Labor Day fun

Today, we decided to do a little family fun at the C&O canal. It was about a 45 minute drive to Great Falls, MD to the national park. Do you know how the canal works? It's cool. This is a picture of a lock. It's like stairs in the water. The lock opens, floods the chamber, and the barge floats up or down the 'steps', then they close the lock and the barge continues on its journey.

This is the beautiful Potomac River. It's next to the canal.

We didn't do much walking along the canal this time because of the Bigfoot sighting. Fortunately, all we saw of him was this footprint he left.

And of course, you can't go to a place like this with all these rocks without doing a little rock climbing. She's a natural.

Sorry, no horse poop

So, I have to admit, I am a little disappointed in the amount (or lack thereof) of pictures of us at the campsite. But here's a few:

We roasted chocolate marshmallows on our first night. It's a tradition in our family to let our kids build the fire for marshmallows. Crazy, right? But it keeps them busy while we sneak extra marshmallows and chocolate before they get to it.

Who's great idea was it to get the little boxes of cereal that you can eat out of? Those things are a pain in the butt to open. I swear, the cereal used to be in a wax paper bag, not plastic. Let me tell you, it wasn't a pretty sight. I was trying to cut through cardboard and plastic with a measley plastic knife. It was a good thing there were kids involved, or else I would have scrapped the cereal and gone to find a McDonald's. The smile on Mimi's face while she ate her cereal was worth the frustration.

Saturday brought lots of fun at the beach. We didn't see any horses on our way in, but we saw lots of poop! I didn't take any pictures of that, don't worry!







So, this is the crab that Trystan caught. I was sitting all by myself doing crossword puzzles (what a geek), when I noticed my family huddled together excitedly. So, I did what any mother would do, I grabbed my camera and went to check it out. This was what I found. The funny thing about this picture, is that when I first started taking pictures, Trystan was holding the crab in his very sandy hands, and it was hard to tell what you were supposed to be looking at. So, I told him to wash his hands off. While he was doing that, the crab escaped and it kept pinching him every time he tried to pick it up again. I will re-create it for you: run run run grab OUCH! drop run run grab OUCH! drop run run run run jump lunge grab OUCH! drop. You get the picture. It was so funny!


Since this was the last thing we saw on our way out of the park, I thought I'd save it for last. Isn't it beautiful? These horses really are the 'mane' attraction. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

and this is supposed to be fun?

We are going camping this weekend. We planned on already being there, but circumstances being what they are, we are still packing. (well, at least Mel is)

Why is this so stressful? Why do our kids behave in ways that make us want to lock them all in a closet and go camping without them? Why do we not feel like spending the time and money to drive three hours to the campsite and set up tents and 'spend quality family time' together? It seems like everytime we do what is supposed to be fun things with our kids, they start fighting, doing bad things, and we end up getting stressed out and not wanting to do the fun thing in the first place. What's wrong?

We are still going to Asateague Island this weekend. We are going to take great pictures of our kids playing on the beach. We are going to experience nature. We are going to see wild horses poop on the beach. And we are going to have FUN doing it. Do I sound convinced?

If you give a kid a camera...

She'll want to take pictures. So, she'll take lots of miscellaneous pictures of blurry, too close things.

Then, you'll ask her to go outside to take pictures of nature so she won't take any more pictures of your shoes because you keep stepping on her.

So, she'll go outside and take pictures, but since she's outside, she'll decide that she doesn't want to wear her shoes anymore, so she'll take them off and photograph them.

Then she'll get thirsty. So, she'll ask for a drink. But not before she takes a picture of the water bottle she wants you to fill.

While she patiently waits for you to bring it back to her.

You fed them WHAT?!?!?!

That's what Mel is going to say when he asks what the kids ate for dinner tonight. Yeah, he usually doesn't have much to say about what I feed the kids. He knows that I generally feed them a well-balanced diet. Except for tonight. What did they get for dinner, you ask?

Fish sticks and kettle corn. Oh, and ketchup, lots of ketchup.

Monday Night dinner, yummm!

I know I've been in a cooking rut when my kids (Patricia) implore me to be creative again. So, I decided to suck it up and just do it. So, today I decided would be the day for my creative juices to flow. I promise, these are the only juices that got into the food. For dinner today, we had chicken and rice with an Indian/Middle Eastern flair. Want a recipe?

disclaimer: I didn't know that I was going to post this recipe, so I don't have any exact measurements. You all know my number. Call me if you have any questions.

• chicken tenderloins, defrosted
• curry powder
• garam masala
• garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic, pressed
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• honey

1. Put chicken in plastic bag
2. Add about 1 tsp of the curry powder, garam masala, and garlic powder. Salt and pepper according to your tastes. Add some olive oil and about 2 tbs honey.
3. Close bag and mix everything together. You should add enough olive oil to help everything mix together. If you don't have enough, your dry spices won't evenly distribute.
4. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better.
5. Grill on high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Pay close attention to the chicken. In order for the honey to really work its magic, you have to let it get really hot and caramelize on the chicken. However, no one likes dry chicken no matter how tasty it is. That's why you have to pay close attention to it. When it gets to the point that you think to yourself, "I should leave it on for one or two more minutes," that's when you take it off the fire. It's ready then. It's fork-tender and juicy. I know how it feels when it gets to this point. It's kinda hard to explain, but I'll show you the next time you're grilling (if you're close).

The rice? Saffron infused basmati rice with peas. Vivian and I loved it, Mimi not so much, Patricia wasn't crazy about it, Trystan still hasn't come inside to try it, and Mel's out of town. I'll get his verdict tomorrow. Live close and need saffron? I have a ton someone gave me and I'll never use all of it. Come get some and make my recipe soon.

Just woofin' around

playing fetch

guess what she's doing now

AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...

I must admit, I have eaten more than one. Can you blame me? I mean, look at them. Oh, congratulations Harmony. Too bad for you that you don't get one.

Oh! The smell

Well, I am halfway there.

At first sniff, my house smells really good. But after you've been in it for a while, the smell is nauseating. I have already eaten one in honor of one of you blog friends. And while it did taste super yummy, I won't be eating more. There's still time to guess Ft. Meaders!!

Three more days to go

I have not even started on my adventure of 180 somethings. I have gotten a few guesses. I won't tell you if they are right, wrong, or even close. Just keep guessing. I am feeling generous, so there may be more than one winner.

Maybe you will get one on Saturday even if you guess wrong.

What? Did you say clue?

You want me to make 180 WHAT?!?

Guess? Can you guess?

If you guess right, I'll give you one on Friday if live close to Ft. Meade (10 minutes). If you aren't close, sorry. I'll eat one in your name.

It's a clue, a clue!!

Am I the Only One?

Am I the only one who gets annoyed (maybe this is too strong) because my friends aren't updating their blogs when mine is two weeks old? Then I think to myself that maybe you all are annoyed with me. Are you annoyed? Do I even care? I mean, I guess I do since I am writing this. So, here you go. A dumb blog post about not posting. Yes. I am a hypocrite.

pool. for real this time.

Ok, so we really went to the real pool today.

Mel put on his 7-carrot ring. Isn't he funny?

You have no idea how hard it was for Patricia to smile for this picture. I am sure all of us at some point refused to take pictures. She has no clue about how beautiful she is. If she knew, I wouldn't be able to get her away from in front of the camera.

They can't get enough of their daddy. Can you tell?

I just noticed today how much my boy and I look alike. Check out the left eyes. We both do the same squinty-smirky thing with the left sides of our faces when it's sunny. Out of all of my kids, Trystan looks the most like me, freckles and all. I try not to tell him that too much because I don't want to give him a complex.

pool?

This afternoon, Trystan and Jacob went outside to play with the hose. This is what I walked out to:

So naturally, Vivian decided that she needed to be in on the action. She and Jacob propmtly got into the 'pool'. I got out my camera when I overheard Jacob saying, "Look at me! I'm in the deep end!!" He has the best imagination.

Trystan and Jacob took turns dumping buckets of water on each other.

As usual, Vivian didn't want to be left out. I didn't think she wanted the water to actually be dumped on her. I was right. She just wanted to do it on her own terms. (go figure)

Thirsty?

Who do you think had the most fun at the 'pool' ?

Congratulations to Me!!

I just got a letter in the mail today. Guess what it says? It says that I am officially a certified personal trainer. Yippee!!

So what now? I don't know. I have to figure that out. Anti-climactic, isn't it? I'll keep you posted.

Harmony, now I can officially work your butt when I come to Hawaii.

Anyone need a trainer?

Dress up and Painting

This is Vivian's favorite dress up dress. She loves wearing this ratty blue fairy tulle thing. It's not supposed to be worn alone, but she wears it with just underwear or (gasp) nothing under it. No, wait. It gets better. The other day, she cut the strings that hold it up on her shoulders. Since she doesn't have anything to hold it up, it usually stays around her belly because her belly is wider than her little chest.

Do you want to know who the little blondie is? She's my friend Mary's daughter Diana. As you can tell from the picture, they both have very different personalities. Vivian is the wild and show-offy one, and Diana is much more reserved. She is a sweet and quiet little girl. Take careful note of how the two friends are painting. One little girl is gently painting a pretty picture, while the half naked other one is using her mouth to control the paint brush. These two are funny to watch.

One more thing... If you are looking for something to have your kids do that is relatively painless and pretty easy to clean up, try watercolor painting. They love it! When they are done, all I have to do is wipe the table. If they get it on their clothes, It just washes right out. Hours of fun. HOURS, I tell you.

Two little (dirt) monkeys

One of the things my kids love to do is play in the dirt. Today Mimi and our next door neighbor, Ryah decided that they needed to play right next to the road. I'm such conscientious mother, aren't I? Look at that beautiful smile. Isn't she so cute?

Can you believe she's 7? I can't get over how beautiful she is.

See? There they are. Right next to the road. Whenever there's water, they splash in the water in that very same spot. It makes me crazy. Like I have little redneck kids that play in the dirt and splash in the water along the side of the road. My mother used to joke with us and tell us to 'go play in traffic'. My kids actually do.

Dog Days of Summer

While my good friend Suzan is out of town on vacation for a couple of weeks, myself and another friend have taken on the responsibility of taking care of her beautiful dog Chloe. She and Weber have been great together. I have been pleasantly surprised by Weber's behavior. For example, when she jumped on the couch, he promptly corrected her and she got off the couch. She also runs upstairs whenever she gets the chance. The last time she did that, he took off after her and chased her back downstairs. Just like kids, you think all of the training and teaching you have been doing is in vain until they say or do something that shows you that they really have been paying attention.

Oh, for those of you who don't know, Weber is the boxer, and Chloe is the golden.

yummy delicious

This is what I did on Saturday:

1. Got up at 7 am .
2. Got dressed.
3. Woke Mimi up (my first mistake).
4. Got some breakfast.
5. Left the house at 8 am.
6. Drove to Butler's Orchard for blueberry picking. (very pleasant drive with Mimi).
7. Arrived at Butler's Orchard at 9 am ready to pick blueberries (peak anticipation).
8. Took tractor ride out to blueberry fields. (they constantly shuttle people back and forth every 5 minutes remember this).
9. Started picking berries ( I came here to work. I had lots of blueberries in mind).
10. 5 minutes into the job, guess who is ready to go home?
11. Stayed and picked 17 pounds of blueberries all by myself.
12. Did everything in my little imagination to keep her interested in staying there (you would be proud. I didn't yell at her. Too many other people around)
13. Listened to Mimi bug me every 5 minutes to get on the tractor to go back to the car.
14. Got on the tractor.
15. Paid for the berries.
16. Went to McDonald's for lunch.
17. Drove home.
18. Took a shower and took a nap (I deserved it. I just picked 17 pounds of blueberries)
19. Made these yummy muffins.

I did more things, but nothing else that relates to the delicious picture at the beginning of this post. I deserve a big, fat I TOLD YOU SO for bringing Mimi with me. I actually thought that she would be a good worker. Shows how much I know.

top ten reasons why mel a great husband

10. He is patient with me during my emotional ups and downs (believe me, he has LOTS of experience with this)

9. He does things he wouldn't do on his own just because I want to do them (like dancing. but he likes it now)

8. He makes me laugh (once he made me laugh so much I peed my pants)

7. He appreciates my sarcastic and witty humor (he can tolerate my cussing)

6. He recognizes when I need a sanity break and provides opportunities for me to take one (like now. he took Vivian on a trip to Oklahoma for 4 days)

5. He encourages me to follow my interests (anyone need a personal trainer?)

4. He is a great dad (mommy? who's mommy? we want daddy)

3. He isn't afraid to take apart something that is broken and try to fix it (latest fix? my xm radio. can't live without it)

2. He is honest (I know that I can always trust whatever he tells me)

And the top reason why Mel is a great husband:

1. He accepts me as I am imperfections and all, and makes me feel like a queen every time he looks at me (believe it people, I have imperfections :0)

From the strawberry patch

I just had to show this picture of the coolest deformed strawberry that Trystan picked. When we went strawberry picking last month, we found an unprecedented number of crazy shaped berries. That berry is almost as big as Mimi's face. I still can't get over it.

... and we ate every last one of 'em!!

If I were a dog...

I'd be cowering in the corner with my tail between my legs peeing on the floor. You people are tough.

Please allow me to catch you up on what has been going on in my life over the past couple of months.

• We went to West Virginia for Memorial Day weekend. As usual, I ate way too much. Mimi brought her best friend (sister) Isabel along. This was the first time we have ever brought a friend along on a trip like this. It was fantastic! I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
• The next fun thing we did was Strawberry picking. We got a flat of strawberries from this place called Butler's Orchard. One of my first memories of living in Maryland as a kid was when I was about 7 and we went there for the first time and picked strawberries. My mom and neighbor were there to work. They had plans to make jam, so they need lots and lots of strawberries. It was so hot, and the novelty wore off pretty quickly. I just remember them saying to us, "Quit complaining, and pick!!" This Saturday Mimi and I are going back to pick blueberries. Last year, the whole family picked about 25 pounds. We froze them and they lasted all year. I think we have about 2 cups left. If any of you locals are interested in joining us, please call me. I'll have the van and I'll drive. Just bear in mind: I have a mission to fulfill. 30 pounds!
• We used our four free tickets and went to Water Country in Williamsburg, VA. The kids all had a blast. All six of us!! I wasn't too enthusiastic about going to a water park because Busch Gardens was practically next door. I really wanted (still do) to ride roller coasters. But, I had fun anyway. It's one of those places that the whole family can enjoy. There is something for everyone to do. It's a small enough place, that you can do everything and not totally exhaust yourself. I recommend it to everyone.
• Last and most importantly of all was this past weekend. I attended a three-day personal trainer workshop. IT WAS SOOOO AWESOME!!!!! I won't actually BE a certified personal trainer for at least 4 weeks. That's how long it takes to get the test scores back. BUT, I feel so confident about how well I did. I can't wait to start training.

There you have it. I feel likd a giant weight has been lifted off of my chest. AHHHH I can breathe again. See you soon!!

For those of you who were wondering...

Yes, I am still alive. I know it's been a month since my last update. I am trying to adjust to having all my kids home all the time now. I do have some cool pictures of some neat things we have done over the past month. I'll try to get my act together soon. See ya.

She can do ANYTHING!!!

Today, while running errands with my mother, I mentioned that my new bracelet is too big. So, she took a look at it and decided to make it shorter for me. She just took it apart, took two discs out, and put it back together. I thought about doing that, but I didn't want to mess up my $44 bracelet. I guess my small investment didn't mean that much to her because she did it without a second thought. Oh yeah, she didn't mess it up either. I don't think she said it, but the idea and attitude behind it was 'Hmmph, easy peasy.'

Then, while we were looking at aprons, I mentioned that I had to throw my favorite apron away a little while ago because it was so old and funky and threadbare that I couldn't even wash the funk out. (I had the apron for over 10 years) So, she decided that rather than buy another apron that I didn't really love, she would make one for me instead. But she didn't just make one for me. She made one for Mimi and one for Vivian too. Oh, and it's REVERSIBLE!!!!!!! She only finished Vivian's tonight, but as soon as all three are done, you'd better believe there will be some pictures of us all in our cute little aprons.

My mom is so cool. She is crafty. And whenever she comes to visit, I can't wait to see what cool projects she comes up with for us (her) to do. Sad that she leaves tomorrow. Can't wait to see her again!!

Oh Yeah, my mom's coming!

Last week, I was talking to my mother on the phone about the fact that she is once again on the hunt for a job. See, she quit one job to take another at a different hospital. Well, the new one didn't work out for various reasons (you can ask her if you see her) so, she is looking for another one.

Once I figured out that she is 'between jobs' (I'm kinda slow), I saw it as the perfect opportunity to have her come stay with us for a couple of days. She usually is so busy with work (used to work shiftwork at a hospital), that we only get to see her a couple of times a year even though we only live about 4 hours away.

AND SHE'S COMING TOMORROW!!!!!

I can't wait to tell the kids. I know they will be super happy about seeing her. Oh man, now I have to make sure the place is cleaned, and that we have groceries, and that the extra bed has clean sheets, and, and, and...... UMMMMMMM, gotta go!

rain, rain, go away

Can I just say that I am getting tired of the rain?

It's great for my newly planted and replanted flowers, shrubs, and grass. It's also great for my allergies. BUT I AM READY FOR SUNNY WEATHER!!!

Ok. I feel better. Thanks for reading.

10 Things I Love About Warm Weather

1. I can sit outside and hang out while the kids play. It's especially wonderful to hang out in my backyard now because Suzan and Mel landscaped it last week, and it's FABULOUS. You should come over and hang out with me.



2. My kids don't hang out inside the house all afternoon and watch tv. (AKA: bug me)



3. We get to go on 'Minnick Family Walks' on Sunday afternoons.



4. Skirts and dresses.



5. Flip flops/sexy high heeled sandals.



6. Watermelon



7. Flowers



8. Driving in the car with the windows down. Notice I said warm weather. I can't do this in hot weather. Then, it's all air conditioning in my car.



9. Nighttime walks with the dog.



10. Picnics.

Most of them have to do with being outside. I love to be outside when it's warm. Don't you?

I am getting pretty good at writing these, huh?

Outside in summer

Happily dancing couple

Never felt so close

Who knew haiku could be so fun? Come on, give me one. Here's how you do it.

Dancin' Dancin' Dancin'

On Saturday, Patricia babysat while Mel took me dancing. Well, kinda. We had our first dancing lesson. We have committed to six weeks of lessons. I am SO excited. We learned the foxtrot on Saturday.

I think we fell in love with the music. Now we have these fantasies of being out in our newly landscaped backyard on a hot summer night, drinking icy cold lemonade, listening to Sinatra on an old record player and dancing all night. Woooo Hooo! I seriously am going to the thrift store tomorrow to buy a record player and some records.

We would like to extend an invitation to any of you who might be interested in joining us for moonlight dancing in our backyard this summer. More details to come...

another haiku

babysitter girl

makes lunch, bakes cookies, cleans up

my sweet Patricia

another letter

Dear sweaty workout girl,

Please do not come to my store after you have just finished working out. I am glad that you have a healthy lifestyle and enjoy exercising. However, I do not want to have to talk to you because you are all red and sweaty. You make other customers feel like slugs because they didn't work out today like you did. That's ok, because at least they aren't all sweaty. I am sure you are a busy person and that is why you still have on your gym clothes, but please change your clothes before you come to my store to shop.

Sincerely,

The cashiers at Wal-Mart


(I like these letters. I feel like Harmony)

A love letter...

Dear Mimi's Cafe,

I know we just met a couple of weeks ago, but I just had to write you a letter to tell you how much you mean to me. I can't decide whether it's the yummy muffins you gave me with my salad the last time I saw you, or if it's the delicious carrot-raisin bread you gave me in the bread basket tonight. Maybe it's neither. Maybe it was the deliciously chicken-y chicken pot pie you introduced me to tonight that was filled with tender chicken breast chunks and veggies and topped with a crispy, flaky, golden crust that won me over.

What I do know, is that I enjoyed my experiences with you so much. I couldn't resist the urge to ask for the manager just so I could tell him how much I like your food and your polite, friendly servers. They were so attentive. I never had to ask for a refill on my drink, or ask to get the extra plates cleared. Your servers were so accommodating. I had a wierd order tonight, and you got it totally right. What? Send out the dessert orders with the entree? (my kids had already eaten, so we treated them to dessert while we ate dinner) But you did it! I was so proud of you.

I can't wait until I get the opportunity to see you again. I know my next experience will be a good one. See you soon!

Love,

Marianne

Personal Training 101

Help me!! I have so much information to learn. Give me tips. I want to KNOW this stuff. I don't want to just memorize it. I know ya'll can help. Come on!! Why are you holding back??

That's what you get!

Kids are so crazy. They have to be told not to do things millions of times, and they still do it. Not only that, but when they do the thing they were told not to do, and get hurt, they have the nerve to want our hugs and comfort. Well, what I really want to tell them is, "THAT'S what you get!" For example:

• Vivian likes to jump down the stairs. Yes. Jump. I don't get it. She just barely learned to walk downstairs, and now she wants to jump? So, every time I see her jumping down the stairs, I tell her, "Please don't jump. Hold on to the railing to be safe." So, you'd think that by now, she would know not to jump. Right? This morning, I heard her jumping, and before I could remind her not to, she fell and smashed her little face into the gate at the bottom of the stairs. So, once I determined that there wasn't any blood or broken bones, I had to resist the tremendous urge to tell her, "Now, THAT'S what you GET for jumping down the stairs!"
• Like Patricia, I was the oldest sibling. I had two younger brothers. Every so often I would be a nice sister and let them play in my room with me. She does the same thing. Inevitably her siblings end up getting into her stuff, acting like morons, and refusing to get out when she asks them to. So, after she comes to me totally frustrated and ready to kill her younger siblings, I tell her the same thing that my mother told me, "Sometimes that's what you get for being nice. One day they will appreciate it."
• Trystan can't seem to get it through his thick head that he isn't supposed to rough-house with the dog, Weber. Weber is 70 pounds of bone and muscle. Mostly muscle. He is a big, slobbery boxer. And he loves to play. When he rough houses with Trystan, he likes to jump and grab with his mouth. That's how dogs play. I don't care if he plays that way with other dogs, but he is not allowed to play that way with people. Trystan can't seem to get that through his head. He loves to wrestle and grab at the dog. Weber is all too eager to wrestle and grab back. Can you guess where this story is going? Weber almost always gets carried away and grabs Trystan's sock and rips it. Or he'll grab at his shoes and bite them off. He can't always tell when Trystan is done playing. So, Trystan ends up getting frustrated, hurt, or mad. I never miss the opportunity to tell him, "THAT'S what you get for playing innapropriately with the dog."

I have many other instances like this. I guess it does make me sound like a 'Miss Know-it-all'. But, I do. Well, about most things that have to do with my kids. And if they would just listen to me in the first place, I could save them from unnecessary pain and frustration. They will thank me one day. Yeah, right. "THAT'S what I get."

my eye is still TWITCHING

It rained here all day, so the allergies aren't too bad. I have a prescription for flonase waiting for me at the pharmacy. It's my last resort before I cut off my nose. There's just one thing... my eye. Why is it still twitching?

Oh, I know this is a lame blog, but I just wanted to make sure to update my blog regularly to keep the blog updating nazis off my tail.

Love you all!!!

aaaaaaaaaaaa-CHOOOO

I am dying here. I seriously think this is the worst allergy season I have ever had in my whole life. I think I have taken every allergy medicine, in every combination possible.

NOTHING IS WORKING!!!!!

MYNOSEITCHESMYNOSEITCHESMYNOSEITCHES!!!!

I know it won't last forever. Just a couple of weeks. How bad could it really be? Wrote a haiku 'bout it. Wanna hear it, here it go:

allergies both'rin

itchy nose, watery eyes

medicine don't help

I think I am spazzing out. My eyes are twitching. Is that a bad sign? I think I am going to take two more benadryl. It doesn't really work, it just barely takes the edge off. But it does help me sleep. Maybe a good night's rest will help. Man, I hope.

Let the Games Begin!!

Mimi and Trystan had ball games this morning. Mimi did a great job! She scored the first and last points of the game. That girl is such an athlete. She ran like crazy. Talk about hustle! She was so excited to play today and it really showed.

Trystan plays baseball this season. He scored two runs this morning. He really enjoys baseball. He said the cool thing about his team is that they don't have a lot of players, so everyone on the team gets lots of chances to play. I have pictures of Trystan, but they won't load. Bummer. I'll keep trying.


Speaking of Trystan, remember my ranting a couple of posts ago? I mentioned that both he and Patricia had big projects due. Trystan's was a science fair project. The title was 'Human Weight Changes'. He wanted to know if people weigh differently in the morning versus at night. If you get a chance, ask him to tell you what he found out. Oh yeah, he won third place. This is the second year in a row that he placed third out of all of his grade. He's already planning on what he's going to do for next year so he can take first place. Another cool thing is that all of the winners from the fourth grade came from his class. Isn't that cool? He really has a great teacher.


Patricia's history project was AWESOME!!! Of course, I don't have a picture to show you. (I suck!) A group of people, I don't know if they were students or professors, from the Naval Academy came to her school to judge the proects. She got first place!!! She was so proud of her accomplishment.


I am so proud of my kids. What makes me feel good is that these ideas came from them. Mel and I just bought the materials. They really did all the work.

What's going on?

A couple of months ago when I started this blog, I thought I would have TONS to say. Hmmmmm. Not so much. I mean, I always have something to say, but it's either 1)not anything people really want to know or 2)not appropriate. Amy, you know what I mean. So, I think I am going to do like Harmony does when she gets bored and make a list. I think I'll try to do this every Wednesday. Hump day. See, there I go (refer to #2 above). Ok. Here goes:

Random list #1

1. I've stepped waaaay out of my comfort zone and volunteered to be the 'team parent' for Trystan's baseball team. What was I thinking? I am usually the person who helps. Not the one who is in charge. I have enough things to be in charge of. If you don't know what that is, a team parent schedules snacks for the games, buys trophies for the kids, and plans the end of season party. OOOH! Did I say party? I like that. I can do parties. And snacks? Did I read that right? I know snacks. I don't know much about trophies. Frankly, they annoy me. Maybe I'll think about something different. Yeah, different. You know I'm all about mixing things up. OK. I can do this. I just talked myself into being excited about this team parent gig. I am kinda excited about it now.
2. Speaking of parties, I am having one tomorrow. I am really looking forward to that. I am having a Premier Designs jewlery party. I've decided that since I work out so much and am almost always in workout gear, that when I do dress in regular clothes, I want to look GOOD. I don't want to have that 'mom who drives a minivan' look. I have some cute clothes this season, and I want to really step it up with some pretty jewlery. So, I decided to get some for free by having a party. Maybe this will motivate me to get dressed in regular clothes soon after I finish working out instead of walking around looking like a gym rat.
3. Hmmmm... dresses. I love them. I didn't used to like them. Or pink. But now I like both things. I don't have a pink dress, though. (come on, I'm not 7) I am so glad that the weather is getting better because I can wear my cute dresses and skirts. There's something about wearing a dress that makes you feel pretty and feminine. Maybe it's because men don't wear dresses and they usually don't look pretty and feminine. (notice I said usually.)

Ok, three is all you get. It's a pretty short list, I know. If I can think of anything I want to add to ths list I'll post again. Who am I kidding? I'm done for today. You all can wait until next week.

I've been busy, ok?

I have been up to my @$$ in dirty house funk for the past 4 days, ok? That's why I haven't blogged. You know the movie "The Money Pit"? Well, that is my life. Mel and I went to WV to get our house ready for sale. Needless to say, we ran into a few difficulties while we were working. So, sorry that I haven't blogged in a little while. I've been BUSY.

Oh, and I came home to two kids that had big school projects due. So I've been helping put together a science project and helping build an ancient Chinese terraced rice paddy. Oh, and we only have one computer. So, rather than kick the kids off the computer while they are doing research, I have opted to take a break from blogging. So excUUUUUUse me. I'll be back when I get back.

One more thing..... Um, thanks for caring about my little blog.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS-lacker

That's what I am. Sorry people. I have been too wrapped up in reading and studying. I have read, like 50 books. Some of them are:

The Kindness of Strangers, by Katrina Kittle - good book, but be warned: the story involves incest and child molestation.

Body Surfing, by Anita Shreve - OOh what a twist! Kinda romancy, but not like Danielle Steel. I like her books. I've read a couple of them already and will continue to read more.

• All He Ever Wanted - makes you wonder if what you want is what's really best for you.
  

Blackird House, by Alice Hoffman - easy read about a house and all of the people who have lived and loved there over a span of time. I liked the supernatural elements of the stories. It made the lives of the people much more interesting.

The Ice Queen, also by Alice Hoffman - about a woman who lived a cold and lonely life and how she learned to feel and to love again. I don't usually get into literary analysis, you know, what is the deeper meaning of what the author wrote. But this book is full of symbolism, and I really enjoyed trying to understand it.

Now I am reading a nonfiction work. It's called something to the effect of Personal Fitness Training and Theory. Or something like that. I am studying to become a personal trainer. I am so excited. I guess I'd better go read more about the circulatory system now while I still have the energy. See Ya!!

What a Great Deal!

Top 5 reasons why I love the Commissary:

1. You can get food for cheap. Well, cheaper than at the 'regular' grocery store. Since they don't mark up the food to make their money, you pretty much pay cost. That's why they have a surcharge.
   
2. You can get SUPER HUGE GREAT DEALS!!! Like the time I got some yummy kind of cereal ( I can't remember the brand) for an amazingly great price like 35 cents per box. Boy o boy did I have my year's supply for that year. Who needs dried beans and whole wheat? We had cereal. It was great until it started to go stale. Then I couldn't make my kids eat that crap. Whose great idea was getting all that stuff anyway?
3. Three words: Case lot sale. I actually think it's more hype than it's really worth. I mean, after you spend an hour in line just to get into that big tent, and at least another hour waiting for a stupid shopping cart, and AT LEAST another hour waiting in line to pay for the case of brownie mixes and pop tarts that end up sitting around for a year because you just didn't feel like eating them after 6 months of eating the same flavor pop tart, you'd be better off just going into the store and buying just one or two packages at a time. Seriously, is it really that great of a deal?
   
4. You can get bags and bags of candy for a dollar. I love to go to the commissary after the holidays. I mean, 2 pounds of peanut M&M's for $1? I don't really even like M&M's, and I buy them. I just bought several bags of Reese's Pieces eggs. Heaven, pure heaven I tell you. I love them. The extra thick candy shell and all that peanut butter!!! I ate 2/3 of a bag the other night for dinner (I never claimed to be a healthy eater). I can't resist a good deal. Especially if it's candy.
   
5. Unless it's cookies. Tonight, I went for the emergency gallon of milk and fresh fruit because I don't have anymore and my kids need something healthy for breakfast and I am putting off grocery shopping so I'll just get these couple of things to tide me over for a few more days until I just break down and get a full load. Well, the last time I went to the commissary to get the candy (see #4 above), I noticed that the Pillsbury ready to bake bunny shaped Easter cookies were selling for 95 cents. I knew that was a good price, but there were stacks and stacks of them in the refrigerator. So, I decided to take a gamble and play the waiting game. I knew a better price was still yet to come. So, tonight when I went through I noticed a coupon: save $1 when you buy 2. HA! I knew it! So, I paid $1.90 for four packages of sugar cookies. I know I am all into making baked goods from scratch, but there's just something kinda wonderful about those little bunny cookies. I just love them. That's why I downed 10 of them before I realized what I had done. That happens whenever there are cookies involved.

So there you have it! What do you all love about the commissary? Harmony, I bet you love that milk only costs $5 per gallon instead of $7.

Happy food shopping!