Stolen Sleep

The hour hand on the clock had barely caressed the midnight hour, and I'd actually gotten to bed early that night. 10:30 probably. I thought I was knocked the eff out, but the sudden, piercing scream from the next room brought me to my son's bedside in all of 5 seconds.

He was trying to stand in his bed, eyes squinting open and screaming wordlessly. For the fifth time this week, I tried to calm my 4 year old, tried in vain to let him know that he's okay, he's safe. Mommy's here.

But he couldn't hear me. Couldn't see me. It was as if he were sleepwalking... though this was no quiet stroll through the house. No one wandered outside with a toilet plunger, sword fighting with his brother against the sheik.

Still, when I held the Cheeky Bandit tight in my arms, he couldn't stop screaming. I pleaded with him to hear me, see me, feel me... know that I was there with him. I didn't have to put my hand to his chest to know that his little heart was racing, visibly thumping to keep company with the cold sweat that clung to his skin.

It took me 20 minutes to calm him, to bring him peace and help him fall back asleep. All this time over the last week, I thought he'd either been having nightmares or looking for reasons to sneak into Mommy's room. No wonder it had taken me so long to get over being sick... I hadn't been sleeping.

It wasn't until that last episode that the term "night terrors" came to mind. A "nightmare" would indicate that he'd had a dream, might have even remembered it or had a visual. But when we were getting ready for school the next morning, he'd had no recollection of what had happened just a few hours before.

He'd had dreams of Santa when he'd fallen back asleep. Hmph. Kid's a bit early, don'tcha think? ;)

I used to think that one of my greatest fears was not being there when they needed me... But in those 20 minutes, I got a glimpse of what it would feel like to actually be there and not be able to give them what they needed. That feeling of helplessness. Of not being able to comfort them and take their pain away.

He's FOUR years old. It's sooooo not time for that yet. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. "When" - coz I know it's not a matter of "if."

We said our prayers together again, a little more fervently this time, and if I hadn't been able to watch him drift into a calm slumber, I might've had my own version of nightmares.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever dealt with night terrors before?

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TwilightMOMS - San Francisco TwiTour 2009

Now I've definitely saved the best for last. And it's only taken me forever. ;)

You've already seen me swoon over my fan encounters with the Twilight cast. But the best part of all of this?

TwilightMOMS. =)

I've been living in the valley for almost 3 years now. Surrounded by soccer moms and the ladies at church, I don't exactly fit in around here. Is it coz I'm part of the less than 5% that makes up the Asian population? Or because in the summer, I wear wife beaters with all 3 of my tats hanging out.

I don't exactly scream "wholesome."

Besides, it gets hot here. Scorching. I remember thinking, "Ooh - it's only 99 today. Not that hot - nice."

*shakes head* - you don't wanna know how much it costs to run the A/C from April thru September.

But when I met the local TwilightMOMS in the area?

Relief. Laughter. Obsession. Friendship.

Finally. These ladies spoke my language. And I don't mean the potty mouth, either. ;) Met them all thru the TM website - we figured, hey - if we all liked Twilight, then we have to have other stuff in common, too, right?

Britten, one of the TM admins, did a superb job of updating what went down at the con. Complete with vids and pics of the Twilight celebrity guests, you can check it out here at her blog. =)

You should've seen the girls on stage at the con - TwilightMOMS did such an incredible job, Creation Entertainment requested a TM panel at EACH of their TwiTours!!

These ladies friggin' ROCK. Check out the pics below - and the BRILLIANT video that Mayfayre put together for us!


~ Central Cali Coven ~

~ TwilightMOMS at Salute to Twilight Convention in San Francisco ~

~ TwilightMOMS Panel ~

~ Vampire Ball ~

I'll be back with more pics from the Twilight DVD Release - coz you know we were in line for our free cells from Hot Topic. I didn't get home until 4am the next morning. I don't think I've stayed out that late in a while - not even when I was at the convention!

Hell - I don't remember staying out that late without something to do with clubbing, drinking or dancing. ;)

Though... it's probably part of the reason why this darn bug has caught up with me... that's what I get for running myself into the ground. I should act like I'm 34, instead of 24.

Oh wait - what did you say? Kellan's 24? RAWR. ;)

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Diva Wannabes

Friggin' classic.

To the mommas who seem to have the notion that the world revolves around them, let me give you a tip: If you wanna park your butts outside the entry gate, then people WILL walk through you.

So I'm droppin' off the Bandit at pre-school, and am rushing off to get back home coz I've got work waiting for me. I normally don't like to walk thru crowds of people, even if it's just 2 or 3. But if two women decide to hold a conversation right in front of the gate to the exit?

I've no qualms about stepping in between you two.

Obviously, the pause in your chatter let me know you didn't appreciate it. That's okay. Doesn't bother me either. Not even them dagger stares into my back.

In fact, as you followed me thru to the outside gate, I even held it open for you. I turned around and smiled as I held the gate for you. You seemed a little startled as you met my eyes, but at least you had the decency to say, "Thank you."

*snort* At least she wasn't a total lost cause. But it's still annoying. I've no idea why some people think the sea should be parted for them.

Uh... Not gonna happen.

I bet you've bumped into some diva wannabes... do tell!

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Flaring Tempers

You've been there before.

At the neighborhood park, the grocery store, Target or Wal-Mart... and someone's kid is just trippin'. Acting out. About to blow the fuse.

And you try not to stare, or to judge, but silently? You're thanking your lucky stars it ain't yours.

Of course... there are the days when it IS yours... Like yesterday, for me.

Numbnuts had baseball practice - and I take the Little Shit over to the playground while we're waiting. But after about half an hour, he starts to get bored.

The 4 y/o comes to me, sitting comfortably in my (okay, Hubz's) Steelers chair while I try to catch up with the Anita Blake series. "Mom. I wanna go home."

"Okay hon - when your brother's done with practice, we'll go straight home."

Apparently, that answer wasn't good enough for him. You know how they can be - immediate gratification and all.

Maybe he was just testing me, but he stalked off, and returned, armed. How'd I know he had scooped up a whole bunch of wood chips into his little hands?

Coz the Little Shit done threw them at my feet.

They didn't touch me, not one - he kinda threw them in front of my feet. But in my eyes, that wasn't the point. It was the principle of the matter.

He'd already started stalking off again, arms crossed in front of his chest. But when he saw me get up, he started running. I think he thought I was playing with him - he even started to giggle.

Then he saw my face. Hell. All the kids saw my face. And when I finally caught my little one's arm, we started marching back to where I'd parked the chair - kids stepping aside, not willing to be in my way.

I didn't look at any of them. Not the kids, not the other parents. Not my 14 year old, Einstein, sitting by my chair, trying to do his homework. I only had eyes for one.

As soon as we were on our turf, so to speak, I knelt down in front of him and told him in a clear, low voice:

"We do NOT throw things at Mommy."

But he's already crying, starting to get hysterical. I had to calm him down before he could understand what I was telling him.

And in 2 minutes, we were done talking.

He nodded, said he was sorry, and we hugged.

And then I put his ass in time-out. Four minutes at the fence behind me, and the clock didn't start ticking until he quieted down. Some kids don't believe that Mom will put them in the corner if they're out in public.

Mine know better. Why is it that they have to test it out, though? Test the boundary lines? See how much they can get away with?

*sigh* lol - I guess because that's their job, right? ;)

We played tag when he finished doing his time - somehow, I think he might've been too embarrassed to return to the playground right away.

I love how resilient kids are, though. We still had an hour left to wait before practice was over, and he soon found his way back to the slide. Wood chips, tempers and time-out aside.

Do you remember the last time you had a little one test your boundaries in public?

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"WHICH one of my boyfriends?"

I've been trying to get everything done before Hubz walks in the door at the end of the day.

Make sure the dinner dishes are cleaned up. House is tidied up. Toys are put away. Work is finished. Computer is put away.

Something about seeing me on the computer just sets him off. Doesn't matter if I'm uploading pics, paying the bills or blogging. This Toshiba laptop has an effect on him.

So last night, we were catching up on TiVo - watching "The Closer" before catching up with "Lost."

Did you see Billy Burke's wicked performance in "The Closer - Power of Attorney?"

When one of the commercials came on, Hubz said, "You know they're gonna bring your boyfriend back on the show."

"Who?" I asked. "Billy?"

Then I giggled. Couldn't help myself. "You know - you're going to have to clarify WHICH one of my boyfriends when you talk like that."

At this point, I'm not even trying to keep a straight face anymore.

"Seeing as I now have a couple of them." ;)

*wicked grin*

I could see my 14 y/o sprawled out on the sofa next to us, a wide smile on his face, trying to keep any noise from escaping - never mind that you can see his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Hubz tried to roll his eyes at me but even he couldn't help himself. He tried to scoff at me during his attempt to accuse me. "Whore." But even then, a smile still crept up on his lips.

I've been told my laugh is contagious. ;)

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Meeting Ashley Greene, Rachelle Lefevre and Jackson Rathbone

First of all, Ashley and Rachelle are absolutely gorgeous.

Sunday at the con was the day to dress up as your favorite Twilight character and you KNOW I had to give Alice my props. ;) I was SO stoked to meet Ashley Greene in person, I was grinning ear to ear. Bad enough that David, the bodyguard, was making me laugh.

When she saw me walking up, she was all, "You look so cute!"

I gushed and told her, "You have to know who my favorite character is!!"

lol - I am such a dork. But it was awesome. *happy sigh* She has such a pure and fun personality - and she is OH SO pretty!!

Next was my photo op with Rachelle Lefevre. How could I not let her know that our favorite line in the movie is, "I'm the one with the wicked curve ball." :D

I wish you could've seen her onstage. So genuine, funny and down to earth. DEFINITELY someone you can hang out with partying or kickin' back and still have a good time. :)

Of course, the last photo op of the day - of the convention - was Jackson Rathbone.

Jackson, Jackson, Jackson....

He and Ashley LIT UP the stage during their Q&A. I swear, they're like the perfect couple! But by the time his photo ops came, I had already changed out of my Alice outfit.

Honestly, I barely made it past noon. I couldn't handle all the dang attention - lol. So at lunch, I made a dash for the room and threw on a casual gray top, kicked off my heels and slipped into my black rhinestone flip flops.

I could live in flip flops. Come to think of it... I actually do. ;)

Okay - off the bunny trail. I'm finally in the photo op room, and am amazed at how fast the line is going. Not in awe... more like, surprised. And not pleasantly.

Seriously. You walk up, take your picture, and walk off. All the girls in front of me had all of FIVE seconds with him. And all with the same, one arm on your shoulder, pose.

*mischievous giggle*

Oh, but... not me. Oh no - I wasn't going down like that.

I was almost up and STILL hadn't figured out what to say. Looking back... it may not be much compared to my encounter with Kellan, but... that's a given. You know when just ONE of them does it for you?

That's Kellan for me. ;)

Regardless, my encounter with Jackson still leaves my heart pounding when I think about it...

I've now just watched the last 3 girls go up and take the exact same pose with Jackson. He's so used to it by now, that his arm is almost in the exact same position. In fact, as I start walking up, he's about to give me the one-arm hug as well... except I had to go and change it up on him.

His arm was still reaching out towards me, but instead of letting it fall on my shoulder, I took his hands in my own.

His head cocked to the side ever so slightly. Curious. Amused. And then I explained:

"We all know you already have the perfect Alice Cullen. So I was thinking... maybe... we can give you the Filipina version...."

I didn't even wait for him to respond. I pulled his arms around me and as we posed for our picture, I could hear the girls behind me squealing.

"Awwwwww....! How cute!! I want mine like that!!"

lol - it made me smile. Though I've no idea who that woman in my picture is. Her smile is way too sweet and innocent for me. ;)

After Chris snaps our picture, I turn around to Jackson and he's thanking me for coming up. I've no idea how it happened, but somehow... we're kinda still holding hands.

Lightly. Not letting go.... Lingering.

I'm not one to overstay my welcome, so I'm already leaving. Except.. we were kinda still talking, so I was actually walking backwards.

Our fingertips still touching one another...

I'm not sure I even remember what I said next. Maybe thanking him for the photo? All I know is - I was lost. Lost in those intense eyes of his... eyes that bore right into me with the same tentative smile from earlier.

It felt like the room was a standstill. I couldn't hear anyone talking. See anyone moving. The others were probably watching our little dance as the next girl waited to take her photo op.

I finally let go of those soft hands of his, turning around to pick up my bag from the table.

Yet I could still feel the weight of his gaze on me... Watching. Maybe surprised to see the tat on my back that peeked out from under my top.

Either way... it was all I could do not to jump up and down where I stood. All I could do to not let out a scream from experiencing Jackson's intensity.

The girls weren't lying. Rob may personify Edward Cullen... but Jackson is the one who dazzles...!

~ Dette and Jackson Rathbone ~

Psst! You can check out my sistah blog, On the Rocks, for a couple more Twilight goodies!

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Winners of MammaDawg's Everglow Party

OMK! Thanks to ALL of you for joining the Everglow Party. And thank you for all of your patience as I squeezed in a couple of trips before and after the contest! lol - that wasn't actually part of the plan, but hey - that's the way the dice rolls, right? ;)

By the way - if you were a winner of one of our featured giveaways and have not yet received your prize, please email me at mammadawg [at] gmail [dot] com and I will follow up with the sponsor right away.

Alright now... are you ready???

~ Everglow Party Winners ~

Bonus Prize Winners

• Bonus Prize Winner #1 - Sherry
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #2 - Rosa
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #3 - Rose
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #4 - Myslaugitao
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #5 - Suwari
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #6 - Momof2boyswifeof1
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #7 - Blogger Templates
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #8 - Karun
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #9 - Wiehanne
  
• Bonus Prize Winner #10 - Ciaraj
  

*To claim your bonus prize, send me an email with subject line "Everglow Party Bonus Prize Winner" and let me know your top 3 prize choices. Remember... first come, first served!! Winners to be listed at the Winner's Circle as well. :)

*~* 2nd Place Winner is... Rosa! *~*

*~* 3rd Place Winner is... Save Your Money Mama! *~*

*~* And our GRAND PRIZE Winner is... Sherry! *~*

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!
Thank you for rockin' out with me at MammaDawg's Everglow Party!

TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE(S):

***Prizes listed at original Everglow Party Post***

Please contact your sponsor(s) directly with a link to this post and advise them that you are a MammaDawg.com Contest Winner. Most of them can be contacted thru the Entrecard Community, a contact page at their blog, or you can always leave a comment on the most recent post at your sponsor's blog as well.

Your sponsor will then be able to give you further instructions on how to claim your prize(s).

Special thanks to ALL of our sponsors and participants for making this such a successful contest - and congratulations to everyone! WHEW!!

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