Homemade Goodness-Pay It Forward

All right, it's time for a new post. Since I'm not in the mood to be creative or witty, I'll do a couple of random tags since all I have to do is cut and paste. And this one is my own fault since I was number three on a friend's blog.

The Rules:

1. Be one of the first 3 (three) people to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?! (But if you live far away, don't count on the yummy, and I just learned to knit).

2. Winners may then post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on their post about this giveaway!

3. You have 365 days to send your items. (There always has to be a disclaimer!)

Thanks to everyone who reads my blogs, thanks for letting me read yours. It's fun to catch up and learn more about you and enjoy your sarcasm. But mostly it's nice to know that there are others out there just like me going through all the same things day in and day out.

The Line

Some of you know this line. I'm sure you all have something like it in your own home. Everyone at Grandma Darlene's is very good about obeying the House Rules, especially the rule about not crossing the line (I wish they would listen this well at home). We are grateful to have somewhere close to go where people like us. Maybe I'm just it's my wishful thinking on that last part, but I'll just claim ignorance.

Thank you again for letting us crash for the night. Thank you also for watching all of our combined children for a couple of hours. It's nice to go out to dinner and pretend we don't have kids once in a while.

Bad

So, I've been accused of being a bad blogger. I'm sorry. I'll try to post more.

There, that's all you get.

"Hey Santa, Hey Santa"

Cameron was happy for just this long.

This was as close as Addison would get

Archer would not sit on his lap.

Mitchell was very into the specifications of his wish

p.s. I hope you now have the Wilson Phillips song stuck in your head. I have for a week.

Fine, And You?

We're all good, just staying in. Although, I really need to go to the post office. I think it finally stopped snowing, maybe I will be brave.

"U.B.'s Home"

"If the object of this game was to get the ball closest to the pin you would be champion of the world."

Matt didn't get it and said no one else would either. So, I have to ask: Can you name the movie off the top of your head?

Around the Clock

12:04 a.m. ~ Child #4 wakes up crying.
12:06 a.m. ~ Start watching The Amazing Race from Sunday.
12:57 a.m. ~ The Amazing Race is over, put child back in bed.
3:17 a.m. ~ Child #3 starts crying.
3:18 a.m. ~ Find Child #3 covered in barf.
3:24 a.m. ~ Clean the tub with bleach from two days ago when said child pooped in it.
3:31 a.m. ~ Wash barf out of Child's hair, get clean p.j.s and put back in bed.
3:49 a.m. ~ Get back in bed, but wonder if I should go to the store for milk since we are out.
5:30 a.m. ~ Child #4 starts crying again.
5:31 a.m. ~ Check on Child #3, she hasn't fallen back asleep yet.
5:32 a.m. ~ Get Child #4 out of bed and bring into bed with me since husband has already left.
7:15 a.m. ~ Alarm #1 goes off. Hit snooze button.
7:30 a.m. ~ Alarm #2 goes off. Hit snooze button.
7:55 a.m. ~ Wake up panicked since school starts in 25 minutes.
7:57 a.m. ~ Be grateful that husband ran for a half gallon of milk. Pour cereal for kids.
8:03 a.m. ~ Get Child #1 and #2 upstairs to get dressed, hair done and teeth brushed.
8:15 a.m. ~ Tie Child #2's shoes, help with coats and back packs.
8:21 a.m. ~ Leave to take #1 and #2 to school.
9:00 a.m. ~ Good friend drops her Child #3 off.
9:25 a.m. ~ Leave to take said child to preschool for my friend.
9:31 a.m. ~ Home. Finally can finish hanging lights on tree.

License and Registration, Please

I got pulled over today a few blocks from my house. Yep. Not yesterday on the freeway on my way home from Odgen. Oh wait, that happened too.

Today I was minding my own business on my way to the store for a few things to make pumpkin bread as a thank you to my friends who watched some of my kids while I went to California over the weekend. I am coming down the hill when I see flashing lights following a car ahead of me. I think, "wow, I've never seen a cop on this street pull someone over, I better slow down, I'm going 45. Oh look, there's a cop sitting on that bench and there's one turning the corner and is now right behind me. Crap, I didn't put my new tags on, well, he won't pull me over, it's only been a week and a half since they expired." "Ohhh crap!" (Wait, I think I swore when the lights went on behind me). I pull into the exact same gas station where the first car was getting a ticket. When the cop asked me for my license, registration and insurance I knew I was in trouble. I gave him my license, told him my new tags were sitting on my counter, and rummaged through my glove box pretending to look for the current insurance card knowing full well I didn't have it but I had all sixty-three others. He tells me to wait in the car. (Because I'm a flight risk with two of my kids with me??)

In the end he brings me back my citation for going 46 in a 35 zone, and failure to carry insurance. What? Nothing for an expired registration or a 5-year-old sitting buckled without his car seat or texting while driving? (Just kidding, Numismatist)

Total: $191.50
Going too fast (I refuse to call 46 mph speeding) = $75
Failure to carry insurance = $116.50 However, this will be removed when I provide proof of insurance at the courthouse.

And on the way home from the store, just up the same street, there were two cops standing on the corner with a radar gun and three cop cars lined up beside them. I think they were hoping to catch all the high school kids trying to get back to class before lunch was over. But seriously, that was 5 cop cars and 6 officers on the same 2 blocks in one hour.

Oh, and yesterday? Here' s how it went down:

Cop: "Do you have a front license plate?
Me: "Oh, this is my husband's car, I'm sure he does."
Cop: "OK, just get it mounted on the front. Have a safe trip."
Me: "Thank you, I will."

I think Mr. Policeman was hoping to nail a 16-year-old punk kid racing down the freeway in a 1991 Honda Civic Hatchback (with a tweaked muffler so it makes extra noise) and instead he got a mom in her mid (I mean early) thirties with a baby in the backseat.


Sure am glad Matt saved me from that cop I dated just before him.

Use the Force...

I know, pre-light saber Anakin, but for an 8-year-old it's all about the light-saber.

"Doot doo doo bleep blip bleep"


"Go Yoda! Use the force!" (I know, random costume. We couldn't talk her into anything Star Wars related. There are just not enough little girl characters.)


"Candy on the floor I see."

"Aren't you a little short to be a Storm Trooper ?"

All the Star Wars characters at our Trunk or Treat. You can't see Matt very well, but he was dressed as Luke Skywalker on Dagobah and he carried Yoda in the backpack all night.

Finally...

I finished Breaking Dawn.

Warning: This may contain spoilers. Only scroll down if you have read this book or don't care if I ruin it for you.
















All I can say is, wow, this was a struggle for me. It took way too long, and I thought she was never going to have that baby!

It ended way too happy for me. Am I the only one who wanted a fight at the end so everyone could use their wicked awesome powers?