And then I'll leave you with...

I was supposed to pick up my foster dogs from the event.  I overslept.  And I felt like an asshole.  I really thought my director was pissed but when I got up to her house, she seemed ok.  We stayed for a while and Jasmine got a close up look at baby turkeys (by the way mom, that's apparently what I was holding the other day), baby chickens and a hen who was brooding.  She also helped pick strawberries and checked on the foster puppies.  She loves going to their house.  They have a lot of acreage and loads of stuff for her to explore.  I left Monty with them and just brought Doodle home.  She was far more behaved than when I took her up there.  I think she was tired out from the long day of looking cute.  A lot of people stopped to look at her and talk about her but no one put in an application.  No apps on Monty either although I hear there's a man that's extremely interested in him and may go back tomorrow. 

After dropping Doodle off at the house, we took Jasmine to the movie theatre, part of her birthday treat.  She had been wanting to see Kung Fu Panda since we saw previews for it months ago.  She liked it but apparently thought we were going to see Evan Almighty.  She asked if there were tigers and I said yes but she meant a different tiger movie.  (there are tigers in Evan Almighty for all of fifteen seconds but she calls it tiger bite)  We pretty much had dinner at the theatre.  Nachos, pretzels, popcorn and hi-c, a healthy dinner indeed.  *wink*  It didn't matter to me what we ate since I can only handle small amounts of food at a time.  I had eaten a ton of popcorn before we even left the register.  I normally am not a popcorn fan but it's pretty good at the movies.  Kung Fu Panda was cute for a kids movie.  Not quite as adult as say Shrek but still fairly enjoyable for the parents.  And if you're male, you'll apparently love it as my husband continued to quote lines from it for the next two hours. 

After changing (me and Jasmine both had red hi-c all over us... the lid wasn't on properly), we went to the store to "pick" out Jasmine's birthday present.  Basically, we went there so I could show husband which things I wanted him to pick up in the morning.  She's getting the turtle sandbox and some sandbox-ish toys.  Thankfully, she's too young to realize that this birthday, we happen to be broke.  I got her cake started once we got home.  I didn't make one last year because I had such a disaster on her first birthday.  The cake didn't come out of the pan right and then somehow I ran out of frosting and had to run to Walmart at like two in the morning.  It sucked and I didn't want a repeat.  I also don't want her to be one of those kids whose mom always takes the easy way out on their birthday either.  (although I came very close to getting her an ice cream cake from Ritters just because I thought they were neat and perfect for her summer birthday) She wanted an orange cake but considering her frosting was chocolate, I didn't see it working out in her favor.  Instead I bought some frosting in a can and I'm going to attempt to put some decorations on and around the cake, although I really am not good with the cans.  It's just a big, huge pain in the butt to make your own frosting and then it usually takes me three batches to get it right and not gross clumpy.  (you use confectioners sugar and when it gets wet, it clumps so you have to mix it in painfully slowly)  At any rate, I allowed the cakes to cool while we took a shower and then for a while longer after we were out.  They were a little stuck so instead of forcing them out, I used a butter knife to slowly ease the sides out.  They came out PERFECT.  I've been making cakes for a long time and never have I had both sides come out without a chunk coming off.  I even did a happy dance!  Of course, Jasmine kept popping her head in the kitchen because she wanted the candies that were meant for the cake.  Yes, I gave in and she got a few but had she not, the cake would've been overloaded with junk.  We'll have a little morning thing for her at our house so she can play in her sandbox, then we'll head to my mom's with the cake.  My MIL has called three times asking if we're having anything for her birthday and our answer has been no every time.  (not that she can call us crappy parents, she is a Jehovah... my husband NEVER got a Christmas till he got with me and now he's hooked... haha)  Besides, the only reason she seems to want to come over is to eat cake.  I mean, Jehovah's aren't even supposed to attend birthday parties, correct?  She was there for Jasmine's first birthday and didn't sing happy birthday, (against her religion and all) but instead talked to Jasmine the ENTIRE song.  So I have a video of Jasmine getting happy birthday sung to her, all the while with my MIL's very loud, high pitched voice in the background.  (she's basically completely deaf and has no idea when her voice reaches ridiculous loud tones and no matter how many times you tell her, it makes no difference)  So forgive me if I'm relieved not to have my MIL around for her birthday for once.  Geez, the stories I could tell about my MIL.  My "favorite" one would have to be the day I gave birth to Jasmine.  We told her she could come up to the hospital and wait who knows how many hours till I gave birth but was absolutely NEVER allowed in my labor/delivery room.  (I was so adamant about it that I was going to tell my nurse not to allow her in if she showed up, the last thing I wanted while being in labor was to be pissed at her) She tells my husband that she's sick.  (throw me a party!!!!  If I wasn't paralyzed I would've jumped for joy!) After Jasmine was born, it was pretty touch and go for me.  I came very close to losing my own life.  I don't remember holding my daughter for the first time.  I passed out and didn't wake up again till seven hours later, where the first thing I saw was my MIL holding a baby I didn't remember holding.  I was immediately livid and told them both to get out and leave the baby.  (they couldn't take her out anyways, an alarm would've sounded)  My nurse then explained how worried they were about me (the doctors and particularly the nurses who were caring for me all day) and that I had a really bad infection.  (which I would later find out was the reason I looked like I had my face beaten in the night before... I looked like death warmed over)  So, somehow my husband gets her to leave.  I'm thinking it's over and I won't have to deal with it the rest of the time I'm in the hospital.  (which if up to the doctors would've been at LEAST a day longer than what I stayed... I begged and pleaded to leave and they gave in)  The next morning, I was moved to an entirely different floor so then I think, even if she calls, I won't be in that room and she'll be SOL.  No, she shows back up at the hospital, manages to find my room and then WHINES the entire time because my husband wouldn't go get Jasmine out of the nursery.  And the entire time, she would continue to ask me if I was feeling depressed.  I was so pissed because I'm thinking who gives a crap if I feel depressed, I almost DIED the night before.  Again, my husband escorted her out as nicely as possible.  My mom was very uncomfortable during the whole ordeal because I had very nice things to say under my breath.  My saving grace was that at the time, I still lived at home and my MIL couldn't drop by willy nilly.  One thing I've been shocked about since we've had our own house, I don't think my MIL has dropped by once without notice.  I was like wow the woman does know boundaries, holy crap.  I try my best to think about the nice things that she does.  But when she does these other things so often, it's hard to remember those things.  At the very least, she's the reason I have my husband. 

Now that this blog has went on and on and on... I leave you with pictures of Fred.  Fred is my blue lobster.  I originally didn't not think him to be a blue but now I see that he's probably a mix of blue and red.  He has electric blue pinchers and a red back.  Most blues are all blue, back and everything.  He sheds his exoskeleton as he grows.  Which scared the hell out of me the first time because I though it was HIM, dead.  He's a little mean with those pinchers and seems to take joy out of finding a resting aquarium mate and pinching them.  My red tailed shark has three lines in his side from being pinched.  Aside from Fred, my favorite animal in that tank is my shark so I was none to pleased to see him looking all butchered up. 

Fred is about three inches long, although it's hard to tell with pictures.

You can really see the blue in his pinchers in this one and even some of the red on his back.

And here is Fred doing what he does best and most of his waking hours, moving rocks from one place to another.  His rock placement to me, has no rhyme or reason but he continues on with his mission.

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