I only read the blogs of people I like. Sometimes they are really funny and sometimes I wish I could give them a big hug. There are bloggers who I have a lot in common with and bloggers who I consider good friends. I do not read the blogs of people I do not like. I do not read blogs just looking for something to criticize and gossip about. That is called harassment. I would never continue reading the blog of someone who asked me to back off. That is called stalking.

I have been criticized, insulted and accused of doing something I did not do. Doug wants me to ignore the attackers. My inclination is to password protect my blog. At Doug s request, I will pose the question to readers as to how I should move forward.

Doug and I have an anonymous reader claiming to be his friend reading our blogs and making comments. If this reader is truly a friend, they should sign their name. However, if it is just someone like his ex-wife, they need to get on with their own lives and leave us alone. How we live is our choice.

We do not collect welfare, use TennCare or in any way live off of anyone’s tax dollars. Doug works multiple contracts at a time to take care of our financial needs. We may struggle sometimes, but we manage to make ends meet and are very happy. There is no such thing as a "regular" job. Doing work for income is a job regardless of whether it is in the home or done from 8 until 5. We DO keep our children clothed, well-fed, clean and loved. All of the children have extra activities and clubs. Each child is treated as the unique individual that they are and given private time with their parents.

When I say parents, I refer to myself AND Doug. He may not have fathered the older children, but he is the person who takes care of them when they are sick, attends all their school activities, talks to their teachers to ask how we can help them do their best at school and SO MUCH MORE! How many children we have is nobody else’s business and our real "friends" call, visit and know that our family is just the right size for us. Those real friends know that we like to joke about our lives but love every good and bad minute of them.

If you don’t like who we are or how we live, stop reading our blogs, stop complaining to others because our lives revolve around our family instead of ourselves and go live your own lives. We are not making back-handed criticisms about your lifestyles. I don’t want this negativity around my family. Go find someone else to make you feel superior.

Thanks to Matt and Carmen’s gift card, Doug and I are actually going out without the children for dinner! I am beside myself with glee!

In the winter the boogeyman boogerman visits my family every evening. In the spring he just visits occasionally.

Today is the last day of Doug’s contract in Oak Ridge. Doug has a “one week extension to do two months worth of work.” Expect roller coaster mood swings in his blog as he works up a full-blown nervous breakdown. Expect the pregnant wife to have very litle patience for his anger outbursts and moping. Expect the unemployed husband to have very little patience with his pregnant wife’s nesting urges. Expect chaos as they wrestle over control of the one functioning car. Expect husband to lose touch with reality as he considers a beach trip less than two weeks after the baby is due when his wife thinks travels should be BEFORE the baby arrives and without grandparents and other children.

Come to think of it, Mom’s blog is looking pretty mood swingy too. She’s happy, no she’s sad, now she’s happy again, uh-oh she’s angry, it’s ok now she’s goofy. . .

Bad Parenting -
Mom- “Amy, give me Noah’s Yu-Gi-Oh cards please.”
Amy - “No!”
Mom - “Those are not your cards. Let’s get Amy’s toys.”
Amy - “No!”
Dad - “Amy, where’s the baby?” trying to distract her
Amy - “In Mommy’s tummy.” cards still gripped tightly in her hand
Mom - “Hand over the cards or I’ll eat you, too.”
Amy dropped the cards quickly.

Dear Amy,
If you are aware enough to announce just afterwards and demand that the situation be remedied, then you are certainly aware enough to announce beforehand and do it where it should be done.
Thank you,
Mom

I ran in Old Navy to make a return and decided to try on some jeans for myself since my box of maternity clothes is still MIA. I walked in the dressing room behind a teeny-tiny young thing carrying maternity clothes. The sales woman asked her if she’d like to use the “tummy pillow” which allows women to see what the clothes will look like if the only place they gain weight is their abdomen (they should make booty and thigh pillows or in my case, ankle pillows). My turn came to get a dressing room unlocked and the saleswoman took the pants in her hand and said “Would you like to use a. . . ” glances at me “Oh, never mind. You brought your own.”

Dear Northshore driver in the black sports car,
I am sorry that my driving 50 mph was so upsetting to you. Riding on my bumper wasn’t making the drive very much fun for me either. If there had been a place to pull over and let you by, I would have. When we finally reached the place where the road turns to 4-lanes, you could have gone on about your day without pausing to extend your middle finger to me. I would never have done that to you. Maybe you should travel on Kingston Pike so you can weave in and out of traffic to keep your speed up. You might enjoy the interstate even more.
Cathy

If you live in the south, the only clothing that doesn’t get worn year-round is white shoes. Two days ago we were bundled up against the cold and winds. Today is almost short-sleeved weather. You still need to pack away the white shoes from Labor Day until Easter.