All drivers beware!

I had my first ride, or drive rather, on a motorized vehicle with two wheels.
It was very impromptu, I was just getting home and my husbands friend stopped by to show it to him.
He practically dared me to drive it and of course I cannot turn down a dare no matter how scared I am.
While both kids were still in the car, I took off down the side walk, missed the driveway, flew over the curb and very very close to a white ford station wagon.

But then I got the hang of it and went entirely around the block! HOW FUN! But I think that is enough for a while.

I didn't even have a helmet or sunglasses on. Look out she's a dare devil!


All that excitement on top of a super good deal at Target, free splashes at the downtown fountain and then 3 free fruit teas from Carabou Coffee!
And then it crashed when I got home to check the mail and in it was a notice that my children's health insurance was ending in 10 days due to non-payment. Funny since my bank says the premium check cashed 4 days before it was due... hmm.
I already sent off a very demanding email as to what the heck happened and will this be a regular occurrence? I am sure they will all laugh at that one and throw me to the end of the pile, since it is the State, but I feel a teensy bit better! SO HA!

Brownies WITH sugar

I re-made Ina Garten's "outrageous brownies" again today... this time with sugar!
About two weeks ago I absolutley forgot the 2 1/4 c of sugar and let's just say they were very dark.
I also made a double batch of banana muffins to use up my brown bananas and those were ok. Nothing fabulous like everyone rated them.

I did about a zillion loads of laundry - in Gain- naturally. I washed my floors by hand, did dishes, put dishes away, got an oil change, took clothes to Goodwill and hit CVS and Target.

I took my three year old to breakfast at a restaurant , just us. We snuck out before anyone else was up. That is so fun. We have done it before and he is such a grown up!

So my mother has a fresh set of sheets waiting to get put on our bed in the morning, a dust free ceiling fan, clean floors and bathroom. All of this took only three days!
I had a ton of catching up to do... years worth. I had just been shuffling a lot of junk around.

Good thing we are going ot of town tomorrow and I had to do it- or else I may never have.

I did a ton today, I did not, however, shower. Something has to give.

Oh yeah- and I never figured out my tutuorial on using our remote control and switching from tv to dvd.

Bugs or just mental?

I am itching like crazy and I think I may be off my rocker, but I just came back from the laundromat.
I haven't been in a laundromat in ages and I remember them being less than sanitary, but today the one we went to was down rightEW!
I had to go, I have a king sized comforter that I wanted washed, but I wound up bringing it home damp because I could barely handle it.
Don't you think it is wrong to smoke in a laundromat? I don't know, just me.

Day one of 6!

Today is my first day off of 6.
I thought I might stay up really really late last night and clean the whole house, but...

So today I went to the eye doctor, yet again, and came home and tackled the bathroom.
I got that accomplished sans the floor and then it was time to pick up the oldest.
When I got home from that and a lunch and quick play at McD's with my dad ( the kids played, not dad & I!), the youngest slept while I started de-cluttering the kitchen and living room.
I should have taken before pics, but no one wants to see that! Trust me!

I am really trying to toss all the junk stuff we never use. Like the pencil , eraser and sticker packet from Halloween.


I am in the mood to eat chocolate cake, cold with a big icy glass of milk. I am not in the mood to make it. Just in case you were wondering.

Just plain MAD

Ok- now, just because I assume people have sense, does not mean they have any at all!
Here I sit, listening to my neighbor cut on a table saw just outside my daughter's bedroom window.

Oh yeah- it is 10:30pm. Mmm hmmm. I already called DH to remind him that he MUST go over there once he gets home and kindly ask that they get some sense, however, he hasn't gotten home yet.

This is a repeat of last night by the way.

Now, if this situation does not get resolved soon- I may have to go out there in my grubby night shirt, bedtime hair and glasses and blind the man doing the public nuisance ( only with my looks, not with physical harm naturally.) This may land me in the pokey, so if you don't hear from me, please send chocolate to the Racine County Jail.

Grandma, thank you

Tonight after reading Life and Death from one of my new blog reads Rocks in My Dryer, I realized a few things.
I realized that I think of my grandma often and I miss her, but I rarely mourn her. Don't get me wrong, I have moments of pure tearshed, but they come much less frequently then one would think.
When Grandma was with us, the last few years, I felt empty. I cried for the loss of her then and I prepared for her physical departure. Her dementia took her long before God did. And when he did I rejoiced for her.
Which brings me to the next realization. She taught things from the grave that I doubt I could have learned before.
At her funeral, our good friend sang her two favorite songs. One of which was " How Great Thou Art." During that song, my sadness stopped, completely left me and I felt my shoulders lifted and I just knew Grandma was in a good place. She was home.

How did I not see her faith until then?

That day I got her wedding rings and I wear them often, especially to church. At that funeral, I got it. I got God. Or at least I got that he is real and he does save.
What a gift.
So when you know that, it sure makes it hard to miss someone when you know they are where they should be.

Grandma is restored, and for that I surely rejoice!

Worst day ever

I like Sundays. Although we generally have to get out of the house earlier, I enjoy getting ready and getting to church where my kids are chomping at the bit to see their friends and so am I!
This Sunday was like most, Dh left earlier to play in the church band and we got set to go to the early service because I was teachign 2yr old Sunday school at the late service.
All was typical, church was good, the 9 two year olds were sweet.
We were in a new room and a couple kids had to get in the swing of things again, but it only took a few minutes.
We sang songs, read stories, played and had a snack. Then the time came to pick up the kids and when Tyler's mom came- there was no Tyler. NO TYLER.
I have never felt a panic like that, it was like a movie I swear I scanned the room in slow-motion and each place my eyes went I was shocked again to not find him.
This was my first meeting with Tyler- but I knew he had jeans on and a purple paicifer with circles on it and deep blond hair.
For the next 15-20 minutes maybe it was only 10- the church searched. When I realized I was outside looking others where outside looking too- I think my heart stopped completely.
As we entered the ajoining building- a guy casually mentioned that if we were looking for a toddler- his wife had him and was bringing him downstairs!
At first I thought he was joking but as I ran back down and heard it was true- I lost it.
What could have happened and all at my accountability.
If I felt like that- what did Tyler's mom feel like? I cannot imagine or be more sorry.
I cannot imagine what would happen to me if I went to pick-up my kid after a church worship service in the church's own sunday school room, manned by church moms and no kid- and no explaination.
We think Tyler snuck out the gate with another family and followed them to the other building. He was found playing in the kindergarten room.
Goes to show- even in God's house... we must always be on guard, we must never assume it cannot happen to us.
I will be different because of this, so will Tyler's mom. I am so sorry for that. I am not sorry he turned up safe and sound and maybe now we can tweak things so that no little ones can sneak anywhere and be gone so long without someone wondering where he belongs.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Now that was a GOOD movie, I think.

I was power shopping with my coupons at Target and stumbled upon a rack of movies. I wound up getting 3. I messed up my plan- but since a friend recently pointed out that " couponing is like crack," you can see how it happened.
I have been on the search for " How to Eat Fried Worms" and no one has it- no one. Best Buy said I can order it online. Phooey.
Lo and behold the worm movie is on that rack- the $7.50 rack too! I give that movie to the three year old who starts exclaiming, " I love this, I love this!" and I get two more finds- "Ant Bully" and " Because of Winn-Dixie."

I know nothing of the latter two, but I am getting so tired of " Chocket Factee" ( Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) that Chuck is about to visit the Hector the Garbage Collector.

I watched most of Winn-Dixie, that is if you count three minute increments every 5 minutes or so.
Strangely enough- the main charcter, um, " Opal" yeah. Is "Violet" from " Chocket Factee."
But she is really good in this one, and the story line is good too.
Dad is a preacher- mom is M.I.A., ten-ish yr old girl has no friends in their new town. She makes friends with all the outcast towns people. The wierd pet -shop guy ( Dave Matthews) and the lady everyone thinks is a witch.
But in the end- she brings them all together because of what she learns from them. Oh yeah, andd there is a dog named Winn-Dixie. I will have to watch it in full and get back to ya on that. But it is good- honest.

A bit of a break and geesh Gain smells good!

I always admired my girlfriend Carrie's " house-smell." You know, everyone has a house smell. I always worry that mine smells like basement and cigarette smoke from the neighbors. Dh says I am crazy, but cigarette smoke is pungent and I KNOW I smell it.
I digress... Carrie's house has a smell that is just good. Clean. Warm. I could just linger there forever, and have stayed many a day and night anytime I was invited!
When the time came for her to start giving my hand-me down baby clothes- they came with the smell! Hoo-Ha!
But what is it? I got those first bags of clothes three and a half years ago and this week I figured it out- Gain laundry detergent. I'll be! All this time and that is all it was.
And to put the cherry on the top- gain is cheaper than Tide and rated well too, says Consumer Reports!
I forgot about my discovery until I was folding laundry again tonight and I thought- this is too exciting to keep to myself. Hmm, I think that says a ton about my life these days- and yet it is pretty darn fascinating to me!