If sleep deprivation is an effective form of torture, then the CIA should seriously consider employing my children.
~Sleeping Mommy, October 2004

Happily married since January 2000, we have three beautiful, onery children spaced a mere 19 months apart each. I’m a full time stay at home mom trying to balance raising kids, chores and returning to Graduate School. This is my last link to sanity.

I began this journal on blogspot 20 days before my youngest child was born in October 2004. I was sleep deprived, raising a 3 year old, a 19 month old and had another newborn arriving any day. Every day was an effort not to snap. After a year I gave up the old blogspot address and moved to my own url. My blog is a journal of my never-ending efforts to stay sane, rested and pursue my health and academic goals all while I try to be a good mom.

Links About Me:


100 Things


My Wishlist


My other blog entitled My Husband’s Crap. Visit to witness my vigil to clean up HIS crap.


100 Things about Snoring Daddy


Household Photos:

Sleeping Mommy, 34 years old, full time stay-at-home mom, part time graduate student.

Snoring Daddy, 31 years old, part time stay-at-home dad, full time freelance auto-journalist, classic and muscle car customizer. His first book will be published in 2008. It has something to do with car engines. I’m pretty sure I won’t be reading it. But I’m very proud anyway.

The Boy aka Super-Kindergartener, 6.5 years old.

The Girl sometimes known as Princess Whines-a-lot, 5 years old.

Demolition-Toddler aka Monkey Boy aka Demo-Boy, 3.42 years old.

The Menagerie:

Grumpy Old Dog aka Big Dog aka Carter the lab/dobie mix.

My husband and I brought him home as a 4 month old puppy the Fall of 2000. His mother was a beautiful red Doberman Pincher named Scarlett. His father was a neighborhood Labrador Retriever. We had high hopes for him and even took him to obedience classes where the trainer eventually proclaimed him “hopeless” and an overgrown baby.

Sugar the Rat Terrier mix.

Sugar was a stray of indeterminate puppyhood-age found wondering in the rain in October 2006. She’s been a smart and sweet addition to our household. We have no idea what else she might be and the Rat Terrier is merely a guess. We’ve also thought she might be part Blue Heeler.

Hank the Dachsund/terrier/coonhound? mix.

What were we thinking taking on another dog you ask? Well. Um. He was cute? We aren’t sure how “puppy” he was when we brought him home in August 2007. He’s now a bit bigger than Sugar and I originally thought he was also a Rat Terrier mix but really have no idea as we’ve also guess he hasDachsund and maybe even some Treeing Walker Coon Hound blood.

Mama Cat aka Phoebe the calico.

In February of 1996 my sisterinlaw and I were exploring the ruins of the 101 Ranch. As we got into her car to drive away we heard a meowing. We turned back to check and after calling “here kitty-kitty” a few times Phoebe came right to us. She was dirty and smelly and as far as we could tell there was no place nearby for her to call home. I took her home with me, cleaned her up and named her Phoebe in honor of the Friends character and her infamous song “Smelly Cat.” A month later Phoebe gave birth to a litter of six kittens. Two went home with my sisterinlaw, two went to her mother’s farm and two stayed with me. They have all passed away and yet Phoebe remains, calm and sweet as ever. And still a bit smelly.

Black Cat aka Mickey Mouser the 16 pound tuxedo.

In mid-July 2000 Mickey walked up to my home with Snoring Daddy (before we were mommy and daddy by the way–we were still newlyweds) and never left. Mickey is a great hunter bringing us presents of mice, rats, gophers, squirrels, birds, and snakes. These presents are never alive.

Jack Cat aka Jacky the European Short Hair mix.

Jack joined our family as a 4 month old kitten in February of 2005. He’s the softest cat in the universe. I swear it. He has also become very skittish over the last year or so. We hardly ever get to touch him anymore. It seems like he became skittish when his good buddy, Darby, started having seizures.

Fluffy-I’ve-Got-Attitude Cat aka Sir Charles theMaine Coon mix.

Charles was my Christmas present in December of 2006 after losing my beloved Maine Coon, Willie, in August 2006. He was three years old and we adopted him from a local Rescue. While he may have been my Christmas present he’s definitely Snoring Daddy’s cat.

Molly the sweet tabby-girl.

We think that Molly is approximately the same age as Jack. In the late Spring of 2007 a friend of Snoring Daddy’s was moving to a new home where he would no longer be able to keep his cats. He asked us to take them in while they looked for a “forever” home for them. We ended up keeping Molly and found a new home for her slightly younger “sister” Maggie who was just too much of a wild cat to have around my children. Molly is very sweet and lives outdoors where she flirts and snuggles with the dogs when she’s not in a basket in the garage or walking the railing of our porch.

Sweet Jasmine aka Jazzy the black tortiseshell kitten.

Jasmine and her cousin Mo joined us in August 2007. We adopted them along with the puppy Hank from a goat farm. Jasmine’s personality is very sweet and reminds me very much of Phoebe and her daughter, Miranda, who I lived with me until her death in 2003.

Mo the red-orange mackerel tabby kitty.

We were told that Mo’s mother and Jasmine’s mother are sisters. I suspect that Mo is either the runt of his litter or approximately 4-5 weaks younger than Jasmine given his size compared to her’s when we brought them home. He’s now bigger and more muscular and reminds me strikingly of Puss in Boots from Shrek. No wonder I love him so.

Snowball the bunny who started out chasing the dogs but somewhere lost his nerve.  Now he likes to dig holes and lead me on chases around the yard.

Pickles also likes to dig holes and run around the yard but at least he comes to me most of the time. Pickles and his brother joined us in April 2007.

In Memorium:


Good Dog formerly known as EvilPuppy aka Darby the Golden Retriever.

Darby joined us around the age of 4 or 5 months Thanksgiving weekend 2004. A lady sent out a notice that she was getting out of the breeding business and needed homes for her full blooded Golden Retriever puppies. We jumped on it, and when we got there discovered what we have since decided was a puppy mill.

I had a newborn, what was I thinking? Hence the former nickname of “Evil Puppy”. He’s grew out of those evil chewing/shitting ways and turned into a wonderful sweet dog. At the age of two he began having seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy. He took Phenobarbital until he passed away March 6, 2008.

William aka Willie joined me as a 6 week old, nearly-starved kitten in May 1997.

He was special and the one cat that everyone who entered my home always offered to take home with them, should I ever need to find a new place for him to live. In August 2007 Willie had dwindled almost over night to half-his weight. In the year before, his coat had sprouted many white hairs where before there had been dark. A visit to the Vet’s revealed he had both FIV and FeLV. It would cost thousands to try to make him feel better and return some quality of life to him with no guarantee of survival. Thousands of dollars we didn’t have. He passed that August, leaving a huge hole in my heart.

Popularity: 4% [?]