Yesterday I was talking to my 2 year old nephew about the Easter Egg Hunt we are going to today at church. I asked him what we would be looking for tomorrow at the Easter Egg Hunt. Without missing a beat he said, "Candy!"
I guess we'll find some of that too!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Speedy Gonzales
This morning as I was taking Hoss to my in-laws before work, I went through an intersection with a yellow light. I told Hoss "Hold on tight, we're going." He responded with, "Go! Go! Go!"
After I stopped laughing (and panicking due to the police officer sitting at the same intersection...luckily he felt no need to come chase me down. He must have known what a good citizen I am after my last police encounter!) I thought that I may not need to be teaching my 17 month old to speed. But if he is an adrenaline junky like his mom (at least in my younger days) then I better teach him to save his money now for those tickets in 16 years.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Works for Me Wednesday -- Keeping cookies fresh
Everyone of you may do this, but just in case someone is having trouble keeping their newly baked cookies fresh for more than one day, here is my tip.
After you have baked cookies (and possibly other baked goods, I have just never tried it for anything but cookies) and everyone has devoured all that they wish, place a piece of bread in the container you store the cookies in. The bread will work to keep the cookies soft and fresh instead of hard and stale.
This bread works for about 5 days in keeping the cookies soft (at least that's the longest cookies have stuck around in my house and that is with some major self-control).
I am not positive on how this works, but I promise it works! I do it all the time. I never store cookies without a piece of bread. This works for me! For more Works for Me Wednesday Tips go visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
The weekend at the "orange" house and the "mad man!"
This weekend we went to Gatlinburg, TN with my sister and her family and my mom. We rented a cabin (or as my nephew called it, "my orange house" -- the color of the cedar logs was orange-ish) and did the Gatlinburg kinda activities...shopped and ate! We also visited the Aquarium with the kiddos...between lunch and nap time...next time we need to work on our scheduling a little, but they did great considering their ages are 2, 1, and 3 months!
My favorite part of the weekend was listening to my 2 year old nephew talk. He speaks so clearly, I am amazed. I hope Hoss will talk this much when he is 2...he will give me lots of things to blog about. (I think Hoss may be a motor mouth...for the majority of the 3 1/2 hour trip home he "talked" and talked and talked...in a 17 month old kind of way).
When my sister arrived at the cabin on Thursday they recognized that one of the toilets would not flush, so she called maintenance to come check it out. My nephew was not keen on the idea of having a stranger in his "orange house." So he went and checked out the maintenance man in the bathroom when he returned to my sister he said, "No mad man...I don't want the mad man in my house!" When he sees someone who may look serious or appears to have a mean face on he calls them "mad man." He uses this to refer to one of the Gourds on Veggie Tales, saying, "I don't like that yellow mad man."
So beware of the "mad man" if you plan to visit Gatlinburg anytime soon or watch Veggie Tales!
My favorite part of the weekend was listening to my 2 year old nephew talk. He speaks so clearly, I am amazed. I hope Hoss will talk this much when he is 2...he will give me lots of things to blog about. (I think Hoss may be a motor mouth...for the majority of the 3 1/2 hour trip home he "talked" and talked and talked...in a 17 month old kind of way).
When my sister arrived at the cabin on Thursday they recognized that one of the toilets would not flush, so she called maintenance to come check it out. My nephew was not keen on the idea of having a stranger in his "orange house." So he went and checked out the maintenance man in the bathroom when he returned to my sister he said, "No mad man...I don't want the mad man in my house!" When he sees someone who may look serious or appears to have a mean face on he calls them "mad man." He uses this to refer to one of the Gourds on Veggie Tales, saying, "I don't like that yellow mad man."
So beware of the "mad man" if you plan to visit Gatlinburg anytime soon or watch Veggie Tales!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Mean Mommy
Yesterday as Hoss and I were driving home we began to talk about what sounds animals make.
Me: "What does a cow say?"
Hoss: "Moo!"
Me: "What does a cat say?"
Hoss: "Meow"
And the conversation continued...
Me: "What does Daddy say?"
Hoss: "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Me: "What does Mommy say?"
Hoss: "No! No! No!"
Hmmm...wonder who is the disciplinarian in our house? And who is the instigator?
Me: "What does a cow say?"
Hoss: "Moo!"
Me: "What does a cat say?"
Hoss: "Meow"
And the conversation continued...
Me: "What does Daddy say?"
Hoss: "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Me: "What does Mommy say?"
Hoss: "No! No! No!"
Hmmm...wonder who is the disciplinarian in our house? And who is the instigator?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Works for Me Wednesday -- Out of town relatives and toddlers
My family lives in several different parts of the country. Having moved a lot in our lives my sister and I were comfortable settling in areas away from our families. This was fine until our kids were born. Both of us are fortunate to have our MIL's to provide child care for our kids, but we also want our kids to know our family. Neither of us have any of "our" family in the same town as us. Fortunately I live only an hour and a half from my parents, but my sister lives 4 and a half away.
(I do have a tip, I promise!)
I have to attribute this to my sister. Since we do not live near all of our family our kids are not as familiar with some family members. In order to familiarize her son, my sister shows pictures to her son of family groups and tells him each person's name. It also helps him to remember people if there is another kid to affiliate the grown ups with (i.e this is so and so's mommy). What amazes me is that he is only 27 months old and can tell you nearly everyone in the family's name and is not afraid of any of them.
I have begun to do this with Hoss and it has helped him to be more acclimated to family we don't see on a regular basis. It Works for Us! Maybe it will work for you too!
For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas go visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Goodnight Sweetheart
Hoss is a little rotten and he has been co-sleeping with us for nearly his entire short 17 month life. Two weeks ago I decided I was done with the co-sleeping. I had not intended for him to join us in bed while sleeping (or anything else for that matter) and as Hoss got bigger my husband ended up just moving out to the couch for most nights...not to mention the sleepless nights I had trying to get comfortable with a 29lb kid laying on top of me.
So I began the process of Hoss sleeping in his bed. It was very successful quick. I started a nightly routine and a scheduled bedtime at 8:30 (before, he was sometimes dwindling around until 10p.m. making mornings often rough). The first night he cried for about 10 minutes in his crib and then went to sleep. The next night he cried for 30 seconds and then quieted down and went to sleep.
He has now successfully slept in his own room for the past 2 weeks. The problem? Hoss has began to understand the routine. As soon as he sees the bath water running he begins to cry as he knows bedtime is approaching. Bathtime used to be a favorite time of his.
Then tonight, he was in his room and came into the kitchen with a puzzle and a puzzle piece. I decided to try to work with him on the puzzle as he seemed so I said, "Let's go find the other pieces and we can put the puzzle together." Simple process...great teaching and bonding time. So I went into his room and sat on the floor by the puzzles and found the pieces. As soon as I said, "Come here..." he began to scream and cry. He did not want me in his room. He thought he was going to bed.
If I ever pick up a book to read to him while I'm in his room he will automatically stick out his lip and cry.
Oh what I would give to go to sleep at 8:30 and not have to do laundry, clean, develop my grocery list, cut out the coupons...zzzzzzzz!
So I began the process of Hoss sleeping in his bed. It was very successful quick. I started a nightly routine and a scheduled bedtime at 8:30 (before, he was sometimes dwindling around until 10p.m. making mornings often rough). The first night he cried for about 10 minutes in his crib and then went to sleep. The next night he cried for 30 seconds and then quieted down and went to sleep.
He has now successfully slept in his own room for the past 2 weeks. The problem? Hoss has began to understand the routine. As soon as he sees the bath water running he begins to cry as he knows bedtime is approaching. Bathtime used to be a favorite time of his.
Then tonight, he was in his room and came into the kitchen with a puzzle and a puzzle piece. I decided to try to work with him on the puzzle as he seemed so I said, "Let's go find the other pieces and we can put the puzzle together." Simple process...great teaching and bonding time. So I went into his room and sat on the floor by the puzzles and found the pieces. As soon as I said, "Come here..." he began to scream and cry. He did not want me in his room. He thought he was going to bed.
If I ever pick up a book to read to him while I'm in his room he will automatically stick out his lip and cry.
Oh what I would give to go to sleep at 8:30 and not have to do laundry, clean, develop my grocery list, cut out the coupons...zzzzzzzz!
Monday, March 19, 2007
20 Questions (well, maybe only 5)
Today will be the first and only installment of "Ask Jessica" in which I will be answering questions several of you have asked throughout various previous posts. I have realized that I have not responded to as many as I have wished (and in the midst of my headache I can't compile a complete thought to type an original new post) so here are all the life altering answers to those serious questions I am certain you all can not live another moment without knowing (yes, I know that was a very, very long sentence).
* Janelle asked after my "Honey, our ice cream machine is broken" post: "Did you get some ice cream somewhere? A drink is not much for comfort food!" Well, Janelle I did not get some ice cream, but as I left out of my post, I also purchased a cheeseburger. I did not want to appear to be a huge hog so I conveniently left that out...thanks for bringing out the truth! I feel relieved now. I personally think cheeseburgers are comfort food.
* In my "Living Christ's Words" post, Ang asked: "Have you gotten to steal away w/Hoss to the park in this beautiful weather yet?!?" Why yes Ang, I have. I took him a few weeks ago when I had a day off work. It was still a little too cool and windy for us to enjoy it a lot, but he had fun crawling through the tunnel and going down the slides. I was afraid I was going to have to climb my cheeseburger eating self up into one of those tunnels to grab him, luckily Hoss had his brave attitude on that day and ventured through the tunnel, but I made sure to distract him from it because I just could not see myself climbing into that slide/climb contraption and getting him down.
* In the "Whew, I am glad today is over" post (man, I have some original titles), guinevere meadow asked, "Have you read the book "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day?" Guinevere, I don't think I have. I have heard about the book before. Thanks for the recommendation! I am looking forward to finding it and reading it. I am sure Alexander and I can relate as we both have had some "Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad days."
* In my 12 a.m. Police Encounter post guinevere meadow asked another important question, "Sounds like tons of fun...exactly how you want to spend your midnight hour. Were you late for work?" I was not late for work. I luckily had left early enough to allow for such 12 a.m. police encounters...although I don't look for such adventures in the wee hours of the morning.
* In "Captain Poopy Pants and His Hurling Assistant" post (now that was original!) Qtpies7 asked me the following, "My hubby is a pro changing diapers! Otherwise our hubby's are a bit alike! Both Donnie's with an ie at the end, and both so ticklish that you can tickle them from across the room! My Donnie asked if your Donnie is Norwegian, too." My Donnie with an ie is not Norwegian. I admit I had to ask him his family ancestory because I was not certain of such (I guess that was not on my checklist of important things to know before we got married...I am now realizing that list needed to be much longer). He said he believes his family is mostly German with a tad of Welsh and American Indian mixed in...or as my dad says, "I'm American." The good ole melting pot! Just for the record I am Irish and German. I guess the Irish explains Hoss's red hair. Oh, and Donnie thinks he is so ticklish because when he was a kid his dad would tickle him until he peed his pants...father of the year!
Well, those are all the questions I am up for answering today. I will try to personally reply to questions in the future through an email and not in a massive post. Have a great day!
* Janelle asked after my "Honey, our ice cream machine is broken" post: "Did you get some ice cream somewhere? A drink is not much for comfort food!" Well, Janelle I did not get some ice cream, but as I left out of my post, I also purchased a cheeseburger. I did not want to appear to be a huge hog so I conveniently left that out...thanks for bringing out the truth! I feel relieved now. I personally think cheeseburgers are comfort food.
* In my "Living Christ's Words" post, Ang asked: "Have you gotten to steal away w/Hoss to the park in this beautiful weather yet?!?" Why yes Ang, I have. I took him a few weeks ago when I had a day off work. It was still a little too cool and windy for us to enjoy it a lot, but he had fun crawling through the tunnel and going down the slides. I was afraid I was going to have to climb my cheeseburger eating self up into one of those tunnels to grab him, luckily Hoss had his brave attitude on that day and ventured through the tunnel, but I made sure to distract him from it because I just could not see myself climbing into that slide/climb contraption and getting him down.
* In the "Whew, I am glad today is over" post (man, I have some original titles), guinevere meadow asked, "Have you read the book "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day?" Guinevere, I don't think I have. I have heard about the book before. Thanks for the recommendation! I am looking forward to finding it and reading it. I am sure Alexander and I can relate as we both have had some "Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad days."
* In my 12 a.m. Police Encounter post guinevere meadow asked another important question, "Sounds like tons of fun...exactly how you want to spend your midnight hour. Were you late for work?" I was not late for work. I luckily had left early enough to allow for such 12 a.m. police encounters...although I don't look for such adventures in the wee hours of the morning.
* In "Captain Poopy Pants and His Hurling Assistant" post (now that was original!) Qtpies7 asked me the following, "My hubby is a pro changing diapers! Otherwise our hubby's are a bit alike! Both Donnie's with an ie at the end, and both so ticklish that you can tickle them from across the room! My Donnie asked if your Donnie is Norwegian, too." My Donnie with an ie is not Norwegian. I admit I had to ask him his family ancestory because I was not certain of such (I guess that was not on my checklist of important things to know before we got married...I am now realizing that list needed to be much longer). He said he believes his family is mostly German with a tad of Welsh and American Indian mixed in...or as my dad says, "I'm American." The good ole melting pot! Just for the record I am Irish and German. I guess the Irish explains Hoss's red hair. Oh, and Donnie thinks he is so ticklish because when he was a kid his dad would tickle him until he peed his pants...father of the year!
Well, those are all the questions I am up for answering today. I will try to personally reply to questions in the future through an email and not in a massive post. Have a great day!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Perfection
I have been trying to come up with something to blog about for the past couple days. I have several things going through my mind, but I can't come up with the words to express my thoughts right now.
But I wanted to share that at this very moment I am sitting in my living room while my husband is napping in the chair next to me and my son is napping in his room. No napping for me...I often wake up cranky and with a headache when I nap...I have always been that way.
But that is not my point (I think I have one!). My point is that this is the life. To have my family around me. Even though the majority of the family is not conscious at this time, just being in one another's presence is perfect!
When did my life get to be so perfect?
But I wanted to share that at this very moment I am sitting in my living room while my husband is napping in the chair next to me and my son is napping in his room. No napping for me...I often wake up cranky and with a headache when I nap...I have always been that way.
But that is not my point (I think I have one!). My point is that this is the life. To have my family around me. Even though the majority of the family is not conscious at this time, just being in one another's presence is perfect!
When did my life get to be so perfect?
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
"Honey, our ice cream machine is broken"
Tonight I decided to go through the Mickey D's drive-thru in order to get a hot fudge sundae. I had just gone to the funeral visitation for the participant from work who had passed away this weekend. This was a perfect excuse for some ice cream, I needed some comfort food. So I pull right up and order my hot fudge sundae. I hardly had the words out of my mouth when I heard, "Honey, our ice cream machine is broken." So, keeping my cool I ordered a drink and moved along to pay.
Let me tell you (because I know you want to know), I think there is a conspiracy with Mickey D's in which their ice cream machine MUST be "broken," "out of order," "not working" at least 3 out of the 4 weeks each month, except for the summer when it never works. I can not tell you how many times a $1 Hot Fudge Sundae sounds so great and I get to the trusty Golden Arches only to learn their ice cream machine isn't as trusty as the deep fryer which makes those fabulous french fries. I believe it is a conspiracy!
They advertise such affordable ice cream and it tastes just so good that people crave them, but then they don't have an ice cream machine that works. It's not just one particular Mickey D's...it's several. I promise, this happens to me at least half of the times I order this tasty treat.
So to Mickey D's corporate owner person, I BEG you to invest in trust ice cream machines. After all I am certain my family's financial contributions over the years has provided you with enough money to purchase some top of the line ice cream machines. I WANT A HOT FUDGE SUNDAE!!!!
Let me tell you (because I know you want to know), I think there is a conspiracy with Mickey D's in which their ice cream machine MUST be "broken," "out of order," "not working" at least 3 out of the 4 weeks each month, except for the summer when it never works. I can not tell you how many times a $1 Hot Fudge Sundae sounds so great and I get to the trusty Golden Arches only to learn their ice cream machine isn't as trusty as the deep fryer which makes those fabulous french fries. I believe it is a conspiracy!
They advertise such affordable ice cream and it tastes just so good that people crave them, but then they don't have an ice cream machine that works. It's not just one particular Mickey D's...it's several. I promise, this happens to me at least half of the times I order this tasty treat.
So to Mickey D's corporate owner person, I BEG you to invest in trust ice cream machines. After all I am certain my family's financial contributions over the years has provided you with enough money to purchase some top of the line ice cream machines. I WANT A HOT FUDGE SUNDAE!!!!
Works for Me Wednesday -- Shower Cleaning
I was able to try a sample of the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner and I will say I am hooked. I HATE cleaning my bathroom. It is my least favorite chore and to be honest there are times when the bathroom displays this. Well, I tried the Automatic Shower Cleaner and I will say that it works well. It did not make my shower shine like the commercial, but honestly the only thing that will do that is a high powered water pressure cleaner. This did work on preventing my shower from getting as dirty as fast. It cut down on my shower cleaning to a monthly chore. All you have to do is push the button after all the showering is done for the day and let it do it's thing! One bottle lasts about a month. You can watch for the coupons in the Sunday paper. The cost is decent for the handiness (it's my word!) of it. Now the set up cost may be heftier than most (you have to buy the dispenser), but again you may be able to find a coupon to get a decent deal. So if you are like me and hate the shower cleaning...try the Automatic Shower Cleaner! (Man, I sound like a commercial!)
For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Living Christ's Words
As I have mentioned before my 9-5 job is with an agency that provides services to adults with disabilities. I have also shared a couple of humorous stories that have occurred to me during my time with the agency. Unfortunately, there are also times when tears are shed as well. This past weekend a participant of our program died unexpectedly. During my 5 years of employment I have experienced 5 deaths of participants in our program. Each time we mourn the passing of a participant the experience hits my heart in a more tender way. Tomorrow we will mourn this recent passing for the final time as a group; however, I know we will all mourn continually for weeks, months and years to come. Each of our participants touch each of our lives in different ways, some have more impact than others and I like to think our impact on their lives is in similar ways.
Today I challenge you to follow Jesus's instructions in Luke 14:12-14, "Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Today I challenge you to follow Jesus's instructions in Luke 14:12-14, "Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Monday, March 12, 2007
Whew...I am glad today is over!
Well today started with me waking up at 5:55 a.m. and wondering why my husband was already in the shower. Then I realized it was not 5:55 a.m., but it was 6:55 a.m. and I needed to get moving so I could be at work by 8 a.m. I went and got the kiddo up and ready. My husband took him to my in-laws for the day while we went to work.
When I left for work I recognized that I had a flat tire (yet ANOTHER nail). It was definitely not driveable. I pulled out the "Fix a Flat" and attempted to apply it to the tire. Well instead of going into the tire the mixture sprayed all over me! Just fabulous! Needless to say, it did not inflate the tire.
I called my DH to come pick me up as he did not have to be at work until 8:30. Well he had received a call while on the way to drop off the kiddo that he needed to come in early because someone was not able to make it. So he was not able to come get me and take me to work. Lovely!
I was able to call a co-worker who came and picked me up. Then I had to figure out how to get my car to the tire store to get it fixed. My only options were to call a tow truck. However, I would not be able to leave work at that time as I had to conduct a training.
Long story short, my husband met the tow truck and the tire was fixed.
Oh, but that is not the end of my day. Work was insane! Nothing that is exciting to talk about so I will spare you the boredom.
So when I get home I realize that my 17 month old is completely constipated. I only figured this out after I fed him grilled cheese and yogurt for supper. Yeah...that's not gonna help. So as he cried for the last hour before he went to bed and refused to drink any juice to help the situation, I sent my DH to the store for suppositories. He arrived back home after the kiddo was in bed. As of right now there has still been no p**ping (I MUST disguise the word, you can just imagine the Google search I had), hopefully an AM suppository will help. Poor baby!
Can it get any better? I don't know...the week does not look too promising work wise!
Don't forget to check out the Bball Bracket fun mentioned below! Email me to join the fun!
When I left for work I recognized that I had a flat tire (yet ANOTHER nail). It was definitely not driveable. I pulled out the "Fix a Flat" and attempted to apply it to the tire. Well instead of going into the tire the mixture sprayed all over me! Just fabulous! Needless to say, it did not inflate the tire.
I called my DH to come pick me up as he did not have to be at work until 8:30. Well he had received a call while on the way to drop off the kiddo that he needed to come in early because someone was not able to make it. So he was not able to come get me and take me to work. Lovely!
I was able to call a co-worker who came and picked me up. Then I had to figure out how to get my car to the tire store to get it fixed. My only options were to call a tow truck. However, I would not be able to leave work at that time as I had to conduct a training.
Long story short, my husband met the tow truck and the tire was fixed.
Oh, but that is not the end of my day. Work was insane! Nothing that is exciting to talk about so I will spare you the boredom.
So when I get home I realize that my 17 month old is completely constipated. I only figured this out after I fed him grilled cheese and yogurt for supper. Yeah...that's not gonna help. So as he cried for the last hour before he went to bed and refused to drink any juice to help the situation, I sent my DH to the store for suppositories. He arrived back home after the kiddo was in bed. As of right now there has still been no p**ping (I MUST disguise the word, you can just imagine the Google search I had), hopefully an AM suppository will help. Poor baby!
Can it get any better? I don't know...the week does not look too promising work wise!
Don't forget to check out the Bball Bracket fun mentioned below! Email me to join the fun!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Bloggy Basketball Bracket Fun!
The 64 teams have been chosen and that only means one thing...MARCH MADNESS IS HERE! I am a big college basketball fan and a year has not passed since I was 10 that I have not done a bracket or 2 or 12. So I thought it would be great fun to have some bloggy bracket fun. This is just for fun (and bragging rights). I hope to come up with a button icon for the contest (if I can figure out to make one and get it to work. So if anyone can give me some advice that would be fabulous...I'll start out by visiting blogging basics 101.)
I am running this here contest through cbs sportsline. Click here to pick your teams and join the fun. First you will need to email me (dontgivehimcrackers at hotmail dot com) to get the group's password...then you can join the group at the above link.
You don't have to be a basketball fan or even know that "traveling" is more than just a trip to a tourist trap! All you have to do is pick the team whose name you like the best or who is going to be the "Cinderella" team and upset some big namers. Trust me, I am no expert...and in my family the person who wins often knows the least about the teams. This is also not limited to blogging folks only. If anyone wants to participate feel free to email me as well at the above address.
There will be only one bracket entry per person, so choose carefully. The games begin on Thursday, March 15th, at noon eastern time so all entries will need to be completed prior to then. 1 point will be rewarded for all first round correct winners, 2 for the second round, 3 for the third round, and so on. You will be asked to enter the final game score for a tie-breaker.
So what are you waiting for? Go on and sign up. And remember this is just for fun and bragging rights. Be sure the keep the trash talking clean!
I am running this here contest through cbs sportsline. Click here to pick your teams and join the fun. First you will need to email me (dontgivehimcrackers at hotmail dot com) to get the group's password...then you can join the group at the above link.
You don't have to be a basketball fan or even know that "traveling" is more than just a trip to a tourist trap! All you have to do is pick the team whose name you like the best or who is going to be the "Cinderella" team and upset some big namers. Trust me, I am no expert...and in my family the person who wins often knows the least about the teams. This is also not limited to blogging folks only. If anyone wants to participate feel free to email me as well at the above address.
There will be only one bracket entry per person, so choose carefully. The games begin on Thursday, March 15th, at noon eastern time so all entries will need to be completed prior to then. 1 point will be rewarded for all first round correct winners, 2 for the second round, 3 for the third round, and so on. You will be asked to enter the final game score for a tie-breaker.
So what are you waiting for? Go on and sign up. And remember this is just for fun and bragging rights. Be sure the keep the trash talking clean!
Brownie Drop-Out
When I was a young'n in elementary school I was a member of Girl Scouts. I was actually a Brownie. I dropped out though after 3rd grade, I was way too cool to be a Girl Scout by the age of 8. However, as most of American citizens know, Girl Scouts sure do know how to make a good cookie! I sold many a box of cookies in my short 2 year span as a member of this fine organization and I have eaten probably double the amount I ever sold over my life span. And boy are these some good cookies!
So when time came 5 years ago for cookies to be sold I was out to find me some cookies! I was now living in the central part of this beautiful bluegrass state and when I went to buy me some good cookies, I learned something tragic! Tragic I tell you...my entire life turned upside down! For some unGodly reason, central Kentuckians use the most generic names for Girl Scout cookies. My heart skipped a beat when the 7 year olds at Kroger did not know what a "Tagalong" or "Samoa" was. But they are right there, in that box, see, it says "Taga... What? Peanut Butter Patties? That is so generic!" Those poor kids must have thought I was some crazy woman. Now I do have to admit, the name difference did not stop me from purchasing a box of what I knew to be "Tagalongs" (peanut butter patties here in crazy land) and maybe a "Do-si-do" (Peanut Butter Sandwiches) and of course some "Samoas" (Caramel Delights). And I was pleased to find out that these taste exactly the same as the cookies by the correct names.
When I was selling these cookies 20 years prior, we lived only an hour west of here...only an hour! Who knew that Girl Scouts were selling some crazy generic named cookies just an hour away!
When I met my husband a couple years after I discovered this tragedy he thought I was crazy. Me??? He had never heard of such cookies as Samoas and Tagalongs. So I decided to do some "research" into this tragedy so I could set the central Kentucky Girl Scouts straight!
Well, maybe I could use some humbling! Good ole Wikipedia set me straight! Apparently, there are up to 3 names for some of the cookies. It appears that it depends on where the manufacturing plant is that supplies cookies to specific Girl Scout troops depends on the name, but gosh darn it, they all have the same good taste! So now I am going to go eat me a Tagalong from the box that says Peanut Butter Patties, and I'll remember that somewhere out there someone else calls them Hoedowns.
So when time came 5 years ago for cookies to be sold I was out to find me some cookies! I was now living in the central part of this beautiful bluegrass state and when I went to buy me some good cookies, I learned something tragic! Tragic I tell you...my entire life turned upside down! For some unGodly reason, central Kentuckians use the most generic names for Girl Scout cookies. My heart skipped a beat when the 7 year olds at Kroger did not know what a "Tagalong" or "Samoa" was. But they are right there, in that box, see, it says "Taga... What? Peanut Butter Patties? That is so generic!" Those poor kids must have thought I was some crazy woman. Now I do have to admit, the name difference did not stop me from purchasing a box of what I knew to be "Tagalongs" (peanut butter patties here in crazy land) and maybe a "Do-si-do" (Peanut Butter Sandwiches) and of course some "Samoas" (Caramel Delights). And I was pleased to find out that these taste exactly the same as the cookies by the correct names.
When I was selling these cookies 20 years prior, we lived only an hour west of here...only an hour! Who knew that Girl Scouts were selling some crazy generic named cookies just an hour away!
When I met my husband a couple years after I discovered this tragedy he thought I was crazy. Me??? He had never heard of such cookies as Samoas and Tagalongs. So I decided to do some "research" into this tragedy so I could set the central Kentucky Girl Scouts straight!
Well, maybe I could use some humbling! Good ole Wikipedia set me straight! Apparently, there are up to 3 names for some of the cookies. It appears that it depends on where the manufacturing plant is that supplies cookies to specific Girl Scout troops depends on the name, but gosh darn it, they all have the same good taste! So now I am going to go eat me a Tagalong from the box that says Peanut Butter Patties, and I'll remember that somewhere out there someone else calls them Hoedowns.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
12 a.m. Police Encounter
Last night, or should I say this morning, I was heading in to work for a 12 a.m. shift (sometimes I work a little extra overtime to help balance my spending habit...or to be able to buy diapers!) as I was walking to my car I noticed a helicopter was circling around the neighborhood with a spotlight on. I thought that was kind of odd...not used to seeing such in this area. I continued on to work and about 1/4 of a mile from my house I realized why there was a helicopter with spotlight. As I approached the stop sign I recognized that there were about 30 police vehicles parked along the road, most with their lights on and even a couple "paddy wagons."
So I pull up to the stop sign and an officer of the law tells me that this is a DUI check point, asks to see my license, registration and insurance. I had all three pieces of this much needed info...yay, and I even had my seatbelt on! They of course asked if I had been drinking and I had not. As I sat and waited for them to review my info on my license, etc. I watched as police searched a car parked beside me and also as they talked to the people in front of me and asked them to pull over.
I have to say I have never been involved in a DUI check point and really it should not be an exciting moment in my life to blog about, but any time innocent little me is involved in such excitment I have to tell people. I even called my husband (who was at home asleep) as soon as I was cleared from the check point. I am certain that made him sleep a little bit better!
The moral of the story, "Just Say No!" to drinking and driving and drugs, wear your seatbelt, and don't forget to carry all the necessary paperwork with ya! You never know when you'll encounter such fun at 12 a.m.
So I pull up to the stop sign and an officer of the law tells me that this is a DUI check point, asks to see my license, registration and insurance. I had all three pieces of this much needed info...yay, and I even had my seatbelt on! They of course asked if I had been drinking and I had not. As I sat and waited for them to review my info on my license, etc. I watched as police searched a car parked beside me and also as they talked to the people in front of me and asked them to pull over.
I have to say I have never been involved in a DUI check point and really it should not be an exciting moment in my life to blog about, but any time innocent little me is involved in such excitment I have to tell people. I even called my husband (who was at home asleep) as soon as I was cleared from the check point. I am certain that made him sleep a little bit better!
The moral of the story, "Just Say No!" to drinking and driving and drugs, wear your seatbelt, and don't forget to carry all the necessary paperwork with ya! You never know when you'll encounter such fun at 12 a.m.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
IT WORKS, IT WORKS, IT WORKS!!!
For all of you who have been so concerned about my wireless internet "hook up" I wanted to let you know that I have received the "hook up" again! I figured out I blocked something through my Norton Anti-virus and now I have fixed it!! YAY!!! You all should have seen my happy dance! It was a beautiful thing!!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Party Pooper
I had great plans for my Ultimate Blog Party over here at "Don't Give Him Crackers," but these plans have failed as my internet "hook-up" has went kaput (is this a word and is this how it is spelled??). We received a new laptop about a month ago. It is top of the line with wireless internet connection. Well, I have been having small panic attacks about using the wireless connection as people could hack into it, yada, yada. So I was trying to prevent that and somehow have prevented by computer from connecting to the internet. So, needless to say, since my only internet "hook-up" now (until some computer savy IT person can fix my computer...preferably for free) is at work, I won't be celebrating the blog party with many more decorations. I hope you still enjoy reading my blog. I have enjoyed visiting the ones I got do prior to Monday when I messed up the computer. I hope to read more during my lunch break today! If anyone has any input on how to fix my internet connection on my computer at home, please let me know. I'll try anything...well, almost anything!
Works for Me Wednesday -- Electrosol tabs
When the theme for today's Works for Me Wednesday was announced as Kitchen Tips I was certain I would sit back and skip posting and read everyone else's to get some ideas. I am not the best at keeping my kitchen organized and I am definitely not the best at cooking in my kitchen so I figured I had no tips to share. Then I realized that I do know how to do one thing...use my dishwasher (I am not one for dishpan hands...or manual labor) and that lead me to my favorite dishwasher detergent, Electrosol Tablets.
I have used the powdered dishwasher soap in the past and I never knew quite how much to use. I would typically use too much as it would come out faster than I was prepared for and then my dishes were covered in soapy scum from too much detergent and I would have to run the dishwasher again. My dishwasher is also in the antique category and sometimes the soap dispenser would not open and work if too much powder was put in.
Then the lovely tablets were invented. I purchased the Electrosol tablets and I have never looked back. I just open a tablet and put it in my detergent holder, close it up and run the washer. I don't have to measure the powder or hope the soap dispenser opens and cleans my dishes.
For more Kitchen Tips visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Cute kids, parties and hours of traveling
This weekend was another one full of traveling. Hoss and I went to a baby shower for a couple of my friends from college. It was great fun getting to see everyone's kiddos and celebrating the upcoming births of 2 more! It is neat that we have been able to share in each other's lives through such momentous events as weddings and births of children.
We also visited with my parents again. Hoss got to show off his cuteness and "skills" without competition. He seemed to enjoy all the attention. As you can see above, he was able to show how he can look through his legs. He thought it was great fun when Gigi would reach through his legs and tickle his belly. Oh, I love this age! I think there is so much more fun and laughs to experience in the future. I can't wait!
If you are here for the party...here is my only party blog for now...once I get things unpacked and clothes washed I plan to get an updated party blog full of hor dourves (probably totally spelled wrong!), music and party decor! For now, go visit my first party post!
Friday, March 2, 2007
Nick's
If you are here for the Ultimate Blog Party... WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME!! I don't want to be a party pooper, but I have an important prayer request for an 11 year old boy with brain cancer very near to my heart. I have previously posted about Nick's journey (please go read his story and my connection to him) and today Nick received a set back as his cancer has returned. Please pray for Nick and his family to continue to have faith and trust in God's plan for his young life and also please pray for his parents, Tim and Tammy, to make the best decisions for Nick's future treatment.
It's PAR-TAY Time!!
Welcome to my Ultimate Blog Party over here at Don't Give him Crackers! I'm sorry I haven't put out any party decor I haven't found much time for party planning in recent days, hopefully I will get a chance to spruce up my bloggy home soon.
I am so excited about this party! I just began blogging in January and I am ready to meet some great people. I have already had a chance to get to know a few people and find "old" friends who are in the blogging world as well.
Just a quick summary of me. I am a 26 year old married mother of 1, a 16 month old boy. I work full-time at an agency which provides services to adults with mental and physical disabilities. Hoss spends his days with my MIL and nephew while hubby and I work. My husband and I were married in December of 04 and we were pregnant a month later. 10 months and 1 day after our wedding Hoss was born (what is great is that while I was being prep'd for my c-section, the photographer from our wedding called and left me a message on my cell phone that our wedding pictures were in!).
If you did not stumble upon my blog via the Ultimate Blog Party then go join in! Click on the button below. For all the visitors from the party...I will be in and out this weekend. I know, so rude to throw a party and then leave it, huh? Sorry, I have some other partying to do this weekend (Baby showers). I do have a couple days off from work next week so be sure I will catch up with everyone then!
Thanks for visiting!!
I am so excited about this party! I just began blogging in January and I am ready to meet some great people. I have already had a chance to get to know a few people and find "old" friends who are in the blogging world as well.
Just a quick summary of me. I am a 26 year old married mother of 1, a 16 month old boy. I work full-time at an agency which provides services to adults with mental and physical disabilities. Hoss spends his days with my MIL and nephew while hubby and I work. My husband and I were married in December of 04 and we were pregnant a month later. 10 months and 1 day after our wedding Hoss was born (what is great is that while I was being prep'd for my c-section, the photographer from our wedding called and left me a message on my cell phone that our wedding pictures were in!).
If you did not stumble upon my blog via the Ultimate Blog Party then go join in! Click on the button below. For all the visitors from the party...I will be in and out this weekend. I know, so rude to throw a party and then leave it, huh? Sorry, I have some other partying to do this weekend (Baby showers). I do have a couple days off from work next week so be sure I will catch up with everyone then!
Thanks for visiting!!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Captain Poopy Pants and his Hurling Assistant
My husband is a very sensitive man...I don't mean with emotions (although, he tries to be "tough" and "manly" but deep down he is a softy), but I am talking about sensitive with his senses. I have never met a person who can just think about being tickled and then feel the tickling and begin to laugh. He is incredibly ticklish on his neck. I can just scratch my neck and he gets cold chills down his back and starts to squirm. Now I have to admit that sometimes I use this to aggravate him, how can I resist not to? My least favorite sensitive sense is the smell. He can not change a poopy diaper without becoming grossly ill. And I mean GROSSly ill. I knew he would gag when I changed a diaper and he saw the lovely mess, but honestly we all do that at times. I learned the magnitude of this one Saturday afternoon this past summer.
Hoss was about 8 months old and my mom had come to visit. We decided to go hit up some sales at the mall so we left Hoss with my husband at home. He had already had his 1 poopy diaper for the day (yes, he goes like clockwork...most of the time!) so it did not seem that this would be a problem. About an hour into our shopping trip I get this call on my cell phone:
DH (in a panic voice): "What time are you going to be home?"
Me: "Why?"
DH: "Because he has p*oped." (the "he" was the 8 month old)
Me: "Ok...well I am not coming home just to change his diaper."
DH: "I know, I was wondering if it could wait."
Me: "No, it can not wait."
DH: "Ok, well it is a mess, he got it on the carpet where he was playing and now he has stuck his hands in it (gagging begins)."
Me: "Ok, here is what you do, take him to the bathroom and sit him in the bath tub, without water. Then go back into the living room and clean the p*op off the floor. Then take the clothes off the baby and change his diaper. Give him a bath if you need to."
DH: "Ok....."
Me: "Bye."
About 5 minutes later I get another call:
DH: "How do I get his clothes off?"
Me: "Just unbutton the snaps and take it off over his head." (he had on a onesie)
DH: "Ok....how will I not get poop on him?"
Me: "Well, you might and that is okay, just give him a bath after."
DH: "Ok...when will you be home again?"
Me: "I don't know...maybe an hour. Bye!"
So an hour later my mom and I get home. The mess is cleaned up and the baby is changed, but the story that followed was one I will never forget. Amid the changing processes my husband became grossly ill and vomitted on both himself and Hoss. So he just got in the shower with Hoss and the two cleaned up. I could not believe that he actually threw up on the kiddo. The nasty diaper was also still in the bottom of the bathtub so I proceeded to clean that up and bleached the tub.
We learned that day that squash and Hoss do not get along...at all.
Hoss was about 8 months old and my mom had come to visit. We decided to go hit up some sales at the mall so we left Hoss with my husband at home. He had already had his 1 poopy diaper for the day (yes, he goes like clockwork...most of the time!) so it did not seem that this would be a problem. About an hour into our shopping trip I get this call on my cell phone:
DH (in a panic voice): "What time are you going to be home?"
Me: "Why?"
DH: "Because he has p*oped." (the "he" was the 8 month old)
Me: "Ok...well I am not coming home just to change his diaper."
DH: "I know, I was wondering if it could wait."
Me: "No, it can not wait."
DH: "Ok, well it is a mess, he got it on the carpet where he was playing and now he has stuck his hands in it (gagging begins)."
Me: "Ok, here is what you do, take him to the bathroom and sit him in the bath tub, without water. Then go back into the living room and clean the p*op off the floor. Then take the clothes off the baby and change his diaper. Give him a bath if you need to."
DH: "Ok....."
Me: "Bye."
About 5 minutes later I get another call:
DH: "How do I get his clothes off?"
Me: "Just unbutton the snaps and take it off over his head." (he had on a onesie)
DH: "Ok....how will I not get poop on him?"
Me: "Well, you might and that is okay, just give him a bath after."
DH: "Ok...when will you be home again?"
Me: "I don't know...maybe an hour. Bye!"
So an hour later my mom and I get home. The mess is cleaned up and the baby is changed, but the story that followed was one I will never forget. Amid the changing processes my husband became grossly ill and vomitted on both himself and Hoss. So he just got in the shower with Hoss and the two cleaned up. I could not believe that he actually threw up on the kiddo. The nasty diaper was also still in the bottom of the bathtub so I proceeded to clean that up and bleached the tub.
We learned that day that squash and Hoss do not get along...at all.
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