Prayers for Connecticut.

This morning, more than two dozen (mostly children) were killed in an Elementary School. Two gunmen were involved. One is now deceased and the other is still being searched for. 

The gunman that is now deceased is said to be in his 20's and had some sort of connection to this school. 

This incident is happening just 3 days after a shooting in an Oregon Mall that killed two before the shooter killed himself. 

Such HORRIBLE news.

I'm a mom of 4. 3 of my 4 are in school. It's events like these that really make me wish I could home school my children. At the same time, It's obvious that you can not even go Christmas shopping at the mall without wondering if someone is going to go off the edge and put others in harm way. 

Our Children are being forced to grow up in an environment where there is NO safe place. 

Don't knock it 'till you try it?

So...I woke up this morning and was  getting things together to begin the work tasks I need to get done. I turned on the news to hear...Pizza Hut is coming out with a scented perfume? REALLY??? REALLY??? It is designed to smell like fresh dough with an add of spice...

I'm just....Yeah. No words.  

They should go with the more legitimate smell....

Overtones of peppers & Onions with a strong base odor of steamed cardboard. YUM..Right? Ha.

Christmas with Pappy

My dad and his wife came to visit for a weekend and did the Christmas thing as well. :) 

Yesterday in Science

Before He Cheats...

"I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4 wheel drive, carved my name into his leather seats. I took a louisville slugger to both head lights, slashed a hole in all 4 tires. maybe next time he'll think before he cheats." -Carrie Underwood 

Maybe I analyze things far too much... but the second I heard the chorus to that song, I thought "well thats not smart". Partially because its a "lowering yourself" action... not the healthiest way to deal with that situation. Also, then you can just be written off as "the psycho". but mostly because if she carved her name into his seats, he will have much better evidence to use if he pressed charges. He's gonna know it you either way. Why leave that kind of evidence? Come on girl. If you do something wrong, do it right

I Fawkin LOVE you..

So Johnny's colorful comment got me thinking about cursing.

 Some thoughts--feel free to disagree (warning: this post will contain curse words, so if reading them puts you into some kind of blind rage you might want to skip this) 

I don't think that words by themselves are inherently bad. It's the motives behind them that make them so. Look at a knife. It is not harmful in and of itself. In fact it can be used for all sorts of things--cutting carrots, whittling wood. But it can also be used to stab someone in the face. See, it all depends on who's holding it, Charles Manson or Whittles McJones. 

So take a word like fuck. I could walk up to some old lady who I know is absolutely revolted by cursing and say "fuck you." This would obviously be horrible...in fact it might be like something approaching pure evil. Because in this case I am using this powerful word, fuck, to hurt someone. Now let's say I approach a good friend, whom I know curses, and I'm so happy to see him that I say, "I fuckin love you!" To me it seems almost insane to call any word in that sentence sinful. I'm using this powerful word to convey to a friend how much I care about him. It's all about motive. And in looking at it in this way, some pretty normal words can suddenly seem horrific. 

What if someone struggles with their self-image and I call them fat or ugly? What if I call a mentally handicapped person an idiot? These words can pierce like arrows, just like fuck or asshole.

Thanksgiving 2012

I survived Thanksgiving 2012! 

Ha!

So this was the first year (ever) that I cooked Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately due to me forgetting (several times) to thaw the turkey...I cooked a ham instead. 

I ended up cooking for Mike, the kids, his parents, and his grandparents.

ALL BY MYSELF!

We had... Ham, Stuffing , Mashed taters & gravy , Rolls , Green bean casserole , Pasta , Corn , Caramel Apple pie , Pumpkin pie with cream cheese frosting , Pumpkin Pie.

I must say...I was pretty proud of myself. I didn't burn a thing :) 

The Truth is...

The truth of the matter is..No one really knows us but ourselves. Our deepest, darkest, innermost dwellings. Our capabilities, our limitations, our intentions. 
Even those we let inside only know what we allow them to see. 

Afraid? 

Possibly...of what the judging eyes would do when faced with the realities of who we truly are.  Maybe even terrified of the possibilities of vulnerability.  

Naked in a room full of prying eyes, tearing apart of flaws and those insulting insecurities.  
When we are faced with people who can see through us, the facade that is the mirage we portray, the role we play, exposed as a farce led behind the smoke and mirrors contradictory compositions of what we say and what we do in our everyday tricks and games..we are stunned.shocked. Immobilized.Frozen in time, unbeknownst to us. Glued to the mere fact that we have become exposed...without an after thought or even a fore thought, nervous and anxious about what they see with no towel, shirt, bed sheet for miles...

What do they see...

What is the fascination? What is the intrigue? Do I have a booger on my nose? A mark on my face? Come ON...what is it? 

We sit and we wonder...

What the hell happened? When did this happen? Am I transparent? Do they have X-ray vision? When did my bricks come tumbling down? Pilfering my inner sanctity..why the hell am I naked?

(not the good, let's get down, cue the porn music *Chicka bow-wow naked...but the naked in a room full of strangers gawking,pointing, and laughing naked)

Because..We all need to get naked once in awhile. It's good to feel the breeze, I suppose.  The freedom to just be seen for what we are...

The good. The bad. The ugly. The everything in between.

So I stand here naked. (geezus, metaphorically you pervs!) Because I have nothing to hide...nothing to fear. I am who I am...heart on sleeve, balls out, no guts, no glory! Wounded , imperfect , opinionated , tender loving , no frills , no if and or buts, insecure in security , possibly nuts and a little screwy , dysfunctionally functioning , open to interpretation and spontaneously passionate.

I am never really surprised..nothing really phases me...

When I come across something or someone who does...I'll be sure to let you know.

Until then, when you see me...let me know...

Anyway...

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. 

LOVE THEM ANYWAY!

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

DO GOOD ANYWAY!

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

SUCCEED ANYWAY! 

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

DO GOOD ANYWAY!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY!

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.

THINK BIG ANYWAY!

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

BUILD ANYWAY!

People really need help but may attack you if you help them. 

HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY!

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.

GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU'VE GOT ANYWAY!

I HAD to do it!

I am pretty sure the image speaks for itself. LOL.

No caption needed.

They are listening...

 It has been a lazy Sunday in my house. The only problem with this is that there are probably 30 different things that I really need to accomplish.  Energy & motivation...WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?!?!?!  My guess....under the pile of clothes the kids have collected that need to be re-washed. 

While sitting here watching Netflix and browsing the web, I came across this article and felt the need to share some of it with you. :) 

[[[ 19 Things we should say to our children ]]]

1. I love you!  There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing that you could do or say will EVER change that.

2. YOU are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but the person you are. There is NO ONE like you! 

3. It's OK to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: When they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry also. I do.

4. You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something that we can fix? What can we do? It's all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry, and I forgive you.

5. You did the right thing. That may have been scary or hard to do. Even though it wasn't easy, YOU DID IT! I am proud of you ; you should be proud of you.  

6. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I made a mistake. 

7. You can change your mind. It's good to decide, but it is also okay to change.

8. What a wonderful idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Please tell me more. Your mind is so clever.

9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That should make you feel so good inside. Thank YOU!

10. I have a SURPRISE for you! It's not your birthday. It's for no reason at all. Just a little surprise.

11. I can wait. We have plenty of time. You don't have to hurry this time. 

12. What would YOU like to do? It's your turn to pick. You have great ideas. It is important to follow your special interests. 

13. Tell me all about it! I'd love to hear more. And then what happened? I'll listen. 

14. I am right here. I won't leave without saying good-bye. I am watching you. I am listening to you. 

15. Please and Thank you. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?

16. I missed you! I think about you when we are not together.

17. Please just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You MIGHT like it. Let's see! I'll help you if you need it. I think you can do it. :) 

18. I'll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this done. I know that you can do it by yourself, but I am glad to help since you asked. 

19. What do you wish for? Even if it's not yet time for birthday candles and we don't have a wishbone, It's still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about. 

Edible Glitter

My children are very artistic. As the mom, it excites me. Not only do I get to observe the talent of my little spawns, but I have a GREAT excuse to be a part of the action as well! :-) 

I thought I would share this recipe with all of you. I viewed it on Pinterest one day, and HAD to try it! Talk about FUN, EASY, and CHEAP! 

You will need:

- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of liquid food coloring
- Baking pan
- Jar/container
- Baking pan

Directions:

- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Measure your sugar into a clear jar with a tight fitting lid.  
- Add food coloring one drop at a time.  
- Close the jar/container and shake to combine. 
- Repeat until the desired color is reached.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Store it however you like. (Jar/container/salt shaker) 


Notes:

- Colors like Silver are hard to maintain
- You may store the results in an air tight container for a couple of months

Did you know?

The Demise of Twinkies!

You heard it, folks....The life of a Twinkie is limited.

It has been said that the Twinkie was supposed to outlast US! 

Maybe this whole Doomsday, Dec. 2012 nonsense is true afterall. HA! 

I drove into town this evening to grab a few weekend snacks. While standing in line, I listened to the manager on the speaker, informing everyone that today was IT! What they saw was what they'd get when it comes to Hostess. BUY! BUY! BUY! 

Really...As much as I'm concerned by the increasing trend of CEO's shutting down their 

businesses and the blame being put on the workers for various reasons, and even more concerned for 

the thousands of workers who will be facing the upcoming holidays unemployed, I sure won't be joining a funeral march for Hostess products. If word is true, Those twinkies that you all are stocking up on, should last you a lifetime! 

Let's make POOP!

Today we are going to discuss how to make meringue cookies  poop cookies!  That's right...I said poop. :-)

Begin by segregating 3 egg whites and beating them. Make sure not to let any of the yolk or oil get into the egg whites or they will not thicken. 

Once it is frothy and white, add 1/3 teaspoon of cream of tartar , 3/4 cup of sugar. 

Once it is thickened and doubled in volume, add a table spoon of vanilla. 

Beat to a consistency that is stiff, pull out the whisker, and spoon your mixture into the baking tray. 

Bake in an oven at 100C for about 2-3 hours and leave it in the oven to dry out. Drying out is important to prevent the poop from becoming limp. 

Congrat's! You now have your own balls of poop to share with friends and family! 

Halloween 2012

Human Errors

I would very much like to correct the Human Errors I see in the world. These are people who hurt others. Not physically; physical wounds are repremanded by the government (somewhat). No, I would like to rehabilitate those precious many who cause pain in a very legal and emotional way. H.E.s are humans who have lost all concept of their humanity. Instead of building people up, they tear them down. I would like to help these former-people. I have two fantasies about this.
 I imagine myself discussing proper human etiquette to them. You know, have a real heart to heart: them crying, head in the hands. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I understand now! I've changed!", pat pat pat on the back. It's really quite touching. Like Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning. 
I also have this fantasy (I've had it since I was little) where I'm in a bright white interrogation room, and the accused is sitting in a chair, bound and gagged. And I get to yell and scream at them, finally telling them everything they deserve to hear. I can hit these people if I want. Hit them and make them feel some semblance of the pain they've so willingly dispersed to others. I assume this makes me cold. Well, we all have to deal with our lack of power in different ways, don't we? Better this way than to truly take matters into my own hands. Or at least, that's the lie I feed myself to make me feel better about doing nothing.
 I have this horrible tendency to want to fight other people's battles for them. When I see them back down or get hurt, I would very much like to put things right. And the unforgivable sin is humiliating someone: that strikes a chord that is very personal to me. In my mind's eye, I can beat the sense into those responsible. But in real life, all I can do is hold the victim, if even that much. I will never hit someone except in self defense. Reality is not so forgiving as my imagination. That is perhaps the worst part of being human: to feel this false sense of free will and power, be moved to action, and then to be required by the laws of man and nature to sit on my hands.

Jace turns SEVEN!

Jace is SEVEN! We now have two seven year old boys under one roof. Uh oh! Ha.  

We celebrated his birthday over at Grandma and Pa Pa's house. Dinner, Cake, Family, and presents. What more could a little boy want? :)