Sounds of the Season

If you grew up in the south in the 80's then you know the greatest Christmas album ever was not recorded by Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole.  No.  It came from Alabama (the group; not the state.  Though it may have also come from the state.  I don't know).  It was titled Alabama Christmas and it was released by RCA in 1985.  And there's no other way to put it.  It's simply the best Christmas album of all time.  Thistlehair the Christmas Bear, Christmas in Dixie, Candle in the Window, Tennessee Christmas.  Please.  Don't try to argue with me.

Alabama is obviously top on our list of this season's soundtrack.

Here are some others that we're listening to on "repeat:"

(Warning: Youtube Overload)

Kenny & Dolly come very close to Alabama.  Very close.

Alabama and Kenny & Dolly and their Christmas albums will always remind me of my childhood.  Always.  Also Dolly's Hard Candy Christmas which was recorded for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.  A fact that I did not know until I Youtubed the video and every other one was all "from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas 1982."

My children do not appreciate Ray Stevens' Santa Claus is Watching You near as much as my brother and I did.

It's not all country, ya'll.  It's not Christmas without some Mariah.  Her entire album is every inch of amazing.  Another amazing one?  Vanessa Williams' Star Bright.  It was the only good thing - other than Save the Best for Last - she recorded.  Oh, oh, oh!  To complete the Diva Trio: Whitney Houston.  Preacher's Wife soundtrack.

And Jackson Five.  My boys LOVE Michael Jackson.  Or, you know, Mi-shell Jack Son.  Kyan likes to watch this video on Youtube and argue with me that they're all girls.  I think it's the voices.

Brenda Lee.  We love some Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!

 Happy Christmas.  John and Yoko.

We LOVE This Christmas.  Chris Brown (look at me now) is a douchebag but I'll take his version please.

And this one, this one goes without saying.  It's a classic, ya'll!

Back to country?  Okay.  Alan Jackson's I Only Want You for Christmas.  Kenny Chesney with All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan and Angel at the Top of My Tree. Willie Nelson on Pretty Paper,  Crystal Gayle Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and even though I'm not certain it's considered a Christmas song The Oak Ridge Boys with Thank God for Kids.  I love the video when *I* was a kid because it featured Sesame Land.  Now it makes me all emotional and ooey gooey.  (Also it makes me realize that if my kids were ever in a play area and some ZZ Top looking mofo popped up and started smiling at them, I'd probably go beyond postal).

We'll also take [almost] any version of Silver Bells, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Jingle Bells, O Holy Night (my personal favorite religious Christmas song), Silent Night, Jingle Bell Rock, Rudolph.  You know -- pretty much every "classic" Christmas song EVER recorded.  And don't judge me!  But I love Nick and Jessica's Baby It's Cold Outside.  They were no Kenny and Dolly but they owned that song.

I know I'm missing some but that's the, um, short list. 

What are YOU listening to this Christmas?

I Don't Wanna Talk About It

Finding a couple to "date" is one of the hardest things for us married people.  Or, well, for any people who are in a relationship and want another couple to hang out with from time to time.  You both like the girl and your man gets along with her man but YOU think he's a douchebag.  Or you like the couple but your hubby think's her laugh is the most annoying thing on earth.  Seriously.  Dating another couple is harder than just plain DATING.

This makes the fact that Eddie and I both get along with our friends Kira and Jon pretty extraordinary.  We have no couple friends in Memphis.  But when we go to Dallas - well, I like Kira and I like Jon.  And Eddie likes Kira and he likes Jon.  And the feeling seems to be mutual. 

So, really, if we were going to be in Dallas last Friday for The Big Game there were no other people I'd rather have shared the experience with.  And considering they have two bar areas in their house -- and a ton of liquor left over from their wedding -- hanging out with them at their place was the perfect choice.  Especially for that particular game.

The Big Game.  Arkansas played LSU.  Arkansas ranked #3, our only loss of the season to #2 Alabama.  LSU ranked #1.  Some truly unbelievable things have happened in college football this season.  Who could have predicted that a couple weeks ago three top five teams would all lose?  Needless to say, I really thought Arkansas could pull off the victory.  Two touchdown underdog?  We'll take it and WE WILL RUB YOUR FACE IN IT, TIGERS.  Not only did I think Arkansas could - and would - win the game but I thought Auburn could do us all a favor, knock off the Tide on Saturday, and Arkansas could go to the SEC championship game and then onto the national championship.  I had big hopes.

Too big.

The game started off in our favor and after the first touchdown, I had the bright idea of taking a shot after every Arkansas TD.

We only took one more shot after this one.

And then half one when we scored a field goal.

WHAT???  You don't let YOUR four-year-old in on a the shot toast?

The final score of the game was 41-17 and not in our favor.  I'm glad I had consumed a margarita or two.  And half a bottle of Moscato.  It made it much less painful.

And even though I don't wanna talk about that game, I still LOVE MY RAZORBACKS.  They shouldn't have dropped to #8 in the standings and it makes me want to punch a BCS official in the babymaker that they are below Boise State.  But they'll go to a decent bowl this year, they'll win, and next year WE WILL KICK SOME TIGER BUTT.

Woooo Pig Soieeee!

In the meantime, I'm going to hope for an SEC rematch in the national championship game and will be pulling out my houndstooth and getting my "ROLL TIDE ROLL" on.  

P.S. Look what it did at my house last night:

We have light flurries falling again right now.  Oh!  And it was 75 degrees on Saturday.  Welcome to the South!

Turkey and Sweet Potato Pie

I don't know about you all, but I'm so thankful Thanksgiving is over and now Christmas Vacation will be on every night for the next month!  Woo Hoo!  It really IS the most wonderful time of the year.

Since we have a hard time staying home for any holiday and since Eddie was on vacation and we could be gone for a few days rather than a few hours, we decided to visit his family in Dallas for Thanksgiving this year.  My sister-in-law hadn't originally planned on preparing turkey and all the fixings so we had a rather nontraditional Thanksgiving planned: dinner at Texas de Brazil then taking the kids to the Gaylord Texan so they could act a fool while I tried to take their pictures for our Christmas cards.  (Two serious run on sentences in a row!  Holy!) But, early in the week, Eddie's sister texted him to let us know she was planning on cooking dinner.  So we went the traditional route.

And, maaaaaaayne.  Did she EVER cook dinner!  The stuffing was so good and the mac and cheese was to die for.  She made greens which meant my husband was beyond happy.  Karis - Karis!  My one and a half year old! - ate three dinner rolls.  It was just a dang good meal.  Desert was sweet potato pie* and when I made the mistake of asking what the difference was in sweet potato and pumpkin, I was schooled in "black people food vs white people food."

** It was so strange only having two pies (and both of the same flavor!) and only one variety of potatoes on the Thanksgiving dinner table.  When my family gets together, there is usually enough pie for each person to have their own.  As in their own ENTIRE pie.  And there are also no less than 18 different potato dishes.  We know how to eat, ya'll.

So, that was Thanksgiving.  Low key.  Good food.  Cowboys won.  I ran to CVS so I could buy two snuggies for $10 in hopes that, when the boys open them on Christmas Day, Eddie and I can finally get ours back.

Later in the evening, I went to meet my friend Kira because, ya'll, we had something we had to do.  It was time for BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING.

Black Friday is my favorite day of the whole entire year.  I love the bargains.  I love to shop.  I love how people get all worked up and angry.  I love how a bitch will claw you with her talons-for-fingernails to get the very last $5 Barbie.  I love how you always have the chick wearing an ill-fitting sweatsuit, hair pulled in a scrunchie, who is telling Black Friday War Stories from years past.

I just love it.

If this tells you anything: I took three pictures of Thanksgiving dinner.  Three.  I took almost twenty when Kira and I were out harrassing people shopping.

We started out at 9:00 at Walmart.  I stood by a pallet of Cars themed race car tracks that were, apparently, a very hot item.  Because approxomately 10 seconds after a loud "WHOOOP!" (that, obvs, had nothing to do with the Texas/ Texas A&M game) went through the store, those race car tracks were GONE.  Gone.  I worked my way through the crowds (even with a cart!) and managed to get everything on my list save for a game of Operation (Sponge Bob Ants in the Pants took its place) and a damn $10 Baby Alive.

I'm still a little bitter over the Baby Alive.

After Walmart, it was Macy's.  The only REAL reason we went to Macy's was because they were in the same mall as The Disney Store.  My local Disney Store was opening at midnight; this one was not.  It would've been a slight burnt run but Macy's had sweaters at buy one get one free (I got two CUTE ones for my stepdaughter for a total of $30) and Melissa and Doug toys were also buy one get one.  Awesome.

A Jack in the Box (we don't have those in Memphis, by the way) run and we went back to Kira's house to veg until it was time to head out to Sears to scoop up some $20 peacoats.  Oh, and by "to veg" I mean "to drink margaritas."

Let's just say the second half of our trip was much more interesting.

I crashed the bed these chicks were resting on.  This was at Sears.  Roughly 4:15 am.

Kira got in a "glamourizer" fight with this guy.  Also at Sears.

Still at Sears.  I think the sales clerk's face says it all.

We are [probably] never allowed back in that particular Sears.  Ever.

We really did buy stuff at Sears.  I managed to come out with three pairs of boots, a peacoat, and a pair of jeggings. 

After Sears, it was on to the mall, to JC Penney.  More shenanigans. 

The ladies in the lingerie department were full of Razorback spirit and agreed to call the Hogs.

Good times.  Good.Times.  Ya'll.

We found a store in the mall selling accessories at a dollar a pop.  I bought several stocking stuffers for Zhariah and - be still my heart - some Big Ass Bows for Karis.  For $1! 

After we left the mall, it was time for an [extremely tired] run to Target.  It was 7:00 in the morning.  They had been open for seven hours.  And I STILL managed to get everything on my list.  (A $12 Cabbage Patch -- my girl is getting her first ever Cabbage Patch!  I think I'm more excited about this than anything else the kids are getting!, some jammie and slipper sets, undies, and scarves and gloves).  Score!

In the end, I finished up about 85% of my Christmas shopping -- the boys are completely finished with the exception of their big gifts (and the hubs is in charge of getting those).  Zhariah and Karis each need three more of their smaller gifts.  All stocking stuffers are purchased.  And I came in about $200 under my husband-induced Black Friday budget.  I'm, like, a serious shopping ninja. 

---  BTW: I wrote most of this last night.  I woke up this morning to find out we are under a winter weather advisory.  In November!  In Memphis!  There's a 70% chance of rain and snow this afternoon.  Which seems like perfect weather to put away my fall decor and pull out the Christmas tree.  Also, to start packing my bathing suits and flip flops and FLY SOUTH for the winter.  Snow in November makes me think that February is going to be miserable!

Thanks for the Blessings

I realize it's super cliche to make a list of all the things I'm thankful for today.  I also realize it would be super cliche to list things like my husband and children, my extended family, our home, our health, my husband's job and the fact that he's a man who is not afraid of a little hard work, clothes on our backs, and food on the table.  I'm thankful for all of that -- those are truly the biggest blessings in my life.  But I'm thankful for so much more as well.

I'm thankful for the sound of a baby's laughter and the way Kyan tells his sister, "you're my best girl."  I'm thankful for children who sleep through the night and that 2/3 of my little ones are potty trained.  I'm thankful for social media that allows me to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away.  I'm thankful for boys who love their Mama and are still little enough to ask, "Can't Daddy just sleep in my bed so I can sleep in your bed with you?"  I'm thankful for Coke Zero and Diet Dr. Pepper.

I'm thankful for third row vehicles that aren't mini vans.  I'm thankful for the city of New Orleans, all the wonderful food it contains, and that I'll be there in two and a half months.  I'm thankful I was raised in a way so that I'm still close to my cousins even as we've gotten older.  I'm thankful the Razorbacks are having a good season.

I'm thankful for Goodnight Moon and I'll Love You Forever.  I'm thankful for my creativity and for TexMex food and for Disney Pixar.  I'm thankful for the relationship I have with my stepdaughter, a relationship that is right now better than it's ever been before, and I'm thankful for how much she absolutely loves and adores her baby sister (and her little brothers too -- though sometimes that love and adoration doesn't show through as much!)

I'm thankful that my blog does not generate any income so I am, therefore, not faced with the decision of just how moral it is to pimp out my family for clicks. I'm thankful I was born in raised in the south, even if we don't have basements.  I'm thankful to live in a country that affords us basic rights and I'm thankful for people like my husband who fought to preserve those rights.

I'm thankful for this picture from last Thanksgiving:

And I'm thankful for the memories of that day, for the last Thanksgiving we spent with our PawPaw.  I'm thankful we had him for as long as we did and that our faith allows us to know he's in a better place.

And most of all I am thankful for these four goofy little people.  Thankful they are in my life, that I can kiss them and hug them every single day, thankful that they're mine and that they make me want to be a better person.

Thursday . . . er . . . Tuesday Things

1) I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner tonight for our (not so) little family.  Eddie's work gave him a gift certificate for a free turkey (from Holiday Ham!  So it's all pre-cooked and we don't have to do ANYthing.  Awesome).  I'm making a small ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes (I prefer potato casserole but the kids won this year), green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pecan pie.  Zhariah worked for a long time Saturday making these cute little place cards:

Kyan was the hand model for the little turkeys -- and he wasn't too happy about it.  They are all made out of fabric with ribbon for the legs and beaks and felt for the gobble gobble thing-a-ma-bobbers.  The plan is for everyone to flip them over sometime before or after dinner and write on the back what they're thankful for.  Then we're going to put them in our "Thanksgiving Time Capsule" so that we can pull them out every year and read what we were thankful for.

Zhariah got crafty again yesterday.  She and Jaidan made this:

Way to go, Mom, on picking up the paint cards with the names in places that absolutely could not be cut off.  Way to go.

It's an old peanutbutter jar and it's filled with "turkey toes"  (candy corn).    I told them they should give her a name.  Jaidan suggested Allie.  Zhariah suggested something I cannot even begin to attempt to spell that has me worried about what my future grandchildren may be named.  In the end, I told them the name had to start with a T.  Therefore, she is Terica Turkey.

2) The Hogs are #3 in the nation.  This makes me happy.

We play LSU on Friday.  We need to win. Then we need Alabama to lose on Saturday.  Then all will be right in the world.  Well, in my world.

3) I have not purchased one single solitary Christmas gift as of yet.  Not one!  But, due to some changes in our Thanksgiving schedule, I am going Black Friday shopping this year.  Here's to getting at least half of the shopping done then!  (Oh please oh please oh please oh please).

4) Speaking of Christmas gifts, I told Eddie that I would rather have a Big Girl Camera than an iPhone for Christmas.  I'm not 100% sure he's on board with this idea seeing as he happens to know the history I have with cameras.  I already told him that my Big Girl Camera would never, ever go on a Whore Trip with me.  That I would only bring along my trusty little point and shoot.  That the Big Girl Camera would be used for pics of the kids and to, hopefully, hone a hobby of mine.  He made me promise to stop calling it a Big Girl Camera. 

5) This is what I did on Sunday:

I got rid of some toys!  I have a hard time actually throwing toys away -- my kids have so much and there are so many that have nothing, I just cannot trash a toy -- so I only threw away the things that were broken.  I filled up the storage box with other stuff. Karis' little toy kitchen will be added to that after Christmas -- Santa is planning to bring her a new one but I don't want to do away with the old one just yet lest one of the boys realize what's going on.

6) I hit up the Goodwill and Once Upon a Child yesterday.  $65 got seven pairs of jeans, two shirts, and two pairs of shoes.  I saw this at OUAC:

As Kyan would say, "What in the WHAT WHAT?"

It was only $4.50.  For the entire suit!  I was tempted to buy it.  Just because . . . well . . . I mean, really.  THAT in a size 4T. 

7) I've decided I need this book.  I've also decided that I should have written that book.  And I'm totally stealing the SEC Tailgate Tour idea! 

8) My hubs is on vacation this week.  Has been since around 7:00 Sunday night.  It took all the way to 10:00 yesterday morning for me to feel the need to punch him in the throat.

I love my husband and I love spending time with him.  But the kids and I get so set in our routine, you know?  And when he comes along doing things like offering Snickers bars for breakfast then going and taking a nap it makes me want to punch him in the throat!

9) The boys are getting haircuts today.  I think while they're having Man Bonding at the barber shop, my girl and I are going to head to the mall in search of boots.  When I mentioned this to Eddie yesterday he told me wanted to be with me when I picked some out so I didn't get any "Pocahantas looking" ones.  Heh?

10) I . . . I mean Zhariah . . . made a 110% on her Powerpoint project we . . . I mean I . . . did over the weekend.  And it was for MATH.  I feel like I should reward myself with something from Great American Cookie Company at the mall today . . .

On Books

I love to read.  I always have.  When I was a kid, every other Saturday we went into "town" to buy groceries.  Before the grocery shopping, though, was the lunch buffet at Pizza Inn and then a trip to the used book store.  That used book store . . . that's the real reason I went every Saturday.

I love used book stores.  I love when you find a forgotten treasure with a 99 cent sticker on it.  I love the musty smell of old books.  I love that, unlike Barnes & Noble or Borders, if you walk into a used book store every other person in there is really loves books. 

Back on those grocery shopping Saturdays, I would gladly pick up used copies of Sweet Valley and Baby-sitters Club books.  Or maybe something by Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary.  (And, inevitibly, my dad would always get irritated with me because I'd have at least one of my new books finished by bedtime).  I never was much of one for the classics.  I even had someone else take my Accellerated Reader test for The Scarlett Letter in high school because I just couldn't make my way through all the old fashioned jargon.  Especially when there was something shiny and pink-covered and, well, modern waiting for me to read.

I'm still like that today.  Classics?  Meh.

I read a list a week or so ago - I think it was on CafeMom's The Stir blog - about books everyone should read before they finish high school.  I think I had read three.  And two of those were Mark Twain novels.  They were mostly things of the Wurthering Heights nature.  No thanks.  No thankyouverymuch.

(Sidenote: I also took issue with the author of this particular list when she stated that she had all her old teen books to hand down to her daughter -- and said books were in mint condition.  THAT IS NOT A LOVED BOOK!  A loved book is never in mint condition!  A loved book is worn and tattered and has been read so many times that pages are beginning to fall out because the spine is so worn.  My copy of Judy Blume's Summer Sisters (read at least twice a year)?  The prologue is no longer in the book.  The front cover is barely hanging on.  Why?  Because it's been read - AND LOVED - so many times).

My personal list of things every child should read before they graduate from high school is much less The Great Gatsby and much more Where the Red Fern Grows.  And Tuck Everlasting.  The Outsiders.  Summer of my German Solider and Number the Stars and Black Boy.  And I firmly - FIRMLY - believe that every girl should read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret sometime during her fourth grade year.

There is one classic - a classic that is considered a classic by people who go around classifying the classics (over use of the term 'classic' totes intended, FYI) - that I've wanted to read for a while.  One that I never read in high school or college and recently ordered from Amazon.*  It came in the mail the other day:

I'm a few chapters in and so far it's pretty decent.

It was also on my list of ten nine things to do before I turn 40.  Which means that as of 31.5 my list look something like this:

1) Do something charitable (more than just donating money)
2) See the Yankees play in the Bronx
3) Join a gym and take a class
4) Learn to sew
5) Take my kids to Disney
6) Take a photography class
7) Read To Kill a Mockingbird
8) Eat lobster
9) Renew my wedding vows

Nine things.  I'll definitely knock out Mockingbird in my 31st year.  That'll leave me a year each to get the other eight done.  We'll see . . .

* After I purchased the book, Amazon sent me an email of recommendations based on my "recent purchase."  Among the titles were "Big White Panties" and "Douchebag Roulette."  I'm really hoping they were basing these recommendations on this summer's purchase of Chelsey Handler's My Horizontal Life.  Really, REALLY hoping.

It Happened This Week

A couple weeks ago, after we beat a then #9 South Carolina and LSU came out on top of Alabama, I declared it to be the best day ever in college football.  If that was the best day ever then the past couple days have been the best weekend ever in college football.  If you're not a football fan, you are probably rolling your eyes.   If you are a football fan then you'll wanna punch the BCS in the babymaker (for merely existing and not giving us a REAL playoff system).  Here's the deal.  Before games started being played for the week, these were the standings:

1) LSU
2) Oklahoma State
3) Alabama
4) Oregon
5) Oklahoma
6) Arkansas

Well.

Friday night Oklahoma State lost. Last night Oregon was knocked off by USC.  I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HATE USC.  This was the one - and only - time I was actually cheering for them.  Of course, in the final seconds of the game when Oregon had the ball on the 23-yard-line and was preparing to kick a field goal to tie the game and sent it to overtime I was yelling to my husband, "SEE?  I TOLD YOU!  USC IS COMPLETELY USELESS.  COMPLETELY.  USELESS."  However, the Most Hated Person in Oregon Right Now (that kicker) missed the field goal and USC won by three.  Thank you, Trojans, and bless your hearts.

So, Oklahoma State was handed a loss.  Oregon lost their second game of the season.

Then.  Oh, then.  BAYLOR BEAT OKLAHOMA.  For the first time in school history!  I went to Baylor, ya'll!!  <=== I just had to say that, even though the football team won, like, a combined total of two games the entire time I was enrolled as a student there.

So Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Oklahoma all lost.  Which means . . . if (and this is a BIG IF) Arkansas finally gets the respect they deserve, my HOGS should be at #3 when the rankings come out this evening.  Eddie doesn't think they'll jump Oklahoma State but I think it's just not fair if they don't.  Arkansas only has one loss and it's to Alabama.  OK State's loss is to unranked Iowa State.  Arkansas should be #3!

Okay, I'm done with football talk.  Really, I am.  I promise.

This next week is shaping up to be a crazy busy one.  I thought I'd just lay around today and do nothing - you know, to prepare and all for the upcoming onslaught of insanity.  But there are kitchen floors to be mopped, dishes to be washed, children to be entertained.  There's no such thinig as a mental health day in da motherhood.

Here's a look at our week:

Sunday 11/13:

This is on Pinterest as something slightly different.  Jaidan saw it the other day and told me he wanted to make it.  When I tried doing it the way it was done in the pin, he told me I was doing it wrong.  He really just wanted to use it as a "maze" for his cars so we taped old aluminum foil boxes to the top of a big box and - voila! - he was occupied for a long ass time.

Monday 11/14:

Tuesday 11/14:

Zhariah had a math project that involved cooking.  So she made dinner Tuesday night.  And yesterday I made her Powerpoint for her project.  Here's hoping "she" gets a good grade on that project!

Wednesday 11/16:

Thursday 11/17:

Friday 11/18:

I also like to title this one: That's my girl!



Saturday 11/19:



So Very Pinteresting

You know the poem Babies Don't Keep by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton?

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and baies don't keep.

That's my motto.

When it comes to cleaning my house anyway.

My house is pretty much always clean - on the surface.  There are toys strewn around because I have small children but it's nothing that a five minute sweep through can't take care of.  Yes, we keep it pretty surface clean.  But please don't look any further than the surface.  You'll probably find a cobweb or two.  And dust - oh, lots of dust (my house breeds it).  But I would rather do a craft project with my boys or snuggle with my baby girl than scrub my baseboards or organize a closet.

I've been pinning various household hints and never tried a single one of them.  Until this week.  I'm pretty proud of myself for finally trying some of them out.

Household Tips:

Cleaning a Glass Top Stove - Ya'll.  I'm not going to lie.  My stove was NAS-TAY.  Those little glass top stoves are nice and all but they are boogers to keep clean.  So I decided to try this.  It worked pretty decent.  The baking soda did leave a weird film on my stove but it wiped off just fine with a damp rag. 

Cleaning a Ceiling Fan with a Pillowcase - Funny Story.  We took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings Sunday night.  They were given balloons -- the strings were pretty short.  One of the kids let go of a balloon in our room.  We couldn't reach it and didn't think anything about it.  Until about 1:00 in the morning when it got caught in the ceiling fan and we thought someone was opening up machine gun fire on us!  Bam, bam, bam, bam, POP!  The next morning, I observed the carnage and realized that the balloon had caused quite a bit of dust to fall off the fan.  The fan was even NAS-TAY-ER than my stove!  So I decided to give this little trick a try.  Nice that all the dust went into the pillow case instread of flying all over the room.  Will definitely keep this one.

Vanilla Extract to Clean the Microwave - One of the first fights Eddie and I ever got into was over the microwave!  I wish I could think to just wipe it down everytime after I use it.  Of course, I don't and there's caked up crap all over it.  So I gave this little trick a try.  Ummm . . . no.  Didn't work.  I guess I was expecting everything just to wipe right off but I had to, you know, use some elbow grease and, like, scrub.  I'm much to delicate to scrub.

Recipes:

Easy S'more Bars - Best recipe I've made from Pinterest thus far.  These were SO easy and SO good.  They were still good when they cooled but not as good.  I would definitely eat them warm.  This is how my girl acted when she finished hers and I wouldn't give her another:

Cheddar Ritz Chicken - If I were to grade this dish, I'd give it a solid C.  It was okay with a side of meh.  It was hard to get the cheese to stick to the chicken.  The sauce was basically just trumped up cream of chicken soup.  It was just . . . okay.  Probably will not make this one again but, if I do, I'll make a cheese sauce to top it with.

Baked Club Pinwheels - This is a Plain Chicken recipe so you know it's good.  Simple as that.  Little story about the night I made these: I fixed them to go with potato soup.  My husband will not eat a meal that doesn't contain meat.  EVERY MEAL MUST HAVE MEAT.  I discovered this early in our relationship when I fixed cheese tortellini for dinner one night and he added SAUSAGE to it.  And not like Italian sausage.  *Harf*  So, I have the soup in the crockpot the other night.  He comes in and gives it a stir and says, "So we're not having any meat with dinner tonight."  I told him I was making club sandwiches.  Well, ya'll, apparently turkey, ham, roast beef, and BACON don't count as meat.  *Rolls eyes*  He bitched.  He complained.  He told me he was going to the store to buy some canned chicken to ruin my soup with.  Then I pulled the sandwiches out of the oven and the angels started singing.  They were sooo good.  Eddie thought they would be better for breakfast but he also thought that they - combined with the soup (which he thought was the best potato soup ever) - were plenty filling that he didn't need any "real" meat.

Bakin' Bacon - I made bacon in the oven!  And it was delicious.  I went with the 375 for 20 minutes way.  It was delicious and just the right crispiness.  Will definitely - definitely - be doing this again.

Kid Food:
I  made peanutbutter banana burritos for the boys for lunch one day:

I promise there's a banana in there!

They were a hit!  Kyan can be very, very weird about food but even HE ate the whole thing.  He pulled the banana out and ate it first.  Then licked all the peanutbutter off the tortilla.  Then ate the tortilla.  Silly kid.

Yesterday for lunch we had these turkey sandwiches. Now, the original pin looks MUCH cuter but I liked the way mine turned out too:

They ate them with pretzels (and that pretzel marshmallow thing is supposed to be the Mayflower) and turkey toes.

Artsy Craftsy:

Maybe it was the weather turning [much] cooler the end of the week, but I got in full on scarf making mode!  I made a t-shirt scarf for Karis (it was a tester -- I'm going to make red and white ones for both me and her):

If you can't tell, my model wasn't exactly feeling the whole photo session thing!

And I made myself an infinity scarf.  I think it's cute -- and it was the easiest thing EVER to make.  It could have turned out longer (I used an old size L spaghetti strap tank to make it -- next time I will get a man's XL or XXL to make a longer one).  I'm just not sure I'm a scarf person!  I want to be but I am . . . fashion challanged.

 

Kid Stuff:

The boys made paper plate pilgrims and turkeys out of toilet paper rolls; pilgrim hats and Native American head dresses.

Apparently I forgot to take a pic of the turkeys and I'm too lazy to do so now!



I'll end with this one:

Oh, they do.

And THIS Arkansas Girl is really hoping her Razorbacks aren't looking forward to next week and get tripped up by Mississippi State today.  OSU lost last night so if we make it past MSU (and we SHOULD) then we're in the Top Five!  Woo Pig!

The First Thanksgiving

As told by a five-year-old and illustrated (in part) by his three-year-old brother.

The First Thanksgiving:

The pilgrims came to the New World on a Mayflower.

They came to eat food.

The pilgrims talked to a turkey and then they ate the turkey.

They ate turkey with the Indians.

Another word for Indians is Native of Americans.

They also ate corn and made farms.

Notes from Mom:

1) I swear I told him they came to the New World for religious freedom.  It figures that it would be my kid who goes straight to the "food" part of the holiday.

2) I wasn't sure how politically correct to be with this story.  Therefore we used the terms Indian and Native American.  Are Native Americans offended by the term "Indian?"  I'm asking with sincerity. 

3) Political correctness aside, I obviously gave the watered down preK version of the story with no, you know, slaughter and all that business.  Let's let the history teachers handle that in fifth or sixth grade, uhkay now?

4) Who wants to come and scrub my chair rail?

Thursday Things

1) Kyan loves to play xbox.  I hate for him to play xbox.  Why?  Because when he loses IT IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD EVER.  There are tears, there is a fit, there is a three-year-old boy flinging his controller to the floor, falling to his knees, and screaming, "WHY, WHY, WHY?"

I was I was exaggerating.  I assure you, I am not.

Eddie was home Sunday to witness one of these fits.  He said to him, "Why are you acting like that?  You're not a baby!"

Kyan's response: "I'm my Mommy's baby!"

Love.That.Kid.  Screaming, Dramasaurus Rex fits and all.  Love him.

2) We are having a fairly unconventional Thanksgiving this year.  Part of me is excited.  Part of me wishes for turkey and dressing and the Cowboys and little kids playing football in a front yard.

3) Last night, I was watching something.  I don't remember if it was X Factor with the kids or recorded episodes of Up All Night.  But they showed a commercial about a female soldier coming home.  And, oh man, tears.  Tears, ya'll.  Tears.

4) Anyone else excited that Fear Factor is coming back in a couple weeks?  I can't wait to introduce my boys to this show! 

5) My "Mommy's Baby" reading to his sister last night:

We read Goodnight Moon every night and now he basically knows it by heart.  "Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush, goodnight to the old lady whispering 'hush.'"   He was reading it to her last night, I looked over and caught them, and it was one of those moments where I just wanted to freeze time.  Take that little moment and put it in a box to keep forever and ever.

6) My boys made these little Native Americans the other day:

I think they look like acorns.

7) It's sunny this morning but the last few days have been extremely gloomy (and the weekend was sooooo wiiiiiiindy).  We had those days where you just want to lay in bed and do NOTHING.  Evidenced by the fact that Karis woke up from her nap one day (yes, she's napping again, YAY) and went right to my bedroom.  She grabbed the remote off the dresser, climbed in the bed, and commanded I turn the TV on.  She's SUCH a female.  If only she had some chocolate on hand and had insisted I put the TV on Lifetime. 

8) I can't WAIT for all the holiday TV in the next few weeks!  What's your favorite Christmas movie?  I'm torn between Christmas Vacation and Home Alone 2.  Yes, as a matter of fact, I DO have the maturity level of a 14-year-old boy.

9) McDonald's now has peppermint hot chocolate!  Regardless of anything else about McD's, they really do have the best fast food hot chocolate I've tasted.  I'd even venture to say theirs is better than Starbucks.  So I can't way to try the peppermint stuff!  With a shot of whipped cream vodka, of course.  Duh.

10)

How many times do you scroll through your Facebook feed saying, "it's YOU'RE, you moron?"  Yeah, me neither.  I never correct grammar on social media sites . . .

Social Conscious

My husband and I are both sort of obssessed with the Penn State scandal.  I'm not sure if obssessed is the right word.  But we both feel like we have to watch every news report or interview related to the scandal.  We read every article.  We Googled Jerry Sandusky the other night to find out if he's married (yes with six (adopted) children, fostered many children over the years, and lives in the neighborhood of an elementary school.  Your basic Resume of a Pedophile).  Every evening, Eddie comes home and tells me the latest people are saying at work about the whole disgusting mess.  So, yeah, maybe we're a little obssessed.

I think our obssession is based on two things:

1) I'm a college football fan.  A HUGE college football fan.  Eddie would rather watch NFL or - much preferable to him - basketball.  But I'm a fan and therefore he is a college football fan by default.  I grew up with a dad who hated Penn State so I guess some of that probably trickled down to me.  Not that I necessarily hate the football program but the "Penn State Hate" was ingrained in me enough that I instantly scrunch my nose when I see them in the Top 25.

2) Most importantly, we are parents.  We are parents to two little boys.  And we are horrified by this.  We are horrified that it happened.  We are horrified that it was covered up for so long.  We are horrified at the thought of how many more little boys were victimized because of the cover up.  We are horrified that we actually agree with Sarah Palin on something.  And we are horrified that so many people actually defended Joe Paterno and his actions concerning the cover up.

We watched the Sandusky interview with Bob Costas on Monday night.  (Side note: I'm pretty sure it's a sign you're getting old when you're excited that a new news magazine show is coming on.  And on Monday night -- when there's nothing else you want to watch on the tube!  I love Dateline and 48 Hours and 20/20 and now NBC has gone and blessed me with Rock Center and thrown in a little bit of Brian Williams [hey there eye candy!  Wait, What?])

I digress.  We watched the interview Monday night and I don't know how anyone could have watched it and NOT come out with the conclusion that he is guilty as hell. 

When Bob Costas asked "are you sexually attracted to young boys, to underage boys?" this was his answer:

::Pause::
Am I sexually attracted to underage boys?  Sexually attracted, you know, I enjoy young people.  I love to be around them.  But, no, I am not sexually attracted to young boys.

(If you want to read the full interview with Sandusky and his slimeball lawyer, you can read it here.  Also, the snarky side of me wants to point out that Sandusky did not know the meaning of culpable.  That's a Penn State grad for ya . . . )

As soon as he said, "I enjoy young people" in that interview I wanted to throw up.  I literally felt sick at my stomach.  His answer seemed like total pedophile speak and it made me want to throw up.  And to punch Sandusky, Paterno, and three Penn State sorority girls in the face.  I cannot believe this man was caught preying on young boys and allowed to continue to do so.  If he committed crimes in a place so open as the locker room showers, then what went on behind closed doors? 

What bothers me the most, hands down, is the little boys who had their innocence stolen.  It bothers me that this man thinks he can get away with saying "oh, it was just a shower and I wish I hadn't done it" or "oh, it was just naked horseplay and I promise I'll never do it again."  You do not shower with children.  My boys are 3.5 and 5 and that, in my opinion, is too old for me to continue to shower with them.  And I'm their mother!  And, please, don't get me started on the "it was just horseplay."  Horseshit. 

Believe me, all of that bothers me.  Greatly.  I'm heartbroken for those little boys and I'm heartbroken or their parents. 

But it also bothers the parent in ME.  It bothers me for my own children.  It bothers me to know that society as a whole has developed an "I'm not going to get involved" attitude to the point that we would allow children to be victimized.  Let's be real.  Sandusky was forced to retire in 1999.  He was caught, received a hand slap, and sent on his way.  Anyone with half a brain can put two and two together and realize that.  He obviously victimized another little boy in 2002.  And, I'm sure, countless others after that.  Can you imagine?  Can you imagine being a parent to one of those boys who was raped after 1999?  2002?  Can  you imagine knowing that an entire football program KNEW about it and basically did nothing to stop it? 

It's just scary!  Every parent out there knows that no one cares about our children and their safety as much as we do.  But we also like to think that based on the simple fact that they are children that other people can be trusted to step in and do the right thing when something is amiss.  We like to think that people will meet their moral obligations and protect our children.  And this case proves, if nothing else, that won't always happen.  It proves that we live in a society where the reputation of a football program is more important than protecting the innocence of our children.  This case -- and Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier and everyone else who knew what was going on and never went to the police - has shown that we are the only ones who are looking out for our own children.  And that's just sad and disgusting and heart breaking.

Hi. My Name is Brandi. And I'm a Hypocrite.

So, last year, Eddie decided he was going to get Zhariah an iPod Touch for her birthday.  She was turning ten.  I put on my "WTF" face and was all, "oh no, nuh-uh, not even."  I could not wrap my head around the thought of a kid THAT age owning such a pricey piece of technology.  She'll lose it, she'll break it.  She got one anyway.  She hasn't broken it.  I haven't seen it at our house in a while so I can't comment on the lost thing.  That's not really the point.  The point is: I was against the iPod because I tought she was too young for it.

Fast forward to now.

I am planning on getting my three year old and my five year old a pair of Driod tablets (or possibly one tablet to share) for Christmas.  Yes.  I threw a hissy fit over getting a ten year old an iTouch and now I'm getting tablets for my preschoolers.

I'm a hypocrite.  And I'm okay with that.  Especially if it means I will get to use *my* tablet every once in a while.  Cause the way things are going now I only get to touch it if someone needs my help finding Will I Am sing "What am I" with the Sesame Street characters on Youtube.
The hypocricy doesn't stop there though.  Oh no. 

I've been rather, ah, vocal about my disdain for Apple.  It's just not fair!  They only offered that little piece of technological gold known as the iPhone to AT&T customers for the longest.  SOME of us have husbands who refused to switch cell carriers just to get an iPhone.  And SOME of us ended up turning to Andriod.

I love my Droid phone.

I love it, love it, love it.  It does pretty much everything an iPhone does (with the exception of Instagram which makes me all pouty and stabby.  I WANT TO INSTAGRAM TOO). 

But  now Apple has come out with the 4S.  And it does things my Droid just can't do (Siri, anyone?)  AND it's finally - finally - available on Sprint!

So, do I?

Do I iPhone?  DO I GO AGAINST EVERYTHING I BELIEVE IN AND PURCHASE AN APPLE PHONE?  All I really have to do is say the word and it's my Christmas present.

Please advise.  Am I really ready to go to that level of hypocricy?

It Happened This Week

Man.  It's been a week and we really didn't even DO anything! 

Before I get on it with the pictures, let me tell you what happened yesterday.  I was getting the kids ready to get in the bath and Jaidan was nowhere to be found.  No big deal -- figured he was watching TV in Zhariah's room or playing in the toy room.  I called for him a few times.  No Jaybird.  Yelled louder.  No Jaidan. 

I went upstairs to look for him.  He wasn't in any of those rooms.  I came down to do the same.  Still no Jaidan.  By this point I was getting close to The Panic Stage.  Where was my kid?  I started looking in closets and under beds, calling his name, and wondering at what point I needed to start talking to other people.  I was pretty sure he wouldn't go outside without telling me and I was even more sure he wouldn't leave our yard if he DID go out.  I went outside and he wasn't there.  Did he go out without telling me and did someone scoop him up?  Why do we always think the absolute worst when it comes to situations like this?

Finally, I went into the house and yelled, "JAIDAN!  WHERE ARE YOU COME?  COME OUT RIGHT NOW AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME CANDY!"

The little turd was hiding in a bathroom cabinet.  He was hiding from me.  I was so mad at him but so glad to see him all at the same time.  He's done something kinda like this before -- hid under his bed at bedtime -- but I was able to find him within just a few minutes.  In this case he was "missing" for what seemed like an eternity!

I threatened him to never, ever, ever do that again and it also led to a nice little talk about strangers and what not to let other people touch on you.

Anyway.  My drama for the weekend.  Now our week in pictures:

Sunday 11/6:

Monday 11/7:

Zhariah is the highest one, in the back stunt group

I asked for a Big Girl Camera for Christmas.  I'm pretty sure I won't get one (especially since Eddie has already told me what he's thinking about getting me) but it would be so nice to have for moments like this one.  My point and shoot just wasn't cutting it.

Tuesday 11/8:

Wednesday 11/9:

The Magic Ketchup Experiment
Jaidan was seriously so amazed by this!

Thursday 11/10:

Friday 11/11:



Saturday 11/12:

WPS!
We spanked Tennessee last night.  Boise State and Stanford (ov-er-rate-ed) both lost so we are MOVIN' ON UP in the pools.  Should be a solid #6.