I will be escorting my 2 girls to Displace me in Kansas City, KS this weekend.  It's to raise awareness for the internment camps in Nothern Uganda, Africa.  They both are excited to go.  I'm slightly concerned about three thousand college kids crammed into a city park.  I have visions of Woodstock....I'm sure it'll be fine....I'll just keep away from the brownies.

Last night my husband and I went out with David & Kevin for St Patricks Day.  We went to Edna's, then the Red Dog (my first time) and to Hawaiian Don's.  I have to say thank you to the guys for letting me tag alone.  I had a really good time even though I stayed completely sober all night.  Michael was lit, far worse than I've seen him in a long time.  Next time I go, Michael will be the designated driver an it'll be my turn, but I promise I won't always go.  So you guys can get really wild.  Thanks again!

I took the last 2 days off work to be at home for the plumber.  We have had multiple "issues" with out plumbing that could be put off no longer.  The cold water in the kitchen trickled to a stop, so there was no water on the fridge, and the cold water cycle on the washing machine takes like 5 hours due to the low water pressure.  Additionally, the original hall bathroom toilet will flush, but drains so slowly, we stopped using it.  The plumbers came out and fixed everything except the washing machine.  Turns out that problem is the machine itself.  But we have everything else fixed.  We had saved a bunch of money for all this, but it was only $707.51.  YEAH!!!!!!  I highly reccomend Groom's plumbing!!!!!  Now we will use the rest of the saved money to buy a washer & dryer this weekend.   Oh the joys of home ownership.

Here's a picture of my tattoo.  It started as just the bird, a phoenix, and DJ at Undisputed (in OKC) added the rest about a year ago.  I love the color and movement he added.  Okay, it's just one tattoo, but it's HUGE.  BTW...I look like a librarian, so no one suspects that I have it.  It's my little secret...

I've been redecorating Michaela's room.  I am going with a Parisian chic decor.  I'm hoping it won't have to be changed for a few years so it may be more sophisticated than usual for a 7 year old, but I really don't want to re-do it again for several more years.  So the room is painted a creamy yellow, with white woodwork, and everything else will be black, white & pink.  So I painted her dresser, it's from the 30's (I think) but it's dainty, so it works.  And I reupholstered a chair that my grandmother gave me.  It's a slipper chair and I covered it in a black on white toile with black piping.  I think it looks really sharp.  I still have to figure out the arrangement of the furniture & get the accessories in place, but so far, it looks really good.

 

On Saturday me & my hubby went on our Valentine's Date.  We never go on Valentines Day because of the crowds.  So we went to Mimi's Cafe, since they have a gluten-free menu (for me) and it's still good food.  We went at, like, 5pm for dinner so it was crowded with the senior crowd.  Then we went to the movies and saw "Pan's Labrynth".  It was kind of strange like "What dreams may come".  It was unexpectantly gruesome but it was good.

And I saw the strangest thing on Saturday afternoon.  I was driving down NW Expy and got cut off by a car.  Then another car cut me off.  The second car threw a drink at the first car, then the driver of the second car started to get out, but the light turned green so off we went.  At the next light, he threw another drink at the car and was hanging out the window screaming.  I've never seen anyone freak out in person like that.  Weird.

Monday night we went to view the documentary "Invisible Children" with my 2 girls.  Alix is 15 and Michalela is 7.  It wasn't nearly as graphic as I feared, and my girls were both very moved.  Alix wants to start a club to raise money for them.

Tonight I took Alix to a voice lesson and Michaela to a guitar lesson.  Alix is soooooo talented.  She has the most beautiful voise.  She's having to learn an Italian aria (sp?).  I have absolutely no musical talent.  So I'm thrilled they are musical.

I know it sounds like I'm bragging.  That's because I am.  JK...I am a very proud mama though.

My husband has developed a new "man crush" on Barak Obama.  He's been talking about him, reading about him, sending him money.  I feel a little jealous.

I, the other hand, am spending my cold winter days dreaming about my garden.  Now keep in mind that my backyard is overrun by our 2 large dogs.  So much of it is bare dirt and they chew anything.  Literally, anything.  Once we found one of them chewing on the concrete foundation.  The deck is in desperate need of attention, the grass we have won't really grow well because of the dogs, and the sparse plastic chairs the dogs have chewed on the legs so they wobble.  So it's not like it's a paradise right now.  Every year I have big dreams, and by late July, it's too hot to be outside for long so everything dies anyway.  But right now, I want tomatos and strawberries and cucumbers.  I went through my Burpees cataloge last weekend and the total for seeds was $250.  Today I scaled way back, just $25 of seeds.  My grandfather is a master gardener.  I think I got the desire from him, but not the skill.  Ooh, and I want to plant living willow arbors for the kids. 

So today my 15 yo was telling me about these videos she's been watching online called "Invisible Children".  Since I'm over 30, I've never seen them.  So I go online to look at them too.  Aparently 3 guys filmed kids in Uganda who every night, leave their home to find a safe place to sleep, miles away, so them won't be kidnapped in the night.  If kidnapped, they serve as sex slaves or forced soldiers.  I mean, these are little kids.  In the morning, go home, only to do it again tomorrow.  Maybe I'm too idealistic, but I want to do something.  I've known about "blood diamonds" and the tribal fighting over there for some time, but this is an organized movement that I can join.  I've never been much of a joiner, but this has really caught my heart.  We're going to watch the movie at UCO on Monday (2/12/07) night.  Take a look ... How can your heart not ache for them?

www.invisiblechildren.com