chic flic

I have a little tradition when Trev's on night shift. I turn on one of those awesome movies that he doesn't like to watch and then start a project that never gets finished (y'know, like taking all my craft stuff out of the cupboards and scattering it willy-nilly around his tv room, rearranging the furniture and then NOT putting my craft stuff back into it - or hauling out all the clothes from our closet to chuck anything that doesn't fit and then not hanging them back up for several days. Y'know, stuff like that, he looooves it!)
So now my dilemma is.... do I watch "The Phantom of the Opera " (mmmmm Gerard Butler), "Sabrina", "Pride and Prejudice" or "Sense and Sensibility"?

I'm thinking for next week's veiwing pleasure I need to chat up some friends about borrowing some gooders - I'm thinking "PS I love you" or "The Boyfriend School"? Hmm, now I'm thinking there needs to be a movie night at my place.

made me laugh...

I was sub-ing in the 3/4 year old class in church on Sunday when the prettiest little girl told me she had two things to ask me. First, she wanted to know where Josh was and why he wasn't in class. I explained that he wasn't old enough yet and he is still in Nursery. Her next question was not so easily answered. "Why do I smell chicken nuggets?" I have no idea, Chelsea, NO IDEA!

the why

So I haven't been posting. There's a reason, but it's not a very interesting one. I used to use Taylor's nap time to blog and read blogs and watch movies with Josh. Now I'm using that time to exercise. I still read blogs by setting up my laptop on a tv tray beside me and scrolling though my "bookmarks" while using my recumbent bike, but it's really not conducive to typing. Nor is the kid on my lap. I've also been doing alot more "free reading".

James Patterson, "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" - you should read it.

for those of you not blessed to live in earshot of me...

So if you live close by you have heard me going on and on (and on) about my weight loss/get fit challenge that I've been doing with some Edmonton friends. I added a little ticker to the sidebar. I'm not really sure that anyone cares, but I'm pretty proud of my success so far AND I'm hoping that this public display of my efforts will serve to keep me from slacking off. Sorry that it doesn't actually fit properly, but you get the idea.

corn chip recipe

... alternatively entitled, "the post in which lisa does something totally unnecessary just for the heck'uv it and by the most difficult means available".

Here is a recipe that absolutely NO ONE has a use for. I spent 2 days and 4 batches developing it from a number of other recipes that do not work. Now that I have perfected it, I will never, NEVER make it again. I will purchase these goods at the store, because, as you may or may not know, I am a mom, and thereby NOT rolling in spare time. Thank you, the end.

Homemade Corn Chips

4 parts cornmeal
4 parts flour
1 part powdered milk
1 part bean flour
2-3 parts warm water

Mix and roll out paper thin as you generously "flour" with cornmeal. Salt before baking if you want. Bake at 300 degrees for ten minutes. Taste and realize that store-bought is less time consuming and that you will never get this afternoon of your life back.

PS, Did I mention that I ground my own cornmeal and bean flour for this project? Just one of the many ways I chose to waste my time.

kids in costume

Ha! Gotcha!

I'm not a fan of this particular "holiday" so I didn't even take a picture of my kids dressed up. But we did have fun. Due to our tight budget we couldn't afford to give out store-bought treats at our door, so we tried something different - I made some popcorn treats out of items already in our pantry and gave them to families we actually know as we trick'r treated at their houses. I love this, I'm gonna do it again, but with better homemade treats next year. We didn't end up with a ton of candy (it's already all gone), but we got to give away a treat (the boys loved this) and we got to visit people who actually care what my children chose for a costume (we did do a neighbor or two at every friend's home we visited). Here's how we dressed up our give-away treats:

a ghost, a mummy, and a jack-o'- lantern

alternatively known as a tin, a yogurt container and a bucket

Um, Randa - Steph - Des - Kathy, you either weren't home or we didn't get to you. No need to wonder where your treat is, as you can see, we are still giving them a good home.

what's a girl to do?

Your kids want a snack and you've wasted all day on your
computer surfing blogs?

Solution? Rip off some funny ideas from much more creative individuals.

You can't afford a food mill, but you want to start trying out some
healthier recipes with ground food storage products?

Bust this beauty out of the back of your dusty unused appliance cupboard!

Your kid starts pulling a plastic bag over his head in a manner that
clearly violates the "this is not a toy" warning?

Grab your camera, snap like crazy and then run around your house like
a madwoman hiding all the plastic bags so that this cute little face will always be safe.

Please don't judge me by the pictures I take.

PS, okay, I had to come back and add that I showed the plastic bag pictures in reverse order. I did not sit there and take pictures encouraging my child to pull a plastic bag over his head. I already had my camera out and was taking pictures while hollering "take that off your head!". As further evidence of my competent mothering, my oldest is watching me type over my shoulder and just said, "oh, that's when Taylor put a dangerous bag on his head. that wasn't good." Amen.

stuffed... or is it squashed?

Did you know that the Canadian Food Guide recommends 7-8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day for an adult woman? Yes, you did? Well then, did you know I had to force down a second dinner of veggies after I put my kids to bed just to meet that requirement? Seriously, between 8 glasses of water a day, 7-8 servings of fruits and veggies and trying not to eat for a couple hours before bed - when am I supposed to have time or appetite for all the other food groups?!?

superman ain't got nothin' on me

My sister once told me that when occasion demands she takes her phone calls sitting on the floor of her son's closet, with the door closed and with his bedroom door closed. This makes me giggle riotously because I can picture her kids wandering the house getting more and more concerned, "Mom, where are you? Mom? Mo-om? Mom! Mother?!?" Is it cruel that I fantasize about doing things like this to my kids? - well, my ship is in folks!

The other day I was on the phone with my mom and cleaning out my under-the-stairs closet. I was also holding a conversation with my almost-4-year-old that was going a little something like this...

Josh: "Is it dark in there?"
Me: "yup"
J: "Is it dark in there?"
M: "Yes honey"
J: "Is it dark in there?"
Me, looking directly into his eyes: "Yes, it is dark in here. But why don't you ask me one more time."
Josh, looking a little confused: "Is it..."
Me: "Why, yes, it is! Now, go away."

I promptly sit down on a pile of Christmas boxes and extend a heartfelt apology to my mother, because recent anecdotal evidence suggests that Josh is every grandmother's dream grandchild - the reincarnation of all his parents' most 'endearing' traits. (If you're wondering, Josh gets his incessant chattering from me and his skill for pestering from his father - yes, my daily fear IS that my brain will start slowly trickling out my ear - why do you ask?) And now we get to the good part....

This is my downstairs (under the stair) closet. Because of the landing, you walk in, duck your head make a u-turn and crawl a little further. This is where I keep all things seasonal - usually Christmas boxes in the most inaccessable part, camping and outdoors-y stuff at the "U" and coats and shoes at the front. At this time of year I have to go in and "front" all the winter clothes/boots/mittens/etc. and I figure, while I'm in there, swap the camping and christmas positions for easy access in another month. This is where I may have hit apon the answer to all my prayers.

The Fortress of Solitude

I figure between my cordless phone, laptop, plug-in cooler and battery operated camping lantern I can hide out in here until my kids go to college.

grateful

Y'know, I'm really thankful for all the blessings I have. I could 'name them one by one', but I thought I'd just show you a picture of just one of the many things that bless my life. Meet my desk. Please girls, let's not let our petty jealousies take hold. I know this is something you'll all covet, but try to look past the 'gourmet' pizza box (courtesy of Trish) and realize that it's not the price, or the antiquity of an item - it's how it fills it's purpose.

"don't hate me because I'm beautiful!"

In all my crazy-filled days with this almost-four-year-old, there is alot of laughter - sometimes it's that frantic kind with a hint of lunacy, but, lots of times, it's 'cause this kid says something like...

"I'm busy working on my skills"

Please feel free to insert your own Napoleon Dynamite quote/joke here....

what's up doc?

I'm a pumpkin lover. Totally dedicated. And for that reason I love this time of year (that and now that shorts season is over I can stop shaving my legs - can I get a 'woot woot'!) So I was a little skeptical when fate dropped a recipe in my lap and my mom mentioned her mom serving the same recipe within a day of each other. I was also a little skeptical of the ingredients, but what a great way to serve up that HUGE vacuum packed bag of dehydrated carrots that are due to rotate out of your food storage - you know the one. My kids ate this willingly, even knowing that it wasn't pumpkins, but carrots. As long as you make sure to puree well and get a super smooth texture, you can serve this to your super-picky eater husband with some whipcream and he'll only be mildly miffed that you totally faked him out.

Carrot ... Pie?

2.5 cups carrots, cooked, sliced and drained
0.5 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
1.75 cups milk

Puree all ingredients really well and pour into an unbaked 9" pie shell.Preheat oven to 450 and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temp to 300 and bake 45 minutes or until filling is set and firm. Cool on a rack. Devour!

PS, we opted out of the store-bought crust in favour of a gingerbread experiment: FAB-U-LOUS!

when your not looking

Some of the weirdest things happen when you aren't paying attention. Like this -


Yes, those are underpants on Taylor's head.

And this - I might have to take up some issues with management. Who said this kid was allowed to turn 2? Hmmm? Hmmmmmm?!?

They look so impressed with me here.
Did I mention that this is breakfast - ya, I had plans for the afternoon and evening.
Happy Birthday Baby.

bouncing here and there and everywhere

Does anyone else remember this? what about this one? and another personal favorite. This is one of Trevor's.

have we met?

So, five and a half years into our marriage I find out that Trevor can't whistle. And I'm all, "I don't even know you at all!"

ch-ch-ch-checkin' my email

God was looking down at earth, and saw all the misbehaving that was going on.
So he called one of his angels to go to Earth.

When he returned, the angel told God, 'Yes, it is bad on Earth;.... 95% are misbehaving,... and only 5% are not'.

God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I should send down another angel, to get a second opinion'!

So, God called another angel, & sent him to Earth too.

When the angel returned, he went to God & said, 'Yes, it's true. The Earth is in decline;... 95% are misbehaving,... but 5% are being good.'

God was not pleased. So he decided to e-mail, the 5% who were good,...because, he wanted to encourage them, give them a little something, to help them keep going !

Do you know what the e-mail said ?

No ?


Okay, just checking with you.
I didn't get one either ...

it's alive!

or rather, I'm alive - barely! Wow, first off, lets have a round of applause for the driver extraordinaire, moi! Last night, at 1am, we returned from our 2 weeks of "vacation". While some of you have done some intra-continental travel this summer, I'm pretty sure my intra-provincial mileage can hold it's own. Down to Lethbridge, over to Calgary, in and around Calgary (somehow I got nominated as the extended family chauffer), back to Brooks, up to Edmonton, back again to Brooks, down to Cardston, back and forth to Lethbridge, up to Calgary, and home to Brooks. Phew. In case your wondering - I'm done, I'm gonna hermit-it-up for a day or two before I venture out in to public...but, what's this?!? An empty milk jug in the fridge and a requesite trip to the grocery store?!? Noooooooooooo!

victory

Today I overcame a huge obstacle in my life. It was a torturous journey, particularly the last 24 hours or so. You see, I'm afflicted with petite kitchen-itis. This means that I've been storing dishes and other kitchen what-not in a hutch in my dining room. My fabulous, twice-the-size-of-my-kitchen, dining room. Oh, how I love you DR! Anyways, I have, as of this morning, managed to fit all of my kitchen belongings into my 5 kitchen cabinets (I only get the number 5 by adding together half and partial cupboards). AND it's neat and orderly too. This has been a year long process - every other month I cut a little clutter and try to consolidate and organize. I'd like to thank all the people who made this effort a success - the builder (who clearly has never had to prepare his own meals - ever!), my children (who loved pulling everything out of that hutch and spread it willey-nilley around my home), Sherraine (who endowed me with a gift of out-of-seasonal candy so generous that I had to rearrange my cupboards to accomadate it), and of course my husband (without whose ginormous slurpee mug eternally cluttering my countertop, I might never have found the motivation to persevere and find a cabinet home for or discard all that useless junk).
On a COMPLETELY separate note. Anyone with a kind heart and cabinet space willing to give a home to a bunch of baby spoons and a babyfood grinder, please leave a message in the comments.

things I considered posting about recently

Have you ever noticed the ginormous things that the seagulls at the park will pick up and take off with - like those huge McD bags and then you realize it's still full of burgers. I have a completely rational fear that one day one of those seagulls in our neighborhood is going to swoop down and take off with one of my children. Seriously!

Did you know I check my mail obsessively. I've totally paired it down lately, but even now I can't just leave it for the next day... I mean, what if someone sends me money?!? Well, I can dream can't I?

oh, for the love of pancakes!

The blog otherwise titled as "and more promises".

For Stephanie:

Lisa's Pancakes

1 tbsp vinegar
1 c. milk
1 egg
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix milk and vinegar, set aside. Sift together dry ingredients. Blend in milk mixture and eggs. Don't overmix, some lumps are okay, they will bake out. Set the batter aside while heating your grill. The batter needs this time to set and form little air pockets, try not to stir them out as you ladle the batter onto the grill at a 350 degree temperature.

This recipe comes with a great review - Nancy the breakfast critic from "Eggs and Toast Daily" said, "I don't even like pancakes, but when Lisa get's out her mixer - I drool like Pavlov's dog!" Well, something like that anyway.

promises, promises

I promised this recipe to Joanne, like, 4 months ago. Someday I fully intend on becoming an amazing photographer and including gorgeous pics of my food with my recipes, a la Pioneer Woman (and practically every other blogger on the planet!). Right now I'm a little busy chasing toddlers around the neighborhood, sweeping and re-sweeping my kitchen floor, and scraping unidentifiable gunk of the undersides of a myriad of surfaces, sorry.

Breakfast Cornmeal Muffins:

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs
1 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

filling: jam
or ham and cheese
or bacon and eggs

Mix first 4 ingredients and let it sit for about 10 minutes (this just helps "soften up" the cornmeal). Mix in the dry ingredients. Spoon a little batter into the bottom of a greased muffin tin - just enough to cover the bottom. Dab in some filling, how much depends on the size of the tin (I like to do jam ones in mini-tins using about 1 tsp and meat ones in regular tins with 1 tbsp, but it doesn't really matter, as long as you leave enough room to...). Spoon more batter over top, be careful not to let any filling remain exposed. Bake at 350 for... well, I honestly don't know...I'm not that kind of baker. It's done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Enjoy!

the world don't move to the beat of just one drum

My favourite rerun to watch in the wee hours while nursing a baby named Taylor was "Diff'rent Strokes". But I didn't have to tell you that, you can totally tell by his "wha'choo talkin' 'bout Willis" face.

I re-wrote the 3rd and 4th line to Diff'rent Strokes, and now it's the perfect theme song for a "special" girl like me. Haha.

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
Boy meets girl, now you know what that means.
Along come two, they got cute-ness in their genes.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

what I found amongst my weed patch

Today for lunch I had a fab salad... all from my garden. I'm so proud. I even have big ol' pea pods hangin' out waiting to be snacked on (one was actually big enough to pop open and enjoy the first fruits of the season. Too cool. And you know what? I actually enjoy myself when I go out and do a little weeding. Shhh, don't tell anyone.

summertime and the livin' is ... busy

Have you ever noticed that when you're busy you get things done, but when you have nothing scheduled, you loose the whole day to ... nothing? (And by nothing I mean, napping, surfing the 'net, reading strangers' blogs and the evils of facebook and youtube.)

Thought you might enjoy some of these reminders of the season.

Ella Fitzgerald - "Summertime"

Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff - "Summertime"

Mungo Jerry - "In the Summertime" (because I can't watch this without cracking up)

And just because I know that without this next one, your summer will wither up and die.
NKOTB - "Summertime" (I especially enjoy the last 30 seconds of the song. Oh Donnie, now I remember why I loved you, in all your open-shirted, ballcap matching-suited, arm-waving, center of the-boyband glory!)

$5 says those girls are to young to even know who they are "dancin' up ons"

"was that a ninja?

.... more like a non-ja.
Ridiculous what passes for a ninja these days."

Thank-you Speed Racer, you complete me.

If you haven't seen this movie, go now. It's a personal favourite.

who sings that song?

So, I can't seem to get this guy's music out of my head since I watched this video on someone else's blog a couple months ago. If it gets stuck in your head like it's stuck in mine - sorry (but not really).

By the way, if you drop by my house unexpectedly and hear this song blaring through my open windows - DO NOT, under any circumstances, peek in my windows. You will not like what you see. This song gives me an unquenchable need to shake m' thang. It's not pretty. Okay, in the interest of full disclosure... I sing along too. Loudly. Taylor frequently tugs on my shirt and gives me that look - you know, the one that asks "who sings this song? Justin Nozuka? why don't we let him sing it, okay?"

PS (I keep coming back to add things!) I love it when he sings about his "skills". Makes me laugh.

insert delicious food pic here

Okay, I'll spill the beans - the secret to my "world famous" sour-cream-and-onion pasta sauce. 3 ingredients people: butter and onions (saute, then turn off the pan and mix in) .... ready for it.... sour cream (you can add a little salt too). Ya, it's good and impossibly easy. Last night I did a sour-cream-onion-and-spinach sauce. Can you guess the ingredients?!?

'cause your dying to know

I'm eating homemade pasta with a fab sour-cream-and-onion sauce. I know, your welcome, now you can finally get some sleep.

officer hygiene

I don't have anything to blog about, I just felt a little guilty for not having anything to blog about. Does that make sense? I could tell you about my day so far.... I got up, got dressed, released the hounds, oh, I mean let the kids out of the bedroom (the door sticks and Josh can't open it on his own, Taylor has yet to try and climb out of his crib - and I count my blessings for these two little miracles EVERY DAY! - the door and crib, well, the kids too, I suppose.) I also fed them breakfast, ha! if you can count a frozen yogurt popsicle and grape jelly laden toast as breakfast. Forgot to feed myself until I suddenly realized that I'm starving and polished of the leftover tub of store-bought icing in the back of my fridge. Do not judge me... the can clearly states that leftovers should be refrigerated for only up to 2 weeks and I was a dangerous 9 days away from that deadline! Shut up, I said no judging!

Um, my son keeps coming upstairs and asking if I'm going to shower yet. "Are you taking a shower now mama?" "Mama, get in the shower!" My hygiene skills are not that bad, 3-year-old with grape jelly smeared from head to toe, now back off! Okay, really, I do need a shower, but he doesn't know that. He only knows that I'm procrastinating letting him go outside to play. This is how I did it.... "I can't take you outside to play until I have a shower, but I can't have a shower until the washing machine is done running." See how that works? Uh-oh, the buzzer on the dryer just went off - here comes the hygiene patrol!

Ps, did anyone notice my New Moon countdown poster on the sidebar? Ya, I'm THAT excited! Only, like, 5 and one half months left to go!

wit?!?

I just took this funny little quiz - now I'm so excited to have teenagers. haha. Try it out.

Take the fun, Mom to Mom quiz and discover your parenting style.

random-ness

I know... you thought I was avoiding you. "That little weasel! Trying to get out of giving up the promised prizes!" Don't deny it, you said it. I heard you. Okay, I didn't hear you, exactly, but I sensed it. I do not hang around outside your house... much. (Except for you, Kathy... but we're even, 'cause you sit in your house waiting for me to walk by. jokes.) So eight comments, eh? I KNOW that there are other people reading this blog (yes, I mean you, mom).
So I can't decide how to pick winners, hence the winners post delay (I've been a little busy, too). There will be more than onw, but for now.... Julie S. is the winner of the guaranteed prize for commenting first! Yay! I've totally picked a fabulous prize for you - but I'm not going to post what it is until after it hits the mail. So that you can be surprised. Also, Stephanie wins because random.org says so. Yay some more! I'm so excited to lay this little deal on you tomorrow at church! Share with your family or not, your choice.Congrats girls, stay tuned for another winner, when I decide on a different method of picking!

i love the smell of contests in the morning

Okay, it seems like everyone and their dog are giving something away online - I love it! So here's my totally impromptu give-away.








Ha! I'm not telling you what it is, but post a comment describing your newest interest or obsession and I'll pick winners for a prize worth $50, 000! (Actually, it's homemade - but that means I can set the price, right?) I haven't decided how many winners yet - we'll see how many people enter. And don't worry about distance, me and CanadaPost are like this (crossing my fingers). Oh, and since it's before 9am on a Saturday morning right now, I'm guaranteeing a win to the first commentor - on you mark, get set, go! (until May 14th @1:47 pm - holy randomness - when the contest closes)

accessories and the proper useage of the word "wafer"

Yesterday I abandoned Trev and the kids to their own devices and ran away to Randa's house for some fun. (Okay, I didn't really abandon them - eventually Vance, Melia and Kyan were sent over to feed and babysit them.) In case your wondering what constitutes a fun time for me... here's a list of essential ingredients:

1. candy - lots of candy
2. an adult meal - meaning it requires utensils
3. a song stuck in your head - preferably something really annoying that you learned in 4th grade.
4. candy some more - and chocolate, candy, cake, icing, candy, lollipop sticks, oh, and candy
5. a random word - debate it's usage and applications until you can't say the word normally anymore, I swear, it's so fun
6. and a dash of candy

Yep, good times. And here's what I made:
Getting my kids to let me get a decent picture was almost impossible!

I was finally able to convince them that they weren't just toys - "have a bite, I swear you'll like it!"

on my mind - and other not so important trivia

I really love Hugh Laurie, especially as Dr. Gregory House (I really like him in Sense and Sensibility as well, 101 Dalmations - not so much), so is it any wonder that I thought of my cane-wielding fictional boyfriend when reminded that today is the 53rd anniversary of the availability of the polio vaccine? (Polio victims often require the use of a cane.)

Oh, Dolly - your sass, spunk, and hair just make you so endearing! I did a little dance and sang "Nine to Five" when I remembered that the 8-hour workday was officially instituted in the US this very day in 1884.

Who wouldn't want this guy for a dad? Happy B-day Paul Sr.!

The best things in life are free
But you can keep it for the birds and bees.
Now gimme money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want, ye-ye-yeh,
That's what I want.

The Canadian Fiver premiered 97 years ago today! The Phillipino Peso shares this aniversary.

Welcome Back Kotter was one of my favorite shows as a kid. I especially loved Vinny Barbarino, though it would be years before I realized he wasn't just some random rerun actor - I didn't even see "Grease" for the first time until at least 10 years later. Do you think when Travolta's character sings "it's electrifying" he's quoting an Ottawa resident when they used electicity for streetlights for the first time exactly 143 years ago today? Me too.

Other important facts about today:

* 121st day of the year - whoot, whoot
* Bach died on this date
* Wolverine opens today, Citizen Kane opened this day in 1941. Coincidence?
* Act of Union forms Great Britain
* Nauvoo temple dedicated in1846, Empire State building dedicated in 1931.
* Rodney King says, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?".
* Dwarf planet Pluto gets a name.
* Elvis and Pricilla get married in Vegas.

1(800)BADIDEA, that`s 1-8-0-0-1......

Thanks for the suggestions guys and guess what? I've decided! I've already registered for SAIT`s online phlebology course. Jokes. I`m really sure that when the big moment finally arrived and I actually had to STICK A NEEDLE in some part of someone`s anatomy - the last thing thing anyone wants is for stick-er to look directly at the stick-ee, swoon, maybe vomit on their lap and then hit the floor like a rock.
But really, I`m eyeing starting my own psychic hotline. I know what your thinking... Hey Lisa, don`t you have to have some kind of supernatural gift of sight for that. My answer to you is... Has that ever stopped anyone before. (sorry, my question mark is giving me attitude) But I will be providing a distinctly different service that will make the whole issue mute. I plan to help people by giving them... wait for it... actual, good, common sense advice. Revolutionary, eh (again with the Qmark `tude). It might play out something like this...

Sucker: I`m having financial problems, do you see anything in my future to help me out...
Me: Yes, I see you hanging up on this $4.99 per minute call and getting a job.

S: I`m worried that my husband isn`t in love with me anymore, do you see us together in the future...
M: Only if you hang up the phone and have a real heart-to-heart with him about where your relationship is headed.

I think you get the idea. Sure, if I actually help anyone I will eventually work myself out of a job, however, I think it would actually be a huge success - based on the sheer volume of idiots I meet, watch on tv, and read about in the paper.

Or... I could set up a BAD advice hotline, `cause usually when people ask for advice they just want to be reassured that whatever stupid thing they are already doing or what ever ridiculous conclusion they have already come to about a problem is the right thing to do. (I`m only joking a little bit - asking close friends and family for input=good, total strangers with no investment=bad.) I think this hotline would be a really good money maker for me - I would pander to the caller (oh your so right, that`s what I would do, you go girl!) and when they call back all mad and saying I gave them bad advice I`d just ask them what exactly they thought they were going to get when the called a BAD advice hotline. Ya, I know, genius. I`m going to be so rich.

So, moral of the story is... if you are reading this and have not made a suggestion of a possible career for me (or have and since thought of more) please.... Stop now and go directly to the comment section (do not pass go, do not collect $200). Good or bad, aided by supernatural foresight or not - I`ve enjoyed the ideas. (And don`t think that it has escaped my notice that my sister and mother have not commented on career - I`ve concluded that they either think me completely a lost cause or they are overwhelmed by the enormous mass of my talent and don`t know where to start. Ya, let`s go with the second one.)

a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker?

I'm just sitting here stalking bloggers I've never met and eating Taylor's chocolate Easter bunny - don't worry, he doesn't even realize he should have gotten one (I pulled it out of his basket as soon as he found it). Don't judge, I waited this long didn't I? AND, I have only had, like 3 bites of Josh's and virtuously abstained from nibbling any of Trev`s. (Yes, I said virtuously.)

On another note, I`ve been trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. It recently came to my attention that since we bought our house, like, 3 years ahead of schedule (based on my ridiculously inaccurate 5 year plan), I need a new plan. Maybe something a little more comprehensive and long-range, but I digress. First and foremost, I need to figure out what I want to BE, so that I know what I want take for schooling. Because now that I am officially ahead of schedule, I feel like I could do a course or two and finish my degree (or do I start something completely different!). My main problem is that I have no main interests and skills to build from - I am genuinely interested in EVERYTHING.

So that begs a question, If money were no object, but you had to have some sort of (at least) part-time career, what would it be? (You can make a suggestion if you think I would be good at anything - please, I'm begging, I need help.)

what was that about books and their covers?

This song always moves me to tears, but check out what happens when Susan auditions.

She'll suprise you.

happy trails

There is a business on the main strip here in town (kitty-corner from the IGA, if ya really gotta know) that has a big horse on top of it's sign. Josh and I were stopped at the intersection and he (very cutely) started up a conversation. "Hey horse, wha'cha doing" etc... When the light changes and we start to pull away he calls out, "See ya, happy trails!"

Where did he learn that!

Ever sing that song "A, your adorable. B, your so beautiful. C, your...."? You know the one. It's Josh's favourite. Today he sang a very special version just for me (this words of songs changing talent is inherited from his father).

"A, your impossible. B, your bossy." Okay, thanks alot!

well, he probably won't be a doctor...

Josh and I playing telephone:

J: Ring, ring

L: Hello?

J: Um, I'm so busy

L: Oh yeah, busy with what?

J: I gotta go, I'm goin' to Vitamin Hat.

(haha, get it? Vitamin Hat = Medicine Hat)

I love my dirt

Hasn't the weather this past week been fabulous? (If you don't live around here you can commence your jealousy in 5, 4, 3, 2, ...) I have taken the kids outside SANS JACKETS every day this week. AND we had a picnic with the Cooks yesterday for lunch, AND our garden is prepped, AND my lawn is raked and "snowbank suprise" decluttered, AND.... okay, I'm done, but doesn't it all sound so wonderful? Oh yeah, AND I've got my composting system up and running. Funny how after all the research I ended up going with pretty much the most low-tech and labour-intensive method - but it's so "hands on" and I'm really learning. (I would happily go into all the itty-bitty details if I thought anyone cared - sufficeth to say, the age of compost has arrived here in the Crosby household.)
But my garden - oh, baby! No, seriously, I love it like a child. (In fact, considering some of the recent antics of the juveniles in our household, I think I can safely say that I love it more than my children.) Since this is a new garden (we removed the grass and bordered it last fall) we had a little prep to do, namely... a) turning the packed soil for the first time, b) leveling from end to end (our garden is long and narrow with some extra dirt added at one end), and c) making some soil amendments (nothing big, just some peat and a little extra topsoil and we'll see how that goes first). Actually I think the soil looked pretty good to begin with and I have high hopes for our first year. I'll share a little secret with you. This morning as we finished the amendments, I sent Trev and the kids to the little park on our cul-de-sac. As soon as they were around the corner and out of sight I ditched the hoe and just got down on my hands and knees, working out some of the bigger clumps by hand. I was having so much fun I lost track of time playing in the dirt and had to force myself to go join everyone at the park. Seriously, I'm feeling very passionately toward that little 245 square foot patch out there. I wonder how it's doing out there all alone, should I go check on it, do you think? Now I'm starting to feel a little guilty - I never check on my kids after I've tucked them in for the night.

stfd

I've really been looking forward to warm weather for one particular reason. Compost.

I know, it's not as glamorous as a tan, or as healthy as outdoor sports, but it is one of the reasons I've been excited to cease apartment-dwelling. So I've been trying to figure out the logistics of the whole project. What type, where in my yard, how not to attract vermin, etc. (Your suggestions and imput are welcome, btw). I have come to realize something about myself during this process, however. I suffer from STFD, otherwise known as "start-to-finish disorder". I cannot, and I mean CAN NOT, just find a good idea and go with it. I must research and re-research and then look around a little more. I end up going WAY to deep and getting muddled up in all the info. Seriously, could I not just pick a project and FINISH it!

On the upside, I know where to get all the goods online about composting.

big kids

Today was Taylor's first day of Nursery, I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I've been sighing tentatively all morning. Where has the time gone? Are we sure he's actually old enough - all those other kids seem like monsters next to him! Perhaps we have all miscalculated somewhere along the way and he really isn't due to attend for another couple months?!? And, what the heck am I supposed to do with my 2 free hours of church a week? I mean, besides actually attend the classes and such. Ugh, I just do not feel okay about this - and I was so excited up until this very last week. Is this the normal reaction to sending your child off to Nursery the first time? (I wouldn't know, Trevor and I were called to work in the Nursery in our old ward when Josh was 15 months. In that case he really wasn't old enough and the other kids really were gargantuan monsters next to him.) So all I'm wondering, I guess, is - who authorized this transition from baby to little man? and couldn't they have given me more notice?

maybe he's on to something

A couple of months ago I was chatting with my mom on her cell while she was in a Walmart. She called me back later to tell me about her new BEST FRIEND. Apparently, just as she hung up with me, a gentleman approached her to ask her opinion on a good movie to give as a gift (I hope I'm getting all the important details of this story correct). She confessed that she had particular tastes and wouldn't be able to give the best answer and tried to continue shopping. Then this man asked about her accent. (He was clearly a new Canadian with an accent of his own, so I think he was actually hitting on her.) She told him she was from Southern Alberta and didn't think she had an accent. No, he replies, but where are your people from? She said that some of her family orignated from Scotland (true, but before the United States became an independant nation). Oh, I love Scotch, he replies, do you love scotch? My mom thinks that this may be an answer to her prayer for missionary opportunities and informs him that she does not, in fact, drink alcohol of any kind. He seems interested and leans in to say, "Well, actually, sometimes I like to bathe in it."

I laughed and told the story to some friends and thought nothing of it until coming across my new favorite blog (see the side bar - My Religious Blog) and found this particular entry. Now I'm thinking maybe he wasn't the nut job we assumed. Maybe he was GOLDEN!

if you're gone - baby, it's time to come home....

.. ooh, one of my favourite songs.
So I redid some stuff here (I think you might notice). Stupidly, I erased all my "friends' blogs' info" before transfering it to my new list. I did not suddenly decide to stop loving you. It would, however, be helpful if you found a way to get me back to your blog (via comment, maybe?). And to help you out, I'm posing a little question...
Do you have any strange daily rituals? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. You're gonna have to go to the comments, though, if you want to read about it. While your there, leave a story. If I find you in possesion of knowledge of my embarrassing ritual, without having left your own comment, I will have to mete out some sort of retribution. Fair warning.

if I had a million dollars

Okay, not a million. Just 30 thousand would do me. Yup, that's it. I'm just so easy to please, aren't I?
Do you know that I apparently won a prize on a friends blog MONTHS ago, but NEVER RECIEVED IT. Not even an email requesting my address. Rip off! Kidding, I'm not mad...
Ever notice how when you have the TIME to blog, you can't come up with anything interesting?

last, but never least

The wireless internet-connected, laptop-totting world is happy to welcome the Crosby Family.
Finally.

full of it

I have often been heard to confess that I'm not crafty, at all. I do not have an ounce of crafty in my body..... or so I thought. Check out my recent projects:

1)Love my magnetic frame!

So I'm into NOT being into valentines day. What can I say?I did this little "stamp and stitch" project after seeing a kid's craft booklet at walmart. (I'm a big believer in low expectations.)

2)Yay! "Own a home, hang a bulletin board," I always say

The Tools (I felt really powerful using that circular saw - thanks Nancy! and the staple gun nearly put me over the edge - merci Randa!)

Picked up this cloth for cheap at Walmart (I someday hope to make my home match the accessories I buy.)

Voila! The finished product (I had such fun with the little ribbon details, but this pic doesn't really do it justice - if I do say so myself)

3)This is what I did with the little bit of board that was trimmed off.

See picture below if you have can't tell what it's purpose is.

Not very colour coordinate-y, but I can see samples of most of my ribbons and papers while keeping pics that I want to work with right infront of my face.

4)Okay, not so much a craft. This was my first project on our house last summer.

You could never actually walk on the sidewalk because it was too close to the house.

Took our walkway right out to almost the property line and ran it back to the garage. (Still looking for a couple of concrete pads to finish it off if anyone wants to donate to the cause!)

Suddenly, our property DOES seem to have room for a garden! I'm so excited to plant. This is what owning our own home has always been about for me.

Not an ounce of crafty, you say?!? Whatever man, I'm full of it!

first and foremost...

Umm, I know how much you all (haha, hi mom!) love to read my witty and meandering thoughts, but today you'll have to make do. Jokes. Here are some Serious Mother Obsession pics. You've been warned...

My two boys (until about a month later, when Taylor was born)

The first time they met (Taylor was 5 days old)

What with their common interests and parentage, they hit it off immediately.

I'm a little partial to these two.

Halloween 2007 (Josh's first)

Brotherly Love

Handsome boy.

Really, mom?!? Can't we be done yet?

This almost looks posed! (well, it should, it's only pic #23 that day)

Waterton Park

Muscle Man!

We went to Waterton Park when Auntie Flo and Uncle Wayne were visiting.

The 1st Rob and Dix Mendenhall Family Reunioun:

This is my fav pic from the trip. Note Hayley's super-soaker diaper!

Josh was amazed to learn Superman's true identity.

After the Spec Party this fall.

Tay's 1st B-day.

Dig in...

No really, dig in!

Halloween loot!

This is the longest I could get Taylor to sit for.

Josh, however, was super patient with me. (That was a strange sentance for me to type.)

Tons of fun on Josh's 3rd Bday.