Things to remember

Last night, Lucky put together "bye bye" and "sissy" as she was going to bed.

Night before last, he growled and stomped after The Mighty Hunter. Playing "bear".

He flings himself in the floor, very melodramatic, and wails when he is corrected or scolded.

He sings at the top of his lungs with anything and everything.

He sings "lalalalala" with Elmo.

He loves "patty cake" with his feet and will "say" it while holding his feet in each hand and clapping them togetheer.

He has the flashlight to his mouth right now, talking into it like a microphone.

He has begun giving the biggest, smackingest, smoochies, sloppiest, snottiest kisses this week.

He says "outside" perfectly and hears us everytime we say it and begins begging to go "outside". (It's too darn hot to go outside right now.)

He runs circles in the living room floor and then flops down and says "hiiiiiiiii" to whomever is near.

He loves to talk on the phone. "hallooOOO?" "HEEEeeeyyyy"

He loves (LOVES) to brush his teeth and dances as I get his toothpaste out. DANCES and GIGGLES.

Wordless Wednesday (Smokies 08)

What I found in Cherokee NC restroom...

I apologize for the extreme blurriness of the picture. The bathroom wasn't empty and I was embarassed and it was Bev's camera phone and the flash surprised me and the whole situation was a mess and someone in the restroom was having stomach "distress" and, well, the shot it's blurry.

But I'm wondering how many of you have found a half-full sharps collection box next to the tampon dispenser in a public restroom.

This was my first, and I couldn't resist taking the picture.

Yes, my first thought was I've gotta blog this!

What's the strangest (keep it clean!) thing you've found in a public restroom?

Tasty Thursday (pasta)

Hi! I decided to join in this week's pasta theme over at The Pumpkin Patch's Tasty Thursday!

Lucky you!

Below is a casserole that is my standard contribution to potlucks and family reunions. It is easy and comforting. Two of my favorite food qualities.

Macaroni Casserole

1 lb Velveeta, cubed

1 soup-can-full of milk

1 8oz pkg macaroni, cooked and drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup (substitute away here)

1 c mayonnaise

1 20z jar diced pimentos

1/2 c onion, chopped

Ritz crzckers

butter

In a microwave-proof bowl, combine velveeta and milk. Cook in microwave until cheese is melted, stirring often. In a baking dish, combine macaroni, soup, mayonnaise, pimentos, onion and cheese mixture. Crumble crackers on top. Place thin slices of butter on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Eat.

Sleep.

Works For Me Wednesday (laundry baskets)

I have never claimed to be the best a good housekeeper. I live by the addage "clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be fun." Nevertheless, there are certain places in my home where some small amount of cleaning OCD comes into play.

The lids to all my plasticware bowls are all lined up (not in any particular order) and easily identified and found.

My pans are neatly arranged in side my cabinet. (Unless Lucky has played there again, leaving behind a gift of tennis balls in a pan.)

My canned goods used to be neatly organized. But then the battery on the cordless drill died and we can't find the charger and the chore of baby-proofing the cabinets died with the battery.

One area of my house that is pretty easily maintained is Stinkerbell's shoes in her closet.

Assuming she actually carries them to her closet, all she has to do is toss them into a hard plastic laundry basket. All she has to do is open her closet and both halves of a pair of shoes are inside the basket.

It's not all neat and pretty and "organizey", but it works for me.

Wanna know what works for others? Go.

Wordless Wednesday (swimming fun)

Yes, it's only Tuesday. I guess you could consider this a Tackle It Tuesday effort at Wordless Wednesday.

:P

Oh, to be a fly on the wall

Friday, Stinkerbell, Lucky and I made a trip to our local retail hell-hole Wal-Mart. While scanning and bagging my life-necessities, I noticed a W-M bag in the cart left at the end of the checkout line.

Being the nosey inquisitive kind of person who is always looking for something to blog about an opportunity to help others, I picked up the bag to hand it to the self-checkout cashier (there's something wrong with that logic...)

In the bag was a jewelry box.

I handed it over to the woman in the navy blue shirt and khaki pants.

someone forgot their jewelry!

"uh oh, I'm sure they'll be back for it in a few minutes. I'll keep it here."

I wonder what it is...

"It's a wedding ring. I hope they're not in a hurry for it."

me too. Either way, there's gonna be some 'splaining to do.



I don't think she got my Ricky Ricardo reference.

Menu Plan Monday - 07-14-08

Monday - left-over spaghetti, salad, cheesy bread

Tuesday - left-over bbq sandwiches, chips, salsa

Wednesday - dinner out for Uncle Carl's birthday

Thursday - frozen pizzas or finish off left-overs (clean out the fridge)

Friday - somewhere in Tennessee, en route to here

Saturday - somewhere here or here or here

Sunday - ditto

Monday - ditto

Tuesday - ditto

Wednesday - somewhere between those places and home ::sigh::

Yes, we are leaving Friday for a vacation in our beloved Smokey Mountains. I call them "ours" because, well, they belong to us. We live a mere 3 hours away and do our best to visit them at least once a year.

This time, we're planning on spending most of our time on the North Carolina side. It's a little more peaceful than the TN side.

I don't think we'll be going here, except maybe to eat.

We expect to see elk here.

We expect to spend too much money here...

Wordless Wednesday (early blueberries)

Changes, they are a-comin'

Well, for a few weeks now The Mighty Hunter and I have been talking about what we're going to do if the economy doesn't improve.

I can't come up with anything interesting or witty here. Blame the stress and insomina. Or just bite me. I don't care...

So, since the economy isn't improving - and likely won't until the government pulls some oil refineries out of its arse and gets OPEC's death-grip loosened from around our necks - we're working on Plan B.

Plan A - I continue as SAHM and "consult" my infinite IT skills for our business until such time as Lucky starts school or we win the lottery for which we never buy tickets.

Plan B - I brush off write a resume and find a J.O.B. Lucky goes to daycare since we don't have family close enough or healthy enough to care for him daily. Stinkerbell goes to after-school care at either her school or at the same day-care as Lucky.



Here's what I'm wondering. How does one go about getting a job within the school district Stinkerbell attends a mere 34 days before school starts? How disgustingly sad and depressing would it be for me to pull the few strings I have to pull to meet with the superintendent and present my resume, detailing my experience in IT administration, business management, supervising, bookkeeping skills AND! my College! Degree! so that I can beg for ANY job just to be close to my children and have their same schedule?

"Why, no, Mr Superintendent, I don't have any teaching experience or a degree in which I could quickly gain my teacher's certificate. What difference would that make? Can I just dust the trophy case? Can I clean the toilets? I've dreamed my whole life of wearing a hair net!" (batting my loverly blue eyes, hoping it will work on school superintendents better than police officers)



So, I am awake at 1:30 A! friggin' M! and am beginning to get HUNGRY! and would love to be able to wear some of the work clothes I already own should I actually get my butt out and get a job interview so I now have to try to get to sleep (not!) on an empty stomach. And I'm fretting over what I'm going to do.

I've tried very hard to hold it together and not cry over this.

I never thought I would NOT go back to work at some point. I just hoped that it would be after Lucky started school or preschool or college. I just hoped that I could continue to be the one to pick my children up at the school and not put them on a bus. I just hoped that I wouldn't feel torn between staying home with a sick child and going to work. I just hoped that I wouldn't have to make this decision right now.



Does anyone know of a great business to run from my home that requires no investment and provides an actual, reliable income? 'Cuz I'm game.



I have contacted (via email, which is totally acceptable practice with this organization) my purchasing agent at the government contractor to which I sold engine parts before I left work (Nov 2006). I'm hoping I can finagle (how do you spell that word? I've said it for years but never written it or seen it anywhere!) an arrangement where I can fill orders for the same parts I did in the past. I still have my contacts and feel sure that I can negotiate good pricing, etc.

Wouldn't that be a dream?

doing the math now... SWEET!!!



So, other than needing a defibrilator when you fill up your car with gas, which is a major fire hazard, how is the economy affecting your family?