Friday, October 31, 2008

TGIF

The last couple of days have been so busy. I feel like I was trying to run a marathon or something- never home for more than about 20 minutes at a time. I guess the good part of that is I haven't woken up at night to worry about the Imminent Departure of the Professor. Today I plan to be home all day~until it's time for Halloween festivities, of course. I do not plan to brush my hair or shower any time soon. I am thinking take it easy thoughts. No playgroup, no store, no nothing outside of these walls. Cookies and hot chocolate for breakfast, while leisurely reading the comics.
I was going to have to venture out to pick up Blossom from school but a friend said the blessed words, "Want me to just walk her home today since I'm already going to be at the school?" Yes! Whoopee! Of course I want you to! Yee Haw! I am staying home!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Hiding the Cheese

We love to buy canned nacho cheese from Costco. It's called Que Bueno, and we love it. My kids adore it and eat it with reckless abandon, so we try very hard to monitor it's rapid disappearance. We are unsuccessful. But, it's my personal mission to try, try, try! So today, I opened the new can, had some for lunch, and realized that was probably the last time I would get some. As soon as the teenagers here see this open can, it's gone, gone, gone! I put the metal lid back on, then the plastic lid, then slid the can into the back of the fridge behind the leftover green beans. Problem solved. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Senior walked in on me gobbling nachos, opened the fridge and helped himself. Wow, that didn't go the way I planned. After he left, I put it all back together and hid it again, different shelf, behind orange juice. Freshman walked in from school, opened the fridge, moved the juice, removed the cheese...you can guess the rest. How, how, how does she do that? I have hidden the cheese again, in an undisclosed location. Hope springs eternal.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008







Cub Scout and Caboose colored on my toilet paper! As you can see, green dots, soaked thru. I have used many mutilated toilet paper rolls in my day, including big fat re-rolled, out of a paper grocery sack (when Senior was little, he used to unroll it all the time), and with the cardboard roll missing (removed for school craft project). And, for added fun, the marker turns the bowl water green.


Later this same day, I broke my favorite big casserole dish from Pampered Chef. I'm very disappointed, but also struggling with my wierd superstitious nature. I am always trying to read meaning into things like this. What does the broken dish represent? I'll be thinking about that while I shop for a new dish.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Countdown

This is the final week of the Professor's job. He leaves for Metropolis on Sunday to start the new job and will be returning (hopefully, if good weather holds) on weekends. I have been trying to warn the girls about this new arrangement, since it could go on for some time. (We have had almost zero interest from people wanting to buy our house.) Anyway, when I told Blossom that on Sunday daddy would have to start his new job and we wouldn't see him everyday she said, "Mom, that terrifies me."
She has definitely learned the art of exaggeration from me. haha
Needless to say the Professor and I are not sleeping well in lieu of this upcoming separation. I am living in a state of semi-oblivion and am considering following the example of my dear sis and investing in a box of twinkies. :-)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Visit to Urgent Care

Poor Blossom. We were all happily walking to school today when she tripped and fell down. Unfortunately she had her hands in her pockets (no gloves on and her mom suggested it to keep her warm) so her forehead took the brunt of the fall. There are no sidewalks in our neighborhood so she smacked right into the gravelly street. Of course, her head was pouring blood. Luckily, we were in front of a friend's house, so we ran inside and washed the blood off to have a look. She had a ton of little scratches, a huge bruise starting, and two gashes. I suspected one of the cuts would be okay, but the other was wide open and I was thinking stitches. Blossom heard me ask the friend what she thought and then started crying, "I don't want a stitch. I don't want a stitch." Well, she didn't get a stitch. She got three.
She was very brave at the doctor's office and only cried a little, first when she heard the word stitch again, and of course when they numbed it cause we all know that part hurts.
I was brave, too, considering Blossom is my firstborn, and I was also happily ignorant of any guilt, until we got home and Blossom said, innocently, this was your fault, right mom? 'Cause you told me to stick my hands in my pockets?" argh

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Saturday, the lazy way.

This was a super lazy day! We didn't start that way. I was up at 7:30, encouraging Senior as he went off to take the ACT. It's so hard to believe my baby is old enough to take the ACT! We ran some errands, including a fun trip to the local Walmart. I bought a ton of fun picture frames to put on our family room wall. I have few up, but I want some more visual interest. If it looks ok, I'll take a picture, if not, forget about it. So, we come home from the Walmart and TGH goes to watch the football game. I headed into my room to use the computer and ended up asleep. The rest of the day was just about like that. Took a book back to the library, visited a friend, bathed kids for church tomorrow...now I'm just hanging out, checking email and pondering the peanut butter chocolate ice cream in the freezer.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Part 2: The Case is Solved

It's not exciting, but I found the pj's. Apparently, Freshman heard Caboose crying in the night and got him up, only to find his jammies were soaking wet from his diaper not being positioned properly over his manly package. She undressed him, changed him, cuddled him and put him back to bed, inadvertantly dropping the jammies between the couch and the wall. She did throw the diaper away, so there were no clues. But, I have bigger problems...

I have a Twinkie thing. Some people use drugs, some drink, some eat chocolate. I abuse Twinkies. Lately there's been some personal stresses in my life (because I don't feel stressed enough with 7 kids, 2 cats, a son w/ a disability, 5 schools to deal with and keeping house) and I ate Twinkies ( I decline at this time to give the actual total). My last binge was in '04 when I ate an entire box after learning our son had severe brain damage and might have a degenerative disease (he doesn't). I not only ate the whole thing, but went to the store afterward, bought a second box, and ate one out of it so that everyone (like my kids would even notice) would think I only ate one Twinkie. I resolved at that time to give up my Twinkie-eating ways and deal with stress like a grown up (take it like a man, walk it off, suck it up, grow a spine, etc). I have done pretty well...but, recently, with my new stresses, I have noticed an eye twitch. So, what I am is, a Twinkie-eating, eye twitching, Top-model watching (although I noticed a show called wife-swap the other day while I was doing the dishes but it doesn't start with "t"...) tangle of turmoil! (Impressive eh?) Stress is a funny thing...and if a fake cake filled with white goo helps me cope for a minute, then I say, do cupcakes stop eye-twitches?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Mystery of the Purloined Pajamas

At 7am, I went into the boys room, (Cub Scout, #6 and Caboose share a large room) to wake everyone up. There is Caboose, lying in bed with his SpiderMan blanket (courtesy maternal Gma!) NAKED! Yes. I yelled NAKED. My baby is not wearing a thing (in case you are confused about NAKED). Last night, when I put him in his brand new big boy bed ( our friend is moving and wanted her crib back) he was wearing polar bear jammies. A top and bottom. Very cute. Very warm (it's starting to cool off here in the West). So, I start looking around for the missing articles (under the bed, in the hamper, in the laundry room). No sign of them. I ask Cub Scout and PreT 2 if they know anything about their brother's state of undress. Confused looks are rampant. I continue to search for the jammies. I mean, HELLO, they've got to be somewhere! Jammies don't dematerialize off of babies bodies in the night (at least not in my experience, your experience may differ). I call TGH because he was up later than me last night and may know something. He doesn't. Senior doesn't know anything, and the only other people to ask are already off to catch the early bus to Jr High. So, I put a shirt on Caboose so he can eat his Cheerios without freezing to death and resign myself to ignorance (for now). In the words of Demi from Little Women: "(It) remained one of the problems over which Demi puzzled his small wits and was forced to leave unsolved forever."

Monday, October 20, 2008

Birthday

Yesterday was TGH birthday. We won't say how old he is, but it's between 41 and 43...He doesn't seem to care about how old he is, that's probably a man thing, because I definitely care how old I'm getting. I do not get along with gray hair, wrinkles of any stage or any other "sign of aging". I fully intend to fight that whole process every step of the way! I believe in Loreal medium golden brown! I support Olay! Mary Kay is my bff! I know Victoria's Secret! I will absolutely cover, fill, hoist, hide, shade and dye my way back into my early 30's! I understand that some of you may not feel this way. I understand that there is a saying about aging gracefully. I understand that aging is natural. It's just that for myself, I understand that whole idea is not going to fly.

I love birthdays, which seems wierd, considering I'm refusing to age. I love cake and presents. I really like making birthdays fun for my family. We had alot of fun celebrating with TGH. He's not a fan of cake, so we made a berry trifle, with strawberries, angel food cake (from scratch) and whipping cream (the man absolutely refuses to eat Cool Whip). He got some shirts and a new wallet, and some Big Fun from me (if you know what I mean). It was a good time had by all. Then next birthday isn't until November when PreT 2 turns 10. Meanwhile, if you need me, I'll be in Denial. The hotels are very nice there...

Friday, October 17, 2008

Mommy's little helper

Caboose unloading the dishwasher. Sort of.
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Thursday, October 16, 2008

All Funned Out...

So, yesterday, I was watching my friend's little boy for a couple of hours. He wanted to go outside, so he, and Caboose and I all headed out the back door. Less than 10 seconds later, her little guy is crying and saying he got stung by a bee! Unbelievable! I'm thinking, 'great, she leaves him with me and now he's damaged!' She waited a long time for that kid and it's her first one. You can't go around breaking people's first baby! Back to the story: I know he's not been stung before, so I am watching him carefully for signs of allergic reaction. No signs. There is a minor amount of swellling, but nothing serious. I sprayed some Dermaplast on it and he seemed fine. Not even crying. In fact, he wants to go back outside. Ok. So we all go back outside, and the boys want to get into the sandbox. Once in, he hands me a big Tonka tractor and says, "get the spiders off." I look the thing over, and there, looking right at me is a big BLACK WIDOW! The body was the size of a pea! I quickly killed it and grabbed both boys and started for the house. Her little guy was yelling,"I'm not done! I want to have more fun!" I said, "I'M DONE, I have just about enough fun for one day! We went straight into the house and played with matchbox cars until he was safely into his own mom's hands.

He's also allergic to eggs. I made cookies for the two boys, sans eggs, and baked a few batches. I set the rest aside for later baking. When later came, I couldn't find the cookie dough. Freshman and I looked everywhere. How do you lose a giant Tupperware bowl full of cookie dough?? Today, we were looking again, and talking it over. Behind us, Senior said, "uh oh." We both turned to look at him. The truth came out: He and his velcro ( our word for friends) had come in hungry and saw the bowl. I had mentioned there were no eggs in it, so apparently, they took the ENTIRE BOWL to the park and ate all the dough. I just don't know what to say to that.

political schizophrenia

So last night instead of watching America's Next Top Model, I did my patriotic duty and watched the presidential debates. I have to say after the democratic and republican conventions I was very hyped up about McCain. Now that it's been awhile I can see there are plenty of things I don't agree with him about and yet I still don't want to turn Obama. The country needs more than eloquence right now, as Lieberman pointed out at the Republican convention. This is a serious decision and the time is almost up. The Professor LOVES politics and so we talk about this non-stop at my house. (Even though he already voted absentee since we're moving sometime, hopefully soon).
I read a blog the other day about Palin, dare I even bring her up. The main point of it was that women don't want her to win because they don't want to be held up to her high standard and have that much expected out of them. No, I'm not kidding, that really is what the women on the blog were worrying about. Like, they are afraid her success might make them have to try a little harder for their own and they didn't want to. I truly couldn't wrap my brain around it.
I'm not entirely sold on her, but I think she's definitely been smeared and attacked beyond what is normal. No one even mentions Biden and I heard that his nickname is Xerox Biden because he has been known to plagiarize. True or not, you think the media would have a field day with that one.
Anyway, I am rambling and the reason is I haven't made up my mind. I think I'm in agreement with Obama on healthcare and the environment, but I'm with McCain on other issues. Almost completely divided. I guess I'm one of those voters who won't be completely sure until the ballot is right in front of my face.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The little girls were so funny getting home from church today. At church they were dressed like little angels, with their shiny black shoes, twirly dresses and hair bows. But the minute they got home, they went wild. It was hilarious. They stripped off their dresses and tights and started racing down the hall in their 'birthday suits' singing at the top of their lungs, "Look how lovely I am." I could've taken a picture but. . . . well. . . . they wouldn't appreciate it when they're older. hahaha

Saturday, October 11, 2008

More Canning

Today I am feeling somewhat less nostalgic about the canning and preserving I have been doing. Instead, I'm feeling sticky. My shoes are sticking to the floor, my fingers are sticking together and to the jars and to everything. My shirt is sticky. My pants are sticky. I have been canning grape juice and pear butter. Also peeling peaches and putting them in ziploc for freezing. The kitchen is steamy from all the boiling and steaming and peeling. But I am sticky. I am tired. I am tired of everything being sticky. When I get a moment, I'm going to feel very tired of fruit flies too.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Busy, Busy, Busy

So, I have been chasing a two year old around for the last two days. This kid can really move! #6 is disabled and so didn't really have a normal 2 year old phase. So my last two year old was 6 yrs ago. I am out of practice! This kid has unrolled toilet paper, dumped out the entire container of Nestle Quik, dumped out flour, smashed peaches, emptied the dishwasher onto the floor, figured out how to turn on the bathtub faucet, filled the toilet with everything he could find in the bathroom (he can open drawers) including the toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, bathtoys, and socks. He also has emptied several laundry baskets, and threw away the contents of the sock basket. I'm tired. You may ask, "Where were you during all of this?" If you ask this, you do not have a two year old. Also, if you ask this to my face, I may smack you.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

They Came, They Saw,

. . . . . But will they buy the house???
So, the first looker came to our house last night. Because it was someone who read my Craig's List posting I was sooo afraid they would be like real estate head hunters- my dad had a ton of these people when he was trying to sell. They would come, look around, offer him an insulting third or half of the asking price and leave. So I was feeling very anxious last night. The guy on the phone had said he'd come at 6:30 with his "partner." 6:30 came and went. I started to think I'd been dogged. 6:45. 6:50. Finally, I heard a door close outside. (Yes, I was hanging around in my living room pretending to read and peeking out the window.) A nice older couple gets out of their car and starts looking around at my house. Is this them? Yes! They weren't crazy real estate head hunters. They were a nice couple. In fact they know the Professor's family, and they're from our church! Yay! They are looking for property to buy and rent.
Of course, I am so new at this, I couldn't read them at all. I have NO idea how they felt about the house, but the wife said they'd go home and look at some numbers and such. The husband said nothing. So I am actually staying remarkably calm about this. I just keep repeating to myself that this could be a long process and we'll just wait and see.
Now that the house is clean, today I will concentrate on a few other things and I just might start feeling a little bit normal for a few minutes.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Big Changes

Why, oh why, is change so hard to deal with. I find myself happily expecting baby four and suddenly planning a big move to another city. I am overwhelmed to say the least. I have checked out a For Sale By Owner book from the library, bought a for sale sign which is now planted in my frontyard, posted on Craig's list and in the local paper. Now I am looking around knowing I need to get started with cleaning and packing but I find myself too nervous to begin. I am randomly flitting from room to room, starting one thing and then forgetting and moving to another room. My level of stress needs to go down and I am trying to remind myself that this process could go on for months. I need patience. Patience and peace.
Someone is coming to look at the house tonight. Cross fingers for a quick and timely end to this process.

Monday, October 6, 2008

A BIG Thank You

I would like to say a ginormous THANKS to Melody at Merrie Melody for helping me with our button! She is super smart! Also, a super huge Thanks to my sis Carrie, for designing such a super cute button for our blog. She is so artistic! I love this blog stuff, and we sure are learning a ton about computer stuff. We seem to have inspired others...I see Melody has invented a blog to help the slow-to-learn...http://pimp-my-site.blogspot.com/. Good for you! I plan to head right there and ask my next question...:)

Big News!

After much deliberation, a late night panic attack, many phone calls, and of course, lots of prayer, the Professor and I have decided we are moving! I feel like it is so monumental we should have a capital m: Moving! Here's the story. We got a random, out of the blue call last week, offering the Professor a new job. He'll be doing the same work, just better money. It's not too far away from where we live, just a few hours down the road- right now we live in "Townsville" and we'll be moving to "Metropolis." So we've been trying to figure out if we should move the little gals to a bigger city, and what the pros and cons are. Anyway. That's it. We're Moving. Now we just have to sell the house . . . .

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Hope

So, here we are at the first weekend in October which means General Conference for Latter-Day Saints everywhere. This is where we listen/watch our church's leadership give us hope, counsel, and their testimonies of Jesus Christ. Very inspiring, uplifting, and edifying. (wow! I know a lot of big words for it being 10:00 at night!) It's all these things until you add 7 children to the mix. I would love to tell you how they sit through conference, their little faces rapt with attention, eyes moist with tears as they hear our beloved leaders share their sacred beliefs. I would not like to tell you about the dried mango war, the straw to the eyeball (I seriously thought we were making a trip to the er there for a minute), the paper airplanes, a damp washcloth wrestling match, or the mysterious disappearance of two HUGE batches of Muddy Buddies (see Sahm Sisters Cook! for recipe). I will say, truthfully, that I managed to glean some edification for myself, and a renewed resolve to have hope in Christ, hope for the future, and hope that the un-confessed-to-as-yet stain in the carpet will come out tomorrow.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Donuts and Gossip

Every Friday morning, a bunch of us meet at my church building and eat donuts and yak. The official name of this gathering is Scrapbook club, but we do it all there, scrapbook, pay bills, craft, church business, and talking. Lots and lots of talking. And laughing. My friend and I are in charge of the donuts. Self appointed, I might add. We just like an excuse to eat donuts and it's rude to eat in front of others, so we just bring enough for all. It started with 3 moms from the neighborhood, taking turns meeting at each other's houses. THAT ended when I found a cinnamon roll stuffed under the couch cushions. Now we meet at the church, where we have found people tend to be way more respectful. Go figure. I guess it's that whole House of God thing... Anyway, word got out and now we have about 10 of us on and off, showing up to chat and eat donuts. Today, one mom was organizing her recipe card file, which had been dumped out the day before, another was looking over catalogues for Halloween costume ideas. I was scrapbooking our Grand Canyon vacation pictures, and my bff was making us all laugh with funny stories about realtors calling her. We covered the neighborhood, the election, marriage and parenting. One of our group is a grandma and she gives us all hope for the future. I so look forward to this gathering. Women have an ability, don't you think, to uplift, understand, and support each other? Thank heaven we have that gift, to be something wonderful to each other.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Purple Juice!

I was going to whine about the laundry, which is prolific and eternal. BUT, last night, a neighbor called and said we could pick all of her grapes. Her kids are gone and she said last year they just dropped on the ground. So, before America's Next Top Model started, I took TGH, and the two Pre-T's and went to pick grapes. Now, I am canning grape juice! I'm so happy. We haven't had the chance to plant our own vines and it takes forever to get the kind of vines the neighbor has. I think I may have a bushel or more! They are purple with seeds, is that Concord? I've canned the juice before. In our last home, there were mature vines. The kids are very excited, I never buy purple grape juice, I mean, it's purple, and the carpet is not purple. And, the very week we moved into this house, Pre-T 1 (4 at the time) threw up purple grape juice on the very light beige carpet in the family room. Nice. So there was a reminder stain until we replaced the carpet last year. But I'm feeling reckless, I'm ready to live on edge! Going down The Path That Rocks! Bring on the Purple Juice!
Today there is no preschool and no kindergarten. No rushing out the door to meet the happy herd for our early morning walk to school. No picking up a child from somewhere every hour.
I am in my robe with little intention of changing before noon. My little gals buns are parked in front of PBS, which I will have to do something about (sigh, I guess, sigh).
I am swearing to clean my house. Really, I am. Right after I check facebook, and my e-mail, and enjoy a leisurely cup of hot chocolate, and do the crossword, and read the comics, and paint my toenails, and finish that funny book I started, and call my sister on the phone . . . . .

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I can relate

I wonder what was in the air yesterday, I had a headache too. Mine was probably brought on by some of the decisions the Professor and I are trying to make right now. Is there anything harder than trying to plan your future? Especially knowing it not just influences you, but now you have little ones depending on you, and the things you do form the lives they will lead.
I am definitely a believer in inspiration, but sometimes I get my own mind going in so many circles, it's really difficult to find some sort of peaceful moment when you can get a sense of what is best. Maybe I need meditation too. :)