oh please!

okay...i am officially diagnosing myself with "CCC"....chronic computer complaining.....i have been sitting at this computer for the last 15 minutes...and was successfully, or so i thought, downloading aquarium pictures...only to find out they are not there.....oh please! somebody HELP me!!!....so i will yet try tomorrow....i will try to get in one last picture!....and that is a negative....the computer is tired...poor baby....(my foot....about now i would like a sledge hammer....)

Carter and Ava, especially are in awe over sea life in general....Carter has an extreme interest and has had that since he was very small.....a couple years ago I was able to go to SeaWorld with him...(Ava was a baby)....and he just could NOT get enough of the under the sea world!....I think you can see the awe on both of their faces in this picture...!!!

more pics....

here is Pap Pap having a good time with Addie....most of the time she had her hands over his eyes...so he couldn't see...or in his nose or mouth...or the other thing she LOVES to do is softly feel that beard of his!!! it is a riot!!!....let me tell you ....he looked a little (or a lot) disheveled by the end of the day....for that matter so did I!!! Man, I am telling you....I start the day with hair and makeup in place...and I really should time it sometime...but less than 2 hours later....most all evidence of a neat and clean and groomed appearance is GONE! And I mean GONE!......the bags under my eyes are BIGGER....my clothes are wrinkled....my hair is sopping wet from hot flashes....and the make-up....disappeared!!! TOTALLY!!! No kidding....I might as well start as a FRUMP....that is how I end my days with the LOVES of my life....the kidlets!!!..........okay...sorry to be a chronic computer complainer...but i must shut down...to even be able to pull up another picture...so will post this one...and be back....sometime in the near future with more!...ugh!

The GA Aquarium

Here are the "kidlets" at the Ga Aquarium last Saturday...yes...it has taken me this long to get to my blogging....such is life....no time for blogging, it seems....But last Saturday was a great FAMILY outing.....we enjoyed it immensely...along with the rest of the world's population, or so it seemed!!! Man, was it crowded....so we had to "push" our way to the tanks....but well worth it! I definitely would like to go on a much quieter day, however...like during the week! We ended the day with a dinner at Mary Mac's...a landmark and very old restaurant in downtown Atlanta...where the cookin is fine and southern all the way! Josh's Mom, Beth, and his GMA, Jo, were here visiting and were able to join us for the day as well. It was great to see them again! I will insert a few more pics for your viewing enjoyment!...of course...I steal all my pics from Heidi and Hollie...so if you read THEIR blogs...you probably have already seen them! :)

here's a sweet note

here is a little note that one of my mommies brought BACK into the store...after finding out that there was no class they went home and Emily made me the most darling little bookmark, along with this little note (she colored her signature for me).....her Mommy also had a copy of a letter she sent off to corporate offices....of which in part read:"I am writing to express my disappointment over the cancellation of the craft classes. My daughter and I have been attending these classes for several years. She is three now and just beginning to enjoy completing the projects on her own. We were very upset when we arrived for class today to find they had been cancelled without warning.
I am upset that Michael's does not value it's customers, especially it's youngest ones, anymore. I have become interested in many more crafts since attending the Mommy and Me class each week and have been making purchases each time I attend. I think that Michael's is making a huge mistake by sending the message that they do not care about education any longer....................We have been so pleased with the quality of the projects and great ideas that Ms. Sandi has shared with us during our class at your store in Canton, Georgia..........I am so upset that I will be making a longer trip to visit your competitors if the classes are not immediately re-instated......."
WOW....she even gave them her phone number....now if you are going to legitimately protest, I say this is the ethical way to do it...and by the way, this lady and her daughter are very very sweet and very very shy and quiet.......I sure hope I get to continue to teach them!

it's been totally NUTS

okay.....do you see this picture of Carter??? Whilst i can barely STAND to look upon it, i realized that it symbolizes how i have been feeling the last several days! and i am NOT kidding!!! (by the way, remember when we were kids and we crossed our eyes and our parents very emphatically told us NOT to do that, lest they STAY that way?????...i wonder how much truth there is to that???)

well, anyway.....i have been experiencing MAJOR drama at work (MICHAELS).....firstly...last week i find out that ALL classes at our store are going away....YES...going away, except for the cake decorating class (they had a contract).......but i had to keep it a secret....well...that wasn't easy...but I did.....then all of a sudden while our managers were in yearly corporate meetings we get a message to TEAR down our class room and repaint everything to white.....and to STOP all classes unless they had previously signed up.....which meant the Mommy and Me class that I teach!...........so as we in astonishment proceed to follow orders.....and wonder what in the live long world is going on.........we had to post a sign that stated there were no more classes....blah blah blah...................so as the mommies and children march in yesterday, as they usually do....or i should say as many of the darling children come running in, flailing about, hugging me....etc. etc...............they are stopped dead in their tracks to find there is NO class!!!!....well...OMG.....what followed was totally unexpected! just let me tell you.....don't get MOMMIES mad!!!!.....they weren't mad at US...but at Michaels corporate...or whoever was responsible......and for the rest of the day.....we learned that they were calling corporate, emailing corporate and in general it was an all out rebellion!!!! no kiddding! one school teacher (she is on break this week).......tried calling Cnn...Fox news etc. etc.!!!!! Several ladies were threatening to picket our store!!!!!!........well our manager got the "MEMO" of the uprising at his meeting...as well as our district manager..,.and they called to find out what was going on....and of course they were not happy.......and all i have to say is......DUH....what did you expect??????...........we ran a wonderful , educating, worthwhile program and have a VERY loyal following (who by the way spend a TON of money in the store).......and without warning they are told there is NO class???

well, there is no end to the story yet..... more drama to the saga, i am sure.....but there is rumor that the calls are doing some good......and i am glad

what? you ask, what about MY job???? good question! that remains to be answered...there are several speculations.....and the word from corporate is that everyone will be offered a position....(frankly, that sounds a little too political for me...they must have gotten that line from some lawyer) but unless Mommy and Me is re-instated....the job i had much passion for has gone away forever.....hey, maybe we DO need to picket???? ha ha

and for the record.....the managers in our store in Canton....have nothing to do with these decisions....it goes beyond that.....to the top I guess....

but just tell me....what is Michaels without classes???? it's like milk without cookies....like children without laughter..... like dogs without fleas....well....you get the point....

okay.....so if you are reading this and would like to join the rebellion....just call 1-800 Michaels.....and give them your opinion.....because the cancellation of classes is not just local, it is nationwide......

YEA....MY COMPUTER IS BEHAVING...SOOOOO....

HERE IS A SIMILAR ROSE, AS WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY SWEETHEART YESTERDAY! BEAUTIFUL HUH? I WAS JUST THINKING TODAY...I AM QUITE POSITIVE HE HAS PROBABLY HARDLY EVER MISSED GIVING ME FLOWERS ON VALENTINES DAY SINCE WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED...HE MIGHT HAVE STRAYED A FEW TIMES TO A PRESENT OF SOME SORT...BUT HIS FAVORITE IS TO GIVE RED ROSES AND THIS WAS A RED ROSE YEAR!!! :)......AND I AM QUITE POSITIVE THE SAME IS TRUE OF OUR ANNIVERSARY! WHAT A GUY, HUH?

NOW , JUST FOR FUN, I AM GOING TO INSERT A PICTURE OF AVA, POSING AS SHIRLEY TEMPLE!!! WHAT A NUT AND WHAT A CUTIE! COULD YOU NOT JUST MELT AT THE SIGHT OF THAT FACE????

MORE GRANDKID PICS TO COME!!!

i know, i know....it's been a long time....tell me about it!

okay....so i haven't been blogging!!!...remember what i said about too tired??? too busy???...lousy, slow computer????
actually i don't have much today either, but just want to post about my Valentine's Day date with my sweetheart husband. he brought me a dozen red roses ... i tried to upload a pic of roses...and guess what....the computer won't let me today....so anyway....i got roses (beautiful) and we went to a town which is even MORE NORTH than Canton is! ...to Jasper to a chinese restaurant that had been recommended to me...and it was fabulous!!! who would guess that waaaayyy up there would be such a "gem"!!! it was reasonably priced and the food was fab!!! especially my entree...i ordered "prawn in a nest"....it was at least( i forgot to count) 10 huge shrimp in veggies and sauce in a "nest" of julienned potatoes.....oh my word....so fresh....it equaled the out of this world food we had in Costa Rica!!!!....so we now have a new favorite place!......................okay, i am done for today....gotta go to work...ugh!....actually it really isn't BAD work....scrapbooking....okay, i know, i am spoiled to get paid to do scrapbooking!!!

thanks for the comment!

Beth! thanks for your sweet comments!!! since i do not have your email...i will "post" you! ha.....can't wait to see you in Georgia!
Sandi

okay...i am still looking for the buffet picture...aren't i pathetic? but i am here to tell you, my computer really causes me grief...and i am convinced not all these problems are ME...it has to be the computer...it does crazy and unexpected things..honest!........yea! i got it! TADA!!!!........this is little Princess...presenting her buffet to her little guests at her party!! yum yum!.......this buffet was for those who were 4 ft and under....the taller buffet was in the kitchen...also YUM

I got 2 comments!

okay...well Hannah has commented twice...thank you sweetie....and Hollie once...thank you doll! ...okay...so not too many people read my blog..and i know....these two are family members...do they count? well YES! to me they do!......dare i expect more??? but i was just so excited to see 2 comments on Addie's party pics!!!........call me desperate!....i am!....i need encouragement on this blog thing! ha!

now i would like to insert a few pics, including Addie at her party introducing her BUFFET, as i had previously mentioned....and a few other pics you might find interesting...IF there is anyone out there even reading my stuff! :)

now...here is another pic of Peter...just wanted to make sure you see his tights....the next pic is of the 3 BFF's....McCauley on the left...calls me Nee Nee...she doesn't know my real name, I am sure, but that is OKAY! I love it!...the next pic is of Ava, contemplating over...i am not sure what...showing off her skirt!.......now i need to find the BUFFET...

I'm baaaack!

now this little lady represents all the darling children i teach in the Mommy and Me class...tho if you are a Mary Engelbreit fan, you will recognize her as one of Mary's creations...and it definitely is...just my rendition...Mary Englebreit is definitely an artistic inspiration to me and really epitomizes my love of color, brightness, laughter...and children.

Okay....i pretty much have to admit that i am going to be a boring, procrastinating blogger! i don't have enuf time, enuf energy, and enuf skill to be the greatest at this blogging thing....and i don't have a good computer that cooperates....i think those are pretty good reasons for "stinking" at blogging, don't you?

so today, on my day off, since i have a little spare time, tho i should be doing more constructive things...(sorry bloggers).........i will attempt to write something and show you something...today i have chosen to share more of my drawings of my boss and ....well...my boss! My two bosses! This one is of Crystal, the EVENTS COORDINATOR at our Michaels store here in Canton, Ga.....why, you say, do i draw an adult version of her, and a child version of myself???? welll....i don't know....perhaps the adult version of ME will be forthcoming.....Crystal is quite accomplished in her job...in fact....i think this is quite outstanding....our store....here in Canton...little ol Canton.....is NUMBER 6 in the NATION...yes, i said nation...for sales in our arts and crafts teaching department (...of which i am a member of, mind you).......Crystal is very innovative with programs including the Mommy and Me program she designed, and eventually hired me as one of the teachers...............so hats off to CRYSTAL!!! now the gentleman's picture is our store mangager...Jeff! he is the greatest, and a great and supportive boss!......he is from Pittsburgh and is a Steeler's fan! that makes Larry happy...and me too..yes, tho i don't really like many sports....i definitely will tell you i am a STEELER fan!!! yea...go black and gold!!!

well....there you have it, my update for now...