...A two-for-one sale on Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips! Such a nice surprise after day that could generally be characterized as annoying.
13 November 2006
Happiness Is...
...A two-for-one sale on Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips! Such a nice surprise after day that could generally be characterized as annoying.
Climbs With Monkeys
Climbs With Monkeys is off to school this morning wearing his fringed leather vest and feathered headdress. There was some discussion over how many feathers he should have - all the important indians, like the Chief, wore more than one. When I pointed out that he only owns one feather, he sighed but accepted his single-feather status like a true brave. Happily, he made the bus with molasses cookies, potato peeler (Climbs With Monkeys is on the Potato Peeling Team and will be making mashed potatoes for the Feast), brushed teeth, and clean fingernails. Thankfully, Lars has a regular day on deck so we've planned a morning of games before his bus comes by.
11 November 2006
Fire's Burning
Our house is on a very wooded lot, in a very wooded neighborhood, which means every autumn we have a lot of leaves. Last year, we managed to fill over 40 bags before the town collection date and we'd only worked on two sides of the house. This year, we decided to try mulching instead. It was so much faster! If it doesn't totally kill the lawn, we'll be all set. Along with leaf cleanup, we collect an enormous pile of sticks and branches that I burn in our fire bowl. This year's burn went very well. The boys helped with the collection and sorting and Chris helped break everything down to burnable sizes. We had about five hours of active fire and I didn't get to burn anything from the dead tree stack in the lower yard. Once everything was stacked and ready to burn, I enjoyed the late afternoon reading my next book group book in the porch rocker Chris got off our neighbor's trash pile. The kids were all over the place today, playing with friends in every yard but Ross came out to sit with me as dusk fell. We watched the bats and looked for stars and talked about what he wished for, "the best Mama in the world and ALL the cowboy stuff (except the horse...and the gun)." I said that was really two wishes and Ross said it wasn't because he already has the first part. Moments like that make all the rest of it worthwhile!
10 November 2006
You Say It's (not) Your Birthday
Suspense kills five-year-olds. Literally. Mine, at least, can't contain himself when he has a secret. He KNOWS he's not supposed to tell. He KNOWS the date he will be able to tell. He even tries hard to keep the secret by telling you everything but the very secret itself. I'd been in the door about four minutes this afternoon when Lars appeared next to me. "Bend down your ear, Mama, I have to tell you something I can't tell you." I bent and he whispered something urgent and utterly unintelligible into my ear. Ross paced nearby, trying to overhear, and glaring at his brother. I had Lars repeat his whisper and managed to gather that he was not about to tell me anything until my birthday but whatever he was not telling me about was in his brother's safe bank. Then they both darted away, Lars giggling and Ross admonishing that Lars was not to tell until my birthday. 
A while later, I overheard Lars asking Chris if he didn't think I deserved a present now, even though it's not my birthday. After all, it will be my birthday. And I've been being a very good Mama - I eat my dinners and do my work. A present now would seem, by Lars standards, very well placed...especially since he's prepared to give one. I'm not sure if Chris was convinced but Ross seemed to swing his vote to the give now side. Shortly after, the boys cornered me in the hallway. Ross said very ceremoniously that they KNOW it's not my birthday but they wanted to give me what they and Daddy had gotten for me at Home Depot anyway because I've been so good and it will be my birthday one day and so they got me HOCKEY KEYS! Woooot!
09 November 2006
007 1/2
I'd long thought "mystery shopping" was a fictitious scam made up by people who write spam content until I read a magazine article comparing various jobs with flexible schedules. It turns out that mystery shopping is an actual profession! After doing some initial research, I signed up with a company listed by the mystery shopping standards organization. In addition to the standard job application information, I had to list two character references (yes, there are two people willing to say I'm a good shopper...) and write no more than 50 words about why I wanted to be a mystery shopper. Surprisingly, I managed to come up with several more words than the obvious two, "Who wouldn't?"
Logging in to the assignments website for the first time was exciting - they don't tell you which companies you will observe before you are accepted, so I was very curious to see what options I'd have and was pleased to see several places I regularly patronize listed. I ran through a brief general orientation program and then an additional training session specific to one of the companies I wanted to shop for. After passing the tests, I got to select my first assignments! I picked a store that I needed to get something from and then, feeling ambitious, I signed up for a second assignment on the same day - what the he**? I get paid per assignment and get a small reimbursement toward anything I purchase while mystery shopping, so hitting two stores on one trip seemed like a good idea.
I had a few days to wonder what, exactly, I've gotten myself into and then today was the big day! I waited until I'd gotten my actual work done, reviewed my assignment paperwork, and then set off on my adventure. I was mildly apprehensive but it turned out to be fun! I had to remind myself of one or two things - for example in the first store, I forgot to try to identify the manager and see what s/he was doing - but on the whole, I did quite well. It wasn't hard, I got something I needed, filling out the evaluation form afterward took maybe five minutes and in a few weeks I'll get a little bump in my savings account. It's too bad I'm only discovering this hobby now, as I have an ironclad policy not to go into a mall between Thanksgiving and Epiphany. Maybe I'll try restaurant evaluations between now and then?
Logging in to the assignments website for the first time was exciting - they don't tell you which companies you will observe before you are accepted, so I was very curious to see what options I'd have and was pleased to see several places I regularly patronize listed. I ran through a brief general orientation program and then an additional training session specific to one of the companies I wanted to shop for. After passing the tests, I got to select my first assignments! I picked a store that I needed to get something from and then, feeling ambitious, I signed up for a second assignment on the same day - what the he**? I get paid per assignment and get a small reimbursement toward anything I purchase while mystery shopping, so hitting two stores on one trip seemed like a good idea.
I had a few days to wonder what, exactly, I've gotten myself into and then today was the big day! I waited until I'd gotten my actual work done, reviewed my assignment paperwork, and then set off on my adventure. I was mildly apprehensive but it turned out to be fun! I had to remind myself of one or two things - for example in the first store, I forgot to try to identify the manager and see what s/he was doing - but on the whole, I did quite well. It wasn't hard, I got something I needed, filling out the evaluation form afterward took maybe five minutes and in a few weeks I'll get a little bump in my savings account. It's too bad I'm only discovering this hobby now, as I have an ironclad policy not to go into a mall between Thanksgiving and Epiphany. Maybe I'll try restaurant evaluations between now and then?
07 November 2006
Tuesday
Humor for today, thanks to xkcd for a good laugh!
Ross came home needing a Pilgrim Name. He wants Huggable or Hockey. I've suggested Constant. He also needs an Indian Name. Plays with Sticks and Climbs with Monkeys are in consideration.
Lars has taken to offering a toast each night as we sit down for dinner. Instead of offering a compliment or well-wish to someone, though, he uses his moment of attention to present something he would like to have happen. For example, "I would like to propose a toast to Daddy for playing a game of Memory with me after dinner. And for trying hard to win but not being sad when he doesn't win because I am GREAT at playing Memory."
Chris made our menu and shopping list for the week! He had to do it twice because I'm an impossible spouse and pointed out that the five dinners he'd first selected contained four pasta meals, one of which we'd already eaten just the night before. Then, because he's wonderful (or he just wanted to get out of the house) he did the shopping and he only called me twice from the store. Once was to ask where they've put the ham (moved it a few months ago) and the second time - bless his heart - to ask where he'd find Chicory. Chicory? We're not exactly sleeping on mattresses of cash but I hope we're not consigned to depression coffee quite yet. Thankfully, he let me convince him not to keep looking for the stuff.
I filled out even more forms for the credit card fraud thing and learned the name, e-mail address, and telephone number of the person who used my card from Priceline by calling and asking for information about the reservation my card had paid for. Then, I Googled the phone number and got the address. If jail is not in his immediate future, I predict he will be flooded by spam, telemarketing offers, and Fuller Brush men. Who steals a credit card and then uses his own actual information to book travel reservations with it?
Ross came home needing a Pilgrim Name. He wants Huggable or Hockey. I've suggested Constant. He also needs an Indian Name. Plays with Sticks and Climbs with Monkeys are in consideration.
Lars has taken to offering a toast each night as we sit down for dinner. Instead of offering a compliment or well-wish to someone, though, he uses his moment of attention to present something he would like to have happen. For example, "I would like to propose a toast to Daddy for playing a game of Memory with me after dinner. And for trying hard to win but not being sad when he doesn't win because I am GREAT at playing Memory."
Chris made our menu and shopping list for the week! He had to do it twice because I'm an impossible spouse and pointed out that the five dinners he'd first selected contained four pasta meals, one of which we'd already eaten just the night before. Then, because he's wonderful (or he just wanted to get out of the house) he did the shopping and he only called me twice from the store. Once was to ask where they've put the ham (moved it a few months ago) and the second time - bless his heart - to ask where he'd find Chicory. Chicory? We're not exactly sleeping on mattresses of cash but I hope we're not consigned to depression coffee quite yet. Thankfully, he let me convince him not to keep looking for the stuff.
I filled out even more forms for the credit card fraud thing and learned the name, e-mail address, and telephone number of the person who used my card from Priceline by calling and asking for information about the reservation my card had paid for. Then, I Googled the phone number and got the address. If jail is not in his immediate future, I predict he will be flooded by spam, telemarketing offers, and Fuller Brush men. Who steals a credit card and then uses his own actual information to book travel reservations with it?
06 November 2006
Static Ritual
The rituals of Halloween Candy haven't changed much since I was a kid. The candy is wildly different but the rituals surrounding sorting, trading, selecting and eating are exactly as I remember them. For weeks after Halloween, the collections must be viewed and sorted each night. The sorting will be done by type of candy, by wrapper color, or by whether the collector has ever tasted that kind or not. Sometimes it is lined up in the order in which the collector intends to consume the treats, sometimes by piles according to how jealous another collector might be of the items. There is a lot of vocal admiration and it's facinating to watch bazarre trading skills develop. If a particular candy doesn't garner the expected amount of apprval, the shrewd holder of the candy might guess that a good trade might be made for any of that kind appearing in the other person's pile. A disparaging comment might provoke a trade of astronomical appeal and the urge to outdo another collector can instigate something very near war. In this fashion, one packet of Necco wafers might be exchanged for two or even three Mounds bars (dark chocolate being currently out of favor, since the neighbor girl has managed to lodge the idea that it's actually made of mud into their heads...bless her heart!). One brother offering Mama a Heath bar (remembering how she asked him to put on another costume and go around to that house again...) can inspire the other to extend his entire stock of KitKats because he knows she likes them. Top level diplomacy skills are required for Mama to make it out of the exchange without a lapful of candy or anyone in tears. To her great credit, not only did she manage, she also came out of the transaction with hugs, the Heath bar *and* the life-size 100 GRAND bar. She is (if she does say so herself) good!
P.S. Can you tell which kid is a little bit compulsive? I took the picture before he got to moving them into position by colors, with each color spaced one life-size Butterfinger length away from the others...
P.S. Can you tell which kid is a little bit compulsive? I took the picture before he got to moving them into position by colors, with each color spaced one life-size Butterfinger length away from the others...
04 November 2006
White Hibiscus by Cheryl Meehan
I stumbled on the blog of artist Cheryl Meehan one day and found myself intrigued by some of her paintings. I was also impressed by her vow to do a painting each day, as a way of improving her skill and focusing on her art - I admire dedication like that quite a bit. Mid-September, Cheryl painted White Hibiscus, a painting I couldn't stop looking at! The colors are gorgeous and the way she captured the light is fabulous. I sent her a note and a short while later, became the owner of the lovely painting. It is just back from the frame shop and now hangs over my desk, where I can see it often!
03 November 2006
Sound Bites
In conversation over dinner tonight I mentioned Barbizon, a company I work with on occasion. Ross perked right up, "Barbizon? Is that a Transformer?"
I couldn't help but grin, "No, it's a company I know from work."
Wistfully, he sighed, "Oh, too bad. 'Barbizon' would make a cool Transformer!"
=====
An acapella quartet of Firemen sang the anthems before the Bruins-Sabres game yesterday. Chris asked how they'd be classified (I think he meant musically) and Ross immediately offered, "Non-fiction, animal." Made me realize I have no idea what really goes on in his head sometimes...
I couldn't help but grin, "No, it's a company I know from work."
Wistfully, he sighed, "Oh, too bad. 'Barbizon' would make a cool Transformer!"
=====
An acapella quartet of Firemen sang the anthems before the Bruins-Sabres game yesterday. Chris asked how they'd be classified (I think he meant musically) and Ross immediately offered, "Non-fiction, animal." Made me realize I have no idea what really goes on in his head sometimes...
02 November 2006
7:43am: Too Early for Poor Grammar
I have a Starbucks affliction. Actually, it's a coffee affliction...but Starbucks is a particularly gratifying way to satisfy it, especially if you say, "Triple grande latte for Karen," to the person in the green apron with the Sharpie and the stack of cups. If said person is also wearing blue tint glasses and manning the early morning line in the NYP station branch, I don't usually have to speak - a watery smile demonstrating my lack of caffeine is enough to get him writing my standard order on a cup and waving me toward the pastry case. This morning started off well enough - much too early but well all the same. Train mostly on time (despite rain), transfer uneventful, watery smile, apple fritter, swipe card, get GTL, grab a few napkins, head for subway.
Standing on the subway platform, I started to fold the napkins into my bag when I noticed they have a new design. It's light green print on unbleached recycled napkin stock, so you have to look closely to see what it says: Less napkins. More plants. More planet. Less napkins.
Less napkins? LESS? And did they have to write it twice? FEWER. FEWER NAPKINS. Less/fewer errors bother me even after I've had coffee but they turn out to be particularly annoying before coffee, in a subway station at 7:43am. It's almost enough to send me back to carrying cash for corner cart coffee.
Standing on the subway platform, I started to fold the napkins into my bag when I noticed they have a new design. It's light green print on unbleached recycled napkin stock, so you have to look closely to see what it says: Less napkins. More plants. More planet. Less napkins.
Less napkins? LESS? And did they have to write it twice? FEWER. FEWER NAPKINS. Less/fewer errors bother me even after I've had coffee but they turn out to be particularly annoying before coffee, in a subway station at 7:43am. It's almost enough to send me back to carrying cash for corner cart coffee.
01 November 2006
Post Halloween Observation
Kit Kat snack bars seem smaller this year. Good thing there were a lot of them!
31 October 2006
Halloween 2006
Halloween at our house is heralded by the arrival of a box from Momo containing the costumes she's made for the boys. There's always great anticipation - the boys choose who they'd like to be and send Momo pictures (when she doesn't know the character) but they don't see their costumes until just before the day. Of course, they try them on as soon as the box is opened:
Lars is Boots the Monkey and Ross is Yoda:
Costume wearings will continue until it gets hot next summer and will resume in cold weather for as long as they can squeeze into the outfits! Here they are opening another exciting package - this one containing gifts from Japan:
Here's Yoda as part of the school parade:
And a wave from Boots:
Finally, the business end of the holiday...ready to trick-or-treat! Blue (from Blue's Clues) and a growly tiger cub came over but I sadly forgot to take any pictures. Heather put up a few pictures of the girls in their costumes on her blog, though, if you're in the mood for some more cuteness.
Happy Halloween!
Lars is Boots the Monkey and Ross is Yoda:
Costume wearings will continue until it gets hot next summer and will resume in cold weather for as long as they can squeeze into the outfits! Here they are opening another exciting package - this one containing gifts from Japan:
Here's Yoda as part of the school parade:
And a wave from Boots:
Finally, the business end of the holiday...ready to trick-or-treat! Blue (from Blue's Clues) and a growly tiger cub came over but I sadly forgot to take any pictures. Heather put up a few pictures of the girls in their costumes on her blog, though, if you're in the mood for some more cuteness.
Happy Halloween!
29 October 2006
Nutshell: This Weekend
Saturday:
- Boys' skating clinic (blocks! goals!)
- Long phone talk with Mom. She's having her entire house renovated - lucky! Aside from horrible construction clean-up, she'll get to enjoy a totally new kitchen, fresh paint (new colors!) in all the rooms, and new flooring throughout her house.
- Scrubbed & primed "The Lab" (1/4 of the basement the kids play in). I can't take any credit for having done this - it's all Chris.
- Epic battle between Jedi Yoda and Darth Boots (Boots, the monkey from Dora weilding a Darth Maul double ended red light sabre)
- Target/HD run for supplies
- Book Group! Bibliofilly invited me to join her reading circle and I went to my first meeting this weekend. I wasn't sure quite what to expect but enjoyed what actually was and am looking forward to the next one. The book we discussed this time was "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.
- Pancakes for breakfast (our standard Sunday fare)
- More painting (Chris & Lars)
- Scorekeeping & Penalty Box Door at UWHL game (Karen & Ross)
- Game 2 for Mama, at home w/Family Cheering Section (we won!)
- Wegmans run
- Subs for dinner
- DH & Hot Brick Toddys after the kids were asleep
26 October 2006
"Not their best..."
TV Commentator: "The Sabres really didn't play their best game tonight."
He's right, they didn't really look their best tonight. Then again, they were mixing up the lines all night. They're in a very good position within the league right now (they haven't lost yet), so why not test a few new strategies? Get some guys who don't ordinarily play together out there. You know, in case of injury later on, at least it won't be the first time they'll have seen each other in a game situation. Final score? Sabres 3, Islanders 0. I'm ok with "not their best" play!
He's right, they didn't really look their best tonight. Then again, they were mixing up the lines all night. They're in a very good position within the league right now (they haven't lost yet), so why not test a few new strategies? Get some guys who don't ordinarily play together out there. You know, in case of injury later on, at least it won't be the first time they'll have seen each other in a game situation. Final score? Sabres 3, Islanders 0. I'm ok with "not their best" play!
25 October 2006
And The Answer Is...
Credit card fraud. The very generous travel gift certificates (although maybe not so generous when you consider that I'm meant to pay for them myself) that arrived yesterday were only the tip of it - nearly $2400 was spent over the last week, in travel expenses and software purchases and what appears to have been a fast-cash loan payback. Thankfully, American Express is great - we called them as soon as we realized and they're taking care of everything.
So, how do I feel in the wake of having my account number heisted? Oddly, I don't really feel violated, which is how I always thought I would feel; I'm more annoyed that Chris and I have to spend our time dealing with it. Calling AmEx was fast and painless. Calling the credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert was also pretty quick. The annoying part will be going around updating all the accounts (cable, phones, subscriptions, utilities, EZPass, Starbucks, etc...) that automatically charge to my AmEx each month. I won't get the new card for a few days and we're due for all the month-end billings, which means a slew of calls I'll have to make twice - one now to stop the automatic billing and another after the card gets here to start it up again. Big fun...NOT. I'm also annoyed that the perpetrator had the audacity to charge travel with a company that doesn't service any of the airports I live near. With three major airports to choose from, I think it was a pretty inconsiderate thing to do.
So, how do I feel in the wake of having my account number heisted? Oddly, I don't really feel violated, which is how I always thought I would feel; I'm more annoyed that Chris and I have to spend our time dealing with it. Calling AmEx was fast and painless. Calling the credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert was also pretty quick. The annoying part will be going around updating all the accounts (cable, phones, subscriptions, utilities, EZPass, Starbucks, etc...) that automatically charge to my AmEx each month. I won't get the new card for a few days and we're due for all the month-end billings, which means a slew of calls I'll have to make twice - one now to stop the automatic billing and another after the card gets here to start it up again. Big fun...NOT. I'm also annoyed that the perpetrator had the audacity to charge travel with a company that doesn't service any of the airports I live near. With three major airports to choose from, I think it was a pretty inconsiderate thing to do.
24 October 2006
Curiouser and Curiouser...
Top ten guesses at the origin of the mystery package:
10. A happy client
9. A happy coworker
8. Someone hijacked my ID
7. A secret admirer
6. An ex-boyfriend
5. My mother (swears it wasn't her)
4. I won a prize (not sure, but I think I'd have to have entered a contest)
3. A shipping error
2. Random gift from philanthropic millionaire
1. ???
What's your guess?
10. A happy client
9. A happy coworker
8. Someone hijacked my ID
7. A secret admirer
6. An ex-boyfriend
5. My mother (swears it wasn't her)
4. I won a prize (not sure, but I think I'd have to have entered a contest)
3. A shipping error
2. Random gift from philanthropic millionaire
1. ???
What's your guess?
23 October 2006
Curb Appeal
Once upon a time, there was a house. It had been a very nice house for many, many years...and then some people moved in. These people had an uncle who fancied himself a contractor. The uncle also fancied drink, apparently a lot of it. Either that or he'd never heard of a level and also never completed a punch list. I prefer to believe in the beer, myself...there are too many bad contractors in the world as it is. The drunk uncle was enlisted to make several changes to the very nice house, including putting on a whole second floor, but that's another story and I shall not digress. Pictured here, you can see the unusual entry installed by DU:
It looks quaint, right? The potted plants helped a lot. Now, notice how, when you mount the stairs, you can stare straight in to the dining room. If the family is sitting down to a meal, you can even talk to them - right through the window - without ever approaching the door! If you're a delivery guy, you might be annoyed that you have to lug the heavy box a few extra feet to the actual door, rather than just shoving it through what really could be a handy service window.
Not so quaint anymore, eh? Here's something really unquaint - a jackhammer! Cover your ears and squeal - the horrible cement block porch approach is being busted into dust!
After the jackhammering (which was reportedly a little fun, at least at first), there were 48 cubic feet of clay to be moved. Lars actually helped with this, in the mornings before he went to school. The clay got dragged down the hill and dumped in the thach of poison ivy (and who knows what else) near the storm creek.
Alec & Co. came over to help build new stairs.
Every home improvement project deserves a new tool. The new tool for this project was a Shingle Ripper. You can use a shingle ripper to remove bad shingles from the bottom, without ripping off the entire wall and starting over.
Finally, a shot of the almost finished new entrance! We still need to get the handrail on (in the picture, the lower newel post is too tall) but you can get the idea. Gone are our days of chatting with delivery people while we eat! We even installed a doorbell, in recognition of the fact that those delivery folks who did manage to make it all the way to our door proved incapable of using the brass door knocker my mom gave us as a housewarming present. Chris thought a doorbell would be a more effective solution than a, "Bell Out of Order, Please Knock" sign.
Finally, because it is my mission as his wife to annoy Chris, I had him make a matching bench. Sweet, isn't it? As you can see in this picture, it actually has a use - we needed something to act as a doorstop for the basement entry and I thought a plain old post would look silly. Even though there was an awful lot of grumbling, I think Chris likes the result, too.
Come over! Use our new entry! As a bonus, you can see (or sit on) our lovely new wicker porch furniture...the new stairs take you right to it!
It looks quaint, right? The potted plants helped a lot. Now, notice how, when you mount the stairs, you can stare straight in to the dining room. If the family is sitting down to a meal, you can even talk to them - right through the window - without ever approaching the door! If you're a delivery guy, you might be annoyed that you have to lug the heavy box a few extra feet to the actual door, rather than just shoving it through what really could be a handy service window.
Not so quaint anymore, eh? Here's something really unquaint - a jackhammer! Cover your ears and squeal - the horrible cement block porch approach is being busted into dust!
After the jackhammering (which was reportedly a little fun, at least at first), there were 48 cubic feet of clay to be moved. Lars actually helped with this, in the mornings before he went to school. The clay got dragged down the hill and dumped in the thach of poison ivy (and who knows what else) near the storm creek.
Alec & Co. came over to help build new stairs. 
Every home improvement project deserves a new tool. The new tool for this project was a Shingle Ripper. You can use a shingle ripper to remove bad shingles from the bottom, without ripping off the entire wall and starting over.
Finally, a shot of the almost finished new entrance! We still need to get the handrail on (in the picture, the lower newel post is too tall) but you can get the idea. Gone are our days of chatting with delivery people while we eat! We even installed a doorbell, in recognition of the fact that those delivery folks who did manage to make it all the way to our door proved incapable of using the brass door knocker my mom gave us as a housewarming present. Chris thought a doorbell would be a more effective solution than a, "Bell Out of Order, Please Knock" sign.
Finally, because it is my mission as his wife to annoy Chris, I had him make a matching bench. Sweet, isn't it? As you can see in this picture, it actually has a use - we needed something to act as a doorstop for the basement entry and I thought a plain old post would look silly. Even though there was an awful lot of grumbling, I think Chris likes the result, too.
Come over! Use our new entry! As a bonus, you can see (or sit on) our lovely new wicker porch furniture...the new stairs take you right to it!
22 October 2006
And the Role of Coach Goes To...
The kids' hockey coach is out for a few weeks due to shoulder surgery, so they're having guest coaches. This week, they were coached by Brian Mullen, retired New York Ranger. Someone was SO excited that I'm fairly sure Mr. Mullen didn't even notice the Sabres' shirt...
20 October 2006
19 October 2006
Dragon Slayer
Behold the Valiant Hero, wielding his Sword of Resilience (rubbery thing from the Canadian Dollar Store), wearing Earmuffs of Perseverance (+2 Concentration, aka 'I really didn't hear you, Mama') and using a Shield of Thrift (found behind the shed)!
18 October 2006
My Little Guy
Following a call from the Kindergarten class mom, I'm adding juice boxes to the grocery list when Lars appears beside me. "We need applesauce and new goldfish. I don't like the pretzel ones and neither does my little guy."
"Your little guy?"
"The one what lives in my stomach, who doesn't like pretzels."
Ahhh, the little stomach guy! I'm amused and a little bit mortified about that guy. He was a spontaneous creation many years ago, when Ross first became aware of dessert but hadn't yet grasped the "after dinner" part. Aware that we had ice cream waiting in the freezer, Ross asked for some in the middle of a meal. When we said he could have dessert after he finished more of his dinner, tribal instinct forced him to cry out, "But I need to save room for dessert!" All parents are programmed to reply that there is always room for dessert, a statement which is invariably countered with a request for proof. In a burst of inspiration, I told Ross that there's always room because there's a special place for dessert, behind a little door at the top of the stomach. When he asked how the door got opened, I told him he had to eat his dinner to make a pile of food for the little man in his stomach to climb up so he could reach and open the dessert door. Much to my surprise, Ross accepted this explanation. He ate his dinner, then enjoyed his dessert and life went on with dessert firmly in its' after dinner position. A couple of years later, when Lars was first interested in a mid-meal dessert, I was amused to hear Ross solemnly explain about the dessert door. Since then, the dessert door and the little guy who manages it have quietly been keeping all our stomachs in order. Once, when we thought to have a "dessert first" night, Ross laid down on the floor...so his little guy could walk over to the door without the pile of food. Lars' little guy doesn't like every food (see his comment on pretzels, above) - convenient for Lars, who is pickier than the rest of us. I doubt either of the kids believes in Santa Claus, but boy are they down for the Dessert Door Man.
"Your little guy?"
"The one what lives in my stomach, who doesn't like pretzels."
Ahhh, the little stomach guy! I'm amused and a little bit mortified about that guy. He was a spontaneous creation many years ago, when Ross first became aware of dessert but hadn't yet grasped the "after dinner" part. Aware that we had ice cream waiting in the freezer, Ross asked for some in the middle of a meal. When we said he could have dessert after he finished more of his dinner, tribal instinct forced him to cry out, "But I need to save room for dessert!" All parents are programmed to reply that there is always room for dessert, a statement which is invariably countered with a request for proof. In a burst of inspiration, I told Ross that there's always room because there's a special place for dessert, behind a little door at the top of the stomach. When he asked how the door got opened, I told him he had to eat his dinner to make a pile of food for the little man in his stomach to climb up so he could reach and open the dessert door. Much to my surprise, Ross accepted this explanation. He ate his dinner, then enjoyed his dessert and life went on with dessert firmly in its' after dinner position. A couple of years later, when Lars was first interested in a mid-meal dessert, I was amused to hear Ross solemnly explain about the dessert door. Since then, the dessert door and the little guy who manages it have quietly been keeping all our stomachs in order. Once, when we thought to have a "dessert first" night, Ross laid down on the floor...so his little guy could walk over to the door without the pile of food. Lars' little guy doesn't like every food (see his comment on pretzels, above) - convenient for Lars, who is pickier than the rest of us. I doubt either of the kids believes in Santa Claus, but boy are they down for the Dessert Door Man.
17 October 2006
Sabres 9, Philly 1
Obviously, the real logo is a very, very good thing for the Buffalo Sabres!
The Sabres also slaughtered the Rangers three nights ago, a fact over which Ross is a little upset. Lars is being very supportive. Mama and Daddy are trying not to gloat. I think we can probably learn a lot from Lars.
Afternoon View
Here's the afternoon view from my den:
The kids are playing Pokemon, a game that was interesting to them before but which has gained extreme attention owing to gifts of Japanese Pokemon cards and paraphanalia from Grandmoo and a few wonderful Japanese friends.
In case you are not up on current kid culture, according to Ross, Japan is a sacred Pokemon place because Japan is where Pokemon were first discovered and trained to help all people. This, coupled with his actual love of sushi, place Japan quite high on his list of places he'd like to visit. I hope that he won't be too disappointed if he doesn't see any live Pokemon when we go!
The kids are playing Pokemon, a game that was interesting to them before but which has gained extreme attention owing to gifts of Japanese Pokemon cards and paraphanalia from Grandmoo and a few wonderful Japanese friends.
In case you are not up on current kid culture, according to Ross, Japan is a sacred Pokemon place because Japan is where Pokemon were first discovered and trained to help all people. This, coupled with his actual love of sushi, place Japan quite high on his list of places he'd like to visit. I hope that he won't be too disappointed if he doesn't see any live Pokemon when we go!
16 October 2006
Where the Wild Things Are, episode 231
If the lovely spring bloom on the azaleas this year wasn't confirmation enough that vigorously trimming them last year was a good move, the deer have come to feast on the luscious new growth. Never mind that these azaleas grow as a border to the back deck, a few feet from the house. Never mind that I can hear the deer munching through the window of my den. These deer are in utopia! Lush greenery and woodland on all sides with houses just close enough together to prevent hunting. Here's one having her lunch:
She got that look on her face after I started talking to her out the window. Not that I expect she understands what I say, but her look pretty clearly says, "Do you think she's talking to me?"
Here's the response from her friend, "I didn't know she'd be home! You're hidden pretty well, but I'm caught out without cover behind the little house!"
She got that look on her face after I started talking to her out the window. Not that I expect she understands what I say, but her look pretty clearly says, "Do you think she's talking to me?"
Here's the response from her friend, "I didn't know she'd be home! You're hidden pretty well, but I'm caught out without cover behind the little house!"
15 October 2006
Household S'mores
A week or so ago, Fraukow called to say she'd discoverd that S'mores can be made in your toaster oven! We got the message late at night, after a particularly exhausting week so the good news was a nice perk up. Sadly, while we did have some mini-marshmallows (you never know when you might need to make cocoa), we didn't have any graham crackers or Hershey bars in our larder. It was depressing...until I remembered the emergency box of Chips Ahoy cookies I'd picked up! Chris took our improvised materials and set to work:
The results were wonderful - a perfect late night, pick-me-up snack. I also learned that Chips Ahoy cookies are really good toasted, marshmallows aside. Just one more reason to love the toaster oven!
The results were wonderful - a perfect late night, pick-me-up snack. I also learned that Chips Ahoy cookies are really good toasted, marshmallows aside. Just one more reason to love the toaster oven!
Not From Hockey
What happens when a nearly 40-pound boy leans on a table leaf that has been secured in the "up" position by his five-year-old brother? If you said, "Blood comes out," you win! He was unhappy at first but when he calmed down and noticed the marked resemblance he bore to a real hockey player, he was much happier.
What happens when Mama moves things around in a room and then, later, crashes through on her way to the bathroom without turning on a light? If you said, "Blood comes out," you missed this time. She does get some impressive heat in the hand she mashed onto the rocker and a nice lump on one knee, which Ross treated with the Boo-Boo Fish (thanks, Wisa!) and a bag of frozen peas (not pictured).
It's too bad we're all so well padded while playing hockey. If we could attain respectable bruises at the rink, we wouldn't need to get creative with tables and bags of donation clothes!
P.S. Wings D won our first game of the season! I didn't score but got one assist so was not entirely decorative.
What happens when Mama moves things around in a room and then, later, crashes through on her way to the bathroom without turning on a light? If you said, "Blood comes out," you missed this time. She does get some impressive heat in the hand she mashed onto the rocker and a nice lump on one knee, which Ross treated with the Boo-Boo Fish (thanks, Wisa!) and a bag of frozen peas (not pictured).
It's too bad we're all so well padded while playing hockey. If we could attain respectable bruises at the rink, we wouldn't need to get creative with tables and bags of donation clothes!
P.S. Wings D won our first game of the season! I didn't score but got one assist so was not entirely decorative.
14 October 2006
Relative Value
Ross brought his Own Money to the arena today, so he could buy something from the vending machine after hockey practice. For 65 cents, he got a 5-stick pack of gum...unreal! I used to think five cents per stick was a lot. Ross was really proud of his purchase, though, so I kept my mouth shut about it and let him enjoy sharing his Own Gum with his brother and friends.
On the way home, we passed a garage sale with a few pieces of wicker porch furniture out. I've been wanting some nicer porch chairs (we've mainly got dollar store plastic now), so I decided to stop. I've been looking at stores and catalogs but wicker is SO expensive and I don't think I'd like the fake wicker (which isn't really that much less). The hosts of the sale turned out to be moving and were in, "Please take it! We don't want to move it!" mode - lucky me!! $20 got the whole set:
I guess I can excuse the really expensive gum if that karmic 40 cents pushed the furniture our way!
On the way home, we passed a garage sale with a few pieces of wicker porch furniture out. I've been wanting some nicer porch chairs (we've mainly got dollar store plastic now), so I decided to stop. I've been looking at stores and catalogs but wicker is SO expensive and I don't think I'd like the fake wicker (which isn't really that much less). The hosts of the sale turned out to be moving and were in, "Please take it! We don't want to move it!" mode - lucky me!! $20 got the whole set:
I guess I can excuse the really expensive gum if that karmic 40 cents pushed the furniture our way!
12 October 2006
More Word Wackiness
Cursoes = cursive "O"s
Trap Mouse: popular assembly game (kids love anything with 47 pieces)
Fruit Juicy: the yellow gum in the snack machine
Cat's Curdle: string game played on your hands
been havin: state of good grace as, "I deserve another cookie! I've been havin!"
Trap Mouse: popular assembly game (kids love anything with 47 pieces)
Fruit Juicy: the yellow gum in the snack machine
Cat's Curdle: string game played on your hands
been havin: state of good grace as, "I deserve another cookie! I've been havin!"
03 October 2006
Recipe Gone Wrong...Disaster or Divine?
Somewhere along the way, I picked up a recipe card for a new kind of cookie, a maple-flavored sandwich sort of deal. The ingredients are all things I always have on hand and the instructions are simple enough, even though I hate chilling dough and using cookie cutters. I'm much too impatient! Still, I'll try anything with maple syrup in it once...
So, whip butter with 10x sugar. Easy. Yummy! Add a bit of salt and a bunch of maple syrup. REALLY YUMMY! Finish with some flour (otherwise, it's just crazy-good maple butter frosting). Roll into a ball, chill. *sigh* If I must...
Then the filling. Melt brown sugar with condensed milk until soft. Soft? Thankfully, a temperature is given, so I hooked on my thermometer and stirred madly to avoid scorching the sugar. At 240°, I cut the heat and added butter and maple syrup. First taste? Grainy. Very sweet. Not enough maple. Hrm.
[Read bedtime stories to kids, then scare wits out of Ross by hanging out on the stairs a minute until he tried to sneak into my room to watch TV]
Roll chilled dough out, use cookie cutter to make 2" circles. Riiiiiiight. Dough isn't very doughy. I look at the recipe again. "1-1/4 cups butter (2 sticks)" What? Which is it? Shame on me for ignoring the '2 sticks' bit...the extra 1/4 cup might have something to do with the toothpasty consistency. Still, with help from Chris, we get about six circles and six plops (I got frustrated with the circle thing) onto a greased cookie sheet and into the oven. Ten minutes later, it turns out my plops were equal to his circles - everything on the sheet has spread into a thin sheet of liquidy maple butter goo, burned at the edges. I consider the recipe again. Definitely too much butter. Next time, I'll go with just the two sticks and maybe a bit more flour so it gets more like shortbread. But hey - no eggs! The non-doughy dough hasn't got anything vile if eaten raw in it! And it is AWFULLY good off a spoon...why cook it? I have the rest (ok, the last little bit we figured we'd puke if we ate tonight) saved...we'll devour it bit by bit tomorrow, when we think the other isn't looking. :P
So, whip butter with 10x sugar. Easy. Yummy! Add a bit of salt and a bunch of maple syrup. REALLY YUMMY! Finish with some flour (otherwise, it's just crazy-good maple butter frosting). Roll into a ball, chill. *sigh* If I must...
Then the filling. Melt brown sugar with condensed milk until soft. Soft? Thankfully, a temperature is given, so I hooked on my thermometer and stirred madly to avoid scorching the sugar. At 240°, I cut the heat and added butter and maple syrup. First taste? Grainy. Very sweet. Not enough maple. Hrm.
[Read bedtime stories to kids, then scare wits out of Ross by hanging out on the stairs a minute until he tried to sneak into my room to watch TV]
Roll chilled dough out, use cookie cutter to make 2" circles. Riiiiiiight. Dough isn't very doughy. I look at the recipe again. "1-1/4 cups butter (2 sticks)" What? Which is it? Shame on me for ignoring the '2 sticks' bit...the extra 1/4 cup might have something to do with the toothpasty consistency. Still, with help from Chris, we get about six circles and six plops (I got frustrated with the circle thing) onto a greased cookie sheet and into the oven. Ten minutes later, it turns out my plops were equal to his circles - everything on the sheet has spread into a thin sheet of liquidy maple butter goo, burned at the edges. I consider the recipe again. Definitely too much butter. Next time, I'll go with just the two sticks and maybe a bit more flour so it gets more like shortbread. But hey - no eggs! The non-doughy dough hasn't got anything vile if eaten raw in it! And it is AWFULLY good off a spoon...why cook it? I have the rest (ok, the last little bit we figured we'd puke if we ate tonight) saved...we'll devour it bit by bit tomorrow, when we think the other isn't looking. :P
01 October 2006
While I Was Out
While I was away last week for work, the boys did not (thank goodness) redecorate any rooms in the house. Instead, they conspired to capture bits of their week for me, which I found as a batch of surprise photos on the camera. I enjoyed glimpses of their week, so thought I would post them here for you to see, too.
There are a few hours in the morning between the school bus for older kids and the one for the afternoon kindergarteners. Lars likes to spend time playing on his computer:
Or building new tracks and lining up the trains...
Ross likes to climb trees. Luckily, he's built like a bird so the trees (and the rhododendron he uses as his helicopter and the pine shrub he calls his carriage) don't mind him much. He can go very high!
At some point, Ross took the camera up with him and captured his view from above:
Chris spent the weekend doing unplanned things, like fixing the dishwasher that decided to try a water-free wash approach. While possibly environmentally conscious, it did not turn out to be very aesthetic. The baked on gunk was surely germ free but not appetizing to serve on and the plastic utensils (used in lunchboxes) did not appreciate the new method at all. The photo is also a nice capture of the ultimate flexibility of our kitchen. Oh, that cabinet is in your way? Here, let's just pull it away from the wall so you can get back there!
Chris also scored a nice porch rocker from the people who are moving out across the street!
Finally, we come to Jimmy B, our new pet cricket. Jimmy was found at the school bus stop, in a cricket egg, with his brother, an ant. Jimmy was lovingly transported to school, where officials ensconced Jimmy and his egg in a Ziploc bag for safe keeping. Jimmy's brother, the ant, had disappeared along the way. Here's Jimmy, having made it home and been set up in one of the old spider boxes:
Here are two views of Jimmy's egg, which was open like this when Jimmy and his brother the ant were found inside:
By the time I got home, two days after Jimmy took up residence here, Jimmy had turned invisible (or he's really good at hiding). We still have his habitat set up but he's not visibly in residence. It is unclear if someone forgot to latch the top of the habitat or if Jimmy has simply teleported to freedom. Either way, I hope he had the sense to clear the premises because the exterminators were here at the start of last week, treating the interior (basement) for - you guessed it - crickets.
There are a few hours in the morning between the school bus for older kids and the one for the afternoon kindergarteners. Lars likes to spend time playing on his computer:
Or building new tracks and lining up the trains...
Ross likes to climb trees. Luckily, he's built like a bird so the trees (and the rhododendron he uses as his helicopter and the pine shrub he calls his carriage) don't mind him much. He can go very high!
At some point, Ross took the camera up with him and captured his view from above:
Chris spent the weekend doing unplanned things, like fixing the dishwasher that decided to try a water-free wash approach. While possibly environmentally conscious, it did not turn out to be very aesthetic. The baked on gunk was surely germ free but not appetizing to serve on and the plastic utensils (used in lunchboxes) did not appreciate the new method at all. The photo is also a nice capture of the ultimate flexibility of our kitchen. Oh, that cabinet is in your way? Here, let's just pull it away from the wall so you can get back there!
Chris also scored a nice porch rocker from the people who are moving out across the street!
Finally, we come to Jimmy B, our new pet cricket. Jimmy was found at the school bus stop, in a cricket egg, with his brother, an ant. Jimmy was lovingly transported to school, where officials ensconced Jimmy and his egg in a Ziploc bag for safe keeping. Jimmy's brother, the ant, had disappeared along the way. Here's Jimmy, having made it home and been set up in one of the old spider boxes:
Here are two views of Jimmy's egg, which was open like this when Jimmy and his brother the ant were found inside:
By the time I got home, two days after Jimmy took up residence here, Jimmy had turned invisible (or he's really good at hiding). We still have his habitat set up but he's not visibly in residence. It is unclear if someone forgot to latch the top of the habitat or if Jimmy has simply teleported to freedom. Either way, I hope he had the sense to clear the premises because the exterminators were here at the start of last week, treating the interior (basement) for - you guessed it - crickets.
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