Communicating With Our Teens

My first response to Sunshine's post about Shockers, was to laugh. I knew what it was. I have survived "the teens" with my two children.

As I read the comments, I realized most that were shocked by the whole thing, (pun intended) were parents of young children. My lack of shock (hey, I'll take a cheap pun twice) as a parent with older children, was only because the teen years will bring you a whole new appreciation for 2AM feedings vs 2AM worries of where is my kid. Of "O'de Puke" vs "O'dat Smoke?" ... and creeping around in an ExerSaucer vs seeing them drive away in a car.

I took a mini poll at work because we all have grown kids, no little ones. The shocker, the bird, the devil horns ... ruining class photos, was pretty much a shoulder shrug. It isn't right by no means, but teens do dumb things. Actually two of the guys I work with thought any photographer that is hired by a school, high school especially, should be responsible for what he sees in his view finder.

As a parent of older kids, coming out of the teen years with enough stories to write for a month, my take is more like this:

Teens are going to make poor choices no matter how strong we build their foundations ... sadly that's just how it is. As a parent I learned to pick my battles. I am not going to win every one, so I better save the big guns for the ones that really matter in the scheme of things. If we fight every little blip on our kids screen of growing up, they will tune parents out completely, never to hear the words and lessons that are nonnegotiable.

Most kids are smart, they know the things we as parents expect and what has been instilled in them. It's natural for them to remove their water wings and dive into the abyss of rebellion. Didn't you do things your parents disapproved of? Sure, we all did, and when we did it, we knew it was wrong.

I can see my kids coming full circle. It's the foundation we built in the beginning that we can only hope they come back to once they grow up and become humans again. ( I am not sure what the are between the 13-18, high school years) I have overheard both my kids talking to friends on different controversial topics. I have to stop and smile when I hear them quote me or their father word for word to defend their point.

Jen at Get In The Car, had a great post yesterday about her and her husbands views on how they will raise their kids ... before they had any. It's worth the read, we all can relate.

Beth and Lori, you've raised teens, any pearls of wisdom?

I leave you with this photo most have probably seen and thought nothing of ... until now.

We All Just Wanna Be Big Rockstars...

I like Nickelback's song "Rockstar".
It reminds me of the old "Band-aid" days.
Can you name the celebrities in their cameo appearances?



Give up?
Watch again as you read this list.
Feel free to add any I missed.

Billy gibbons of ZZ top, Hockey player Wayne Gretzky
Gene Simmons of KISS, Paul Wall, Dominique Swain (Lolita?)
Paul Sr., Paul Jr., Mikey Teutul of Orange County Choppers
John Rich of Big & Rich, "Iceman" Chuck Liddell of UFC
Kid Rock, Eliza Dushku, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Nelly Furtado, Elvis, ha-ha impersonator, Twista
Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns, Ted Nugent
The Girls Next Door, Bridget, Holly, Kendra
Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake
The NY Naked Cowboy

Okay, so Caitlin had to point out Twista and Iceman to me.
I got the Naked Cowboy though!

Weekend Baseball ... I Think

Detroit Tigers VS New York Yankees

So, Debbie and I went to another game Saturday night.

The game and the (losing) score doesn't matter. I think they forgot we were all out there to watch a baseball game.

We were certainly entertained, albeit, not with a baseball game. Let's recap the night:

Maggie seemed to be having a nice relaxing conversation with Murry.

"Paws" was tossing T-Shirts into the crowd, not our section natch!


There was a magician (?) performing on the diamond.


We had the usual "di*khead" fan in the crowd.


Debbie insisted these Yankee fans were relatives of their starting pitcher Wang.


The end of the night fireworks rounded out our evening at the amusement park!

Fun Times!

When I was growing up, we always had a large family pool. We used a ladder to climb up onto the half opened garage door, then up to the roof for sunbathing and jumping into the pool. So unsafe I know, but remember I was a kid growing up in the 60's where bike helmets, skating knee and elbow pads didn't exist, and we actually played outside all day.

This would have been something my brother and I would have done, had we only thought of it.

"When parents of teenagers go away on vacation ....."

Separated at Birth

Sunshine at ...and the pursuit of happiness, is gathering photos from her readers of each person with their celebrity look-a-like. I submitted my photo with a far stretch of someone that I look nothing like, but we both have the same laugh lines.

After yesterday, I think I need to resubmit.

Debbie and I went to Comerica Park for The Detroit Tigers game vs Cleveland Indians. We won't talk about the game or the final score.

It was a day to celebrate #30 Magglio Ordonez. "Maggie" has always been at the top of my list of favorite players. When I got home and loaded my photos from the game, I noticed something very familiar.

I need to check this out further, but I have a sneaky suspicion that Maggie and I may be twins, separated at birth.

Best Nights of My Life

The lovely Ev at My Life Is Murphy's Law, tagged me for an interesting meme.

I am supposed to write about five of the best nights of my life. This one was harder than I thought it would be. Not that I have had so many great nights, it's more about defining great memories.

1) I loved all the summer nights when I was under 10 years old. Playing outside with the neighborhood kids. The days when we all played tag, hid-n-seek, red light / green light on someones front lawn. The 'skeeter bites. Swimming in the pool at night, the water was so warm, you didn't want to get out. Making tents out of blankets to sleep outside. Yeah, those are some favorite nights.

2) During my early 20's, my cousin Cyndi and I became roommates. We were both in full tilt party mode. We had a favorite club on the lake we called our own. It was back in the early 80's and this club had a line each night like a quasi Studio 54 where the doorman would pick and choose who could enter or not. Cyndi and I would show up after 10 and walk straight up to the front door. We'd enter the packed wall to wall club and proceed right to the bar. There would be our two seats reserved for us with drinks waiting. We thought we were the sh*ts and ya know what, we were! We would never get "picked up", never got drunk, was always the life of the party and every night went out on someone's yacht or huge boat and partied until the sun came up. We'd haul as*es home, shower, go to work, come home, sleep until 8PM , get up and do it all over again. Yes, those were some wicked fun nights!

3) Before I had my kids, their dad played full time in a band. Every summer the band booked two weeks at a rock bar on Mackinac Island. Those nights were some of the best partying nights I can remember.

My favorite story to tell is one night in particular. My sister and her husband had come up to spend a few nights. It was after the band was done playing and we all were relaxing in a room at the club. Someone had cut a few lines of coke *gasp* onto the lid of the player piano in the room. My sister Sandi, innocent as can be, came into the room. She saw the player piano and in a flash, lifted the lid, slid it back, and was going to check it out. ( She and I could play a mean "Heart and Soul" duet) My ex and I (non coke users) couldn't stop laughing because we knew she was unaware what happened, and the druggies were freaked out at the loss of their crapola.

4) My children. Of course those delivery nights are the best, but maybe not in terms of having fun! Bryan was born at 2:02 AM and Caitlin at 9:34 AM. I wore blue socks into the delivery room for Bryan and pink for Caitlin. I still have them, never wore them again afterwards. They were my lucky socks. Not quite my usual party memories, far from it, but the most important nights of my life.

5) My 5th best time of my life ... has yet to happen, but I look forward to it.

I am supposed to tag four people. Because I think their nights will be interesting, I'll tag:

The divine Ms Bossy at I am Bossy
Lori at This Just In
Mary Alica at From the Frontlines
Jami at Not THAT Different

13th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise

This Saturday, August 18, 2007, is the official day of the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Every year, people start coming into town from all over the world, yes world,to attend the world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture. The event attracts more than 1 million visitors and more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, and simply bad-a** cars!

The cruising of Woodward usually starts a week before, just because everyone is so geeked up about it, they can't wait. Every night this week, people line Woodward with lawn chairs, coolers, dogs, kids, and cameras ... just to watch the cars go by. Saturday, you better be out there before the sun comes up if you want a good spot to flop and gawk all day.

The sixteen mile stretch runs from Ferndale to Pontiac, in Oakland County MI. "Thee place to be" is right around 13 mile road, the original corner where there has always been a huge shopping plaza. When they aren't cruising, cars are parked, continuously polished on, and hood open with the beaming owner just waiting for you to ask questions about it.

In the past couple years, I stay away from Woodward, but go to my favorite, downtown Royal Oak, and find a seat at an outdoor establishment on Main Street. Sitting there sipping margaritas, watching the Woodward cruise overflow drive by is really more enjoyable. They all end up cruising Main Street at one point, so I don't feel I miss a thing. Well, except maybe standing in the blistering sun ... or rain, no bathrooms around, and long lines to get into a bar or restaurant.

Two guys I work with have Pontiac GTO's. Paul has a 1968 and Jack has a 1967. Paul also has an orange 1969 GTO, the original one used in the movie "Striptease" with Demi Moore. Believe me, the car is way more impressive than the movie. Paul restored both his GTO's to show quality and has a garage just for the cars and their many trophy's.

The only thing I don't like about the cruise?

The "classic" 1972 Pontiac LeMans ... as it drives by, I hear the ohhh's and ahhhh's on what a cool classic car it is. That was my first car. In 1972 I bought a brand new copper Lemans with white leather interior, white Landau roof. I thought I was such a bad-a** ... the ohhh's and ahhhh's remind me I am just an old-a** !

:::Bonus Round:::

I just got to work and Paul happened to drive this in today:

(click picture for awesome close up)

WWJD?

For starters, he would probably say:
"Why didn't you wear waterproof mascara?"

This was last night at Stoney Creek Metro-Park

Rockin' Band

Picnics on the lawn

Friends and families, well over a thousand

362 blue t-shirts

362 people ... getting Baptized

One of 362

Thank you Debbie and Bea for being there.

Debi? Um ... where's our picture together?
We'll have to take one at the TIGERS GAMES
Thursday AND Saturday!

Immaculee Ilibagiza

I just found out that Immaculee Ilibagiza, a Rwandan holocaust survivor, will be speaking at my church, September 5th. I am excited to hear her story.

Surviving Africa's worst genocide, she speaks about hiding in a tiny bathroom with seven other women for three months. During this time, one million people were killed, including her parents.

It was 1994, she was only 22, a college student, home, just to spend Easter with her family.

Her story is about forgiveness, how she learned to embrace prayer, and begin a profound and lasting relationship with God.

I couldn't bring myself to see the movie, Hotel Rwanda, when it was out. I think after I meet her, I will decide if I can watch it.

If anyone in my area is interested in hearing her story, I'd be happy to have you join me.

Captain Obvious

You may have already figured out, by comments left here in the past, that Captain Obvious is my nephew Michael.

When I was first married, wait, make that second marriage, before I had my kids, Michael spent a lot of weekends with us, "Aunt Nancy" and "Uncle Bill". I have MANY hilarious photos of him from those days, but I better get permission before I post any. I am smart enough to know his parents have documented ammunition that he could post showing my finer Kodak moments.

Michaels job took him to Germany for a year, and that's when "Captain Obvious" was born. A perfect way to keep in touch with the family and post beautiful pictures from his European vacations and weekend jaunts. Check out his flicker site for some of the most awesome shots.

He has asked me how I have so many "on line" friends. The blogger world will do that to you! Head over to his site and leave him some hugs ... pump up his comment count for a day *smiles*

Here is a video of Michael and I "dancing" ... um sorta. Just click on the picture.

Good-bye Granny

Granny, you've been such a *V.I.P.
No **V.P.L. for anyone to see.

But Victoria's here, to be my hip hugger,
You had to go, replaced by another.

New bright colors I brought from the store,
To replace your dull beige stashed away in my drawer.

So off you go, out to the trash,
Making room in here for my new stash.

Granny it's time, you've done no wrong,
Maybe you'll recycle, return as a thong.

* Very Important Pantie
** Visible Pantie Line

In Single Digit Jeans!

First, I can't believe I am posting these pictures.

Second, I know they are out of focus. I got a pile of things together to drop off at Salvation Army on my lunch hour and realized the pants and sweater in the pile were what I wore on Christmas last year. At.My.Highest.Weight.

Yes, even counting delivery weight for both kids.

I took the shots this morning.

Total loss to date: 35 pounds. Yippie-Yi-Yo-Ki-Yea!

I have size 8 jeans on today.

Me, Christmas 2006

This morning in same pants and sweater

I Stole This Post ...

... and you should too.

It has popped up here and there over the past few weeks. I hope more bloggers "steal" it.

Why Mommy has been diagnosed with IBC, until I read this, I had know idea what it was.

You pass on links to "cool" blogger sites, e-mail jokes, and waste spend plenty of time sitting on the computer. Take the time to pass this information along. Print it out and post it in the women's restroom where you work.

We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?

I didn't. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.

Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn't worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn't clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.

Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.

Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.

You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.

Crossing Fingers

Monday morning, so far so good!

After last weeks posts this week has got to be better.

Let's see: I got a call from Dr.Va-Jay-Jay's office, everything is fine. Huh???? So last week, they "needed another look" and now everything is fine? I think that translates to lab tech dropped the slide, sneezed on it, or it got lost.

I unplugged the refrigerator, called a repair guy, just because it would be cheaper than buying a new one right now. I moved it out to do the pre-repair-man-vacuuming, plugged it back in, set the controls for both freezer and refrigerator on the highest setting and va-walla, it went on! It is so loud you can't hear the TV, but it is running cool enough for the refrigerator part, not the freezer. He'll be out later today.

Quinn is doing much better. He hasn't adjusted to the cone-head thingy, but I think if I play a few SNL conehead episodes for him, he won't feel so self conscious.


He got his voice back and is determined to bite the staples out. He actually has taken a few steps on the repaired leg. His leg looks like a chicken drumstick.

Quinn's Leg or chicken leg?


Bryan started his physical therapy last week. He has been so bummed being off work during the busy construction season. He will be going three times a week for three weeks. He is in an ankle air cast that fits into his shoe as long as they aren't laced up. He's been able to move it to walk, but it won't go side to side yet. I am sure the therapy will have that moving soon.

And finally, Caitlin. Since she started working at her salon, she has had five different highlights, colors, shades and cuts ... and this is her latest. Actually I like the color, on her, and I may have her cut mine like that.

Quinn, Post-Op

The operation went well. She said he had a really bad tear. It would not have healed, but scarred over and arthritis would set in. He'd never use that leg and the other rear leg, taking all the weight, would eventually give out too.

Here he is, a shaved left front leg where the IV went in. A shaved patch on his left shoulder where a pain patch has been STAPLED to him. Ouch. They said that med is stronger than morphine. His whole left hind quarter and leg is shaved, and she said she stapled the incision shut. I am so glad he hadn't been recently "groomed" ... all that shaving would have ruined his "do."

As long as he doesn't bite at anything, I can keep the "neck cone" off him.



He hasn't bitten a thing, not even food. He is so stoned, he has barely moved. I am thinking of going in for a ruptured cruciate ligament surgery, just for the drugs!


I had to go to work today, the boss is on vacation, so I can't take a day off.

So here is Quinn, at work, stoned and wondering "what did you do to me?"


I brought his meds, food, and water ... but he just turns his head to it all. Maybe he's afraid if he takes anything, it will kill his buzz.