We'll Take Our Report Cards With Frosting

The thrones have found their rightful places! It wasn't nearly as painful as I worried it would be and I'm so glad it's done. The only thing that could have made it better would be E3 eliminating something from her room to make space for the throne. We'll need to replace her bed with a hammock soon.

Nephew F and E3

Yesterday afternoon was spent at the indoor water park of the rec center. It was a good idea apparently, because everyone else was there too.

Our tree is still dominating the living room and I'm at a point where I have to decide whether it's staying for E3's party or kick it in gear, un-adorn it, and kick it to the curb before Saturday.

The family calendar for my Father-in-law's family has been started and finished in the span of the last two days. I'm waiting for one more picture and final verification from the family members on the number I need to order. Chop-chop, people - it's almost the new year and we don't have calendars ordered.

Speaking of chopping...I received a beautiful Shun knife from my Sister-in-law in the old cool gift exchange. I made quick work of a red pepper tonight and now I want to throw out all my other knives and play favorites with this one.

I feel like I'm running on a treadmill at a speed just faster than I can keep up with and stay upright; behind the eight-ball as they say. BUT! Tomorrow we shop, because there are girls here with gift-cards, and gym shoes are needed for basketball, and they're almost due for another report card and we still haven't redeemed their last set of A's for Krispy Kreme. You know what they say...so many A's, so little time...

Clawing Our Way Out

I had such good intentions of getting back to the routine today - I was going to get up at a respectable time, walk on the treadmill, tackle some laundry, and prepare my daughters' rooms for the re-arranging that needs to happen due to some Christmas gifts.

Thrones. They got THRONES for Christmas.

Instead, I slept until 10:00am.


I think we've had so many consecutive days of staying up late/sleeping late that my body has decided this must be the new schedule.


Tomorrow, perhaps...but probably not.

Lesson: Never Run Out of Paper Towels

Checking in for a moment...taking deep breaths so as to ward off looming holiday anxiety...


Yesterday was a day, man.


Clogged sink (you don't want to know, really).


Clogged toilet.


Kid moaning and groaning about going to school - it was a Monday thing, but come on - it's the last full day before the holiday break.


Same kid was EXTRA clingy and whiny, despite having an "awesome", "fun" day at school.


Kids WOUND UP - seriously, wickedly WOUND. UP. after getting home from school - seeming to argue, alternating with MAXIMUM hilarity over all farts and burps while attempting to determine protocol for who wakes whom on Christmas morning based on all possible scenarios. (E3: What's a scenario?)


Broken zipper on coat that's only a month old - we're not done talking about this, Old Navy.


Volunteer gift wrappers screwing around while wrapping gifts - both using the same roll and not paying attention to the fact that they need to cut carefully or they will both run out mid-gift...long story...but it's the one that had my head in my hands taking deep breaths and thinking "it falls out of my holly jolly butt" before dismissing the volunteers with the instructions to go do something QUIET.


(not kid/work friendly)




All that mixed in with following-up on a couple of gifts that we still need - all ordered and whatnot, just need to get them all here for wrapping - sending in the proper teacher, etc. gifts, planning the kg holiday party, planning groceries/meals for the next week or so, and the general household stuff...I was ready to tap out.


I'm hoping for a better day today...which may be asking a lot - it's party day at school, followed by an early dismissal. One of the teachers already thanked me for her gift though, so it's looking up already.

The Appliance Of My Memories

I can't even believe they still make these! That makes me sound really old, doesn't it?

Photo from West Bend, who has no idea who I am and is in no way affiliated with me.

This is not a paid ad or review, just fond memories.

I had one of these in college, and it was the best thing ever. Small microwaves were just becoming affordable for poor college students (I now sound positively archaic), but this dandy was far better.

I affectionately called it "the appliance" because that was easier than saying "the four-quart slow-cooker" (mine was a lowly 4qt. model).

The base could be used as a griddle...grilled cheese anyone? Or maybe pancakes? BACON?!

The non-stick pot, perfect for heating up a can of soup or Spaghetti-o's, or making Stove-Top stuffing, or mac-n-cheese ('cause Easy Mac didn't exist yet) could also be used on a stovetop-not that I had a stove top. Stereotypical Ramen noodles - HA! Although it could be used for making those too.

The glass lid on mine, different from what is pictured here, could be inverted on the base so the base could keep food in the glass dish warm, but also could be used as a casserole dish in an oven- not that I had an oven either.

I still have mine, and we use it mostly for large family gatherings where we've grilled a lot and need to keep the food warm. The heating element is a bit finicky these days...but back in the old college days, man, I could make Rice Krispy treats in the non-stick pot and then press them into the glass 'casserole' lid. It left the alternative, hot pots, in the dust.

It was The Awesome, before the phrase The Awesome ever existed.

Wish List

• I went to a different grocery store than our usual small-town place the other day and noticed they had signs on their doors that read "Did you remember your re-usable shopping bags?" I would like all stores to have these signs, only out in the parking lot where I can see them while I'm still in, or at least near, my car.
  
• What Mir said.


• Clarity on exactly what I'm doing "with all that free time" I should have now that all three kids are in school...people keep asking, and I don't have an answer...my closets aren't any closer to being decluttered though.


• Manufacturers that make women's tops/blouses/shirts/sweaters that cover the top of my pants even when I raise my arms over my head...or more manufacturers that carry a tall line of clothing.


• My sinuses to go into hibernation for the winter. Seriously. Enough already.


• And a partridge in a pear tree.

Piloting Her Imagination

She'll have one of these for Christmas, please.

On the way home from gymnastics tonight we drove past the Air Force Base and the 'search light' spotlight was flashing from atop the hospital. E3 asked me to remind her what that light was for (we had just discussed it on Sunday evening) and I said it was for helicopters in the event they need to land on the hospital.

E3: Why would a helicopter need to land on the hospital?

Me: Sometimes in an emergency, when a person needs to go to a bigger hospital like the ones in St. Louis, they put them in the helicopter and fly them because flying is faster than driving in an ambulance.

E3: When you went...when you had me and E2 and E3...did you drive or did you take a helicopter?

We drove, but in the interest of full disclosure we SO would have taken a helicopter if that was a non-emergency option.

A Good Rule