Everyone hates spam, right? You get tons of it, and it clutters your mailbox to where you can't see your real email. I guess being annoying isn't enough. Now spam is getting an attitude and is becoming insulting.
I received a message from "ebay" this morning. The subject title? "Dumb and Poor? Here's a way to make simple money!"
Reverse psychology? Maybe by calling me dumb and poor, that will make me want to click on this obviously phony email from "ebay"?
I just don't get it.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Torturing Little Sister
So it's not so much torture as it is wild, exciting fun. Cade got Claire to sit in an empty diaper box and he zoomed her around the house. Squeals and giggles ensued.
Miss Speed Racer
Claire crawled into the back of the van the other day and clawed her way to the front seat. She was enjoying herself immensely, pushing buttons and turning knobs. She pressed on the horn and this was the result:
Yes, in case you are wondering, I did run back into the house to get the camera. C'mon. She's the third kid. She was alright.
Yes, in case you are wondering, I did run back into the house to get the camera. C'mon. She's the third kid. She was alright.
What's that smell?
No. The title of my post is not the first thing that Scott asked when he got home yesterday. Although that would have been appropriate.
No, the title is the question Cade asked when Scott started carving the pumpkin that Cade had brought home from his school's field trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm out in Celina. Cade hated the smell of pumpkin. So much so that he covered his nose for the 20 minutes it took for us to carve and clean out the pumpkin. Jack actually starting dry heaving and gagging when he smelled it, so we removed him from the room. The actual carving of the jack-o-lantern didn't turn out to be quite the fun-filled family event. It was basically Scott carving and me scooping out the innards. Neither boy wanted to be anywhere near the pumpkin while it was being prepared.
But they sure were excited to take the jack-o-lantern outside and put a candle in it! (excuse the out-of-focus images -- lighting wasn 't great!)
No, the title is the question Cade asked when Scott started carving the pumpkin that Cade had brought home from his school's field trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm out in Celina. Cade hated the smell of pumpkin. So much so that he covered his nose for the 20 minutes it took for us to carve and clean out the pumpkin. Jack actually starting dry heaving and gagging when he smelled it, so we removed him from the room. The actual carving of the jack-o-lantern didn't turn out to be quite the fun-filled family event. It was basically Scott carving and me scooping out the innards. Neither boy wanted to be anywhere near the pumpkin while it was being prepared.
But they sure were excited to take the jack-o-lantern outside and put a candle in it! (excuse the out-of-focus images -- lighting wasn 't great!)
Claire-o-lantern
Our friend Amy (wasssssup Amy!) gave us these adorable jack-0-lantern pajamas for Claire. Claire didn't quite know what to think of the built-in footies. She walked pretty funny for a couple of minutes (visualize yourself trying to walk if you had a #2 accident in your pants). Thanks Amy!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Strange Thought
Sometimes my mind wanders. It wanders to Target. It wanders to Home Depot. It wanders into the gutter. It wanders around the house thinking about projects and design ideas.
And sometimes my mind just wanders into la-la-land.
Here is a question I pondered the other day: Can you imagine the size of Clifford the Big Red Dog's feces? How in the world would you pick up the dog doo from the backyard?
I honestly spent time on that one. I didn't come up with a solution, although I did resolve that it would be a long time before we have pets again.
And sometimes my mind just wanders into la-la-land.
Here is a question I pondered the other day: Can you imagine the size of Clifford the Big Red Dog's feces? How in the world would you pick up the dog doo from the backyard?
I honestly spent time on that one. I didn't come up with a solution, although I did resolve that it would be a long time before we have pets again.
School Rules ***NOT A KID FRIENDLY POST***
***This is not a kid friendly post. If you are living in your parents house, stop reading now! If you are living in your parents' house and you're over 22, move out and get a job!***
Cade has been writing, writing, writing since he started kindergarten. He'll write notes to me and Scott. He'll make signs and post them around the house. Cade will write names of his friends. One day, Cade decided to write down the rules for his classroom at school. When he showed the list to Scott, Scott nearly doubled over with laughter. Look at rule #3.
That was supposed to be "be patient". Not "be a sh*t". I think I'm going to bring it to school to show his teacher -- she'd get a kick out of it!
Cade has been writing, writing, writing since he started kindergarten. He'll write notes to me and Scott. He'll make signs and post them around the house. Cade will write names of his friends. One day, Cade decided to write down the rules for his classroom at school. When he showed the list to Scott, Scott nearly doubled over with laughter. Look at rule #3.
That was supposed to be "be patient". Not "be a sh*t". I think I'm going to bring it to school to show his teacher -- she'd get a kick out of it!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Stickers! Stickers!
Part of my job last weekend at my mom's was to go through about 6 or 7 boxes of my childhood stuff. I had an absolute blast going through my old things. Blankets, toys, room decor I hadn't seen in years made me giggle and brought back so many memories!
One of the many gems I unearthed from the disgusting, spider egg-laden boxes was my sticker collection. Yes, I collected stickers. Don't be jealous. And don't pretend you didn't collect them either.
Do you remember scratch-and-sniff stickers? Loved those! I read somewhere in one of my sticker binders (yes, binders is plural there) that my favorite scratch-and-sniff was a taco. Yeeeech. A taco? Was my olfactory sense not quite developed at age 8? In case you're wondering, yes. The scratch-and-sniff stickers still had a scent to them. The scents, however, didn't always equate to the original scent. The coconut stickers smelled like musty nastiness. The banana stickers smelled like musty nastiness. The bubble gum stickers smelled like musty nastiness. Are you noticing a theme?
The grape scents lasted the best. The apple fared well too, as did the spearmint. Cade was enamored with the scratch-and-sniff.
I harvested all the stickers still in decent shape for the kids. They love putting stickers on their artwork, and since I'm incredibly cheap and figure that they won't notice the slight musty smell on many of the stickers, I figure we all make out like champs.
I also saved some vintage stickers. Remember when Houston had a football team that wasn't the Texans? Love ya Blue! Ah, the Oilers. We loved to hate them. Bum Philips, too. I have a full sticker sheet of Love Ya Blue stickers. I also have some vintage Hello Kitty as well as other Sanrio stickers. Do you remember the old lady (Clara Peller) in the Wendy's commercials that yelled, 'Where's the beef?!?" (odd trivia about me: I was Clara Peller for Halloween one year! Mom made the dress with the lace collar and everything!) I have some stickers of her and her famous question.
If I get a chance, I may post a few pics of my lavish collection. They are all out of the binders now, but you'll get a feel for my prized adhesive-backed beauties.
One of the many gems I unearthed from the disgusting, spider egg-laden boxes was my sticker collection. Yes, I collected stickers. Don't be jealous. And don't pretend you didn't collect them either.
Do you remember scratch-and-sniff stickers? Loved those! I read somewhere in one of my sticker binders (yes, binders is plural there) that my favorite scratch-and-sniff was a taco. Yeeeech. A taco? Was my olfactory sense not quite developed at age 8? In case you're wondering, yes. The scratch-and-sniff stickers still had a scent to them. The scents, however, didn't always equate to the original scent. The coconut stickers smelled like musty nastiness. The banana stickers smelled like musty nastiness. The bubble gum stickers smelled like musty nastiness. Are you noticing a theme?
The grape scents lasted the best. The apple fared well too, as did the spearmint. Cade was enamored with the scratch-and-sniff.
I harvested all the stickers still in decent shape for the kids. They love putting stickers on their artwork, and since I'm incredibly cheap and figure that they won't notice the slight musty smell on many of the stickers, I figure we all make out like champs.
I also saved some vintage stickers. Remember when Houston had a football team that wasn't the Texans? Love ya Blue! Ah, the Oilers. We loved to hate them. Bum Philips, too. I have a full sticker sheet of Love Ya Blue stickers. I also have some vintage Hello Kitty as well as other Sanrio stickers. Do you remember the old lady (Clara Peller) in the Wendy's commercials that yelled, 'Where's the beef?!?" (odd trivia about me: I was Clara Peller for Halloween one year! Mom made the dress with the lace collar and everything!) I have some stickers of her and her famous question.
If I get a chance, I may post a few pics of my lavish collection. They are all out of the binders now, but you'll get a feel for my prized adhesive-backed beauties.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Making Dough
This evening, since Scott was still at work, I let Jack watch Cars while Cade and I made some salt dough. You mix the dough, then roll it out and cut out shapes. Then you bake the dough. After it cools, it's hard and you can paint it. Cheap fun!
So tonight Cade mixed the dough and we cut our shapes and baked them. Now, Cade has some sensory issues. He has never liked getting his hands dirty. But I made him mix the ingredients with his hands. He sort of mixed it, and sort of didn't like it. Oh well. I'm proud of him for getting his hands messy!
Tomorrow when we paint our shapes, I'll update on the finished product!
So tonight Cade mixed the dough and we cut our shapes and baked them. Now, Cade has some sensory issues. He has never liked getting his hands dirty. But I made him mix the ingredients with his hands. He sort of mixed it, and sort of didn't like it. Oh well. I'm proud of him for getting his hands messy!
Tomorrow when we paint our shapes, I'll update on the finished product!
I love me a soccer man!
I've always had a thing for soccer guys. Not sure why. Guess it's the way God made me.
Imagine to my delight that Jack seems to LOVE soccer! He's been kicking the ball around the house ever chance he gets. And he also begs Scott and me to play kick with him. He giggles and has such a great time running and kicking the ball.
This isn't the best pic of Jack, but it does have Jack and the soccer ball in the same frame. Ok. So I'm getting lazy...
Imagine to my delight that Jack seems to LOVE soccer! He's been kicking the ball around the house ever chance he gets. And he also begs Scott and me to play kick with him. He giggles and has such a great time running and kicking the ball.
This isn't the best pic of Jack, but it does have Jack and the soccer ball in the same frame. Ok. So I'm getting lazy...
My Fair Cade
This past Monday, Scott took Cade to his 1st State Fair of Texas ever! And they had a wonderful time!
There was debate between Scott and me as to whether Cade would actually ride the ginormous ferris wheel. Cade has been asking to ride the ferris wheel for a year now. Each time we passed by Fair Park on our way out of town, his resolve would become stronger. I was elated to find that Cade did ride the ferris wheel and loved it!
Of course you can't go to the Fair and not say hi to Big Tex.
Cade unfortunately didn't say hi to Big Tex. He was too busy pouting because Scott wouldn't carry him on his shoulders.
But Cade did stop pouting long enough to look at the trains set up at the feet of Big Tex.
And of course Scott couldn't go to the Fair and not see the shiny new cars!
There were some old trains set up at the Fair and they allowed the kids to crawl in and out of them. How cool! Cade loved getting to climb up on to the caboose!
Cade did not however like getting put up on the locomotive.
There were some huuuuuge sculptures of elephants at the Fair. Made for good climbing!
and for perspective of the size of this elephant...
And finally, there was a garden area that attracted so many butterflies because of all the flowers. Scott captured this gorgeous shot!
There was debate between Scott and me as to whether Cade would actually ride the ginormous ferris wheel. Cade has been asking to ride the ferris wheel for a year now. Each time we passed by Fair Park on our way out of town, his resolve would become stronger. I was elated to find that Cade did ride the ferris wheel and loved it!
Of course you can't go to the Fair and not say hi to Big Tex.
Cade unfortunately didn't say hi to Big Tex. He was too busy pouting because Scott wouldn't carry him on his shoulders.
But Cade did stop pouting long enough to look at the trains set up at the feet of Big Tex.
And of course Scott couldn't go to the Fair and not see the shiny new cars!
There were some old trains set up at the Fair and they allowed the kids to crawl in and out of them. How cool! Cade loved getting to climb up on to the caboose!
Cade did not however like getting put up on the locomotive.
There were some huuuuuge sculptures of elephants at the Fair. Made for good climbing!
and for perspective of the size of this elephant...
And finally, there was a garden area that attracted so many butterflies because of all the flowers. Scott captured this gorgeous shot!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Playground
Scott was out of town this past weekend, and so I called up a friend in the neighborhood and we took our kids to the playground
Cade & Alessio have been friends since they were two years old. They attended mothers-day-out together and were in the same class for all three years there. The boys now go to the same elementary school, although they are in different classes.
Jack and Diego have also know each other since they were two. Of course, since they are now just three, they haven't know each other for all that long. But they attend mothers-day-out together and have been in the same class for the last two years.
Here are some pics from out afternoon:
Cade & Alessio have been friends since they were two years old. They attended mothers-day-out together and were in the same class for all three years there. The boys now go to the same elementary school, although they are in different classes.
Jack and Diego have also know each other since they were two. Of course, since they are now just three, they haven't know each other for all that long. But they attend mothers-day-out together and have been in the same class for the last two years.
Here are some pics from out afternoon:
Respect the Van
I used to look upon minivan drivers with such pity. "Have you lost all dignity? How can you drive such a mom-mobile? Surely there must have been something... anything else in your price range that you could have chosen" The disdain and pity level I felt for these out-of-it souls was embarrassingly high.
I swore that I would never ever drive one of those minivans.
So here I am, 1.5 years later, thoroughly enjoying driving my minivan. Enjoying my minivan?!? Yet more proof that I'm clinically insane.
You just gotta love the automatic doors. When you've got your arms full of kids, groceries, and your mom-bag/purse, it's so nice to be able to push a button and start dumping stuff in the car. (Of course, this only works if you remember to have your keys in hand when you go out to the parking lot). And the fact that the doors slide back means that you don't bang other people's cars when you fling open the door to beat your child who's throwing a large tantrum in the back seat. And... when you're on a long trip, and you need to go back to the back to spank your kid, you don't have to stop the car! You just unbuckle and walk back there (it helps that i'm only 5' tall).
They have made it so easy and convenient for me to spank my kids while traveling!
I swore that I would never ever drive one of those minivans.
So here I am, 1.5 years later, thoroughly enjoying driving my minivan. Enjoying my minivan?!? Yet more proof that I'm clinically insane.
You just gotta love the automatic doors. When you've got your arms full of kids, groceries, and your mom-bag/purse, it's so nice to be able to push a button and start dumping stuff in the car. (Of course, this only works if you remember to have your keys in hand when you go out to the parking lot). And the fact that the doors slide back means that you don't bang other people's cars when you fling open the door to beat your child who's throwing a large tantrum in the back seat. And... when you're on a long trip, and you need to go back to the back to spank your kid, you don't have to stop the car! You just unbuckle and walk back there (it helps that i'm only 5' tall).
They have made it so easy and convenient for me to spank my kids while traveling!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Drama in the ER
OK. So Acute Kids is not so much an ER as a pediatric office open on weeknights and weekends. But it made for a catchy title, no?
Scott is out of town at the racetrack this weekend. So the kids and I went over to a friend's house to do our weekly Financial Peace University video and discussion. The boys were playing in Collin's room, and Claire was tottering around the living room, not trying very hard but looking adorable.
All of a sudden, we heard a strange cry from the back room. We stopped the video and got up to go see what was going on. We were met with a hysterical Cade with blood in his mouth.
Immediately, I fought back panic as I tried to assess what happened. It was difficult to get a clear view; all I could see was that one of Cade's baby teeth had been knocked completely backwards and looked like it was lying flat on the bottom of his mouth. Yikes! I assumed that there had been some pretty good gum trauma.
Off to the urgent care office we go!
Cade cried all the way to the office. Although he did pause a few seconds to ponder how much money the Tooth Fairy would leave him. And he then mentioned that one of his friends had hit him in the face with a ... wait for it... a pillow. How would a pillow knock someone's tooth back? Made me curious too. Drama then resumed to a high level.
I'll spare you the gory details of my hyper-scared child in a foreign doctor office. I'll mention that I did have to hold Cade down. And I'll leave it at that.
The bottom line to the story: Cade lost his baby tooth. The tooth that I had seen was his permanent tooth coming in. Apparently, the baby tooth had been loose. And a swift slug of the pillow to his face must have made it pop out. Cade had never mentioned that he had a loose tooth (an important note: Cade is NOT excited about having loose teeth or having them fall out). Because of the location of this new tooth that's coming in, I believe that orthodontics are firmly in our future.
Bonus: the two teeth on both sides of the missing one are loose too!
By the time we got home (after going back to our friend's house, finding the tooth in their luxurious but incredibly shaggy frieze carpet, and getting Jack & Claire loaded up in the van) Cade was pretty exhausted. But he humored me by letting me take a pic of him. My baby is growing up!
Scott is out of town at the racetrack this weekend. So the kids and I went over to a friend's house to do our weekly Financial Peace University video and discussion. The boys were playing in Collin's room, and Claire was tottering around the living room, not trying very hard but looking adorable.
All of a sudden, we heard a strange cry from the back room. We stopped the video and got up to go see what was going on. We were met with a hysterical Cade with blood in his mouth.
Immediately, I fought back panic as I tried to assess what happened. It was difficult to get a clear view; all I could see was that one of Cade's baby teeth had been knocked completely backwards and looked like it was lying flat on the bottom of his mouth. Yikes! I assumed that there had been some pretty good gum trauma.
Off to the urgent care office we go!
Cade cried all the way to the office. Although he did pause a few seconds to ponder how much money the Tooth Fairy would leave him. And he then mentioned that one of his friends had hit him in the face with a ... wait for it... a pillow. How would a pillow knock someone's tooth back? Made me curious too. Drama then resumed to a high level.
I'll spare you the gory details of my hyper-scared child in a foreign doctor office. I'll mention that I did have to hold Cade down. And I'll leave it at that.
The bottom line to the story: Cade lost his baby tooth. The tooth that I had seen was his permanent tooth coming in. Apparently, the baby tooth had been loose. And a swift slug of the pillow to his face must have made it pop out. Cade had never mentioned that he had a loose tooth (an important note: Cade is NOT excited about having loose teeth or having them fall out). Because of the location of this new tooth that's coming in, I believe that orthodontics are firmly in our future.
Bonus: the two teeth on both sides of the missing one are loose too!
By the time we got home (after going back to our friend's house, finding the tooth in their luxurious but incredibly shaggy frieze carpet, and getting Jack & Claire loaded up in the van) Cade was pretty exhausted. But he humored me by letting me take a pic of him. My baby is growing up!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Crystal Beach
The news is so fickle. For a few days its one story and one story only. But when a different story breaks, it's so long to the old story, and we're drowned in the new story for days.
We don't hear about the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike much anymore. With the political season really ramping up, there's a lot to talk about. Oh yeah; and then there's the whole failure of banks and lending institutions which is causing the market to vomit on itself (but everything is going to be fine! hold on to your investments! don't buy gold! listen to Dave Ramsey!)
My Aunt Robin's family owns a beach house in Crystal Beach, TX. Crystal beach is across the water from Galveston and is on the Bolivar peninsula. It took a pretty hard hit a couple of weeks ago from the hurricane. My Uncle Kenneth went down there to help Robin & Marty survey the damage and clean up and then sent out some pics of what they found when they arrived.
My aunt' beach cabin was 3 rows of houses away from the beach. She now has beachfront property. This is a view from the beach. The cabin in the distance straight ahead is my aunt's cabin. There should be two houses in front of that.
Here's a closer shot of the cabin. Kind of hard to get in without stairs.
The windows obviously blew out, so there was a lot of water inside. My uncle said there was even water inside the ceiling fan lights. The bumps under the carpet are pots and pans from the kitchen.
Thankfully, my aunt's cabin is still standing. And thankfully, this is just a beach cabin. It's not their full-time home. Imagine if you lived year-round in one of those first 2 rows of beach cabins. That aren't even there anymore. And thankfully my aunt, uncle and cousin are safe, as they weren't anywhere near the area when Ike came through.
Our church has partnered with World Vision to help rebuild and provide for those along the gulf. If you feel led to do so, donate some green to help out!
We don't hear about the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike much anymore. With the political season really ramping up, there's a lot to talk about. Oh yeah; and then there's the whole failure of banks and lending institutions which is causing the market to vomit on itself (but everything is going to be fine! hold on to your investments! don't buy gold! listen to Dave Ramsey!)
My Aunt Robin's family owns a beach house in Crystal Beach, TX. Crystal beach is across the water from Galveston and is on the Bolivar peninsula. It took a pretty hard hit a couple of weeks ago from the hurricane. My Uncle Kenneth went down there to help Robin & Marty survey the damage and clean up and then sent out some pics of what they found when they arrived.
My aunt' beach cabin was 3 rows of houses away from the beach. She now has beachfront property. This is a view from the beach. The cabin in the distance straight ahead is my aunt's cabin. There should be two houses in front of that.
Here's a closer shot of the cabin. Kind of hard to get in without stairs.
The windows obviously blew out, so there was a lot of water inside. My uncle said there was even water inside the ceiling fan lights. The bumps under the carpet are pots and pans from the kitchen.
Thankfully, my aunt's cabin is still standing. And thankfully, this is just a beach cabin. It's not their full-time home. Imagine if you lived year-round in one of those first 2 rows of beach cabins. That aren't even there anymore. And thankfully my aunt, uncle and cousin are safe, as they weren't anywhere near the area when Ike came through.
Our church has partnered with World Vision to help rebuild and provide for those along the gulf. If you feel led to do so, donate some green to help out!
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