This & That

The Countdown's On

Actually, the countdown in my house has been on for a while now. When my DD, who is 12 and almost 3/4 realized it was about 50 days until Christmas, she took a day and made one of those chains where you can tear off a link a day.   She raided my scrapping stash for old paper and spent the good part of a day making it.  The links were quite large and when she was done, the chain trailed down the doorway into the kitchen and halfway into the room, like some very large snake.  We've all tried to be very careful and not squish it or step on it for the past month, as we go past.  Today she excitedly told me that the links are now off the floor. (!!!!!!!!!!!---trying to get her tone of voice here...) In contrast to the paper chain project, she has kindly placed the Limited Too catalog (carefully marked, of course)  right by the computer....just to make things easier for me.  Life with a tween.....

There are Limits

Yep, there are.  There are limits to my cold tolerance.  I have finally discovered them.  You all know that I'm a hate-the-heat-bring-on-winter kind of person, but yesterday's walk in 20 degree weather with a stiff breeze tested even my ability to enjoy the colder weather.  This morning, the temperature was a comparatively balmy 32 and no wind.  It's amazing what a little change in the weather will do.  I was actually hoping for a little snow.....you know, like the weatherman actually forecasted.   But when it comes to any kind of moisture these days, I believe it when I see it.

The Toilet Tissue Issue

There's that rule.....you know that rule that only moms seem to be able to grasp?  The rule that says-
--if you open it, shut it
--if you get it out, put it away
--if you turn it on, turn it off
Yeah, I can see all the moms out there know what I'm talking about.
Anyway, the rule has a corollary that says:
--if you empty the toilet paper roll,  put a new one  one the spindle.
Well, my  DH  has devised a very clever way to never technically break the rule.  I  cannot tell you how many times during our 28 years of marriage that I have come upon this sight:
Uh-huh.
Not technically empty, but no way to use it without putting a new roll on, because 2 1/2 squares just ain't going work.   Anyone know what I'm talking about here?

Lunch Lady Hilarity

There's a Lunch Lady that lives at my house.  She makes her appearance on the first day of school every year to get my kids in the mood for the school routine.  The Lunch Lady is familiar to those who frequent the gallery on the Scrap Addict  website.  They have seen her in layouts such as these:

I had a ROFL moment this past weekend when I opened my most recent box from the site and saw this:

Seems the site owner, Felicia, saw this on her travels recently and thought of me.  I mean she's even got red hair.  Just hilarious...

The Quiet

Man, is it ever quiet around here!  After having everyone here for the weekend, it's a little hard to adjust.  It's almost like that scene from "A Bug's Life" where the ants are describing the grasshoppers...."They come, they eat, they leave......they come, they eat, they leave."  It feels a little like that as I throw loads of towels and sheets in the washer. 
It was very sad to see the grandbaby leave.  They change so much over short periods of time.  Fortunately for us, he will be coming back for a little pre-Christmas visit before he heads to the other Grandma's house.  It will probably feel like he's grown a foot by then.

Post-Turkey

I have a few minutes this morning to get caught up....well maybe not totally caught up, but enough to get by until things get back to whatever normal is around here these days.
We've had a great few days, topped off by the "dinner that takes a week and a half to prepare and gets consumed in 20 minutes".  That annoys me a little, but I'm not sure what to do about it.   Other than that, it's been wonderful to see all the kidlets all in the same place at the same time.  It's also interesting to me to see that when the boys get together, they automatically slip into the roles and personalities I saw budding when they lived at home.  Very interesting to me and confirms my personality theory that kids come hard-wired a certain way and while things can be modified by life experience and training, basic personality tendencies that I saw when I was mothering young kids....don't change.  My boy that was whiny as a child, is still that way.  The one that was a little more self-centered, still is.  And the one that was content growing up, manages to be that way no matter what life throws his way.   Really makes me wonder  how much influence I've really had on them growing up.   Pondering points for parents of grown children.
I hope you've had a really wonderful Thanksgiving with family all around.  These are precious times for me and mine.  And a parting shot of this trip's center attraction:  

I Know, I Know.....

I haven't checked in for a while, but honestly......that squeezable grandbaby is just too distracting....and squeezable...
The hordes are descending today.  All the college boys and my married DS#2 & DIL are coming in today, which may make checking in well nigh impossible until they leave on Sunday.  I'll do my best and hope to get some good pictures.

Arrivals

Today starts the Thanksgiving arrivals.  Today this cute boy and his mama will get here and I'm so excited.   Wasn't it nice of them to come early and give me extra Gramma time?  The biggest day is Tuesday.  All the boys, DIL#2,  and an extra college body who can't go home to Florida  for the holiday will appear at various times that day.  My in-laws will arrive on Wednesday.  I'll have a houseful for a few days.  I'm sure it will be wonderful!
I'm hoping for a family Christmas card photo with everyone sometime during the festivities.

28 Years

28 years ago today I became a Mrs.  I married my high school sweetheart and the man who has become the love of my life.  Yeah, it's a mushy thing and even after all these years, I can still get butterflies when I see him.  I guess that's what love is all about.  And it only took me 28 years to get this layout done....:)

Home Depot

So how do you feel about building supply stores?  I always feel like the "stupid woman" who has no idea what she's doing or what she's looking for.  So why is it that I'm always the one who has to go to these places??  DH tells me that he doesn't have time.  (???)  Let me think about that a minute as I go watch some trashy TV and eat bon-bons.  Uh-huh.
I was instructed to go to Home Depot last week and pick up 5 doorknobs and deadbolts and have them all keyed the same.  It's not that I have anything personal against Home Depot per se.....it's just so darn BIG, with those long aisles full of things...and I don't know what they are or how they work.   Set me loose in a Costco and I can find almost anything I need in a matter of minutes, but Home Depot is another story entirely.    I go skipping into Home Depot and wrap my arms around the legs of the first poor man I see wearing an orange apron.  I beg him to tell me where the door knobs are, which he very nicely does, after patting me on the head.  He personally cannot key the door knobs, but promises he won't leave me alone in the store until the key-er puts in an appearance.  She  (and I'm so surprised to see it's a she) turns out to be a very nice lady who seems to live her life in s-l--o--w mmmmm-o--t---i----o-----n.  I should have packed a lunch.  But finally I walk out of Home Depot victorious!! 
I hand them to my DH and nonchalantly say, " Here are those door knobs you wanted, honey." Somehow, I expected him to congratulate me for the obviously amazing feat of vanquishing Home Depot, but no luck.
Then yesterday, mysteriously I found those very doorknobs deposited in my car.  Huh?  DH informs me that when the doors we'd bought them for arrived, they already had door knobs so could I please return them to Home Depot.....in my spare time?