Sometimes Hoarding is Good!

Policies have changed in our schools recently and we are no longer allowed to bring in home made baked goods.  While this means shelling out big bucks for bakery items, it has eliminated late night baking when your kid announces, right before bed, that they need two dozen cupcakes the next day for some party you are just hearing about.

However, schools have not eliminated "Spirit Week". 

Days like Pajama Day are really no problem...just roll out of bed and go!  Or even hat day..no problem...got lots of those.  

However, late last night the twins announced that today was Crazy Hair day.  

This meant getting up early and digging around through the cabinets in the bathroom to see what kind of hair dye, hair spray, gel, clips, etc... we had laying around that I could use in order to come up with some crazy hair-do that would be acceptable. 

 It helps that I never throw anything away and the shelf life on green hair spray is like, forever!

And even though Easter isn't until next month, we always have yellow chicks handy! Doesn't everybody?

Tomorrow is Twin day at school.  Ha!  No problem... We have a set of those here, too!

It's my doody as a mother!

Nearly a year ago I blogged about the fact that my children tend to swallow money and put things like beans in their ears.

On Wednesday, this particular idiot child of  mine ate a quarter.  The coin made it safely through his esophagus and, after hours in the Emergency room,  it was seen on X rays in his stomach.

The Doctors determined he didn't need surgery, so he was allowed to eat.  Here is a picture of my piggy bank son eating food the nurses got him.

They sent him home so we could "monitor" his GI tract. 

In other words, we are currently on poo patrol.

It's Sunday folks...seriously?
 
I cannot explain why my blockheads children do this.

Freud would say they are stuck in the Oral-Fixation Stage!

This is the stage which manifests in chewing or eating objects such as coins:
Thing One swallowed a quarter this week and Stud Boy swallowed a penny years ago.

Humans stuck in this stage also talk excessively:
Darling Daughter not only swallowed a quarter she also talks and talks and talks.

And a third characteristic of the Oral-Fixation Stage is alcoholism: 
Let me just say, if you had to sift through doody for 5 days, you'd call it medicinal!

Rustic Elegance?

I am not very good at home decorating.  I struggle with the choices of paint colors and how to decorate my walls. I envy people who seem to be able to make their homes look like they could be on the pages of "House Beautiful" 

However, the other day, a friend stopped over to drop off a dress she bought me.  She and her daughter sat and visited for awhile in my living room. My dear friend commented how nice my house was and how warm, inviting and comfortable it felt. She snuggled up on the couch while I sat opposite her on the love seat as we chatted. 

I have to admit, I do like my house.  I like it best when it's picked up and clean, which of course only lasts for about an hour on a Sunday afternoon, but even though it tends to be a hodge podge of hand-me-down furniture and antiques, it is very family friendly.  It has large spacious rooms that I have decorated with cherished paintings, photographs and ceramic projects the kids have made in art class. 

With four kids there are lots and lots of toys, but mostly the toys are kept in the family room on shelves or in a closet when not in use. I think the family room is cozy too, and we spend a great deal of time in there.   It has a wonderful futon and matching chair and it's the room where we watch TV in the evenings.  I love to snuggle up with the dog next to me and watch a little Food Network or HGTV.

After awhile, you get used to all the toys cluttering the shelves.  You block out the inordinate number of DVD players and VCR's and gaming equipment piled on top of the television cabinet.

However, I don't think the glow in the dark, rubber rat on my family room ceiling will earn my house a layout in a home decorating magazine any time soon. And I'm not sure how cozy and comfortable the rodent is making me feel, but I'm sure after a few weeks, I'll get used to it!

Wylie Coyote vs. Pepe' Le Pew

In training for my second half marathon, I was out for a walk the other day. I'd like to say I was out for a run, but I suck at that running thing, so mostly I walk and yes I need to train to walk, but that's not my point here.  The point is I like to travel light.  I sometimes take the cast of Glee and Dave Matthews Band, or some days I bring Eminem or Lady Gaga. But, ideally it's just me, the Ipod, and Mother Nature.

My friends and family have advised me to carry my phone and my pepper spray too, since I live out in the country.  However, I hate carrying all that stuff in my pockets.

Thursday afternoon I was about 3 miles from home and I spotted this:

I didn't actually take a picture of this particular ferocious coyote, since I only had my Ipod with me.  Instead, I got this photograph off the Internet.  But he really did look like this (sorta) and he was stalking me (kinda) and I decided if he came any closer my plan was to strangle his rabid little neck with my ear bud cord!  I will admit I was a bit shaken and relieved when he didn't attack me.  So today when I went for my walk/run I was carrying my Ipod, a cell phone, my pepper spray, my Chapstick (of course), and I also had my camera with me so I could at least capture the man-eating coyote on film this time. 

Not very far from my house, I came across this:



I chose to use my camera on this cutie patootie little fella! 

I'm gonna venture a guess that skunk spray trumps girly, pink pepper spray any day of the week.



Ugh...and I don't mean the ridiculously expensive boots!

.......


I make lists.

Sometimes they are short, sometimes long, but I try and write down the things that I need to do in order to stay on task, manage my time wisely, and because most days I cannot keep a thought in  my head!

My excuse is that I have four kids who are all very active in sports and activities, in and out of school.  Stud Boy has a job and is knee deep in the process of college applications, financial aid forms, scholarships, etc.  Darling Daughter has practice for the school musical, basketball tournaments and Girl Scouts.  Thing One and Thing Two are trying out for Minor League Baseball and have forms that need to be completed for field trips, etc.  I am also helping my siblings find care for my aging mother.  I work part time and well, you get the picture, there is a lot going on here.

So when I think of what I need to do, I take a minute and jot it down.  That way I won't forget, or it won't get buried in a pile of paper work.  You've seen the calendar, so you know how crazy things here are!

I recently wrote down two things I needed to do. 

The first one was "Shout Outs" which was a reminder to myself to write these so called messages to Darling Daughter that get printed in the program for the school musical and send it in by Friday, which is when they were due.

Done!  Check it off the list.

However,  when it came to the next thing I wrote down on the list I was stumped.  What the heck does that even say? 

So I spent an hour or so looking at this paper every time I passed by.  I honestly have no idea what I wrote and it was only yesterday when I wrote it. 

I cannot remember what I was trying to remember to do.  And now I cannot read  my own handwriting.