Neck Wringing...and other Curious Tales

Well, it snowed again Thursday night. So as promised, several of the northerners made their way to the Strange Range to wring my neck for putting a jinx on their spring. They got a good look for themselves what kind of town I live in. Let's just say that they didn't stay too long, and they fell for the old distraction trick that I used to keep them from wringing my neck. It only took lunch and dessert, and they forgot all about why they ventured south. I rather enjoyed the whole ordeal. I am kind of hoping that it snows again soon! Thanks ladies.

Somewhere Over The....

I wasn't kidding a couple of posts ago when I said that Kali took those pictures. I showed her how to use the camera about a week ago, and she has been loving it. It is kind of fun seeing my house through the eyes of my five year old! I thought that I would share some of her other work with you.

She really knows how to capture her subjects in their natural environments.
Apparently, she thought that we should document that we have a toilet (and a tub). (Actually, for insurance purposes it probably isn't a bad idea. What a smart kid!)

And yes, there is also food in the fridge. What is in your fridge? That might be an idea for the next tag you're "it" post.

This is where she turned the camera over to her brother. My kids believe in sharing. Love and sharing. Sharing and love. Its all one and the same with them!

Jinx

...it is snowing again!

A Strange Ranger's Almanac

I live in a mystical little town that I like to call the Strange Range. Why is it strange you ask? Well, here in this town, it is winter 10.75 months out of the year (and our year only lasts for nine months!) Our snowbanks grow to be 8 feet tall, and they eat little children when they walk to school.

Not to worry, these snowbanks usually spit out the sassy ones.

I've lived in this town for a few years now. It is not for the faint of heart. Many weak souls have fled north (okay so maybe only one that I know of went north, the rest usually head south!) I denied that I lived here for the first few years. I came from a banana belt...you know that one about 7 miles from here. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, until you need to get out of the driveway, and you don't know where it went. (I told you that this place is strange.) Well folks, this year is going to be different. I am going to go out on a limb over here and predict that winter is now over in these parts. Snowbanks will soon disappear and you will find everything that they have consumed in the last nine months. I know, I know you are beginning to think that I have become a little crazy myself. How can I predict something so outrageous? Well, I have based this prediction solely on the fact that......

...I finally learned how to use the snowblower last week. This town may be strange, but Murphy's Law always applies. Look, the kids have found swimsuits this year.

Yes, they get their craziness from their father. I am the only normal one left in this town.....Happy Spring!

Stimulus Package

With the economy the way it is these days, I am very blessed to have passed a stimulus package of my very own nine months ago. Here she is....

She creates new jobs for me about every 30 seconds or so. She only has two "ears", but she loves to leave a big "mark!"

She believes in the redistribution of the pots and pans. Moms shouldn't be the only ones entitled to the contents of the cupboards.

This is me this morning. I am sitting down for the first time after cleaning the house (I am just about to do some chair squats). See, no dust balls under the bed...

Then hurricane Claire arrives on shore...check out the dark clouds rolling in. (All of these pictures can be credited to Kali. I was under the bed bracing for the incoming storm!)

Here's a look into the eyes of the storm itself.

Brace yourselves. Here she comes.

And she hits.....AHHHHHH!

This was the aftermath...

We must rebuild. We will restructure. Focus on this "three" letter word--JOBS! All we need are some building blocks in a school bus.

It all works in cycles. Look, Mom cleaned up her pots and pans. Hahaha!

Gotta go. We've got lots of work now!

Happy Birthday Babygirl!

My baby turned 9 months old yesterday. Where did the time go? I am not really sure to be honest. Here are some tidbits about my little shining star:
Oh, she's a crawlin'...and getting faster. The little stinker heads for the stairs every chance she can get. (We have a gate, but it needs a few minor fixes before it can be hung again.) She's found her voice recently and is really starting to babble.

She has 6 cute teeth, and as the other kids can attest to--she WILL use them if you stick your finger in her mouth. She has a mop of hair and colics that all grows forward, and she has already had a haircut! She also does this thing with her hands when she gets excited or wants something. I have been trying to document it on film for awhile, but you know how that goes.

...and she loves food scraps!

Jo-Jo's Strawberry Poppy-Seed Salad

I made the salad that sis JoLynn had on her blog about a month ago for a shower last night. It was just as she said it was going to be--really yummy. Here's the recipe:

Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2T. lemon juice
2 T. onion
1/2 t. salt

I mixed these first ingredients in my blender, then added 2/3 c. veg. oil and 2 t. poppy seeds (also in the blender).

For the salad I had lettuce (she used romaine, I used green leaf), fresh strawberries, cucumber, green onion, and cashews. She added pear and craisins to her salad, but I didn't have these. The dressing makes the salad, so the toppings can be almost whatever you like. The Wally-Worlds had good strawberries this week on sale. Enjoy.

Tag: The Sequel

I promised that I would continue my thoughts from the last post. I decided to take the plunge and do the challenge. Maybe you can learn a few things about me while I am at it. Like....
I love to follow the rules. I took this photo first thing this morning.

I still like to suck my thumb every now and then (and pick my nose at the same time). It is soothing.

I have a double chin. It took a lot of work to get it. Oh, and my lips are naturally this supple (no mosturizer!).

I feel like the neighbor (Wilson?) on the show Home Improvement. My fence is kind of buried in snow right now, so this is what you get!

...and I tag (drumroll please)....The Pioneer Woman (I know that you read this), Marlbaro Man (you really need a your own website), and McDreamy (I will settle with McSteamy if I have to).

Tag

I have been tagged by Ethiopifinn (I just realized the other day that I don't know your married name Jen) to post a self-portrait. This was my first reaction...

Oh wait, that is not my mug. This is to be continued.....(the kids are fighting. heh.)

The Sleeping Child Dilemma

Since I seem to have a theme of sleeping children going this week, I thought that I would visit a topic that is near and dear to my heart. It is a phenomenon that always rears its head when I take all four children into the vehicle and traverse away from the homestead. It is the sleeping child in a car syndrome. It usually strikes the two oldest as we approach the last 200 feet to the garage. I go against all medical advice and threaten to leave them in the car. This usually cures them quickly. However, this syndrome can be very tricky to treat in younger children. All studies show that it is not usually worth treating in a vehicle. Tempting as it may be to not move the victims (especially on a Sunday afternoon), it is considered inhumane in some cultures and does nothing to ease the mother's sympathy pains (ie. her need to also take a nap). So you move the sleeping child away from the vehicle and one of two things may happen. Most likely the child will awake. Efforts to induce sleep again are almost always fruitless. There may have been a few rare cases where the sleeping state had been restored, but I have not been able to document one yet. All hopes for napping are dashed and you deal with reality. End of that story. Now, in the case where the child appears to remain comatose upon removal from the vehicle further evaluation by a trained professional is needed. A flow chart would be nice, but I have yet to come across one in the home medical books. Here is how I try to assess the situation. Is the child still strapped in a carseat? If so, do not move...unless the chance of them waking due to heat stroke (because of their bulky outerwear) outweighs the chance of them waking due to removal, or you plain just do not want them to be sleeping anymore. If the child is not strapped in a carseat then you need to check if the child is wearing protective outer garments for the elements (see photo above for example of this). If so, once again you need to assess the likelihood for heat stroke (quickly, of course). Heat stroke really isn't a worry for me as a mother in the land of eternal snow and ice (at least not for 10 months out of my year). As you can see in the photo above, this is usually where the questions end for me. The inexperienced eye might have tried to remove the outer garments, but nothing good usually comes of that. The above documented case of the syndrome was just one of many that I have dealt with, however, it had an interesting twist to it. A patient history should have been obtained, because come to find out later the patient had been visiting Grandma who had given her some chewing gum (which can faintly be seen in the photo). Luckily, the patient did not react adversely to this chewing gum, rather she just kept chewing it intermittently! It could have been fatal, though. Hopefully, I have enlightened many lives with this information...and let me know if you have a good flow chart for this tricky syndrome. Go forth and prosper!

Random Ramblings

This is the other picture that I should have posted the other day (but I must have been too lazy)! The poor thing has to have one eye on alert for her wild siblings at all times. You never know who is going to try to carry her half way across the room by her feet, or try to force feed her cheerios, or, or, or tickle her. Well, actually maybe the sleeping with open eye thing is hereditary, because I have been told (by not very credible sources, of course) that my eyes don't always shut all the way when I am sleeping. Don't believe everything that you are told my friends. Just yesterday I got my hair cut quite significantly shorter, and I was excited about the change. I was feeling good about it, and then my ever so eloquent husband spake words from his mouth that sounded something like this, "What made you get your haircut like that?" To which I automatically responded, "Why, do you not like it?" He spoke again, "No, I didn't say that...I was just wondering what goes through a girl's mind when she decides to get a haircut like that." Husband...speak no more...sit boy. He tries hard, that man of mine. I guess that was just his way of complimenting my previous hairdo!