Life in our house......

Dance Party

First of all... these are all terrible photos, but sometimes you just gotta go with it anyway.  This was the other night (after my homemade bread... what did I put in that?).

Sometimes we turn up the speakers on our computer and go to all our I-tunes downloads and rock out.  We party like it's 1999. 

Usually if I'm the dj I pick old hip-hop or dance music, but it has to be really fast or the kids lose interest.    If Jason is the dj it is Motley Crue or something lame like that.

It's all about the air band and dancing like a crazy person.

Ben on the guitar.

Rock it, baby.

Sam on the air drums.

Oh look!  He found a drum and drumsticks.

Uh oh... You know it's gettin' crazy when the clothes come off and a pink hat goes on!  I'm sure he will kill me someday for posting this on my blog.  Ben had it on too, but made sure I wasn't going to show anyone the photo...  Sam doesn't know enough to give me instructions yet.

Lil, even gets in on the action.

 I'm pretty sure most of these photos were shot to... "Kick Start my Heart" by Motley Crue...  Sad but true!

Do you ever wonder...?

what everyone else eats?  Maybe I'm just a huge fan of food and I am the minority.  But I always wonder what people eat for their meals...  Is that weird?

Last night we had meatloaf.  Yes meatloaf.  I love a good meatloaf.  I also baked whole wheat bread.

It was super tasty.  I love fresh bread and I love to bake.  The only problem is that I also love to eat what I bake so I can't do it too much.  I would bake everyday if I could stay out of it...  But I can't, so I don't.

I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast with craisins, flax seeds and a little brown sugar.  It is my favorite breakfast right now.  Usually I eat the same thing every day for breakfast for like 3 months, then I get sick of it and eat something else every day for 3 months. 

Before this oatmeal kick I ate Kashi Go Lean Crunch mixed with lowfat vanilla yogurt every day for 3 months.  Now I'm very over that meal and don't know when it will be back in my repertoire...

What do you eat?

The Zoo

Tacoma's own Meerkat Manor.

King Julien

It was a good day...  Nice and sunny!

Conversation

Sam:  Mom, what's it like to be a girl?

Me:  Um, I don't know, it's fine.

Sam:  Mom... What's it like?

Me:  I guess the same as being a boy to you, I mean I don't know any different, so it just feels normal.

Sam:  What's it like when you run?

Me (a little concerned): What do you mean?

Sam:  You know....

Me (more concerned)  No, I don't know what you mean...?

Sam:  You know........ what does your...... hair feel like?

Me: (Wiping the sweat off my brow)  Oh, my hair, it feels fine.  My hair feels fine when I run...  :)

Then both boys and I had an in depth conversation about.....  mating.  Yes, mating. 
Lord please help me.

Aprons

It is so nice here today!  Jason and I just got back from a walk around the neighborhood and when I walked in the door I saw my aprons hanging on my coat rack in the kitchen and the sun was shining, making them look so cool.   It was so pretty I had to show you. 

I don't really know if I like the aprons or the thought of lots of aprons or the different fabrics that vintage aprons come in...  I just love them, for whatever reason.

Here is about 1/2 of my collection. 

Seriously...  Could this color be any better?

Little birdies.... Love...

I'll have to get my other aprons out to show you sometime.  They are more 50's inspired with checks and polka dots.  They are super cute too!

Enjoy the sun.... If you have it!

Great Day.

We had the best Valentines Day that I can remember around here.  The only damper was that Sam was getting a pretty bad cold.  He wasn't too bad on Valentines Day though (he was worse yesterday, but we seem to be past the hardest part and thankfully didn't need to go get steroids for his Asthma).

We started the morning at Ben's basketball game.  They won and Ben did a good job!

Here he is stealing the ball from the other team...

Here he is takin' it to the hoop... Although I don't think he scored here.  Look at those two boys on the left of the photo.  It just looks funny.  Like the boy on Ben's team is getting ready to smack that kids look off his face.  (I'm pretty sure that didn't happen though)

Then we came home and the boys played outside for a little bit, while Jason and I straightened up the house.

Lily watched the boys playing outside.  Doesn't she look like she wants to go out?  But she always wants to come right back in and watch from the window when we put her out.  But we can always tell if something is going on out there because if she see's another adult or to much craziness, she growls. 

Then we had the boys come in and we made pizza together.

This is Ben's small pizza, because the child hates cheese...   Yes, just let that sink in a minute...
HATES CHEESE!  Is he even my child?

So he makes his pizza with sauce, pepperoni and pineapple.

Here is ours... mmm...  Whole wheat crust, low fat cheese, but I drew the line at turkey pepperoni.   We had to have the real deal.  It may not be much to look at but it was delicious!

The we watched Madagascar 2 (very good!! and is King Julien not the most hilarious character?).  So funny.

And while we watched we had....

Chocolate fondue.  YUM! 

Strawberries, bananas and marshmallows, dipped in yummy chocolate. 

We were all stuffed after that feast and it was a great way to end the day!

if you were a kid in the 80's

I have nothing to blog about (getting over a cold so I've done nothing too exciting in the last few days) so I thought I'd find the 80's one.  I think I've seen a different one than this, but this one is pretty good.  Although there a couple on here I don't know... Like the Oregon Trail day.....  Maybe because I grew up in Oregon, so every day was Oregon Trail day....

Jodi, I didn't know what Klick Klacks were either but my friend Jen said they were those square wooden blocks that were attached together with ribbon and they were like some sort of puzzle?  I do remember those, but didn't know that was what they were called...

Rock on, my 80's friends...

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton.
3. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom.
4. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock".
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
9. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House).
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
11. You know the profound meaning of " WAX ON , WAX OFF".
12. You wanted to be a Goonie.
13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe).
14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.
17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
18. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
23. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.
34. You still sing "We are the World"
35. You tight rolled your jeans.
36. You owned a bannana clip.
37. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
38. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'boutWillis?"
39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

If you were a little girl in the 70's...

Okay, well I'm going to be gone much of the day, but wanted to put something not so blah on my blog before I left.  Something that would make some of us smile!  I was born in 1973 so I can relate to most of these although there is a couple that I don't remember...  I've seen the one from the 80's and it fits me to a T!  I'd never seen this one before though... 

Description: If you were a little girl in the 70's...

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!)

You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island .

You had either a 'bowl cut' or 'pixie', not to mention the 'Dorothy Hamill'. People sometimes thought you were a boy.

You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

YEAH! You owned a 'Slip-n-Slide', on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.

You owned 'Klick-Klacks' and smacked yourself in the face more than once!

Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color. (Oh yeah!)

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle). You also had a pair of salt-water sandals.

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Oleson!

You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink! ---- yes it was!

PONG! ('video tennis' ) was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of !

Your hairstyle was described as having 'wings' or 'feathers' and you kept it 'pretty' with the comb you kept in your back pocket. When you walked, the 'wings' flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna 'take off' .

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass inside and broke the first time you dropped them.

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!

It was a big event in your household each year when the 'Wizard of Oz' would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: 'Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?'

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts!

You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. (Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)

You thought Olivia Newton John's song 'Physical' was about aerobics. (?? its not??)

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbowdesigns.

You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first 'real' perfume you ever owned.

You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it almost dripped off.

Stimulus?

Normally I don't try to put my political opinions here.  However, I have decided to today.  In case you might have a similar opinion to mine, we can still write our senators to state our opinions to this stimulus plan.

Here is the plan....

1. $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
2. $380 million in the Senate bill for the Women, Infants and Children program
3. $300 million for grants to combat violence against women
4. $2 billion for federal child care block grants
5. $6 billion for university building projects
6. $15 billion for boosting Pell Grant college scholarships
7. $4 billion for job-training programs, including $1.2 billion to provide youth summer jobs for people up to the age of 24
8. $1 billion for community development block grants
9. $4.2 billion for neighborhood stabilization activities
10. $650 million for digital TV coupons, including $90 million to educate vulnerable populations
11. $15 billion for business-loss carry-backs
12. $145 billion for Making Work Pay tax credits
13. $83 billion for the earned income credit
14. $150 million for the Smithsonian
15. $34 million to renovate the Department of Commerce headquarters
16. $500 million for improvement projects for National Institutes of Health facilities
17. $44 million for repairs to Department of Agriculture headquarters
18. $350 million for Agriculture Department computers
19. $88 million to help move the Public Health Service into a new building next year
20. $448 million for constructing a new Homeland Security Department headquarters
21. $600 million to convert federal auto fleet to hybrids
22. $450 million for National Aeronautics and Space Administration
23. $600 million for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
24. $1 billion for the Census Bureau
25. $89 billion for Medicaid
26. $30 billion for COBRA insurance extension
27. $36 billion for expanded unemployment benefits
28. $20 billion for food stamps
29. $4.5 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
30. $850 million for Amtrak
31. $87 million for a polar icebreaking ship
32. $1.7 billion for the National Park System
33. $55 million for Historic Preservation Fund
34. $7.6 billion for rural community advancement programs
35. $150 million for agricultural commodity purchases
36. $150 million for producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish
37. $2 billion for renewable energy research
38. $2 billion for a clean-coal power plant in Illinois
39. $6.2 billion shall be for the Weatherization Assistance Program
40. $3.5 billion shall be for energy efficiency and conservation block grants
41. $3.4 billion shall be for the State Energy Program
42. $200 million shall be for state and local electric-transport projects
43. $300 million shall be for energy-efficient appliance rebate programs
44. $400 million for hybrid cars for state and local governments
45. $1 billion for the manufacturing of advanced batteries
46. $1.5 billion for green technology loan guarantees
47. $8 billion for innovative technology loan guarantee program
48. $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects
49. $4.5 billion for electricity grid
50. $79 billion for State Fiscal Stabilization Fund

Note: It's a work in progress, so some items will be cut/reduced.

Not that some of these things aren't worth funding because they absolutely are.  But most of these seem like things that should be in a regular budget not a "stimulus" package.  Seems like most of the "stimulus" is going to the government.  Is that the best way to get out of this downward spiral that regular people are experiencing?  I'm sure it will create some jobs, but it overwhelmingly benefits government not regular people.

Seriously, this has to be reworked.  It seems crazy and reckless.  California has had reckless government spending and now they are in dire straits.  People are getting IOUs instead of their tax refunds.

I'm trying keep this brief and sane, so I'll end it here, but it is really making me crazy.

If you email today, it might be in time to make a difference.

Click here   to find your senator and place to call or write...

More Basketball

I'm sure you are getting tired of this subject, but I'm not yet.... :)

Ben had his first basketball game with his school league this morning.  It was so fun!  You can tell that because he has been playing in a couple leagues on and off for a year that he is so much more comfortable and sure of himself on the court.  It is getting easier and more fun to watch.  It use to be painful!  But not so much anymore.

Ben's team scored 21 points and guess who scored 8 of those!!!  Yep, Benjamin himself.  He had a blast today and he was so much more confident.  It is so fun to see him feel better and better and he continues to play.  This is what it's all about, building self confidence and teamwork.  I love it.  And even though he takes more shots than he use to he also passes the ball A LOT, which I'm a freak about.  I'm always screaming at him to "look for someone open"!!!  He plays the point guard and it's so cute.

Okay, I'm done gushing for today.  Tune in next week for more, I'm sure.

Oh, and the light fixture I got at Lamps Plus and it was that way when we bought it.  Perfectly imperfect!