Breast Cancer Walk. I Will Keep Walking

P.S. from my other posts. I really miss having a mom and wish she were here and these walks were unnecessary. (Wasn't she just so cute?) With that said, she isn't here and they are necessary, so until they find a cure, I will keep walking in the hopes of saving some other 16 year old from losing her mom.....
2008 Cindy Breninger

The Pedometer, 10,000 Steps, and Me

TEN THOUSAND steps? Did I read that right? To lose weight, it is recommended that a person walk TEN THOUSAND steps PER DAY? PER DAY...TEN THOUSAND steps. That, to a self-proclaimed lazy person, is A LOT of steps.

My son and I both got pedometers the other day and thought it would be fun to see how many hours it would take us until we hit the goal of TEN THOUSAND steps in one day.

When I got off work yesterday, I picked him up from school and we decided to compare steps. I told him I had walked almost TWO THOUSAND and then dared him to beat my number. I was pretty sure of myself...and then my son told me his number. His number was THIRTEEN THOUSAND. Yes, you read that right, THIRTEEN THOUSAND steps by five o'clock. My smug little son looked at me and said, "Well mom, you better get walking. You only have eight thousand steps until your goal, and only ELEVEN THOUSAND steps until you catch up to me!" Snicker snicker snicker.

I went home that night and started walking. And walking. And walking. I walked until it clicked over to the TEN THOUSAND and then I sat down and didn't move. I didn't move mainly because ONE: I didn't want to; and TWO: I didn't think I could. TEN THOUSAND STEPS. Are you kiddin' me?

My son ended up walking over SEVENTEEN THOUSAND steps yesterday and he wasn't sore, he wasn't tired, he wasn't anything. He was just fine. I hate pedometers.
Cindy Breninger
2008 All Rights Reserved

PINKTASTIC! BREAST CANCER WALK

In August, 1987, I lost my mom to breast cancer. I was 16 and learned first hand how cancer can, er, does affect a family.








For the last several years, my sister, our kids, and I walk the breast cancer walk in memory of my mom. Our little group dresses up for the walk every year. We pile on the pink. There is no such thing as too much pink in our group. Last year, or maybe the year before, a lady walking near us said, "You girls are PINKTASTIC!" Yes we were!











I can count on one hand, plus a few fingers from the other hand, how many people I know with breast cancer, and well, that is just too many. So ladies, let's be pinktastic and continue to be pinktastic until there is a cure and we no longer have to walk. Pile on the pink and let's hope a cure is found soon!
2008 Cindy Breninger
All Rights Reserved

2008 JDRF Walk in Sacramento

My kids, sister, niece, a few friends, and me, all woke up very, very, very early this morning and headed out to the capitol to begin the 2008 Juvenile Diabetes walk. This was the first JDRF walk I have participated in and it was a great walk.

We walked behind a group of about ten people who were all dressed as pirates. They had pirate bandanas, swords, everything. One of the "pirates" was pushing a young boy in a wheelchair, his group was walking for him. Since we were behind the group of pirates, I had plenty of time, or 3.5 miles, to read the backs of their shirts. Printed on their shirts was a pirate map. The "treasure" was the cure for diabetes. How cute is that?

Walking hand in hand with my kids, I kept thinking that that little boy could have easily been mine, or any one of our kids. With that thought, I hope they find the "treasure" soon. Those kids deserve it.
Cindy Breninger
2008 All rights reserved.

Juvenile Diabetes Walk 2008

Hi all,
My sister, my kids, and my friend Tonya will be walking in the Juvenile Diabetes Walk on October 5. Tonya's son, Josh, has Juvenile Diabetes and so do a few other kids I know; I am walking for them. Here is Tonya and Josh....
If you would like to donate to the walk, here is the link:

http://walk.jdrf.org/

Under the Donate to a Walker, enter my name, Cindy Breninger, and the team is Help cure Josh, Amanda and the rest. Tonya is kicking my butt in donations so even if you want to donate $5.00, it would be appreciated.
:)


If you would like to tag along and walk with us, please let me know.

:)
Cindy Breninger

A little something-something

Hi all,
Here is a little something-something the Sacramento Bee put in today's paper. My kids are excited because their names made it in.
Cindy

Sometimes it is Ok to lie to your kids. This truth stuff is overrated!

Sometimes, I am starting to think, it is ok to lie to your kids. Usually, I am very honest and open with mine, but recently something has come up wherein not only will my poor son possibly be scarred for life, but it has made me re-evaluate this whole "truth" stuff.

Where I live, the weather has been hot. I mean HOT with a capital H.O.T. The TV weather people have been saying it has been around 105 degrees. But, what they really mean is, it is more like 175.

I am very pale and always have been. I go from white to pink and then fade back to white. I rarely have a tan as I work all day in an office and I hate being in the heat. I would rather do just about anything than have to suffer outside when it gets hotter than 85 degrees. The bad part is, I am pale and there is a very real possibility that I might glow in the dark. The worst part is, I want to wear shorts, but I don't want to blind the neighbors.

I don't really mind being pale as it means I haven't spent my time being hot. But, with the weather being so awful, I have been getting sunburned way more than I should. This got me to thinking: How could I get some color and spend the least amount of time in the heat? Awww, yes, indoor tanning. (Side note: I am not promoting indoor tanning, just saying I have gone a few times and might go a few more. I know the risks and have decided to try a few anyway.)

When you tan indoors, you can either wear a bathing suit or go, ummm, nooodie. I choose the latter. My kids have been going with me to the tanning salon, but they stay out in the lobby area and have no idea what is behind that door I disappear through.

Once behind the little door, you get down to whatever you want to wear, or not wear, lie in the tanning bed, push the start button, and wha-laa, insta-tan! It seems to be working for me as I am usually a shade of bright white, but now am more of a cream color.

Well, let's get back to why I have been rethinking my position on telling kids the truth. Yesterday, my son and I were running some errands, I went tanning, and then we stopped in at a pizza place to get a pizza to go.

I was flipping through a magazine when I noticed my son had a very serious look on his face. He was looking at my feet and my arms when he asked me, "Mom, when you tan, how does it get through your clothes?"

Me: "Ummm, how does WHAT get through your clothes?" I asked still looking at the magazine.

Son: "You know, the tan rays? When you go in that room and come out with a tan, how do they get through your clothes?" He was serious.

Me: Humm, I guess I never told him about this and didn't really want to discuss it in a pizza place, so I just kind of nonchalantly said, "They don't go through your clothes." Then I went back to pretending to read my magazine and hoping he wouldn't press the issue any further. He pressed.

Son: "If they don't go through your clothes, then how does the tan get on your skin and not just your feet?"

Me: Thinking he is never going to drop this until I tell him thought, "Ohhhh, crud," while fidgeting with my collar, and bracelet, and not making eye contact.

Son, "Well?" he said still waiting...

Me: "Well, ummm, when I get in the tanning bed, I, ummmm, well, ummmm, I don't wear any clothes."

He was speechless and shocked! His mouth literally dropped open. He couldn't talk. He just sat there, mouth to the floor, totally grossed-out. I think he had a visual of his mom lying there with no clothes on and I am sure he wanted to get some soap and scrub that image right out of his brain. Poor kid.

He thought about this for a short while, but I think he thought I was kidding because he said, "No. Really. You HAVE to wear clothes. You are a mom and moms wear clothes! Now, how does it REALLY get through them?"

Me: Gawd, where is my pizza? Can this pizza cook any slower? "Well, ummm, son, ummmm, no, not while tanning. Most of us go noodie." I thought that by saying noodie instead of nude, it would have lessened the gross out factor, but judging by my son's face, I don't think it helped.

Son: "Riiiiight mom. That's a good one. No clothes. Uh-huh. Sure. Right."


Ding! "Order number 20..." Whoohoo! Our pizza was ready and I was saved by the bell.

My son asked me again in the car and I again told him. He still didn't believe me, but I bet he is going to use the industrial size bottle of soap on his brain tonight. Poor kid. Dang, I am thinking this is one of those times I should have lied.
2008 (c) Cindy Breninger
All Rights Reserved.

Don't Pee On the Rug!

Wow, what a crazy couple of days...but crazy in a good way.

First, my kids were both sick for a week, and then one got better and the other got pneumonia. We found out he had it on Wednesday. Having a kid with that is scary and nerve racking and will result in many nights of little sleep.

Then on Thursday, my sister called and said she was on her way to the hospital as her water broke. Oh, she was pregnant and well, going to have her baby.

I went to the hospital about 3:30 pm on Thursday and then we waited...and waited...and waited until 4:32 am Friday morning. Let me tell you, watching someone being born is crazy - crazy in a good way. One minute, she was in her tummy, and the next, she was out and breathing and a little person. It was just so cool. It was crazy, incredible, and everything good all in one. I am so happy to have a new niece, who is super cute! Both mom and daughter are doing great. :)

Oh, the kids and I also somehow ended up getting this on Saturday...



His name is Presley (We also have an Elvis, so the name fits. Plus, being a huge Elvis fan, how could I NOT name him that???) He is sooo cute and friendly and adorable!

I think it is cool to have a new niece and a new kitten in the same weekend. I can't wait to watch my niece grow up and see what kind of a person she becomes. As for the cat, well, I just want him not to pee on the rug.
2008 Cindy Breninger

I need a vacation

The other day I was at work frantically typing something that had to get out yesterday while also answering the phone when a client approached my desk. Instead of saying, "I will be right with you," I looked up and said, "Hi, can I put you on hold for a moment?" I need a vacation.

Cindy Breninger
www. adayinthelifeofcindy. blogspot.com

Smack Smack Smack

This just in...
Earlier today, my eight year old daughter called me from her cell phone while I was at work. I was in a meeting and since she never calls from her cell phone, I figured it MUST be an emergency and so I answered.

Me: "Hello? Is everything ok?"

Eight Year Old: "Hi Mommy! I just wanted to let you know that Brandon (her 9 year old brother) got sent to the Principal's office.......pause.......AND I DIDN'T!"

Me: (Smacking palm of hand to forehead while wondering where the emergency part would come up...) No WAY would she call just to tell on her brother, would she? Surely there would be more to her phone call, right?

Eight Year Old: "Mommy? Hello? Mommy, I just really wanted to make sure you knew he got sent to the Principal's and I didn't!"

Me: (Smack smack smack)
Cindy Breninger

Happy April Fools!

Hehehe, I have one of those 9 year old boys who thinks he is the greatest April Fools pranksters ever. Hehehe. He just doesn't know about his old mom.

I usually wake up my kids (ages 9 and 8) at 7:00 to get ready for school, and we have to leave the house by 7:30 so I can get to work on time. Well, this morning, I woke up a few hours early and ran into their room, turned on the light, and started yelling, "Oh my gosh! We overslept! It is after 9:00 and you are late for school and I am late for work! Get up right now, get your shoes and backpacks and let's go!"

hehehe

They fell for it hook, line, and sinker. They both scrambled out of bed, walked down the hall while rubbing their eyes, and put on their shoes. No one said a word, I guess it was too early for words. My son put on his backpack and for some reason, he stood by the front door with his shoes and backpack on and just stood there. Hehehe. My daughter was in the bathroom brushing her hair and trying to change her clothes. All the while, my son was still standing at the front door all ready to go - with his eyes closed! I couldn't help but crack up and yell, "April Fools!" hehe

Oh man, the looks those two gave me, I am still pulling the darts out of my head...but hey, it was funny. Hehehe. Happy April Fools to you!
Cindy Breninger
P.S. Still no internet, but hopefully soon!

People Who Don't Drink Coffee Should Not Make It

This is my story of how if you mess something up enough times, don't be frustrated, be glad.

I am one of those rare, non-coffee drinkers. I do not like the smell, or even like it on other people's breath when they talk after drinking it. I can't stand it. That being said, I do not own a coffee maker as I would have no use for it. I am afraid of them as they are just too high tech and since I don't like what comes out of them, I have never bothered to learn how to make it do what it does, namely, make coffee.

Sometimes I get ideas and try to go with them. Take for instance, the other day, while at work, I thought it would be nice for me to try to make some coffee for the office. This is something I have never done so I thought I would give it a shot. How hard could it be? Hummmm, sometimes ideas are better left in the head then out in public, but let me go on. I loaded up the filter thingy with coffee and then put the water in the coffee pot. I set the full-of-water coffee pot on the warmer plate thing and turned it on. Nothing happened. It made a few weird noises, but the water was still water - not coffee. Huh, did you know that it works better if you pour the water in the back of the coffee maker thing and let it heat up and run through the coffee grounds? Apparently, neither did I. Live and learn.

Well, the next day, I thought I would try again. I filled up the coffee pot and then put it in the back of the coffee maker, just like I had seen other people do. (Quick learner, I know) Ok, good, I was on a roll. What's next? Oh yeah, gotta add the coffee gounds in the filter. Hummm, there are some soggy coffee grounds already in the filter, they are only a day old, let's just reuse them. Apparently some of my co-workers didn't think this was such a good idea...Fine. So, after not wanting to hear any more whining from anyone, I decided to just fill the filter with new coffee grounds and press start. I was on my way, a coffee making fool!

What??? More whining? Apparently it was too strong. I filled the filter to the top with the coffee grounds. What do you mean I was only supposed to put three scoops? ARRRRGGGGGGG!

Well, so be it. That is the story of how my making coffee for the office has come to a complete halt. My moral learned: If you screw something up big enough and enough times, it is amazing how suddenly you will be the last person on the list for that job. Live and learn, people, live and learn.
Cindy Breninger

In Need of a Fishing Pole!

We are up to 30 guppies, up from 9 fish a few days ago. Cripes.

My son and I had a brilliant idea, if we took out the female guppy, who we were told was a male, then there wouldn't be any more babies. Uh-huh. We were soooo smart. Get rid of the girl fish and no more baby fish. Pretty simple. Riiiiggghhhtt.

Oh, sidenote, in case you were wondering: I have named them all Elvis, or I call them The Swimming Elivs, or Elvises, or maybe it is the Swimming Elvi. Doesn't matter, hopefully you get the drift. We also have a sucker fish named Sucky, and we did not buy a snail, but there is one in the tank so it is called Snail, but other than that, they are all Elvis. We still can't figure out how the snail got in there...did it hitch a ride with the female who was supposed to be a male? I wonder....

Anyway, my son and I thought we had a great idea to take the female out and as we were trying to figure which one was the female, my daughter reminded us that even if we took out the female, well, there were still 20 new baby fish and some of those might be girls - and then what?

So, the way I see it is, we have one female who is having babies, about 10 or more every 30 days, and now we have 20 new fish, and if one of those 20 new fish has babies and those babies have babies and so one and so on and so on, can you imagine the mess of fish we could have within a year? Makes my head spin!

Anyone have a fishing pole? No reason for asking.


(c) 2008 Cindy Breninger All Rights Reserved

Apparently the guy at the fish store was wrong!

We just added another guppy fish to our fish tank and the guy at the pet store told us it was a male...apparently he was wrong as we now have over 20 baby guppies.

Fish are really hard to count as they just won't be still, but we think we are close to the real number. Yesterday we found nine babies, but we today found 11 more brand new ones, just born today. That is 20 new babies in a few days. Our tank isn't supposed to have over 10 fish and now we have 20 NEW BABY FISH!

I read up on guppies and they can have between 1 - 200 babies every 30 days. Did you read that? 1 - 200 babies every 30 days!!! My tank is only supposed to hold 10 fish. Oh, after they drop a load of babies, they are ready to get pregnant again within hours...HOURS! The babies are super cute, and they are so tiny, but I don't want a bazillion of em'!

Oh, wait. The kids just counted again and our tank that started with about 9 fish, is now up above 30....Help!

What NOT to Put on Spaghetti

So, what do your kids eat for dinner? Could it be chicken nuggets? Pizza? Tacos? All of the above? None of the above? Good! We are all on the same page. Kids will eat what they want no matter what.

Can I get my kids to eat broccoli? Nooooo. Can I get them to eat bananas with ketchup? Yessssssss. Gross, totally, but my daughter puts ketchup on everything-EVERYTHING, and this leads to me something gross my son puts on spaghetti....He hates spaghetti sauce and hates pizza sauce. Now, I don't mind when he gets pizza with just cheese and pepperoni, nor does anyone else; but when he puts applesauce, yes, applesauce on his spaghetti, that is when we get the strange looks from others.

Oh, did I happen to mention he doesn't put normal applesauce on his spaghetti but he puts BLUE applesauce on his spaghetti. BLUE APPLESAUCE! ICK! I have to say, though, in his defense, it is healthy. But, that is all I can say about it.

If a picture is worth 1000 words, here are 1000 words:

The Sacramento Zoo Giraffes

The Sacramento Bee Newspaper recently ran a story about the giraffes at the Sacramento Zoo and how they were living in substandard living conditions. It mentions how the giraffes are living in a rotting 50-year-old barn. The city owns the zoo, but says it is cash-strapped and doesn't have enough funds to pay for a new barn and exhibit.

The giraffe is my son's favorite animal and when he found out the giraffes were living in a rotting barn, well, he said he was going to do something about it. This includes, but is not limited to: asking his mom (me) to post a blog and ask people to send the zoo some money; making a big sign: and having me post it on here.

My son wants everyone to send in one dollar and hopefully it will add up and the giraffes can get a new place to live and my son will be happy. Pretty simple, eh? If you are interested, here is the info from the Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Zoo 916-808-8815 or visit www.saczoo.com and click on "Get Involved".
(c)2008 Cindy Breninger All Rights Reserved

Ten Dollars Never Looked So Good. It's a two-for!

My nine and seven year old kids and I collect coins. Not intentionally, but we always seem to wind up with several jars of loose coins. As we were cleaning up today, we decided to cash them in. My son had one jar and it totalled up to $33.64. To a nine year old, this is a huge haul, $33.64, that ranks up there with winning the lottery.

When he got his cash, he took his $33.64 and wouldn't let anyone touch it. When we got in the car, he started looking at his money, "Oh my gosh!" he yelled. "Mom, this is my first ten!" he said as he held up a ten dollar bill. He was smiling ear to ear.

Hit Pause. Let me pause for a second and explain about my son. My son loves money. He loves to count it. He loves to organize it. He loves to just have it. He studies every penny, nickel, and quarter, and he wants to know where and when they were made. We both collect the state quarters and he loves going to coin shops to buy older coins, but nothing was as exciting as getting his first ten dollar bill.

Ok, unpause, hit play...His sister, who was sitting in the back seat of the car with him, was also amazed and she wanted to check it out. "Can I see it? Pleeeeaassseee? Please can I see it? Can I hold it? I won't break it. Pleeeeeaaaasssee? Mom! He won't let me hold his ten dollars! Mom!" Boy, he struck gold. Not only did he have his first ten dollar bill, but he had something his sister didn't and wouldn't and couldn't have-his ten dollar bill. That is a two-for if I ever saw one.

I was laughing to myself as ten dollars never seemed very exciting to me, but I guess when you are nine years old and it is your first ten dollar bill, it is.

I looked in my wallet and saw that I had two ten dollar bills. Excited? Naw. But hey, I am not nine. But, now that I think about it, if it only had one more zero, maybe two, I might start to feel some of his happiness...


On another note, today would have been my mom's birthday so happy birthday to ya mom!

(c) 2007 Cindy Breninger All Rights Reserved.