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| This is when the drum roll starts. |
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| ...and we have a winner! |
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| Message me Brandi on OTJ's FB page and we'll set up the details and CONGRATULATIONS!!! :) |
Sunday, March 31, 2013
And the winner is...
Thursday, March 28, 2013
This Stinks of Payback
I know not to trust the silence. Quiet kids mean something bad is secretly
being plotted or executed.
So when I heard Blondie making a ruckus outside I didn't
worry.
But when I didn't hear Little Man after a while, I did.
I tried not to draw attention to myself as it's near lunch
time and I didn't want the; "I'm hungry" chorus to start, so I just
peeked outside.
Neither one could be seen.
I walked towards the playhouse and still didn't see
them. But I did notice all the toys that
are normally kept in an oversized Rubbermaid were thrown all over the
yard.
As I neared the side of playhouse I heard Blondie jumping up
and down on the lid of the oversized plastic toy box and dread washed over me.
“Payback… this stinks of payback.”
And there she was; our petite little blue eyed angel jumping
up and down on the lid with her eyes closed laughing hysterically. I don’t see or hear him, but I know Little
Man is inside.
When she sees me she stops in midair, but gravity intervened
and she slowly landed back on the lid.
She did the, 'I’m precious' head tilt and grin… hands clasped in front
of her to complete the look.
“Go inside. Sit in
time out. We’ll talk in a minute.”
She walks off pouting and skirts past me covering her
butt. I rescue Little Man whose face is
covered in dirt with dried tears.
I’ve
no idea how long he’s been in there. I
brush him off, lift him up and he clings to me all the way inside and as I sit
down.
“You okay?”
“Mmokay” <sniff>
“Were you in there for very long?”
“Mmokay” <sniff>
At this point I call Blondie in the room. I don’t ask her why she did it. Just a few months back Little Man had emptied
a Rubbermaid under the bed with their summer clothes and stuffed her inside…then
rolled her back under the bed.
It was funny
I’ll admit it. There was no chance she’d
suffocate, just like today's incident, but it had to be scary.
“That was very mean.
You scared him. You need to apologize.”
She hugged his neck, said she was sorry and gave him a kiss
on the cheek. He accepted her apology
and hugged her back. It was a really
sweet moment, one I see often between these two, but usually after a big
fight.
It sticks for a few hours.
They are the best of friends helping each other and playing together
well. But then a favorite toy is touched
or moved or looked at sideways by the other and the fight starts again.
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| My BFF took this photo. Love! :) |
"Twins are built in playmates." I've heard that a lot.
Nobody told me they were also mortal enemies.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
We Shall Overcome!
Many of y'all know I dropped the kids off with my parents yesterday so I could paint the trim on the front of the house and move a few truck loads of mulch without having to worry about them riding their trikes and bikes in the street.
Never mind that I park our trucks in front of the driveway. I have an active imagination and the paranoia that most parents develop the second they have their first child.
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| You can see why I worry. These kids want out. ;) |
Anyway, it rained last night, hail and all. And now the wood is too wet to paint. And the ground too soggy for me to back a F250 in the yard loaded with cubic yards of mulch without leaving major ruts. Factor in the dang prairie dog tunnels and we're still trying to build the yard back up from our last mistake.
So my plans have been foiled. ARG! We have friends coming over tonight. Happy about that. But wish my yard was up to snuff. Curse you Mother Nature. Curse you so bad. <fist to sky>
*I know y'all stuck in snow are rolling your eyes at me. I get it. I mean... I don't. But I will in summer. ;)
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| The damage is bad... real bad. ;) |
Now I have to toss my list <tear> and make a new one. First, I shall clean up from the storm. You know... sweep. I can't help but think of the picture of the plastic table set with the one chair knocked over and the caption; "We will rebuild!" I snicker at that. And keep singing the song, "We will overcome" like it was so dramatic. Seriously, there's a little drama queen in all of us.
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| Poor Cy got beat up. But he's still hangin' and smirkin'. |
The husband, the great guy that he is decided that with allll my spare time I should finish his cabinet for his amp. Now I've done this before with vinyl and furniture tacks. But this time he wants to spend a ton of money on real Tolex and hardware.
*I had a funny exchange with the shop this morning. The tax showed up twice as much as the purchase. This was my comment: "I'm looking to buy $28.50 worth of tolex and $6 worth of hardware and the tax shows as $51.85. Please tell me somethings wrong on your site or did some rare animal have to get killed for this stuff? ;) "
He replied minutes later: "Yeah, forging those corners out of toenail of the elusive albino rhino's is a mutha! Try it now, the taxable amount on the corners lost the decimal point and was charging sales tax on $75."
I might buy from him just for that reply. *Also, this isn't the grill cloth. That's the major expense. And y'all know I'm cheap. If I can do it I will. And now the husband likes the idea of black stain and hammered copper edges. WTHeck... shut yo mouth Christine!!!
So I might be doin' that. But first I clean. Then shower. Then make a How To video like I promised. And then the hardware store.... maybe Target just for fun. I don't know. I'm lost without my list. I might just walk in circles and scratch my head for awhile.
Friday, March 22, 2013
March Fly on the Wall
Spring was in the air weeks before the official date.
Because of that I just HAD to get some work around the house done. And I'm so glad I did. We've already had a 90 and several 80 degree days. It will be a very, very hot summer. So here's a quick picture tour of this month around the house... in no particular order:
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| The garage is the husband's domain, but I'd had enough. I still have work to do, but we can walk around in there again. :) |
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| Our radishes are already growing. <squee!> |
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| The kids were not too happy when we fenced the garden. Poor things missed their dirt pile... so I made them one of their own. ;) |
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| I refurbished the patio furniture. We priced new sets... $50 worth of paint was worth it. ;) |
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| My compost bin is a year old. I'm makin' dirt now. :) |
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| We all looked a bit rough this past month. |
Still more work to be done.
But spring didn't beat me this year.
I win! ;)
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| I entered a photo contest with Mommy Needs a Break. Check it out... and vote please. ;) |
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| Also this week, I won a giveaway with Origami Owl. I know... Saweet!!! My friend is selling it and I was one of the first 100 to like her page. So cool!!! Here's her page: Chelsey's Lovely Lockets |
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| And finally the butterflies from our Girl Scout troop have been released into the wild. Okay our backyard, but close enough. It was a month long process but the girls earned their bug badge and learned a lot about the life cycle of a butterfly as well as ladybugs and now... <shiver> we're hatching praying mantis. ;) |
Thanks for looking around and don't forget to buzz on over to these other homes and enjoy a peek inside. :)
Thursday, March 21, 2013
How to Make a Dragonfly
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| I ended up needing 2 legs because mine were to a kid's table and too short. |
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| I mitered the fan blades to fit together. |
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| Predrilled holes for the antennas. |
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| To make the tail longer I added a second leg. The wood was too hard for my brad nailer so I used an old curtain rod bracket to hold the 2 pieces together. *Cheap, recycling... what's the difference? ;) |
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| Mismatched nails... owned it. Signed my name to it. Booyah!!! |
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| Everyone loves the smirky smile. *I coated him in glow in the dark paint. |
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| Say hello to Cyborg... Cy for short. |
Tommy Da Jewla
As a jeweler he trained under one of the bests so he compares himself to his mentor and feels like he falls short. But he's an excellent jeweler and excels at what he does.
For him someone noticing what he does is surprising. (20+ years of me noticing... just not the same.) ;)
But you know you are loved when your band mates have a t-shirt made with your face on it. And not just any picture. But your high school graduation picture.
The story goes that I posted a photo of Tommy on my Facebook page a few years ago and some of his band mates, who didn't know him as a rebellious teen, thought it was hilarious. (Okay he wasn't really that rebellious but it sounds better.) ;)
They know Tommy as the clean cut guy who plays Contemporary Christian music at church, not a 'thug' with a mullet who played in a heavy metal band.
One of the guys suggested a t-shirt be made for the whole band. The idea got more laughs and someone said the picture reminded them of the "Jesus is My Homeboy" shirt and that's how they should make it. But with "Tommy Da Jewla" because, well... he's a jeweler. ;)
The subject was dropped again. No word for ages. Then one day I get an email asking for a copy of the picture so they can finally get it done. So being the good wife that I am I sent it and never said a word to the husband.
In August of 2011 the band had a barbecue so we could say our good byes to one of the members who was about to start a new job in a new city. Tommy thought it was just about that. And then they handed out the t-shirts. The look on Tommy's face was great. He loved and hated it.
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| "There's just something weird about having your face on someone's t-shirt." |
I love that 20+ years later he still smirks. No smile... just a smirk. ;)
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Here lizard, lizard!
My kids love lizards and we have a lot of them. Between the hundreds of rocks that boarder our yard and the 50 cubic tons of mulch we have... it's a lizard haven. The kids stay well entertained during the summer months chasing and catching them.
So far in the last few days they've caught 4... or maybe 5. I've lost count. I have a quick video of one they kept for a few hours. You'll notice he lost his tail from the start. They want one as a pet, but I can't subject any creature to these 3. It wouldn't be right. ;)
Lizzy
Yesterday Blondie came in with a new baby one.
She 'loves him sooo much'. I know because she said so.
Just a few pictures of her and Lizzy II.
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| She's so very proud of her new friend. |
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| She let him drive her favorite car. |
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| ...and just a few minutes ago, Lizzy III This girl LOVES Lizards. She loves them too much. (We've already buried him.) <sigh> :( |
Friday, March 15, 2013
March Secret Subject Swap
My “Secret Subject” is: Put a personal spin on many a gal's favorite song, 'Girls just wanna have ______'
It was submitted by: http://www.findingfelicity.com
Oh heavens, you mean like write song lyrics? I'm not good at song lyrics.
Don't they have to rhyme or make sense? No?
Oh well then... here goes. ;)
Just in case someone out there doesn't know the lyrics to Cyndi Lauper's, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" here they are. Or for those that do... a little refresher. ;)
I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
The phone rings in the middle of the night
My father yells what you gonna do with your life
Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one
But girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have
That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I want to be the one to walk in the sun
Oh girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have
That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun,
They want to have fun,
They want to have fun
Don't they have to rhyme or make sense? No?
Oh well then... here goes. ;)
Just in case someone out there doesn't know the lyrics to Cyndi Lauper's, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" here they are. Or for those that do... a little refresher. ;)
I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
The phone rings in the middle of the night
My father yells what you gonna do with your life
Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one
But girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have
That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I want to be the one to walk in the sun
Oh girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have
That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun,
They want to have fun,
They want to have fun
So my version? Well, it's nearly midnight and yes, I'm just now getting to this. Why? I thought I was doing Fly on the Wall this week... oops. (My fault.) Sooo, I'm ahead on that blog and cutting it close on this one. But I made it. So no laughin' dang it! ;)
My take on the song: Moms just want to sleep!
I go to bed in the morning light.
My children say when you gonna tuck us in tight?
Oh children dear your moms not slept in days.
And moms they want to sleep.
Oh moms just want to sleep!
The children cry in the middle of the night.
My husband says what ya gonna do about that wife?
Oh husband dear I love you so very much.
But moms they want to sleep.
Oh moms just want to sleep!
That’s all we really want
Some sleep
When the kids are all fed and bathed.
Moms… they want to sleep.
Oh moms just want to sleep!
Some kids they stay in bed all night.
And their moms sleep like their dead to the world.
I want to be the one who sleeps all day.
Oh moms they want to sleep.
Oh moms they just want to sleep!
That’s all they really want
Some sleep!
When the kids are all fed and bathed.
Moms… they want to sleep.
Oh moms just want to sleep!
*I'd like to add that this is a work of fiction. Any similarities to the truth is only coincidental and no animals were harmed. (Unless brains cells are considered animals. Then yes, some were harmed.)
Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Donuts and Dirt
The kids wanted donuts. Heck, the husband and I wanted them too. ;)
So I made my super duper easy ones. Long before Pinterest pinned them we ate them. Yep, people were cooking and crafting before a website told us how to do it. Oh I still love to pin stuff on my boards and find great ideas, but many of us were doing these things long before it was pin-worthy. ;)
Here's a quick picture tutorial:
A few tips, I have a biscuit and donut cutter. I don't like the insert for donuts. The holes are too big and the donuts too thin. I use the cover from our candy thermometer. The donut holes are perfect for testing the temperature of the oil. When they dance in the oil add the donuts. Remember not to toss them in, just lay one end in and the rest lay down gently so the oil doesn't splatter on you or the stove.
As soon as you put the last donut in the oil go back to the start and turn them over. By the time you have turned the last one over you'll pull out the first one and lay them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
If you do a second tube of biscuits/ donuts make sure to turn the heat down. By now the oil is way too hot for a second batch.
*I start with medium high heat and on the second batch turn down to medium. Of course each stove is different. But if it's too hot the outside will be crispy and the inside gooey. Karate Girl calls them 'Cheesy Donuts'. I call them gross. <shivers>
***********************************************************************
After clearing away the donut mess (not much really) I played with the tiny tiller again. I might not return it to our friends. ;) After fencing off the garden I felt bad for the kids, especially Little Man who loved playing in the dirt. We had some left over wood so I racked the mulch, cut a split 4X4 we couldn't use and a deck board that had a few 4X4 blocks with stripped screws.
I tilled up the dirt, added what little sand we had from an old basketball stand (we'll be adding more sand soon) and popped a chalk line and marked off roads. Nothin' fancy. No money spent but the kids have been out there since 11:00 AM when I finished it and it's now 2:00. I'd call that a success!
*They didn't even ask for lunch, I had to lay it out on the picnic table so they'd stop to eat. I'm excited. ;)
I really like that I can look out the laundry room window... about 10' from my office desk that sits in the kitchen. We call it Mrs. Kravitz Korner. I can check on them without disturbing them. I.E. calling attention to me and getting the; "Look at this mom.", "Look at me.", "He threw dirt on me..." You get the point. I like it. ;)
Now it's time to clean up the lunch mess and start painting the side porch furniture. This weekend we're building a privacy fence so we can use it as a morning porch. Kid's don't have access to it so we're thinking early morning coffee... kid free. <squee!!!> :)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
My Tree Huggin' Little Man
Day 1 of Tree Trimming
The husband needed to trim a few limbs that were either broken or dead. He started the process while the kids and I were in the front yard. By the time I moved their bikes to the back he'd already cut down most of a dead tree we were concerned would fall during the next big wind storm.
At first Little Man didn't seem to notice much. But then he actually saw the limbs falling to the ground and he looked shocked. We've used clippers before... lots of times actually, with no problems. He's even helped me move the tree limbs to the back of the truck. But this time he was beside himself. First he ran to a big limb and held it and started to cry. Then he looked at us and said, "Daddy broke the tree!" And the crying turned to sobs.
I thought maybe the reciprocating saw was just too loud for him so I asked the husband to turn it off for a minute while I tried to calm him down. As soon as I called him over to me he walked away. When I tried to tell him everything was okay he just lowed his head, shuffled off and cried louder. He wouldn't look us in the eyes.
"Baby it's okay. Come here."
More sobbing, looked over his shoulder but still no eye contact. I finally walked to him, carried him back and asked what the matter was. This was his reply:
"Daddy broke the tree!"
Day 2 of Tree Trimming
We still had to cut down a big limb that broke during the winter on our lone tree out front. Because I needed to help, the kids were out front with us. I had to keep them away while he was 12' up with a saw on a ladder that was leaning up against not so sturdy branches. My eyes were everywhere at once trying to keep the kids and the husband safe.
Little Man was so excited about the ladder that he kept trying to climb up it. Then he heard the saw, saw me holding the limb to pull it away so as not to knock the husband off the ladder when it fell. That's when he realized what we were about to do. He ran off towards the road, just stopping shy of the curb. My heart was racing but he does mind so a quick, "Stay away from the street!" had him moving closer towards the house, but far away from us.
"No Daddy no!!! Don't break the tree!!!" The sobbing started all over. But we couldn't stop and the limb was a hazard. When it came down we quickly started consoling him... again. "It'll make the tree better. It's okay. It was already broken we fixed it." Nothing worked.. BUT this time he allowed the husband to hug him and I he helped drag it to the truck. He wasn't happy, but he was better.
My Tree Huggin' Little Man
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| Remind you of a book? ;) |
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I think the husband was just as upset. Not at having trimmed the tree. But that his son was so upset over it. We still have limbs that need trimming in the back, but we've decided to wait till he's away at my parent's place.
...and we might be rethinking all this tree talkin' movies. Dang it! ;)
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| This happens to be the husband's favorite childhood book. |
MHO Monday Mingle Blog Hop
... a day behind. But I have a good excuse. ;)
3. Did you have a high school sweetheart?
And do you still keep in contact with them?
5. Do you think you were popular in high school? If you went back do you think it would be the same or different?
Okay, now it's your turn. Grab the button and questions and repost on your page!!! Make sure to copy the blog hop code too!!! You don't have to answer the questions, you can just repost the button. Link your post up and mingle with other bloggers!!! No rules, just meet new people! Next weeks theme: Goals
This weeks theme is: High School
This weeks questions...
1. What was your favorite memory from high school?
Getting my first detention, junior year for saying; "Smart-ass" in psychology class. When the teacher asked, "What one word do you think your parents would use to describe you?" I answered truthfully but she took issue. I thought she was joking so I left when the bell rang. She had my ex-boyfriend hand deliver it to me in my next class. (This tells you the kind of chick she was.) <eye roll>
Anyway, knowing my dad was strict she had me read his reply in front of the classroom. I was surprised by what he wrote. I mean, I knew he wouldn't be upset with me, but I didn't expect him to reply with; "You obviously have yet to master the English language. If you had you would know that a smart-ass is an oxymoron and not a cuss word..." She stopped me around that part.
Ah yes... good times. ;)
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| I never use chemistry, but I've used my shoulders and hips to block the kids and keep them in line... a lot! :O |
2. If you could do one thing over in high school what would it be?
I would have skipped Chemistry and stuck with Physical Science. Ours was the first class and only, to skip Algebra 2 and start a higher science. Without Algebra 2 many dropped out. I tried to stick it out and had to miss a six-week of extracurricular activities for a hard earned 65. :(
At the semester I changed to PS and made straight As. <sigh>
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| Greg and I at my senior prom 1991. |
3. Did you have a high school sweetheart?
And do you still keep in contact with them?
Yes and sorta. :)
I dated Greg for 2 1/2 years. A year and half in high school and one year in college.
I have him on Facebook but besides the yearly happy birthday and a picture I might come across and post on there... we don't talk.
4. Have you attended a high school reunion yet? If so how was it?
Yes I went to our 10th. And that was after a LOT of preparation A friend contacted me asking if we were having one. Neither of us where in the council but no one was doing anything so we sorta took over. I booked the place, the bartender, the margarita machine, the police, the dance floor and DJ. The husband (who graduated with me, but we didn't date till our sophomore year of college) got the booze ;)... and tons of other folks helped us pull off a great reunion.
We didn't go to our 20th. With FB it saves us from the expensive of travel and tickets. ;)
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| Choir trip to San Antonio, Texas. We always had so much fun. :) |
I was right in the middle. I played basketball and ran track so I hung out with some popular kids. I also sang in choir. In our school choir was were all the athletes went (especially the guys) to get an easy credit... so by default it was almost cool. ;)
But my range of friends spanned a large group from ultra nerds, a few geeks, a smattering of thugs and ropers (not sure those terms are still used) ;) and of course athletes. I was well rounded. :)
As far as going back... No Frakin' Way! Even though I really enjoyed school I wouldn't want to do it over. No thanks. ;)
As far as going back... No Frakin' Way! Even though I really enjoyed school I wouldn't want to do it over. No thanks. ;)
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| I was #32. I played post. My job was to rebound, pass and defend. I only fouled out a few times... ;) |
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| I'm the first on the left. Singing alto... something my choir teacher only discovered after 5 1/2 years with her. I told her I was struggling to hit those high notes. ;) |
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Pallets to Potting Bench
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