A Little Help Here!

It is that time of year, where the yogurt companies seal their yogurt containers with special lids, special lids with codes, and if you mail them in, or plug the code into their website, they will donate money to breast cancer research.

I packed my 8 lids (small, to a 4 or 6-oz container) in a letter size envelope, addressed it, and stuck on the required one stamp.



The envelope was returned to me. Apparently, the foil lids make the envelope bulky, meaning that it cannot go through the sorting machines, at the post office, which means it needs to be hand processed, which means it needs an extra 20 cents of postage.

People! This is being sent so money for cancer research is donated.

The envelope even reads "Save Lids, Save Lives", that is a part of the address.


Apparently, the post office can get a letter to Santa Clause, but they can't help push through an envelope in the name of cancer research

I realize the Post Office is having a few money problems, and they need the funds where they can get them, but a little customer service goes a long way, especially these days.

***A friend posted this comment on Network Blog: "the amount of effort it took the person to (1) locate the stamper and stamp the envelope (2) change from stamper to a pen and hand change the 1 to a 2 and (3) write the words "hand machinable" on the envelope is significantly more inconvenient then just shoving the envelope through the machine. HMMMM...."

Murphy, and His Laws

It never fails,

You can work the TV, and a computer; but once you stand in front of a group, all the electronics needed for the presentation no longer work.

Running late for an appointment, yep, you will end up sitting at all the red lights. Late for school, oh look, the train crossing is closed, due to a train.

As you lecture your child to be careful, as he carries sections of his new desk up to his room, you drop the biggest, and heaviest part, of the desk, which leaves a large, and black, indentation on your newly painted wall.

And now if you will excuse me, I'm off to find the magic eraser sponge and paint, to fix the wall.

Searcher Beware

Spelling has always been one of my weaker skills.

Have you noticed?

Mis-Spellers of the World, Untie!

The invention of the Internet, and search platforms, makes spell checking a lot easier.

When I bother to check. Minor Details.

The other day I was typing "discreet".

However, I first spelled it "discrete".

Off to search, and I discovered there is such a thing as "Discrete Math", and it is not to be confused with the word "discrete".

To double check I plugged in the spelling "discrete", and, well, there were a few dictionary links, and a lot of, um, discrete sites, so to speak.

The World Wide Web makes some things easier, and some other things a little to easy to see.

No, I didn't click on any of those links, but personally, I don't care to see such links show up on my screen.

Because It Is a Monday ...

***A fellow mom sent this to me.

Tough Love vs. Spanking - Good Argument

Most people think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments.'

One that I found effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk.

Some say it's the vibration from the car, others say it's the time away from any distractions such as TV, Video Games, Computer, IPod, etc..

Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together. Eye to eye contact helps a lot too.

I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique.

Sincerely,
anonymous Mommy ;o)



Go forth with a smile, and enjoy your week!

Up ... Down ... It Depends on the Coupons!

They say the economy is recovering, but there are times when it seems the down economy has just entered our little town:

School budgets have been tight, but this year, lets just say they is scary tight ... crossing fingers and saying a prayer for teachers, tight.

However our state has the money to sue the Federal Government and open rest stops; but none to pay teachers, or fund the mandates they place on schools. Our children's future ranks high in our state. And, mandates are only acceptable when they say so ... just sayin'.

Sorry, I digress

Saturday we headed out to the annual book festival. The big draw are the free books, our family are suckers for books.

Then there are the hot dogs. Free and easy lunch!

No hot dogs this year.

They used to hand out goody bags to every child, each bag holding numerous coupons. Two years ago they began handing one bag out to each family (that year Hubby and I arrived separately, two bags, double the coupons!) Last year the coupons went by the wayside.

I'm a girl on a budget y'all. The economy isn't so hot, didn't anyone tell you?

Two years ago I traumatized one of my offspring, all for a milkshake coupon. I dragged lead my poor child over to the Chick-Fil-A cow
(a scary figure to someone around 3 feet tall.) They needed to say "hi" to the cow so I could snag said milkshake coupon.

Did I mention it was for a Chick-Fil-A milkshake coupon!

Showing signs that the economy is improving, Costco has ramped up their sample stands.

For a while they were displaying window cleaner and toilet paper. Last time I was shopping there, they were handing out samples of smoked salmon ... maybe the economy is on the up!

Lunch at Costco, anyone?

What I've Learned, so far, This Week:

We are only half way through the week, but for me it has been productive.

Here is a recap:

Don't forget to check baking supplies BEFORE starting any actual baking.

Pioneer Woman's delicious and sinful cinnamon rolls are still delicious, and a little less sinful, when fresh, ground wheat is substituted for half of the white flour.

When purchasing paint rollers, double check that they are compatible with the roller attachment. So they, you know, actually attach to the roller.

Though your refrigerator manual may have a "trouble-shooting" section to help you problem solve issues with the fridge, it doesn't always translate into any actual help.

I think I can live without a filtered water dispenser in our new refrigerator. As long as I can have filtered water from somewhere. I'm just spoiled that way.

It takes a little more effort then I realized to walk 10,000 steps a day. It also helps to remember to wear the pedometer.

I looked up "C-reactive protein." I'm still not sure what it does in the body, it is elevated if there is an inflammation somewhere, or even if I spelled it correctly.

My husband is gracious and accommodating, and really can't say no to me. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Sometimes the cart does come before the horse. Last week a friend handed over a huge garbage bag of hand-me-downs for EM. In the bag was a pink Leapster bag. Unfortunately, at that time EM did not have a Leapster which went with the bag ... until this week when her Aunt called asking if EM would like a hand-me-down pink and purple Leapster, with microphone, just like her brothers.

I will, one day soon, finish painting our bedroom. The trim on the stairs and all doors, well that is a horse of a different color.

Hello Monday,

Welcome real world, it is nice (I think) to have you back in our lives, though this reentry is hurting, a little.

No pain, no gain.

We enjoyed our two week vacation. Late nights, late mornings, the kids learning to sleep in, no particular schedule, and enjoying the fact that the kids are older and can function without any particular schedule ... just don't forget to feed them.

So, dear Monday, we have returned to the real world; school, work, schedules, and cleaning. Ohhh, yes, two weeks of vacation means that house cleaning took a back seat, and now the fuzz bunnies are running wild. That, and if I don't soon put away these Christmas decorations they will remain till Easter.

Thanks to the real world for giving us a break, everyone needs a break. And now, we return to the joy of life.

Our Family

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

It is going on 9pm here in our house (as in many houses along the East coast, don't want anyone to think our house is in it's own time continuum thingy, then again there are days I wonder.)

The kids are in bed, and apparently asleep since no one has come out to say they need one more hug, one more book, one more stuffed toy to fit on their bed already piled high with stuffed animals, Matchbox cars, Legos, dress-up clothes, a fore mentioned books, .... (I do wonder how they find space to sleep. Hubby and I need a king size bed in order for the two of us to sleep. I've said it before, space is the answer to a happy marriage.)

In a 7:30pm energy spurt I made blueberry muffins, which for some reason took an hour to mix up. (time space continuum thingymajig.)

So, now it is close to 9pm and I'm wondering what to do next.

I could finish several blog posts I started a week or two ago.

I could sit with Hubby, who is watching TV. I think he is watching MythBusters, a Wednesday night favorite.

I could go climb in our nice warm, flannel sheet bearing bed and read for an hour.

Or, do my devotions (the ones I was supposed to do this morning) first and then read the other book.

I could complete some scrapbook pages, or work on some Christmas cards (to sell, no I'm not that organized I'm already addressing Christmas cards in October.)

I could go through the pictures from our photo session with our good friends, and pick some for our family Christmas card, and to order. (When ED was 6 months we had family pictures taken, by our friends. We finally ordered pictures from that session when we ordered photos from the session after Emily was born ... 3. Years. Later.)

I could sort the laundry for tomorrow.

I could fold the laundry from last week.

I could write the long overdue thank you cards from the kid's birthday party this past spring, or to the friends we stayed with or invited us to dinner during our week in Philadelphia. (I'm sensing a theme in the last few coulda's.)

Or, now that the muffins are done I could eat one, need to taste test it. I could set up the coffee maker for tomorrow morning. I could also, then, go to bed. Maybe read a little, even finish my book so I can move on to the next one.

I could do all these things, but being that it is now after 9pm, and that I have no energy, I just want to climb in bed.

So I will. After I eat a muffin, and put the other muffins away. Set the coffee maker. Check on the kids. Wake Hubby, who has fallen asleep in front of the TV. Throw all the clothes, sitting on our bed and waiting to be folded, into a basket. Brush my teeth, wash my face, feed the cat, pick up the kid's books lying in front of the book case. Turn off the lights. Climb into bed. Climb back out of bed and check the doors, oh and take my multivitamin. Make sure the cat isn't stuck in any of the kid's rooms.

Can I Have Another Weekend Away?

Life is clipping along here at home. Naturally, all this clipping is providing much blog fodder. The problem is all my clipping is not allowing me to spend much time at the computer, unless I'm working on next year's Sunday school class assignments or summer's nursery schedule.

The kid's are enjoying week one of public school testing fun (I love the school, I love the staff, but two/three weeks of "testing" is why I don't love public school.)

Yard sale Saturday. Toys, household stuff, furniture, and more toys. Come one, come all. Everything is priced to sell.

My weekend away. Yeah! I have pictures, and had a great time. Hmmm, and one of these days I'll download the pictures and post them. One of these days.

Speaking of testing, we tested our oldest for ADHD. Surprise, surprise, guess where he landed on the spectrum. My Spring Reading Thing list has taken on a whole new look as I'm reading ADHD related books.

What else? Oh, I don't know and at 11:00pm, I don't care.

Good night!

Welcome ... and hope you enjoy the ride

Here I am, writing on my own blog. Yes, I know some of you are saying “and … so … we’ve been blogging for years, where have you been.” Glad you asked, I have three children ranging in years from 7 to 3, so for four years I’ve been pregnant, nursing, or both. During six of these years I’ve worked as an independent consultant for a parenting and pregnancy information website, updating their regional sites and keeping a blog on their community page. Just recently, as of the end of March, my contract with them ended. You could say I’m just another product of the down economy. While working on the parenting website I discovered that blogging is fun. Especially for me, I mean as a parent I LOVE to talk about my children and parenting and here is a format that allows us to do exactly, that without boring the poor recipient of our latest “little Johnny adventures”. Plus, this is my journal of our family’s daily happenings. I haven’t much luck in keeping up with a pen and paper journal so I’m hoping that this electronic journal will help me remember all the cute, and not so cute, things my children have said and done.

Anyway, as I said earlier I’m one of the most recent products of the “not quite there recession”. Though I will miss my paycheck I am looking forward to no editorial deadlines and to spending more time with my children. When I lost my job I felt God’s peace with this latest move and could feel Him saying “Be still and know that I am God ...” (Psalm 46:10) and “For I know the plans I have for you…” (Jeremiah 29:11) So what is my next in my life, other then spending more time with my children, husband and cleaning the house? Blogging is one creative outlet, but I’m pretty sure that is not all. As for God’s other plans you will have to stick around and discover those with us. Glad you joined me for the ride.