Poem about my IV Infusion

I just wrote a poem about my IV infusion tomorrow....

You can read it here !

Thanks in advance....

Be well,
Dawn

Answers to some Questions about My Last Entry

Diane and Dawn both had some good questions about my last entry, so, I decided to clarify them here!

My book club book for this last month was 'Running with Scissors' by Augusten Burroughs.  I liked it a lot, but it was very raw, shocking, in fact.  It is not a book for the faint hearted, or narrow-minded.  There are many ugly topics in this book but also, humor. 

It has been made into a movie that will be released in Fall 2006, with a lot of big names.... I am excited about that.

On my own I also read Augusten's sequel memoir, 'Dry'.  I liked it better than 'Scissors' but you have to read them in order to get the full effect of the story.

Truth is stranger than fiction, and Augusten wrote journals for hours each day.  His books were out before the 'Frey/Oprah' incident, and have been thoroughly checked and found to be true.  I even did some digging myself, and was quite satisfied.

I picked the book for this months upcoming club meeting.  The book I chose is 'A Thread of Grace' by Maria Doria Russell.  It is a fictional account based in fact of the 43,000 jews that sought refuge in Italy and were in fact, saved by Italians.  Many were not saved, but most were, and even after 1943, after Mussolini turned to the Allies, Italy was not a land of peace and helping the Jews were not easy. 

I am excited and looking forward to the discussion, this is a topic that my club has not tackled before.  It is fun to see where everyone falls.  The next club meeting is a brunch at my house!  Yikes, pressure!  LOL  Nah, just bagels, muffins, and stuff.  I will keep it simple and easy.

To answer, another query, yes, my hubby is my son's football coach.  He was not head coach of the age group, but was in charge of defense.  This past season he was one of three coaches, next year, he will be one of two, unless he and his buddy pick up another assistant!

And, yes, Dawn, beer and wine and drinks at church!  It was not a church function, but the Knights of Columbus, and yes, it is a Catholic church.  The K of C can't fit everyone who comes into their hall for this Comedy show, so they rent the church auditorium.  There were 340 people in attendance at $25 a ticket.  All the money was for a local children's charity.

So, there ya have it!

Be well,
Dawn

 

My Weekend and Week Ahead! Arrrghhh!!!

  Boy, I tell you, sometimes this schedule makes me wanna cry!  LOL  

Friday, Fuzzy was homesick throwing up.  Poor thing, thankfully, by dinner he felt great and was eating again.  

Hubby had a football conference dinner and meeting so he was out from 8pm until 11:30pm.  Pumpkin cried.  How dare he go out to a meeting and not be home to put her to bed.  That is Hubby's thing.  Bedtime.  Ah well, mommy let her sleep downstairs on the daybed in the play room.  She got over it...lol

   Saturday we went early to a wrestling match.  Our friends, that we went on the cruise with, their son, Fuzzy's friend since pre-school, has been wrestling for three years.  We never got to a match, so we did.   

OMG, thank God my kids don't wrestle.  I used to watch all the time when I was in high school, but seeing it now, through a mom's eyes....truly frightening.  I don't know how necks were not broken.  We saw lots of kids wrestle that we knew through our kids, and my heart was in my throat the entire time.   

And, people questioned my decision about football???  Last week, at wrestling, a kids arm was broken in three places and one bone went thru the skin.  That did not happen at football!!  lol  

Okay, so moving on.... Saturday night was the annual K of C Comedy Night.  We go with a group of friends, including the wrestler's parents, who start the party at their house first.  We were there at 6 pm, off to the church auditorium at 7pm, to set up our food and drink.  You would not believe the stuff people bring to this, but our group did mostly munchies, beer, and some mixed drinks too.  The comedy starts at 8pm.  2 warm-ups and then the headliner.   

The headliner is a huge cult hit here in NJ as he had his own cable access show for 27 years.  He calls himself Uncle Floyd.  He was great.  Afterward, there are door prizes, we didn't win, and then more drinking and a DJ for dancing.  That was nice.  We hung about for a bit but were home by 11:15pm.  

I had to get up early Sunday and get out the door for my book club that was going to be a brunch at 11am.  I made it!  lol 

It was really nice!  The woman who hosted had muffins, 3 kinds of quiche and a big salad.  Mimosas and Parseco, an italian dessert wine with pureed strawberries to drink, and then sorbets for after.  Quite lovely.  The book discussion was lively and and enjoyable.  I didn't get home until 3:30pm.  

I walked in to my kids giving Hubby crap about me being out soooo long.  Hubby said jokingly, that he may have to install an ankle bracelet to keep me home.  I think not!  This cracks me up as I am home all the time.  The book club is the only thing I do away from Hubby and the kids.  Sheesh!   

Apparently, Fuzzy and Pumpkin wanted me to help them with homeworkd stuff, refusing Glenn's assistance for hours.  Pumpkin only lets Hubby help with math.  LOL  

So, the rest of the afternoon, I looked up cities in Canada, printed info, helped with spelling and grammar, all with Fuzzy and then helped Pumpkin get her goods together for being Star of the week at school, and printed out pix to show her family and pets to her class and pics of her doing her dance and piano recitals.  

There ya go...the family update.  I slept in today, Hubby took the kids to school, I only got up briefly to do Pumpkin's hair.  Hammer was all set with school work so I slept until noon!  Yikes! 

Tomorrow, the boys get their braces on.  Wednesday is my IV infusion in NYC, Thursday is Pumpkin's four fillings with happy gas.  That doesn't include piano today for Pumpkin and Wednesday boy scouts for Fuzzy and rabies clinic shots tonite for Libby!  And, of course, Pumpkin's dance lessons too.   

Sunday we leave to go to the week in a time share about an hour away in the Pocono Mountains, that my cousin gave to us.  It will be nice to get away...I think.  Of course, I am the one who has to pack everything...so that will fill up my Friday and Saturday!  Laundry, packing, etc.   

I hope to be able to post later this week again, but if I don't I guess you all now know why!!!  lol  

Be well,
Dawn

The ABC Game

Thanks to Hadon, who didn't tag me, but I am doing it anyway, because it is cool!  ( The Hadonfield Myers Experience )

A.  Admirable

B.  Beautiful (from my husband)

C.  Considerate

D.  Daring

E.  Emotional

F.  Friend

G.  Giving

H.  Happy (my son's friend says I am the happiest person he has ever known!)

I.  Intuitive

J.  Judgement-less

K.  Kissable

L.  Loveable

M. Mommy!

N.  Nurturing

O.  Open

P.  Passionate

Q.  Quick

R.  Reader

S.  Smart

T.  Teacher

U.  Unique

V.  Very organized (so says my daughter)

W.  Wife

X.   X-tra fluffy

Y.  Yummy

Z.  Zesty (from my son, Fuzzy)

I tag everyone!!!!!  Especially, Ellen!  <nudge, nudge> LOL

 

A Big Day

Today, I took the first steps toward fulfilling one of my personal dreams.

I started my book manuscript!

Just a few pages, but it is a start!  I don't know how long it will take for me to get it all down, or how long it will take to then edit, and then send out to publishers and then, hopefully get published, but every journey starts with the first step, and I have finally made that first baby step.

It is an anecdotal memoir, much like what I write in this journal.  In fact, some of the things I wrote in this journal will be included, I am sure. 

I guess J-Land has been my test audience of sorts!  LOL

Thank you....

Be well,
Dawn

My life in 15 Lines

I just got this from two of my favorite J-landers....

Tracey   one*hip*mama  and

Hadon   The Hadonfield Myers Experience

I think this is very cool!  So, here is mine!

My Name.............................. Dawn

childhood ambition.............To be a physicist

fondest memory................ My wedding and the birth of my kids

soundtrack.......................... 'Time in a Bottle'  Jim Croce
                                         (also my wedding song)

retreat.................................. My writing, the computer, a good book

wildest dream.....................Time in Paris, at the Louvre

proudest moment.............. Birth of my kids, I don't think I have one of myself yet.  It is still ahead.

biggest challenge............... Being a good mom & wife with RA

alarm clock........................... 7:00am

perfect day........................  Any day on vacation with hubby & kids

indulgence............................ Going out to dinner alone with hubby 

favorite movie.................... Too many to list, but near the top would be Casablanca, Moonstruck, Big Chill

last purchase....................... Books

inspiration.............................. God, my parents, my kids

My Life................................... Very busy, full of love and family.  Focused on raising the three kids, homeschooling one, being a wife, coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus, and still trying to live my own personal dream.  The fact that my dream is last should tell you something about me.  LOL

I tag everyone!  Luanne, Betty, Deb, Jody, Michael, Bill, Pennie, yes, everyone!

Be well,
Dawn   

Busy & Fatigued

It is amazing how busy you can be with your kids schedules!  I mean it!  I know the other moms & dads out there are nodding in agreement. 

I also had time to read a wonderful book this week.  Actually, I read three books, but the one I want to talk about right now is called 'Marley and Me' by John Grogan.

 Marley & Me - John Grogan    

Please check out the website above.

John's Marley, and my Libby, are both yellow labs that have a lot in common.  They both are untrainable, love to chew, drip water all over the house and can only focus when not being distracted by food, sounds, kids, people, or other animals.  Yeah, not a lot of focusing going on!

They also have in common unconditional love, a zest for life and a constant state of happiness!  Making us, as owners, in awe of them, and honored to be their 'masters', while actually learning from them.

The book made me laugh, made me think, and made me cry.  Bawl, actually.  Then again, I could not watch Lassie ever, or Bambi, so, remember that before thinking the book is too emotional for you. LOL

Another wonderful read this week was, 'Running with Scissors' by Augusten Burroughs.  I read it for my upcoming book club meeting, next weekend.  All I can say is - wow.  What a book!   It is a memoir of a shockingly bizarre childhood.  Augusten mentions near the end of the book, that he realized that the one thing he learned as a child was how to survive, and I must say, that was an amazing feat, in and of itself. 

At the end, my book had a chapter of the sequel memoir, 'Dry'.  It begins with Augusten, four years later, now working successfully, in advertising in NYC.  I am hooked.  Ordered it today, online, with a Barnes and Noble email coupon.  Hope it comes fast! 

So, basically that is what I have been up to lately.  Kids and reading.  And, sleeping.  I am feeling better from the Orencia, definitely much less swollen, and only 2 active, painful joints at all, which is great...  BUT, I am having a tough time with fatigue right now.  I am hopeful it will resolve with more Orencia, but it is tough to deal with.

My friend, Luanne, at LUANNE'S LIFE LIVING WITH LUPUS ,
has also been struggling with fatigue of late.  It is good to not be alone, but it sucks that either of us have to deal with it.

By the way, this is how I explain the difference between being fatigued and tired;

Tired means you can rest or sleep and the feeling will resolve. 

Fatigue will not get better with rest or sleep, and will only leaves when your disease is ready to let it go away.

FYI, that is a huge difference, which most people, do not comprehend.

That's all for now....  I am going to play some Bejeweled 2!

Be well,
Dawn

Marriage and Perfect Men, (ahem)

                           

There is no perfect anything.  This we know.  

However, as women, we tend to cling to that ideal a lot longer than our male counterparts do. 

As I pointed out to a friend, the men's picture could look similar to the one above, except waiting for women. 

She rightfully pointed out that I was wrong.  The men would get bored with waiting, go get some beer and find some sports to watch, completely forgetting about the search.

I do believe she is right, and I stand, humbly, corrected.

Men and women are just different.  We want men to be men at all times except for those times when we want them to be women! 

Does that sound confusing or like I have been drinking today? 

Let me explain.

If there is a spider to be killed, a tire to be changed, a dvd player to be connected to the tv, or a noise to be investigated in the middle of the night, I want a man to do it.  Preferably, my hubby, but I will opt for my dad if hubby is not available.

It isn't that I can't do any of the things above, I don't want to.

I want my manly man to do the manly man thing and come to my rescue.  I blame the fairy tales.  We were told as kids that our 'knight in shining armour' would come and rescue us!  I tell my daughter after we read the same fairy tales, that she should just go out and slay her own dragons or push the evil queen off the cliff herself.

Will that help when she gets older and begins to have relationships with men?  I don't know, we'll see.

Conversely, when there is crap laying around the house from the kids, dishes to be washed, laundry to be done, or the need for someone to listen to me complain without trying to 'fix' anything, then I want my man, my hubby, to respond like a woman.

I want him to actually be able to see that there is stuff to be done and do it.  Not ask, while gazing at a mess of kids things ask, 'Do these need to be put away?'  He has this knack of walking past something that needs to be put in the garage, in the recycling bin, for days!  I mean, how can he do that?   Apparently, the same way he can drop his shoes in the middle of the living room floor and walk around them for days since he has decided to wear other shoes. 

I also want him to listen to my bi%#*-ing without feeling the need to then tell me several ways of 'handling' the problem.  Just listen, validate my feelings without the need to 'fix'.  It seems to be a very difficult thing for him to do.

Basically, as my hubby points out, I want him to listen and react like a woman friend would.  Well, yes!  That is exactly it!

Except, for the times I need you to be a manly man!!!  LOL

I have to say, I am very lucky.  My hubby is wonderful at the laundry and does do most of it, except, when my mom is helping out.  It is a tough thing for me to do, going up and down the stairs with a laundry basket with the RA.

He tries, he really does, in other ways, too.

But, mostly, he is a man and I am a woman.  And, we continue to compromise and work at finding the happy middle for us both!

Be well,
Dawn

My Mother, Myself - Oh my!

Yes, it has happened.  I grew up and became my mother.

Not 100% mind you...but in many ways.  In fact, I have a needlepoint pillow on my bed that says 'Mirror Mirror on the wall, I have become my Mother after all'!!!  It is something we all like to joke about in the family.

It could be worse, I think.  My mom is fabulous!  She is strong, smart and wise.  I can actually think of a few things I wish I had inherited of hers that I didn't, and I bet she could do the same!

I know her first pick would be what we affectionately call the "psychotic German cleaning gene".  My mom can clean anything within an inch of its life.  If she doesn't know how to clean it, a way to do so will be found!  And, she will master it completely! 

She also cleans with such a joyful, zest... I really don't get it. 

You see, I hate to clean.  I do what I must, and I do like the house clean and neat, but I hate it.  Maybe it comes from the RA, but I think it was there before then, to be honest. lol

We also differ about shopping.  I love to shop, and a day of wandering around a mall is fun to me.  My mom hates it, and only shops at an actual store when she must.  She prefers catalogs and more recently, the internet. 

I love animals, all kinds, shapes and sizes.  My mother likes cats, and had many as a kid, but just tolerates them now.  She is afraid of most dogs, resulting from a childhood attack, and hates anything in the rodent family with a passion. 

My mom does not like to travel, but that is mostly because she has really bad motion sickness.  She can do cars now, but she needs to medicate on planes, and ships are completely out of the question.  I love to travel, especially historical type sites.  I wish I was able to share that more with mom.

My mom hates anything medical, and would prefer not to know specifics about any procedure, just knock her out and do what you have to do.  I, on the other hand, am very proactive in my healthcare and won't let anyone do anything to me unless I am aware of every detail, and I would prefer to be awake if possible, although I will take some happy pills!  I'm not a martyr, after all.  lol

Moving on to the things we do have in common....

We both definitely have stubborn streaks.  We both insist on having the last word in an arguement.  Yes, that did make for some interesting teen year battles.  Thankfully, I grew up and out of that pretty quickly.

We both love jewelry, coffee, dark chocolate and Mallowmars.  We both hate dirty dishes in front of us in a restaurant, and will automatically pile them in front of our hubbies.  We both hate to go to the gas station and prefer to have our hubbies do it instead!

We both put family first, and love to have family over for holidays.  Christmas is our favorite holiday and we both agree that you cannot have too many Christmas decorations.

We both love to gamble and like roulette the best.  We both love to play computer card games, and online card, puzzle, and word games.  We both like to write poetry, although, my mom has not done any recently.

We both love being a mom and put that first and foremost in our lives.  Now, my mom gets to put being grandma right up at the top, too.  We both mother with all we have and sacrifice for our kids.  My mom still does this for me and my family.  Especially, since the RA, she really does help us out so much.

So, there you have it, me and my mom, two peas in a pod.  The best part is growing up and finding out that your mom can also become a great, wonderful friend, while still being mom.

I hope that my little Pumpkin Muffin will someday feel the same about me.

Be well,
Dawn

From Hermit Crab to Hamster

For 3 years and 3 months, we have had hermit crabs as pets.  The day that we got the hermit crabs at the mall, Fuzzy, my middle son, picked the biggest one that he could find.  The hermit crab man told him to be prepared, the bigger they are the shorter they live.  Fuzzy was not to be swayed, he wanted the biggest crab of the lot, end of discussion.

Pumpkin, the baby, and the girl, got the smallest hermit crab on that advice, thinking that the smaller it is the longer it will live.  Hammer, my eldest, went for the middle of the road, and got a medium sized one.

Pumpkin's was the first to die, much to her dismay, and all of ours as well as we had to listen to her cry and lament for about a week.  She has gone through two or three hermit crabs over the years.  Some kind of cosmic joke on her and the rest of us I suppose.

Hammer's died just before it reached the three year mark.

That leaves the baseball sized, biggest hermit crab, that Fuzzy was told would live a SHORT life.  Finally, Harry the Hermit passed on to the great beach in the sky, just after Christmas, the oldest of the lot, and the last to go.

Take that hermit crab man!

Unfortunately, the kids actual interest and enjoyment of the hermit crabs did not last as long as their lives.  It is hard to love something that is not cute and not cuddly, and pinches you with its big claw.  We have basically all been waiting for them to die.  Sad, but true, the yearning has been for something small and furry and cute.

Enter a new hamster.  We have done the hamster thing before, and here we go again.  The difference is that now the kids are older and can truly be responsible and helpful with the care.  Or, at least that is my grand plan!

Hammer is the 'supposed' owner of our younger cat, Tina.  She basically hates everyone equally except my hubby, whom she worships, and follows everywhere.  He ignores her as he is NOT a cat person, and apparently, this makes Tina love him more.  Go figure.

So, it is Fuzzy's hamster.  He picked it out, contributed money to the cost of it and its myriad of necessities, and is going to be the one responsible for feeding, cleaning and care.  Fuzzy also knows that he must freely share the hamster with his siblings because any pet in the house is a family pet.

Oh yes, Pumpkin has told us all that the NEXT pet is going to be hers to pick and name.  @@

He picked an adorable Panda Bear Hamster that is mostly black with a jagged white stripe around its middle.  With ownership comes the right to name the pet, and Fuzzy named him Lightning, for the stripe and for how fast he runs in his wheel.

Lightning is getting used to his new home and being handled very well.  The cats are facinated by him and so is Libby, our yellow lab.  She wants to lick it and love it like she does everything else!  

Lightning has already been given a nickname by my hubby who nicknames every pet and person in our lives.  Lightning likes to climb sideways and up the back wall of his tank topper cage that is made of wire, much like Spiderman, so his nickname is Spamster, a combination of Spidey-hamster!  lol

I will put up a picture soon for you all to check out his furry cuteness!

Be well,
Dawn

Me and 5 Things that Bug Me!

I am so happy. 

I am not swollen!  I can close my hands into fists really tightly now, where before I couldn't because it hurt and the skin wouldn't stretch on my knuckles from being so swollen!  My knuckles are not red and inflammed any more!  I only have one joint that is still 'problematic' and that is my left elbow, but it is starting to show signs of improvement.

Thank you for all of the prayers, I have felt them, and the love and warmth that have gone with them, and they have helped the Orencia do its job!!!

I expect to hit the treadmill again on Monday!  Yay!!!

2006 is looking very good indeed!

Now, the 5 things that bug me.  I have been reading many of the lists out and about in J-land and some have been quite serious and about the 'big picture' and some have been about the more day to day annoyances. 

I am going to list the day to day things.... I guess we could say these are my 'Pet Peeves'.

1)     Toothpaste residue in the bathroom sink.  I hate it.  Why can't everyone rinse the sink after they spit?  I don't know, but I hate it and if I see it in someone elses house - I actually gag.

2)     Toilet paper must roll from the top.  There is no other way.

3)     I must have a medium blue papermate flexgrip ballpoint pen in the house to write with at all times.  I will suffer through any medium blue ballpoint, but I hate fine points and black ink.  It comes from working in a doctor's office where you need to see that an original handwritten copy is an original handwritten copy, you can do that immediately with blue ink, not black...so there you go.  I know, I could let it go at home, but I just can't.

4)     No hats in the house or in a restaurant.  I know that it seems to have become 'okay' by today's standards that men and boys can go out to eat with a baseball hat on their heads.  However, not my sons!!  AND, my hubby agrees.  It is about respect, the hat must come off when you come in the house, or we walk into someone elses house, OR a restaurant.  I don't care if it is Mickey D's - hat off.

5)     Bed linen and pillow neatness at bedtime.  I cannot get into a bed that is messy.  If the bed was not made in the morning for some reason, (which rarely happens now that I do not have 3 toddlers under 5), I have to make the bed, and then pull the covers neatly down to get in to go to sleep, and the pillows need to be just so. 

This begs an interesting addendum.  My husband is the entire opposite.  I have written about my hubby and his incredible, nay - LEGENDARY sleep habits.  He can sleep, anytime, anywhere, any position, bed optional.  AND, when he is in bed, he just plops in to it, whatever the condition of the linens, smashes his pillows, balls them up, and bends them, and out he goes...as I shudder!

We never swap pillows, mine are mine and his are his.

And, I require everything just so and quiet and dark and a bed and it still takes me forever to get to sleep but that is a whole other bag of worms.

In light of this, my hubby likes to occasionally torment me by teasingly punching my pillows, smashing them and threatening to drool on them - GOD FORBID!!!  I scream and grab for my pillows he holds them out with his huge long gorilla arms ( he is six foot three and a 38 inch sleeve), well, you get the picture, ha ha ha, very funny.

AND, the reason I close with this story and pet peeve is because tonite, before he fell into the sound sleep he is in next to me, the whole pillow fight thing ensued... for about the two thousandth time.

After 14 years of marriage... I still scream, he still tortures, we still crack up laughing, and oh yeah, I punch his arm a lot until he gives them back to me, and sometimes, I try to bite him.

Hey, HE started it!

Be well,
Dawn  

Kudos Journal Guest Editor Tracey and THANKS!

I was thrilled to come online today to see that the new AOL Journals Guest Editor is my friend, Tracey!  Congratulations, dear one, you deserve it!

Here is the link to Tracey's blog:  one*hip*mama                     

I hope everyone clicks the link to Tracey's blog and gets to know her, if you don't already.  Tracey has gone through a hell of a year in 2005, and come through it like a champ! 

To state that Tracey is an inspiration, to those of us who struggle daily with what chronic disease does to our bodies and spirit, is a huge understatement.

Tracey is a Hero, a Warrior Princess, in the fight against chronic disease and its debilitating effects.  Bedridden, in a nursing home, unable to mother her kids, Tracey fought through it with a grace and strength that is a lesson to all.  Tracey never lost hope, it was her beacon, that led her out of 'that place' and back home, where she belongs.

I also need to thank Tracey for picking my blog as one of her favorites!  It is an incredible honor for me, coming from Tracey, and I am very grateful! 

If you are a new visitor to my blog, I invite you to check out my archives if you are looking for a chuckle on family life!  Most of my recent entries have been centered around my disease struggles with Rheumatoid Arthritis because I was forced to stop a medicine and begin to try something new.

Tracey has listed many of my favorite blogs in her picks and I hope, dear reader, you get to check them all out, if they are new to you!

Be well,
Dawn

Orencia IV Infusion

Today, actually, yesterday since it is after midnight, I had my 3rd IV infusion of Orencia, the new medicine! 

The loading doses are now complete and I will now go only once a month to NYC to get the IV infusion.

Here is the really good news......

IT IS STARTING TO WORK!   YAY!

I am having less inflammation and pain in my joints.  It isn't exactly where I want it to be yet, but it should get better in the next 48 hours, and then after next months IV, even BETTER! 

I am so ecstatic that the medicine works for me and that I am finally getting some relief!  I am going to be able to get back onto the treadmill very soon and back into a more active life again! 

The next step will be after another month or two, I will begin to wean off of the prednisone completely!  YAY, AGAIN!

That is my health update and things are looking sunny and hopeful! 

Now, I am going to bed....

Be well,
Dawn

5 Weird Things, Tagged by Natalie

I have tagged by Natalie at Interface to list 5 Weird Things that I do!  I saw this on someone elses blog, too and I have been giving the whole subject some thought!  

I don't think I do much that would be considered weird, but I will give it a try!  Of course, all of us think we are completely sane...don't we?  So, after some help from my kids and hubby - here is my list!

1)     Read several books at one time. 

I usually have one or two non-fiction educationally based books that I am reading at the same time that I am reading fiction books for fun.  I am an avid reader and there are some weeks when I can blow through 5 or 6 books like they were nothing!  

2)     I am a HUGE Harry Potter Fan! 

I am!  I love the books, and the movies.  I even have shirts that I wear.  I have watched movies 1 through 3 probably more than 20 times or so each!  I have read the first 5 books more than 4 or 5 times each.  The 6th book is the only one I haven't reread because I wasn't in the right frame of mind to do so yet.  Long story.  HP fans will understand.  lol 

3)     I like to play certain video games with my kids. 

I love to play any of the Mario Party games with my kids on the Gamecube.  They are like board games that you play on tv and are lots of fun!  There are a few others that I will play, too.  I have been told flat out by other moms that they think that I am odd that I do that.  Whatever!

4)    I love Godzilla and I absolutely HATE King Kong!!! 

I love all the old Godzilla movies, the cartoons, and the remakes.  I have passed the love onto my eldest son, Hammer.  We will sit and watch one on tape when either of us are sick or haven't watched one in a while.  AND, I root for Godzilla.  I can't help it.  And, I hate King Kong.  Every version I have ever seen.  Hate him, don't know why...just do.  Someday, they will make a movie where Godzilla kicks his butt and I will be happy.  <sigh>

5)     I will eat ice cream off the same spoon as my dog or cat. 

 I don't mind, they are my babies, just like my kids, so I share!  I know a lot of people who do the same and just as many who are completely grossed out by that.  I think it is just one of those things with pets that you either get or you don't. 

I want anyone who reads this and has not done it on their blog yet to consider themselves TAGGED! 

Come back and leave me a link so I can read yours!

I hope you enjoyed!

Be well,
Dawn   

Happy New Year J-Land Friends!

Happy New Year to all my friends in J-Land!

May 2006 be filled with joy, good health, enough money and more happiness than you can imagine for yourself and your family and friends!

The holidays were fabulous here at my home!  The kids got more than they could ever need, but also gave much to those around them!  We had lots of playdates and get togethers with family and friends, and to me, that is what the season is all about...LOVE!!! 

The sermon at church on Christmas Eve was all about how Jesus and Santa are all about LOVE and that is the true meaning of Christmas!  Loving yourself, your parents, your family, your friends, your community, your neighbors, your co-workers, your fellow citizens of the World, and nature and animals and the planet, too.

Truer words never spoken, no matter what your faith is in, it should be about the love and spreading it where you can!

And, so, I hope my words spread some love to all of you!  I will be back in full swing posting about my life, my family, and my Rheumatoid Arthritis very soon!

I hope you all will still want to hear from me! 

Be well,
Dawn

PS...I have missed you all!