~ Catch-up ~

So first a little catching up....

Halloween -



We had a fun...and relatively warm Halloween. Lots of fun with friends and lots and lots of candy.

It's Friday already....where did the time go. I've had a busy week recuperating from last week...and getting ready for a great craft night last night. A record 11 girls were here, which is the limit for my kitchen. We painted, laughed, sprayed and glued. Lots of fun. No more crafts for a while...time to catch up on life, projects and work. I know I've been busy and the house has been neglected when Tyler says..."Mom how come the house is so nice...is someone coming over tonight?"

1. We had green beans for dinner the other night. Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook hasn't arrived yet, so there aren't any pureed veggies in my children's food yet. Just the old fashioned kind...sitting in the bowl waiting for someone to let down their defenses and take a bite. Brian and I love green beans...nice and simple. However our children predictably won't go near them. Maybe it's the color...if they were blue would that seem more appealing to them. I'm dishing Owen's plate and he's looking around the table telling me what he wants.... Yes mom I want salad....chicken and some rice. But I don't want the these weeds.

2. I dejunked a cupboard this week. Sounds like a small thing to report, but for me... it was big. I knew there was not a lot of room in that cupboard because of what was probably shoved behind and taking up the space. Everything we use regularly is at the front...stacked up and waiting to fall out at the first hint of the door opening. So now I have this big tote of retired items. Plastic containers with no apparent lids....a rice cooker that burns the rice....a mix master that I over heated.... So it's out of my cupboard and now sitting in the living room waiting for Brian to take to the 'As Is' section of the recycle depot. Maybe we should wear name tags that say "As Is". I'm not changing, accommodating or shifting myself in anyway for you....take me As Is. Husbands however do not get to wear those name tags. There name tag will say "Created". I am what my mother tried to mold...and my wife looked at the model and said....mmmmmm....close but no.


3. Programmable Thermostats are one of the greatest inventions ever. I tend to have a bit of chilly house....due to my previous mention of getting hot. (definition in previous post) So I've set it up according to my warmth preference. I know there are other people that live here...but whatever. So the heat turns on at 6...about 20 minutes before Brian gets up.....does some stuff during the day...then cools off at 11. I too have a programmable thermostat. Kinda follows the same schedule too....starts to warm up around 7...stays generally chilly all day and cools off around 11. My husband would like to reprogram me off course. Turns on around 6 and goes from dead to savoury hot within 2 minutes. Stays chilly all day anticipating the time when the occupants return at which time the temperature slowly rises through out evening to reach maximum around 11...then cools off for a comfortable night sleep. I'd like a say on his thermostat settings as well.

4. I tried my first Pomegranate this week. Not what I was expecting. I've seen them before, but have never been very inclined to buy one. But I'm trying to get more fruit and vegetables in my life. So I bought one...not one bag....one. I cut it open and see all the tangy little juicy pods inside. Looks okay.....pop a couple in.......ahhh...yuck...seeds. So disappointed. It's like when you buy grapes and thought they were the seedless kind only to discover....nope. So now I've been let down by this fruit. I had high hopes of adding it to my repertoire of enjoyment. I've seen Martha juice them.....funny how I can only mention her by first name and you all knew who I was talking about...like we're all going on girls night with her regularly. So no Pomegranates for me....what will be the new fruit next week.

5. I was standing in line at Michaels today...patiently waiting for my turn to return some items. And this girl behind me is whistling. Now I appreciate a good whistle...but this was not. She was maybe 13... I don't know what she was trying to do...but the shrill sound haphazardly coming from her lips was not whistling. So I'm trying to be friendly and all...but she keeps doing it. Not continuously mind you...she blows out a terrible noise a couple times...then stops. Just waiting long enough for me to relax my jaw from the intense pressure it is under to keep myself in control...and then she starts again. Seriously I was restraining myself from turning around and saying....."Do you have to do that? Cause it is seriously annoying and it's all I can do not to smack you".

6. I was also in Rona today (can you tell I was running errands in the city) and I'm waiting in line again....why did I go to the city on a Saturday?? Oh right...cause I could leave the kids home with Brian. So this nice gentleman in front of me is buying some stuff...and he's wanting to purchase a new electric saw of some kind. So he asks the girl if there is a plug behind the counter so he can turn it on and make sure it works. A little odd....but okay. So he goes back there and plugs it in...revs it up a couple times...looks it over...then decides to buy it. First of all, if something is going to malfunction I don't think it will happen in the 4 1/2 seconds that he was back there testing it out. I think we should be able to test out a lot of things right in the store before purchasing...exercise equipment for one. Take those weights out...pump it up a little in the aisle and then think..."Am I really going to use these...or will I sit on the couch and look at them on the floor and think....um ya....don't think so". Next juicers. I personally don't have one, they look pretty cool though. We should rip it right out of the box, head over to the produce section and see just how many oranges it's going to take for one full glass. I think there would be a decline in juicer sales. And finally....intimate apparel. Now most of you reading are the same religion as me, and intimate apparel is a no brainer. But I like to jazz it up a little, so I have extra stuff for special occasions....or regular occasions, whatever. However there should be a line of intimates put out by one very practical wife, with warning labels attached...in red bold lettering,

Will cause husband to drop whatever he's doing, and attack without warning.

However there are some benefits to these items and those could be advertised as well.


Will encourage husband to wash kitchen floor and

vacuum living room regularly.


Will encourage husband to bath four children,

read them stories and promptly put them to bed.


Will encourage husband to offer foot or back massages.

(However that never works they always are trying to massage in areas that I'm pretty sure do not get stiff or tired, contrary to his arguments)


Will cause husband to momentarily consider washing toilets, but then bargain to sweep out garage, change a week of poopy diapers and fold laundry.

Maybe the benefits out weigh the hazards.

7. Brian is currently in our family room taking a new amp out of the box. I don't really understand the purpose of an "Amp"...but he's pretty excited about it. It's interesting that he's commented before that I don't have to put "stuff" up on every wall of our home. That maybe a wall can be blank. I reminded him that he's not in charge of the decorating at our house. It's homey....but he doesn't know what that means. So I'm not supposed to put stuff on every wall...but he's allowed to put speakers up all over this room. Now those of you that have been in my family room know that it is not an overly large room. Big enough, but not a theatre by any means. We now have 6 speakers in this area, never named the ones that are actually on the TV itself. He enjoys movies and likes to watch them in surround sound. This situation has backfired on me a couple times as I'm watching a movie with him and jump out of my skin when the "I see dead people" jump out and I think they're behind me. Well at least now we can hear "I ain't exactly lactating you know" in mega sound. That is my favorite line of both of those movies. Or you know...the Backyardigans theme...aka...makes me want to end my life quickly song....blasted in perfect clarity.

8. My Mr. Jack is a happy guy. I always thought all those mothers that said they had babies that were happy and content were nuts-o-rama. But he's happy all the times. I appreciate those people that are always happy and bubbly. It's a little irritating...but I'm happy they're positive about life. There are only a few people in my life that I've know, who always have the perma-grin and are nearly skipping all the time. I have a scowl on my face most of the time, so I'm told. It's my thinking face. I'm not giving you a dirty look, I'm thinking...get over yourself.

9. Last post I mentioned that I was recently told to turn up my filter. I've had quite a few comments suggesting that I made this up. It's true...it really happened. It was done in the nicest way of course...as nice as anyone can say....close your mouth you're offending people. Whatever. So I think there should be filters on a lot of things. Take the pulpit for an example. I think the bishopbric should use the up/down switch on the pulpit more. Speaker starting to drone on and on...or starting to get off topic very badly...the pulpit slowly starts getting lower and lower. Three year old up there yelling into the microphone and we can't understand a single thing....pulpit gets higher and higher. I've also decided that I should be the one to hold the pulpit remote control = )

10. For those speakers that find it necessary to ignore the clock....a small electric current. Your time is up....zap....sit down. This would also work for those organists that are playing the song way too slow. Just a little jolt from the organ bench. Or you know how people come up behind you and push the back of you knee in so you fall a little. "So we will now be moving on....he apparently bonked his head a little when he fell...and is slightly unconscious...but we'll finishing on time today."