A little help...

Vera will be proud of me! I did something really hard. I walked into a building and environment that was new and scary to me. It wouldn't be to you or any normal person you know... Maybe a little intimidating but not freak-out-about-to-cry scary.

I would have turned away at the door if Nissa hadn't been with me. I would have run... walked away quickly... Like a scared little girl.

The people were very nice. I did fight back tears and anxiety the whole time, which they noticed, but were so nice anyway. I didn't have to explain my fear of new people and places.

I could really tell I was rattled at the end when they asked for my phone number. I rattled the number mindlessly, 682-xxx-xxx. The young man repeated it. It was wrong. I said no, that's not right, 682-xxx-x... wait that's not my number, it's my moms number.

I looked at Nissa, "what's my number? I can't remember my number!"

Nissa pulled out her phone and said "817-xxx-xxx"

"Yes, that is my number. I'm so nervous I'm in a fetal position and subconsciously want my mommy" I said with a smile... an embarrassed smile.

Everyone laughed charmingly. I promised to write my number on my hand before I came back.

We stepped out of the building and I started crying. It was so hard, and I did it... With a little help from my friends.

... Later, at home. "Hey Michael, do you have the cover for the album that the song A Little Help from My Friend?"

"Yeah, do you want the record, the tape, the CD, or the digital art?"... My hubby, the Beatle n-e-r-d!

Slob... Noted

As I pulled the wash out of the dryer I was frustrated to see my black leggings covered in grey fuzz. My fault, I shouldn't've mixed my pjs with my leggings... Noted.

I have a lint roller at the office but haven't replaced the one here at the house... Noted.

I pulled on my short sleeve, v-neck black dress hearing the static crackle as I lower it over my head. Dress wont fall straight. Need to buy static spray... Noted.

Face is sensitive and red from sinus infection... Sigh... And how have I neglected those chin hairs so long? ... Noted.

At this point I turned from the mirror, pulled my hair into a pony tail and decided tomorrow I will not be a slob.

Now, I don't have a fairy God Mother, so I can't go from flab to fab overnight... But I CAN curl my hair and put on make-up.

My role model... The ALWAYS fabulous Nissa. She oozes style. Love it! HWND - how would Nissa dress? I need to get some scarves and shoes... Noted!

A to Z Challenge 2013!

I just signed up for this years A to Z Challenge! Really excited. I've already got a plan... Videos! April will be filled with wacky, tacky, and true videos of the Medina clan.

Some of the videos I'll have to get started on right away, because I won't be able to shoot and edit each day... and work... and hug the kids, rub the dog, and make fun of hubby. A girl has to have priorities!

(Okay, I took another dose of meds and am a little hyper again...)

Anywho, for "D" I could make a version of the history of dance (will be tragically funny); for "B" I could do a how-to on my yummy-to-die-for buttercream icing; for "S" I could do a montage of scaring my girlies... If ya have any ideas, lemme know. ("K" is going to be all about Karen... it's gonna be good.)

I also double-D-dare some of my peeps, who have neglected their blogs (you know who you are), to go sign up too. Look, here is a pretty link:


(Beth, Amy, Sarah, and Ebony... I can feel that you all skipped right over that link without clicking it... do it, it'll be fun.)

Medina's Got Talent

Where has the week gone? Uncle Eddie was here, I had a long weekend, then two days at work, then sick for last four days...

Time flies. Feeling better tonight... or on better drugs anyway. So here's an update of the crazy.

Uncle Eddie is hi-larious, he came to Texas, we had a freak snow, he went home to St. Louis and I got this text video on his arrival... (which I watched like, 20 times)

We took the girlies to jump on trampolines.  They had a great time. I had a HI-LARIOUS time! My very athletic, svelte,  and younger sister took a nose dive... BIG TIME.  I was laughing so hard I think I stopped breathing.  Where is the camera when I need it?!

So she fell on a padded area and was fine, well, she might have hurt her should a little from all the flailing. But the truth is out. If it is funny enough I will laugh before I know if you are okay. 

She didn't just fall... that won't get me laughing for three days... she fell for 10 feet... as if her feet were going to be able to catch up with her head.  Once she hit the ground she looked up at the woman seated near the final landing spot.  The woman (who is so going to heaven) had a worried look on her face and asked "are you all right?!" Sarah said "thank you for not laughing"... and the woman said "like your friend?" gesturing to me, as I am bent over and gasping for air.

I asked the girlies to re-create:

Since I'm feeling better and my toes have recently been painted I thought I would share my big time talent...

Birds and Bees and Trees

It's may be necessary for Mother Nature but it's hell for me.

According to claritin.com we are part of a small pocket of moderate pollen levels. The major majority of the country is itchy, stuffy, and sneezy free.

Well, at least we aren't at high or very high, or I might die. I'm a poet and didn't know it.

Hope these meds kick in soon.

4 Needles

Gorgeous let me take over her living room again. I made a spa wrap for little Kate and one for me.

I had just finished Kate's when Gorgeous called from Costco... Where they had adorable children's spa wraps for $6!!! So defeated... That's how much it costs me to make one.

I decided to wait on making the other two wraps for my nieces, I assume they are going to love the Costco ones... so I made one for myself instead.

I felt like a whale while I was sewing mine. Big mistake going from a size 18-month wrap to my size wrap... I kept thinking I was making a mistake and surely this much towel wasn't needed. No mistake. I take two towels. It's a good thing I'm already watching my food intake and exercising with my peeps or I might have flushed down the toilet of despair.

But the good news is I have a comfortable wrap to use now! I don't like robes because they get too hot and I feel claustrophobic. These are much more comfy and I can take it to the pool too.

I was hunched over the machine too long. I broke 4 needles and there is a 2x2 inch of skin on my back that has no feeling. It's not just a stiff back... just to the right of my spine and just below the base of my neck... numb... I can scratch right over it and not feel a thing.

Weird.

Funny Men

Uncle Eddie and Jason had me barking with laughter all evening.

I was able to capture two moments on the camera... Wish I'd had a video rolling all night!

Jason wearing little Hank's 18mo hoodie...

Uncle Eddie wearing a very cute bow in the Justice for Girls shop...

I'm pretty sure the Justice ladies where ready for our party of 10 to get out.  I know I couldn't wait to leave. So cute to watch the little girlies "shopping."

There was this one little compact speaker that I thought was really cute. I'm so glad I took it out of the box and tested before purchasing it! The speaker on my phone was louder that the attachable speaker!

We had a great time, well, I did anyway :)

Anxiety at rest

Caitlin is covered in her beaded blanket. I hope she is having a happy dream and a restful sleep.

"I feel sad" is what she says when she goes to sleep... I feel scared.

Play List

Today was a hard core data entry day... Which requires music.

From 9 to 12 am I had Sail by AWOLNATION on repeat.

At 1 pm I switched to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack, keeping Cups on repeat for an hour... Fighting a desire to let my song bird fly.

At 3 pm I switched to Pandora and created a station based on the Pitch Perfect song Pool Mashup: Just the Way You Are/Just A Dream.

I highly recommend this station! Totally A Capella rocked my data entry for 4 more hours.

Some of the awesome groups I "discovered" included:

Juxtaposition
Flint Hill Major Minors
Penn Masala
Nebraska Bathtub Dogs
Grains of Time
Decomposure
DeltaCappella
DA Vinci's Notebook
Pointless
Middlebury Mamajamas
Inuendo
Virginia Belles
WitchPitch?

Here I am at my lip sinc concert... I am really good :)

Texting

Well, I've sent and read my last text while driving. I thank God I didn't kill myself, or worse, someone else.

I feel nauseous knowing I've done it with my babies in the car.

This video woke me up. So if I don't get back to your text right away... I'm probably driving.

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=23184

Little kids... Big job

Gorgeous and I babysat my little Kate and little Hank for a few hours tonight.

We had dinner, took baths, took medicine, brushed teeth, read books, and went to bed.

It was so much fun! I can't wait to do it again... And I don't know how my sister does it every day. She is only 18 months younger than I am but she has the energy for a two-year-old and a breast feeding baby, sometimes I get tired 'cause I have to tell Caitlin three times to go get in the shower...

It took me and my mom to do what Siobain does every night. Wow.

So, I'm in awe of my sister and totally in love with my cuddle buddies.

Anxiety Blanket

Usually I have an invisible blanket of anxiety draped around me, but now we have a real blanket the helps reduce anxiety!

On one of our visits with Caitlin's doctor the office was a little chilly. She asked Caitlin if she'd like a light blanket or a "heavy" blanket. I thought we were talking fleece or weaved... But it turned out she really did have a heavy blanket. It's made with polymer beads to add weight. Apparently it's incredibly affective in calming autistic children but also works for general anxiety too. The weight causes the body to releases serotonin, calming the person.

The blankets are expensive. But it couldn't be that hard to make... And there are several patterns and tutorials on the web. I kinda took a little bit from all of them and then jumped in.

I let Caitlin pick her material, one side Minnie Mouse and one side textured green, selected the heaviest weight thread, and 8 lbs of plastic polymer beads.

It took me 6 hours or so, machine help from mom, and math help from Sarah to get it done but I am super happy with the result. AND it works! The very next day, the girlies were still on Holiday, Honey called and Caitlin was having a... Lets call it an anxiety attack, screaming and crying... Last time I got this call I had to race home. This time Honey was able to get Caitlin to lie down under the blanket. 2 minutes later Caitlin was calming down and I was able to get back to work.

I've even used it on several occasions. I need a heavier blanket, it should be 10% of your weight plus 1 lb, but even this 7 lb blanket is beneficial.

Is it all in my mind? Maybe. But in that case the suggestion works, so who cares.

I'd really like to go get her blanket right now, but it seems wrong to steal it from her while she sleeps.

So making one for myself is on my sewing list... Sewing is pretty therapeutic too. Win/win.

If anyone wants to know my super easy cheesy way to make these things, holler.

American Girlies

We planned a "spa" day for Eleanor's birthday. I like "experience" gifts, it's my new thing... So I hope my girlies like them too.

Anyway, today was our American Girl celebration. On the schedule was lunch in the Bistro, a new hairstyle in the salon, store scavenger hunt, and an AG craft.

So, I've never been to the AG store... Ummm... A little surreal. These dolls have a better life than most children. It's like Disney for dolls... Or whatever really rich dolls would do.

Aside from the "am I on prank tv" feeling, I must say they give excellent customer service... And at those prices they should.

The Bistro - excellent service and a charming experience. The wait staff is well trained to treat the children and dolls as the focus. We dined from the lunch menu and I was surprised how yummy my salmon was. Eleanor's pasta looked good and even Caitlin's pizza looked tastier than most other non-Italian places with pizza on their kids menu.

The Salon - wow, Disney level training here. They put on a show, talk to the dolls and the girls, and discuss best grooming practices... We just got "cheap" hairstyles done but the doll next to us was getting a full spa work up, including a robe and mask. Um, yes, I did feel a giggle coming on.

The Scavenger hunt was free :) and the girlies each received a poster of Sage, this year's new doll. I was really excited for the free poster. not because I want it hanging on our wall, but because the girls walked out of the store with something I didn't have to pay for.

Caitlin had a great time, I hope Eleanor did too. I even had fun, but with a "there is something wrong about this" feeling.

On the way home I stopped for gas and an elderly man asked if I had any spare change. I told him I was sorry but I didn't have any cash on me. I felt horrible, we just took our dolls to the spa and this man was asking for change. Then I remembered that Caitlin brought her purse with her. I owe her $4, but I'm happy I was able to give him something.

Bumper Cars

From Saturday...

I did it again. Backed out of my parking spot... And right into an empty car. So embarrassing. And I was on speaker phone with Gorgeous, so she got to hear all my swear words.

I hate hitting empty cars. It's so awkward to just leave a note...

Dear APO1xxx,

I'm very sorry I backed into your front, driver's side bumper. I don't see a dent but there are some white marks. I left them there so you can see where I hit you. Please take a look and contact me if you determine any damage was done.

Thank you,
Kathleen Medina
817-xxx-xxxx

It started raining while I wrote my note on a torn piece of paper. I placed the note in a used (with crumbs) snack bag and put it under the wiper.

They haven't called yet. Usually they do, just to say everything is fine and thanks for the note. Sigh, I'm such a bad driver that I can say "usually" for this situation.

I took pictures to make sure I don't get blamed for more than what I did.

A or B?

From Friday...

So I was in an amazingly good mood on Friday considering 1) torturing my 13 year old; 2) stepping in a puddle of gas; and 3) an extra hour of traffic on the way to work (over 2 hours to get to work!!!)

Starting with the traffic... I am glad I was not IN the accidents that caused all the delays.

Puddle of gas? No one lit a match around me and I survived the day without going up in a literal ball of flames.

Torturing Siobain? Okay yes, parents should not torture their children. I'm reasonable, most of the time, and agree that it is generally bad to torture anyone. But she had it coming. It was the only way to make her see reason.

My daughter is pretty. God gave her a nice face. Somewhere from someone, and I suspect it might be me, she got the impression that she has ugly teeth, so she always smiles with her lips glued shut.

I think what happened... Is that she might have overheard me talking about how pretty her smile is going to be when we "get her teeth fixed." Totally taken out of context. I wasn't saying she didn't already have a pretty smile, I was just, ya know, I don't know... Justifying the money we were spending on braces. Braces are not just cosmetic in Honey's case. We had to pull teeth and expand her mouth and yada yada. Her dentist told us when she was 4 that if we didn't already have it we needed to make sure we had insurance for her teeth, braces would be required.

And now she has them, and she looks adorable, and I can already see a change... Although since she can't really bite her teeth down we still have a bit to go... So she better start liking her smile NOW!

I took several pictures. Lets be logical! A or B, which one looks pretty? A or B, which one shows a happy girl? A or B, which girl would you rather be around? A or B?

A or B?
A or B?
A or B?
A or B?

Cookie Monster

Caitlin and I had a very special evening in religion class tonight. We are only 3 months away from her Baptism, 1st Communion, and Confirmation. Tonight we walked through the church and learned about this special mass and celebration.

It will be about six hours long all done in candle light. The church has a baptismal tub and the children will be immersed in the water. Then we will change into the communion dress for the rest of the mass.

Caitlin and I are both nervous and excited.

Looper

Recommend!

I need some non-film-major peeps to check back with me after they see the movie.

I THINK it was really good. I liked the story and there were several twists. My problem? Gordon's spot-on impression of Bruce Willis kept distracting me. He was so good! I can only imagine that his preparation for the roll included pondering the question "how would Bruce say/express this line." I was seeing the movie from a production point of view instead of immersing myself into the world of the movie... instead of Suspension of disbelief.

So watch it. Tell me it IS a good flick.

A Grizzly

I attended an Altrusa meeting tonight. My friend Beth has been very involved for years and is becoming district governor this year... I think that's right. Anyway, she's a rock star and I admire her and this is a huge part of her life.

A month ago she posted this banner on her FB page and I thought it was brills. When I commented she said, for the hundredth time, that I would love it and should join.

The president of the chapter in my area posted within minutes that they would love to have me visit the next meeting. Beth said she'd go with me... even though she would have to miss her own Altrusa meeting...

... And tonight I met a wonderful group of women. I think this might be for me. A group of women, working together, to make our community a better place. It is "a builder of women."

I really like the sound of that, "a builder of women."

I sat in the meeting wanting to be worthy of these women who volunteer so much of their time. But since I'm me, I also became obsessed that there might be spinach in my teeth. I flashed a quick grizzly at Nissa, who also came along for the visit. She gave me a nod and I calmed down, loving that she knew what I was asking.

So... I'm excited!

Recognize!

"I got a reward!"

Sew Disappointed

I was really excited to get back to the sewing machine this weekend. Caitlin wanted straps on her spa wrap and a little turtle on the pocket... and I wanted to make her happy.

I messed up with my measurements a little and also accidentally faced the towel wrong side out. But it wasn't noticeable enough for me to backtrack. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I just wish Caitlin was too... It's just not her kind of thing.

Who loves me?

I ask this question at least once a day. Our house is small and the question can be heard everywhere.

I do.
I DO!
I do...

Roll call is taken and everyone has answered and our house is filled with love.

Hubby the Bear

Hubby goes to bed early, since he has to get up at 2:00 am. He's a light sleeper. Really light. If our neighbor toots hubby will wake up.

I'm not a quiet person... Understatement! This occasionally causes issues :)

Sometimes he sleeps in the girls' room so that I can stay up in our room, ya know, 'cause there has to be no light or sound when he goes to sleep. On these nights the girlies sleep with me... And we usually get in trouble.

Last night the dryer broke. We were really looking forward to a year of no big purchases so hubby was a little more grumpy than usual and went to bed early.

The girlies and I were talking about how funny, and yet scary, "grumpy" daddy is. We were getting a little giggly and maybe speaking above a whisper. I had just started to ask "who is scarier, me or" when we heard the girls' door open and we all froze!

Uh-oh! We woke grumpy bear! We heard the heavy, irritated sigh in the hallway as hubby walked to my bedroom door. Honestly, even I get nervous when we wake him up. It's the disappointment in his eyes. The dread of a lecture. The guilt of being inconsiderate.

Sometimes we try to disperse before he can catch us together. Or we'll pretend to be asleep. At the very least we immediately put on our contrite face. But last night, after a long silent pause we started laughing.

There is no doubt who is "scarier" because when that door opens, and you know you've woken him, all your instincts scream "HIDE."

We three are trouble makers and hubby is wonderful to put up with us!

SongPOP

I loved the old game show Name That Tune... And now I'm addicted to the app version!

I wait in anticipation of my turn! I want to call people and say "hurry, it's your turn!" I ignore my husband and tune out my girls during my round... 7 to 20 seconds of complete concentration and adrenaline.

I don't care if the house is on fire, it's my turn!

I am not good at this game, everyone beats me. Kim scores over 20,000 in one round and Michael can guess a song under 1 second... But win or lose, I'm addicted!

Fashion

Today was "get back on the treadmill" day. Nissa and Beth are FANTASTIC workout buddies. Totally motivating and inspiring.

The workout room at the office was hopping this evening, everyone embracing their New Year resolutions. I grabbed the bike, Beth was on the treadmill, and Nissa was on the elliptical.

The bike was hard! I did 9.5 miles in 30 minutes. I don't remember it being so hard before Christmas... Nissa confessed after the workout that she increased my bike settings by two difficulty levels while I was blind without my glasses. But I did it!

They have one wall completely covered with mirror... And unfortunately the bike faces it. Hi-larious! My legs push up my belly and my belly pushes up my boobs... One at a time... Left, right, left, right... For thirty minutes... It's mesmerizing!

Beth purchased some really cute workout clothes. I purchased a new shirt...

Hippy New Year!

I remember when 2013 seemed like a science fiction date, too far into the future to be real... And yet it's here.

And so I say happy new year to you! And me :) I hope this year is a good one, where I grow emotionally and shrink physically.

The last two months... Have been deeply personal and I have not blogged. My hubby misses my posts and so here I am, rambling to myself, sharing my days again.

I'm working out and dieting with the ladies at work. Took Christmas "off" and am back to it tomorrow. They've promised an hour workout and then up three flights of stairs. Hope I don't die... Or barf :)

I turn 39 in March and I really want a bike for my birthday. But I have to lose weight in order to buy a bike I can afford. So that's my mini goal... Fit on a bike by March 7th.

I spent the day with Gorgeous. It was really relaxing. I'm working on a couple of projects at her house, using her jewels and sewing machine. I finished 3 bracelets and one spa wrap. I'm excited about how the spa wrap turned out, I'm making one for all the girlies. G doesn't think little Kate will use it, but I'm making it anyway. The bracelets are for my girlfriends... 5 more to make... Unless I forgot someone... Remind me if you want a bracelet :)

Honey won't model her spa wrap so you'll have to wait for Caitlin's. I'm making myself one too, lol, maybe I'll be the model.

Thanking God for everyday. Peace.