I've been lost without a trace

Ok,

Sometimes I feel like I am the only person who does not know something.

And I feel too much like an idiot to ask.

 Like "what is baklava?"

Anyway, the point of this post is that..I have a lot of questions.

Some of them are really specific

 "How do you get a smooth 'cheer leader like' ponytail with fine hair?"

 and some of them are much broader

" What is krunking?"

I have asked google many of my questions, but; like those search overload commercials, I get too many answers...even my beloved wikipedia doesnt always clarify things for me. Therefore..prepare yourself to answer one or more of

LORI'S LIFE QUESTIONS

1. How do you get a smooth cheerleader like ponytail with fine hair?

2. What is krunking?

3. Why does Ace of Base music get stuck in my head?

4. What is March Madness?

5. What is the best kind of lip gloss that isn't too shiny?

6. How do celebrities get their skin so glowy?

7. If you are Canadian, can you go to England without a passport?

8. Is it better to buy a bunch of disposable razors or invest in a nice one?

9. What is the origin of the expression "cutting it close?"

10. Do you think reality shows are kind of scripted? Or no?

Those are just the first ten of thousands I have...any answers??

Lori Ann 

When it's cold outside, I've got the Month of Mae

To my niece Elly, on the occasion of her 4th birthday..

Elly, you are magic.

You are sugar and spice and

A whole lot of other ingredients too!

Elly, you are a silly girl

You are the little blue toad in a bubble

You are the third musketeer to your brothers

Elly, you make me laugh

You are the one sock bandit

You love Max and "Olib-u-lah"

Elly, you are sunshine on a cloudy day

You are a granny pants fashion statement

And yes, you ARE beautiful yet. (so put down the makeup!)

Elly, you have a warm heart

You are the little mama and

You take care of everyone

I'll never bake a cake and not think of you

I'll always remember YOU in my prayers

and, if you ever need me, I am here.

I couldn't imagine my life without you, Elly Bean.

Happy Birthday and I Love you!!

Love,

Aunt Lori

That's the night the lights went out in North Carolina..Part Two

In continuation of my last post, I will now tell the continuing tale of what happened after my lights went out and then came back on.

So, I am sitting on my living room floor, watching infomericals around 7 pm Friday night.

 The lights have just come back on and I thought that I had a long, quiet,and fairly boring weekend ahead.. just then, I got a knock on the door..

It was..Taylor Lautnor!!

*sigh* back to the real story..

It was..my sister, her husband, and their kids.

 Oh my gosh, it was so funny.

My niece Elly ran in and yelled, "The power is not at our house, can we have some of yours?" and then kept trying to find batteries which; she explained to me, would restore power at her house.

It is now 5 pm on Sunday night..Elly's birthday:).

 They still don't have power and so we have had a wild and crazy weekend, all chilling at my one bedroom!

It has been funny, crazy, and, above all, memorable.

Thanks for choosing me over the Reidsville Inn, guys.

It has been festive:)

p.s.- My writing style has been very disjointed the last few posts...I know..its because I am trying to blog with crazy kids running around. Which gives me all new respect for all of my mommy blogger friends. You girls are awesome..children make everything 100 times more crazy! (Like right now, I have a headache because the 'wonderpets' theme song is playing..I loathe the wonder pets!)

Lori Ann 

That's the night the lights went out in North Carolina

Ok,

As you see from my last post, last weekend we had a giant snow storm..at least a foot of snow.

 Which is insane here in the South.

 I have client's parents who have lived here all of their lives and they keep telling me that they have never seen a winter like this.

It must be me, bringing the cold weather with me from the North:)

Anyway, after it snowed last weekend the kids were out of school for 4 of the 5 days of the school week.

For all of you from snow covered areas, feeling a sense of rage at your elementary schools..I am with you.

I lived in Michigan for two years and we WALKED to school in 2 feet of snow.

 I don't think the word 'snow day' means anything there.

It would be like speaking a foreign language to them:)

ANYWAY, I have veered completely off course..

We got MORE snow and ice here, starting Thursday night.

 My agency closed for the day Friday..I was like "yawn, a snowed in long weekend of the same old treats, re-reading harry potter, and watching super bowl commercials".

That's when it happened.

The lights went out.

I did two things immediately: lit all of the tea lights I bought at the last candle party I attended (why do I only buy tea lights???)

Then I called my dad.

Who lives 500 miles away.

And can't help me.

I can't explain it.

I HAVE to call him when there is an emergency, when I get lost, or when I want to talk about how to barbecue or get his forecast for the midterm elections.

He is like the wise trash heap from fragile rock.

 That man knows everything!!

And even if he doesn't, just hearing him makes me feel reassured.

I got the answer I was expecting.."When do you think my lights will come on, Dad?"

 "I don't know, Lori..it could be 2 hours or 2 days or 2 weeks"

 It still made me feel better.

So, I got out the ice cream, set out my tea lights, and cracked open the first page of 'the half blood prince"...and the lights came back on.

It was kind of anti-climatic.

I had prepared myself to endure some sort of 'back to nature', cold cheese sandwich weekend.

 Having heat and TV would be nice, but just about as boring and quiet as last weekend.

Oh man, was I in for a surprise....

Lori Ann

As long as you love me so

It looks like we are all going to be snowed in this weekend, here in the South.

Umm..correct me if I am wrong, but I don't remember Scarlett O'Hara being snowed in not even once during all of Gone With the Wind!

Really, South..you shouldn't package yourself as something you are not.

On that note, I am taking ideas for how to spend my 48 hours of isolation...this is what I have so far..

1. Sleep

2. Watch TV

so, yeah... I could use some inspiration!

p.s.- On a side note, this list WOULD have included "play the Wii", but Jack "I don't like to disconnect and reconnect" Monroe, refused to lend me his Wii.

p.p.s.- On another side note, this list WOULD have included "chill with my Jamesaroni", but Danielle "I don't trust you with my babies, especially because you only eat junk and live in the semi-ghetto" wouldn't let James sleep over for a few days...he's 6, Danielle...you've got to cut the apron strings sometime:)

Lori Ann

For a moment, all the world was right

*This video tribute has been edited for time and content*
 (umm..I didn't want to include the scene where I fight with my 1 year old niece..)

Happy Birthday! We had a blast and will be back as soon as we recover our mental health from the car ride home!!!

Love,

Lori and Danielle 

I'm already there

my parents, circa 1975

Ok,

So, Danielle and I (and the kids) decided to run up to Pennsylvania this weekend to surprise my mom, who had a birthday last week.

 4 children, 5 states, 3 bathroom breaks, 16 french toast sticks, and 457 miles later..we arrived.

I will be posting the video of us surprising her when I get back to my computer..trust me, this one is worth waiting for.

 It involves darkness, a sword, hiding under the table, and my arguing with a 1 year old.

All within 30 seconds of ground breaking film:)

I love it here.

It's just something about Pennsylvania.

 And something about being home.

The longer I work in social work, the stronger my belief in the importance of family becomes.

My parents were not perfect.

It's a subject often discussed by me and my sisters.

The good things and the bad.

But they gave me a sense of home and family and I have always had a place to come to, where I have felt loved and accepted.

Many of my clients don't have that.

And so, while I may lament that my mother never taught me how to walk in heels and that my dad wasn't at many of my field hockey games, I don't think I could have asked for too much more.

 They have always made any house we lived in, a home.

Out of the dreariness,

Into its cheeriness,

Come we in weariness,

Home.

Stephen Chalmers

Lori Ann