A few weeks ago, I noticed this sweet little leaf on my bumper as I was loading the groceries into the car. It stayed on my bumper from the grocery store ALL the way home. So I thought it merited having it's picture taken.
Brave little leaf.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
25 random things about me
Can't remember if I have posted this before or not.
1- My favorite color is black. Not because I am weird, but because black is a color that makes all the other colors around it look that much better.
2- I love shopping in thrift stores.
3- Solving a problem by thinking outside the box thrills me.
4- I am overweight and if I spent as much time exercising as I did obsessing about fat, I would be anorexic.
5- Five is how many c-sections I have had.
6- My brain sees a "Far Side" cartoon in every situation.
7- My smile is my favorite thing about me.
8- Clean sheets are one of the things I love. Bic brand medium point blue ink pens are another.
9- I can handle doing a menial task longer than most people.
10- I regret having bought a front loading washer/dryer, even though my laundry room looks really nice.
11-I kept a perm in my hair from 5th grade until 10 years ago.
12- I have a "thing" for old tables, old linens, and old pewter.
13- I tend to be a pleaser, a peacemaker, and I cannot stand confrontation.
14- I love being married and cannot wait for my husband to retire.
15- I get misty-eyed at the drop of a hat.
16- I love tent camping.
17- I am the middle child of three children. My brother, the oldest, was born with mental retardation and had to be institutionalized at the age of 7 due to a major seizure disorder. My mom almost miscarried her pregnancy with me. My sister was born with a diaphragmatic hernia, which has a minuscule survival rate percentage. She was dark blue when she was born and had to undergo surgery immediately (this was 36 years ago). I am blessed with two incredible siblings.
18- The smell of cat urine is the grossest smell in the world.
19- It drives me crazy to see words like "finally" or "dining room" spelled wrong (ie "finnally" or "dinning room")
20- I want to be a birdwatcher when I grow up.
21- I stopped smoking about a year before I had my 4th child. Now, seeing someone smoking makes me sad for them. I pray that they will find a way to quit.
22- I am one of those cooks that rarely follows a recipe. I just go by what flavors taste good together.
23- I read magazine backwards, as in I start from the back and work my way toward the front.
24- On the morning of my birthday in 2004, I needed something from my memorabilia box which is stored in the attic. King brought it down for me and when I opened it, there was a smaller box right on top of all the stuff. Inside there was a note that my dad had sent to me when I was at college. It said: "Happy Birthday! I wish I could be there on your special day." (He died in 1988). I thought it was hilarious and so much fun and through laughter and tears of joy I yelled out, "Thanks, Dad!" One of the best days I have had in my life.
25- I have a "wine-stain" birthmark on the side of my left foot.
1- My favorite color is black. Not because I am weird, but because black is a color that makes all the other colors around it look that much better.
2- I love shopping in thrift stores.
3- Solving a problem by thinking outside the box thrills me.
4- I am overweight and if I spent as much time exercising as I did obsessing about fat, I would be anorexic.
5- Five is how many c-sections I have had.
6- My brain sees a "Far Side" cartoon in every situation.
7- My smile is my favorite thing about me.
8- Clean sheets are one of the things I love. Bic brand medium point blue ink pens are another.
9- I can handle doing a menial task longer than most people.
10- I regret having bought a front loading washer/dryer, even though my laundry room looks really nice.
11-I kept a perm in my hair from 5th grade until 10 years ago.
12- I have a "thing" for old tables, old linens, and old pewter.
13- I tend to be a pleaser, a peacemaker, and I cannot stand confrontation.
14- I love being married and cannot wait for my husband to retire.
15- I get misty-eyed at the drop of a hat.
16- I love tent camping.
17- I am the middle child of three children. My brother, the oldest, was born with mental retardation and had to be institutionalized at the age of 7 due to a major seizure disorder. My mom almost miscarried her pregnancy with me. My sister was born with a diaphragmatic hernia, which has a minuscule survival rate percentage. She was dark blue when she was born and had to undergo surgery immediately (this was 36 years ago). I am blessed with two incredible siblings.
18- The smell of cat urine is the grossest smell in the world.
19- It drives me crazy to see words like "finally" or "dining room" spelled wrong (ie "finnally" or "dinning room")
20- I want to be a birdwatcher when I grow up.
21- I stopped smoking about a year before I had my 4th child. Now, seeing someone smoking makes me sad for them. I pray that they will find a way to quit.
22- I am one of those cooks that rarely follows a recipe. I just go by what flavors taste good together.
23- I read magazine backwards, as in I start from the back and work my way toward the front.
24- On the morning of my birthday in 2004, I needed something from my memorabilia box which is stored in the attic. King brought it down for me and when I opened it, there was a smaller box right on top of all the stuff. Inside there was a note that my dad had sent to me when I was at college. It said: "Happy Birthday! I wish I could be there on your special day." (He died in 1988). I thought it was hilarious and so much fun and through laughter and tears of joy I yelled out, "Thanks, Dad!" One of the best days I have had in my life.
25- I have a "wine-stain" birthmark on the side of my left foot.
brrr
After a glorious break from the cold, God allowed the Sun to shine and warm us up for about a week or so. In fact, the break in the cold must have tricked some of the plants into blooming because there is already a thin layer of pollen on everything! (insert sarcastic teenage-like grunt with upper lip scrunch here) The temps were in the mid to upper 60's and one day it nearly climbed to 80!
And then we awake today and despite the fact that it is 45 degrees, it may as well be 10 below zero.
It's that kind of cold that gets into your bones and makes you shiver from the inside. Course, it doesn't help that I am also sleepy (King and I stayed awake 'til midnight doing our taxes). All I want to do is to climb back into bed and turn on my electric blanket and snooze the rest of the morning.
So, onto the next activity: plans for lunch and dinner. I'm thinking soup. What about you?
And then we awake today and despite the fact that it is 45 degrees, it may as well be 10 below zero.
b-b-bbrrrr.... freezing!
It's that kind of cold that gets into your bones and makes you shiver from the inside. Course, it doesn't help that I am also sleepy (King and I stayed awake 'til midnight doing our taxes). All I want to do is to climb back into bed and turn on my electric blanket and snooze the rest of the morning.
*excuse me while I pause and reflect on a simpler time when I could actually do that.
There.
I'm better now.
Thanks for indulging me.
So, onto the next activity: plans for lunch and dinner. I'm thinking soup. What about you?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
when it's ok to tattle
The 4th child: Mommmm! no. 2 said a bad word!!!!
Me: (eye roll) What did he say?
4: It started with an "s".
Me: (*sigh* believing the worst, but leaving room for doubt) OK, what did the word rhyme with?
4: pause
more pause
whispering to self and then another short pause
Me: (eye roll) What did he say?
4: It started with an "s".
Me: (*sigh* believing the worst, but leaving room for doubt) OK, what did the word rhyme with?
4: pause
more pause
whispering to self and then another short pause
"Roopid!"
Friday, February 11, 2011
for what it's worth
Life's too short to drink your latte with skim milk.
Yesterday no.1 and some friends wanted to go to a nearby coffee bar after school. (I will pause here so that those of you who are as old as or older than me can reflect on today's teen trends.) I let her stay about an hour or so and picked her up on the way home from no. 3's fiddle lesson. When I went in to "collect" her I was overcome by the beautiful smell of coffee and gave in to my craving for a large latte.
Since I was not at Starbucks, and they don't speak Italian like they do at SB's... words like "Venti Breve Latte".... anyway, I forgot myself and just said "a large latte, please." It was not only expensive, but it was disappointing as well. *sigh* Lesson learned.
****************
For those of you who know what I'm talkin' about... oh yeah... *knuckle bump*
For those of you who don't drink coffee... it's like the difference between a half melted snow cone that your kid decided he didn't want and a "whole serving" of Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
an if/then math word problem
Laugh and the world laughs with you;
weep and you weep alone. Ella Wheeler
******
****
**
*
... but what if you are laughing at someone who is crying?
#1, known by her friends as "The Logical One"
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
bad dog, bad dog
I often have a Golden Retriever personality.
Not always, but often enough.
And sometimes it gets me in trouble.
Not always, but often enough.
And sometimes it gets me in trouble.
newest and shiniest (and chocolateyest)
I am amazed, when I step back and look at all the "things" that keep us humans distracted. The drive to have what we want right now, the newest and greatest toy first controls a whole lotta people. When the store runs out of Cabbage Patch babies or when the newest technology gets sold out just before your place in line gets through the door. Imagine a child who is given candy to a child all the time and then getting to see that brat the first time they don't get what they want. What's worse is when that kid grows up. It is disappointing to see the shallowness of a person's character when they are denied.
I'm not casting stones, mind you.
I mean you should see me when I have a late night hormone-induced craving for chocolate and Dairy Queen closed 5 minutes ago.
Not. Pretty.
Monday, February 7, 2011
a gift within the gift
We are hosting a French student for the month of February. Each year our high school brings in fifteen or so students and they spend the month here in order to improve their English. We have hosted twice before and absolutely loved it. Our new student arrived Friday and we fell in love the moment we saw her as she climbed down off of the bus. Actually, I loved her from the moment I said we would host again this year, but seeing her in person sealed the deal.
The kids are having a great time asking her about her life in France, what she does during the school week, what activities she does on the weekends. Number 3 is enamored with the fact that her family has horses. When she found this out, she looked at me with eyes that pleaded, "Oh can I go back to France with her and live with her family?"
In preparing for her arrival, our family worked hard to get the house de-cluttered and sparkly clean. I told her that she should look really fast at how clean it is, because it won't last long. All this weekend, King and I were able to relax and enjoy the children because there were no pressing issues such as laundry, dining room table clutter, etc. We actually sat and drank coffee and logged in lots of reading time. We went on a walk to the park (thank God for the beautiful break in the weather!)
Number 3 actually remarked last night, "Y'know, I noticed that all this weekend you and Daddy were so relaxed."
The kids are having a great time asking her about her life in France, what she does during the school week, what activities she does on the weekends. Number 3 is enamored with the fact that her family has horses. When she found this out, she looked at me with eyes that pleaded, "Oh can I go back to France with her and live with her family?"
In preparing for her arrival, our family worked hard to get the house de-cluttered and sparkly clean. I told her that she should look really fast at how clean it is, because it won't last long. All this weekend, King and I were able to relax and enjoy the children because there were no pressing issues such as laundry, dining room table clutter, etc. We actually sat and drank coffee and logged in lots of reading time. We went on a walk to the park (thank God for the beautiful break in the weather!)
Number 3 actually remarked last night, "Y'know, I noticed that all this weekend you and Daddy were so relaxed."
Why, yes.
Yes we were.
Thank you for noticing.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
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