Dialogue, Dialogue

Every Friday, C brings home her dialogue journal. In it, she writes a letter to Hubster and I every week. She talks about what she did in her classes, what she liked/disliked or anything interesting to her.
Then, we are supposed to write back to her.

This last week, C wrote to us. Last night, we wrote back. Here are our letters to C.

My letter:
Dear C,

Congratulations on a good report card! You worked hard and it showed.

I am looking forward to reading your memoir once it is finished.

What are you learning in Economics? I took an Economics class in college and I liked it. But once, I fell asleep during a movie about economics! I was very glad the professor did not notice.

I was happy to come and and read to your class on Friday. Did you get to finish the Magic Tree House book?

Love, Mama

Hubster's letter:
Dear C,
Thank you for writing about your week.

What predictions did you make in reading? I will predict that there will be less candy in the Halloween bowl tomorrow than there is today. I also predict that you and S will argue about something. I cannot predict what.

Good job on your report card.
Love, Daddy

Dialogue Journal: It's one of my favorite parts of the week.

Watch Me Zumba

In my quest to find at least one exercise that I might possibly like doing, I've now taken a few Zumba classes. And, I think I've found an instructor I like. And, it's not the skinny minny Russian woman who yells at everyone 'come on, come on..keep up..it's not so hard!'  Errrrrrrrrrgggh.

Zumba is rather fun but you really have to get over yourself. My class yesterday went something like this:

I was the second largest woman in the room. The largest was an older black woman. I think she was about 5 feet tall but significantly heavier than me. But, holy crap, she could move! She wasn't bouncing but that woman had more rhythm in her big toe than I think I have in my whole body! She even did some hip pops. Impressive.

There were 2 brave older men in our class. What a trip! They weren't the fastest but they kept up better than I did. It is humbling to be outdone by senior citizens. Truly. I don't really like it but I gotta give them their props.

The class started out slow, thank goodness. I felt tight and uncoordinated. About 1/3 of the way through the class, I was sweating buckets. I caught a look at myself in the mirrored walls. Oh yes, did I mention that every single wall is floor to ceiling, mirrors. Every. single. one. Why would someone do that??????
Oh my, it was quite a sight. Hair flying every which way (I'm now 2 hair appts behind), cheeks bright red, a bra that obviously was not meant to contain these bad girls when zhumba-ing (sorry Ross!), and a grimace that would easily frighten a small child. Not to mention the sweat soaked t-shirt.
At first, I did wonder who the heck the witchy-looking woman was in the mirror until I realized she was dressed just like me, then my next thought was...Oh no, that witch is me!!!
I figured I had 2 choices. Continue to look like this or make a change. I decided...Screw it. I may not be able to keep up totally, but I'm gonna rock it like no other 43 yr old, grey roots showing, sweat pouring out everywhere,  overweight white woman can! I whooped and hollered, clapped, got a couple laughs out of the instructor and a 'You go, girl!' from one of the men which cracked me up even more.
I'm thinking that the other participants didn't quite know what to make of me. But I had a lot of fun and I'll do it again. On second thought, I don't think many of them noticed anything cause I sorta hid in the back of the room as much as I could. I mean, come on, I'll have fun but I don't want to put on a free show.
The class ended, I staggered to the water fountain and slowly, slowly made my way down the stairs and out of the gym.
I will take another Zumba class.
After I get some feeling back in my thighs.
Then, zumba, here I come!

Things I've Learned While Moving

This whole moving experience has been....well, I'm not quite sure how to describe it. There's many adjectives: exciting, scary, frustrating, heart-stopping, nerve-wracking, adventurous, lonesome.
I've learned a lot from moving.
-Temporary housing really, really, REALLY makes you appreciate your house all the more.
- The kids rooms need to be unpacked first. Thank you, Grandma & Grandpa, for helping with this. Made the kids feel more at home. C just lays in her bed for a few minutes every day after school saying "my room, my room, I love my room."
- It is disconcerting to be in a new place. Everything has to be done again. And, there's not really anyone else to ask about stuff.
- Seeing your kids suffer from anxiety about meeting new people makes your heart break for them.
- It is extremely tempting to just give in and have a big ol' pity party for yourself about whatever situation you find yourself in.

But mostly, what I learned during this move can be summed up in one word....intentional.

I have to be intentional about asking for help. Oh boy, for a person who hates to do this, what a big, fat lesson this was for me. I'm sure this is one that will keep coming up for me but I'm trying to embrace the idea that I can rely on someone else.

I have to be intentional about making friends. Surprisingly, they don't just come up and say "Hi! My name is ____________. What's yours? Do you want to play?" So much easier when I was 3 years old.
However, I did drum up the courage and ask a woman I met if she wanted to meet for coffee and she agreed. I felt very good about it and had a whole new empathy for S asking someone over to play. Course, I did my asking through the annonimity of the internet, but I did it. And I know I need to keep doing this even if it makes me uncomfortable.

I have to be intentional about making our new church feel like our church home. This means getting involved even though I don't know all the ins and outs and politics. I just hope I don't put my foot in my mouth too far. Guess that's where that thing called Grace comes in.  :)

I have to be intentional about helping my kids make friends. That means having playdates even though the house is still not unpacked. I figure that if the kids come over now, some day, when things are put away, they might even notice the difference! And, it is incentive for me to make this house our home.

So, my word for the rest of this year...intentional.  A tough lesson for me to learn but I'm working on it.

I'm Grumpy

My day went something like this:
Bought dehumidifier for new house. Went to house, spent hours cleaning in the kitchen, ran downstairs to put dehum. in basement and discovered a large (2 ft x 2ft) spot of wet carpet. Don't know what's causing it, can't figure out where it came from.

Discovered that S has been 'supplementing' his lunch with numerous ala carte items. Claims he can't remember what any of the food items were that he ate, including the 3 that cost $2.25.  And, the lunch acct is only caught up thru 9/22. All this extra food after both Hubster and I told him expressly that it was not for everyday and he had to ask before buying food. Basically, he's been lying to us for about 2 weeks.

Found out that S had lunch detention today for not turning in yet another homework assignment.

C stole $10 from S's room. When I questioned her, she said she was mad at him. 'Cause apparently, that makes everything OK in her book.

The dishwasher in the rental leaked down into the basement on top of the washing machine and now there's leaky, rusty water in my last laundry load.

Hubster is working late yet again. 10-12 hour days and 6 days a week appear to be the norm now. It sucks.

I have nothing packed from the rental to go to the new house and I have only one afternoon open this week to get things done. Did I mention that it's also the day that the kids have off from school?

I almost lost control of the van on the way home from school today due to the downpour. Rained so hard and so fast, the street had tons of water which you couldn't see until you plowed through it. Good thing I was going slow, I don't think I would have made it without an accident otherwise.

Tomorrow better be better. Or else.
I don't think I can take much more of this.

UPDATE: For C's punishment, she had to return the $10 and write 20 times "I will not steal from Simon".
She just handed me her paper on which was written 21 times "I will not sell from Simon." At the end, she wrote "My Othe". I asked her what that meant. She said "My OATH, Mama. That means my promise."
I think this one is going in the save box. :)

Future Generations or the Next Butt

S had a social studies assignment to rewrite the preamble to the constitution in his own words.
It was a long and arduous process, for both of us.
But, he slogged on until this part.
"Mom, this says 'for ourselves and our posterity."
"Yes, what do you think that might mean?" I asked.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure. I know posterity means 'butt' and I just can't figure out why they're talking about butts in the Constitution. Does it have something to do with the freedom to pass gas?"
"No, dear, the founding fathers were not concerned with gaseous eruptions. The word you're thinking of is posterior not posterity."

We are going out to get a dictionary this weekend.

House Sales or How Not to Sell Your House

So, we didn't get the house in OH. We were outbid by a cash offer.
Those stinkers.  Sigh......

Tonight, Hubster is looking at another house that just came on the market. Looks nice from the listings but you never know until you get there what it really looks like. (Although, in the case of OUR real estate pics, what you see is what you get. We worked hard on this house and it shows. Booyah!)
I was amazed at the condition of some of the houses we saw. From pristine to what the heck were they thinking to I don't want to touch anything in here because I'm afraid of what I'll catch.
I thought it'd be fun to think about all we've seen so I've made the following list:

How Not to Sell Your House:

-Don't answer the door in your pajamas (and for heaven's sake, please, please wear a robe if you do!) after confirming with the real estate agent that yes, they can view your house. I do not need to know that Scooby Doo briefs are best left to little boys and not grown men.
-Don't think that a bathroom totally lined with mirrors is an attractive feature. Yes, I mean every square inch of the walls and the ceiling. I must admit, though, the mirrors were completely spotless, not even one little fingerprint. Well, except for the one little spot I couldn't resist touching.
-Lingerie does not make a good bathroom decoration unless you're in a Hustler photo shoot.
-If your house has a spot in the middle of the main entrance floor that is filled with cedar shavings and potted plants literally embedded in the floor, it dates your house (hello 1970s) and the cedar gives it a funky smell. Notice I said funky and not attractive.
-If you redo your kitchen and spend mucho dinero on it, do not use old laminate cupboards from the early 80's that are falling off the hinges and expect buyers to be impressed with the mostly newly remodeled room.
-Curb appeal is important. If you cannot walk on the entryway to your house because of all the jungle plants that have overtaken it and the buyers have to wade through the mulch/grass/whatever to get inside, it's not a good first impression.
-If you happen to have a urinal in your house, CLEAN IT!!!!! That's all I'm sayin...
-I do not care if you have a glass egg collection that take 4 hutches to show off all of them. I would really rather see the room and not your crap.
-If your carpet is worn threadbare, has numerous spots and a suspicious smell, don't claim the carpet as one of the 'amenities'.
-Do tell me the square footage of your house. I am immediately suspicious when it's not listed.
-If someone taller than 5'8" cannot fit under the ceiling fans and/or light fixtures in your house? Consider removing them or they can cause some very hurtful bruises (and possibly a haircut). Sorry about that, Hubster.
-If you think the smells in your house are nasty, trust me, they ARE!! 
-If you are selling your house, be willing to have a showing. We had one house that we requested to see more than once and the sellers were never willing to let us in unless we scheduled a week in advance. Weird. Also, on a similar note, I do not need to hear your life's story if you are present at the showing. Including how much your 'witch of an ex' is...that's just too much information and frankly, I just don't care.
-Do not be present when I view the house. Even if you're outside on the porch smoking a cigarette, it's still distracting and it's bad for you. Shame on you for smoking, not to mention it makes me sniff everything to see if I smell smoke in the house.
 But, especially, do not leave Grandma in the house to 'chat' with us on our tour and have her tell us all the wonderful things about the house including all her favorite memories and the warning 'Don't even think about including that refrigerator in your offer because I am the one who bought it and it's going with me.' Thank you very little, Grandma.  Course, if you happen to have a 10 year old boy with you when you view said house? Sacrafice him for the cause and make him stay and talk with said Grandma so you have a few minutes peace in which to view the house. Sorry about that, S!
-If the basement is growing mold, don't try and tell me that you've never had problems with (a)flooding (because pretty much every house we saw flooded in 2006 due to some ungodly rains and sewage backup which has been fixed by the city. The backup I mean.) or (b)water seepage. I mean, really, I can smell the mildew and see the mold practically multiplying. Eeeeeuuuuu.

-A clean smelling house is worth 10,000 glade air fresheners. I love the fresheners as much as the next person but putting them over stinky......well, that's just putrid. (Sidenote: One of C's favorite words that she learned this year? putrid!)

And so, this concludes Anne's house selling pointers.
Hope you enjoyed them. I'm sure I'll have more before too long.
Scratch that.
I hope I have no more to share because we will have found our dream house and have an accepted offer.
The End.

Better Late than Never or I Haven't Forgotten my Blog, I've Just Been Busy

I haven't forgotten my blog, but it has been busy lately.
Let's see:
We have sold our house in Kenosha.
We spent a week in Branson MI in ungodly hot and humid temps.
I sent the children to live with Grandma & Grandpa for a week or so.
I went back to OH and looked at more houses.  In more ungodly heat and humidity.
We put an offer in on a house in OH and are waiting to hear back. Did I mention that I don't like the waiting and the unknown?
We had the house inspection here in WI and have 2 items to fix. One we knew about and another is an easy fix. Supposedly.
I made a discovery. Not only am I not the most patient person in the world, I'm not the most optimistic either. I think it's because then it's easier to not get so disappointed.
I'm really hoping we get this house in OH. We have a second choice but it's not as nice as the first one.
I'm a little scared that we'll GET the first house in OH. It might be more than we can handle (but, oh, it's so pretty and definitely in the life style to which I'd like to become accustomed).
That's about it for now.

Promises, Promises

After our last move, we promised that we would not let things slide as long in this new to us house. We were so very adament that our house would look nice and we would keep things under control and initally, we didn't do too badly. Then, I suppose, well, life just sorta took over. Oh, and don't get me started about the children.
Boy, oh boy, are we paying the price for that now.
Literally.
This week, we will have a carpenter here to fix the trim around the garage door and the side door and fix a board in the deck and replace a board on the end of one of the benches on the deck. But first, I need to paint and or prime/paint all the trim so he can use it.
Then, we will have painters in and everything except for the kids' rooms will be painted.
However, prior to this, we (meaning...me) have to take down every last little stinkin' piece of wallpaper and wash the walls. And declutter and take to storage all the crap, er, stuff that has accumulated in the house but that we can't live without but don't want anyone to see when they come tour our little abode to see if they would buy it.
That is, if we can get the relocation company to get moving and get us our interview so we can get a realtor that doesn't live 1 hour away to list our house. Seriously,  the relo company gave us a choice of realtors from Waukegan (who knew nothing about Kenosha or any of the neighborhoods or schools) to one in Brookfield who didn't even sound too sure about where Kenosha is and why someone would choose to live here.  Frustrating, to say the least.
But enough about that.
This weekend, we are off to fix what needs fixin', pretty up what needs prettying up, and trying our best to show off the rest. 
Next house, we are soooooo keeping up with things.
I promise.

Weight Loss the Easy Way

I have finally discovered the secret to losing weight. It's quite simple really.
It's called......moving.
That's right, getting ready to put your house on the market is a guaranteed weight loser. Without trying, I've taken off almost 6 lbs in the last 2 weeks.
Course, it couldn't be the constant activity, no time for snacking, healthier eating since the kids are home for the summer, smaller meals so I can eat quickly and get back to the task at hand...or anything like that.
I'll admist, it's nice to see the scale moving. But, damn, I'm tired at night.
So, this moving thing? Great for weight loss, tough on the body.

Movin' On Up

There are about to be some big changes here at our house. As in, our house will soon be on the market. Why? Well, because we are moving.  Gulp!
Yep, we're moving to Ohio. The Hubster got a new job and we will be moving lock, stock and barrel to our new home in OH. Well, technically, we'll be moving to some sort of temporary housing then to a 'real' house but at any rate, we'll be moving.
So, my posts will come as often as I can spare the time. It's been hectic lately and promises to continue to be that way for some time.
Wish me luck and pray for a quick sale!

They're Going to Take Me Away!!!!!

I think my children are out to get me.
No, seriously.
I think their goal is to slowly and methodically drive me crazy.
Take today, for example.
Me: Did you brush your teeth? (thinking, do I really need to remind you EVERY day to do this?)
S: Of course
Me: With toothpaste?
S: Ah, oh......well, maybe not. I'll just go check (note: which is code for No, I didn't do whatever you were asking but let me run and go do it now before I have more trouble)
Me: SIGH!!!!
This whole episode was preceeded by an incident last week where, after going into the bathroom to start C's shower, I couldn't find any soap.
Me: S, did you take a shower?
S: Yes.
Me: Did you use soap?
S: Wait, let me check.
Me: SSSSSS!!!!!!!
S: No. Why, is that important?
Lordy, heaven help me stay sane.
So after the toothpase incident, S comes down with a vitamin in his hand. "Mama, I found this on my bed again." We had found one earlier in the weekend and couldn't figure out how this got there. I could only conclude that someone either (a)didn't take their vitamin and tried to hide it or (b)someone got into the vitamins and took an extra one/two/three and dropped one in the process. Neither was a good option.
But, today, I noticed that this vitamin looked suspiciously like the one that C was supposed to take this morning.
So, I put it back down next to her place at the table. When C came down (S was outside riding scooter), we had a little conversation.
Me:C, don't forget to take your vitamin.
C (mouth open, looking totally astonished): Oh.....
Me: I think you forgot to take it this morning.
C: Well, let me check. (see, I told you, it's code)
Me: Let me help you with that. I know you didn't take it this morning and I know that you threw it on top of S's bed. Now, chew it up and have some water to wash it down.
Then, we had a little conversation about how imporant it was to take any medicine that we give her, how it affects our trust in her and how sick Maggie could get if she got hold of the vitamin.
Me: How many time have you done this before? (knowing I can't really believe the little rat,er I mean, girl)
C: Just twice.

So, my morning will now include doing a vitamin check of Simon's room.

See what I mean? They're out to get me, I'm sure of it.

Lenten Update

My mission (and I did choose to accept it) was to get rid of 40 bags of stuff in 40 days.
Update:
 Well, I am cleaning out a lot of stuff. I've gotten rid of 19 bags of clutter. Some of it is going in the garage sale, some is being tossed out, and some is going straight to St. Vinnie's.
I am still demucking and cleaning. It feels really good, almost freeing. I'm still at it and it will continue past Lent. I think this is my new habit.
Tackling the dungeon, er, I mean basement is next on the list. I will post before and after pictures, but don't hold your breath. This one's gonna take a while.

Highway Signs

Went up to my Dad's a few weeks ago. Just me and the kids. But no Maggie, thank goodness. She gets whiney in the car with only the kids for company.
Anyway, we're tooling along the highway, la de da and I come up to a slower moving vehicle. I get into the left hand lane to pass and realize that I need to pass a couple more cars. No problem, I'm kicking right along.  We were on a four lane highway so there was plenty of room to pass.
Suddenly, I look up in the rearview mirror and see this little 2 door car right on my backside. No, seriously, I couldn't see the front 1/3 of the car the guy was going so close. Well, that rather slightly ticks me off. I mean, it's dangerous and stupid so I very, very gently tap my brakes so the lights go on as a "Back off my a**s!" signal to Mr. Driver (who is about 22 and is in the little car with his girlfriend riding next to him).
I actually speed up so that I can move back into the right lane as soon as possible 'cause I'm perfectly okay with Mr. A**hole, er, I mean, Mr. Driver cruisin' right on by me. Go ahead, I think, really, I don't mind, speed along and go far, far ahead of me. And I may have prayed real quick  for a Mr. Policeman to be up ahead with a speedtrap for my new friend. Ahem (or is that Amen?!).
I get back into the right hand lane and I glance over at Mr. Driver. He is now even with me, rolling down the passenger side window, hanging onto the steering wheel with his left hand and leaning out the passenger window with his arm and hand hanging out and he's giving me the one finger salute. Waving it madly around and about. His girlfriend is trying to pull him back into the car and yelling at him to "Knock it off and behave! Watch where you're driving" And, I believe that he may have been saying a naughty word or two directed at me. 'Cause I'm good at reading lips that way, I guess.
Holy moly, that was one nasty case of car rage. Geesh!
Meanwhile, C & S have witnessed Mr. Driver's behavior.
"What is that man doing?" asked C looking very confused by they whole thing.
I qiuckly respond, "Oh, he's just waving hello. Let's all wave back to him and make his day brighter."
I wave (with all fingers not just one), C enthusiastically waves and S half-heartedly waves.
 There was a few second of silence then I hear, "Ah, Mama?" says S.
"Yes?"
"I don't think he was waving hello."

Sunday School Lesson

I teach 4th Grade Sunday school and I love it.
The kids are fun, they can read well and they are beginning to understand some of the deeper meanings behind the stories in the Bible. But they're still not too cool to do some great projects.
We have lots of fun on Sundays.
This last week, though, something happened that has stayed with me all week long.
We were discussing John 3:1-16. Of course, everyone knows John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life." Or something like that, I may have paraphrased a little. :)
We were all done with the lesson when one little boy turned and asked me "Mrs. L, would you sacrafice YOUR son if it was the only way to save the world?"
I was absolutely flummoxed. I opened and shut my mouth a couple times but nothing came out. Multitudes of thoughts raced through my head in about two seconds flat.
I look over and my boy, my lovely boy (who is in my class) was looking up at me with big wide eyes.  "Would you let me die, Mama?"
Gulp.
What an incredible question. I really wanted  my heart to say "Of course I would follow God's direction." But my heart was tugged by looking at this boy, this being that lived  and grew inside me for 9 1/2 months, this little one that I would give my life for in a heartbeat.  I would die for him, but if God asked, would I sacrafice him?

I still don't know my answer. But  this question has definitely given me pause and made me reflect on what obedience really means. It made me keenly aware of what an incredible sacrafice it was for God to give His only Son. I can only imagine what that cost Him.

So, you know that Sunday School lesson? This time, I was the student.

Where's that Lunchbox?

"Where's your lunchbox?" I asked S.
"I don't know, I'll find it" S replied. It's about 5 minutes until the carpool comes.
"Better hurry" I offer my  oh-so-helpful advice.
Mumbling something (I prefer not to know what it was), S looks for the elusive bag that has his lunch inside.
It's now 2 minutes before carpool.
S uses the bathroom. I say (with slightly more emphasis, well, if you count yelling as 'slightly more') "Where's the dang lunchbox? You are NOT ordering school lunch. I packed a perfectly good lunch and you need to find it. It was in your hand not 5 minutes ago, where is it?"
"Mama, I'm in the bathroom, I'll look when I get out" S replies.
I still think it's an avoidance tactic.
By now, I've looked all over the house. S has looked and can't find it and the carpool has arrived.
S hightails it out of the house (I believe he was secretly glad to leave the increasing pressure cooker that was our house with the missing lunchbox).
"Mama, I can't find it. I'll just eat school lunch" S yells as he's getting into the carpool car.
I may or may not have well, not so gently, slammed the front door  all the while muttering "he just wanted school lunch, bet I find the ding dang lunchbag right after he leaves."
I continued to look for it for about 1/2 hour. It remained unfound. I remain convinced that S had hid the lunchbag just so he could have school lunch. Not a happy mama.
Fast forward to the next morning.
"S, where is your lunchbox?" I asked.
"Mama, I looked everywhere, I can't find it?" he said.
"Are you sure you didn't put it somewhere so you could have lunch at school?" I ask.
"NO! I didn't but I'll keep looking even if I can't figure out where it might be" S decides.
I walk over to open the front drapes. Look outside the window, and lo & behold, there's that lunchbox. Outside, on the ground, behind the bushes, next to the house.
Now, why didn't I think of that??!!

The Sacrafices I Make

It's Lent.  A season of preparing, of forgiving, of re-examining, of sacrafice.  A season to talk about what this all means with S & C.
This morning, I asked them "How should we celebrate/remember Lent as a family?"
A couple of blank faces looked back at me. I was thinking 'oh oh, I'm in trouble here' and at the same time thinking 'what can of worms am I opening?'
"Well, we could pick a charity and figure out ways to earn or save money that we would give to them," I said.
 A little interest perked up on their faces. But, they were not totally convinced.
"How about giving up something as a family?" I asked.
Both heads nodded vigorously.
"YES!" they both shouted.
"I know, tv!" spouted S.
"Yeah!" answered C.
"OH Crap!" thought Mama, "why do I do these things to myself???"
Then the  kids said "Mama, I think we should go without tv one night a week. And, spend some time working on something about Lent or doing something special together."
First, I was proud that they agreed on something and something that was such a nice idea. But, second, I really don't want to go a whole night without the television. It's my relaxation and escape after they go to bed. It's my down-time. It's, well, my crutch.
"I think it should be Weds nite" C continued on as if they hadn't noticed my panicked, deer in the headlights look and the thought that they better not pick Tues nite 'cause if this Mama doesn't get her Biggest Loser fix, watch out!
"No, not Weds, it should be Mon or Fri" S replied, "cause those are the two nights we don't have anything else going on. So, it'll be harder not to have tv, more like a real sacrafice and then we have time to do something else. As a family. together."
Well, darnit all anyway, who raised these smart kids who are so responsible????!!

The reality of it is, I am the one who doesn't want to sacrafice. I am the one who is pondering that it's sometimes a looooong time between the end of school and the end of the night. I am the one who is hesitant to do this. I am the one who is making excuses.And, frankly, there's no good reason for it. It's simply my stubbornness, my unwillingness to step out of my comfort zone, my lack of faith. Wow, looking at what I just wrote, this really was all about ME. Completely the opposite message than the one I intended to send.  Ouch.
This tv fast is a small thing to do. It'll last a relatively short amount of time and I know the gains from it will be worth it. This will be a great way to remember a much greater sacrafice that was once made for all of us.

So, Mondays it is. No tv from after school to the end of the night.
It's settled.
Except for one thing.
Now........who's gonna tell the Hubster?!

10 Things I Like About You

I walked by the desk of S and found this note from C:

Here's what it said:

The 10 Things I like about you:
1. your nice
2. you love me
3. your fun to play with
4. I like it when your there with me
5. I like when you hug me
6. your funny
7. your careing
8. you stand up for me
9. I like that you think about me
10. I like you succe (sense) of humor

I like it when they get along.

Webelos

S had his Cub Scouts Blue & Gold Banquet. That's the big celebration where the boys get all their badges and pins. They have a meal and some entertainment. This year, it was the FrogMan. He's a hoot, we've seen him a few times. At the end, the boys and any other kids/adults there were allowed to hold the snakes he brought. S jumped right up and grabbed one. I, however, watched and took pictures from a safe distance. Me + snakes = not a good match. S had no such compunctions though:

Course, he also threatened to come over and drape the snake on me. I politely refused. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

S also received 3 pins that night, physical fitness, citizenship and art.  But, most importantly, he is now a full-fledged Webelo Scout (that's the final stage of cub scouts before becoming a boy scout).  Webelo stands for "We'll be Loyal Scouts."

It was really hard to get a good photo as things were moving along quickly, but here is S checking out his new pins and ribbons.
We're proud of our little Webelo!!

Snack Attack

C came in from playing outside, hung up her coat and bopped into the den. She asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink. "Real food or play food?" I asked.
"Play" she said.
 "OK, I'll have chocolate cake and ice cream."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, we're all out of chocolate cake."
"Really?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes, but we have strawberry cake, would you like a piece of that?" C asked, standing as if she was taking my order at a restaurant.
"Sure" I answered.

"And, what flavor ice cream would you like? We have vanilla or strawberry" C said.
"Oh, vanilla please" I answered.

She hopped out of the room and returned a few seconds later with pink plastic cake, a plastic scoop of vanilla ice cream and a pink cup of pretend ice water.

After I 'finished' my cake, she came back to clear off the dishes.
"Did you enjoy your cake and the ice cream? I hope so because it was the last piece we had" she said.
I told her I enjoyed it very much. She skipped away and went off to play.

Truly, it was the best snack I've had all week.

My Royal Family

We went for a nighttime walk tonight. The weather was beautiful, the moon was out, the snow was a-melting. As we were coming home, C started this conversation:
C: Look! Maggie is walking and leading us, just like a Princess!
S: Yep, she's a princess all right.
C: Princess Maggie and I'm a princess too.
S: Oh boy, here we go.
C: I'm Princess of Nice and Maggie, she's the Princess.... Princess of.... um.....
S:Pooches?
C: Yeah, Princess of Pooches. And Mama is the Queen. She's always the Queen. She's the Queen of Mamas.
[At this point, I was thinking that I've taught my youngest well!]
C: And Daddy is the king, of course. King of all the boys.
S: Well, what am I then, if you're the princess, Mama the Queen and Daddy is the King?
C: Oh, that's easy. You're the Joker.

Valentine Hair

"Mama, I want to have fancy hair tomorrow. For Valentine's Day.'
"Fancy hair? Do you mean your hair pulled up and styled?"
"No, FANCY hair. You know, Valentine's hair, with curls and stuff."
"Oh, curly hair! OK, Valentine's hair it is for you."
So off we went to put in the curlers.

 Here she is, in all her Valentine hair glory:

And of course, her Valentine fashion accessories.



Hot Date with Bucky

It's Valentine's Day.
A time for hearts, romance, snuggles with my favorite people (Hubster & the kids, in case you were wondering).
And, maybe, at a special time, after the kiddos are asleep,  I'll , well, with the Hubster, ahem, you know............ (are you blushing, cause I am!)
Alas, not to be this year. Hubster is on a two week trip.
But, oh, I'll be seeing some action all right.
I have a hot date with my guy, Bucky.
What's that, you say?  A hot date? Who is NOT the Hubster?
Are you shocked, interested, disgusted?
Wanna see my hot Valentine's date?

Here he is, in all his glory.

Handsome looking dude, isn't he?
Meet Bucky the Mammogram, my hot Valentine date. (No, really, the lab tech had heated up the squishin' plates so they were nice and toasty. You can see the plaid heating pad on the machine. Thank you ma'am!)
His name was listed on the machine, Bucky. (Hmm, wonder if in MN they have ones named Gopher).
As a reality of the fab 40s, I must finally go in and get my baseline mammosquish done.
So, I'll go get the gals lifted, squashed and prodded, but I won't get any dinner out of it.
Or flowers.
Or romantic gestures.
Oh well. Happy Valentine's Day to me.
Hope yours is a little more fun!

Hot Chocolate Volcano

I was upstairs, folding and putting away laundry, picking up, etc. S came bounding up the stairs.
"Mama, can we have hot chocolate? I can make it in the microwave, you won't even need to come down."
I thought for a moment. I had shown him numerous times how to use the microwave, he's made the last couple batches pretty much on his own, I think he's ready. Besides, then I can keep on cleaning and not stop.
"OK, go ahead but don't make the hot cocoa too hot."
"I won't, I promise Mama" he replied.
So, I finished what I was doing and started vacuuming. Next thing I know, S comes flying into the room.
"Come quick! We had an accident"
"Is C hurt?" I quickly ask, all the while thinking "I knew I should have said no, I should have made it myself or just made them wait until I was done."
"No, but we had, well, rather a hot chocolate explosion, It looks like a hot chocolate volcano went off!!" S said, "Come quick!!"
There are few things that could have made me move faster. I flew downstairs and this is what awaited me....

Pure misery.
Apparently, C had picked up her hot chocolate and spilled a little on the floor. She put the cup down, she & S wiped it up but didn't dry the floor. When C picked the cup back up, both feet went out from under and the hot chocolate? Well, that went pretty much everywhere.  I took one look at her miserable little face and like any sane mom, said "Oh honey, stay there. I have to get the camera."
Luckily, the hot chocolate was barely luke warm. Her glasses were totally covered (but I didn't get the camera out in time for that pic!). Even her underwear were soaked. There was about 1 tbsp of liquid left in her cup. The rest was on her, the floor, the cupboards, the dog bowls, the counter, the refrigerator and the door.  And probably a few other places that I haven't found it.
Poor thing!

C got cleaned up and yes, she got another cup of hot cocoa. I made this one and carried it to the table for her.
She said hot chocolate tasted much better in the cup.

Are You Serious?!

Yesterday afternoon, my doorbell rang. I went to answer and saw 2 cute girls outside. They were about 13 or so. One was holding a box of candy bars and said "Would you like to buy a candy bar? I'm selling them to help pay for my Washington DC trip in the Spring."  The girls were just too cute.
"Just a minute, I'll be right back" I said.
I went into the house and grabbed a dollar. Went back to the door and asked the girl "Which candy bar is your favorite?"
She looked and debated and then said "Snickers. Snickers are definitely my favorite."
I handed her the dollar and said "Now, here's the deal. Here's my dollar but you can have the Snickers bar."
Her mouth dropped open and she said "Really?? Are you serious??"
"Yep" I replied (apparently seeing her delight made me especially verbose, not!)
"Lucky!" her friend said.
The first girl was beaming. "Thanks! Thanks! Just thanks!!"
"Enjoy your candy and good luck with your sales" I told her.
The girls literally skipped down the sidewalk.
Now, as much fun as it was to surprise this girl, I really did this for myself. You see, S was just selling candy bars for Boy Scouts. He sold about half a box and the rest just sat here. Calling my name, smelling delicious. Saying "Annnnnneeee, come eat me. You know you want to. You can do it. Besides, you'll be supporting the Boy Scouts, it's a good cause. You deserve it. You had a good day (or bad day depending). I am sooo luscious, full of chocolatey goodness." It was really tough to resist.
So when the Boy Scout leader asked if anyone had any candy left because people at her office were begging for some, I gladly (well, mostly gladly) handed the half box over to her.
So, when the girls came to the door, I knew I could not have another temptation sitting in this house. I knew I would be buying a bar but really did not want it in the house.
A small victory, but I'll take it.
Best decision I've made this week.

Chicken Gnocci Soup

I highly recommend this Chicken and Gnocci Soup. You can find the recipe here: http://foodfolksandfun.blogspot.com/2011/01/chicken-and-gnocchi-soup-olive-garden.html
It is one of the tastiest soups I've made in a while. Everyone here loved it and S even asked me to make it more often!
For Weight Watchers plus points, it comes out to 6 pts plus per serving. But, I did use 2 cups fat free half and half and 2 cups skim milk instead of 1 quart half & half. Couldn't tell the difference in taste and I loved the lower calories.

MLK: Civil Rights Leader...Really??

C came home singing a song.
"Dr. King, Dr. King, he was a civilized reader....."
She went on to finish the song.
Not sure I heard her correctly, I asked "Can you sing the first line again?"
C said "Sure.  Dr. King, Dr. King, he was a civilized reader"
"umm, C, I think you mean Martin Luther King Jr. was a Civil Rights Leader. That means.."
I was interrupted.
"I know, I know Mama, what that means. It means he helped people have freedom cause some silly people wouldn't let all kids go to school together. You know, I think those people must have something wrong in their head to not let all kids go to school together. God made us all different, who cares what color skin you have?" She skipped off, singing "Dr King, Dr King, he was a civilized reader."
She stopped and said to herself, "He must have really liked books".
"Dr. King, Dr King, he was a civilized reader....."

I swear, I cannot make this stuff up.

Two Thumbs Up

We were eating at our favorite Korean restaurant, and we got dessert for the kids. It is very unusual for us to have dessert when we go out, so this was a big occasion. The kids chose fried ice cream (doesn't sound very Korean to me either, but hey, that was one of the choices).

Two thumbs up. It was a hit!

Thank You Very Very Very Much!!!

This was my latest project when the children needed thank you cards. Simple but cute!

My Boy

We had a day the other day. A big fat, we can't agree on anything, you always make me do stuff I don't like, why do I need to listen to you day. Me and S. It was a tough one.
All day, it was a struggle. We butted heads, we said stuff, we went to our respective rooms, we yelled, we retreated. It was hard. No one told me that there would be days like this when I became a Mom. And, oh, it hurt. It hurt like nothing else could hurt me. My heart was aching even amidst the accusations, the yelling and the tears, from both of us.
At the end of the day, after C was in bed and Hubster hadn't gotten home, we were in the kitchen together, alone, finally, for the first time that day, just talking. I looked at this boy, this boy that I used to sit and rock to sleep, who loved cuddling with me, this boy who used to call me 'the Mama' and jump right up into my arms and exactly at that moment, my heart just melted.

He's getting so big and growing so fast. I held out my arms and he stepped right into them. Wrapped his arms all around me, squeezed, and before I could say anything, he just simply said "I'm sorry Mama". The tears came faster than I could stop them. "Me too" I said, "I don't like it when we argue."  "Me neither," S said.

This boy, this up to my chin, size Men's 7 shoe-wearing, Harry Potter-obsessed, Lego maniac, is growing up. But, underneath it, he's still my boy. And he always will be, even when his heart belongs to that other special someone he'll meet someday.

It was a nice way to end the night.

Almost a Family Picture

This is the closest thing to a family photo (in clothes, not jammies) from Christmas that I have. A nice church member asked if he could take our photo after I took some of the kids:

I did play with it a little in Picnik (a photo editing site, great fun!). I just wish David would have been there, but he took off after dropping us off at church. Considering the three of us didn't even try to coordinate, we did pretty good!

Family Embroidery

I tried something new.
Scary, huh?!
Well, it wasn't, scary I mean. It was a little frustrating. And it happened before Christmas.
This was the gift I made for my friend. She is living in the Netherlands for a few years, but I really wanted to make her something special when she visited this year.

It's not perfect but I thought it turned out okay. And, my friend? She liked it, yah!!
The frustrating part came from the fact that the last time I embroidered anything was many, many years ago. Eons, in fact.
But, I liked the way this ended up. I may just have to make myself one. With my family members, I mean.

Black Bean Brownies

In my quest for healthier foods, I have been adding veggies to as many foods as I can. So, our spaghetti contains carrots (finely ground), mushrooms (also finely ground) and shredded zucchini. In fact, yesterday we had spaghetti squash instead of noodles. I love this, C likes it, S tolerates it and the Hubster eats it. That's a keeper in my book.
But, my favorite 'hidden' veggie so far? My black bean brownies. I use my favorite brownie mix, puree up a can of black beans and combine the two together (no eggs, no oils, just the brownie mix and black beans). Then I rinse the can and put it out in recycling before I get caught, er, I mean to show my commitment to the environment. Ahem....
Bake brownies as directed on the box.
The brownies taste good and are quite fudge-y. Is that a word? Well, it is now in my book. As is fudgalicious, fudgocity and fudge-0-mania. But I digress.
Sprinkle brownies with a dusting of powdered sugar. The kids LOVE these.
They've had a brownie in their lunch every day this week. And I love the idea that they're getting more vitamins and fiber along with the numminess.

Best Snack of 2011....So Far

As always, my children are ravenous when they open the door to come in after school. "What's for snack?" is asked at approximately 0.5 seconds after walking in the house.  I have come to dread this time 'cause I don't like having to come up with more food options. I already plan 3 meals every day, snacks just about push me over the edge.
I know, I know, I can list all the options out, the kids can pick, and get it themselves, they can always have fruit (but with C's lack of teeth, I still have to cut the hard stuff up for her), I can do a lot of things to make it easier. But, frankly, I just don't do that.
But, I have stumbled upon the best snack ever..well, so far this year anyway.
Get out your blender, chop up a frozen banana (you might need to add a bit of milk so it doesn't freeze up the blades, no I didn't measure the amount, just eyeball it, you know you want to anyway) and blend away. It comes out like banana ice cream and it's really, really creamy. I added a bit of chocolate syrup 'cause everything's better with chocolate on it.
Sooooooo tasty.
Next time I'm gonna try peanut butter. Oh, then maybe peanut butter and chocolate together!
Guess I need to plan more of these kind of snacks.
Oh, and the kids? They totally thought I had made ice cream. Score!!

Ride 'Em Cowgirl

I walked into the Den to find this:

Barbies riding the Dogs. I mean, why ride horses when you have big old' hairy puppies to transport you across the room??

If you look closely, you can find the girl's other modes of transportation behind the pet pups.

I mean, don't you have a pink & purple sparkly carriage and a hot pink convertible?

Just what every girl needs.

The Biggest Loser

Oh joy of joys, a new season of Biggest Loser has started! I am, well, slightly obsessed with this show. But I really enjoy watching it. Especially the 'where are they now' ones. Anyway, back to last night. The show was starting and C came downstairs after putting on her jammies. "Ooooo, Mama, The Biggest Loser, I love that show!" Now, she only watches the first 10-15 minutes of this show but I guess she likes it.
"Really? Are you sure you like it or do you just watch it cause I have it on?" I asked.
"Oh, I really like it. Say, hey, would you like to lose weight?" C said.
"Well, yes, I'd like to lose some weight and be healthier" I replied, thinking Little Girl, you are treading into some shaky territory, watch it. You may only be 6, but I can take you down!
"Oh, is that why you go to the Weight Watcher meetings?" C asked.
"Yes," I was really wondering where this conversation was going.
"Well, I heard you tell Daddy" (this is where my heart drops, crap, what conversation did she overhear now?) "and you said that you didn't want to make separate food for us kids then what you eat. Well, I have a great idea, maybe you could make all those healthier things for me & S and we'll all eat the same things, cause we need to be healthy too!" C was quite proud of herself.
"That's a good idea, but it's what I already do" I said.
"Oh, you mean we eat healthy stuff?" C asked.
"All the time" I replied.
"Hmmmmm...." C said, "I guess that's not so bad then. And some of your food even tastes pretty good."
I just said "Thank you."
Some of my food, not all, but just some, mind you.
Somedays I just can't win.

Mystery Shopper

In my nightly perusal of the kitchen, looking for snacks, I mean, making sure everything was in order, I opened the refrigerator. There, in the front, right next to the milk, were a brand new carton of sour cream and one of ricotta cheese, both low fat.
"Hmmm, wonder where these came from? I don't remember buying them." I thought back to my last shopping trip before we went up North. "Nope, I didn't buy them. Hubster must have gotten them when he stopped to get milk last night. Weird things to buy, maybe he wants to cook something."  Visions of creamy, yummy Italian dishes started swimming through my head. Mmmmmmm.....Italian...mmmmm.. (whoops, I digress!)
When Hubster got home, I asked, "When you bought milk the other night, did you buy sour cream and ricotta cheese?"
"No, why would I? Besides, you only asked for milk" he defended.
"Well, they didn't just walk into the frig by themselves and the kids aren't old enough nor would they want to buy those items themselves, how did they get there?" I asked back.
I was totally perplexed. The cartons were unopened and the expiration date was Feb 8, 2011. So, they were bought recently.
I truly, truly do not remember buying these on my last shopping trip. Then I started to wonder if I had some sort of shopping amnesia. You know, how you get in the car and suddenly you get to your destination and don't really remember driving there? Not that that EVER happens to me or anything, ahem.  Maybe that's what happened on my last shopping trip. Or maybe I just have a general shopping disfocus problem. Do those really exist? Cause if they do, I totally blame them for the package of Christmas peeps up in the cupboard too.
But, unless someone 'fesses up to putting the sour cream and ricotta cheese in my frig, I'll have to chalk it up to Mr. Nobody getting them for me.
Maybe next time he'll bring cheesecake.

Hitting the Y

Things seen at the Y today:
-2 woman walking the track in full everyday clothes (think jean, turtleneck sweater, lots of jewelry), winter big a** boots, and very large purses flung over their shoulders (which somehow miraculously manage to fall off said shoulders when I try to pass them and then hang dangerously into the path I am walking, errrgh). And those stinkers managed to almost outwalk me!
-Seeing a woman working out on a treadmill, dripping sweat, white t-shirt and then I noticed the pants. The heavy fleece, skiing snowman pajama bottoms. I kid you not. They were on sale today for $9 at Shopko, (right next to the rack with the workout pants which were also on sale for $9) and I didn't even want the fleece pants for pjs because they'd be too hot to sleep in. I never once considered them for working out in. All I can say is, interesting choice.
-Every single piece of equipment had someone working out on it. I have never, NEVER seen it this busy.

Ahhh, my faith is restored. My Y is getting back to it's normal, somewhat-freaky self. Welcome Back!!

Resolving the 2010 Resolutions

I tried to go back and find my 2010 resolutions. I checked January, Feb and finally in March, there they are. I guess being timely was not the top of my list. But, here they are:


1) Start and finish a 5K (hopefully, that will be the same race)
I did this! My sister, niece and I ran one (unofficially) at our quilt retreat. I didn't run the whole way and next time it will be much better without a big ass breakfast beforehand. (Must admit, I had a few 'oh no, she might blow' scares  but I held it in). Woohoo! I did it!
2) Lose 30 lbs (I'm hopeful for more but we'll see)
Let's just say, Next!
3) Clean the outside windows of the house.
Nope, maybe next year
4) Repaint the trim on the shed.
Nope, not done but I hear the shabby chic looks is still good. Yeah, that's the ticket, it just looks rather shabby chic.
5) Repaint the trim and around the garage door and on the porch (along with the railings of the porch).
Same as #4, shabby chic it is.
6) Plant a garden.
Oh yeah! And I planted pumpkins and zucchini next to the house where we took out the shrubs. Booyah!
7) Shop the farmer's market as often as possible.
As often as I could get there. But I did incorporate a lot more fresh veggies in our diet.
8) Clean the window screens. (I'm noticing that I have a lot of repair/cleaning issues)
Done, but did you know that those buggers still managed to get dirty again? What a pain in the butt, I need self cleaning windows & screens.
9) Plan a fun trip to Chicago with friends (Friends, don't let me down!)
Nope, no Chicago trip, but lots of fun with friends. I'll take it.
10) Have people over to my house more often.
Not so good on this one either but I was more social in general this year. Even when I didn't always feel like it.

Well, my average was only about 50%. Probably would have helped if I remembered the list before Jan 3, 2011. But, it is what it is. And I still like me. Just not that stupid list so much.