tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75420033881518122562024-03-13T04:53:03.420-05:00Planet LinsonIt's outta this world... or I'm just outta my mind...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.comBlogger485125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-9267732422412559962014-07-09T19:08:00.000-05:002014-07-09T19:30:45.442-05:00What we have here is a failure to communicate.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">For most of the really important things in life, my husband
and I are in agreement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I say the
‘important’ ones, I’m talking about the biggies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">You know, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> p</span>olitics …
religion… social issues… barbecue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are generally smack in one another’s camps about the stuff in life that matters
most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is a good thing, and
probably has contributed to the longevity of our ‘together’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve been a couple for more than two decades
(what??), and as a result<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (on account of how youthful we are, and all)</span></em> we have been together
for more than half of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">But, yeah, of course there are a few things that we DO NOT necessarily
agree upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, we both do NOT
love college basketball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll give you a
guess which one of us doesn’t. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">And ONE
OF US does not like to endlessly surf Pinterest, and find adorable crafty-crafts
to ‘pin’, and then never actually complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (</span>Well, I guess, in fairness,
<strong>neither</strong> of us actually completes those projects, so we do still have that in
common.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, it’s not a deal-breaker. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some things we will never see eye to eye on,
and I understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truly, I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Except for one thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">My husband refuses to love Jimmy Fallon like I love Jimmy Fallon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">We simply cannot agree on how amazing Jimmy Fallon is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it bugs me tremendously that he won’t
acknowledge the absolute and utter hilarity that is JIMMY FALLON.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved him on SNL <em>(Barry Gibb)</em>, and now I really
like watching The Tonight Show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
never, ever been a late night talk show person, but I try to tune in every night to
see what craziness is on the docket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
I laugh hysterically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>(‘Thank You Notes’?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, thank YOU, Jimmy!)</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Phil just doesn’t find him as funny as I do, y’all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometimes he even has the nerve to <strong>ROLL HIS
EYES</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could understand this behavior
if Jay Leno was still on the show <em>(we agreed that we hated him… it was marital
bliss),</em> or David Letterman <em>(I only ever liked the Top Ten list, anyway)</em>, but,
well… I have to admit that I have a not-so-secret crush on Jimmy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think my husband might be just a tiny
bit jealous, if you want the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Does he feel 'threatened' by this other guy in my life that makes me laugh? Maybe, just maybe. ;)</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, at this point, I'm not sure I’m ever going to be able to change
his mind about this. He's seemingly impervious to Mr. Fallon's charm and wit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">And, unless I want
to commit to watching ‘Finding Bigfoot’ as a trade-off, I think we will just
have to agree to disagree.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-66048015195231490542014-06-22T22:17:00.004-05:002014-06-22T22:17:45.964-05:00Six for Sunday<strong>1.</strong> It was a great evening for a walk around the neighborhood. Not too hot, not too humid. Along the walk, we saw an adorable little cottontail baby bunny. It was the cutest thing... and it didn't appear to be afraid of us. It waited until we were just right up on it before it scampered back into the wooded area. <br />
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Isn't nature just the greatest? <br />
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So beautiful, and all... well, <em>natural</em> and stuff? <br />
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So humbling, and a <strong>wonder</strong> to...<br />
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EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!<br />
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And is there any <strong>wonder</strong> that my walking speed tripled at this point?!!<br />
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Oh, and p.s... I am married to a crazy man. He just HAD to get his foot in there for 'perspective', ya know?<br />
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<strong>2.</strong> "Operation Daily Pinterest Project" (aka 'Operation Summer Beatdown") is progressing quite nicely. I'm kind of rocking it, but it is still early days, yet. So, it's been fun, except for the H8TUHS (<em>I am just lousy with street cred, y'all</em>)... and you KNOW who you are!! And I am cross-stitching something JUST for you. ;)<br />
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<strong>3.</strong> So this one time... when I evidently wasn't paying enough attention at the pool... this company that makes swim goggles snapped a picture of my kid to use for their packaging. And we are NOT getting any royalties, or even any free goggles out of the deal. So this clearly sucks.<br />
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<strong>4.</strong> Today I made some Texas Caviar, and it is super yummy (and pretty). I'm going to eat it for lunch on salad greens this week, and add some avocado to it. I will say, though, that the recipe called for TWO jalapenos, and my husband said I should only put in one, otherwise it might be too hot. Not sure why this Texas girl even listens to an Indiana boy in terms of how much heat to add to a dish... but it was the wrong call here. Two jalapenos in the future! Taste buds be damned.<br />
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<strong>5.</strong> I had a dream last night that it was the first day of school, and I showed up ready to go, only to find out that they had decided to move me to teach kindergarten... KINDERGARTEN! :O<br />
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And that my classroom was being renovated...<br />
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...because it was an old run-down barn. <br />
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That's right, a BARN, y'all. <br />
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With rusted farm equipment, and splintered wood everywhere, and horses just running in the fields around the 'school'. In my dream, I couldn't find my class list, so I just kept rounding up kids that looked like they might be kindergarten age, and I was trying to keep them from playing in the horses' droppings. I had the brilliant idea to get everyone settled onto bales of hay while I read a story. I think it is a little early in the summertime to be having these types of 'school anxiety' dreams. I blame the glass of wine right before bed. <br />
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<strong>6.</strong> I thought that I could muster 'Six for Sunday', but... yeah, I got nothin'. Have a great week :)Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-66315912489775482402014-06-19T13:55:00.004-05:002014-06-19T13:55:37.275-05:00The Cycle of Summer
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is officially
<strong>summer</strong>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can I get a ‘hallelujah’?!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’re trying to keep busy around here… okay, <strong>I’m</strong> trying to
keep busy around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Because who am I
kidding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given half a chance, my three little
sloths would lie on the couch all day, watching Tom & Jerry reruns, eating cereal straight out of the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which I 100% guarantee will be most of August,
but right now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, right now, these are the bright and breezy <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(or hot and humid…
whichever)</span></em> days of JUNE, and I am motivated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am Julie, the friggin’
cruise ship director for the ‘Love Boat’, and I have <strong>big plans</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big plans and CAMPS…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>oh heck yes, we have camps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strength & conditioning camp, lacrosse
camp, Boy Scout camp, twirling camp, dance camp, Algebra camp <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(um, admittedly
not as popular)</span>,</em> and summer band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wake up, kids!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not wasting these mornings… we’ve got
stuff to DO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trips to the library, lunches
out, summer reading lists to tackle, playdates, VBS, preparing for the State twirling
competition, and basically catching up on everything that didn’t get done
during the school year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not entirely delusional, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know how it is … soon the bright and breezy
days of June will give way to the scorching, 100+ degree heat of July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And our well laid plans of crafts and cooking
projects will be replaced with sleeping late, lazy afternoons by the pool, too
much computer time, and snow cones for dinner… and that’s fine, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then August will roll around, and I’ll start putting my ‘teacher
hat’ back on, thinking about bulletin boards, professional development, lesson
plans, and setting up my classroom. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
mom, I’ll be thinking about haircuts, and new school clothes, and new shoes, and
school supplies, and wishing that I’d taken care of more of that <strong>earlier</strong> in the
summer, instead of reading yet another Jen Lancaster book at the neighborhood
pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the sloths? Well, they’ll be
watching Tom & Jerry, or whatever happens to be on Cartoon Network, and
eating frozen pizza while they wait for me to get back from my 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> trip
up to my classroom.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Even before I went back to teaching, it was pretty much the way things worked around here. We (<em>once again, 'we' = 'I'</em>) start the summer with great intentions, and eventually taper off until I'm frantically labeling composition books and backpacks the night before school starts. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s my summertime cycle… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it, I’ve lived it, and I’m destined to repeat it.</span></div>
</span>And I’m okay with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amen, y’all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-57097127485422976302014-05-19T19:22:00.004-05:002014-05-19T19:22:36.545-05:00Sweet dreams aren't made of this...
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting ready for work this morning, and my husband mentions
that he had a terrible dream last night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Him:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s one of
those that wake you up out of a dead sleep, and you are practically
hyperventilating because you are so freaked?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve had those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
hate those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually my dreams are of the
la-la- loopsy variety… you know, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they are
difficult to explain, but seem perfectly logical at the time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The dreams that I try to tell to Phil, only to have him say really
supportive things like, <em>“Wow, a psychiatrist would have a field day with that
one.”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But because I know freaky dreams, I was far more supportive
and fabulous, and just nodded and said gently… “I hate those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it about the kids?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Him:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“No.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Me:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, then was it about me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Him:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“No.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Me:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Were there
velociraptors in it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Him:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“No!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, let’s just say that I’m starting to feel a little less supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because really, if you are going to have a
terrifying dream, I’d like to think that it might POSSIBLY involve something
happening to the person you are planning to spend your golden years with, or at
least feature a scary dinosaur with razor sharp claws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m failing to see what the problem is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Me:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Well, what was
it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Him:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I dreamt that I
was in the kitchen talking to you <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">so
clearly I did make it into the dream)</span> </i>and I felt something drip onto my arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Me:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ew.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Him:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And then I felt
another drip… and I looked up and there was a huge puddle of water gathering onto the
ceiling from a leak upstairs, and it was starting to drip… drip…drip…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then by the time I got to the stairs,
water was flooding through the playroom, and starting to pour down the stairs!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I may or may not have screamed when he got to this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m admitting nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after dealing with water damage in our house this
spring, and all the chaos that went with it, I can see how this would now
qualify as a ‘horrifying’ dream for my husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Even without the velociraptors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-89504377025778911422013-06-13T17:23:00.000-05:002013-06-13T17:23:31.920-05:00Camp Queasy...er... Cuisine<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next week, all three of my kids are going to camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at some far away, exotic destination, or
even one of those ‘park ‘em for a day, so momma can take a nap’ camps, but a
rigorous Boot Camp a little closer to home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And by ‘closer to home’, I mean REALLY close to home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like, in my kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or starting next week, THEIR kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I have just about decided, friends,
that my cooking days are limited for these hot summer days (long on sunshine,
but far too short in number).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So starting next week, each child is responsible for one
lunch, and one dinner during the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They choose the day, they select the menu, and tomorrow afternoon, they
will actually be doing the shopping for their items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, of course, will still be the one whipping
out the debit card to pay for said items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plus, HEB won’t let them buy wine, so I have to make an appearance
anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The kids are very excited to take the reins on this… at
least for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Well, at least until I mentioned that they are responsible for kitchen clean-up, too. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I didn’t give them many restrictions,
other than that we needed to have at least one fruit or veggie with every meal,
and that they needed to find at least one coupon to use for their meal
planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>(If you’ve never seen two
siblings arguing over a 30 cent coupon for frozen Birds-eye veggies, it’s truly
a sight to behold).</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next week’s menu may not be the healthiest… we’ll work on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not be the most creative… hot dogs and
chili mac, anyone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this ‘camp’ is
designed to teach some necessary skills, and most importantly, save my summertime
sanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And maybe, just maybe, my kids will be able to
cook something beyond Ramen noodles and macaroni & cheese when they get
their own apartments one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Call it a lesson in independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call it a lesson in maturity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Heck,
let’s call it what it is…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the lesson that
this momma is not your maid, or your short order cook.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if that’s not a lesson for the future, I don’t know what
is. ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-29326788141365176742013-02-14T17:32:00.000-06:002013-02-14T17:36:16.733-06:00THIS LETTER IS A CARBON COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a new job comes all sorts of new, strange, and
oftentimes, head-ache inducing things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of those new things that came with going back to teaching was having
different insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first time
in many moons, I have my own health insurance, instead of being covered under my
husband’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were crunching the
numbers, it just made sense financially for our household that I use one of the
‘perks’ of my new gig.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So with brand spankin’ new insurance comes crazy paperwork,
keeping fingers crossed that my current doctors will be in-network, and hiring
a weekly housekeeper with all that money we’re saving!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <em> </em></span><em>(okay, I made that last part up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems like we are quite adept at finding
other places to spend that newfound cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Namely, the orthodontist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Spec’s. ;)<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fortunately my primary care physician was in-network, as
well as my OB-GYN <em>(with emphasis on the GYN, as I am ‘all-done’ with the OB
part of her title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fo sho.)</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this is fabulous news, since I am kind of
attached to those two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only because I
am very loyal, but also because, well, um… change?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it was a fairly seamless switcheroo, as far as insurance
goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until today, that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a letter
in the mail to let me know that a claim is ‘on-hold’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Evidently the services were provided for a PRE-EXISTING CONDITION, and
my health care coverage includes a PRE-EXISTING CONDITION WAITING PERIOD. <em>(By the way, are all those capital letters really necessary?? I don't think I like being CapsLock-yelled at by my insurance company.)</em></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did not list what the PRE-EXISTING CONDITION was, but oddly enough, the claim was submitted by my OB-GYN’s
office, and the service date was for the day that I had my regular, yearly check-up
for all that regular, yearly ‘stuff’ we ladies are required to do on a regular,
yearly basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what I am getting from this is that my ‘pre-existing’
condition... is the fact that I am a WOMAN?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, I guess that is definitely a pre-existing condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has existed, for… well, for a pretty long
time now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The good news is that my doctor can re-submit the claim if
they can provide the information about when they first began treating me for
this ‘condition’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if that doesn’t do the trick, then I am
invited to <strong>appeal</strong> the decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> I
plan to make a couple of phone calls tomorrow to try to get this all
straightened out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that it is just a glitch or technicality that is easily
remedied, and that I don’t have to appeal to anyone’s common sense in
terms of said ‘condition’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But then again, we <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">are</b>
talking about an insurance company… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may
have to come unhinged and yell at some poor customer service representative
over the telephone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end… proving
that not only am I, in fact, a woman, but that I have been a woman ( and a crazy one at that), for
a good long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">WELL PLAYED, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD.</span></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-72858021385677859272012-12-24T15:10:00.001-06:002012-12-24T15:19:23.129-06:00<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVg7ulvnLyZWNKmM-zv8PTZ5DG80SQPI2TdW12AbcLRjh0RQK4VfQcTgQkFlnn3ezpsf4nJB0cr6BLVBTOE3ZPrd_KdxOvLRJCF2JG7tflRjziuHekkYnxPlhcAX28U0zMpcCEnW9b0_U/s1600/Linsons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVg7ulvnLyZWNKmM-zv8PTZ5DG80SQPI2TdW12AbcLRjh0RQK4VfQcTgQkFlnn3ezpsf4nJB0cr6BLVBTOE3ZPrd_KdxOvLRJCF2JG7tflRjziuHekkYnxPlhcAX28U0zMpcCEnW9b0_U/s640/Linsons.jpg" width="640" /></a><u><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></u></div>
<u><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons Learned in 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Oh yes, the Linson family has been on quite the learning curve this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are just a few of the tips we’ve picked up in 2012, and we’re passing on our newfound knowledge to you…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No longer are we encouraging the children that they can be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘whatever they want’ </i>when they grow up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are now requiring that all 3 of them become <strong>orthodontists</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With one in braces, another on the schedule to get her braces within the month, & a third with a cross bite that will “need attention”, we have discovered that becoming an orthodontist is definitely the path to serious job security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And nice cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lesson learned</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It *is* actually possible for someone to go back to teaching full-time (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years</i>), and still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">effortlessly</i> manage to keep up with the laundry, the housekeeping chores, bake & decorate magazine-worthy birthday cakes, and do it all without missing a beat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Well, I’m sure it is possible SOMEWHERE...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just not around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lesson learned.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There is no such thing as‘inexpensive’ when it comes to kids’ activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We haven’t found a single one that doesn’t require <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">a ton of equipment, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">long road trips for tournaments or competitions, or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">an entire wardrobe of sparkly costumes.** <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><em>** Okay, okay…Davis may beg to differ that his new love for all things Lacrosse does NOT require sparkly costumes, but baton twirling and Irish step dancing certainly do.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Lesson learned.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What ELSE have we learned this year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…That I was ready to go back to teaching, even with the adjustment it has taken for the entire family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I love teaching 4<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> grade at Great Oaks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Phil’s job is going well, too…what a huge payoff for the uncertainty from last year’s job switcheroo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change can be a GOOD thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lesson learned.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">5.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…That our kids are growing up way too quickly (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no big surprise there, though</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">--<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Josie</b> (12) is in middle school now, and is loving it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She continues to twirl, (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">she even earned another state title this summer</i>), & is learning to play oboe in the 6<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup>grade band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yeah, we’ve also learned that oboe reeds are very expensive, and that after the first few weeks, we didn’t need those ear plugs after all. ;)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">--<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Davis</b> (10) is in 5<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> grade, and is busy with sports, school, hunting, and Cub Scouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re pretty proud of him, and that he will be crossing over to Boy Scouts in January, having completed all of his Webelos requirements. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Fortunately for him, Webelos does not require a ‘Clean Bedroom’ badge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">--<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Libby</b> (8) is in the 2<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>nd</sup>grade, and is our little Irish dancer (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">picture‘Riverdance!’, as performed by 7 & 8 year olds</i>… breathtaking ;).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She started taking dance classes at the beginning of the school year, and really likes it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is in Brownies, loves to ride her bike, and keeps us laughing with her silliness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We are considering putting her in acting classes… you know, just in case that whole orthodontist thing doesn’t work out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">That we continue to be blessed beyond measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a year for some big changes, a year where we have had to focus more than ever on ‘picking our battles’,especially when it comes to choosing what on the long list of “To-Do’s” will actually get completed and put on the list of “Tah-Dah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DONE!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>And a year to remember what is truly important… our friends and our family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lesson learned.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Love, the Linson family<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-34747426207977269412012-12-13T20:11:00.000-06:002012-12-13T20:11:00.663-06:00This mommy is an evil genius.Tips to a Bicker-Free Holiday<br />
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Step 1: Buy an extra gift for each of your children. It should not, under any circumstances, be something that you are actually planning to give them for Christmas. I highly recommend something that is crazy expensive.<br />
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Step 2: Save the receipt. For sure.<br />
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Step 3: Early in the season, wrap each one in brightly colored Christmas wrapping paper, complete with bows, tags, gift toppers… you name it.<br />
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Step 4: Place them under the tree, in a prominent location. <br />
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Step 5: At the first sign of bickering, griping, complaining, fighting, or refusal to complete chores, warn the children that live in your house that they have been duly warned, and that dire consequences will result if said bickering, et al. continues.<br />
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Step 6: Wait 3 minutes. Additional fighting will ensue <em>(that is, if it even takes 3 minutes. At our house, it is more like 42 and a half seconds.)</em><br />
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Step 7: Proceed to the tree, unwrap the chosen gift for each child, show them what they ‘would have gotten’, and then tell them that it will be returned to the store at the first opportunity (here is where having saved the receipt is critical).<br />
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Step 8: At any and all future bickering opportunities, casually walk next to the Christmas tree and pretend to peer at each present in turn. It can be especially helpful to pick up one or two at this point and give them a little shake.<br />
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Step 9: Enjoy your peaceful (and paranoid) holiday. <br />
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** Oh, and one more note… after December 25th, you’re on your own. ;)<br />
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Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-68328669993654149162012-09-24T22:02:00.002-05:002012-09-24T22:02:41.424-05:00An open letter to the Husbands of the world:<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear Husbands,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If your wife suggests going for a walk after dinner for some ‘together time’, and to get in some exercise, and you agree… well, that is considered super-supportive, and she will appreciate you for taking the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can certainly recommend that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If your wife proceeds to walk at breakneck speed in order to avoid crazy-scary, West Nile mosquitoes, and you manage to keep up with her short little legs, she should be verbally commended for keeping your heartrate up, while protecting you from a dread disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is considered encouraging, and I can completely get behind that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If she does not want to carry the water bottle, but still wants to drink from it, you should definitely just smile and hand it over at every 5 minute interval, when she is parched from the insane power-walking session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is considered helpful, and she will be forever grateful that you are concerned about her level of hydration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would call that a ‘go-to plan’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if after mentioning that even though she knows INTELLECTUALY that the bats swooping around under the streetlights are HELPFUL to the environment, that she is still secretly creeped out just a little?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, I do <strong>NOT</strong> recommend immediately flapping your hand in the hair on the back of her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is considered infantile, and she will probably scream loudly and you will end up having to jog after her as she runs home in the dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just thought you should know.</span></div>
Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-12163231141552007802012-09-16T21:32:00.001-05:002012-09-16T21:34:31.380-05:00Conversation Killers<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A conversation that I was not prepared to have:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My son mentioned at dinner tonight that he was so hopeful that I would have another baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, in turn, let him know that that was not going to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Trust me, we’ve had this conversation before <em>(in terms of:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘our family is finished’, etc., etc.),</em> but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tonight he said that even though we’ve told him that, he has always really hoped and prayed that God would surprise us with another baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, in order to save him from further disappointment, I finally just had to tell him that the doctors had ‘fixed it’ so that Mommy & Daddy wouldn’t have babies anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I held my breath, ready for the QUESTIONS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>He seemed pretty bummed, but recovered quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>“So can we get a dog??”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> <strong> </strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>A conversation my oldest child was not prepared to have:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When a kid asked her in front of God and everybody...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> “So, do you have periods?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Um… wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>My poor kid looked at me like a deer caught in the headlights, and then back to the younger girl, and then back to me, completely tongue-tied.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At which point, the little girl said... “You know, now that you’re in middle school, do you have,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>like, Math for first period?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">;)</span><br />
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Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-12577668071057484902012-09-13T21:51:00.001-05:002012-09-13T21:53:47.244-05:00Top 5 Reasons I'm BACK! (jazz hands here...)I thought that it might be time to get back to the old blog when I realized a few things:<br />
<br />
1. It has officially been more than two months since I have visited Planet Linson. I used to love this place, but the dust is about an inch thick around here. <br />
Which makes Planet Linson (the virtual location) almost EXACTLY like Planet Linson, the actual location.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2. I forgot my password. And the answer to my security question. So help me, I could not remember my first pet's maiden name or the street on which he lived.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
3. I have a daily conversation with my fourth-graders about the importance of writing, and how vital it is, and how it is not just a 7:45 to 2:45 skill, and why at least a few times a week, I expect them to do a 'Night Write'. <br />
<br />
And I totally got sick of feeling like a hypocrite. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
4. That I just updated my weekly TeacherWeb, and it was longer than any normal human parent will actually read. I should put something at the end that is a test, like... "If you have read this far, you have just won a fabulous prize!" <br />
<br />
Only then, I'd have to actually think of and provide some sort of semi-fabulous prize, and these days, I'm all like, "Did I forget to bring a lunch? Why, yes, I did. Again."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
5. I've missed having this creative outlet. As busy as my 'new normal' is, I still love to hear friends comment on how much they like reading my blog (and how they've missed it. Thanks for not giving up on me ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
---- Oh, and if you've read this far, you win a prize.<br />
<br />
To claim it, meet me at my classroom tomorrow. And please bring me my lunch.Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-48324315413312517182012-07-06T19:03:00.002-05:002012-07-06T19:03:29.033-05:00Add it to the library list...<br />
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Do you ever have one of those moments when you just feel
like you’ve failed as a parent? Well, if
not, then just shut up because I don’t think I want you as my friend. Because I seriously have one of those ‘moments’
at least a couple of times a day. </div>
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Like
that time when I forgot to buy milk? For
3 straight days? Here kids, have another
Flintstone vitamin.</div>
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Other times, it is that moment when your kid points directly
at someone, and says, “Oh, look!<b> Hoboes</b>!”
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Now, I know what you’re thinking... how politically
incorrect of my seven year old. The term
‘homeless’ is acceptable. Yes. ‘Down
on their luck’… um, okay. But ‘hoboes’?? </div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Strangely enough, though, she was pointing at a pair of teenage
boys in Target, who, while having some seriously scruffy hair, didn’t have
anything else about them that looked even slightly ‘hobo-ish’. </div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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But then I happened to notice that one of them had a picture
of a cartoon tiger on his t-shirt.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>You know… the one from that famous comic strip, ‘<b>Calvin and Hoboes</b>’?</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlcm8Tu4Iz8NAZi9Z2pbP_3KPNE3gM3oKgS_7fM-Ckyf-lJH3uH880g0sbQi-m6mKDR2mg4qJXdfgz_JFbegKAXiM-EcS016VfNSLnWXwtOV662BgNiz3W1ctSkBBplDpMppCOSpnG68/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlcm8Tu4Iz8NAZi9Z2pbP_3KPNE3gM3oKgS_7fM-Ckyf-lJH3uH880g0sbQi-m6mKDR2mg4qJXdfgz_JFbegKAXiM-EcS016VfNSLnWXwtOV662BgNiz3W1ctSkBBplDpMppCOSpnG68/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-34216343582424067092012-06-08T09:48:00.000-05:002012-06-08T09:48:31.931-05:00'Shout' can't touch it...My boy has been at Cub Scout camp all week, which has left me with the two girls, a relatively clean house, and some quiet afternoons. Because boys are messy and LOUD, yo.<br />
<br />
<br />
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I keep threatening to clean his room myself, but I just can’t bring myself to venture in there. I’m a little afraid, to be perfectly honest. This does not bode well for the teen years.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
One thing you must know about Scout camp is that they are given a camp t-shirt to wear each day. And when I say that, what I mean to say is that they are given ONE shirt that they must wear for the entire week, which means that every afternoon, we run a quick load of laundry so that the shirt can be washed clean of sunscreen, nose-wipes, snack goo, and 10 year old boy STINK.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Along with the shirt, he has also received a ‘standard-issue’ kerchief for his particular den, which designates their den’s color, so they can be spotted at 20 paces. It also goes in the wash each afternoon, along with the swim trunks he wears each day, so that he can play water games and not be sopping around in wet khaki shorts. Chafe, much?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
But yesterday morning, when I went to spray sunscreen on his legs before dropping him off at camp (at 7:45, no less), I spied his socks. <br />
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His brown socks. <br />
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No biggie, right? <br />
<br />
Expect that they USED to be white. Like 4 days ago. When he first started wearing them to camp.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Me: “Davis, why are your socks so filthy?!”</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
<strong>Him: “Well, you said I would be wearing the same thing everyday to camp.”</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He’s going to be a delightful teen.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-66146855221965776892012-04-26T19:21:00.000-05:002012-04-26T19:21:58.194-05:00Getting a weight off my chest...<br />
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Some of you may know that I am a leader for meetings for a
particular company. No names mentioned,
but it’s one of the leaders in the weight loss industry. I love it, I feel passionate about it, and I truly want to help other people get on-board and feeling good about themselves. (and commercial ends ;)</div>
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So I was super-pumped to add a new meeting to my rotation,
especially since it is practically in my backyard, and it would mean not having
to leave so early to rush to get there.
Until I arrived and discovered that none of the members that attend this
meeting knew that their regular leader had left. I was stepping into a situation where no one
was even aware that there was a gap. </div>
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Awkward. Because
peeps be loyal to their leaders, yo. <i>(Proving that I am *just* that whack.)</i></div>
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Anyway, the acceptable ‘company line’ for a situation such
as this is: </div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b> “Frieda is no longer with
the company.”</b></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Turns out, though, when you are nervous, and unsure as to
how you, personally, will be received upon delivery of this news… well, it can
come out a lot like this:</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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“<b>Frieda is no longer with us.”</b></div>
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(Absorbing the look of shock on member’s face.)</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b>“I know, I know. It
was unexpected.”</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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And when you notice the look of horror, it is perfectly
acceptable to say, <b>“Omigod!! I mean, she’s
ALIVE and everything!” </b>Nope, not weird at all.</div>
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It just becomes really awkward when you get a case of the
nervous giggles while you are saying it.</div>
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I wish I could say this happened only once.</div>
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I’m FAIRLY certain that no one left thinking that their
former leader had gone on to that big meeting in the sky. But now that I think about it, I *did* tell a
few people that while I would do my very best, and they would grow to LOVE me, that it was perfectly okay to be sad and miss Frieda.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Hmmm. Could get
really, really awkward next week.</div>Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-89304455578963023862012-03-08T18:39:00.002-06:002012-03-08T18:45:46.398-06:00Three for Thursday1. I guess I should have posted yesterday’s blog sooner. <br /><br />I’d written it a couple of days ago, after our less than delightful drive back from the coast, and just gotten around to posting it yesterday. At which point they called from the dealership to tell me my MINI-VAN was READY! So, yay. <br /><br />I didn’t have the chance to clean the loaner car up much, but as I was taking the booster seats out of the back, I did let the tech know, “Um, you may want to just run a quick vacuum back there. Or give it a complete detailing and overhaul. Whatevs.”<br /><br /><br />2. Thanks to everyone that had my back with the ‘meat-rinsing’ issue. <br /><br />I *knew* I wasn’t the only person that found that crazy, and slightly disgusting. To my husband’s credit, though, he DID get a chuckle out of reading all the comments on Facebook.<br /><br />And I now know that I should defer to my FB friends for any and all marriage counseling, and those times when I’d like to feel self-righteously vindicated. Y’all don’t let me down, mmmkay?<br /><br /><br />3. I remember now that daily writing is much like exercise. <br /><br />When I actually make the time for it, I feel really great and remember how much I love it… but it’s easy to let it become low on the priority list when life gets busy. <br /><br />And just like I need an exercise buddy to drag me along sometimes, your little notes & comments help pull me up and remind me that this is an important part of my mental health :)<br /><br />So, thanks. Oh, and if anybody would like to chime in on putting oil versus salt in boiling water to cook pasta, that would be a huge help. ;)Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-56410875106641434522012-03-07T11:20:00.004-06:002012-03-07T11:56:58.687-06:00It's not ALL about that 'new car smell'...If you’ve happened to see me over the last couple of weeks, toodling around town, you may have noticed that I’m in a NEW CAR!<br /><br /><br />And I HATE it.<br /><br /><br />I want my van back… yesterday, if not sooner.<br /><br />Fortunately, I can return the Camry, which is not actually mine, but is on loan from the dealership. My mini-van, which officially became MINE at the beginning of February with one last check sent to Toyota Financing, started flashing the ‘airbag’ light about 10 minutes after the check was signed and mailed.<br /><br />And so I became concerned.<br /><br />Not so much that my airbag might NOT deploy when needed, but more that it would deploy when I needed it least… like driving down the interstate, rocking out to Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”, while my kids yelled in the back, “WHAT are we LISTENING to??!” That would be bad. <em>(The airbag, not my children’s lack of taste in music.)<br /></em><br />Turns out that it is the undercarriage of the seats with the weight sensors that is faulty. And turns out that they’ve had this problem before. Turns out, even, that there is another van owner that has been waiting since OCTOBER for the necessary part to fix it.<br /><br />For this reason, my husband went all ‘angry/quiet/calm’ at the dealership, and they opted to loan us the brand-new Camry to get us through until our van could be fixed. And did I mention that it is BRAND-NEW?? It even had that new car smell. And I use the past tense… ‘had’… because after almost a month, it’s ‘Lost that Lovin’ Feeling’.<br /><br />The five of us in a Camry? Bad news. This car is too small for a family of five. Five river otters, maybe, but not the five of us.<br /><br />The kids are too dang close to one another, and unfortunately they can look at and touch each other. Know how I know? Because they like to scream from the backseat, “MOOOOM! HE'S LOOKING AT ME!!!" or... "QUIT TOUCHING ME!!”<br /><br />And we’ve been spending a lot of time in the car together recently, making trips to Salado to see family, and then this last weekend, we went to Corpus Christi for a twirling competition. Even the kids are ‘over’ the novelty of the new vehicle, and are bemoaning the lack of a drop-down DVD player and their very own cup-holders. <em>(Dear Drop-down DVD player with headphones, I think I miss YOU most of all.)<br /></em><br /><br /><strong>But the good news?</strong> The part has arrived!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Bad news?</strong> Our local Toyota technicians are not trained on how to replace this part.<br /><br /><br /><strong>But the good news…</strong> They are sending technicians from the manufacturing plant to train the local technicians!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Bad news…</strong> Not sure when exactly that will happen.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Good news…</strong> They will be replacing the part in our van, as part of the training module!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Bad news…</strong> On the off chance that they make a training video of this technique, everyone affiliated with Toyota service will get to see the hot mess that is my van.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Potential good news??…</strong> Is it too much to hope that Toyota will clean my van for me so that it can have its moment in the spotlight before it is returned to its humble abode (our garage)?<br /><br /><br /><br />Because Lord knows, I’ve got some work to do on that loaner car before I take it back.Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-53915951274821268052012-03-06T20:01:00.004-06:002012-03-06T20:19:48.211-06:00This could only happen to me.Last week I bought some new perfume.<br /><br />It is named, of all things, <em>‘Sensuous Nude’</em>. That is some perfume with high expectations, I must say.<br /><br />At first, I sprayed on <em>‘Sensuous’</em>, and really liked it, so I bought it. It is one of Estee Lauder’s new fragrances, and I have always been a big fan of Estee Lauder’s scents. My favorites were always <em>‘Beautiful’</em> and <em>‘Pleasures’</em>…wearing perfume with names like those, anything’s possible, right?<br /><br />So there are two derivations of <em>‘Sensuous’</em>… <em>‘Sensuous Exotic’</em> and <em>‘Sensuous Nude’</em>, which I also tried out (on different parts of my arm).<br /><br /><br />After being <em>‘Sensuous’</em> for awhile, however… (like about a half an hour of walking around the mall with my purchase), I felt like it smelled a little too powdery.<br /><br /><br />And I know this because I stopped to smell all the samples on my skin on an every 3 minute rotation, as I walked through the mall. I must have looked like I had a nasty cold, and was wiping my nose every chance I got.<br /><br />Anyway, <em>‘Sensuous’</em> smelled a little less sensuous and little more ‘deodorant-y’, and I opted to go back to exchange it.<br /><br /><br />The salesgirl (who had been an absolute delight while helping me through this arduous decision), still seemed surprised to see me back, sniffing and/or wiping my nose on my sleeve.<br /><br /><br />Her: <strong>“You’re back!”</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong><br />Me: (without even a second thought): <strong>“Yeah…. I wore it for awhile, but…well, I really think I’d rather get <em>‘Nude’</em>.”<br /></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And THAT, my friends, is how you can hear a pin drop in a busy department store, full of men buying perfume for their girlfriends.Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-15994135429211263702012-03-04T19:14:00.001-06:002012-03-04T19:16:14.111-06:00Let's settle this once and for all...I know that many things in a marriage should remain in the sanctity of the home, but there are certain things that are driving me crazy.<br /><br />In the kitchen. <br /><br />Yes, the kitchen. Get your minds out of the gutter, friends, and help me settle a debate that is going on around my house as of late.<br /><br />For the last sixteen or so years, my wonderful husband has been a delightful help in the kitchen. I do most of the cooking, but he is a whiz on the grill, and is fully in charge of birthday dinners, usually. In addition, he is ‘Ah-may-zing’ at clean-up, and I totally appreciate how hard (and cheerfully) he works to undo the damage I inflict on our kitchen in a bout of baking or cooking for the week.<br /><br />But still… there are just a COUPLE of things that make me just the slightest bit nuts, especially when he acts like he’s the male equivalent of ‘The Pioneer Woman’ in our little homestead.<br /><br />I’ll never forget the first time he told me I should add oregano to my tuna salad. OREGANO?? Ew, ick. I told him there was no way in hell there would be oregano in my tuna salad. He proceeded to tell me that was the way his mother <em>ALWAYS</em> made it. That sealed the deal. Never has oregano made its way into my tuna salad. And spare me your delightful recipes that feature a delicious pairing of the two. Not happening. It’s a matter of principal now.<br /><br />But this evening, he stooped to an all-time culinary low when he rinsed my cooked ground beef with water.<br /><br />Didn’t just DRAIN it of the oil, but actually rinsed it in the colander. He’s done it before, and then argues with me when I get snippy about the fact that it completely strips the meat of any flavor…so I’m putting it out to the masses <em>(meaning the 3 of you that still come back to read the blog occasionally)…</em><br /><br /><br />Am I right? I’m right, right??!?<br /><br /><br /><br />And don’t even start with me about how I might be wrong. Because I’m wielding a knife, y’all.Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-51980650779523037662012-01-12T19:08:00.004-06:002012-01-12T19:13:30.384-06:0049 Nifty States?My kid has been singing a new song she learned in Music class… “Fifty Nifty United States”. It’s pretty cool, and it lists the states in alphabetical order, all set to music.<br /><br />That would be just about the only way I’d be able to remember all of them.<br /><br />She sang the whole thing for us at dinner, having to stop every now and then to figure out which one came next.<br /><br />Some states were sung with a little more panache (Ne-vah-daaaaa, O-hi-oooo, and Utaaaaah get the star treatment and some ‘jazz hands’ for good measure.)<br /><br /><br />J: “…Tennessee, Texas, Utaaaaah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wy-o-miiiiing!'<br /><br />...And that's the end!”<br /><br /><br /><br />Me: “That’s great! But, um…does poor West Virginia just get left out?”<br /><br /><br /><br />J: “That’s just a city, anyway.<br /><br /><br /><br />Me: “Noooo. It’s a state.”<br /><br /><br /><br />J: “REALLY? I guess maybe it wasn’t a state back when the song was written. I think it was written in like 1993.”<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Holy crap.<br /><br /><br />In that case… welcome aboard, West Virginia. ;)Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-31805441129115880202011-12-22T12:40:00.002-06:002011-12-22T12:47:41.662-06:00But I BELIEVE!!The words to make faint every mother’s heart at this time of year:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">D: “I’ve decided what I REALLY want for Christmas!!”<br /></span><br />Me: “What?? We’ve already sent your list to Santa!”<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">D: “That’s okay. I know Santa will come through.”<br /></span><br />Me: “But it is just <strong>three</strong> days until Christmas. Don’t you think that, um, Santa already… um… has his sleigh loaded??”<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">D: “According to all those movies we’ve been watching, that happens just before take-off, so no worries.”</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:78%;">(</span><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Darn those movies running on a loop in the family room!!)<br /></span></em><br />Me: “Weeeeelllll… let’s hear it.”<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">D: “The ONLY thing, and I mean the <strong>ONLY</strong> thing I want for Christmas… </span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">...is every Lego set that’s ever been made that is part of a scene from Hoth.”<br /></span><br /><br /><br />Me: “Oh, *that’s* all?”<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(True story. Happened yesterday, in fact.)<br /></span></em><br />Some requests are a little easier, just kind of random and out of the blue. You may remember that I posted that Libby had included toothpaste on her Christmas list. The very same child that once spent almost an entire week, toothbrush-less <em>(and no… I had NO idea.)</em> I only know now because when I cleaned out her little backpack that she’d packed to spend a weekend with her cousins, I found the toothbrush, still neatly packed in its little plastic case. <br /><br />So, imagine my surprise to find toothpaste on her list. It is called ‘Orajel My Way’, and she saw it on a commercial, of course. The attraction? It comes with stickers you can put on the outside of the toothpaste pump. Revolutionary, right? <br /><br />At this late hour, however, I’m wondering if I can just get by with a tube of Colgate and a leftover sheet of stickers from my stash of scrapbook supplies.<br /><br />And just last night in the van on the way to the Zilker tree, another unexpected request:<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;">L- “I need one of those hats.”</span><br /><br />Me: “A hat? You have a hat.” <em>(<span style="font-size:85%;">She had one on, in fact. A really cute, warm one that matched her little coat.)</span></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">L: No… one of those that goes over your face. And it has the holes? For your eyes? And your mouth? Then I could still see. And take a drink.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br />(silence)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Josie: “You want a <span style="color:#000099;">SKI MASK</span>??”<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;">L- “Yeah. I need one.”<br /></span><br /><br />Well, I guess if Santa doesn’t deliver on the Hoth Lego sets, Davis can enlist his sister and her ski mask to knock off the nearest Target toy department.<br /><br /><br /><br />At least she’ll have clean, shiny teeth in her mugshot.Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-42549983790055120482011-12-20T16:51:00.002-06:002011-12-20T17:02:21.500-06:00Top 5 Reasons I am glad it is Christmas break:<span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;">5.</span> <strong>No school</strong>... which means...<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>4.</strong></span> <strong>No homework! </strong>Yeah, yeah, I know my kids are all still in elementary school, so comparatively, they don’t have THAT much homework, but it is still an ever-present afternoon event (<em>read: “necessary pain in the @$$”). </em><br /><br />So, it is nice to have a bit of a break from spelling lists, projects, etc., and to not feel guilty about having Christmas movies running on a loop in the family room.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;"><strong>3.</strong></span> Time to decorate cookies, update blogs, play the Wii, finish up Christmas presents, build gingerbread houses, go to the Zilker tree, and rake the leaves.<br /><br />Now, we haven’t actually *done* any of that (<em>with the exception of the Wii</em>), but we have TIME!<br /><br />Which is currently being used to watch Christmas movies running on a loop in the family room.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>2.</strong></span> <strong>I can get caught up on the pile of laundry.</strong><br /><br />Piles of unwashed laundry make me crazy. Piles of clean laundry make me even crazier. Yet ‘pile up’ it has, over the last week or so.<br />The clean laundry is in baskets in the laundry room… and on the floor of the laundry room…and on top of the dryer… and on the couches in the family room <em>(you would think someone might fold a towel or two while watching Christmas movies running on a loop, am I right?). </em><br /><br />The clean laundry piles are now interspersed with the kids’ backpacks and coats that are usually hung neatly on a pegboard in the laundry room, but were thrown onto the floor on Friday during the ‘Great Sugar Crash of 2011’, and have been all but abandoned.<br /><br /><br /><br />Which brings me to the <strong><span style="color:#006600;">#1 reason</span> </strong>I’m glad it is Christmas break…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;"><strong>1.</strong></span> When Libby ran through the family room yesterday, twirling something over her head, yelling, <em>“Look what I found in my backpack when I was looking for my candy cane!”...</em><br /><br /><em>...</em> the only people that were treated to seeing my black, lacy panties (<em>that evidently had fallen out of a laundry basket and into her open backpack</em>), were members of our family.<br /><br />And not her entire first grade class.Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-13752925059000673122011-11-30T20:18:00.002-06:002011-11-30T20:36:25.348-06:00Happy birthday to my precious Libby Lu :)This song has been on replay in my mind lately… ‘Blink’ by the contemporary Christian group, Revive.<br /><br />A sampling of the lyrics:<br /><br /><em>I don't want to miss<br /> Even just a second<br /> more of this<br /><br />It happens in a blink<br />It happens in a flash<br />It happens in the time it took to look back<br />I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time…</em><br /><br />And here’s why:<br /><br />My baby has a birthday tomorrow. I am now truly one of those moms that can say, “It seems like just yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital!” Because that is how I feel. I’m trying to hold on tight, but time is flying at a rate I feel unequipped to handle.<br /><br />My sweet baby is turning seven. Seven years that have passed in the blink of an eye.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMg8S0juxbumUK-cWm3k1z7cGBz4ztQPWMF3Jo5uiuKdDMxgbDYM5DhjLgo3xaCj5bDGgv7x6ujiTtLqBvV3xOIeN99usp-nlRICtq2ttfoVt6jlMdxA7a84cK0bPg3k0hsuh8Q9-ruvA/s1600/LibbyLu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMg8S0juxbumUK-cWm3k1z7cGBz4ztQPWMF3Jo5uiuKdDMxgbDYM5DhjLgo3xaCj5bDGgv7x6ujiTtLqBvV3xOIeN99usp-nlRICtq2ttfoVt6jlMdxA7a84cK0bPg3k0hsuh8Q9-ruvA/s320/LibbyLu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680978909078897410" /></a>Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-27859114463582525402011-11-27T11:27:00.002-06:002011-11-27T11:33:42.972-06:00Five for SundayFive for Sunday<br /><br />1. okay, first and foremost, no more lame apologies about why this here blog isn’t getting updated more than once a month. I know that you know that I know we’re all bizzy people. Whatevs.<br /><br /><br />2. If you have been catching up on my life via my status updates <em>(which really is all anyone has the time for these days anyway!), </em>you already know that not only have I hit my weight goal (so long to those 35 pounds!), but that I’ve also been through training to become a leader for Weight Watchers. I’m learning so much… like to nod, and look thoughtful, mostly. Which I am learning is not as easy as it sounds. <br /><br />Especially if you are like me, and you like to talk like I like to talk. And I like to talk. (Huge surprise, I know.) So, it will be a good thing.<br /><br /><br />3. The season is upon us… the season of ‘Elf’ and ‘Home Alone’, ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’, and glory Hallelujah, ‘A Christmas Story’. It’s time to get your ‘Ralphie’ on, friends… bunny suit and all.<br /><br /><br />4. Oh, and another season is upon us… deer season. And my nine year old son killed his first deer, and happiness abounded on Planet Linson. I have deer sausage in my freezer, and it is oh-so yummy. It tastes of spice, and my childhood. :)<br /><br />5. Speaking of deer season, when we were in the van a couple of weeks ago (pre-dead-deer), and were lamenting about the lack of deer sausage in our freezer...<br /><strong><br />Libby:</strong> “Maybe a deer will just run out and we’ll hit it with our car!”<br /><br /><strong>Phil:</strong> “Well, let’s hope not. Besides, you're not supposed to use that for meat anyway. It's illegal. Remember the rules from hunter education, Davis?”<br /><br /><strong>Davis:</strong> “Yeah, you can’t use a deer for meat if it has been hit by a car.”<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Josie:</strong> “I *totally* get why… it’s because of the 5 second rule, right??”<br /><br /><br /><br />Um, yeah… that’s why. ;)Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-55016857954113617902011-10-19T16:31:00.003-05:002011-10-19T16:44:51.214-05:00Dino from the Flintstones never looked so... well... happy?It’s true. For the last month, I’ve forgotten that I have a blog. Actually, it wasn’t so much that I forgot… it was more that I have been a little busy with ‘Occupy Hobby Lobby’, ‘Occupy Kids’ school’, and ‘Occupy Weight Watchers’. <br /><br />Short story… I am NEVER at home anymore. Between subbing at the kids’ schools, working on craft projects for the holidays, subbing, training for Weight Watchers, hitting my Director goals for Thirty-One, and SUBBING (can you tell I’ve been subbing a lot?!), I have not been keeping up with certain things. <br /><br />And the blog? Well, it’s been pretty low on the priority list. <br /><br />But I just had to share something that made me laugh out loud today, as I subbed in 2nd grade. One bonus of subbing for the younger grades is all the ‘gifts’ that those little darlings want to bestow on you. A substitute is such a novelty for little kids… <em>“Someone new to tell my story about the cat that my dad accidentally ran over on the way to school! Someone new that I can ‘help’ with all the rules, and who doesn’t know that we’re really not supposed to color with the Sharpie markers !”. </em><br /><br />As opposed to being a substitute for older grades, or God forbid, middle school… <em>“Someone new that doesn’t know I’m NOT actually a foreign exchange student who claims to speak no English!” </em>(oh, the things they try to get away with! ;)<br /><br />Anyway, by now, I’ve subbed at the kids’ school often enough that most of the kids know me pretty well, and I walk out the door at the end of the day with a sampling of drawings and little notes. Today’s example, though, deserves its own special badge of honor. It was definitely one of those that makes you say…<br /><br /><br /><strong>“Wow, sweetie! That is so, um… just… WOW! Tell me all about it…”</strong><br /> <br />Which just happens to be the code for either:<br /><br />1. What the heck is this?<br /><br /><strong>OR</strong><br /><br />2. ‘Am I looking at what I THINK I’m looking at???’)<br /><br />In this case, it was code for the 2nd one.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyMmooybgWQxG3LzYW4hfDWCTtX2euAKu0yTCoyt9AyGkkKZlELyuG9cfbXJFaFAk0NshGaczfmXd6zuUDmBp2fcSpQKhEjqfV86IGO9koawZlzBi2zbTZ7gOZrNKsQk3AguMbJvqpoI/s1600/IMG_2885.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyMmooybgWQxG3LzYW4hfDWCTtX2euAKu0yTCoyt9AyGkkKZlELyuG9cfbXJFaFAk0NshGaczfmXd6zuUDmBp2fcSpQKhEjqfV86IGO9koawZlzBi2zbTZ7gOZrNKsQk3AguMbJvqpoI/s320/IMG_2885.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665321045026931842" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong><br />“Mrs. Linson, it’s a DINOSAUR!”</strong><br /><br /><br />Why, yes… it certainly appears to be. *cough, coughStacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542003388151812256.post-72331216642474622082011-09-14T19:38:00.002-05:002011-09-14T19:54:57.659-05:00A very merry Christmas in SeptemberI’ve already started my Christmas shopping. <br /><br /><br />Now, don’t be a hater… I wasn’t *going* to do any shopping yet, but when you find the <strong>perfect</strong> gifts for the perfect people, it’s hard to not just jump right in with both jingle bells, waving your Mastercard around, yelling, “I’ve got to get me one of those!! Or maybe even THREE!” <br /><br />And honestly, they don’t mind you doing that in TJMaxx. It’s encouraged, even. <br /><br />So, I wasn’t *going* to do any shopping yet, but when this little gem arrived in my mailbox, I was a goner. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lRJN5iuyGJPWd1BTmuMcKjRsX4DyxZfPgFN5KOYiuNQb83Jj875scYtAmGEod2oe9_QMViiUuAyJBH24iH7JdTqhCgLdHxLuHX9_zSGGVsskEIHLzwji70Ge6WuLelc2aWyTpAvLqZc/s1600/IMG_2704.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lRJN5iuyGJPWd1BTmuMcKjRsX4DyxZfPgFN5KOYiuNQb83Jj875scYtAmGEod2oe9_QMViiUuAyJBH24iH7JdTqhCgLdHxLuHX9_zSGGVsskEIHLzwji70Ge6WuLelc2aWyTpAvLqZc/s320/IMG_2704.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652375803927645394" /></a><br /><br />I do so love getting catalogs in the mail, but I usually am pinching pennies, which makes my catalog perusal exactly that… more of a perusal, and less of a purchasing expedition. But everything in this catalog is TOTALLY in my price range! Which just happens to be somewhere between free, and ‘<em>how well do I like this person’</em>? I usually lean a little closer to the ‘free’ end of the spectrum.<br /><br />And this catalog? Well, this catalog is the perfect marriage of Lillian Vernon meets SkyMall meets Home Shopping Network. This would be THE catalog that Lillian Vernon would conceptualize when flipping through a SkyMall mag whilst on a plane to the Home Shopping Network studio.<br /><br />So, with Mastercard in hand, I’ve hammered out a couple of gifts for the most *special* people in my life. And I mean that in the *special-ist* way possible.<br /><br /><br /><br />First and foremost, I’m totally getting this candle for my mother. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVKhG6nhMy3bHT1Su0rWVxcqMnr3PxOEbm8G1o2QdMIZrCXTO4Y9IbcijZUjchhg-Zp6W0AfTPnkp7DvIsc8BRhtjlRQZjRl79ityrEf1EgAmlkPx2JGIJlwAwwhu8AW-8-_4Jda97R0/s1600/IMG_2707.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVKhG6nhMy3bHT1Su0rWVxcqMnr3PxOEbm8G1o2QdMIZrCXTO4Y9IbcijZUjchhg-Zp6W0AfTPnkp7DvIsc8BRhtjlRQZjRl79ityrEf1EgAmlkPx2JGIJlwAwwhu8AW-8-_4Jda97R0/s320/IMG_2707.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652376785960113554" /></a><br /><br />She likes Paula Deen… she likes candles. And I have a sneaking suspicion that this candle probably smells like butter. Or bacon. Or white-haired old lady. <br /><br />This candle makes me want to talk with a Southern accent, use an alarming amount of butter in recipes, and narrate to an imaginary audience exactly what I’m doing every time I toast a piece of bread. It’s a ‘must-have’ for every white-haired old lady in YOUR life. <em>(I kid, Mother.)</em><br /><br />And for my MIL (mother-in-law)? Well, she enjoys a glass of wine every now and again, and I just knew that she would love to visit with The King while imbibing. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2YFHR7OcXj0SqhI-TWAteO9gIViBGrhciRvPNTbHtw_cmmGJi89HxjJO_BstdIExUT_i4VW25FXNsTcufqVbC7IshtMQi3p_HMNzdq_IPI4LZVEOc8wGOjRxTxapxLn58QratqwpskI/s1600/IMG_2705.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2YFHR7OcXj0SqhI-TWAteO9gIViBGrhciRvPNTbHtw_cmmGJi89HxjJO_BstdIExUT_i4VW25FXNsTcufqVbC7IshtMQi3p_HMNzdq_IPI4LZVEOc8wGOjRxTxapxLn58QratqwpskI/s320/IMG_2705.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652377365467866434" /></a><br /><br /> The King of Rock & Roll, of course, not to be confused with the King of Pop. I’m not 100% sure she’d know who the King of Pop is (was), and would wonder why there was a picture of an ugly white girl with sunglasses and an unfortunate nose job on her Christmas present.<br /><br />These glasses are divine, though, and feature the King in his glory days. <br /><br />Of course, I can’t help but think that the fat, bloated Elvis in his later years might be more appropriate on wine glasses, but I guess nobody wants a cautionary tale when they’re having a cocktail. Which explains why there are no Lindsay Lohan wineglasses. Not that my MIL would know who that is either. <br /><br />But the clincher? The item that made this catalog my automatic ‘One Stop Shop’ for All Things Crap… er… Unique? <br /><br />For my darling husband:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xEuIRFp7OahP5c8P2ywjg0eLAgrbdqmRa8BHDHRLGPiwK4v56zhLl7Jw9jJEE3_Ztc8YMogolT7kJluYmgXjxrFmfxpXwPzAlQ6Wzh3OxJaxmdzC7oOCZVefRPDFKlsNWNkG8BVwJ-0/s1600/IMG_2703.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xEuIRFp7OahP5c8P2ywjg0eLAgrbdqmRa8BHDHRLGPiwK4v56zhLl7Jw9jJEE3_Ztc8YMogolT7kJluYmgXjxrFmfxpXwPzAlQ6Wzh3OxJaxmdzC7oOCZVefRPDFKlsNWNkG8BVwJ-0/s320/IMG_2703.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652377847964280290" /></a><br /><br /><br />I KNOW!! I couldn’t believe it either! The style… <br /><br />the flair… <br /><br />the complete abandonment of self-esteem and total indifference for one’s appearance. <br /><br />I mean… um… the COMFORT! <br /><br /><em>(oh, and click on the picture to get a better look. Because, really, why *wouldn't* you??)</em><br /><br />I simply couldn’t choose between the dark wash (<em>with realistic patches and boxers showing at the waist! Even gangstas want to be comfy in their jammies from time to time)</em>...<br /><br />... and the acid wash (<em>BTW, 1987 wants their Pajama Jean back.</em>) But at the oh-so-reasonable price of <strong>$12.95</strong>, I can afford to get both pair! <br /><br />It was a happy day on Planet Linson when I realized my hard-working husband wouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort to look...well, to look completely disheveled in what looks like jeans from back in his college days when he worked in an aviary, and was attacked by a giant African crane (<em>a whole other blog</em>).<br /><br />Now, I know what you’re thinking… where can I <strong>find</strong> that catalog?? Well, I’m pretty sure I included the website on a couple of my pictures because I really have an eye for detail. And a compulsive laziness in regards to cropping and/ or Photoshopping pictures for my blog. <br /><br />So there is a <strong>very</strong> good chance that you will go there, and find the perfect gifts for your loved ones. One can never have too many “Jingle Jitters Latte Candles”, “ShotGun Shell Shot Glasses”, or “Glow-in-the-Dark Balls” (not kidding.) <br /><br />I was going to include pictures of each of those, as well, but did I mention my compulsive laziness? So, yeah.<br /><br />What I wouldn’t do to have one of <strong>each</strong> and <strong>every</strong> thing from the Lakeside Collection. Well, one of every item, save one. <br /><br /><br /><br />If you get the urge to do a little shopping for ME? <br /><br /><br />Well, skip the jellybeans, and just send the booze.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJikZSYAPBejC2UFjgKpEwLyZxxJetgo51opQouPbueD6yNutjR43v1HubP9_DFaOeiuu1YMV5v3yu7tm0cDZMK_J2lnEZG-X6hld06jWEPqexZRKvj3O0LpVYvveUvQmcF7cJ4YHRdGc/s1600/IMG_2706.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJikZSYAPBejC2UFjgKpEwLyZxxJetgo51opQouPbueD6yNutjR43v1HubP9_DFaOeiuu1YMV5v3yu7tm0cDZMK_J2lnEZG-X6hld06jWEPqexZRKvj3O0LpVYvveUvQmcF7cJ4YHRdGc/s320/IMG_2706.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652378780997541794" /></a><br /><br /><br />Thanks, and Merry Christmas in advance! :)Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04204067886927497318noreply@blogger.com2