Snow/Ice Day #4

So we have been home ALL week. The ice just did not want to let up and our school district is out this Friday and Monday of next week. This makes 10 days in a row out of school! My girls really wished they could have gone back. I think they were losing it by day 2. Thankfully the sun is shining and I suspect I will be hearing a non-stop dripping for most of the day. We plan to get out and do a little bargain shopping and get some fresh air. I don't mind being home most days but when you are confined and can't go anywhere then I get crazy. The part that makes no sense to me is how come I can't seem to get anything done? I do my usual everyday cooking and cleaning, but I really have not been utilizing my free time very well. I am not normally a big TV watcher but that seems to be all I have been doing. I have enjoyed sleeping in a little later though. I guess we will be back to business next Tuesday. The girls will be taking their mid-term/final exams that were originally scheduled for this week. They have been studying together so I feel they should do even better. Poor girls, they miss school and their friends. We will make the most out of the next 5 days.

Has anyone been stuck inside because of the winter weather? How are you holding up?

So it's 2010

A whole new year, wow. I guess the older you get time really does fly. My daughters still say that they think time goes by so "long". I tell them just wait when they get married, have kids and bills. Time will go super fast then! There are so many things to look forward to and accomplish in the new year. Our family has decided that 2010 will be a year of conserving on many levels. We just don't know when rainy days and storms will hit so we are taking measures to be well prepared as much as we can. We have some goals and house projects we will work on and plan to get them done this year. One thing we did decide as a family is that we will be joining our local Jewish Community Center (you don't actually have to be Jewish to join). It's a beautiful facility with state-of-the-art gym equipment, track, indoor heated pool, free babysitting and a variety of amenities that are perfect for families. The sweet part of it is that it is only a 2 minute drive from our house! We are looking forward to getting in some much needed fitness time and plan to do so as a family. Here's to good health and happiness for all!!

Odd question...

I was wondering how people from different states, cultures and ethnic backgrounds felt about this:
Do you call your aunt and uncles "Aunt Janet" or "Uncle Bob" or do you call them by their first name? I grew up in a very strict and conservative Guyanese home and my parents were sticklers for respecting your elders. We NEVER called any aunt or uncle by their first name. As a matter of fact, if you were a cousin that was older we had to refer to that person as 'cousin so and so'. When I met Dwayne he introduced his aunt and uncle to me by first names. I thought maybe just because it was an introduction that was why he did that. Then when I kept hearing him call them by first names I freaked out! It turns out I have met many people along the way that do that. I have nothing against anyone that does that, but was wondering what your thoughts are about this subject.

Do you call your aunts or uncles by their first name?
Do you think it is wrong if you don't?

Blog Under Construction

I woke up today and realized it was time for a change. I was getting tired of the way my original blog layout was looking and wanted something totally different and new. I still have a few (okay maybe 20) kinks to work out to get things fully functional. I am not even sure I will keep this layout. I am having a lot of problems with Blogger and between fixing the blog and taking care of kids, I am not getting as far as I would like. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think of the new look. I am glad my hubby has got some skills with html's cause he is helping me. Thanks, Dwayne!!!

5:21 AM...

Hello everyone,

It is now 5:21 AM and we are getting ready for the hospital. I had to come to the computer to watch Williams' pre-arrival video. I won't lie to you - it did get me feeling a little emotional. I am still hard core though, BBCDO will have a new member soon. I will keep everyone posted through out the day. Keep those prayers coming.

Dwayne Aka Ismail the Great.

THANKS EVERYONE....

The baby or shall I say young "Prince". Yeah I like that ! The young Prince William Anthony Ismail is almost here. Tomorrow, we all get to experience the wonderful beginning of a successful new life.

To all of our friends and family who have stood by us through this wonderful time in our lives, I want to say THANK YOU, and God Bless you all.

Sheliza and I are still growing together after all this time. The heavens above must have realized that it is time for another Shelly and Dwayne Production. I think we will get an OSCAR for this performance. My first child Chardonnay, made me a father, and my second child Briahnna made me a man. When Briahnna was born Shelly and I were officially on our own. We had no family around and no friends. We were living in Tampa Florida. My only mode of transportation was a mountain bike that I rode between my 4 jobs. Let's just say, I was slim and fine back then. HA HA HA.

We fought our way to build something out of nothing, and with determination, love, trust, and understanding, we are here, we are happy, and we are thankful. This blog has opened more doors to precious relationships than we could have ever imagined.

Thanks for being a part of our family's new beginning, and thanks for being you.

Dwayne Aka Ismail the Great

Brief Show _ William's Pre-Arrival Music- ENJOY

Happy Hour Addiction

I know what you are all thinking... No I am not abusing alcohol during pregnancy.

It's another beverage of choice.

Sonic Slushes!! I take the girls after school several times per week as a treat. I do not know how much longer they are having this promotion, but I intend to have my share each week!

New style

I was in my favorite store the other day when I noticed these "pants" located next to the jeans and tops in the girls' dept. I was trying to figure out why there were pajamas in the regular clothing section. I asked my daughters what they thought of that and they responded "oh mom, those are actual pants that you wear just as if they were jeans or khakis". I was appalled! There is no way I could let my kids walk out the door looking like they just rolled out of bed. I then started to noticed more and more girls wearing them to school. Maybe I am older now and have lost some fashion sense, but I think it looks ridiculous!

What do you think? Would you let your daughter wear them to school?

Why do pregnant women glow?

I get told daily that I am "glowing". Makes me wonder if people say that because they mean it or if they think they are supposed to. Don't get me wrong, I do not take it as a bad thing. I decided to do some research and here is what I came up with...

Your skin does take on a glow - and there is a physiological explanation for it. As your blood volume increases throughout your pregnancy, superficial blood vessels carry more blood which can be seen on your face. In addition, your oil glands are secreting more, so you naturally have a glow without any additional exertion.

Hmm, I'm still not sure I buy it, but people have been referring to pregnant woman as glowing for ages. Who am I to argue.

Help...

Hey everyone....

I am seeking some advice today about where to find an item. I am trying to figure out where I can purchase a rocking chair seat/ back cushion. It is a glider style of chair and I can't seem to find just the cushions anywhere! This photo is an example of what I am looking for and it can't cost an arm and a leg! Keep in mind it is for a rocker only, not an ottoman. Also it does not have to be fancy or super plush, just simple and plain. Thanks for any advice anyone can give.

Free antibiotics!

Publix supermarket chain said it will make seven common prescription antibiotics available for free, joining other major retailers in trying to lure customers to their stores with cheap medications.The oral antibiotics, the most commonly filled at the chain's pharmacies, will be available at no cost to anyone with a prescription as often as they need them, Publix Chief Executive Charlie Jenkins Jr. said Fourteen-day supplies of the seven drugs will be available at all 684 of the chain's pharmacies in five Southern states.The prescription antibiotics available under the program are amoxicillin, cephalexin, penicillin VK, erythromycin, ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and ciprofoxacin.

The best bargain ever!

My sister bought me the best gift today and you would not believe the cost. For those of you that read my blog regularly, I am sure you have figured out that I LOVE coupons and freebies. Well, my sister was so sweet to get me a cute new coupon organizer from Walmart. Now this is not just your ordinary coupon organizer. The reason for that is because she paid only ten cents for it! Yes, you read correctly ten cents!! The nice plastic ones normally go for about 3-4 bucks. I was whoo hooing like a mad lady with excitement~!! As you can see I have already made the tabs for each section. My old coupon holder was pathetic so I needed an upgrade like you would not believe! Thank you so much to my wonderful sister and best pal!!

Cell Phones in public places

I had to take my mother-in-law to a Doctor appointment this morning to see her orthopedic surgeon. The waiting room was full of older people in general all speaking about their surgeries, aches, pains, and health problems. I sat there and just listened as I waited patiently. All of a sudden it got really quiet as everyone grew restless waiting. In walked a young guy dressed in hip-hop gear, bling bling and all. He sat down apparently to wait for someone he dropped off earlier. His cell phone rings in a catchy tune and he quickly silenced it. You should have seen the look on all the old ladies faces of sheer disgust. Then there was this very professionally dressed older gentleman that is retired from the military. Another bout of silence comes again and then here is goes....ring ring (cell phone). All the old ladies look over at the young guy when in fact it was the older very professional gentleman's phone that rang. He picks it up and starts having a personal conversation (very loudly at that). As soon as he hung up, it rang again and this time it was an old military buddy of his. Now folks, there were several signs posted around the waiting room that was entitled "Waiting Room Etiquette". Number one read something like this: "Please refrain from cell phone use since it is disruptive to other patients as well as a possible interference with medical equipment." Now this man sat there and bragged about how high he ranked in the Air Force and how many men were under his command, but did not take a moment in the hour and a half he was waiting to notice the sign that was right next to him! The interesting part is that the same old ladies that found the young guy annoying did not seem to have any problem with the old man blabbing away on the phone. It is really peculiar how people can judge someone by their appearance and not have a single clue about that person's behavior.

Gift idea

My kids have a birthday party to go to on July 6th for a 10 year old girl. I have bought this sweet child school supplies in the past as a gift. Now most people would think it was a boring gift, but her mom emailed me last night and requested I do the same this year. Moms are very practical (for the most part). I would be overjoyed if people would buy those types of gifts rather than senseless junk. No offense to anyone reading this that might have given my kids gifts in the past! ;o) he he! The best part of giving this type of gift is the cost. Not only are you giving something very useful, you are not spending a fortune. Gee, wonder if I have any coupons...

Musical blogs

Don't you just hate it when you visit a person's blog and all of a sudden you start hearing this cheesy music that just won't stop!? Then it turns out to be the day that you computer decides to lock up on you! ERRR! Annoying! My apologies to those of you that have cheesy music on your blog! LOL!

Culinary Kids

The Summer months spent away from school is full of fun times and relaxation. In our house it is a bit different. We spend a lot of time teaching our girls a lot of life skills. The latest skill is cooking. I figured if something happened to dear old mom, the family would wither away and sadly dear old dad only knows how to maneuver his way over to the drive-up window! If the girls can get down some simple meals then they would be able to take care of the family if I was down. So far they have learned the art of seasoning and cooking meats, cooking veggies, rice, mac and cheese (from a box! Hey, they are kids!), and lots of prep work (washing, chopping, etc.) They really seem to enjoy it and even more tasting their fantastic dishes they created!

From Kinky to Straight

Here are some amazing before and after shots of my girls' hair. I used the Chi straightening iron and this was the result! The actual straighting tool cost me $130, but overall was a good investment. They both have the thickest, curliest hair that is so hard to manage. Relaxers are too harsh and expensive so it was highly recommended that I get the Chi iron. I would definitely recommend it to others as well.











The crazy expression comes from their dad's (aka "bad boy") side of the family!

Husbands can be right once in their life

Hello friends! Today I have been a very, very bad wife. I was vacuuming this morning as my fabulous, hunky, handsome husband watched. I was going toward the speaker cord when he told me to be careful before I vacuum it. I told him, "I see it and this old vacuum would not have had enough power to suck it up anyway". So on went the vacuuming when again my fabulous, hunky, handsome husband noticed I was almost about to run over the vacuum cord. This time I did in fact run over it (by accident, I swear!). Let's just say that the cord is now tangled on the brush part and it is shredded like mulch! OOOPPPS! If you could have seen the look I got....I am still scared! LOL!! I asked him if he was mad but he insisted he was not. The bad part is I keep getting the "I told you so" because I completely swore the vacuum was not suctioning properly. Now I am out of a vacuum and I was wrong for one of the very few times of my life! Not a good day :(

Stay-at-home moms may become extinct!

I was watching the evening news last night and the anchor was talking about (what other than) the sticker shock we are facing for gas and groceries. We all are seeing how expensive it is to fill up our vehicles and it seems to burn faster than ever! Then they talked about corn. I guess I never realized just how much corn is so much a part of virtually everything we eat and drink with the exception of fresh fruit and vegetables. Corn is used in the form of corn syrup as a sweetener... corn is fed to the chickens that lay eggs than we cook and bake with...corn is fed to the cows that produce the milk we pay 4 bucks a gallon for... many products contain corn (snacks, cereal, etc...) and then there is ethanol . It is said that gas will most likely go up to $4 a gallon this Summer. Looks like no relief anytime soon. I know that I continue to shop according to sales and combining coupons to help cut back. I even shop 2-3 grocery stores (all located next to each other) to stretch my dollars. I know it is hard for working people to do that. Speaking of which, if these costs stay this way for years to come, does this mean the stay-at-home mom will have to go find a job outside of the home to help support their family? What do you think?

Watch out...here comes trouble!!

Hello friends, hope everyone is having a fantastic day! I am going to have my hubby do a few posts each week. Lots of you have contacted me and think he is so entertaining. Trust me, you just don't know~! He feels like he can offer some advice to the ladies about a 'man's point on view'. I know some of you are laughing right now, because I know I am! ;o) Let me stop making fun of the guy (that will be next week's post with a video clip of how loud he snores!). No I really should stop before I get my stay-at-home mom title revoked! He will also offer other good bits of information and tips dealing with real estate, financing, credit, and "daddy" advice. I always mention that he is a big baby, this is why I refuse to give him a son. Who needs two Dwayne's in the world! Now folks, be open minded because sometimes the man is a little too "out there"! I have signed up for a lifetime of "better or worse". Ha! Ha!~