Thursday, December 8, 2011

Scattergories?

I don't know that I've ever been so flaky before.

I'm not planning things out well.  I'm spacing on dates and names.  I don't get the jokes.  I'm always about a half-second behind (or more!).

This is just not me.  We're having a Christmas Party this weekend and I don't have a menu planned (Hiiii, it's Thursday and this party is Saturday).  I don't have decorations up, I don't have booze bought, I am just completely unorganized.  My seester is worried because by now, she should have a list from me on what I expect her to do.

I'm not the most high-strung person normally, but I do like to plan events.  I am organized and have lists upon lists upon lists.  I half-assed a Christmas list the other day and it bored me and I quit.   That has NEVER happened.  Usually, I'm procrastinating other things while I tweak and fine-tune my many many lists.

I hope to hell that this is not my new normal.  Please please please be temporary.  Will it be better or - gasp! - worse while DH is deployed?  Frick.  I hope not.  Yes, I just wrote out Frick.  I am just totally not on my game.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

34 things...

So.  Another year has passed and I'm the big 34 today.  Woah.  I still have problems thinking about being 34.  When my mom was 34, I was 9.  I thought she was ancient.  Makes me wonder if she still went out and was stupid like I am.  Ya know?

So anyway, here are 34 things about me that you may or may not have known.  I stole this idea from a blogger who also had her birthday this week, also only has boys and actually turned 34 as well.  I'm nosy and love to know stuff, so I'm assuming you do too. :)

1.  I always wanted to be a lawyer.
2.  I can't watch a scary movie.  At all.  No psychological thrillers, no blood/guts, nothing.  It's not worth the nightmares I will have.
3.  Coincidentally, I consider myself a scaredy cat.  I will dart up the stairs after turning off the lights, I will flip switches in a new room before turning off the lights in the one I just left, etc.
4.  I am irrationally afraid of sharks.
5.  I love trying new recipes and tweaking them to my liking.
6.  I failed my first driver's test.
7.  My middle name is after my great-grandma.  I wish I would have had a daughter to pass the name on.
8.  I love organizing but hate cleaning.  Doesn't work well.
9.  I am the youngest of three kids.
10.  I married a man who is the oldest of 5 kids.
11.  Hiring someone to clean my house has changed my life.
12.  I alternate between wanting to squeeze my kids so close versus throttling them for being kids.
13.  I have a temper. :)
14.  I love to plan a party or dinner.
15.  I would much rather watch someone open the gifts I gave them than open my own.
16.  In a perfect world, I wouldn't work outside the home but the boys would still go to daycare.  And I'd get to keep my cleaning lady.
17.  I am a book-aholic.  I love to read.
18.  It makes me cry to see how grown up my kids are getting.
19.  I can be a little weepy sometimes.
20.  I'm trying to like red wines, but my  heart remains with a good riesling.
21.  I love the fact that by decorating cakes, I can be crafty but not fill my house with a bunch of stuff.
22.  I've passed my cleaning genes on to the boys.  This could be bad.
23.  I hated my birthday in high school because it was always over girls state basketball and so people would be busy or out of town.
24.  I could eat soup every day and be happy.
25.  I get migraines when my eyes get strained.
26.  I love decorating for Christmas and want to cry when I have to take it down and pack it away again.
27.  I'm happy we built our house the way we did, but I'd like a different shower now.  Oops.
28.  I could use more kitchen storage for my cake stands.
29.  My first car was an old red Datsun pickup we called Ugly.
30.  I was engaged once before I met my now-husband.
31.  I may be the only person on earth without an ipod or mp3 player.
32.  I love blogging and reading others and finding out that I have so much in common with random women out there.
33.  Pinterest is awesome but who has time to do all those things?
34.  It doesn't feel like I've been married for 8 years already.

That wraps it up.  It was kind of hard to come up with 34 things if you can believe that.  I'm kind of random.  :)

Friday, November 18, 2011

Fill the Dome...

...And empty my pantry. 

A few years back, some high school kids decided they would try to fill the FargoDome with non-perishable goods for families in need.  It has escalated into a GREAT donation drive that all area schools participate in. 

When you have a child in elementary school, this means you are more than likely donating 25% of your pantry throughout the week as they try to load their backpacks up as heavy as possible for their classroom competition. 

Add another child in elementary school, and I'm forking over like 45% of my pantry!   Now, I like to give as much as the next guy, I really do.  I feel good about it* and I know that the boys think it's a great idea. 

But do they really GET it?  Do they realize that there are some kids out there that can't just open the pantry door and grab a rice krispie treat?  Can't just fill a bowl with their favorite cereal and walk away?  They see bare shelves.  I don't know that they GET that part of this food drive. 

I think the next step is to take them to help actually HAND OUT those donated goodies to a family in need.  Or get them in with the United Way and start filling backpacks with food for kids to take home for the weekend.  SOMETHING to get them to see that not everyone can just go scrounge in the kitchen and find something to snack on.   87 times a day.  It's true, they eat a lot.  My grocery bill is only going to get more and more out of hand.  And that's OUTSIDE of this food drive.  :) 

*I'd like to add that I do feel bad when I'm selecting food out of the pantry for them to take - because I will make sure not to give the last of something away because really, that just means I'd have to add it to the grocery list and ugh, too much time.  Man, that sounded snotty.  I will also be sure to pick things that I know the boys don't enjoy the most.  But OTHERS may really LIKE that food, right!??!?!   Hmm, I don't feel quite so charitable now that I wrote that out.  Oops.


Monday, October 31, 2011

Whatever's your bag, baby...

Ok, so dude, I'm doing my first link-up party.  Yeah, it's true.  Mostly because I'm nosy.  Nosy nosy Noserton.  Not a real word, but whatever.  :)

So here you go!! 

First up - let's start at 11:00pm.  My wallet.  I didn't open it for you because, really, it's just a wallet.  To the right is my business card holder and some cards that I can't live without ('sup Brooke and The Nail Bar - dude, they serve booze with pedicures).  Then a list of what we need to replace the water pump in the Yukon.  Joy.  A gift card to Applebees.  Then a couple lip glosses (I *heart* Bath & Body Works).  A tide stick, a benadryl stick and a couple Band-Aids.  Then a nail clipper - dude, it took me 32 years to figure out I should carry one with me.  Some random earrings (three pairs) that I keep in my purse to spice it up.  Ok, they really are there because I take them off at the end of the day and don't wanna carry them into the house apparently. 

Then mints.  Man, I love mints.  I can't chew gum, so mints are my life. :) 

A pager for work.  Yes, you read that right.  I carry a pager and I am NOT a drug dealer.  Woah, what the what??  Yeah.  My work badge and keys and then my car keys.  That orange slice makes me happy. 

My three pens that I must have with me as well.  Then a little fold wallet for when I don't wanna carry my purse inside.  My froggy coin purse that is probably 10+ years old.  Some excedrin, lotion and my purse tag. 

Phew, not as bad as I thought.  Of course, I have started to carry a separate bag with my planner(s), more mints and random Target reusable bags. :) 

Here you are: 

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Sing.....sing a song.....sing it loud.....blah blah blah

Isn't it funny how a song can take you immediately back to a different place in time? 

There are certain songs that immediately dredge up GREAT memories for me.  There are others that will bring me to tears every single time I hear them. 

Len - Steal my Sunshine:  roadtripping in the green grand am with Rikka and Dahlen.  Immediately.  And I crank it up.  Over 10 years ago. 

Jimmy Eat World - Hear You Me:  my nephew's funeral.  Instant tears after almost 10 years.

Glen Campbell - Rhinestone Cowboy:  being a little kid all over again.  I don't want to do the math on that. 

Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter:  College, guitars and baseball players.  I think that's enough said on that one.

Lit - My Own Worst Enemy:  College, house party, back when we'd hook up our Napster to the stereo speakers so we could all enjoy some pirated music.  Hey, I can't help it if the school gave us all laptops.

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's:  High school, rollin with the homies.

Bee Gees (Kenny Rogers?  Gatlin Brothers?) - Buried Treasures:  Kindergarten - yes, it's true.  I only remember the chorus, but yeah!!  WOO!! :)

There are just so many.  Harvey Danger, Weezer, The Flies, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Nelson, Oasis, Kenny Chesney, Tiffany, Whitney Houston (before Crack was Whack)....just so many memories. 

Then I wonder what songs are currently shaping the boys' memories.  Is it Dynamite?  I've heard them sing along with that one at the top of their lungs.  Is it frickin Bieber?  Again, at one point it was J-Bird's fave.  I heard it all the time.  Or will it be Superbass, like these adorable girls from England? 

The other day in the car, they sang along to Shake it For Me in the backseat.  What the what???  How do you even know that song???  They heard it on the school bus I guess.  No longer do I have any control over what they hear and what they latch on to.  Crap.  Please don't let it be S&M by Rihanna.  She scares me. 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Oldies but goodies

I love old people.

I always have.  Now, yes, there can be crochety old people, but for the most part, they're just little old sweeties.

In high school I worked at the local nursing home in my hometown.  I didn't have to do the gross things, but I visited with residents, handed out snacks and coordinated bingo.  Woo!  Easy peasy. 

Earlier this week, we took part in the United Way Day of Caring through our office.  Our assignment was over at some assisted living apartments.  We had two little old ladies and they were great.  I have forgotten how much I enjoy visiting with those grandma's and great-grandmas.

I need to find time in my life to get over to a nursing home and spend some time.  I'd like to bring the boys with me (two big ones at least, Samboni is just too much energy) and teach them the importance of valuing everyone.  That the visiting that we do actually will HELP both us and them. 

I feel I need to make this a priority.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Yikes - time flies!

Hmm, well, if you're a loyal follower (hi mom, hi sister), it's been a while since I posted!!

Apparently September flew by and I didn't get a chance to do a durn thing online here.  What did I do this month?  Well, let's see.
  • Had my 8th wedding anniversary 
  • DH's birthday
  • Quick trip to Vegas for a semi-long weekend
  • Made 6 (or 7?) cakes for various events
  • State HR conference - I was on the committee and so it was a hectic month!
  • Had a going away party for my brother-in-law for when he goes overseas in a couple months
  • Pinned probably 200 pins to my new addiction...
  • Sick kids, sick husband...
  • Plus the day to day living of working full time outside of the home, raising 3 boys, trying to keep everything straight!  Yay me! :)
So yeah, I guess that was my month.  Woah.  Seemed pretty constant.  Will October slow down?  Well, it's 10/2 today and so far - not slowing down at all.  But I will try to be more consistent.  I was going to try to do the 31 Days of... that I saw on the nester site, but all of the sudden it was the end of September and I hadn't come up with anything yet!  Urgh!  I guess there's always next year?