Thursday, January 29, 2009

Big Surprise

Friends are in town from back home. 

The kids don't know.

Can't wait until they come over tomorrow and knock on the door.

In two weeks I get to spend 3 glorious days with my dear friends I miss so much.
I can hardly stand to wait.  On top of that it should be warmer than -3.

BTW everything on our cars is going to pot. First it was the heat, now our locks are not working.  Apparently they think it is too flipping cold here too.  

It is not usually this cold.  That is what they all keep saying.  I do not believe them.  Really!




Sunday, January 25, 2009

Grandma's chicken noodle soup


I made it, but it will be forever Grandma's chicken noodle soup.

Gabby helped make the noodles.  

Okay once upon a time, when my mom made it, there were noodles.

I vividly remember helping my mom make noodles.  She would mix up the dough and roll it out on our wobbly old kitchen table.  Once she rolled out the dough, she rolled it up like a jelly roll.  She then cut the dough with this very well worn knife.  When they were all cut up, we would shake out all the noodles so they could dry out.  After a couple of hours of drying my mom would throw them in the pot of chicken soup.  They made the most interesting noodles.  Some were fat, and some were skinny, they were all wrinkly.

After I left home she changed her method.  The next time I saw her make soup, she was cheating.  She still rolled out the dough, but she started using the pizza cutter to cut the dough.  Quick, but the noodles were flat and didn't have the character of the originals.  

Now, she doesn't even roll out the dough, just plops it into the soup.  Of course that is how I do it.  So technically it is chicken and dumpling soup, which is of course fabulous, but not the same.  

I need to teach my children to make the original, before the memory is lost forever.   



Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Gloom, despair and agony on me

Deep dark depression,
Excessive misery.

If it weren't for bad luck 
I'd have no luck at all.

Gloom, despair and agony on me.

Okay, maybe that is taking it a little far, considering the immense blessings my family is reaping. 


Never the less, I opened my 4th quarter 401K statement and almost passed out.

Then I remembered I still have 23 years to work until retirement.  

And then I didn't feel well, because I realized I still have 23 years until retirement.

Do you know where that little ditty above comes from?





Tuesday, January 20, 2009

High Expectations




The kids are very excited.  
They had a million questions and thoughts on what happened today.  
History being made.   They don't completely understand that, maybe that is a good thing and we can put history behind us.  

Good Luck President Obama.

Monday, January 19, 2009

What a difference a year makes

The picture in the header is Z, taking a face plant when he tried snowboarding last year.  After that he kind of gave up.

This is him today.  Of course this is only the second day he tried since last year. 

  

He's got potential.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Heat wave

We are in day two of our tropical heat wave.  Today it was up to 22 degrees.  Above Fahrenheit.  It was glorious.  

We did a little snowboarding and sledding.  On a side note, someone I work with calls it sliding.  I said that is something you do in baseball.   

Anyhoo.  The boy's snowboarding has greatly improved over last year.  Mine has not.  I decided to stick with the sled.  I don't want to break my leg, just weeks before the run. (I think I typed that same exact sentence last year at this time.) I do think they are going to be a bit sore tomorrow.  They took a couple of good tumbles and then added on a few extra rolls, just for effect. 

They were then kind enough to head to the state park down the road so I could take some pictures of the falls covered in ice.  We also saw a beautiful bald eagle, but someone did not have the telephoto lens ready to go.  This time I at least had it along.  Maybe next time I will be prepared.  



I also made some fairly good scones today.  When I have perfected the recipe I will post it.  

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ignore yesterday's post

Why?  Because yesterday was down right balmy compared to today.  This morning it was -20 and that was without windchill. School was called on account of the windchill.  I don't ever remember that happening in our former home.  Hmmm, maybe it never got this frickin' cold.  

We made the best of the day.  Reading, Wii, math, DS, and now we are going to play a little black jack.  I am good mom.  I did actually work for most of the day.  A little difficult with 3 children asking me for something to eat every 5 minutes.  

We thought about going swimming at the Y, but honestly I really don't want to take off my velour pajamas.  

Looks like it is going to be a repeat tomorrow.  EB is out of town, let's pray the windchill is above -35 in the am, otherwise no school again tomorrow.  

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Freezer -9

Right now it is  -9 degrees.  That is actual temperature.  It is supposed to get down to -25 tonight, with possible windchills of -50.  

Good thing I didn't plan on going anywhere in the middle of the night.  I am not sure I will be convinced to go somewhere in the morning.  

All my co-workers say really this is unusual.  It's not usually this cold for this many days in a row.  
I think my boss lied.  She said really it wasn't bad.  I would like it here.  

I will say this, there is a lot more sunshine.  To bad you have to enjoy it through a window!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Obscene mail

Today I received an obscene piece of mail.  

No, it wasn't a picture of Paris Hilton's hoochie.

No, it wasn't Brittany's ta tas.

It wasn't an ad for Cialis or Viagra.

Or even Matt Damon's back side.



It was an invitation to my 25th class reunion. 

Why is that obscene?

Hello, I am only 25 myself, how could I possibly be having a 25th class reunion. 

Eighty-four, eighty-four, eighty, eighty, eighty-four.


I have no idea if I'll go, I have yet to go to one.  For the last few months I have been thinking about my high school classmates and was having trouble remembering one of my best friend's last name.  Then on Sunday night it just came to me out of the blue.  Weird.  I did go to the website and she is registered, so I thought what the hell and I emailed her.  

Monday, January 12, 2009

Metal Mouth.



Before



After she swallowed the smurf.


Metal attached


All done



She is so excited she can't stop looking in the mirror.
It is too bad she has such low self-esteem.  

Sunday, January 11, 2009

My heart swooneth!

"You've Got Mail" used to be my favorite movie, but it has been replaced. 

"Pride and Prejudice" now holds top honors.

I find slightly ironic that Kathleen (Meg Ryan) loves the book "Pride and Prejudice."

Mrs. G has her Mancake, I have Matthew Macfadyen.  

My heart beats erratically when Mr. Darcy chases Elizabeth down in the rain and he so ineptly proposes to her. 


I am sure EB would look just as stunning in a high collar shirt and a waistcoat.

Maybe I'll go watch it one more time before I go to bed.

Sweet dreams.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Happy Dance, Happy Dance, Happy Dance

They accepted our offer on the lot.  YEE HAW.  Now if everything continues to go well, we will start building in a few weeks.  Even though it is -20 below.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Decorum. Could we please.

Propriety of manner or conduct; grace arising from suitableness of speech and behavior to one's own character, or to the place and occasion; decency of conduct; seemliness; that which is seemly or suitable.  

I am pretty sure that coming into my kitchen, while I am cooking dinner,  dropping your drawers and asking me to see if Dad wiped your behind good enough because it doesn't feel like it, isn't it. 

If you think about the "suitable for one's own behavior", for him, it might actually be decorum.
 
The same child at dinner asked me if he could get a mohawk, because he really wants one.  

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Me vs. He

  • Me:  4:00 Leave work.
  • Me:  4:45 Pick up kids at school age care.
  • Me:  5:00 Get home, help the kids hang up their coats, take off boots, put on slippers and head to the kitchen.
  • Me:  5:05 Have the kids start their home work.
  • Me:  5:10 Answer 52 million silly questions and help with math, get out stuff to make pancakes, realize we don't have enough eggs, put away stuff to make pancakes, make chicken noodle soup & peanut butter sandwiches, answer 71 million more questions.
  • He:  4:30 Leaves work
  • He:  5:10 Gets home, goes into bedroom, turns on the news and changes his clothes.  
  • He:  5:25  Comes out of bedroom, comes in the kitchen and eats his dinner.
  • Me: 5:25  Give everyone their dinner, remind the kids to put away all their stuff and eat their dinner.  Eat a bowl of cereal and then start cleaning up from dinner.
  • He: 5:35 Goes up and starts looking on the computer at stuff.
  • HELLO!  Geez does this happen to anyone else.  
  • Oh and some where along the way I threw in a load of laundry and changed my clothes to go to the gym. Helped the kids memorize their AWANA verses and such.  That's all.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Is anybody else completely ticked off about this dude.





Why is this man not in jail?  Seriously.  He stole billions of $$ from people.  Martha did a little thing called insider trading and had to sit in the pokey.

Poor little Madoff is confined to his multi-million dollar apartment.  Doesn't life suck for you.

Every time I see another article it makes me just sick.  He's smiling.  UGH.

Monday, January 5, 2009

My deep and abiding love of HBA

I am a hair girl.  No I don't have fabulous hair, but I have lots of it and it is soft and unfortunately very straight.  

I had giant 80's hair well into the 90's.  Along with my hair, came a love of hair products. Lots and lots of hair products.  Shampoos, conditioners, mousse, root lifter, hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons (3 at that), hot rollers and HAIR SPRAY.  I love all HBA products, maybe because I need so many, but hair products are my favorite.  

When we moved, I had 4 different bottles of shampoo, 2 different types of conditioner and a whole assortment of other products. I decided I was going self-imposed hair product purchasing hiatus.  I was not allowed to buy anymore products until I used up all of my other products. 

I was doing pretty well until I had my hair cut in December.  That is when the lovely Lisa gave me a sample bottle of hair spray.  Not just any hair spray either.  Aerosol hair spray.  It was love at first spray.  

I gave up all aerosol products back in the early 90's, with the exception of cooking spray.  I felt I had done my share of depleting the ozone with all those gigantic cans of Aquanet.  If I had been a smoker, I could have surely put on a pyrotechnic display like no other.  

I am on the last drops of this hairspray and am being tortured about whether I should purchase a can when I get my hair cut in a couple of weeks.  

OOOOOOH what should a girl do.  I recycle. I car pool. I turn off the lights and turn down the heat.  I should have my hairspray!!!!!! The other thing is, it is $15 a can.  Really I almost can't bear it.  

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Mom, Can we order it please?


When I got back from the gym this morning I was greeted by 3 very excited children who were gushing about the features of the swivel sweeper.

They were kind enough to point out the dust behind the leg of our curio and how the swivel sweeper could slide right along the wall and pick that up.  

"And mom, it's cordless too and only 2 pounds."

"So easy a kid can do it."  

"Can you call right now. Mom, please."

They even made me a flyer so I wouldn't forget.


They are not allowed to watch tv when I am not home.  This isn't the first time this has happened.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Name that sound

Monday after work, I was sitting on the end of my bed putting my socks on when I heard the strangest squeak.  I thought, "This $$$$$ bed better not squeak". So I moved and I heard it again.   I sat there for a second, when all of a sudden a cat darted out from under our bed.  I screamed just a little. 

We don't have a cat.  Never have had a cat. Never will have a cat.

I may have frightened the cat. 

I went to get the cat out of the house and it darted back into G's room under the bed.  

EB tried to get the cat out.  Cat did not want to come out.

So I went to the neighbors because, well just because.  

Sure enough they were missing a cat.  Another peek inside their half of the duplex gives me the heebejebees.  I do mean peek, they never open their door more than 6 inches.  Maybe they can't, it is so full of garbage. 

Anyway, the neighbor comes over and EB manages to scoot the cat out from under the bed. Turns out the cat had been missing for a week.  Not sure if got into our garage and then it snuck in when someone left the door open.  

Scared the CRAP out of me.  

On another lovely neighbor note.  Their dog came over and peed on the packages that were delivered today.  Thankfully the Shutterfly package contents were wrapped in plastic or I would have been more ticked than I was.  And now the dogs are barking like mad.  Maybe I need a cocktail.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Getting the nerd on.



That is what they said.  I am not making that up.

And then Z said, "That is what grandpa does".  

That brought back one of my favorite memories of my dad.  One day my mom, dad, sister and I were going shopping (I think).  My dad came down stairs wearing a grey sweatshirt tucked into his grey sweatpants with white sweat socks and a black pair of dress shoes.  

My sister and I could not stop laughing.  He changed(temporarily anyway).


I am such a prude.

We went to a water park for B's birthday, which cost a fortune, by the way.  Not the point of my post though.  

EB and I were both mortified by what teen and tween girls were wearing.  There was minimal coverage.  I can't believe their parents let them wear that stuff.  I just don't get it.

I don't have a problem with a bikini, in fact I wish I could wear one.  But could we have a certain amount of decency, please.