidding!  In all seriousness.  My mom really is an amazing woman.   She has had so many trials and hurdles in her lifetime, all of which have shaped her into the woman she is, and in turn shaped my sister and I to be the women we are.  

Mom is a survivor of Breast Cancer- TWICE.  Not a relapse, mind you, but two separate battles, the second while I was in high school and old enough to know what was at stake.  She fought cancer twice and has the battle scars to prove it, but these battles proved to her and everyone around her how strong she is.  Rather, how strong her FAITH makes her.  Mom raised Katie and I to be God fearing and God serving women.  She instilled in us the importance of "God first, family second, and love above all!"  

This is a woman who not only battled deadly diseases and won, she also fought hard for what she believed in.   Wether it was that she believed the bus stop was too far from our home, or that her parents deserved to be cared for by people who loved them in their final years, Mom stood firm on her principles and fought to see that things were done the way they were supposed to be done.  I could go on, and on, and on about my mom, but I think that I'll spare you, dear readers, and instead do a "25 Random things about my Mother" list.  (Seeing as she'll never do a list of her own!)

"25 Random things about my Mother"

1. She is the youngest of 5 kids, and the only girl!

2. Mom broke her ankle about 8 or 9 years ago, and has more medal in and around her ankle than was thought to be humanly possible.

3. Mom can't make it through an entire movie without falling asleep.  It has something to so with finally sitting still!

4. When we were kids, Mom didn't like how far we had to walk to reach the bus stop, so she had our driveway designated as an official stop on the route!  It is STILL one to this day...

5. Her favorite color is BLUE.

6. She was once obsessed with seagulls.  (She was even going to name me Jonathan Livingston Seagull before she found out I was a girl)

7. And yet she is TERRIFIED of birds!  She saw the movie BIRDS! as a kid and it scarred her for life.

8. To compound the fear of birds; she was attacked by a vicious duck at Flagler Hospital, and  it took two night security guards to pry the duck off her and usher it back to the pond from which it came.  It is a HILARIOUS story that you'll have to get either Katie or myself to share with you.  But DON'T ask her about it.  She won't talk about it...

9. She has been a cosmetologist for over 30 years now, and used to have a beauty shop at the house.  I mean the WORKS!

10. She once dyed my hair half red and half green.  In her defense she was trying to undo the years of bleaching I had subjected my hair to.  It was really the hair's fault.  I still had to wear my hair in a french braid for 2 weeks while we waited for her to be able to fix it.  Otherwise it would have all fallen out from over processing!

10. She is the DRE (Director of Religious Education) at our parish and was the Youth Director before me.   

11. Mom went on EVERY field trip, chaperoned every dance, and participated in every committee imaginable while we were in school.  

12. Mom can't have Chocolate and caffeine.  They give her heart palpitations!

13. Mom had a pace-maker installed last year, and is doing GREAT!

14. When my grand parents were in the final years, she and Dad sold their home that Dad had built himself, and moved in with Gram and Grandpa to be their caregiver.  She went form loving daughter to nurse maid, book keeper, and became a parent to her parents.  As hard as that time was, she cherishes it.  I know that she'd have cared for them another 20 years if it meant that they could still be here.  (God bless and keep Omaha and Opah! May they rest in peace!)

15. She loves me more than "the other sister" (you know who)!

16.  She makes a mean chicken perlo.

17. She loves and protects her family fiercely!

18. She's not very into leisure reading...

19. Mom is an ADORING Grandmother, she lives to spoil her grand babies!

20. Mom really wants to go on a cruise this year... maybe!

21. She and Dad will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this year!

22. She's a meticulous house keeper.

23. Mom considered becoming a nun when she was younger.

24. She's my biggest fan and my harshest critic.  Thanks, Mom!

25. Mom is a strong woman of faith, who lives what she believes.  She has raised two amazing daughters, is married to a loving husband, and she loves spending time with the ones she loves!

In short my Mom is the #1 Mom in  the world!  Thanks for being you, Mom, and for helping me to become me!

With ALL my Love-

From the one who loved you first...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

 

Shut yo Pie Hole!

Ahhhh, pie.  How amazing is pie? Come on!  It's warm, and sweet, and flaky, and oh-so-good!  There have been songs written about pie.  When something is simple we say that it's as "simple as pie"!  If you're living the dream then it's said that you have a "slice of the pie".  If you posses great virtue then it could be said of you that you are "as wholesome as apple pie!"  If you happen to be talking too much or driving me nuts then I might exclaim, "Shut yo pie hole!"  Pie is an American as well, apple pie!  While Americans didn't invent pie, we seem to have embraced it whole heartily!   Why all this talk about pie today?

Why, today is NATIONAL PIE DAY, of course!!  DUH!!!  Meg started all this nuttiness by coming into the classroom on Wednesday and announcing that it was National Hug Day.  I declared that yesterday was National Kisses Day, it seemed only logical...  Then I learn that today is National Pie Day.  How wonderful!  (*exclaimed with a voice dripping in sarcasm*)  While I like pie as much as the next person, I'm wondering if we REALLY need a National Day to honor pie.  

So to honor this revered pastry, I have decided to have a pie naming contest!  HOORAY!  Here's how it'll work!  It's kinda like Scatagories... You send me an email naming AS MANY TYPES OF PIE AS YOU CAN, and each original pie name will count as 1 point.  (So if more than one person lists "apple pie" then "apple pie" doesn't count. Get it?)  If you name a pie I've never heard of and it checks out as a real pie, then you get 2 points!  List as many pies as you can!  BE HONEST!!  This list is supposed to come from your PERSONAL knowledge of pies!!  It's no fair if you Google "Types of Pies"!  So, make your list from MEMORY!  Whoever gets the most points will win an original Shananagins Bags purse!  If we happen to have a tie then the winner will be determined by a drawing.  Just send your entires to  catholicgirl1975@gmail.com .  

You may be wondering what purses have to do with pie... well, NOTHING.  But I can't make a pie to save my life, and I can make purses REAL good! LOL!  (Plus, I'm not sure how I'd SHIP a pie, anyway!  Haha!)  Send your entries in ASAP!  This contest will run for ONE WEEK.  It will expire at Midnight on January 31st!  Get crack-a-lackin'!

P.S.  Brian wants me to ask you this joke....

What do you get when you cross an alligator with a duck?...

One less duck!  Ba-dum-bump!  CHING!  LOL!  

March for Life 2009

This past weekend I took the munchkins for a trip to St. Auggie for the annual March for Life, St. Augustine.  Thursday will be the 36th anniversary of Row vs. Wade, when the Supreme Court or these United States of America made it legal to have an open season on the unborn children of this country.  The national March for Life will take place then in Washington DC to let our government know that there ARE still Americans who know that this decision, while it may be lawful is immoral and unconstitutional.  The March we participated in was in conjunction with the DC March, but for those who could not make the journey.  

I am a survivor of a holocaust.  The Holocaust that has taken millions of lives in the past 36 years.  My mother could have, without any explanation, "taken care" of me.  She could have decided that she wasn't ready to be a mom yet, she could have decided that she just couldn't afford a kid at the time, she could have come up with any number of reasons why she didn't want to be pregnant at the time; and she could have walked into a innocuous building and terminated her pregnancy, no questions asked.  But she didn't.  She chose LIFE! Because of her choice I have led a very blessed life.  She brought me into a world where children are not cherished, but disposed of like used tissues.  But she cherished me, and taught me to cherish ALL life, from conception to it's natural death.  

We marched for all those who cannot.  We lend a voice to all those who cannot speak.  God, the Author of life says quite clearly, "Thou shall not kill."  Who are we to decided that is a suggestion and NOT a commandment?  I was filled with pride and sadness as we marched down San Marco Ave in St. Augustine, Florida on Saturday.  Pride that we were doing something unpopular of Him and His littlest ones.  Sadness that we must do this at all.  

Below is a slideshow of the pictures we took.  We placed over 4,000 white crosses on the grounds of Nombre de Dios Shrine to create a "Cemetery of Innocents".  This is the number of abortions performed each day in America ALONE!!

Today, on the saddest of anniversaries, our prayers join those hundreds of thousands of every race and creed who will be marching in DC to give the clear message that the Legalization of Abortion is WRONG.  People from around the country are lifting their hearts to God between noon and 1PM EST.  I humbly beseech you to do the same.  Pray for an end to abortion, pray that the hearts of all Americans might be turned and that we may become a Culture of Life rather than death.  

Our Lady of Guadalupe, PRAY FOR US!!!!

This post is dedicated to my Mom, who gave me everything when she gave me LIFE.  I love you Mom!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Snotcicles and Blogger's Block...

(The fountain outside my condo complex) 

OK- about the snotcicles first... It is C-O-L-D today!  It doesn't often get this cold in Florida, so when it does I have developed a rating system that can full express how cold it really is.  You know, because, the standard scientific measurement of temperature in degrees is just not reliable.  I kidding of course, but what does 27 degrees FEEL like?  My system lets you know just that.   I thought I might share my system with you so that you, too, could amaze your friends and loved ones with your extensive understanding of the workings of the weather.  You can thank me later...

It gets really hot here at times... so when the mercury climbs higher and higher and is close to eclipsing 100 degrees, then I like to say that "It's hot enough to melt the makeup of a Texas beauty queen!"

When it's just plain hot, then  it's "Hotter than blue blazes!"

If it's warm, then I might say, "It's as warm as a pig in a blanket!"

When the weather is PERFECT... not too hot and not too cold, then it's a "Fabulous Florida Day!"

If it happens to be raining I say it's "Time to build an Ark( or a dingy, depending on how hard it's raining.)"

When the gentle breeze is blowing off the beach then it's a "Easy, breezy, beautiful coastal day!"

And if it's cold enough for a sweater or jacket then it's simply, "Sweater Time!"

Like I said earlier, it doesn't often get really cold around here, but on days like today- where fountains are frozen over, dogs are donning their sweaters, children are chilly at the bus stops, and grown-ups are ga-ga over their coffee, it's cold enough that if I had a runny nose I then I'm pretty sure that it would freeze into one big snotcicle.  Not a pretty thought, I know... but true you must admit.  The phrase, "Holy snotcicle, Batman!" is reserved for the coldest of cold days.  I think that at 27 degrees, today qualifies for this phrase!

I hope this explains "snotcicles" for all those out there who were previously confused, (ahemm- KATIE!).   Up until today I DID have "blogger's block" but I seemed to have recovered!

Bundle up, stay warm, and...

War of the Wierdoes!

Here's a little video that was recently made during a typical day of school here at the Williemas Household...  (I'll explain it afterwards...)

This is what ensued as Grant stood near Brian today.  They started goofing off, and I tried to separate them, so I grabbed Grant to pull him away from Brian, (remember that you can't touch Grant's arm too hard... it's STILL broken!  He keeps re-braking it!) when Grant picks his feet up off the floor and wraps them around Brian's neck!!!  He wasn't hurting Brian, of course, but thank goodness Celine was already playing with my camera and got this tape.  Otherwise you may have NEVER believed me!  This is my life.  Oh, joy.  Save me from the weirdoes.   Please.  I beg you.  Help... *spoken in a tiny voice*

Super Nanney for a Day!

Hi this is Brian... and I am being Shannon for today...

So here is today's post:

Last night, sense Brian likes animals he had a dream about animals.  Here is what the dream was like.  He had a dream about he had lots of pets he had a solid gold elephant and a giant Galapagos turtle that had a baby about the size as a tic-tac container.  Some elephants were useful they would get him wet in the summer and some would lift him to high places.  He also had chimpanzee that would peel his bananas he had a rhino and they would race!  The rhino did it for fun but brian did it for baseball.  He had hippo and a giraffe, and the giraffe scared off the mailman with his long tongue!  For some reason he had a mammoth and a blue whale and he had five horses and two bunnies.  I wish I really did have those kind of animals!  But all I have is a cat.

I hope you enjoyed my dream!  I liked being Shannon for a day!

P.S.  O.K. this is Shannon, now.  Brian typed this all by himself, send some comments and let us know if he should start his own blog?  LOL!

We've Been Invaded!!

By a marauding pirate!  Ok, so he's not actually a pirate, but he sure looks like one with that- wait... what is that on his face??!!  

Is it:

A.  A very dirty washcloth.

B. A tea bag wrapped in a paper towel.

C. A massive eye wound that's been badly bandaged.

D. A used Swiffer pad that he put on his face after a gross and pointless dare.

Despite what it may look like it is really a tea bag wrapped in a paper towel.  Why is this child wearing a tea bag on his face?  Because Meghan told him to put one there, that's why... but she did have a reason for instructing JP to do this.  He had cdonjuncivitus, and when she was a kid her mom would put a moist tea bag on her eye.  I'm not sure where the medicine in this is... but I think that the tea leaves draw out the infection... again, I don't know HOW it works.. but it DID!  The next day he looked MUCH better and by the day after that his eye looked all better!   Not to mention it looked RELLAY funny, and he smelled a LOT better than he usually does!

Here's JP explaining his Pirate-Tea patch himself... (Get it? Pirate-y?)

The Funniest Kid I Know!

This is a post dedicated to the funniest most entertaining kid I know:  My Niece, Cora.  Now, this in NO way is saying that the other kiddos I know and love aren't funny... but in order to appease someone, (ahemmm, Katie, my favorite sister...) I have decided to make this post all about CORA ALINE JOHNS!!! 

 Wooooo-hooo!

So I have adorable, almost 3 year old niece, Cora.  She is a PISTOL!  She never ceases to crack me up!  By the way, when you say that she's "almost 3" she quickly corrects you, "No, I TWO!"  

We were at my Mom and Dad's house the other Sunday, (yes, Kate, they're YOUR Mom and Dad, too), and she breaks out in this hilarious dance, and she kept chanting, "Shake the Boo-tay!  Shake the Boo-tay!"  I HAD to film it to show you guys!  She was watching Tom and Jerry, and I guess that inspired her to D-A-N-C-E!  So, here's Cora in her Super Nanney debut staring in "Shake The Boo-tay!"

           

Each time I watch this clip I'm reminded of another adorable 3 year old (my other precious niece, Alexis when she was that age) who had to learn a very important life lesson.  She would adamantly remind everyone of this lesson she had recently learned the value of... namely  "Don't shake your booty in church!!"  I have a feeling this is a lesson we will soon teach Miss. Cora.  That should be fun...

She also has a fascination with my iPhone... smart kid!   I have the game Scoops on it, she calls it "No Beggies!", though.  That's supposed to be "No Veggies!"  but she has a hard time with her "b"s.  In the game, ice cream falls from the heavens and you are supposed to catch it on your cone.  In this world of impossibility, vegetables ALSO fall from the sky, and if you catch them then you die!  So she yells, "NO Beggies!  Onwee iceteam!"  She jumps on my phone every chance she gets to play it... see for yourself:

Cute, huh?

Well, if I took the time to write all the adorably hilarious things she does then she'd need her OWN blog!  My sister does a fairly decent job of capturing her "funnies" (haha!), so you can head over to her blog if you just can't get enough CORA!  I know I NEVER can!!  www.thejohnskids.blogspot.com

Aunt Sissy LOVES YOU, Cora-belle!

hmmm...

I SOOO need to post but have I don't have any REAL material!! 

WHERE HAS ALL THE FUNNY GONE????  

I'll post when something, ANYTHING funny happens.  Heck I'd settle for mildly amusing right about now.  I may have to resort to the adorable musings of my niece, Cora, whom my sister thinks is the poster child for funny.  I happen to agree with her, so maybe.....

Just a little clarification...

I've received quiet a few responses about yesterday's post.  Particularly over Grant's "emaciated" pictures.  So in order to put everyone's minds at rest, I thought I should include some pictures of him when he isn't acting the part of Oliver Twist.  In order to assure that no trick photography was used, I had him wear the SAME clothes as the last pictures.  This way you won't think I just put him in bigger clothes to make him look bigger.  Huh!  Like I'd do such a thing!!  (That's not really the reason he's in the same clothes, but it sounds a lot better than the truth, which is that he is actually wearing the clothes as he did yesterday, today.  Truth be told, he'll probably wear them tomorrow, too.  I'm just grateful that I have tomorrow off!)  Here he is...

See... We DO feed him!  Believe me we do, and he doesn't resemble a starving Ethiopian child in any way.  He was sucking in his nonexistent gut, trying to be funny.  Trying.  This kid has the metabolism of, um, well, I'm not sure what, but something that has super-de-dooper fast metabolism!  (Feel free to make suggestions for my sad attempt at comparison.)

I also tried to get him to flex his guns, but he refused.  Brian would have done it!  So, why is Grant so morally opposed to showing off his muscles?  I mean, he IS wearing a muscle shirt!!  Geesh!

Random Insanity...

I thought I would share a few of our funnier moments from today.  There were oodles of them, but these were the winners, in no particular order...

Today while we were in the midst of school, Brian was being his usual goofball self, when I turned to him and said, "You are such a HAM!"  To which he replied, "But I'd rather be bacon.  Actually Canadian Bacon."   As I shook my head in wonder he continued, "But then again Canadian Bacon is really just ham, so I guess that would still make me a ham, huh?"  Meghan says in a awe filled voice, "Brian you are so smart."  My only response was, "So I guess that makes you a smart pig?"

Then, later, during lunch, as I sat eating my favorite WW meal (the Four Cheese Ziti) I was reminded that it's someone else's favorite, too.  You wouldn't believe it, but Grant loves this one!  He never misses a chance to beg a bite or two off whoever is eating it.

"Yummm. Your eating that stuff!" 

* he eyes WW meal covetously as he drools dangerously close to the dish*

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?" I replied a tad too defensively.

"Nope.  I love that stuff." 

* he opens his mouth like a starving baby bird, waiting for me to drop a noodle or two in that gaping pie hole of his*

"What?!... I don't think so, buster.  Don't even think about it!  This is MY lunch.  Didn't you JUST eat two tacos?, I snapped at him." (mostly because I had to SMELL the two tacos, and they smelled VERY yummy!)

"Uh-huh.  But I'm still hungry. And I love that stuff."

"Would you stop calling it 'that stuff'?  It's called ziti, and it's  all I get for lunch, so go munch on something else. Please." (I added the please with the lost hope that he, too will begin to use the phrase regularly.  Fat chance.) 

"But I need to lose weight, too!  See?" 

*he proceeds to show me the following...*

"OH MY GOODNESS, Grant!!! That's just WRONG!", I gasped.  "You do NOT need to lose any weight!"

"I know, Mom says I need to gain some... but it was worth a try." And he walked off to take my suggestion to go find something else to eat.

As funny as that was... we had many interesting moments to choose from.  Like making Koolaid.  How can that be interesting?  Well, Celine was in charge of making it today, that's how.  See, Brian is banned from making it because he never fails to make a disastrous mess every time he makes Koolaid.  JP doesn't want to make it, ever.  Grant will make it on occasion, but he makes only a slightly smaller mess than Brian does, so that leaves either Celine or myself to make it.  Seeing as how I was busy with Colette, who stayed home sick today, I asked Little Miss to make the stuff.  She knows just what to do, so I was surprised when she came to me and said, 

"Shanny, could you come and taste the Koolaid?"

"Um, honey, I can't what's the matter with it?"

"It tastes funny."

"Funny?  What do you mean?  Did you remember to add the Sugar?"

"Uh-huh.  Two cups."

"Umm, well, what 2 packets of flavoring did you use?" (Because they have all come up with odd combinations that just taste HORRIBLE!  Like fruit punch + blue raspberry.  Not only did that one taste disgusting, it looked pretty gross, too.)

"I used two lemonades."

"Well, then.  It should be fine sweetie.  Don't worry about it."  

"NO! You have to taste it!  It tastes FUNNY!"

"Why?  Did you sneeze in it?

"NO!"

Well, did you stick your foot in it?"

"NO!"

"Did you stick GRANT'S foot in it?" (I was kidding her about the feet by the way!  I just love teasing her.)

"NOOOOO!"  

"Then WHY does it taste funny?"

"I don't know!  Just come taste it!"

"I have no idea what's wrong with the Koolaid, Celine, but you have to promise me that you didn't do anything to MAKE it taste 'funny'!  Hold on let me get my camera...  OK- Now when I say 'three' you have to promise on film that you didn't.  OK?... 'THREE!'"

"The Oath"

So... I told her that I'd be in the kitchen in just a second, as soon as I was finished with Colette.  When I walked into the kitchen, this is what I found waiting for me:

Isn't she a funny one?  Haha!  As it turns out, the Koolaid tasted fine, at least to a person who NEVER drinks the stuff. (YUCK!)   I have no idea why she thought it tasted funny.  Maybe she'd been licking her feet before she tasted it?  IDK( I Don't Know)... and I'm too tired to care at this point.  Apparently the Grande Starbuck's I had this morning  has worn off...

Ring! Ring! LIFE is calling!

*BRRRRing! BRRRing!*

 "Hello? This is Shannon speaking." 

"Hi, Shannon, this is your LIFE calling, could you please start living me to the fullest?"

I feel like this is a conversation I've had with myself over the past few days.  I have no idea why I'm learning this lesson at THIS point in my life, but I am, and I thought I would share it with my Blog buddies.  Seeing as I've already shared it with my FaceBook buddies, and man, did it cause a ruckus! (did I really just use the word "ruckus" in a sentence?  What am I coming to?)  

For years I have struggled with my weight, and in the past two years I have made a very real effort to change the way I lived in order to "get thin".  Oh, sure, I may have TOLD myself, and others, it was so I could be "healthy", but every woman knows that unexplainable quest to be thin.  I am one of those women.  So I joined a gym, and last year I joined Weight Watchers.  I had great success with both of these endeavors, and I had stuck with most of the changes I made.  However, I have a tendency to not so much fall of the wagon as THROW MYSELF OFF when it comes to my health.  I never thought of myself as saboteur, though lately, I have come to know otherwise.  I'll get lazy or "busy" and not have enough time to make it to the gym or to WW meetings.  It starts by missing one night which leads to two, then three, by that time I'm so disappointed in myself that I wonder what's the point of going back.   So I don't.  At least until my clothes start getting too tight, or my "bat flaps" start getting flappy-er.   The most recent burst of healthy living lasted longer than any.  I had actually lost about 89 pounds, and was feeling really good.  The ground rushing past that moving wagon looked too tempting, though.  Somewhere around my birthday I just moved my quest to the back burner.  OK, I'm being honest, I took it off the stove completely!  I have not seen the inside of the gym, nor gone to a WW meeting in many a week.  My tight clothes and flappy arms are proof of that.  I had chucked myself right off that wagon, AGAIN!  

This time of year has everyone thinking "Resolutions".  I've never been one who is much for resolutions.  I just don't keep them.  But I did decide that the beginning of the year is as good as any to take another stab at the "QUEST" (said in a loud, booming voice), not to mention the new season of Biggest Loser started this week!  Great source of motivation!  So, Monday found my boo-ta-tay back in the gym, and I toted the ever familiar WW meal to work along with my protein bar and apple.  I still had the "quest" mentality going though.  But something was different this time.  Everywhere I turned I was faced with this nagging feeling, "What's going to make this time any different than all the others?"  "WHY is it that I can't just get past this weight so I can live my life?"  "I know everything would be so different if I did!"  Well, more times than I can count, I came across different "signs" or maybe they were clues that this time HAD to be different.  I am a BIG TV watcher.  It's a weakness, I know, but I am.  I watch a lot of HGTV, TLC, and Biggest Loser (of course!) This time of year the TV is saturated with shows about losing weight and being healthy, and for some reason I have been glued to ALL of them.  I don't know if watching these shows is affecting me, but more and more it's becoming clearer to me how unhealthy my weight really is.  Not only that, I also came to the heartbreaking understanding that for the past 15 years I've been waiting for my life to start.   I'm 33. That's a LOT of waiting.  Waiting for someone (man) to love me, waiting to travel, waiting to do fun things that I'd love to do.  Even more heartbreaking was WHY I was waiting on all these things.  I've been waiting lose weight so I'll find someone to love me, waiting to travel because I am  too embarrassed about how I look, waiting to enjoy certain activities because I'm not sure I can even do them!  It upsets me that I have missed out on so many opportunities, all because I was waiting for them to start!  

I am a woman of deep faith.  I credit that to having been raised by women of deep faith.  I have always prayed for God's Will to be done in my life, and at the same time waiting for the day when His Will would be done.  I think the biggest revelation I've had has come in the past 72 hours.  I've been waiting for a life to begin that actually began 33 years ago, and I have been wasting time WAITING.  Not waiting on God, mind you, waiting on me.  

So, I've been quietly mulling over these new ideas of mine.  All the while God seems to keep reinforcing them in what I am watching and reading.  Last night as I was munching on my very yummy salad, ( NO, you did not detect any sarcasm.  It WAS yummy!) I hopped on Face Book to check out what everyone was up to.  I was struck by how many of the young friends I have on there had changed their "relationship status" to "in a relationship".  It was then that I had an even bigger revelation.  Here I have been waiting for the future "Mr. Right" to come along, dreaming about him, obsessing even, when Mr. Right was already in my life.  Not that I've neglected God, but I have definitely spent way too much time wondering about the other man, time that really belongs to God.  So I decided in a spur of the moment decision to change MY relationship status on FB to "in a relationship", and I had intended to put "with God" next to it.  But FB won't let you put WHO if they aren't a member of FB.  So all it read was, "Shannon is now in a relationship!"  Well, I doubt you can imagine the chaos that ensued!  I had to write a quick note to "splain" myself to the FB community.  I thought I'd share it with you all.  Some of what I have already said is repeated in there, but I think you get the idea. : 

(If you happen to be a FB Buddy, skip the italics! You already read them!)

Before you old biddies FREAK OUT over my relationship status, let me clarify it. I've decided that 2009 is my year to be the best me I can for one very special person. OK, actually three, but for our purposes here, and so as not to confuse everyone, we'll just refer to one of the persons namely- GOD. (the other two are the second and third persons of the Blessed Trinity.) 

For too long now I have gone through my life thinking I was doing OK. That what I was giving out was my "best". I happen to know that isn't the case. So without dwelling on the past I am taking this opportunity of a new year to do that which I know I am capable of. No more missed opportunities, no more missing out on what I know God has waiting for me! I have very concrete goals for 2009! I've been making lifestyle changes for two years now, most have stuck, but I have a tendency to not so much fall of the wagon as THROW MYSELF OFF when it comes to my health. This year I want to achieve those goals that I have set for myself, wether they be health, career, family, relationship, or spiritually related. I think that the first place to start is with the MOST important of those goals and that would be my spiritual goals. So the first step I am taking is to make my relationship with God the most important relationship I focus on. For too long now I have waited and for my dream of becoming a wife and a mother to materialize. What I haven't done is spent enough time actively working on my relationship with the Lord. That may surprise some of you, but what I'm trying to say is that rather than pouring my energy into wondering and worrying about the future Mr. Nanney, I will be poring my energy into my present Mr. Right- God. I truly believe that the other will come in His Good Time. When the time is right then my Mr. Right WILL come along. I can't change when that will be, so I am choosing to focus on something I CAN change, and that is to grow even closer to the God I love and Who loves me more than I will ever know. And I'll start by doing my best to honor Him and the gifts He has blessed me with.

Don't get me wrong- I WILL be a wife and mother, but I will NOT make that my focus any longer. Unfortunately, unless science develops a cure for " boy craziness" then I'm not likely to stop mooning over the likes of Michael Buble or Matt Maher. (BTW-My favorite is the latter! I'll take a Godly man over a MB in a heart beat. But you have to admit that MB is a gift from heaven!) And I am still not above being set up with someone by friends, family, or even perfect strangers! (Just Kidding!!! ;) ) BUt my new man is the big G-O-D!

OK, I'm done. I just wanted to side step the innumerable comments and messages I just knew were on the way to my inbox! Love you all!

So to recap... 

I am NOT seeing anyone at this present time.  I love God, and He loves me MORE!  I WILL be married, one day.  No more diet.  I will now care for this temple of the Holy Spirit in a manner that it deserves.  I am still ga-ga over guys.  No more waiting, my life starts now!  2009 is MY YEAR!  Oh, and I am open to being set up. WHEW!  

Fear not, this will NOT become a "diet blog", although I have considered starting one.  I'm too big of a chicken, though.  I just can't bring myself to post my weight and "before" pictures for all to see.  Besides that I'm reminded that I have far too many blogs at present.  One more would be overkill, and a tad egocentric.

P.S. I would like to apologize for the obscene amount of "quotation marks", but I had no other recourse.  Thanks for loving me anyway!

PS.S.-Thank you all for your support!  Especially my Mom, my sister (whom I love oodles!), Erin, Yvette, Meg, and Stacie.  Your love and support is overwhelming.  With ALL my love...

Normalness abounds!

I can tell that all is back to normal around Nannyland.  All signs point to this fact.  I bet you are wondering, "What signs?"  Well, other than the giant banner posted across the front door that read "All is Normal Here!" there are a few tell tale signs that life has indeed returned to normal after the craziness of the holidays.  (I was kidding about the sign, by the way...)  For instance; everyone is back to school.  Most of the kids started back yesterday, but Warren and Colette went back today (just a side note, those two had the longest va-ca of all of us!  They've been out of school since the 17th of December!!!!!)  Another way I can tell it's back to the same old, same old is that I wasn't greeted by a barrage of stories of what they have been doing, or seeing, or a laundry list of gifts they opened since the last time I saw them.  

One of the biggest signs I can see is that I'm back to dragging Celine out of bed again every morning.  She is NOT an early riser!   Either is Brian, though.  But it takes a team of wild horses to drag that little princess out of bed!   So,  YEAH!  I get to look forward to this morning ritual again!  During the break we'd just let her sleep until she woke up, whenever that may have been.  Oh!  Then there is the daily herding of munchkins up the stairs to the school room to begin the day.  This is usually accompanied by the score of multiple voices bemoaning and whining as they ascend to their awaiting doom.  Meghan and I have beautiful "bemoaning" voices, by the way!  What?!  You seemed shocked that it's the two of us joining in the protests!  There are times when we dread school just as much as they do.  I'm more of the whiner, Meg is an amazing bemoaner, though! (Just kidding, Meg!)   Accompanying the moans and groans against starting school, we have also had to listen to the frequent protests against certain subjects.  Math always gets booed, as does anything that requires sitting still and listening to me or Meg read.  (That would be EVERY subject, at some point!)  English would be found at the bottom of the list near Math!  I guess they would all prefer to be illiterate fools who "don't talks no good English"!  Seriously!  Where can one find a job when one can not complete simple math skills and speak proper English?  Nowhares, thare's whare!  So when addition flash cards are met with harrumphs and sighs and flailing of limbs, I just want to scream, "FINE!  Would you rather spend your life digging ditches and then covering them back up?  Because that's the only thing you'll be able to do for a living if you don't learn this stuff!!!"   ARRRHGGHHH!    Here's a picture of the attitude I was gifted with when I informed Brian that he needed to review his addition facts:

I did make him do the flash cards.  He pouted the entire time, BUT when he did the drill he not only got all 100 problems correct, but he did it for the first time within the time alloted!!  I was very proud, and so was he!  

So we have indeed returned to the normalcy of daily life, at last!  Don't be fooled though!  Normal around here is certainly NOT calm.  It may be back the usual routine, but it's still crazy, and that's because it's normally crazy!!