I think this is funny

I don't know why, but I find this picture incredibly amusing for some reason.

They are the dolls my daughter is afraid of. She doesn't cry or anything, but she won't touch them. Is she on to something?

The Toss Across is my sons.

This was his idea.

I laugh every time I walk by it.

The Three Person Parade of Joy

Today was yet another day to run more last minute errands ... although technically, they are not really last minute, since I planned to do them the Tuesday before Christmas. Today we spent a good amount of time at the post office, which was busier than I expected it to be at 10 am and again at 4pm.

So, the kids and I stopped at the Post Office just after ten this morning, and there was a line to the door, maybe four people in front of us, and about six behind us. I had grabbed a handful of mini candy canes on our way out of the car, with the thought of keeping the kids busy. So, I told Q that his job was to hand out candy canes to people he thought might like to have one and to tell them "Merry Christmas". Well, this took off like a rocket, especially after our parade experience three weeks ago. So, up and down the line he went, offering candy canes to people waiting in line at the post office. When you're in line at the post office, you're typically not very happy, because the line is long and not moving very quickly, especially at this time of year. So, I sent the 4 year old with a black and red dragon hat off to spread some joy. I think it worked, as there were quite a few smiles in line. And, he also saved a candy cane for each of the employees working at the counter - he does like going to the post office and talking to them, regardless of it being a holiday or not.

So, we left, and ran ran ran some errands. From the post office to the Movie Theater to pick up gift cards. From there to Target to pick up picture frames. From there to a class mates house to drop off the "ingredients" for the class party keepsake. From there to the Health Food store for some essential oils and Arnica. Then home.

Now, the daughter did not do so well during this, as she tried to run away from me on two separate occasions in two separate parking lots. Now Mama will tolerate some crap from the kids, but this is not one of them. So, she got to stay home with a baby sitter while the Son and I went back out to finish errands.

Back to the post office for more candy cane distribution and package mailing. Again, a very long line, but we did run into the neighbor, so that was nice. To the milk store. To yet another health food store, this time for Fruit Leather and Witch Hazel. Then to the grocery store for eggs (I'm supposed to be making cookies tonight, but it's not going to happen). Then to buy scratchy lottery tickets for stocking stuffers. Then to pick up a pizza. I decided against cooking tonight, but I still am going to make spaghetti sauce, we'll have it tomorrow instead. Then home.

That's a lot of errands. That makes a tired Mama. Thats why I'm drinking coffee at ten o'clock at night, which is probably not the smartest thing I've done today.

Back to my original thought ... the Three Person Parade of Joy. I know that the kids really enjoyed handing out candy canes to folks, and I think that they enjoyed receiving them. My only intent was to show the kids how to share the good mood and hopefully brighten someones day just a little bit, whether they eat candy canes or not. Because it's not the candy cane that's important, it's the message that went with it. And if nothing else, maybe they'll put their hand in their pocket at a later day or time, pull out a candy cane thats probably a bit on the mangled side, and remember a cute little boy with bright blue eyes and his brown haired little sister in the post office, giving out candy, and maybe they'll smile.

The Shoe Monster

It's ME!

Mommy is the Shoe Monster this week!

The shoes were found today.

A bit of background … I’m driving around with a double stroller in my car, which takes up a good amount of space. I'm hoping a friend will either buy it from us or at least borrow it for a while. Evidently, it was sitting on a bag I brought back from the babysitter last week (or the week before, who knows), that I didn’t see.

I went shopping today and grabbed that bag, thinking it was from today’s purchases. I started to unload, and discovered it was the bag from a week (or more) ago.

“And what to my wondering eyes should appear?”

A pair of size 8 ½ black shoes.

No monsters.

Just Mommy.

Sometimes she swears.

Monsters

So today we were supposed to get the kids’ pictures taken. I got everybody dressed, and it was time to go, so I said, "Cara, go find your black shoes.”

The children scurry off in a dozen directions (even though there are only two of them, they still go a dozen directions), only to not find the shoes.

I said, “Cara, where are your black shoes.”

Cara: “No black shoes. Boots.”

Me: “No, you need your black shoes today, for pictures.”

Cara: “Me no wear black shoes, wear boots” By now she’s throwing in some attitude as well.

Me: “No, you’re not wearing boots. Go find your shoes. Jack, please help your sister find her shoes.”

Time passes, ten minutes later, having checked everywhere, including the refrig & freezer, and still no shoes.

Me: “Cara, where did you put your shoes?”

Cara: “Monster. In Jack house. In my house. Hide shoes.”

Me: “A monster came in and hid your shoes?”

Cara: “Yes, monster hide black shoes” in a VERY SERIOUS tone

At this point, what do you do? You can’t bang your head against the wall in front of them, that would be wrong. You can’t cry either, that’s what you really want to do.

So, we put on boots and ran to Payless (thankfully there was one in the mall) and dropped $15 on another pair of black shoes. Pair #3 for the season.

Pair #1 is only the left shoe now, I don’t know where the right one is. The one legged monster must have gotten that one.

Pair #2 is the pair that the monster hid.

Pair #3 is in the basket upstairs.

Any takers on how long the new pair will last?

Pictures were successful, however, and if I get my act in gear, they'll be out in time for Christmas!

Have a good one, and watch out for the shoe monsters!

100 Things About Me

Let's see if I can come up with 100 Things About Me:

1. My middle name used to be Lynn, before I changed my name after getting married.
2. My nephew and I now have the same middle name - my maiden name/my sisters last name.
3. I was born in 1974.
4. Had I been born in 1954, I would have been a disco diva, and quite probably been a coke head.
5. I wear a lot of stripes.
6. I am a Libra.
7. My mom died when I was 25.
8. I grew up on the same street, from the time I was two, until I moved out at 22.
9. I don't have the skill of playing an instrument.
10. I have had three pets in my life time - a cat and two gold fish (they lived three years each, the cat was much older)
11. When I was 22, my sister was 11, my parents were 44 and my grandparents were 66.
12. I would consider myself earthy.
13. I have the Wonder Woman logo tattooed on my lower back
14. My hair is naturally curly.
15. My hair did not get this curly until AFTER puberty kicked in.
16. After having kids, my feet got a slight bit bigger and my boobs got smaller.
17. I consider #16 to be extremely unfair.
18. I am saving my money to buy new boobs.
19. I have over forty cousins.
20. I have one husband and two children.
21. Most days, I want more children. One husband is enough.
22. My daughter was born on my bio-parents wedding date.
23. My bio-parents were married for eleven years before they got divorced.
24. Divorce scares me. I don't want to fall into that category, being a child of divorce and all.
25. I am a compulsive hair twirler/puller. It has a name: trichotillomania.
26. I went to the same High School that my dad and all his siblings did.
27. They still spelled my last name wrong on my High School diploma.
28. I have been a bridesmaid three times.
29. I went to college in Chicago
30. I lived and worked at home while attending college.
31. It took me six years to make up my mind and graduate college.
32. I am not working in the field that my degree is in.
33. I want to go back to school in the future.
34. I have never been in a bar fight.
35. I have never had sex in a movie theater.
36. I have never been arrested.
37. There are things I have done when I could have been arrested.
38. I am 5'7" , which is eight inches taller than my Mom.
39. I weigh the same now as I did before I got pregnant.
40. Of all my grandparents (eight), I still have three living.
41. I am being inconsistent with my punctuation use.
42. I still have my lower retainer bonded to my teeth.
43. I think Victoria's Secret charges way too much for underwear.
44. I have broken one bone - my jaw.
45. I have had surgery once - the birth of my son.
46. I have sat by somebodys side as they died.
47. I believe that you should not enter this world or leave this world alone.
48. I am afraid of dying before my kids are old enough to not need me as much - I have too much to tell them.
49. I have been to Europe.
50. I want to go to Egypt and ride a camel by the pyramids.
51. I drove to Minneapolis on a whim one night to go to the Mall of America.
52. I bought nothing at the Mall of America.
53. I like to drive fast.
54. The first car I owned was a 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix, with a broken gas gauge.
55. The first NEW car I owned is a dark blue 2002 Nissan Maxima.
56. I love my Nissan Maxima.
57. I don't have a favorite tv show.
58. The longest book I ever read was Roots, by Alex Haley.
59. I have been a vegetarian.
60. I have never been on a jury.
61. I occasionally smoke, if I'm with the right friends and have had enough to drink.
62. I have kissed a girl.
63. I wear glasses.
64. I am afraid to have laser corrective surgery done.
65. I had the DJ play KISS at our reception.
66. I only have one picture from our wedding on display.
67. When I vote, I split my ticket, between Republicans and Democrats.
68. I can sew.
69. I recently learned to make jam.
70. I can waste way too much time on the internet.
71. I don't like blow up yard decorations.
72. I eat spam once a year, in the same manner, every time - fried, with cheese on a toasted english muffin, and I drink Diet Pepsi.
73. I drink too much coffee and not enough water.
74. I am part of a fruit/vegetable co-op in the spring & summer months.
75. I don't know where our next vacation will be.
76. I have been in the car with a drunk driver, and it scared the crap out of me.
77. I have forgotten how to speak spanish.
78. I LOVE to write with Sharpie markers!
79. I make a mean loaf of banana bread.
80. I am always cold, and wear slippers from October to April when I'm at home.
81. In an effort to save money, I keep our thermostat at 68 during the day and 66 at night.
82. I have done stupid things at Jimmy Buffet concerts, in the name of free beer and/or tequila.
83. I have done stupid things at Jimmy Buffet concerts because I drank too much free beer and/or tequila.
84. I tend to forget when I have laundry in the washing machine.
85. I changed my major four times in college - nursing, communications, undecided, history and then finally, secondary ed history (I want to teach at the high school level).
86. I want to volunteer to teach English as a Second Language.
87. I'd like to be able to teach the GED classes at the local community college too.
88. I have seen KISS in concert at least six times.
89. I met my husband at a "hair band" concert because he was wearing a KISS t-shirt.
90. I have never maxed out a credit card.
91. I want to be the stop sign girl on a road construction crew, at least for a day.
92. I have been to Canada.
93. I am afraid of the state of the world - current events are scaring the shit out of me.
94. I love to get a pedicure and my eyebrows waxed.
95. I will not wax my nether regions.
96. I won't go to the bathroom in public, or at a strangers house, if it involves more than pee.
97. If I had $100,000, I would buy a $1000 Starbucks card so that long after we spent the money, I could treat myself to fancy coffee on occasion.
98. I am the Queen of the Cause - I won't throw it out, but will give it to charity or find a way to reuse it (ask me about the pink flanel pants) or recycle it. This creates problems at times.
99. I would like to participate in a craft fair one day.
100. I thought that 100 things about me would be easier than it was.