caramels, caramels, and more caramels

Just in case people start to wonder if I've fallen off the planet- this-is going to be my life for the next few weeks.

It leaves little time for blogging or doing anything interesting worth blogging about.- FYI

New Moon

So we all know I wouldn't be able to not say something about New Moon. I would have written sooner, but I was pretty brain dead from only getting about 3 1/2 hours of sleep, so I thought I'd wait until I was a little more awake and coherent.

I totally loved it. So much better than Twilight.

A friend of mine was going to the midnight showing with some of her friends and she knew I had a hard time getting people to go with me to the Twilight midnight showing, so she got a second ticket for me just in case I was interested.

She had other obligations that were going to keep her busy until 10:30 that night, so her friends were going to save us places and she'd come and pick me up and we'd show up at the theater around 11pm.

Well, gee, if you're gonna twist my arm and tell me it's already paid for, and drive me there, and I won't have to stand in line and I could still tuck my kids in, well then maybe I could suffer through the movie. (just in case you couldn't tell, because sarcasm doesn't translate very well in the written word, I was being just a little sarcastic there.)

As far as the movie is concerned I am even switching teams. In the books, I am team Edward, in the movie, well, I have to admit that I'm now team Jacob.

I think my favorite quote from the daughter of a friend of mine was that "Edward looked like a dead twig next to Jacob's six-pack." That about sums it up.

No, seriously though, for the most part the acting was better, the special effects were definitely better (the bigger budget probably helped) the directing was better, and as an added bonus you got to watch Jacob Black run around shirtless for much of the movie. I tried not to think about the fact that he's half my age.

I can't wait to see it again. Seriously. If anybody wants to go for a first, second, or fourteenth time, give me a call.

I can't win!!!

ugh. okay so I love stale marshmallows. maybe that's weird. I don't know. I don't love them when they are super rock hard stale, just really chewy with a slight crust on the outside.

Unfortunately I can never get them at that stage.

Generally speaking, I am not a huge marshmallow fan, I like them, and if a bag is open I will mindlessly eat them, but I don't crave them or anything.

Let me explain-

So say for instance I buy a bag of marshmallows to make rice krispy treats to use up some of the stale rice krispies taking up space in my pantry- well, one of my younger kids will notice the bag, rip it open in the middle, then proceed to eat them all. (admittedly, I help)

So, no rice krispy treats, no stale marshmallows either.

Somehow miraculously, I managed to make a batch of rice krispy treats the other day. Then I was super sneaky and hid the leftovers on a higher shelf in the back, leaving the bag nice and open to achieve perfect staleness.

I checked on them every day. I was so proud of myself for showing restraint. I did sacrifice a small handful to a cup of hot cocoa, but that was for a good cause.

So yesterday, I got all excited thinking they were just about perfect, and what do you know? The bag was gone. No one is taking credit. Grrrr.

-edit- for those of you who were bugged by my use of a double negative earlier in the post, fear not, I have fixed it. You have my mother to thank.

This one's for you, Daddy-

He loves the present you brought him the last time you were out of town. Just thought you should know.

Frankly, I'm surprised I haven't done this before.

Let me paint a picture for you- It is a beautiful Sunday morning. The weather outside is gorgeous, but I am sitting inside thoroughly enjoying the Primary program that is being presented to us this day. We got to church on time, Nick saved us a seat (because he has to be there super early) and Christopher is behaving himself, for the most part anyway. I have to remind him to be quiet, and shush him a little bit, but at least I am sitting on a comfortable bench, listening to my two middle children sing their primary songs. The only thing that would have made it better is if John were in town, but I'll take what I can get. I have no other complaints.

And then, with 15 minutes to spare, I feel a little tickle in the back of my throat. I try to clear my throat, but that doesn't work. I can feel a cough coming on. And not just any cough- the loud, hacking, body bent over double kind. And I'm not even sick. I promise. I frantically grab a mint from my purse, thankfully I still had a couple Halls cough drops left over from my last cold 3 months ago, but it's too late. I can feel it building, and I know if I don't get out of there fast, I am going to hack all over the poor family with their little kids in front of us.

I was going to make a scene. And people were going to turn around and stare, and maybe give me dirty looks like I had the plague or something.

What I needed was to excuse myself quickly and discretely so I could hack up my lung in the hallway on the way to the drinking fountain.

Unfortunately Christopher saw me start to leave and he decided to accompany me, and the combination of his feet, the fact that I was wearing heels, and my complete lack of grace prevented my discrete departure. Much to the amusement of the people in the rows behind us, I fell flat on my face in the aisle.

I recovered as quickly as possible, leaving only a layer of skin off my knee and my dignity behind.

Naturally I couldn't go back in when everything was under control and a band aid was located, so Christopher and I went and hung out in the nursery and set up chairs and stuff.

After church a friend came up to me and said "I just have to give you a hug. You have been the bright spot in my day all day. Every time I think of you, I laugh."

Glad I could be of service. (I'm also really glad my dress didn't fly up- cause wow, nobody needs to see that)

Friendship bracelets

When I was younger I used to love to make friendship bracelets. The kind where you tie knots out of different colors of embroidery floss to make stripes. I was pretty awesome at it.

Girls Camp 1988, Age-12

It was the only time that I could think of that I felt any joy in a sewing aisle. I swear the little bundles of string were only 10 for a dollar, and I felt like a kid in a candy store. There was every shade imaginable. I liked the variegated colors alot, where they would start off a darker shade, then slowly fade and then get darker again. One end of the bracelet would end up looking completely different than the other end. I could make them in any size, and I even think I made some with a V design rather than the basic slanted stripe design. I never got more intricate than that though.

I would give some away, but I mostly just made them for myself. Not because I was selfish, I just didn't have a lot of friends to give them to, and then if I had a friend I would think about giving them to, I'd get panicky that maybe they wouldn't want it, because by accepting it, they would feel obligated to be my friend and they really didn't want to be, I was just misconstruing politeness on their part for friendship, and they might think I was pathetic like I was trying to buy their friendship with my lame-o bracelet, or some other line of reasoning similar to that, so I ended up keeping most of them.

If you tied it on tight enough you could go MONTHS without having to take them off. I even wore the anklets I made to church underneath my nylons. Tacky? Who? Not me. (Yes, believe it or not, I used to own nylons.)

So it was with great joy the other day that Madison started talking about friendship bracelets. And all the friends she wanted to give them to. I'm not sure what she was envisioning in her head, but I ran upstairs and dug out my old collection of embroidery floss. (I think I was saving it in the hopes that someday this day would come. Someday I would be able to share this little talent of mine with my own little girl.)

She was pretty excited. (And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't) She picked it up pretty quick, but I had to stay close by when she got stuck. And undo a knot or two. I made her an anklet (cause that was my favorite place to wear them) and she's making me a matching bracelet (cause there's not enough string for another anklet.) She has plans to make some for each of her friends. She doesn't suffer from the same insecurities as I did. I have plans to introduce her to the joy that is the embroidery section of the craft store.
Additionally, (although I am THE LAST person to judge what is currently in style and I feel like a total mom- in other words clueless- when I say this, but) I'm thinking that the bracelets might be retro enough to kinda be cool or hip again, (if they ever were) or whatever it is the kids are calling it these days. Either way, I hope she has some fun with it.

you know your husband travels alot when...

You can't remember what state he's currently in, nor do you really care, because they all just seem to blend together. Ohio...Missouri...Texas...California... OhMisTexnia.

You get a better night's sleep when he's gone.

After a month of being a single car family, you're still excited with that plan.

Your oldest child makes the observation that his dad is gone so much it's like his parents are divorced.

Minus the ugly, painful, devastating part of actually getting the divorce of course. And I still get to be a stay at home mom.

On the plus side, John has traveled so much this year he's already earned me another "companion pass". Which means wherever he goes in the year 2010, I can go with him.

I just have to carefully, selectively choose when to use it (San Francisco, Seattle this year) because it's hard enough on the kids only having only one parent around, I don't need them feeling like orphans. (Besides, 95% of the places John goes, I have no desire to)

More striking similarities

The movie New Moon is coming out in 10 days. That should be more than enough time for me to (re) read the book. I'm becoming ever doubtful. If Christopher catches me reading something I am interested in, he will quickly replace that book with one of his own choosing. (Like a Cars book). It's hard to say no to that little face when he says "Weeze?" (Please)

In the space of 15 minutes this morning I read 4 different Cars books, and 1.5 pages of my book.

It was this same behavior from his older brother that caused the "Great Book Drought" a decade ago. By the time I was allowed to read what I wanted to, I had no idea what to read. I will be forever grateful to JK Rowling for reminding me just how much I loved to read.

Don't worry about me though. I'm older and crankier, and I have better hiding spots.

From out of nowhere, Christopher has recently decided he loves "Ostoy". (Toy Story) I do seem to recall another little boy who was fairly obsessed with Buzz Lightyear as well.

Bad boy

The big question on my kids' minds these past few years is when are they going to get a cell phone. Remember this post? Our answer has always been the same "When you need one."

Well, after wishing on a daily basis that I could get a hold of Nick, and freaking out that his ride would be coming to get him for his East Valley Youth Symphony practice on their picture day so he needed to be dressed up -bow tie and all, and I had NO IDEA where he was or when he was going to be home because he got 9th hour (again) but for whatever reason couldn't call, and the bus was late (as usual), I announced to John that Nick would be getting a cell phone the next day.

It was time. It wasn't a matter of Nick needing one, it was a matter me needing Nick to get one.

We picked out a fun one, wrapped it in birthday wrapping paper and called it an early present. He's thrilled of course. He's got it mostly figured out. It even has a camera in it. We've already had to take it away from him today for awhile because instead of doing his chores he was taking pictures of everything. Including a picture of his cellphone, and somehow by using the bathroom mirror and a hand held mirror, he has a picture of his phone, front and back in one shot.

Tomorrow is church- 8:00 am. He has to be there at 6:30 for a Deacon's presidency meeting and to set up chairs since we are the first ward in the building. The rest of us arrive sometime after 8:00. We have to sneak in the back and sit on the hard metal chairs. Nick has tried to save seats for us on the cushy benches, but I'm not about to walk in 10 minutes into it and look to see if he happened to save seats, without a clue where they might be. (Our usual seats are in the back, on the hard metal chairs)

So anyways, he got all excited and said "Now that I have a cell phone I can save a seat for you and then text you and let you know where it is!"

I feigned shock- "You're going to text me from church!?!?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm a bad boy. Rebel to the core."

Is this Irony?

I didn't pay a whole lot of attention in English. It wasn't one of my more favorite subjects. I like to read, and write, but I am 99% sure my grammar is atrocious. I really could not figure out why anyone cared what a subject or a predicate was. And what the heck is a dangling participle? And when do you use a semi-colon? These are questions I really don't care if I ever get the answers to. Picking apart sentences is one of my least favorite things to do. And then there are the definitions of literary terms. Like irony. I hate to use the term, because I am fairly certain I am using it wrong, and I think the mass public is probably misusing it as well too.

I've heard that with the advent of the popular song several years ago by Alanis Morisette "Ironic" the incidences of people misusing the term has increased ten fold. "It's like rain on your wedding day, it's the free ride when you've already paid, it's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife...isn't it ironic, don'tcha think?" I want to say it's just coincidence. (But I am really not qualified to say.)

However, the other day something happened, and I thought to myself- "I think that's irony!" I was picking Nick up from school after his two hour work detail/detention/10th hour shift or whatever you want to call it. Too many 9th hours for infractions such as coming late or unprepared to class, not finishing/having your homework, etc, and you get work detail. He has spent several hours these past couple of months helping the janitors and scrubbing desks, etc.

So, as I am picking him up, I notice the bottle of Sprite in his hand. Although when I was in junior high I could have had a Pepsi and a candybar every single day for lunch (and nothing else) and nobody would have cared. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a pop or candy machine anywhere on campus. Well, you can get a bottle of water if you want, but that's about it.

"Where did you get the Sprite?" I asked.

"The janitors. I guess I am usually such a hard worker, and they were talking about it that they made a deal with each other that I didn't even know about that if I worked really hard again today they'd buy me a Sprite."

"So let me get this straight- you have to do work detail on a regular basis because you have too many 9th hours in any given month, because you have a hard time getting your act together for class, but you are such a hard worker at work detail, your punishment, that the janitors feel the need to reward you?"

"Yep."

that sounds a little ironic right?

Flashbacks

A decade ago when I was a new mom, and my husband was gone all the time with work and school, I spent my days with a little boy. Just me and Nick all day long. We had a good time. He was a good kid and full of fun. We were buddies.

Some days we would go for a walk down to the gas station on the corner. We lived on the North side of the street, three houses from the end. To get to the gas station we'd walk to the corner, cross the street, and turn left to go South just a bit to the gas station. I'd let him pick out a candy bar or something. He liked Rolos. And Sixlets although they he wouldn't actually eat them. I think he just liked the bright colors. We'd hold hands as we would walk because the street was a little too busy and because I liked the feel of his little hand in mine. I would try to memorize how it felt, because I knew that each day it would get a little bit bigger, and some day he wouldn't need to hold my hand anymore to cross the street. Those were special days.

As each consecutive kid would come along, it would seem I would have less and less time to spend with each kid. I have no such memories with Madison and Zachary. Zach was born when Madison was only 2 1/2 and the 6 months prior to that were filled with nausea from the pregnancy and anxiety and worry for my baby, you know, with all those doctors telling me I should just abort him and start over and all. Then there was the new baby and Madison's toddler hood was lost in the oblivion that was my sleepless mind. I don't remember her being two or three at all. I have pictures to prove that she was, but I don't remember much.

When Zach hit two he stopped talking and withdrew from society. He'd rather play with his trains all by himself than go for a walk with me. He never held hands. Except maybe by force, but that was usually accompanied by screaming. From both of us. He wanted to run in parking lots, I didn't want him to get hit by cars. Then when he turned three I stuck him on the short bus and sent him off to pre-school. Four hours a day, five days a week. It was probably one of the best things I've done for him, but that did mean less time that I got to spend with him.

With Christopher, I have a buddy again.

The other day the two of us were walking to the elementary school to take something to Zach. As we walked hand in hand, the similarities between that moment and the many many walks with his oldest brother nearly knocked me over. There I was, a decade later, spending the better part of my day with a sweet little boy. My husband is once again rarely home, we live three houses from the end of the street on the north side and to get to the school we walk to the corner, cross the street, turn left to go south, then walk a bit to get to the school. Hand in hand because I am just a little uncomfortable about how busy the street is.

Sound familiar at all?

All I know is that I had better memorize how that little hand feels in mine because it gets bigger every day, and there are no more little hands coming up to take it's place. We'll have to go for lots of walks this winter.

Change of plans

Today I had scheduled an appointment to give blood. I wasn't exactly excited about it, (who is?) but when they call it's not exactly like I can say "No! I don't want to save somebody's life!" I made arrangements to have Zach go play at one of his friend's house in my babysitting co-op. That was Plan A.

Then I woke up with a bit of a head cold. Apparently they only like the blood perfectly healthy individuals. They aren't big on compromising the immune systems of people who have been in terrible accidents.

Plan B was to still drop Christopher off and then come home and mop. And maybe clean out a closet or two. Get some of those projects done that are really difficult to do with a three year old helper.

After dropping Christopher off, I walked into my house, through the laundry room only to notice the laundry detergent all over the top and front of my washing machine. Believe it or not, unknowingly placing a brand new bottle of Tide with Bleach from Costco on a tube of chapstick lying on the shelf above the washer and dryer will cause the bottle to rupture.

And leak everywhere.

It's also very unfortunate that I have a bad habit of throwing junk on the washer as I walk into the house. Like my new Webelos book. (cause I'm a leader so I need one of those)

Plan B was tossed aside for Plan C which was to spend the next two hours cleaning up laundry soap. (I'm so glad I had already dropped Christopher off)

The good news is my washer is a lot cleaner. And the shelf above the washer and dryer. 5+ years of dust and grime and lint really add up. (It was pretty gross- to say my laundry room is the armpit of my house is an understatement)

The bad news is I still can't get some of the blue stuff out of the face plates on the front of my washer. The lady on the customer service line recommends I call someone to come and clean it out. Moisture inside could short out the motherboard thereby costing me hundreds to fix it. I haven't called (yet). It still seems to work just fine. And every hour or so a little more leaks out and I wipe it off.

Weird weather

It was cold here for about three whole days. (and by cold I mean the highs were only in the 60's- so you know, f-f-f-f-reezing!).

I had a blog post in my head that didn't make it to the computer. It went something like this-

Yay for cooler weather!

Yay for stripey socks!

Yay for Orange Creme hot cocoa!

Yay for my mom keeping me stocked in my favorite hot cocoa!

Yay for fuzzy blankets and books to curl up with!

Yay for Autumn!

But, the good weather was short lived (although I was glad that Halloween night was warm) and I think it was in the 90's today. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 90 as well.

I'm kinda worried those three days were supposed to be winter and now we are heading straight into spring. Needless to say, the socks are back in the drawer, the cocoa is stashed away, and the A/C is still running. (Bigh sigh)

Halloween

We had a good Halloween this year. It was pretty cold for our ward's trunk-or-treat (I swear it was probably in the 50's!) but it warmed back up for the kids to go trick or treating. A good thing too, because all those costumes tend to lose some of their charm when they are covered up with a parka.

On Halloween night we had our annual neighborhood chili and cornbread party at the park before hand. I brought root beer as usual, and it totally rocked this year. (If I do say so myself) I had the fortune of having John run into a good friend of mine as they were both buying dry ice, and she had some great ideas for the root beer. Like adding a vanilla bean when you make the syrup, and instead of all white sugar, do half and half white sugar and dark brown sugar. I'd never seen that stuff disappear so fast. We usually have leftovers.

The two older kids ran off with their friends to go trick or treating and I walked around with the little ones. I pulled Christopher in the wagon and he chowed on candy the whole time. I've been enjoying watching him get into the Halloween spirit a little bit this year. He'll point out every "punky" (pumpkin) he sees and tells me things are "scary" but was never really afraid of anything. He was Mario (as in Super Mario Brothers). He likes to "play" with his big brothers when they are playing Mario Kart on the Wii. They give him a controller and he's happy as a clam to be included.

Zach found a pilot costume he liked- but as usual he wouldn't wear the mask. The only time he wore it was to pose for pictures. I don't know why he keeps picking costumes with masks.
Nick was Dwight Shrute from the TV show The Office. Apparently people thought he was Harry Potter instead. He was trying not to smile, cause you know, Dwight never smiles. "Showing your teeth is a sign of weakness."
Madison really wanted to be a devil. We found a website with the costume she liked for a pretty good price, but then I procrastinated and they were sold out. The only devil costumes that were left weren't appropriate for a nine year old. Her second choice was a Whoopie cushion. Thanks to Madison, she saw to it that one of us got to dress up as a devil. I won't show you the tail though. I have a policy against that sort of thing.