She Was A Strange Child

As a small child I liked to sleep on the sunny warm sidewalk in front of our house in St. Paul. I had a favorite square of concrete to nap on. It was perfect, just the right number of pebbles and air pocket holes and it sat at the perfect tipped angle. Why I chose to nap outside on the sidewalk is a mystery to me now, but at the time--it was pure heaven. Maybe it was the sleeping in the sunshine and the cool breeze across my face that I loved, I guess I still love that, only now it's a hammock and not the hard ground. I'm sure the neighbors thought my family was strange already and this just confirmed it. Those same perfectly tipped sidewalk squares later on were also great jumps for our big wheels and bikes. I still get a rush of sweet nostalgia when I walk over cracked and tipped old sidewalks.

The Maxi-pad Warriors

When I was seven years old and my little brother was three years old we got into a bag of my mom's pads and tampons. We suited up as warriors. We stuck the pads on to our arms and legs and used them as sturdy shields. We used sticks as swords, taking turns smacking the pad/arm shields. The un-used tampons applicators were great blow guns. Great fun was had--until a nosey neighbor spotted us playing and called our mom. I can only imagine that conversation, "Excuse me, but your children are running around the neighborhood wearing maxi pads on their arms and legs." We were called into the house, and my mom explained to me what those arm shields were really for. That was the end of the Maxi-pad Warriors. Neither my mom nor little brother remember this story, but I do, and maybe you'll think about me as the Maxi-pad Warrior the next time you pass that particular aisle of the store.

I Smell Worms

I smell worms and so does every bird in Northern Minnesota. Every bird in the tri-county area is in my yard. When I walked out my front door this morning the din of chirping birds was deafening. OK, I'm exaggerating a little, but it was noisy. I live in a very rural area, no car or air traffic, no barking dogs (only our dogs lovely bark, but we do hear wolves and coyotes sometimes) nothing but nature to hear. It was a perfect calm spring morning, complete with a yard and drive way full of hungry robins. I almost feel sorry for the worms, "let's go up to the surface to enjoy the warm spring rain." Suckers, the robins are just waiting for an easy meal. Like worms to the slaughter.

Rain, Rain Go Away

It's still raining, it's too windy and my driveway smells like worms. On the upside, the snow is almost gone, there still is a little snow under the boats in my backyard (yes, I have several boats in my yard--Noah didn't have much in the way of boats compared to me) The seed catalogues are still coming, and I still have spring fever. We did go to Como zoo and Conservatory last Sunday, that helped a little. I think I'll let the kids splash in the puddles in the drive way. Mud always makes everyone feel better.

Bye-Bye Bread & Beer

Gluetin free is the way to be! I'm trying to embrace this phrase. I found out that I have a gluetin intolerance. I can't have any wheat or barley, so it's good bye regular bread and beer. I hear that there is gluetin free beer. I've had the gluetin free bread, and if it's anything like the bread, no thank you. The bread is just wrong, too dense, wrong texture, wrong taste. Cooking has been easier then I thought it was going to be, I just have to read all the labels to make sure there isn't any hidden gluetin. I got a tasty cookie recipe from Sarah that just rocks. It's just the bread and beer that I'm going to miss. I have a stash of chocolate hidden in my kitchen, for those day when I just need some chocolate. So far my Hershey's bars are safe (gluetin free!) and now that I'm wheat free, I have an excuse to selfishly horde candy. "Sorry kids, that's my special chocolate. You wouldn't like it anyway, it's gluetin free." They've tasted enough of the special bread to know how it tastes, so they believe all gluetin free food is icky. This will work for now, until in a chocolate frenzy and in desperation they try some of the candy. Then I'll be busted, the jig will be up and I'll have to share. Until then, I'll enjoy the kids leaving my chocolate stash alone.

Peek-A-Boo

I went shopping at Cub this past weekend. Matt stayed home with the kids so I had time to browse and take my time. Sometime during the shopping trip I had to use the little girls room. I wasn't alone in the restroom, in the stall next to me was a mom and her young son. The toddler was a curious little fellow. He peeked under the stall at me, and said, "peek-a-boo I see you. Mommy, the lady is going potty too, now she's waving, now she's smiling, now she's laughing. Hi lady!" His mom tried to get him to stop, but she had no luck. I can see my kids doing the same thing, so I just smiled and waved at him. For some reason, the mom waited until I left before she came out of the stall, can't imagine why?

What's Broken?

Our kitten, Bigfoot has an appointment today to get fixed. We really don't need a mature tomcat in the house. When discussing the impending surgery, I told the kids that Bigfoot was "getting fixed." Oscar's question was "What's he getting fixed?" Max with a straight face replayed, "any urges, and all hope." Well, I guess someone has issues.
This morning I couldn't find the cat carrier, so I had to get the kitten into a pillow case. Getting a wiggling reluctant kitten, with claws, into a pillow case was difficult, tying the pillow case closed was even more difficult. Sometime during the car ride to the vet, Bigfoot clawed a hole in the pillow case and climbed out. He crept around the inside of the van, howling the whole ride into town. In the parking lot of the vet's office, I had to shove him back into the torn pillow case and carry him inside. He's probably still howling. Will Bigfoot will ever come to me again? I know I wouldn't go to someone who shoved me into a pillow case, took me for a ride and then left me at the doctor. Do you think there's a Hallmark card for that? "Sorry you had to get fixed, just be glad you didn't get nixed."

I'm Not Bossy, I Just Know What You Should Be Doing!

My two youngest kids were playing in the front room today. Jack ran to get a toy from his bedroom, and I guess Ella thought he was taking too long. She impatiently shouted to him, "I'm waiting old man!" He's six, not what I'd consider an old man. Where does my four year old daughter get that bossy attitude, I wonder? I think I might have a clue. She comes from a long line of ball breakers. I mean this in the nicest way possible. The females in our families (the women in Matt's family are bold too) are a far cry from timid. We often can't not say what's on our minds, or tell you what you should do. Some are just more blunt then others. The joke in my family is, "I'm not bossy, I just know what you should be doing!" I think I get that from being the oldest kid in the family. They say oldest children never lose the urge to boss people around. I think I'm still kinda bossy, and I do know what you should be doing...

The Piggy That Got None

Last night my four year old daughter, Tess had a nightmare. Her big brother, Tom, was a toe trapped in her dad's boot. Were you able to follow that? I needed some clarification. Tom was one of Max's toes. She was upset, Tom couldn't breath. I asked her some silly questions, "which toe was Tom, the piggy that went to market or the piggy that got none?" "Could he see and talk too?" "What would he have said,'get me outta here!'" "Was it stinky?" I got her to laugh and forget the scary dream. But I can't seem to shake the thought of one of my kids as a toe with eyes, kinda creepy.

Q-Tips Everwhere

I can tell that spring is just around the corner. How can I tell? Our kitten, Bigfoot, is an even bigger spaz. He started stealing Q-tips, fresh from the box and not so fresh from the garbage. Ick. He walks around, proud as can be, carrying them in his mouth like the winning trophy. His hijinx's are amusing, and more than a little messy. I now have Q-tips, minus the ends, everywhere. I don't know what he's doing with the fluffy white ends...I'm sure I'll find them when I clean out the litter box. Silly kitten.

Plastic Had To Come Off The Windows...

It's official, our kitten is a boger. We have (had) plastic on our windows (they're drafty) and our kitten, when chasing a ladybug, somehow managed to get stuck between the plastic and the window. I did what any normal pet owner would do, I ran for my camera. By the time I turned on the camera, he had found the tear, freed himself and climbed back out. Too bad, it would have been a funny picture. Maybe next year...

What The Heck??!!

I visited a funny blog, "Life Just Keeps Getting Weirder"and subscribed to it. When I last checked the life weirder blog, my picture was included as a follower. The picture was of my butt in a wet suit. What the heck? Why is my butt the focus of the picture and not my face? I admit it is a nice shot of my rump, but...I'm not sure everyone else wants to see that as my blog picture. I think I need to have a new picture as my blog picture. So say goodbye to the shot of me in a wet suit before a polar bear plunge. As soon as I have a great hair day...

Spring Fever

I feel all out of sorts, grumpy and sluggish. The official diagnoses:spring fever. The cause:those damn seed catalogues. I must get at least 2 seed catalogues every day. Looking at all those colorful flowers and yummy veggies makes me long for warm and sunny summer days. This time of year sucks. It's too cold for spring, the holidays are over, the snow is almost gone, and the ground still frozen and brown. I love winter, but...I want spring, and I want it now!

When I Was A Cobbler..

My little boy Tom still has a cute slight lisp. He's been known to say, "When I was a cobbler we went to the zoo." I just smile, and think to myself, "sweety, you've never been a dessert, or a shoe maker." It'll be a sad day when he loses that little boy lisp completely. He's just growing up too quickly.

Give Up Bread?

I might just have to (gulp) give up bread. I'm doing a two week gluten free diet to check if I have a wheat intolerance. It's only been three days, I miss regular bread already-real bad. I have to admit that I do feel better. I made a couple of batches of gluten free blueberry muffins and corn muffins this weekend, they're not too bad. What really sucks is that I have six boxes of Girl Scout cookies, that I can't eat. I can go off the diet in two weeks, to check if gluten will make me sick again, and oh boy, those cookies better still be there. I'm dreaming of them, oh they'll taste so good...