Random Thoughts-It's the End of November, Really?!

Time to Random it up.  And let the thoughts flow.

• Turbo is back this afternoon.   He has had a wonderful time.  He got to see just about everything a little boy would want to see--the American Museum of Natural History, the Statue of Liberty, the balloons being filled for the parade, Rockefeller center, and the New York library.  He will love going back when he is older to see his uncles and seeing more.  I do think he is ready to come home.
• We rearranged Turbo's room.  New shelves, more space to play, got rid of all the mctoys that accumulate, I think Turbo will like it.
• I need to get egg nog or Christmas Milk as it is known here.  It's that time.
• This weekend Nick and I are going to a Four Wheeler safety class.  We are going to freeze our butts off. Layers, lots and lots of layers, a la "I can't put my arms down" layers.  I think it's the only way to keep warm.
• Ten points for the person who can ID the movie referenced above.
• Bruiser has had a language explosion recently.  He parrots words back to us and is getting better at letting us know what he wants--using words instead of baby swahili.  Makes things much easier.  However we have to watch our language now.  The other evening Nick let slip a little s-word and sure enough Bruiser piped up with something that sounded similar.  Of course he could have been saying sit, but I don't think so.
• We are headed up after a Christmas tree this Sunday, weather permitting.  If the weather doesn't permit, we might go fake again.  I don't want to but if we can't get a tree this weekend it won't happen until the following Sunday and I can't go that long without at least getting a tree up, even if we go fake again.

OK, that covers my random this week.  Go link with Keely and random it up.

Meet me on Mondays

Time to do the get to know you thing with Java at Never Growing Old.  Get the questions from her, answer and then link up at her place.

1. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?  I have lots of ways I like to eat chicken--chicken fingers, chicken tacos, fried chicken, grilled chicken, chicken parmesan,  Honey Dijon chicken, There are just so many ways that chicken is good that picking just one way is next to impossible.
2. Have you decorated for Christmas yet? No.  We are waiting until Turbo gets back from New York to go get our tree--we cut our own in the mountains--and then we will decorate.  I am going to dig out the count down calendar for Turbo and Bruiser though.
3. What is your favorite article of clothing? Man these favorite questions are hard.  Right now with the cold weather we are having, I'd have to say my coat.  Not real fun, but necessary.
4. Do you pay your bills online or write checks the old way? We still send the bills snail mail. 
5. Do you make Christmas cookies?  I at least make on batch just before Christmas so Turbo, and now Bruiser, can leave cookies for Santa.  We also leave carrots for the reindeer.

Thanksgiving Hangover

We had a quiet, but good Thanksgiving.  Just three of us and the food was fabulous.  We made Jan"s Sushi Bar balsamic glazed brussel sprouts.  Oh man were they good.  They went really well with the Prime Rib we had.  I was going to have lobster too but well they are still in the freezer--I forgot.  Dinner was good anyway.
And today I got to go shopping.  I found some great deals and had a good time.  Sometimes shopping with friends is the best way to pass the time.
Now Nick and I just need to get the rest of the things we want to get for Turbo and Bruiser.  That is the fun shopping.  It will be crowded but nothing like what Kohl's had today.  I think the wait there was like an hour to check out.  Crazy.

Well Bruiser calls so have a good weekend everyone.  I'll leave you with a picture of Turbo in New York.

Turbo with Wyoming's state dinosaur--the Triceratops.

Wednesday Hodgepodge--Thanksgiving Edition

1. If you had known what they knew then, would you have boarded the Mayflower?  I don't think I would have by myself.  I would have gone with my husband but not on my own.

2. How far have you traveled on a boat and how do you feel about boats in general?  On our honeymoon we took a boat out to Grand Bahama Island, a trip of about 6-7 hours.  It was fun.  Then on spring break in 2000 we took a fishing trip out into the gulf of Mexico.  That trip was a lot rougher.  Of our group of four (on a probably 25-30 person tour) I was the only one who did not hurl on the trip out.  The waves were rough.  I like going on boat trips, mostly.

3. What traditions have you kept, acquired thru marriage, and/or tossed? If you're single what are some of your family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions?  Thanksgiving is spent with family-usually.  We aren't big on strict traditions.  Christmas has more for us than Thanksgiving.

4. What time is dinner and how many will be round your table? And what is the one side dish you cannot do without on Thanksgiving day?  We are having dinner at around 4:00pm. We are doing a nontraditional dinner since Turbo and the grandparents are in New York.  It is just going to Nick, Bruiser and I.  We are having prime rib and lobster.  But with a traditional dinner there must be mashed potatoes.

5. Have you ever used a fire extinguisher? Do tell....  Nope never have used one.

6. Tell about a situation that caused you dreadful trepidation and feet dragging, only to realize later it was a true blessing.  Just before I had Bruiser, the company I worked for was downsizing.  I knew that I was going to lose my job.  But now to years later and getting a full time position with the place I work now, I'm in a much better place--vacation, sick leave, benefits, the whole nine yards!

7. Baked, sweet, mashed, hash browned or french fried...which one's your favorite?  I love the hash browns that my husband makes in the mornings on the weekends.

8. Insert your own random thought here.  I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  May the day be wonderful and full of things to be thankful for.


Now go link with Joyce and do your own Hodgepodge.

Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Thanksgiving might be just around the corner, but there is still time for random thoughts with Keely.  Grab the button and link up.

• Bruiser has been talking more.  He will say thank you and it is so stinking cute.  Makes doing anything for him much more fun.
• We have had the craziest weather.  One moments sunny and thawing, the next we can barely see across the street for the snow.  And wind, well we won't talk about the wind.
• And attention turns to the shopping after Thanksgiving.  I'm braving the crowds with a friend, but we refuse to go super early--we are leaving about 5:00am.  And we have at least an hour drive to the good stores.  So none of the 3:00am at the store stuff.  That's just ridiculous.
• Turbo is headed to the American Museum of Natural History today.  I was a little jealous about the pizza he's eating--love New York Pizza--but now I'm really jealous about the museum.  I was in New York when I was twelve and I know he's going to love the museum and planetarium.  Wish I could be there with him.
• I love the snow--but am much less fond of ice.  We have lots of ice.  Slippery stuff, ice.  I've almost bought it several times just walking from the car to work--a hike of about three blocks, parking at the university sucks--and I know the ice is not going to get better (at least until oh, you know, April, maybe May).
• Bruiser is loving being the center of attention while Turbo is gone.  And he is loving playing with the phone-either the land line portable or our cell phones.  Thank goodness we can't dial out long distance on the land line, or I'm sure he would find a way to call Indonesia.
• And once again the towels are mocking me.  I got just about everything else done for the laundry--except the sheets and they don't really count--but the towels.  I hate towels.
• We have an escape artist cat.  Piper loves to go outside.  She escaped just the other day and was pretty pissed when she came back in.  She kept giving us dirty looks.  It's not my fault it snowed, cat.  It's called winter and it's not going away until March--probably April, maybe May.
• Oh and I have a new mommy moment with Bruiser.  Thursday night last week I was giving him a bath and he stood up and was playing with the shower doors we have on the tub.  I was putting towels away and when I looked back at him he was holding something in his hand.  At first I thought it was a washcloth and did not want him to drip on the floor.  Than I realized that it was NOT a wash cloth.  He had pooped in the tub and was trying to hand it to me.  Fun.  What is it with the warm water=poop thing?

That about overs the random around here.  Go see Keely while she is still running this carnival.  Jen's hiatus just might be catching.

New York State of Mind

As I mentioned last week, Turbo is in New York City for Thanksgiving.  His grandparents took him out to see his uncle who lives in Brooklyn.
The trip there was an adventure all by itself.  They were delayed right away by fog in Denver.  The flight out of our little town was on a puddle jumper and turned out to be quite the roller coaster ride.  Poor Turbo threw up on the plane.  Papa almost threw up, it was that rough.
By the time they got to Denver they had missed their connecting flight to New York.  They got to wait about five hours to catch the 4:30 flight out.  So by the time they got to New York it was 8:30 our time and 10:30 out there.  But Turbo got to see the Statue of Liberty all lit up and the lights of Brooklyn too.  He thought that was really neat.
So after all that they made it to the big city.  Turbo has been to Coney Island and seen the aquarium and had pizza twice (which he really likes).  He is looking forward to doing more.
I miss him.  Things are quiet and we don't have to avoid random attack hugs.  I'm looking forward to his return.  And hopefully the return trip is less eventful than the departure trip.

Friday Confessional

 
OK, I need to get some stuff off my chest.  Confession time:

• I confess, the last load of laundry I washed sat in the dryer for a really long time.
• They were baby clothes for Bruiser.  
• He had others in his drawer.
• I got them out when I needed to dry something else.
• I'm really going to miss Turbo next week.
• At least once the quiet gets boring.
• For the first couple of days it will be blissful.
• I'm sure Bruiser will try his best to make up for the absence of his brother.
• Is it wrong that I looking forward to prime rib instead of Turkey next week?
• We have ice.  I hate ice.  I much prefer snow.  It was snow.  Now it's ice.
• My boob hurts.  The place I had the mole removed.  It looks pretty-seven stitches and all.
• Wearing a bra sucks right now.
• I was a bad mom last night and fed the boys corn dogs for dinner.  I had a peanut butter sandwich.  High nutrition.
• I'm still not sure what to get Bruiser for Christmas.  And not really certain he will really notice if he doesn't get a lot of stuff.
• I'll notice though.  Sigh.

Now go confess all and feel better going into the weekend--and don't do to much you will need to cinfess next week--or what ever.  Glamazon's got the confessional--go on.

Spin Cycle--Thanksgiving

 


This week--being so close to Thanksgiving, the Spin Cycle topic is of course Thanksgiving.  So here goes for this last (for a while, please, only for a while, Jen) Spin Cycle:
Things I'm thankful for:

• My family, all of them.  Nick, Turbo and Bruiser.  They bring so much fun and joy to my life.  I may be surrounded by boys, but it's fun and at times enlightening.  Other times it's baffling, but I muddle through.
• I'm thankful the the grandparents from both side live close enough to watch Bruiser now that I'm working full time.  It saves us untold amounts of money and it's so good for Bruiser to spend time with his Papa, Nana and Grandma.  We are lucky and blessed.
• I'm thankful that both Nick and I have good jobs, that use what we went to school for and allow us to spend time with our boys as needed.  We could have gone the big money route but then other people would be raising our boys because we would be working 60-70 hour weeks. Or always traveling.  We may not be making big money, but we are here and the kids know who we are.
• I'm thankful for the house we live in.  It's not the biggest on the block, but it's just right.  And our location is wonderful.  We are close to the downtown area in our town, close to Turbo's school, and close enough to ride our bikes to work when the weather permits. Nick might dream of a larger house, but I just see more work in a larger house.  So, I thankful for our just right house.
• I'm thankful for our friends.  I don't have a lot of close girl friends here in my small town, but I have a couple and I'm getting better at going out and doing things with them.  
• I'm thankful we have our health.  Nick and I complain about getting older and the issues that come with it but we are over all healthy and so are the boys.  I hope we can continue to enjoy our health.

Well there you have it--some of the stuff I'm thankful for.  I'm sure more will come to me, it always does, especially after reading the other thankful spins over at Jen's place.  Go see for yourself and find more things to be thankful for as Thanksgiving approaches.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 
Time to do the Hodgepodge with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.  Just a few random bits and pieces.  Perfect for this absolutely freezing Wednesday here in the Equality State.

1. What is the most amazing weather you've ever seen?  I have seen some fantastic sunsets, and had some beautiful sunny days, but the most amazing weather would have to be lightening storms.  The jagged bolts of lightening at night are just incredible.

2. What is a sound or noise you love?  Mom! or Daddy! coming from Bruiser when we get home from work.  Also the gentle breathing of sleeping boys.

3. Do you like seafood? What's your favorite seafood dish?  Love love love seafood.  So much so that New Years is spent in a orgy of eating seafood--shrimp, crab legs, scallops, lobster--all the good stuff, all day long.

4. What part of your day requires the most patience?  Morning--getting everyone up and ready, and myself ready too, to get out of the house on time.  Evenings are easier--Nick helps lots then, usually.  Mornings are pretty much all on me.

5. What's your favorite shade of blue?  The blue in all my boys eyes--a kind of slate blue that can look really gray at times.

6. Do people underestimate you?  Sometimes, but not too often.

7. When was the last time you had butterflies in your stomach?  Monday, before I had a mole removed.  Doctors make me nervous.  Excited butterflies?  When we went to get our new (to us) camper over Labor Day weekend.

8. Insert your own random thought here, and remember...I have a wooden spoon and I'm not afraid to use it.

My random thought:  Significant amounts of snow just screams for little boy foot prints.  The snow this morning called mightily to Turbo, and he didn't resist too hard.

Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Time for Tuesday's brain dump.  Keely hosts this to do so let's get to it.

• Last weekend Nick had control of the remote control and he stopped at Meet the Fockers.  Things were OK until the scene where the cat flushes the dog.  At that moment both boys lost their shit.  Turbo started crying and then Bruiser started getting upset.  I then decreed that that movie was off limits until both boys were, Oh I don't know, 25.  Not really my movie of choice.
• Got to go shopping this weekend with a real live friend--not my mom.  It was awesome!  I got stuff for Turbo and Bruiser and Nick for Christmas.  And got out of town and away from the guys for an entire day. Really, I can't remember the last time I was away from all the boys.  You know, it was before Bruiser was born.  Hard to get away form a nursing boy.  I tell you the day was glorious.  I need to do that more.
• I've mentioned that Turbo is going to New York for Thanksgiving but he leaves Saturday.  He's staying the night with Papa and Nana Friday night.  It gets more real every day.  I think he will be so busy he won't miss us, much.  I know I'll miss him, at least after the first couple of days. I hope he has a blast.
• Bruiser is talking more every day.  And getting more understandable all the time.  It's fun to hear his progression.  What's not so fun is his recent rejection of bedtime.  He sleeps OK, but getting there, the kid fights it all the way.
• I had a mole removed yesterday.  It was--not fun.  It still hurts and I got me lots of stitches out of it.  At least the mole won't catch on my bra any more--oh yeah the mole was at underwire level.  Some fun.
• The Capitol Christmas Tree was cut in Wyoming and is touring the state before going on to Washington.  It is here this afternoon.  We are taking to boys to see it.  Turbo got to help make ornaments to decorate it(all the school kids in Wyoming made ornaments) so we want him to see it come through town, to get an idea of how big it really is. 

Capitol Christmas tree leaving the Tetons.

So that about covers the random here.  Go see Keely, she's got lots more random at her place.

Meet Me on Monday

Java has Meet Me on Monday.  It's a get to know you kind of thing. I mean, no matter how well you think you know another blogger, what do you really know about them?
Anyponder, here are her questions:


1.  Do you eat Sushi?  No way!  I live entirely to far from the ocean to really trust sushi.  ALL fish is flown here, so is not truly fresh.  I might try it in a place where the fish can be fresh, but until then, nope not gonna do it.
2.  What kind of bath soap do you use?  Oh I have issues with bath soap.  I used to use Avon Skin so soft bath bar, but they stopped making it.  I have sensitive skin--the wrong stuff makes me itchy.  And I can't use Bath and Body works stuff.  I'm still searching for a soap that doesn't make me itch.  I might have found one0Olay, but I'm reserving judgment for a while longer.
3.  How often do you talk to your Mom?  Almost daily, she watches Bruiser three days a week and we often talk on the days she doesn't, but that doesn't mean we have to talk.  Love my mom to death, but she can make me crazy at the drop of a hat.
4.  What TV shows do you watch on a regular basis?  We watch Dirty Jobs, Bones, Mythbusters, NCIS, Pawn Stars, Swamp Loggers, Billy the Exterminator, What Not to Wear, and when we had BBC America, Top Gear.  Yeah the list is a bit guy show heavy, but then I live with lots of guys.  And we can't forget Scooby Doo in just about any form.
5.  Did you start Christmas shopping yet?  Yep.  I've shopped for Nick, Turbo and Bruiser.  I start collecting things about September/October.  Makes for less stress in December.  I just have to finish shopping for the boys, and take Turbo shopping for stuff for Nick and Bruiser.  Nick and I will have one major weekend when we will knock out most of the shopping.  Then Nick will spend the last weekend before Christmas shopping for me.  He's a typical guy and puts it off until the last moment--usually.  

Five Question Friday

 

1. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you? Kidney stones, hands down.  Giving birth was way better and I got a baby after to hold.  After the kidney stones passed, there was nothing to show for it.  I also got eight lovely days in the hospital too.

2. How much sleep do you get at night?  7-8 hours.  Most of the time.  Barring interruptions from little boys.

3. How long did you believe in Santa Claus? How did you find out that he does not exist?I was about 10.  I found out by listening in on the p[hone call between my mom and her then boyfriend (who later became my step-dad) talk about what he had picked up for my brother and my stockings.  My brother was four and a half years younger than I, so I kept up the pretense for quite a while longer.  In my husband's family, Santa still leaves presents under the tree for all of us.  We don't argue with Santa.

4. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?  This is sad but it was Ice Age 2.  I just can't see laying out $25 to go to the movies.  Turbo got to go see second runs movies last summer through a PTA program.  He had a lot of fun.

5. What do you wear to bed?  A large T-shirt and capri pants.  I have to have cotton around my legs, but hate long pajama pants--they end up balled around my knees anyway, so I just wear capri pants--yoga style ones I found.  And yes it's a totally sexy look--don't take my delusion away from me.  In summer the top is a tank top and the top matches the bottom--mostly.

Go link with Mama M and answer the questions for your self.

Spin Cycle--Perfection

The topic this week is perfection.  The perfect day, figure, mate, or which ever way you want to go.

Perfect.  The word has lots of meanings.  My favorite way to use it is when things have gone perfectly wrong as in "Perfect, just perfect!" said with just the right amount of irony.
Nick and I have a saying--good enough for government work.  It means perfect is not necessary--doing enough to get by works sometimes.  There are things I could do better but I'm so not perfect (or motivated).  The perfect mom is, well, boring.  And I'm sure if I tried to be a perfect mom, Turbo would think I most definitely was not.
So, I'm content in my imperfection.  It makes me interesting and fun.  How boring would it be to read a blog about the perfect mom?  Endless discussion about what I was doing "right", how wonderful my kids were, how perfect my home, family and life was?  Not real scintillating reading.  It's the flaws and foibles that make for interesting reading. 
It's kind of like going down the highway--boring when nothing is going on but everyone stops, or at least slows down to look at the accident.  No one wants to hear about how well things are going(over and over again) but everyone like to hear about the funny embarrassing thing that your kid said at just the wrong time, or the crazy thing you did to keep from going nuts watching another episode of kiddie television.

Now I'll leave you with a view of a perfect day for Nick and I:

Just hanging outdoors.  With the family.  Works for us any time.

Now go be perfect readers and see Jen at Sprite's Keeper for more spins on perfection.

Wednesday Hodgepogde

 

Joyce at From This Side of the Pond has started this new hop.  It's sort of random, and looks like a lot of fun.  And since my brain is still not really caught up from the time change this works.

1. Do you think you're more like your mom or your dad?  I look like my dad, and try not to act too much like my mom.  I don't really know my dad--he died when I was three months old.  But looking at pictures of him, I definitely look like him.  My personality is not really much like my mom's but we do have some similar interests.

2. Do you like roller coasters?  As long at they strap me in well, I love them.  If it's just a bar across my lap--not so much.

3. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you'd thought about it maybe another five minutes before you hit publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? (French makes everything sound a little nicer doesn't it?)  I named my blog because I live with all guys. I was originally thinking I'd use something like swimming in a sea of testosterone, but that one was taken and so I came up with The Testosterone Three and me.  It works well for my life and nope, wouldn't change it at all.

4. What is the best wedding gift you received? Not married? Didn't get any gifts? Then what is the best wedding gift you've given?  Most of the wedding gifts have moved on by now--but we still use the serving trays and toaster.  We really didn't get much that was exciting.  I can tell you the worst wedding gift we got.  It was extremely large margarita glasses, and wine glasses.  The margarita glasses were huge. See:

 

The wine glasses are about ten inches high and green too.  They are gaudy and would hold a bottle of wine easy.  Not really our style.  We gave the margarita glasses away long ago, but the wine things are still in the cupboard.  Not sure why.

5. What is the one bill you most hate to pay?  The water bill.  It's so necessary and so overpriced. 

6. Is the glass half full or half empty?  Depends on the day.  Sometimes it's half full, but that can change.  Some days are just half empty.  What's nice is the Nick and I rarely have days that coincide, if I'm half empty, he's half full and vise versa. Works out quite nicely.

7. What is your favorite word? Okay okay. Calm down. How about one of your favorite words?  My favorite word?  It would have to be anything Bruiser says--Boot, two, mom!, daddy, any thing that he says that we can understand.

8. Now, this is where you insert one random thought of your own...maybe something that struck you as funny, something that recently had you scratching your head in confusion, something that annoyed you a teensy bit, something on your to do list, something you are looking forward to, whatever. As long as it is in keeping with the friendly tone we've all come to know and love on Wednesdays then we're good. Don't make me get out my wooden spoon. I think I'll have to go with something I'm thankful for.  I'm thankful for my husband.  He is supportive, encouraging, loving and the best guy hands down.  And he's all mine.  I'm a lucky girl.  Love you honey!

Now go link up with Joyce and toss up your own hodgepodge.

Random Tuesday

 
Time to throw out those random thoughts and let you make what you will of them.

• Saturday evening we were watching TV and Nick and Turbo were  arguing discussing something and the discussion devolved to yes/no.  Turbo all of a sudden started saying ossoput, ossoput and Nick and I looked at each other and were like--What the ...?  Turbo stumbled over the word and kept saying ossoput.  Then I finally got what he was trying to say--opposite.  He meant that what Nick was saying--no--should be yes--opposite.  The kid could not get the right combination of syllables out.  I laughed for a good five minutes.  He is still having trouble with opposite (the word, not the meaning).
• I went for a blood draw this morning.  Time for the annual check up.  I'm having some moles removed on Thursday.  Not the most fun, but they get in the way.
• Turbo is going to New York for Thanksgiving.  He leaves on the 20th.  He's excited, but I think he's not really sure what it all entails.  The largest city he's been too was Tampa and we spent most of that trip on the beach in Clearwater.  New York is a whole different thing.  He'll have a blast, but I'm sure there will be a bit of missing mom and dad.  This will be the longest he's been away from us.  He's going with the grandparents and staying with his uncle, but still.  He'll be back on the 30th.
• And the weather goes all to pot on us.
• Bruiser keeps trying to talk to us.  He is getting more out, intelligibly.  But now he thinks two means more.  Kind of funny to hear twoooo when he wants more candy, another Scooby doo show, more snacks, etc.
• The time change has kicked our butts.  I really wish they would just leave the time alone.
• And we have snow.  3-5 inches expected today.  I think I'm ready.  It's wet and slippery out now.  Accidents are waiting to happen later.  Never fails when you mix college kids who have never seen snow and cars.  Let the slip-sliding begin.

And now go see Keely, ya scurvy lot.  She's got Zombie poetry and pirates.  You can't go wrong with that. 

Monday Minute and Meet Me on Monday

Time for the Monday Minute with Cristy.

(1) What's for dinner tonight?  I'm not sure.  We have lots of left overs, so something with leftovers.

(2) Have you ever been stung by a bee or a wasp?  Yeah, on my foot.  One got in the car and landed on my foot and stung me.  Another time I was walking through the Zoo and had one hit my wrist and sting me.

(3) What time do you go to sleep every evening?  I try to go around 10:00pm.

(4) What's your favorite ice cream flavor?  It's a toss up.  It kind of depends on my mood.  I like butter pecan but I also like rocky road.  And this time of year, peppermint is really good too.

(5) If you could have one power, what would it be?  I think I'd have to go with magic--like what Harry Potter has, cause there is so much you can do with it.  

And I'm doubling up and doing Meet me on Monday with Java at Never Growing Old.
So with this one the aim is to get to know our fellow bloggers better.  And here goes:
1.  What is your favorite kind of pie?  I love blueberry pie.  I don't get it very often but I do love it.
2.  Have you ever ran out of gas in the car you were driving?  Only once when I was driving.  It was when I was in college.  The fuel injector went out in my car and I was trying to limp it into town and ran out of gas about 5 miles out side of a blink you miss it town here in Wyoming.  The snow plow driver stopped for me and gave me a ride into the little town and two girls who were headed the same way I was gave me a ride back to my car.
3.  How many languages do you speak?  One well--English. I have a smattering of Spanish and a bit of German but I can't really say I speak them.
4.  Do you take daily vitamins?  No.  I'm awful at remembering them.  I try really hard with the kids but I can't remember to take them.
5.  What is your worst eating habit? I snack on salty foods.  They're not good for me but I love to nibble--especially sunflower seeds.  My kidneys don't like the salt.  Makes them make stones--ouch!

Spin Cycle--Trick or Treat?!

So Jen's assignment this week is to show the trick or treating fun.  I'll show the duck:

And the Viking a.k.a. Hiccup:

AND then I'll show Mom, a.k.a. Viking wench:

No shots of Dad, Viking but he looked great.
And then the few(OK very few) pictures of the trick or treating madness.  I got single duty at the downtown trick or treat because Nick had to make a hole in the wall of the basement to vent the dryer outside.  So I didn't get lots of pictures because I was trying to navigate the stroller and try not to lose Turbo (almost failed, we did get separate for a short time and it was enough to nail Turbo to my side for the rest of the morning).  Here are those pictures:

Here we have a tired, sticky duck.

Turbo, fishing for toys in the carnival like ares that was set up in a sort of park downtown.

Success, more candy to add to the haul.

Now if I can get Turbo's camera uploaded there will be pictures of Turbo trick or treating.  If not, well, rest assured that he got way too much candy and turned in half of it for a video game.  Good times were had by all.  Although next year I think we get to take Bruiser out for the trick or treat portion of the program.
No go on Turbo's camera--it needs a CD and the netbook won't talk to those.  I'll keep trying.
Now go see Jen at Sprite's Keeper for more trick or treating fun.

I did It!

I made it one whole year with this whole blogging thing.  My first post ever is here.
It's been a wonderful adventure.  I've met so great people.  From my first commenter--Jen from Sprite's Keeper--to the 114 followers I have now, I had so much fun this last year.
I've won prizes, gotten to rant a bit, and opened my self up.  It's been good for me.
I'm pretty shy in real life and have a hard time making friends.  And in my town, keeping friends is even more difficult--cause they change out every 4-5 years(college town).   I'm looking forward to the next year and seeing where this adventure takes me.  It's been great so far.

So thanks for all the support, therapy and good times.  The smiles from the comments make the whole day better.

Pour Your Heart Out

 
I'm going to serve up a bit more mom guilt this week.
This time it has to do with my second child.  Bruiser is a wonderful kid.  But I always feel just a bit guilty because he gets so many hand-me-downs. Clothes, toys and on occasion attention.
I don't want him to feel short changed but we have to be economical and the clothes and toys Turbo played with are still good and Bruiser doesn't really know the difference--yet.  As for attention, well, he's getting good at demanding his share.
But every now and then I feel guilty because I remember Turbo wearing or playing with something and think that Bruiser will never have/do new stuff--Turbo will have done it all first.
I'm not really sure how to deal with this--I was older and all I had was a younger brother.  Hand-me-downs don't work the same with brothers and sisters.
Of course, Bruiser is very much his own kid.  He is pushy and demanding and he will not let us forget he is himself.  I still don't know what to get him for Christmas.  Other than a stuffed Scooby Doo.   The kid loves him some Scooby Doo.  But when Turbo was that age, we got him Thomas stuff--and all that stuff is sitting in the attic waiting for him to get old enough to play with it.  And so far he has not shown any interest in Thomas, trains, or anything like that.  So what do you do to keep things fresh for the second time around kid?  This has me a bit baffled.
My other problem is that I keep trying to compare the boys--Turbo did this, and look now Bruiser is doing this. Bruiser is doing that and Turbo did that.  I find myself looking for differences between the boys, just to, I don't know--prove they are different?  I know they are different but when Bruiser does something I don't remember Turbo doing it always sort of surprises me.  And then I feel a bit guilty for feeling surprised.
So, I deal daily with mom guilt--don't we all?I just do my best with what I'm given and hope my boys turn out all right.  What else can you do?

Go see Shell at Things I Can't Say for more Pour Your Heart Out posts.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Time for Random Tuesday Thoughts.  So here we go--Random:

• We survived Halloween.  Turbo made out like a bandit and then traded what he couldn't eat for a Scooby Doo video game.  He has spacers and sticky foods don't do well with them.  He is thrilled with his game and had a great time taking candy from strangers Sunday night.
• We had our usual dozen or so beggars at our door and Bruiser helped to give out candy--next year he is going to have to be in on the getting part--'cause there is candy, man!  He kind of got the hint. 
• Turbo got a good grade from the dentist-so score one for Turbo.
• I cannot find comfortable socks.  They just get too tight around my ankles, or they get so loose they are not comfortable.  Socks suck.
• Soap makes me itch--on my legs where I use it to shave my legs.   Avon was making a bar soap that I could use, but they stopped.  Now I have to find one that works and doesn't take a great amount of effort to get my hands on.  No easy task here in the back of beyond.  Any suggestions would be appreciated. 
•  I am surprisingly close to my blogoversary, uh blogaversary, umm, OK it's been almost a year I have been sharing my little crazy corner of the world with the rest of you.  Thursday will be the day actually. 
• And the crazy weather ups and downs have started here, which means that migraine season has started for me.  Yes, dramatic drops in barometric pressure cause migraine for me--some fun.  Hormones play a part too--didn't you just want to know that?  Anyway this is the time of year when I watch the weather and hope that I don't get a head exploding migraine.  I've had one so far this fall.  At least mine are survivable with Aleve.

Well that about covers my random for this week.  Go see Keely--she's baaack!