last date of oh-eight...

we headed for the hills today

for the promise of snow

and boy did it pay off!

since the kids were so young

when we moved from the midwest

3 years ago,

this was their first serious snow outing,

and they jumped in feet first!

they could not get enough!

this was reiterated 100 times

on the way home...

so we are going back tomorrow

okay, is this a cool photo?

a shadow of me and a small hill make my wavy arms.

what a fun way to spend the last day

of

2008

we are now nestled into our jammies,

feasting on goodies, sipping drinks,

and waiting for the new year to roll in!

here's wishing each one of you a

joyous and prosperous

new year!

p.s. nothing screams out of shape

like my lungs did when i donned

10 pounds of snow gear and hoofed

it through the snow...good times!

100th-post post!

in honor of my 100 post

100 things about moi:

(in no particular order, except for #1)

1. i.love.sleep. need i say more? i am a head-hits-the-pillow-and-i-am-out type of girl. hubs very jealous of that. in fact, i still nap on the weekends with my big guy!

2. my favorite number is 8. if i ever ask you to pick a number between one and ten, do yourself a favor: pick 8.

3. i love to read. but in high school, i was a fan of cliffs notes. after all, what teen wants to read something they are told to read for pete's sake. and i remember wondering if they made cliffs notes of the cliffs notes.

4. ime a gould spellar. reely. it iss eaze four mee.

5. i enjoy baking a good cookie, but i have no self restraint! i will eat the dough. i will eat cookie after cookie. it is ugly, but oh so good!

6. i am one of 4: an older sister, a younger sister and a baby brother.

7. i went to the same school and grew up in the same house my whole childhood.

8. i didn't have my first job until i was 18. (not counting babysitting)

9. i played at least two sports a year in high school, and hated running, strange combo.

10. i injured my knee while getting dressed for my hs pe class. bum knee still haunts me to this day.

11. i popped my knee out of place while furniture shopping with hubs at 6 months pregnant. same knee as above.

12. i was given an office job on campus my first quarter at ou and i worked there everyday for 5 years until i graduated!

13. i remember making a face behind the priest's back while drinking the wine during my first communion.

14. i cannot drive a stick shift.

15. i so desire to be on the amazing race with my best friend kristy...hope she can drive a stick shift!

16. i have never seen the sound of music, miracle on 34th street, it's a wonderful life, star wars, or star trek. and i am okay with that. (hubs is not)

17. i could not pronounce my 'r' in early elementary. this is a problem when you have an 'r' sound in your name!

16. i enjoy driving. not sure why. just do.

17. my first date with my ex-husband was spent watching schindler's list. perhaps that should have been a red flag.

18. my first date with my hubs was at 10 at night at a tee jay's. a relationship built on food! how bad can that be?

19. hubs and i didn't play rummy for several years in order to avoid world war three. we are over that now. thank goodness!

20. i love brussel sprouts, spinach and lima beans.

21. when my mom and dad got dressed up to go out, the best part was getting to pick out the enchilada tv dinner in the foil tray and actually getting to eat on a tray table in the living room!

22. i love reality tv. sick, i know.

23. i love frank's red hot sauce. yumm.

24. i procrastinate. work better under pressure. and i get things done that way. except for this post, which i started in october.

25. i married a procrastinator.

26. i dream of having the honeymoon we never had!

27. the only pies i like are pecan and key lime. no fruit pies. yuck.

28. after leaving the classroom for 2 years, i returned way more organized and efficient. maybe i should leave my house for two years!

29. i love sushi. love it. there are no words...

30. i was part of a state championship winning basketball team. fun times.

31. i was the catalyst for a fight between two boys in high school, they had the same name, and i did not 'like' either of them.

32. my first car was a chevette. with a pink boom box in between the front seats to blare my cool mix tapes. i thought i was cool i'm sure.

33. i was afraid of the dark from as long as i can remember until around college.

34. i have what some, (hubs), would call an irrational fear of bugs. i have dutifully passed this on to my children. crap.

35. i love board games. life was a fave as a kid, and payday...is there a pattern there?

36. the first time i met my mother in law, i burped the word orange on accident. classy!

37. there were 42 people in my graduating class. i have lost contact with 41. i am okay with that.

38. i love turtles. not so much the animal, but the candy.

39. oj is my coffee. have to start the morning with it. day is not ready to start without it. and i like some pulp.

40. i love to fly.

41. i cannot resist buying books. something about the feel of a book in my hands. some ladies like diamonds, i like books. (well, okay, i like diamonds too)

42. i enjoy photography. i must take after my baba.

43. i enjoy a good wiener roast. but hold the toasted marshmallows.

44. i cook breakfast for dinner once a week. it is easy. what can i say.

45. i cannot resist movie theater popcorn. i don't care if i am not hungry. if i smell it, i have to have it. no willpower.

46. i can parallel park like a champ. wanna see?

47. i prefer my cookies soft and chewy. so in case you ever want to send a dozen my way, that's how i like 'em!

48. i teach 6th grade but make it a point to read a picture book to them at least few times a week. they love it.

49. i love making lists...can you tell? i don't always accomplish everything on the list, but it helps declutter my brain!

50. hi, my name is lori, and i am addicted to blogging. there, i said it.

51. when i was little and growing up in the catholic church, i thought they were singing "lori, lori, hallelujah" instead of "glory, glory..."

52. i love to wrap presents. the corners have to be just so...it is satisfying.

53. i love to eat out. we used to do it too much, but we have cut way back. i still love it when we get a chance to!

54. i like scarves.

55. my birthday is three days before my hubs. my mom's birthday is three days before my dad's.

56. i love a good mani/pedi but rarely spend the money on it.

57. i have not worn my wedding/engagement ring in three years. when unpacking boxes at this house, i bent my ring when my hand got stuck in a box handle and lost one of the diamonds. yes, it can be fixed, no i have not had it fixed. hate not wearing it.

58. i like kitchen utensils. but they must be able to multi-task!

59. i have re gifted, i admit it. but even worse, the one time i did it, i realized after the fact that i left the tag inside the box...from the person who gave it to me! oops!

60. i love socks...maybe it is because it is the only article of clothing that always fits! no matter how many cookies you eat!

61. when i was young, i loved me a good scary movie...now, not so much. in fact suspenseful movies create so much anxiety for me that i have been known to leap off the couch and scream.

62. buttered-cinnamon toast...i could eat it for every meal. yummo.

63. sad but true...there are two picture frames hanging in a hallway in our house...with no pictures in them...except the perfect model family that comes in them!

64. every time i went to confession as a child i am pretty sure i said the same thing each time.

65. i carry a blue, tall metal coffee travel mug around all day...most people think i am a coffee addict. it has never seen a drop of coffee...it holds ice water...icy, icy cold ice water!

66. i have a sewing machine sitting in my closet that i have used once.

67. i can name every teacher i ever had from K-12. weird.

68. i cannot get into the history channel. i think hubs watches for this reason.

69. i am worthless on a friday night. i crash for the evening very early.

70. i had my tonsils removed in 2nd grade. one grew back and i suffered from tonsillitis in college. imagine my surprise when the doctor told me i had tonsillitis!

71. i cannot roll my r...hubs and kids can, they try to teach me. i cannot.

72. i do not carry cash. it'd be a bummer for the robber if i was ever robbed.

73. i sliced the palm of my hand open as an adult and in my mom's kitchen. i let the big word fly. sorry mom!

74. good year...the year i was born!

75. i take zillions of photos and store them on my computer and cd's, but for some reason do not print as many as i should!

76. if i have a deck of cards in my hands i will shuffle the numbers off! i love to shuffle...thanks to my dear friend kristy who taught me!

77. i love me a good margarita...

78. except lately, i have found that i have an allergy to something commonly found in a many alcoholic bevs...and the skin on my face immediately looks sunburned and is painful and itchy! sort of a downer when trying to enjoy a drink!

79. i buy most of my kids clothing at consignment shops. love me a bargain!

80. i enjoy peanut butter in my ice cream.

81. i subscribe to three magazines, and the day they come in the mail i read them in their entirety! thank goodness they do not arrive on the same day!

82. if, and this is a big if, we ever had another child, we would have to name him/her a name beginning with the letter N...then our family initials would be KLMNO...weird, i know!

83. i have 2 full cabinets of games in our house. we like games.

84. i hated my first year of teaching. went home everyday wondering what i was thinking, being a teacher!? a change of venue and a lower grade and i was pleased as punch! i could never be anything but a teacher!

85. i love a hand written note...both sent and received.

86. i have used the same facial soap for over 15 years. if they ever stop making it my face will rebel!

87. i work more efficiently when there is background noise...that would explain why i could never study and stay awake at the library in college.

88. i love a road trip.

89. i.love.chipotle. when we moved from the midwest, i craved chipotle. it was not until this year that i found one near us...and by near i mean 30 minutes. :-(

90. the only 'musical instrument' i can play is the recorder, which i learned in 4th grade. i wish i could play something else.

91. i love to color. give me a nice sharp set of crayons or colored pencils and i am happy.

92. also a good year, the year i graduated from H.S.

93. i have a lot of black clothes. i branch out with color in a few ways, but black always seems to be involved.

94. i met my husband over the phone.

95. i could not live without my dvr. if there is something i want to watch on tv, i record it so i can skip the commercials. live tv=painful!

96. i have quite the collection of cookbooks, and don't delve into them near enough.

97. it does not bother my that our little big guy, (all of 4 years old), climbs into our bed...every night for the last 8 months. i know it won't last, so i enjoy his snuggliness. hubs, not so much a fan.

98. i love gift cards! i stew over spending them very seriously. i just used one a month ago that i received back in june of '07!

99. my favorite days are the days spent with hubs and kids. we have so much fun and make each other laugh...does it get any better?

100. i wish i had some mind blowing tidbit about me for number 100...but this is it folks, this is me!

automated mess

i love imagery

for instance,

i love to imagine that some cheery person

is still sitting behind a switchboard

plugging me in to the person i just dialed

or

that some hard working people still

stand behind the scenes at the post office

and sort our mail by hand

carefully sorting mail into little cubbies...

so imagine my surprise

when i got to the mailbox the other day

and found this little gem...

not the holiday greeting from far away that i imagined

but one mangled mess right from our own nest!

surely not sorted lovingly by hand

but instead some cold, creaking machine's lunch!

what i love is the stamp

informing me of an incomplete address

that's the least of it!

and if i knew who the recipient was,

by all means i would send them another

but i do not

so here's hoping they got at least the other half of the card!

P.S. wait for it...i am one post away from 100!

what i know for sure...

• that breaks from school cause major rule breakage around our house: like really late bedtimes. but how can i tell them to get to sleep when the big girl is laying in bed reading to the little big guy? {even if it was 11 pm!}
• that sitting for three hours in a chair getting my hair colored and cut is soooo worth it! and even more worth it when hubs saw it and immediately said...'i love it!' must be good if he commented on it right away, or i just really needed a haircut to begin with!
• that the little big guy reallllllly likes routine! he has been home from preschool since we are on break. there is something to be said for routine. i will leave it at that! god love him!
• that hubs and i have the fantastic ability to crack eachother up! we had eachother laughing so hard in the car today i thought we'd have to pull over! gosh i love him! and not just for his humor!
• that watching the big girl mother the little big guy will always make me smile! he zonked out at the movies today and she was right there making sure he was comfy and well loved on. he is lucky to have such a big sis!

and that is what i know for sure!

a day in review...

we had a great christmas here

and hope everyone else did as well!

here are a few highlights!

as mentioned earlier

the kiddos opened new jammies on the eve

here they are in their tired glory!

and here is a cute pic of daddy helping them

spread the reindeer food

onto the big morning

the kids anxiously awaiting to see what santa left!

as you can see, they got pretty lucky!

after playng for a good long time

we ventured out to the movies

to see bedtime stories

very cute and funny

and of course ate popcorn and candy,

too much of it

we headed home and feasted on dinner

and played games

then tucked the kids into their sleeping bags

for a good night's sleep

much needed!

not to be outdone by his sister's culinary creation of toast

earlier in the week

the little big guy asked if he could make toast

i operated the toaster

and then left him at the table

with the butter and cinnamon

what was i thinking?

i gave him no direction about the butter

so is it any wonder that half the stick

was on the bread when i came back in?

my arteries clogged and a hearty chuckle escaped

when i saw this...

and now...we are venturing into the world of

the easy bake oven.

wish us luck

it cannot come out worse than the moon sand i twittered about!

a beautiful eve

it is never easy,
not being with family
at the holidays
but we make the best of it
and tonight, i think we succeeded!

we took the kids to church
for the children's nativity
there are no words
for how beautiful it was!
a narrator told the story
of mary and joseph
and between every few sentences
we sang a verse from some
christmas carols
while the child 'actors' moved around the church
just beautiful
the children's liturgy followed

once home, the kids got to tear into one present
{jammies, slippers and a new book}
okay, looks like three, but they were in one box!

we all gathered in the kitchen
to nosh on various food items,
which together do not constitute a real dinner
but it was our dinner,
and it was good!

then onto the lawn to sprinkle reindeer food
but not before setting out cookies and milk for the big man

the eve was topped off with my favorite,
which i have carried over from my parents:
we nestle into bed and daddy reads
twas the night before christmas

so the kiddos in bed
the baby gate,
yes baby gate,
is up in the hallway
{you see, the little big guy's love of santa only goes so far!}
he wants to make sure the big guy
doesn't come visit the bedrooms!

and we are relaxing,
waiting for the littles to sleep
so we can play santa!

merry christmas to all...
and to all a good night!

p.s. with my 100th post quickly approaching, look for a special post coming soon!

here's the line~up ladies

baking my brains out tuesday
here is the menu:

crock pot peanut clusters
inspired by stephanie over at
a year of crockpotting
how could i not bake a holiday treat in the crock!?
wait, does that recipe say it makes
about 150?
good golly.

reindeer noses
inspired by kat over at
sunshine and lemonade
i usually make choc covered pretzels
but these look more fun
and the kids can be very involved
they will be busy!

ultimate m&m cookies
i have made these for a long time
they are yummy
how can they not be...they are chock full of m&m's
the only thing i change is that i use reg sized m&m's

sugar cookies
because what is the holiday
without frosted sugar cookies
always a favorite as a kid!

these two savory goodies
are favorites from my mom's kitchen
thanks mom!
i make them every christmas
and then we eat ourselves silly!
good stuff!

sausage balls
what is there not love?
these gems are addicting
you can't just pop one!

party pizza ryes
also known in some parts as
hanky pankies
i remember my grandma making these
she had an endless supply in her freezer
during the holidays.
you will not be sorry you made these!
give 'em a go!

so with that line~up ahead of me
i'd better get to bed!

monday's moments...

so many things swirling in my head...
so little time to tend to them, let alone
blog about them!
so here are some random things
in no particular order!
~
7 am this morning, i feel a tap on my arm
i roll over and there is my sweet big girl
holding two plates
with two slices of bread on each
with a grin that spread from here to eternity!
breakfast in bed!
sweet girl!
she said she could not find the butter
after telling her where the butter was,
{and how to operate the toaster}
she went back to the kitchen
but not before giving me an order to stay in bed
and to act like i saw nothing
okay
she comes back about 10 minutes later
with buttered cinnamon toast
for her daddy and i
except, daddy was at work and she didn't realize it
so crying ensued
after some comforting and stroking of her ego,
it was decided that the toast would wait for him on the counter.
such a sweetie!
thanks for the toast honey!
~
preschool
love our preschool's teachers
but preschool is why i teach 6th grade
i can reason with 30 6th graders
better than i can with one preschooler
~
car pulls out in front of me
i hit the brakes and the horn
from the back seat
charming daughter asks
"did you almost crash?"
i say
"that guy almost hit us"
she says
"is that a yes?"
~
torture
that is what this week should be called
we made the mistake of placing gifts under the tree
the big guy now officially
'does not like the holidays'
as we will not let him open the gifts
this discussion is had many times a day
always ends in a tantrum
lovely.
note to self, next year place the gifts under tree
when they are in bed on the eve
it will help save my sanity!
~
am i one of the few people in the world
aware of their own surroundings?
because people i have encountered
in the stores
or on the road
don't seem to know that there are other people
on the planet
it is not just them!
this really peeves me!
get a clue people and look around you
before stopping in the middle of an aisle
or pulling out in front of other cars
like you are jockeying for first place
at the indy 500!
it's called consideration people!
and a little goes a long way!
try it sometime!
~
and lastly, you may have seen the twitter addition
to my sidebar.
don't ask me why i started this
i know you all don't want to read
every.one.of.my.thoughts.
but you might want to taste one here or there...
so there you have it...
twitter
from this twit!

happy tuesday!
oh...and i plan on posting my line up
of treats for my big baking day tomorrow...stay tuned!

this is why i teach

for the last couple of weeks
i had a student teacher doing her 2 weeks
of solo teaching
i was out of the classroom
and felt out of the loop
i missed connecting with my kiddos everyday
so i could not wait to return this week...
and thank goodness the week was fast!
i do love my students, but i also love two weeks off school!
so today, as i was flooded with gifts,
there was one card i could not get out of my mind...
i am not sharing to toot my horn,
but instead because this is the best card i have
ever received from a student...
take a look!

Dear Mrs. G,
Every morning you greet us with a bright smile and a sun-shiny face, and even if we don't show it, we love you for it. You always succeed in putting a smile on all of our faces and make learing fun!
6th grade is a very hard grade to teach, (partially because of all of us 6th graders bipolarized attitude all of the time.), but I think you're doing a pretty stellar job! Well I hope you like my presents and when you eat that ferrero rocher, think of me! Ha Ha
{heart}
R

now how cute is that!?
i am off to write my thank yous and get them in the mail!
happy friday everyone!

houston, we have tooth loss!

our first born

lost her first tooth

just minutes after noshing on a chocolate cookie

she was goofing off with a wrapping paper roll,

hitting her mouth on the end of it...and the rest was history!

we have been dealing with this loose tooth for a long time

she wouldn't really work on getting it out

and her two bottom perm teeth are in!

she was quite upset about the bleeding

but by the time she turned in for the night

she was over the moon

with her (mine from when i was a kid) tooth pillow

tucked into bed with her, she is anxiously awaiting

the tooth fairy's visit!

so just wondering, what does/did the tooth fairy leave at your casa?

we are old school...one buck here baby!

on the seventh day of christmas...

i wish i could report i received something exotic

like seven swans a swimming...
but not here people.

just more running around.

you know, one of those days where by backside

didn't find a comfy chair until 9:30PM

YAWN...
so since my mind is trying to unwind
i am going to try decluttering here!

ready for some randomness?
~

picking the big guy up from preschool

he professes his love for his teacher:
"i love teacher a, and she is pretty,

and i wonder what her middle name is?"

talk about random!
~
the kids have been bringing gifts home from school
they insist we open them right away...

so they open them for us...

here is the big guy's gift to us,

a holiday tissue holder/photo cube:

and the big girl brought home this tear jerker!

i love both gifts! too cute!

~
see anything amiss in this photo?

look closely...

something is attacking our holiday cards!
~
we actually put up lights this year...
and for some reason...cannot upload the pic

only that pic

what gives?

you are not missing much

we are not the griswald's
~

and...
the heat is on people...
with temps below freezing over night

and only in the 40's during the day

we caved!

we flipped the switch!

but at least we are warm!
~
kajukembo is all the rage in our house right now
here is the big guy in his gi

he wears it well

it's like he transforms when he puts it on

future ninja warrior?

~

and here is the beauty in all her jazzy glory!

she got down to 'boogie woogie santa'

she can shake those hips!

~

and i will end with this...
my three favorite peeps...

'tis the season...

i am not liking this week
let me tell you why
as a teacher, the week of school
leading up to the holiday break
is not all fun and games...
it sucks at times,
well, a lot of the time.
kids are not focused,
but who can blame them?
i am not focused!
there are 200 things on my to do list
and that is just my at home to do list!
and how about we try to cram one more
event into this month?
dance recitals
christmas programs
potlucks, at three places
company parties
caroling
and i know i am forgetting
the 5 other things
we did not show up for.
BUT, there are some things i enjoy...
going to the mailbox
knowing there is a card in there somewhere!
getting packages from far away places!
making and eating a gazillion cookies,
just because it is december!
driving around looking at lights!
wrapping gifts!
reading christmas books
and watching holiday movies!
saturating the house with the kiddos
holiday artwork!
letting the kids shop for each other!
oh yeah, and having two glorious, work-free,
vegetative-inducing weeks off school.
i guess i shouldn't complain!

sunday supper

sunday
in keeping with a long time
family tradition
sunday
is usually a special supper
usually
something i don't have time
to cook during the week

this sunday:
hot german potato salad
with kielbasa and kraut

if you're hoping for a healthy dinner
you may tune out now
this is good, but
nothing healthy about it
you just gotta splurge sometimes
this recipe comes from a friend
who recently welcomed a
german exchange student
into her home
so this is straight from the homeland baby!

hot german potato salad

• boil 6 medium-sized potatoes, in skins, until tender
• peel and slice thinly into a bowl, set aside
• fry 6 slices bacon until crisp, set aside, crumble when cool
• cook 3/4 c. chopped onion until yellow in a small amount of bacon grease
• mix in 2 T flour, 1 to 2 T sugar, 1 t salt, and a dash of pepper
• gradually stir in 3/4 c. water and 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
• cook, stirring, until mixture boils
• boil one minute
• pour over potatoes
• add crisp, crumbled bacon,stir
• serve warm, great with kielbasa and kraut

see what i mean? not so healthy

but oh so good!

surplus turned surprise!

ever wonder what to do with all the
extra holiday cards?
look no further!

make a recovering soldier's day
by sending a bunch of your extra holiday cards to:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

what a great way to show
these amazing men and women
our gratitude this holiday season!

warrior mamas

let me start this post by saying
that i know how blessed we are to have
two healthy kiddos
not a day goes by that i am not thankful
for this...
however
lately i have been waiting for the ball to drop
here is why...


in may of 2007
our big guy came down
with a reallllllllly high fever.
105.5
middle of the night
i could not get it down
he was not responding
we ended up in the er
once there, they gave him a double dose
of meds
it finally came down
and the doctor very kindly
looked at me and said,
"what is it about a high fever that bothers you?"
excuse me?
do i need to explain once again
that he was limp and unresponsive?
or did you miss that part?
for several days he carried a high fever
hovered right around 105
but we were able to bring it down each time.
the episode ends and we chalk it up to just getting sick.
over the course of the summer,
it happens a few more times
each time our ped tells us
'must be a virus'
fall sets in and we are starting to see a pattern
every 21 days this is happening
i keep track on a calendar.
i mention to ped
she must think i am nuts
she passes it off
i keep on her
after all
he is my son
i know him
this is not normal
november 2007
daddy takes him to ped
same fever, mouth sores, back pain
same same same
she says his ear is a little red
gives him heavy duty antibiotic
week after thanksgiving
worst episode
lethargic
not himself
not eating
fevers
we go back to ped
worried
once again
she is not attentive
i reminded her of the antibiotic he just took three weeks before
she tells me she did not prescribe him one
excuse me?
tells me i must have gotten it from a diff doctor
are you kidding me?
am i on candid camera?
i wanted to choke her
when i finally made her realize that in fact
she did give it it to us
she sat back in her chair and listened.
thanks...but about 4 months too late woman!
she listens to me tell her about the pattern
which i have told her everytime we've been
she finally hears me
she refers us to children's
after all of the bloodwork he has already had done
the last thing i want is for him to be poked and prodded more
we make the trip to children's
what a difference
for an hour
he listens to us
he really listens
it felt good
he gives us a possible diagnosis
nothing we cannot tolerate
but so many questions
still
not a lot known
and not a lot to do about it
conflicting theories
what to believe?
we head home
not thrilled with the treatment options
but at least we have a place to start.
we choose no treatment for the time being
let's see what happens next
gather more info
lucky for us
they have spread out in frequency
the last episode he had was 2 months ago
knock on every wood surface please!


but i walk lightly
so as to not disturb the fragile ball
i fear may drop at anytime
when he has an episode
it doesn't only effect him
it effects us all
and as a mom, i just want it all to go away
i know we are due
due for a week of fevers
and all that comes with it
and i know it can be much worse
but i don't know much worse
i know this
and i know it takes our poor guy down
and if this is as bad as it gets, thank goodness
but i still prefer none of it
it is a helpless feeling
i am sure many of you know it
to varying degrees
we all know it
we are all asked to be warriors for our kids on some level...


head on over to
one true, full time warrior mama
over at finding normal
cause she is one awesome woman
with the most beautiful kiddos!
how lucky her beauties are to have them as their mama!

wordless wednesday

spring 2007

technology tuesday

what technology can you not live without???

me?

email.
i remember the day we were introduced
a crisp fall day in 1992
i was a freshman in college
with an office job on campus
in the computer science dept
so they gave me an email address
i loved it
it was on a black screen
and i logged onto a main frame of some sort
no bells and whistles
but now i am wondering...
who the hell did i email?
the ladies i worked with?
sitting ten feet from me?
people barely had pc's then
and this was a full year before the university
issued a student account to all students
nonetheless...
love at first sight.
despite a few spats in our 16 year relationship
we are still going strong.

i asked hubs the same question...
his technology of choice?

indoor plumbing...
okay
self explanatory.

what technology can you not live without?

let me know!

not me monday...

playing along with mckmama...

i did not find the missing tree skirt

in the attic

where hubs already 'looked'

because had i found it

my theory would be right that he

lacks the ability to 'look' for things

so no, i did not find the tree skirt

that disappeared in the attic

~

i did not stow away some

candy canes

in hopes of keeping the big guy

quiet and occupied

during the big girl's dance recital.

what kind of mother would i be if

i bribed with candy?

~

i did not pick the big guy up from preschool

only to find that daddy had not given him

one of his stocking stuffers a little early.

i mean, yes, it is cold, for ca, but come on

the boy couldn't suffer from cold ears

for a few weeks?

and i am now not stressed because

the balance of stocking stuffers

has now been thrown off...

ugh.

i had not planned on shopping again

until sometime in 2009...

yes, including grocery shopping!

~

we have not made a winter bed on the floor

in our bedroom for the kids to sleep on.

that would mean that we have still not turned

the heat on...

and that we are still only lighting fires in the fireplace

and using the space heater in our bedroom...

lord it's cold.

~

i did not feast on a big fat brownie while i was

making dinner sunday

after i told the kids they could not have one until

after dinner!

how mean and sick would that be?

~

i did not have some great not me monday

ideas to post today

swirling around in my mind all weekend

only to forget them

when i sat down to write this

figures...

that sucks.

~

in non-not me monday news...

i won

i won

i really, really won!

mamarazzi had a cookbook

giveaway and yours truly won!

sweet!

and the best part is that i may even meet her!

we live in the same neck of the woods!

thanks mamarazzi!

~

happy 2 plus weeks until the holiday folks!

date night, right?

date night
gotta love it
with the kids off
at childcare night
at the preschool,
the evening was ours
it should be no surprise
that we visited our
favorite spot
miso soup, tempura, sushi
yum
at the end of dinner
she brings us each
a piece of japanese candy
i tasted mine,
hubs tasted his
we were curious about each other's
so yes, we swapped mints!
in public!
gross right?
~
onto the movies
what do they add
to movie popcorn?
crack?
cause i am addicted
i don't care if i ate my weight
in japanese food
i still get popcorn
gross right?
~
target after the movie
we buy stocking stuffers
browse
have fun
and then it happened
i turn the corner to the candle aisle
and there he was
a male employee
thoroughly enjoying
the scent of a box of candles
like up his nose, and around the corner
smelling
uncomfortable moment
as he reacted as if he was busted
gross right?
~
we are home
house is cold
really cold
and remember our no heat challenge?
still going strong!
i made the kiddos a 'bed'
on our bedroom floor
so they can enjoy the space heater too
the cozied up to each other
tired and snuggling
sweet right?
~
tune in for more sweetness tomorrow
liv had her holiday dance recital today
will try to post video...

meet devil dog

mama kat over at
mama's losin it
is hosting her weekly writing assignment...

4.) Describe a time when your pet caused chaos.

oh boy
where do i begin?
so we lovingly welcome
creatures into our lives
and they create messes!
enough about our kids,
onto the pets! :-)

when hubs and i first got together
we had some dogs that would need blended
a blended family of the furry kind if you will!
his, a powerful black lab, Alex
and
Alex's wild offspring,
we'll call him devil dog,
to protect his identity
and then my dog, a golden named Bailey

one thing we knew for sure...
one dog was going to have to leave the nest
we just did not have enough room
luckily, the decision was easy
let's call it natural selection...

you see, devil dog was, well,
the devil in disguise
he was young,
but old enough to know better.
he wreaked havoc of paramount proportions
just to name a few...
he had serious separation issues
and
he could not be contained
while we were gone during the day
we would leave him in the house or yard
he tore the house up
he jumped the fence on a daily basis
and as if he recognized the sounds of our vehicles
he conveniently jumped back over the fence
when we got home
and acted like an angel
the only way we knew he was getting out:
the collection of neighbors belongings
at our back door, (shoes, toys, garden tools)
and then eventually a nasty note from
one of those poor neighbors!
so we were forced to try
other containment means:
the beloved crate
the large metal cage like crate
with a locking door.
what dog could escape that?
devil dog.
that's who...
i came home from work
early one day to meet the cable guy
went to let the dog out
while man laid cable
no dog in crate
omg!
he escaped a metal crate
wth?
so back to the yard he went
where our newly laid cable
lay above the ground,
until it could be buried
a few days later.
we didn't have cable for long
devil dog chewed through it
cable man comes back
he is greeted at the door
by devil dog
it was love at first sight!
the cable guy couldn't stop
gushing
the devil dog couldn't stop
licking
as he repaired the cable,
he made small talk
i learned way too much about him
he seemed lonely
i listened
where did we get the dog?
he wants one to ride in his truck with him
he would like a dog
just.like.him.
did he not realize the chewed cable
was the work of devil dog himself?
i quickly excused myself and called hubs
we could not let this man get away
without the dog of his dreams!
hubs came home
we mentioned to cable man
that we were looking for a new home
for devil dog
explained that we have three
we just don't have the space
and time to give them all
we exchanged info
2 days later
he comes to get devil dog
and once again,
these two greeted one another
like they were long separated
kindred spirits
who were we to deny this man
his dream dog?
devil dog was strangely calm
around cable man
we felt okay about giving him away
and as he drove away...
we made plans to change our phone
number and possibly move
because this man was sure to discover
the dog we knew as devil dog!?

{epilogue: we often joked that we would
come home one day and find devil dog
in the back yard once the man discovered
his devilish tendencies
never happened
so we'll say this story ends happily ever after!}

and the winner is...

using random.org
the official winners
of the rockin' magnet sets
are...
yes, i said winners...
'cause 'tis the season!

Here are your random numbers:
1
5
Timestamp: 2008-12-04 04:10:21 UTC

which means the winners are:
trying to stay calm
and
kori from life as a cfers wife
{big day for kori and fam...go check it out!}

congrats ladies! your loot will be in the mail by saturday!
provided i get your snail mail info!
i will email ya!

throw me the blanket please

as noted in a recent post,

we have officially become

acclimated...

you know, to ca weather!

but the lows of 40 something

at night recently

have s in a quandry...

to heat or not to heat?

you see, coming from cold winter states,

i know this is not cold,

but omg

we are freezing!

i know, if this is as bad as it gets,

poor us, right?

so hubs and i have this thing going...

how long can we go without heating the house?

as we sit here...

{with warm laptops on our legs

drapes closed

fuzzy socks

fleece

blankets

layers

and a nose warmer, well, okay,

maybe not a nose warmer,

but only 'cause i can't find one

other than my sweatshirt pulled up!}

hubs says...

'i think i can do this'

and so the challenge is on!

now, in all fairness

we do put a space heater in

our bedroom at night...

but only because neither of us

can muster the gumption

to crawl out of a toasty bed

and into the icy shower.

so, the kids you ask?

well, they are cold too,

but layered up and tucked into bed

and by morning's light,

one of them

is always in our bed anyway,

and the other is completely

enveloped in blanket heaven

and what excites us most?

is the savings on our power bill!

what's a little discomfort

when there's a few more bucks

in the bank to go buy me a starbucks to stay warm?

so...do any of you have any tips for staying warm?

good recipe for a hot toddy anyone?

{and don't you love the retro thermostat at the top?

the house i grew up in boasted one such beauty...

and how i do miss cranking that thing until you

heard the heat kick on...}

merry SITSmas to all!

if you've not been,

go visit the

holiday lovefest goin' on today

over at

Secret is In The Sauce!

and have you heard???

there is an AWESOME grand prize!

Friday's Feature AND a $200 Target Gift Card!

go leave comments in order to win!

~

thanks for stopping by!

and there is still time to enter my homemade holiday

giveaway!

run, don't walk...

over to SITS...

in all of their bloggy goodness...

they are bestowing a fab grand prize

tomorrow...

in honor of their Merry SITSmas blogfest:

~~

a $200 target gift card & the honor

of being friday's favorite!

not me monday...

playing along with mckmama...

i did not stand in the kitchen

on thanksgiving,

after all was cleaned, and

people were lounging,

and eat the skin

off the deep fried turkey carcass.

that is gross, greasy and gluttonous.

(but good i bet!)

~

i did not go around behind the littles

and move ornaments around

because that would be anal

who cares if they were all hung

on two branches!

~

i did not intentionally torture hubs

yesterday

by dragging him with

on a very long, very crowded

visit to the craft store

perhaps he could not have really peeved me

the day before!

~

now...scroll down for a chance to win

a cool homemade set of magnets

go on...what are you waiting for?!

better late(r) than never and a giveaway!

so some of my faithful readers

may remember my vow to

make it a homemade holiday this year...

did you think i had forgotten?

did you think i scrapped the

awesome magnet project?

let me explain...

i attempted my first set of magnets

and nearly called it off

because really

without this little tool

don't do it!

cutting, by hand, all the circles

is not fun!

so spend 3 bucks for the

hole punch

you will thank yourself

and then you can make some

rockin' magnets...like these

this picture does them NOOOOOO justice!

i did not have the patience this evening to

mess with a better photo...

~

and to prove it to you...

i am giving a set away!

~

here's how it works...

no fancy rules here...

~

leave a comment if you would like

the chance to win a set of magnets!

the only rule that applies...

no family members...hee hee

you may see some soon enough!

~

so, leave me some comment lovin'

you may snag yourself some magnets!

i will randomly choose a winner

wednesday night!

g is for...

kori posted a meme on her blog
i thought i'd play along
she sent me the letter G
i have to name 10 things
that begin with G
here goes...

1. Grandparents...love mine and miss them!
i love that our kids have the same loving and
fun relationship with theirs!

2. our last name...G&*$$...often mispronounced,
rarely duplicated.

3. Games...we play alot of them...not always with a
happy outcome for the little one that doesn't always
win...but they are learning to win and lose graciously.

4. Google...need i say more?

5. German food...hubs and i have a fave german restaurant
in the city in which we used to live...i gained 5 pounds
just thinking about it!

6. Good mail...this includes anything that is not
in any way a bill of some sort.

7. Gift Giving...i love the feeling i get from giving to others

8. Garage...especially when my car can fit in it!

9. Green apples...love them tart!

10. Gummy bears...the little guy and i share an affinity
for these soft, fruity, chewy tid bits. yumm!

okay...that was not easy, and i am thinking that i missed
something really obvious that starts with a G...but it eludes
me right now!

want to play?
let me know and i'll shoot a letter your way!

dear dreamworks

thank you for the movie
kung fu panda
it is a hit in our household
and what a great message.

however, i feel the need
to mention
a few of the effects it has had
on a certain 4 year old boy.

he is now so very fond of proclaiming
"oh, my tenders"
almost non stop
thanks for that.
and because he was bending over
holding his toes
as he would say it,
thanks also for the impromptu
anatomy lesson about 'tenders'
considering how often he uses it
ignorance might have been bliss.

thanks also for the work out
he is getting
all day, every day
he no longer walks,
runs,
or saunters
from point a to point b
he kung fus it to his destination
he kicks his way through the house.
just pray you are not in his way.
(ahem, just ask hubs)

thanks also for the small hole
in our wall
while engaging in said above behavior
our very hard headed kunf fu master
chipped our wall.
nice decorating touch.

again, thank you for the movie
but, maybe the next big hit can be,
oh, i don't know, maybe
about a boy who
loves serenity and playing the violin
just a suggestion.

grateful

grate·ful

Pronunciation:
\ˈgrāt-fəl\

Function:
adjective

1 a: appreciative of benefits received
b: expressing gratitude

we try so hard to instill
a sense of gratefulness
in our children

we hope that everyday
they see that we are grateful for
family
friends
our good health
a roof over our heads
the jobs we have
the opportunities afforded us
each other

and today, we will take a little extra time
to let them know once again
just how grateful we are
and how grateful they should be

happy thanksgiving everyone!

hold onto your laptops...

here goes...
i have many pics

to share with you

scroll on down

to see a few!

this was a lazy saturday a few weekends ago. nice pink cell big guy!

same weekend...first 'cold' weekend.

the very next weekend...back to shorts

and feeling full of energy...

lots of prep goes into being such an astute jump roper!

mason is a champion frisbee thrower...no really

he rocks!

keep your eyes open buddy!

even these came out to play!

my once completely dead geraniums

got a second wind!

and today...

i had the honor of helping out

with the big guy's preschool

thanksgiving feast

what fun! and the best part...

he sincerely thanked me

about 100 sweet times for

helping with his class today

he's my sweet boy!

and this pic...is just because...

i finally used a gift card

i have carried with me

for over a year

for a cute gift shop

i got the plant and pot

and it is a perfect

addition to bar in the kitchen...