Animated Films

Z is going to be 2 this week. For him this is the age that he first started to become interested in movies and calling characters by name. The only movie he really owned though was Madagascar which he got for Christmas last year, and after watching it nearly everyday for weeks I made a desperate phone call to my parents telling them to round up my old VHS tapes and bring them on down. I told them anything that was not a princess theme would do.

I remember my favorite movie when I was growing up was The Little Mermaid. I watched it over and over until I had it memorized. Even though I haven’t watched it since childhood, I can still recite the first scene by heart.

“A strong fine wind and a following sea, King Triton must be in a friendly type mood”
“King Tritan?”
“Why ruler of the merpeople lad. Thought every good sailor knew about him …"

Can you believe it's been 20 years since the Little Mermaid came out!? A lot about children's movies has changed in that time. The characters no longer break out into song like they did back in the day (i.e.: a whole new world… don’t you dare close your eyes… a dazzling place I never knew) . Also almost all animated films are computer generated now, and more and more or even 3-D although I think the 3-D part is just a fad. One thing that doesn’t change though is the child’s desire to watch these movies OVER and OVER. This means that I have been watching them over and over. So if you don’t mind humoring me for a bit, this week I am going to share my take on some of the children’s movies new and old that have become a part of my daily routine yet again.

The First Trimester

The first trimester is officially over. The above photo was taken at 12 weeks and I am at 14 weeks now and grown a little since then. I am wearing one of J's shirts because I thought it would be neat to see how/if it fits in the end.

When I had my first check up they bumped my due date up to February 27, 2010 according to sonogram measurements, but my personal calculations were for March 7. I am guessing it will be inbetween the two. Put me down for March 4th. Feel free to make your own birth date guesses and let me know what you think.* I can't promise any prizes, but how about some personal satisfaction? Or if you are right maybe a little public acknowledgement of the one who guessed closest. Oh this is only the beginning, we still have to guess what gender, how much the baby will weigh, and whether or not I will have any brain cells left at the end of this pregnancy. Ah, let the games begins.

Speaking of guessing the gender I really am unsure. With Z I felt like I KNEW he was a boy, and I was right. This time I vacillate. I just took a little online gender prediction quiz. Not that I take that kind of thing seriously, but what really cracked me up is that my result said boy, and at the top the results read "50% chance you are having a boy"

Wow! It is amazing how accurately they can determine these things. I would have never thought I had a 50/50 chance. Well I guess we should find out either way in October.

Though I may have had some complaints overall it was a really good first trimester, but I am open to this next one being even better.




*A couple tidbits that could be helpful for the birth date guessing game: My mom had 4 babies and they all came late. I have only had one so far and he was a week early. I would love to hear what happened with your pregnancies. Early? Late? Induced? Any one have a baby on the due date?

Top 5 Complaints

I don't like to be a whiner, but sometimes you just have to let it all out. Like nurmisur commented when I announced the pregnancy

"Good thing about having blog is that you can complain about morning sickness, cramps, and the whole thing as much as you want"

So I am going to take her up on that and list my top 5 pregnancy complaints for the first trimester.

1. Obviously nausea is a biggie. So far no actual vomiting unlike my last pregnancy. I still feel really sick though if I haven't eaten in a few hours, and then it's hard to find something I actually feel like eating. Oh, and then there is brushing the teeth and flossing, talk about a gag fest.

2. I am really in between clothes right now. I am definitely out of my regular clothes, but the maternity clothes are still too big. I have a few items that I wear over and over at this time.

3. No one likes having to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. Maybe it's not that bad, but it feels like it, especially at night.

4. Speaking of night, I am still having those weird dreams. They range from bizarre dreams to night mares. Sometimes they startle me and I will wake up gasping. Needless to say between that and the ongoing emptying of the bladder I get very little sleep.

5. I have saved the strangest for last. I have struggled with having headaches during this pregnancy, but mostly when I am on Facebook. I know it sounds crazy, but I guess it's the small photos, combined with scrolling and reading. I can't do it anymore. I have to read slowly then stop and scroll down. 'Scrolling" linked with nausea. I guess that is not a pregnancy symptom of our ancestors.

My First Prenatal Checkup

There have been a vast number of differences between this pregnancy and the last. Not so much physical, but more emotional. The first time I got a positive pregnancy test (with Z) it was followed up with probably 10 more tests! I just couldn't believe it and I wanted to be sure. I took tests all throughout the first trimester. This time I took ONE. That's it. No further confirmation needed. I knew the routine.

I felt connected to the baby early on last time. Not all in a good way, some of it was fear and concern of loosing the baby. I was constantly thinking and dreaming about the baby. This time I would often forget that I was pregnant and have to remind myself to pray for this little one that is on the way.

Last pregnancy I wanted my midwife to see me RIGHT AWAY! I went in at about 6 weeks. I couldn't even imagine waiting another month to be seen, it would have driven me crazy. This time I waited till 11 weeks. Of course I was happy to be pregnant, but I began to wonder when it would really sink in that I am having another baby. My question was answered the day I had my first prenatal checkup.

I was hoping just to hear the heartbeat, but when we were offered a sonogram I was thrilled. The moment I saw that little baby moving around on the screen I felt like time stopped. I have seen many sonograms before, but for me that was the moment I connected with this baby. I tried to hold back the tears. It was unbelievable, just seeing the tiny being and knowing that before too long I will be holding a son or daughter that will change my life forever, and already has.


This was followed by hearing the heartbeat on doppler, which for an already emotionally charged pregnant woman was just another tear jerker moment. J recorded it on his iphone and we got copies of the sonogram photos to take with us, one of which is hanging on the fridge.

I am so excited about finding out what the gender is, and feeling movement. I am even excited about giving birth, believe it or not. It might still be months away, but I am getting to the point in life where you begin to realize that it truly does go by in the blink of an eye.

Look Back and Laugh: That Came Out Wrong

I am notorious for saying things the wrong way. Let's just start this story with the fact that I have always had a heart to adopt. I hope that someday we will be able to adopt some children and I have always been open to having a biracial family. Who knows, we'll see what God has in store.

One time I was having a conversation with an acquaintance and we were talking about family and children. I told her that I was up for adoption. Then I had to correct myself "I" am not up for adoption. Being in my mid 20's that would be weird. I guess I should l have said that I am interested in the possibility of adopting.

So then today I was at the park with my little family and J commented on a cute little black baby that was playing nearby. I said "you know we might end up having one those." He looked at me in my maternity shirt and said "a little black baby?"

"Well not this time." I replied and then it hit me how that could really be taken the wrong way! Yeah, if I end up giving birth to a little black baby then we have a problem on are hands. Obviously I meant that we may one day be blessed with a black baby through adopting. J knew what I meant, he just likes to give me a hard time. Ugh!

Maternity Update

When my friend Amy commented on my post "bun in the oven" which announced this pregnancy she asked "Will you do a totsite like before, or will you put all your details on here?" Which is actually a really good question and something I have had to put a lot of thought into.

Totsite is a website where you can customize your own webpage for your baby. It's really easy to use and similar to a blog, but has layouts, polls, and growth charts etc. that are specifically designed for children. I started my totsite as soon as I found out I was pregnant and have faithfully updated with photos, videos, and journal entries for the past 2 1/2 years. As previously stated when I shared 25 random facts about me I am really into documenting everything. The problem is a few things have changed since I started the totsite and I am not sure that I want to keep up with it for this baby on the way. Here are some of my reasons.

1. When I started the totsite I didn't have a facebook and neither did everyone and their mother. Before that the totsite was a great way to keep family and friends updated on all the latest milestones, but now I can just post in on Facebook and BOOM! half the world has been notified.

2. When you do the free version of totsite you run out of space frequently and have to delete all the old postings. This is frustrating to me, I want to be able to go back and look at it at anytime.

3. When I started the tosite I did not have a blog. Having to update a blog, facebook, and totsite is a bit overwhelming. I know, I know, what a major life delimma.

With that being said I want to cherish the memories of this baby just as much as I did with Z. I have decided to let the totsite go, BUT I am going to do updates once a month on here with all the latest details of this pregnancy and birth. A lot has happened since we made our announcement a month ago and I am sure that there is a lot more to come!

The Rest of Our Guests

We have had quite the variety of house guest over the past couple of weeks. Besides Seabird, we also had one of J's former college roommates visit on his way to and from Puerto Rico. He is now married with two kids, they are all latino (Puerto Rican and Mexican).

It was great meeting his family. They all have beautiful unique names that are hard for me to pronounce because I don't speak Spanish. Unfortunately even after they spent 3 days with us I never did figure out how to pronounce one of the names. She was a baby though so it was a little easier for me to get away without saying it.

The next person to stop by for the night was a dear friend of mine who lives in Michigan. I think some of our earliest bonding moments where spent sharing stories while having a pint... of Ben and Jerry's of course. Earlier that week I just happened to find some $1 tear off coupons at a gas station which came in handy when my Michigan friend was here. I passed out one coupon to everyone and 5 of us piled in the car after dinner and went down to H.E.B. to pick out our favorite flavor. It was a good time.


The last 2 of the 11 out of town guests that we had this month were my mom and dad. My dad comes in on business trips sometimes and he stays with us. My mom flies for free so she came down too. They actually bought another used Volvo while they were here. This will be the replacement for the one that just recently flooded.

Of course Z got spoiled by his grandparents. We did all kinds of fun stuff like the Choo Choo Station and Rain Forest Cafe' at Grapevine Mills.

That pretty much sums up all the visitors that we have had over the past couple weeks. The air mattresses have been deflated and things are pretty mellow around here now, for the most part. However, let us know if you are ever in the DFW area and need a place to stay. Our door is always open!



Photos top to bottom:
Z with our friend from New Mexico
Me and my Michigan friend with our Ben & Jerry's which we did NOT finish
Z and his "Pepae" at the Choo Choo Station

Seabird

On Monday I shared about how we had eleven people at our home over the past two weeks. The first set of guest arrived when my brother who lives in Cincinnati OH called to see if the band he is touring with could stay with us in between traveling from Tulsa OK to Houston TX. I rarely get to see my brother and welcomed the impromptu visit. 

It's a pretty cool gig that he has going right now. It's not like this is just some High School garage band, although he's my brother and I would still be proud of him if that were the case. The band is called Seabird. Their last CD is called 'Til We See the Shore and some of the songs have been played on shows like Numb3rs and Grey's Anatomy. They also had a song that was featured in the promo for Pushing Daisies.

The thing about having musicians staying with you is that they have really odd sleep schedules, which being pregnant I can relate to. The night they stayed with us I was lying awake at 4:30 in the morning feeling like I am about to starve to death until I finally cave in and make my way out to the kitchen only to find that someone is already out there working on their laptop. So I stand there in the doorway with my eyes still adjusting trying to figure out if it is my brother that is sitting in my kitchen in the dark with his shirt off or someone else. After a few moments of staring I realize it is not my brother, so I apologize and quickly explain with minimal amount of words that I am pregnant and hungry. Then I grabbed some crackers and granola bars from the pantry and quickly retreated back to the bedroom. 

The next day they were off on the road again and I saw them in concert a few nights later which was fun. If you haven't heard them already, I totally recommend checking them out. They are a great band, with a great sound, and I can say after having spent the evening with them that they are all very down to earth. 

The photo above is of my brother playing at The Prophet Bar in Dallas.

Look Back and Laugh: Minimal Sleepwear

Although I wish I could, I doubt I will ever forget the time I had to borrow pajamas from a friend. I was a freshman in high school at the time. I was hanging out with my friend at her house when we both spontaneously decided we didn't want the fun to end and that I should just just spend the night. Since it was an unplanned sleepover I had not brought any pajamas, but she told me I could borrow hers. Normally I wouldn't think anything of this, but it turns out that she liked to sleep in a t-shirt ONLY and assumed I would be comfortable doing the same.

Even that might not sound like a huge deal, but the t-shirt wasn't the length of a typical night gown. It was barely enough coverage for my rear. To make matters worse she had planned on watching movies and sleeping in the living room that night, so the possibility of her dad or older brother being present was there. In the end nothing particularly mortifying ever happened, but sometimes just the thought or potential is bad enough.

Hospitality

In the past 9 years of our marriage we have had very few overnight house guests other than my parents. For the first few years we lived in a teeny tiny one bedroom apartment. Now we have a house, but it is still a work in progress and not the most favorable circumstances for company. This is why we were a bit of a state of shock to have had ELEVEN different people stay at our house over the past two weeks.

This wasn't planned in advance... AT ALL, but luckily they didn't come all at together or all at once. It was 4 different sets of friends and family and although their were some crazy moments along the way it was a welcome challenge, and a great opportunity to flex my domestic muscles. I scrubbed the bath tub with passion. I scrabbled to find enough sheets and pillows for everyone. I cooked for 6 people rather than our usual two and a half and I tried to put my most hospitable foot forward.

It's been a pretty full house up until this morning. My mom was the last one to leave and she flew back to Kentucky at 7:00 am. It feels like an empty nest compared to what it has been like the past couple weeks. Now I guess it's time to get back to life as usual, whatever that means.

Blogiversary Poem Part 5

Week 46 was the middle of the year so that is what I talked about
Men say the darndest things was dealing with the issue of foot in mouth

I ate 27 chocolates leading up to my birthday, such a bad case of munchies
The next week was 4th of July and I shared about a love for my country

It’s summer and that means it’s time again for the good ol’ VBS
Then I did some video blogs and showed how much my shoes are a mess

For J’s birthday I gave him a hard time, but it all ended in love and
Then for the last post of the year I announced my bun in the oven

Add this to part 1, 2, 3, & 4 and that's it. That is all 52 weeks of blog topics from my first year of blogging. I have a whole lot more in store, but of course I ALWAYS want to hear from you. Any ideas, links, likes, or dislikes. I would love to see this thing grow into a community, until then I know all of you lurkers and anonymous readers are out there and I appreciate you all and thanks for sticking with me. Every once in a while I find out about another one and it keeps me going. This past year of blogging over all has been positive and taught me a lot. I guess it's time for round two.

Blogiversary Poem Part 4

If you are just joining in, this is part 4 of a silly poem I have written. Each week on The Messy Mom I talk about a different topic. I just reached the one year mark and this week I am going over all 52 topics that were discussed on here last year complete with links and photos.

Week 33 was a lucky one I did my very first blog giveaway
Then it was time for spring cleaning all work and no play

We talked about the mom appeal a trend that is growing fast
In week 36 it was a lot of fun introducing you to my cast

Money Money Money ended up being the next week’s theme
Followed by a week long topic of the messy mom goes green

Week 39 I watched 6 kids, probably my biggest challenge yet

Then on week 40 we to a look at some super stars of the internet

For Season final week we talked about some favorite shows of ours
Then belly dancing, line dancing, and dancing with the stars

Z had some big adventures in the busy month off May
After that I did another thrift show getting ready for summer days

Blogiversary Poem Part 3

If you are just joining in this is part 3 of a silly poem I have written. Each week on The Messy Mom I talk about a different topic. I just reached the one year mark and this week I am going over all 52 topics that were discussed on here last year complete with links and photos.

I began this year reflecting on the news worthy parts of 2008
Then I looked back at my life last year like some of our travels to other states

Week 25 was all about music finally a chance to get into the groove
Then week 26 I remodeled my blog, I guess I was desperate for something new

There are some weeks when Dr. Mom is the role that I am forced to play
Week 28 was random facts and I shared a few different ones each day

Subcultures of all kinds was the topic that we touched on next
Then we talked about true gal pals, the ones we feel we know the best

Week 31 was a doozie, probably one of the worst weeks ever
The next we talked about weddings, and some ideas I thought were clever

Blogiversary Poem Part 2

If you are just joining in this is part 2 of a silly poem I have written. Each week on The Messy Mom I talk about a different topic. I just reached the one year mark and this week I am going over all 52 topics that were discussed on here last year complete with links and photos.

Week 11 was healthy eating, which didn’t last, but was worth the try.
Then came a series on a missing shoe which I eventually found like a private i.

Week 13 hit at the end of October this was when the fall fun began

Then I discussed motherhood and the things I have come to know first hand

I shared a week long love story of how I met my husband of 8 years

Then I tackled technology and confessed some of my texting fears

The food topic came around Thanksgiving that was on week seventeen

After that I talked about anything BUT Christmas and took defensive driving

I couldn’t avoid it any longer and I started bringing on the Christmas Cheer
Then I talked about the Christmas traditions that my family enjoys year after year

It was still December so the theme continued with memories of Christmases past

Then I shared about Christmas ’08 which seemed to go by oh so fast.

Blogiversary Poem Part 1

At first I didn’t know what I was doing,
I just logged into blogger and started to write

Week 2 was the “Restless Night Syndrome”
and finally got Z to sleep through the night

The 3rd week was my bio in a nutshell
sharing different stories from each stage of life


Then week 4 was the kitchen chronicles,
that's me in the kitchen both the joy and the strife


In the beginning of September we talked about birthdays
this is when baby Z turned one

The week 6 topic took us on quite a journey
with all kinds of crazy natural childbirth fun

Then Week 7 was titled “the call of Coupons”
and I shared my best money saving tips


Next week was the TV challenge
it was premiere week on the tele so I just went with it

I talked about old cars and the good times van
this topic hit at about week nine

Then I was ready to make my mark
with a fashion show using strictly thrift store finds.

The Messy Mom Turns One

I really can not believe that I have been writing on this site for over a year now. My first entry was August 7, 2008 and I started off with this short list of things I wanted to offer through my blog postings.

1. ENCOURAGEMENT
Through the good and the bad it is encouraging to know that there are people out there going through the same thing.

2. HUMOR
I never take myself too seriously. I am a self proclaimed sit down comedian

3. IDEAS
Tips tricks and advice on things from everyday life ☺

4. PHOTOS
I am a photographer so I cannot help but have VISUALS!

5. A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
We can all benefit from hearing from a point of view different than our own.

If nothing else has come from this venture I can at least look back at this point and say to myself "I did it". I said I wanted to write and share these 5 things with the world and for better or for worse, typos, bloopers, brain farts and all, I did it.

To commemorate this special occasion I am going to take this week to look back at the 52 topics I have written about over the past year. Check back tomorrow because I am really excited about this trip down memory lane and because I just can't keep it simple there is going to be a twist!

News Week

My plan for this week was to get caught up on all the latest happenings in the news stream and do my own assessment of it all. I watched a little bit of news, and read some articles on line, but my last two blogs probably indicate where my mind has really been.

There is a part of me that doesn't want to be the typical american that is oblivious to what is happening outside of their own little suburb. So I do my best become the studious philosophical type that is well informed on the global affairs and political matters, but the moment I think I can pull it off my son gets in front of the TV singing "I like to move it, move it" or I get a call from my brother saying that his band is in town and wants to crash at our place. Then I start thinking about more serious matters *like my dad being in the hospital for a possible heart attack, or my son's upcoming eye surgery.

These aren't just random scenario's that I made up, it's just a little glimpse at the the type of week I've had. These are the newsreels that surround my everyday life. So I might feel kind of out of touch when it comes to current events, but my main focus is going to be my family and community. Those are the headlining stories that matter to me the most right now. Not to say that I don't want to be aware of what is going on in the world, but I think I'm okay with the snip-its of news that I get in passing. For example did you hear about the 500 pound Houston inmate that successfully snuck a gun into prison by hiding it in his fat rolls? That's Texas for ya.



* My dad was in the hospital overnight this past Thursday being evaluated for symptoms of a heart attack, but Praise God he is healthy and everything is fine. As far as Z's surgery he has a pre operation appointment coming up next week and the surgery which we scheduled a couple days ago isn't until the end of September.

Goodbye Friend

A couple days ago I talked about the torrential rains that struck Louisville and my mom's car was stranded in a flooded parking garage. It is true that it was my mom's car, but it actually used to be my car.

It was 2001 when I bought my first car. I remember it being a cold night right before Christmas when the dealership gave me the keys to the 1992 Volvo 240. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was still an upgrade for me and I was ecstatic about my purchase. I was a waitress at the time and worked hard every month to pay over and above what the minimum monthly payment was until it was entirely paid off. It was a pretty smooth ride the first few years, but then it started to break down and it felt like we were constantly having it worked on. Eventually the air conditioner went out, the stereo no longer worked, part of the trim fell off the door, and the bumper started to droop down on one side. What was my pride and joy was quickly becoming a piece of junk.

In April of 2008 my mom and I were in a roll over accident in her car which was then totaled and she was left with nothing. By that time I was no longer driving the Volvo so I gave it to her. It wasn't the most regal ride, but it was a way to get from A to B. So for the past year and a half she has driven it. Then today my mom got a phone call from the mechanic giving the official report that the old Volvo 240 was dead and gone for good. Cause of death; drowning in a natural disaster. They said it can't even be used for parts due to all of the water damage. We expected to hear that, but it was still kind of a Marley and Me moment. I think this quote by John Grogan taken from the end of the book sums it up:

“You know all that stuff we’ve always said about you?” I whispered. “What a total pain you are? Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it for a minute, Marley.” He needed to know that, and something more, too. There was something I had never told him, that no one ever had. I wanted him to hear it before he went.
“Marley,” I said. “You are a great dog.”"


The same goes for the old Volvo, we might not have always said it, but it was a great car.



The photo above is of the old Volvo and that is a friend of ours that is leaning against it.

News Reports And Prayer Requests

We hear stories all the time that don't effect us and don't seem real to us until the story becomes a part of our life. The truth is, I have done a crummy job at catching up on the news this week. I hadn't really watched any at all, but yesterday my dad called with a weather related story that involved my family.

Louisville Kentucky received record breaking rain yesterday. Over 6 inches fell in just one hour causing severe flash flooding. Luckily there were no deaths or severe injuries although the list of damages goes on and on!

There have been a reported 20,000 people without electricity and 700 power lines down.

The lower level of the Louisville Library is under water causing an estimated 1 million dollars of damage.


The Kentucky Derby Museum was hit and historical memorabilia quickly became submerged in the floods.

Emergancy workers rescued nearly 200 people from the tops of cars and houses as the waters rose too quickly for them to escape.

Animals were evacuated from the local shelter where some kittens and dog had drowned.

I would be the first one to browse over these statics and say "oh my, that's a lot of rain" and move on. However, in this case my mom was working at the Louisville airport with her car in the lower level of the parking garage. When she went out to check on it the lot was already closed off. It was too dangerous to allow people to enter. Cars were floating around hitting each other. This happened the week after they had found out that the transmission was out on their other car. My dad was working out of town so my mom stayed at a hotel last night and went back into work today. Of course tensions are high as many peoples flights have been delayed or canceled and my mom said that on two different occasions customers drove her to tears. People can be so cruel, they have to take their frustrations out on someone so they go off on a ticketing agent, when not only is it out of her control, but she just lost her only vehicle, never even got to go home, and then put on happy face to go back to serving customers in the morning!

Please prayer for my parents. There is always insurance, but the car is old and not worth anything. It was towed off today and I should have more details tomorrow.



photo from USA Today

Look Back and Laugh: Jon Stewart

This isn't really a "look back and laugh" story, which is where every Tuesday I share a funny or embarrassing moment from the past. However, since I am talking about the news this week I thought I would highlight some of the more comedic sides of journalism. I think news/politics in general have become such a BIG part of our culture, that eventually SNL's weekend update wasn't enough and someone had to come along and point out with even greater sarcasm just how ridiculous the news media can be at times, and that is where Jon Stewart comes in.

My oldest brother has been on an Arrested Development kick lately and keeps calling me to reminisce about old episodes.

I guess he just wants someone to laugh with which is fine since I am an Arrested Development fan, but the show hasn't been on in years, so I asked him what the deal was and he said he found out he can watch each episode on Hulu.com. I related because my Hulu guilty pleasure is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. My brother was shocked that I would watch that show and warned me not to tell our parents. "Why?" I asked, "Because it's liberal or crude?"

That being said, I don't condone a lot of the content on the Daily show, and honestly I have only seen a handful of episodes, and with my recent TV fast I hadn't watched any at all. What I can tell you though is while I may not be a Jon Stewart lover the episodes that I have seen of The Daily Show crack me up, and have given me a lot of insight to how much the media can blow things out of proportion. I think the whole point of the show is that not EVERYTHING has to be a crisis and sometimes we just have to laugh at ourselves, which I think I have become kind of good at.

The News

When the television signal switched to digital back in June I decided to start fasting TV. It's been easier and more rewarding than I ever thought. However sometimes I do feel just a little out of touch with what is going on in the world. Usually I find out about newsworthy events by peoples Facebook comments. That is how I heard about all the celebrity deaths that we have had recently, as well as the controversial arrest of Henry Louis Garrett, and even the universal health care ordeal.

A couple nights ago when we were at a coffee shop I caught a glimpse of the news that was playing on a TV in the corner, but the audio wasn't on. It looked like they were showing clips of a family and their beloved Shitzu who was now missing. The headline for the segment was "A Family's Loss". The thing that made me curious about the story was why it was on the news! People loose dogs all the time and they aren't on the news. Heck, sometimes people loose children and it's never on the news. Then they showed the image of the missing dog sign which read "reward $2,000 no questions asked." Oh, so maybe that's what makes little lost Foo Foo so interesting, she is worth a couple grand. I guess those people really loved their dog, although I am not so sure the feeling is mutual considering the dog is gone.

So I started thinking maybe I do need to check in and see what is going on in my community, or country, or the world. This week I am going to make it my mission to find out what is on the news.