Are you white?

White people are under a lot of pressure to like cooking. Everything in their culture tells them that they need to have a nice kitchen and that they need to cook with organic, fresh ingredients to make delicious, complicated food.

Though any great chef can prepare fantastic meals with a knife and a few pots, white people believe that they need a full cadre of appliances and gadgets in their kitchen in order to live up to the pressure.


Kitchen Gadets

They also have one about tea (which I'm almost out of and need to order some more (David, are you in?), Apple products (not me, dh), irony, etc. Apparently, I am not as white as I thought I was because I'm not into most of the things they say white people like :)

Grouches and Gripes

I decided when I started this blog that it was going to be generally positive but it seems lately to have fallen off course. This is another post along those same lines. Maybe it will get better, maybe it won't but that is the way it is.

First issue, the SAGA continues. J's mom asked me yesterday morning if he was ok (because she is a super nice person) after the issue on Friday. I told her that he was fine and she went about trying to explain J's behavior. She said that he wants to be friends with C but not play with him all the time. That sounds fine because as an adult, I have yet to find anyone that I want to spend that much time with, without a break. But then she said that he said that he doesn't want to be play with C at school when there are other kids around but wouldn't mind playing with him at their house. I know I probably completely over reacted but that comment felt like "well, he is a good enough friend when no one else is around, but if anyone cooler is there, then he is too good to play with C" Probably not what she meant but the whole thing left me feeling icky. I stand by my ban on playing with him right now.

Next up, scouting. They are signing new Cub Scouts up for next year. They sent home all this paper work, flyers for things, etc. C is DESPERATE to join but I have issues with the politics of the BSA and I'm not sure I can support an organization with the internal policies that they have. Dh was a scout and his dad a leader so they think it is great. My brother was a scout and my mom a leader and they think it is fab. I'm not sure how I feel about it. :( Plus, J wants to join which means more opportunity for him to push C around :( :( I'll probably let him go to the picnic and open house and we'l see if I can get past my issues. The other problem I have, I hate pretty much everything that Boy Scouts do. Hiking is terrible, camping is worse and those tow are huge parts of scouting. Normally, I would say that dh would have to do those things with him, but with his schedule, he isn't around for those types of things very often. We'll have to see after he goes to the open house Thursday night (I have a district PTA meeting that night so he will probably go with DH).

Finally, reunions. My high school reunion is coming up in a few weeks. I hated the people that I went to school with when I went to school with them. I still hated them at my 5 year reunion 5 years ago, although less since I only had to spend a couple of hours with them, instead of 4 years. Enter the 10 year reunion. I wasn't going to go and a friend (the only one from my grade) sort of pushed me into it. I got the invitation and RSVPed yes because of her. We talked about getting together with the few people that we didn't hate and going together and stuff. When I emailed her the other day to see if she had talked to those people (she is closer to them than I am) and see about ride arrangements, she said she hadn't talked to them and her and her boyfriend were going. Apparently, they intend to go alone and visit her parents and make a day of the whole thing, leaving me to drive down by myself. Honestly, it is a long way to go, by myself (dh has to work), to see people I couldn't give 2 craps about. I'm thinking about not going after all. I'm waiting to hear back from the one person I emailed before I decide for sure. Since she has someone to go with, I don't think I'll regret not going. The only reason I might is if the one or two people that I was friendly with decide to show up (unlikely since they hated our school more than I did) and I'm not there to see them. That would be disappointing, but not the end of the world. I still have a couple of weeks to figure out what I'm going to do so we shall see.

The good and the bad

First the good. We met Missy and her kids at the park today. The boys totally hit it off and before we ever pulled away from the curb, C was asking when we could see them again. Flynn wasn't quite so sure about Lizzie. I think her reputation precedes her LOL. Missy was great. Lots of fun to talk to and hang out with :)

Now on to the bad. I've posted before about C's "friend" J and how is just mean to C all the time. It started when C wanted to play his games all the time and J didn't like that so he quit playing with him. We told C that he can't force to play with him and gave him his options which were A)play by yourself B)play what the kids you want to play with are playing C)find someone else to play with that will play what you want. Despite my encouraging otherwise (I lean toward option C, myself) he decided to start playing what the other kids were playing. They still refused to play with him or sit with him at lunch or interact with him in anyway that didn't involve running from him and screaming that they didn't want to play with him. For after school, C found some other kids that he enjoyed playing with and things seemed to be ok for awhile. Then they went all to hell again. J has been just lfat out mean to C for the last week and I'm completely fed up with it. If C did that to someone and I knew about it, he would be in so much trouble he wouldn't even be able to believe it. His mom doesn't act like that so I just don't understand what is going on and why she isn't doing something more about it.

Well today, C was hanging on the monkey bar thing they were all (2 or 3 other kids beside those 2) climbing on and said something (no idea what since I was too far away to hear) to J and J screamed at him "leave me alone, I hate you!" and then grabbed him and started pulling on him. We left, C in tears, and I guess they left too. I have FREAKING had it. When we got in the car, I told him in no uncertain terms he is not allowed to play with J anymore, at all. If that means that we don't stay and play in the afternoons, then so be it. I also don't want them playing together at school anymore. I hate to be this way, but I told C if I caught them playing together anymore, he would get in trouble. He CAN NOT allow himself to be treated like that. I simply won't stand for it. I told him that if J wants to play anything that C is playing, C is to tell him that he isn't allowed to play with him anymore because he is mean and rude and that C doesn't need friends like that. I also told him that if Josh grabs him anymore that he should scream as loud as he can "get away from me, don't touch me" and then he has my permission to hit him. Then he can have the VP call me and I'll explain to him that I gave him permission to do it. I've already emailed their teacher and the VP about the situation but I don't want him in a lot of trouble for doing what his mom (the ultimate authority in his universe) told him to do.

Hopefully, he'll actually listen and J will get the picture.


In other good news, dh picked his schedule for work and he gets Sundays off all summer. He hasn't had a regular weekend day off since before Lizzie was born.

ABC News: A Child Is Lost and Afraid: Would You Help?

Quoted from http://abcnews.go.com/2020/WhatWouldYouDo/story?id=4709538&page=1:

ABC News: A Child Is Lost and Afraid: Would You Help?

Imagine you're on a busy sidewalk rushing to work, running an errand or simply out for a stroll, when suddenly you notice a little boy standing all alone. Is he really lost? Do you stop to find out?

I think I would stop. Is that because I'm a parent and I would completely freak if it were one of my children and no one helped them? Unfortunately, as the commenters to the story on ABCnews pointed out, stopping to help a kid is often asking for trouble. Too many people too many bad things into a small innocent situation :(

I'm not completely sure if I would approach the child. I might simply call 911 and stay nearby to monitor the situation until the police showed. Even if the kid knows where their parent is, the parent still sucks for having left the child alone and deserves what they get.

Hey, where's my penis?

Quoted from Reuter's:

Penis theft panic hits city..

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Police in Congo have arrested 13 suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men's penises after a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft.

Reports of so-called penis snatching are not uncommon in West Africa, where belief in traditional religions and witchcraft remains widespread, and where ritual killings to obtain blood or body parts still occur.

Unhappy ice cream

We had a meetup at BW3 tonight and one of the other mom's mentioned that Marble Slab Creamery was right down the way and we should stop by. I thought that sounded like a good idea so told the kids that I would take them. We walked down there, I ordered the kid's stuff and then proceeded to order myself a kid's sized birthday cake. I was told that I couldn't have a kid cup because I wasn't a kid. I told the girl that I didn't WANT that much ice cream, I just wanted a little bit. She apologized and offered me the frozen yogurt, which has less calories. The point wasn't the calories. The point was, I had JUST eaten dinner and I didn't want much but I certainly didn't want vanilla frozen yogurt. I simply wanted a kid cup of birthday cake. :( In retrospect, I should have asked for 2 or 3 different samples and been done with it, since they wanted to be that way about it. I won't be back. Honestly, if I hadn't promised the kids ice cream, I would have walked out right then.

Their ice cream isn't that good and certainly isn't worth the price over something like DQ. Honestly, the only things they had going for them over Cold Stone was the fact that you could get unmixed ice cream and a little cheaper and they actually have parking. Unfortunately, it seemes the "un-mixed" doesn't seem to exsist anymore because everything included "one mix in" blah So now they have parking going for them and that isn't enough to drive all the way over there and eat substandard ice cream.

In other news, I baby sit for my friend K today. She was worried that M and S would be too much trouble but, seriously, her kids are so freaking easy, especially compared to Lizzie! We walked to the park and then M found our train table and it was all good. Lizzie really seemed to like having the chance to be the "big kid". On the way to the park, she provided running commentary about everything we were seeing to M (although she called him S the whole time LOL). Once we got home, she kept telling him "don't worry M, I'll handle this" LOL The only snafu that we had was when we were at the park and Lizzie had to potty. M was impressed with having to leave the park to take her to the bathroom. He kept telling me "nah, nah" and waving my hand away. Finally, I had to carry him and S one on each hip. He was even less impressed with that and decided that walking and holding my hand was a better choice LOL When they left, some snacks got left behind. Lizzie was upset that they got left but then said "but it's ok mommy, I can eat them" :)

And no, K, I don't feel even a little weird writing about people that I know will read this. Dh and my brother read all the time and I write about them sometimes. That is the parell of reading blogs :)

So much fun

We went to McDonald's today with my friend K and her kids M and S (which I totally wrote the other way first but decided to change it LOL). We had a really good time and spent 2+ hours watching the kids play and chatting. K is super fun and thinks a lot like me. Evan says he isn't quite sure how to take her sometimes because sometimes, she'll say something and he'll be like "she must be kidding, but wait, she sounded really serious. Did she mean that?" I told him to quit over thinking things. :)

Then we went to culture arts night at school which was fun. C did the theater makeup class and came away looking like a zombie. Then we did the acting class, glass blowing (boring, she wasn't doing anything just showing a movie :( ), story telling and photography. Photography was the only one I was able to ask intelligent questions but that was ok. We also saw "Recycled Rythms" which is a guy who scavenages stuff and makes them into drums and other percussion intsruments. Lots of fun. Now I'm going to read my book and go to bed so I can get up and go to CeC in the am. Sadly, K won't be joining us because M would totally love it :)

I think I posted before about C's friend J who isn't being a very nice friend. I keep telling C that he needs to work on making new friends, but he hasn't been too successful at it just yet. Earlier this week, C was playing with another boy after school (we stay most days to play, if the weather is decent) and J wanted to play. I don't know what happened exactly but either C was in his own world and didn't register that J had asked to play or he purposefully ignored him. Either way, C was having fun and J was left out, just the reverse of what usually happens. J got upset and ended up going home early over the whole thing. I feel mildly bad to admit that I couldn't work up enough compassion to care. Childish, I know, but I sort of felt like "turn abouts fair play". I have noticed that since then J seems to be a little nicer and less likely to tell C to go away. Maybe this finally made it sink in for him that he wouldn't like being treated the way he was treating C. Here's hoping that is that case because while there are only 6 more weeks of school and I'm working to get him playdates set up with other kids his age, 6 weeks is a LONG time to be snubbeed by the one person you want to be friends with :(

Quakin' in my shoes

Did you feel the earthquake last night?

I felt it and thought I must have been dreaming since we were talking about the 80s earthquake a few days ago.

Going green programs for kids

C's school is having a walk/fundraiser in the fall and the theme is "going green" They are also having a "green fair" with people or groups having booths talking about things associated with going green. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with some names to suggest and really coming up empty. Anybody out there know of any groups that would do displays for K-5?

Thanks

Dirty Girl

Mrs. Chicken wants to see how dirty my house. Fortunately, today was house cleaning day so she won't get to see how truely dirty it usually is. However, I have taken pictures of the two areas of my house that will never ever be clean no matter what I do. Yes, I'm aware she asked for one area and one picture but she can pick which one she thinks is worse and one picture just didn't do the mess justice :)

The first 4 is the area surrounding and including the built in "blanket cabinet" and shelves in our living room.









The following 4 are of the bar in our dining room. It ends up being the place that everything that doesn't have another home goes to live.

Go Phone Commercial

I love this commercial. Watch the kid's face starting at the 18 second mark. Cracks me up every time :)

Livin La Vida Yoda

I tried to post this earlier but my computer was strangely missing sound so I couldn't figure out what song I was posting. This is the WORST "video" ever, but at least it is the right song this time :)

Star Wars Songs

These are a few of Christopher's current fave songs

Dive on in

Busy weekend. We went swimming yesterday and C FINALLY got the mechanics of divings down. He has been swimming for a long time and going off the diving board since he was 3 but he couldn't seem to figure out diving. I finally got him on the edge of the pool and I would hold his legs so he couldn't bend his knees. Once he got comfortable going in on his head, I had him try it on his own. Every single time, he would bend and bend and bend and then bend his knees at the last second and fall on his face. Finally, I told him to keep his eyes open and watch his knees while I held them. Once he saw how they were supposed to be, he did fine. He can't quite get it off the diving board but we will keep practicing off the side and he'll get it.

Today we went to the free movie. It was the Bee Movie, which C and I have already seen. Lizzie has been asking and begging and to go to see and lasted about 20 minutes :( Then it was intermission and she could get up. 15 minutes into the second half, she was over it. If we had thought she would do so poorly, we would have taken to cars. As it was, I got to sit on my lap and be quite for awhile and then the movie was almost over and it was kind of action-y so she stayed for the whole thing.

After that, we brought mom and Liz home and I put her down for her nap. Then C and I went skating to try out my new skates. They worked way better than I expected since they were super SLICK when I tried them out here at home. They slide a little on fast turns, so racing is out for the time being but honestly, I don't generally skate that fast so it wasn't an issue. C did not do well at racing. He got wiped out in the first turn and everyone passed him :( He wasn't even going to finish but he decided to give it a go anyway. Sadly, no line game so no free passes but we had fun.

Mom brought Lizzie out and met us at 4 and we went to Dana's for our playgroups potluck/clothing swap. WAY too much food as always. I managed to get rid of 2 grocery bags full of clothes plus a large garbage bag full of clothes and gear. I actually have a very small amount of cabinet space again! There was probably 3 times the amount of clothes as at our last clothes swap. I think everybody left with something, me included who fully intended not to bring anything home. C is the oldest regular participant in the group and Lizzie may not be the oldest, but is certainly one of the biggest girls. However, someone had some sparkly red shoes in her size and C found a bear that he liked so they each got something.

Now, I'm tired and I'm going to get ready for bed and lay on the couch and read until bedtime :)

Books I've read so far this year

Maid for Murder Barbara Colley
Really Unusual Bad Boys Mary Janice Davidson
The Royal Pain Mary Janice Davidson
The Royal Treatment Mary Janice Davidson
Valentine's Day is Killing Me Mary Janice Davidson
To have and to hold Jane Green
Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate Kyra Green
Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights Kyra Green
Sex, Murder and a Double Latte Kyra Green
So Much For My Happy Ending Kyra Green
Chopping Spree Diane Mott Davidson
Dark Tort Diane Mott Davidson
Double Shot Diane Mott Davidson
Prime Cut Diane Mott Davidson
Sticks and Scones Diane Mott Davidson
Sweet Revenge Diane Mott Davidson
Tough cookie Diane Mott Davidson
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix JK Rowling
Guilty Pleasures Laurell Hamilton
Jail Bertie and the Peanut Ladies Dolores Wilson
Barking Goats and the Redneck Mafia Dolores Wilson
High Stakes Erin McCarthy
Bit the Jackpot Erin McCarthy
Hot Mama Jennifer Estep
Karma Girl Jennifer Estep
Killer in High Heels Gemma Halliday



I feel like I'm missing something. I read something between Hot Mama and Karma Girl but I can't, for the life of me, think what it might have been. That is really sad since I just finished Karma Girl a couple of days ago and the book before that would have been like 2-3 days before that, so less than a week ago :(

Dorkiness and good things

First of all, the only time I get to watch TV that isn't kid's shows during the day is during Lizzie's nap. I am outrageously excited to point out that one of my favorites shows of all time just happens to be on in this time frame. I get to watch Jeopardy! everyday and it makes me very happy! :)

As most of you know, I like to read. I joined a forum last year called "50 books a year" thinking that was a fairly lofty goal. By the end of the year, I had 65 books, not counting infinate children's books. I was really impressed with myself. Then I read Misc's Real Simple List and found out that she read 90 books last year! 90 freaking books! That is a whole lotta books. So I have decided to challenge myself to read at least that many this year. So far, I'm at 27 books for the year and I have 2 more sitting on my desk waiting to be read and 4 that should be in any day from the library (I'm ankle deep in 3 or 4 different series and can't seem to get any of the books in so I keep starting new ones to have something to read). I need to average just short of 2 books a week and thus far, I'm right on target, 15 weeks into the year. I think I'm going to have to step my game up if I want to read 90 books this year.

Finally, I have managed to get ACDSee 10 recognize my v9 database and tags as having tags. Now, I just have to figure out how to import them so I don't have to load off the CD all the time. Probably easier said than done, just like everything else with this stupid upgrade but hopefully I'll figure it out sooner rather than later :)

Buyer beware!!

Since C has started skating, we have been going 2 or 3 times a month. In all this time, I have been renting skates. Unfortunately, the skates don't fit well, they never roll quite the same and are just generally old and starting to wear out. I decided that I wanted a pair of skates of my own and found a pair that was exactly the amount of my b-day money. I finally got around to ordering them over the weekend, thinking I would have them by this weekend or early next week. I placed my order, got an invoice emailed to me saying that I would be getting my skates, green laces and a bearing upgrade, plus free shipping. I ordered the green laces because the skates are black on black and the only color that didn't cost extra was the green and I thought it would be fun to have some color. I didn't order the bearing upgrade but I assumed it was a promotion or something and didn't worry too much about it.

Side note, I ordered speed skates because regualr skates are so hard to find at a reasonable price. I couldn't give a flip less about the bearings because it isn't like I race or anything. Just round and round the rink at Skateland with a 6 year old.

Monday, I got a call from them telling me that it was a database error and if I really wanted the upgraded bearings, I would need to pay an additional $20. I told the girl that wasn't acceptable, it wasn't my error and I wasn't paying for their mistake. She insisted that she couldn't do anything so I asked to speak to a supervisor. She put me on hold and then came back and said there were no supervisors available, but that she would leave a message and have them call me.

By Tuesday afternoon, I still hadn't heard from anyone so I opened a support ticket at their website, giving them a copy of the invoice I got from them as well as stating my desire. I told them I simply wanted what I was told I was getting for the amount that I had already been charged. This morning, I got an email back from them saying "to shorten this arguement, your order has been cancelled and your card is being refunded. You can re-purchase the skates when the database error is fixed"!

I emailed them back and told them it was the worst customer service I had ever seen anywhere and that I would most certainly not be ordering from them and I would be telling everyone I knew how poor their customer service was. All over some stupid $20 bearings. Lame, Lame, Lame.

Long story short, do not order anything for skates.com. They are shady and provide poor customer service.

Music and other funny kid things

My children have some interesting tastes in music. Lizzie likes
Cotton Eyed Joe and
The Train Song.
Recently, she has started telling me "I wanna be a
Rock Star"

Christopher has an MP3 player and was asking me to load songs on it for him. He asked for that song "about closing in 3 weeks"
and the "one about writing you a love song"

We were at Meijer today and Lizzie wanted to see the fish. She walks over to them and bends down to look them. Suddenly she lifts her hands up in claws and roars at the fishies. They didn't do anything so she tried again and they still didn't respond. She looked at them and sort of tipped her head to one side and said "hm, these must not have ears" and tried another couple of tanks. Then, when none of the fishies did anything, she turned to me and said "I don't like these fish, let's go" LOL

Positive Thinking

The pluses from my life right now.

The biggest and most important, I am FINALLY not sick. Even part of the weekend, I still felt a little blah but yesterday and today, I feel so much better.

Although not the healthy way to do it, I lost 5lbs while I was sick so I now I just need to manage to keep it off, instead of letting it creep back up.

My kitchen is clean, my living room is swept and mopped and reasonably straightened up (although it is still light years from clean because it the room where we do EVERYTHING so it is never truely clean) and the laundry is put away!

I have had my MP3 player for nearly a year. It is a Sandisk Sansa m250 it is 2 gigs but I really like it. The only thing I couldn't do on it was set up playlists. I FINALLY figured it out last night. I was able to set up a "workout" playlist that has fast, upbeat songs on it. Because, while "Love of a Lifetime" is a nice songs, it doesn't do much for the pace of my workout. Scrolling through 200+ songs to find the 10 or 12 that are good for working out to is a pain. Now, I'm going to set up the kids playlist (see the next post for a few songs that will go on there LOL)

I'm making tea right now because we were out of one and almost out of the other (we keep 2 jugs of tea in the fridge most of the time so one can be nice and cold before we drink it and we really drink quite a lot of tea)

I finally got my new roller skates ordered that are going to be my b-day present.

I opened my ING car down payment savings account and I actually had money to put in it.

And finally, the weather is freaking FANTASTIC!! We are supposed to get some rain over the next couple of days, but it is April. It should rain in April.

Facebook

I need more friends on Facebook. I have discovered the addictive nature of the apps and I need you ALL to be my friends so I can bite your or give you things or whatever :)

Comment with your user name so I can add you to my vampire army, er list :)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php

No Good Title

Thanks for all the well wish about the kids and their illnesses. Lizzie finished her meds today (I LOVE Zithromax, it is so easy to remember to give it once a day for 5 days instead of 3 times a day for 10 days like other meds) and has felt better since her first dose. C finally, FINALLY seems to have gotten over his as well. He is eating more and has had no more accidents.

In worse news, I managed to pick it up from him. Yesterday was the worst. I felt like death and of course the kids had to be at their worst because I was in no condition to deal with them. Mostly, I layed around on the couch and dosed most of the day. Except for a while when I coerced Lizzie into the bedroom to watch Little Bear and I was able to nap, for real. Of course, yesterday was the first time in months dh has worked overtime so he wasn't even home to help out.

I feel better today, although still a little icky and not eating much. For the last 2 days, I've eaten a bowl of soup, 3 bowls of white rice and 3/4 of an apple. Plus some iced tea. I imagine I've lost some weight and hopefully I'll keep a bit of it off, although feeling like this is not the recommended way to go about weight loss. I think I might go have another part of an apple though because that is about the only thing that sounds good. If I didn't know better (and I do because it isn't physically possible anymore since I had a hystorectomy when Lizzie was born), I would say I was pregnant because this is exactly how I felt when I was pg with Liz. I craved fruit all the time and that was about the only thing I could eat that didn't make my want to hurl. It is also the reason I LOST 25lbs in my first trimester, resulting in a net gain of like 2 lbs for the whole pregnancy.

In fact, I feel better enough to be disgusted by my house but not yet better enough to actually do anything about it. It looks like a dirty dish and cloths bomb exploded in this place. Hopefully tomorrow, although I'm not particularly interested in spending my whole day cleaning to make up for a couple of missed days. :(