fading in and out of focus

hey look!

2008-03-04T01:28:37Z

massive picture update!

www.flickr.com/people/amy_rae

oddles of adorable children!

stolen from erika berika

2008-02-23T15:29:06Z

1. Go to photobucket.com
2. Type your answer in the search engine.
3. Only pick 1 photo from the 1st page.
4. Copy the HTML & paste it on here.

1. What is your name?

2. What month were you born in?

3. What is your favorite TV show?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. What's your favorite movie? (I cheated and did two!)
&
6. Who is your favorite Disney princess?

7. What annoys you most?

8. What are you most afraid of?

(this is the only picture from the first page that didn't make me shrink away and pick my feet up off the floor)

9. What's your favorite time of day?

10. What's your favorite accessory?

11. One word to describe yourself?

12. How old will you be on your next birthday?

13. Favorite sit-down restaurant?

14. Favorite food?

15. Town you were born in?

16. What is your other half's name?

(totally not paul, but a great shot none the less)

17. What is your favorite song?

(i still liked this one the most, even if the lyrics are wrong- it's, "if i had a chance, i'd ask the world to dance.")

18. What's your middle name?

(i had to pick the bootylicious one!)

19. Who do you like?

20. How do you feel?

monster update

2008-02-09T15:02:14Z

i figure it's time for an update.

did i ever mention how much i totally love playing mom? man, it just changes everything. and for any amount of fighting or struggling i have to do with the kids, it's still totally worth it, in every sense.

i'm working part-time for midland public schools, as a paraprofessional in their special ed post secondary program. i know, i know, "what the heck does that mean??" basically, it means i work one-on-one with an autistic student who is too old for high school, yet not ready to graduate (that's where the post secondary part comes in). we work in the classroom together, and then go to his job site and work on production and employment skills. it's one of those jobs, where i just can't believe i get paid to do it. it is sooo much fun. one, part-time totally rules. i'm out at 2pm each day, which means i'm able to pick up kids from school, and actually be around during the day to see the rest of the people in our house. and two, it's like a giant party every day. i looove special ed. i know it's not for everyone, because situations can definitely get hairy and weird very fast, but it's totally for me. it's like a giant party every day, and all my favorite friends are there.

i just got hired on wednesday for a second part-time job that is pretty much the same thing, but it's working with a young girl in a home setting as a personal home aid. can you believe that there are companies who will pay you to hang out with someone and go swimming?? and they decided to pick me! life is grand.

i would say that ashley and tyler are both growing up so fast, but one, it's sounds cliche, and two, tyler seems to have stagnated. while ashley continues to grow out of a pair of pants per week, tyler is still wearing last years fashion trends. but his brain however, is leaps and bounds ahead of where his peers are. his report card for second semester gave rave reviews, and i've suggested to paul that we stop feeding the other children and put all our resources into our golden ticket. (kidding, of course). ashley still struggles with her studying, but is getting better. the newest project at school is learning to play the recorder- dun dun duh! dear god, please give me the serenity to not break that .30 piece of plastic in two. we have her restricted to certain hours of the day during which she can practice, and have her quarantined to her room with the door shut. yet still, the shrill noises still seem to find me.

nathan and alex. oh man. what great kids. they have started going to preschool/daycare on mondays, which has been a interesting transition. the first two weeks, i'll admit, there were some tears on both my part and theirs. they're just so little! i keep picturing tiny alex being engulfed by a huge desk (sorta like the old lily tomlin sketches of the little girl in the big rocking chair). but all has turned out of fine, and my worries were for naught. the best part of school for them so far, has been packing their lunches on sunday night. they love getting out their totally awesome lunch boxes, and putting all their favorite foods in them- they ask all the time if today is the day they get to pack their lunches. it's pretty adorable.

the only downside of preschool has been for nathan, who has discovered the harsh reality that he cannot boss alex around forever. nathan has become very accustomed to being the big fish in the pond around here, and getting his way with toys and alex. now he's forced to share toys and his brother, and doesn't seem to enjoy preschool as much as he thought he was going to. alex however, is thriving in his new found freedom, and developing in leaps and bounds. with that growth, he is getting weirder and weirder by the day. we're talking wayyy out there, folks. he'll walk through the house on his tiptoes make odd noises, and then stop to spin around in circles before running up to me and face slamming himself into my leg. all i can do is look at him and laugh.

paul is still alive and well, minus the monster cold of doom that has been plaguing him for almost three weeks. he's pretty much recovered from the fevers, but still has all the sniffles and fatigue. he has been using oodles of his extra personal days lately, which has allowed him to work four day weeks, which i totally heart. things between us are great as ever. we're getting on track with our finances, and fantasizing about getting a dog. on top of fantasizing about wedding rings and krissi coming home so we can get hitched. nothing like getting financially on track so we can derail right away again. but come, that sort of shit is totally worth being broke for.

puppies, kids, a wedding, and a welcome home- 2008 is going to rule.

xox.

just in case anyone comes looking

2007-11-26T21:16:49Z

i totally stand by what i said.

girlhead @ 2007-11-26T11:42:00

2007-11-26T16:45:21Z

i've added oddles of pictures to my flickr site, including our recent trip to Pennywick Tree farm, also known as THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!! seriously, if you need a good dose of Christmas cheer, it's totally the place for you! go see. www.flickr.com/photos/amy_rae

sell my old clothes, i'm off to heaven

2007-09-05T16:50:49Z

IT'S A GARAGE SALE!!
***2298 Mayfield***
****(in Saginaw)****
Tell anybody with kids, or anybody in need of kids clothes to head on over- Thurs, Fri, & Sat. 9-5.
Girls sizes infant- 7/8
Boys sizes infant-3T/4T

I'm selling everything for 50 cents each, and there's tons to choose from. If you have any questions, let me know. Thanks for helping me spread the word, yo! xo, amy rae

life!

2007-08-15T20:32:46Z

life is great! i'm addicted to the kids, the 90s radio station on charter, cottage cheese, green tea, mall madness, summer vacation, & windsor pilates. best frickin time of my life!!

promise to not disappear completely. xo. amy rae

girlhead @ 2007-05-01T09:03:00

2007-05-01T13:00:39Z

oh livejournal- how i miss your dramatic ways... to be 16 again.

i still need a home for this beast

2007-04-17T18:41:41Z

any takers?? hit me up

girlhead @ 2007-04-17T12:13:00

2007-04-17T16:07:38Z

i know that it's best to keep a healthy perspective on things, and to avoid all the dramatic angles, and to pick yourself up and brush off all the crud...
but sometimes, i just want to wallow for a little bit.
i wish i felt guilty over that.

girlhead @ 2007-04-16T11:14:00

2007-04-16T15:12:50Z

man. it is soo nice, to feel so alive.
for the longest time, i've been feeling a bit robotic. amy the drone- does not compute.
but in the last few days, i've been feeling totally inspired.

there's a cool breeze blowing my way.

p.s. on a less introspective note, i've secretly been practicing my mortal kombat skills on xbox, in order to give paul a most immediate throttling tonight. destruction and ego-crushing awaits. summon hellfire- if there's a move cooler than that, i haven't seen it.

girlhead @ 2007-04-13T17:01:00

2007-04-13T20:58:37Z

after a bajillion years of looking at the same colors and style, i decided to get frisky and change it up. all complaints can be forwarded to the complaint department here http://www.bulatlat.com/images/4-17/bm%20shut%20up.jpg

enjoy the weekend, yo!

i left my name on erika berika's list, so i'm obligated to repost aka the longest subject line ever

2007-04-12T14:32:51Z

Comment and I'll--
1 - Tell you why I friended you. Assuming I can remember :)
2 - Associate you with something. A fandom, a song, a colour, a piece of fruit. SOMETHING.
3 - Tell you something I like about you.
4 - Tell you a memory I have of you.
5 - Associate you with a character/pairing.
6 - Ask something I've always wanted to know about you. (Or else I'll just ask a random question. I reserve that right.)
7 - Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
8 - In return, you must spread this disease in your LJ.

girlhead @ 2007-04-11T16:01:00

2007-04-11T20:39:58Z

ugh. please please let today be over soon. my brain feels mushy.
there is no room at the inn.

girlhead @ 2007-03-31T08:09:00

2007-03-31T13:12:28Z

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amy_rae/

new shots from my photo project with the kids!
go drool over their cuteness.

girlhead @ 2007-03-20T17:04:00

2007-03-20T21:01:35Z

Okay, cute story: we’re trying desperately to potty train Nathan and alex. There are some kids books on the sink to distract then so that they can pee without thinking it’s coming (this is paul’s idea, which I think is silly), and a jar of individually wrapped lifesavers- treats for big boys! (and me. Hey, I pee too.) so we go over this again and again. “Poop goes in the potty.” It’s my new mantra. I’ve even written a few songs about it: “Noooo poooop, in the tub!” They seem to really really like that one. Anyhow, I’m running their bath water last night so we can take a tubby, and i go upstairs to get them, only to find Alex in The Squat- that identifiable position that clearly points to a rumble down under. So I scoop him up in my arms and cheer, “let’s go do it on the potty!” By the time I make it down the stairs, it’s all over. Blast!!! I was so close. Still, to supply the visual image that paul and I have both been reluctant to provide, I pull his diaper off and make him seal the deal and push it out into the potty. (totally gross, I know, but I’m getting to the cute part.) So there’s poop in our training potty for the very first time, and I try my best to be fake excited, despite the fact that I’m elating over poop. I got all pumped up and called Nathan in to Come See! So here we are- me, Alex, and Nathan- three people oogling a lump of doo in the toilet, having a party- when alex, with no pants mind you, clenches his hands into triumphant fists and throws them in the air squealing, “OH Booooy!”

I have reenacted this Oh Boy, for everyone who will listen, because in his tiny woman voice, it is clearly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. He was ecstatic to get his candy, and Nathan was more then eager to try his luck at a turn, but to no avail. It was a small jaded victory, but I’ll take it.

i'm totally posting!!

2007-02-23T20:37:50Z

the twins are growing five inches a day, and getting older by the minute. if only some wisdom would come with these leaps and bounds- there's nothing worse then a battle with a two and a half year old who wants to pick out his own clothes, all of which are too small for him. rather then let him wail and go for the quick kill by putting him in my selections, i let him think he's won, and put on t shirts that reveal his chubby tummy, and pants that fall mid-calf. one, it's f*in funny looking, and two, he always comes back 10 minutes later and whines, "tiiiight." amy reigns victorious.

but seriously, i frickin love those kids in ways i utterly did not anticipate. tyler is a genious, nathan is two going on 12, alex is my little woman, and ashley has so much potential that it kills me to see her struggle. love love love

she's still available!

2007-01-24T17:03:07Z

need some love?? get a cat!!

hit me up w/ any takers

best website ever

2007-01-04T20:23:26Z

bella kitty

2007-01-04T15:09:16Z

it pains me greatly, but i need a home for my kitty.

paul's oldest ashley has severe cat allergies, and they haven't improved enough for me to take bella along when i move in this month.

bella is about four years old, and super affectionate. she has her front claws out, and has been snipped of her lady parts. she's clean and healthy, and just needs someone to cuddle with.

she's never chewed, clawed, or ruined anything, and has never had an accident outside of her litter box.

bella is incredibly affectionate. she loves tummy rubs, and long walks on the beach.

call me cell with any takers, 989.213.5394 or if you want to meet her first.

happy christmas, kiddies!!!

2006-12-21T17:24:14Z

enjoy the holidays!!!

for erika berika

2006-12-12T16:52:15Z

i could have sworn that i'd gone back and deleted it....apparently not. there's no way i'm going back and taking that stupid test again, but i was the philistine. there. much easier.

wasting time at work on my half day!!!

2006-11-22T15:37:29Z

haha. my new favorite site to check out while i'm supposed to be working

2006-10-26T14:47:04Z

http://www.indietits.com/

girlhead @ 2006-10-09T13:32:00

2006-10-09T17:36:08Z

i won't lie. there are some people and things that i really miss- sleeping in, staying up late, last minute trips to nowhere, krissi <3, taking photos in the middle of the night, mindlessly roaming the internet, cliff and kelly, spending ridiculous amounts of gas and money on rock shows, austin and nicole, squandering entire days hanging out at desired skin (while simultaneously kicking austin's ass at scrabble) and just my former life in general. nothing is how i pictured it would be, yet nothing i have now is anything i can see myself living without. life is tripped out and crazy.