I'm not sure how this fits into the conspiracy, but I went to HEB tonight for lunchables for our play date at the water park tomorrow. And when I checked out, the dude asked me if I wanted some reusable bags...for free. So I said, "Sure." And now I have 3 reusable grocery bags. Which is cool, I'm all for reusing stuff, but I wasn't about to actually buy the bags myself.
I'll let you know when I work this into the conspiracy theory.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
walks like a duck
I'm beginning to suspect an Earth Day conspiracy.
I haven't quite worked out the specifics, but something is going on.
Last night, sometime after midnight, the power blinked. Not unusual by itself, but the first in a series of troubles.
All morning, the cable has been erratic, as has the internet.
Then my brother called me, on my cell phone, and the connection was terrible - kept breaking up - which is unusual.
I think the environmentalist wackos found me.
They're welcome to come find me. They'll be getting my carbon footprint on the rear.
Disclaimer: I'm all about environmental stewardship. But there is nothing on this planet more important than people. Oh, and once/if the environmentalist wacko "scientists" start applying the scientific method in their experiments, magically most of our "problems" will disappear. Have you heard the ice is actually getting thicker in Antarctica? Global warming my big fat toe.
I haven't quite worked out the specifics, but something is going on.
Last night, sometime after midnight, the power blinked. Not unusual by itself, but the first in a series of troubles.
All morning, the cable has been erratic, as has the internet.
Then my brother called me, on my cell phone, and the connection was terrible - kept breaking up - which is unusual.
I think the environmentalist wackos found me.
They're welcome to come find me. They'll be getting my carbon footprint on the rear.
Disclaimer: I'm all about environmental stewardship. But there is nothing on this planet more important than people. Oh, and once/if the environmentalist wacko "scientists" start applying the scientific method in their experiments, magically most of our "problems" will disappear. Have you heard the ice is actually getting thicker in Antarctica? Global warming my big fat toe.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I will not be outstubborned.
Some miscellaneous thoughts that have not yet made it to my blog:
We went to the UH vs. UCF softball game today. It was a lot of fun! We lost that game, but we won the first game of the doubleheader, so we came out even. I think the kids had fun, but sometimes it's hard to tell. Joe almost caught a foul ball. He would've caught it had he not been holding the baby. As it was, he made sure it didn't hit any of our small children, which is what really matters. He and Alaina took it to the concession stand, where she traded it in for a blow pop. Good times.
Ravi was the color commentator for the radio broadcast of the Omaha Beef game last night. He was really good. I actually listened to 3 hours of an indoor football game on the radio and enjoyed it. The Beef won.
I discovered something depressing the week before last. When I was growing up in Omaha, I always said that when I had a house of my own, I wasn't going to live so far out that I'd have to drive by cornfields to get there. (The cornfields across from my parents' neighborhood don't count because they are owned by Boys Town.) When Joe was looking for our first apartment the summer before we got married, he kindly took a picture of the fields he drove by to get there. But that didn't really count because those fields aren't there anymore.
So a few weeks back, I decided that the equivalent of the cornfield rule around here was Buc-ee's. For the uninitiated, Buc-ee's is a gas station chain with a near-cult following. I don't know, I don't really understand it. I suspect the beaver mascot has brainwashed people or something. ("The moon and stars..." Sorry, better now.) Anyway, the new rule was that if you had to drive past a Buc-ee's to get to your house, you lived too far out. To my dismay, the week before last I discovered that there is a Buc-ee's on the other side of the freeway from my neighborhood.
Apparently my rules are a cosmic joke.
Last Tuesday, as I was changing Jared's third dirty diaper of the day, I asked, in what I thought to be a rhetorical fashion, "Jared, what did you eat?" To which he responded, without missing a beat, "Dirt. Eat dirt, Mama." (That wasn't a command, he just skipped the sentence subject of "I.")
In case you were curious, I won the stubborn contest. I knew when Jared napped until 7 the day was not going to end well...(it's 2am right now).
We went to the UH vs. UCF softball game today. It was a lot of fun! We lost that game, but we won the first game of the doubleheader, so we came out even. I think the kids had fun, but sometimes it's hard to tell. Joe almost caught a foul ball. He would've caught it had he not been holding the baby. As it was, he made sure it didn't hit any of our small children, which is what really matters. He and Alaina took it to the concession stand, where she traded it in for a blow pop. Good times.
Ravi was the color commentator for the radio broadcast of the Omaha Beef game last night. He was really good. I actually listened to 3 hours of an indoor football game on the radio and enjoyed it. The Beef won.
I discovered something depressing the week before last. When I was growing up in Omaha, I always said that when I had a house of my own, I wasn't going to live so far out that I'd have to drive by cornfields to get there. (The cornfields across from my parents' neighborhood don't count because they are owned by Boys Town.) When Joe was looking for our first apartment the summer before we got married, he kindly took a picture of the fields he drove by to get there. But that didn't really count because those fields aren't there anymore.
So a few weeks back, I decided that the equivalent of the cornfield rule around here was Buc-ee's. For the uninitiated, Buc-ee's is a gas station chain with a near-cult following. I don't know, I don't really understand it. I suspect the beaver mascot has brainwashed people or something. ("The moon and stars..." Sorry, better now.) Anyway, the new rule was that if you had to drive past a Buc-ee's to get to your house, you lived too far out. To my dismay, the week before last I discovered that there is a Buc-ee's on the other side of the freeway from my neighborhood.
Apparently my rules are a cosmic joke.
Last Tuesday, as I was changing Jared's third dirty diaper of the day, I asked, in what I thought to be a rhetorical fashion, "Jared, what did you eat?" To which he responded, without missing a beat, "Dirt. Eat dirt, Mama." (That wasn't a command, he just skipped the sentence subject of "I.")
In case you were curious, I won the stubborn contest. I knew when Jared napped until 7 the day was not going to end well...(it's 2am right now).
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Eat something other than sopapilla cheesecake for breakfast?
The idea was briefly considered and quickly rejected.
After all, it's raining. I'm tired. It will go well with the coffee I made. The children ate all of the bagels. And Jared's antibiotics have already given him diarrhea after only one day.
See? You would have made the same decision.
The idea was briefly considered and quickly rejected.
After all, it's raining. I'm tired. It will go well with the coffee I made. The children ate all of the bagels. And Jared's antibiotics have already given him diarrhea after only one day.
See? You would have made the same decision.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
how I spent my Easter vacation
When I was in Los Angeles (for Sibling Fest West Coast 2009!) over the weekend, I kept a running commentary of the things I wanted to blog about when I got home. So now I'm home.
Seen at IAH (on the way to L.A.):
-Dude wearing a hiking backpack and a "kill your TV" shirt flying to L.A.
It's like raiaiaiain on your wedding day! Sorry, better now.
And I had just been wishing for some fanfic to read on the plane...
Seen at the ballgame (Red Sox vs. Angels, Saturday afternoon):
-Apparently people in L.A. have a hard time with the concept of ticketed seating. People would sit, and when the people who actually had tickets for those seats would come, the seat switchers would just move over or down or what have you. And inevitably the people with those seats would come, and the seat switchers would migrate again. It was bizarre.
Seen at LAX (on the way back to Houston):
-zappos.com shoe advertisements in the bottom of the loose articles bins at security.
Capitalism at work!
-Baggage handler dude riding the conveyor into the cargo hold.
Kooky.
Not seen in L.A.:
-Postcards.
Sorry Jadyn. (That's what she requested when I asked the girls what they wanted me to bring them back from California. Of course, she doesn't remember that she asked for that, but I did try.)
By the way, consider this official notice. If you happen to sit in front of me and my baby in an airplane and decide it'd be a good idea to recline your seat, I'm not going to feel bad when the baby hits your seat. In fact, I might encourage it. I think if we all agreed that no one will recline their seats on an airplane, we'd all be happier. It's not like reclining those seats makes them any more comfortable anyway.
So back home now. And Joe was very sweet and went to the grocery store this morning at an unholy hour so that there would be breakfast for the children. And he brought me donuts.
I vote for an annual Sibling Fest, and I think we need to institute Childhood Movie Night as part of the schedule of events. Next year, Ferngully!
Seen at IAH (on the way to L.A.):
-Dude wearing a hiking backpack and a "kill your TV" shirt flying to L.A.
It's like raiaiaiain on your wedding day! Sorry, better now.
And I had just been wishing for some fanfic to read on the plane...
Seen at the ballgame (Red Sox vs. Angels, Saturday afternoon):
-Apparently people in L.A. have a hard time with the concept of ticketed seating. People would sit, and when the people who actually had tickets for those seats would come, the seat switchers would just move over or down or what have you. And inevitably the people with those seats would come, and the seat switchers would migrate again. It was bizarre.
Seen at LAX (on the way back to Houston):
-zappos.com shoe advertisements in the bottom of the loose articles bins at security.
Capitalism at work!
-Baggage handler dude riding the conveyor into the cargo hold.
Kooky.
Not seen in L.A.:
-Postcards.
Sorry Jadyn. (That's what she requested when I asked the girls what they wanted me to bring them back from California. Of course, she doesn't remember that she asked for that, but I did try.)
By the way, consider this official notice. If you happen to sit in front of me and my baby in an airplane and decide it'd be a good idea to recline your seat, I'm not going to feel bad when the baby hits your seat. In fact, I might encourage it. I think if we all agreed that no one will recline their seats on an airplane, we'd all be happier. It's not like reclining those seats makes them any more comfortable anyway.
So back home now. And Joe was very sweet and went to the grocery store this morning at an unholy hour so that there would be breakfast for the children. And he brought me donuts.
I vote for an annual Sibling Fest, and I think we need to institute Childhood Movie Night as part of the schedule of events. Next year, Ferngully!
Friday, April 03, 2009
aluminum linoleum
Go outside. Seriously.
Okay, I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but it is amazing here today. It's so amazing, in fact, that you might think you're in the midwest in May.
But you're not.
But that doesn't change the fact that it's beautiful today.
It's one of those days that, upon exiting the house, the first thing that enters your head is, "it is a beautiful day" . . . to the tune of a scale. But of course you can't stop there, so you proceed to sing "it is a beautiful day" on a scale for an entire octave. Thank you, Nancy.
Come on, choir peeps. I know you're with me. Bel Canto forever!
For the record, I am blogging from the backyard.
Okay, I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but it is amazing here today. It's so amazing, in fact, that you might think you're in the midwest in May.
But you're not.
But that doesn't change the fact that it's beautiful today.
It's one of those days that, upon exiting the house, the first thing that enters your head is, "it is a beautiful day" . . . to the tune of a scale. But of course you can't stop there, so you proceed to sing "it is a beautiful day" on a scale for an entire octave. Thank you, Nancy.
Come on, choir peeps. I know you're with me. Bel Canto forever!
For the record, I am blogging from the backyard.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
different...but the same
I just finished my lunch.
What was it?
A couple of spoonfuls of chunky peanut butter and a caffeine free pepsi.
Seriously.
What is blogworthy about that?
It's basically the same lunch I had for the entirety of my senior year in high school.
I seriously kept a jar of peanut butter in the top of my locker, and I would grab a plastic spoon (from the journalism room, I think) and sit at my locker and have peanut butter for lunch. I think I usually had a Dr. Pepper, too. Often my friend Michelle would join me for at least part of the time with her own jar of peanut butter. Why, you ask, did we eat peanut butter for lunch? I have no idea. It seemed like a perfect logical and reasonable thing to do at the time.
And you know what? It seems like a perfect logical and reasonable thing to do now. (I'm a semi-vegetarian. I'll take the protein wherever I can get it!)
It's fascinating to me how much my life has changed since high school but how much of me is still the same. It's even better rediscovering some of those things that I loved to do (or eat!) that are just as great now as they were then. Fanfic, for example. Joe laughs at me, but it doesn't really matter. Not just any fanfic, of course. Lois & Clark fanfic. I suspect that part of the reason that Joe laughs at me is because he was never really into the show. It's cool because it was/is a show that you either were totally into or you weren't at all. Yes, the show ended in 1997, and yes, there are still people (a lot of them!) writing stories based on the show/characters. And yes, there are still new ideas. Besides that, it's a great fandom - the people are nice.
By the way, I miss my friend Michelle. The last time I talked to her was at least 2, maybe 3 children ago. So if anyone knows her, tell her I miss her!
What was it?
A couple of spoonfuls of chunky peanut butter and a caffeine free pepsi.
Seriously.
What is blogworthy about that?
It's basically the same lunch I had for the entirety of my senior year in high school.
I seriously kept a jar of peanut butter in the top of my locker, and I would grab a plastic spoon (from the journalism room, I think) and sit at my locker and have peanut butter for lunch. I think I usually had a Dr. Pepper, too. Often my friend Michelle would join me for at least part of the time with her own jar of peanut butter. Why, you ask, did we eat peanut butter for lunch? I have no idea. It seemed like a perfect logical and reasonable thing to do at the time.
And you know what? It seems like a perfect logical and reasonable thing to do now. (I'm a semi-vegetarian. I'll take the protein wherever I can get it!)
It's fascinating to me how much my life has changed since high school but how much of me is still the same. It's even better rediscovering some of those things that I loved to do (or eat!) that are just as great now as they were then. Fanfic, for example. Joe laughs at me, but it doesn't really matter. Not just any fanfic, of course. Lois & Clark fanfic. I suspect that part of the reason that Joe laughs at me is because he was never really into the show. It's cool because it was/is a show that you either were totally into or you weren't at all. Yes, the show ended in 1997, and yes, there are still people (a lot of them!) writing stories based on the show/characters. And yes, there are still new ideas. Besides that, it's a great fandom - the people are nice.
By the way, I miss my friend Michelle. The last time I talked to her was at least 2, maybe 3 children ago. So if anyone knows her, tell her I miss her!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
just a glimpse
Monday night, we were all at Alaina's softball practice. Typically, this means that Joe is on the field, practicing with Alaina, and I hang out at the playground with the other 3. Last Monday, we were doing just that, but I had to go to the grocery store for milk and minor details like dinner (for that night). So I explained this to Jadyn and asked her what she wanted for dinner.
Jadyn: Let's get supper ables.
Me: What do you want for dinner? (not understanding what she had said)
Jadyn: Let's get supper ables.
Me: What is that?
Jadyn: (matter-of-factly) It's like Lunch-ables, except for supper.
Well, duh.
Last night, Alaina, Jadyn, A.J., and I went to Target to get diapers. I was explaining to the girls that we only had to get a few things in Target - diapers, wipes, Alaina's mouthwash, and a game for Daddy.
Alaina: What game?
Me: Guitar Hero Metallica. (incidentally, it's as much for me as it is for Joe!)
Alaina: Is that the game with the commercial with the boys who come sliding out of the room?
Me: (astonished) Yes, that's exactly right.
If you haven't seen the commercial, it's hilarious. I've seen it once - it was on during the UNC-Oklahoma game. (This is a relevant fact if you've seen the commercial.) Alaina has also only seen it once.
In fact, how about I just put it here for you? Look at me being helpful.
Have I mentioned that I love Guitar Hero? I'm pretty sure it is the very first video game I've ever been any good at it.
Jadyn: Let's get supper ables.
Me: What do you want for dinner? (not understanding what she had said)
Jadyn: Let's get supper ables.
Me: What is that?
Jadyn: (matter-of-factly) It's like Lunch-ables, except for supper.
Well, duh.
Last night, Alaina, Jadyn, A.J., and I went to Target to get diapers. I was explaining to the girls that we only had to get a few things in Target - diapers, wipes, Alaina's mouthwash, and a game for Daddy.
Alaina: What game?
Me: Guitar Hero Metallica. (incidentally, it's as much for me as it is for Joe!)
Alaina: Is that the game with the commercial with the boys who come sliding out of the room?
Me: (astonished) Yes, that's exactly right.
If you haven't seen the commercial, it's hilarious. I've seen it once - it was on during the UNC-Oklahoma game. (This is a relevant fact if you've seen the commercial.) Alaina has also only seen it once.
In fact, how about I just put it here for you? Look at me being helpful.
Have I mentioned that I love Guitar Hero? I'm pretty sure it is the very first video game I've ever been any good at it.
Monday, March 30, 2009
I actually missed this...
It's been a whole 3 days or something since I last blogged.
And I actually missed it. So that's it. You're stuck with me now.
Before the craziness of the 30 Rock Tour, I posted this picture:
It's from January of this year, which makes A.J. about 3 months old. It's a classic Jared face.
Apparently, it's also a classic Alaina face! Jadyn was about 2 months old in this picture.
You know it's bad when complete strangers, i.e., checkers at Academy, comment on how your children look exactly like you.
We were at an Upward training conference this weekend, which is what prompted my blogging absence. If I'd really had it together, viz., if I hadn't had any children with me, I would have blogged from the conference. I always love going to an Upward training conference. They give out good free stuff. Plus it's great to be around people who are as excited about a thing as you are. A.J. made a lot of friends too. I think most of the staff of Upward knew his name by the end of the first night. He was a total flirt, and I don't think he cried the entire time. He was just drawing people to him, not unlike a certain uncle of his who shall remain nameless (Ravi).
This was one of those weekends that require a period of recovery, which has led to one of my all-time pet peeves - clean laundry on the floor. I just hate when that happens. Am I the only one? Or do you have a different housecleaning hot button?
And I actually missed it. So that's it. You're stuck with me now.
Before the craziness of the 30 Rock Tour, I posted this picture:
It's from January of this year, which makes A.J. about 3 months old. It's a classic Jared face.
Apparently, it's also a classic Alaina face! Jadyn was about 2 months old in this picture.
You know it's bad when complete strangers, i.e., checkers at Academy, comment on how your children look exactly like you.
We were at an Upward training conference this weekend, which is what prompted my blogging absence. If I'd really had it together, viz., if I hadn't had any children with me, I would have blogged from the conference. I always love going to an Upward training conference. They give out good free stuff. Plus it's great to be around people who are as excited about a thing as you are. A.J. made a lot of friends too. I think most of the staff of Upward knew his name by the end of the first night. He was a total flirt, and I don't think he cried the entire time. He was just drawing people to him, not unlike a certain uncle of his who shall remain nameless (Ravi).
This was one of those weekends that require a period of recovery, which has led to one of my all-time pet peeves - clean laundry on the floor. I just hate when that happens. Am I the only one? Or do you have a different housecleaning hot button?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
birthday buddies
I'll bet you thought I was done talking about my birthday.
No such luck, sorry.
One of the great things about my birthday is that I get to share it with my birthday buddies. When I was growing up, my birthday buddy was my brother, Raj. He was born 5 years and 1 day after me.
Being an efficient mother, my mom tended to plan our birthday parties on the same day - just shuffle one group of kids out and bring on the next group. I still remember the year that Raj's birthday was on Easter and we both had Easter bunny ice cream cakes from Baskin Robbins for our birthday parties.
This picture has nothing to do with birthdays or parties, it's just amusing to me because it's a completely unremarkable moment in time. How often do we get pictures of those moments? Azina is on the left, and Raj is on the right. They're sitting at the Smurf table, which is a piece of furniture that was an important part of our childhood.
When I grew up, I found another birthday buddy. My friend Ashlee's birthday is today also!
This is what all of my kids think of Ashlee:
They're right on.
So, happy birthday birthday buddies! I love you both!
No such luck, sorry.
One of the great things about my birthday is that I get to share it with my birthday buddies. When I was growing up, my birthday buddy was my brother, Raj. He was born 5 years and 1 day after me.
Being an efficient mother, my mom tended to plan our birthday parties on the same day - just shuffle one group of kids out and bring on the next group. I still remember the year that Raj's birthday was on Easter and we both had Easter bunny ice cream cakes from Baskin Robbins for our birthday parties.
This picture has nothing to do with birthdays or parties, it's just amusing to me because it's a completely unremarkable moment in time. How often do we get pictures of those moments? Azina is on the left, and Raj is on the right. They're sitting at the Smurf table, which is a piece of furniture that was an important part of our childhood.
When I grew up, I found another birthday buddy. My friend Ashlee's birthday is today also!
This is what all of my kids think of Ashlee:
They're right on.
So, happy birthday birthday buddies! I love you both!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
not bad for a first try
Important lessons learned from the first attempt at the butterfly cake:
- It only requires about half of a cake mix.
- "Lightly spray pan with cooking spray" means make sure you spray the dickens out of the sides and corners.
All in all, it was a successful first attempt.
Looks to me like all it needs is a Superman candle!
happy birthday to me!
The day you've all been waiting for!
Day #
It is a big box! The girls had very disparate guesses. Alaina guessed a brick. Jadyn guessed a "big dress for you." I had no idea.
So I opened it. It's my birthday, I'll do what I want!
I love it! I've wanted one for a long time - it's a stick blender/motorboat/immersion blender/whatever you want to call it. It is absolutely the best way to make refried beans. I'm very excited! And it's the very first Cuisinart I've ever had. This is a big day.
There's a good chance we'll be having refried beans for part of dinner for our next Friday night dinner.
Tami, Lisa, and Ashlee - thanks!! You are all such great friends, and you've made this a great birthday before it ever started!
Butterfly cake update: The cake has been made, but it has not been decorated yet. Stay tuned.
Day #
It is a big box! The girls had very disparate guesses. Alaina guessed a brick. Jadyn guessed a "big dress for you." I had no idea.
So I opened it. It's my birthday, I'll do what I want!
I love it! I've wanted one for a long time - it's a stick blender/motorboat/immersion blender/whatever you want to call it. It is absolutely the best way to make refried beans. I'm very excited! And it's the very first Cuisinart I've ever had. This is a big day.
There's a good chance we'll be having refried beans for part of dinner for our next Friday night dinner.
Tami, Lisa, and Ashlee - thanks!! You are all such great friends, and you've made this a great birthday before it ever started!
Butterfly cake update: The cake has been made, but it has not been decorated yet. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
and tomorrow, the season finale
Which means that today should be a cliffhanger episode, right?
So I should leave you hanging with this picture, or have someone propose to someone but end before an answer is given, or turn someone into a Borg, or something equally as nefarious.
Or wait, this is just the episode before the season finale, so this is the setup for the cliffhanger. So I should be blowing up the Daily Planet.
Blame the weather. The humidity has returned. Or blame the oncoming depression because the 30 Rock Tour is almost over, which means I'm about to be 30. And I'm supposed to be depressed about that or something, right?
Any suggestions about where I should go to lunch or get takeout for dinner tomorrow?
But let's focus on the present (both definitions of the word).
It's Day #
and I have no idea what this is. It doesn't feel as weird as yesterday's, but it still feels weird.
I'll do the actual math tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure I'd never make the bigs with my batting average.
One of the few things I wish I had done in high school but didn't (because I didn't know I liked it at the time) was play softball, or at least try out for the team.
Sorry, that has absolutely nothing to do with anything.
So what is the present?
Superman stickers and a Superman candle!
So now I have a Superman candle for the butterfly birthday cake that I'm going to make and decorate myself...I think I have an answer for the question, "If you were a food, what would you be?"
Psychoanalyze that one.
This has been the best birthday ever. Seriously.
If you were a food, what would you be?
So I should leave you hanging with this picture, or have someone propose to someone but end before an answer is given, or turn someone into a Borg, or something equally as nefarious.
Or wait, this is just the episode before the season finale, so this is the setup for the cliffhanger. So I should be blowing up the Daily Planet.
Blame the weather. The humidity has returned. Or blame the oncoming depression because the 30 Rock Tour is almost over, which means I'm about to be 30. And I'm supposed to be depressed about that or something, right?
Any suggestions about where I should go to lunch or get takeout for dinner tomorrow?
But let's focus on the present (both definitions of the word).
It's Day #
and I have no idea what this is. It doesn't feel as weird as yesterday's, but it still feels weird.
I'll do the actual math tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure I'd never make the bigs with my batting average.
One of the few things I wish I had done in high school but didn't (because I didn't know I liked it at the time) was play softball, or at least try out for the team.
Sorry, that has absolutely nothing to do with anything.
So what is the present?
Superman stickers and a Superman candle!
So now I have a Superman candle for the butterfly birthday cake that I'm going to make and decorate myself...I think I have an answer for the question, "If you were a food, what would you be?"
Psychoanalyze that one.
This has been the best birthday ever. Seriously.
If you were a food, what would you be?
Monday, March 23, 2009
back to life, back to reality
It was nice last week when the rest of the world was on spring break. It meant that we didn't have anywhere to go or anything to do, which made it kind of a spring break for us too.
And now it's Monday.
But it's also Day #
of the 30 Rock Tour!
This one was weird. It's not a box. It's kind of...squishy. That's the best I can come up with. The girls weren't much help either.
So I opened it.
Look at this! It is so cool! You pour cake batter in all of the little compartments and bake it. Then you pop out all the pieces and decorate it like a butterfly!
The girls were pretty excited too. They wanted me to make it right now, the instant I opened it. But I don't have any cake mix. So they wanted me to go buy cake mix and make it tomorrow.
"Can I be in the picture?"
"Jadyn, this is my picture!"
I finally told them that I'd make it on Wednesday, for my birthday.
That's what happens when you turn 30. You have to make your own birthday cake.
And now it's Monday.
But it's also Day #
of the 30 Rock Tour!
This one was weird. It's not a box. It's kind of...squishy. That's the best I can come up with. The girls weren't much help either.
So I opened it.
Look at this! It is so cool! You pour cake batter in all of the little compartments and bake it. Then you pop out all the pieces and decorate it like a butterfly!
The girls were pretty excited too. They wanted me to make it right now, the instant I opened it. But I don't have any cake mix. So they wanted me to go buy cake mix and make it tomorrow.
"Can I be in the picture?"
"Jadyn, this is my picture!"
I finally told them that I'd make it on Wednesday, for my birthday.
That's what happens when you turn 30. You have to make your own birthday cake.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
if this is coherent...
...it will be a miracle!
It's Day #
I know it's hard to see, but that says "27."
Blogging for 30 days in a row is not the easiest thing to do when one is accustomed to blogging once or twice a week...but I'm a champ, so no worries.
This is by far the biggest box so far.
My guess is...a box. It makes noise, but not much and nothing determinate.
So what is it?
An at&t commercial!
Okay, sorry. Aren't they pretty? I love them! I won't, however, be placing them on the mantle, in the event that an unnamed uncle (Raj) should come to my house and participate in a game (unadvisedly) of catch with the small children in the living room, endangering them (the candle holders, not the children). Not that anything like that has ever happened before.
Three days left...
It's Day #
I know it's hard to see, but that says "27."
Blogging for 30 days in a row is not the easiest thing to do when one is accustomed to blogging once or twice a week...but I'm a champ, so no worries.
This is by far the biggest box so far.
My guess is...a box. It makes noise, but not much and nothing determinate.
So what is it?
An at&t commercial!
Okay, sorry. Aren't they pretty? I love them! I won't, however, be placing them on the mantle, in the event that an unnamed uncle (Raj) should come to my house and participate in a game (unadvisedly) of catch with the small children in the living room, endangering them (the candle holders, not the children). Not that anything like that has ever happened before.
Three days left...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
not over yet
It's still Day #
around here for another hour or so yet.
Well, the streak has ended. The Official Committee can cool its jets because it's not like I'm giving any of my presents back anyway!
So what was in the cute little bag?
A cute little gift card!
I love Panera. It was a very happy day when I discovered that a Panera was being built here. (And in front of Target, no less!)
Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to go to Panera without my dear children. Or maybe I'll go to Panera for my birthday!
around here for another hour or so yet.
Well, the streak has ended. The Official Committee can cool its jets because it's not like I'm giving any of my presents back anyway!
So what was in the cute little bag?
A cute little gift card!
I love Panera. It was a very happy day when I discovered that a Panera was being built here. (And in front of Target, no less!)
Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to go to Panera without my dear children. Or maybe I'll go to Panera for my birthday!
Friday, March 20, 2009
a good number
I'm weird about numbers. You've probably figured that out.
Today is Day #
I've always liked the number 25. It's my birthdate, of course, and it's the date of Christmas. It's the same date as my mom's birthday. It's an odd number, which is a strike against it, but it's a nice round number, and it's a square of another nice round number.
Don't worry. I'm done now.
Believe it or not, I guessed this one too!
Okay, I didn't guess it specifically, but I guessed the general category.
And this is my game and my birthday, so it counts.
Yes, I do a very good impression of a 4-year-old. I have good material from which to study.
So this present was soft, but way too big to be a shirt. I could also tell there was a rod of some sort the whole length of the present.
I guessed a wall hanging.
My friends know me even better than that!
It's a VeggieTales advent calendar! I love advent calendars!
I'm all about celebrating anything and everything possible. (You may have noticed.) But for me, part of that celebrating is the anticipation. I count down to everything. I always have. Usually it was counting down until a school vacation, or even the entire school year.
We've had an advent calendar for three years now, I think. It's a Christmas tree from Starbucks, and it has numbered boxes that hold candy, and when you turn the box around after that day has passed, a Christmas scene begins to emerge.
When I was growing up, we had an advent calendar similar to the VeggieTales one - a Christmas scene, and there was a little mouse that you moved from day to day.
When I get ambitious and have more time, I'm going to experiment with small wood crafts. I have a great idea for a three dimensional wooden Christmas tree on a pedestal. The pedestal will have numbered drawers containing an ornament to be placed on the tree each day. It's going to be very cool.
The three older kids were outside when I opened my present, so I took it outside to show them. The girls were swinging, and Jared was sitting on the porch swing with his bowl of frosted mini wheats (from breakfast, no milk) in his lap. I showed the girls, who oohed and aahed appropriately and then I heard this:
Jared: "Mama!" (in his particular form of 2-year-old insistence)
I showed him the advent calendar.
He looks at it for a second.
Jared: "Wow! Oh!"
In Jared's limited vocabulary, that is high praise, indeed.
Today is Day #
I've always liked the number 25. It's my birthdate, of course, and it's the date of Christmas. It's the same date as my mom's birthday. It's an odd number, which is a strike against it, but it's a nice round number, and it's a square of another nice round number.
Don't worry. I'm done now.
Believe it or not, I guessed this one too!
Okay, I didn't guess it specifically, but I guessed the general category.
And this is my game and my birthday, so it counts.
Yes, I do a very good impression of a 4-year-old. I have good material from which to study.
So this present was soft, but way too big to be a shirt. I could also tell there was a rod of some sort the whole length of the present.
I guessed a wall hanging.
My friends know me even better than that!
It's a VeggieTales advent calendar! I love advent calendars!
I'm all about celebrating anything and everything possible. (You may have noticed.) But for me, part of that celebrating is the anticipation. I count down to everything. I always have. Usually it was counting down until a school vacation, or even the entire school year.
We've had an advent calendar for three years now, I think. It's a Christmas tree from Starbucks, and it has numbered boxes that hold candy, and when you turn the box around after that day has passed, a Christmas scene begins to emerge.
When I was growing up, we had an advent calendar similar to the VeggieTales one - a Christmas scene, and there was a little mouse that you moved from day to day.
When I get ambitious and have more time, I'm going to experiment with small wood crafts. I have a great idea for a three dimensional wooden Christmas tree on a pedestal. The pedestal will have numbered drawers containing an ornament to be placed on the tree each day. It's going to be very cool.
The three older kids were outside when I opened my present, so I took it outside to show them. The girls were swinging, and Jared was sitting on the porch swing with his bowl of frosted mini wheats (from breakfast, no milk) in his lap. I showed the girls, who oohed and aahed appropriately and then I heard this:
Jared: "Mama!" (in his particular form of 2-year-old insistence)
I showed him the advent calendar.
He looks at it for a second.
Jared: "Wow! Oh!"
In Jared's limited vocabulary, that is high praise, indeed.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
bet you thought I forgot
We didn't even leave the house today, so I don't really have the excuse that we were busy...I think that by Thursday the week just starts to catch up with me. I'm tired.
But it's Day #
of the 30 Rock Tour!
And I'm going for a three-peat!
I'm currently getting trounced in the Friday Night group bracket challenge...but it's early. And there's enough disparity in all of our picks that the winner could potentially win big and the losers are going to lose big. (We have an official group on ESPN's website and everything. It's bonafide.)
But I'm kicking butt at the "guess the present" game!
This one is a candle. Specifically a jar candle.
Ta-da!
This candle seriously smells like coffee. I'm not sure how I feel about my house smelling like coffee without actual coffee existing,..seems like that could be a cruel joke! I'm kidding of course, this candle is fabulous!
One of the worst parts of being pregnant for me was that my sense of smell was way out of whack. The last time I went to the Yankee Candle store, I could only find a couple of scents that weren't disgusting to me. My sense of taste also gets messed up - it's called dysgeusia, and it's not uncommon in pregnant women. I still think it's a bad sign when you've had something that's been a symptom on House.
But no worries, I'm good now.
But it's Day #
of the 30 Rock Tour!
And I'm going for a three-peat!
I'm currently getting trounced in the Friday Night group bracket challenge...but it's early. And there's enough disparity in all of our picks that the winner could potentially win big and the losers are going to lose big. (We have an official group on ESPN's website and everything. It's bonafide.)
But I'm kicking butt at the "guess the present" game!
This one is a candle. Specifically a jar candle.
Ta-da!
This candle seriously smells like coffee. I'm not sure how I feel about my house smelling like coffee without actual coffee existing,..seems like that could be a cruel joke! I'm kidding of course, this candle is fabulous!
One of the worst parts of being pregnant for me was that my sense of smell was way out of whack. The last time I went to the Yankee Candle store, I could only find a couple of scents that weren't disgusting to me. My sense of taste also gets messed up - it's called dysgeusia, and it's not uncommon in pregnant women. I still think it's a bad sign when you've had something that's been a symptom on House.
But no worries, I'm good now.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
and then there was one...week
I've actually read that Agatha Christie - in eighth grade Reading Appreciation. (The title is And Then There Were None.) I've never really understood what the big deal is about her writing. Maybe you have to be British.
It's Day #
and I totally guessed this!
Jadyn's observation: "It's soft. And it's hard, too." Which was accurate, if somewhat contradictory.
But because I'm a pattern matcher, I guessed it, which gives me two in a row! So I'm 6 for 23, which, again, is little better than .250.
If you gave me long enough to figure out the patterns, I could probably predict anything. I'm a professional at life, after all.
(Sorry, that's not as ridiculous as it sounds. Or rather, it would be, except I'm joking.)
It's stationery and a magnet.
Look! I was right!
I forgot to take a picture of the magnet on the message board, but it's very cute there with the other butterflies!
And just having thank you notes on hand is half the battle, right? I love these because it can be difficult to find thank yous that don't look ridiculous. I'll admit it, I'm terrible about thank you notes. I always intend to write them, and then I get distracted. If you have the same problem, you can confess it here. That way we'll all know that we mean to write thank yous to each other and we can sympathize with how it doesn't get done, and no one will feel as if they are intentionally being slighted.
World peace is next on the list.
("I really do want world peace!" One of my favorite movies. Don't judge. It's hilarious.)
Completely unrelated, here's the conversation I had with Jadyn yesterday afternoon.
Jadyn: (gibberish) That's how you say it in French.
Me: You're just making stuff up.
Jadyn: Yep. That's what I do.
It's Day #
and I totally guessed this!
Jadyn's observation: "It's soft. And it's hard, too." Which was accurate, if somewhat contradictory.
But because I'm a pattern matcher, I guessed it, which gives me two in a row! So I'm 6 for 23, which, again, is little better than .250.
If you gave me long enough to figure out the patterns, I could probably predict anything. I'm a professional at life, after all.
(Sorry, that's not as ridiculous as it sounds. Or rather, it would be, except I'm joking.)
It's stationery and a magnet.
Look! I was right!
I forgot to take a picture of the magnet on the message board, but it's very cute there with the other butterflies!
And just having thank you notes on hand is half the battle, right? I love these because it can be difficult to find thank yous that don't look ridiculous. I'll admit it, I'm terrible about thank you notes. I always intend to write them, and then I get distracted. If you have the same problem, you can confess it here. That way we'll all know that we mean to write thank yous to each other and we can sympathize with how it doesn't get done, and no one will feel as if they are intentionally being slighted.
World peace is next on the list.
("I really do want world peace!" One of my favorite movies. Don't judge. It's hilarious.)
Completely unrelated, here's the conversation I had with Jadyn yesterday afternoon.
Jadyn: (gibberish) That's how you say it in French.
Me: You're just making stuff up.
Jadyn: Yep. That's what I do.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
once again, here we are
Another palindrome day!
It's Day #
I totally got this one! So did Jadyn, for that matter. There are two things in this one, and it's a book.
Okay, so it was two books. I showed it to Alaina, whose response was "Another one?" There are some really cute desserts in this book...including May Day basket cupcakes. I'm a bigger fanatic about May Day than I am about Pi Day (I know, hard to believe), so watch out!
So we went to the rodeo last night, which makes my boots totally legit now. I actually had a lot of fun. It was a little bit like going to a foreign country, except I knew the language, or at least most of it.
The rodeo started at 6:45, and we arrived at 7:30. We had planned on arriving late, knowing that there were actual rodeo/animal-type events happening before the concert, and as we know basically nothing about such things, we weren't going to break our necks getting there right on time.
So we got there, got some food, and then found our seats. We sat down during the middle of the Saddle Bronc Riding, which was followed by Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Calf Scramble, and Mutton Bustin'. The whole thing was fascinating to me. Seriously. It's interesting to find yourself in the middle of something you don't understand at all. I mean, understanding it is not complicated, so you can watch for a while and basically pick up the gist of things. But it really is a whole different world. The only thing I had some trouble with was the Mutton Bustin'. For the uninitiated, that's when a series of 4-6 year olds throw on a helmet and hang on to a sheep for as long as they can. It's somewhat amusing and cute, but at the same time, I was a little disturbed. I'm sure it's completely different for a child who has grown up on a farm around animals, but the thought of one of my girls trying that was disturbing. (Hey, I've always freely admitted to being a suburbanite.)
And then there was the concert. The stage was on wheels. The thing just drove on out to the middle of the rodeo arena. It was pretty impressive. Yes, I went to a country music concert, and I had fun. Don't die of shock. Darius Rucker wore a baseball cap. It was hard to tell, but it looked like a Tiger Woods cap. That's the kind of country music star I can handle. And the dude playing the electric guitar looked more like he belonged in the Foo Fighters than on a rodeo stage.
So happy birthday to me! There are pictures, but they're currently on their way back to Kansas, so I'll post some as soon as I get them. Definitely a 30th birthday to remember!
It's Day #
I totally got this one! So did Jadyn, for that matter. There are two things in this one, and it's a book.
Okay, so it was two books. I showed it to Alaina, whose response was "Another one?" There are some really cute desserts in this book...including May Day basket cupcakes. I'm a bigger fanatic about May Day than I am about Pi Day (I know, hard to believe), so watch out!
So we went to the rodeo last night, which makes my boots totally legit now. I actually had a lot of fun. It was a little bit like going to a foreign country, except I knew the language, or at least most of it.
The rodeo started at 6:45, and we arrived at 7:30. We had planned on arriving late, knowing that there were actual rodeo/animal-type events happening before the concert, and as we know basically nothing about such things, we weren't going to break our necks getting there right on time.
So we got there, got some food, and then found our seats. We sat down during the middle of the Saddle Bronc Riding, which was followed by Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Calf Scramble, and Mutton Bustin'. The whole thing was fascinating to me. Seriously. It's interesting to find yourself in the middle of something you don't understand at all. I mean, understanding it is not complicated, so you can watch for a while and basically pick up the gist of things. But it really is a whole different world. The only thing I had some trouble with was the Mutton Bustin'. For the uninitiated, that's when a series of 4-6 year olds throw on a helmet and hang on to a sheep for as long as they can. It's somewhat amusing and cute, but at the same time, I was a little disturbed. I'm sure it's completely different for a child who has grown up on a farm around animals, but the thought of one of my girls trying that was disturbing. (Hey, I've always freely admitted to being a suburbanite.)
And then there was the concert. The stage was on wheels. The thing just drove on out to the middle of the rodeo arena. It was pretty impressive. Yes, I went to a country music concert, and I had fun. Don't die of shock. Darius Rucker wore a baseball cap. It was hard to tell, but it looked like a Tiger Woods cap. That's the kind of country music star I can handle. And the dude playing the electric guitar looked more like he belonged in the Foo Fighters than on a rodeo stage.
So happy birthday to me! There are pictures, but they're currently on their way back to Kansas, so I'll post some as soon as I get them. Definitely a 30th birthday to remember!
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