it's entirely possible that we should cut down on our reality TV...

...because yesterday, my children played "Biggest Loser" for over an hour.

They had challenges: Carry 5 Barbies from the basement up 2 flights of stairs, one at a time--first team done gets immunity;

Temptations: something involving the oatmeal pies I had just purchased;

tearful weigh ins: the 7 year old has plateaued at 54 pounds, in spite of his intense effort; and

One mother of a last chance workout. As I was watching our 11 year old pretending to be Bob, yelling "Come ON!! Last CHANCE!! You can do this!!" to our 35 pound 5 year old daughter as she jumps on and off an overturned toy basket the only thing I could think was...

it could be worse. They could have chosen to play @#!*% 's Kitchen.

quote of the week...

"I don't think there's anything exceptional or noble in being philanthropic. It's the other attitude that confuses me."

--Paul Newman

there's a blizzard coming...

...and me, without my emergency supply of sprinkles.

that's helpful...

Doctor: You really don't handle your stress well at all. You should learn to handle your stress better.

Me: I cannot believe I have to pay money to hear that advice.

quote of the week...

"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it; if you could really look at other men with common curiosity and pleasure. … You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own little plot is always being played, and you would find yourself under a freer sky, and in a street full of splendid strangers."

--G. K. Chesterton

this should be fun...

So I am involved in helping plan and execute an event for a school booster club. This is normally not "my thing", but I am determined to do this--to be of help, and to broaden my social circles a bit. I am excited, but a little nervous, because getting to know new people in a new environment is not something that comes easy to me.

So, I get the emails about where and when the first planning meeting is going to be. It seems that in choosing the location for said meeting, a high priority is placed on the availability of adult beverages and, if at all possible, a good Happy Hour. (and not the Sonic one, which of course I would be. All. Over.)

Great.

You see, with new people, I've always preferred easing into the fact that I am Freaky Mormon Chick. I can usually count on a few meetings that don't require me to reveal my teetotaler status, which gives me a chance to get comfortable with people before we have to get all "why don't you drink?" about it.

So, I go to The Hubby and I state: (very maturely and not at all whiny) "But I don't waaaaaannna be the Freaky Mormon Chick at the very first meeeeetinnngg."

His response?

"Tell them you're a raging alcoholic."
"Or tell them that if you come home drunk one more time, I'll beat you."
"Or you could always say...hey! Where are you going, babe?"

He made being Freaky Mormon Chick seem preferable, I'll give him that.

quote of the week...

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."

--Audrey Hepburn

the rest of the story...

It was sprinkles.

Imagine an 8 ounce jar...a FULL 8 ounce jar...of sprinkles. Now imagine a little 3 year old climbing up several shelves in the pantry to reach these sprinkles and having...some trouble.

Sprinkles EVERYwhere. Imagine a colony of Pixar-animated mice invading and leaving their droppings all over the place. Imagine them NOT just being in the pantry. Imagine them in the pantry--every single shelf and crevice--and also all over the kitchen floor. And the family room floor. And a little in the front room. The nice thing about wood floors is that they really give things that drop a running start.

Imagine the little 3 year old boy, quietly and frantically trying to "pick up" the sprinkles before Mommy can see what's happened. One by one. With his little chubby toddler hands.
I know. I couldn't even get mad at him.

a conversation that has no chance of ending well...

Me: (yelling) 3 year old child? Where are you 3 year old child? Three year old child!!
3 year old child: (yelling) I downtairs.
Me: What are you doing?
3 year old child: I...uh...picking up.
Me: What? Why? What are you picking up?
3 year old child: Uh...ummm...nutting?
Me: (as I run down the stairs) Crap.

quote of the week...

"I can remember what flavor of ice cream cone my grandmother and I shared at Disneyworld; but most of the time, I can't remember what day it is. I guess it depends on what you think is important."

--Katherine, age 13

another window into my world...

So, anyway...last week was, being the first week of the month, grocery shopping time. (has anyone else noticed that I mostly start posts with words like, 'so' and 'anyway'? It's like my blog--and my life--are just one big run on sentence.)

This is trip to the store #1. This is where I go to one of those "members only" warehousey thingys (it's a technical term) and get all the big bulk stuff. Just fyi--that pudding didn't even make it into the house before the whining for it started. I spent $147.63.

This is trip to the store #2, which was done right after trip #1. This second trip is to the local military base to shop at the commissary. There are much better prices than one can get "shopping on the economy" as it is called among us military family types. This is honestly a great benefit for us, and I am grateful for it. Most of the time, we save about 10-20% by taking the extra drive to go there. This time, unlike most times I go, I brought along The Hubby and our two youngest. It was no small miracle that we exited the store with no bloodshed and still speaking to each other. I spent $274.57.
And here we are with all the stuff at home, ready to be put away. Well, actually this isn't everything...all the frozen and much of the refrigerated groceries were put away before I took this picture.
This was an abbreviated shopping trip, because we had things left over from last month, and because I only went with my 2 week menu shopping list as opposed to my full month's menu shopping list. This will last us about 2 1/2 weeks, if I keep constant watch that the children don't eat all the snacks in the first 72 hours...

quote of the week...

"Sometimes, things happen that make you so mad, you can't even blog about them."

--my wise and witty friend, Kim