Mom to the Screaming Masses

Saturdays are Made for Errands

Today was a busy day.

Not at first. I spent quite a chunk of time this morning, in bed, reading a very, very gripping book. I'll be doing a book review this week, but suffice it to say, it was the best book I've read in a long time.

Then I got up, and as the saying goes, the ____ hit the fan.

I took four kids and we trolled the city, looking everywhere, to find appropriate white sneakers for school. Think that's easy? Think again. I don't understand what it is with these kids, I mean, I just bought them shoes in August.

<wink>

Then we went for haircuts. Three of my girls got their incredibly long hair cut. One of them lost more than 6 inches, and the other two 5.

Then we went for a two cart grocery spin. Man, I really know how to blow out the fun on a good day don't I?

The final topping: folding wash. WOW. I did it. A stereotypical housewife day.

How did you spend your Saturday?

Heart Attack on a Friday Afternoon

Midway through the day, I realized that I had no clue where my wallet was. I searched and all of the usual hiding places, but it was nowhere to be found.

So I dumped my purse. Evidence as seen.

It wasn't in the purse, but I found multiple empty wrappers,funeral papers, squashed Lara bars and cough drops, and lots of other stuff that I had no clue was even in my bag.

But no wallet.

I panicked and started looking everywhere. I looked in the car, I looked all around the house, and I grew more and more frantic as I searched. Finally, after close to two hours, it was located: and I have no idea how it got in my raincoat. It wasn't raining the last time I remember seeing my wallet, I'm not in the habit of tucking my wallet into my coat, and I have absolutely zero memory of the entire scenario.

At least I got a clean purse out of the whole thing. From the looks of the mess I photographed, maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Project 13/366

Books and Me and Reading and Satisfaction

I saw the bookmobile today.

I haven't seen the bookmobile in *ages*. It was one of the greatest parts of my childhood. I LOVED it when the bookmobile showed up on our street. It didn't come all that often, unless I'm misremembering, and I'm sure someone will set me straight if I am - and it didn't come for that long of a period in time -

but when that long bus drove down my street, and parked about 4 blocks from my house...

we all raced to get there.

I Did It - What Are You Waiting For?

I was the only woman under the age of 80 there yesterday.

It took about 30 minutes including filling out paperwork.

I was able to catch up with the happenings on The Price is Right - and see a woman win $10,000.

All to get this photo. It's the money shot, to be sure.

Project 10/366

Who else would take a picture of themselves in a gown - which, hello, was soft and warm and came down past my knees and I might have wanted to take it home and sleep in it - while waiting for a mammogram?

I definitely have no shame.

If you have yet to get yours, go do it now. It's no big deal - and you might very well get a good photo opportunity out of it.

And, because I know I'm a day behind in the photos - you get two today.

Project 11/366

We have no more training wheels in our house.

 

 

Memory and Smell

This post might be weird. I definitely think I'm weird, but maybe I'm not alone.

Can a scent conjure a memory for you?

I take Core class on Monday mornings at 8:30 and while I was waiting for the building to open, I realized I had to, um, visit the necessary.

(if you use old school terminology, it TOTALLY sounds sophisticated.)

Moon Light Madness

Project 8/366

The moon looked so cool tonight...

Nine Years is a Long Time

We first bought the Big White Van nine years ago. I was pregnant with Riley. Emma was not yet one, Gabe was 3, Mackenzie 5, Allegra 8 and Nik 11.

Gosh, that seems like eons ago.It was a Dodge Ram Extended cab 15 passenger van. The same van used for airport shuttles. It was christened The War Wagon.

I had a small collision in it when it was new to us. (It was a year old when we bought it.) I hit an 18 wheeler at a slow speed. Tore the bumper off the front of the 18 wheeler. No damage for us.

Catch Up is Not the Same as Ketchup

I'm happy to catch you up on what's new for me this week. (All I did today was completely clean my house. Top to bottom - except the kids rooms. I don't touch those unless I'm furiously angry with people.)

I've been asked to renew my contract with Hallmark via Cafe Mom - and I'll be blogging there once a week, on topics near and dear to me - like keeping track of you and being the very best person you can possible be. Yay! Here is my first post - would love it if you'd chime in over there!

Are you teaching your children to live sustainably?

If you have weight to lose this year - sigh, I have TEN pounds - I've got lots of fun stuff over at Diets In Review - that's a link to my profile page - it's a great spot to keep your motivation level super high!

I've been asked to be a Community Leader at the wonderfully awesome Blissdom conference held in February in Nashville - will you be there?

Finally, today's prompt in the Project 6/366 - something that makes you happy. I am in my kitchen all day - I cook most of what we eat from scratch and that takes a fair amount of time. I deliberately choose bright and cheerful things, and this bowl is no exception.

Project 6/366

Update on the Hair

So, I've been growing my hair out for a while.

AND after I posted this photo on my Facebook, and people commented on the length of my hair, I thought that I'd post it here. Just for an update.

NOT because I'm already stretching for photos for the 366 challenge. Nope. Not me.

(Psst - heat got fixed. Toilet got fixed. Power in kitchen fixed. No funerals today - except for my straightener.I'm currently borrowing my daughter's, because, without it, I'd look like Medusa. AND I got some good news. So today is LOOKING UP.)

Here's what I look like when I'm driving all around town for one hundred bajilliondity hours a day:

And here's what I look like when I stuff my photo into PhotoStudio, my newest addiction on the phone app/photography area:

Project 5/366

I was trying to kill time in the parking lot while I waited for my kids, and send a pic of my new winter hat to my girlfriend. I LOVE this earwarmer/hat/whathave you - I bought it off Etsy for myself for Christmas. I'd highly recommend Yarntwisted as a seller who is easy to work with and a creator of good quality, cute stuff. (My two big girls now want my same hat.) I found it - where else? - on Pinterest. I swear I'm addicted to that place. I'm not a hat wearer, but I've gotten SO many compliments in the past couple of days, and people have asked me where to buy it. I believe in supporting Etsy sellers whenever possible, and if you need something made and you have two left thumbs like I do - check it out.

Destined to be Cold and Frizzy Headed

Today, when I woke up and painfully creaked my way downstairs, eyes barely cracked open, hunting desperately for the coffee, I realized something.

It was *freezing*.

For almost the entire of Christmas break, it was deliciously warm. Not beach weather, but my kids played outside and went, mostly, without jackets. Too small flip flops were dug out, scooters lay scattered across the driveway, and sidewalk chalk was rediscovered.

As soon as school commenced, the temperature dropped. I felt like it was a sign from God - time to get back to work! It was downright cold when we drove to school Tuesday, and I pulled out the coats, gloves and hats and issued stern warnings for wearing of said articles at recess time.

The more I descended the stairs, the colder the temperature felt. When I made my chattering way to the thermostat, it was to discover a reading of 55. Ok, so I know that many of you keep your houses cooler than that - but that's not my practice, and it's not my comfort level. I like it to be set on 70.

Yes, I said 70. Go ahead and tell me how terrible that is, how I'm causing this issue or that - I don't like to be cold in my house. 70 is a compromise, because my husband is MUCH happier at 75 or higher. To me, my downstairs was cold. We have a two zone system, and the older unit upstairs - the one that struggles to cool adequately in the summer - was working just fine. It was the newer lower unit that wasn't working.

Which explains why I've been working today with this.

Project 4/366

Luckily, we have a HVAC guy coming later this afternoon. Why, no, I had no real desire to buy food this week.

Yesterday, my frizzy hair straightener died.

Today, my van heater decided that REALLY cool air was much preferable to warmer, no matter what my desire might be.

Silly me. To think I have *any* control over the temperature inside my van. I'm *much* smarter than my vehicle, though - I brought a blanket with me the next time I got behind the wheel.

Let's see, what else?

My downstairs toilet sprang a leak at the back bolt and flooded the bathroom floor. My van door sounds like a horror film when it opens, catching on the hinge and requiring a hefty dose of hip to force it open.

Hips, I've got. That's not really a problem - more of an annoyance. Although it makes for a good party trick when I'm trying to get out of the van gracefully.

None of my kitchen outlets worked this morning when I was struggling to determine why the griddle wouldn't heat for pancakes and the space heater wouldn't turn on. Turns out, we somehow tripped the circuit and I had to go outside and reset it.

Did I mention how cold it was this morning? Thought maybe I'd forgotten that.

A picture fell off the wall and the glass shattered.

Between these actions and the three funerals, I'm deeply afraid of what the remained of 2012 shall bring to me.