May 2011 | Kelley's Break Room

The Fresh Grinch of My Lair (with Will Smith!)

Christine with A Write Life and Nadine with Musings...By The Light of the Moon hosted a month of posts to honor motherhood. After they see what I've created below, they'll wish they would have passed over me, I'm sure....

The Fresh Grinch Of My **Lair

*sung to the tune of the theme song for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (find it here)

**a lair is a resting place of a wild animal. My 3 and 6 y/o boys are often like wild animals.

(intro music)

Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down

and I'd like to take minute, just sit right there,

I'll tell you all how I became The Fresh Grinch of My Lair.

Near an east Houston washateria I was born and raised

On the playground was where I spent most of my days

Chillin' out with M. Jackson relaxin' all cool

And watching some baseball outside right after school

When much later on a really great guy

Who I thought looked really good & had the prettiest blue eyes

Made me want to leave my dear ol' family's hood
To follow this guy who I knew was really good

It happened one memorable night when I told my Mom & Dad to prepare

I said I'm getting married and then movin' with Chris to our house with an upstairs!!

Wasn't long before I begged and I pleaded with Chris day after day

To let us have a baby or two of our own to raise

A few short years later, I'm constantly telling my two boys just to "QUIT IT!"

And, for GOODNESS SAKES, take the balls outside if they wanna kick it!

Now I'm not saying that my children are bad

They are just active boys who, God help 'em, act a lot like their dad

I constantly wonder, "Am I doing this right? What are other homes like?"

Will my boys remember mostly good stuff & end up being alright?

I'm really really not fab and sometimes a pain in the rear

and want a license plate that says FRESH and has dice in the mirror

That's why I pray my boys realize the love that is there

Even though I can be impatient & act like the Fresh Grinch of My Lair.

I...go...up to the boys' rooms about 7 or 8

And sometimes yell, "It's time to go to sleep! You better not be up much later!"

Then walk back down to my bedroom

So thankful to finally be there

And ask God to forgive me for being

The Fresh Grinch of My Lair.

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The "hop" continues tomorrow (Wednesday) with a motherhood-inspired post written by National Mom. Click here on Wednesday, June 1st, to read it!

Name That Job #2

Yesterday on Twitter, Ann Imig of Ann's Rants and the Listen To Your Mother Show called me the Bob Barker of humor bloggers. Ha! That really made me laugh. I guess I do like the games, don't I? Captcha Balderdash, Parcheesi and now my latest, Name That Job. (Parcheesi. Don't I wish.) If you missed Name That Job on Friday, please go here to see what I am talking about. The point of this latest venture is to bring different bloggers/readers/tweeters together on my blog to create a sense of community here. It also has been entertaining! I love knowing some of the former jobs you all have had. The visual of seeing some of you do these jobs is cracking me up!

To play, size up the lady in the TV based on what you see or what you know, answer the multiple question test, check your responses with the answer key at the bottom and let us know how you did. If you are interested in knowing more about the person in the TV screen, click on their name/blog name. Ready, set, go!

#1 #1 Gigi from A Kludgy Mom

A) School teacher

B) Juggler with Ringling Brothers

C) College Campus Shuttle Bus Driver

D) Hand model

#2 Julia from Work, Wife, Mom....Life!

A) Sports performance coach

B) Dance performance coach

C) Yodeling performance coach

D) Hot dog eating contest performance coach

#3 Greta Funk from Not Enough Patience And Never Enough Jewelry

A) Wal-Mart cashier

B) Pet Store Cage Cleaner

C) Dental hygienist

D) 7-11 Cashier

#4 Sol Mama from Beautiful Soul

A) Recreation Coordinator at a Nursing Home

B) Community Interventions Coordinator

C) A Coordinator of Coordinators

D) Mascot for local junior college

#5 Sandra from Absolutely Narcissism

A) Model of black leather biker clothes

B) Local "Harley-Davidson Owners Club" coordinator

C) Medical secretary in a plastic surgery clinic

D) Nail painter at a nail salon

#6 Amanda from The Girls

A) University Vice President

B) Cake decorator

C) Mean swirl maker at TCBY

D) Court reporter

#7 Center of the Universe

A) Bank teller

B) Fortune teller

C) Assisted with children's photo parties

D) Clown for children's parties

#8 Natalie from My Crazy Busy Life

A) Counselor in a Mental Health Center

B) Counselor at a Summer Camp

C) Counselor in a High Security Women's Prison

D) Cook at IHOP

#9 Stephanie from A Professor's Wife

A) Subway sandwich artist

B) Singer for weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs

C) Drive-thru bank teller

D) Drive-thru McDonald's lady

#10 Sue from The Desperate Housemommy

A) Taste taster for Kellogg's

B) Professional hair braider at a local salon (also specializes in weaves)

C) Receptionist at Chiquita Bananas

D) Feeder of Chiquita Bananas to monkeys at the Chicago zoo

#11 Missy from Wonder, Friend

A) Dance teacher for a local theater (has starred in Oklahoma there)

B) Chiropractor

C) Freelance writer

D) Receipt hi-lighter at Wal-Mart

If you are interested in being featured in our next game on June 10th or in the weeks ahead, let me know in the comments section or e-mail me at kelleysbreakroom@gmail.com.

HOW DID YOU DO?

Did any surprise you?

ANSWER KEY: 1C, 2A, 3A, 4B, 5C, 6A (& C!), 7C, 8A, 9C, 10C, 11C

Name That Job #1

Inside the blogsophere, we are known by our blog names, our Twitter handles and our latest post. Outside of it, we are known for completely different reasons. You may be known as the lady on the street who locks herself out of her house or whose three-year-old son rides on his bike commando (maybe that's just me?). Maybe you ride your bike commando. Maybe you are the commando-in-chief of a large corporation. You see where I am taking this? There is a lot about each other we don't know. Shouldn't we know absolutely everything possible there is to know about each other? The purpose of this game is to discover more about who YOU are when you step away from the computer screen. Earlier this week, I asked for guinea pigs for my new game & was so excited when these ladies stepped up. We will play "Name That Job!" today and Monday.

HOW TO PLAY: Guess which one of the four choices describes the contestant's current or former job/profession based on what you know about them (if anything) or what you can guess based on their picture alone. Jot your answers down somewhere and then check your answers with the key at the very bottom. Let us know how you did!! Also, if you click on the contestant's blog title/Twitter name, it will take you to their area of the web. Go visit!

#1 JILLSMO from Yeah. Good Times.

A) Part of the film crew for "Sit & Be Fit"

B) Shelf stocker at Bed, Bath & Beyond

C) Professional sign language interpreter

D) Artist

#2 SUZ from Suz Rocks

*Suz will soon become a nurse anesthetist (congratulations!),
but her past job was more exciting for this post.

A) Golden Gloves Boxing Champion

B) Clown trainer

C) Perfume spritzer at Bloomingdale's

D) Seller of knock-off purses on the streets

#3 CHARLOTTE from @charliAllen

A) Jewelry Maker

B) Professional Dog Walker

C) Uranium Miner

D) Paralegal

#4 NOTA from Nota Supermom

A) Accountant specializing in corporate financial reporting

B) Accountant specializing in TPS reports

C) Math Teacher

D) Toll Booth Operator

#5 MOLLY from Life With The Campbells

A) Professional diamond thief

B) Dances with The Stars instructor

C) English Teacher

D) Surgeon

#6 Jessica from Four Plus An Angel

A) Director of an Autism Center

B) Director of a cruise ship

C) Director of an Alzheimer's Center & Nursing Home

D) Interior designer

#7 SHERRI from Old Tweener

A) Employed as a CPA

B) Worked for TSA

C) Manager of a YMCA

D) Maker of raspberry berets

#8 JODEE from Handflapping

A) Martini glass maker

B) Rogaine inventor

C) Waterpark manager

D) Rollerskate instructor

#9 SHANNON from Jesus and My Orange Juice

A) Designer of topiaries

B) An actuary

C) Tooth fairy

D) Professor at a seminary

#10 LADY ESTROGEN from Adventures in Estrogen

A) Midget Wrestler Referee

B) Online Creative Director

C) Dairy Queen Assistant Manager

D) Professional Dog Walker

#10 RACHEL from Neato Vito

A) North Carolina Tarheels Mascot

B) Drummer for a local band

C) Optometrist

D) Photographer

#11 WENDI from Wendi Aarons

A) Network Television Negotiator, Walt Disney Pictures

B) Network Television Negotiator, BET

C)

Ventriloquist

D) Professional bowler and owner of exquisite shoes and a rolling bag for her swirly pink ball

Do you think you guessed them all correctly?? Check out the answer key below & let us know how you did. Also I would love it if you would use the hashtag #namethatjob on Twitter tomorrow if this post comes up in any of your conversations. Lastly, If you would like to be featured in "Name That Job!" in the weeks ahead, please either let me know in the comments below or send me in an e-mail at kelleysbreakroom@gmail.com.**

Thanks for playing!!!

(Come back on Monday for Part 2!)

ANSWER KEY: 1B, 2A, 3D, 4A, 5C, 6A, 7A, 8C, 9B, 10D, 11A

Did you lose YOUR glasses?

These aren't Bill's glasses. I found
these hanging out alone in a tree in
New Orleans. Are they yours?

This is a true story. I witnessed the interaction. I changed the names. Bill & Doris are not my parents. Proceed.

Bill lifts up his newspaper, but doesn't find his glasses there. He walks over to the end table in the living room, still no glasses.

"Doris, have you seen my glasses?"

"No, Bill. I haven't seen them. Let me help you look for them. I know what it's like to lose things and I absolutely hate it. I hate that you can't find yours. We'll find 'em!"

Bill and Doris begin frantically looking everywhere. Doris checks the kitchen counter. Bill goes into his bedroom and checks the nightstand. They both look over every inch of the living room where Bill saw his glasses last.

Thirty to forty minutes of searching continues. It may have possibly been 5 straight hours of searching. Unsuccessful searching.

Finally, they face each other in exasperation.

Bill stares at Doris.

Doris stares back.

"Doris?"

"Yes?"

"Are you wearing my glasses?'

"No, Bill! Hahahahahahah!!!!! No, no, no, no, no, no no...these are mine."

"No, Doris. Doris, those are my glasses. You are wearing my glasses. I couldn't find my glasses because they are on your face."

"Are you sure? Why would I wear your glasses? I have my own glasses. No, Bill I think these are mine. I can see fine out of them!"

Sighs heavily. "Yes, Doris, but...those are glasses made for men. They're mine."

She slowly takes them off.

"Oh."

**I will do what Doris did someday. Mark my words. And pray for me. Also, don't stick me in the nursing home right afterwards.**

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Today's JUICE IN THE CITY Deal

If you are interested in becoming involved with Juice in the City, a fun company that sources local deals in your area, please read the post by Gigi from Kludgy Mom regarding some upcoming opportunities. In my area (hello Houstonians!), Iron Cross Gym in Richmond is offering a month of gymnastics for $30 for your little one. Perhaps if Doris's mom had given her the gift of gymnastics when she was young, she would have been a quicker thinker and more aware of her surroundings. Thanks to gymnastics lessons when I was young, I am now able to do a a round-off flip-flop topped off with a Russian the first thing every morning and I never lose my glasses (I had LASIK). Don't you want to give such a gift to your child? Do you want her to wear someone else's glasses when they are old? Don't you see the obvious connection here?? Go HERE for your deal.

How Practical Jokes Keep Us From Sticking Each Other In A Human Catapult Machine

It may be a little late for practical jokes, Arnie.

When my husband, Chris (who I previously thought was having an affair with Aretha Franklin), and I get upset with each other, the main way we get past our issue is to make a joke about it a little later. If we don't joke about our disagreement, it is likely one of us would drag down the human catapult machine from the attic and stick the other in it. He is the one usually playing jokes on me, such as spraying me with the shower head as he takes a shower and I put on my make-up at the mirror, jabbing me with his pointed finger as I turn into it from looking out the window to face forward in the car or COVERING ME with hangers, Star Wars figurines, golf balls, my shoe, a belt, a make-up brush and socks while I lay asleep in bed. It is REALLY hard to maintain my angry, ticked-off composure when he's pulling stunts like these. I try my best, but usually fold.

The other day we were both being cranky with each other on the phone. Mostly he was being cranky with me because my phone kept dropping during a conversation we were having while he was at work. Since I couldn't lambast him with phone calls to sort it all out before he got home, I had to wait until I picked him at the Park & Ride later that evening to continue our conversation. We currently share a car. If you read my post from Monday, you know that we recently got rid of a our car that had over 250,000 miles on it. We now share an SUV that we bought new in 2008. I drop him off at the commuter bus stop in the morning that takes him to downtown Houston and then pick him up at night. I decided to pose as an airport chauffeur when I picked him that night with this sign:

It made him laugh. I can make him smile a lot and laugh out loud some, but this really got him going. The funniest part to me is that I drove for about a mile with it in my window and he saw it as I approached the area where he was standing.

Since I am eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet right now (summer is coming!), he does not always like the things that I make for dinner at night now. He opted to have Arby's for dinner instead, so you can only imagine how happy I was when we pulled up to Arby's and saw this:

That really put ME in a good mood, I know that. He was in a good mood after eating that roast beef sandwich, so I guess Arby's wasn't lying. As soon as he saw it, he said, "Are you going to put that on your blog?" Well, yes. Yes, I am.

Have any other practical jokes to share?

I need more! Shhhh....

If I weren't for my 1980's Cutlass Cierra, I would not...

In the movie "Bridesmaids", Kristen Wiig's character drives a old, rusted, creaky car. The car dies on her at the most inopportune times. She also has to show her face in it in the most awkward of situations, such as when valet parking it (which is the worst!) or when accepting a fancy drink from a butler at a wedding shower.

Does the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant wishes for
completely healthy adult females who want to meet Kristen Wiig
in person? If you hear of such an opportunity, let me know?

I can relate. In 1991, I turned 16 and got a car. My grandmother's car. It was a 1984 Cutlass Cierra. Eventually something happened with this car and it was replaced with a newer model, my PARENT'S 1988 Cutlass Cierra. In 1998, I bought my own car with my first "real" job post-college and we drove that for 250,000+ miles. We just got rid of it last year. In 2010, people! I know the feeling of tight, difficult to turn steering wheels in my hands and check engine lights popping up so much I ignored them. They just hated that, too. They would really make me pay for it sometimes. I would like to think those lights and rust "built my character", because...

I was driving this 1984 beauty in 1991 while
blaring out Wilson Phillips' "Hold On". (Also O.P.P.)

If it weren't for my 1980's Cutlass, I would not...be able to relate as much to people barreling down the interstate in 95+ degree weather with their windows rolled down due to a broken air conditioner. I know all too well the feeling of warm, humid outside air blasting my face practically right off as I dodge bugs and try to sing along to the radio. "I know that there is pain, butcha hold on for one mor...EW!! IS THAT A LOVEBUG?!? Well, I don't love it!!! No, hold on a second. Mmmm...YUM."

If it weren't for my 1980's Cutlass, I would not...know who my true friends were or the friends who desperately needed rides home in high school (what other reason could there be??). It was typical to have 6+ girls crammed inside that car. If the car were to completely stop, it would shudder and die while I shuddered and died inside. It was ugly. So, I had to roll very slowly forward at green lights and pray the dadgum light would change to green already. Once in front of their houses, I'd slow my roll and the girls would have to jump OUT while the car was moving slowly forward. These girls were good! They had the jump out really, really fast without tripping. I never ran over anyone. Except Katie. And Sarah. Also Jennifer R. and Kim P. Nicole L. also bit the dust. Oh, and Beverly. But, that's it! (Besides Julie M.)

If it weren't for my 1980's Cutlass, I would not...realize that my boyfriend would later become my husband despite becoming blinded by loose car liner falling on his head repeatedly causing him to eventually have to ride around everywhere with one hand stuck to the car's ceiling. The car's hot ceiling. *See first paragraph regarding no A/C*

No, no, no...this wasn't my 1988 Cutlass in 1995.
Mine was navy blue.

If it weren't for my 1980's Cutlass, I would not...realize my husband can't read. To this day, Chris, my husband, likes to laugh about my "Buick" to which I reply, "IT WAS NOT A BUICK! IT WAS A STANKIN' CUTLASS CIERRA!!!!!!!!!!" and then rapidly pat down my hair and straighten my shirt. I have been waiting for Cutlass to cut less to their employees and cut me a check with the leftovers from my staunch defense of their company all these years, but I've seen nary a dime.

If it weren't for my 1980's Cutlass Cierra, I would not...have this Oldsmobile emblem fashioned into a necklace around my neck right now. I love it and it loves me. We've been through thick and thin. Mostly thin. Especially that car liner material. It was really thin. I eventually ripped it off and made a super cute shawl with it. It went really well with some cool-lots I loved wearing around my college campus. (Can you blame my husband for falling in love?)

Has a car ever "built your character"??

8 Rejected Smoothie King Flavors

Can I get you a scoop of Pepto-Bismol ice cream?
Image from http://www.bildungblog.blogspot.com/

Little do you know it, but I have been making it my life's work for the last 5 years to get these smoothie flavors accepted at Smoothie Kings across the land. It actually has been my life's work for longer than that, as I used these exact same flavors at little stands set up at the end of my driveway when I was but a lass. You were selling lemonade. I was selling smoothies. To my mother. And grandmother. And dad. No one else ever seemed interested for some reason. Even though every single Smoothie King has showed me to the door time and time again in recent years, I am not giving up!! It is my hope that with this post, I will gather some support that will give me courage to get back on the road with my samples.

#1: Pepto Peppermint Passion: This frothy pink drink will be a delight to your hot, clammy, able-to-melt-metal-with-one-whiff mouth. Anyone you speak with will be extremely grateful.

#2: Pepto Passionfruit: You will feel like taking on the world with one sip of this delicious concoction. You will also get the urge to kick in lots of doors. I always drink one before going to visit a Smoothie King to pitch my products.

It makes EVERYTHING taste better!

#3: Peanutbutter and Pepto: Who's Jelly? That smelly jelly ain't never gettin' back in this felly's belly! (This also provides all the protein you'll ever, ever, ever need. In one drink.)

#4: Let's Get Down To Bis....mol: For the more serious smoothie lovers, this drink provides all the vitamins you'll ever need in your whole entire life and then some. You will likely grow two feet in height within 24 hours of finishing off this beverage.

#5: Buttermilk Bis...mol: This is an excellent breakfast shake. Smoothed to an awesome puree are buttermilk biscuits, gravy, sausage, Canadian bacon, bacon, hash browns, more buttermilk biscuits, butter, eggs and a dash of Pepto Bismol to help it all go down.

#6: Put A Little Pepto In Your Stepto: Just before you go out for a walk, you'll want to down one of these suckers. This one has three kinds of "pep"- PEPper, PEPto and the kind of PEP that makes you want to sing Broadway songs as loud as you possibly can. You'll complete 5 miles in less than 30 seconds and wonder where this drink has been all your life.

#7 Salt, Salt, Salt, Salt, Salt, Salt, Salt & Pep: This smoothie has nothing but salt and Pepto and is made specifically for those who have low sodium levels out there. Grandmothers, I'm looking at you. Equally interesting for the grandmothers out there, this one comes with a free Salt & Pepa CD.

#8: Pepto Bismol Perfection: This is entirely made of Pepto Bismol that has been frozen, whipped, iced and dipped. This the one I would order every single time.

What flavor can I get for you??

(Why is that freak of nature so obsessed with Pepto Bismol? Click here and scroll to the bottom to read my very first post.)

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Today's Juice In The City Deal

*look for a deal in your area in the right hand column*

One Smoothie King that I have yet to visit is the one on South Fry Road in Katy. Since they are offering a $5 coupon for $10 worth of smoothies, I may just go over there soon to ask them. I know they won't be offering any of my flavors YET, so I'll have to pick from their list of flavors that include things like banana, peach, strawberry, blueberry, etc. I always like to get a dash of something, an "enhancer" in my drink, so that I feel extra healthy when I walk out of there. To get your deal, go HERE.

Have I Lost My Head??

"No syrup?!?! Ahhhhh!!!!"

Over the past two days I have felt like a giant, steaming pile of camel poo. I was feeling BAD, I tell you. I began experiencing a sore throat a few days ago and then was hit with a fever on Sunday night. Yesterday my fever was at 102.5. This astronomical number (to me anyway!) made me frantically search for a red cord in my bathroom to pull so that I could call for a nurse. There was no such cord. The only signs of life I could find just begged for waffles and acted like the melting Wicked Witch when I said we had no syrup.

Of course, my husband had to go to work. I am almost positive that if both of my arms just popped right off while putting on my clothes for the day, my husband would still say he had to go to work. "But, Chris, I'VE GOT NO ARMS HERE!!" He'd reply asking what I wanted him to do as he had an important meeting at 9 and it's not like I couldn't use my feet or something to pour cereal for the boys.

I am almost positive that if I had felt better over the last 48 hours, I would not have:

-been such a sorry potty trainer. When little dude pees in his pants, he drops his drawers and keeps going about his day. Outside yesterday I caught him going down the sidewalk on his bike commando. With my head feeling like a jackhammer store was having an around-the-clock giant Grand Opening Test-Out-All-The-Jackhammers Sale, I have not been able to properly time my "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" question. Obviously.

-given the cleaners guy my BRA. I've accidentally handed him my husband's boxers and white undershirts before. My bra has never tried to hitch a ride in the Wad O' Clothes. When Cleaners Guy, who often sports a deep V-neck that showcases his three chest hairs, handed it back to me, I didn't even care. My head hurt too bad to give a flippin' flyin' fart.

-locked myself out of the house yesterday morning. I know, I know. Get an extra key. Get a keyless entry pad by the door. At the time, though, I was at a loss for what to do. My husband wasn't able to be reached. Since I didn't know what else to do, I called the local locksmith who advertised his services for $15. When I called, he said it would be $15 to come out and $35 to $40 "and up" for labor. When I wrote him a check for well over $100, I started sobbing. For real.

Because I hated making mistakes left and right due to my headache, I decided to buy a guillotine from Craigslist. If I hadn't bought one, Chris would have bought one for me over that check to the locksmith. You wouldn't believe how much better I felt once my head was gone. Because not even being headless will keep me down, I was still able to wash clothes, take care of my kids, drive everywhere and write this blog post! Amazing, right? If you ever need to borrow it, let me know. It works wonders for headaches!

Me on the way to CVS in my favorite Pepto-Bismol-colored skirt.

P.S. I feel better today.

Top 10 Ways Raising Kids Is Like AMERICAN IDOL

Although I am now a fanatic of The Voice and wish Adam Levine was my next door neighbor (I'd just ask to borrow an egg every now and then. I'm a married woman after all!), I still have a place in my heart for American Idol. Recently when watching the show and wondering how Scotty was still on it, several different ways in which that show was like raising kids came to my mind. My list was then created and passed on to my friend, Stephanie, over at Southern Momentum, a fun website I have been writing for over the past year.

On Southern Momentum, "you will find a unique blend of witty, realistic approaches to life and a dedication to sharing stories and short-cuts that shed light and laughs on surviving Motherhood and what it means to hit your stride. Throw in some Hollywood gossip, product favorites, and a few dirty little secrets and there you have it … a yummy, 100% guilt-free recipe for what it means to be a Mom and still be YOU."

To take a really quick trip to North Carolina to read the "Top 10 Ways Raising Kids Is Like Being On American Idol", click HERE.

Fighting words

Blogger tried to ruin our game of Captcha Balderdash. Due to problems he was having, he took away over half of the definitions you all entered since Wednesday. These were the definitions that KLZ from Taming Insanity was supposed to judge so that she could pick her very favorite and crown a new Captcha Balderdash champion! Fortunately, she was able to look through them all before Blogger threw his big temper tantrum yesterday evening. I am so grateful that she was able to look through all 25 of them and find the one she liked best because I would not have been able to do it. I was laughing out loud all day at them!

KLZ is more decisive than me, fortunately, and was able to pick one that she said made her laugh every time. She LOVED the definition that Katie from No Missed Opportunities created for the word MEGOWW. Here is the tricky part. "Megoww" was one of the definitions Blogger ate for dinner last night! Boooo!! I do know that her definition went a little something like this...

MEGOWW: The word used during fights when inflicting pain that gradually became replaced with "HiiiiiiiiYAH!!!" that we know so well today. [Katie wrote it better than that, though].

Katie is a lot of fun to read and to interact with on Twitter. Her blog always entertains me. She wrote a recent post about how her family does not watch TV and the reactions she gets from people over it. It was such an interesting post and really made me think! And I don't think! So, this was a huge moment for me! She has many other posts that are thought-provoking, such as the one where she addresses the father she never met, and many that are just plain funny, like the one where she talks about underwear sizes. Another fun fact about Katie is that she used to be a bra fitter at JC Penney! Have you ever met one of those people before? Katie has a "contact me" page. I'm sure she would love to answer any of your questions! I hope you will go over to Katie's place to say hello and check out what else she's got over there.

Do you know a child with cancer?

A tumor was found behind Andrew's eye in April
2010. His mother, Julie, blogs about her journey
with her sweet son and his brothers over at
Snips and Snails. Andrew is 3.

We all hate cancer.

We hate it the most when it touches the ones we love.

Possibly even more when the one it touches is a child.

Thankfully, there are places like Texas Children's Cancer Center (TCCC) who work tirelessly to cure this awful disease and bring hope to patients and families daily. Six years ago, I made the decision to quit working at The University of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC), which is within walking distance from TCCC in the Houston Medical Center, because my oldest son was born. I know the faces of precious little ones with this awful disease all too well. They were beautiful. They were funny. They were sweet. They were kind. When they could, they would smile for you, despite the pain and fatigue that wracked their tiny bodies. Their resolve almost seemed indestructible.

Snowdrop Flower
http://www.localonlineflowershops.com/

Like a snowdrop flower.

"The snowdrop is the first flower to bloom in the spring, even blooming when snow is still on the ground. It is a hearty flower, nearly indestructible by nature. Childhood cancer patients demonstrate indestructible attitudes and spirit while battling the life threatening illness of childhood cancer."

Because of the symbolism this beautiful flower provides, The Snowdrop Foundation took it's name. This foundation is "dedicated to assisting patients and families at Texas Children’s Cancer Center through funding for continued research to eliminate childhood cancer and scholarships for college bound pediatric cancer patients and survivors."

http://www.splashwaywaterpark.com/

Splashway Waterpark, just outside of Houston (in Sheridan), wants to assist The Snowdrop Foundation TODAY in improving the lives of children with cancer. Until midnight tonight, Splashway Waterpark is offering a 50% discount on admission. Admission is typically $20, but can be bought today for only $10. For my fellow Houstonians, you would take I-10 west through Katy to Columbus and make a left on 71. It is located in a perfect spot for a day trip.

***Go HERE to buy your ticket to the park for yourself, your family or simply as a gift to The Snowdrop Foundation and Texas Children's Cancer Center.***

Captcha Balderdash: Put Your Game Face On!

Do you have a game face? If so, put it on. It's Captcha Balderdash time, people. In an effort to recruit more people, maybe even celebrities, to play our fun game, which showcases the winner on this blog, on my blog's Facebook page and via my Twitter account, I began looking for celebrities who likely make really awesome game faces. I based this judgment on the pictures I below. None of them have called me back...yet.

www.funstuffforall.blogspot.com

www.funstuffforall.com

www.pollsb.com

www.pik-a-boo.blogspot.com

www.funz.eu

Hahahahaha!!!!!!! These really crack me up. So glad those big movie stars take bad pictures, too. Seriously, though, celebrities, schmelebrities. None of those guys can make nearly as a great a face as KLZ from Taming Insanity, the winner of last month's Captcha Balderdash and the judge of this round:

So, get your Captcha word by entering a symbol into your comment box and pressing enter, then take that word and either make a definition for it or use it in a sentence. The contest will end tomorrow (Thursday) at 5:00 p.m. and KLZ will pick her favorite. The winner will be in the spotlight on Friday.

The game begins....NOW!!