Of Course I Hear Voices: I Own Parrots

About 2 weeks ago I took Zelda to the vet for an annual check up.  A few things happened: 1) I found out Zelda's white cell count was way up = she was sick 2) The previous owners old us Zelda was a she, but just to verify I opted to get her DNA sexed 3) We ran some tests to see if she had a pretty serious disease. 4) I was given medicine to give her for the next 10 days. The good news: 1) It took some toweling and patience...and bribery, but we made it through the 10 days if medicine twice a day without injuries. 2) Her test results for the disease came back negative The eh news: She's a he. The previous owners said the people they got him from said he was a she.  So we gave her a girl name, and have been calling her a girl. Now we have to stop referring to her as a girl. He already responds to Zelda, so it is too late to change it to Link. Male and female red lored amazons look exactly alike. It isn't like it is with other birds where you can tell by the...

It is amazing how things seem to pop back into our lives when we think that that era is over. Mark has gone back to work part time with Order In. Between that and softball season (I can't get to the games after work), I will be home alone quite a bit...and there is only so much cooking and cleaning I can do. That means a few things: 1) I can get back to my DIY projects 2) This blog will get some much needed love 3) I will be linking this blog and posting photos on Redgage (redgage.com/jennlee) 4) I will be getting back into photography 5) I will be attempting to rejoin the freelance writing world: First step- The Examiner. I have been accepted as a frugal living writer. I budgeted for one, and then quickly learned how to budget for four. I upcycle and repurpose things. This should be something I can easily write about. I just was accepted today. I am not sure where I am going to start, but I will come up with a game plan. If I am going to revisit old hobbies, I might as...

The newest addition to our family is coming along quite well.  She really is a sweet and well behaved bird. The people at Bird Fever were amazed at how sweet she is. The two of us get along fine...well until Mark walks in the room. She was bonded with the guy at her last home and has bonded with Mark.  She literally swoons when he walks in the room.  Of course that means she is jealous of me.  Last Saturday she flipped out when I woke him up for breakfast. She will bite at me if he is near.  We will go from cuddles and head scratches to me being the source of all evil as soon as he enters the room. We are working on this, but it is a process. I am not sure of all of her past, but I think a female has hit her (not in her last home) and that is part of the issue. Last night, Mark worked his second job.  Monday I let her stay up until he got home (as I wasn't home until late too), but last night he was going to be a bit later.  After a great night (...

On Wednesday we added a new member to our family. We adopted a 15 year old red lored amazon. We have named her Zelda. She is a very sweet bird and she is adapting to us pretty well. She was bonded to the guy at her last home, so she bonded with Mark first. She is coming along with me though. She is still a little jealous when Mark pays attention to anyone else, but she is calming down quite a bit. I spoke to the female at her old home gave one reason for giving her up and a name. The guy gave another, so we aren't sure of her back story. We do know that she has had it rough, but she is very well behaved, and her aggression and stress seem to be fading away as the days go on. She is in quarantine in our room for now. The rest of the flock is not pleased by this, and is even less pleased that we have to spend time with her in another room. I have been trying to split my time between the 2 cages, or at least have someone out in the living room with them while I am training Zel...

I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like to be an actual mom. I know it is different to learn your role from the time the child is an infant on is a muh bigger deal than stepping into a family later. I have so much respect for moms and what they do. Stepping into a family and trying to learn how to do a fraction of whan actual moms do has been hard enough.  It has some really great moments. There are good weekends, great moments, and times where you can see the progress. Those moments are very rewarding. You have to hold on to those moments. Not every night or weekend can win them over. There are other times when a bad attitude suddenly kills an otherwise amazing weekend. When they stare blankly at you and ignore what you are saying, or look at you like you are the dumbest person to ever walk the face of the earth, and it makes you want to scream. The moment when something they have loved to eat, suddenly makes them gag and pretend to throw up at the dinner tab...

I didn't like how I looked. However, I wasn't doing enough to change it. Yeah, I dieted for my brother's wedding, but I never committed to making a true lifestyle change. When Mark and I moved in together, I decided to make that happen. It wasn't just for me, it was also for him and for the girls. I wanted us to eat healthy. I wanted to commit to being more active. I have been successful on both  counts. I have lost and kept off weight. I have gone down 2 pant sizes at my favorite store. While I have a long way to go to reach my goal, I see the progress. That alone keeps me happy most of the time, but then there are the moments where it is just not enough. It is the moments where I see my self in unflattering light at the hair salon next to my skinny  stylist. It is the moments where the new pants are still a little snug. It is in the moments where I do not like how any of my shirts fit. It is in the moments where I can't find a swim suit that is flatt...

For the first time in a couple years, I am actually excited about Christmas. I am excited to get to spend Christmas Eve with the girls and Mark's family. I love our new tree. I am enjoying making new traditions and memories with my own family. We made 27.5 dozen cookies (in 2 days...on very little sleep). We saw the lights at the zoo.  We picked out outfits for Christmas Eve. I am looking forward to seeing my family in Toledo. I am looking forward to some time off work. I have enjoyed the hunt for the perfect Christmas gifts. I have even loved wrapping the presents (even though I am horrible at it). Even when I have wanted to strangle the girls, I have looked forward to making our first Christmas in our new place one they will enjoy and hopefully remember. At the same time, there is still a sadness. It is another year that I do not have parents to go home to. Another year that the 2 people that made my Christmases happy, won't be there to share in the fun. It isn't the ...

It has been an interesting few months. I'm still very happy, but there are days where my patience and my good will are just about gone. It is to the point where stuff at home is stressing me out that it is impacting me at work. That is on me though. I need to keep the home stress at home, and I need to me more aware of my own behavior. I am usually pretty self aware, but I have gotten away from this. My focus has not been there, and only I can make the changes to fix it. Any time you are in a relationship, things aren't perfect. If you add kids to that mix...it gets harder. If said kids aren't yours, it just makes it a bigger challenge. I'm not the mom, nor should I try to be the mom. Still there should be a certain level of respect and courtesy that should fall into place once all parties have had time to adjust. We do work hard to make sure they have  the things we can afford to make them happy. We have tried different approaches to try to set up and maintain ...

Last Thursday night, I just about reached the end of my rope. The nine year old had already been rude to me (and shown zero remorse and didn't apologize...and this is a reoccurring issue that we have talked with her about heavily), and then I heard her smart off to her father. I wanted to pick her up off the floor, sit her on her bed and tell her exactly what I was thinking. Somehow, I was able to walk away, and get my filter (you know that censoring filter you use before you speak...or that you *should* use before you speak) back in place. Maybe I didn't want to scare her to death. Part of me regrets not just committing to it. I told her the censored/filtered version of what I was thinking, but she didn't seem to care. Maybe the shock factor would have been what it needed to get through to her. The girls are generally well behaved. We are lucky in that regard. However, we still have some areas that need some attention. There are some things they do, and no matter how muc...

As of just before midnight last night, we had officially made it through the first year of our relationship. It hasn't been rainbows and butterflies (or even unicorns), but it has been everything I hoped it would be. It is hard to imagine I spent years looking for this happiness I wasn't even sure I deserved. I wanted someone who got me (and all of my quirkiness...and nine birds), and truly loved me.  I did eventually find it. It just took me a while to get all the pieces in place. Mark and I met a little over  three years ago at a karaoke contest. He was a contestant. I was the judge and the photographer.  We were at first just acquaintances, but over the next year or so we became friends. About a year and a half ago we we started talking more. We were still just friends, but we were talking back and forth on Twitter. When Mom died, many people said they would always be there for me. Surprisingly he was one of the friends that stuck around once the worst ...

When I was a kid (many Halloweens ago), kids costumes were pretty basic.  Most were basically painted trashbags or mini tarps paired with masks. It was either that or some kind of a a "kit" costume, or one Mom helped us put together with things we already had, and maybe some help from a make up kit. Or at least that is how I remember it. If your mom could sew, you may have something cooler, but our mom wasn't exactly a seamstress. This year was the first year I had to help kids pick our Halloween costumes. Their mom was making costumes for actual Halloween (they have a ":family theme" every year), but the girls needed costumes for Autumn Camping Weekend and Zoo Boo with us too. I researched some Halloween costume sites, found the one that was running the best promotion, and I sat down with each girl and the laptop. Each girl had a price limit for their costume. The six year old didn't know what she wanted to be, so we just started looking at kids costu...

I know this may be a little late for some of us, but if you are still working on a costume for this weekend here are some tips for saving $ on your costume: 1) Shop around for promo codes. Even today there are stores that are taking 25% off their prices and giving 2 day shipping for around $10. Check out retailmenot.com for options. 2) Recycle: What do you already have? Yes the costume is shown with a red petticoat, but will the black one you have work? What shoes and stockings do you have from years past? Always try things on to ensure they still fit (this year I had to buy new stockings as mine were now too big). 3) Borrow from the kids: What are you kids being for Halloween? can you borrow props and accessories from their costumes. Of course this will not work for a family party, but if your party is on a seperate night you can always share. (This year his 6 year old daughter's skeleton bride costume created claws for Mark, hair extensions for me, and flowers for my g...

Every year, I love and dread picking out my Halloween costume. Of course the first step is picking out *what* I want to be. This year it was easy. I didn't get a costume last year because of Adam and Kelsey's wedding falling on the weekend of all the parties. Still, I picked my character, and I have been looking forward to it for a year. Little Red Riding Hood it is...and my boyfriend has been decided to play along and go the  couples costume route. It is going to be awesome. Then it is the sorting through all the options and finding a costume that is cute, but not too...ummmm skanky. Once I have been successful, then it is on to accessorizing the costume (hair extensions, props, gloves, hosiery). This girl needs a longer skirt than most cute costumes offer and low cut is acceptable, but there are limits. Then there is picking the right size. This year I ordered a size up figuring I would rather have to take it in than be spilling out in all the wrong places. I have h...

Let me start with: I love Halloween, and I think we should celebrate it fully before even jumping on the Christmas bandwagon. However, that being said, this is the first year I started shopping early. Mainly this is because of Groupon and Living Social. I figure if I have found the perfect gift, and I can get it for a steal, why not? I suggest Smarmyclothes.com this early only because it takes her some time to custom make items. It is well worth the wait. I had a custom made Alice in Wonderland top made (picture pending) a few months ago, and I love it. I even had her make it longer for me and 3/4 sleeves, and it is perfect. She makes unique items that may be perfect for some of the quirkier people on your Christmas list. :-) More to come soon.

When Mark and I moved in together, I was a little overwhelmed. Both girls were playing softball, so he was never home. I didn't get off work in time to go to their games, and even if I did, someone still had to do the work around the house. When the girls were there, he would play with the girls while I would clean. It was overwhelming and frustrating. Six trips up the stairs with groceries killed my back and shoulders. The time alone was slow and boring. I never knew when to start dinner, because I never knew when he would be headed home. I was happy because I finally felt like I was where I was supposed to be. At the same time I was miserable because I was stuck with all the work and left on my own. Eventually, things started working out. I started getting more help around the house. I even pushed to get my schedule changed so we had more hours together to get things done, and so I could go to some of the girls games. It was all looking up. Then we hit a speed bump. ...

As many of you know, up until May I had been living on my own for nearly 10 years. That means I didn't really cook. I typically didn't have a reason to deep clean, and I of course did not have kids to contend with. I had quite a bit of catching up to do. That is the inspiration for the next mini series: Lessons Learned. I don't have a mom to call when I don't know what to do, but thankfully I friends, Google, and the Google play store to help me out. Lesson #1: Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping When Mark and I moved in together, I decided that we were going to start eating healthy. We would have actual home cooked meals. I actually succeeded at that right from the start. Honestly, we have both lost weight since we moved in. Most of that was from just changing our diets and eating habits. Every Sunday we would sit down with all my cookbooks (and some online resources too), and make our menu for the week. From that we would make our grocery list.This worked, bu...

Have you ever had a lesson that had a dual punch. On one hand, you realize something that isn't so much bad but sobering. On the other hand, it shows that you actually learned something from the past and acted on it (with a positive result?) That happened yesterday. The cliche with women is we all become our mothers and we fall in love with someone like our father. You can hope it really isn't true, but I do suspect that it does happen to a certain degree. Yesterday, I realized that Mark is much more like Norm than I ever realized. For the record: He did nothing wrong (put away the baseball bats and pitchforks please). The details aren't as important as the lesson I learned. I had confirmation that we were in a situation that was similar to a part of their relationship I never want to emulate. It was just in the beginning phases and under COMPLETELY different circumstances, but it showed me traits in him that drove me crazy about my dad. On the flip side I showed...

Yes I know it has been a while. Things have been running pretty much non-stop for us. Really, I don't see an end in sight. Things are crazy, and they will just be getting crazier. I have to make time to keep this thing updated. I can do this... Right? Summer: Was over in a flash. So far September has brought us 2 trips to Ohio, and we still have 1 more trip to go. Our first took us to Columbus and COSI where the girls met Adam and Kelsey. The second trip was a road trip for Guster. A 2 day music festival with a side stop a Greek Fest...and we ran into Ryan Miller (lead singer of Guster) at the hotel bar. How cool is that? Last weekend: The Very Jason Weekend. Friday night Jason Mraz. Saturday night Jason Aldean: closing out the Country Mega ticket. Next summer I am hoping we do a better mix of country and rock concerts. This weekend is Earth Fest up in Atlanta and next weekend is a trip to Toledo. Occasionally we get a lazy day to relax, but most days I feel like I am...

I wanted the girls to meet my family I wanted to see my family this summer. I wanted to go to Cedar Point I wanted to do lots of fun day trips I wanted more down time I wanted the opportunity for more me time I wanted to spend time with friends by the pool I wanted to work on my photo editing I wanted to keep up with my blog I wanted just  adult trips to the zoo.  Now the summer is over, and nothing has been checked off this list.  My next 2 months are pretty much booked totally solid. I'm exhausted, and there isn't a break in sight until November. I know I will make it through, but sometimes I feel like I am working all the time, and I have nothing to show for it. I'm sure I have something to show for it, but I just can't figure out what that is.

Dear Dad, I can't believe it has been a year since we said good bye. Watching you go was the second hardest thing I have ever had to do. The first is having to tell you that Mom was gone. I miss you every day, but today is especially hard. I knew you weren't going to be with us forever. I knew how much you missed Mom. I just had hoped we would have more time. It is whirlwind. We went from thinking you would be coming home the next day, to thinking you still had enough fight to pull through, to having to watch you slip away from us. Friday you could still hear me from across the room. I will never know why you chose to hear me and ignore the nurses when we first arrived at Hospice. Saturday I pulled the blanket off your feet and asked if it felt better. You couldn't hear me. I had to walk halfway to you to get a response. That's when my fears were confirmed: you would be gone before the end of the weekend. Sunday I found myself staying with you until Da...