Friday Confessions

The weekend is upon us again.  I really can't wait for Friday to be done--well at least for going home from work time to come.  That's when the weekend really starts.  But before that I get to confess so I have a clean slate for the weekend.
I confess:

• I have not gotten my vlog done.
• I keep forgetting to do it when I get home.
• Too much other stuff demanding attention.
• I really am sorry for not getting it done--it's a fun thing to do.
• The dust rhinos are charging the boys again.
• That means I have to make up with the vacuum.
• It's been pouting because I keep ignoring it.
• I keep hoping that it will turn to Nick for company.
• No such luck.
• I have cooked dinner every night this week.
• And I've gotten few groans for the offered menu from the guys.
• So score one for me!
• I'm tired.
• I really want a nap this weekend--maybe two.

So what do you have to confess?  Link it up with Mamarazzi and confess away!

Spin Cycle--Traditions

Tradition.  That thing you do every time because you've always done it that way.  The holidays are chock full of them.  Some you do with your extended family, some you do with your immediate family.  It's funny just how many traditions revolve around holidays, not just Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Easter has it's set traditions--eggs, baskets, big dinner with the family.  Church is involved for some people.  Then there is Valentines Day with it's chocolate, flowers, romantic meal.  I've talked about our seafood feast for New Years.  WE have started doing a appetizer feast for the Superbowl.  And for the Fourth of July we have made it a tradition since Bruiser was born to go camping.
But there are smaller traditions.  Some do Sunday dinner with family.  Others have a family game night.  I had a hard time pinning down the smaller traditions, some might call them habits.  I go grocery shopping on Saturday morning--early.  Nick always throws a roll of toilet paper in the car before a road trip.  We always go to the mountains and check out the fall colors.  My mom always comes over and helps us cut up the wild meat we have harvested (she usually cuts herself in the process but we try not to make that a tradition).
Some of these could be called tradition, some could be called habits.  I think it's really a fine line between the two.
There are traditions I'd like to start.  I'd like to do a family game night.  I'm better aiming for once a month at this point.  Schedules are just too nuts to try for once a week.  When I was working part time, I went to lunch with my mom most Fridays.  It was a nice way to reconnect and talk.  Now that I work full time we don't get to do that any more.  Time to figure out a new tradition.
I do have a tradition that I have been observing for almost a year now.  Wednesday night is Girl's Night Out.  I go out with at least one friend--others have joined us as schedules permit--and we have a drink--no guys, no kids, just grown up lady talk.  It has done wonders for my attitude.
So what are your habits, traditions, big and small, or what ever you want to call them.  Spin it up and link up with Jen at Sprite's Keeper.

WWTK--Food, Food, Food

Time to answer it up and link it up with Mamarazzi and Queso!
This week is all about food.  Since I love food and cooking this one is right up my alley.

1. What is one thing (food or drink) that you must have everyday?  It used to be sunflower seeds, because I nibbled on them when I read.  I don't get to read near as much any more so there really is not anything that I must have. I never got hooked on coffee, me and caffeine don't get along so well.
2. What is your one "go to" food when you don't feel well/need comfort?  When I don't feel good, like upset stomach, I turn to saltines and seven up.  For comfort there's always chocolate.
3. Is there a dish that you make that people request when they visit your home/a family favorite?  We don't get visitors all that often but a few family favorites are Chicken Cordon Blue, Clam Chowder and Chuckwagon Pork Ribs. For an easy dinner we love to do Italian Sausage and green or red peppers with noodles.  Now I'm getting hungry.
4. What are 3 foods you have TRIED and do not like and will never eat again?  Liver(in any form), raw onions (cooked are OK), and my mom's apple raisin dressing.   Now I'm not so hungry.
5. What's one thing that you love to eat that most people would think is weird and/or gross? (question from Dee @ HomesickCajun)  When I was younger I liked to eat dry cake mix. I also like wild meat--antelope, deer and elk.  We use it in place of beef for a lot of things. 

So let us know your food quirks.

Talkin' Tuesday Randomness

Well let's random it up people.  Throw those random thoughts out there and call it a post--easy right?

• We are creeping closer to trying the potty training thing with Bruiser.  I'm scared.  He has the idea, maybe, but the actual practice, not so much.  I think I keep hoping for magic to happen and surprise, he knows how.  I'm not having much luck with that one.
• I'm going to put my recipes into a database in an effort to be able to start making menus we can follow.  This is called organization.  I'm not sure I'm ready for this one.
• Mmm, wine.
• I totally forgot about the monthly Vlog with Mamarazzi and Shawn.  I guess I'll have to try to do it tonight.  Things have just gotten so busy.  Lame excuse but it's all I've got.
• I wear dish gloves when ever I do dishes.  They let me use hotter water and saves my poor thin nails from getting completely wrecked by the water.  I really hate to do dishes without gloves.
• There is construction on the campus where I work.  There has been all summer.  The sound of large and small machinery is enough to give me a headache.

Well that's about it for my random.  Go see Stacy for more.

I'm also linking up for Talk to Us Tuesday with Shawn and Impulsive Addict.

What's Happening?

So, how was your weekend?  Relaxing, busy, eventful?  Or was it just another two days off that went too fast?
Ours was all of the above.
Saturday was a day when we got a lot done.  I did laundry--yes, I danced with the laundry and it wasn't too bad.  I also washed the windows.  Nick got the ladder back and I was able to get to the top of the outside of our windows.  They hadn't been washed for about two years.  I can get to everything on the windows from inside but the top of the outside.  So we now have windows we can see clearly out of again.
In the afternoon, Nick and I dropped the kids off at my mom's for an overnight.  It was Bruiser's first overnight away from us.  From the sounds of things it didn't go too bad.
We went home and settled down to watch the Wyoming/Nebraska game.  We expected to get annihilated but the game was actually pretty good.  We lost, but that was a given since Nebraska in 9th in the nation.  Wyoming played better than most expected.  It looks to be a good season this year.
Then early Saturday morning Nick and I got up and bundled up and headed out hunting.  This year I put in for  an antelope hunting license.  So we spent Sunday morning chasing antelope.  We finally found one in the right place and the right distance and not too far from the truck and I was able to shoot it.  We now have one antelope we can put in our freezer for the winter.  In a couple of weeks Nick will head out to get his.
After the work of getting my antelope skinned and hung to cool, we were pretty much done for the weekend. The rest of Sunday went by far too quickly.  Two days never seems like enough.  Monday rushes up to meet us like a long lost frenemy.  I really wish Monday would learn to be a stranger.
Hope everyone had a refreshing weekend and that Monday's appearance isn't too bad.

Friday Confessions--Frogs, Laundry and Swapping

How can it be Friday again?  This last week flew by.  It started off badly, but it did get better.  Now it's time to confess again with Mamarazzi.
And away we go:

• The laundry is bugging me for attention again.  
• I swear it's as bad as a toddler.
• I should know, I've got one of those running around right now.
• Bruiser made me giggle this week.
• I burped in front of him. (Hey, I live with guys, burping is the nicest thing that happens.)
• Bruiser looked at me after I burped and said "You have a frog in your throat!"
• I guess it did sort of sound like a frog croaking, maybe.
• It made me laugh.
• The new movie coming out--A Dolphin Tale--we've been to the aquarium where they have that dolphin.
• I'm way excited about the halloween swap I've joined.
• Can't wait to find out my partner.
• With all the great ladies, who ever I get will be awesome!
• I got a tetanus shot on Monday and my shoulder still hurts.
• I needed one though.  It's been like 25 years since I had one.
• I know I'm not fond of the changes that Facebook made.
• Blogger is trying out a new interface too.  
• I tried it and I was not thrilled with it.
• So I switched back.
• I'll change when they make me.
• I joined Google+.
• Don't have a lot of friends yet.  
• Find me, add me to a circle. (Shameless plea for friends, I know).

I've confessed enough that the weekend will feel pretty good.  Now to go have fun.  You should go link your confessions with Mamarazzi.  I did ;)

Spin cycle--Morals

Jen picked the topic of morals for this week's spin cycle.  Geez, go for the sticky topic, Jen.
So morals.  In today's world, does it seem like morals are maybe a bit lacking?  There's always someone else to blame, it's somebody else's fault, and no one takes responsibility for anything.
In our house we are trying to raise boys that will take responsibility.  Own up to their mistakes, and their actions.  And live with the consequences.  It's not easy.
The easy way would to let them become selfish, self serving little monsters.  But then I couldn't stand to be around them. So we are teaching the morals we appreciate to them:

• treat others as you would want to be treated
• treat things that aren't yours better than you treat your own stuff
• tell the truth
• take the consequences with grace
• do what you say you will 
• be courteous

Mostly we are trying to teach them not to be little heathens.  It is an interesting process.  Bruiser still hasn't totally caught on to the whole saying please thing.  If he wants something he asks for demands it.  If we tell him to ask nicely, he will say Nicely? I can have it?  Not quite what we were going for.  

I guess all we can hope for is that when they are not around us that they act like presentable children.  I know I was always relieved when I heard from teachers and other mothers that Turbo was a good kid.  Something must be sinking in.

Not much of a spin, but there you have it.  Go see Jen at Sprite's Keeper for more spins on morals.

Halloween Swapping!

The lovely Beth at Living a Goddess Life and Miss Angie at My So-Called Chaos are hosting a Halloween swap.  A chance to send out Halloween goodies and get some in return, and I don't even hav eto knock on any doors?  Count me in!

If you want in on the goodies go see one of the lovely hosts and sign up.  It's easy and fun.

WWTK--TV edition

And here we are again at Wednesday.  Pretty cool how the days just keep following one another.
Anyway, it's time to do the We Want to Know Wednesday thing again with Mamarazzi and Queso.
Queso wants to know:

1. What is your MUST SEE show?  My must see show is Mythbusters.  Living in a house of guys, I don't get girly TV with out lots of protest.  I really do like What Not to Wear, but don't get to watch it all that often.  Thank goodness for the DVR.
2. What shows are you most excited to watch this season?  I'm sort of interested in Pan-Am.  I'm looking forward to Bones. I will probably only see Bones.  I just sort of forget about network TV.
3. How many hours a week do you actually watch tv?  It's an embarrassing number.  20+ a week, depending on the weather and how much my allergies will let me be outside.
4. Do you think tv has gotten too "racy" (vulgar, pushing the limit, etc)?  Some TV is definitely racier, some TV is definitely gorier.  What I miss is fun family programming that speaks to adults and kids.
5. How many tvs do you have in your house?  We have five TVs.  But only three are hooked up to the satellite.  The others have DVD players.  But no TVs in the boys' bedrooms.  There is one in our bedroom but not the boys.  That is one that I won't do.

So that's my answers.  Go see Mamarazzi and Queso for other responses.  Link up--it's fun!

Talkin' Tuesday randoms

Random it up folks!  Stacy has kept the party going so link up your random.

• Piper is doing fine.  She looks a bit alien kitty with her cone of shame on, but she is doing so much better.
• The doctor trip was uneventful.  I did get a tetanus shot.  So that was fun-ish. 
• The weather has decided that we need summer temps during the day, but at night--yeah, still doing the fall thing.
• Anyone got any perk up ideas--except caffeine.  Caffeine and I don't play well together.  Or rather it wants my company when I would rather be sleeping.  Any other ideas to perk up would be appreciated by everyone in my house.  Happy mom makes for happy family.
• Bruiser has taken to saying sweet when he is excited about something.  It's pretty cute to hear a two year old saying sweet with all the proper inflection.
• Given that Target was swamped over the new collection, I know I'm in the minority, but that Missoni stuff is kind of 70s and, in my opinion, ugly.
• I do enjoy chai tea.  However I don't enjoy paying so much for a small one.  Back to making my own.
• September seems to be speeding by.  I'm not sure I'm ready for October.  The boys are.  They keep taking about Halloween and what they want to be.  Turbo is thinking about being a mad scientist.  We are toying with making Bruiser Frankenstein to go with him.  Or maybe we will make Bruiser be a deviled egg--a yolk pinned to his shirt or colored on and devil horns to wear.  The ideas are flowing.

OK.  That's is for me.  Got see Stacy, she who is leading the random on.

And I'm joining in for talk to me Tuesday with Seriously Shawn and Impulsive Addict.

Monday, Monday...

So, it's Monday.  And it has truly been a Monday.  I got to take the cat to the vet.  I get to go in for a wellness check today so, doctor visit, yay?  I didn't sleep last night.  At least Bruiser was in a good mood this morning.
As for our weekend, well, I didn't really do much at all.  Nick cleaned up our driveway.  The backyard work with the pavers produced a large amount of extra dirt, which had been piled in the driveway.  Nick got it moved and the driveway cleaned up--it looks great.  I succeeded in eliminating the dust rhinos.  Not much of a comparison, but I did rearrange the living room too.  We had to unearth the heat vent.  Yes it is time to turn the furnace on again here.
Sunday morning my mom came and watched the kids so Nick and I could go four wheeling.  It was fun and good to get out.  The stink of it is that all weekend I was extra irritable and out of sorts.  I don't know why, but gah, I could not work up excitement, or even happiness really.
To make things even more fun, on Saturday evening, I noticed a sore and swollen place on Piper's right jaw.  We think she got in a scrap with a neighborhood cat and got an abscess.  The place got puffier and puffier and she has lost the hair in that area.  Last night some of it drained, but it still looked nasty this morning, so off to the vet she went.
So with feeling all out of sorts and worrying about Piper, I didn't really sleep last night.  So, yeah, Monday.  Wish it were any other day but today.

Much rather be hanging out in the yard with these guys.

On a brighter note I won the Funny Blogger award over at Leigh vs. the Laundry.  Go check it out!

Fess up Friday, a.k.a. Friday Confession

So time to spill it.  All tht stuff you don't usually tell, well tell it now and feel so much better.  I know I do.  Mamarazzi hosts this party and loves to have people play along.
My confessions:

• I know I said I was a domestic goddess last weekend.
• However I stood up the vacuum.
• It just didn't talk a good enough game.
• This weekend I have to agree to a date.
• The dust rhinos are charging the boys and it's getting ugly.
• I'm so over insomnia.
• It's evidently not over me.
• Why do I feel like such a bad guy whenever I make Turbo read?
• It's not like reading is foreign to him (I read all the time), he just doesn't like it.
• That breaks my heart just a little bit.
• OK, maybe a lot.
• I keep hoping to find the key to turn that will help him love it.
• So far no luck.
• I'm going to keep trying.
• Bruiser, on the other hand, sleeps with books right now.
• Is it bad that I'm longing for the first snow?
• I really want to see the end of the allergies.
• I'm tired of taking allergy meds--I either turn into a zombie or they just take the edge off the drippiness in my nose.
• Come on snow!

And on that slightly nutty confession, I'll tell you to head on over and see Mamarazzi and the other confessors for this week.

Magic Moments--It's the little things

Capturing magic moments is what taking pictures is all about.  Shell over at Things I Can't Say is having a contest.  She want us to share our magic moment we've caught on film, digital memory, whatever.
Here are some of my magic moments:

Brothers!

The perfect goofiness of a summer afternoon.

Gotcha!

Diving in with both hands!

It's Bruiser!  Jazz hands and all!

Turbo and his 'mohawk'

Magic moments happen by design and by accident.  I think I like the accidental ones better.

Spin Cycle--Breaking the rules?

Jen's topic for the Spin Cycle is rules.  Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker?

I have always been a rule follower--as long as I knew what the rules were.  Authority figures intimidated me in school, so I did everything I was supposed to.  I was a good girl in grade school, middle school and high school.  It helped that I was a nerd/bookworm with next to no social life.
But when I got to college, I found out that there were rules but they were easy to bend and even break.  I just had to be careful not to get caught.  The first time I skipped class I was sure I was going to be caught--but since the class had around 300 people in it, my absence was not even noticed.  Well, I noticed it when I took the test, but that was about it.  I did learn that grades were a direct reflection of class attendance, most of the time.  College was also the time where I got to date, party, got to football games and shhh, I even drank, some.  That was definitely breaking the rules.  But I was smart and lucky enough to not get caught.  I had a few years where I broke a few rules, but I had fun.
Once I got out of school those bill things started to follow me around.  Being an adult leads to following some rules anyway.  Those rules are different from when you are a kid but the same principal applies.  Follow the rules, bend what you can, don't get caught.  At least as long as you don't want to live in a 4x6 room with lovely bars for decoration.
So I'm back to being a rule follower, mostly.  I bend few rules every now and then, but most of the rules I bend rules are ones I've made myself.
I'm trying to teach to little boys to follow the rules too.  It's a thankless job.  Breaking the rules is so much more fun.  Or not even knowing about the rules, that's even better to a small boy.  But Nick and I are trying to instill the notion that following the rules is easier in the long run.  After all, it's easier to get away with breaking the rules when you know what they are.
Go see Jen for more spins on rules--it's a rule!

WWTK--Road Trip!

So it time to do We Want To Know again with Mamarazzi and Queso.  It is Wednesday after all.  This week the questions come courtesy of Mamarazzi:

1. What are 3 must haves for a long road trip?  Well this depends on whether the boys are coming with us.  If it's just Nick and I, we need to have music, a book to read, and drinks and snacks.  With the boys, a book to read aloud that we can all hear (Harry Potter is the go to choice right now), the DVD player and a selection of movies, road games, and the ever necessary food and drinks.  I think that's four but really, try traveling with two small boys with less.
2. What was the destination of your most recent road trip?  Define road trip.  The most recent short one took us to a lake to camp--a trip of about 2.5 hours.  The most recent long one took us over 5 hours from home to go camping with friends over the Fourth.  And the amazing thing was we never left our home state for either trip.
3. What do you miss most about home when on a road trip?  My own comfortable bed.
4. What is the furthest you have traveled on a road trip?  When Turbo was almost two we packed up and we drove to the Grand Canyon.  We stopped on the way at Arches and saw Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Dinosaur National Monument.  The trip took five days.  We plan on going back to visit when the boys are older.  The whole trip was probably around 1200 miles.  Oh wait, there was the trip to San Antonio--19 hours one way.  That I think qualifies as the longest road trip Nick and I have taken.
5. Will you "stop for the largest ball of twine, etc." or are you a "hurry and get there" road tripper?  It depends on the type of trip we are taking.  With the boys we are more stop and see the playground type people right now.  Sometimes you just have to let little boys stretch out some.  I like to think we would go see some of those road side attractions given the opportunity.  Of course being geologists we can be depended on to stop to look at really cool road cuts at any moment.

So there you have it, some of our road trip quirks.  We love a good road trip, even if the destination is only the mountains outside of town.  We love going road hunting--finding roads we haven't driven down and seeing where they take us.

Colorful Goodness!

So Becca at Everyday Life really came through for my swap package.  Wanna see?  Of course you do!

All wrapped up so neat.

All the good stuff and Bruiser too!

Such awesome green stuff!

A yummy candle and green nail polish!

A very cute pot frog and a huge green pen (that was a hit with both boys).

A Family sign and a great plaque--It will be headed to my office.

A fabulous tote bag and green M&M socks.

If you couldn't guess my fav color was green.  Becca did a fantastic job picking out some wonderful green stuff.  So after all that great stuff--what did you get?

Random Tuesday--Why?

So it's time to throw those random thoughts out there and call it a post.  So here goes:

• Why do boys get stinky?  Turbo, well let's just say the boy is bathing a lot more often the last couple of months.  
• Why do small boys find the one thing that will drive a mom straight up the wall and proceed to do it over and over and over again? It's not that what they find to do is so much fun, but it sure drives me nuts.
• Why are my allergies so bad this fall?  This might correlate to how bad they were this spring.  I hate allergies.
• Why is 2 am the magic hour for insomnia for me?  I'm not really fond of 2 am.  Oh, it was fun to stay up til then when I was younger--BC(before Children)--but now, I never stay up that late.  Maybe it misses my company?  I can't imagine why, there are plenty of other people to keep it company in my college town.
• Why does having a routine make the evenings that much easier?  In summer routine goes out the window, but with shorter days, a routine just sort of comes naturally.  not on the weekends, but that's another story.
• Why is it so hard to lose that last five pounds?  It's so easy to put on.
• Why do I get a feeling of satisfaction from doing the dishes and laundry and getting it all done?  They only start to accumulate immediately after I finish, but getting them "done" feels so good.  (Or I try to tell myself that.)
• Why does it feel so good to get a package--an actual package in the mail?  I got my swap package and it was awesome!

And on that high note I'm off.
Go see Stacy for more random.


And I'm also linking with Shawn at Seriously Shawn and Impulsive Addict for Talk To Us Tuesday.

Domestic Goddess, Who's That?

I gave my best impression of a Domestic Goddess this weekend.  I summitted the laundry mountain and conquered the whole thing.  I got through the dishes that had multiplied in the dark. I even got the bathroom upstairs mostly clean.  I did not get the vacuum out though.  I hid inside as much as I could due to some nasty seasonal allergies.  I cleaned the kitchen, refrigerator (although not as far as cleaning shelves, I just got rid of the science experiments going on in there.  Some of that stuff was on the verge of reaching for me) and got clothes organized in Turbo's room--long sleeves into the drawers and tanks and shorts put away for the year.

Nick spent this weekend painting trim outside at my mom's house.  This is something owed her from last summer.  She is tickled at the progress.  There's really not much left to do.  And that's a good thing as Nick hates painting.  Unless it's painting pictures.  That he enjoys, when he finds the time and motivation.

Turbo had a birthday party and sleep over at the neighbors house.  He had a lot of fun and is quite tired this morning.  I think he had a good weekend.  I do have one thing about Turbo, he's hit that stinky age. He doesn't need deodorant yet, but wow does he get stinky.  The poor kid is going to get waterlogged with all the baths and showers he's taking, just so we can be around him.  He seems to be doing about average in school.  He's got spelling, math, reading, science, music, art, and P.E.  So far he's keeping up and his hand writing is getting better.  I think it helps that he is in a small class this year--there are only 10 kids in his class.  We will see what the rest of the year brings.

Bruiser, what to say about Bruiser?  He has discovered Football and wants to watch it all the time.  He spent Saturday evening on the back porch listening to the college game with his dad.  We won so that made it fun.  He does not like to be called names like sugar, honey, cuddle bear, he insists that he is Bruiser.  Sometimes he will be a dog, kitty, or monkey.  Monkey is the only name he will allow me to call him, other than his name.  He is developing definite ideas about what he wants to wear, eat, and go.  He tries desperately to keep up with Turbo.  Turbo is pretty tolerant of this--most of the time.  Really he is a typical two year old.  Right down to the tantrums he throws.  Although most tantrums are not anger related, they are of the heart break type.  Those really kick my sympathy in the rear.

And that covers an update on the family.  This last weekend nothing major happened, but it was a good weekend anyway.  Now to manage the week and get to the next weekend.  Hopefully we get to do something more weekendish.  How was your weekend?

Friday Fess Up

Time to confess my sins, wrongdoings, crimes, transgressions, misdeeds, faults, yeah, I'll go with faults.  The rest just sound so bad, and really as a mom with a full-time job I just don't have the time to be having that much fun.
So here we go:

• Time to dance with the laundry again.
• I've turned down it's offers long enough.
• It's terribly persistent.
• I'm just going to have to dance and get it over with (for a while anyway).
• I'm excited to send out my package for Mamarazzi's Favorite Color swap.
• I've got some great stuff picked out.
• Now I just hope she likes it. (that's the insecure part of me, wish I could shut her up)
• I really look forward to my GNO on Wednesdays.  
• We don't stay out late or drink lots, but it is fun to be away from small boys for a bit.
• I'm not a big fan of football.
• Bruiser is shaping up to be one though.
• Poor kid.
• Neither Nick nor I are football fans.
• We only watch the Superbowl and the occasional college game if Wyoming is playing.
• This will probably change.
• Bruiser will demand it.
• I guess I can get used to looking at shiny tushes on the screen. 
• Hey, I don't really know much else about the game.  But I can appreciate the athletes!
• I hate insomnia and allergies.  
• Neither is nice to me and they both overstay their welcome.

OK that covers what I'm telling this week.  Go see Mamarazzi for all the other dirt this week.

Brothers

So this week is a picture essay.  I usually do those to describe what we've been doing but let's see if I can stretch a bit.
I've got two boys.  Turbo, 8, and Bruiser 2.  Very different ages, but they do manage to act like brothers.

Hi there, new kid on the block.

Working on being best buds.

He's my hero!

Bathing buddies.

I got this.

Snuggling is the best.

The tickling goes both ways.

This way I am tall!

Happy Birthday Turbo--love you! Now you're gonna share, right!?

Brothers...

...Buddies.

But sometimes there is too much "love".

 Enjoy more photo essays at Sprite's Keeper.

WWTK--Early Holiday Edition

Wednesday.  Hmm, sorta feels like Tuesday.  Short weeks always mess with my sense of the days of the week.  Any way, it is Wednesday and that means it time to do We Want To Know with Mamarazzi and Queso.
This week's questions are from Queso:

1. What is your favorite holiday?  I have to say I love New Years Eve the best.  And not for the parties.  It's the holiday that we spend together as family, just the four of us and no one else.
2. Do you have any fun holiday traditions?  What are they?  Why, yes, yes we do.  It's for New Year's Eve.  We do a seafood afternoon/evening.  We start with appetizers around 2, then have the next course around 5 and the last course around 8.  This way we get to eat lots and lots of seafood without the over full feeling (and clean up between each course is much easier than trying to get it to all get done at the same time).  This tradition started when I was pregnant with Bruiser.  I was about 8 months that New Year's and would never have been able to eat a big meal all at once so we spread it out over the afternoon and evening and like it so much we have done it ever since.  Another tradition we have is for the boys to watch where Santa is via the Norad Santa Tracker website on Christmas eve.
3. When do you start Christmas shopping?  About August or so.  I start picking up little things that I see for the boys and Nick.  The bulk is done after Thanksgiving though.
4. What is your favorite holiday food?  In our family I love our seafood New Year's, but for traditional holiday food, I do love a good prime rib.
5. Share a favorite childhood holiday memory.  There are so many.  I think my fondest was the fun of spending Christmas with just my immediate family.  Christmas meant opening presents, having a late breakfast and not going anywhere, just spending time with family and getting to enjoy all the new stuff we got for Christmas.
6. Have you ever actually tried fruitcake?  My mom used to make fruitcake, brandy soaked and all.  As a kid I didn't get to try it after it was brandy soaked, but the fresher stuff (non-alcoholic) I got to try and while it was not my favorite, it wasn't bad.  That being said, I have never eaten the store bought kind--to many weird "fruits" and nuts.

So there you have it.  My answers for this week.  Go visit our lovely hosts and see what every one else answered.

Tuesday Randomness

Well, it's very hard to get into gear again after a wonderful long weekend.  I will endeavor to make this a random accounting of what we did this weekend.

• Our college team won the opening football game.
• There were fireworks.
• Turbo stayed up way too late.
• We repotted just about every plant in the house.
• We had our first frost warning.
• We cleaned out a couple of areas where things had piled.
• I'm totally ready for fall.  Maybe.
• But ice cream still sounds good.
• I've had fun dancing again.  It makes a great exercise aid.
• I don't want to jinx myself but, the boys may be getting sick.  Or it could be the smoke from various wildfires.
• Bruiser has gotten quite talkative recently.  And very much the two year old.  He is demanding, pushy, and tantrum throwing.  He is also just crushed if he's told no.  My mantra is he just needs time to get with the program.  Time to throw a fit, cry it out, change he mind.  That last one is the hardest.
• We grilled a lot and it was good.
• It is suppose to rain today.  I'm really glad it was nice yesterday.

Well that covers our sort of random weekend.  I threw in a couple of other random things too.  Go see Stacy and check out the other random things going on.

Confessing the Big Secret

OK so this confession will be just a bit different.  For the last two weeks I have been hinting about some awesome, great, fabulous news.  I'm finally able to tell what has been happening.
So first, about a year ago Nick's work got a new boss.  This new  boss was decidedly not qualified for the job he was appointed to.  He was also a paranoid, mildly nuts (OK more than mildly), incompetent person.  But he was the boss.  Nick managed not to get on his bad side but the stress of not knowing if he would be in the cross-hairs next was telling on all of us.  Nick was not the most fun to be around and the problems at work were taking over at home.
A change was needed.
Enter my manager.  In late July, he asked if Nick might be interested in putting in an application where I work.  Nick was very interested, as long as there was no trouble with he and I working at the same place.  There wasn't and Nick put in his resume.
He now has a new job with a huge reduction in stress.  He also gets to have a new challenge at work and it will be far better than where he was.  He started yesterday.  We are all pretty excited about the change.
So that is the big news.  Nick has a new job, for better people, better pay, and less stress.  And we don't have to move!

Now for a few normal confessions:

• I had to make up with the vacuum.
• A dust rhino charged me.
• It sceered me so I made up with Mr. Vacuum.
• We showed the Rhino who's boss.
• It is definitely time to start dancing.
• I need to get familiar with movement again.
• It's been so hard to get the motivation when it is hot out.
• Yes I know it's not as hot here as other places.
• But getting sweaty after a hot bike ride home just holds no appeal.
• However, my pants are saying I must find the appeal, or find larger pants.
• I didn't play We Want to Know Wednesday.
• I was out of town on a work retreat.
• Nick got to go to.
• A whole night away, no kids, and I got paid.
• We got a great boat trip, and a fun, informative field trip to look at a formation that is important for work.
• So I was gone Tuesday and Wednesday.
• I am definitely playing next week.

This has gotten a bit long.  I better stop there.  Go see Mamarazzi and confess.  It's good for you and makes the weekend better.

Spin Cycle--What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Jen has given us the traditional back to school assignment.  What did I do for summer vacation.  We did not have a true vacation.  Well not a true vacation in a real sense.  We did do lots of stuff though.  Maybe a list would be a better way to show what we did this summer.

• It started with a trip to the Flaming Gorge for a very rainy weekend.
• Then I got a nasty sinus infection and Nick headed out to the field.  I stayed home and kept tabs on a couple of small boys.
• We had loads of snow in the mountains and had to go see it.

• Turbo had summer school/science camp.
• We went to Kemmerer for fun on four wheelers.

• Nick spent more time in the field.
• We had fun afternoons trying to keep cool.

• Then August hit.  With August came a real feeling of trying to pack a lot of fun into a seemingly short month.
• We had fun in Estes Park, Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park.

• Then we went to Alcova for my birthday weekend.  We had a fabulous time.

• Turbo went back to school.  Bruiser really wanted to as well.

• And then Nick's brother and his partner came out here for their ceremony and we got an overnight at a local guest ranch.
• I got to go on a retreat for work.
• And we really aren't doing a whole lot for Labor Day.  Maybe a day trip, but nothing exhausting.  At least I hope not, with the way things have been for the last month.

And that was our summer.  With a lot of relaxing, a bit of work on the house--that Nick did the most of--some time in the mountains, but not nearly enough.  This summer went by really fast, but at the same time really slowly.
So what did you do for your summer vacation?