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I wonder what people think when I drive up to corporate America in this rig....

Modern Kids

The requests that my kids make when I go to the grocery store:

* Brie with pepper jelly
* Sushi
* Brussel sprouts
* Jalapeno bagels

And then....just for good measure...hot cheetos!

The words a dad lives to hear....

Grace came home from practice today and said, "Dad, make me slush bucket (and 5 gallon bucket filled with ice and cold water!" Jim thought he died and went to heaven. He went out and filled up a bucket and brought it in for her.

We all stood around timing her. She said she wanted to ice it for 20 minutes! She lasted 7.5 seconds....ONCE!

We were cracking up!

ipad

After much waiting, I found out my ipad has shipped! I may need to take the day off of work when it arrives. I wasn't this excited about my babies arriving! (Just kidding!)

It is official...

Grace is as tall as me. At age 11 years and 6 months, she is 5 feet 4 inches tall!

TNDC

Thursday Nite Dinner Club - St Paddy's Day Edition! Mari and her crown and Coach Cindy and her whole facial "get up". All made by Mari's 3rd grade class! I missed getting a picture of Tina and her pipe cleaner monocle....that she wore all nite.

Special thanks to Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom for cooking a DELICIOUS dinner. No one can make a better corned beef!

Apparently...

Apparently, sesame oil leaches into the wood pores and it is impossible to get that smell out!

Stinky!

I have the nose of a hound dog!

I can smell things that other people can't. That would be great if I was a drug sniffing human but I am not and it does get a bit annoying sometimes. Yesterday was one of those days.

I was working at home.

First thing in the morning I was in the kitchen getting the kids ready for school and I could smell a stinky onion. Sure enough, investigation disclosed that there was a sprouting onion in the cupboard.....off it went to the trash.

Then I started working and decided to sit at the kitchen counter. All morning, I kept smelling something "old".... Investigation discovered a moldy lemon at the bottom of the fruit bowl....off it went to the trash!

Then later in the afternoon, I was on phone calls. And while on the calls, I started getting a craving for Chinese food. But over time that feeling went away as the smell of spilled sesame oil in the pantry got stronger and stronger! Literally the house smelled like a Chinese restaurant. It got so strong that I had to open the windows!

The mess of the oil was TERRIBLE! And the smell does not go away!

My nose got a work out yesterday!

Duh?!?!

Boy did I learn a lesson today…..

My Mickey Mouse succulent was falling over when I got home from work and I rushed out there to right him up….like it was some kind of emergency. I lightly touched him to see if he was prickly and I did not feel anything so I handled him with bare hands…..DUMB! I have needle like spikes stuck in my hand and it is making me crazy!!!

Please learn from me and don’t do something so stupid!

Catfish

I was walking thru the cafeteria at work last week and ran smack dab into these guys! They were serving fresh catfish on the menu that came from a local "organic" farm and the farm came to show their product! Very strange. In a couple weeks they are bringing sturgeon.

Too bad I did not have my purse with me or I could have fed them some power bait!

Nest Frittatas

I received a delivery of Farm Fresh to You fruits and veggies on Friday. It came with giant leeks. I don't usually cook with leeks so I searched around for a recipe and found this frittata recipe. In the bottom of the muffin pan is sauteed leeks and zucchini. Poured on top was a mixture of eggs, cheese and cream. It was really yummy. I served it with baby sweet potatoes that came in our order and pork chops with a gravy (butter, sherry, broth and raspberry jam) and rhubarb chutney.

Snowshoe Backpacking

Here are some pics of when the boys went backpacking in snow shoes!

Flower Power

Check out this succulent flower from a friend's house! The picture does not do it justice - it is about 1 and 1.2 feet tall!

Jim's boat

For those wondering about Jim's boat because of the tsumani, it is fine. It is in dry dock. So he was not effected at all.

But I am sure he will have friends with lost or damaged boats.

Best Wife Ever!

Jim was going thru my purse yesterday looking for a check book, and instead, found a jar powerbait. No perfume, no lipstick....just powerbait!

I just may be the perfect wife....at least for Jim!

Learning Differences Panel

We went as a family last nite to a panel discussion hosted by kids with learning differences.

There were 5 kids with varying challenges from dyslexia to ADHD to autism. The kids were high school and college students and they spoke about their struggles, their self advocacy and their support systems.

As usual, I took away several nuggets:

* Grades do not define you (especially if you have a learning difference). You have to get good enough grades to play the game (i.e. get into college), but you have to focus more on the learning that is occurring than the grades.

* College for kids with learning differences needs to be a marathon rather than a sprint!

* It is a journey and I just keep learning....

Mama needs a new ipad!

I have been fighting the urge to get an ipad for a few months. Earlier in the week, I started to do some research on them again and found that there was going to be a new one announced today. So I waited and read all the news reports after the announcement. And then I decided....I am getting a white ipad2 with a pink cover! OH YEA!!!

New Gear

Having snow shoes, sleds and snowboards is NOT enough....Drew had to get skis! Here is his new gear.

New soccer uniform

In the words of the 15 year old brother, "Gracie's new uniform is sick!"

Gracie's room

Here are some pics of Gracie's new room. I still have to do pink polka dots on the brown wall above her bed but this gives you an idea of the finished project. I just love it. And who would have known that some polka dots on the walls make you smile when you walk by!?!?