Sigh.

I was watching my daughter get on the bus that takes her to Kindergarten this morning when I notice out of the corner of my eye a couple of truly obnoxious adorable little girls at the back of the bus flipping the bird out the window.
Call me a sap, but I am mourning the loss of my baby girl's innocence a bit this morning.

My Question to You

Last time I gave you a gift. This time I am presenting you with a question. As I'm sure you know, Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. My daughter is now in Kindergarten and doesn't have school that day. I think that it's very important for her to understand why she's getting the day off. I want to talk with her about the civil rights movement, activism, slavery, etc. That's where my question to you comes in: How do I do this without it being over her head, without scaring her, and without me getting overly passionate (and using too many bad words?)

She has the American Girl doll, Addy and we started to read her book. I had to put it away though because, frankly, it was truly upsetting and scaring her. Not that I necessarily think that this is such a bad thing (it's an upsetting and scary topic)... But I think I'll try bringing it out again in a year or two.

Have you had this talk with your kid(s)? What did you say? Even if you don't have kids or they're too young yet - how would you go about talking with them about this important subject? I'd really like to know.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

My Gift to You

Because, really, does it ever get old? Me thinks not.

Happy Holidays!

To tinsel, or not to tinsel: that is the question.

As you may have guessed from the title - I have a very serious and pressing issue that needs attention. Here it is: my husband loves, loves, loves to put tinsel on the Christmas tree. I, on the other hand, hate, hate, hate the tinsel. He thinks it's fun and sparkly. I just think it's tacky and a mess.

Mike brought home tinsel to put on the tree last night. The kids love it. My daughter keeps saying

"I hope Daddy buys more tinsel so that we can put more on the tree!"

I had to leave the house while they were doing it because I wanted no part of it. And every time I look at my formerly perfect, beautiful tree I cringe. I try not to be a bah-humbug about it -- especially since it's really one of the few parts of Christmas that my husband enjoys (sad, but true.)

Tell me honestly: do you like tinsel? And if you do I'm not hatin'. I adore my husband still even though he's a tinsel lover. I just want to know what everyone else thinks.

The one thing I do know, though: Mike will be taking care of whatever comes out of the cat's butt.

Christmas Photo Session 2007

we'll try again in a couple of days since we had such a darn good time today!

UPDATE:
Christmas Photo Session Part 2:

These are the ones that I had printed:

But thanks to all of your suggestions - I ended up doing a big collage, also - of the good, the bad, and the ugly! :-)

All good things must come to an end...

My husband is selling his '94 Jeep. The people who came to look at it last night just called to say that they'll take it. And I have to admit I got a little emotional to think it will be leaving. Isn't it funny how we can get so attached to a thing? My husband picked me up innumerable times from college in this Jeep. Magic *ah-hem* has happened in this Jeep. I was in labor, driven to the hospital, for two babies in this Jeep. This was my husband's very first brand new car. And we're not big brand new car type people so who knows when that will happen again? Lots of really good memories revolve around this Jeep and I really am going to miss it.

Farewell, old friend. I hope your new owners are good to you.

What's got your panties in a bunch?

I totally stole this post idea from Karly who stole it from Beth.

Here's what's annoying me lately:

* The people who keep sending me political, religious, send-this-to-12-friends, you-know-you're-old-when, or cutsie forwarded e-mails. Morons.

* The people my husband works with because he has to keep working on the weekends to play catch up because the people he works with are too incompetent to help out with this burden and they're really the reason he needs to go in to play catch up in the first place (run-on much?) Morons. But I do like the extra money - don't get me wrong.

* Myself for being greedy. Moron.

* My daughter for trying to saucily telling me "how it's gonna be." Yeah, I don't think so. Moron.

* My son for throwing himself to the ground and crying when he doesn't get what he wants. Because, does that ever work? Moron.

* My husband for not completely cleaning the potty after helping my son use it. Moron. To be perfectly honest, though I'm not too awfully upset about this. I mean, EW, but dude! My kid used the potty! Without us having to ask us if he had to go! He told us he had to go! *happy dance, happy dance* WooT! WooT! To my non-parental-unit readers I apologize but if you do ever have kids you'll understand. Potty. training. is. a. BITCH.

* Toy companies and China for cranking out toys that I have to keep returning. What a pain in the ass. Oh, and possibly harming our kids, there's that... Morons.

* My daughter's cold and cough because it just doesn't want to go away. Moron.

* The laundry because it just doesn't want to go away. Moron.

Tell me, what's got your panties (boxers?) in a bunch?

And since I'm blatantly stealing things today -- I'll tell you something that is not annoying me lately. My Two Shews' Happy Stink Recipe.
I am totally addicted to doing this - it makes my house smell wonderful and it's so cheap to do. It annoyed my husband, though because be came home and thought I was baking an apple pie. Moron.

In a saucepan on the stove, put:

2-3 Cinnamon Sticks
1/2 T Allspice
1/2 T cloves
1/2 T nutmeg
1/2 an apple, chopped
enough water to float the whole mess

Heat until boiling, and then turn down to simmer. Throughout the evening, add enough water to keep the ingredients well mixed and floating. Instead of apple, or even with the apple, you can add oranges.