I Spy with My Little Eye

This post was created especially for my grandmother.

She is loves those "I spy" books and the Gardens of Time game on facebook.

Ahem... you did NOT misread that last statement.  Yes, I do have the hippest grandma on the planet and, yes, she is on facebook.

So... everyone, I hope, has that place in the house that collects stuff. Right???  Stuff stacks up on the counter, on the dining room table, on the foyer table... somewhere.  You HAVE a junk spot - I know you do!

I do to.

Here it is.

And this is where we play the I Spy game.

I'll go first.  I spy with my little eye:

a recipe binder
a cell phone
a bag of white flour
a bag of wheat flour
a half-full pasta box
a package from Amazon.com (for a certain birthday boy)
birthday wrapping paper
leftover terrarium plants
a croissant in a ziploc bag
a Christmas tray
... and so much more!

Holy hot mess Batman - yes I did just share this on the internet!

What's cluttering up your counter?

Prayer

Time for a little honestly.  You wanna know something?  I pray with my eyes open - all of the time - even in a crowd - no matter what.  I have always done this.  There are times when I try to pray with my eyes closed but I get distracted by the "stars" in the dark of my eyelids.  If my eyes are closed, I have no idea what the prayer is because I can only think about... having my eyes closed... it's so weird.  So, I pretty much stopped trying to pray with my eyes closed.  I just bow my head and look down.  So, now you know.

Also, Bro taught me a neat little prayer that we have been praying each night.  It is to the tune of Frère Jacques and it goes like this:

God our Father.  God our Father.

Once again.  Once again.

We thank you for our blessings.  We thank you for our blessings.

Amen.  Amen.

So guess how excited I was when I saw this post on facebook this week.

What if you woke up today

with only the things you thanked God for last night?

I was worried at first.  Wow!  But, then I remembered our nightly prayer - "We thank you for our blessings" - and I was like COOL - dude - I don't have anything to worry about.  Right?  I just thanked Him "for my blessings" - that means all of them right?  Sweet! {{Do a little happy dance here.}}

Ok.  In all seriousness, I am very strict about my requests to God.  It goes like this... you see... you might believe in Him and you might not.  Either way... I don't want to wear out my welcome.  You know?  So, when the time comes that I REALLY need something... I don't want him to think... Who is that?  oh is that YOU again?  What do you want THIS TIME???  I need Him to take my request seriously.  Right?  I know I might not get the answer that I am looking for {{thus I have not won the lotto yet}} but at least I want Him to know that I am serious.

In fact, I am so serious about this that I did not ask God for a single request, via prayer, for 36 years {{up until about 3 months ago}}.  The ENTIRE time I was young I had the same nightly prayer.  "Dear God.  Thank you for this day.  Amen."  What I really meant was, "Dear God.  Even if today was awful, I am going to thank You for it so You can remember this in the future if I ever come to You with a real need.  mkay?  Amen."

Then, I grew up and had kids.  I am ever-so-blessed that I still do not have a real need.  However, I know people who are seriously struggling; thus, I find that I do have to throw some requests into my prayers nowadays.  Mostly I am praying for Peace.  I know that God is going to do whatever He is going to do but I really pray that those who are suffering can find peace with the outcomes in their situations. I prayed for these friends this week:

I have a friend of a friend whose husband just died in Afghanistan.... wife... 4 kids.  Ugh.

I have a friend who was stationed overseas and had to have an emergency evacuation to come back to the states for exploratory surgery on several lumps in her breast.  She has a toddler at home.

I have a friend who has fostered 2 brothers for the better part of the past year.  The brothers came from a home that we would all probably consider to be awful.  The brothers have been and ARE part of her family... and just this past week they transitioned to a new home.  My friend, her husband, and her biological daughter miss them terribly. The details of this story pull at my heart strings.

So, I pray that these women, men, and families can find peace.  This is awful stuff... can someone please just give them the peace to get through this?  Please!

Since I am starting to get the hang of this prayer thing,

feel free to send me an email or comment below

if you want me to pray for you.

Weight

I've been getting some pressure to lose the... ahem... baby weight that I gained with my last two pregnancies.  I get it.  I need to lose some weight.  I also have some very good excuses why I am still a ton wee bit overweight. 

1.  I have a desk job.  That is, it is my j-o-b to sit on my bottom all day long. 
2.  Since I work all day long, I spend my free time with my kids... not at the gym.  Don't get me wrong - I totally love going to the gym.  I am just NOT going to go to the gym in lieu of playing with my kids.  End of story.

Oh, there is this other little issue too.  It is called, "I love baked goods."

In all honesty, I found this picture somewhere online and saved it for myself.  I really laugh an audible laugh every single time I think of this picture because it TOTALLY represents the voice inside of my head! 

Not sure where I found this pic,
but I would love to give proper credit if anyone knows where it came from.

Christmas is coming baking season is upon us.  I do not have any delusions that I will lose weight any time soon.

Speaking of baking, I have so much to share with you... like I am making my very own vanilla extract.  Oh gee - so much to say!  I hope you stick around.  I've been challenged to post every single day this month.  Yikes!  I don't know if you really want to hear from me that often, but I intend to be here if you need me!

Is it really possible to lose weight during baking season???

Confessions

Today I will make a confession.  Most of you will think that this is just awful.  I am, however, confessing anyway.

Think about how you would answer this question.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is:
take a shower?
make coffee?
watch tv?

Do you know your answer?

OK.  Here's mine.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is... ahem... wait for it... {{gulp}}... check facebook (via my cell phone) to see if everyone is okay?  Seriously.  Literally... I am rubbing my eyes because of the shock of the bright light against my newly opened pupils. 

Then, we follow a strict routine -- set by my three-year-old.  He sits on the couch.  I turn on "his station" and I get him some juice.  Do not stop to go potty first - do not pass GO - do not collect $200.

He is getting bossier and bossier and you must NOT deviate from the schedule in the least. 

This morning, we deviated.  This morning, I woke up and discovered, via my facebook friends, that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. 

Lulu came into my room and the conversation went something like this:

Mommy:  Lulu, do you know who Osama Bin Laden is?
Lulu:  Yes.
Mommy:  Well, the U.S. captured and killed him last night.
Lulu:  Wait, who is he again?

Gotta love her -- she was 3 when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred.  I'll go easy on her.

As we were all snuggled up in bed, searching for the latest news, Bro was standing in the hallway, pointing and yelling directions at us... defiantly explaining that we were not following propoer protocol -- that he is supposed to be on his couch and I was supposed to give him his juice and giving him "his own channel."  He refused to get into bed with us and stood in the hallway, arms folded with a scowl on his face.  I shoulda taken a picture.

 What is the first thing YOU do in the morning?

WHOA!

I am going to a baby shower on Saturday and I have nothing to wear. I also do not have time to shop, but I browsed some online stores anyway. 

My first stop was Anthrolopogie.  Everyone I know is raving about their clothes.  I never buy clothes for myself.  This is the honest truth.  Never.  I think I have purchased MAYBE 5 items of clothing for myself in the last year (maybe the past 2 years).  No time to shop + no $$ = no new clothes.  I know that this is shocking to some of you... but... welcome to my life.  It CAN be done!

Imagine my surprise when I clicked on "dresses" at anthropologie.com and saw these numbers.

In case you are wondering.  Those numbers range from $138 to $348.

Are you choking?  Because I certainly was!

After I picked myself up on the floor, I immediately logged on to another website.  I mean... for real people... is this how much you ladies are paying for dresses?  No way!

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw these prices from Target.  Yes, Target.



Um... the most expensive price among these three dresses is... $24.99!  Thanks goodness.   For a moment there I thought I might never own a new dress again.

For now, I will be wearing my "uniform" to the baby shower tomorrow.  Uniform = black pants, black top, black sweater.

I'm thinking of getting something in a bubble gum pink color.  Is bubble gum pink ONLY for babies?  I'm going to need a little guidance here.  You know, some advice... for the day that I do eventually buy a new article of clothing.

Birds

I can't be disturbed right now because I am busy counting birds.  And you should be too!

For the first time ever, I saw bluebirds at my window two weeks ago.  I hope they come back!  {{please come back - please come back - please come back}}

Oh, I'm also working on another little surprise.

Here's a hint:



Photo by stacey.d

What are you doing this weekend?

Haiku - A Love Poem

Does everyone here remember writing haiku poems in high school? 

Here are the rules of a haiku.

3 lines. 
Line 1 has 5 syllables.
Line 2 has 7 syllables.
Line 3 has 5 syllables.

Got it?

Oh, and I'm pretty sure it isn't supposed to rhyme. Thus... Haikus = the ugliest poems ever.



Nonetheless, I found a contest for a vacation to Florida if you enter a winning haiku poem "that tells your own love story."

For fun, I started a haiku love poem about Dear Husband and me.  Wanna hear it?  Here goes.

{{ahem... as you can tell I am having a hard time coming up with the perfect 3rd line.}}

Met you when I was
a teen.  Now we have three kids.
When can we retire?
Waiting to grow old.
What to do with kids?
Want life - after kids.
Need va-cay from kids.
Can grandparents take kids? my personal favorite

Ok.  Here's a good one. 

Met you when I was
a teen. Now we have three kids.
Needing a FREE trip.  {{emphasis on the FREE part}}

Or...

Love. Kiss. Wedding.  House.
3 kids. Laundry. Dishes. Work.
Want. to. get. away.

Maybe I need to think of something romantic? hmmm...

p.s.  For those of you who are flipping out right now -- and you know who you are -- I make these points:
(1) I love my kids.  
(2) Families are a lot of work.
(3) I have never had a kid-free vacation with my husband... ever... so please don't judge. 

Can you sum up your love story in a cute, fun, romantic, WINNING way... in only 17 syllables? 

It's not easy!  Try it!

Read Me Before You Go to the Grocery Store!

Monday is Valentine's Day.  You want your Valentine breakfast goodies to be ready, right? No last minute shopping, mkay???

Along with the strawberries and raspberries you pick up to add to oatmeal, cereal, and/or pancakes for breakfast... you will also need a can of cinnamon rolls so that you can make cinnamon hearts for your loved ones.

I know, it's kinda cheating... but your family cares more about the final product... not the process.

Click over to Sugar’s Pink Heart Cinnamon Crescent Rolls for pictures and directions.  Catholic Icing offers a tutorial too.

Oh... and since I mentioned Catholic Icing, you just have to check her out.  She blogs about Catholic-related crafts and food.  Most of her stuff can be used for many Christian-type religions.  For example, I really liked her recent post about tithing banks for kids -- so cute!  However, her nun crafts really had me miffed.  It would never occur to me to do a nun craft.  I don't know why... it just seems crazy.  A Jesus hand puppet?  Fine.  A nun hand puppet?  Um... not so fine.  And, I almost fell off of the couch when I saw the baby nun costume. Nonetheless, if you ever need Christian-related craft ideas... go to Catholic Icing... she has it all.

Are you ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count? 

It starts on Friday.

Life with Boys

The first movie that we took Bro to see way Toy Story 3.  He has been in love with Buzz and Woods ever since.

You know... one of the joys of being a mom... is the little surprises you find in the house.  {{ahem... some are better than others}}

I just had to take a picture of this little gem I found on the kitchen counter one morning.

It is a replica of the moment in the movie where the toys trap Buzz Lightyear under a see-through rubbermaid bucket.  Awe! 

This makes me happy!

What little joy makes you happy?

Great Backyard Bird Count

Let Them Eat Cake

Today’s post WAS going to be about our latest and greatest pack of conversation cards. Instead, it’s going to be about cake and icing.

Cake and icing?

In short, my kids don’t get cake with icing until their first birthday. This started with my oldest daughter, and quite by accident. I fed her only healthy foods, as every new mom does. When her first birthday rolled around I gathered up a lifetime supply of cake-making stuff and I made her first birthday cake. It was a teletubby cake and it was gorgeous, in my opinion.

This tradition continues year after year.

Then, Bro was born and he had his first taste of cake and icing on his birthday… a winter birthday with a snowman cake.

Unlike my other kids, baby Bri is in daycare. And I’m surprisingly fine with taking her to daycare. She loves it there and lights up when she sees Ms Rachel and Ms. Betsy. Fine.

Well… ahem… when Dear Husband dropped off the kids this morning one of the moms in Bri’s class said that she was thinking about bringing in cupcakes for her baby’s birthday. She asked my husband if Bri would eat cake. He told her that Bri will eat cake but that I (Mommy) don’t want Bri to have cake and icing until her birthday.

It gets worse.

At that point, one of my coworkers was in the room also dropping of her kid. Her kid also has a birthday coming up. She said that she would talk to me about the cake and icing issue.

Dear readers… I hate to be this way but I am going to have to throw myself on the floor and kick and scream like a baby about this issue. I’m sorry… Bri does all sorts of things that I don’t get to see… the caregivers share all sorts of food with her. I come in and they say, “Bri really likes to eat [fill in the blank with whatever the ladies are eating that day]. Updates also include, “Bri has teeth; Bri is sitting up” and so on.

Ugh. No. No. The answer is No. No, she cannot have cake and icing. NO!

I tried to think of a compromise. You see, Bro has a birthday on Friday. Maybe Bri could have some of Bro’d birthday cake? But, somehow, this isn’t fine with me. Her cake and icing experience on her first birthday needs to be special and memorable because she is special and memorable. It’s what we do. It is our tradition.

I know that I might sound crazy… but I really want to make her first birthday cake and I really want her cake and icing experience to be special…and memorable… on her first birthday!

I’m not going to get over this.

Can you think of some way to make this better?

Should I just let it go?

Stand my ground?

Speaking of birthday...

I want to make this pillowcase dress for her birthday. 

A little complicated, I know.

What do you think?

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Not waking up to your alarm clock is one of my biggest pet peeves, especially when you share a room with another person.  If you want some extra sleep in the morning then set your alarm clock for the last possible minute so that you can get as much sleep as possible.  It is absolutely positively unacceptable to set your alarm clock, let it go off, snooze, and repeat... while someone else is in the room trying to sleep!

Let me share a story with you... one that I am NOT proud of... to help you understand.

Once upon a time, I was in college.  And I lived in a house with lots of other ladies.  And, I slept in a room referred to as a quad.  That is, 4 people shared the room (but there were some closets that separated us).  Nonetheless, while the closets were a visual barrier, I could hear everything else going on in the other side of the room.

Goodness me, I cannot believe that I am even sharing this publicly.  Please do not judge me.  I need my sleep people...  I don't know what to tell you.

OK... moving on...

One of the girls (Anne - not her real name) on the other side of the room had an 8:00 a.m. class.  {{Who does that, by the way???} She would set her alarm and it would go off... and she wouldn't hear it... YES... it would scream into our area FOREVER and she would not hear it.  It was blaring INTO HER EAR... and she would sleep right through it.

Step 1:  the rest of us in the room talked about her behind her back... talking about how rude this was.

Step 2:  her "roommate" approached her about waking up to her alarm.  Anne's nicely explained, "I cannot hear my alarm.  I can't even get up for work in the summer.   My mom has to come wake me up.  There is nothing I can do about this."

Step 3:  Not believeing this excuse I calmly confronted her about the alarm thing and asked what we could do to help.  She again very nicely explained, "I cannot hear my alarm. I can't even get up for work in the summer. My mom has to come wake me up. There is nothing I can do about this."

This is where it gets interesting folks. 

Clearly, she could not hear her alarm.  Clearly, she needed some help getting up in the morning.  Right?  I decided that I was going to help her get up in the morning.  I would help to make sure that she got up in a timely manner and that she was not late for class.  My methods also made it so that we would not all be awake all morning long listening to a siren going off in our ears.

{{Again, this is not my proudest moment, but I need to demonstrate how much this bothers me.}}

The next time Anne's alarm went off... I waited... and I waited... and I waited... and then I... walked into her side of the room... stepped onto her bed... started jumping up and down as high as I could... and started s-c-r-e-a-m-i-n-g "Get the f*** up!  Get the f*** up!"... over and over again.

Oh yes, I did.

When she asked me what I was doing, I calmly explained, "since you are not able to get up with your alarm in the morning then I am going to do this every morning to help you get up."

Do you know... Anne never said a word about this, ever again... and she was always able to get up with her alarm clock from that day forward.  Amazing!

How embarrassed was I when facebook came along and I got a friend request from Anne.  OMG!  How embarrassing?  But she's totally normal.. married... with kids.  Totally cool!

I tell you all of this because I married someone just-like-Anne.  This situation was horrible when we were first married and both needed to to get up in the morning for work.  Finally, he got a job as a real estate agent which meant that he could get up later than me.  Now, he is still a real estate agent, but I am about to hit my crunch time at work and he will be ending his day early to get the kids and prepare dinner and stuff.  Well, you can't start your day late AND end your day early.  So, he is starting his day early with me.  

Our nightly conversation goes something like this:

{{Keep in mind that my cell phone doubles as the alarm clock in our house and his cell phone sits on the kitchen counter all night long.}}

Dear Husband:  What time are you getting up tomorrow?

Me:  6:30. 

Dear Husband:  OK, wake me up at 6:15.

Our mornings go something like this:

6:15 a.m.

Me:  Hey, it's 6:15.

Dear Husband:  Huh?

Me:  It's 6:15. 

Dear Husband:  {{rolls over}}  OK.

6:30 a.m.

I get up and get into the shower.  Dear Husband pops up and wants to fight over bathroom space.  I'm not kidding.

hahahahahaha... this week he asked me to wake him up at 6:00 a.m.  Really?  I'm not getting up at 6 a.m. so that I can keep telling you to get up and you... keep sleeping.  Dude - I'm sleeping in.  Why torture yourself like this?  I just don't get it. 

Do you wake up with your alarm or do you keep sleeping?  Why set the alarm if you aren't going to get up?  Why do people do this?

Monster

Long story short...

Our neighbor is a little boy Brody's age and he has Monster Trucks.  Lots and lots of Monster Trucks.  And, my little man likes to play with these Monster Trucks.

What's a Monster Truck?  This is a Monster Truck.

And Monster Trucks like to drive around in the dirt and just generally be loud and dirty.

If you are so inclined, you can buy tickets to Monster Truck shows.

My little man is soooooooooo into Monster trucks.  He has never seen a real Monster Truck, but somehow he knows that he loves them.

Today, I opened the weekend section of the Washington Post and saw this picture...

with the announcement that Monster Jam trucks are coming to Washington DC!

After I stopped hyperventilating, I looked up all of the ticket information online!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!  I am so excited!

Please, oh please do not tell anyone I know that I am this excited about Monster Trucks!

Oh the things we do for our kids!

Have you ever been to a Monster Truck Jam show?  How was it?



To-do List

Happy New Year!

I don't have an official New Year's Resolution but I am going to keep a running tally of things I want to accomplish over the year... kida like a bucket list but not really... just a list of potential accomplishments.

Here they are, in no particular order:

make homemade baby bibs from Bro's old tshirts (only the cute ones) (for the many babies who are coming);

eat more cancer-fighting foods;

create an alphabet scrapbook for Bro;

visit the Pathway of Peace trees and ornaments that surround the National Christmas Tree;

find more letterboxes;

make valentine shirts for the kids Bee Mine for the baby and a neck tie shirt for Bro;

Visit the U.S. Botanical Garden;

visit the National Arboretum and see the Cherry Blossoms (thus, skipping the crazy crowds downtown);

make a terrarium (since I already have all of the supplies anyways);

make a pillowcase dress;

make nativity block sets;

and more... so... much... more!

What are you hoping to accomplish this year?

p.s.  and make Christmas Stockings for the kids. 

AD/HD Awareness Week: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of AD/HD Awareness Week.

Day 2 AD/HD information is Girls and AD/HD.

My post today is specifically geared towards educators.



Dear Educators:

You may have a girl in your class who is sweet and wonderful and "such a joy to have in class" and extremely obedient.  She may excel in most subjects and do okay in others. 

Outside of class, however, her parents may be struggling to keep her afloat.  The homework that takes most families 15-30 minutes is taking this family HOURS.

If you meet with this family and they say that they think that their daughter might have AD/HD (or something)... please stop and think... don't just dismiss them and tell them that their child "just needs to get her head in the game."  Just because she is not hyperactive doesn't mean that there is nothing wrong. 

At the lunch table this child's peers are bragging about being on the honor roll... again... and that the Spring Break math packet was e-a-s-y.  At home, her misinformed parents are threatening to take away every privilege she ever had if she doesn't "get her head in the game."

Fast forward 5 years.  The child who once wrote on her notebooks "I ♥ school" and played teacher nonstop is starting to hate school (not the teenager kind of hate but has real anxiety about school) and wonders why school is easier for everyone else but her... as her parents wonder the same thing.

Please do not send your girl students to middle school without the proper tools to help them succeed.  I am not asking for an AD/HD diagnosis for every B-grade student.  I'm just asking you to read a small article about AD/HD in girls... and to keep an open mind.

Thanks!

p.s.  I don't get any kickbacks if you click this link or buy this book.  But you can click thru and check it out if you want to.  Understanding Girls with AD/HD by Kathleen G. Nadeau; it has 39 customer reviews (33 are 5* reviews).

Need some nationally recognized resources for an AD/HD child in your life?  Tune in tomorrow.

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letters A-D-H-and-D

AD/HD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a disorder most often diagnosed in school-age children.  It is a neorological disorder that causes them to be hyperactive and/or have difficulty paying attention.  I am not going to go into the details of AD/HD here.  You can google it for yourself and read more about it.

I do, however, want to point out a few things.

First, September 13-17 is AD/HD Awareness Week.

Second, AD/HD is often misunderstood.  I know that there are plenty of you reading, many of whom are teachers, who probably know an AD/HD child.  I have been hesitant to blog about AD/HD because I know that this blog has several teacher readers and I am becoming aware that an AD/HD diagnosis is not often well received in the world of primary school education.  I am asking you (teachers and nonteachers... that means ALL of you) for one favor this week.  One favor = please keep an open mind when dealing with a nonattentive child. 

My goal during AD/HD Awareness week is to provide you with one small piece of AD/HD information each day. 

We skipped Day 1 {{you're welcome}} so we can start with Day 2.

Day 2 ADHD Information

7 Myths About ADHD Debunked.  This link is a pdf.  It is one-page in length.  It is a very quick read.

Tomorrow we will look at AD/HD in girls. 

I hope to see you back then.

Justin Beiber

Yes, Lulu has tickets to the Justin Beiber concert at the Maryland State Fair this Sunday.  Lulu and I are going and her friend Maddy {{I made up that name}} is coming too. 

Who is Justin Beiber?  The latest teen heart throb. 

Bieber Fever rules: Millions of fans took minutes to snatch up tickets to see Justin Bieber in concert, creating a sold-out summer tour sensation. Today the platinum- selling pop singing sensation Justin Bieber announced the second leg of dates on his headlining tour of North America. Already hitting 40+ cities in its first leg of dates, the second phase of The "My World" Tour, presented by AEG Live and Xbox 360 will blaze a trail through more than 35 cities, bringing the tour to 75+ cities before wrapping up December 23 in Atlanta. (Please see complete second leg tour itinerary below.) Additionally, $1.00 from each ticket will be donated to Pencils of Promise, a charity which works to build schools and increase educational opportunities in the developing world. Justin's goal is to build 15 schools around the world for needy children. More details at www.pencilsofpromise.org.

Here are some of my thoughts about this event:

1.  I am still breastfeeding and I need to pump at some point.  I could bring my pump and pump in the car.  However, we have been warned, via special e-mail to Beiber ticket holders, not to drive to the fair but to park at another location and take the bus to the fair.

2.  What words rhyme with "Beiber"?  Lulu informed me that we have to make signs to hold during the show.  Beiber Fever is all that comes to mind. 

3.  Do I know a handicapped person with the credentials to verify their handicap?  Okay, I'm not REALLY looking for a disabled person... but the fair website has a section for special needs visitors.  They even go so far as to require that you prove your disability.

Special Needs – Bieber Concert ONLY:

Those having special needs and attending the Justin Bieber Concert on Sunday, September 5th, will be admitted to the Racing Stable Area beginning at 5PM, ONLY with the following credentials. To gain admittance to the Racing Stable Area, it will be required to have and present to security, concert tickets and handicapped credentials.

Wish me luck!

Conversation Cards

I'm back... and one day... someday... I will rehash the last few months of my life.  Until then, we will move forward in life starting with today.  mkay?

We are in the market for new dinner conversation cards. 

We completed the Food for Talk family pack. 

I think that I like the Table Topic cards best.  I can't decide which pack to get.  It's a toss up between the Original and Family Gathering.  Even though we won't be using the cards for a family gathering, the sample questions still seemed good for our family dinners.

I have been half-tempted to get the Couples cards for Dear Husband and I to use when Lulu is at her dad's house.  I had to laugh at the sample questions though.  They are:

•what possession of your partner's would you like to throw away?  Uh... that's easy... his motorcycle. 


•is it your similarities or your differences that attract you to each other?  Similarities.

•what's your favorite photo of your partner?  His facebook profile pic.

•do you eat differently when you're alone?  Not sure that I understand the question.  Like... do you mean... do I eat with chopsticks when he isn't around? 

•have obstacles brought you closer together or divided you?  Whew... tough question... I think that obstacles divide us at first, but then we work through them and so THAT makes us stronger.

•what's the dumbest argument you ever had?  Any arguement when he did NOT agree with me.  Honestly, the silliest arguments are when we are arguing about something that I know nothing about but I am TOTALLY making my point as if I am the WORLD EXPERT on the subject.  I think we had an article about anti-lock brakes, for example.  He ended up looking at me and shaking his head while saying, "you have NO IDEA what you are talking about" before walking away  Hey - but I argued with conviction.  Arguing is a favorite pastime of mine, ya know!
 
Here are some sample Family Gathering Cards.  These cards are printable from the Table Topic website.
 

 
Play along.  Answer one of these questions by commenting on this post.  I'll start.

"What trait do you get teased about by your family?"  Um... I am extremely argumentative... and a wee bit spoiled at times (but not so much anymore).  ;-)

Wordless Wednesday

I hope that this makes you chuckle.

Check out http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/ for more funny cartoons.

How To: Remove permanent marker from a vintage lunch box

Brody started a new day care... the day after we came home from the hospital with his new baby sister... impeccable timing, I know.

Brody's previous daycare provided lunch for all of the kids.  Now,  we were in charge of packing lunch for Brody and were in need of a lunch box.  Fairy Grandmother let us BORROW a Curious George lunch box. 

 Dear Husband did not know that this was a BORROW situation and wrote Brody's name, in permanent ink, all over the lunch box... literally. 

Have no fear... Dear Husband erased the permanent ink with... a magic eraser.  Just wet the eraser and rub.

It was quite simple and required hardly any effort at all.  You could never even tell that there was even the smallest blemish on the lunch box. 

I know that some of you poo-pooed the magic eraser when I wrote about it before.  You know, you really should give it another try.  I love it... absolutely love it.

What Does Your Refrigerator Say About You?

Yummy Mommy asked her readers to share pictures of our refrigerators with the world, if we dare, to see what our refrigerators really says about us?

It turns out that you can tell a lot about me by looking at my refrigerator.  Let's start from the bottom and work our way up... shall we?

Bottom door is filled with letters.  Clearly I have a toddler.

Top door has a list of the classes offered at the gym. Remember my trial membership that my mom got for me?  And, it also has a note to Dear Husband that I left for him one morning telling him that I left at 7:33 and would be back by 8:30 a.m.

Oh, see that little piggy on the motorcycle?  Just ignore that... please.

Ahem... there is lots of junk stuff on top of the refrigerator.  Clearly, I moved into a house with a smaller kitchen and still have not found a respectable place for bread, the blender, thin mints kitchen spices, and more.

What's on your refrigerator?

Yummy Mom would like to share pics of refrigerators from around the U.S. 

Please share your refrigerator with her, if you dare.