But It's Good for You

It was the last day of the kids' Winter Break.  I wanted to make it really special.

"Hey, kids, let's go get our H1N1 vaccines!!"



Yep, I did that.

The Morning After

Hay yawl!  Where in the world have I been???  Livin' la vida loca??  Uh, that about sums it up.  Anywho, I have been WAY LAX in posting my 365 pix.  I've been shooting, just not posting lately.  Read my other blog for details.  Cuz I know you really need to keep up with me.

Okay, so here we go.  Remember our blizzard WAY back a couple of weeks ago?  Okay, not blizzard, but really cool, really fast, really over with quickly snowstorm?  Matt and I, really speedily, built a snowman after I got home from work.  It's not every year we get snow.  Our guy was awesome.

I woke up early the next morning to catch a few more photos before our Winter Wonderland disappeared.  That disappearance occured by lunch time, seriously.  But this guy was hanging in there.

It looks like he partied a little too hard the night before.

Goin' Green

I recycle.  Sometimes it just takes me a little time to get everything into the recycle bin at home.

A bit of a backlog here.

Specs

I have reading glasses all over the house.  Many are from the Dollar Store.  But for work, I need something that looks very proper for a law office.  You know, glasses that look important.

Girl's gotta have good looking specs, you know.

You Have A Point

A couple of years ago, we went on a 24-day family vacation out West.  Matt excitedly purchased cactus seeds to grow when we got home.  We planted those seeds and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Finally, a little teeny tiny cactus started growing.

Then the just-walking little girl of a friend stayed with us for a couple of hours.  She proudly (and quickly) came running into the kitchen with the cactus that Matt had been growing for months.  The upside-down cactus.  Ooops.

When Matt left to visit his dad later that next summer, Mackenzie and I came up with a plan.  We bought a teeny tiny, already grown a bit, cactus in a teeny tiny pot.  We put that pot on the window sill and waited for Matt to return from his summer away.  We told him that his cactus had a growth spurt while he was away.  He almost believed us.

This imposter cactus was repotted last year.  I can't believe how much it has grown.  It's probably close to 4" high now.  Must be my amazing gardening skills.

A Kiss For You

We seem to have these gel window cling things for every occasion.  Oh joy.

I'm Outta Here

I got to leave a little early from work yesterday.  This is what greeted me.

As I made my way home, it seems LOTS of people got to leave a little early from work yesterday.  Traffic was crazy.

Dipstick

My oil light started flashing and dinging recently.  That can never be a good sign.  I know, I know.  I am usually really good about keeping up with that kind of thing.  I've been busy, I got a job, I have to take Matt to Scouts every week, it was Christmas, I had a kidney removed, I got a weave.

Okay, whatever.  But I DID finally get my oil changed.  Whew.

My Sunday Ritual

We don't have the newspaper delivered to our house everyday.  I don't like wasting all that paper that I know I will never read.  But come the weekend, I must have my Sunday paper.  I love it so much that I usually get it as soon as it is available on Saturday. I'm addicted.  When neither Doug nor I make it to the store on Saturday, I have been known to put a jacket on over my comfy clothes (a/k/a/ pajamas) and head straight to Kroger as soon as I wake up.



Isn't he handsome?

Now Hear This

When I went back to school a couple of years ago, my sweet hubby bought something to keep me company on my ride through traffic on the way to the train station everyday.  Now I can't live without it.

Do you know just how fast I can scroll through ALL those channels with the remote?

Squishy Ride

This is what my morning looked like on the way to work the other day.

Soggy, squishy, yucky.

Just Killin' Time

I love my teeny tiny camera.  I have it in my purse just in case something really important happens.  Like this.

I was stopped at a red light, and I got bored.  So I am now gracing you with this spectacular self-portrait of my in the Mommy Wagon.

You're welcome.

It Shines

Before the kids were born, I visited my grandparents in Florida for a weekend.  During the quick visit, my grandma showed me several of her prized possessions.  She never really had much of anything, but she was proud of what she did have.

During this show and tell session, Grandma showed me a set of silver that she was trying to sell in her weekly front porch sale.  It was like a little store, only not.  Anyway, she told me that when my mom and aunt were young, she decided she wanted a nice set of silver.  She paid $1.00 down, $1.00 a week until the set was paid for.  It appeared that only 4 of the 8 place settings were used on a regular basis.  I am sure Grandma was saving the others for special.

I couldn't let this set go to some stranger, so I bought it from her.  Of course, in true Grandma fashion, she tried to give it to me.  Nope.  I needed to pay her.  I knew she could use the cash; she would just never, ever say that.

I love this set of silver.  Imagine all the memories it holds from years gone by.

Only The Best

When I was married in my past life (a.k.a. before the Big D), I had a beautiful set of bone china.  I registered for this stuff just like a good 21-year old bride.  Through the years, I ordered a few extra serving pieces.  I tried to use this china whenever I could find an excuse.

After about 13 years or so, I finally got a really big china cabinet.  Ooooh, now everything would fit in one place, and it looked so pretty, too.  Well...........life has a way of making necessary adjustments.  The Big D passed through and took with it lots of furniture.  Yep, that really big china cabinet.  I got to keep the china, though.

I have a new and wonderful life now with my soulmate hubby.  We have spent the last few years being true to ourselves and our families.  So far, I just haven't spent a lot of time thinking about replacing that really big china cabinet.  So I store my china here:

Under the stairs, right near the Swiffer and crockpot and dustpan and really big box of cooking oil for our turkey deep fryer.  hehe  Isn't that just hilarious? 

Still Here

I feel it is my duty to report that Matt is STILL wearing braces.  Yes, we are a little bummed.  He was set to get them off this week...or so we thought.  What Matt and I understood to be a "take these things off" appointment was actually a "let's see how straight your teeth are" appointment.  Argh.  BUT...we did set that "take these things off" appointment.  Two more months.

I need to compliment the kid, though.  His teeth are doing what they should be doing.  He HAS been wearing those rubberbands that I showed you yesterday.  It's just that the orthodontist did not schedule a long enough appointment.  Man oh man.

But look at the cool "power chain" that Matt got put over his bands.  He thinks it looks really cool.

I think it looks like it's already paid for, so I'm good with it.  Does this power chain now make him a Power Ranger?

They're Everywhere

Both kids have had braces over the last several years.  It seems like this is a neverending story.  First Matt had a limited set.  Then Mackenzie got an appliance to adjust her jaw for over a year.  She spent the following 1 1/2 years in braces - the last 1/2 year was because she, um, "forgot" to wear her rubberbands as the orthodontist had directed her.  She was liberated in July 2008 just in time for Matt to get a full set of braces a couple of months later.  His braces are now in their extended stay period.  Yep, same reason.

In order to remind himself to wear the rubberbands, Matt keeps little packs of these things all over the place.  Consequently, those little things escape all over the house and car.  All over.

One of Matt's favorite storage facilities for these little beauties is in the van catch all tray.  Right near my pens, spare change, XM remote, and cell phone rests one of the MANY packs of rubberbands.

One day, I will be able to report that these things no longer reside in my van.  Or on the kitchen island.  Or on the dining room floor.  Or in his jeans pockets that he forgot to clean out before he threw them in the laundry room.  Uh huh.

I Heart You

I am definitely gearing up for Valentine's Day.  Ready or not, here I come.

Nothing celebrates the season like the proper foot attire.

Just A Little Snack

Matt asked me to make muffins for breakfast.  Sure.  No problem.  I baked 12 large blueberry muffins.  We had a few left over.  Matt was hungry for a snack later.  A teenage boy finds 5 leftover blueberry muffins to be the perfect appetizer to the snack that he will eat before he has a real snack before dinner which leads to an after dinner snack then another snack before bed.  All washed down by numerous large glasses of milk and juice.

Teens boys - it's like having an infant in the house again with the every hour feedings.  Except these feedings are GIGANTIC.

This is why I go to the grocery story just about every day.  Yep.

And Then The Bottom Fell Out

Doug had an excellent idea for a fun dinner. He's good like that.  He decided we would cook our dinner on the patio over our chiminea.  We would have hotdogs and marshmallows.  Sounded like a great plan.

Doug went outside a few minutes early so he could get the fire going before we were all to load up our roasting sticks with yummy fun food.  I could almost taste the hotdogs.

And that's when our dinner plans changed.

Uh, seems the chiminea had seen better days.  Ooops.  Okay, pizza is it.