100 post give-away!!

In honor of the 100th post on my blog, I wanted to offer my first give-away. Besides that, I have had people tell me they pop in on my blog occasionally and they never leave comments. It's not fun feeling like you're all alone in the world, so you have to leave a comment in order to be entered in.
Please tell me what your favorite post has been and why. I will let my kids draw a number and the winner will win a really lame prize! Ok, I think it is cool, but maybe that's why no one wants to leave comments. As Thumper says, "if you can't say something nice....."
Here is a nice Valentine's Day Decoration you will win. (you choose the color scheme)
The drawing will take place next Friday. Good luck! ;)

Road Rage?

Oh,Fellow Drivers, How Doth Thou Annoy Me? Let me count the ways!
1. driving 5 miles under the speed limit is annoying!
2. driving 10 miles under the speed limit is aggravating!
3. driving 15 freekin' miles under the speed limit is maddening!
(and those of you from my neck of the woods, why are these drivers almost always a 2C license plate?)
4. pulling out in front of a mini van full of kids or a land rover that is 2 times bigger than you seems like a great plan!
5. stopping your car 10 feet short of the stop sign at a 4 way stop so you can go first is TOTALLY CHEATING!
6. not signaling for the turn when I'm waiting for you to pass in order to pull onto the road, and then turning at the last minute; very polite.
7. intentionally not letting me merge, when I'm trying to merge very nicely...
8. flipping me off for a ridiculous reason (*I'm* never at fault) As Capt. Jack Sparrow says, "sticks & stones, Love." But if I WAS at fault, at least I'd feel you were justified in giving me the bird.
9. Tailgating is only fun when you're at a football game. It's ok to tailgate me if I'm doing #s 1-3.
you have my permission.
10. entering the freeway at 50 mph or less. (you know who you are, BlueHairs)

What are some of the aggravating things you're dealing with lately?

Help the Helpless

I am not computer savvy. It seems that those of us who have smart people around us, depend on them and don't take the time to learn more than the very basics. I had to have my husband show me how to upload pictures from the internet and the camera several times during the last year for my blog. I finally put a cute background up, and now I can't figure out how to get it off.
I have been trying all month, and still am stuck with the cute snowflakes. It is kind of fitting, because it is still snowing, but I'd like a change!
Anyone know how to do it?

The Quest

I have been on a quest to find The Perfect Cinnamon Roll. And I've been dreaming of finding the recipe for The Perfect Orange Roll. This means that I have to make and eat cinnamon rolls whenever I find a promising recipe. I even went to a class last night to learn the recipe for someone's cinnamon rolls that sounded exciting. However, when I followed her instructions they cooked too hot and were crispy on top. (My sister's turned out the same at her house, so I know it wasn't me)
Here are some criteria:
The faster, the better. I love recipes that don't have to rise.
Not too bready, but not too airy. Substantial though.
They gotta be smothered in cream cheese frosting.

For Orange Rolls, they can't be bitter. I absolutely love the store bought band name (Pillsbury?) ones that come in those cylinders. yummy!
Anyone have any recipes to share?

I Want a Divorce

DISCLAIMER! This is supposed to be humorous. It is NOT meant to offend anyone. If you are easily offended, or in a bad mood, don't read on. This is meant to make you chuckle.

We want a divorce . . . .

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists, Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile, slate it up to irreconcilable differences, and go our own ways.

Here is a model dissolution agreement.

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that it should be relatively easy!

Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes. We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.

Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA, and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell (you are however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart, and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies, and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan Hockey Moms, greedy CEO's, and Rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .

You can make nice with Iran, Palestine, and France , and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protestors. When our allies or way of life are under assault, we'll provide them job security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian Values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, and Shirley McClain. You can have the U.N. But we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks, and oversized luxury cars.
You can take every Subaru Station Wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare, if you can find any practicing Doctors (that is practicing, Howard Dean) who will follow to your turf (sic). We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.

We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and The National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach The World To Sing, Kum Ba Ya, or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics, and you can give trickle up poverty its best shot.

Since it often so offends you we'll keep our History, our Name, and our Flag.

Would you agree to this?

In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you A WAR on who will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall
Law Student
American

P.S. Please take Barbra Streisand.

Kid Antics

It is late at night, all the kids are asleep (or at least supposed to be). Suddenly, Lachlan starts crying. Hmmm, that's strange. Not that he is crying, but that he is crying so soon. Abram decides to get up and see what's going on. But before Abram leaves the room, Locke stops crying. Abram gets back in bed. Then we hear Bang! thump-thump-thump-thump-thump! The sound of a little one jumping out of bed and running across the floor. When Abram gets to Lachlan's room he sees Rowan with both feet hanging over the edge of the crib railing, bum dangling back toward the crib trying to swing herself over onto the floor. The evidence shows she ran out of her room, grabbed the stool from the bathroom, put it up to the crib, climbed in, shoved the binky in Lachlans' mouth and was trying to make her get-away. It was too funny to be angry about, although Locke had started crying again once she came in the room.
This morning as we're eating breakfast, Brenna was breathing quite noisily and I ask her if she has a stuffy nose. No, she says. I get up to dish some more malt-o-meal into Aisling's bowl and she says, "Mom, don't talk about gross stuff when we're eating. "
"Like ask if you want brain-boogers?" I ask innocently as I slop the mush into her bowl.
"No, like don't talk about stuffy noses. Especially when I'm around."
Apparently Aisling is learning something at school. I'm just not sure if I should call it manners, ettiquette, or snobbery.

Flatulence

I am a private person about certain body functions. I don't even like my husband to know that I am quite human and sometimes I, it is hard to admit, let stinkers.
The other night we were watching a movie together and after it was over, he got up and left the room. I let a little one thinking I was safe. Suddenly he came back in & tried to sit down by me. I was mortified and pushed him away lest he smell the offender. "Get out of here, I just let one!" I hollered, embarrassed to no end.
Certain people in my family have no qualms about 'farting' whenever they feel like it; Abram, Lachlan, my sister and her kids. :) However, I felt this youtube video nearly perfectly describes my feelings on the subject.
(sorry, I couldn't figure out how to put the video right here on my page)
While you're there you should check out this man-cold clip. It is hilarious! (Ok, now you're getting a taste of my weird sense of humor) You probably shouldn't watch too many other clips by Man Stroke Woman, I can't vouch for their cleanliness or morality. (British TV)
Can anyone catch what the 'medic' says to Laura as he walks out the door?

Comments from Strangers

You should read this, you'll like it.

Do you ever get comments from strangers when you're out & about? I think the last one is quite amusing. I remember as a teenager telling a swedish woman there were 6 kids in my family. She replied that, "your parents must sure like sex!" I thought that was the strangest thing to say.... she only had two children, but I thought "surely you've had sex more than 2 times, and if not, well 6 times in 20+ years is really not that much!"
The other night we were visiting some of Abram's family that we usually only see once or twice a year when his dad flies into town. One of his aunts' husbands walked in & saw the 4 little kids playing around the tiny single-wide and said, "you two need to find something better to do." I smartly replied, " oh, but it's so much fun!" he looked at me in a surprised way as we are the only religious people in the family and I'm sure we are thought of as major prudes in more way than one.

Make-up

Since I am 30, I decided I was grown up enough to start wearing make-up. Now I wear mascara & lipstick at least once a week! One of the things that has kept me from being a full-time make-up wearer all these years were the lovely women who wore it all the time and if you ever saw them without it you thought they were deathly ill. Or the ones who couldn't possibly do anything or be seen by anyone without their make-up on. Like the one I've heard a rumor about that keeps a bag of extra make-up on her nightstand just in case there is a fire she can be sure to have it and look fabulous standing outside in her robe as the rest of her house and family burns. (high sarcasm there)
So I had some money to spend (yes, I'm the type that will return gifts for cash or in-store credit) at Freddy's and decided I needed some lipstick. (The other one I got for free from Clinique has been mutilated by Rowan several times) I bought L'oreal Infallible lipstick that I had heard about from a friend. (Plus it was on sale) This stuff is awesome! I can put it on in the morning and when I get in bed at night my husband dreamily says, "oooh! you're wearing make-up to bed!" and snuggles a little closer. It comes in a lipstick or a lip'gloss' type applicator and then you hold your lips still for one minute and then apply the topcoat/moisturizer. You just need to be sure you didn't draw outside the lines or crookedly, otherwise you're stuck with wacky lips for the next 16 hours.

Kissing Contest

I don't really keep up with celebrities, but I hear things every once in awhile. Since I am a fan of the new Batman films and also really love that Christian Bale plays Batman, I have heard a few tidbits about it. Supposedly they were considering Jake Gyllenhaal originally for the role. I thought it was interesting since Jake & Heath Ledger played lovers in Brokeback Mountain. I haven't seen or heard anything about that film, but just imagine if they did actually kiss or make-out in that movie, then play arch enemies in Batman. But the really funny thing is how Jake's sister, ( I assume) Maggie Gyllenhaal played the love-interest in Dark Knight. Abram & I suppose they wouldn't have put her in that role if Jake would have been their leading man. But here is the question I pose for you: Although the two never kiss in that movie, would it be more likely an actor would object to kissing their sister as a heterosexual man, or another man..? What would you think? Would it be weirder to share a make-out session with your sibling rather than someone of the same sex? I can't imagine doing either one, but I'm not really a make-out person...
Poor Abram!

Party

Aisling has been asking me if we can have a party and have 'fancy drinks' (italian sodas) so last night we did it. We had bacon, eggs & hash browns for dinner. The kids got to help cook. Aisling put the bacon on the pan for me, and Rowan helped cook the hashbrowns, she dumped about 1/2 cup of oil on the pan while I was out of the room for a second. Brenna cracked some eggs. Then we had 'fancy drinks' with fancy straws. For our party we built a huge fort (more like a tent) in the living room and got inside and told stories with a flashlight. I am so proud of us for actually doing something fun together!! We usually depend on others to have any fun. Hooray for us!
What are your favorite fun things to do at home with the kids?

Hand shake

I just met someone on saturday and when we shook hands, she gave me a half handshake, and very loose and floppy. I like a firm (not painful) handshake and was wondering why some one might not like that. Some ideas I have are: maybe they are scared of germs. Maybe they don't like touching other people. Maybe they think women should be dainty.
What do you think? How do you like your handshakes?

School Days

Aisling has been enjoying school. She says it is Much easier than homeschool. According to her, the teacher doesn't make them read, spell, or anything hard! She LOVES to ride the bus. It is hard to get anything out of her when she gets home. Do your kids pull the "I forgot" excuse? I have to pull & pry to get her to tell me anything. She has not given me any grief about getting ready to go, but mostly I think that's because she is SO excited to ride the bus. The first day she didn't get to ride (and I wanted to take her) and the next day she could have ridden but the sub driver somehow missed picking her up. she threw a royal "it's NOT fair!!!!!" fit and cried and cried. But since then she's been quite happy about the whole affair.
Brenna keeps telling me she is So bored when Aisling is gone that she'll just Have to take a nap, but so far, she has found plenty of other things to do with Rowan. :) it has been fun seeing them playing together more when Aisling is gone.
Lachlan is walking all over the house now. He's quite good. He has been cranky with a top tooth coming in which makes the nights very unhappy times for me. Poor little boy. But I can't tell if he has just gotten into a bad habit or if he really is as miserable as he's acting.
Tonight I made no-bake cookies (with peanut butter) and I fed Lachlan a few tiny little pieces. I just wanted to see if he would have any kind of reaction. He did just fine, but then I caught him rubbing his eye. A while later he had the welts and red, swollen eye. I knew I was in trouble! Luckily my neighbor had some children's benadryl and we got the reaction to subside fairly quickly. Needless to say, Abram was unhappy as he has been trying to get me to give up the peanut butter. I'm afraid as long as it's not a potentially fatal reaction, I'm not very willing to give it up. I'll just be sure to keep him away (and not feed him any) :) He's had a rough go of it since he pulled the cord on the hot curling iron and it fell down on his hand on sunday. I've gotten out of the habit of putting all the cords up, but that was a good wake -up reminder. it's a good red spot, but thankfully no blistering.
Rowan has been wearing underwear ( I know some people despise the "p" word for underpants, so I'll refrain using it) this week and doing well mostly. Aisling & Brenna were over night trainers. one day they decided to use the potty and they never wore diapers again. (or pull-ups) Rowan has been harder to convince and I'm still putting a diaper on her at night, cuz I don't know how she'll do. She is still having an 'accident' or 2 per day, although thankfully no #2 accdents. :) She is quite independent. She just goes right in & does it, wipes & everything. She won't even tell anyone. Suddenly i'll hear a flush and she'll come bounding out. Now I just need to get the hand washing down and we're set.
We have been reading the tale of Despereaux. We really liked the book Because of Winn-Dixie (the movie, not so much) and wanted to read more by Kate Dicamillo. The book has been interesting so far. I've heard mixed reviews about the movie. Have you seen it? What did you think?

more Snow!

It has been so fun to get lots of snow this winter.

The kids have had a lot of fun and Abram & I even got to go snowboarding!
The girls went to their cousins for a 'cupcake' party, but ended up dyeing their hair instead.


Lachlan started taking steps the day after Christmas and is doing quite well with the walking. Bren, Row and Lach all walked at 10 months, which I think is average. Aisling, crazy girl, walked at 8 months.
Aisling started 'real' school yesterday at the local public school. She is having a great time and says, "it is more fun than I thought it would be." I've resigned myself to the fact that she would learn more at home, but the thing I am putting her in for is to learn to GO when you have to go somewhere. When we've had her in ballet or soccer it was such a fiasco to get her to get ready to go each time for practice or games. It would take over an hour of fighting with her. So I thought this would be a good way to eliminate that, because she has to get ready and go everyday. We'll see, but so far, so good.

some pictures from christmas

a watch I made
some peanut plushies
some goodies from our secret santa
molly monkey