Is anyone else out there as confused as I am about who the hell to vote for? My own daughter is fairly certain that Barack Obama is our next President (we never even talk about this at home so she must be getting this at school!) but I myself am not as certain.
I think if we could toss both candidates into a colander and rinse them out REALLY well, the best parts of them would drain out, then we'd be all set. I really do like things about both of them, I can't lie! So I went in search of some answers out there on the world wide web and stumbled onto this really amazing website that I have to share: http://www.electoralcompass.com/
If you have 5-10 minutes of time to go through and answer all the questions, you might find out that you are voting for the right person (or the wrong one too, I was a bit surprised at what I found out about the policies of each candidate).
Kaylee said she'll let me know on Tuesday when to vote, and I am sure she will tell me HOW to vote. Funny girl. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what happens on Tuesday. Regardless of whether or not people are McCain or Obama supporters, an informed vote is the most important vote to cast.
If only I could be as sure as Kaylee....must be nice to be 4.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
You know your kids watch to much TV when......
You ask them what they want to eat and they say "Crabby patties."
Friday, October 24, 2008
Ravenous little beasts
Every day when I pick my kids up from daycare they behave as if they haven't been given a morsel of food in two weeks. Kaylee handles it a little better than her brother initially. She at least just says she's hungry, climbs in her seat and tells me what to fix her for dinner.
Brady on the other hand crawls into the car and then crawls around on his hands and knees looking for anything he can find: stale crusty dried up french fries, stale soft fruit loops or kix cereal, or if he's really lucky and hits the jackpot, sometimes he might find an old peanut M&M on the floor. Ew. And I can't get him to stop!
I tried to limit it to just the leftover stuff he can find in his car seat, but that kid could find a needle (or more likely a peanut) in a giant haystack if he was hungry enough. Once he's had his fill of whatever he can find on the floor & in his seat he hops right in and we buckle up and go home.
Once we get home however, the tables turn a bit. Brady just goes & finds his "cars" and plays until dinner is ready. Kaylee behaves as if I have deprived her of basic human needs. She just absolutely carries on and on.
Last night I finally said "Kaylee you have nothing to cry about. Dinner is sitting on the table, so go sit down and eat please." What do you think Kaylee does? She says to me, "I'm NOT crying. I'm whining." So glad we've ironed out the difference between the two.
Brady on the other hand crawls into the car and then crawls around on his hands and knees looking for anything he can find: stale crusty dried up french fries, stale soft fruit loops or kix cereal, or if he's really lucky and hits the jackpot, sometimes he might find an old peanut M&M on the floor. Ew. And I can't get him to stop!
I tried to limit it to just the leftover stuff he can find in his car seat, but that kid could find a needle (or more likely a peanut) in a giant haystack if he was hungry enough. Once he's had his fill of whatever he can find on the floor & in his seat he hops right in and we buckle up and go home.
Once we get home however, the tables turn a bit. Brady just goes & finds his "cars" and plays until dinner is ready. Kaylee behaves as if I have deprived her of basic human needs. She just absolutely carries on and on.
Last night I finally said "Kaylee you have nothing to cry about. Dinner is sitting on the table, so go sit down and eat please." What do you think Kaylee does? She says to me, "I'm NOT crying. I'm whining." So glad we've ironed out the difference between the two.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Things no one thought to tell me....
It seemed like a good idea at the time: having the kids "race" each other to see who can get their clothes on first. That way we have fun, we get dressed fast and get to school/work on time. No on thought to tell me that once you open that pandoras box with the kids they will then compete in EVERYTHING!!
1) I woked up first (says Brady). No I woked up first (says Kaylee) Repeat three times then add in some kicking, hitting and biting to shake it all up.
2) I got in the car first. No I did. Repeat. Throw in some choking and scratching.
3) I won. No I did. No I did. No I did. No I did. No I did. Add more biting, scratching and some shoving, all right next to the toilet because they both decided they A) wanted to pee and B) get there first. Yuck. And one of them is still in diapers.
Word to the rest of the world: bribe your children with sugary snacks to get them dressed, that way you get them dressed faster, you aren't late, and then daycare/preschool gets to peel them off the ceiling.
See, EVERYBODY wins!
1) I woked up first (says Brady). No I woked up first (says Kaylee) Repeat three times then add in some kicking, hitting and biting to shake it all up.
2) I got in the car first. No I did. Repeat. Throw in some choking and scratching.
3) I won. No I did. No I did. No I did. No I did. No I did. Add more biting, scratching and some shoving, all right next to the toilet because they both decided they A) wanted to pee and B) get there first. Yuck. And one of them is still in diapers.
Word to the rest of the world: bribe your children with sugary snacks to get them dressed, that way you get them dressed faster, you aren't late, and then daycare/preschool gets to peel them off the ceiling.
See, EVERYBODY wins!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Conversations with my family
Exerpts from actual conversations with members of my family, some details are summarized:
One sided conversation with 4 - going - on - 14 year - old Kaylee last week:
Kaylee:
"Mom? Carter was like in trouble at school today. He like hit me with a ball in the head. Then he like totally got hit and had to sit in time out. His head was really red and I was so like how did that happen?"
Me:
Jawdropped, no sound coming out. Wonder where she learned to talk like that? Oh duh, she's like my daughter. I am so sure!!
Conversation with my husband Friday morning:
Mark:
"Does this shirt look okay with these pants?"
Me:
"Yes, looks fine."
Mark:
"Are you sure the pants aren't too blue to go with the black?"
Me:
"Yes you look fine."
Mark:
"Um, do these pants make my hips look big?"
Me:
Speechless. I think I married a girl.....
Conversation with my 2-year old son in the car yesterday:
Me:
"Brady, do you want a hamburger or cheeseburger?"
Brady:
"Hamburger!"
Me:
"Pickles or no pickles?"
Brady:
"No pickles!"
a few minutes later after I hand him the burger...
Brady:
"I don't want this one."
Me:
"Why?"
Brady:
"I want cheese and pickles."
Me:
"You said you didn't want pickles & cheese."
Brady (repeated at least 15 times):
"I don't WANT this one. I want different one."
So I asked him if he wanted my yogurt, and he said yes. Here's the next part:
Brady:
"I don't want this."
Me:
"Okay, give it to Mommy."
Brady:
"I want this."
(repeat this conversation about 5 times)
Brady:
(after eating three bites) "I don't want this yogurt. I want french fries."
Little stinker.
One sided conversation with 4 - going - on - 14 year - old Kaylee last week:
Kaylee:
"Mom? Carter was like in trouble at school today. He like hit me with a ball in the head. Then he like totally got hit and had to sit in time out. His head was really red and I was so like how did that happen?"
Me:
Jawdropped, no sound coming out. Wonder where she learned to talk like that? Oh duh, she's like my daughter. I am so sure!!
Conversation with my husband Friday morning:
Mark:
"Does this shirt look okay with these pants?"
Me:
"Yes, looks fine."
Mark:
"Are you sure the pants aren't too blue to go with the black?"
Me:
"Yes you look fine."
Mark:
"Um, do these pants make my hips look big?"
Me:
Speechless. I think I married a girl.....
Conversation with my 2-year old son in the car yesterday:
Me:
"Brady, do you want a hamburger or cheeseburger?"
Brady:
"Hamburger!"
Me:
"Pickles or no pickles?"
Brady:
"No pickles!"
a few minutes later after I hand him the burger...
Brady:
"I don't want this one."
Me:
"Why?"
Brady:
"I want cheese and pickles."
Me:
"You said you didn't want pickles & cheese."
Brady (repeated at least 15 times):
"I don't WANT this one. I want different one."
So I asked him if he wanted my yogurt, and he said yes. Here's the next part:
Brady:
"I don't want this."
Me:
"Okay, give it to Mommy."
Brady:
"I want this."
(repeat this conversation about 5 times)
Brady:
(after eating three bites) "I don't want this yogurt. I want french fries."
Little stinker.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The bucket list
Did anyone else watch that movie "The Bucket List"? Well if you didn't I wouldn't recommend it. With Morgan Freeman and Jack Nickolas and the previews that made it appear to be an uplifting buddy comedy, you would be sorely disappointed. It was depressing! And I have previously established, folks I know depression.
However, the idea of the movie is a good one: what would you do if you knew you were going to kick the bucket soon? The take-away was that now is the time to live it up, not to wait until the old grim reaper is knocking on your door.
Mark and I have always had a "things we want to do someday before we die" list, but I like the old bucket list reference, a little shorter and more to the point, completely the opposite of most of my posts.
Some of the items already accomplished from the list include: trip to New York City (Amy's list), trip to see Notre Dame play football at home (guess who's list that was on!) and a trip to watch an NFL game (both of our lists), crossed off as recently as last Sunday.
Mark and I drove to Seattle, stopping briefly in Colville to roll the kids out the van door into Mark's brother's unsuspecting household before speeding down I-90 to Seattle. It was a little disconcerting when we left as the kids barely even acknowledged that we were leaving them alone with someone else, but by the time we picked them up both they and Mark's family were thrilled to see us!
We got tickets in the nose-bleed section, or as I like to call it the massive cardio and glutes workout section, one row from the top of the stadium in the southwest end of Quest Field. But what a fun event. It was the Seaslugs VS the Green Bay Packers and a stadium full of crazy fans. There were fireworks, scantily dressed cheerleaders (Mark was thankful for the binoculars) and lots and lots of beer.
It was, in a way, like being at home. The later in the game, the more the fans drank, and the increased friction between Seahawk & Green Bay fans, who were previously peacefully co-existing during the first half of the game. The only thing missing were mullets. Otherwise, it was a stadium full of drunk, angry and overly optimistic Hawk fans, and I would imagine similar to attending an Idaho Vandal game this season.
All in all, the experience was great. We did miss the kids, but being present to watch Green Bay squish the Seachickens (who I have had a difficult time loving since Steve Largent left) was quite an adventure and a fun item to check off the bucket list.
However, the idea of the movie is a good one: what would you do if you knew you were going to kick the bucket soon? The take-away was that now is the time to live it up, not to wait until the old grim reaper is knocking on your door.
Mark and I have always had a "things we want to do someday before we die" list, but I like the old bucket list reference, a little shorter and more to the point, completely the opposite of most of my posts.
Some of the items already accomplished from the list include: trip to New York City (Amy's list), trip to see Notre Dame play football at home (guess who's list that was on!) and a trip to watch an NFL game (both of our lists), crossed off as recently as last Sunday.
Mark and I drove to Seattle, stopping briefly in Colville to roll the kids out the van door into Mark's brother's unsuspecting household before speeding down I-90 to Seattle. It was a little disconcerting when we left as the kids barely even acknowledged that we were leaving them alone with someone else, but by the time we picked them up both they and Mark's family were thrilled to see us!
We got tickets in the nose-bleed section, or as I like to call it the massive cardio and glutes workout section, one row from the top of the stadium in the southwest end of Quest Field. But what a fun event. It was the Seaslugs VS the Green Bay Packers and a stadium full of crazy fans. There were fireworks, scantily dressed cheerleaders (Mark was thankful for the binoculars) and lots and lots of beer.
It was, in a way, like being at home. The later in the game, the more the fans drank, and the increased friction between Seahawk & Green Bay fans, who were previously peacefully co-existing during the first half of the game. The only thing missing were mullets. Otherwise, it was a stadium full of drunk, angry and overly optimistic Hawk fans, and I would imagine similar to attending an Idaho Vandal game this season.
All in all, the experience was great. We did miss the kids, but being present to watch Green Bay squish the Seachickens (who I have had a difficult time loving since Steve Largent left) was quite an adventure and a fun item to check off the bucket list.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Panic Attacks and other fun things....
Well I really don't want to take a serious turn on my blog, but as you know I am all about humor so I'll try to keep this as light as possible! On occasion I have mentioned that I do, in fact, take medication. Very tongue in cheek-ish, but I need to be up front and honest: I take Lexapro.
Someone recently asked me, what the hell is Lexapro? For those of you well-balanced, strees free freaks of nature, it is a once-daily medication that keeps me from driving my car off the long bridge into the deepest part of the lake and from going to the emergency room fearing I am having a heart attack. In other words, it is anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication.
And yes, I went to the emergency room once thinking I was having a heart attack. At age 34. In pretty good health. Duh. I felt like someone was standing on my chest, I couldn't breathe hardly and when I got in there my blood pressure was so high it was amazing. Nothing like a good narcotic to bring you down however. I think they gave me Xanax?
So of course they said I needed therapy, medication and for god's sake an outlet for my stress. So I left my corporate job at Coldwater Creek to run a local nonprofit. How long do you think that lasted until I started getting anxiety attacks again? Needless to say, I didn't get therapy or meds until late last winter when we still had 5 feet of snow and I thought about either driving myself into oncoming traffic or disappearing to Mexico. Sadly, the bridge scenario was more appealing.
I still have yet to find an outlet for my stress however. As a working mom with a demanding job and a spouse with an equally demanding job, about all I have time to do or the means to do during the week is play with kids, do housework, watch TV and pass out in bed as soon as possible. Does this sounds familiar to anyone?
So here I am confessing to using medication to balance my brain out, but in all honesty I wouldn't go back and do anything different. Most people close to me who weren't necessarily excited about meds are now saying "Keep that woman medicated!".
I am more of the me I used to be, and I liked me once a long time ago, and well slowly I am starting to be friends with myself again so that's a good thing. All joking aside, if you or anyone you know needs help, get it, get therapy and feel better.
Besides, if it weren't for Lexapro I wouldn't be able to torture people with my rambling thoughts, and it keeps me from being one of those alcoholic moms on the Oprah show.
Someone recently asked me, what the hell is Lexapro? For those of you well-balanced, strees free freaks of nature, it is a once-daily medication that keeps me from driving my car off the long bridge into the deepest part of the lake and from going to the emergency room fearing I am having a heart attack. In other words, it is anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication.
And yes, I went to the emergency room once thinking I was having a heart attack. At age 34. In pretty good health. Duh. I felt like someone was standing on my chest, I couldn't breathe hardly and when I got in there my blood pressure was so high it was amazing. Nothing like a good narcotic to bring you down however. I think they gave me Xanax?
So of course they said I needed therapy, medication and for god's sake an outlet for my stress. So I left my corporate job at Coldwater Creek to run a local nonprofit. How long do you think that lasted until I started getting anxiety attacks again? Needless to say, I didn't get therapy or meds until late last winter when we still had 5 feet of snow and I thought about either driving myself into oncoming traffic or disappearing to Mexico. Sadly, the bridge scenario was more appealing.
I still have yet to find an outlet for my stress however. As a working mom with a demanding job and a spouse with an equally demanding job, about all I have time to do or the means to do during the week is play with kids, do housework, watch TV and pass out in bed as soon as possible. Does this sounds familiar to anyone?
So here I am confessing to using medication to balance my brain out, but in all honesty I wouldn't go back and do anything different. Most people close to me who weren't necessarily excited about meds are now saying "Keep that woman medicated!".
I am more of the me I used to be, and I liked me once a long time ago, and well slowly I am starting to be friends with myself again so that's a good thing. All joking aside, if you or anyone you know needs help, get it, get therapy and feel better.
Besides, if it weren't for Lexapro I wouldn't be able to torture people with my rambling thoughts, and it keeps me from being one of those alcoholic moms on the Oprah show.
Friday, October 3, 2008
The boat appears to be the big winner!
It appears that the boat wins over the boobs in the polls. Which is totally cool with me. I kind of wish I would have extended the voting because I think there's a good chance the boobs may have made a last minute climb to the top (kinda like the McCain/Palin ticket).
As I have been watching the news and the financial crisis, I really do agree that the boat might be a wiser use of funds at this time, mostly because we could always sell the boat if we need money for the bread lines, but boobs, well can't really sell those suckers for money. Or can you???
Hmmmm.....well I am a mother after all. So if I barely let my husband see them, I can only imagine my willingess to let anyone else see them either. Now that we are entering the fall season my desire for a boat to use or boobs to flaunt is fading a bit, but I do appreciate your willingness to cast your vote.
Come spring time, we will be buying a boat. It might be a big surprise for Mark, after all it is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.
As I have been watching the news and the financial crisis, I really do agree that the boat might be a wiser use of funds at this time, mostly because we could always sell the boat if we need money for the bread lines, but boobs, well can't really sell those suckers for money. Or can you???
Hmmmm.....well I am a mother after all. So if I barely let my husband see them, I can only imagine my willingess to let anyone else see them either. Now that we are entering the fall season my desire for a boat to use or boobs to flaunt is fading a bit, but I do appreciate your willingness to cast your vote.
Come spring time, we will be buying a boat. It might be a big surprise for Mark, after all it is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Santa pooped in our fireplace
Last night we were looking at our gas-fueled fireplace to find out if we can convert it from propane to natural gas, as Sagle, ID has officially joined the 21st century and in SOME areas now offers the convenience and affordability of natural gas. I'll miss that white trash propane tank, no more christmas lights on it this year...bummer.
As we were examining the connection underneath, Kaylee had an opportunity to get an up-close look at the inside where the logs are. Because it has a glass front, fake logs and is meant more for visual appeal than actual heat there are these little lumps in it that, I think, are meant to resemble ashes or smaller pieces of the wood as they burn off. Apparently to a four year old, they look like something completely different.
I was folding laundry a short distance away and heard this sweet little Kaylee voice say, "Mom! I think Santa pooped in our fireplace!" I nearly peed my pants laughing.
As we were examining the connection underneath, Kaylee had an opportunity to get an up-close look at the inside where the logs are. Because it has a glass front, fake logs and is meant more for visual appeal than actual heat there are these little lumps in it that, I think, are meant to resemble ashes or smaller pieces of the wood as they burn off. Apparently to a four year old, they look like something completely different.
I was folding laundry a short distance away and heard this sweet little Kaylee voice say, "Mom! I think Santa pooped in our fireplace!" I nearly peed my pants laughing.
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