potpourri

There's been a dead tree branch stuck in the tree in the backyard for quite a while. Like months and months. It's really been bugging me. The tree trimming guy who came last summer couldn't even get it down.

Thanks to the gusts of wind a few nights ago, that dead branch is now out of the tree! It's the small things that make me happy sometimes.


I think I'm feeling sympathy nesting for the pregnant ladies in my family. Either that or I'm bored of the decor (or lack thereof) in my house. I am not pregnant. Don't even ask. It's sympathy nesting.

I bought some spray paint a few weeks ago. When I bought it (at Walmart), the register let out a long beep and asked the cashier to make sure that I was over 18 (because of all the hoodlums and their graffiti). I told her I was. She said, "Are you sure?" Wow! I'm twice that, lady. I have a three-year-old with me. Should I feel flattered that she thinks I look half my age? Or is she just a bad judge of age? The lady in front of me bought a pack of cigarettes. The register asked if she was under 40. I have no idea why it picked that age in relation to cigarettes. The cashier asked to see the lady's drivers license. That lady had gray hair and was obviously (at least to me) over 40.

I want to buy these baby legs for Cate. She's one fourth Canadian after all.

Danny asks to go to Target to look at the Star Wars legos almost every day. It's getting old.

I'm thinking about making some motherlode cookie bars. I'm worried I'd eat too many though. Could someone else make them and just bring me a tiny square to taste?

Cate likes to use glue sticks as if they were chapstick. She has to be heavily supervised during arts and crafts time.

Thanks to Forty by Forty, I am now only 2 pounds away from weighing what my drivers license says I weigh. Two pounds over, that is. Am I the only one who lies about their weight on their license? If the policeman pulls me over and I happened to put my actual weight on it, he'll see it and laugh at me, right? That's what I thought. That's why I lie.

Kris told me the other day that he's a hard guy. That means he doesn't get hurt much. According to him, Jarrett is a soft guy. He gets hurt more easily.

Google search results led someone to this here blog on Monday as a result of entering these key words in the search box: "lady just ate whole row cookies." Huh? I kept clicking through the results to find out which post had anything to do with eating a "whole row cookies." I got to page 10 and just gave up. I have no idea what that's all about. If I was the lady who "ate whole row cookies" I would never admit it in writing.

I think Cate said her first sentence yesterday. I can't even remember what I was doing when she said it though. She said, "No no, Mama." Does that count? I say it does. She does say no no no no no about lots of things though.

I am dragging my husband and kids (kicking and screaming) to my mission reunion tomorrow night. I've been home for 14 years and I've only attended two reunions. Wish me luck. And the kicking and screaming was referring to my husband. My kids don't know what they're getting into.

I just remembered I have to bring "finger food" to the mission reunion. Maybe I'll make the motherlode cookie bars.

I'm starting to wonder if my son is ever going to just tell me when he needs to go Number Two. Will I always have to watch for the signs (strained look on his face, squeezing his bum cheeks) and then rush him to the toilet? Please say I won't.

I let Danny take a few pictures with my camera while I was getting ready for a meeting a few nights ago. He thought this one of Mama Cat was pretty cool because he could see all her teeth.


He liked this one he took of Baby Cat because he could see her tongue.



And he told me I look booo-ti-ful in this one.


That's a compliment from a kid who usually says that guh-wuls (girls) are dose (gross). Like almost every night when we make him give his little sister a kiss and a hug good night. It's as if we're asking him to lick the trashcan or something.

Kris likes to watch Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo.

Danny can now sing the Star Wars theme music, in addition to "The Imperial March." I'm so proud.

I might make some chocolate chip cookie dough truffles for the reunion instead of the cookie bars. They seem like less work. And bite-sized. I like bite-sized.

We saw a big group of kids (and a few adults) walking down the sidewalk yesterday morning in the blowing snow. They were headed away from the elementary school. I figured they were going on a fieldtrip, maybe to the museum on Center Street. Danny asked me if they were in a parade. I told him they were just walking somewhere. He insisted they were "making" a parade.

And finally, Dan has off work today, tomorrow and Monday for spring break. Woohoo! Panama City Beach, here we come!