The Long Lost Author

Yep. That's me.

I have seriously neglected this blog. *hanging head in shame*

Life has taken me away but now I have returned. *outstretched arms*

Ok, enough theatrics :)

In all honesty you haven't missed much. My days have been thus... get up, take kids to school, stop toddler from destroying everything in sight (failing most of the time), keep up with household chores (failing miserably in the laundry dept.), pick-up kids from school, make dinner, go to work(night/graveyard shift), repeat...repeat....repeat.
I'm just trying to keep my head above water at this point.

Upcoming events in May:
School will be out in a few weeks and Kaitlin has a birthday this month. We'll enjoy a few days staying in a cabin at Mahoney State Park and doing recreational activities.

I just took the middle school tour with Braden this evening. He's very excited about being in an older school. I'm excited for a new chapter in his life.

----------flashback----------

I have fond memories of my middle school years which I spent in the Netherlands. At the time my parents we're in the Royal Air Force and we had been posted there for four years. I visited many different countries and cultures, learned to speak dutch, german and french, my classmates we're from 10 different nations, just to name a few experiences. You might say it was a unique and life changing time for me. I remain friends with all of my classmates to this day (20 years later), we have a bond that few people share.
*What a fantastic idea: Create an international school where children learn and grow by sharing and celebrating their differences. I can still sing the Japanese New Year song, word for word :)

When Kaitlin studied Anne Frank this year in school, I proudly told her that I have been inside the attic hideout. It was during a school field trip to Amsterdam after spending weeks learning about Anne and the persecution of the Jews.

--------fading out of flashback--------

Wow, sorry about that, i got carried away. I'm just feeling nostalgic.

SO...

My goal is to keep this blog updated. Check in on me from time to time.

Karen xx

Oh I almost forgot to tell you. I started another blog (my effort to become healthier). I enter logs about how things are going from day to day. I've been adding helpful information about foods and such while trying to stay inspired and committed to a better eating plan.

Stop by and see it anytime :)

www.123abetterme.blogspot.com or follow the link in the sidebar.

Blizzard

We've had a mild winter so far but I knew it had to end at some point. We received about a foot of snow and when the blizzard hit, it blew the snow everywhere. Some drifts we're as tall as the kids while others were waist high or knee deep. The kids enjoyed 3 days of no school.

Kaitlin was the driveway shoveling guru, she totally rocked :-D

Braden had fun diving over snow ditches with his guns, it was like a training exercise.

My snow boot for scale.

I think it's cool how the snow stayed put when the door was opened.

Looks like a white sand dune. I don't think Braden's feet are on the bottom of this one.

It was actually really cool to see the wind. Usally a person can hear and feel wind but the snow followed every twist and turn. Sometimes we even watched the snow take the form of a tornado as it whipped between the houses.

We found ourselves house bound but it was really nice for us to spend time together which has been a rare opportunity since I've started working nights. We enjoyed snuggling on the couch, all five of us squished together watching movies and eating popcorn.

Watch OneRepublic - Say (All I Need) on MTVMusic.com

Watch OneRepublic - Say (All I Need) on MTVMusic.com

Movie Review 19

Zed, a prehistoric would-be hunter, eats from a tree of forbidden fruit and is banished from his tribe, accompanied by Oh, a shy gatherer. On their travels, they meet biblical characters and reach the city of Sodom where their tribe is now enslaved. Zed and Oh are determined to rescue the women they love, Maya and Eema. Can an inept hunter and a smart but slender and diffident gatherer become heroes and make a difference?

An absolute waste of time, with offensive material intended to be funny. Written, directed and produced by Harold Ramis (egon in Ghostbusters) is tongue in cheek and slightly strange, bringing to mind the creations of Mel Brooks.

On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant and a redneck survivalist. In this alternate universe, the trio make friends with a primate named Chaka, their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures.

Typical Will Farrell film, this story was funny in parts but not as good as i had expected. Be prepared for silliness.


Wheelchair-bound WW2 bomber pilot Toby Jugg has a series of waking nightmares while recuperating in a remote Welsh mansion under the eye of sinister doctor Hal Burns. Jugg begins to suffer hallucinations, during which shadowy figures and crawling insects plague his mind. Are these brought on by the guilt of his destructive bombing raids over Dresden, or the strange behavior of Dr Burns which serves to increase his paranoia?

BBC produced psycological thriller. A creepy and strange story to be sure, adapted from the book 'the haunting of Toby Jugg'. The acting was good but definately had a creepy feel and the ending was unsatifying.

Movie Review 18

Connor Mead, a successful fashion photographer, goes to his younger brother's wedding to convince him not to marry. He arrives at his dead uncle's estate during the rehearsal the night before the wedding; he starts in, taking his brother aside, trashing marriage. Later in the men's room, his uncle, who taught Connor all he knows about women, appears to him and tells Connor that three ghosts will visit him that night: the ghosts of girlfriends past, present, and future. Can he learn anything from his life and fix what he's broken?

In typical Matthew fashion, this movie covers all the aspects of a romantic comedy. Nice story, a good watch.

Mike works at his parents' motel, he's sweet, but hapless, with no ambition. Sue sells art for a Baltimore firm, she's enigmatic - rarely smiling but occasionally impulsive, feeling the clock tick after a breakup with a boyfriend who could have provided security. Mike takes one look at her and determines to connect. Is there any way he stands a chance with her? What can he offer?

Steve Zahn is a good comedic actor and also has the ability to show geniune feelings through out his performance. I was really pulling for his character in this sweet and vulnerable story of two people trying to find something special. Worth every penny.


When high-powered book editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew, who she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another.

A perfect match of comedy and love. Sandra Bullock has such talent when using her body to create laughter. Another good romantic comedy that didn't disappoint.