I am a California girl. Halloween and winter jackets are not usually used in the same sentence in my world. Except maybe if your costume was a skier or some dumb-ass who lives in a cold climate. File that bit of info away, while I paint the scene here in lovely Illinois.
It has rained. So much so, when the kids ask me what the weather is going to be like, I don't have to think about it, wet is my go-to answer. When you step on the lawn it is like a sponge. Water smooshes up and your feet get wet. My sump pump is running all the time. My back-up sump pump has even been utilized. I know this because a little light goes on to tell you that the regular sump pump can't cope and the back-up, under-study sump is needed. I comfort myself with the knowledge that after the whole Noah situation G-d promised not to flood the earth again. Hope he is a promise keeper type of guy.
Yesterday, it was warm and rainy. I think it might have been 65ish. I was a bit toasty in my rain slicker. Today, it stopped raining. This is great. No rain for Halloween. Yeah, except, what pushed the rain away was some arctic air. It is windy. For all you comedians out there, Chicago is NOT the windy city because of the wind, but rather the chatty politicians. It is 42 degrees out. So, technically not freezing.
So, how am I suppose to put the kids in their cute costumes and keep them warm? Thus, enters the winter coat. Do they wear it over or under? Is it supposed to be part of the costume? Is it worth putting the costume on if all you are going to do is cover it with a coat? Seriously, Halloween in this part of the country blows. I wish it was warmer.
I will post pictures tomorrow.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
A list
A list for today:
- If I don't know what it means does that mean it does not impact me?
- If you think you can't do it, be inspired.
- If you say you are going to do something, do it
- If you decide you can't or won't do it, tell the person you promised
- Do you keep all of your promises?
- None of us do.
- Today, try and keep up your end of the bargain a little bit more, by fulfilling your end of promise..
- You want to know if I have free time today?
- And you asked me at 10:45pm yesterday?
- I did, but I didn't know it
- I think I might be loosing it
- I am not sure what it is
- I want to be on what not to wear
- Knitting makes everything better
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Its the end of the world
The world ended, a year ago. We are celebrating the one year anniversary of the world ending. It really wasn't this day exactly a year ago, but more like approximately now a year ago. So, here we are, approximately, one year after the world ended. Wait a minute, if I am still here, the world really didn't end. It just seemed like it was going to, but it didn't.
Who remembers the news stories from a year ago? I shall shoot my hand up in the air and yell, pick me, pick me. They were all doom and gloom. Our retirement funds were worthless, our houses were albatrosses around our financial necks, everyone was going to loose their jobs, and we were all going to end up in line at a soup kitchen. I kept wondering, if that is really going to happen, what are we going to do with all our stuff?
Think about it, you get booted from you house, what are you going to do with the Wii? Where are you going to plug in your cell phone? Where will I put the new flat screen TV we bought last year, because the world hadn't ended? The past 10 years or so have been marked by getting stuff. Now that we are homeless, will there be a big pile of stuff somewhere?
I knew everyone wouldn't end up on the streets, because face it, there isn't enough room on the streets for all our stuff. We need the houses we live in to house the stuff. That said, there has been some real suffering out there, and our attitudes about things have experienced a huge shift. For some of that I am grateful. My family is no longer considered to be freaky frugals, but frugalistas. The fact that we saved, used coupons, shopped sales and what not used to make us look like losers, now people ask me for advice.
While things have changed, the world didn't end.
Who remembers the news stories from a year ago? I shall shoot my hand up in the air and yell, pick me, pick me. They were all doom and gloom. Our retirement funds were worthless, our houses were albatrosses around our financial necks, everyone was going to loose their jobs, and we were all going to end up in line at a soup kitchen. I kept wondering, if that is really going to happen, what are we going to do with all our stuff?
Think about it, you get booted from you house, what are you going to do with the Wii? Where are you going to plug in your cell phone? Where will I put the new flat screen TV we bought last year, because the world hadn't ended? The past 10 years or so have been marked by getting stuff. Now that we are homeless, will there be a big pile of stuff somewhere?
I knew everyone wouldn't end up on the streets, because face it, there isn't enough room on the streets for all our stuff. We need the houses we live in to house the stuff. That said, there has been some real suffering out there, and our attitudes about things have experienced a huge shift. For some of that I am grateful. My family is no longer considered to be freaky frugals, but frugalistas. The fact that we saved, used coupons, shopped sales and what not used to make us look like losers, now people ask me for advice.
While things have changed, the world didn't end.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Clean your kids rooms
I read a couple of parenting blogs. Sometimes they are very topical. One such post was about the Columbine shootings. I think the 10 year anniversary was recently. Anyway, the post talked about how the mother of one of the boys had no idea what her son was up to. She was surprised by what she found when she cleaned out his room after his death.
Imagine, if the shoes were on your feet and it was your kid that was so depressed that he wanted to blow up a school and kill himself. You have to imagine that there are signs of that somewhere. A hint that perhaps this might be going through his head. This mother never went into her son's room, because that was his private space and she didn't want to be nosy. The author of the blog I was reading said that it is wise to clean your kids rooms occasionally. It is an enlightening experience to do that.
I do not have teenagers. My kids are not old enough for me to be really concerned that they might blow up a school. I am getting close, but not quite yet. Still, cleaning their rooms is an enlightening experience. The boys have been cleaning their own rooms since school started. But, both rooms had gotten to the point where they needed a good once over.
I donned my cleaning outfit, not a french maids ensemble but sweats and a t-shirt that have bleach stains on them, I am serious about this. Thoose rooms were taking on an odor, some machinery was needed. You know, boy funk. Anyway, the things I found was educational.
The boys are hording toothbrushes. Both had about 8 of them under there beds. All unused, some in their packages some not. I thought, what are they doing with this many toothbrushes? When I questioned them about it, I was informed that they did not wish their sister to use their toothbrushes so they were keeping them in their rooms. But 8 of them??? Really, is that necessary? A 2 year supply?
I also found Valentines Day and Halloween candy wrappers under their beds. This has not been there since the respective holidays, but apparently one of them was stockpiling their candy and wanted to finish it off prior to the new haul coming in. Perhaps this is why they needed so many toothbrushes.
Finally, the source of the funk in Sam's room was a rotting sandwich. One he didn't want to eat, so he hid under his bed. In Mac's room it was an apple, left from a late night snack.
I learned that house rules, no eating in your rooms, are disregarded. That there is a dental hygiene obsession and Mac can budget out his candy really well. It was educational. No bombs, other than stink bombs were located. I wonder what I will find next time.
Imagine, if the shoes were on your feet and it was your kid that was so depressed that he wanted to blow up a school and kill himself. You have to imagine that there are signs of that somewhere. A hint that perhaps this might be going through his head. This mother never went into her son's room, because that was his private space and she didn't want to be nosy. The author of the blog I was reading said that it is wise to clean your kids rooms occasionally. It is an enlightening experience to do that.
I do not have teenagers. My kids are not old enough for me to be really concerned that they might blow up a school. I am getting close, but not quite yet. Still, cleaning their rooms is an enlightening experience. The boys have been cleaning their own rooms since school started. But, both rooms had gotten to the point where they needed a good once over.
I donned my cleaning outfit, not a french maids ensemble but sweats and a t-shirt that have bleach stains on them, I am serious about this. Thoose rooms were taking on an odor, some machinery was needed. You know, boy funk. Anyway, the things I found was educational.
The boys are hording toothbrushes. Both had about 8 of them under there beds. All unused, some in their packages some not. I thought, what are they doing with this many toothbrushes? When I questioned them about it, I was informed that they did not wish their sister to use their toothbrushes so they were keeping them in their rooms. But 8 of them??? Really, is that necessary? A 2 year supply?
I also found Valentines Day and Halloween candy wrappers under their beds. This has not been there since the respective holidays, but apparently one of them was stockpiling their candy and wanted to finish it off prior to the new haul coming in. Perhaps this is why they needed so many toothbrushes.
Finally, the source of the funk in Sam's room was a rotting sandwich. One he didn't want to eat, so he hid under his bed. In Mac's room it was an apple, left from a late night snack.
I learned that house rules, no eating in your rooms, are disregarded. That there is a dental hygiene obsession and Mac can budget out his candy really well. It was educational. No bombs, other than stink bombs were located. I wonder what I will find next time.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Hayride
Hannah and I survived a field trip to the pumpkin farm. We went on a hay ride and saw a spooky house and played some games. It was nice to see who Hannah was friends with and all of that.
After 5 years of preschool, I feel ready to graduate from the hay ride. I am over it. So my plan to was to do a whole rant about how I hate hay rides. Then I looked at the blogs of note. Blogs of note are blogs that the folks at blogger feature. Usually one everyday, but sometimes they miss a day. I know, can you believe it? They must be falling down on the job.
Can you imagine that it was your job to pick a blog out and feature it? That is what I want to be when I grow up, Blogs Of Note Selector. Or, Vice President of Notable Blogs. How much fun? There are thousands to pick from. Some are really interesting and clever, and some are like mine, about families and kids and the art of parenting.
Every time I read a parenting blog, I think, my kids are just not funny enough. Seriously, we need to work on that. Hannah managed to keep herself relatively unmuddy at the pumpkin farm. She looked adorable in her winter coat, which now needs a spin in the washer. Did I mention it was muddy? But there were no grand dives into the mud. I managed to stay on my feet, which is impressive any day of the week, but so funny. Maybe I should have pitched into a mud puddle just for blog fodder.
See what I mean, the kids just aren't working with me on this. How am I supposed to be a blog of note it no one is cooperating with me?
After 5 years of preschool, I feel ready to graduate from the hay ride. I am over it. So my plan to was to do a whole rant about how I hate hay rides. Then I looked at the blogs of note. Blogs of note are blogs that the folks at blogger feature. Usually one everyday, but sometimes they miss a day. I know, can you believe it? They must be falling down on the job.
Can you imagine that it was your job to pick a blog out and feature it? That is what I want to be when I grow up, Blogs Of Note Selector. Or, Vice President of Notable Blogs. How much fun? There are thousands to pick from. Some are really interesting and clever, and some are like mine, about families and kids and the art of parenting.
Every time I read a parenting blog, I think, my kids are just not funny enough. Seriously, we need to work on that. Hannah managed to keep herself relatively unmuddy at the pumpkin farm. She looked adorable in her winter coat, which now needs a spin in the washer. Did I mention it was muddy? But there were no grand dives into the mud. I managed to stay on my feet, which is impressive any day of the week, but so funny. Maybe I should have pitched into a mud puddle just for blog fodder.
See what I mean, the kids just aren't working with me on this. How am I supposed to be a blog of note it no one is cooperating with me?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Change
I pray for change. Every single day, I pray for change. I do it sometimes hundreds of times a day. I pray for change. Many of you who know we well, know that I hate change. I announce this on a fairly regular basis. Interestingly enough I am praying for change, at the same time I am announcing I hate change.
So, perhaps it isn't change I dislike so much as just the unknown. I am not a fan of not knowing what to expect. Yet, life changes on a dime. One minute you think everything will be the same and something happens. Something dramatic, and your life is forever altered. The course you thought you would take is no longer the same. Usually at some point in the journey your are glad you are where you are, but I wonder how much of that is a reaction to the fact that being any place else is sort of not a choice.
Today I pray for change, because I no longer wish to be here. I know that getting to where we are getting to requires that we pass through here, I am done with it and want to move on. So, perhaps tomorrow is the day everything changes? Probably not, but maybe soon.
So, perhaps it isn't change I dislike so much as just the unknown. I am not a fan of not knowing what to expect. Yet, life changes on a dime. One minute you think everything will be the same and something happens. Something dramatic, and your life is forever altered. The course you thought you would take is no longer the same. Usually at some point in the journey your are glad you are where you are, but I wonder how much of that is a reaction to the fact that being any place else is sort of not a choice.
Today I pray for change, because I no longer wish to be here. I know that getting to where we are getting to requires that we pass through here, I am done with it and want to move on. So, perhaps tomorrow is the day everything changes? Probably not, but maybe soon.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Cherry Cola
Awhile ago I lost my sock mojo. I was just off socks. So many stickin' baby blankets to make. The socks I made my sister-in-law were so yucky, it put me off socks for awhile. Well, I am getting my mojo back. I found this amazingly lovely yarn, and am now making a pattern called Mojo. They are socks that don't match, they coordinate. LOVE that!
It is called Cherry Cola... I love cherry cola, and I love this yarn. This yarn did not, could not, refused to go and live with my stash. It would have been in good company, but it showed me it's teeth. So I didn't put it away. Apparently, this yarn does not play well with the other children.
Sock pictures to come!
It is called Cherry Cola... I love cherry cola, and I love this yarn. This yarn did not, could not, refused to go and live with my stash. It would have been in good company, but it showed me it's teeth. So I didn't put it away. Apparently, this yarn does not play well with the other children.
Sock pictures to come!
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