More On Rocky

Well, the obsession is even worse than last year. I am in this frame of mind that I am going to create the most movie-correct version of Columbia's costume as I can. I have found a corset and a pair of shorts to make. I already have the jacket, shoes and socks. This year, I have to find the correct pair of fishnets (with backseam of course!). And I plan to do this with the chitlins running around.
This should be interesting! I'll be trying to sew the shorts and corset with them getting tangled up in the thread that's supposed to be in the machine. (Yes, I can sew...Mom taught me how many moons ago.) Hubby will be shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he watches me sew on hundreds of sequins. And, the chitlins will be there to tangle themselves up and pull the thread out of my needle. I'll be lucky to be able to use all the sequins that come in a package since I just know they're going to have a blast throwing them all around the room.
I hope that all this sewing and crafting will instill in them something. Maybe that when you can't find something, find a way to make it yourself? With a little imagination, you can have anything? With a lot of imagination, you can have a wonderful time!

Rocky Horror Show

It's only the end of May and already my friends and I are getting ready to buy our tickets to the Rocky Horror Show in October! I can't believe the insanity! Last October, we had 11 people that went with our group. This year, it's going to be almost two dozen! We took up one whole row (7th from the stage) and this year, we'll practically fill the first three rows!

I actually got Hubby to go last year for the first time. He's not a theater goer by any means of the word. And, he's a big biker dude that just doesn't understand the whole transvestite thing. But, given the gang that we went with, and the whole pretext of the show, he had an absolute blast! He's even going with us again this year!

The madness started three years ago when three friends of mine and I went to see the show. I had seen it when I was 16, and loved it then. Now that I'm a bit older and wiser (16 years older and wiser), I love it even more. I even took the time last year to make a Columbia costume and made up my face to look just like Little Nell in the movie.

As I delve deeper into finding the audience participation guidelines, I'm finding out how much of a cult this Rocky thing is. I e-mailed my best friend to ask her if we belong to a cult...she replied, of course! But, you know what? If this is a cult, then I'm almost completely brainwashed! :) Being able to be completely myself for an evening is so totally refreshing!

I sent a text message out to some other friends and have never seen my phone so busy with messages before! In the span of about 5 minutes, I recruited about 10 people to go! This year is going to rock!!!!!!

Failing New Business

I try hard to make extra money for my family. We live in a very expensive part of New Jersey and working blue collar jobs barely makes for groceries some months. Could we move? Of course, but that would mean leaving all extended family behind. And let me tell you, having two kids and a hubby that thinks he's a kid, I don't know what I'd do without my mom. You ladies that move to another part of the country, far away from your family, I don't know how you do it. Knowing our family is right around the corner certainly helps during stressful times when emergencies happen or need someone to talk to.

So I had a great idea; or so I thought.

Last summer, I decided to turn a hobby into a business. I don't know what I was thinking. We have no extra money to put into advertising or a web site. There are times I can't even afford to buy supplies! But, I trudge on. I try the craft shows and usually do pretty well. But those are hard because I like to spend time with the family on weekends; it's the only time the four of us are all together for at least one day! I tried the internet thing, but never knew that the number of hits on a site could go into negative numbers! But, I trudge on.

I'm told I make beautiful jewelry. I wear it to work and get lots of compliments on it. Ok, you like it...please, buy it! I'll make anything! I'll even make collars for your dogs! Curtain tiebacks, can do! I'm desperate...a special bauble to be buried in...ok, that was un-called for! I'll do children's stuff, outfit a whole wedding party...

Okay, I've ranted enough about what a loser I've become in the great scheme of things...I'm not a famous author (though I'm trying my hand at that, too), I don't create fantastic web sites, I don't invent anything useful...I'm just a mom and a wife trying to get by in this world that depends on keeping up with the Jones'...who are they anyway?

Spongebob or Cartoon Network

My hubby and I are in discussions regarding what our daughter watches on TV. Up until now, the princess has watched Cartoon Network and such classics as Family Guy and Futurama. She'll be turning 4 in August and we're starting to think that these are not the greatest shows. Then again, during the day she watches such wonders as Spongebob and Fairly Oddparents. I don't which is worse. The mouth gets fresher everyday and I don't know if that's a direct result of the cartoons or just the age. In the morning, she'll watch Tom & Jerry. She does know that what's on TV is pretend and not real. She doesn't try to squish the cats in our house, so I don't know why she's got the fresh mouth.

I know that she should be watching wholesome shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. And she does! She has learned tons from watching Blue and Dora. Hell, she can speak Spanish better than me and I took 3 years of it in school!

I just don't understand what changed with TV from when Hubby and I grew up to now. I re-watch Looney Tunes and they're not that much worse than some of the shows on today's TV. In fact, they're probably a bit better because at least there's some hidden message in them (of course, as a child, you don't know that).

I'm also not saying that Princess spends 24/7 in front of the boob tube. She and her brother play constantly outside. In fact, given a choice, they'd rather be outside getting fresh air and sun. Or playing in their pool. (I tell ya, my tan in the summer is great!) The kids watch TV while drifting off to dreamland at night and when it's quiet time during the day. Other than that, they're off and running.

I guess the question is: do we get her a digital box to watch her cartoons (Nicktoons) 24/7, or do we just turn off the TV?

Finally Mobile!

I am SO PSYCHED!!! I finally got myself set up on wireless. I finally feel like I'm part of the 21st century now that I'm able to walk outside, lay down in bed, have a smoke all while having my laptop nearby! It's nice to be able to really relax while I surf the net; something that I haven't been able to do since before kids! What a really neat concept this is! So, while I type in my blog, I can watch/listen to Spongebob in the background while the little chitlins sleep (they had a busy Easter). Woo Hoo!!!

Time to Myself?

As I sit, trying hard to type without looking at the keys on the keyboard, I have to fight Curly for the right to my computer. Hubby is on the phone, walking away as the kids start to fuss. How come I can't do that?

I just would like a few minutes to call my own. Where I'm not going to work, or errands, or anything like that. Hubby gets a Saturday, why don't I? I'm not saying that I want the whole world to go away, I just want a few hours where I don't have to be anywhere, don't have to watch anyone, don't have to pick up anything...you know, time to myself.

I don't get it while Hubby is at work because when one child is sleeping, the other is awake. Just as Curly is going down for his nap, it seems the Princess is finally deciding to get out of bed. Me, get a nap when I have the usual Jersey cold? Not happening.

I hate kvetching. That's exactly what I'm doing here. Please don't get me wrong, I do love being a mom and wife, but we all need a break, don't we?

Bad Blogger, Semi-Bad Mom?

I don't know if you're supposed to blog everyday or not. I'm new to this, so I don't know the rules, or if there even are any. I guess that it's just as things go.

I just finished reading my friend's blog. She writes everyday. Sometimes multiple times! How she does that with three kids, I don't know. I try to have five minutes on my computer, alone, and Princess comes and tries to sit on my lap and Curly tries to re-boot my computer without even knowing it. Pretty soon, we're all crying and screaming so we go upstairs to have a snack and some milk and I have my cigarette (outside the house, within sight of my kids).

So, I wonder: does this craziness make me a bad mom or a bad blogger?

Princess and Curly are upstairs with their dad right now. Dad's watching eBay on my cell phone and I'm watching in another window as I write this. I've got three minutes to go on a laptop. This should be interesting...If you see blogs that make entirely no sense, you can be sure that the Princess is trying her hand at writing.

My silence is broken! Curly has invaded! He came right over to my keyboard and turned the caps on. Of course, I turned them right off...I've done enough messaging to know that's the ultimate form of screaming on the computer.

I won! I won! I finally got a laptop!

Is it bad to ignore our kids a little bit to get five minutes of quietness to ourselves? I feel so rotten when I do it. Or when I shush them while on the phone. I realize that they're only 3 and 2 and they need to learn, so why do I get impatient?

The silence is totally broken. Princess is down here now completely having a 3-year-old moment. Tell me, how do you tell a 3-year-old that Mommies and Daddies have to get some sleep? Especially when mommy's been sleeping since daddy got home due to a sore throat. I think I'll sign off now only to come again when I've got that spare moment (truely, what mom has any spare moments?).....