I'm Orange

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

"Dad, Mom made me cry today"

The way I see it, it wouldn't be a real day at my house if I didn't make someone cry. That said, I think it's kind of funny when they attribute all their sadness and heartache to being my fault. Here is the conversation Ben had with Craig as soon he got home from work yesterday:

B: Dad, Mom made me cry today.
C: Really. What did she do?
B: She wouldn't buy me anything.

So there you have it. I am a horrible mom who would not buy my four year old anything yesterday. I do however feel a need to mention that the store that evoked such strong emotions was the distribution center--every four-year olds dream come true!

This is the Best Way to Travel

This is one of my favorite quotes"Happiness is not a destination to arrive at, but a manner of traveling." I can't remember who said it or when I heard it, but it is one of those quotes that has totally stuck with me and that I try to live by because if you can't enjoy the journey then I don't think the destination will be any fun either. I try to travel happy every day and it usually works and I am convinced that it is the best way to travel. Today I'm happy for lots of little reasons and apparently I have a need to share them with all of you.

I'm happy because I got to go running AND IT DIDN'T HURT :)

I'm happy because we were all awake for family prayers today :)

I'm happy because there have been no fights so far today :)

I'm happy because I got a new skirt and new pants and I only spent $17 :)

I'm happy because I know my kids love me :)

I'm happy because my house is clean--at least it's clean enough :)

I'm happy because my kids and I started a new book last night and I can't wait to read more with them :)

I'm happy because I finally got a gym membership after wanting one for months :)

I'm happy because I get to go to the gym tomorrow morning :)

I'm happy because I know my husband loves me and that we make a great team. And I'm also happy that neither one of us has to go anywhere tonight :)

I'm happy because I have great friends and family who love me very much and who make my life a little bit better and happier every single day :)

A Good Laugh

My sister posted something this week that made me laugh so hard I cried. When something gets that kind of a reaction out of me, I feel a need to share:The Most Disgusting Thing Ever. Now I realize that I may find this a bit more hilarious than most of you because I actually know the child the post is about and have been with him during some of the shining moments mentioned. But despite that, I do think it is worth a read for any mom who has a child who is as clever as he is crazy. I hope you enjoy it!

A Good Read

I have always loved reading with my kids. There is something about sitting down with them and a book that always brings us closer together. When I read with Sarah, I love to have her sit on my lap and we mostly look at pictures but there are a few stories that she will let me read to her. It always amazes me how still and how long she will sit to look at books and how much snuggle time I actually get out of the girl who can't seem to ever be still or quiet at any other time of the day. I love reading with Ben because every story is fascinating to him. He is also the perfect size for my lap and I love getting to hold him so close. I will also say that he always finds the humor in any book and could read the same parts over and over and over and over again just because they make him laugh. I love reading with Madeline because she is to the point where we can take turns reading each page. I love having her read to me because she puts so much feeling and emotion in to it that she completely draws you in to whatever story she is reading.Of all my kids she is definitely the most passionate about reading and she gets completely engrossed in a book and can't put it down until it's done. I love reading with Andrew because he loves to learn and is captivated by learning new things. He is a great reader but has never found a love for fiction books but he thoroughly enjoys anything non-fiction. One of his current favorite things to read is the Encyclopedia that we gave him for Christmas. (Which Craig happened to think was a bad idea--I guess I showed him!) I especially love the fact that he seems to be fascinated with American history and to a certain extent politics because I am a nerd and love to learn about that kind of stuff too. But most of all I love reading with everyone! I love it when we can all sit down together and read something. Sometimes it happens while we sit in the same room with each of us reading our own separate book so that we can meet our requirements for homework, but my favorite is when we sit down and read a book together. (Obviously Sarah is left out of this activity due to attention span issues, but I still love it!) There is something about sitting together reading that makes it my favorite place in the world. Maybe it's because I get to snuggle with each of the kids and have their undivided attention while we share in a story that makes our minds work together in imagining the same people, places and things. I love how we sit all cozy and warm under our favorite blanket with Ben on my lap and Andrew and Madeline each cuddled to one side of me as close as they possibly can be. Sometimes they are so close that I can hardly turn the pages, but it doesn't matter because it really is the best part of any day. I try to always have a book that we are working on together because I love how it feels when we get to sit together and read. We just finished reading a book that we all fell in love with. It captivated every single one of us--which is quite a feat considering that we have a pretty big age range to cover--and I think it may be up there as one of my all time favorites that I read to the family. It is called The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo who also wrote Because of Winn Dixie. It was recommended to me by a friend who always knows what she is talking about when it comes to books and now I am passing my recommendation on to you. I even have a copy if you want to borrow it. Happy reading!

As Promised

A little while back, I bored you all by whining about Madeline's new do and I promised to post the pictures. So without further adieu....

I hope you like it!

Annoyed

I have been totally annoyed by people's bad cell phone manners this week and I just need to vent. Now before I start, let me say that I believe I am fairly tolerant of cell phone use. I have been known to drive while using one (even though I know I shouldn't). I am fascinated with texting (even though I don't have a texting plan). And I do believe they have great practical value as well as a fun factor that other phones just can't provide. With that said, there has to be a limit to some people's cell phone addiction and the ensuing inappropriate usage. Here are just two examples of cell phone use taken a bit to far. (I have more if you feel a need to hear them) First off, I took my boys to get their hair cut on Monday. We had two different girls doing the cutting and while one was wonderful, I truly wanted to slap the other one upside the head. In the middle of Ben's hair cut, she answered the phone not once, but twice, to simply say; "I'm in the middle of a hair cut, I'll have to call you back." Now it may just be me, but I believe this is not only rude, but inappropriate--I mean, come on, you're cutting someone's hair for crying out loud--if that's not a good time to use voice mail, I don't know what is. Next, I was shopping for shoes (running shoes) which is normally quite a blissful experience. Just the thought of getting a new pair of running shoes makes me giddy. Thankfully I knew just which pair I needed and I didn't need too much help from the completely incompetent sales girl. However, I did have a few simple questions to ask her. I believe I had just asked her how long this particular pair would be on sale. She started to answer me, but then was totally distracted by the vibrating cell phone in her not so lovely work apron. She then stopped what she was saying, mid-sentence mind you, read the text she had just received, laughed at whatever clever thing her friend had to say, and then walked away from me to return the text, never giving me the answer I as a customer rightly deserved. I couldn't believe it--I was completely annoyed and irritated and had it not been for the great deal on the shoes, I would have walked out of the store and bought them somewhere else.
Both this experiences have made me think that there should be some sort of rule about allowing your employees to have their cell phones at work. I know that it is a rule that would be near impossible to regulate, but I still think that out of common courtesy and respect for a patron of the business that employs you, you should turn your phone off while you are at work and let voicemail do it's job!

A Tale of Two "Sickies"

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times
Now I’ll tell you a story just speaking in rhymes.
So listen up friends, I promise it’s quick
It’s a tale of a man and his wife—both were sick.

Let’s start with the man, who early this week
Began this sad tale, his outlook was bleak.
He woke up one morning; he said he was ill;
“My throat hurts, I’m stuffed up and I have a chill.”

And then he announced he would stay home from work
(Because when you’re a man, you just get that perk.)
Well that day he stayed home and yes, had a snooze
Cause’ that darn sickness gave his body the blues.

The next day was better, but not very much
He worked. But at home, he still rested and such.
He said he was tired and couldn’t be troubled
He felt like the aches in his body had doubled,

Yes that man got the chance to take time and rest
“’Cause that’s what you need for a cold in the chest.”
Now let us fast forward a few days later
The wife got the sickness, her symptoms were greater

Yes the same sickness afflicted her so,
But rest. I think not-she just had to GO!
She went to the store, kid’s lessons, and such
She just couldn’t stop, her family needed too much.

Her body it ached, her throat was in pain
With every move, she felt such a strain.
She thought it would help if she went for a run
(It turns out that choice was a little bit dumb).

Yes the wife, she was sick, she felt just oh so bad
But she just couldn’t rest ‘cause she wasn’t a dad.
Yes she first had to be the mom and the wife
And that’s how it’ll go for the rest of her life.

Now before I go, I’ll say one more thing
A wife who is sick can still do everything!
And now we must face it, a sick man’s just sick
But a sick person who get’s things done, that's a chick!

Bread Day

About once a month we have bread day at our house. I spend the large majority of the day making bread. I absolutely love bread day. First of all, it is totally relaxed. I plan on staying home, I plan on being casual, and I plan on just enjoying the sounds and smells of the day. I love hearing my wheat grinder whirl into action and seeing the dusting of flour that it leaves. I love listening to my Bosch's motor as it kneads the dough. I love the smell of the dough right as I take it out of the mixer and shape it into loaves. Then after I stick the bread in my oven, that smell changes from a slight soft scent to an overpowering aroma that fills up my entire house. And if all that wasn't good enough, I get to finish off by cutting into a hot loaf of bread, fresh out of the oven. I don't think that you can beat that taste or the softness or warmth. Hot, homemade bread is truly the best comfort food in the world!I know that I have officially spoiled my family seeing as all they eat is homemade bread, but the funny thing is that they think it's a treat when they get to eat Wonder bread at Grandma's house.

Now, with that said, making bread is easier than you think. I try to convert everyone I can to make their own bread because it really is that easy. In fact that is the main reason that I am posting this information--I want you to try it too. I actually started making bread about five years ago when my friend Jessica got me to try it. While I loved the results, I HATED the effort. The whole process irritated me because it was just to many steps and too time consuming--plus her recipe was for white bread and I have always been more partial to wheat bread. I was about ready to give up the whole thing because I couldn't handle going through the 3 hr process to yield fives loaves of bread. Just when I was feeling that way, I happened to be with my sister-in-law who informed me that she had the easiest bread recipe in the world. I got it from her and gave it a try and I was instantly converted. It really is so easy. I can have 3 loaves of bread less time than it takes to make a batch of cookies. In fact I started working on bread today a little after 9:00 a.m. and by 5:00 I will have made 15 loaves--which should last me all month. Anyway, like I said, I absolutley love the results and would like everyone I know to try, so I am leaving you with the recipe:

4 C. Warm water
1/3 C. oil
1/3 C. honey
1 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. yeast (SAF brand yeast is best)
1/2 C. Gluten flour (to me, this is the most important ingredient)
8-10 C. Flour (you just add flour until it cleans the side of your mixing bowl and the amount seems to vary every time I make it.)

Mix all ingredients together. Knead for 8 min. Shape in to loaves and place in greased bread pan. Let rise until double in size (about 30 minutes). Place in a COLD oven and then turn on to 350 degrees. Immediately set the time for 24-26 minutes (without giving the oven a chance to heat up). You'll know it's done when the tops of your loaves are golden brown!

Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

Will Power

When I was younger, my mom used to have me practice using my will power. This usually came in the form of her or my dad tickling me and me trying not to laugh. There was always a little pep talk before we began during which she would let me know that my mind was stronger than anything else and if I really wanted not to laugh, my mind could make that happen. Sometimes I even got to chant "I'm not going to laugh, I'm not going to laugh, I'm not going to laugh," over and over again before the tickle torture began. Somehow the chanting seemed to make me tougher and more able to resist the laughter that always was bubbling up inside of me. Eventually I got pretty good at not laughing while being tickled and I can still convince people that I am not ticklish because of the practice I got in my early years.

Fast forward to Monday. As I walked around my house feeling sick to my stomach from eating 2 1/2 extra large pieces of chocolate cake, I wondered where that will power has gone. It seems that I should be able to apply the same principles of will power to my treat eating habits that I was able to apply during tickle torture. I can see a piece of cake (or any other sweet and delicious snack) on my counter, or buried deep within my cupboards hiding from the rest of my family, and tell my self "I'm not going to eat it, I'm not going to eat it, I'm not going to eat it." But it doesn't work--my sweet tooth always wins. Now, I'm not saying that I have lost my will power in every area of my life. I can stay up until 1:00 in the morning and still drag myself out of bed at 5:50 a.m. to run int 17 degree weather, I can force myself to hold a tarantula just to prove to my kids that I can do it, and I can even train for and run a marathon when it hurts every time I take a step. But I can't for the life of me figure out how to overpower my sweet tooth. Heck, I'd be happy if I could just limit my intake, but I have no self-control in this area and I'm not sure that I ever will. But I guess that if I have to pick a vice, sugar is not that bad--right?

Just so you know

For those of you who even remotely know me, you know that running is my thing. In fact, most of the time, it is the only thing that I have that is just for me. I do it because I want to and I do it because I love it. But most of all, I just do it. To make it easier to come up with a running plan I am copying a friend and have started a running blog. (Thanks Rabid.) If you're interested, check it out.
I plan on using this as a training tool to keep us all updated and in touch. I hope to see you there.