Random Tuesday Thoughts

Tuesday=random
Got the button:


Go see Keely for more random.
Now for mine:

• It's amazing how fast little boys can start smelling like they need a bath.  Bruiser can smell that way by the time he gets up in the morning, even if he had a bath the night before.  I'm not sure what he does at night but it must involve laps around his crib.
• Turbo is doing great in second grade.  He loves loves loves his teacher.  Such a relief for us.  Now if we could only get him to learn to ride a bike, things would be great.  Honestly the lid feels about his bike like Calvin used to from Calvin and Hobbes.  Definitely no love lost there.
• Nick has started swimming in the mornings--three times a week.  He can't run anymore so he needs to do something.  Once he gets back into it things will get better--right now the pool is kicking his butt.  Bruiser gets just a bit older and more self-feeding and I get to start swimming a couple of mornings a week too.  I'm a bit scared at the thought, it's been 8 years at least since I swam for exercise.  Yikes!
• Back to school is barely over and Halloween is coming onto the radar.  Not quite ready for that one. 
• It's awful, all week I have things happen and thoughts that I think would be great for Random Tuesday, but they happen when I'm not near the computer or near any thing to write them down.  And I never remember them later, I just remember that I had these great thoughts--not what they were.

OK, go check out the other random, go!

Monday Minute

Time again for the Monday Minute with Heather and Melissa.  They invited Jessica of Stilettos and a Fishing Pole to host with them.  and now on to the questions.

1. Who was your high school sweetheart?  I didn't have one.  I was a late bloomer and didn't really like my high school and home town all that much.  College was way better and I'm still with my college sweetheart.
2. What is your favorite vegetable to eat?  I love artichokes. Steamed then dipped in butter or balsamic vinegar--yum!
3. Do you plan on dressing up for Halloween, if yes, what do you have in mind?  WE get an invitation to a Halloween party/birthday party for one of Turbo's friends from school so this year we are going to dress for it--I'm going to be a gypsy, I think.
4. Are you a reality show junkie?  If so, what is your guilty pleasure?  I'm not much for reality shows.  I like some of the ones on Discovery--Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs but my guilty pleasure would have to be What Not To Wear.  I used to love to watch Clean House--just so I don't feel so bad about my house--it's lots better than the ones on the show.
5. What year did you graduate high school?  I graduated in 1991.  My 20 year (gawk) reunion is next year.  Still on the fence about going.

Five Questions for Friday

1. How many pets do you have? We have one dog--Guiness, two cats--Tinker and Piper, and several fish who aren't named.

2. If you could switch places with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be?  I'm not really sure.  I'm shy so I don't long for the lime light, but maybe being Warren Buffet for a day--so, you know, I could make a charitable donation or two to my family, might not be so bad.
3. What is your favorite money saving tip?  Always take a list into the store with you --a written down list, not a mental list, those don't work so well.
4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up? Independent, healthy, functioning adults.
5. What is your favorite quote?  "The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead." ~Robert Brault

Now go link with Mama M at My little Life and answer the questions yourself.  It's fun.

Writing Workshop/Pour Your Heart Out--Letting Go

The Prompts:

1.) Your childhood neighborhood.
2.) I was holding on tight but…
3.) “It was as if an invisible thread hooked her to her boy. The thread could go taut or slack but it could never come undone, it could never reach the end of its spool because there was no end; it bound them forever.” What does unconditional love mean to you?
(inpired when a mother is forced to give her baby up in The Seamstress by Frances De Pontas Peebles)
4.) Can it be saved? Think of something that is ruined when it’s totally wet: like a newspaper or a piece of cheese. Write a scene (truth or fiction) that involves you and a soaked item.
(inspired by writingfix.com)
5.) What five images paint a perfect picture of summer to you? Put those five images together in a piece of writing.
(inspired by writingfix.com)

Prompt 2:
I was holding on tight but... I learned that letting go can be the best thing you can do. 
I would be a helicopter mom if I could.  I like to be in control and make sure everything turns out the way it should (according to me).  Letting go with Turbo has been difficult.  It's hard to let him grow up and be independent.  And it starts as soon as they can crawl.  Little boys (and girls, I've heard) start moving away from you and being their own person. 
If I let go I lose control and he may be able to do things that would make me look like a bad mother.  But I have to let go and let him be himself.  He always surprises me and acts way better than I expect him to.  I have to remember my job is not to control him but to teach him, let him try and sometimes fail and pick himself back up and try again.  That's what life is all about.  But it is oh, so hard to do. 
The first time this was really brought to my attention was at kindergarten screening. I had to sit there and watch with out guiding or warning or really helping Turbo as he moved through the stations and answered questions and did activities with the various testers that were there.  He did well and passed but it was so hard for me to not tell him to settle down and answer the questions and not mess around. You know, be Mom the Warner and Guardian of Good Behavior. 
Turbo did fine and still is doing fine, away from me and my wannabe controlling ways.  It gives me a thrill when I get  report from a teacher or aide at Turbo's school at how well Turbo does or how much they like him.  I gotta be doing something right--even if it is just letting go so Turbo can be himself.  Now I just have to let go again with Bruiser--but he seems to be holdiong on a bit tighter than Turbo ever did.
I was holding on tight, but...letting go of my boy made him stronger and a better person--even if he's still a work in progress.
I'm also linking this with Shell's Pour Your Heart Out Thursdays.

Wordless Wednesday--Back to School

Had to get the first day of school picture, Turbo lookin' good..

And because he would not be left out, Bruiser got his picture with Turbo.

Random Dozen

OK, it's Wednesday so that means it's time to post your answers to yesterdays random dozen questions.  Go link with Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee.






1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?  I love Chimichangas, but will go for good tacos anytime.

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate? I was a total procrastinator, still am.  I work well under pressure.  I am trying to instill better practices in my son though--homework when he gets home from school, then play.
3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?  I don't really have one.  I don't get to shop for that kind of stuff very often.
4. When you were young, did you like school lunches? There were certain things that I liked--Cowboy Hats(chili on Frito's with shredded cheese topping), hamburger gravy, rectangle pizza to name a few. 
5. Is religion a crutch? I think religion works well for many people.  I have my own doubts about organized religion though--I've seen entirely too many hypocrites to feel comfortable going to church.
6. In your region, what is the "big" (most popular in the community or state) high school sport?  Our state is large in territory, but small on people.  High school sports of all kinds get lots of attention except in my town.  We have the only four year university in the state here and the high school gets over shadowed by the college all the time. 
7. Do you consider yourself rich?  Not in money, but in family and love you bet.
8. Which of these would you have the best chance for success in administering:
A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire
A, but I know B as well.  I could probably succeed in changing a tire but it wouldn't be pretty.
9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:
A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing
D, Swing most definitely.  It just looks so fun.
10. What's the worst news you've ever delivered to someone?  I had to tell my mom her dad had died when I was 15.  She was out of town with my brother who was in the hospital(another story) and when she called to check in I got to relay the news my aunt had passed to me about my grandfather.
11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.  A smile will get you much farther than not smiling and it's very easy to do.
12. New variation on an old question: If there's a song in your head that just won't get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?  The song that is stuck in my head today is the new one from The Band Perry  If I Die Young  And the line that sticks the most is "if I die young..."  that's the only one I can remember of the song.  I don't particularly like the song and don't really think it is really country but the singer's voice is nice.  But that one line is just stuck in my head.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Tuesday--yep.
Random--yep.
Thoughts--we got lots of thoughts so yep.
Keely--yep that's her button below.


Here we go:

• I am getting a netbook!  It is being virus protected and all that good stuff then that baby is mine.  Woo hoo!  It's an HP and don't ask me anything more about it because I don't really know.
• Alex had a great first day at school.  He has good friends in his class and he likes his teacher.  He already earned a blue ticket(what they give for good behavior--the kids earn them and then get prizes) for raising his hand to talk.  He was the first to raise his hand and the first to get a blue ticket.  He was so thrilled today.  I am so relieved.  After last year, anything would be an improvment but he is happy so far.
• Bruiser has new friends--a stuffed bunny named Rutabaga and a little teddy bear called Mr. Bear.  He picked them out himself to be his very own special friends.  They go to bed at night and come upstairs in the morning.  (Bruiser's bedroom is in the basement, so is ours.)  He looks so cute with them clutched in his arms.
• I'm not sure how we did it but we are on the donation call list for every one in our great state.  I think Nick was suckered in to saying yes about three years ago and we ended up on every list out there.  And they don't take no for an answer.  If I don't got the money, I don't got the money.  Asking for less won't help.  I don't have the money.  And if I did, I'd do something else with it that would benefit me, not you.

OK, that about covers my random so go see Keely, she is the keeper of the random.  She also has new digs, go check them out.

Monday Minute

Monday, you come again and again.  That means that Monday Minute comes again and again.  Answer the questions, then head over and link up with Heather and Melissa and the co host for this week is SingleMomma from Not your Average Single Momma.


And the questions are
Favorite 80s flick?  My favorite movie from when I was growing up--I'd have to go with The Goonies.  Love that one then and now.

One genre of music needs to be banned.  Which Genre?  There are genres I don't listen to but that does not mean that no one does, so I really can't say--just don't make me listen to it and I won't force you to listen to mine.

All time favorite candy?  Dark Chocolate Turtles--the very best thing that can be done with chocolate, caramel and pecans.  Yum!

How "flawed" is your driving record?  I had a few moving violations--resulted in a couple of accidents when I was younger but really pretty good recently.

What was your high school mascot?  We were the Buffalo Bison. No really, I'm not kidding.

And finally:
What color socks are you wearing?  I'm not wearing socks today--it's just too hot for socks yet.  Socks will come soon enough.

Friday Confessional

Time to confess all, or some of it, or really what I can remember.  Glamazon is hosting this little party,so go confess and link up with her.


I confess:

• I'm super happy about Turbo going to visit family this weekend.
• I'm super happy he goes back to school Monday.
• I also kind of sad that summer vacation is over, it went by way too quick.
• I get older this weekend--Sunday to be exact.
• 37 is beautiful--right?  Right?!
• I only feel 30 at most.
• I wonder who the adult in the mirror is some days.
• I sure don't feel grown up.
• I'm ridiculously guilty thrilled that Nick swept and mopped the kitchen and bathroom yesterday.
• I'm hoping we have enough money to get me a netbook for my birthday.
• I left the clean sheets in the dryer.  They've been there for a week now. 
• But my towels are folded.
• And still in the basket.

I think that's all I can remember to confess for now.  Go link with Glamazon and confess all, or maybe just a little bit--what ever works for you.

Dear Someone

Linking up with Shortmama for her Dear Someone letters today.

Dear Bruiser,
Now that you have figured out how to sleep most of the night, you think you could let daddy put you to bed sometimes, hmmm?  Mommy might not always be there and It would be a great help to let do this one thing with you.  Pretty please?  Kay.
And also, lets keep our feet on the floor.  This climbing up on anything high is going to give mom a heart attack.  Dad is just going to keel over one of these time when he sees you on top of the couch.  I know you're shorter than the rest of us but that's no reason to scale everything in sight.  Let's try to stay a bit closer to the floor.  Mom and Dad would appreciate it lots.
Love,
Your worried Momma

Dear Nick,
So glad to have you home!  Missed you so much while you were gone.  Looking forward to my birthday this weekend.  I know you will make it fun!
Love,
Wifey

Dear Turbo,
Let's make this the best year yet at school.  Work hard, get along with your teacher, and have fun.  A positive attitude is the best thing to have for school.  Remember it is your job, make the most of it.  Second grade will rock like kindergarten did.
Rooting for you,
Mom

Random Dozen--On Life, Love and Lying

Wednesday--Random Dozen time with Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee.  Answer the questions she posts and then link up with her.



This week's Questions:
1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food?  I love , love , love the kettle corn.  So sweet and salty and just great.  It is my one indulgence during our fair days.

2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?No, not really.  Nick is quite the cleaner out of things--he's a tosser, so I don't get the chance to keep that much.
3. What is your favorite gift to receive?  Jewelry, of course--especially if it's from my hubby, or sons.
4. When was the last time you tried something new?  This summer I drove a four wheeler for the first time.  I did crash but got back on and drove again.  I had fun, not counting the crash.
5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre? 
Memoir, Mystery, Political Intrigue, Romance, Humor, Historical Fiction, Historical nonfiction, Chick Lit, Self-Help, Other   Favorite genre--Romance, there is such variety in romance-romantic mystery, romantic comedy, supernatural romance, historical romance, etc.

My least favorite would have to be horror. I can read it better than I can watch it but still, some of those images I just don't need.
6.Silver or Gold?  It depends on how I'm feeling.  I like gold and I like silver.  I have more silver because it is less expensive, but I'm working on getting more gold--for presents you know.
7. What makes you sigh?  Exasperated sigh--my boys both big and little and the antics they get into.  Contented sigh--having all my boys together and hearing laughter form them. 
8. If you didn't know how old you are, how old would you claim you are?  About 30.  Old enough to know better but still young enough to enjoy it.
9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one?  It would depend on the law.  Murder maybe not so much, but something less you bet.
10. If you had to teach something, what would it be?  I make a lousy teacher--I don't have lots of patience, but I'm always teaching things to my boys so there's that.  I did teach swim lessons to little kids once upon a time and long long ago so maybe that.
11. You're having lunch with 3 people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. What do you do?  Speak up and say that the person they are bashing is a friend of mine and could we change the subject?
12. Which of the 5 Love Languages is your prominent means of experiencing love?


Quality Time  I scored the most here but
Physical Touch
Acts of Service
Gifts
Words of Affirmation  I got almost as much here.
So I think that my Love language is Quality time and Words of Affirmation.  Works for me.

Random on Tuesday

These random thoughts are brought to you by me,with the kind support of Keely.  She'll be happy to support your random too.

I'm a single mom, Nick is in the field again.  He gets to check out an abandoned gold mine that the state just acquired the rights to.  It will be part of a historical site.  I'm kind of jealous.  He's having a great time and I'm home with the boys.  Of course I got to go school shopping today.  But I didn't shop for me(much).  And I can't drag Nick to the store without lots of kicking and screaming--some of it mine, most of it his.

Turbo starts school next Monday.  (Mom jumping up and down quietly in her room.)  He's less than excited.  I'm just hoping he gets on better with his teacher than last year. 

We succeeded in our wood hunt on Saturday.  Got five trees and a good half cord of wood.  Now we just have to do the same thing three more times.  Turbo was a great help and Bruiser loved being outside.  A friend went with us and watched Bruiser while I helped stack the wood in the trailer that Nick cut.  It all worked out really well.

The other big news is that I get officially older on Sunday.  Yep, it's my birthday.  According to my mother's math I'm 21.  I get to have two parties too.  One with friends and one with family.  Aren't I special?  Don't answer that.

We have been watching the Fraggles of Fraggle Rock.  I think I have about reached my limit with them.  I know the theme song by heart and the yesterday I was singing it while I was in the kitchen--Turbo said"Mom, you have been watching too much of the Fraggles I think."  Tell me about it kid.  But regular TV--nothing I want to watch with kids, that's for sure.  I may have to turn to Scooby Doo for something different.

 Go see Keely for other random to enjoy.  You like it I promise!

Monday Minute

Time once again for the Monday Minute with Ian from The Daily Dose of Reality and his co-host Kimber.  So answer the questions he has posed and link up.

Here goes:

1. If you could have plastic surgery, would you?  If so, what would you get done?  I'd get my bewbs done.  There was never lots there and nursing two kids has not been really kind to them.  Yeah, I'd get 'em lifted at least.
2. What laws have you broken?  Well, there was that time I....Hmm, in thinking about it I'm going to plead the fifth, on the grounds that admitting anything would incriminate me.
3. What is your quirkiest habit?  I tie knots in my hair.  I twist it until it is knots I can't get undone sometimes.  I'm always twisting my hair around my fingers.  I've done it since I was little and now Bruiser plays with his hair too.  We know exactly where he got that from.
4. If you only had three songs to listen to for the rest of your life what would they be?             Kid Rock--All Summer Long       Kenny Chesney---Don't Blink      Sugarland--All I Want to Do
5. How often do you have sex?  As often as the kids allow and we have the energy for--around twice a week on average.  Sometimes more, sometimes less.  We be healthy adults here.

Spin Cycle-My Wedding--No Bells, No Frills

The spin cycle is all about weddings this week.  Most specifically your own wedding.  Since August 8 was Nick and my anniversary,  it is the perfect time to tell about our wedding.


We went with simple and nice, not over the top and crazy.  We were trying to save money all the way around because we figured that we would rather have money for the honeymoon than the wedding.

I did stick with the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. It was my wedding dress. The skirt was old--my mom wore it for her wedding, the top was new--made to my specifications by Mom, the train had blue lace applique over the worn spots, and it was borrowed from my mom.

The dress has had quite the history.  The skirt was in it's fourth wedding when I wore it.  Mom got it from a co-worker in New York in the 1960's.  Mom wore it, a friend of hers wore it and and I wore it for it's fourth wedding.  Got some value out of it.

Mom and Dad.

Blurry, I know but you can get the idea.

Me.

The happy couple. 

Sorry for the pic quality.  Don't have any scanned in.

So, our ceremony was quick and simple.  Our colors were dark purple and dark green. We did not decorate the church, I carried a simple arrangement of silk flowers and the bridesmaids--two--carried a couple of silk flowers.  My mom made the vests for the groomsmen and the vest for Nick, and the brides maid's dresses.  So glad my mom is talented with the sewing machine.

Mom walked me down the aisle.  Nick's uncle and his wife sang.  the ceremony was pretty short and sweet.  My only snag was in needing to blow out the taper from the unity candle.  I had my veil down still and was not prepared to blow out the candle from a distance through the veil.  I did it but had a couple of moments of panic about it.

Otherwise the ceremony was a blur.  I was happy no disasters happened.  We then did the receiving line and got lots of "about damn time you kids did this" from Nick's family.  We had only been together for about five and a half years, so I guess they had a point.

Our reception was held at a local hotel and we had the local Mexican restaurant make party trays--very good food and a bit different.  I really don't remember much about the reception--so much stress from the whole day and hoping things go well.  There is one picture of me looking a bit spaced out that I always say looks just like how I felt.  The one incident I do remember is when Nick's cousin was helping to open the champagne for the toast and accidentally sprayed the cake with champagne.  She felt awful but it was funny.

 Later we went to a local hotel to hide enjoy the honeymoon suite.    Another of Nick's cousins worked there and she put roses and a bottle of champagne on ice for us.  We did an overnight there and then we came home and opened our gifts and on Monday we left for our honeymoon in Florida.  I'll tell you about that another time.

Now go see Jen at Sprite's Keeper and find out about everyone else's wedding story.

Writer's workshop--Clean Up This Pig Sty!

Time for the Writer's Workshop this week. 

The Prompts:
1.) Lou Holtz (don’t ask me who that is) once said, “life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” Do you believe this? Describe a time when you feel like you could have responded a different way and produced a different outcome.
2.) I miss the friend you used to be.
3.) The most unbelievable blue eyes you’ve ever seen…
4.) The craziest reason I ever got in trouble as a child.
5.) What would you ask forgiveness for?

I'm choosing to write about number 4.  The craziest reason I ever got in trouble as a kid.  I have to say I was a pretty good kid--oh I got in trouble for lying and stuff like that, but mostly I was pretty good, but I did get in trouble regularly for not cleaning my room.  I would often let things slide in there.

I remember once that Mom got so fed up with the mess in my room she threatened to move me to a very small room in the basement that didn't even have a closet in it.  It barely had room for a double bed and a dresser.

So began the cleaning, while I grumbled and quietly ranted about how my room didn't need to be clean--I knew where everything was.  What was the big deal?  So what if my clean clothes were still in the laundry basket--they were the ones I wore all the time anyway, why put them away when I'd just get them out again?  The ones that were dirty were mostly in the laundry hamper--good enough.  And my bed--why make it in the morning when I was just going to get in it again anyway.  It's not like she was conducting tours through my room--no one saw it but me and on occasion her. 

I grudgingly cleaned enough to pass muster.  put away the clean clothes and picked up the dirty ones that had missed the hamper, straighted the bed, put away the library that was inhabiting one half of the bed and stacked on the floor, picked up the dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen, and threw away the trash that was lying around.  Hmm, maybe it was messier than I thought.  I did get to stay in my room.

Little did I know why Mom was so concerned about my being able to keep my room clean.  I didn't get it until I had an entire house to keep clean.  You have to stay ahead of the clutter and the dust.  Otherwise it really takes over your house.  And no one wants to come visit if they have to scale mountains of trash and debris the get around.  That makes you a hoarder and you get to be on shows like Hoarders and Clean Sweep.  Not the way I want to become famous.

Now pick your prompt and go link with Mama Kat.

Random Dozen--First Timer

Today my brain has gone on vacation with out me.  I hope it went somewhere warm and sunny--with a beach!  Anyway, I found the Random Dozen and since my brain is on vacation this will be perfect for me.




Linda at Second Cup of Coffee hosts and here are my answers for her random dozen questions:

1. When was the last time you laughed until you cried?  I think that would be last summer while on a trip to Mount Rushmore with friends.  Our friend was driving and while trying to leave the parking lot he decided to follow the arrows, which took us in circles around the parking lot over and over.  Every time we passed the place where we could see Mount Rushmore he would yell "There is is kids!" like from National Lampoons European Vacation.  It had us all in stitches.  After about maybe twenty circuits of the parking lot he finally disobeyed the arrows and we left.
2. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it?  Put it toward Alten Brown's newest cook book.
3. Do you volunteer anywhere?  Not right now--just don't have the time what with work, chasing a seven year old and an eighteen month old daredevil.
4. What is your favorite summertime veggie or fruit, and how do you eat it?  I love love love cherries.  Dark sweet cherries, Rainier cherries, I'm not picky.  I'll eat them anywhere, washed and ready to go.
5. Is your social sphere (circle of friends) small, medium or large?  Our social sphere is pretty small.  Living in a small college town makes making friends difficult--they always move on every four years or so.  I have a couple of friends but I turned to the Internet for more friends because I have trouble with making face to face friends.
6. When was the last time you attended a family or school reunion? How did that go?  My family had a reunion sorts last summer.  It was nice to see people I had not seen for years--my mom's family is not particularly close.  My husbands family all lives here but does not get together very often.  My 20 year high school reunion is next summer and I'm not sure I'll go--I didn't go to my 10 year. 
7. When you're feeling blue, what is the best way someone can cheer you up?  Get me out of town for a drive--to the mountains or for shopping either one works.
8. Have you taken a vacation this summer?  We have had a couple of long weekends and gone camping and that sort of thing but no real vacation this summer.
9. What is the most unnecessary item you carry with you all the time? Toys for the boys to play with--Bruiser is not really into them and Turbo can be occupied by the place mats and menus for kids now.
10. What is the best summer flick you have seen so far?I can honestly say I have not even been to the movies this summer(to be honest the last movie I saw in the theater was Ice Age 2).  We do the pay per view at home--easier and cheaper.
11. Describe a perfect summer day.  A perfect summer day is not too hot, but hot enough to need some water around, having nothing to do but bask in said sun, watch my boys play, and not worry about sunburn, mosquitos or other bugs, and having a barbeque with friends to end the day.
12. Please a share a favorite photo from the summer so far!

The family at Lake Alice over the Fourth of July weekend.

Random Tuesday-The Non Blogher edition

Time to random it up again.  Keely is having the get together at her place so go link up.  They are all talking about Blogher but they would love to see you anyway.

We tried something new with Bruiser this weekend.  Nick and I left for an overnight.  My mom put him down for his nap and to bed at night.  He was not impressed with the change in his routine.  We have decided that Nick should try putting him to bed sometimes just so he is used to someone different putting him in bed.  It's not going over so well.  Man that kid is stubborn.  And Nick is a pushover.  He can not stand to hear the kid cry.

Bruiser has learned to say "boom" when fist bumping with Nick and blowing it up.  It comes out a bit garbled but you can tell he means boom.  It's cute.

Bruiser has also learned to identify his nose, my nose, dad's nose and Turbo's nose.  However the dog evidently does not have a nose, or at least Bruiser does not know what a dog nose is.

Turbo has become scary good at the Lego video games.   He still like the real Legos and Knex.  Knex are like the Tinker toys of today.  I had Tinker toys when I was a kid but they were way more frustrating than the knex are.  Kids these days get the coolest toys.

We are going wood hunting this weekend.  We use the wood stove to supplement the furnace in the winter.  Therefore we must have wood, so we are going hunting.  We are pretty sure to fill our permits--trees are slow and they don't hide all that well.

I am looking forward to the Bones season opener this fall. Ack--can it bee almost fall already?  Yep--round here fall starts September first--no matter what the calendar says.  It's already cooling off in the mornings--I almost need a jacket.  Still hitting the 80's in the afternoons though--unless it rains.

OK, go put your random up for all to see and link at Keely's place.

Monday Minute

Time once again for the Monday Minute.  Ian from The Daily Dose of Reality and Kendra from Baby Bits are co-hosting this week and the questions are as follows:

1. What was your "oh, no, I'm turning into my mom/dad" moment?  It came when I first licked my thumb and swiped at a bit of stuff on Turbo's face.  I stopped cold and shook my head because I hated that when I was a kid.  I found a wipe after that, but still find myself thinking about doing it because wipes are never convenient when I notice things on the boys faces.
2. What current commercial do you find the most annoying/funny?  The most annoying commercials are the ones for Male Enhancement or the Cialis commercials.  Try explaining why tow people are in the middle of no where and are taking baths in separate tubs.  Or why the creepy guy keeps smiling like that.  Blehh, they just suck!
3. If you could only eat one color food for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Well, the color of food with the most variety would be brown--meat turns brown when it is cooked, cookies and cakes are brown when not frosted and chocolate is brown,  You can get a lot of food that is brown, lots of shades of brown. So yeah, brown is my choice.
4. What is your current Facebook/Myspace/Twitter status?  I don't do Myspace, and I don't twitter so no status there but Facebook currently has yesterday's status up:  "Had a fabulous weekend with my hubby--Twelve years ago we got legal! This weekend we took the four wheeler and cruised the back roads across the mountains. Way cool!"
5. F, Marry, Kill from the list that follows:  Regis Philbin, Justin Bieber, Perez Hilton.  Well, I think just looking at Perez Hilton is moire than I could handle--he's just gross, so I guess I'd have to kill him.  I'd pick marry for Regis--the guy is loaded and old.  No real problem with that, but I'd have a hard time with the f-ing Justin Bieber--he looks like such a baby and I just don't like him.  At all.  Ohh the thought of him and a bedroom--full body shudder.  Yuck!

OK now go answer the questions for yourself and link up!

Spin Cycle--Old Wives Tales

Jen of Sprite's Keeper gave us old wives tales for the Spin Cycle this week.  Well we aren't terribly superstitious but there are some things that do ring true for us.

I have heard the superstitions all my life--step on a crack and break your mother's back, don't open an umbrella in the house, ladybugs are good luck, I spent hours looking through the clover for one with four leaves, and lots of other little superstitions that kids pass around. Mostly I've outgrown them but the threes thing still sticks with us.


Things go wrong in threes.  We do find that for us things do go bad in threes.  Things go right in threes too.  We will often go looking for the third thing if a couple of things have gone wrong.  Just to show the bad luck is over.  This spring things went wrong in threes a couple of times for us.  First, Nick's ankle got hurt, then Bruiser hit his head, then my back went out.  Next the water heater broke, the fridge broke, and Nick's truck needed to be fixed..  We did finally figure out why everything went wrong--we are finishing our thirteenth year in our house.  Thirteen is definitely not lucky for us. And yeah we are not big fans of the number thirteen.

As for "old wives tales" I did not hear too many with either of my pregnancies.  Mom had things we supposed to do to improve odds for a girl the second time around--I didn't do any of them, obviously.  Things like certain positions and things I was supposed to eat and things Nick was supposed to eat.  I neglected to mention we were working on the project to make Bruiser until after we made him--just to avoid hearing any more detailed ways to improve our odds of a girl.

I don't often remember to throw salt over my shoulder, but I often heard that if your ears burned, someone was talking about you.  Black cats have not been particularly unlucky but I do try not to walk under ladders--mostly to avoid getting things dropped on me.  (Superstitions can be practical too.)

Go see Jen for more spins on old wives tales and superstitions.

Writer's Workshop--Driving and Driving

Time once again for the Writer's Workshop with Mama Kat.  Pick a prompt and write up a post and then link up.  Easy peasy, right?  Right!

The Prompts:


1.) If you could do it over again…
2.) If you were put in “time out”, where would you want to be placed and why?
3.) Steppin outside the box (describe a time when you went way out of your comfort zone)
4.) A long drive…
5.) Describe the first date you went on in a boy’s car.

My chioce this week is Number 4.

A long drive...

• Is something we use to de-stress.  We will often get in the car and head out with no definite destination in mind, just where ever the road takes us.  Nick and I like nothing better than finding a new road we have not been down before.  Be it paved or dirt, we can find the coolest places by accident.  It really does reduce stress for us, just getting out and putting a few miles on the car or truck.  Mud is even better.
• Is our preferred method of travel.  Yes we have taken plane trips and will again, but car travel is just easier with kids.  It takes some planning, and scheduled stops but we don't mind that so much.  We have found some pretty cool playgrounds so we can let our kids let off pent up energy.  So looking forward to the next long trip, and no I'm not crazy.
• Lets us reconnect with each other.  We have some of our best conversations in the car.  Call us strange but we like to talk to each other and are hoping that having conversation with the boys will be interesting in the car too.
• Lets us catch up on reading.  I love to read and I can read in the car.  I read out loud in the car to Nick and now the boys.  Harry Potter makes the miles go much faster.  I'm our own audio book.

Well that about covers what long drive do for us.  I'm thinking that we need to take one next weekend.  It would be a great way to end the summer.

Pour Your Heart Out--Hubby

On Sunday Nick and I will have been married for twelve years.  We have been together for 17 and half years.  When I was nineteen I never would have guessed the guy I saw in German class would end up being my soul mate.

Nick is a wonderful person, friend, husband and father.  He has the ability to talk to any one in any situation.  You know those people who can walk into a gathering and make friends with everyone in the room--Nick's one of those.  I love this about him because it is the exact opposite of me. 

They say that opposites attract but really Nick and I are a lot alike--at least in our interests.  We both love geology, he is a Professional Geologist and the coal geologist for our home state.  We also like being outdoors--we have rock climbed, we like canoeing and hiking, and we both like to camp.  I will admit I like the four wheeling too.  We both like to ski--cross country.

We do have our differences.  He's a boy and I'm a girl--hey I had to say it.  He likes to get rid of things--I'm a saver for just in case.  We both get on cleaning jags but they never happen at the same time.  He love to ride his bike--me , not so much.  It's great for getting around town but not my preferred leisure activity.  Nick likes to run for exercise--I hate running.  Yep, we have differences, but if we were exactly alike--how boring would that be?

Nick has taken to fatherhood very well.  From the guy who could not even say the word "kid" in the same sentence as "our" when we met to the proud father of two boys, Nick has come a long way.  It is so wonderful to watch him interact with his boys.  I am continually amazed by the patience he show with them, often I'm humbled by that same patience.  I know I don't have that patience.  He loves watching them figure out new things and he loves spending time with them.

Nick is my partner.  He compliments me and I compliment him--I'm less impulsive, but not as outgoing, I'm the planner, he's more spur of the moment, I'm a bit more optimistic, he's a bit more doom and gloom
(however this is all relative--we can change postions in a heart beat).  I like to read, Nick loves movies.  He will give just about any movie a chance--I will find him watching anything from cheesy Disney teen movies, to bad B movies on afternoon TV to old westerns late at night.   He makes me smile when I see him watching the Disney movies.

I love the man he has become.  All the sides to him.  The eager puppy side--so happy to do new things; the pasionate about his work side; the passionate about me side; the loving father side; the good friend side; and the different things that make him interesting.  And after 17+ years, 12 official on Sunday, he had better be interesting because I'm not going anywhere.

I love you, Nick--and I'd marry you all over again.  It's been a fun ride so far and I can't wait to see what the next years bring.

Random Tuesday--Tantrums and stuff

Purple button, yep, must be Tuesday and time for various random thoughts, courtesy of Keely at The Unmom.  Random it up and go link at her place.


So last Friday Bruiser started the day off with a monstrous tantrum.  The Terrible Twos start early with this one.  He screamed for twenty minutes straight.  I was rather impressed at his stamina.  He spent the rest of the day very hoarse and in a pretty good mood.  If this is a preview of things to come, we are in a lot of trouble.

Friday night Nick and Turbo went camping.  They packed the four wheeler and headed up to the mountain.  They had a great time.  They caught dinner (fish), slept in and had a great time bumping around on the dirt roads on the four wheeler.  They are planning on going again.  Nick coined a new name for the endeavor--Quad Camping, it's something akin to car or truck camping but you can go more interesting places.

Lately the house has been hot.  We live in an area where air conditioning in not necessary.  Our house gets up to maybe 80 during the day but will drop to 73 or so at night.  but when we go to bed things are still warm, OK hot for us, anyheat, my feet get hot and I am just too uncomfortable to sleep.  And nothing cools them down, not cold water, going outside, hanging them out of the covers, nothing.  Therefore my sleep has been interrupted.  I'm really looking forward to fall.

Nick and I have our 12th anniversary(official anyway) on Sunday.  We are running away for Saturday night.  Mom is watching the boys and we get to go to a cabin in the mountains.  Woo hoo!  This will be my first overnight trip away from Bruiser.  We shall see how things go.  I'm really looking forward to the chance to sleep, reconnect with Nick, enjoy the mountains, sleep, have adult time away from the boys and have one night of uninterrupted sleep.

I made banana bread last night--what else are you supposed to do with brown bananas?  These were on their last legs and needed to be used.  Banana bread goes faster than the bananas do around our house.

OK, so go get your random on and see Keely--she has life support for toast at her place.

Monday Minute-Hopes and Dreams and Stuff

Time once again for The Monday Minute.  It's brought to you by Ian and featuring for this week only, his co-host Jenn from the Brown Eyed Girl.



Describe your life in one word.
Fulfilling

Is there something you wish you had learned how to do as a child?
I think I would have liked to learn how to do gymnastics.  I grew up in a small town and options were limited to say the least.  I got a few classes in ballet but not gymnastics.  I liked the ballet but there weren't opportunities for more than a couple of classes--small towns aren't known for their culture options.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life?
My husband.  Nick is the greatest guy.  He treats me well and loves me--flaws and all.

What is your greatest dream/hope/aspiration?
To raise decent, well functioning boys and have them achieve their goals.  Then to have fun with my hubby traveling around the country, maybe the world, just a bit.

Do you believe you have reached your potential?  Why/why not?
No I have not reached my potential, I am still learning and growing as a person.  Reaching a potential implies an end.  I don't want to end just yet.  Beginnings and middles are where it's at.  Beginnings are fun and middles are where you learn the most.