I Never Claimed We Were Classy

A snippet of "conversation" from the dinner table last night...

Max (age 4): Dad-what if you were standing in front of one hundred people and you were singing and then your pants fell down?

Annie (age 9): At least you had underwear on.

Gray (age 6): Yah, but then they fell down too.

Guess I should just be thankful we didn't have guests for dinner.

Just Curious...

Annie and I somehow got on the subject of reading and TV watching. We agreed that although we enjoy reading and TV viewing, if forced to choose between the two, without question we'd say goodbye to the TV. I would probably miss TV more than Annie (she watches next to none as it is), but I would still find it easier to get rid of the old boob-tube than to give up books.

Just curious...
...which would you give up if forced to choose?

they're dropping like flies

Okay, that's a totally silly title for this post. But we have had a bit of drama (or maybe melodrama would better describe it) around here.

First of all, McB (a.k.a. Baker) had another seizure. I think I jinxed the poor pooch by talking about it yesterday. So now he's had 2 in a little less than 24 hours. Hopefully that was a pure fluke, and he'll go back to the every other month rotation.

And then this morning after dropping Max off at preschool, in an act of utter clumsiness, Annie fell while climbing into the van . (In her defense, she really had no shot at gracefulness with Rich and I as parents.) Poor kiddo split her lip open. Blood was just dripping. By the time we arrived home, her lip resembled the loser in a heavyweight title match. An ice pack has helped the swelling a bit, but it was pretty evident that I needed to call and cancel her flute lesson for this afternoon. She also banged up her ankle a bit. Poor girl!

odds -n-ends

Just some unconnected ramblings...



*Poor Baker had another seizure yesterday. That's his second (that we know of) since he came to live with us late last October. The vet said that as long as they don't become frequent, there's really nothing to do about it. No reason to worry, but still, it's very sad to watch!

*For the longest time, we thought winter was never going to arrive this year. But of course, it did...and now we're nearly caught up with "the norm" for this time of year. The 6 inches we got last evening has us up to nearly 100 for the winter now. And it's snowing as I type.

*There have been way too many "Wow...these kids are growing up too fast" moments lately! The latest...we had to buy Annie some training bras! She's just not a little girl anymore. Pout.

*I never did talk about our success antiquing last week. We actually didn't buy toooooo much for ourselves, but we did get a few Christmas presents. Always a good thing. Especially happy about a find we made for Rich's mom...just know she's going to love it! Rich did buy a few biology books for himself (he loves old biology books...well, and new biology books, too!). The only thing I bought myself was a little yellow bowl. Don't know why, but I just fell in love with it. Didn't have a clue as to what I was going to do with it...but I ended up with the perfect spot for it. It now holds cotton balls in our bathroom.



And I guess that's enough of my useless ramblings for now...

creating update (week 1)

I posted a week or so ago about how Keri Smith's Living Out Loud reinvigorated me. It reminded me of how much I love to create. It's always been a big part of my life. Until the demands of motherhood grew so overwhelming that playing and creating just for me simply had to take a back-seat. I don't think allowing that to happen was wise. So I have decided to make a concerted effort to put a little more "me-time" back into my life. And I've decided that I'm going to update my blog once a week with my efforts...I'm hoping that will motivate me to squeeze in as many of those precious moments as possible.

On the scrapbooking front:

Completed 3 layouts this week (been a loooong time since I've done that many layouts in such a short time--of course, it did help that it was winter break, and that I had 2 whole days without the kids).





































































On the sewing front:

Made this little purse for a friend's daughter's birthday. Had a lot of fun with this. The green fabric is from an old shirt of Annie's. Just kind of made the whole thing up as I went. Was the first time I ever tried making French seams...wanted to use them so I could hide the strap inside them down the sides for a little added stability. I simply love how it turned out! Hopefully Bryn will like it, too.







Miscellaneous:

I decided to try my hand at knitting. I love the look of knitting, but I've never learned to do it. Thought it was time to try. So far, I'm not making anything per se. I'm just practicing the stitches. Picked up the "knit" fairly quickly, had a lot more trouble with the "purl". I actually think knowing how to crochet may be hindering the process a bit...I'm having a hard time adjusting how I hold the yarn. But I'll get it eventually...just have to keep plugging away.

I also worked a bit on my needlepoint picture, but I didn't take a photo of that.


All in all, a pretty good week. Wish I'd done some writing as well, but I can't do everything at once, I suppose.

what we'll be eating this week...

On slate for the coming week...

*spaghetti, Italian bread

*chicken sandwiches, fries, and green beans

*cheesy potatoes and ham, banana muffins (a new recipe)

*pizza mac casserole, savory biscuit bites
(From my last menu-plan, but we never got to it.)

*salsa pasta, Italian bread

*cheeseburger soup, homemade rolls
(Found the recipe for the cheeseburger soup at Stacy's blog...it sounds sooooo good, we just have to try it.)

*chicken & rice, broccoli, walnut carrot raisin muffins
(Tried a recipe for Cheesy Chicken on our last menu plan, but none of us were thrilled. So I'm going back to our old favorite. The muffins are a new recipe...think I had planned them on the last menu-plan as well, but didn't make them.)

**Walnut-cinnamon coffeecake and Morning Fruit Salad--for breakfast next weekend
(Both of these recipes are from the latest issue of Simple & Delicious.)



My parents gave me a new crock pot for my birthday. So anxious to try it out...thus the cheesy potatoes and ham on this week's menu. Of course, we do love that dish anyway. My big problem now is finding a place to keep my new crock pot in my very tiny kitchen.

relaxation ahead

Well, I survived turning 43. And as usual, feel no different for the experience.

Spent much of yesterday in the car hauling the munchkins to my parents house. It's become somewhat of a tradition. Since my birthday always falls during winter break for both Rich and the kids, we take the little rascals to stay with their Grammy and Papa for a couple days, while Rich and I go off to relax. In the past, we have just stayed in a nearby hotel. Heavenly. Things were a bit more complicated this year, however, because of Baker. Didn't want to throw that extra responsibility on Mom and Dad. And figured that even if we found a hotel that would allow dogs, we'd be stuck in the room (if we left him alone in there he'd most likely bark at every little sound he heard). So, this year, we took the kiddos down, spent the afternoon with my parents, had a super yummy supper followed by cake and ice cream, and then headed home.

And we now have 2 whole days to ourselves before we head back to pick up the monkeys on Saturday. Wow. Two whole days. Already enjoying the time. Got up early and watched a cheesy made-for-TV crime drama on LMN. After we get dressed and ready for the day, we plan to head out and hit this great antique mall that's not too far from us. Oh, how we miss antiquing! Definitely not something we can do with the boys in tow. And I think we'll hit Chilis for lunch. Mmmmm...love their salsa...best we've been able to find since moving back north.

After that, well, we're playing it by ear. Ahhh, freedom.

that's a relief

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

I guess Annie would be relieved to know that, huh?

a little quiz fun

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

Yep, I do love autumn! Of course, I also love winter, spring, and summer.

10 on Tuesday

Today's 10 on Tuesday:

10 Foods You Hate:
(as usual, in no particular order)

1. liver
2. brussel sprouts
3. mushrooms
4. fish (as a general rule)
5. Hamburger Helper (bad childhood memories)
6. lima beans
7. white chocolate
8. milk chocolate (unless combined something else such as nuts or peanut butter)
9. celery
10. strawberry ice cream

That was much, much harder than I imagined! I'm actually sort of a finicky eater. But when it came to true hatred, I had a hard time coming up with 10. Could have come up with a much longer list of foods I don't much care for, but can eat if necessary.

a big 180

So happy this morning. Nearly to the point of giddy-ness. This feeling began last night. Amazing how a day can do a complete U-turn.

After an annoying (though somewhat amusing) morning, my day just went downhill. I ended up in a real funk. Just yuck. Feeling so lousy and mopey that I even skipped supper.

But after I cleaned up the dinner dishes (still had to feed everyone else, of course) and took my shower and the kids were all tucked into bed reading, I decided to curl up in bed myself. Had planned on trying to catch up on some of the TV shows I'd taped over the last few nights, but I figured those could wait. I was anxious to peruse the two little books Rich had given me for Valentines Day.

We had actually made a deal to not buy each other anything for Valentines Day, but we both broke the agreement. In additiion to some candy, Rich bought me two books I'd been wanting--Living Out Loud by Keri Smith and 52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity by Jeffrey Yamaguchi.

So last evening, I curled up in our adorable snowmen flannel sheets wearing my most comfy of pjs with a mug of nice hot tea and cracked open this book. It was the best thing I've done in forever.

This book is FUN. I was captivated. I was motivated. I was inspired. And I was certainly no longer in my funk.

To put it simply, I feel refreshed. And ready to play.

(And I'm anxious to get to the other book, too!)

can I go back to bed now?

Please!!! I'm almost afraid not to!

Yep, it's just one of those days. It may seem worse than it actually is because I'm still suffering with this terribly annoying cold, complete with cough that prohibits lying horizontally.

First of all, the door on the van chose today to act up again. This is the third time it has pulled this crap. It somehow auto-locks itself, and simply cannot be opened. To fix it, Rich has to pull off the panel inside the door and hook something-or-other back together. Whatever. What it means to me in the meantime, is that I have to climb through the van to get Max buckled in to his seat. Today was a nice day to have the door refuse to open, as I was carrying my purse, cupcakes for Max's party, a big box of candy for his teachers, and a bag of Valentines cards and candy for the kids. Max, for once, was actually good enough to carry his own backpack.

Okay, I've made it past that minor obstacle. I arrive at school, unload kiddos and all the extras, and start walking across the parking lot. And the sole comes off my boot. Not all the way off...it manages to hang on in a 2" x 1/2" section. So, not only am I now risking frostbite, but I look like a total dork as well. We actually received the predicted 2 feet of snow yesterday. So of course, today would be the day my boot decides to fall apart. (I suppose it really does makes sense...after all, I wouldn't be wearing them in the middle of summer, right?)

Now, I've managed to make it back home. Things should start going smoother in the comfort of my own home. Or maybe not. Now, I really hate to complain about Max using "the little potty". I should just remain forever grateful that he is finally using any potty at all. However, I am getting a bit tired of emptying and cleaning "the little potty". But it's a job that can't be ignored. So, Annie and I arrive home after dropping off Max. I get her set up working on an assignment and then go to deal with "the little potty". It really is a simple operation. You slide the "bucket" part out, dump it in the toilet, wipe it out, and slide it back in. There was a glitch in the system today, however. I am still at a complete loss as to how to explain it...nasty little invisible fairies? involuntary muscle spasms? or more likely, just my complete and utter clumsiness rearing its ugly head? Anyway, somehow between the sliding out step and the dumping into toilet step, there was a problem. A very, very messy problem. A--pee on 2 walls, the floor, 3 towels, and me--problem.

So, come on, do I not deserve to go back to bed?

taking the challenge...

Thursday's Challenge, that is.

This week: PINK






Since all that can be seen around here today is white, and plenty of it...I decided to go a bit overboard with the pink.

Fun, fun, fun

Another round of Scatterdays! Thanks Chele!

Rules: Using the THIRD letter of your MIDDLE name, provide a word that describes each phrase.

My letter: N

Names used in the bible:
--Naomi
Junk food:
--nachos
Things that grow:
--nandina
Companies:
--Nestle
Articles of clothing:
--necktie
Desserts:
--No-Bake Cookies
Car Parts:
--nuts (surely, they're used somewhere, huh?)
Things Found on a Map:
--nations
Athletes:
--Nedved, Petr
4-letter words:
--next
Items in a refrigerator:
--neufchatel
Farm Animals:
--neigh-ers (sorry, it was all I could come up with)
Street Names:
--Ninth Avenue
Things at the beach:
--noseplugs...?
colors:
--navy
tools:
--nail gun
heros:
--Nelson Mandela
gifts / presents:
--necklace
terms of endearment:
--nookums (close relative of snookums)
kinds of dances:
--nutbush (yep, really.)

Okay...I just spent way too much time on that!

my better half

Just stole this from Stacy. She thought Valentines Day would be the perfect time to do this about her sweetie. What can I say, she's brilliant...so I'm copying her.

All about Rich...

His age:
--40

How tall is he:
--5ft. 10in.

How long have you been together:
--19.5 years (16.5 of them married)

How long did you know each other before you got together?
--about 2 years, best buds for about 1 of those years

What physical features attracted you to him first?:
--smile

Eye color:
--blue

Hair color:
--brown (it's gotten much darker even since we've met)

Hair style:
--very short...and disappearing (when we first met, it was nearly to his waist)

Normal Outfit:
--for work-jeans or cargo pants, button down shirt, and often a tie/for home-pretty much the same minus the tie

How did you meet:
--he was dating a friend of mine (don't worry--that was over long before we started dating)

How serious is it:
--ne'er shall we part

Are you “in love”:
--very much so

Do your parents like him:
--love him to death, but that was not an immediate thing

Do his parents like you:
--pretty sure his dad does, his mom-I'm never quite sure

Do you trust him:
--with my life and with my heart

Would you share a toothbrush with him:
--ew...do I have to?

Would he let you wear his pants:
--yes...and I did one year for Halloween

Do you have a shirt of his that you sleep in?
--nope

Do you like the way he smells:
--yep

Can you picture having kids with him:
--sure, I did...and he's simply the best daddy

What bothers you the most about him:
--sometimes I think he doesn't worry enough about the future (I know, how dumb is that?!! He doesn't need to worry...I do enough for the both of us!)

Does he have a temper:
--not with me, but he gets totally annoyed with "bad drivers"

Are you happy to be with him:
--incredibly so...sometimes I just can't believe how blessed I am

Does he embarrass you in public:
--no, but he tries to embarrass the kids and I doing goofy things

Does he smoke or do drugs?
--nope...thankfully, we both quit smoking long ago

Does he have any piercings?:
--yes, one ear

Any tattoos?
--nope

Does he have any scars that you know of?
--on his forehead, from diving into his headboard when he was a kid

Is he a Party dude or Stay at home?:
--definitely stay-at-home

Is he Outgoing or Shy?:
--in general, he's really shy...and yet he's a really great teacher and his students love him

Does he love his mama?:
--of course

Would he hang out with you and YOUR friends?:
--actually most of our friends are just that--"our" friends, but sure

Does he sing?
--yep, he's got a great voice...wish I did

This is the guy I've been talking about...

and more sweetness...

Me: "I love you sooooo much!"

Max: "I love you sooooo much, too. All the way to outer space!"

from the heart...

Found this waiting for me on the kitchen table this morning...



O.K., he might not win the "Artist of the Year" award, but he's got my vote for "All-Time Best Husband".

just a little giggle

Just wanted to get this down before I forgot...

This morning before Rich left for work, he went in to say goodbye to the boys, who were still lounging in bed.

Rich: "Gray, why can't I be as cute as you?!!"

Gray: "Because you don't have enough hair."

snow day!

I'm having a hard time believing it, but they actually gave the kids a snow day! Maybe they're feeling generous because it's Valentines Day. Well, whatever the reason, I'm not complaining. Still feeling like crap from this annoying cold, and I really didn't want to be running around to the boys' school delivering cupcakes and the like.

We've got about 10" of snow so far, and they're calling for another 10-12" by 5:00pm from this winter storm. And then this evening and tomorrow the lake effect snow is supposed to kick back in. Maybe we'll end up with a nice big pile by the weekend. Then again, maybe we won't. Anyway, I'm grateful for all the new snow...the old stuff was starting to look pretty crappy, especially beside the roadways.

The Valentines traditions have begun here in our humble little abode. Got up at 4:45 to make the traditional chocolate-dipped strawberries. Annie would be heartbroken if I skipped over that one. I must admit, I did blow off decorating for Valentines Day this year. Just never got around to it. Oh well. The kids are much more interested in their little gifts and in the strawberries for breakfast and the M&M pancakes for dinner. Wonder how many times they'll ask, "How long until Daddy gets home?"...which translates to, "How much longer until we can open our presents?".

--Geez...right on cue..."When's Daddy getting home?"-Gray. "In about 10 hours."-me. "What?!! I can't wait that long!"-Max.

just babbling...

Topic A: this dang cold

*Not sure what to make of this stupid thing. It seems to be reinventing itself on a daily basis. Thought we were witnessing some improvement yesterday. But then during the evening, everything seemed to move from my chest to my head. So much pain and pressure in the sinuses...you know, the kind where you just wish your face would simply explode and get it over with. Again with the coughing all night long. And now this morning, I have no voice. Throat no longer hurts though, so that's wonderful. But of course, it took the kids all of 30 seconds to figure out how to take advantage of a voiceless mommy.

Topic B: this dang cold

*Weather, that is. Another cold snap. It is above zero (though just barely), so I really shouldn't complain. Feel bad for Gray though. They only have outdoor recess when the temps are at 20 or above. It's been quite a few weeks since the school's playground has been put to use.

*And thanks to this big storm which will be bringing snow to much of the east, we should finally get more than 2 or 3 inches in a day. It's weird to go this far into winter without a big dumping. But if the forecasters are correct (now there's a big "if"), we're to get close to foot tonight and then another foot plus tomorrow. Followed by lake effect snow. But we'll wait and see.

Topic C: in the kitchen

*Made that new recipe for Lasagna Florentine last night. It was okay, but not nearly as good as I remember my old recipe being. So now I'm on a quest...determined to find a really good recipe.

*Must make cupcakes for the boys Valentines parties at school tomorrow. But I feel bad to be baking when I'm sick like this. So I've decided I'm going to wear disposable gloves and a disposable mask. O.K., not really gloves...that probably wouldn't be any more effective than the incessant hand-washing we do around here anyway. Is that as weird as it sounds? Probably overkill, I suppose. But I would hate to pass along any germs to those poor little kiddos. I guess I get a little paranoid about it because of Annie. For most kids, a cold is a cold. But when she was younger (preschool and kindergarten age) and picked up a cold at school (or anywhere else, of course), as often as not, it landed her in the hospital for 3 or 4 days because of her asthma. The first signs of the sniffles in her, used to lead to great anxiety in our house. Luckily, she rarely gets sick anymore, and when she does her body is much better at dealing with it. But anyway, that's why I'm being such a wacko about baking cupcakes. But safe than sorry, huh?

Probably just better skip Topics D-J. Babbling should have its limits, right?

worrying about...

Time for 10 on Tuesday...

10 Things You Worry About:
(as usual, in no particular order)

1. the state of our planet
2. going to the dentist
3. my weight
4. that Annie will someday want to drive (watch out world!)
5. that Gray's seizures will come back when he hits puberty (neurologist said it's a real possibility)
6. debt
7. something happening to Rich
8. whether I will be able to deliver the Valentines cupcakes tomorrow if we get that 2+ feet of snow
9. doing our taxes
10. getting too far behind

Geez-I could probably go on for a while with that list. I'm good at worrying. Over the big and the small.

men bearing gifts...

O.K., that's a bit misleading. The men in question are the postman and the UPS guy. And the gifts are from myself.

Yep, some of my fun QVC scrapbooking goodies arrived. Including this big 8,000 piece kit. Whoa. What a pile of loot! There's practically a little of everything in this baby!

Did you get yours yet Chele? I just want to run off and play, play, play!

what we'll be eating this week...

Once again, I'm being inspired by Stacy. I feel like I owe her big time for getting me back on this whole menu planning regimen. The up-front effort really does pay off throughout the week! So Stacy, if you read this, THANK YOU!

This week's menu, in no particular order...

*Cheesy Chicken, Strawberry Muffins (both new recipes)

*Lasagna Florentine (another new recipe--used to have another recipe for this, but I can't find it), Salad, Italian Bread

*Vegetable Bowtie Pasta (yet another new recipe), Breadsticks

*Salsa Pasta, Italian Bread, Fruit

*Sauerkraut & Kielbasa, Perogies, Homemade Rolls

*Pizza Mac Casserole, Savory Biscuit Bites (both from Quick Cooking-July/Aug. '98)

*Heart-Shaped M&M Pancakes (for the kids), Order Pizza (for Rich & I)---this is for Valentine's Day

**Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries (for breakfast on Valentine's Day)

**Surprise-Inside Cupcakes (for both the boys' Valentine parties at school, with extras for us for dessert)

looking forward to...

Busy, busy week ahead. And me still battling this horrendous cold. Don't know when a cold has knocked me for a loop quite like this one has. Was feeling kind of overwhelmed by it all. Then I realized there's a lot to look forward to this week as well...

*2 hours of 24 tonight

*ordering pizza AFTER the kids go to bed Wednesday night (such a rare treat to be able to sit and eat and talk, just Rich and I)

*all the scrapbooking goodies I ordered from QVC during their scrapbooking fair should be arriving

*Friday is the last day of school before winter break

*the return of Jericho Wednesday night (though I don't think it's actually a new episode, but more of a get caught up on past happenings kind of thing)

meme-ing the time away

As I was reading some responses to Friday's Feast, I found this at This Is Me. Thought I might try it.

1. Name people who made you laugh yesterday?
--Rich, Baker (guess he's not a "people", but what the heck), Max (always making me laugh, and also has me near tears fairly regularly).

2. What were you doing at 8 this morning?
--Sitting at the computer

3. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
--Blogging

4. What is something that happened to you in 1994?
--There was a huge ice storm. We lost power for several days. The temperature in our house got down to 36 degrees.

5. What is the last thing you said aloud?
--"You can either do them right now, or do them for homework over the weekend."

6. How many different things did you drink today?
--Coffee and water.

7. What colour is your hairbrush?
--Aqua.

8. What was the last thing you bought?
--Uno (a gift for Gray for Valentines Day).

9.Who is your best friend?
--Rich, without question

10.What colour is your front door?
--Dark brown.

11. Where do you keep your change?
--Wallet.

12. What was the weather like today?
--Frigid, windy.

13. What is the best ice-cream flavor?
--Coffee.

14. What is something you are excited about?
--2 hours of 24 on Monday.

15. When was the last rainbow you saw?
--This past fall sometime.

16. Do you have a sister?
--Nope.

17. Are you very random?
--Huh?

18. Do you want to cut your hair?
--No, Rich chopped it off not too long ago.

19. Are you over the age of 25?
--Very much so.

20. Do you talk a lot?
--In general, no. But sometimes.

21. Do you watch The OC?
--Never have.

22. Make up a question and answer it.
--What's for dinner tonight? Cavatini.

23. Do you know anyone called Steve?
--Not anymore.

24. Are you ticklish?
--Yes. Except when I'm mad, then I cannot be tickled.

25. Are you typically a jealous person?
--Maybe a little. Wish I wasn't at all.

26. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A.’
--Annie.

27. Do you chew on your straw?
--No. But I seldom use a straw.

28. What is the next concert you’re going to?
--Yeah, like we could afford to go to a concert these days.

29. Who is the coolest person in your life?
--Gray. Such a unique, creative soul!

30. What is something you say a lot?
--I love you.

31. What is the last thing you ate?
--A bowl of generic Cheerios.

32. Have you seen the movie ‘Donnie Darko’?
--Never even heard of it.

33. Do you have work tomorrow?
--Yes, there's no such thing as a day off here.

34. Is marriage in your future?
--Geez, I hope not--I'd like to stick with the one I've got.

35. What should you be doing right now?
--Shall we settle for the abbreviated list...laundry, school prep, and making a grocery list.

36. Do you have a nickname?
--Debi. Or Thelma (to Rich). Or Myrtle (to Mom).

37. Are you a heavy sleeper?
--Was before motherhood. Definitely not anymore!

38. When was the last time you used a skateboard?
--Not sure I ever have.

39. What is the best movie you’ve seen in the past two weeks?
--An Inconvenient Truth.

40. Are you currently depressed?
--Nope.

eating again

Feast One Hundred & Thirty:

Appetizer - Have you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with?
-Have a cold right now, but that's it since winter technically began.

Soup - What colors dominate your closet?
-Red, navy blue, and various shades of brown.

Salad - How would you describe your personal "comfort zone"?
-Total homebody here...not comfortable in new places or around people I don't know.

Main Course - On which reality show would you really like to be a contestant?
-Have no idea how to answer this...just NOT a fan of reality TV.

Dessert - Which holiday would you consider to be your favorite?
-Without question, Christmas. Even though it's also the most work.

I love red!

Just had to play Five on Friday today...it's all about my very favorite color!

February 09, 2007: Roses Are Red

1. What is your favorited red food?
--Hmm. It's not apples, because I only like Granny Smiths. Not strawberries...just not a fan. All I can think of off the top of my head here is either raspberries or marinara sauce. Oh, and watermelon...how could I forget watermelon-yum!

2. Do you own any red clothing?
--Yep. My winter coat is red. And I have a handful of red shirts as well.

3. Name one item you can see right now that is red.
--My bedspread has red in it, along with burnt orange, gold, and chocolate brown. Now, if I was in my kitchen, I could name a myriad of things!

4. Have you ever run a stop sign or red light?
--Don't think so. I'm a pretty overly-cautious driver. Hate driving.

5. Do you ever get so angry that you "see red"?
--Rarely.

step away from the computer...

Wasting time. Lots of it.



Screwy start to the day. Schedule all goofed up. Had to take Gray to the dentist...his front tooth suddenly turned a not-so-lovely shade of gray. Wasn't really a big deal (easy for me to say, since it wasn't my tooth that had to be yanked out). The dentist said it just happened because even though the big tooth was pushing it, for whatever reason that baby tooth just wouldn't give up it's claim to that front and center stage. She almost pulled 2 additional ones...the x-ray showed it looked like they were headed for a similar scenario in the near future. But we decided to just let them go for now...to get those he would have had to go through the whole laughing gas, etc. routine. See photo? He's been through that whole ordeal too many times already. And frankly, it sucks. And poor guy...I tell you...it just isn't fair! He is sooooo meticulous about brushing his teeth. Just like he is with most everything he does, the little perfectionist. You should see him wash his hands...you'd think he was a mini surgical resident or something.

Anyway, this trip messed up the whole flow. And I just haven't been able to get back into the groove. Hence, I am wasting far too much time playing around here.

taking Thursday's Challenge

Thursday Challenge is a place for photographic fun and learning. A theme is announced on this site each week. You may either take a new photograph related in some way to the theme or select one that you have taken previously.

"CUTE" (Baby Animals, Babies, Children, Clothing, Beautiful, Charming, Dainty, Delightful, Pretty,...)



Well, of course, to this biased mommy, the boy and the dog are both as cute as can be. But what I find especially "cute" is the relationship of a boy and his dog. Nothing quite like it.

counting those blessings

Sometimes it's the challenging days when you need to look for the good stuff the most, huh?

*fat-free French vanilla coffeemate

*the latest issue of Simple Scrapbooks in the mailbox

*Max's sheer joy over the fact that it's Wednesday (He loves Wednesday nights because Gray and Annie have swimming lessons, so he gets to have Mommy all to himself. So sweet!)

*Criminal Minds...am on pins and needles over what's going to happen...last episode was a doozy!

Yep, I really am feeling a little better.

just hoping to make sense

Most nights I am able to deal with the myriad of sleep-interruptions fairly well. I just seem to be one of those lucky people who has a higher tolerance for sleep deprivation. Always did a pretty good job surviving those infancy days of nursing every 2 hours, etc. Not that is doesn't have its effects on me, especially mentally. But overall, I'm pretty blessed to be able to deal with it in stride. (Thankfully...with a kid like Gray!)

But every once in a while, I have a night where my whole being just seems to rebel. Last night was one of those nights. Every interruption to my sleep was simply painful. Both physically and mentally. It literally hurt. When Baker got me up to let him out. When Gray got me up to take him to the bathroom. When Gray got me up because he was having leg pains. When Gray got me up because he couldn't get himself tucked back in correctly. When Gray got me up because his hand fell asleep. It hurt.

I know that sounds weird. But it's true.

And today I feel like I'm coming out of anesthesia (minus the nausea). Just that feeling of grogginess. My head just won't clear.

Probably shouldn't even be posting today...I probably sound insane, and don't even realize it!

more stolen fun

And more fun stuff lifted from Marianne...


randomness...feed your mind and your blog

week of Feb 4: This or That? Pick one!

1. peanut butter or jelly?
--Tough one...rarely eat either alone. Guess I'd have to say peanut butter for that very occasional sinful spoonful right from the jar.
2. hiking or swimming?
--Definitely hiking! Can't stand being wet. (Yes, I realize in most peoples' eyes that makes me a freak.)
3. football or baseball?
--Another easy one...without question...football.
4. christmas or thanksgiving?
--And yet another no-brainer...Christmas! Love, love, love it! Go totally overboard in every aspect.
5. grade school or high school?
--Neither was bad. Guess I'll go with grade school.
6. summer or winter?
--This is another tough one...I just love every season! They are all filled with such wonderful things! But today is a bit too cold even for me, so I guess I'll go with summer. Give me a week, my answer might be different.
7. romance novel or mystery novel?
--No question...mystery.
8. mickey mouse or barney?
--Mickey, no two ways about this one. That purple monstrosity just gives me the creeps.
9. road trip or airplane?
--Road trip!

meme-ing fun

Found a bit of fun over at Marianne's this morning. Love this game, so I am incredibly excited that it will be a regular meme now. Find it at Chele's. And without further ado, here are my answers:

Scatterday 1: February 3, 2007

Rules: Using the FIRST letter of your first name, provide a word that describes each phrase.

A Boy’s Name: Drew
U.S. Cities: Detroit
Things that are cold: draft
School Supplies: dictionary
Pro Sports Teams: Dolphins
Insects: dragonfly
Breakfast Foods: donut
Furniture: davenport
TV Shows: Dragnet
Things Found in the Ocean: dugong
Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Product Names: Duracell
Famous Females: Diana
Medicines/Drugs: darvocet
Things made of metal: darning needle
Hobbies: doll collecting
People in uniform: dog catcher
Things you plug in: dehumidifier
Animals: donkey
Languages: Dutch

Geez...I think I'd like to change my name next time. Could be a lot worse though...glad my name is Xander or Quincy.

baby, it's cold outside...

Well, we're shivering away here along with much of the country. Four below. Brrrrrr. With wind chills between 25 and 30 below. Sure wish they'd cancel school. But no such luck. They are definitely sticklers to their 40 below cut-off. So it's bundle-up time, for sure.

*********

I failed pathetically at finishing up my lists. Oh well...we all seem to be surviving. Nobody even seems the slightest bit upset that I didn't get the stairwell swept. (Like anyone in this house would even notice!)

*********

I probably shouldn't admit this, I'll sound slightly un-American or something...but I did not watch the Super Bowl last night. Had planned on it, of course. But when it came time, I just decided I didn't care enough to really enjoy it. As much as I love both football and hockey, if I don't have a team to cheer for, I just can't get into it. So I threw aside my ideas of what I "should do", and did what I wanted to do instead. I spent the early evening reading and then went to bed early. (And had Rich tape Criminal Minds for me.)

*********

Well, that about sums up my morning. Guess I better go get the medium kid layered up in outerwear.

a progress report

Thought I'd check in and see how I was doing in regards to my get-it-done lists. After all, more than half the weekend is now in the past.

The news is not good.

There has been a bit more nose blowing (the boys both have colds, of the disgusting variety, I might add), dispute settling (take for example, the major battle over who got to read the Marshmallow Treasures cereal box), and spill wiping (including the Jackson Pollock-esque chocolate syrup disaster) than even I anticipated.

Still, I have managed to check off numbers 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 22 from the un-fun list.

And from the fun list...numbers 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, and 20. Such a shock that I managed to complete the food related items (yes, that drip-drip-drip you hear is definitely sarcasm). Tried desperately to do some reading Friday night, but nearly broke my nose when I fell asleep and dropped the behemoth book on my face...didn't even get through an entire paragraph. And Rich and I watched An Inconvenient Truth last night. Was so tired by the time we got to bed that I didn't even attempt reading. But let me highly recommend An Inconvenient Truth to anyone who hasn't yet seen it!

O.K. little miss procrastinator...time to get back to it...

can I do it?

I've decided to challenge myself here. I'm going to make a list of 50 things to accomplish this weekend. But my list must include 25 fun things as well as 25 un-fun things. Now that's a twist!

Un-fun:
1. make and type Early Settlements test
2. type up Colonial Tidbits worksheet
3. reread "A Crazy Tale"
4. read section 3 in The Red Pony
5. type up discussion questions (The Red Pony)
6. type up vocabulary sheet (The Red Pony)
7. come up with writing assignment (The Red Pony)
8. make and type Wellness handout
9. finish reading Pablo Picasso
10. work on biomes unit
11. fold load of laundry that is sitting in dryer
12. load of laundry
13. load of laundry
14. load of laundry
15. hang kitchen curtain
16. make 4 more Valentine cards (this could probably go on the fun list, too)
17. clean up wrapping area in basement (long overdue!)
18. clean up the kitchen table
19. vacuum
20. dust living room (ugh!)
21. plan next week's menu
22. make grocery list
23. make schedule of "educational" shows to tape this month
24. clean out bottom of nightstand
25. clean out stairwell

Fun:
1. peruse latest issue of Scrapbooks Etc.
2. read section in Executive Orders
3. read section in Executive Orders
4. read section in Executive Orders
5. read section in Executive Orders
6. eat a piece of dump-it cake with vanilla ice cream
7. get kissed by a beagle
8. get kissed by a husband
9. work on scrapbook layout
10. work on needlepoint picture
11. watch either Law & Order or NUMB3RS
12. have a cup of coffee with Fat Free French Vanilla Coffeemate
13. index a scrapbook idea book
14. find photos for frames I bought for Rich for Valentines Day (gift from kiddos)
15. do a word puzzle
16. do a Sudoku puzzle
17. catch up on blog reading
18. read chapter of Harry Potter to the boys
19. give the mice some yogurt treats
20. watch a movie
21. sort latest batch of photos
22. get last 3 batches of photos into photo boxes
23. spend a few minutes at 2peas
24. pamper a kitty-cat
25. watch the Super Bowl

Hmm. That may be a bit too ambitious. Considering that there are three munchkins on the premises. Just have to try my best between nose wiping, dispute settling, ramp building, meal preparing, game playing, spill wiping, dish washing, boy bathing, and kid hugging.

another hare-brain idea

O.K.--so I'm now thinking that my "use up scraps immediately at all costs" plan may be doomed for failure. I still like the "idea", but actual execution is already wearing me down. I completed another layout using those 2 papers from my original. And another card. (Which puts the total at 2 layouts and 4 cards.) The problem? I'm sick to death of these papers! And I STILL have some left. How can 2 lousy sheets of paper go so far? And I've discovered another problem with my whole half-baked idea...I added a third pattern paper to the second layout, so I now, of course, have scraps from that paper as well. This is going to turn into a never-ending quest.

Oh well. Not the only dumb idea I've ever had. Not even the dumbest.