I've been robbed!! And other news...

Hello again...Long time no talk my fellow bloggy pals. I am willing to take full responsibility for my lack of new content.

Life has been pretty crazy and my poor blog ended up taking the back burner for a while. I had (and still have) lots of ideas and great posts in the works but every time I sat down and tried to pound one out I was interrupted by a whining child or a phone call or some other situation that required my immediate and full attention. I give major props to Mommy bloggers who post new content daily because it is NOT easy!

First of all, my house got broken into. Yeah, you heard me right, someone came into my house and stole my shit. Not just my shit but my son's stuff too. How freakin' low can you go! The person left all my DVD'S, electronics, guns, everything that a normal, reasonable bandit would nab and took...wait for it...My sons god damn model cars. Now this may not sound like that big of a deal but it truly is. You see, my son is five years old and throughout the past few years we have been buying him a new model car for each holiday, etc. These models were all still in the boxes and he had about eight of them. Do you know how hard it is to get a five year old not to open the boxes and actually play with the cars!! They were collectables and they meant a lot to my son. So, this really ticked me off and I was ready to kill to put it mildly. They also took some other things including random tools and a hand saw from our shed. But it is the cars that got me. I mean stealing from me or the hubby is one thing, but stealing from a child, are you fuckin kidding me?!? So we checked the local pawn shops starting with the one at the top of our street. We know the owner pretty well so we went in and asked if someone had brought in model cars and what do we see sitting on the shelf? The saw! Well, the owner gave us some BS story and a fake name until we mentioned that they had stolen from our son. As soon as we said that the owner's girlfriend was like "They stole from your five year old son?!" and I told her about the cars.

Apparently, nobody can be trusted...

Well, she spilled the beans and told us that they had, in fact, bought the models off of someone and told us exactly who it was. Turns out the person(s) who broke in were people we knew VERY well and had actually considered friends. They knew my son, knew the models were his and how much they meant to him and still took them. It is all pretty pathetic on their part, really. After several failed attempts to get the people who did it to get the stuff back it looks like we are going to have to buy it back. Now you may be wondering why we didn't call the police, so let me tell you why. Speaking from past experience, the cops are pretty useless when it comes to your shit being stolen, especially if you do not have receipts to prove you purchased the merchandise in the first place. And I do not have the receipts for the cars so there is basically sweet-f**k-all that can be done on that front. So yeah, looks like getting our stuff back is going to cost us.

In other news, my washing machine is a piece of shit. So when I moved in to my house the washer and dryer was included already. It isn't a brand new, top of the line machine, it is a Maytag top loader, but it gets the job done. So on Sunday I threw a load in and then when I went back in to check if it was done the clothes were sitting in a machine full of water. Huh, I figured I had simply forgotten to turn it on or something so I turned it on and left. Went back to check and the machine was off again. What the eff? I asked my hubs if he shut off the machine and he said no. I knew he wouldn't have anyways because he stays as far away from the washer and dryer as possible. So I turned it back on and stayed there to see what was going on. Well, it worked for like 30 seconds then shut off. WTF!? I turned it on again...same thing. I did eventually get the load done but it took FOREVER because it kept stopping. Then once it got to the spin cycle it seemed to e working fine again so I left it at that.

This is the Maytag machine I have...

Fast forward to the next day. I throw a load in and go about my business. I go back to check and the washer is full of water but will not agitate, spin or drain. So I tried everything i could think of including changing the settings, redistributing the clothes, taking some out, checking the door latch, I even tripped the breaker in case that was the issue but no dice. So now the washer is full of water ad clothes and I can't even drain the damn thing. I am going to have to take the clothes out and ring them out by hand I guess, although the are still dirty so I don't know what I am going to do about that. And of course the load was all of our best clothes because that is just how my life goes. I called and emailed my landlord that day and still haven't heard back so I am more than a little miffed. Not to mention my laundry pile is growing larger by the hour. I am going to have to bring a few loads up to the MIL's house so I can have some clean clothes for my son for school, hubby for work and the baby. I am NOT impressed and it had better be fixed soon.

Speaking of broken things, my toilet is also screwed. I went to flush it the other day and heard a snap and the handle went jiggling and wouldn't flush. I lifted up the lid and saw that the chain had snapped. Not only that but it had been jimmy-rigged with a hair elastic before it broke so I am assuming it has broke before and this was the previous tenants solution. So now i have to take the lid off and stick my hand in the nasty water to flush the toilet because the chain is too short to fix it. On top of all that, my house is STILL infested with mice and it is getting out of control. They are multiplying faster then we can catch them and I hear them EVERYWHERE, all night long scratching and chewing. I am putting my foot down and my landlord is going to have to send in an exterminator because it is growing increasingly obvious that a few traps here and there just ain't gonna cut it.

Okay, maybe he isn't a "slumlord" but there is definitely room for improvement.

I am at my wits end with this place, seriously. I DO like the actual house but lately it has been one thing after another as far as problems. And truthfully, my landlord isn't really on top of the repairs. He is always trying to send the dude upstairs down to fix it or do it himself (Neither of which, by the way, are actual "repair men"). I am guessing this is because he is too stingy to pay to have it done right. Whatever, I am putting my foot down and shit is gonna have to start being done right or I am going to have to move, as much as I don't want to. A few minor things here and there is one thing but a mice infestation and major appliances dying left and right is quite another.

Okay, I am done my rant now. I feel much better after getting that off of my chest. Maybe I should just forward this post to my landlord.  On a lighter note...I have a super cool post coming up next. I am actually going to be posting it later on today, I just didn't want to add it on to this post because it is too good to mix with this rant. So, I am always surfing YouTube checking out new music videos and artists, looking for some new tunes to listen to. I love hip hop and frequently come across young artists who are trying to make a name for themselves in the industry. You know, you have all seen the comments on YouTube that are like "I am an aspiring rapper/singer/actor and I am trying to make a name for myself and reach my dreams. Please thumbs up this comment so more people can see it and help make my dreams come true..." or something along those lines. Most people ignore them, and I usually do to, but I came across a comment along those lines a while back and clicked on it out of curiosity. What I found was a talented young rapper who is trying to get noticed and gain a following on Youtube. I checked out a few of his tracks and was pleasantly surprised. So, to mix things up a bit I am going to do a bit of a feature on this rapper. It will be an interview and if you like hip hop I encourage you to check it out and give the kid a chance. Check back later for the full interview and more.  Lates!

Oh and please bear with me as far as pictures go. My camera is among the missing so I haven't been able to take any new pictures of anything for posts. I am hoping to find it but in the meantime I have to resort to using pictures that are already on my computer. Sorry!

Poetry Picnic: New Poetry Book "Mixed Up Musings Of A Broken Soul"

If you enjoy dark poetry based on real life experiences then I have the perfect thing for you:)

First, I want to say sorry that I haven't been posting as much as I usually do. I do have a few juicy posts in the works though. In the meantime I wanted drop by to tell you guys that I would LOVE it if you could take a minute out of your super busy Mommy lives to check out my book of poetry that I am working on. It is a work in progress so there are still many more poems that need to be added, however, there are presently about thirteen poems in it. It is a darker style of poetry based on topics such as life, addiction, personal struggles, despair and love. If you dig dark and haunting poetry as well as poetry based on real life experiences then I can guarantee you will enjoy reading it.

If you do stop by to check it out please leave me a comment letting me know what you think. Whether you liked it or not, if you could relate to it, what your first impression was, etc. I love hearing how people are affected by my poetry and it makes the writing process so much more worthwhile when you know you are reaching people on a personal and emotional level. I will still continue to post poems randomly on my blog but I thought it would be cool to have all my works together for those who enjoy reading poetry.

Well that's all for now. I will getting back to regular posting within the next week so bear with me. We have a few great posts coming up including a super cute and cheap Lollipop Flower Valentine tutorial, a few more OOTD'S and one I am especially excited for, a feature and interview with and up and coming rap artist.
In the meantime GO CHECK OUT MY POETRY BOOK HERE.

"I am forever is what she said...Lost in a dream that she never had." -Jennifer Rawlines

Poetry Picnic: The Wanderer

Okay, so as I said a few posts ago, I am going to start posting some of my poetry I have written over the years.

Poetry has always been a hobby of mine and a way to cope with different emotions and situations. The majority of my best work is from my high school days, probably as a result of all that teen angst, so that is when most of it was written. I will include the dates of when it was written on as many as I can. I am going to make it somewhat of a regular feature so you know I had to pick a catchy name for the title. So, without further adieu I present to you the first edition of my Poetry Picnic. This poem was written in 2004 when I was the tender age of 16. Enjoy:)

This picture from favim.com describes this poem perfectly

The Wanderer

Fear, Love, Pain, Denial,
Staring out the window through the eyes of a child.

Eyes full of fire, spirit gone wild
Wanting to run, the finish the mile.

Fought it, wanted it, lost it, gone.
End of flowers, End of song.

Stumbling, Falling, Moping Along.
A picture of pain so delicately drawn.

Won some, lost some, from high to low.
Seeds of ambition that we'll never sow.

To return I first must go,
You'll probably never even know.

Sinking, drowning, flailing, crying.
Through I'm living, somethings dying.

Gave up wanting, even trying.
Reached the stars, No, I'm lying.

Fought it, wanted it, lost it, gone.
A picture of pain so delicately drawn.

Been better yet best forgotten.
The fruits of life are bruised and rotten.

Waited outside to be brought in.
Left behind is all I've gotten.

Shouldn't, could have, didn't, don't.
Wished and wanted, now I don't

Always petted yet never stroked.
Screamed and yelled but never spoke.

The Latest Randomness Plus An OOTD...

I have been uber busy in the last few days and have been unable to blog daily as a result. 

I have a lot of little projects going on at once, including an upcoming feature for my blog that I am pretty psyched about. I am also trying to balance finishing up some other posts that are floating around my head, taking care of the kiddos including Nelly who is suffering from a bout of nasty diarrhea. She literally blew up on my couch this morning and no matter how hard i scrub there is still a faint odour of shit. Then there's getting Coder to and from school each day in the damn snow with no car. I still have yet to finish making the lollipop Valentine's for his kindergarten class, which I will also be posting a tutorial of. 

The kiddos have been a bit sick....Poor Nelly has the runs..oops TMI?

We just got another snow storm down yesterday and school was let out early on Friday. We have actually had a pretty mild winter so far but I have still had my fill of cold and snow. Spring can not come fast enough. I just find that I get so down and unmotivated in the winter months. The short days and lack of sunshine throw my system all out of whack. I feel like I am constantly trying to find new ways to keep my kids entertained as choruses of "I'm bored," ring out. I try to bring them out to play as much as possible but getting them all bundled up is such as hassle and usually results in the youngest whining that she is cold after twenty minutes. Or one of them needs to use the bathroom and I am forced to strip it all back off. I probably sound so negative right now and I am sure all those Mom's who spend hours doing outdoor activities with their families are probably tsk tsk-ing but it is the truth. We did make a few snowmen and manage to bring Coder skating on the pond at Centennial lately so the kids have had some outdoor fun this year so far. 

 All bundled up for a car ride to visit Nana and Pappy:)

 Another thing that has been keeping my occupied is that I have been looking into getting my GED or adult diploma lately. Pretty much everyone has heard of the G.E.D but another option many haven't heard of is the adult diploma. It is the equivalent of a regular high school diploma but it is for people                                                                                                                                                                                                                          who are 21 years old and up (to old for regular high school) and it only requires nine credits to graduate, as opposed to the usually twenty-something. You are only required to earn one credit in each basic subject including Science, Social Studies, Math, English, French, one Computer course and a few others I can't recall at the moment. My sister graduated high school via the adult diploma and is now working at a high paying law firm so it is definitely accepted as you high school equivalent at many places. The reason I want to do this is because i never graduated from high school and that is one of my biggest regrets ever. 

                                                                                         

I was several months pregnant when i stopped going and swore i would go back after the baby was born, but then i ended up spending all my time raising my son so I kept putting it off longer, then i got into drugs and what later blossomed into a full blown addiction and school was the last thing on my mind. However, now that i am clean and drug free, my son is in school and my daughter is older I feel it is the perfect time to go back to school. I sit home with the kids all day anyway as I am not working now so what do I have to lose? I know that Nanny Trites will watch Nelly while brother is in school if I can attend morning classes. I want to eventually go to college and pursue a real career once my children are older so some type of high school diploma is essential. Plus, the hubby  raduated and I want to set a good example for my children as well because their education is very important to me. Anywho, I am finished yapping now so I will leave you with my latest outfit of the day. Enjoy:)

OOTD: Plaid is RAD

Plaid Shirt- Urban Planet for 4$ (Regular 24.99$)

Black Low Cut Halter Top underneath- Urban Planet for 14.99$

Distressed Jeans- Urban Planet for 29.99$

Ugg-Style Boots- Giant Tiger for 12.99$

Wide Black Belt- Urban Planet for 5$

Black and Silver Necklace- Given to me by my sister

Brown Sunglasses- Dollarama for 2$

Messy ass house in the background- PRICELESS

Here is a closer looks at my belt and necklace (and boobs...oopsie)

Drop by tomorrow for the debut of my first poetry post. As I said before I plan on poster a series of poems written by me throughout my angsty teen years through to now. They have been collecting dust in a box until now so I decided to dust them off and share them with the world (Well, at least with the blog world). Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think after you read them (Keep in mind that many of them were written when I was at the tender age of sixteen so be easy on me.) The first will go live (I love the sound of that..."It goes live at six..." I feel like a real reporter or something when I say it that way...It sounds much more exciting, AmIRight?) Later Peeps:)

Jumping on The Wiggles Drama Bandwagon!

With parents everywhere in an uproar over Sam Moran's dismissal from the children entertainment super group The Wiggles, I decided I may as well throw my opinion out there as well.

Normally, I could care less about something like this and would certainly not bother posting about it, however, I have been reading about it on every webpage I visit so I feel inclined to join the masses. I have actually brought my son to see The Wiggles in concert live in our hometown in New Brunswick, Canada a few years ago. Now, I would never pay fifty bucks for tickets to a children's show and I certainly didn't make an exception for The Wiggles. It happened like this: I was doing some shopping with my children at Giant Tiger on the same day that our local radio station happened to be doing a live, in-store show about the that weeks sales or whatever. I saw the radio guy at his booth doing his thing and pointed him out to my son because it was kind of neat seeing him talking into a mic and then hearing him on the radio over the loudspeaker at the same time.

As we were walking away, the dude called after me and asked if my children liked The Wiggles. Truthfully, they didn't even really like them much at the time but, sensing he was about to give us something, I said yes anyways. Sure enough, he gave me four tickets to the Wiggles show that was happening the following week. As I was thanking him a passing mother overheard and quickly pounced him asking if he had anymore. He said that he didn't and that he had only brought four of them. Sensing that things were about to get ugly I began to hightail it out of there before I got rolled by some crazed mom for my Wiggles tickets. Sure enough, as I took one last look over my shoulder on the way out the door, this poor radio DJ was now surrounded by a hoard of Wiggles crazed mothers and crying snot-nosed kids demanding that they too should get free tickets. I am only lucky that I managed to escape unscathed. So, that my friends,  is how we ended up with four tickets to the Wiggles.

At the Wiggles live show...It was chaos!

My daughter was too young at the time to attend the show and hubby looked less-than-thrilled when I asked him to come with us, so instead I invited the Hubby's sister and her son (who was the same age as Coder) to join us instead. Needless to say, the kids loved it, but my god it was the longest show of my life. Seriously, by the 25th song I wanted to veer off a cliff at high speeds. I will give them props though, The Wiggles sure know how to work a crowd. My son, like every other child in the place, was absolutely memorized.  I, on the other hand,  couldn't help but find the concept of grown men in skin tight bodysuits, singing for children, a tad creepy. But if it kept them entertained (and quiet) for a while, then who was I to judge? At the time I didn't know their names or that the yellow one wasn't one of the original members. I actually recall Googling them when I got home from the show later that evening to find out the back story on these four dude dancing in their colorful skivvies.


Coder still watches the Wiggles from time to time, usually when there is nothing else on TV that interests him, but he never really got hooked on them like many other kids have. And thank God for that because I probably would have lost my shit after one week of listening to "Fruit Salad"...Anyways, when The Wiggles faces and names kept popping up all over the net yesterday I finally gave in and Googled it to see what the eff the big deal was. Now, from what I gather, everyone is in a huff because Sam Moran, the Yellow Wiggle  (Thank you, Google) has been dropped from the gig because one of the original founding members (and the original Yellow Wiggle) who had been unable to perform for several years due to health issues, now wants to return to the limelight. From what I have gathered, Sam was Greg's understudy for some time and when Greg fell ill and was unable to perform Sam was hired to stand in for him for an undetermined amount of time. I also read that many people aren't angry simply because he was let go but because they feel he was treated unfairly in the process. So, let us look at the facts before I give you my final conclusion.

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The Wiggles FAQ:

• The Wiggles were formed  when Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Greg Page met while studying Early Childhood Education at Sydney's Macquarie University. They began writing children's songs as a music project. They enlisted the assistance of Jeff Fatt, who played with Anthony in the popular 1980's band The Cockroaches, and The Wiggles were born. The Wiggles took the finished tape to ABC Music, who released a self-titled album in 1991. MORE INFO...
• Sam Moran, the understudy of the original yellow Wiggle, Greg Page, was hired to fill in for him. He has worked for The Wiggles for almost ten years, fulfilling his role as Greg's replacement in the public eye for five of those years.
• Sam was payed an annual salary of around 200 000$ during his time performing as the Yellow dude. 
• Sam was let go with no prior warning because Greg, the original, has decided he is ready to return to the limelight.
• Sam was payed a reported $60 000 bonus upon leaving. He will also recieve approxamately 60 000- 100 000$ per year in royalties.
• During an interview on National TV regarding Sam's departure, Anthony Field, the blue Wiggle, dismissed Sam as being nothing more than a "hired hand"
• While The Wiggles brought in approximately 28.2 million in 2011 alone, Sam was forced to accept less than 1% of that upon being dismissed.
• He received no notice in advance of Greg's return or his dismissal.
• Sam Moran has only wrote three songs out of all the Wiggles songs.

Now, I sort of have mixed feelings on this situation...

In regards to them letting Sam go in favor of Greg's return I feel as though Sam knew going in what the role of an understudy entailed.  He understood that he would only perform as a replacement in the event that Greg was unable to for one reason or another. It doesn't matter if it was for one week, one year or five years, an understudy is still an understudy. He obviously would have signed a contract upon entering into the position and was obviously aware the fact that he was only being hired on the basis that Greg had fallen ill. Yes, it was an awesome opportunity, but it was based solely on the fact that the ORIGINAL member was unable to perform for one reason or another. He got a chance that none of the other understudy's got and should be grateful for that.

Yellow Wiggle Sam Moran has been Greg's replacement for five years.

However, as with any job, the bottom line is that business is business. Greg was one of the founding members of The Wiggles; Sam was not. Sam did not create the Wiggles in any way, shape or form. He was simply an employer. Yes, he did a fantastic job and was brilliant on stage, but he did not help to create the franchise and was not there since the beginning. Being great at your job does not put you on the same level as the business owner. I think that 200 000$ is a great annual income considering that he went into the position as an understudy knowing that he may not get a chance to perform at all. He should be thankful that he was given the opportunity in the first place and I am sure that he is. Many people would love to have an opportunity like that including the other three understudy's, yet they didn't. As far as the 60 000$ goes, that was simply a bonus and a fair one in my opinion. Most people don't get the equivalent of four months pay upon being let go. It is unrealistic to expect him to receive a lions share of the profits when he was not the creator or owner of the business. I do not think that he can take the sole credit for their success. I think he did a great job and was loved by many children, but that never stopped it from being a business agreement. Also, do not forget that he will also be entitled to royalties of anywhere between 60 000$ to 100 000$ per year. During his run as the yellow Wiggle he has grossed at least a cool million dollars. That is more than generous for a position he probably never would have gotten had the original member not fallen ill. It is business, he entered into a contract and I do not believe that anything illegal has been done. I think that they are right to welcome the original member back with open arms. He was part of the original vision and without his contribution the Wiggles may not have came to be.

 Now, with that out of the way I will say I do agree that they could have handled the publicity end of the whole situation a bit better. They didn't come off very well in the interviews and it most definitely didn't help their cause. Anthony Fields came off as ill-prepared for the question and looked like a deer in headlights, basically dismissing Sam as simply an employee who has come to the end of his contract. He claims that he has not spoke to Sam since and doesn't know how he is taking the news, and that they were going to leave it at that. It all came off as rather cold to me and I can definitely understand how people may have taken it the wrong way. To view the full interview CLICK HERE. With all of their millions you would think that their PR person would have sat them down and briefed them on how to answer questions regarding Sam's dismissal in a classier manner. I can see why their responses would have rubbed a few parents the wrong way.

Sam taking a stroll just a few days after being let go...

I also agree with others who have stated that a couple members are getting up their age wise (pushing sixty!) and that they should be giving to some thought to the future of the Wiggles. As they years pass it will be harder and harder for them to jump around on stage and have the energy necessary for the gig. They should be starting to plan ahead and line up some replacement Wiggles for the next few years. Sam was a bit younger and did seem to have a lot of energy so hopefully they will keep him in mind for the future of the Wiggles. Other people have suggested adding Sam as a fifth member, but I can see why they would be hesitant to do that. They Wiggles rose to success as a foursome and all of their skits and shows are based on that foursome. Throw in a fifth member and it throws it all off. Why mess with a good thing?

In regards to the claim that the children will all be devastated by the change...Yeah,  I don't think that is going to be much of an issue. Kids adapt very well to change and truthfully I don't think my son would even notice that it is a different man playing the Yellow Wiggle. Most children are just down for the singing and dancing, they don't really give much thought to the "man behind the mask," so to say. As for parents claiming that they are boycotting The Wiggles and refusing to let their children watch it anymore: You are being RIDICULOUS!. Your kids don't give two shits about all of the politics!! They don't care about what goes on behind the scenes. They just want to watch four colorful dudes sing, dance and drive around in the Big Red Car!!

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All in all, I think that Sam should just be thankful for the time he was given with The Wiggles, the opportunity to travel around the world and bring joy to children. He brought in over a million dollars during his stint as the Yellow wiggles and I am sure that this will open many doors for him in the future. He seems to be handling it very well and I am sure he will enjoy the chance to spend time with his wife and child after touring around the world for several years. The public is taking this much harder then he appears to be and it is quite silly. Business is business, that's the way the cookies crumbles, C'est La Vie and all that jazz. As for Greg, I am sure it feels great to be back and I think that he will also do a fine job!

Greg Page, the original Yellow Wiggle, is probably thrilled to be back...

So, what are your guy's opinions on The Wiggles situation? Do you think they could have handled it better or do you think they were fair? Should Greg be able to come back after all that time away or should he just accept that he is getting older and that Sam has been doing a great job in his absence? Please share...