Thursday, August 30, 2007

Countin' Down the Days

The kids start school in less than a week. Twinkletoes will be beginning her knowledge adventure with her first year in the "big" school. She's been waiting to start kindergarten for well over a year. She just didn't get it when Dino Boy started last fall and she still had to go to pre-school. Them's the breaks for being born almost a whole year behind her brother. But this year - its her year. She can hardly contain herself and is counting down the days at bedtime. I don't know if she'll be able to sleep at all on Tuesday night. The bus picks them both up (she has morning kindergarten) at our house at 8:34 a.m. Dino Boy is quite excited to be entering the first grade. Wish him luck. He didn't enjoy his Rutgers Reading program this summer that he did for 5 weeks. He just doesn't care to learn to read ... as much as I read to him and around him, its easier to have us read to him rather than have him read for himself. I'm sure Twinkletoes will be just the opposite! Watch out!! I'll let you know how it goes next week. I've taken the day off so that I can be there when they get on and off the bus!


We don't have much planned this weekend. Hanging out with friends on Saturday and Sunday. I plan on taking the kids to the pool on Friday - but we'll see how Dino Boy's foot is feeling. He was at the pool today but when he left the house, he didn't have his swimsuit on and insisted that he wasn't going to swim because he didn't want to have to change the bandage on his foot. But, the Nanny Extraordinnaire, good grandmom that she is, packed his swimsuit and the waterproof tape anyhow and was able to accomodate him when he changed his mind. Quite a piece of work he is.


Saturday we went to a surprise party for one of the Husband's best friends. Looks like the Husband is having a good time, no?

Monday, August 20, 2007

DINOOOOOOSAURRRRRSSSSS


This weekend we took the kids to go see Walking With The Dinosaurs in Philly. What a fantastic show!!! I cannot get over how it held the attention of every kid and adult in the Spectrum for almost TWO HOURS!


A narrator went over each and every aspect of what was going on with the show - from the plant eaters (brachiosaurus, etc.) to the meat eaters (T Rex, etc.) and everything in between. Even a flying dino was featured. I cannot get over the reality of each of the dinosaurs presented and the way in which they all interacted with each other and the audience. Be sure to catch this show if it comes to your area. I was surprised at the expense of each of the tickets but they were definitely worth every penny!! Our kids asked on the way home if they could go see that show again next year. Definitely - if it comes back 'round!

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Ahhhh....Spritey Lives On...

Or so says my mom this morning. Seems that our great white hunter, Sprite, finally has decided to rejoin the family by possessing Jack and Guinness. Don't get me wrong, Jack and Guinness have had their share of bird kills this summer but no rabbits or other animals - until today.

Today is a different story. Today they got a rabbit. Mom said it was disgusting. Spritey usually only killed the poor rabbit (what were they thinking anyway - the dog was FAST). These two new ones though are usually like dumb and dumber when the husband tries to show them where the rabbits are in the back yard - out by the shed or under the shed. They just run and play with each other instead of paying attention to the villain rabbits who are trespassing in Dog Territory. Today, they got a rabbit and got it good. Mom said it was a mess and the head is missing. I can only imagine that dumber swallowed it while trying to keep it away from dumb. Mom said she searched the yard for it. Its not there. So - I called my friend Natalie at the vet's office -- I told her on Monday when I was picking stuff up not to talk about not seeing me in a while because that is sure to bring me in with at least one of them - - she said to just watch for the runs and/or puking. Lovely. And, I just shampooed the carpets on Saturday afternoon.

The kids have their annual check ups first thing in the morning then the day is ours!!! Yippee!! We'll see what we do.

Have a great evening! And weekend, if I don't get back here.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Another HumpDay

It's the middle of another summer week here ... it is supposed to be hot, humid and otherwise unbearable this afternoon. Although the swim club is taking its toll on Nanny Extraordinaire, I still think it was a good idea to get all of the kids out of the house pretty much daily. How else can we keep them from killing each other? And the Nanny's tan is definitely something that we haven't seen in years!! *grin*

Our vacation ended without incident on Saturday morning. The Husband had wanted to go right from the beach to the mountains overnight where friends of ours are renting a lake house for a week. We were just too exhausted. I think the kids finally recovered ... yesterday. There were just many days of late nights and early mornings at the beach. We definitely won't do it at that same beach for a week again next year. Maybe a night or two, but that will be plenty for us. A week with the kids, as young as they are, is just hellish for everyone involved, including the unfortunates who have to sit next to our "camp" on the beach - you know,the people with children who don't get in trouble or are old enough to "lay" on the beach or boogie board on their own - they have to put up with our kids tattling, whining or just plain getting in trouble every time they turn around. So to all of you strangers out there -- sorry. I aspire to be you someday. My kids will behave. They will learn to deal with their frustrations and they will learn that when they're tired and exhausted to just take a break instead of going full force 24/7. Okay? Someday soon, I hope.

The job is going well. I'm in a transition and currently doing the administrative assistant job that I've had for just over 3 years and the accounting job that I should be doing f/t by 9/1. Its a little hairy as things are slipping through the cracks and other things are just taking longer to get done. Its hard to do the job of two people in a day long enough only for the job of one. Did that make sense?

On another note, almost ten pounds has found me when I wasn't looking since we vacationed in May. Not a good thing. The husband and I are back on Weight Watchers full force. This blog might just have to become my food diary since I don't have have time to post on two different blogs every day. I barely get to this one as it is. But, with all of your support, I know I can knock the weight back off and even the extra pounds that I had hoped to lose before will come off as well. Anyone have any good, low-point recipes to share?








Friday, August 10, 2007

Another vacation ... almost over

Hello there - got an email from my SIL today (ok, she may have sent it anytime between Tuesday early morning and this morning at 7:00 a.m.!) advising me that I am neglecting my blog. Not so. I'm up to my eyeballs in black sticky sand, ice cream on the beach and the whiniest kids you've ever heard. Now, you may have thought that I called them whiners when we were in the OBX. Maybe I didn't but I'm sure I thought that. I now stand corrected. They are total whiners now. Holy cow. At least in the OBX they went to bed at a halfway decent hour (which I'm told won't happen next year because they're already planning on rooming with their twin friends!). Down here in Wildwood - its early to rise, late to bed and a whole lot of excitement packed in between!

Let's see. This is how our week went. Saturday - after getting stuck in traffic where the Parkway meets the AC Expressway (which was my fault because we didn't leave at 7:00 a.m. but at 8:30 a.m. and we got stuck...) - we went to the beach. Sunday - waterpark then some rides afterwards then to Stone Harbor for dinner and swimming with friends. Monday - beach then boardwalk. Tuesday - beach then boardwalk. Wednesday - beach then home (kids went to the movies with the Nanny Extraordinaire and the husband and I went to the DMB concert - it was HOT but AWESOME!) Thursday - we left home for the beach at 7:30ish a.m. and went to the beach then boardwalk. Friday - beach, we're planning on going out to dinner at 7:00, then to the boardwalk. CH and I have to get this place in top notch condition before having to get out by eleven a.m. tomorrow. Plausible but exhausting.

But - in reality - it is a vacation. Dino Boy was royally PO'ed when we were coming off of the beach today and I told him and his sister that we were going to go back to the beach house, clean up, nap and go to dinner and the boardwalk for our last night here. Holy Cow - you'd have thought he lost his best friend. Or two. He had a major temper tantrum. They get worse as he gets older but at least he is expressive. He wants to know why we don't own a shore house that we can stay in all summer long (hey auntie d - are you ever going to build that house?? I'll give you an indentured servant for the entire summer if you just let him go to the beach for a few hours a day!) (On a side note - there was a hotel down here called the Thunderbird - ironically right at the end of our street - where we used to stay when I was younger. In the recent years, I'd noticed what a dive it had become. What a shame. Since our last trip here (for a week) in 2005, they've since torn down the hotel and created beautiful townhomes at the site. They're not cheap either. I believe the price on the sign said starting at $699,999 - now that is CRAZY - but they are pretty!!) Anyway, not sure how I won but both kids are now sleeping on couches right outside of my bedroom. Yippee. Dinner reservations aren't for another two hours so they have plenty of time to gather their energy for the boardwalk and all the rides and games tonight. I think their favorite ride is the long flume - just like their Poppop Kelly!!!!! So if H&E would like to take the kids to GA for the day and relive a part of our childhood, riding the log flume for hours at a time, we're definitely up for that!!!!

I'm going to run ... have to dry my hair before it dries itself in the shape of the towel that is on top of my head. I will do my best to upload and share all pictures taken this week (and of the OBX - have I done that yet???) and update the blog with wonderful tidbits of our evening tonight. I think it will be interesting considering the menu reads "all margaritas are $8 with the exception of the Crystal Margarita" -- when you look that one up it is $75! Holy baloney batman ... until manana.... toodles!



Thursday, August 2, 2007

hints

these hints were emailed to me. i know the baby powder one works very well ... even on the sticky black sand in wildwood! let me know if you are fans of any of these.


Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.'

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, and keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the corner tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.

Reheating Refrigerated Bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper Weeds Away
Start putting in your plants; work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little pieces of broken glass – the fibers catch ones you can't see!

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible Vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift-wrap roll to your vacuum hose. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening Envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Sand on the Beach
Take baby powder to the beach Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When your ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.