Lost: Writing Mojo

I'm in the process of trying to find my writing Mojo - but until then, I will just have to post some pictures of pure cuteness! And perhaps some nature along the way...

First... we have the Oliva collection...







And the Carter collection....







How about a little touch of family pics...








And a little nature to finish out the mass-photo post!

Commercials that make you go, hmmmm...

Some advertisements crack me up, like the "Baby Come Back" mop commercials. And some commercials just keep me on my toes when little eyes and ears are close by...


Carter: mommy, look how big that hamburger is!

Me: uh, yeah it's pretty messy

Carter: I think she needs a napkin...

Me: you're right buddy

Carter: I think Daddy would like that hamburger

Me: I think everyone's daddy would like a bite of that hamburger



And how about this one?

I really can't stand the cartoon SpongeBob, even though he's really not the problem - it's his foul sidekicks on the program that enjoy calling people 'stupid' and using bodily functions to get laughs. I'm not a prude, but I do care that my kids don't think it's OK to call someone stupid or burp so loud that the neighbor's house shakes... but I'm digressing. So here's another inappropriate commercial luring kids to Burger King toys in their Kid's Meals... geez

Carter: Mommy, why do they have books in their pants?

Me: So they can sit up higher at the table when they eat their Burger King

Carter: Mommy!! (laughter) They're already grown ups, they can reach the table!

Me: Crazy girls!

(The song used in the commercial is a spoof of the 1990's song "I Like Big Butts" by artist Sir Mixalot)

Original lyrics are:
I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face... etc....




I am just thankful that he has never seen THIS commercial.... wow. If you are offended easily, don't watch this one! haha... it's an ad for a woman's razor.



And for those that blush at just the mere thought of a condom ad, whatever you do, don't go to YouTube and type in a search for "Durex commercial"... just sayin'

What April Means To Me...

Since April is Autism Awareness month, I am moved to repost some blog entries of the past, sharing our experience. Learn a fact about Autism today, and you can help the awareness campaign!


This, is the face of Autism.... our face....

April is Autism Awareness Month. During this month, you will no doubt begin to notice the news media reaching out for pieces of this disorder to put into their articles and tv segments. The world has come a long way in acknowledging the growing crisis of Autism in America. In 1980, approximately 1 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with Autism.

Autism is a complex neurological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. -- taken from autismspeaks.org

1 out of 150 children means there are a lot of families coping with Autism. Seven years ago, we didn't know anyone with Autism, and sadly, what I had in my own mind to reference this disorder, was the character that Dustin Hoffman played in the movie Rain Man. Contrary to that character, my other perception of someone that had Autism was ignorantly only imagined as a feeble person loudly making unrecognizable noises and rocking incessantly. I know that I am not alone in these thoughts, because through the years in talking with people about Autism, these were the same frames of reference others had before becoming aware.

Yes, Autism can and does reflect these same images in some individuals with severe forms of this neurological disorder, but there is also a wide spectrum of disorders and other not-so-obvious characteristics of the disease. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (usually referred to as PDDNOS).

Our son has come such a long way from where he was when he was diagnosed years ago. We attribute his unbelievable progress from such intense and early interventions. He showed "classic" autism signs in the beginning which ranged from no eye contact, lacking verbal and non-verbal communications, toe walking which required leg and foot braces, obsessive focusing of peculiar items (clocks, doors, vacuums, noises), "self stimming" such as spinning himself in circles, hand and ear flapping, as well as severe sensitivities to sounds, lights, touch and taste. We can't go so far as to say that he is "cured", because there is no cure. But if we could put him on our own scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most severe, we would have to put him at a 1 or 2 now.

Over the years, we have come to know of and interacted with, families with children that have Autism in the most severe of forms. These parents are angels in disguise. We can't imagine what our lives would have been like without such early intervention. I'm not insinuating that early intervention will always pull a child out of the classic Autistic disabilities, but in many cases it has proven to be very successful in a child's progress. Not all brains are alike - this is not a one-size-fits-all disorder. I think awareness now is helping families much earlier, whereas in the past, so many children were being diagnosed "too late" in the developmental stages where early intervention has the most effect. Experts believe there is a sweet-spot of time in a child's early development where certain skills can be taught and the brain can sort of rewire itself into more typical behaviors when learned through therapies etc.

The great news is that there are so many wonderful ways of helping children with Autism communicate and relate to those around them thanks to the overall heightened awareness of people, and also educators and physicians being called to learn more about it. Studies are being held all over the world to try and figure this disorder out even more. Science has been making some awesome discoveries genetically as well, and people like you are deciding to care enough about it to make a difference in your communities. It's possible, that you can no longer walk through your daily life without knowing someone who is affected by this disorder.

This is a quote taken from D.M. Rosner, author and owner of AutismGear.com that really resonated with me, "If Autism hasn't yet touched your life, it most likely will in some way--in fact, maybe it has already and you didn't even realize it. Maybe that quiet girl who wouldn't look you in the eye was more than simply shy; maybe that screaming boy having a meltdown wasn't really a spoiled child after all....... Maybe it was Autism."

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You may search my blog using the word 'Autism' to read more posts...

So, Why Do We Have AAA?

I really don't even need to type words for today's blog, I took enough pictures to speak for themselves. But, because I can't help myself, I have plenty to say about how my Sunday began.

Me: 9:00 a.m., coffee's on, I'm puttering around the kitchen, headed to the garage to toss out some recycling. I notice the garage is missing a vehicle. I head upstairs to wake the party animal (he'll appreciate me calling him that - haha) that has only been asleep for about 6 hours now after a night out with friends (we'll call him "T" to protect the innocent).

Me: Um, did you take a cab home? Where's the car?

T: It's at the McDonald's at 96th & Meridian. I had a flat tire, Steve dropped me off....

Me: ::: eyeballs twitching from doing the calculations of all that has to be done today, besides arranging this (pain in the butt) flat tire scenario ::: Ok then, let's get moving so we can take care of this - busy day ahead! (Dad's bday and the family is coming for dinner today...) Besides, changing a tire only takes a few minutes, right?

So, One of Us showered up to be perky and punctual for the tire escapade that I knew was about to happen, while The Other One at least changed out of her pajama bottoms, brushed her teeth and poured a very big to-go cup of coffee. The Boy was ordered to get dressed, grab his Leapster and head to the van, and The Girl was kept in her pajamas and protested that she did not want to "go bye-bye". Me either Olivia, but we must embrace the task at hand.

We were in the parking lot of McD's a little after 9:30. I was not about to forget my camera on such an occasion, so I was locked and loaded and ready for some blog material! If you have ever seen the movie A Christmas Story, in which Ralphie 'helps' his Dad by holding the lug nuts for him on the side of the road, and suddenly they get scattered everywhere, and Ralphie yells "Fuuuuuudge"... even thought it's implied that it wasn't 'fudge' that was said. I had to be sure and snap a picture of Carter holding the lugs, and show it to my Dad. We grew up on this movie, and that's one of the funniest parts of it - so I knew I had something good to document. And really, how often does your son get to 'help' his Dad change a flat tire?

So, I present to you, the order of events as they unfolded this morning....

Ralphie! I mean, Carter! This one's for you Dad... and right after this shot, the lugs were rolling on the ground - just like the movie!

Cute so far right?
Even Olivia is happy! See? We love changing flat tires! Yay!

Reason number 537 why carrying baby wipes in your car comes in handy... grease removal.



Oh! Look! The spare tire that says, Please Do Not Go Over 50 mph On This Donut - see what happens when you go 30 mph and get 1/10th of a mile past McDonalds?



Oh look! It's only 11:00 now, let's head to Walmart and get this car a new tire. Since we can no longer drive there on the spare, we'll take just the tires to them, and head back here with the new one. Who's "they" that said it only takes a few minutes to change a tire? "They" must have had a true SPARE tire to use, not a donut, and not with two kids in tow who are staring to ask, "can we go home yet?" Because in my world, it does not take a few minutes to change a flat tire....



Where's that big 'ol smiley face in all their commercials? I need one of those right about now!

Oh hi! It's me, taking a picture of myself in the sideview mirror, waiting in the parking lot of Walmart listening to my 2 yr old tell me "I'm stuck I'm stuck" because she doesn't want her seatbelt on. And my 8 yr old telling her, "Be quiet Olivia, I can't hear my Leapster game!"... yes, that is a real smirk on my face, however it's the thought bubble that is missing from above my head that I had to edit out.

Dunkin Donuts! I'm nostalgic - and they are 'new' out here, and I wanted to see if I could talk on the cell phone, drive a car AND snap a picture at a moving target at the same time! Voila! I wonder if they have Blueberry Iced coffee there at that one? I may have to investigate that soon...

We've got the tire fixed now, and back to parking lot #2 to install it. That only took another 40 minutes at Walmart... we're making good progress... (riiiiiigggghhhhhtttt)

Look at this peculiar tree that hung above us in the parking lot! Of all the 1,000 available spaces in the lot on a Sunday, we pulled in under this tree. Glad it's not windy today!

And because everyone has a smile on their face when they have to change a spare tire, twice in the same morning, I had to document the insanity.

THE END. We were home a little after 12:00.... in case anyone wants to know how long it takes to change a spare tire. Just under 3 hours. So, why do we pay to have the service of AAA?

And The Winner Is...

Well whadda ya know? Carter won first place in his Den again at the Pinewood Derby! This year as a Wolf Cub. I think we must have the winning car specs, but we don't want to get too big of an ego just yet - there is some pretty stiff competition as the kids move up a rank! His car was just how he wanted it though, and he loved the process!

He made it to the final heats to determine the overall winner for the day, and came in 5th out of 8 cars. We should have inspected those top cars to see what their secret was for next year, right? ha-ha! Well we accomplished one thing we set out to do, and that was to make sure his wheels didn't fall off at the end of the day like they did last year.

It was a pretty fun-tastic afternoon watching all the boys' excitement at the Derby, we look forward to this event! It was postponed from January because of a storm, so to say they were eager would be an understatement!

Don't let this picture of the boys fool you - it was the ONLY time they were sitting still - I was lucky enough to snap a picture before the chaos began...

And here's the Champ!

Ice, Ice Baby!

Usually, the only way to see a penguin in Indiana is to visit the zoo. But last week, I got to witness the beginning stages of a new breed at a friend’s house. I don’t want to confuse you, so I’ll cut to the chase. I’m talking about an ice penguin.

Have you ever made an ice sculpture before? Me neither. Have you ever thought that you might actually be creative enough to attempt one? Nope, can’t say that’s crossed my mind either. In fact, I didn’t even know I had friends that thought they should try this work of art on for size. That was until I saw firsthand, what my friend Allison’s engineering-crazy thinking husband is really like to live with.

Let me set the scene. Us girlfriends gathered in her kitchen, wine in one hand, melted brie on a cracker in another, in walks Erik scurrying through the crowd of cackling women, “Excuse me ladies, coming through!” he says wielding an armful of something filled to the brim with water. He’s headed out through their back door into the cold night. Allison lovingly smiles at him, looks at us and shakes her head, “Erik’s latest project” she says with her head cocked slightly and a giggle in her voice. She doesn’t seem annoyed or a bit surprised at what he was doing outside. Which of course, got us all jumping on this mystery like a bunch of hungry vultures! We would no doubt be waiting like prey to harass him about his latest nutty invention when he returned.

“Ice sculpture!” she says in a matter of fact tone. A whaaaat? We all ask with a laugh… yep, this man enjoys a challenge. When Erik returns, we get the low down on his creation. He was still in the beginning stages of adding water a couple times a day to a giant trash can he was filling outside. He is intelligent enough to understand the reasons to fill it and freeze it in stages. Unlike me who would have just filled it to the brim one time and wondered why it took a week to freeze or busted the trashcan from expansion. But alas, that is why my brain is not thinking about how I can create an ice sculpture. I’m too busy wondering if my kid has a pair of jeans left without a hole in them (the answer is no, by the way).

I’m not sure if the ice sculpture was really the act of Fatherly Love he was claiming it was by wrapping the deed up as if it was something fun to do with the kids. I mean, let’s be real, are the children really going to fire up the chainsaw and blowtorch? Sure it will be fun to watch Dad make a cool sculpture, but this is not something small animals and children can be that involved in. And from what I know about Erik, he’s pretty meticulous. Ask me about what happened when I almost dropped his son’s Pinewood Derby car! Now that was funny enough that I almost popped a vein from laughing at the look on his face. But I’m digressing… This ice sculpture was a serious matter.

Now, I’m not going to sit here typing out a bunch of disses, because frankly, it’s pretty cool! Cool in a number of ways – first, that he has an imagination wild enough to know he can attempt this without a second thought. Secondly, he has enough playfulness in his life to come up with these sorts of projects. And lastly, that he has a family that is totally on board with his unpredictable quirks, but that they can predict they WILL exist and come up often.

I’ve been inspired, and will tuck this tidbit into my back pocket for another cold winter of wondering what kind of project might be fun to try. It’s always fun to find out interesting things about your friends, and this was no exception. I’m hoping maybe I can convince him to create a beautiful fruit sculpture this summer and invite us all over for dessert fondue. He’s probably got a cocoa tree growing out back for dipping chocolate! I’d love to see what he could carve out of a watermelon or something.

For now, I leave you with his masterpiece…. Congrats Erik… see you at the Pinewood Derby, we’ll have our eyes on your kid’s car. Care to have a little wager?

Happy 8th Birthday Carter!

Carter had a little party today in honor of turning 8! The boys had such a good time together and wore each other out big time. He was ready for bed before 8:00 tonight - between playing Wii and a scrap game of football in the yard with his pals, he was ready to hit the pillow for sure.

Here's some pics from his special day...

And lastly, his annual birthday letter I write to him...

Dear President Obama

Carter brought home a paper today, an assignment from school in which he had to finish an open letter to Barack Obama. It is precious, and you know preciousness has to be blogged about! It begins with this first paragraph, and then the children were to finish the letter. I will keep the spelling as it is written on his paper.

Dear President Obama:

We learned in Scholastic news that you will be President for the next four years. Here is what I hope you will do for our country:

I glad your the 44 President. I howpe you like beaing president. i hope it is fun for you. Iv seen you on tv when you became president and my mom saed Yaa! iv seen your dooders (daughters) to. Angjoy beaing president all ways.

Sincerely,
Carter

The Making Of....Pinewood Derby 2009

Here we are again, fresh into the month of January, which means none other than Carter sharing his birthday weekend with the cubscout family. It's Pinewood Derby time!

This year, we actually started the car a full three days before weigh-in was supposed to happen. But, unfortunately the event was cancelled this weekend due to our weather delays causing schools to be closed - the venue in which it's held. Three days might still panic some folks, but that is SO much more time than is really needed to do this project. In fact, we didn't even open the box until less than 36 hours before weigh-in last year. And he had a top car, so we weren't sweating it this year. (we sound like pros now don't we?)

Um, here's a screen shot of this morning's temp and the reason why school and activities were closed. Brrrrrrrr!



Last year, Carter held the track record for the Derby, and won first place in his Tiger Cub Den. He qualified to race in the last heats against the other Dens in our Pack, but we had a few mishaps with his wheels falling off on the track. I guess after needing to race so many times, the car couldn't handle it. That, and probably the way he would play with it on the floor in between races - a sight that made most father's who are really into this, gasp in horror! It's not a hotwheel car afterall - it was a hand crafted vehicle that needed to be handled with care. Oh, who cares right? It's for fun - and he sure didn't care. Of course, until his wheels kept coming off and he couldn't continue to race.

But this year, we glued those axles into place so we won't have that looming over us again. He wanted the same design of car... a corvette, but wanted it red this year and the number 8, which stands for how old he turns this weekend. He's a patriotic boy, so he wanted stars and stripes again too. If you know Carter, he likes things to stay the same, so we couldn't really veer too far off from last year's model. Hopefully it will race as good as the blue one did!

Here are some pictures of the process, The Making Of 2009's Pinewood Derby car...

His block of wood cut out at Grandpa's house in the shape of a vette... the blue car is last year's model he made.


The underside needed to be cored out to fit our flat weights. That was a pain, and the most time consuming part!


Sanding his car...


Painting the vette... we were glad he had a red shirt on after this craft - he is a messy painter like his mom!


Spraying silver sparkle paint on his car in the garage - um, safe to say he has a pretty heavy hand on the trigger! I think the entire garage is covered in sparkles now!


Adding his stickers, his favorite part next to painting the car...


And lastly, the car cannot weigh more than 5.0 ounces. Got it right on again!


Of course I will add pictures from the actual Derby once we know when the rescheduled date will be. But for now, we can breathe a sigh of relief to know the car is done, the weight is perfect and it's ready to go. Now we just have to hide it until Show Time so he doesn't send it down his Matchbox ramp in the basement!

Happy 2nd Birthday Olivia!

T-W-O! Wow... time has sure flown by, it's hard to believe our little ray of sunshine was two years old on January 3rd.

Here are some pictures from the big day - enjoy!

Annual letter to Olivia....

Landscape Pictures

Recently I took some pictures while attending our family's annual winter reunion in Southern Indiana. The family has been gathering like this for decades, in the town church that dates back to the days when some of the wood used in the church came from the trees on the family farm, and were crafted thoughtfully by the hands before us. In these parts, generations have been born and passed in the same family homes sprinkled among the farms in these southern towns.

In the summer, the leaves are bright on the mighty oaks, the vast farming fields are rich with corn rows and beans, and the silver shining from the silos can be seen in every direction. The silence is hard to describe, not hearing the roar of the city like I'm used to hearing outside my windows. But it's warm and lush and peaceful.

In the winter, there is a barren stillness when one looks out into these fields. Snow crusted rows of overturned soil leftover from the October harvest, hides the livelihood of what the ground has to offer each year. The chill in the air that takes no effort to cut right through you because there are no big buildings to shield the wind - only land that outstretches as far as the eye can see.

On this particular 2 hour drive to the reunion, there were several things that caught my eye out the window that would have made a great snapshot, and I wished that I had taken out my camera sooner. But with all the chatting and catching up, it is hard to step away and snipity-snap all the things I was hoping to.

Here's what I did get though... enjoy!

Above is the quaint church that stands proud. This is where we hold the winter reunion each year.

Above is the cemetary on the church grounds, tucked neatly between farmland.

Above is the headstone of my father-in-laws beloved parents.

Above is an example of the many working family-run farms that dot the town.

And above here, we have a train carrying loads of what appears to be coal. At the time, we were able to tell Carter that Santa has that train ready for naughty boys and girls coal-filled stockings....hahaha!

Santa's Cookies

Today was our annual cookie baking day so Santa would not go hungry on Christmas Eve.

Carter has been counting down the days until my parents would come over to get the annual tradition underway. He really enjoyed himself and of course his favorite part is covering the cookies with sprinkles. I stopped counting how many times we had to scrape the 1" of sprinkles off and have him 'do over' his cookies! Here he is making the inaugural first cookie cutout!



Do you like our coordinating aprons, Carter and I? Festive!



Olivia was not so sure about things, and she wanted the dough off of her fingers. She eventually enjoyed the shaking of the sprinkles and we gave her a small jar to shake and that kept her busy. Of course, she would shake once over the cookie dough, then a few times over the side of her chair onto the floor. By the time the jar was empty, most of it was on the floor. I gave up and just let her do it - the vacuum was close by! She mistakenly put a hunk of dough in her mouth and was not happy about it - then she refused an actual cookie that was baked because she thought it was the uncooked dough again. Hopefully she'll forget that experience tomorrow and enjoy a cookie! Here she is with my Mom...



She is not feeling so well today. I took her to the Urgent Care this morning and she has a double ear infection and bronchitis. We have Amox., a steroid and albuterol for the 3 x a day nebulizer treatments we have to give her. The medical equipment company came by this afternoon to drop off the machine - at least the guy got some cookies to eat on his way back to the office!

The end result! Can you tell which ones got a touch of sprinkles from a 7 year old?

Makin' Toffee

It's that time of year again, when a lot of us Moms bake goodies for the school staff, specials teachers, bus drivers etc. as a small token of appreciation at the holidays.

Tonight, was Toffee Makin' Night. We love this toffee and it never lasts long because everyone devours it. It's a unique recipe that my mother found years ago and it uses strangely enough, crackers!

It uses 4 ingredients, but it can be a little picky because you need to bring your sugar mixture high enough to crack stage, and not burn it. Or, the one complaint I hear a lot is that it was too chewy - which would mean that the sugar was not cooked to a hard enough stage. I've thankfully made this enough times (and screwed it up just as many before) to know what my sugar is supposed to look like when it's ready to pour.

It's a really easy and quick recipe you should try. Don't let the crackers scare you - no one knows they're in there until you tell them - trust me, the toffee is awesome!



Recipe for Toffee:
1 sleeve Saltine crackers (about 40)
1 pkg. 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks butter
1 C packed brown or regular white sugar
Aluminum foil to line sheet
Crushed pecan pieces or any nut you like (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a large cookie sheet with foil and place the crackers to fit flat.
Bring butter and sugar to soft boil for 4-5 minutes in heavy saucepan.
Pour mixture over crackers evenly, spread if needed with a knife.
Bake in oven for 5-6 minutes (sugar will bubble and boil)
Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Put back into oven for 1 minute until chips are softened enough to spread with a knife. (note: chips will appear to hold their shape even when ready to spread)
Sprinkle with nuts if using.
Put into the fridge to harden for 1-2 hours. Break into pieces. Enjoy!

Tip: If I'm making several batches of this, I put them outside on my deck to chill in the winter, instead of taking up fridge space!

December Sky

Today we had the most gorgeous Indiana sky right before sunset... My camera is usually ready to snap at a moment's notice, so out I went to devour the beauty.

Carter and I sat watching the sky turn all different shades. These are my favorites... one from out front of the house, and one from out back.

He asked, "Who makes that sky do all those colors?"

I answered, "God does. Isn't He nice?"

More Conversations with a 7 Year Old

Sometimes the conversations in this house don't get beyond a one-word answer. And I'm not talking about the kids...

*Scene* Watching the football game last Sunday

Carter: Daddy, I can see those cheerleader's belly buttons

Hubs: Uh... yep.

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Happy December

Wow - December's here already? I know I say that every year, it still feels like it came upon us so quickly.

The tree is up, and Olivia has already taken every ornament she can reach off and reorganized them. I will be finding ornament hooks in my carpet for years now, because every time she grabs one, the hook is nowhere to be found. My vacuum cleaner is not happy with this arrangement!

We already had our first snow of the season. Not much, just a couple of inches on the ground - enough to make it look pretty without being a nuisance.

Is your shopping done? Mine's not, and I'm very envious of those that shop year round, or have it already completed and can enjoy the rest of the season as it is without the mad dash to the store. I love the whole gift-giving part of Christmas time, but those that know me, know that I hate shopping. It's pretty difficult to avoid this time of year though. So I put on my Merry Best attitude and get it done. My favorite way is sitting right here, in my pajamas, hot cup of coffee or cocoa and the Internet at my fingertips. That's my kind of shopping! No crowds, no arguments from the children, no overheating in my winter coat inside the mall, no long walks in the frigid temps to the car, no traffic. Ah, sweet online shopping!

I like stalking the UPS and FedEx guys for my packages to be delivered too. One of my other favorite things about the gift giving season to do is wrap presents! Oh I love choosing the fun wrapping paper, the bows, pawing through all the surprises for everyone and sticking their tags on the boxes. All of this of course with Christmas music on in the background, the fireplace roaring and yummy smells coming from my Home For The Holidays Yankee candles.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas - Yay! Carter's already begun the countdown to our annual cookie baking day. It's on Dec. 21st this year, which happens to be the first day of winter and also the start of Hanukkah. He said so excitedly, "Mommy, we'll have to wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah!"....

Do you think all the Non-Jewish will be offended when he says that to people during that week?

I think it's cute - let's celebrate everything right? I suppose it's my job to inform him that not everyone celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas, but for now the joy it brings him to wish Merriness to all is priceless.

Day 30 - What Gets You Moving?

I MADE IT! 30 posts in 30 days - what a challenge! Here's my final posting for November - I'm going to go listen to some loud music in celebration!

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Loud music makes me forget about the sweat dripping into my eyes, my shins burning and how fast my heart is beating.

At my Boot Camp classes, I don't usually need to put on the iPod because the trainer has her own mixes blaring for us - but on the treadmill, eeeegads that's boring! Ours has one of those bells & whistles types with a built in TV screen (yes, it's even set it up with satellite and Tivo, and only men get all excited about those gadgets - but whatever gets one through the workout, right?). However, I cannot concentrate on anything on the tv screen, so I don't use it. It's too slow for me.

So instead, I plug in my iPod and get going. I need the loud music beating to the same pace as my heart is... or I'll quit. Or maybe it's my heart that will quit. Either way, it's as simple as that.

I cover the console of the treadmill so that I don't have to see how much time I have left, or the incline I'm torturing myself with, but I know that when the first 5 songs on my playlist are over, I have 2 miles done and I need a gallon of water to drink!

What beats get you moving? Here are mine... for right now, because the playlist changes often!

Day 29 - Tree Lighting

Tonight was our town's annual Tree Lighting ceremony. It's always a fun time, and Carter looks forward to giving his letter for Santa to Mrs. Claus, who makes an appearance every year to collect them.

Here's some shots from tonight...

Carter giving up his letter for Santa!



Standing in front of Carter's Toy Museum in town. He thinks that pretty cool that he has the same name!



The kids waiting for the tree lighting to take place.



Decorating the Christmas tree tonight, Olivia was amazed at the ornaments. Her favorite is the glass cupcake ornament we have, and she was so proud to hang it.



Tomorrow we will be busy finishing the decorations inside, and the rest of the lights on the outside. It will have to be done early, because it's our Do-Nothing-Else-Because-Football-Is-On day....

Day 28 - I'm Turkey'd Out

It's official, I'm sick of turkey. How can that be, Thanksgiving was just yesterday?

Well, I'll tell you.... after gorging on the feast for lunch with the family yesterday, naturally the only logical thing to have for dinner later that evening was the ever-traditional Turkey Sandwich. I'm my house, we grew up eating it in layers of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, salt & pepper and a smear of mayo. Sounds good doesn't it?

Well it sounds good, unless you had it last night for dinner, today as your lunch, then again tonight for dinner. Each time it was a small sandwich, on a leftover roll from The Feast, but still. So, needless to say, if I as much as hear a mere "Gobble Gobble" from someone, I just might be sick.

I would hate to waste the remaining leftovers, so I may be serving some form of turkey again tomorrow for lunch. Although, I might put the energy into changing things up a bit, and serve it hot with gravy and some leftover mashed potatoes. By then, my family will REALLY be sick of the bird 'ya think?

Are you turkey'd out yet?

I'm not complaining about the leftover dessert though am I? Funny how that happens....

Day 27 - Here's Some Free Music

Thanksgiving is over, and it's time to start blaring the Christmas music!

Oprah's giving away free music downloads to 8 songs from some new Christmas albums, until Friday afternoon.

You can go here to get the holiday songs and check out her other Holiday Tips...

Here's the list of tunes: (you can right-click on the songs, and choose "Save Target As" and it will download the song to your computer from my blog too).

Faith Hill, "Joy to the World" from the album Joy to the World
Tony Bennett, "I'll be Home for Christmas" from the album A Swingin' Christmas
Il Divo, "O Holy Night" from the album The Christmas Collection
Josh Groban, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" from the album Noel
Brian McKnight, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" from the album I'll Be Home for Christmas
Amy Grant, "O Come All Ye Faithful"
Harry Connick Jr., "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" from the album What a Night! A Christmas Album
Aretha Franklin, "Silent Night" from the album This Christmas

Enjoy!

Day 26 - Ready For The Big Day

Turkey in the brine - check
Stuffing ready to stuff - check
Set the Table - check
Drinks chilled - check
Misc lists - check
Alarm set for 6:00 am - check

Well, it's official. I'm ready for guests to arrive with arms full of dinner accompaniments tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I'm already salivating.

Carter made a cute little turkey at school that is proudly displayed on the dinner table (pic above). This, I'm sure, will become a yearly staple at the Thanksgiving table. My husband's turkey from about 2nd grade still makes an appearance at his Mom's table too. It's what us Mothers are all about...

We're ready for the big day - have a terrific holiday with your families!

Day 25 - The Redecorating Blues

How long before you redecorate a room in your house? Do you keep the same motif for years and years, or is your Being incapable of withstanding sameness for too long?

When I was younger, I used to be the type of person that changed around her living spaces all the time. I needed a change, even if it meant moving everything back to the way it was 6 months before, it was still a change. Now, not so much. I pretty much stick with something and it remains. I am going to be one of those people that has the same photos hanging on their walls for 20 years, in the same place. Nothing wrong with that, I'm just saying...

Which brings me to my son. He's not the type who likes change too much, he is comfortable in his surroundings and likes things 'just so' too. But he wants his bedroom changed to Football "stuff" now, and it's not a quick fix. I suppose I don't have a problem with that, except for all the time and effort I put into his bedroom 3 years ago. We are in Indy, so he chose a racing theme. He dreams of Fatheads now (life-size wall graphics), goal posts, lockers to put his gear in...
My head is spinning. We have so much football going on this time of year that I think he has just been brain washed.

Hopefully it will pass once the Superbowl is over? I don't really know, but I do know that it's less work than a puppy. A puppy that he has been obsessed about in his mind and can't wait until he turns 11 (which is when we said we could discuss it).

Perhaps Santa will drop a couple new jerseys under the tree and it will distract him from wanting a giant Peyton Manning or Marvin Harrison on his wall charging at him?

Maybe we'll tell him he can't have a Football room until he's 11. It will ease my redecorating blues I have about this situation.

Here's what it looks like now, although the furniture is different from this picture, the walls are the same. Wouldn't you have a hard time changing this after all your blood, sweat and tears too?

Day 24 - My Sarcastic List of Thankful Things

I'm thankful that Yankee Candles smell so much like vanilla cupcakes, that my kids think I have been baking for them all day when they are handed a store-bought treat.

I'm thankful for my dark wood floors that allow me to see every single spec of dust or crumb that falls on it. There's no need to wonder if the floor is dirty - AGAIN!

I'm thankful for removable spray heads in the shower, so that I can squirt off the Soft Scrub on the walls, in between shampooing and conditioning. Multi-tasking at it's best!

I'm thankful for the hands-free headset I use every day to talk to my girlfriends on the phone while I'm picking up the house or doing other domestic duties. And for cheap long distance service too!

I'm thankful that the kids have 5 days off from school during Thanksgiving break. It will give me the chance to remember why I'm thankful that it's only five days off.

I'm thankful for Kleenex coming in boxes of 1,000 sheets, so that I will never tire of finding the lone tissue that makes its way into the washer or dryer with the clothes...at least once a week this time of year.

I'm thankful that the batteries are dying in my bathroom scale, and when I stand on it, it just says "Low"...

I'm thankful that I can fill up my gas tank now for under $30, instead of close to $70! Now I have more money to spend on Vodka.... KIDDING!

Day 23 - Under Pressure

... and no, I'm not listening to Queen's album if that's what you thought from my blog title today.

I'm under some serious pressure. Remember that post I did a couple weeks ago about the book I had my nose in? Yeah, well I still have not finished it. I am getting annoyed with the emails from the library telling me my book will be due soon. Then the others telling me how much sooner. Then the latest email telling me it's due TODAY. Have they forgotten who they are dealing with?

They keep good records over there at the library, so they should know that I am famous for returning my books late. But usually I can go online to their website and renew my book for a couple more weeks. Not this time, this book is in high demand, and people are waiting! It makes the guilt inside of me fizz up until I'm choking on it.

I can't take the pressure! I have about a quarter of the book left to finish and I can't find the time (or silence) to do it. I can't believe it's Sunday night already. I have read 5 pages this whole weekend. F-I-V-E! It should be many more than that, I'm not a slow reader. But when interruptions occur every few minutes with someone wanting something (gimme gimme right?), or the dryer is beeping at me, or someone needs a snack - I have to keep putting the book down and tending to the needs of the family.

Then I get back to the book, reread the same paragraph once or twice because I'm not quite out of my distraction, and realize I am farther down the page than that, and I FINALLY find my spot where I left off. Only to get a few more lines back into the story and get interrupted - AGAIN!

Can you sense my frustration? Can you see why I'm feeling pressure about this book now that someone is so desperately hoping to snatch out of my hands and read if I would only return it?

OK, deep breaths. I know what you're thinking. Why aren't you reading it right now instead of typing out this blog entry?

I'll tell ya why - it's because I cannot read when the THIRD football game of the day is blaring in the background, the kids are fighting and jumping around, the BlackBerry is bleeping and pinging and children's books keep getting shoved into my side with cries of "read me Mommy!" THAT'S WHY! And now that those beautiful little angels are in bed, I'm too exhausted for my eyes to focus on the pages....

Tomorrow's another day - I'll try to get in another 5 pages. My funny husband suggested maybe I go someplace quiet so that I can read my book in peace.

A place like say, the library!

Day 22 - Substitute Wit

So my husband has been hinting around about a few ideas for a guest post he's considering for my blog. I think this is a great idea, seeing as though his sense of humor is one of his finer qualities.

I'm trying to convince him to give me something to post during NaBloPoMo because as each day goes by, I'm finding it more difficult to keep up. There's only 8 more days until this challenge is complete, and the days are not going by fast enough! Or maybe, too fast since I almost forgot to do an entry today - AGAIN!

I really need some substitute wit around here, and I know he's just the guy to lend a hand.

(...hopefully he'll feel all buttered-up when he reads this. Or feel sorry for me. I'm trying both angles!)

I laughed out loud when I saw the comic that I put at the top. Maybe there should have been an asterik in our vows that included one of us becoming a blogger and forcing the other spouse to live through it.

Day 21 - Facebook Revolution

Ok, so I've been stung by the Facebook bee. I swore up and down I would never be one of those people who got sucked into the online world of having a "page" of some sort on a social network. I mean, my blog was enough to keep me busy online, and why would I care about "catching up" with people I see all the time anyway. Those were the friends who kept sending me the invites to join Facebook.

But after enough bugging from them, I decided to set up an account and check it out. Into the abyss I fell. It's almost like being Scrooge and seeing all the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Well, not in a bad way I suppose because I haven't encountered any bad-blood so to speak. I have no enemies, and there aren't too many people that I wouldn't be friendly too if I saw them on the streets. I have heard some friends say things like, 'oh gosh so-and-so found me on Facebook... then that awkward moment of receiving a "Friend Request" from someone you wouldn't have "Friended" had you seen them first. The question comes, do you say yes, or do you say no to their request?

I think it's funny, and a little juvenile at best, but it's totally with the times. I hear the same issues with LinkedIn too, although that's probably more harassing because it is work related and people want contacts and whatever else. And they are probably not sharing photos, and giving status updates every few minutes. Speaking of, have you heard of Twitter? I have heard of it, but once again, it's one of those things I am saying I'll probably never do. Ask me again in a month and I will probably be "Tweeting" my little heart out. Ugg.

Anyway, back to talking about wasting precious time on Facebook. But wait, it's pretty cool in the way it's like gathering all the people that represent your life's time line, in one giant room. You know you've always wondered things like:

What happened to my best friend from 3rd grade?
Remember the ski trip freshman year - where did those crazies go?
Where did all the families go that lived on my street as a kid?
I wonder what so-and-so is up to now that they are an adult?
Or even better, I wonder what ever happened to the kid that got his shirt stapled to his pants in 8th grade because it was always untucked (private school)?

Well guess what? I know the answers to all those questions now, because of Facebook. I've been in touch with old neighbors, high school friends, pals from other schools, current friends, parents of friends, former coworkers, long-lost relatives. It's actually been pretty neat to see Where Are They Now in real time.

It truly is the best little online blackboard for nosey creatures like myself. I love details, and I know just where to go to get them at my fingertips now!

Day 20 - Writer's Block?

Um, hi... it's me. It's almost 9:30 pm and I realized I did not post yet today.

Now that I sit before you and stare at my screen, I cannot collect my thoughts enough to find any wit.

So, I will take this as a blog pass, and count my entry today with this comic....

Lame, I know! But others that blog totally know this feeling!



If anyone has any content ideas, or something they would like me to write about in the future - DO TELL! This has been a difficult challenge this month for me for National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). I have 10 days more to go... eeeegads!

Day 19 - Trying To Find The Words

Dear BlackBerry:

I’ve been meaning to pull you aside and give you a talking to for quite some time now. But I have feared that I may 'accidentally' drop you and then be forced to put you out of your misery by stomping your parts firmly into the ground so that you are no longer recognizable. And I’m not the violent type, but those words do taste delicious.

I have been trying to find the right things to say to you about the space in our lives you consume. But I could not find words polite enough that would allow me to stay the Proper Lady that I am. No, you bring out the worst in me.

I did not give you the nickname “Crackberry” that you are stuck with, but I don’t need to wonder or ask why such a name has been placed upon you. I see it daily, actually hourly, no, no – every few minutes in fact. I hear it in your bleeps. Your buzzes. Your obnoxious ringtones and alerts. It is indeed like Crack to those who own you. You unsuspectingly became a rabid addiction to those who cradled your sleekness the first time they held you.

BlackBerry, you are rude and intrusive. You should come with a list of Support Group phone numbers so that we can all live in harmony. Your owners claim that you make their lives so much more productive and readily accessible, anytime, and anywhere to their employers, family, and friends. You are sneaky and deceptive and I don’t think you are waterproof if accidentally dropped in the toilet, so watch it.

I’ve just about had it with you. You have no boundaries. You lure your addicts in with your cyber claws, and they can’t go anywhere without you. You have become a body part – much like a limb. And sadly, your owners would risk life and limb when your seductive purr gives them an adrenaline rush. That rush comes at the most annoying moments too. Like during dinner conversations, or shopping, or when the children would like a page of their story turned, instead of seeing your screen light up with which running back is hurt on a Fantasy Football team.

I have challenged one of your owners recently, to see if he could go the entire 30 minutes in Costco and all the way home without even looking at or touching you. Do you know that withdrawal symptoms started before the period even got to the end of the sentence? The recognizable pull-the-device-from-it’s-holster motion is one I can spot a mile away. Said owner had difficulty not doing this sweeping motion out of pure habit. He was forced to catch himself in the act, and realized how pathetic it was that he was on autopilot to check his Crackberry every few minutes. Must you invade our privacy 24/7? There needs to be "family mode" option. And only the non-BlackBerry user gets to program it. Heh.

And just when I thought we possibly had a breakthrough – you know, the first step is admitting you have a problem – my doorbell rang. Mr. Fedex man was happily waving to me like a deranged character in The Twilight Zone as he drove away. What was in the package you ask? Oh gee, only some more crack, with a sprinkling of heroin to see if the new features could give an even better high. Nothing much, just the upgraded version of the crackberry, known as BlackBerry Bold.

And how 'bold' you are. You are relentless. You have no mercy on the rest of us. You now come with such an impressive screen, that you somehow make non-addicts like myself even want to touch you, but I’m not falling for it! My fingers are in my ears, I can't hear you...la la la la la...

This won’t be my last letter to you, I have much more to say.

But I must close for now, because my husband just got home from work and I need to send him an email to his BlackBerry from this computer, and find out how his day was…

Day 18 - The Next American Idol?

The most adorable cuteness totally trumps the terrible dark and grainy recording of Olivia's rendition of the ABC song. You'll notice she doesn't quite know how to end the song. The part where you are supposed to sing, "now I know my ABC's etc..." she just starts it over again and throws in a big cheer to end it.

Am I gushing? Nah, didn't think so....

In case you don't understand her speech, she gets distracted at first by the light on my recorder, and points it out, but then finds it within herself to perform.

Note, the pajamas, Easter hat and Tutu she is accessorizing with, is a common occurance in our home. She loves to dress up, and dance around.

Next American Idol? Possibly... or perhaps a contestant on Project Runway?

Here she is, 22 months old.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Day 17 - Mellow Monday

Since I can't keep the camera out of my hands long enough for you to miss seeing pictures of my kids... I present to you the latest installment.

It's nice to catch your kids doing something that requires imagination. Like drawing, which he enjoys now and has come such a long way with his fine motor skills. He's into making rainbows with pots of gold as you can see.




The eyecolors on our kids are so interesting to us. Carter's are blue like denim jeans, such a deep hue of blue. They remind me of my late grandfather's eyes, and I love to just stare at them when the sunlight hits just right. They are so unique, I think.



Olivia's, well hers are like the Caribbean waters. My sister-in-law has eyes like the tropical seas too. Can't go anywhere without someone making a comment about O's eyes. I'm sure Melissa has the same compliments!




This is a child engrossed in Sesame Street. I often find her all dressed up in a hat and boa, just being still and thinking Elmo is talking straight to her! The boa was on the floor, but I couldn't resist this shot.