WWTK

Happy Leap Day!  Today is Wednesday so I am linking up with Mamarazzi for We Want to Know!  Feel free to join in!

{1} What are your Top 3 blogging tips for other bloggers?
- Comment on other people's blogs.  It brings a smile to my face every time I receive a new comment.  :)  If I've been reading someone's blog for two years and they've never left a comment on my blog, I feel like they don't care about me. 

- Don't complain too much.  A little complaining is fine...it makes you seem normal.  But when every single post on someone's blog is a complaint, it gets old.  I've unsubscribed from a few blogs because they were constant downers.



A random phone pic
while driving

 - Use pictures!  Nothing spruces up a post more than a picture!  Even if it has nothing to do with your topic, it still makes your page look lovely!  When I don't have time to take my own photo and upload it, I'll at least try to get a generic image from Google.  Posts that are nothing but words with no formatting get pretty boring. 

{2} What book have you read lately that you would recommend?

Well, I've started two lately but neither is anything to write home about.  The last good book I read was "Minding Frankie" by Maeve Binchy.  I have "The Help" sitting on my coffee table, waiting to be started.  Oh, how I wish I had it in Kindle edition!  I hear it's fabulous!  I'll get to it when life slows down a bit.

This is me.  I have so few pics of me.

{3} What is a physical feature you have been complimented on?

My husband likes my eyes and freckles but random strangers rarely comment about them.  From people I don't know, I usually hear comments about my hair.  That's funny because my hair is such a chore for me!  It's really nice when someone notices it!

{4} What color is your toothbrush?

Blue, I think?  For some reason, Hubby's is pink and I always grab it by mistake.  I just buy tons of random colors and the first one I pick up and open is the one I use.  Yeah, it's blue; I'm sure now.  (I must keep my toothbrush separate from my children's toothbrushes because Baby Girl likes to grab random ones to use.  That grosses me out.)

{5} What question would you like to add to a future WWTK?

How do you juggle it all?  How many different "hats" do you wear and how to you accomplish all you have to do?

Lately, I have more "hats" than heads and I'm having a difficult time keeping track of everything.  You have probably noticed my blog has been suffering because of it.  I love writing on my blog, but sometimes I must neglect it when I have too many other things going on.  Family, church, home, and school come first.  Blogging, television, and pleasure reading come last, if there is time left.

Goings On



Son #1 at another concert

 Lots of stuff going on in my life should give me great topics for my blog.  One would think.  Life has been so incredibly busy lately that I haven't found much time for quality blogging.  When I do have a few minutes to sit down, I can't think of anything to say.  It's because the things going on around here couldn't possibly be interesting.  I'll share a few of the less mundane things.

Hubby had a basketball tournament one state over last weekend.  (I'm so tired of travelling every weekend.)  His first game was Friday night at midnight.  The poor sap doesn't understand that he's no longer 22.  I got to see an awesomely fun cousin-in-law of mine.  She did, however, give me bad driving directions.  Hubby gave me bad directions as well.  I spent a lot of time driving in the wrong direction.  Sadly, the Midwest is not that interesting for sightseeing.  Son #1 was in another different state at the same time with his youth group.  Kind of a weird feeling.

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Last Monday, there was no school for the kids.  Hubby was presented with the opportunity to have a day off so he pounced on it.  He ended up going on a short road trip with my grandfather and uncle to pick up our church's broken down van an hour away.  I stayed with Grandma for a few hours but she slept the entire time.  After that, we went to Old Navy and Best Buy in search of President's Day sales.  I did get one awesome deal.  I had been looking for a running jacket but didn't like the prices.  I found an adorable jacket at ON that was $49.  There was a sign overhead saying that athletic jackets were $25.  I was pumped!  When I took it to the register, it rang up at $39.  I explained that the sign said $25.  It turns out that the sign was actually for windbreakers, but because it was hanging directly over the jacket I wanted, they gave me the deal!  Hurrah for Old Navy!!!

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Last week, Son #2 had his last Pinewood Derby.  He graduates Cub Scouts this year and moves on to Boy Scouts.  How's this for a perfect sendoff:  he didn't win one race.  Not one!  He is a fabulous sport and knows how to lose with style.  He tried racing his car backward and even said he was going to try doing it sideways (which isn't possible).  He had a great attitude and really made me proud!

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I saved $65 at the grocery store today and stocked up on some great things.  My best deal was 9 protein bars for free!  Not bad, not bad!

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I am behind on laundry, behind on housework.  I finally broke down and bought a bottle of Swiffer Dust & Shine (because it smells heavenly), even though it wasn't on sale.  I did use a coupon though, so don't get too frightened.  My house needs some serious dusting!  Today, Son #1 has French horn lessons and Philharmonic rehearsal.  So it's another one of those busy days, yet I don't really feel the need to do my hair.  It's all good.

See, I told you- totally uninteresting.  If you made it this far, you deserve a milkshake.

WWTK

I totally have boring answers today, but I'll answer the questions anyway.  Crazymama wants to know how I pamper myself...

{1} What is your go to color if you paint your nails? Do your toes and fingernails match?
Clear.  Yep, boring old clear.  99% of the time, my nails aren't even painted clear.  So yeah, I guess my toes and fingernails match because neither of them have anything on them.  I really don't understand how anyone can keep their nails from chipping.  I always end up scraping my polish off when I do wear it.

{2} Have you ever gone for a mani/pedi? How often do you go?
I had a manicure before my wedding fifteen years ago.  I have a Groupon right now for a mani/pedi that I bought for a friend and myself for her birthday.  It's about to expire so I'd better use it!!!  To answer this question, I go every 15 years.

{3} Do you color your hair? Do you have a salon do it or do you do it yourself?
Nope!  My hair is a natural combination of brown and gray.  You can't duplicate this, ladies!

{4} Facials...have you ever had one?
Ha ha...nope!  I really don't desire to have a person that close up in my personal space.  I don't even like how close the eye doctor and dentist have to get to me.  I worry the whole time that I'm going to laugh.  It's a nervous thing, I guess.

{5} Would you or have you ever done botox?
Judging by my previous answers, what do you think?  Negative.

{6} Beauty knows no pain, do you believe in waxing, electrolisis, eyelash extentions, anti-aging creams, micro-dermabrasion, peels, botox?
I use Olay moisturizer.  That's about it.  I don't even wear makeup.  I may be the only person you know who can actually say that.  No foundation, no mascara, no lipstick.  Just good old Blistex or Burt's Bees lip balm.  I do believe in Spanx and very high heels.  That's how beauty brings pain to me.  Oh, and lots of hairpins that give me a headache.  I work quite hard to get my hair up and looking perty every day.

By the way, I am linking up with Mamarazzi for We Want to Know.  Feel free to join in the fun!

An Apology

I am sorry to all those who received a spam email from me a couple days ago.  I have no idea how it happened and had no intention to harm anyone.  I have not opened any spam myself so can't quite figure out how all my contacts were emailed from my account.  I hope no one suffered any problems because of it.  Please let me know if it ever happens again.  I will close my account if necessary.

While it happened, we were on another road trip.  I'm glad to finally be back to my own bed!  Aren't hotel pillows horrible???  Hope everyone had a restful Sunday and a beautiful weekend!

A Bit of Bragging

I know that most people hate for others to brag on their children. I'm sorry, but I feel like I must. You see, I am so proud that I'm about to burst and I strongly need to share it with someone. That someone is you.

My oldest son has been playing French horn since September. He played tuba at school all last year and was selected to add the horn this year. After a month and a half, his band teacher recommended him to play in the youth philharmonic orchestra of this area. When I picked him up from the first rehearsal, he had a look of sheer panic on his face. In the car, he told me that this was so far above him and he didn't think he could ever catch up. I gave him the "hang in there" speech, but was seriously worried. I didn't want to put him through something he hated. He asked the conductor if he could switch to tuba, his dominant instrument. He was told that they greatly needed him on the horn and preferred that he stay put. He decided to stick it out

Son #1 didn't want me to attend any rehearsals. He wanted me to experience the music for the very first time at the performance. I was glad that he made this request because I was blown away. Here is a snippet from his first concert. You can't see him in this video, but he is to the right of the harp. You can see his music stand and part of his horn.  This piece features selections from Gershwin. You can totally hear the French horns at the beginning.... That's my baby!  (And yeah, I know the strings are off at the end but that's not my worry.  My kid doesn't play strings! Haha!)                                                                                                     

Thanks for allowing me a few moments to be a proud Mama!

WWTK

Valentine Edition!

I am linking up with Mamarazzi for today's We Want to Know!

{1} How was your Valentine's Day?

I honestly think it's one of the loveliest I've ever had! 

I always spend the month before Valentine's Day fighting it.  I say I don't buy into this holiday and I don't need anything from my husband to prove his love for me.  Then the 14th hits and I get all mushy and sappy.  On that day, I realize that I truly do need something!  Several years, Hubby has listened to my rants and has done literally nothing.  Sometimes he says that he'll take me out shopping.  He doesn't get that I don't need something expensive, just something to show that he tried. 

This year, he got me a Cadbury Egg, my most favorite thing in all the world.  Sure, it cost under a dollar, but it showed that he took my likes into consideration.  He also got me a hilarious card that said:

Honey, I hope you know that all of your hard work has not gone unnoticed.

I've been watching you from the couch during commercials.

I literally laughed out loud because that is so true!  See, he knows me after all!

I made him a steak dinner (yeah it was huge), un-iced sugar cookies (he's weird like that), chocolate covered strawberries, and pretzel chocolates.  I don't have a job, people!  I must create in order to give gifts!!!

{2} What is your favorite flower? Did your honey get them for you?

I just love flowers and don't have a specific favorite.  Gerbera daisies rank up there, along with hydrangeas, tulips, and gardenias.  As stated above, I strongly oppose paying over $50 for a dozen roses.  The $.70 Cadbury Egg was just fine with me.

{3} Was Valentine's Day a big deal when you were a kid?

When I was a kid, it was all about the Valentine box!  My mom and I spent the night before the school party hunting for a shoe box and red construction paper.  We cut out hearts, glued and glittered, and cut a slot in the top for my friends to drop my Valentines in.  Today, my kids simply color on a paper bag at school.  Nothing pretty, nothing fancy.  The slot in the top doesn't work any more because the kids get as many treats as they do cards.  I liked it our way better.

{4} Did you put up any Valentine's Day decorations? (bonus points for a picture)

Girl, no!  I barely put up Christmas decorations this year!  I am so not into decorating for holidays.  It's way too much work for this overstressed mama.  When I am wealthy and famous, I will pay someone to do this to my house:

{5} Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
No, unless you count not going out as a tradition.  We went out one time when V-Day was on a Saturday and I vowed never to do it again.  I really did not enjoy it.  Hubby actually offered to take me to Chipotle last night (which I would totally prefer over an expensive, ritzy restaurant where we would drop a couple Benjamins), but I said I would rather stay in and cook.  Waiting for him to get home, shower and shave, and drive to a restaurant, it would have been 8:00.  No thanks. 

That's why I said my V-Day was perfect.  I fed the kids early so that Hubby and I could enjoy steak, parmesan potatoes, and freshly baked bread alone.  Well, Baby Girl intermittently climbed over him and did a lot of talking.  But still, it was lovely.

Conversations

Things Heard Around My House Lately:

(Note:  My words are in green while Baby Girl's are in purple.)

"You shouldn't read the Bible on the toilet."
"I'm gonna be like Daddy."

~^~

"You have a headache? I'm gonna cut you."

(Baby Girl was actually being sypathetic, not psycho-killer-like. She was holding a plastic tea set knife and was kind of scratching her brother's back with it.)

~^~

(As Baby Girl was carrying her brother's play sword up the steps, I doubted her need for it.)

"I don't think you need to be playing with that sword."
"Yes I do.  It's my granddaughter's sword."
"It's your granddaughter's sword?"
"Yep."

~^~

"I'm gonna call da police.  You're goin' to jail."

"I'm going to jail?  Have I been a bad girl?"
"Yep."
"Well, I'm going to miss you when I'm in jail.  Will you miss me?"
"Nope."  (Picks up my cell phone and pushes a couple buttons.)  "Hello, police?  Mommy needs to go to jail.  OK, bye."
"Goodbye, I'll miss you."
"I miss you too, Mommy."  (Gives me a hug and a kiss.)

~^~

Only half-heartedly listening, I heard Baby Girl say something to the effect of:
Is my daddy going to fix the car?
Yes.
My black daddy?  (She had my attention now.)
Your daddy is black?
Yes.
Oh, OK.  What color am I?
Green.
I'm green?  What color are you then?
Heart.
Heart?
Yeah.  I have hearts on my shirt.
OK, I get it now.

Dream Vacation

I titled this post "Dream Vacation" because that's what I'm doing right now- dreaming of vacation!

Spring Break for our kids is just around the corner.  Hubby gets limited vacation time at work and none of it is paid time off.  Taking a vacation for us is a big financial burden.  That's problem number one.

Problem number two has to do with me.  I'm one of those parents who doesn't allow their kids to miss school for vacations.  Maybe it's the teacher in me or maybe it's actually my laziness coming through.  Making up a week's worth of schoolwork when you're in middle school is not an easy task.  Two of my kids achieved perfect attendance last year and the third only missed one day.  Because of my unwillingness to pull them out of school, our vacations are limited to summertime and Spring Break.

We've been wanting to go to Disney World for years now.  The last time we went there, 7-year old Big Sis looked like this:

~May 2007~

Back then, the boys were in Kindergarten and 2nd grade.  I didn't mind pulling them out at that young of an age. 

Have you ever searched for a Disney vacation in the months of March or April?  Forget about it!  The prices skyrocket during those months.  For our family of six, it would cost in the neighborhood of ten grand for a Spring vacation.  Yeah, seriously, $10,000.  I decided to come up with a list...

Other Things I Can Do With $10,000:

• Buy over 250 pairs of shoes
• Go on 5 regular, non-life-changing vacations
• Put $2,500 in each of my kids' college funds
• Build an addition onto our house (I'm thinking master bedroom & bath)
• Eat at Chipotle 4 times a week for two years
• Pay someone to clean my house for four years
• Pay my house off a year sooner
• Buy Hubby a used car or put a serious down payment on a new car
• Give my little cousin a seriously awesome wedding gift next month

As I was typing out this list, not only was a salivating, but I began to question myself.  No, ten grand is way too high of an estimation.  There's no way it would cost that much.  I decided to go to Disney's website and plan my trip, just to prove to myself how much it would really cost.  Yeah, I was off by a couple grand.  I was underestimating!!!

A week's stay at a moderate resort with tickets for 7 days would cost us $11,398.24!  That does not include dining, airfare, or ground transportation.  For funsies, I decided to see what the whole package would cost.  With flights and the dining package, it would cost $16,932.68!

I guess instead of this:

We will be doing this for Spring Break this year.

That's just as much fun, isn't it?

Still Clipping Coupons

Last week's grocery shopping trip totally made me feel like I was on the television show!  It wasn't my most profitable shopping trip ever, but it was fun!

I had an overflowing shopping cart and a huge stack of coupons.  When someone got behind me in line with only five items, I didn't notice right away.  I was too busy watching the prices appear on the monitor.  Then I had Problem #1.  I forgot to hand the cashier my rain checks at the beginning and she had already scanned those items.  She had to void the products that were already scanned and call over a manager for approval.  She rescanned the items at the correct price and kept moving. 

Problem #2 occurred while she was scanning my coupons.  None of the coupons for the rain check items would scan.  Again, she had to call over the manager, who was starting to dislike me.  She fixed the problem and went on her merry way.

On every episode of the show, it seems like the shopper says, "The coupons aren't doubling!"  I always wondered if I would notice if my coupons weren't doubling.  Today, I had the opportunity which brings us to Problem #3.  "The coupons aren't doubling!" I exclaimed.  I purchased five boxes of cereal that were on sale for $2.50 each.  I had a $.55 coupon that should have doubled.  Each box should have cost $1.40.  Again, my cashier called over the manager.  We explained the problem but she wasn't willing to help.  "There's nothing we can do about that," she said in a very grouchy tone.  "The manufacturer created this coupon to not double.  The store cannot do anything about their coupon."  Even though I knew this information was not true, I dismissed Grouchy Gerta because I was anxious to get out of the store.  The manager totally has the power to manually double the coupon.  The coupon did not state that it could not be doubled.

I was getting embarrassed by this point and finally turned to the people behind me.  "I am so sorry!" I said.  The 60-ish woman gave me a huge smile and said, "Don't be!  We are really enjoying watching you!  When I saw what you were doing, I turned to my mother and said 'She's a couponer!'  We are so excited to see what you save!"  I was pleased as punch!  Most customers get grouchy when they are delayed but these people were rooting me on!  "Will you please let us know what you save?" she asked.  I was ready to broadcast it over the P.A. system so I would surely tell these nice people!

At the end of the checkout process, I paid with cash and was handed my ginormous receipt.  "How much?!" my fan club exuberantly exclaimed.  "Total savings:  98.37!"  The woman turned around to make sure her elderly mother heard.  "Wow, that's so wonderful!  It was a pleasure to wait...at least you weren't on welfare!"  Ha! 

I looked around but, sadly, did not see any television cameras.  It was still fun, even if my audience was only three people.  Saving money should be this much fun every week!

This week, I got a young, male cashier who was very attractive, even though I was a good decade and a half older than him.  When he noticed who I was and what I do, he dramatically asked me, "Am I on The Show?  Are there television cameras here?"  He looked around in an animated fashion and straightened his hair.  "No," I sadly said, "I wish!  I promise, if I ever do get to that point, I will come to YOUR line!"  He told me it's a deal and expertly scanned all my groceries without a problem.  Yeah, I'll take the cutie cashier any day over the grouchy old lady who acts put out that I'm actually asking her to ring out my purchases. 

Oh- by the way, I scored 12 tubes of toothpaste totally free!  Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

We Want to Know

And now it's time for this week's edition of We Want to Know, sponsored by Mamarazzi!

{1} What is for dinner tonight (bonus for sharing the recipe)?
I've had a hankering for chili and it something so easy to make.  It's great for busy evenings because it's there and ready no matter what time we feel like eating.  The link to my recipe is here.  Don't get too excited- it's not much of a recipe but it's exactly how we like it!

{2} Share something you are currently looking forward to.

This Saturday, Son #1 is performing in a middle school honor band at a large state university.  He was hand-selected for this event and is really honored to be a part of it.  For a second, I couldn't remember if he will be playing French horn or tuba, but now I remember that it's for the tuba.  We will be leaving before sunrise to make it there for the 8:00 AM rehearsal time.  The concert is later in the afternoon so Hubby and I will get to do something fun (with three other kids) until it's time.  I'm nervous for him but excited for the opportunity!

{3} What are your thoughts on re-gifting?

Sometimes it has to be done.  If I receive a gift that I don't need or won't use, I stick it up in a cupboard somewhere in the hopes that I'll be able to find it later.  If an event sneaks up on me that I forgot to buy a gift for, I have a small stash to choose from.  I would never re-gift to someone close to me.  I only do it for emergency purposes.  I would much rather choose a gift specifically for a special person.

{4} How often do you rearrange your furniture?

Not very often.  My living room is oddly shaped and the furniture really only looks good one way.  I moved it around right before Christmas but hated it.  I changed it back to accommodate my tree and then left it the original way.  My lower living room is pretty small and the furniture absolutely only fits one way.  I did, however, switch each of the couches to the other side of the room once.  It was highly entertaining.

{5} Share a picture from your cellphone or camera.

This is a photo of a cookie I made for a recent church bake sale.  I thought it came out pretty cute so I shared it on Instagram.  (I love that app, by the way!)

Excuses, Cookies, and Caring for Grandma

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, but I'm at that Feeling Overwhelmed point again.  I hate posts that begin with apologies so I'll make this one quick.  I think being sick last week put me so far behind that I'm having a hard time catching up.  Big Sis got a small bout of it after I had it and Hubby got it pretty bad on Saturday.  I got the house totally clean and sterilized and even opened up all our windows for about two hours.  Then Bake Sale Day hit.

I'm very thankful our church allows our kids to pay for their youth events with bake sales.  They go on so many trips and some of them are quite expensive.  We have an awesome youth group and my son is very privileged to be a part of it.  Excuse my bragging, but I'm kind of the star baker at these bake sales.  If people see my name written on something, it gets purchased.  I sold 40 extra-large, iced sugar cookies and 12 large pieces of Texas Sheet Cake.  The next event that comes along, I'll be thankful that Son #1 gets to attend for "free." 

After Bake Sale Day was Super Bowl Night.  We didn't have any big plans this year so my dad ended up coming over to watch the game with Hubby.  I had to get the huge flour and powdered sugar mess cleaned up first.  Sadly, there were no baked goods left to enjoy while watching the game.  OK, I think I'm done complaining about that for now.

Over the weekend was my Grandma's birthday.  I haven't written about her for a while but her Alzheimers is getting pretty bad.  We recently called in Hospice.  I wasn't too sure what that meant because I thought Hospice was a facility where you go to die.  Through this program, doctors, nurses, and aides come to her home.  They help with her personal care, regulate her medication, and check to see that the family is handling everything well.  At the last visit, the nurse checked my Grandpa's blood pressure and made him schedule a doctor's appointment right away.  These people coming in give us great relief and support. 

Typically, mobile patients do not qualify for Hospice.  But Grandma's extreme weight loss, refusal to take medication, and combativeness allowed her to be accepted.  Hospice doesn't fight Grandpa about his wish to keep her at home until she passes.  They will recommend moving her to a facility if and when the family can no longer get her to take her meds. 

Last week while Hubby was off, I wanted to spend some time with Grandma and give Grandpa some time off.  I arrived about 2:15 in the afternoon and he had just woken her.  She had been sleeping in until noon but it started getting later and later.  He wakes her so that she'll sleep at night.  I watched in total admiration as he lovingly made her breakfast.  Two slices of bacon, a waffle with syrup, and a side of whipped cream.  He even made a tall cup of coffee with cream and sugar.  He set the plate down and held her hand.  "Let's pray," he said.  He asked God to bless her food and give her strength.  I couldn't help but tear up at the love and dedication he still shows the wife that really no longer exists.  He calls her "sweetheart" and "babe" and still behaves like he is deeply in love with her.  If I can  raise my two boys to be half the man my grandfather is, I will have been a great success.

Grandpa left the house as soon as he felt like he could and left her alone with me.  It was the first time I had cared for her since she had been that bad.  She was in good spirits that day, mostly wandering around the house and chattering.  She knocked on the window only once, something that she typically does nonstop.  I honestly felt a tad of disappointment when my aunt arrived to relieve me.  I had to pick up Son #1 from tuba lessons and wasn't able to stay any longer.  Staying with her during the day is something I want to try to do much more often.  Grandma's doctor said she could potentially live another year. 

After I got home, I picked up my Bible to read.  I'm still working hard to stay up to date with my schedule to read through the Bible in a year.  Inside the pages, I found this note:

Yeah, I bawled like a baby.  I remember the note but I can't remember how old it is.  I was sentimental enough to save it but not to date it.  I remember, she passed me the note during church.  Folded up inside was a twenty dollar bill, I think.  It seems like it was a time soon after we were married but childless.  My grandparents gave us money for school clothes every year as kids.  I was probably the only grandkid who wasn't still in school and she didn't want to leave me out.  She regularly told me that I was her favorite and I still believe her to this day.  I'm sure she told all the kids they were her favorite but I think she really meant it when she said it to me.

So even though Gramma who wrote this note is no longer here, she still lives in my memories and in my heart.  Even though her true spirit is not still in this body that wanders around not making sense, I am going to try to treasure each memory I have left with her.  No regrets.

Can someone please pass me a box of tissues now?

A to Z

This was supposed to post yesterday, but didn't.  Boo.  Last night, I was still wide awake at 1:30 AM, unable to sleep.   That's unusual for me so I got kind of crabby about it.  Then at 2:15, Big Sis threw up all over the hallway.  The SPLAT woke me up after just dozing off.  Needless to say, I'm not feeling all that creative since SickFest 2012.  So we're just going to roll with yesterday's unposted post.  I grabbed this idea from k - This is My A to Z.

A. Age:  35

B. Bed size: Queen.  Actually, I sleep in a space about a foot and a half wide while Hubby sprawls all over the bed.


This is SO NOT where I sleep.


C. Chore that you hate:  As I stated in my last post, I hate cleaning the bathtub!  But I'll go ahead and list another chore just so I'm not accused of reusing information.  I despise cleaning out my closet.  It's something I let go until I can't possibly step inside of it.  My closet, sadly, becomes a place where I stuff and throw everything that doesn't have a place.

D. Dogs:  No thanks.  I'm just not an animal lover and never will be. 

E. Essential start to your day:  Washing my eyes with water.  I can't wake up unless I splash some cold water in my eyes. 

F. Favorite color:  To look at- green.  To wear- black.  To paint my home- brown. 

G. Gold or Silver:  Silver

H. Height:  5'5"

I. Instruments you play:  Handbells.  Yeah, go ahead an make fun.  I took piano lessons as a kid but was never really good at it.  I understand music and can even read it, but not more than what is required to play handbells.

J. Job title:  Mama

K. Kids:  Lots.  Two boys aged 12 and 10 and two girls aged 7 and 3.  They're kinda awesome.

L. Live:  Midwest US

M. Mother’s name:  Kathy

N. Nicknames:  Believe it or not, She.  That's about it.

O. Overnight hospital stays:  '99, '01, '04, and '08 twice.  Four stays were for C-Sections and the last was was an appendectomy (3 weeks after the birth of Baby Girl.  Yeah, I cried.)

P. Pet peeves:  People who don't use their turn signals.  It drives me completely batty and I want to blast into them with my cool mini-van.  Yeah, I might have a little bit o' road rage in me.

Q. Quote from a movie:  Oh, there are so many!  But most often, it's, "I don't KNOW, Margo!!!"  I even caught Baby Girl saying it the other day.  Sad.

R. Right or left handed:  Right

S. Siblings:  One younger brother who got all the attention.

(Yeah, I know T is missing.  She didn't have it either!)

U. Underwear:  Needs replacing. 

V. Vegetable(s) you hate:  Wow, there's a lot.  Mushrooms, any kind of peppers, raw onions, cabbage, green beans (aren't those legumes?), and a lot more that I've probably never even tried.  I do like broccoli if that makes you feel better.

W. What makes you run late:  All those kids of mine.  They take a lot longer to get ready than I usually plan.  Also, bad hair days on occasion make me late.

X. X-Rays you’ve had:  Wrist and ankle.  I did have a CAT scan for my appendix, but that's not an x-ray, I guess.

Y. Yummy food that you make:  The list is too long to name.  Just check out my Recipes tab above if you're really curious.  I will say that my chocolate cake is what I'm most famous for.  Don't bother looking, you won't find that recipe there.  It's top secret!

Z. Zoo animal:  The immensity of giraffes amazes me!  I also love standing and watching the orangutans.  Last summer, Hubby was playing with them through the glass just like they were one of our kids!  It was awesome!

We Want to Know

On Wednesdays, I am linking up with Mamarazzi for We Want to Know Q&A!  I missed last week due to internet problems but had already answered the questions.  So, you're getting two for one today!  Feel free to link up!

Chores....maids and cleaning supplies, oh my!


(1) Fantasy style, money is no object, If you could pick one type of help which would it be? And why?
A. A maid
B. A nanny
C. A personal chef
Definitely a maid.  I love my kids, I enjoy cooking, and I hate cleaning.  This one is a no-brainer for me.  This fantasy maid would have to be full-time because that's what it takes around here.  If I have to pick up Dora Memory cards one more time in a day, I just might scream!

(2) What is your least favorite household chore?
Cleaning the bathtub.  It's just a lot of work.  Maneuvering myself between the tub and toilet is no easy task.  Because I hate it so much, I don't do it nearly enough.

(3) Your least loathed (or favorite) household task/daily chore?
I really don't mind vacuuming.  The worst part about vacuuming is that all the toys have to be picked up off the floor first.  But I really don't mind it.  I would vacuum all day long if someone would come in and clean my bathtub.

(4) What is your favorite cleaning supply? Do you have any magic cleaning tips to share with your readers?
I love anything that smells good and I even posted about the best smelling cleaning products once!  Right now, I'm addicted to Mr. Clean with Febreeze in it.  I have a spray cleaner for the bathroom, one for the kitchen, and a bottle to dilute in water for bigger cleaning jobs.  Magic cleaning tips- nope.  Wish I had some to offer you.

(5) What is your usual housework avoidance activity? Besides playing along and linking up with the fabulous Mamarazzi, Queso and Crazymama for We Want to Know Wednesday?
Obviously blogging, and most recently, messing around on my new phone.
 
 
Last Week's Questions:  Let's talk Favorites:


{1} What is your favorite room in your house and why? Bonus points for a picture.
I would have to say my Living Room. It is the largest room in our house and the first thing people see when they come in. It has a huge picture window that I love looking out and it's where we sit and talk when friends come over. There is no television in this room, so it's typically less chaotic than other rooms of our home.  (By the way, it's way too messy right now to take a photo.  Sorry, no bonus points for me.)

{2} What is your favorite time of day and why?
I should be saying that my favorite time of the day is when Hubby gets home from work. But let's face it, that's the most chaotic time of the day. I usually shout a quick "hello" from the stove as I'm rushing to get dinner on the table. Many days, the kids and I aren't even there when he gets home from work. My most favorite time of the day is when I put Baby Girl down for her nap and I listen to the quietness. I sit down with my lunch and a funny show on TV. It's so relaxing and peaceful...I long for it every day.

{3} What is your favorite genre of music (or band/singer) and why?
I get in different moods when it comes to music. I love anything from Harry Connick, Jr. and Michael Buble' but I also enjoy black gospel. Sometimes, I get in the mood for classical and every once in a while, I enjoy a good country song. Pop music is OK too, as long as it's low key. I don't listen to anything by people who wear dresses made out of meat.

{4} What is your favorite "go to" snack? Is it something you keep on hand?
There's not one particular thing, but boy, do I love to snack! I love a freshly popped bowl of popcorn but I'm usually too lazy to pop it. I can't stand the microwave stuff. Of course, I'm a big chocolate addict and have to have a little something sweet after meals. Right now, my go to snack is whatever I got on sale with coupons!

{5} What is your favorite form of exercise or way to keep moving?
I would prefer to not be moving but I know it's good for me. Once the weather breaks, I will start running again. I have to take the winter off because of our treacherous weather and I don't own a treadmill. I ran a relay leg in a marathon the past two years. The first time was 3.4 miles and last year was 6.3. I nearly died last year. Not literally, but I thought I saw the light comin', baby!

I'm Baaaaack!!!

Well, sorta.  I'm here, but not 100%.  I saw death this week.  Of course, I'm exaggerating, but I felt closer to death this week than ever before in my life, I think. 

Tuesday morning, I woke up at 4:00 AM, sick as a dog.  I'll spare you the details and just say that I spent a lot of time with my toilet.  I broke out into a cold sweat and felt like I was going to pass out.  I've never fainted before and only felt like I was going to once.  (That was during childbirth.)  I think I came pretty close to losing it there for a while.

Luckily, Hubby was off work.  That had to be the hand of God because there is no way I could have survived without him.  My mom had a huge project at work and wasn't able to help me.  Hubby brought me drinks and ice chips, helped me off the floor when I didn't have the strength to get up myself, and took care of Baby Girl.  He even made the kids' lunches in the morning and helped them get ready for school.  He was absolutely amazing!

The bad part is that my friend was having surgery Tuesday.  I was supposed to keep her 4-year old daughter and cook dinner for them.  All the plans were set.  I felt horrible cancelling on them.  Her husband had to leave the hospital to pick up their daughter at home and take the morning babysitter back to college.  On top of that, they had no dinner that night.  I felt like a horrible friend.  At that point, I could barely lift my head off the pillow.

Also, Tuesday was our appointment to get the internet fixed.  Hubby had to handle all that alone while I dragged myself from the bed to the bathroom.  The technician was there for 2 1/2 hours and talked on the phone for two of those hours, Hubby said.  The guy totally did not do what I wanted and tracked mud from my garden all over my house.  We now have two computers and only one of them is hooked up to internet, the one without all my files stored on it.  Why in the world would this guy think I only wanted one computer hooked up? 

Thankfully, time passed, I began recovering, and our home now has internet again!  I am still extremely weak and am fighting a horrible hangover headache.  Already this morning, I gave Baby Girl a bath, cleaned the bathroom (because it disgusted me after all the time I spent in there lately), and washed my sheets.  I feel as exhausted as the day I ran 6.2 miles.  BUT- I am alive and very thankful for it.

I hadn't had a gastrointestinal bug like that in quite some time.  I only remember one other time in life that I had it that bad.  It was Valentine's Day 8 years ago and I was pregnant.  Hubby and I went to a concert and spent the night at a hotel.  I got sick at the concert but thought it was morning sickness.  When it didn't let up, I realized I was sick.  Being sick in a hotel while pregnant is the absolute worst.  Thankfully, I was neither pregnant nor away from home this time.

Hopefully I will be back to regular posting soon.  Thanks for waiting out this time with me, if you're still around.  Have a great day and avoid the flu!