I pretty much wanna stick a fork in my eye...

I really don't like Annie. Not one little bit.

I don't like Daddy Warbucks. I don't like Miss Hannigan.

I don't like the actors or the characters.

I don't like the songs.

I don't like the optimism.

The sun might not come up tomorrow.

So don't go betting your bottom on that nonsense.

Or your dollhairs.

I think it is time to return this video to Gramama for the good of everyone in this household.

So how's everyone else's day going?

=)

SHUT UP!

Umm...yeah...the cozy breakfast supper afterglow didn't last very long!

J and K were at each other's throats all day yesterday. Neither could do anything right in the eyes of the other. Both were territorial and combative over everything from Polly Pocket outfits to lap sitting privileges to scraps of leftover supper from the night before. It seemed like every few minutes some loud outburst of crying or SCREAMING or airing of a grievance erupted.

"NO!"..."Mine!"..."You started it!"..."Gimme my..."..."She just..."..."Mommmmmmmmmm!"

Allllll day I did my best to mediate and encourage sisterly kindness and independent conflict resolution, but finally after dinner, probably while I was writing my last post, I screamed, "SHUTTT UPPP!" and like possibly one or two other things that weren't the best choice of words to utter to my precious darlings.

The "S-U" word and its inappropriate use had just been a topic of discussion earlier in the day. I had told them that it wasn't a terrible thing to say, but asked them to listen to how other people sounded when they said it and to consider how it made them feel when people said it to them.

Tenderhearted little J quickly retreated to her bedroom to grieve over the harsh words spoken, while K quickly gathered the Polly Pocket/Barbie/Littlest Pet Shop spoils into her clutches and began establishing a new kingdom for herself in the absence of her enemy.

A few minutes later, J emerged with this carefully written message in hand...

(Translation: Mommy I will come out but I love you and
can you not say shut up)

And as if that didn't make me feel bad enough, the backside read...

(Translation: That ain't very Christian!) =)

I'm not exactly sure what sounds she hears in "very"...I'll have to work on that, right after I learn not to say SHUT THE HECK UP! I asked for her forgiveness and she obliged. All is well.

Breakfast Suppers

I love breakfast suppers. There is something that is so comforting about them to me. Yes, I am an emotional eater. Anyway, I would have at least one a week if it were up to me. Oh yeah, it is up to me and so we usually do have at least one every other week. Eggs and hashbrowns or waffles or pancakes or breakfast casseroles, but always with some complementary juicy pork product to accompany the main dish and round out our fat intake in the event that it had been running dangerously low that day.

Tonight was the night. I made homemade waffles with the Hazen family recipe and then tried this nifty idea that Amy sent me just this morning that involves boiling eggs in a bag to make individual omelettes. I was a little leary of the idear at first, but I thought the kids would enjoy making their own so I gave it a whirl and they were surprisingly tasty, but best of all they were ready all at the same time.

All you do is take quart size zip-loc freezer bags and write each person's name on them with permanent marker. Each person cracks not more than 2 eggs into their bag, drops in prepared ingredients of choice, and then shakes to combine. After blended, be sure to get all the air out of the bag and then zip it up and drop it into rolling boiling water for exactly 13 minutes and then dump it out onto your plate and gobble it up as fast as you can before anyone axes you to share.

Happy Birthday to Ju Ju!

Sistah Friends

I just wanted the world to know I love my sister.

She may have nearly maimed me for life with the handle of her sharp pink hair brush in Yosemite when I was 3 and may have laughed maniacally after tearing my longest, most cherished fingernail asunder just for fun on Christmas Eve when I was 7, but I like her anyway.

Thanks for a great week, sister friend. You're the best!

Sur-PRISE!

My Dad's party was a smashing success and a complete surprise, as you can see by this photo. His was reaction was just as I had anticipated. I was choked up all day imagining his choked up expression when he arrived. He did not disappoint.

Since the party was at my parents' house, we couldn't do any decorating or have anything out of the ordinary on the premises. Anyone who knows my Mom knows this was no small feat for someone who cannot tell a lie of any size, shape, or description...under any circumstance...EVER! She managed to squirrel away some supplies around the house, as well as mine, and do some of the cooking right under his nose since he doesn't have a very keen sniffer, but the rest had to be done the day of between the hours of 11am and 3pm, when he left for the county jail for Saturday services and when he was expected to return home.

Charlie and his family had spent the night at our house Friday, unbeknownst to my Dad, so they would be here bright and early to help with all the last minute preparations. As soon as he left for the jail, Charlie and Jeff swooped in with a truck full of rented tables and chairs, a tent, and an extra grill for the festivities. Ruth and I worked all morning getting food ready at our house before reporting for duty at my Mom's to be her hands and feet.

Everything was set to go at 3pm. Most of the guests had arrived on time since we had moved the party up an hour from what was originally printed on the invitations. But wouldn't you know it, of all days, my Dad had three services at the jail instead of the usual two so that delayed his arrival about two hours. We managed to keep everyone entertained and appeased with food, and in the meantime a few more stragglers were able to make it in before the big moment of surprise.

Sixty-eight people were in attendance. It was hard to hide that many cars, so people just parked all over the yard. Since their neighbors are building a house he said he thought that maybe the cars belonged to the people helping them when he drove up. Everyone was waiting in the garage and sang Happy Birthday as he got out of the van.

The weather was perfect! The food was yummy! My Dad was happy! Good times.

The day was complete just shy of midnight when Julie and Jared arrived unexpectedly a day early. They couldn't make it for the party, but had planned to arrive today for a week stay, but came last night instead.

Click on My Photos on the right to see more of the party and of our camping trip. And if anyone feels inclined to wish my Dad a happy birthday on the 12th, please click here.

Up North

We have just returned from our sojourn "up north" as they call it here in Michigan. Any recreational destination north of where you live is considered "up north". Of course the location varies from person to person, but many a Michigander child has grown up believing "up north" to be an actual physical location to be pin-pointed on a map. Just find its coordinates and there you are...UP NORTH!

S'wanyway, we went there. All the way up to Mackinaw City. For those of you less familiar with state, if you are looking at your left hand like the "mitt" of Michigan it would be round about the tip of your middle finger. It is the Lower Peninsula's northernmost city and from it extends the 5 mile long suspension bridge connecting it with the Upper Peninsula.

We camped for five delightfully relaxing days and nights with Jeff's parents and his sister, Meridith, and her family. The view from the campground was spectacular. Within sight of our campsites was Lake Huron and within steps was a full view of the bridge, the straits of Mackinaw (where Lake Huron connects with Lake Michigan), and of Mackinac Island. Night after night we saw beautiful sunsets over the water and we got to enjoy a lakeside view of the fireworks that were being let off simultaneously from Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, and St. Ignace just across the bridge in the Upper Peninsula.

While the weekend was chocked full of blogworthy events, I presently lack the energy to do any of them any justice in written form. But I'll at least briefly mention a few.

• We went to a local waterpark for a day and saw one particularly unsightly sight that I wish I could post a photo of because I DO have one, but I must strive to keep this blog suitable for a general viewing audience. But It was ga-ROSS!
  
• We also rented a five passenger bicycle "car"...or Amish bike as Meridith called it...for an hour and took turns spinning about the grounds.
  
• We had the distinct pleasure of using of "primitive" toilets and showers. They weren't so very quaint or fresh, yet we all marveled after each visit how much the DIDN'T stink..."how'd they do that?"
  
• Oh that reminds me of the stinkin' skunk I discovered snooping in our trash the first night we were there. Not much of a story to tell. I was just trying to keep up my reputation of being a hero since I had bravely snatched up a tree frog out of Meridith camper earlier that day and thrown it back up into a tree of all places. When I heard rustling under the bed of our camper in the wee hours of the morn, I stealthily crept out with Maglite in hand ready to scare up somesing. But it wouldn't come out. Luckily I had the presence of mind in my sleepy stupor not to provoke the varmint. Finally it dashed out and into the nearby woods, but not before crossing my little beam of light at which time I saw black and white and sang praises unto Jesus for that fiasco which had just been narrowly averted.

We got back last night after a 7 hour trip that should have taken 4 1/2. Construction (in Michigan? who knew?) and holiday traffic are a bad combination apparently, but we made it. Seven loads of laundry and a port-a-potty scouring later, we are back to reality and MAN does it bite so much harder after you've had a nice little break. We both went back to work today. I work again tomorrow to make up for my frolicking and then have to scurry to get ready for a surprise party for my Dad on Saturday. Shhhhh...don't tell. He is turning 70.

I will try to post pictures soon.