There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb, pt. 2 - 11/29/2006

Howdy. I know, I said I'd "write tomorrow" a few days ago. Can you believe I have not GOTTEN ON LINE until now. I mean, other than for work. SO busy. It may have something to do with a certain fruit of my looms...loins...that has a certain project of the science fair nature that this certain fruit has known for months and yet I only find out about it a day or so before vacation. I digress but I am explaining why we're all with the "busy."



Thursday - Turkey Day. 16 people to feed. David's parents (with a little help from me & Grandma) kicked patootie in feeding 16 people. I helped make this casserole, where almost everything was a slight substitution off the original receipe. It was funny...and delicious. We should have made 2, it was gone in a flash. The only down-side? No leftovers!! Gasp! I loves me some leftovers. I think the only things left were an assortment of stuffings and a little bit of turkey. Good eats = no leftovers I suppose.





I think we played a board game that night, or was that the following night? I know we played Pictionary one night (Team Kaaren/Tricia/Jacob came from behind to victory!) and another night we played Apples to Apples.

Friday we had to load up a U-Haul. We were bringing back a piano (how cool is that? Never had one before), a full-sized bed, a twin-sized bed, a dresser, a little vanity table & chair, a rocking horse (belonged to David) and a lot of other items. SO excited about the beds. YOUR GUEST ROOM IS READY MICHAEL (MAX) !!! *wink* (Seriously though, Michael. Come down.)

We put both the full and the twin bed in one room. I figure that if a family is coming to visit, we can put someone in the twin bed and then 2 other people in the full. It all fit so nicely, too. We bought a small put-it-together-yourself table to go in between the beds so guest have somewhere to put their glasses, etc. on, rather than get up and go to the dresser on the other side of the room. The piano looks FABU in the formal not-yet-finished-painting living room. Litrell, the across-the-street neighbor, helped David move it in. Isabel loves it already. David will play and sing for her and she gets this GOOFY grin (Heather, like the one she had when she heard everyone start to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider.") To coin an Isabel phrase "Sooooo Cute."

There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb - 11/27/2006

We're back. Spent a week in Lookout Mountain, GA. It's so pretty up there. We did not get there until Monday night (10 p.m. or so) so we were really there Tuesday through Friday. We drove back Saturday, so that we could unpack the Jeep and the U-Haul-O'-Stuff we brought back with us. I'm still kind-of pooped. Had to go back to work after being gone a week. That's always a bummer. I need to hop over to AOL real quick and upload some pictures. I took WAY too many and this website only lets me do 50 a month. I think I'm at like 20 so far. I'll put what I can here, and then I will have to link the rest.


Tuesday we just kind-of putzed around. I went to the very quaint post office (think Mayberry, and not in a bad way or anything) with my m-i-l, while David went though boxes and boxes of stuff he had stored at his parents house. You can see me twitching, can't you?

Wednesday, we took the kids and David's grandma letterboxing. We were one for two. Here's Grandma, Isabel & David looking at a view at one of the letterboxing locations. Didn't find this letterbox. The second location was in this terrific park up there. SO much fun for kids. The kids played while grandma & I found the box. Victory! Here's Jake sliding down a humongous slide at this cute park, called The Pumpkin Patch.



Wednesday night was bowling night. Bizarro bowling, as they had you prepay for your games and then they'd randomly turn off our lanes when the prepayments would expire. We could not understand how, if you prepaid 6 people for a game each on one lane, how do you run OUT of $$ if you have not finished bowling. Weird. David's brother Kevin kicked butt. It's cause he's so tall. His arms practically reach the pins anyway. LOL





Thursday! Turkey Day! But before I proceed, let me take you back to....oh, 1975. Meet Hugo, the Man of 1,000 Faces. This creepy little toy was very popular in the 70's. He came with scars, toupee's, two sets of glasses, fake teeth, etc. etc. Creepifying. Apparently, my husband used to scare the heck out of one of his brothers with it. (By the way, THIS picture is from a set currently for sale on e-bay. They are at $51 right now). So, David wants to get rid of Creepy-Hugo, only....Isabel. She...loves Hugo. *shudder*





Here she is, in her beautiful Thanksgiving dress....playing with Hugo. She'd try to stick one of his noses on, and give him kisses. I caught her one night out of bed, down the hall, grabbing Hugo from his box. (She was SOOOO good going to bed. Not crib. Bed. She could get out of the bed, but she wouldn't. She'd lie there like a good girl....except for the Hugo incident). Hugo, alas, is still up in Lookout Mountain. He may get "e-bayed" as well.


Back to my daughter, and the beauty and perfection that is my daughter. (We'll just ignore the humming thing that drives me, as well as restaurant patrons, bonkers). Here she is in that dress again (quite possibly humming, too). Gahh! Gorgeous!




Anywhoo, it's 11:33 p.m. and I HAVE TO WORK IN THE MORNING! Wahhh! I'll continue tomorrow

Lies My Parents Told Me - 11/17/06

Who came up with the "kiss the boo-boo to make it better" thing? Remember that? Remember being little and having your mom or dad kiss it & make it better? If Isabel bonks her noggin, she cries, then she says "Hurts!" and then "Kiss it, Kiss boo-boo," and so we do. So cute. Isabel's finally figured out how to actually give a kiss. Before, it was just this open-mouthed drooly thing; CUTE to look at, not so much for the slobber though. Now, she purses her lips, and makes the kissy noise and everything.


Let me take you on a tangent. I'll work my way back to Isabel.


My mom passed down many things to me: my butt being a prime example. You couldn't have given me the boobs?? I digress. She also passed on to two of us...the pinky-toe. What is commonly referred to in my family circle as...the jacked-up pinky toe. The smallest toe on my feet are jacked up. Mom...jacked-up pinky toes. Vicky (I'm calling you out - LOL!!) - jacked-up pinky toe. Kaaren...Super-Jacked up Pinky Toes. On all 3 of us, our toenails grow split. It's weird and also, ew. Add to that, my corn from being stupid as a teen and wearing stylish yet bad-fitting shoes. The price I paid for fashion. The jacked-up pinky toe scares David. It wigs him out. Can't blame him. Jake finds it both gross and amusing.


Why are we discussing my toes? I was sitting on the couch this week, shoes off. Isabel was on the floor next to the couch. She sees my toes.

"Owwww, Boo boo, mommy, boo boo! Kiss it!" and she proceeds to kiss my toe. Jake is in hysterics. I pull my feet up under me, and tell her thank you but don't kiss mommy's feet.


Anyone got a boo-boo?


Speaking of noggins, Isabel LOVES Noggin, the network. It's a cable channel dedicated to toddlers & pre-schoolers. No commercials, instead they show funny clips and clips for upcoming shows etc. It's intelligent programming for little ones. The host is a cartoon moose, names Moose A. Moose and his bird companion, Zee. It's a great network.


They have a new show called The Upside-Down Show. Two guys from Australia, I think, who are hysterical. Right now, this show is right up there in Isabel's mind with Go Diego, Go. The link above will take you to their Noggin page. Select the videos and see what these guys do. I love their accents.




(Lies My Parents Told Me, Buffy Season 7, Episode 17)

The Message - 11/15/2006

Etiquette...that's out the window. No one cares anymore. They don't. You put forth an effort, you do something for someone....and nothing. I know, I know, we're supposed to do things to be nice to others, but since when is not appreciating what someone does for you o.k.? How many times do you have to get dissed or ignored before you say, "You know what, I'm done?" I HATE excuses. Don't give them to me. You are NOT that busy, that is a bogus excuse. I have children, a full-time job, a house to clean up, dinner to make every night after my full time job. Guess what? I call you. I write you. I send you things. I make cards for people. I carve stamps. I read books. I don't want excuses. Own up or shut up. Oh wait, you have the "shut up" part down, because you never call to say thanks. "Thank you" cards are a ridiculous waste of your time better spent doing who knows what. But by all means, please feel free to complain about OTHER people who don't say thanks to you and don't communicate with you. I'm still waiting for about 5 thank-you calls. I'm done. Call me just because, not because you need something from me. Appreciate me or don't bother. I'm done expending all this energy on selfish people.

(The Message, Firefly Episode 111)

Life of the Party - 11/12/06

After the Bar Mitzvah, we came home and I took a NAP! A Much needed, rather disjointed, unfulfilling nap. Isabel was down for all of a half an hour. We got ready at 10 till 6. Dinner's at 6, but they are all of our yard the street and their yard away from us. This was the first time we were meeting the wife. We've talked to Litrell several times. He's a good looking man. Even David said "Is Litrell good-looking? I think he'd be considered good looking to women." To which I said "Uh HUH," and to which he rolled his eyes. I had seen Stayce from afar (skinny little thing) but had never met her. We walked over, cake & flowers in hand. They greeted us at the door and led us in.


Their house is a two-story by the same builder, but a slightly different floor plan. And also, it looked like a model home and made me feel like "Kaaren & David", the Puerto Rican/White trashy decorators". LOL It was GORGEOUS. They had neutral colors on their walls (unlike K&D,PRWTD), all sorts of pretty pictures, painting, decor. It was nice. The family room? Hello! Looked like a single's pad. Beautiful glass entertainment center, leather couches, just beautiful. They have a KID! A four year old! My family room looks like The Toys R Us giraffe threw up in it. They have a smaller upstairs loft area, but they had a foosball & air hockey table. Jake was in love. 4 bedrooms (one was made into his office). Hey, don't worry. I LOVE MY HOUSE. Love, love, love, love. I love all the wacky colors. I think it is awesome, in a lived-in sort of way.


Some other friends were invited for dinner too. Their daughter plays soccer (SO cute) with the daughter of this couple that came over. And for the record, everyone was so so pretty. And I'm not saying that in a catty way, cause, hello? I'm including myself in there. *snort* They were, though. Stayce is very pretty & sweet, the other couple, Brad & Angela, were very attractive and their daughter was gorgeous as well. Reminded me of a brunette version of David's oldest niece.


The 3 little girls ate first, in the breakfast nook table; hot dogs & Mac & Cheese. Can't go wrong with that. Then the 3 girls went upstairs to play while the adults ate dinner. Dinner was held in the formal dining room. You know, like the purple formal dining room we have....only with furniture. Our formal dining room is currently home to Dora's Talking Kitchen, a basket full of toys and a K'Nex Roller Coaster David and Jake are building. We had steak, baked potato, salad & bread. It was really great.

By about 8:30, Isabel was pretty much done. She had had only a half hour nap. Jake had gone home to get Cranium Turbo Edition so we could all play. David said he'd take Isabel home and we could play the game. That was 8:30. At midnight, Jake & I stroll through the front door. LOL The game was fun, but took forever, because of pauses for more refresments, cake eating, chasing after two little girls who completely trashed the upstairs loft, etc. Fun conversation & fun time. They even asked about grandma, as they had seen the ambulence at 2:30 in the morning that day, and Litrell had asked David about it later on.


All in all, we had a great time.


(Life of the Party, Angel Season 5, Episode 5)

Blind Date - 11/10/2006

Holy cow, we narrowly missed a complete screw-up!

We have had plans to eat dinner with the neighbors for 2 weeks. We told them that on Saturday night, we could not do it because of a Barmitzvah. It was decided that Friday night, the 10th, we'd have dinner with the neighbors.

All week, we heard nothing. David took the night off for this too. Then...today arrives. We still don't know when dinner is. David was home all day but the neighbors were working. In a panic, I rush to the grocery store on the way home, to buy a cake, some flowers for the hostess and cookies for the little girls. I get home...to see the male neighbor get in his car to go to the gym. His wife and daughter are not home yet. We're confused. Did they forget? Is it going to be late? I keep telling David there is no way they would not tell us the time. We need to know, to get ready. So we're all stupid, lol, because no one wants to go over to talk to the lady when she gets home. What if they forgot? I did not want to make them feel bad! We waited until about 7:30 & finally went to dinner.

We just got back aroud 9:30, and neighbor guy is pulling in his driveway too. David yells his name and walks over to the street. They thought we were doing dinner tomorrow!! We reminded him we had a barmitzvah to go to Saturday night. He apologized profusely. David then says "Let's see if we can still work it out. Kaaren, what time is the Barmitzvah?" I can't remember if it is six or seven at night, so I walk in the house to get the invitation.

BOY AM I GLAD I DID! The barmitzvah....is at 9:30 A.M.!!!!! I had NO clue!!! We would have missed it COMPLETELY. David looks at our neighbor and says "I guess we're coming after all."
Jake & I are going to Wal-Mart in a bit, after I get our girl out of the tub. It's open 24 hours. I need to buy a CARD to put Ben's gift/$$ in.

Sleeper - 11/09/2006

Holy shnikes, I'm tired. Tuck me in, please?

Grandma's back in the hospital, in Puerto Rico. :( The fluid is around her lung again. Her daughter and husband are there, so they will take good care of her, if the hospitals can't.

Um....oh, tomorrow night we're invited to dinner at the neighbor across the street's house. Dang it, I meant to bake something and I forgot. What should I bring?!? Wine (ew)? A pie from Publix?

Speaking of Publix....I GIVE ALREADY!! Gaaahh! I give. I have to shop there. Their bakery, deli, produce and meat departments cancel out the fact that they overcharge for the dry goods. I give UP driving further to a store that doesn't carry snap peas or runs out of celery. Celery! *shrugs shoulders*

Saturday night, we're going to a Barmitzvah for one of the boys in Jake's old Cub Scout group (1st-5th grade). Yay Ben! I am very excited to go. Everyone has something nice to wear, but me. Cause of the fatty fatness & all. I have something to wear, just nothing to write home/blog about. I have never been to a Barmitzvah. I've been to a Bat- but not a Bar.

We're working on The Amityville Window. Wait till you see what we did. We should be done soon. I'd say this weekend, but we have too much to do already.

Veronica Mars season 3 is shaping up to be Buffy Season 4. As in, the season that must not be mentioned. I can't even say that. Buffy season 4 was VERY disjointed as far as the arc went (The Initiative? Spike with a chip? Werewolf chic? Riley with Buffy? Please.), but at least it had some terrific stand-alone episodes. (Something Blue, Emmy-nominated Hush, Who are You, Superstar, Restless). Veronica? Not so much this year. Please let it get better.

Off to finish yesterday's episode of Lost.

The Zeppo - 11/07/2006

*hangs head in shame*

I did not vote. ME. I. Did. Not. Vote. Gahhh! My civic duty! My privilege!

I meant to do so after work. David was off tonight, so I was going to head straight there after work. Last night, David made squat $$. A slow night, compounded by the need for dinner and a full tank left him with about $9 cash. Yuck. So when his boss called to see if he wanted to pick up a shift, David said yes. Alas, I had to come straight home to take care of the kids, in a torrential downpour, with tornado warnings in effect for my county. Nice.

I did not vote. I cannot complain about ANYONE in this election, because I did not take the time to go vote. If you did not vote, neither can you. *blows raspberry*

Just an Aside - 11/02/2006

I forgot to mention this about our night out trick or treating.

We're about 2 streets away at a house giving out candy. David turns and mentions that he can see our house from here. The guy (a VERY hyper man who needed to either lay off the caffeine, or quite possibly the speed, not sure which) asks "The two-story one?" David answers yes. The guy then says something like "Oh yea, we see you guys walking by The Amityville Window all the time. Just tonight we saw a guy with a HUGE afro." That would be Jake in his costume wig.

They see our window. They named our window (The Amityville Window), two blocks away. As we walked away, David finally admitted that I was right, we do need some kind of cover over the HUGE window in our house. It is so far up, we're not sure how we'll get to it, but it MUST be done. I have been saying that I feel like the world is watching us. It has.