A new learning tool

The sun is out, the temperature is rising and the boxelder bugs are multiplying by the minute inside the house. Today we played “How many boxelder bugs can mommy suck-up with the vacuum?”

The count ended at 57, with 4 Asian Beatles as bonus points.

Oh yeah…and I chewed-up 3 in the garbage disposal.

I don’t know why I get such a charge out of putting them down the disposal. Maybe it is the 1/16th part evil lady inside of me that is shackled to three small children 24/7. Children that need to be cared for, be shown tenderness, be brought up as responsible human beings, be feed right, be kept healthy, be kept safe and be loved with all my heart and soul. And that little bitty evil part inside of me, well…it really likes to show those boxelder bugs who’s boss.

Fix’n my love of the towel

I love paper towels and absolutely over use them. I could just as easily grab a regular towel from the drawer but why on earth do that when you can just grab a perfectly clean, perfectly sized paper towel.

While at Target a few days ago I purchased 2 rolls of Target brand paper towels. The packaging and labeling stated that there are 90 2-ply sheets in each roll.

I have come to find out there is only ONE, very, very, very long paper towel in the roll. It seems as though someone forgot to press the perforator button.

Maybe

Since Lent started we have been trying out different churches to see if one or another feels right for our family. For the past two weeks we have made an appearance at the Basilica which is an amazingly beautiful church located right on the edge of down town.

As we pulled our car into the parking lot, which sits right under the highway, there was a homeless man with a sign that said he was looking for food, money and/or work.

PJ looked at the man as we drove by him and asked, “Mom is that Jesus?”

The ups and downs

There are just those days.

Those days that everything feels like too much. Like you are treading water and are never going to get ahead. Days where the kids fighting never ends, the screaming doesn’t cease, nothing is right and everyone needs something from you NOW.

Those days, the days I can’t seem to “handle”, don’t come often but when they do I certainly don’t like how I feel or the self pity that comes along with them.

And then…you get an email from a dear old friend telling you of the rapid decline in her lovely father’s health.

And then…you read about the horrible abuse her Uncle’s baby boy has had to live through at the hands of his babysitter.

And then…your friend’s words resonate in your head and you take in the pain and suffering that they are dealing with.

Then…then is when you quickly gain perspective on the day you thought was so bad.

6:57 pm

So, I didn’t get up early this morning when the alarm went off to train for the myriad of races this season and training just started last Sunday.

I’m already feeling like it may be too much, like I need one more day off than one.

My training schedule tells me I have a 35 minute swim, but instead…I opened a bottle of wine.

Adam is at a late meeting and won’t be home for a while.

The kids MUST go to bed soon.

The thought of going to the gym and getting wet and grinding out a workout sounds just foul.

So, I won’t.

I am NOT a rule breaker.

I’m not sure this is a good sign.

Only human testing here

The answer to Friday’s question is…ample servings of green pancakes in the morning, green yogurt at lunch and a terrifically kelly-green cupcake at dinner will turn your kids poop a most spectacular and amazing color green.

It was almost as exciting as waiting to see what a whole pint of blueberries looks like coming out the other end.

Most surprised by this exciting experiment was my mother-in-law, who watched the kids Saturday night and couldn’t believe what ended up in KP’s diaper.

Yellow and blue makes GREEEEEEN

On this St. Patty’s Day, I just keep asking myself…how much green food coloring do my kids have to ingest before I turn their poop green.

I’ll let you know tomorrow.

Suck-it-up

I just got an email from my friend Sara regarding the fact that she thought I was “a craaaazy lady” for buying an $800 vacuum (two years ago). And that yesterday, she also fell to the temptation of purchasing a new and very expensive piece of essential household equipment…a new vacuum.

To be truthful, I got it for our 10th Anniversary. Maybe that makes it even worse or maybe better…you see every time I plug it in I can think of my wonderful husband who loves me so much that we bought a house together, had three kids together and now own a fabulous red vacuum together.

I have owned and operated my fare share of SHITY vacuums in my life. Vacuums, that when you plug them in, make noise but don’t pick anything up or ones that were hand-me-downs from my mother-in-law that are so old they don’t even make the replacement bags for anymore or the one that Adam owned in college, I’m not sure that one was ever used but if it was you do not want to know what went into the bag.

You may be wondering…is it really worth it? My answer is, YES, YES, YES. And if I am ever faced with the buying decision again, I will absolutely save all the imaginary pennies I am making as the CEO of the household and buy another one.

22 Months

A little Knuku for you…

My little snowflake
Falling hard and falling fast
Growing up too fast

Lunchtime fact or fiction

PJ: Oh shoot, I wish I brought home the flower my teachers gave me.

Me: Did the teachers hand out flowers to all the kids today?

PJ: Not to everyone, just me.

CT: PJ, they did not just give you a flower. That would make all the other kids sad.

PJ: They gave me the flower because they love ME best.