Shopping Woes - Part 2

I am sorry but I had to add to the pencil sharpener saga.

Katie didn't like the new pencil sharpener because it was spinning backwards.

Well, a little know electrical principal is that if you reverse current on a motor, it will spin backwards.... case in point: If you put batteries in upside down, your pencil sharpener will go in reverse and not give you any love.

Crisis averted.

-mb

Halloween and birthdays!

Monday night we had a great celebration of Halloween and Mike’s birthday, all at once.  I love to do big, fun things for Mike’s birthday sometimes, but this time it was really nice to just be our little family, enjoy a festive Halloween dinner, carving our pumpkins, cheesecake, and presents.  The girls LOVED helping with the Halloween dinner.  Brooke typed up the menu for us:  Mummy dogs (hot dogs baked in crescent rolls), Ghastly guts (mac and cheese dyed green), pasty pus and wilty veggies, and rotten apple punch (apple juice with a gummy worm in it).  Thanks for the great dinner idea, Andrea!

Scary music and candles made the evening extra fun, but Evan was a bit freaked out and we had to turn the music off . . . I just LOVE holidays!

Crazy Hair Day

The girls were excited for crazy hair day this morning, and Mike got up to help do Megan’s hair so I only had one to worry about!  So nice to have an extra set of hands in the morning or around dinnertime and bedtime.  This week Mike has been around a bit more and it’s been great to have his help!

In other news, I’m so proud of Brooke who was just elected class president for her 3rd grade class.  They have been talking all about the election process, what makes a good citizen and candidate, and then everyone got to write an “election speech” to run for class president.  Those who wanted to could read theirs aloud and let the class vote by secret ballot.  I was so proud of Brooke for writing a great speech and presenting well enough to convince her classmates to vote for her!  Way to go, Brooke!

Shopping woes

Why can't I find a decent pencil sharpener? Today, I bought the third one this year. . . the first was corded and Mike hated that I left it on the counter. The second was the cheap battery-operated one from Walmart, and it got a pencil stuck it in and has never been the same. We've limped by with it for months, but I hate it. So today I went to Target and bought the same $5 battery-operated pencil sharpener. Either I am mechanically impaired (a good likelihood) or this machine is put together wrong. I can't get ANY pencil shavings off of it.

I love the pencil sharpener at my house growing up--it's mounted on the wall, you crank it by hand, and you have the most beautiful, sharp pencils when you are done. I want a good one, but don't have a good place to mount one on the wall.

Help--someone recommend a good pencil sharpener to me quick!

Snopes.com

My latest pet peeve is the scare-tactic emails that seem to pepper my inbox. I'm talking about the kind that say Barack Obama is a Muslim, or that kids are getting passed "strawberry quik" (crystal meth) on the playground, or that if Prop. 8 passes in California the LDS church will lose its tax-exempt status unless we allow gay people into our temples.

The majority of these emails have some elements of truth in them, but they are doctored up to scare us into forwarding them on to our friends, thinking we are incredibly well-informed about the risks to ourselves and our families out there in this "evil world." However, most of these emails also dramatize the issues so much that they are no longer true, and that's what I take issue with.

For those not yet familiar with snopes.com let me just encourage you to check it out before you forward emails to everyone in your inbox. Snopes investigates rumors and sets the record straight. I recently have spot-checked a few emails I have received, just to test my theory, and EVERY mass-forwarded email that I have received has been addressed on Snopes.com. You can see what the basic claim of the email is, and what parts of it are true. Most of the time, you will find that there are many unsubstantiated claims, floating around as gospel truth, in the emails being circulated.

I guess I'm genuinely bugged by this issue not because I believe anything in these emails, but because some people do accept them as gospel truth, and that scares me.

And please don't even get me started about how I feel about my email address being linked to millions of mass-forwarded emails . . .

Self Sufficiency at its finest

I always love it when my kids reach that stage where they start taking care of their own problems, and Evan thinks he is a really grown-up two-year-old who can take care of himself. His latest, not-so-endearing self-sufficient behavior is to wipe his own nose. Poor Evan seems to have a cold about 50% of the time, and I guess he just got tired of me always wiping it for him, because now when his nose runs, he quickly drops to all fours and just takes a quick wipe or two across the carpet. I only discovered this trick recently when he had a slightly bloody nose and I suddenly found red snot mashed into the carpet . . . yes, it's disgusting. I have caught him doing it three times since then, and we're working on making sure we have kleenex boxes at two-year-old level in all the rooms of the house!

Trip to the Arboretum

Nothing says fall like beautiful mums and lots of pumpkins, and last week Evan and I went with his joy school friends to the Arboretum to enjoy the beautiful fall weather.  It was sunny and warm, and Evan loved the freedom to run around and climb on everything.  I didn’t bring his stroller, and for the most part he was willing to walk where I wanted him (he thinks he is WAY to grown up to need a stroller anymore), but he is getting opinionated about where he wants to go and I often found him telling me, “No, Mom, THIS way!”  Kind of hard to keep a large group of young kids together, but we had a great outing!

I'm coming out of the closet about my political views

I guess if I'm going to honestly call this a journal of sorts, I can't just post lots of fun pictures and think that gives a full representation of my life, so I'm going to try to better at blogging about not only what I'm DOING but what I'm THINKING.

I've been accused of being a closet liberal, and while I've always thought of myself as a Republican (albeit a moderate, THINKING Rebuplican :), I think I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I might just be an independent voter. I grew up in a Republican home, and it truly almost feels traitorous to "leave the party" but the more I watch and ponder politics, the more dissatisfied I become with both the Republican and Democrats alike. I'm tired of all the Washington rhetoric, the inability of politicians to put aside party lines and make decisions in the best interest of our country, and the mud-slinging that goes on between parties (if I hear one more time that Barack is a Muslim who won't wear a flag pin, I think I might be sick).

To be honest, I am still very conflicted about who I'm going to vote for. I want to make up my mind and get it over with because I can go vote in early voting and not wait in horrible lines (with Evan) on Election Day, but until I decide what to do, I can't go to the polls. I know by sharing my opinions here I'm opening up to a world of criticism, and I'll be the first to admit that I don't know every fact and number related to all these issues, but I thought I'd just record some of the things that are bugging me this election season.

I certainly lean with the Republicans on moral/ethical issues, but I'm dismayed by the Bush spending policies, the huge deficit, and all the war spending. I think we have enough issues to deal with at home that I am anxious to get out of Iraq (16 months sounds great to me!) and start working on health care and alternative energy, rather than continue to fight battles overseas. I want less taxes and smaller government, but I also think we have a moral responsibility to help care for one another, so I support the many welfare programs that help low-income families and children. I believe in gun control--I can't figure out why anyone needs to own a handgun. I think one of the biggest issues we're not talking enough about is finding an alternative energy source. Why can't we quit spending billions on our defense budget and instead figure out how to be a self-sufficient nation? Basically, I'm conflicted.

I have always liked McCain and felt like he was one of the few senators who actually crossed party lines when necessary. I believed in the maverick line, until he got the nomination. In recent weeks, I can't stand the pandering to the conservative right, and it makes me not want to vote for him. At first glance, I was excited about his choice of Palin as VP, and while I think she's fiery and energetic, I certainly don't think she's ready to be president (althought I dread the idea Joe Biden too . . . ).

I will admit that in the hubbub before we left of Australia, I ran to the polls to vote in the Primary and cast my vote in favor of Barack Obama. First time in a major election I've ever crossed that party line, but McCain had Texas sealed up, and it was close between Barack and Hilary. I think Barack is going to win, and I'm not at all sure that is a terrible thing. He's untested, and I think it's impossible to predict how he'll react as a president, but I believe he's an honorable man who has the best interests of the country at hand, and I think he just might do a good job. I don't admire Bill Clinton as a person at all, but I can honestly say he did some great things for our country (can anyone PLEASE say "balanced budget" right now??).

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest . . . it's convinced me that perhaps McCain hasn't lost my vote after all, not because I'm happy with the Republican Party, but because I have hope that if he were elected, he could drop the Republican rhetoric and go back to working for the things our country needs most. Mostly, since I don't necessarily agree with either party's dogma, I think the best compromise for us as a nation would be a Democratic congress (since we'll be getting that anyway), and a Republican president--a President who is willing to cross party lines, work with the Democrats, and take a moderate approach to solving the woes of our country right now. If McCain could do that, I'd be delighted.

When Barack wins, if he can take a moderate approach, listen to advisors from both parties, and use his Democratic Congress to actually get good things done for our country, I'll be happy to re-elect him in 2012.

Megan can see!

I didn’t know it, but Megan needed some reading glasses and a nice visit to our friendly optometrist (who happens to be our good friend and neighbor!), Megan came home with these darling glasses.  She has been thrilled to have them and enjoys wearing them to school each day.  We think she looks darling in them, and we’re glad she can see more clearly!  

Exhausted

The girls walked in the door from school one day last week and collapsed.  I guess they know how to work them hard at school down here!  Or maybe it is that healthy walk home that did them in?  

BYU Football

There is something about a cool fall night and the attending a football game—one of my favorite things ever!  Even if my team got trounced by TCU last night!  It was a bummer of a game, but fun to take the girls to their first football game and especially fun to introduce them to the cheerleaders and Cosmo.   (I’m not sure we even got them to watch an entire play, but they LOVED watching the cheerleaders and hanging out with their friends!)  Go Cougars!

Parking at TCU is ridiculously hard to come by, and after driving around and looking for parking and hoping to not miss kickoff, we asked a TCU guy where we should head to find parking, and he nicely let us park in his driveway (even after seeing our BYU shirts).  I appreciated his kindness to the other team, and as we thanked him again when leaving, he told us to come back in two years and use his driveway again.  Kind strangers make me happy.

Zoo

I took Evan to the zoo this week with some friends from my street, and despite worrying about whether we would get rained out, we had a great time!  We sat in the parking lot before going in and debated, but decided to risk the rain and ended up having a great time!  The kids loved the animals—Evan loved the freedom to run through the zoo as fast as he could, and occasionally stop to see an animal or two.  He loved following the “big boys” around and having fun.  The highlight for him by far was the train ride, and I couldn’t get him to hold still long enough to get a decent picture of his excitement.  But we had fun anyway!  So nice to be on an outing with friends.

Photo Tag

I never play these tagged games (But then, I never get tagged, probably because people know I’m not likely to do it).  But anyway, Emily tagged me and then I got curious about which picture it would be, and it was a happy memory for me, so I’m putting it in.

This picture is from 2004 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Chicago.  I am with my good friend, Brooke, and her cute boys and we are in the butterfly room.  The museum was fine, but we went often for the butterfly exhibit.  It was amazing and peaceful to sit there and let butterflies come rest on your head and to be surrounded by so many beautiful butterflies!  I loved all the museums in Chicago, and this is one I enjoyed often.

Here’s how you play tag:  Open your photos, pick the sixth folder, and the sixth picture in that folder.  Add it to your blog and write about the picture.  Then tag six people.  Here’s who I tag:  Angela, Katie N., Jenn, Autumn, Kim, and Stephanie.  Have fun!

Pumpkin Patch

I’m watching friends’ blogs about the beautiful fall leaves, apple cider, pumpkin patches, etc. and thinking that our Pumpkin Patch here in the South is just a bit different . . .  We went on the coolest day we could find, so we didn’t die of heat, and still sweated while we enjoyed the pumpkins, bounce houses, and straw mazes.  No jackets, no cider, no apple trees, but we still had a good time and the kids love it.  And we can still wear shorts to school, which has its advantages . . .

Not sure why I can’t manage to get a decent picture of three of them together, but here’s the best I could do!

Grateful for my insurance plan!

It just might be true that I visit the doctor's office more than I go to the grocery store. I know that sounds far-fetched, so I looked back over my calendar, and did a few calculations. Since January, I have been to the doctor 49 times (this includes all those visits written on my calendar--not those where you wake up with a sick child and just take them in . . . but for truth in reporting, I'll stick with 49).

If you subtract my time in Australia (where I was fortunate enough to never go to the doctor and did manage to go to the grocery store every other day since we only brought home what we could carry), there have been roughly 33 weeks in my calendar year. Which means I average 1.48 doctor's visits per week. Okay, maybe I go to the grocery store that often . . .

Regardless, I know my doctors, my nurses, and my office staff really well!

Sugar Carrots

Sugar carrots. Treat cereal. Nummy applesauce. Candy apple.

This week I laughed out loud when Mike offered Evan "sugar carrots" for dinner. These are the types of adjectives Mike and I use when we set food in front of Evan. My girls were never great eaters, but Evan takes the cake for being a horrible, picky eater, and I really think it's been months since a vegetable graced his lips (except those few I sneaked into the two bites of lasagna he ate three weeks ago). I used to be able to rely on him eating yogurt if nothing else each meal, but even yogurt nowadays is usually turned down, but sometimes is okay if it has sprinkles on top of it. Do you see a trend here? He LOVES sweet anything (except the brown-sugar glazed carrots we tried to talk him into trying last night), and if it is something unfamiliar, he absolutely refuses to try it on principle. For a treat last weekend we ate honeycrisp apples with butterscotch apple dip--for all the coaxing we tried, he wouldn't even taste the apples and dip.

His one redeeming food habit is that he loves milk--whole milk--so he gets a few calories and some protein each day from his milk. But recently he stands in the pantry and screams for chocolate to go in that milk . . . He also loves pancakes and waffles if they are drenched in syrup (he pours it himself). I've started coating his waffles in peanut butter and he seems to like that, so perhaps there is hope.

What kid doesn't like cheddar cheese and apple slices? Come on! Mac and cheese? Hot dogs? I thought those were staple kid foods? Thank goodness for fruit smoothies, or we wouldn't be getting an fruit down at all.

He's growing up and getting wise about the required "two bites" before dessert. Last night the kids all worked together and made a delicious cake covered in sprinkles for dessert. Evan picked at his food, at a quarter of a piece of bread, and pretended to be done. Mike told him he had to eat two bites of applesauce before he got cake, and Evan smiled, opened his mouth, picked up the spoon, inserted it into his mouth, and then took it right back out without ever closing his lips or actually cleaning off the spoon. At just 27 months old, he was FAKE EATING last night. Then he actually stabbed his "sugar carrot" and I thought he just might try it, but again, the FAKE BITE, and he was done.

He's a little 26-pound stinker.

Fun Run

Our Elementary School held a Fun Run fundraiser last week, and I was so proud of how hard my girls ran to earn money for PTA.  I just had to post their pics.  The got sponsors to commit pledges to them based on how many laps they would run.  The laps were 1/16 of a mile.  Megan ran 32 laps, and Brooke ran 35, and they made some good money for the PTA.  It was fun to watch them sweat and try hard to, and I was really proud of them for how much they ran.  Great job, girls!