Beautiful

The other day Sherry left a comment on one of the photos of my dogs. "That is a ridiculously gorgeous dog".

Yes, yes he is...or they are. I love that my dogs are gorgeous in the same way that I love that my kids are gorgeous (oh don't freak out, I'd love them if they were butt ugly too), simply because I enjoy beautiful things - probably because I'm not beautiful. This feeling of enjoying beauty, however, seems to manifest itself in odd ways. For instance, I enjoy seeing a beautiful home, but I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to doing things like dusting, or mopping (although I constantly sweep and vacuum as I'm always barefoot).

I love looking at beautiful clothes, but I tend to purchase a lot of cheap, unattractive clothes. I love gorgeous jewelry, but the only thing I tend to wear is my wedding/engagement rings, and those I put on only when I'm going outside of the house.

I'm not sure why I enjoy looking at beautiful things so much. Maybe it's because I like to notice the small things and can be amused easily, or maybe it's because I know I'm not beautiful. Any way, I truly enjoy that my animals are so gorgeous - they make it easy to look like I know what I'm doing when I take a picture. Hence this photo of Takaani this morning:



I have to add this photo, as it's just plain WRONG - there should never be snow on a jack-o-lantern.

Da Boyz

Sleeping, originally uploaded by scootersbabygirl.

Some of my shots with my new camera are me testing it out and getting used to it. Others are me trying to be artistic. And then there are those that are just me trying to document what everyday life is like in my house.

I had a huge project for 2 weeks. During that time Scott spent more time alone on the couch than he did with me. Apparently he got lonely and he invited Duke up on the couch with him - which means that Takaani and Kamik weren't far behind. I peeked over the bar to see all four of the boys (minus the one tucked away in his bedroom) passed out.

Aunt T

I'm not sure if I've talked much about Aunt T before - I may have...who knows. Aunt T is Scott's biological half sister. She and he share the same mother - but Scott was adopted and Aunt T wasn't, so they weren't raised together. She was a big part of his life when we first met, then we had a huge falling out after our wedding and we didn't talk to her again until a few years ago. Since then she's been a constant in the kids lives. She comes over usually around once a week or so and loves her niece and nephew like only Scott and I can.

Aunt T looks JUST LIKE SCOTT...which is really weird for me, and has to be for her because all you have to do is look at Toad and you can see that he, too, looks JUST LIKE SCOTT (minus the blonde hair, of course). Aunt T has said before that she can look at the kids and see some of herself, which is something I've never experienced, not having any full siblings or half siblings who spend any time with our children.

Aunt T and her significant other, Uncle S, came down to do pumpkins and during the soccer game I got the chance to use the telephoto lens to its full capability. Aunt T doesn't like having her photo taken (NOT that I blame her for that at all) and I was able to stand on the top of our hill and take photos of the soccer game before I joined in, snapping this amazing picture that shows, to use anyway, exactly how Aunt T feels about her nephew.

Pumpkin Carving Ahoy!

Getting Too Big, originally uploaded by scootersbabygirl.

I had an absolute blast this weekend. After working my tushie off for almost two weeks in order to pay for my new camera, I finally got to enjoy it a bit. Sunday Uncle S and Aunt T came down and we did some serious pumpkin carving! We had six pumpkins to carve and after we were done carving, got in some soccer on the front lawn!

I can't believe it, but Toad's actually big enough to carve his own pumpkin. It seems like it was only yesterday when I was afraid he'd stab me in the face with a knife if I gave him one, but now I realize that he's gotten big enough to handle one of the knives that comes in a pumpkin carving kit. He needed a little help from dad to do a few areas, but that was it. he did it all and he is so proud. Well, actually, he didn't do it all - he refused to pull the guts out of the pumpkin.

And that, dear friends, he gets from his mother.

I've got tons of pictures up on the flickr acct - both of the pumpkin carving and the soccer match!

Bathroom Fun

Bathroom Fun, originally uploaded by scootersbabygirl.

I actually stepped completely away from the computer yesterday. I did! Seriously! I even asked Scott to check my emails to make sure that nothing life-altering came in. Shock and surprise, nothing did. I spent hours working on another project (photos to come when it's completed), sat and watched Survivor while eating lunch (as the kiddos went over to a friend's house for a few hours), had chocolate fondu for supper with the kids (I'm the BAD mom...hey...there were bananas we dipped!), and watched Hulk II with Scott and my best friend Danni.

Oh yeah, that picture above? That's what happens when the kiddos are off from school for half a week. They dragged almost every blanket/pillow/comfy thing they could find in the bathroom to play. Now both of their rooms are WAY bigger than the bathroom, and so is the living room and kitchen, and that's not to mention thee two rooms downstairs that they can use. And they decide to bring almost every toy they have into the BATHROOM?

I love my kids. They're weird, but I love them.

Frost line

Frostline, originally uploaded by scootersbabygirl.

Those of you who don't live in cold - ie mother fucking freezing - climate don't know about one of the most fun things you can do on any given morning - watch the frost line recede!

The frost sets in during the night and does everything it can to kill all of the plants in the area. In the morning, the sun does its best to push the frost back. While it's warming up, you can see the frost line - the area where the shade still protects the frost from melting.

I actually like watching the frost slowly, but surely, disappear. I also have a strange tendency to think that I should walk over to the line and jump from one side to the other yelling out "LIFE DEATH LIFE DEATH LIFE DEATH".

Yeah, I know, I'm weird like 'dat.

If McCain Wins? Move to Canada!

Sex Toy Review - Smartballs

A little something different for our sex toy review this week! My friends over at VibeReview have sent a fun little toy to test!

When I got pregnant with Toad, the first thing I was told by a friend was to make sure I did plenty of Kegels. My response? "Of course!" My inner response? What the hell is a Kegel. I had no idea what a Kegel was and it took a bit of research (God love the internet) before I figured it out. Until then I was baffled that the vagina was actually made up of a muscle that you could strengthen!

Neither of my children were born vaginally. Toad was born via emergency c-section and Babygirl was born via scheduled c-section. This means that since neither child has come out of my most sacred glory hole, I shouldn't need to do Kegels, right?

I'm glad I waited to review this next product until today, as a few days ago the most wonderfully marveous AAG wrote a post about how she didn't believe a woman's vagina would become more loose during sexual intercourse depending on the differently sized things that were put into it. Many women agreed and said that they'd never had a problem being loose. Other women, though, said that they had. My opinion? I think it's a personal deal.

I mean, look at it this way: some people can do just a tiny bit of weight lifting and can show serious definition in their muscles. Other people can work their butts off lifting constantly and may show absolutely no definition. Muscles are all different in what they can do, so the idea that some women will have a hard time staying tighter than others.

I really haven't had a hard time with this, but I've been intrigued by Smartballs for a long time and was really eager to give them a shot. It was definitely weird using them the first few times, and for the first week I couldn't wear them longer than a half an hour or so. But during that time I was doing Kegels and, I have to tell you, Scott noticed a serious difference. Heck, *I* noticed a serious difference!

They were a bit intimidating to me at first (God only knows why, it's not like I don't have a closet full of sex toys), but once I got used to them they were fun! They're not really for sexual use, althgouh I'm sure you could figure out something or other to do with them (and if you do, send me information about what you used them for!), but rather are for helping to tone up the most natural sex toy of all: your vagina!

I absolutely recommend these. It's a huge misconception that you have to have had children in order to need things like Smartballs or Luna Beads, as any woman, no matter how tight or loose she is, can get benefit from these types of products.

And Toad Said...

Time: Monday when Toad came home from school.
Scene: Kitchen

Toad: Mom! Guess what we learned to do today at the library?
Mom: What?
Toad: We used Microsoft Office and did clipart. You know - Microsoft Office - the place you work.

You Want Proof?

I got proof! I've got proof of the snow that hit our porch last night at 10:30! 10:30!! NO FAIR! There shouldn't be snow before Halloween. It's just WRONG.


Scott was playing with the dogs last night. It's hard for me to figure out how big the dogs are, because I see them all the time. But when Scott was messing around with them I got a good idea as to how tall they are.


And when I picked up Babygirl from school on Monday, I brought the camera. She reminded me of a prisoner in a jail cell!


In other news, my kiddos are off for the rest of the week. My wonderful, lovely, absolutely BEAUTIFUL mother has agreed to take them for the rest of the day today so that I can get some serious work done. I love her so. She would've taken them over night last night but Toad had a dentist appointment and Babygirl had an appointment this morning, but they're there now and I'm getting work done.

AFTER I have a quiet lunch. Ahhh....

Breakdown Imminent

I had a seriously difficult time yesterday. Between work and dealing with Babygirl's minor setback at preschool (she started crying again for NO REASON - UGH!) I got a little...testy. And, of course, I took it out on Scott. Well, it's better than taking it out on the kids, right? But he took it as well as any man who has an almost hysterical wife can and did everything he could to give me a hand around the house, which I much appreciated.

I'm still buried in work. I will be buried until Monday night, and then I swear that I'm taking a few days off.

In other news, they're saying that we may have to deal with getting the bad word tomorrow. You know - that four letter word that is absolutely NOT supposed to be here right now? I can't say it. I can't! Okay...I'll try...ssss....ssnnn...snnoo...GAH! No!

Yes, I love that fluffy white stuff (except when I'm out at 10 pm shoveling it), but it's too early! The kids still have to go out trick-or-treating, and if there's snnnn...snnnnoo...that icky white stuff on the ground, they, and their mother, will be FREEZING OUR BUTTS OFF!

*sigh* I guess that's what I get for living in Vermont.

In other news, the kiddos last day of school for the week is...today. Today. Then they'll be home for three days. THREE DAYS!! Fortunately grammy has decided that she's like to have them hang with her tomorrow after an appointment that we have, giving me tons of time to do anything I want.

Like work.

More Photos

Yes I've got more photos up from this weekend. Well, really they're from Sunday because on Saturday I was running around doing errands with a friend and doing some work. But today I took out the telephoto lens I splurged on (I told Scott that I consider it interest for having to deal with a crappy camera for two years) and started on my never ending journey in learning how to use it. The best photo of the day, in my opinion, was this one of Kamik.


He look oh so dangerous, but in reality he's a big baby. I'll guarantee you that the minute after I snapped the photo his tongue dropped out and he looked like a big old goofy dog again.

I've also discovered a new favorite hobby - sending with the telephoto lens fixed on a kid and then yelling out their name.


I also learned that I can get the BEST candid shots with the telephoto lens, since the kids have no idea I'm taking pictures of them. Observe Babygirl and Toad wrestling over a stick. (yes, we find enjoyment in strange things in the country).


This one came out a little blurry but I really like it. It was Babygirl on the swing with me using the telephoto lens (of course).


Oh yes, the more I get to use my camera, the more I want to kick Scott out of bed and cuddle up with it. It was so enjoyable to take pics with it today.

In other news, yesterday morning I watched a tree lose its leaves. I've been sitting at the dining room table facing our back door lately and there has been one tree that I always enjoy looking at. It's a small little tree that had bright orange leaves. Yesterday morning I watched as every single leaf fell to the ground. Winter is officially on it's way.

Things I've Learned - Starring my Canon

I learned a few things yesterday. Yes, they all relate to my new beloved Canon. Yes, you're going to be hearing about my Canon A LOT in the next few days. Why? Because unlike every other person I read online, I'm not pregnant nor am I having a baby...the Canon IS my baby. Moving on.

I learned that when you have a halfway decent camera, the majority of the photos that come out of the camera don't need touching up! Here's Babygirl in all her Babygirl goodness.


I learned that the previous photos of my oldest and most beloved dog Duke so didn't do him justice.


And I learned that you can have A LOT of fun sitting in the backseat of the car with your daughter on a Friday night driving home realizing that you can control every aspect of your camera and how it takes pictures. See what happens when the shutter doesn't close? You get some really cool/funky pics.



I'm heading out with a friend for a few hours today to go to a huge craft yard sale and you'd better bet that my Canon? She is going with me. Yes, she's a she. Her name is Michelle.

I so do not have a problem.

Busy Weekend - Et Vous?

I'd like to talk about how we've got a busy weekend ahead. I'd like to talk about how I've got tons of work to do (work is good has become my new mantra) and about how we may or may not have a new respite boy this weekend (depending on if he is brave enough to spend the night). I'd like to talk about the HUGE craft yardsale I'm going to with a friend this weekend that I'm totally looking forward to.

But I can't.

Because as of right now, UPS has marked my new camera OUT FOR DELIVERY. You know the one, the camera that I ordered on WEDNESDAY? The one that I used super saver shipping on so it would arrive anywhere from 5-9 days after the order was placed? The one that is out for delivery TWO DAYS after I ordered it?

Apparently it came directly from Mass, which isn't that far from here, so it's here now.

I heart Amazon. And UPS. And Scott. And my boss. And pretty much everyone/everything right now!

I don't usually do anything like this but *SQUEE* I'm getting my camera today!!!!

Sex Toy Review: Little Paul

I'm a vibrator girl. I believe I've said that before. I only had a handful of orgasms before I was dragged by the hubby to a sex toy shop and made to pick out a vibrator. I actually felt as though using a vibrator was wrong - MWA HA HA HA!

Anyway - I love it when I get to review new vibrators from VibeReview because there are so many different ones out there! There's big ones and small ones and thick ones and skinny ones and ones that go inside and ones that go outside - you could get tired just thinking about them all!

So the vibrator I receivd this time was the Little Paul. Here's what he looks like:



Alright, get it out of your system now. Go ahead and giggle if you want to, because yes, the Little Paul looks a little bit like a giant caterpillar. It looks like a toy you'd give a baby, doesn't it? Trust me, you won't be giggling when you're done with it.

The only bad thing I have to say about the Little Paul is that it takes AAA batteries. I'm a fan of toys that take AA batteries simply because, due to kidlets, I have so many in the house! I have a preconceived notion that only toys that require AA batteries are worth using. The Little Paul, however, changed my mind.

I had some quiet time (no kids - no hubby - yay!) and got going with this little toy. I put the batteries in and turned it on. I actually like where the buttons are, which is near the end of the toy right before the cap. I turned it on and....nada. Oh there was a little vibration, but not enough to do anything. So I turned it up. It was alright - there was a little vibration but nothing too major. So I kept turning it up. Eventually I got to a speed which worked for me and that I was happy with, but I was still thinking about how this was just a regular old vibrator - nothing special.

Until I accidentally hit the plus button again. The toy doesn't just vibrate, it has a pulse mode. Click the button enough times and you get a variety of different pulses that are created to drive you wild, and oh boy did they.

They say that the Little Paul is designed for G-spot stimulation, but I have only ever found success with G-spot stimulation when working with my husband, so that did nothing for me. The pulse modes, however, have become my new best friend! I still can't believe that so much technology can reside in such a little package! If you want something bigger, the Little Paul has a big brother, known as the Patchy Paul. His reviews are just about as good as the Little Paul's. It'd be interesting to play with them both together, don't you think?

I Won Something!

I've got a lot to talk about today! Later I'll be posting my weekly sex toy review (and this is a good one) but right now I have to say something earth shattering:

I WON SOMETHING!

Me winning something is like finding a big ass diamond ring when you're prospecting for fun - it hardly EVER happens. The only other time I can remember that I've won something was when I won the beautiful framed 8x10 picture from Jenera (who just happens to have another giveaway going on right now - hurry as it's done tonight at midnight!), but other than that I'm not a winning type of person.

I noticed over on AAG's blog that a friend of hers was giving away one of the DVD's he makes, so I figured that I'd enter because not only did the site look good and the prize very interesting, the man can actually write (that's something you don't see every day, let me tell you what).

And I WON!

What did I win? I won a copy of andy one of Comstock Film's DVD's that I wanted. I chose Xana & Dax. The funny thing is that I was just telling Scott that I was in serious need of watching some new porn.



Yes, I like porn. I'll say it out loud: my name is Randi and I like porn.

I mean, I'm not obsessed with porn, and I don't have very much of it, but I definitely enjoy watching it with the hubby. The problem is, however, that I'm kind of a porn snob. I mean, I like watching two people go at it, but if there's nothing INTERESTING about it, I'll just turn it off.

These DVD's look to be extremely interesting! Not only are they couples having sex, they're actually couples have sex! These are actual real life couples who have agreed to let the filmmaker into their home so that they can be filmed being intimate. It sounds like it's going to be the most erotic documentary that I've ever watched.

They've gotten TONS of notice from magazines like Women's Health, Men's Journal, Esquire, and even the sainted OPRAH magazine (I'm not an Oprah fan but if you like her, there you go).

So in a few days I get to crack open the case of a DVD that I've actually WON, and better yet it looks like it's going to allow me to watch a truly special connection between two people which is way, WAY better than just your average crappy porn DVD.

I'll let you know how it goes after we watch it!!

Discriminated Against

Hello. My name is Randi and I am discriminated against due to my boobies.

There. I said it. Wow, that was a load off my...err...chest.

I'm not going to say that people think I'm dumber due to my chest size, because in order for that old stereotype to be true I'd have to have a smokin' body to go with the large breasts. Instead, my breasts are just large.

How big are they? They're a size D, which makes my husband very happy. All he wanted in live was a woman who was short, had big boobs, and could cook.

I'm 5' exactly, have size D breasts, and so far my cooking hasn't killed or poisoned anyone. I could have a face like Jabba the Hut and he'd still love me.

Anyway, I like to wear underwire bras when I'm trying to look halfway decent. If I wear any other type of bra I get a uni-boob, which I really hate, so underwire it is. Now I've gotten fairly comfortable in underwire bras, but after a few hours, the bra really starts to get uncomfortable and I want it off. I want to be able to feel the breeze on my the girls, and to swing my arm while using the Wii without having the wire cut into my flesh.

Now in the security of my own home you'd think I'd be able to go bra-less, and for the most part, this is true. If someone comes to visit, though, my first instinct is to rush into the bathroom and get a bra on. My mother always said that you shouldn't be seen in public without a bra.

But wait, those pretty girls with the little boobies can go without a bra all the time! They can wear those cute little tank tops without wearing a bra, or those strapless numbers and look so adorable! How come *I* can't go without a bra?

I'm not talking about wearing no bra and going to a sit-down dinner, I'm just talking about wearing no bra when I go to pick up one of the kids from school, or when I go to grab a gallon of milk. If I do those things now the response is an immediate "*GASP* You went out into the public...without a BRA ON?"

Yes, because I'm sure the sight of my face isn't enough to scare the general population, I want to add to their fear by unleashing the puppies on them.

So anyway, my name is Randi and I'm against breast discrimination. I feel that no matter what sized breasts you have, you should be able to walk around without a bra pinching/pulling/annoying you.

A Fairy Tale Story Involving the Kodak P880

So would you like to hear the story about my camera problems? Then I shall tell you - in fairy tale story version.

Two years ago for Christmas, ye wonderful husband spent far too much money trying to surprise his beloved wife by purchasing her a digital SLR camera. He didn't know much about cameras but since the couple had a smaller digital Kodak for a long time, he decided to buy the Kodak P880.


When she opened the box she was ecstatic - she'd always wanted a digital SLR and he'd spent more money than the couple had to buy it. The excitement, however, went away quickly when she realized that something was wrong with the camera. A shadow kept appearing on the lower part of the screen. So she saved a few of the photos on the cameras internal photo album and called Kodak, who told her to send it in.

She did and when it arrived things seemed to work a bit better. A clicking sound was still there, but she wasn't going to belittle a gift that her husband had worked so hard to get for her. She figured she'd deal with it. She did, however, use the camera much less than she wanted to, as it frustrated her too much to use it frequently.

A few months after it came back from the camera repair company it started to breakdown again. This time she would turn the "on" button on and the camera would flicker on and then turn off. For a few weeks she thought it was a glitch that she was doing and then came to realize that it was the camera. A call to Kodak again and, after a bit of a battle, they agreed to look at it.

She sent it in and they sent it back claiming that NOTHING WAS WRONG. Well. A few weeks later she called them again and they agreed to look at the camera for a third time. This time it came back as repaired and with the claim that everything was fine (interestingly enough, when the woman called Kodak the third time they claimed to have no record of the second return. Interesting.)

So the camera came back and it...was still broken. Oh it took a week or two before the problem manifested itself again, but manifest itself it did and both the wife and the husband were unhappy. They called Kodak and dealt with people who didn't understand English for hours before finally an email directly to Kodak managed to reach a higher level person who agreed to exchange the camera for an "identical refurbished one". The wife was happy, as all she wanted was a camera that worked.

The old camera was sent in and, a few weeks later, the new camera arrived. And joy was felt around the house as the wife began using her camera constantly, taking photos and being happy with them. Until, one day, she did a little editing and realized that the camera had burned out pixels on it. There were anywhere from three to four burned out pixels on every photo, and some photos had burned out pixels as well as lightened pixels. To make matters worse, the camera was also started to do it's "turn on/turn off" trick again.

Then, a few days later, when the wife and husband were at a wedding, the wife accidentally turned to the photo album and realized that the photos that she had taken when she first received the camera, in 2006, were still there. But wait, wasn't this supposed to be a brand new refurbished camera? And since the photos were on the internal memory, shouldn't they have NOT been there?

The wife called Kodak. Again. And was told by another person who couldn't speak English that they were unsure why there was a problem with the camera, and why the old photos were still on the internal memory. The phrase, "I don't know why Mrs. M" was uttered a dozen or more times.

After a 20 minute hold, the technician returned on the phone with the wife and said that she could have the camera fixed. "For $150 plus shipping".

The wife politely thanked the woman and then asked why she should have to pay for a camera that hadn't been working from the beginning. One that was never dropped or damaged in any way. One that was supposed to be replaced but obviously was not. The answer? "I'm sorry Mrs. M. I don't know."

So now the wife has been given the go-ahead by the husband (thanks to a few large projects she's taking on) to get a new camera and she needs your help in deciding between them. Should it be the:

Canon Rebel XTi

or the

Canon Rebel XSi

Because you know that the wife will no longer be dealing with Kodak.

Big Dogs

Big Dogs, originally uploaded by scootersbabygirl.

For some reason, this one didn't come out very well after I downloaded it and played with it. But then again, I've been having issues with my Kodak, so let's not go there.

Remember little Kamik and Takaani? Little - heh - that's Kamik and Takaani a few days ago. Yes, they're huge. On two feet, they're as tall as I am. They eat 6 cups of food a day...each...and constantly run over the hill to find apples to eat. Bottom-less pits they are, but we love them dearly. I've got a wicked fun video of the two trying to ambush Duke when he had the ball - I'll have to put it up sometime. But for now I wanted you to see what my two foot-warmers looked like at TEN MONTHS OLD.

Yes, ten months. I know, I know, we're crazy. Too bad they're so damn cute and lovable.

(btw, Takaani is on the left looking at the screen and Kamik is on the right - and I now understand how parents of identical twins can tell them apart so easily.)

Growing Up a Bit

So what do you think of my new look? I posted yesterday and checked it and realized that the photobucket account that was hosting my header and graphics had become toast! Eek! So I found a new one and I actually quite like this one. What do you think?

I found out some news last night. My mother had wanted to purchase my grandmother's home. She was rushing trying to get HER home sold so that she could. She finally got a nibble last weekend. The only problem? Someone else wanted to buy my grandmother's home. They were waiting for probate to go through on the inheritance they had.

My uncle looked at my mother and said that if she had a purchase agreement, and the other people's probate didn't go through, he would sell gram's house to her. (he's the executor). She got the purchase agreement.

The probate went through.

I have a distinct feeling that my uncle promised the other people that they could have the house, and that no matter what my mother did, she wouldn't have gotten the house. Here's where things get tricky for me:

I'm kind of glad that my mother didn't get the house. I disagree that it was the best option for her because I feel that the home would never have been hers if she bought it. She wanted to put a great deal of money into the house which would have raised the cost a great deal.

On the other hand...

I'm sad because she didn't get the house for her. I know that she wanted it, and she deserves to get what she wants. Even though I disagree with the decision, I supported her in it.

Wow - damn - am I growing up? Is it that I'm just so close to hitting that big 3-0 (okay, I know it's in 10 months, but the time keeps ticking here people!), but suddenly I feel wiser...or maybe it's just that I've been up since 5:45.

She has decided to not go through with the sale on her house because she feels she has nowhere else to go. I disagree in that I know there are plenty of other homes that she and my step-dad could move into that they could afford and enjoy, but again, it's her decision and I'll support her.

I have this feeling that she's like me. When she has her heart set on something that is extremely important to her, like buying my grandmother's home, she puts everything into it, and when it doesn't happen, she doesn't want anything.

Kind of like me and the whole Kodak camera thing. (nice segue, eh?) I had another conversation with them yesterday, which resulted in nothing more than a ridiculous conversation in which the person said that she would "gladly fix your phone, Mrs. M, only you have to pay $150 and shipping. Yes ma'am, we know that the camera has been into the shop three times. Yes ma'am, we know that you have been dealing with this since your husband bought you the camera. No ma'am, I'm not sure why the photos from two years ago are still on the internal memory when we said that we sent you a brand new camera. I'm sorry for the trouble, ma'am."

So yeah, Kodak wants me to pay to have a camera fixed that hasn't worked right since we got it. That makes sense. So I've got my little heart set on another camera (it's a Canon that costs a bit over $600) and thanks to a PMS rage, went off on my husband yesterday about how all I want is a "fucking camera that works". He listened to my rage and let me vent. I know, logically, that I can't afford a new camera right now, but because my old camera doesn't work (seriously, it sucks) I don't feel like taking pictures AT ALL. The ones from the other day needed A LOT of photo editing in order to make them look halfway decent at all and I'm still not happy with them. Seriously, I'm ready to use Babygirl's little camera!

Anyway, this is how my mother and I are alike. If we can't have something we truly feel that we need (I'm not talking purses or clothing here, I'm talking BIG IMPORTANT things), we don't want anything at all.

Apple Picking and Kids Photos

One of the things I enjoy about Scott having a week off here and there is that he gets to take part in some of the kids stuff. For instance, yesterday was Babygirl's preschool's date to go apple picking! So we jumped in the van, grabbed our birth certificates and licenses (because it's across the border in Canada), and headed for some PG rated apple pickin' fun!

Here is Babygirl and Daddy waiting patiently (mostly) for the fun to start.


Finally! Time to pick some apples! The guy was really nice and led us to apples that were low for the kids sakes.


Babygirl's best friend, B, goes to preschool with her AND lives in the same town, so they'll be in kindergarten together as well, which I'm very happy about. Aren't they just too cute?


Eventually Scott and a few other parents grabbed a ladder in order to get the really good, really high apples.


There are more pictures of the day over at the Apple Picking set on Flickr. I also put up some more Kids Eye View photos! Babygirl loves taking photos with the camera (we're debating on getting her a slightly more high tech one for Christmas, although Santa just bought 2 Nintendo DS's and has a slightly empty pocket right now), but here are a few she's taken lately that I really like.

This one really caught my attention - I love the way it looks, from the colors and the beige behind it.



This is one of the few photos of Scott and I together that I like - and I had no idea she even took it!

Forbidden Wednesday - Leather Bondage Kit

It's Wednesday and once again time for the sex toy review of the week! This time it's a doozy of a little bondage kit, brought to us by VibeReview.

BDSM - Bondage Dominance Sadism Masochism. In other words, total fun!

The tricky part about BDSM is that there are so many different levels to it. On one hand you could have a couple who likes to tie each other up just for fun. One likes to take control and to torture and torment with lips, tongue, and fingers. Then you've got those who are into hardcore BDSM - the ones who like to bring out the whips, paddles, ball gags and leather hoods.

The best part is? Either is fine! You don't have to feel constrained into just one type of BDSM, you can do as little, or as much as you like.

Now it's time for Randi's embarrassing story of the week. So a long time ago Scott and I lived in a trailer with Toad. The trailer had two bedrooms - ours, and Toad's. We ended up moving right at the time when I had my tonsils out, so needless to say, I wasn't much help with the moving. My step-dad and mom helped immensely, getting things packed and letting us use their truck to haul everything to our new house.

The day came when it was time to move the final big pieces of furniture - you know, the bed and such. My dad lifted the mattress off and moved it to the side. He then lifted the box spring off only to discover a long set of ropes tied to the bottom of the bed. Each piece had a quick slip knot in them for easy tying.

You've never seen my face get so red.

We've since grown up and no longer have ropes underneath the bed. Instead, we purchase much higher quality bondage materials in order to indulge in our games. This is why I was more than happy to check out the Leather Bondage Kit. It's billed as a bondage kit for newbies, and as such, it works perfectly.

It comes with two leather cuffs and with a little cat-o-nine tails and a mask. The downside of this kit? The leather cuffs aren't the nicest I've ever had. While the inside is soft, it's not fur-lined, so it could definitely rub after a time. But then again, bondage is supposed to be a little uncomfortable. The way the clips work is perfect, allowing you to get tied up in locked down in a number of different positions (if your husband asks if he can hog-tie you, JUST SAY NO - that's all I'm saying) and the fact that there are four means you can tie down each one of your limbs.

The cat-o-nine tails looked, at first, to be kinda of wimpy. Then I got smacked with it. Let me just say, OWWWW! It's tiny, but it packs a wallop! You can definitely feel each and every stroke, no matter what part of the body it happens to land on.

The mask is actually the nicest part of the entire kit, or so I believe. Finding a good mask can be tricky, as you want one that is not only comfortable but actually works to hide the light. This mask is both. You can see NOTHING when you've got it on and it didn't pull my hair like other masks I've tried have.

In short? This is definitely a good bondage kit for beginners. If you're looking for something a bit more controlling, try the Under the Bed Restraint System - we have this little kit and it has changed the way we play the game entirely. The cuffs are fur-lined and therefore much softer as well.

And let me just say, both ladies and guys, if you've never tried being tied up and tormented before, do give it a shot. You'll discover that the inability to move or to see what's going on truly heightens the experience...at least for most people!

Still Here

I'm still here! yay! I've just had a really, REALLY busy couple of days. Want a little example of what I've been dealing with? No problem.

So we take Respite Girl once a month - last weekend was the weekend her mother and I agreed upon, as apparently the mother was flying down to Florida with the new boyfriend (don't ask.)

So Respite Girl was here and, let me be perfectly honest here - I absolutely get that she was upset with her mother for leaving. I get that she was worried that her mother wouldn't come home. I know she goes through a lot of tough crap. But that doesn't excuse the fact that she slapped Toad.

Twice.

Long story short? She slapped him for no good reason. The first time we let her get away with it because we believe that every kid deserves a chance and because we knew how much stress she was under - she's basically a great kid! The second time, however, was the last straw for the weekend. So her 17 year old sister had to come and get her, which I felt horrible about.

Apparently the agency we go through is upset with the mother for leaving the state (something I didn't know wasn't kosher or I wouldn't have agreed) and were planning on taking care of it on Monday. The entire time between when she slapped and before her sister got there, she was swearing up and down that both her mother and her sister beat her. Now you never know what happens in any house, but neither Scott nor I believed this whopper. She's actually where she is because her mother is too lenient. Now don't yell at me - there is definitely a chance that the mother DOES hurt her, which is why we reported it to the worker so that it wouldn't slip through the cracks. She even said that her mother and sister never let her use the phone, which we know is a blatant lie.

So Monday morning rolls around. Scott's home for the week because his factory is shut down again. We get a phone call fairly early on in the AM. It's one of the workers - she says that RG is saying that Scott hit her.

Of course.

If you've never been in the foster care world, this is huge. If they decide to take her at her word (by the way, OF COURSE SHE'S LYING), Scott could get into huge trouble. He could not only get investigated, he could lose his foster license (which means that I lose mine too), and he could even be fined or go to jail.

The social worker said she was going to talk to RG some more yesterday, and that's the last we've heard of it. I started out Monday morning hoping that she was okay, and ended my afternoon rip-shit-pissed at a little girl who likes to throw out possibly damaging lies.

Then let's pile tons of work on top of that stress, along with the decision we have to make about getting another respite child once a month - this one is a boy who believes he's a "gangsta", apparently, and you've got a very stressed out Randi.

Forbidden Wednesday - Pjur Woman

Sorry I'm a bit late on this one guys! Life has kicked me in the ass and I'm so behind that I feel like it's Wednesday instead of Thursday! Anyway, here's my Wednesday review from the lovely VibeReview!

The last time I tried out a lube from VibeReview, it was a water based lube and I absolutely loved it! Let me tell you something: any woman who says she doesn’t like lube hasn’t tried it. It’s like a man saying he doesn’t like to use one for pleasing himself – a total lie. Lube can make every day beautiful. I’m one of those women who tends to need it every time that I manage to get lucky with my husband.

The reason I wanted to try the Pjur Woman Bodyglide is because I wanted to see if there were any differences between a water based lube or a silicone based lube. The simple answer?

Yes. There are.

To begin with, the silicone based lube is quite a bit thicker than the water based lube. When we put the water based on, it was kind of hard to tell if it was there or not for a minute. With the Pjur, you knew that it was on there immediately.

The lube felt fine – maybe it’s because I’m apparently used to silicone based lube (until I tried using these I never looked twice at what the base of my lube was), but it felt similar to other lubes that I have tried that were silicone based. Scott actually said he felt that it desensitized him a bit the times we used it, which it shouldn’t have because it’s not a desensitizing lube, but maybe it felt that way for him because he’s gotten used to a water based lube now.

If you’re into anal play (no judging here), I would say that you should definitely go with a silicone based lube. It’s thicker and lasts longer – which you definitely want when you’re going “there”. If you like using silicone based toys, however, you should avoid using a silicone based lube like this one, as they don’t tend to mesh well together.

There were two things that I really noted about this lube. The first? It seemed to come off of my sheets (and me) much easier than most silicone based lubricants that I’ve tried, which is always a good thing. The second thing? It didn’t feel that greasy and wasn’t smelly (which may be three things, but math has never been my strong suit).

The price on this one is also right, as it’s much less expensive than some other lubricants and works perfectly well!