Black Betty By Ram Jam 1977

One of the funkiest song eva and a wicked Guitar Hero Song to play. Kinda looks like a guy I know

Give the Shreks a Chance

Was over at Female2Female website having a wee read when I stumbled on a post that made me think... Go read first

It takes us a little more patience to get to know the real person inside the wrapper. Isn't it sad that we ususally pre-judge people by what they look like on the outside and we have a picture in our minds of what our typical partner should look like. Its sad because sometimes the attraction comes after we've peeled off the wrapper.

You'll be surprised what you find. Give the Shreks a chance!

My Black Eye - 24 Hours later

Yesterday I was delivered a black eye in a very unusual way.  Check the story out here . Well, its now 24 hours later - see the progess

Starting to go purple.....

This Morning

Update on Jarred Matthew Deans

Dear All

Jarred had his last session of radiation last week Tuesday, the 14th of July after having a total of 28 sessions everyday, 5 days a week – YYIIPPEEE.

During the radiation period they measured his kidney function because of his blood results showing that his renal function was not functioning properly. The scan indicated that his left kidney was operating at 81% and his right kidney at 19%, the reason for this is because of the size of the tumor had put pressure on his right kidney and also his bladder was not emptying completely, thus Jarred having had a vesicostomy (an opening on his pelvic area to release pressure from the bladder, in other words he now also has wee coming out the opening on his pelvic area) done, which according to the Renal Doctor is not a permanent opening but had to be done because of the pressure building and irritating the right kidney even further. The Renal Doctor will have his kidney’s measured again to see how they have improved.

Since the operation Jarred’s counts are the best that they have been in a long while, his calcium is now back to normal and well as his creatinine and ofcourse is renal function being almost back to normal. Jarred has just completed Week 13 of Chemo and will only receive chemo again every 3rd week until his protocol of 25 weeks is complete.

Thereafter Jarred will be on maintenance for a period of 9 months where he will be coming into the hospital once a month for a push in dose of chemo.

Jarred has now also got a feeding tube for night feeds because of chemo and radiation his appetite is not been so great. His feeding tube will stay until he has gained weight so that he doesn’t fall off the growth chart. He has only been on for a week and already his has picked up 200grams and anything that he has during the day by mouth is an added bonus. Needless to say that I will persist trying throughout the day, be it a crip or a bottle, it all adds up.

Thank you for all of your prayers, love and support.

Lots of love

Mike, Nikki, Jessica & Jarred

Isn't it Great Being a mum to a 3 year old??

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.
By Shannon Popkin

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we are in the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window. People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There have been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-s o-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall:

''Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?''At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5?

Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.Cade continued: ''Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh...Mommy! I'm trying to see In dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!''I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming newborn when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting.

Trying to divert him, I said, ''Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!''''No , I'm trying to see doze more stinkies...Oh! Mommy!''He started to gag at this point.''Uh - oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!''As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject..

I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.''Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!''He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door. ''Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at? Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?''More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation.''Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy.'' He started pounding on the door. ''Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!''

I saw that my wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened the door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud.My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy?

But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids , Michigan , where she no longer uses public restrooms)

Isn't it great to be a parent!!!