A Dozen (minus two)!

Man, I don't know if I can really describe myself in ten words!!!! I mean, there are just sooooo many wonderful ways to describe who I am, it makes this top ten VERY HARD!!!!!! LOLOLOLOL!!!!!! I'm kidding! :) If anything, it will be hard to think of ten words in general!!! :) Here goes nothing!!!!

1)Merciful - I really think this word describes me b/c I truly believe in having mercy for people (and I do)! I think if I want mercy from others, then, I must give it to them in return! And, believe me, I need and want mercy!!!! :)
2)Caring - Self explanatory, but, I do think this word describes me pretty well. There have been times when I try so hard to NOT care, but it never works! In my heart of hearts, I really DO care and it always come shining through in the end!
3)Sensitive - My family always called me this when I was younger and it used to make me soooo mad! But, now, I realize, they were right! :) I wear my heart on my sleeve.
4)Silly - I think this is the one word that truly is the word for me!!!! I am always doing or saying something silly. And the funny part is - half the time it is an accident! LOL! Silliness just follows me around wherever I go!
5)Obsessive - this may not be one of my better qualities (unless I'm obsessively cleaning or using it in a positive way), but if I'm gonna be honest in describing myself, I have to list the not so positive, too! :) And, I have always been like this since I was young, so I am pretty much used to it. But, man, I feel bad for my family when I can't find a cup or plate that has gone missing!!!! LOL! It is like, drop what you're doing, and find that cup!!!!!!! :)
6)Understanding - I think I am understanding (I try very hard to be)! I think I let people be who they are and I accept them that way. And, of course, I ask for that, in return, for myself from others. Also, I try to be very understanding w/things that people are going through. I may not always relate, but I always try and understand! Ya know what I mean?!
7)Happy - This one I know for sure! I am very happy w/where and who I am at this point in my life! I have a great man and two beautiful boys! Who could ask for more?! :) And let's not forget my wonderful extended family and terrific friends!!!!!!!!!!! I've got it good!!! :)
8)Visual - I listed this as a word to describe me b/c of my photography! :) I just seem to know what "I" think looks good and it usually turns out right. Plus, I have always visualized on tests and things like that. I usually "visualize" outside the box! LOL! :) I see things differently than most! This is good and bad!!!! :)
9)Listener - Although some of you may be surprised to hear this word to describe me - it is true in many aspects of my life! :) I think I just know when to talk and when to listen! LOL! And I am pretty good at listening when others need a shoulder to cry on! But, don't get me wrong, I am a good talker, too! :)
10)Mom - I just had to end w/this word to describe me! For the last nine years, this has been who I am! It has become my life! Although it can be very demanding, it is the best word that has EVER BEEN USED TO DESCRIBE ME!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't change it for the world!!!!!!! :))

Sooooooooo, there is my list! Did anyone else describe each word or was it just me?! LOL! Sorry! I just don't know how to blog small! :)
Oh, and did anyone else notice that I didn't list "wife" as a word to describe me?! Oops!!!!!! You know I love ya, Mark!!!!!! (Just look at #7 and you will see)! :)

Another Mike Memory!!!!

Okay guys! I wasn't gonna do this, but since Noacre asked, I thought I'd dig out an old picture of Mike Hall for her to see (she has never seen him and was curious to see what he looked like after hearing all of my stories). I think this particular photo was taken back when the church youth group went to see Tecumseh. After the show, we were all trying to get our pictures taken w/the Tecumseh actors, but by the time we got backstage, all the Tecumseh actors were gone. I was soooooo disappointed, so Mike (who knew I liked him) posed w/me instead!!!! Aren't we just ADORABLE?!!!!!! :)

My Guess For Grey's!

It is 9:30 right now and I am watching Grey's!!!! :)

Here is my prediction!

I think Meredith's mother will be the one who dies and Meredith will live, BUT............as her mother goes to the other side she will see Meredith (before she comes back to the living) and they will exchange some nice words! Meredith needs some validation from her mother and she will finally get that! At this point, Meredith's mom told Meredith that Meredith is ordinary! I think this will be their moment to make up!!!!!! And Meredith will be able to leave her past in the past! :)

Anyway, I can't explain anymore 'cause it was commercial and now the show is back on! Let's see how close I come!!!!!!! :)

Jackson's A Trooper!

Hey guys! I have some news that I hadn't shared before now! Jackson had been referred from his pediatrician to a dermatologist to have a mole checked out! The mole hasn't always been there - it just showed up about a year or so ago. We never thought much of it, but in the last few months it has gotten slightly longer. It is a flat mole almost like a freckle - it is just darker than normal. So............we scheduled his appt. for today. We were very fortunate, in the fact that, we got an appt. quickly. It can take a looooong time to get in with a dermatologist. I have a dermatologist I have seen in the past, but I don't really care for him (he is very abrupt). I knew I didn't want to take Jack to him, so I called around to some different places. We got in w/in two weeks due to the fact that this particular dr. was new to the office. He hadn't yet built up a lot of patients. Now, some people might be nervous to go to someone new, but, not me!!!!! I figure he is a dr. and knows what he is doing. If I get there and don't like what I see, I can always leave or get a second opinion! Ya know?! :) Anyway, I am glad we took our chances b/c the dr. did very well! And his nurse was terrific!!! She knew how to talk to kids and that was very helpful. I was there w/Jackson and Jacob all by myself. To their credit, both boys were troopers!!! Poor Jack!!! He only knew the dr. was going to look at his mole! It is on his chin. Well, as soon as the dr. looks at it, he says he is going to biopsy it and remove it at the same time! He told Jack that the needle (to numb it) would feel like a splinter coming out. I told him it would feel like a bad pinch! My poor baby was very scared, but got right up on that table and held my hand and did soooooooo good! I got to be right there and watch the whole thing! I could totally tell how much the shot to numb it hurt!!! And, once the needle was in, the numbing medicine going in - it hurt, too! The whole numbing process only took a minute or so, but it was a long minute! Jackson winced and I held his hand and rubbed his forehead! He did terrific!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo proud of him!!!!!!!!!! After numbing it, they took a piece off to biopsy and then cut the rest out! He only needed one stitch, but he is very proud of that stitch!!!!!!! :) As he should be!!!!!!! The nurse later told him how well he did. She said they had a twelve yr. old earlier that day who didn't do as good as Jack! :) Now, no jabbing the twelve yr. old or anything, 'cause I am sure it hurt, but it certainly made us proud! :) Anyway, they are sending out the biopsy and we will have the results in about two weeks or so. The drs. say it is usually not a concern in children, but that word is still very scary!!!!!! Please keep my boy in your thoughts and prayers!!!!!! Thank you so much! We are hoping that the worst is over! I let Jackson stay home from school today. His appt. was at 10:40 clear up in Dublin (actually considered the Powell area). Plus, I was having two warts looked at as well. By the time we were done, it was after noon. To get all the way back to Grove City, what would be the use? School ends at 2:30. So, I figure, he deserved some fun seeing what he went through! :) So, we went to Tuttle Mall and stayed there forever! The boys and I had Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Then the boys played and we walked around. We were gone the whole day! We had Mark meet us there after work. We had Jack's hair cut on the way home, and then, went to Burger King to eat dinner (the BK on the west side w/a playplace)! :) We didn't get home till almost 8:00 at night!!!!! :) I think it was a day well spent!!!!!!! My boys deserved it!!!!!! For Jacob's part - he deserves some credit, too! During the procedure, he stayed by the chairs and didn't move. That was sooooooo helpful b/c I was busy holding Jack's hand and, also, I was completely blocked in by the nurse!!!!!!! If Jacob HAD gotten upset or whiny or anything, I would have been stuck! But...........that good boy!!!!!! He was great!!!!!!!!!! :) So...........as a mom - I need to remember these times and how good they were 'cause it isn't always like that!!!! LOL!!!!! :)
I am sorry I didn't tell anyone earlier about this procedure! I think I was blocking it out of my mind until the day came! I pretty much knew that the dr. would remove it. When I took Jackson to his pediatrician for his strep (a couple wks. ago) and she asked about his mole - she told me the dermatologist would most likely remove it. It didn't seem like a big, huge deal, but I didn't want to alarm Jack. I decided to wait and see and put it in the back of my mind. Plus, I got sick and my neck hurt so bad, it was easy to forget until today came! Hey, I just realized something!!!!! I have been thinking that me being sick and my neck bothering me for the last two wks. was such a pain in the butt!!!!! And, don't get me wrong, it was!!!!! But...........maybe that is the way it was supposed to be - 'cause it certainly got my mind off of that darn mole!!!!! I had too many other things to worry about! If I look at it in retrospect, my getting sick and going through what I went through, it truly was a blessing!!!! I would totally have obsessed about Jack's mole otherwise!!!!!!! WOW! I suffer from OCD, so, imagine how hard that would have been! But...........it wasn't hard where the mole was concerned 'cause I was so sick I didn't have time to think about it! PROFOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, God, what are you going to give me for the next two weeks so that I don't obsess on this darn biopsy?!!!!!!! :)))))
Thanks in advance for all of your thoughts and prayers!!!!!!!!!! It means a lot to me!!!!!!!!!!

Cissa's Favorite Foods!

Wow!!!!!!! This is the second post for me today! Who woulda thunk it?! LOL! :))

Here are my top ten favorite foods to eat! Enjoy! :)

1)Bob Evans Chicken Breast Meal w/garlic butter sauce! Yummy!!! And, of course, you have to have a side dish of broccoli to go with it!!! And, never, ever, forget the EXTRA garlic sauce on the side!!!!! :)
2)My mom's vegetable soup!!!!! It is the best!!!! And no one makes it quite like her!!!! THANK YOU, MOM!!!!!!! You are the best cook!!!!!!! :)
3)Pomegranites mixed in vanilla yogurt! Easy to make AND nutritious for you, too! The only bad thing is that you can only get these during certain months of the year! Bummer! But..........they are worth the wait!!!!! :)
4)Spaghetti with meat sauce! Simple, easy to make and good! FYI - I will use Ragu, but Prego is my favorite! Along with this, I must add, I also love the spaghetti at the Spaghetti Warehouse!!!! Delicious!!!!! :)
5)Glazed Doughnuts! Fattening, but worth every bite! I also eat the glazed doughnuts topped with chocolate frosting and cream filled! How could something this good be so bad for you?! :)
6)Red Robin's "bunless" protein burger! They wrap it in lettuce instead of using a bun! For the record - I have heard that this is actually a nutritious meal to eat! Cissa says:
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
7)Cardos Pizza! Anyone who really knows me - knows that Cardos is #1 for me!!!!! If you have never had it - man, go and try some! Greasy, thin crusted, delicious pizza! :)
8)Evelyn's Cheesy Potatos! (Evey is Mark's mom)! She makes the BEST cheesy potatos I have ever had! :) THANKS EVEY!!!!! You are a great cook, too! :)
9)Barbeque Pork Chops! Again, easy to make and very good! :) I make them, but they never taste quite like mom's! Why is that?! :)
10)Ma's Sugar Cookies! My mom has a recipe that was passed down to her from her grandma (my great-grandma)! They are the best sugar cookies I have ever had! I just learned to make them "right" in the last 5 years! You want the recipe??!! It's a secret!!!!!!! LOL!!!!! :)

There goes my top ten favorite foods!!!!! Simple, but good! I must add one more to be accurate, though. Mark and I are both Burger King fans!!!! :) And, although the food is great, that is not the only reason we love it!!! Does anyone know why?! I am taking guesses and I will let you know in my next blog!!!!!!! :)
Have a good week!!!!!!!!!!!

The Horse Who Had No Worries!

Okay guys! :) I told Miranda that I just had to blog this picture (after seeing her cow's behind painting)! LOL!!! This was taken at Jackson's cousin's birthday party! They rented pony rides for her birthday (I know - expensive - but at least my kids had fun and we didn't have to pay)! Anyway, you all know me, I am snapping and snapping and snapping as many pictures as I can. I am in my zone at this point! So..................do any of you see what I see??!! I never checked my pictures as I was taking them. There was so much going on that I just didn't pay attention - I just kept snapping. The funny thing is - usually I DO check on my digital camera. I, at least, look at the window on the back of the camera and check to see if it turned out okay (no bluriness, etc.). Well, this particular day, I did not! Lucky me!!!!! We get home that evening and put the pictures on the computer and voila! We got a nice little gift from this particular pony!!!!! ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I, of course, thought it was hysterical!!!! I am just glad the kid's didn't notice b/c there are several pictures like this! :)) FYI - the pony "handler" (no pun intended - ROFL) - she kept rubbing this pony's head and kept going on about how much he liked it!!!!! Well, ya don't say!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Obviously, he liked it a lot!!!!!!! :))
Anyway, I am hoping you all get a good laugh from this!!!!!!!! I sure did!!!!!!!
I will post my top ten very soon (later tonight).
Have a good week and stay warm!!!!!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a big Happy Valentine's Day wish!!!!!!! NO SCHOOL AGAIN TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jackson and all of his neighborhood friends are thrilled! And, I must admit, I am kinda liking it, too! Jack is growing up sooooooo fast (he just turned nine)!!!!!! I like having him home with me b/c way too soon he will be "grown!" I am hoping that the boys and I will stop and take some quality time to spend together! Take advantage of this snowy time off from school! :) I have a "mean" sugar cookie recipe (you make cut-outs and everything)! LOL! It has been passed down from my great-grandma, to my mom, and now to me! It is very fun (and long) to make and the kids usually really enjoy it - as do I! I figured Valentines would be the perfect time to make heart shaped cut-out cookies and have my little ones help! :) I am planning on making a yucky snow filled day into something special!!!!! :) Although, to tell the truth, it is probably "already" special to Jackson just being off of school!!! LOL! :) And "already" special to Jake since his big brother is home to play with him! :)

I also wanted to let everyone know that I had to go to the dr. today! I know - I must be crazy! Of all days - why would I go out in this weather today??!! Trust me - I did not want to go, but I really had no choice! As you all know - I have been sick off and on for a week already! You name it - I've probably had it (I saved it all up to have at once)! LOL! Anyway, I am "finally" feeling better, but................on Sunday around noon - my right shoulder, neck and upper arm started hurting! I figured I must have pulled a muscle or slept funny, so I figured I would just "ride it out." Well.............by today (Tuesday) which is "two" whole days later and..............the pain is NOT going away! Medicine like Ibuprofin would help for a little while, but............a couple hrs. later and the pain would come right back. By today - I just couldn't take it anymore! I had to pretty much lay down b/c it was starting to hurt just to walk and when I "did" walk or sit or stand - I had to walk w/my head to the side! Kinda hard taking care of kids or trying to do any cleaning w/your head tilted to the side! LOLOLOL!!!!! :) So................I call my dr. who, fortunately, is just about a mile away, and go to his office this afternoon! Lucky me - I get to experience the "rain/snow" b/c, you know, I wouldn't want to miss driving in that! LOL! Long story short - the dr. had me lay down on my back and cross my arms over my "boobs" (which, thank goodness, I did cover my "boobs") 'cause he leans completely over me - his arms over mine) and turns me toward him and "cracks" my back!!!!!! Then, he repeats the procedure on the other side! If I wasn't in sooooooo much pain, this would be very FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But.............I hurt sooooooo bad in my shoulder area - that I do not even care!!!!!! :) Then, he stands behind me, and "twists" my whole head to one side and then, of course, "twists" it again the "other" way! Again, this whole experience might have been 1)embarassing and/or 2)very painful, but, to be honest, it felt GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!! I asked him if he would come to my house and make house-calls!!! ROFL!!!!! He replies with "how much $ would he make" (joking) and I say "well, you would do it "free" out of the kindness of your heart!!!!" Sooooooooo, even in my pain, I can act doofus and make people laugh, I guess! LOL! It was all too funny! Oh, btw, I did get two prescriptions which I plan to use "all" up very quickly! LOL! He prescribed me Vicadin and some kind of muscle relaxant. I will tell ya that I have a pretty high tolerance for drugs, but that muscle relaxant totally knocked me out...............cold!!!!! :) And.................my pain came back "again" after a couple of hrs!!! But........even getting a couple hrs. of relief and being able to sleep was wonderful!!!!! The dr. said I probably slept funny and I should feel better in a few days (like by Friday). If not, then we will run some x-rays, but neither he or I felt it was necessary at this point! So, that is good! Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers! Thanks! I am so tired of not feeling good! I have decided, though, that as soon as I feel better - I am gonna start taking better care of myself! I have never been motivated to exercise, but after not feeling good for so long, I have no excuse! I need to be healthy and take care of myself - if not for me, then for my family! So...........maybe me getting sick is a blessing in disguise b/c I doubt I would have changed any other way! Sometimes it takes a "train" to knock us off our feet for us to see something right in our face!!!!! :)
For the record (to get even more sympathy) - I watched "six" kids today even in my pain! Go, Heather!!!!! And, if you read my previous blog about my sister, you will get a laugh out of this: I got the three older boys to scrape the snow off of my car!!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!!! They thought it was fun and I got out of doing it! At least, for once in my life, I have an excuse this time since I was in pain, but it is still funny! You can get kids to do anything! :)
Also, one more funny conversation I had w/the dr.! :) When he was getting the "kink" out of my neck - he would say - "there it goes" - like he "knew" my neck had popped! But, I was curious how he just seemed to know! I mean, there was no "loud popping noise" or anything - I could just feel it, ya know? So, I ask him when he is done how he knew what he was doing? He simply smiled and said - well, I went to school for a LONG time, so that probably helps! LOLOLOL!!! I think people are just looking for ways to embarass me or I must just talk w/out thinking 'cause it follows me wherever I go!!!! :) He did say later that drs. can tell by "feeling the muscles" if it is working. So............anyhoo, that is my story for today!
NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are out traveling - take it easy and go slow! I slid a couple of times today myself! So................be careful!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do something nice for someone! Make it a surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will feel so good! :)

Cissa's "Not so Flattering" Moments!

Okay! I have already been reading everyone else's top ten which seems a little like cheating! So, I am gonna try and not copy and think of my own (which is going to be so hard 'cause I just never have any non-flattering moments)! Seriously! :) LOL! My life is one great big EMBARASSING MOMENT!!!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!! I have already mentioned "several" examples in previous blogs, so if you haven't checked my archive, please do! If nothing else, I will provide you w/a lot of laughter and tears (from laughing so hard)! :) So................here goes my top ten embarassing moments of my life! Enjoy! :)

1) Walking into men's restrooms! Not once, not twice, but MANY times this has happened! I am, either, totally NOT observant! Or, I must be doing it - subconsciously - on purpose! LOL! I totally walked into the men's restroom (when the church youth went to see Tecumseh) and had NO IDEA I DID until I am standing there looking at the urinals! And, even then, I am thinking what are "urinals" doing in the women's restroom???!!! When I finally realize, oh, my mistake, I look around at all of the men and pleasantly announce, "I am in the men's restroom!" Duh!!!!!! I also repeated this scenerio just last year at the Chillicothe Wal-Mart. I had Jacob in the cart and I have to use the potty. So...........I not only walk into the men's restroom, but I wheel the whole cart in there (Jake and all) with me, too! And you have to turn the cart "3" different ways to get in there and then "3" different ways to get back out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I could think was................."not again!" LOLOLOL!!!!!!! :)

2)Revolving Doors! When I first started working at Nationwide Insurance I was about 21 yrs. old. I worked in the financial department as a clerk (secretary) with a lot of well-to-do people! Now............we all can agree that "I" am NOT well-to-do! :) I mean, come on, even if I was "well-to-do," I wouldn't dress or act that way! I just don't think it is in me! So...........a real nice gal named Brenda befriended me! Btw, I will always remember and love her for that! So...................Brenda was very tall, very blonde, very smart and very beautiful! She had money, she came from money and she knew money! I will refer to her as "Trump!" Trump never wore the same outfit twice! And the outfits Trump did wear were "fabulous, darling, simply fabulous!" For some unknown reason - probably pitty - Trump took me under her wing! So.........I have just started my first week and Trump takes me out to eat. Very nice! We come back to the building and come in a different way than usual! We have to go thru the "revolving door!" Now, I had been through revolving doors, but, it is my first week at big, fancy Nationwide and I am hanging out w/Trump! I am a bit nervous! So, Trump is leading and I am following and.....................we get to the revolving doors! Split second decision, split second decision!!!!!!!!!!! Do I get in the same door as Trump? Or do I wait and get in my own door?! Looking back, this is a huge "duh" in my life!!!!!! But, remember, I am very nervous and wasn't thinking straight! So...............split second decision and what do I do? You know it, my friend, I "jump in" the same door as "TRUMP!" As soon as I do, I realize my mistake! I will always remember the look on Trump's face when she realized I was there! We had to take baby steps to get through to the other side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the record, Trump and I laughed about it "later" - like a "year" later! It is soooooooooooooooo funny to tell the story now, but I was completely mortified at that particular moment in time! Anyway, Trump and I lost touch through the years, but I hope she is doing well! She was always so sweet to me and put up w/my "innocence!" So............................THANK YOU, BRENDA (aka Trump)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3) Mike Hall! Yes, I was in love w/him! Yes, he knew! Yes, it was embarassing! Yes, he was my Tom Cruise! Yes, I went to church every Sunday just hoping to see him! And, yes, I can laugh about it now!

4) Victoria's Secrets! Okay - this is a place I really do not "frequent." Again, it is just not me or my style! I prefer old sweats and a t-shirt. That being said, I needed a new bra! So, my one and only sister takes me to VS. I usually just go to Kohls for my bras. Is anyone aware of the "bra help" that you get at VS??!! I didn't know, but Heidi told me how they will help you. They ask your size and help you pick one out to get started and they even measure your bust in front of everyone, too! Then, in the dressing room, they even have a "buzzer" for the girls to come and give you advice on your bras! Wow!!!!! Fancy for me!!!! And, I might add, a bit embarassing if your so-called "boobs" hang down to your belly button from having two beautiful babies!!!!!!!! If I was Cameron Diaz, I might not care, but I am, unfortunately, not! So...........I am timid, to say the least, but decide to just go for it! The girl measures me and gets me started with some bras and tells me to "buzz" if I need anything! Well, that first "buzz" was hard, but I don't know what happened 'cause, after that, I was "buzz, buzz, buzz!" I was on fire, man! I tried on sooooooo many bras and kept having the girls come "look!" Even Heidi, later, said, what was up w/all the buzzing??!! Anyway, it was an embarassing moment, but it goes to show that a "not so flattering" moment can be turned into what you make of it! LOL! :)

5) Waving to the wrong person! Man, I do this ALL THE TIME! Someone will be driving past my house and they have the same car as someone I know. So................I wave and smile and wave some more --- only to realize that.....................I don't know the person in that car AT ALL! Never saw them before in my life! I have learned to just laugh at myself, but, man, I do feel stupid when this happens! LOL! :)

6) Throwing an ice cube! Sounds innocent enough, but not if it is a guy and you hit him in the privates with it!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!! :) When I was about seventeen and working at Burger King, we would goof off on our down times. So....................I threw an ice cube at my friend, who was a guy and good-looking, and, voila, I hit him in his crotch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Embarassing for a young girl, I tell ya! But, oh, so funny, now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

7)Wearing tags on shirt! Back when vests were popular I had a nice, new, pretty white one! But, duh, forgot to take the price tags (there were two for some reason) off!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like an idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8) A boy I liked "kisses" me on the cheek! I was a freshman at Marion-Franklin. I had a huge crush on a tenth-grader named Derek (I think that was his name). Anyway, on my b-day (Nov. 5) my friends had him come up behind me in the cafeteria and "kiss" me on the cheek! I could have just died!!!!!!! For starters, he didn't "like" me in that way! He was just a sweet guy to do that, but I was soooooooooooooooooooo embarassed! Oh, I just realized, his name was Dirk! :)

9) Overflow! I don't mean to be gross, but, this blog would not be accurate if I didn't admit to this particular embarassing moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have heavy periods and have (more than once) overflowed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It happened at school once, too, and that was the worst!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will never know if anyone noticed! It was the end of the day and I high-tailed it out of there! And I never spoke of it AGAIN.........................until now! :)

10) My Dentist! You will have to look at my archives for these stories! Too long to re-tell! But he is Mr. Frickin' Good-Lookin' and I basically act like a love-struck, idiotic, teenager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has nice eyes and I can barely look at him when he is checking my teeth and wearing his mask! LOL! :) What is wrong w/me?! LOL! Btw, I have an appt. at the end of this month for a teeth cleaning! Don't worry, tho, 'cause 1)Jack always has his cleaning at the same time and 2)Mark will be there 'cause we are bringing Jake for his 1st appt.! But, maybe, just maybe, I will still have a funny story to tell!!!!!!!!!!!

My lists are always so very long! LOL! :) Sorry about that! I'm not sure if I am funny or just plain boring and no one wants to tell me! :)
Go slow on those roads tomorrow!
Be safe, be happy and be kind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Sister (The One & Only)!

Appropriate title, I think! :) I am sitting here thinking of what to blog. I have pictures to show, but Mark has already gone to bed and...................I have no idea how to post them on my own! Well, technically, I have a "small" idea, but not enough to actually publish them for anyone to see. So..............that will be saved for tomorrow - stay tuned! So............what in the world should I blog about?! I started thinking that I haven't even mentioned my sister in my blog all of this time! Truthfully, she probably likes it that way! But what are sisters for??!! That is right! I am gonna have to mention her at least once for my blog to be, well, "my blog!" My sister is five years younger than me and she is the "only" sister I have! Although we are very different in many ways, I think we are also very alike in others! I feel very lucky to have a sister! My brother said he always wished he had a brother. I think it is nice to have a sibling that is the same gender! It certainly was nice "picking" on her all of those years many moons ago! LOL!!!! I have lots of stories to tell where that is concerned! Here is a small excerpt for ya: whenever I wanted or needed something and didn't want to go and get it myself - I would tell my sister (and brother, too) to come and play a game with me. I would tell them that I wanted to see how fast they could go and get (whatever I wanted at the time) for me! I would "count" and see how fast they could go! I tell ya....................it worked every time and I must admit.................I still use this little "game" on my kids (any kids actually) as well! LOLOLOL!!!!!!! Anyway, what exactly is a sister is for! The first thing that comes to mind is this: no matter how many times you fight or argue - a sister is always there!!!!!! A sister remembers the things from your childhood (the good and the bad) and you can laugh about them now! :) You can talk to your sister about all the things your parents did right.........and wrong! LOL! When you have a sister, you simply know that one more person in your life loves you ----- for you! :)
I have to say two things in honor of my sister! :) First, it will be her birthday on Tuesday, the 13th, so.......................HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HEIDI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And second, I hope she knows how truly proud I am of her!!!!!!!! She just got her masters degree this past year! HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!!!! And she is a fantastic teacher!!!!!! She doesn't get enought credit for all the good things she does!!!!!
Have a great b-day, Heidi!!!!! Love ya lots!!!!!!! :)

Cissa the Sucker! :)

Hey guys! I have truly missed blogging, but I have a good reason for seemingly having gone AWOL!!!! :) I have been soooooo sick and it has not been fun! I have tried to check in and leave a couple messages, but it seriously took all the energy that I could muster up! LOL! No pun intended, but I am so sick of being "so sick!!!!" It is not fun!!!! I - knock on wood - don't get sick that often, but when I do - I make a lasting impression!!!! LOL! Anyway, I wanted to, at least, get my top ten in for the week before the "next" top ten question is listed!!!! LOL! :)

So, here are the top ten things that Cissa is a sucker for (in no particular order):

1) My Boys (Jack and Jake)! :) I think every mom would probably list their kids as one of the top ten, huh?!
2) My niece - Baby Gracie! :) That little girl is certainly right up there with my own babies!
3) Pictures! :) Anyone who knows me knows that I am a crazy person when it comes to pictures! I take too many, develop too many and display WAY too many!!!! I can't help myself! :)
4) TV! :) I truly don't know what would happen if I missed one of my shows! I would survive, I am sure, but I wouldn't be happy!
5) Picture frames! I always check out the picture frames no matter what store I am at! Even if I was just at the same store the day before! You never know what new frames you are gonna find to display all those pictures in!!!! :)
6) Magazines! I am the biggest sucker for buying magazines! I have even tried putting the money I would have spent on magazines in a jar, but it never worked - not for me! It is an addiction - I tell ya! I see the stars (who I refer to as "my people") and I have to read their stories! I think I need MA! Magazines Anonymous!!!!!!!! :)
7) Baskets! This one is not as bad as it once was! But...........I am still drawn to them! I will usually check them out at the stores as well (along w/the picture frames). Anyone interested in a trip to Dresden??!! I'm in - just say the word!!!! :)
8) Purses! Along w/the picture frames and baskets, I will generally check these out as well. And, I have been known to buy one for no reason! I don't need it, can't afford it, but shucks, I just have to have it!!!!! I even did this w/diaper bags!!!! :)
9) Music! Good music just seems to make the day a little brighter! And........I have been known to buy CD's I don't really need, either! :) I just want them!
10) Helping others! I just like to be there for people and help! Or.........maybe, I just can't say no!!!!!!!!! Just kidding! :) It makes me feel good to help others! :)

I'm sure there are many more things that I am a sucker for! I tried to list the top ten things that I thought of! And trust me, sadly, it wasn't hard! :)
I hope everyone is doing good and feeling well! Take Care! Sunny skies and warm weather is right around the corner - at least that is what I am telling myself! LOL! :)
Have a great weekend!

If Only! :)

If only! That is the question for today's top ten! If only I had more "money" - what would I spend it on??!! Upon first reading this question, I thought, "oh, yeah, easy, baby!" However, when I sat down to actually think about my answers - it was a bit harder than I originally figured it would be! I thought to myself, "well, a fabulous, new house and a dream car would be nice!' But..............is that what I would "truly" spend more money on?! I decided to think on a much larger scale - like if I had "lots" of extra money - let's say "money like the stars have," then what would I do with it? Well, what do I "think" I would do with it? :) Here is the list I came up with! Enjoy! :))

1) Hair stylist! I would LOVE to have someone fix my hair for me EVERY DAY!!!!! :) I remember talking about this when I was younger! If I could buy anything, this is what I'd get! First off, your hair would always look great and second, it is a nice feeling when someone fixes your hair! :)
2) Cook! Oh, yeah!!!!!!! I would LOVE to have someone fix dinner for my family and myself! Nice, big, nutritious meals that would be yummy and give me more time to do other things! :)
3) Maid! Speaking of more time to do other things! This would certainly help!!!! WooHoo! I would definately pay for someone else to "clean" for me! This includes laundry as well, of course! :)
4) Personal Trainer! :) This is something else I have always said I would like to have! I would have someone that I answer too! It would be harder to eat that bowl of chips or have one more Dr. Pepper! I would have to answer to my trainer! And that would be scary and, definately, NOT worth the short-lived thrill of sweets! :)
5) Photography Studio! This would be my ULTIMATE DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would absolutely LOVE to have a little studio to call my own! Hey, maybe, this dream could come true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
6) Interior Decorator! I think it would be sooooo neat to have someone come in and decorate my home for me! Or, at least, give me some ideas!!!!!! :) I need "Trading Spaces" to come and re-do my whole house! :)
7) Adopt a Child! I would truly be interested in looking into this! Mark's sister adopted her two children (she couldn't have her own). This opened up my eyes to adoption and what it is about! Also, Heid's ex was adopted as an infant as well. I would be open to different nationalities as well. I would love to give a home to a child that needs it! Maybe, just maybe, this could be a dream that could one day happen! :) I would like that!
8) Help the Homeless! I would love to be able to help those who have hit a bump in the road! It can happen so quickly and so many people out there just need a little help getting on their feet again! This would make me feel so good! :)
9) Travel! I would love to be able to afford travelling! I want to go to Africa, especially! I would love for it to be a family thing and we all go visit lots of places! :)
10) Money for my kids! I hope my kids never have to go without! Important things that is! I want to be able to provide for them and then some! :)

So...........there is my top ten list! :) Like I said - it was much harder than I thought it would be! And I WOULD love a new house and a new car, etc. But that is so ordinary! I wanted to think outside of the box! If I had LOTS of extra money! :) If only!!!!!! :)

Celebrate Good Times!!!!!

Just had to let everyone know that my last post (about my top ten sitcoms) was my 100th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How cool is that?! I have been waiting for this moment and just happened to check and voila!!!!!!!!!!! I am glad that I checked!!!!!!!!!! Such a big moment in time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be accepting congratulatory comments in the days to come! :)))
Cissa says: Thank you and good night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cissa's Top Ten Sitcoms!

Okay - I read that we are allowed to do "two" separate lists (if we want)! WooHoo!!!! I want!!!! I want!!!! LOL! :)

Cissa's Top 80's Sitcoms:

1) Different Strokes - "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?!"
2) Facts of Life - "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have, the facts of life, the facts of life!" Blair, Jo, Tootie, Natalie! :) Did you all know that Lisa Whelchel (Blair) is a devout Christian and has written a parenting book! I have it! It is good! I think you all would like it, too! :) If you want more info., let me know!
3) Family Ties - "What would we do, baby, w/out us? Sha-la-la-la!" Alex P. Keaton! :) I wanted to be Mallory! :)
4) Growing Pains - "Sharing the laughter and love!" Kirk Cameron! :)
5) Head of the Class - I can't remember much about this show except that is was funny! :)
6) My Two Dads - same as above - funny! :)
7) The Cosby Show - no words to theme song - just music! Very good show! :)
8) Who's The Boss - "A brand new life around the bend!" Tony Danza! :) I liked Samantha and wanted to be her! :)
9) Wonder Years - "Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song!" Good show! :)
10) Silver Spoons - from the early 80's I think! Ricky Shroeder!!! He wasn't Rick - he was Ricky back then! Has anyone seen him now?! Not too shabby!!! Not too shabby!!! :)
11) Dukes of Hazzard - "Just the good 'ol boys, never meanin' no harm!" Technically, this is a drama, but I couldn't leave it out! Good show, good times!

Bringin' back memories, man!!!!!!!!! :)

Cissa's Top 90's Sitcoms:

1) Life Goes On - This show is where I first heard the name Tyler and said if I ever had a boy I would name him Tyler! This is Jackson's middle name! :)
2) Dallas - J.R. and Bobby Ewing! :)
3) ER - Longest running drama I can think of! Good show!
4) Roseanne - one of my favorites!!!!! I still watch reruns! :)
5) Beverly Hills, 90210 - ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE DRAMAS!!!!! I can almost recite word for word each and every episode!!!!!!!!!! Brandon, Dylan!!!!!!!!!! We love you!!!!! :)
6) Party of Five - WooHoo!!!!!!! Where Matthew Fox got his start! Good show!
7) Doogie Hower, M.D. - Didn't everyone just love Doogie!!!!!! :)
8) Mad About You - One of my favorite sitcoms! Remember Murray (the dog)! :)
9) Murphy Brown - Funny!!!!!!!! Not much more to say!
10) Saved By The Bell - I still watch these! They never get old! Zach and Slater!!!!!! And they are STILL HOT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)))
11) Seinfeld - HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! :)))
12) Full House - John Stamos! Too cute!
13) Wings - Funny!
14) Friends - Great show!!!! Reruns good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) My man Brad has even made a guest appearance! And so has my girl Reese Witherspoon! :)

So......................there is my top ten list! I know some of these are considered dramas, but I listed them anyway! How could I leave them off?! :))
Enjoy!

Thought For The Week!

Just a quick thought I wanted to pass on:

Remember: The choices that you make today will affect others tomorrow!

Smile and have a great week!!!! :)

Top 80's Songs By Cissa!

Here is the list of my favorite songs from the 1980's!!!!! One of the best (and full of wonderful people like me) decades of all time!!!!!

In no particular order:
1) Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
2) Faithfully - Journey
Open Arms - Journey
3) Raspberry Beret - Prince
4) Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
5) Against All Odds - Phil Collins
(many more)
6) Let's Hear It For The Boy - Deniece Williams
7) Like A Virgin - MaDonna
Lucky Star - MaDonna
Borderline - MaDonna
Material Girl - MaDonna
Papa Don't Preach - MaDonna
Live To Tell - MaDonna
Crazy For You -MaDonna
(many more) :)
8) Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
Careless Whispers - Wham!
I Want Your Sex! - Wham! - technically, it was only George Michael at this time :)
9) Thriller - Michael Jackson
Beat It - Michael Jackson
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
(many more)
10) We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
11) What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner
12) Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen
13) California Girls - David Lee Roth
14) Can't Fight This Feeling- REO Speedwagon
15) We Are The World - U.S.A. for Africa
16) Friends & Lovers - Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson
17) How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
18) Secret Lovers - Atlantic Starr
Always - Atlantic Starr
19) What Have You Done For Me Lately - Janet Jackson
Nasty Boys - Janet Jackson
20) Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
21) Honestly - Stryper
22) Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Wanted: Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
23) Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
24) Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison
25) Love Bites - Def Leppard
Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
(Thanks, Mike, for my love of Def Leppard - I owe it all to you)! :)
26) Out of the Blue - Debbie Gibson
Lost in Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson
(Tiffany was a good singer, too, but I didn't use any of her songs for this list).
27) Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobbie McFerrin
28) If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
29) Love Shack - B-52's
30) Straight Up - Paula Abdul
31) Sweet Child Of Mine - Guns & Roses

So..............................what did you think of my list??!! Man, I had totally forgotten about some of these songs!!!!! Some of them go way back to the "early" 80's, man!!!! And some of them may not necessarily have the best of words, but I truly was drawn to the music - the sounds, dawg, the sounds of the music!!!! LOL! I had my songs that I listened to and sang along with, the songs that I danced too, and the songs that I thought had a good tune (regardless of the words), ya know?! There are so many more that I could add, but I already "cheated" and listed more than 25, so I stopped!
Enjoy!
Oh, btw, I think the next "Top Ten" should be: list your favorite 80's TV shows! :) Hint, hint!!

Update! :)

Okay - just a quick update 'cause I am getting ready to leave. :) First, the "High School Musical" concert was GREAT!!!! They wouldn't let me take my camera in (bummer), but other than that it was real nice! Jackson and I had a lot of fun!!! :) Second, Heath had a dr's appt. yesterday and everything went well. He probably only has one more appt. and he will be done. His foot will never be the same, but he can walk and he is healthy and that is the important thing! He has a lawyer to look into his options, as well, so keep praying that he will be compensated properly!!! I said his lawyer should ask the Wal-Mart people how much their foot is worth??!! Ya know?! I mean - Heath limps - he will never be the same. And, even tho, like I said, he is alive and he is healthy, he still deserves some compensation for his injury - I mean, it happened at work and was not "his"negligence!" It is simply a dangerous job and many others have been hurt as well throughout the country! Anyway, sorry to go on, just keep him in your prayers! He is ready for this to be over with!!!! Thanks!!! :)) Thirdly, I have my Top 25 80's songs ALL PICKED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just don't have time to list them all just yet!!!! I will do it tonight (so everyone can anticipate)! LOL! Seriously, tho, I can't wait to read everyone's!!!!! I will blog more later!
Have a good weekend!

High School Musical

Okay - I don't know if any of ya'll have heard about or had a chance to see this movie! It is a very popular movie (on the Disney Channel) for kids about Jack's age (he is almost nine). Anyway, I watched it w/him the very first time it aired and it was soooooo good! A good movie w/a good message - we don't get those kind of movies much anymore, huh?! The music was really catchy so, of course, when it came out, we ran and bought the CD. This was back in the summer and we listened to it often (mostly in the car) since Jack loved it! Well............guess what?! They are having a "High School Musical Tour" and it is at the Schottenstein's Center.............................................................................TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jackson and I are getting ready to leave and are soooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!!!! It will be his "1st" real concert that he will remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a feeling it may mean more to me than it will to him! :) That's what happens when you become a parent! Children get happy and excited, but they just can't identify w/how us parents feel. And I guess that is the way it should be! :) Anyway, I will give everyone an update tomorrow on how our concert went! Supposedly, the entire cast (minus one) will be there! Exciting! I watch the Disney Channel a lot, so it really is neat to see them in person (and, btw, we have good seats, too)! :) Okay - we gotta go! Things to do, places to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Oh, and yes, I will post pics this weekend, too! But, of course!!!!!!!!!! LOL! :)))))

American Idol Wannabees

So......................has anyone been watching this season's talent for American Idol?! HILARIOUS!!!!!! That is all I have to say about that!!!!!! LOL! :) Anyway, I was sitting here watching it for the 2nd night in a row (great entertainment I must say) and I notice something for the 1st time! Hello, Ryan Seacrest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I realize he has been on the show for all six seasons! It isn't like he is new or anything! But, hello, for some reason I never noticed how good-lookin' he was/is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So......................just one more reason to keep on watchin'!!!!!!!!!!!! Yea!!!!!! :) I think I have a #11 for my list of actors (or is he considered more of a talk-show host)? Either way, add Ryan to my list!!!!!!! Not too shabby, baby, not too shabby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Top Ten Fad Faux Paus!

Okay - here is my list! Enjoy! :)

1) Leg warmers - Hello! By the time you got them on and situated correctly, it was time to take them off! LOL!
2) Mullets - need I say more! LOL! Plus, ANY 80's hair "do" is probably part of my #2! I was thinking of the "feathered back" on the sides look and the hair sprayed, sticking up to the moon, "do" that needed AquaNet to stay! LOL!
3) Pet rock - what is the point? Then again, maybe, whoever invented this, had the "perfect" point! No care is needed and you can still say you have a pet! Can I do this w/my kids??!! LOL! :))
4) Thongs - Hello, again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHO WEARS THIS!!!! TRULY!!!!! And if you do, how comfortable is it, really?! 'Cause it soooooooo does NOT look comfy! It looks like it would ride completely and totally UP MY BUTT CRACK!!!!!! LOL! But, then again, maybe that is just me! :))
5) Low rise jeans - invented by Britney Spears - THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I am being sarcastic, of course! LOL! Let me just say - I have a story for this, too! How about bending over at Cosi (not realizing you have low rise jeans on, 'cause that is all you can find to wear at the store, and you are also wearing BIG GRANDMA UNDERWEAR!!!!! And the two just DO NOT GO TOGETHER, but the grandma underwear just feel soooooooo right - you have to wear them! You have on a long shirt - so who is gonna even know?! Right?! Well, pretty much everyone! I have to change Jacob's diaper and I am bending over - forgetting what I am wearing (apparently my shirt was NOT long enough). I am soooooo sure that was a sight for whoever looked my way! Btw, I was changing him in a public place - not the restroom 'cause I was waiting for someone and didn't want to miss them - otherwise it wouldn't have been so bad (I would have been standing at a diaper station instead). Serves me right, huh?!
6) Thigh master - did this do anyone any good at all? Mine just sat and served as a decoration.
7) Disco music - sorry - I just do not like it! Sorry, Travolta!! LOL! :) Bad movie - Saturday Night Fever! Not his finer hour! LOL!
8) Fannie Packs - Hello, Hello! Yes, they are helpful, but oh, do they look hideous!!!! A woman looks like an old lady and a man looks, well, not that there is anything wrong with it, but "gay!" LOL! :) One must ask oneself: would Brad/Angie or Tom/Katie or even Michael Douglas/Catherine Zeta-Jones EVER wear this?! I hope not! LOL! :)
9) Shoulder pads - Not only did they look terrible - they felt terrible, too! :)
10) Short shorts - Daisy Duke! I am sorry, but I do not need to see your "bootie!" And neither does my husband or my son and it is a bad example for our daughters, too!

I thought this list was gonna be hard, but, surprisingly, it wasn't! It was fun! Tons of things just come to mind - particularly from the 80's era! And I must admit - I am guilty of some of these fad faux paus myself. I have been known to stock up on the AquaNet hair spray! Heaven forbid I run out of it?! It was the ONLY hair spray that could "hold" all that hair up soooo very high and last soooo very long! ROFL! And I wore shoulder pads and leg warmers and thought I looked GOOD!!!!! LOL! Maybe at the time - I did! LOL! Who knew these would become things my kids would one day laugh at!!!! :) Oh well! At least I never wore a "fanny pack!" LOL! And I didn't have a mullet (well, it wasn't supposed to be a mullet, that is)! :)) And, btw, you will be better for knowing this, I still wear my "grandma underwear," too! Even w/low rise jeans! Just don't look if I bend over!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :))

My Fave!

Gooooooooooooo, Amy! You were totally 100% right!!!!!!! Mr. and Mrs. Smith was my pick for the day!!! :))) Not only did it have my man, Brad, in it, but Angelina was good, too! The movie was never a must-see on my list - not even when it was at the theater. I just figured I would see it when it came to DVD. Well, it came on HBO earlier this month and I kept seeing bits and pieces of it. Finally, I gave in and just had to see it! And....................I am glad that I did, 'cause it was a real good movie and funny, too! :)
Cissa Says: Two thumbs up! Two for the movie and ten - oops, I mean, two for Brad!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Must vs. Must Not See Movies

Okay - my parents watched my boys for awhile over the weekend (to give us a little break). THANK YOU, MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!! Mark and I were going to go see a movie, but decided to rent some instead. By renting, we 1)save money. 2)get to watch several movies and not just one. 3)get to stay home (when it's cold and yucky outside and you just want to stay home). 4)don't have to get dressed and ready (I hadn't washed my hair and was in my jammies). 5)can go pee and not miss any of the movie (thank goodness for "pause"). 6)there is a much better selection than the "few" that are playing at the big screen (there are only a "few" that I would want to see that are playing right now). So............................I am sure there are many more reasons to rent, but these are the ones that come to mind right now. :) There are lots of movies that I have wanted to see the past couple of years. I pretty much only see my "top" choices at the theater on the big screen. It is just so dang expensive these days. Although I am known to sneak in some food - it still costs a lot to just get in and "see" the movie! :) So...............we got to watch "4" movies this weekend! WooHoo!!!! It was sooooo fun! Two of them we had DVR'd and we rented the other two. Not bad in the money field! LOL! I just have to say that out of all four movies - there was only one that I would actually recommend anyone renting! Can you guess which one that is?! And, fyi, when Miranda gets it right, she had an unfair advantage! LOLOLOL! I already told her (so don't let her fool ya)! :))
The four movies are: (in no particular order):
1)Matchstick Men - starring Nicolas Cage.
2)The Wicker Man - starring Nicolas Cage.
3)TransAmerica - starring Felicity Huffman.
4)Mr. & Mrs. Smith - starring Brad Pitt (Heather's hottie) and Angelina Jolie (Brad's current hottie simply b/c he has, unfortunately, not yet met Heather).

Anyway, are there any guesses which one I liked the best?!! :) Well, stay tuned and I will let you know ------------------------------------------------------ tomorrow! :))

Top Ten Books I've Read!

Okay guys! You are all gonna have fun reading MY list! I am not a big reader! Never have been, probably never will be! I do read tons of parenting books, but not in one sitting. I read a bit here and a bit there and I jump forward and then go back and read the rest later. I also read magazines quite frequently and find lots of good articles. I think I must have ADD or something 'cause I truly have a hard time sitting still for very long to read. You probably don't want or need to know this, but, like a man, I do most of my reading on the "pot!" ROFL!!!!!! Sad, but true!!!! If it weren't for the "commode" - I seriously doubt I would ever get any reading done at all!!!! LOL! :) Sooooo, a quick story from my past (and I get a kick out of this every time I think of of it) - and it totally goes w/this particular blog! :) Enjoy!
I am in the tenth grade at Marion Franklin High School. I am in the Honors English class (which simply means - more work). Anyway, our teacher assigns us to read this book called "The Great Gatsby." We are to read the book, and then write a two page report on what we read, and this report will be graded. Well, I, of course, back then, had no idea what this book was about! I had never heard of it. So.....................I go home and start reading and, big shock, I am not liking what I am reading - not liking it AT ALL!!!!! Sooooooo, I read the first chapter and the last chapter and I totally skim the rest! I don't have time to read something so very boring. Heather has more important things on my list! LOL! I then, write my report and turn it in! Well, you will never guess my grade - well, maybe you will ---------------- I got an A#!!!!!! Can you believe it?! It was so funny!!!!!!! One of my good friends (who was almost the valedictorian four yrs. later) - she read the entire book and only got a B on her paper!!!! I guess I am a skilled "skimmer!" What can I say?! And, sadly, I haven't changed much when it comes to reading! Oh Well! Good thing I don't have to read a lot anymore! :)
Okay - all that being said- here is my list!

1) A Tale of Two Cities
2) Breakfast at Tiffanys
3) War and Peace
4) Moby Dick
5) Wuthering Heights
6) To Kill A Mockingbird
7) Pride and Prejudice
8) Hamlet
9) The Scarlet Letter
10) The Great Gatsby

LOLOLOLOLO!!!!!! This list is totally a JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't read a one!!!!!!! LOL! :)
Here is my "real" list - and control your laughing, please. Btw, Mark and I were cracking up when I read him my list!!!!! :) I almost peed "my" pants! :)))
1) The Three Bears! An all-time favorite that I still love to read to every child I am around!
2) Love You Forever! My sister-in-law sent me this book after Jackson was born. I cried my eyes out every time I read it! I love it! Every mom should have a copy! Especially if you have a son!
3) Of Mice and Men! This was a book that Mr. Barr at Teays Valley had us read in the 11th grade. For some reason - I really did read it! And I liked it a lot! Maybe I should have really done "all" my reading assignments, huh?! :)
4) Judy Blume books! I can't name any one in particular. I just remember reading lots of them when I was younger - and they were all good!
5) Amelia Bedelia books! Same as #4. They were books I had read when I was younger and liked them all. Jackson is reading them now and he likes them, too!
6) Charlotte's Web! Classic, what more can I say?! And the movie was great, too. I, of course, bawled at the end! It just brought back so many memories when I watched it on the big screen!
7) Bringing Up Boys (By James Dobson). Dr. Dobson's books are all terrific! I love him and all the advice he has to offer! Why can't "he" be my therapist?! :)
8) Chicken Soup for the Soul Books - easy reading - true stories - inspirational - and I can read a few while I am on the pot! LOL!
9) Dr. Suess - particularly "The Pale Green Pants!" Childhood favorite! :) Jacob likes this one and "The Sneetches."
10) Parenting books! ANY AND ALL!!!! :)

So.................this is my "real" list! Quite different from the first, huh?! LOL! :)
Now you see why we were laughing so hard! Oh, and one more thing - Mark and I were looking up "classic books" on the internet the other night - 'cause we couldn't think of ten! That is funny alone - that we couldn't come up w/ten - we needed help. Anyway, he came across "Little Women" and told me, "hey, here is one." I got excited and said "yeah, I could put that on my list." However, he thought I meant my "real" list 'cause, at the time, I only had "The Three Bears" and "Love You Forever." When I told him I was putting it on my "fake" list - we both lost it!!!! It was hilarious!!!!! So, if nothing else, we are having a lot of good laughs doing the Tuesday Top Ten!
Enjoy! :)

Top Ten Actors!

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

1) LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEED I SAY MORE?! HMMM, HMMM, HMMM!
2) BRAD PITT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MIGHTY FINE!
3) JOHN TRAVOLTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HANDSOME COMEBACK STAR!
4) JOAQUIN PHOENIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAS GROWN INTO HIS GOOD LOOKS!
5) ANDREW McCARTHY!!!!!!!!! GOOD-LOOKIN' HAS-BEEN!
6) SEAN PENN - BELIEVABLE IN ANY PART!
7) JACK NICHOLSON - I WILL GO SEE ANY MOVIE STARRING HIM!
8) CHRIS MELONI - FROM LAW&ORDER: SVU - (STABLER IS HIS TV NAME) - I JUST THINK HE IS SO CUTE AND A GOOD ACTOR!
9) JOHNNY DEPP - CUTIE! ANYONE REMEMBER 21 JUMPSTREET?!
10) GREG KINNEAR - I LOVED HIM WHEN HE WAS ON "TALK SOUP" ON E!

Man, this was so hard b/c there are many, many more and we can only pick ten! And I fibbed about no particular order 'cause the first two are definately my faves!!!!!!!!! :) Here's to hoping they discover my blog, read it, think its adorable and invite me to Hollywood!!!!! :) A girl can hope, can't she?! :)

Doris, Doris, Doris!!!!

Okay - I was trying to catch up and check out everyone's blog this evening! Everything is going good and then I get to Dallas's blog! By the way, good list, Dallas! Scooby rocks!!!! LOL! :) Anyway, back to main topic! :) I go to leave a comment on his blog and, of course, I stop and read everyone elses. Well, well, well, let me tell ya! :) His previous blog was about the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" and there was a lot of talk about Captain Jack Sparrow. By the way, good first name, I think! :) Anyway, I get to a certain someone's comment and it tells me something that I didn't know ('cause I haven't seen the movie yet)! I am not gonna repeat it in case it is true! In case you are not following any of this - I am pretty sure that our good friend, Doris, gave away the ending!!!!! :) LOL! Too funny!!!!! :)
Just teasing ya a little, Doris!!!! Love ya!

Cissa's Top Ten Resolutions

Resolutions for 2007!!!!!! :)

1) Lose weight! (This one is pretty much on everyone's list I think)! Mine also includes getting in shape, drinking more water, etc.
2) Save money! (Shouldn't be as hard as we make it)!
3) Get organized! (I have actually already started this one this week)! Go, me!!!!! :)
4) Do more w/my photography! (If I just applied a teensy weensy bit more - that would be nice. I have already done a job this month and it felt good - I actually made money).
5) Cook more! (I need some good recipes - please pass some my way)! :)
6) Not hang onto things b/c I am too scared to let go (or maybe I'm a packrat)! :) This one goes w/number 3 to get organized!
7) Write more! (Like Miranda - I enjoy writing and getting my thoughts down on paper - I mean, computer)! LOL! :)
8) Start scrapbooking! (I used to do this and had a lot of fun. Then it became hard b/c it seemed everyone else's was just so great and mine was mediocre. I also got busy with babysitting and put scrapbooking on the back burner. Plus, I am compulsive and that made it hard to start and finish even one page. Anyway, I need to just scrap my pictures and not compare mine w/anyone elses. I also need to be aware of my OCD and try to focus, but not to the point of obsession).
9) Start something new (could be anything)! Time will tell! :)
10) Simply do better or should I say "try harder." (I blogged about this in a previous blog).

Okay - I am figuring that Miranda has peed her pants by now and has to go change!!! LOL! :) I wish everyone luck with all of our terrific goals for the year 2007!!!!!!! We should have a team blogging name, huh?! Or am I just a nut?! :))
HAPPY NEW YEAR MY BLOGGER BUDDIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas To All!

And to all a good night!!!!! :) It is officially December 26th and Christmas is over! Although it is always nice - I am glad to see it end! This time of year just seems so hard on so many people! For many - it is a happy occasion, but for far many more - it is sad! Plus, and I am guilty of this myself, but we, as a society, indulge our little ones way too much!! Sooooo, I am here today, writing it down ('cause they say it makes a difference) - but my goal for the new year is to do better! Now, I know this must sound a tiny bit vague, but it really isn't. I want to do better in all aspects of my life! I want to be a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend, etc. I want to eat better and exercise better. I want better health and better weight. I want to be in a better financial situation. I want to cook better and shop better. I want to have a better relationship w/the Lord!!! Soooooo, I think you get the picture! LOL! :) I am not expecting to be perfect or anything. I just want to try harder! I want to listen more and talk less! And my main goal hasn't changed one single bit - and that is to HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!! I want to always be smiling! I am going to hang up a picture of Steve Irwin b/c he is going to be my inspiration for this New Year's goal!!!!! His wife, Terri, in an interview, said that he was always fun! He taught her how to jump in mud puddles and run and play in the rain!!!!! I think that is simply profound!!!!! And I want to always be looking for the fun in life!!!! (B/c there is so much heartache and I want to enjoy the fun parts when they are right in front of me)!!!!!
Soooooo, I am writing it down so I can always be reminded of my words today! I will not be perfect, but trying to do "better" and having "fun" while trying! :))
Here's to a New Year to all of us!!!!!! May it bring great things!!!!!!!!!!!! And remember - sometimes great things come in small packages!!!!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya!

Update On My Brother!

Just a quick update about Heath! He went to the ER last night and had to wait forever - of course! Anyway, they ran tests and checked him over and it is NOT a blood clot!!!!! Thank goodness! They don't, however, know what it IS yet, so they sent him home. He is supposed to keep an eye on it for the next couple of days and then call his dr. on Tuesday. Soooooo, he had good news and "we don't know" news! LOL! :)) So far, so good! Keep those prayers a comin'!!!! :)))))
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have lots of work to do tonight (Santa's helpers called and asked me to help w/some work)! ;)
HAVE A GOO DAY TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE,
CissaLynn :)

Quick Update!

Hey fellow bloggers! Just got a call from my brother that he is going to the ER tonight! He has a big lump under his arm and it is swollen and they (medical people on phone) said that it sounds like it could "possibly" be a clot! SCARY!!! Anyway, he is going to the ER to get checked out! Please continue w/prayer for him!
Let's all try and remember the good times of 2006 b/c there are so many hard things mixed in! Yet, somehow, there is a lot of good hidden in between - ya know! For starters - two babies were born and that alone is such a miracle!
To Alyssa and Gracie!!!!!!!! We love you and look forward to the New Year w/you little ones in our lives!!!!!! You two precious babes are the good that came from a hard year!!!!! God Bless You!!!!!
Merry Christmas! I love you all (my blogger friends)! You have become such an important part of my life!!!! I thank you all for loving and caring about me!

Cissa Says!

I just wanted to ask everyone to keep my brother in your prayers for awhile. He is doing better with his foot, but Wal-Mart is giving him a bit of a hard time. The story is just waaaaaay to long to tell - and I think everything will be okay in the end - he is just feeling down right now. Plus, even though his foot is better - it will never be the same. He will probably always limp. The dr. said he will only have "at best" 50% mobility of his foot! He is only working 16 hrs. a week and that is seeming to be too much on him physically. He is getting sooooo bored and feeling a bit depressed. He is my baby brother!!!! I am eleven yrs older than him (no making fun of my age)! LOL! :) I just love him and I appreciate all the prayers! I am probably making him sound worse, but he had a bad day yesterday and I was concerned. Soooooooo, I called him and I went to Chillicothe and took him to see a movie! We both wanted to see that new movie "Rocky Balboa!" Both Heath and I are Rocky fans!!!!! Again, no making fun of me, but I have the whole "Rocky" DVD set! LOL! :) Well, the whole thing started out wrong right from the beginning! We get there to the theatre and stand in line (for our pops) forever!!!! The movie starts at 7:45 and we finally get thru the line right at that time. Not looking good seatwise, huh?! Oh, so right! We didn't have to sit in the front row - just the next one back! Second row at the end! Sooooooo, we are looking up way high plus have our heads turned to one side as well! LOL!!!!!!!!!! :)) Pretty funny! Seriously, though, we did have a fun time! And we have agreed to do things like that more often (just sitting farther back next time)! :) The only truly not so good part of the evening was that the movie was not good! Neither one of us was very impressed and like I said - we are both fans! Too bad 'cause it could have been real good. We didn't think there was much of a story line at all! And there were so many things they could have turned the story into! Overall, the movie was a let-down! Especially if you are a fan! I mean - the movie is "Rocky" so that in itself is fun to watch, but we've seen it "5" times before and those "5" times had a story along with it! I did, however, enjoy watching Sylvester on the big screen and up-close and personal, too!!! :))) I had forgotten how much I like him!!!!! Has anyone seen his arms in the movie "Cliffhanger?!" Hmmmmmmmmmm, hmmmmmmmm, hmmmmmmmmmm - that is all I can say!!!!!!!!!!! :))
Cissa Says: Two thumbs down for the movie!
Cissa Says: Two thumbs up for Stallone!!!!! :)

Cissa's Big Ten!

My all-time favorite animated friends (not in any particular order): :))

1) Tom and Jerry (on everyone's list 'cause they are the best)!
2) Mufasa (from Lion King)
3) Road Runner
4) Scooby-Doo
5) Smurfs (a favorite when I was little - used to watch it w/my sister)
6) Mickey Mouse
7) Belle
8) Tarzan
9) Buzz Lightyear
10) Spirit

It is always hard coming up w/the final list b/c there are always more than enough answers to choose from! And it is always fun reading and comparing my lists w/everyone elses!!!! :))

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO CARRIE!!!!!

I hope she finds this as funny as I did!!!!!!!

Love ya!!!!!! :)

Christmas Surprise!!!!!!!!

I just had to blog and tell everyone about my Christmas surprise!!!!! Mark and I do not usually buy each other gifts for Christmas anymore! Ever since we have had children - we just decided to stop buying for one another. We are usually okay with this arrangement, but every now and then (when I hear about a "cool" present a friend got from their husband) - every now and then - I miss it a little! I never complain, though, because I've got a real good man and he is good to me and that is what matters most! :) Well, my "real good man" just surprised me with a brand-new LAP TOP COMPUTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still in shock!!!!!!! I was working on some pictures that I had taken of a friend's children and our main computer was taking forever!!!!!! By the end of the evening - along with me discovering some secret emails - and the gig was up!!!!!!! Mark left the room and came back w/my totally awesome Christmas present!!!!!!!!! It truly was a wonderful and unsuspected surprise! We had talked about getting one, but figured we would wait until summer. The best part of all is that this laptop is considered for me!!!!!! WooHoo!!!!!!! Now - I can blog wherever I go!!!!!! Anyway, I just had to share my joy w/all of my blogger friends!!!!!!! It is such a rare occasion when I get such an awesome treat for myself!!!!! It feels good!!!! And it is nice to blog about something happy (y'all know I don't hesitate to tell the bad)! LOL! I just wanted to share the good stuff as well!
Btw, you can call me Carrie Bradshaw now!!!!! (She is the writer from the TV series "Sex and the City"). They always show her typing on her laptop!!!! :))

Cissa's Top Ten!

My top ten reasons why I love Christmas!!!!! :)

1) Christmas music (you only get to really listen to this special music about six weeks all year long).
2) Buying presents for my boys! :)
3) My boys (and children in general) believing in Santa Claus! :)
4) Taking kids to the mall to see Santa! :)
5) Christmas Lights! Beautiful!!!!!!! (On a Christmas tree or a house decorated)!
6) Receiving Christmas cards in the mail!
7) PICTURES!!!!! I love taking/sending my own and receiving everyone else's! :)
8) The look of candy canes and the smell of cinnamon! :)
9) Giving to others! Especially an unsuspecting family!!! :)
10) I saved the BEST FOR LAST: Knowing that this is the time of year when Baby Jesus was born and what that means for us!!!! :)

I would just like to say that I am proud of myself!!!!! I got my list done fairly quickly and I am usually last!!!!!! Go, Cissa! Go, Cissa!!!!!!! LOL! Seriously, I hope everyone enjoys my top ten and I am looking forward to reading yours!!!!!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOBBY!

Believe it or not - I got to see another movie last weekend!!!!! Yippee!!!!! My mom watched my kiddies overnight last Saturday, so Mark and I got to see a real-life, go to the theatre movie!!!!!! Unfortunately, there wasn't a movie playing that I had been "waiting to see!" Those good ones are soon to come out! We did, however, agree on the new one about Bobby Kennedy! It had so many good actors in it, so we felt pretty safe that it had to, at the very least, be intertaining!!! LOL! :) Well, let me tell you!!!!! It was GOOD!!!!!! I must admit - I did not know the whole story about Bobby's death. I mean, I have heard about JFK all of my life, but not much really about Bobby! It was just a really good, very interesting movie! And, I have heard since, that the accounts of the people, in the movie, were based on real-life! Get out!!!!!!!! I did not know that, either!!!!! (I am still not positive if this is true, so if anyone knows, please let me know)! That would really make the movie that much more intertaining! :) And I must end by saying this: after seeing this movie - I now realize - that the Kennedy's were definately special!!! For the world to love them the way we have - that is priceless! And listening to Bobby's speeches throughout the movie (which were the real ones during his election) - I fell in love with him, too! What can I say?! :) He looked like an ordinary man w/an ordinary family - someone we could all identify with! I think he genuinely knew what this world needed as did his brother! It is a shame that their lives were taken. I think they offered great things to our country, but they still had more to give. It would be interesting to know how things would have gone had they not been killed! Anyway, I just have a newfound respect that I was lacking before! :)
Cissa Says: TWO THUMBS UP!!!!!! A MUST-SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Next on my list of must-see movies: Charlotte's Web!!!!! Can't wait!!! :)

Cissa's Big Ten Songs

Okay guys! I know I took WAAAAAAY longer than everyone else to get this list done, but, MAAAN, it was HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finally sat down and went through my CD collection and picked some of my all-time faves!!!!! There were way more that I could have chosen, but since the rule is only ten - I followed the rule!!!!! That in itself is an accomplishment!!! LOL! :) Anyway, here goes:

(in no particular order)
1) "My Heart Will Go On" - Celine Dion - this is the movie where I got Jack's name from! :)
2) "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac (sang by Stevie Nicks)!
3) "Livin' On A Prayer" - BonJovi
4) "Jack and Diane" - John Cougar Mellencamp
5) "Same Old Lang Syne" - Dan Fogelberg
6) "Thriller" - Michael Jackson
7) "What Have You Done For Me Lately" - Janet Jackson
8) "Crazy" - Aerosmith
9) "Against All Odds" - Phil Collins
10) "It's Your Love" - Tim McGraw (w/Faith Hill)

Whew!!!!! I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I must repeat and say it again, but there were MANY, MANY more that I did not list!!!! I think we need to do a Top 10 Country and Top 10 Christian - just to be fair!!!! :)) Anyway, these ones right here are some of my faves!!!! Enjoy!!!! :))

Cissa Says!

I stayed up VERY LATE the other night and watched a movie that I "thought" was going to be good! It turned out, however, to not be so good after all! I am very sorry to say that someone's man named "Viggo" starred in it - no wonder I thought it would be good!!! :) Unfortunately, it just didn't have good writing in it! I mean, watching Viggo was the best part!!!! :) It was violent w/a lot of shooting and had a pretty vivid sex scene (not too much nudity, but explicit)! Now - I could take the violence and all - it is just that the movie didn't take us anywhere (had a good plot, but somehow never made it work). Too bad, 'cause Viggo is GOOD!!!!! Oh, I guess you are probably wondering the "name" of this not-so-hot movie!!!! LOL! It is called "A History of Violence." :)
Cissa Says:
Two Thumbs Up for Viggo!
Two Thumbs Down for the movie!

Cissa's Big Ten!

10 Favorite Places Of All time!!!!!!!!!!

Now, keep in mind that I haven't traveled to very many places, so I tried to think of places where I totally have had fun!!!!!!! Here goes:

1) DISNEY WORLD!!!!!! Definately the happiest place on earth!!!!!!!!!! :)
2) NEW MEXICO - Have been there two times (my aunt lives there and I love the weather)!
3) CALIFORNIA - San Francisco - Definately the coolest place I've been too! Plus, Mark's sister lives in Chico, California!
4) NEW YORK!!!! Also a cool place! I have only been there one time, but hope to return! I have to seek and find my man Leo (or men - John Travolta and Joaquin and Brad Pitt) or hey, even some famous women friends (Kelly Ripa and Britney Spears) or couples (Tom and Katie).
5) CINCINNATI - Newport Aquarium and Cincinnati Zoo.
6) COLUMBUS ZOO - I just LOOOOOOOVE this place!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel comfort there amongst my animal friends!!!!!!!!!! :)
7) HOCKING HILLS - Peaceful place!!!!! I have fond memories of going there w/my mom and sister for a weekend visit and then, this past August, w/Mark's family!
8) SCHILLER PARK - Peaceful place again! I grew up going there and have taken my own kids (and most any child I have ever watched) there w/me!!!!!!
9) CARDOS - Best pizza around - what more can I say! I will drive very far to get there so, thank goodness, they returned to Circleville a few yrs. ago! :)
10) KINGS ISLAND/ALUM CREEK - These two were sort of a tie! I love to go to both! Each one brings a smile to my children's faces. And they are both fun, but in different ways!

I wrote at the top that I was listing places where I have had fun! While I was writing - I started to think about Terri Irwin (Steve Irwin's wife). She did an interview w/Barbara Walters (after Steve passed away) and something she said stuck w/me! When Barbara asked her what did Steve teach her - this is what Terri said (I may not say it exactly right, but you'll know what I mean). Terri said that Steve taught her how to HAVE FUN!!!!!! Terri said that Steve had FUN every day! He played in mud puddles and would run out in the rain! :) I remember thinking how sweet that was and that I wanted to be like that! Writing my Big Ten simply reminded me of that interview. It reminded me of where I go to have FUN! But I also realized - as I typed this - that I can try and have FUN in anything and everything that I do! I can choose to have fun! I can MAKE things that aren't really fun - I can try and turn it into fun! Ya know what I mean!!!!!! :)) Anyway, just a thought of mine - and I decided to share!
Love you all!!!!!!!!

Must-See Movie!

Hey everyone! I haven't been able to blog much b/c blogger has been giving me some trouble. It sometimes works and then sometimes doesn't. LOL! It seems to be working well, for the moment, so I figured I would take advantage and say a few words! :) I was invited to a premiere viewing of the movie "The Holiday" last night. There are some real great actors in it such as: Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. I had watched the previews and thought it looked pretty good, so when I got the invite, I happily accepted! And, for those who know me well, I "rarely" turn down any invitation that gets me out of the house for a period of time! LOL! A night away from the kids!!!!!!!!! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!! :)) Anyway, it was playing at the Grand Arena - which for me - was also a treat! I am a small town girl. I mean - I have been to the Lennox and Easton theatres and all. It was just "neat" going to a place I hardly ever go to. I guess it felt like a moment out of time! Ya know! And that was nice! To top it all off - the movie was TERRIFIC!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend it! True, it is a chick-flick, but it was just a really good movie! It leaves you with a good feeling coming out of the theatre! And, I think the majority of us could use a little of that "good feeling" right about now! :) It is predictable, but so fun to watch!!!! I guess a good word to describe this movie would be "hopeful." It is a hopeful movie and leaves you with a sense of hope! Well...........for me it did!
Cissa Says: TWO THUMBS UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A MUST-SEE (for you girls out there)! :)
Oh, and today is the last day of November! Wow! 25 days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Believe it or Not!!!!!

Okay - my friend, Shadia, and I get up at 4:00 in the morning for all of the after Thanksgiving sales!!! Crazy, I know! :) Anyway, I kept calling us "newbies" since this was basically our first time in like FOREVER!!!!! So, I was reading Carleta's blog last night and saw that she was going shopping for the early bird sales as well. I left her a message - being silly - of how funny it would be if we ran into each other!!!! Like that is gonna happen on the busiest shopping day of the year!!!! Yeah, right! Well, don't assume anything in "Cissa's World" 'cause guess what?!! The first store we go to is Meijer on Georgesville Rd. and who do we run into of all people?!!!! Unbelievable!!!!! There, right in front of me, going the opposite way, is.....................Carleta and her gang!!!! I'm not sure who all was with her, but I saw her and Jennifer and Steph!!!!! :)) I stopped for "a second" 'cause the friend I was with kept going! :) We were looking for the TV's which, of course, were gone by the time we got there! And, for the record, I saw one in Ms. Carleta's cart!!!! LOL! :) I just have to say.............this year I was a newbie! Next year I will be much more prepared!!!!! ROFL!!!!!!!! Seriously, it was so cool seeing everyone (if only for a quick second)! I love you guys! And I think we should all make plans for next year to go and double up and have people at different ends of the store (with lists of what to get)! Shadia and I split up and did that and had some luck at Target!
Anyway, what fun!!!!!!! Let the Christmas festivities begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :))

Christmas Cousins!

Okay guys! Here is the Archer version of a cousin Christmas!!!!! :)) It was impossible, on this particular day, to get all three kids to look at the camera (at the same time)! LOL! It just wasn't going to happen! I am just tickled that we got some! It looks like the baby could easily be mine, huh?! :) For those of you who may not know: Jack and Jake are my boys and Gracie is their cousin! She still feels like "mine" all the same! Anyway, we wanted to tell everyone "HAPPY THANKSGIVING"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope everyone had a great day!

2 DAYS LEFT!!!!!

THE BIG COUNTDOWN IS ALMOST AT AN END!!!

WHAT DO YOU CALL A BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE MICHIGAN FOOTBALL STANDS?

A VISITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!! :)
(One of my dad's favorite jokes)!

2 MORE BIG SLEEPS TILL WE BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO BUCKS!

GO BUCKS!

MICHIGAN SUCKS!

3 DAYS TILL WE BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OSU - WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

M - MORONS!
I - IGNORANTS!
C - CRAP TALKERS!
H - HALLUCINATERS (if they think they can beat OSU)!
I - IDIOTS!
G - GIANT LOSERS!
A - ANYTHING, BUT GOOD!!!!!!
N - NOT GONNA BE WINNERS!!!!!!!!


GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 DAYS TILL WE BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!

GOOOO BUCKS!!!

Q: How many University of Michigan fans does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: One, but he gets 3 credits. :)))))))))))))))

5 Days Till We Beat Michigan!!!!!!!!

More Christmas Pics!!!!

I know - I know - more Christmas pics!!!!!!!!! I just wanted to show a couple of different ones. We were practicing a new pose for the top one! Didn't quite turn out as expected, but still cute (in my opinion - and you know my opinion is worth quite a lot)! :)) The second pic is one I already blogged, but we wanted to show it in black and white w/a touch of color!!! Pretty cool, huh?! I think maybe "I" need to go to Photographer's Anonymous, too!!!!! :)

GOOOOO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN!
THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN!
THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN!
WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN!
WE'RE FROM O-HI-O!!!!!

WE'RE FROM O-HI-O! -------------"O" "H"
WE'RE FROM O-HI-O! -------------"I" "O"

WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN!
WE'RE FROM O-HI-O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


GOOOOOOOOOOOOO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 DAYS TILL WE BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Christmas Pics!!!! :)

Okay - I just figured it was my turn to post some pics of my boys!!! :) I was sooooo glad to see that Amy got her Christmas pics done early (like me)! :) It's never too soon to start!!!! It helps us moms feel a little ahead of the game!!! And, also, let's us show off our beautiful offspring!!!!! The sad thing for my kids, though, is that I will probably end up taking waaaaaay more!!! :)
Cissa Says: try and slow down a bit and enjoy this time of year! Remember the true meaning of why we celebrate! And reflect on the past, enjoy the present and look forward to the future!!!

Just another day in the life of Cissa!

I just had to blog about my day b/c in retrospect it is pretty funny! :) First off, the morning went real well. I got Jackson up and ready and on the school bus and Jacob slept in till 9:00. Good so far!! When Jacob gets up, we watch some TV and he does some computer and I do some dishes and we, basically, take it easy. Then, we get a phone call from Jack's school! Jack has a stomachache and he needs me to come and get him. No problem, except for those of you who know, Jacob pretty much stays in his underwear ALL DAY (until it is time to go somewhere)! So.........I have to make him (and bribe him w/candy) to get dressed! He doesn't want to, but, eventually, gives in knowing that he will get candy out of it! :) Anyway, we are getting in the car when I suddenly realize that I haven't renewed my drivers license (and it needed to be done by my birthday which was yesterday)!!!!! Why I just think of this right here and now is beyond me! :) My mind starts playing games with me! I start thinking that I will have to re-take my driving test (written and driving parts)!!!! The thought is just too overwhelming to bear!!! So..........I decide to pick up Jackson and then go renew my license (there is a place to renew right by Jack's school so it makes perfect sense). And for the record, Jack only had a little "ache" by the time I got there and no temperature. I didn't think he was that bad! So.........Jacob and I go to the school and pick Jack up. Jack says that his stomachache comes and goes. He feels okay at this point, but wants to come home b/c when it does hurt - it hurts! I tell him we have to make one stop and he is cool with that. Okay, so we go in to the BMV and everything goes pretty quickly. I guess going to the BMV during the day is a good idea b/c they aren't as busy as usual. So........I pay and fill out the forms and take the eye test and get my picture taken. While we are waiting - Jack's stomach starts to hurt and he goes downhill fast! Luckily there just happens to be a nurse there and she looks him over and says it doesn't look like anything like his appendix - THANK GOODNESS! But, all of a sudden, he says he needs to go #2!!!!! Shouldn't be a problem, right?! Don't forget - this is me we are talking about!!!! I ask if they (BMV) have a bathroom and, of course, they do not!!!!! Well, not a PUBLIC one, that is!!!!! So.......I tell the girl I have to leave and find a bathroom and that I will be back to pick up my license (I am, at this point, just waiting for it to be finished). The girl says that is okay and I take the boys and run out! We go to Family Dollar a few doors down (Jack is crying in pain) and they tell me - NO PUBLIC BATHROOM!!! By this time - I am getting upset! I have a kid here who is crying, in pain, and has to go #2! Finally, I find a laundry mat and they have a bathroom and let me use it! THANK GOODNESS!!!!! So, we go in and Jack goes and feels a little better! But.........does it stop here? Of course, NOT!!!!!! Jack goes to flush the toilet and TA-DA.......it doesn't flush!!!!! Something is wrong with the toilet!!!!! I look for someone to tell, but no one is at the front desk! So........we just leave!!!! I felt soooooooo bad, but I was crazy at this point! So..........we go back to the BMV and pick up my license. But, in the meantime, Jack's stomach has started hurting AGAIN!!!!!!!! So..........I get my license and I take the boys out to the car. Jack is crying hard by now and saying that it hurts really bad. I am parked in the 2nd row so we have to walk between the 1st row of cars. As we are walking through - guess what happens?! I am holding Jacob's hand and he - BAM - bashes his head into a side mirror of a car!!!!!!!!!! Now I have two boys crying their eyes out and I don't know what to do! I pick Jake up and kiss his boo-boo, but I know that his head simply hurts! I feel like crying myself b/c both of my kids are in pain and I feel soooooo helpless. But, magically, we get in the car and everyone seems a little better. We get home and Jacob is fine and Jack uses the bathroom again and then he is fine, too. So..........all ends well, but the memory still lingers for me!!!!!!!! Whew!!!!!!!!! What a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope everyone else's was better!!!!!! :) And, btw, we went to Home Town Buffet yesterday - so I think that is what upset Jack's stomach! He has been fine since getting it out of his system!!! LOL! :)
P.S. And THANK YOU for all of the birthday wishes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love ya!!!! :)

Saturday Night Live!

LIVE! From Grove City! IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (pretend music playing)!!!!! :) Okay, so I wanted to give everyone an update on my last couple of days! First off, my dad's follow-up appt. went VERY WELL! The eye dr. said he was doing terrific! The appt. went fast - we were in and out within an hour and the dr. said his eye was even better than expected! Great news!!! My dad said the worst part of the whole thing was him being hungry! LOL! I guess he wasn't allowed to eat anything past midnight the night before and his surgery had been scheduled for 12:30 the next day! Sucks, I know. And then, he didn't even have the surgery till about 3:00 instead! He said that was the worst part since you couldn't eat all day (or the night before really) and b/c of that he got a bad headache. So..........I thought that was reassuring for people to know. The worst part of cataract surgery was being hungry and having a headache!!!!! Anyway, we are all just happy that everything went well. He looks good and feels good - so that is great!
Okay, second on the Saturday Night Live Report: we didn't get Gracie on Friday!!!!! :( I guess Cortney called Heath and said that both the girls were sick! And Gracie has pink eye!!!! Poor babies!!!! (Gracie has an older sister, Emma, for those who might not know. Emma is two and a sweetie)! We were pretty disappointed, but know that it couldn't be helped. There is a chance we could get her tomorrow! Please pray about this also!!!! We are all missing her so very much! And Heath is missing her the most of all! He has hardly gotten to see her her whole life! Can you imagine?! Anyway, I appreciate all of the prayers!!!!! Thank You!
And last, but not least, I just saw another movie and had to blog about it! :) It just so happened to come on HBO (I NEVER see anything good on HBO and, suddenly, good movies come out of nowhere)! Go figure! :) Well, the one I watched tonight was called "Prime." It starred Uma Thurman and Meryll Streep. I remember wanting to see it when it was at the theater, but didn't get a chance too! My opinion is that it definately was not as good as "In Her Shoes," but it wasn't bad, either. It was just okay. It had interesting parts, but nothing really stood out. Meryll Streep is good in ANYTHING! She can make any movie good! She just has that way. And Uma Thurman was good in it, too. I guess, for me, the movie didn't go anywhere. It was just okay. It wouldn't be my first choice, but not my last, either. Just somewhere in the middle!
Cissa Says: One Thumb Up! :)

Please Pray!

I don't think anyone knows this, but my dad had cataract surgery on his eye this afternoon (Thursday). Everything went well. I am taking him in the morning for a follow-up and I wanted to ask everyone to keep him in your prayers! Thanks so much!! It is a pretty routine procedure, but still, it's surgery and that is scary! He did real well, though, and I am happy that it is over! And my brother's foot is doing good, too! He will probably be able to start physical therapy in the next couple of weeks. They say that the PT will be hard and painful, but he is just happy to be moving forward. He has just felt so trapped all these weeks. So.......things are going better for him now. Things look hopeful! :) And the best part of all.................we get to see my niece, Gracie, tomorrow!!!!!! Heath is bringing her to my mom's house around 2:30!!! We are so excited! I wonder if knowing that we get to see our girl might have helped my dad with his surgery?! Ya know what I mean?! It is something good to look forward to when the bad part is over! I don't know. It was just a thought. I think it would have helped me so, maybe, it helped him! :)
My boys get to see Gracie this time (last time she wasn't there long enough). This time they get to come and see their cousin! That makes me happy, too! So..........be looking for blog pics of Jack and Jake with Gracie ('cause you know I'm gonna take a ton)! LOL! :)
Cissa Says: Have a good weekend!

America's Next Top Model ?!

Okay guys! :) There really is a story behind this funny picture! :) I told Miranda I would blog it for everyone to see! Mark took this pic of me back in September at my brother's big wrestling event (remember the snake pics?). Mark had to keep adjusting the lighting before we could take any "real" pictures. He needed a "subject" to stand in b/c it really helps get the lighting to the right balance. I, of course, being the big "ham I am" willingly took the job! LOL! :) At first I would just stand there - I mean - there were other people around - I had to act sophisticated! I would stand there and smile like a normal person! But, I, eventually, got tired of that and this is what came out of it!!! LOL! I started doing all sorts of goofy poses! And before you ask, Mark erased all the others, but he saved this one! Anyway, I just thought you all might get a kick out of it!
Cissa Says: ENJOY!!!!!!!!!! :)