Okay, if the government ever wants to investigate me, they will probably be bored and confused...Over the past few days, here are several of my Google searches:
What is the difference between purple and violet? (After an argument with hubby as to whether moreno or violeta were a better word to teach for Spanish class)
Homemade disinfectant with dish soap and tea tree oil (after I lost the scrap of paper I scrawled the formula on out of a book a read a while back)
and today's entry is:
Homemade laundry detergent with Ivory soap (after having to buy a six bar pack of Ivory for a science experiment and upon realizing that I am running low on detergent)
Okay, on t0 the meme (how is meme pronounced, anyway? Hubby and I had a fight about that several months ago, too!)
SWEETHEART TAG
The rules are posted at the beginning. Each person answers questions about their sweethearts. At the end of the post, the person then tags 6 people and posts their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged.
What is your husbands name? il postino
How long have you guys been married? 9 1/2 years in December (or 9 years in December if you don't count the half a year we were married before we were married in the church)
How long did you date? Well, when we took our FOCUS inventory non-test (that really is a test) I was hoping that we would put down the same amount of time. We did, and I think at that time we said 11 months. Of course, we didn't really have a clean start to dating at all...we met my first day of college (hubby was helping with orientation) and we kinda had a love/hate relationship from that point on...however, we didn't start sorta dating until around his 21st birthday.
How old is he? Just turned 31, so he's in his mid 30s, and I am still in the under 30 crowd (yes, I'm mean to him about his age!)
Who is taller? He is, by just a tiny bit that would probably be negated if I ever bothered to wear heels.
Who can sing best? I can! Well, I tend to be more musical, and I actually can 1) read music, and 2) remember the words to songs. Hubby probably sings more often, because it annoys his coworkers (thankfully they deal with the worst of it at 7 am!)
Who is smarter? Well, he got better GPAs generally speaking, but I never really applied myself...When we went to grad school (he was going to the law school, and I was in a straight to PhD Sociology program) at the law school introduction it was suggested that the spouse of the law student should get wireless headphones so that they could do things like watch TV while their spouse studied for hours on end...we didn't figure it would be a problem for us, since I was doing grad school, too...in the end, we got the wireless headphones so that HUBBY could watch TV without disturbing me with my studying/writing/grading, etc. Of course, we discovered that law wasn't right for hubby and teaching wasn't right for me...so we have no need for the headphones anymore!
Who does laundry? I grew up in a family where my dad did the laundry...in fact, right up until we eloped, I'd walk my laundry bag over to my dad's office on campus for him to take home and wash for me (he worked at the college we attended) and he'd bring them back on Monday...sadly, I had to learn how to do laundry after marriage, and I do most of it now...being a homemaker and all...
Who pays the bills? I pay the bills, hubby drops them off (if they are local) or mails them (if need be)...one time he dropped our mortgage payment on the ground on his way to work...it was winter and very snowy...I got a notification that we hadn't paid our mortgage...I blamed the post office and set up an auto pay on our mortgage...when spring arrived, we found the mortgage payment under the snow...too bad we already paid the $20 for a stop payment!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I sleep on the side furthest away from the door, and always have...so if the bed moves or if we are vacationing, our sides of the bed change!
Who mows the lawn? I have never touched a lawn mower in my life. I hope never to learn. Most people I know find this very strange...
Who cooks dinner? Me. The first time hubby made me supper, he took a box of Spanish rice, a can of black beans and mixed it together with salsa, Tabasco sauce, chili powder and any other spice he could find...I could not eat it...it made me cry...hubby cooks sometimes, but he's pretty gentle with the spices now...
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither of us! Hubby's favorite thing to say is "Do what you want, but I know I'm right!" and of course, Eva has started to say it, too...I don't like being wrong anymore than he does, so we just don't dwell on being wrong very much.
Who kissed who first? I think it was me, but 10 bucks says that hubby thinks it was him...
Who wears the pants? Well, most of the time we both wear pants...and so do the girls! Really, I don't know...I try not to be pushy, but I probably fail a lot, particularly since hubby thinks "I don't know" is a fine option for decision making!
I tag:
Let's face the facts, I don't have 6 people to tag...So, if you read this, consider yourself tagged...and if you don't have a blog, feel free to post in the comments!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Bloggy Giveaway - Slime Laboratory!
I was just checking my blogs this morning before getting ready to start school with Eva (I'm running late AGAIN!) and noticed that the Bloggy Giveaways have started again!
This time, I thought I'd give away a product that I sell.
I've been with a great company called "Learning is an Art" since last summer, when I ran into their products at our local homeschool conference. We have education games and toys for kids, teens and adults. We have several favorites around here.
But for today, you are entering to win "Slime Laboratory" a great kit for kids ages 10 and up. Since my oldest is 4, and I have two girls, I figure slime is never going to be that popular around here...but maybe you have kids just the right age!
To enter, please pop over to my LiA website and let me know what product you like best. The great thing about the company is that 100% of the corporate profits are donated to top rated charities. Make sure to leave an e-mail or blog so I can contact you if you are the winner! I will draw using a random number generator on November 1st.
If you see anything you'd like to order or would just like more info about the company, please drop me a line, or you can just order straight from the site. Check out tons of other Bloggy Giveaways, too!
This time, I thought I'd give away a product that I sell.
I've been with a great company called "Learning is an Art" since last summer, when I ran into their products at our local homeschool conference. We have education games and toys for kids, teens and adults. We have several favorites around here.
But for today, you are entering to win "Slime Laboratory" a great kit for kids ages 10 and up. Since my oldest is 4, and I have two girls, I figure slime is never going to be that popular around here...but maybe you have kids just the right age!
To enter, please pop over to my LiA website and let me know what product you like best. The great thing about the company is that 100% of the corporate profits are donated to top rated charities. Make sure to leave an e-mail or blog so I can contact you if you are the winner! I will draw using a random number generator on November 1st.
If you see anything you'd like to order or would just like more info about the company, please drop me a line, or you can just order straight from the site. Check out tons of other Bloggy Giveaways, too!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Hello Olds!
Okay, since Katie was curious...our new-to-us car is an Oldsmobile Eighty-eight.
It is slightly smaller than the other car (mostly we lost a little bit of trunk space) and is blue.
It appears that this car is ALMOST as popular out here as the other one was. 95% of the...(I can't say the name at the moment...I'm still having some problems!) like our old car were white and looked just like it. Blue appears to be the most popular color for big Olds around here.
We visited Britt at the hospital yesterday, and she is looking much better. Still in a coma, but making little bits of progress each day. Eva sang her "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", but wouldn't do an encore. Her parents and sister are holding up as well as can be expected. I know they all have good days and bad days, but I think having company helps.
We met my in laws at a McDonald's on our way home because they were heading up to visit Britt, and needed to give us our dog. We had stopped to do a little grocery shopping, so we saw them pulling into the McDonald's while we were waiting for the stoplight to change. They parked next to a (drum roll, please) blue Olds 88, and did a double take when we pulled in the parking spot across from them a minute later. They had thought we were already inside (it belonged to an older gentleman, and I'm sure had they looked more closely they would have noticed a lack of kids car seats!)
As the Olds and I are still getting acquainted, here are some of my likes and dislikes about it:
Likes:
Working cup holders (the old car's cup holder broke about 2 years ago)
Working door handle (they also seem sturdier than the old one)
Color (blue is much nicer than white)
Glove box (when you open it up, it serves as a tray to hold my coupons as I sort them while we travel...weird, I know, but what can I say?)
Dislikes:
Trunk (not because it is smaller, but because it and I have issues with closing)
Floor mats (they just get bunched up under my feet)
Backseat seat belts (the buckles are loose rather than rigid, which made for easier buckling of the booster seat)
Side mirrors (smaller than the old car)
So, the good seems to overall outweigh the bad.
It is slightly smaller than the other car (mostly we lost a little bit of trunk space) and is blue.
It appears that this car is ALMOST as popular out here as the other one was. 95% of the...(I can't say the name at the moment...I'm still having some problems!) like our old car were white and looked just like it. Blue appears to be the most popular color for big Olds around here.
We visited Britt at the hospital yesterday, and she is looking much better. Still in a coma, but making little bits of progress each day. Eva sang her "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", but wouldn't do an encore. Her parents and sister are holding up as well as can be expected. I know they all have good days and bad days, but I think having company helps.
We met my in laws at a McDonald's on our way home because they were heading up to visit Britt, and needed to give us our dog. We had stopped to do a little grocery shopping, so we saw them pulling into the McDonald's while we were waiting for the stoplight to change. They parked next to a (drum roll, please) blue Olds 88, and did a double take when we pulled in the parking spot across from them a minute later. They had thought we were already inside (it belonged to an older gentleman, and I'm sure had they looked more closely they would have noticed a lack of kids car seats!)
As the Olds and I are still getting acquainted, here are some of my likes and dislikes about it:
Likes:
Working cup holders (the old car's cup holder broke about 2 years ago)
Working door handle (they also seem sturdier than the old one)
Color (blue is much nicer than white)
Glove box (when you open it up, it serves as a tray to hold my coupons as I sort them while we travel...weird, I know, but what can I say?)
Dislikes:
Trunk (not because it is smaller, but because it and I have issues with closing)
Floor mats (they just get bunched up under my feet)
Backseat seat belts (the buckles are loose rather than rigid, which made for easier buckling of the booster seat)
Side mirrors (smaller than the old car)
So, the good seems to overall outweigh the bad.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Bye Bye Buick...
...well, today was the day. We no longer own our Buick.
It's amazing how much a car can mean and represent in your life...and generally speaking, I am not very attached to possessions. But the Buick was more than a possession to me...it was a constant...a constant full of memories.
Hubby's parent's gave him the Buick as a present for his college graduation in 2000. We had been married less than a year. It was hubby's third car (farm kid, lived WAY out in the country), but it was my first car. Sure, my parents had an extra car for my brother and me to drive, but I didn't have my own car. When we got married, hubby's car was definitely still his car (I hated it...the cup holders were these little dents in the glove box...the car made no sense...but I guess now I kinda understand why hubby loved that dumb car!)
We hoped we would start a family soon after we both graduated, so the big old boat was the perfect car, in my opinion. Well, we didn't have kids right away, but it has been with us ever since.
It has lived at 8 different addresses with us, and traveled all over Colorado, and through Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, and Idaho. We've taken trips planned far in advance in it, and also last minute mini vacations where we slept on the road (not while driving, of course!)
The gas gauge broke in 2000...I also pulled down the oh s*** bar that year. The bar we were able to fix, but the gas gauge only worked for about a day after the repair. We drove it down the canyon everyday to catch the bus to grad school until we got into family housing. We drove it every weekend to church, and probably THOUSANDS of times to my in laws house. It only lived in a garage for a few years of it's life with us...for 6 months at our first rental house and for 2 1/2 years at our first purchased home. This house has a small one car garage that generally doesn't hold any cars (only when we know it's going to snow).
We broke the driver's side door handle somewhere along the way, and had that repaired, but when the same thing happened to the passenger's side over a year ago, we never got it fixed. About two years ago, the tape player stopped working halfway through a tape with the divine mercy chaplet on it, and we never got the tape out (just a homemade recording, though).
It's the car that took me to the hospital to have Eva, and the car that brought us home again. It's also the car that we brought Charlotte home from the hospital in.
It was our only car for 5 years.
It had so many cosmetic defects (and strange problems with accessories) but always ran well. We were never stranded in it.
I do remember changing one flat tire in my parent's driveway...
I also remember the day that the back windshield shattered on my way home...I still am not sure what caused it...maybe a BB Gun...
I know that many of my friends think of the Buick when they think of me...it just has been a part of my life for a very long time.
But, now sadly, it is gone. We ended up selling it to a salvage yard...in part because I probably couldn't have handled watching it get rejected if we tried to sell it. Maybe we should have donated it to a charity, but honestly, there were so many things that really needed to be fixed that I don't know if we would have been doing the charity a favor.
I think that we probably will give the proceeds from the Buick to a charity of some type. What, I am not sure yet.
I do know that all four of us (okay, maybe just 3, I don't know that Charlotte really noticed what was happening) were pretty sad to see them dismantling the car as we signed over the title and were paid for it based on its weight.
But at least it was quick, and mostly painless.
It's probably not normal to have so much emotion about a bunch of metal...it's not like it was a collector's car...or even really a nice car...but it was our car.
We bought a new-to-us car last week (sadly, it is an older model year than the Buick, but with 95,000 fewer miles on it) and I'm still adjusting. But I'm hoping that I am just as sad for all the happy memories we have in it when it comes time to move on to another car...
It's amazing how much a car can mean and represent in your life...and generally speaking, I am not very attached to possessions. But the Buick was more than a possession to me...it was a constant...a constant full of memories.
Hubby's parent's gave him the Buick as a present for his college graduation in 2000. We had been married less than a year. It was hubby's third car (farm kid, lived WAY out in the country), but it was my first car. Sure, my parents had an extra car for my brother and me to drive, but I didn't have my own car. When we got married, hubby's car was definitely still his car (I hated it...the cup holders were these little dents in the glove box...the car made no sense...but I guess now I kinda understand why hubby loved that dumb car!)
We hoped we would start a family soon after we both graduated, so the big old boat was the perfect car, in my opinion. Well, we didn't have kids right away, but it has been with us ever since.
It has lived at 8 different addresses with us, and traveled all over Colorado, and through Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, and Idaho. We've taken trips planned far in advance in it, and also last minute mini vacations where we slept on the road (not while driving, of course!)
The gas gauge broke in 2000...I also pulled down the oh s*** bar that year. The bar we were able to fix, but the gas gauge only worked for about a day after the repair. We drove it down the canyon everyday to catch the bus to grad school until we got into family housing. We drove it every weekend to church, and probably THOUSANDS of times to my in laws house. It only lived in a garage for a few years of it's life with us...for 6 months at our first rental house and for 2 1/2 years at our first purchased home. This house has a small one car garage that generally doesn't hold any cars (only when we know it's going to snow).
We broke the driver's side door handle somewhere along the way, and had that repaired, but when the same thing happened to the passenger's side over a year ago, we never got it fixed. About two years ago, the tape player stopped working halfway through a tape with the divine mercy chaplet on it, and we never got the tape out (just a homemade recording, though).
It's the car that took me to the hospital to have Eva, and the car that brought us home again. It's also the car that we brought Charlotte home from the hospital in.
It was our only car for 5 years.
It had so many cosmetic defects (and strange problems with accessories) but always ran well. We were never stranded in it.
I do remember changing one flat tire in my parent's driveway...
I also remember the day that the back windshield shattered on my way home...I still am not sure what caused it...maybe a BB Gun...
I know that many of my friends think of the Buick when they think of me...it just has been a part of my life for a very long time.
But, now sadly, it is gone. We ended up selling it to a salvage yard...in part because I probably couldn't have handled watching it get rejected if we tried to sell it. Maybe we should have donated it to a charity, but honestly, there were so many things that really needed to be fixed that I don't know if we would have been doing the charity a favor.
I think that we probably will give the proceeds from the Buick to a charity of some type. What, I am not sure yet.
I do know that all four of us (okay, maybe just 3, I don't know that Charlotte really noticed what was happening) were pretty sad to see them dismantling the car as we signed over the title and were paid for it based on its weight.
But at least it was quick, and mostly painless.
It's probably not normal to have so much emotion about a bunch of metal...it's not like it was a collector's car...or even really a nice car...but it was our car.
We bought a new-to-us car last week (sadly, it is an older model year than the Buick, but with 95,000 fewer miles on it) and I'm still adjusting. But I'm hoping that I am just as sad for all the happy memories we have in it when it comes time to move on to another car...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
We've got singing! We've got dancing!
Obviously, Brittney's accident is still very near the forefront of our minds around here, but I thought I'd describe something that happened last night at my folks' house because it was just...too....cute! I'll provide a quick update on Britt at the end, too, if you're interested; thank you for all the well-wishes and, especially, prayers!
So, MM's Aunt Paula gave her family a game callled Songburst (70's and 80's Edition) a long, long time ago and it didn't get played much, despite being generally right up MM's alley, just because the music was a little too old for her and a little too new for her parents. The game turned up recently as MM's parents were cleaning out their basement, and it was still in good shape. MM thought my mom would enjoy it, so she gave it to her as a thank you for watching the girls this past weekend while we were up visiting Brittney, etc.
Well, last night Eva, Charlotte, and my mom tried playing the game on their own, and hilarity ensued! Eva would make up lyrics completely from scratch for any title Mom read, and Charlotte would dance around the room to her sister's singing. My dad and I just cracked up!
Anyway, just a quick update on Britt: she's opened her good eye a couple more times and seems to be responding to stimuli somewhat, but she's still technically comatose. The trauma ward she was in has done about all they can for now, but she's not quite far enough along to really go into any rehab center, so she's been moved into a long-term care facility until the time she's ready for rehab (which we are praying is not too far off). Her friends and family have set up a fund to help with medical expenses; if anyone is interested in more info on that, let us know and we can privately e-mail you the details. Thank you all again for all your prayers and support, and please keep "storming Heaven" for Brittney!
So, MM's Aunt Paula gave her family a game callled Songburst (70's and 80's Edition) a long, long time ago and it didn't get played much, despite being generally right up MM's alley, just because the music was a little too old for her and a little too new for her parents. The game turned up recently as MM's parents were cleaning out their basement, and it was still in good shape. MM thought my mom would enjoy it, so she gave it to her as a thank you for watching the girls this past weekend while we were up visiting Brittney, etc.
Well, last night Eva, Charlotte, and my mom tried playing the game on their own, and hilarity ensued! Eva would make up lyrics completely from scratch for any title Mom read, and Charlotte would dance around the room to her sister's singing. My dad and I just cracked up!
Anyway, just a quick update on Britt: she's opened her good eye a couple more times and seems to be responding to stimuli somewhat, but she's still technically comatose. The trauma ward she was in has done about all they can for now, but she's not quite far enough along to really go into any rehab center, so she's been moved into a long-term care facility until the time she's ready for rehab (which we are praying is not too far off). Her friends and family have set up a fund to help with medical expenses; if anyone is interested in more info on that, let us know and we can privately e-mail you the details. Thank you all again for all your prayers and support, and please keep "storming Heaven" for Brittney!
Monday, October 06, 2008
A little bit of hope...
Well, we spent all weekend with the in-laws...MIL and I took the girls for pictures (we did both girls birthday pictures and Christmas pictures all at the same time...first time I've done wardrobe changes at the photo place!) and did some shopping (including buying a new washer and dryer for MIL, but the good news on that one is that we will probably get their old one (to replace the one that is the squeaky background of our lives!)
Then, we met hubby and FIL for a Cajun broil fundraiser for the hospital there...the girls LOVED the crab legs and shrimp (although MIL had quite a time trying to keep up the cracking and shelling with their appetites, since they both wanted to sit with grandma!) and I even tried a crawdad. We spent the night and went to their church in the morning, spent the afternoon visiting at their house, and the evening at a Rosary/prayer service for Brittney, then a community gospel concert/fundraiser for her. Finally, we had a late supper and drove home (we also picked up hubby's grandma's old car, which we are considering buying).
Right before we left for the rosary, etc. MIL was on the phone with about nine different people (no idea who all she was talking to, but every time she said goodbye to someone, the call waiting would ring again!) when her cell phone started ringing...I went to pick it up off the floor (and found Charlotte playing with a steak knife...I think we may need to have a discussion about trying to keep the house a little more baby proof again...) When I answered, it was Britt's sister, calling to let us all know that Britt opened her eye for about 5 seconds, and then batted the nurse away with her right hand (she's used her left hand to do so before, this was the first time she used her right hand, though).
Of course, we don't know what this means, but it was such a glimmer of hope to hear that she opened her eye up, even if just for a minute...and I am sure that it was exactly what her parents and sister needed to see!
Then, we met hubby and FIL for a Cajun broil fundraiser for the hospital there...the girls LOVED the crab legs and shrimp (although MIL had quite a time trying to keep up the cracking and shelling with their appetites, since they both wanted to sit with grandma!) and I even tried a crawdad. We spent the night and went to their church in the morning, spent the afternoon visiting at their house, and the evening at a Rosary/prayer service for Brittney, then a community gospel concert/fundraiser for her. Finally, we had a late supper and drove home (we also picked up hubby's grandma's old car, which we are considering buying).
Right before we left for the rosary, etc. MIL was on the phone with about nine different people (no idea who all she was talking to, but every time she said goodbye to someone, the call waiting would ring again!) when her cell phone started ringing...I went to pick it up off the floor (and found Charlotte playing with a steak knife...I think we may need to have a discussion about trying to keep the house a little more baby proof again...) When I answered, it was Britt's sister, calling to let us all know that Britt opened her eye for about 5 seconds, and then batted the nurse away with her right hand (she's used her left hand to do so before, this was the first time she used her right hand, though).
Of course, we don't know what this means, but it was such a glimmer of hope to hear that she opened her eye up, even if just for a minute...and I am sure that it was exactly what her parents and sister needed to see!
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