Husbands of the Year

For all my single ladies... I think it's better to be alone than be with these guys.

To Do: Finish To Do List

Figure out which library I am supposed to go to now since the closest library is in a different county. Check out books and movies for me and Isaac. Order camera cord from ebay Bring bags of donated clothes to Goodwill Finish putting away all Christmas decorations Make car appointment. Figure out how to pay for new tires/brakes. Organize downstairs coat closet. Tidy/organize garage. Clean/vacuum car. Call student loan people. Get hair dye and go back to brunette. Once again, the highlights are going by the wayside in the name of cutting expenses. Figure out how to clean the inside of the oven. Go swimming at the Y with Isaac. Plan menu for the next few weeks. Finish up Season 2 of Big Bang Theory and return. Write out goals for the new year. Not too shabby. I also cleaned the downstairs powder room and vacuumed and mopped the entryway down there which wasn't on my list. And I swung by the Y and cancelled our membership and spent some gift cards I got for Christmas. It's been a good day. Hopefully tomorrow I will tackle either the garage or the car. Both of those have been hanging around on my to do list foooooooooooorever.

I Love Pop Music

overly ambitious?

I'm off all week. Let's see how much I can get done in addition to the regular every day stuff. To do list (Week of December 28th) Figure out which library I am supposed to go to now since the closest library is in a different county. Check out books and movies for me and Isaac. Order camera cord from ebay Bring bags of donated clothes to Goodwill Finish putting away all Christmas decorations Make car appointment. Figure out how to pay for new tires/brakes. Organize downstairs coat closet. Tidy/organize garage. Clean/vacuum car. Call student loan people. Get hair dye and go back to brunette. Once again, the highlights are going by the wayside in the name of cutting expenses. Figure out how to clean the inside of the oven. Go swimming at the Y with Isaac. Plan menu for the next few weeks. Finish up Season 2 of Big Bang Theory and return. Write out goals for the new year.

Christmas and some other unexpected expenses (coughcoughspeedingticketcoughcough) along with just a desire to get a better grip on my finances has me trying to get serious about reducing expenses . But it's hard!!! Also, here are my hang-ups: * I'm freaking busy. And when I come home from work I'm hungry. I don't want to spend a ton of time cooking a big dinner after a long day at work. Also, although I get that it can be cheaper to make things from scratch I also have to factor in the time that it will take. My time is worth a lot to me. I won't sacrifice three hours to save three bucks. * It's really just me eating. Isaac is horrendously picky (that's a whole 'nother blog post). There is no point in making a big casserole. Even if I eat it for lunch and dinner the next three days I will never finish it. I need small portions. And sometimes I am just too lazy to make a whole elaborate meal with sidedishes etc. just for me to eat. Also, buying in bulk seems so silly when it's just me. * I'm not that great of a cook. I'm improving, but I don't have a solid foundation of homemaking skills to build on. So I stumbled across this article: 35 Ways to Reduce that Grocery Budget . Click on the link to see all of the author's links within the article. Here is the article and my reactions:

• Buy the least expensive ground beef and rinse the meat to reduce the fat content. I never would have thought of this but I'll give it a try. I usually buy ground turkey instead of ground beef.
• Stop buying baby carrots and cut the carrots yourself. I should totally do this. I'm so lazy though.
• Milk your milk budget by using powdered milk when milk prices are too high. Not really applicable. I only buy soy milk for Isaac to drink and milk occasionally for cooking. This one doesn't really appeal to me.
• Try making your own coffee creamers and syrups to save on your coffee expenses. Not applicable. Don't drink coffee.
• Dispose of disposable items and switch to cloth napkins, washclothes and microfiber cloths to replace your disposable wipes and paper napkins. I should do this. I am better with using cloths for wiping the counters now(it used to totally gross me out). I need to buy cloth napkins too. I don't have them.
• Try to make your own bread using a bread machine or making bread the old fashioned way. Haven't done this. I would give it a shot though. However, I don't eat a lot of bread. If I don't remember to toss the bag in the freezer it usually grows mold before I finish it. Also, I am worried that baking my own bread might take more time than it would be worth in dollar savings. Does that make sense? I'd try though.
• Start keeping a price book to cash in on the best deals. I've been meaning to do this forever. I don't have that many grocery stores around here but there is Target, and Weis. I generally shop at the Giant. I would like to at least get a baseline price for the stuff I normally buy.
• Take advantage of grocery delivery options or free in-store shopping services to help avoid impluse shopping. I will freely admit that I am an impulse shopper. It is worse when I take along another impulse shopper (Isaac). And having groceries delivered is terribly appealing.
• Give wholesale shopping a try for items that you use frequently, just be sure to use your price book to compare the prices. Joining Costco has been on my to-do list forever too, if for nothing else than the tires and the discount movie tickets.
• Start making homemade cleaners. I would give this a try. Goes hand in hand with the "going green" thing too.
• Learn the art of stockpiling and create a system for storing your stockpile that works for your family. I need to get better at this too. My idea of foodstorage is helping myself to my parents pantry.
• Try using coupons and utilizing free coupon services to help you score the best deals for your money. I try to make coupons work-- I really do. They are all over my house. They are stuck inside my purses. They are expired in envelopes in my car. But I don't think they really help me save money. I don't want to buy two of something to save 35 cents. And the store brand is usually cheaper than the discount that I get with coupon, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't get it. I can't make it work.
• Start gardening with simple foods that are easy to grow like tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers and squash. I really, really wanted to do this this year but it never happened. I am definitely doing it this coming year. My gardener friend Andrew said he would help me get things going, so that is exciting. I'm so on board with this one.
• Make your own baby food. Not applicable, but I am totally interested in doing it if I ever have the chance to have another go round with a second baby.
• Give cloth diapering a shot! They have come a long way and can save you hundreds and hundreds of dollars! Same comments as above.
• Sign up free samples of food and toiletry items. You will waste less money trying out new products and these samples can get you through when times are more lean. Not so sure about this one. I don't usually remember to use the samples. Also, getting samples usually puts you on annoying e-mail and mailing lists.
• Make your own mixes instead of buying. I love this one. I would love to do this. My mom went to a class on how to do this and I need to get her to give me a tutorial.
• Try shopping at a less expensive supermarket. I have done this to a certain extent. When I lived at my parents I shopped much more at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Now I pretty much only shop at Giant because it is big, clean, close by and new. The Weis and the Aldi's that are near me just seem icky. However, in the name of cutting costs I may need to stop being so snobby. Hopefully the pricebook will help me decide if I should change up my grocery shopping or not.
• Bring your own grocery bags for a grocery bag credit at most supermarkets. Eh. I have a million of those cloth grocery bags and although I have the best intentions I rarely remember to take them to the supermarket with me. Last time I checked they were giving you 5 cents a bag which doesn't seem to add up to that much of a savings. I bring 10 bags and I save a whopping 50 cents.
• Shop at a store that will double your coupons. I guess this assumes you are using coupons. I know the Giant will double ones under a dollar.
• Bring cash and a calculator instead of using your debit card. This will help you stay on a budget better. Oh I should totally do this. The debit card gets me in trouble a lot because I don't often bother to balance my checkbook.
• Utilize a slow cooker so you can buy cheaper cuts of meat and use the slow cooker to tenderize them. I don't have a slow cooker. But it is something I am interested in looking into.
• Make your own condiments like pancake syrup, croutons, and salad dressings. I'm willing to give this a shot assuming I don't have to buy a lot of crazy ingredients and again assuming the time it takes to do this is worth the savings in money.
• Take inventory in your fridge, pantry and freezer to avoid buying repeat and unnecessary items. I could do better at this. I often buy doubles. I also have something halfway made and then realize I am missing an important ingredient.
• Try replacing one evening meal with breakfast foods instead. Most brunch dishes are less expensive and you can omit or stretch meat in these dishes a lot further. I think I've mastered this one! I thought I was just being lazy though. "Hmm, I don't feel like making meat tonight for dinner... How about we have waffles instead?"
• Instead of buying prepackaged bagged ingredients, try prepackaging your own ingredients once a week instead. It will help get dinner on the table faster and save you money on your grocery budget. Doing this helps the portion issue and the time issue I mentioned at the beginning. I would be very interested in this. Anyone have ideas?
• Schedule a day in your kitchen every week to make cooking easier and to save money buying convience foods. So this would be the time to make your dishes and your dinners in a bag. I have done this before but I would like to get it scheduled in more regularly. I'm thinking either Sundays, or the Saturdays that Isaac goes to his dad's. I don't think a week night would realistically happen.
• Make a homemade pizza instead of buying a frozen one. I do this one about half the time. I have bags of frozen pizza dough, cheese and sauce. It doesn't take long to slap them together.
• Give once a month cooking a try to save time/money. Same as above.
• Eliminate meat or make one night a meat free night. I have been trying to reduce the amount of meat we eat (especially red meat). I need to do better at increasing the veggies though. I find my meat free meals are just variations of pasta.
• Make snack items more convenient so you don't have to buy prepackaged goodies. I don't buy tons of snack items. I would like to make my snack items more healthy. This will come into play more when I have to start packing Isaac a lunch again I'm sure.
• Buy your meat in bulk. I do this already. Ideally in the future I would love another freezer to store things in. My freezer is on the small side.

So do any of you have reactions or comments? Other tips? Lay 'em on me.

Passive aggression

Dear friends: I moved to Pottstown not Mars. With advanced warning I can occasionally hang out. Call me. I'm always bored and lonely.

Sherlock Holmes

Fantastic movie. Go see it!

Pretty lucky

So one of my complaints about this neighborhood is that it looks like a parking lot. As far as I can tell, I am the only person on this row of townhouses that lives by herself. Everyone else has two cars that they park behind each other in their driveways. My three closest neighbors all own two SUVs each. Our little townhouse unit looks like a used car lot. However, having two cars stacked in your driveway provides a definite advantage when it comes to snow removal. You just have to shovel out the sidewalks and that little strip of driveway between the road and the sidewalk. This morning I found myself with my work cut out for me and I did not have the best attitude while I was hauling away snow for the second time in 12 hours. I had just shoveled out 90% of my driveway only to have my brother call and say he was on his way over with his girlfriend and a shovel. I promptly stopped shoveling. I am a big feminist and definitely believe that girls can do anything guys can. But I am not so progressive that I can't allow someone else to break their back hauling snow while I sip hot chocolate and supervise. He can do the last 10%. =) It reminded me of a time when my dad made my brothers head out to shovel the driveway of a family he home taught- the Kneelands. Bruce Kneeland was away on business, so he figured he would go and shovel the driveway for Donna. After my brothers and Dad had finished it up, They were sure surprised when Bruce opened the door in a bathrobe and thank them. His flight had been cancelled but he hadn't gotten around to shoveling yet. I also remember my dad going to shovel out Linda Holiday, an older widow, on many occasions. I'm lucky to have a wonderful father and two caring brothers who always look around them for opportunities to help the women in their lives.

happies and crappies 12/18

Happies

• New blog look. Isn't it fabulous? Thanks Stacia (no clue if that link will work or not, I know she is private)!
• My sister is on her way home! I can't WAIT to see her again.
• 3.5 more days of school till Christmas break!!!!
• Christmas shopping is done!
• Saffron plays fetch and I LOVE it.

Crappies

• So, so, so much work to do before school gets out for winter break.
• I have hardly done any wrapping. I have stuff still in unopened amazon boxes all over the house.

• My cards are only about 2/3 sent.
• It's supposed to snow again this weekend. Why the heck can't it snow on a weekday?! Seriously.

BUT the weekend is almost upon us!

Bloggers Letters to Santa

Taken from here Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is COMMENTS. Seriously, it's all I want. Love, New Blogger P.S. I'M SERIOUS. Dear Santa, I want a book deal. And a movie. (All the other veteran bloggers have one!) Love, Veteran Blogger Dear Santa, I want a more expensive camera and more color-coordinated outfits for my kids and an orchard in my backyard. Love, Mommy Blogger Dear Santa, I want a vintage, retro, modern, artsy, modge-podged Polaroid camera with which to take vintage, retro, modern, artsy photos of letterpressed stationery. Love, Style Blogger Dear Santa, I want a home security system. And a gun. Please. Love, Private Blogger

12/11

Lisa's Random Thoughts * Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends... (Is that spelled correctly? I have been playing with the spelling for seriously, like, five minutes) . * Today was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing. I felt like the worst mom ever for not sending Isaac to school in a hat and gloves. Turned out they didn't take the kids outside so that was all good. * I think a stress related nervous break down at work is becoming a new pre-Christmas tradition. Last year on the last day of school before break I had a legitimate tantrum in my classroom that involved throwing objects and screaming. I can feel it coming this year... * They are providing only 100 flu shots for school district employees. I better get one. * The Daily Show with John Stewart is seriously one of my favorite shows. * I'm obsessed with blogs. And facebook. Here I sit refreshing and reading and I have a dishwasher full of clean dishes to put away and baskets of laundry to be dealt with. * I think I'm seeing Fantastic Mr. Fox tonight. * My cousin posted this on his FB. You know how I feel about Bella, so I thought this was funny.

* Isaac this morning ran into my room naked and shouted "Shake what your MAMA gave ya!"

Boo

Isaac is at his dad's. I was supposed to go to NYC this weekend. But alas, I'm just too broke. It's not going to happen. Guess Christmas in NYC will have to wait till next year...

I love her

Seriously....

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny,

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside..

That really did the trick.....

I was just admiring my good work.

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops - I found

A real absorbing site

That I got SO way into it - I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse.

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess.......While I sit here on my hiney.

~Author unknown

Teacher rant.

For obvious reasons I generally avoid venting/writing about work here. This is an unlocked public blog and I would like to keep it that way. But I am not stupid enough to think that one of my parents couldn't stumble across it. And of course, I want to respect the privacy of my students and their families. But I'm going to break my rule and vent here (in a general way).

please

please

please

please

If you have a preschooler do you future kindergarten teacher a favor and teach them some skills to be independent in every day life. There is no reason for your child to be in kindergarten and be unable to zip their coat.

There is no reason for your kindergartener to not dress themselves. Today my co-teacher was talking to one of our students about remembering to put on her classes. She said she hadn't brought them to school because her mother hadn't put them on her. My co-teacher said"When you get yourself dressed, it's your job to put on your glasses." The girl gave her a weird look. My co-teacher was like "You do get yourself dressed don't you?" The girl said no. We quickly polled the kindergarten class and discovered that about a 1/3 of them are dressed each morning by their parents. This is a group that we have really struggled with to get them to understand classroom rules, routines, expectations, etc. The fact that most of them are being dressed like infants explained a lot.

And, although it is a little trickier, work with your child to teach them how to tie shoes. Your kindergarten teacher will thank you.It is very daunting to have 24 pairs of untied shoes and a chorus of "MISS-IS STEVEN-SON!!!!!!!"

I have certain parents (whose child does not show a delay in fine motor skills, as some of my special ed students do), who have worked and worked with their child on reading and math skills so he would be at the top of the kindergarten class but the child is unable to pack and unpack his own school bag, zipper his own coat, open the lunch containers that are sent in his lunch or tie his own shoes. I mean, there's more to school readiness than how many sight words your kid has memorized.

As a parent of a Pre-K student I have really tried hard to practice what I preach. We have dressing and zipping down. Hopefully shoe tying will be mastered before the fall. =)

Coming soon to a postcard in your mailbox...

2009 in a nutshell...

Link Round-Up

Monkeys are so smart These are cute Bring it on!!! Seriously, it's probably way better for my kids than the crazy psychotropic drugs they are on. It's cheap, readily available and all natural. I've seen kids on drugs with terrible side effects like facial tics, loss of bladder control, hyperactivity... If your only side effect is the munchies, what's wrong with that? And for kids who refuse to eat, pot brownies are better than putting your kids on a feeding tube. Thoughts?

Grandma's house is officially ready for Christmas.... Our's isn't quite there yet.

Happy Birthday to Me

No there are not 28 candles on this cake...

Tom with Cody Pablo... Look at how big he is now!

My dad and brothers installing my new thermostat. You know you are old when you are excited about a thermostat. My other big present was getting my washing machine fixed. Woot, woot.

Isaac with Saffron

Interesting...

I'm in a ...

Being single sucks. But dating is so complicated...

As expected...

New Moon was total and complete drivel. I knew what I was getting into having read the book. Bella was equal parts annoyingly helpless and viciously heartless to Jacob (and a dash of horrible acting) and has a habit of going cross eyed every time she is in a tight shot. Edward actually managed to not come across as much as an abusive boyfriend as he does in the book. As in Twilight, his lipstick is so dark and obvious it is distracting. The music was loud and melodramatic. But I still give this movie two thumbs ups. I give this movie TWO ALL CAPS THUMBS UP!!!! (with exclamations). I give this movie TwO aNnOyInGlY CaPiTaLiZeD tHuMbS Up!!! And that is because for most of the movie you are treated to this lovely sight: A closer look... and from the side...

I don't think there is much I can type that can adequatley express my appreciation for the fact that he is shirtless for 80% of the movie. I can definitely put up with Kristen Stewart's heavy breathing and overacting if it means more Jacob time.

Yes! Yes!

http://www.racialicious.com/2009/11/26/running-with-the-wolves-a-racialicious-reading-of-the-twilight-saga/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Racialicious+%28Racialicious+-+the+intersection+of+race+and+pop+culture%29

Semi-nudity, murmering and RS

Mormony church blog ahead. Lots of LDS terminology. Bear with me. Remember this post where I was venting about attending the most unfriendly congregation on the planet? Well, there's an update. I was home one evening two weeks ago when I looked around the living room and decided I could no longer tolerate it looking as though a bomb had hit it and I began to frantically clean up. As I was cleaning I somehow noticed how dusty and icky the TV stand is and I sort of accidently got the whole sleeve of my shirt covered in dust. So I decided to just rip off my shirt and use it as a dust rag. I had a sheer tank top camisole thing underneath. After my cleaning binge I was relaxing on the couch watching some Big Bang Theory when the doorbell rang. I went downstairs to open the door expecting it to be, like my neighbor with a piece of mail that had been delivered to their house accidently and I could just sort of stick my arm out to exchange pleasantries and not reveal my see-through top. Instead I discovered two men: my home teachers. One of them attended my high school when we were kids and was a few years older than me and is evidently the new EQP. The other I had never seen before. More on him in a minute. They said they had tried to call, but couldn't reach me. I invited them in, awkwardly trying to cover myself up. Fortuneatly I had a sweatshirt hanging on the upstairs banister I could throw on and thankfully I had just cleaned the whole living room so they didn't have to navigate through the debris as they would have any other day that week. We discovered they couldn't reach me because the phone number the church has listed is my parents old house number. Huh. It was sort of the get to know you visit; no real message. Somehow it came up that I am still somewhat back and forth from the singles ward and I said something about how I keep going there when I can because I don't feel comfortable in the family ward. The one misunderstood and said "Oh I hated attending the singles ward." I tried to correct him a few times to explain that I liked attending the singles ward but he kept not understanding until finally I ended almost shouting "No! I don't hate the singles ward! I HATE YOUR WARD!" So then I figured since I had opened the flood gates so to speak, I rolled with it and next thing you know I am like, choking on a lump on my throat and telling these total strangers that I have attended since May and no one knows who I am, no one talks to me, how I sit alone in every class and during Relief Society there is this awkward get to know you chit chat thing and how I sit there pretending to read my scriptures because no one will bother to chit chat with me and how I still don't have a calling, even though I am very capable person and I am totally willing to take on a calling and how even though I have been coming for like 8 months I can count on one hand the number of times someone has even introduced themselves to me or said hello. I went off about how hard it is to be single in a family ward and how somehow they have put me on the e-mail list for the single adult activities and how, for crying out loud, I am only 27, I don't want to go to Potlucks and mingle with widowers. I also said something about how no one in the bishopric had ever approached me or welcomed me or even spoken to me and how that was culture shock coming from a very friendly singles ward where the Bishopric generally approaches you within five minutes of you setting foot into the chapel for your first time (and that is truly not an exaggeration. P3 takes fellowshipping and welcoming very seriously) And then I stopped. And they just sort of stared at me. And then the non-high school one cleared his throat and was like "Well, I'm in the Bishopric, so I could definitely see about getting you a calling." ***Awkward*** I gave a half hearted "No offense" but it was a little late since I put it all out there. But anyways, this past Sunday EQP's wife came and introduced herself to me and then sat next to me during Relief Society. And two other people talked to me so that definitely helped me not feel like such a pariah. So maybe my home teaching rant was not in vain...

I would love

your fabulous and easy soup recipes. Please share!

A quick word regarding Christmas

I feel really bad for Thanksgiving. It is such a cool holiday. It has a historical basis.

It celebrates the harvest and all things autumnal.

It makes people slow down and consider their blessing and helps the whole country cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It brings family and friends together. It always falls on a Thursday so you always get an extra day off of work. But I feel like it is getting overlooked. Three people in my neighborhood already have their Christmas trees up. One even had their tree up before my birthday (November 17th) which is crazy. I love Christmas probably more than the average person. Black Friday all of my decorations will go up, and it probably won't be long till I buy a tree. But we have to take time to savor Thanksgiving/Autumn! There is still plenty of time for Christmas after that!!!

Do the Shuffle

(the above title is meant to be sung to the 70's hit Do the Hustle)... So here's how you play:Turn your iPod on, go to Shuffle Songs, and name the first 10 songs that come up. No skipping songs! (Especially those you'd rather not admit that are actually on your iPod. That would be cheating.) 1. Mercury by Counting Crows - Of course, I love Counting Crows, but this actually isn't my favorite song by them. It makes me think of both Nicole and Kathleen, who both love it. It is awesome live. 2. We're Okay - from Rent - great play. This song she is going back and forth between like three phones. 3. Slow Dance - John Legend. "Let the music make you moooooooooooooooooooooove". When I saw him at the Electric Factory he pulled a girl up on stage and they slow danced to this song. It's fabulous. It makes you wanna dance with somebody. 4. Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty. For a while summer wasn't summer without seeing Tom Petty in concert. I've seen him in Jersey, Ohio and Pittsburgh. I remember in high school cruisin around in my old Lebaron blasting this song. 5. Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle. Reminds me of one of my roommate's in college Jamie. It's so happy and upbeat. 6. Freakum Dress - Beyonce. Makes me think of hot summer nights cruisin around South Street with Alti. A fabulous album to play when you are getting ready to go out. (Not that I do that much anymore). 7. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer. It's random that this came up. I guess it is on my gym mix. 8. Let's Forget About It - Lisa Loeb (acoustic version from the old Y-100 Sonic Session cd). Remember her? She wore the plastic glasses before they were trendy. 9. Start the Commotion - Wise Guys. Another one from my gym mix. My sister and I borrowed our fabulous friend Meagan's cd collection for a weekend and that is how we inherited this one. 10. Cave In - Owl City. I have been listening to Owl City literally non-stop for the past two weeks. Isaac is always pleading for me to put on anything else. Like the whole album it's happy, electro-pop with interesting fresh lyrics. Sadly besides Owl City I haven't added anything current to my ipod in ages. Do the shuffle and let me know your recomendations!

Random thoughts

Got this from someone else's blog, so I can't take credit. But I sure relate to most of them!

* Was learning cursive really necessary?

* I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit?

* Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

* I wish Google Maps had an 'Avoid Ghetto' routing option.

* More often than not, when someone is telling me a story, all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better- but also more directly involves me.

* The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

* Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Kids today are soft.

* I think that everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure that I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really really gets it.

* I would rather carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips from the car to bring my groceries in.

* LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

* Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely terrifying.

* I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent someone from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

* MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my own neighborhood.

* Bad decisions make good stories.

* Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they're from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem...

* You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

*Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVD's? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

*I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I didn't make any changes to.

*I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. "I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?"

*I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

* When I meet a new boy, I'm terrified of mentioning something he hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

* I like all of the music on my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle- then I like about one in every fifteen songs on my iTunes.

* Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

* As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation- I always hate cyclists.

* Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

The best thing about PA

We're pretty into fall around here.... =)

Oh my gosh...

Love, love, love. It's like a spreadable peanut butter cup. So delicious....

Whoa!

I just noticed my work laptop has a webcam.

Now I must play with it and post pictures despite the poor lighting and my post-shower hair which makes me look like a total creepster. So here is a

Quick update on my life...

work webcam style...

I'm watching...

Very clever. My friend loaned me the first two seasons. I don't think it will take me long to get through them.

I'm reading... the new post secret book. And unlike the other three which were gigantic, this one is cute and post card size.

Hanging out with.... My new kitty (and the old one too). Isaac is at my mom's tonight. She was not such a fan of the webcam. Cody flat out refused to come on. Who's surprised about that?

Isaac...

Just so you all know, I am the mother of the most hilarious four year old on the planet. Several times over the past few days I have overheard Isaac singing some pop music which totally cracks me up. In the car I definitely overheard him singing this little diddy by the ubiquitous Miley Cyrus: This one he was singining the bathtub, which I thought was terribly cute ("She's cheer captain and I'm in the bleachers"). This is my personal favorite though, since I have been listening to this album basically non-stop. I have overheard him singing this while he was in his room alone playing with toys. I love the fact that some part of him appreciates electronica, even if it is Top 40.

Wednesday

Happies * The kitty cats are now fixed, introduced, and friends. Pictures to follow. * Cody is definitely less play aggressive towards us now that he has a friend to play with. I think Saffron is a little tired of him though. * She is very sweet and long suffering. Especially considering Isaac's new favorite thing is carrying her around like a baby. * It's not dark now when I wake up for work. Makes it sooo much easier to get up! Crappies * I have a slow leak in my one tire. * The washing machine broke. Booo. * Now that I am heating the house my electric bill is out of control. And I keep forgetting to turn down the thermostat before I leave for work. * I have to buy a cord to charge my camera up. So pictures are (temporarily) down again.

Ugh

How long would you keep going to a ward where absolutely no one ever talked to you, or sat by you or made any effort to get to know you? Where literally the only people who ever, ever even acknowledged you were in the Relief Society presidency? Where you had never been home taught, or approached about having a calling? If it was November first and you had been going since May, and had never even been greeted by someone in the Bishopric a single time, would you want to go back? I'm really struggling to like the ward that I now have to attend...

Five things I Was Doing Five Years Ago

1. Trying to schedule as many classes as I could in this gorgeous building:

2. Trying (half-heartedly) to pass Logic. What on earth posessed me to take that class?

3.. Working out a lot. Sophomore year of college I definitely went to the gym at least once a day. My roommate and other girls on my floor definitely helped keep me motivated.

4. Sleeping on the top bunk. That year we did have bunk beds.

5. I believe that was the year we got into Temptation Island. Trash TV at it's finest.

Five things on my To Do List 1. Organize the office, which still has half unpacked boxes and scrapbook stuff everywhere. 2. Vacuum pretty much the whole house. 3. Finish cleaning the bathroom. All I did was the floors and littler box, still need to do toilet, sink and mirrors.

4. Pay some bills

5. Figure out someone who can fix the washing machine (and figure out how I am going to pay him/her).

Five things I'd do if I was a Millionaire 1. Pay off my school loans and mortgage. 2. Pay for Isaac's college.

3. Buy a newer, nicer car. 4. Go around the world on a big vacation. 5. Have a big party with fancy imported cheeses and other exotic foodstuffs.

Five Things I'd Never Do Again 1. Bottle feed a kitten. It was good while it lasted, but way too much work.

2. Attempt to paint the bathroom on my own again. Unless my painting skills seriously improve. It took my sister, like 24 straight hours of work to fix my mistakes and make the bathroom the fabulous pink it is now.

3. Call a parent (of one of my students) from my home phone. Not that anything bad happened that time, but it is something I would never take a chance on again.

4. Have a fish. Cleaning a fishtank is not my favorite thing.

5. Dramatic Rock Lobster death scenes. In public anyways... I think I'm too old for that now. Even if I do go to the YSA Christmas Dance...

Five Favorite Toys 1. Hmmm. Laptop.

2. My classroom laminator. Nerdy I know. But I do love lamination.

3. Photo printer.

4. Pizza pan. Very into making my own pizza lately.

5. Um.... does hand held vacuum count as a toy? When you live in a three story place, it is pretty critical.

Five Things I've Read Recently 1. Blogs, blogs, blogs.

2. Lawrence's mission letters. To know him, is to love him. He is taking San Diego by storm. 3. I've still not finished The Time Traveler's Wife that I started at the beach. It is a really good book. I just knew once I left the beach I would never finish it. 4. US and PEOPLE magazines that my mom sent over after she was done. I read anything that comes my way. 5. I am supposed to be reading Classroom Instruction that Works and Failure is Not an Option for book studies at my work as part of new teacher induction. Also considering adding The Illusion of Full Inclusion... but that's a different story.

Five People I’m Tagging Whoever is reading this and really wants to do it.

We don't mess around...

Intense under six soccer action...

Taking a breather

A month of non-stop rain = field being a total and complete mudpit = extra hilarity

Four out of six of the purple panthers.

I seriously love under six soccer. I think someone should turn it into a reality show.

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

The quest for true domesticity continues. I tried to make apple crisp, which was a flop... BUT I made these delicious cookies and they turned out incredible!! I thought I would be 0/2 when I messed up the amount of baking powder. However, I managed to save it by tripling the recipe. So there are cookies galore at my house-- come visit!!

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional-- I skipped these)

Directions: 1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. 2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. 3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Dinner tonight...

Included these: delicious loaded mashed potatoes (they tasted amazing and they were so, so, easy) and these dinner rolls (with about a million more frozen in the freezer for future use). Thanks Thompson girls. I am contemplating making something pumpkin for dessert. Maybe there is hope for this undomestic goddess after all. =)

Help!

I know someone out there must know... How do you get baked on Pam off the sides of a glass casserole pan? It looks so icky. Any suggestions would be much appreciated...

One step closer to crazy cat lady status..

Cody Pablo is still alive and kickin' (and biting and scratching...)

Because he has been a bottle fed baby raised without a mom cat or littlermates his kitty manners.... leave a lot to be desired. I am like 90% certain that the vet techs draw straws on who has to take his temperature. He has been called everything from "naughty" to "obnoxious" to "mutant kitten". The thing is, he really is just playing and doesn't mean to be aggressive. But he is getting bigger and stronger and, well, the bad behavior is getting old...

So in an attempt to help him get out his playful energy and possibly be put in his place, we have a new member of the Stephenson household:

Saffron. This picture really does not do justice to her cuteness but she is terrifically wiggly and it was one of the only the pictures I could capture of her face. I had contemplated adding a second cat on Facebook and someone I knew from high school contacted me and said he had a litter of cats he was trying to find homes for. Slightly older than Cody and a little bit bigger. She was the only girl in the litter and was used to keeping her brothers in line. Sounds perfect. He had named her Saffron. We had intended to use Saffron as a middle name (since apparently all our cats must have two names) and choose a new first name. I wanted either a Shakespearan Heroine or a famous psychologist. Isaac wanted to keep our Backyardigans theme going and continually suggested "Tasha" or "Uniqua". Anyways, it took too long to decide and in the meantime she has just been Saffron, so we are keeping it.

We have been keeping them seperate for now and introducing them slowly.

She doesn't seem to care for Cody a whole lot (she will sniff him and will tolerate him batting at her face a few times before she starts hissing).

On the other hand... he is obsessed with her and spends many hours now like this...

Parked outside her door listening for her, sticking his paws underneath and talking to her. So we are trying to take our time with the introductions so that she isn't traumatized and hopefully they get along. Oh, and the vet told me she is old enough to get pregnant (What?!?), so that adds a whole new twist while we wait for them to both get fixed in the upcoming weeks..

Keep your fingers crossed that they soon become fast friends...

Liveable green

A rainy Saturday afternoon.... A huge drum of FREE "Livable Green" (sage green) paint inherited from my parents when they painted their basement... A fantasticly hardworking brother... A handsome little helper... Hurray! My kitchen isn't blindingly white anymore!!! (the only shot I can take right now that wouldn't be littered with dirty dishes or other detritus that seems to be magnetically drawn to all surfaces in my kitchen)...

Feel good story??

Am I the only one who reads this differently? I think this story is a bit sickening and terrifically sad. This boy was obviously a talented basketball player but because he was autistic he was never considered to be an actual player. Just the token special ed water boy despite obvious basketball talent. This is NOT inclusion. Thoughts?

It's been way to long. I will try to do some updates this weekend. First and foremost, I have a camera again! My fabulous aunt gave me one that she didn't need anymore. So pictures are back. Wahoo! Recently we went to a huge cornmaze. There were actually three individual ones. They were insane!!! I didn't think we would ever make it out...

Wondering if we would be spending the night among cornstalks...

2 miles later the end is in sight! (and that was the easiest of the three!) Isn't he handsome?? The other big news is Isaac is officially old enough to play soccer in the under six league at North Coventry Soccer. He is on team purple, with two other boys and three girls. He loves it. I am actually enjoying being a soccer mom. It's so fun. I find myself getting a little competitive and having to remind myself that they are 4,5 and 6...

He's number 5.

He loves wearing his "knee paddles" (shin guards) even when it isn't game day...