A successful day

Today is day two of our fall break and I already feel like I've gotten more accomplished than I have in the past nine weeks. Today's agenda included:

• Setting up a new life insurance policy for myself ü This is something that's been on my to-do list for about nine weeks now.  Good thing I'm still alive and kickin'.  
• Finalize & close all bank accounts at our old bank to complete the transfer to the new bank ü After standing in line behind one person for almost 20 minutes with two children in tow, I was not upset to bid this bank adieu.  I know it's not the bank's fault the person in front of me couldn't make up her mind, but it is frustrating when the line is almost out the door and there is only one teller anywhere to be found.
• Try a bubble painting project outside with the girls ü Although we did complete this project, it didn't turn out like I'd hoped.  I read some fun craft projects online for the girls to try during our time off, and this one sounded fun.  It also helped that all we needed were bubbles and food coloring (both things I happened to have).  I don't know if you've ever tried to blow bubbles and intentionally try to get them to land on a piece of paper, but it is almost impossible.  We ended up putting the paper on the ground and blowing the bubbles directly onto the paper while hovering about 5 inches above the darn thing.  Since it was breezy, of course the bubbles kept blowing away, thus not creating any kind of cool design on our papers.  I am also positive that our neighbor was not watching her dog do his business outside, but was instead staring at us to see what the heck we were trying to accomplish.  To which I answer, absolutely nothing, neighbor lady.  
• Let the girls make their own mini pizzas for lunch (the recipe is on my recipe page) ü This is always a success.  A delicious success.  If you have children that love to help in the kitchen, I highly suggest trying out the recipe with them.  It is super simple, quick, and fun!
• Take the girls to the park to play ü Man did I get eyeballed today!  Let me remind you that my children and I do not attend and teach in the same school district that we actually live in.  So when I was in public with a kindergartner and a second grader (who were not in school), I got some funny looks.  We were asked by four people...yes, FOUR...if we were skipping school to enjoy the beautiful day.  To which I laughed to myself and thought about how Kinsey cried last year when she had to leave school two hours early because she was deathly sick.  There is no way she would ever miss school intentionally and ruin a perfect attendance record that would jeopardize her end of the year awards.  Second, do I really look like or come off as the kind of parent who would let their kids skip school; to go to the park no less?  I kept looking around the park half expecting police to jump out from behind the benches and ambush me for truancy.  The other park parents probably feared for the safety of my children (and theirs) as I looked around very paranoid, like I shouldn't have been there or just broke the law and ran to the closest park I could find.   I should have pulled out my cell phone and started talking in code and then ended it with, "They'll never find us here."  I'm constantly amazed with how interested people can be in a total stranger's life. 

• Make cupcakes with the girls ü In my mind, this is always a good time.  What child, or adult for that matter, doesn't love frosting the perfect cupcake, putting on colorful sprinkles, and taking that first bite of a warm, gooey cupcake?  Exactly.

• Have the girls work on their homework packets from school ü Yep, this was about as fun as it sounds.  But...mission accomplished.  I guess all that fun has to be balanced out with something.  

Yesterday, Kaitlyn told Jason and I that she only falls asleep and takes a nap when she's "had a really busy day and worked really hard like at school and stuff."  

Judging by those standards, today was a very successful day :)

A little update

Since the start of school, we have been non stop around here.  Since I have a moment to catch my breath with a long Labor Day weekend, I'll update you as to what has been going on with us lately.

New Job:  Jason took a new job with a new bank.  He is very happy with this move and seems to be settling right in.  In true Jason fashion, he is getting restless with training and wants to jump right in and begin selling.  It is a great promotion with better opportunities for advancement so we are both excited!

New Car:  Jason bought a brand spankin' new car.  I guess since he got a big promotion, he figured he needed a car to match.  Just joking...the truth is that he was driving my Impala which was just simply worn out.  (That tends to happen when you put 150,000 miles on a car in just over six years.  We drive a lot.)  He ended up with a 2011 Impala, only much fancier with all kinds of bells and whistles.  He thinks he is really cool and loves to remind me that my car doesn't do all that fancy stuff.  

Soccer:  Kinsey started soccer two days a week last week.  Yep, I'm officially a soccer mom now.  I just need the mini van to match.  She is loving it.  They have just had two practices but start their games next week.  She is really excited to get her jersey and soccer pictures!  I'll get some pictures up soon!

School News:  Probably the most exciting for me is that my donors choose project has been completely funded.  I can't say it enough, but thank you to all of the donors that have helped me with this project.  Because of these donors my classroom will be getting over $750 worth of new books for my classroom library.  I was so worried when I put this project on #1 because it was my first project and I wasn't sure what the heck I was doing #2 I knew I was asking a lot.  Donors choose tells you to try not to make your request larger than $400 and mine was $756.  I braced myself for my project not getting it funded in time.  I have to say, I was so taken by everyone's generosity.  Thank you again to everyone!

Wisconsin Dells Vacation

(Sorry for no pictures...I honestly didn't get any because it was impossible to take a non-waterproof camera in the water park with us.  I have a few from the Madison children's museum that I will post later.)
We are back from Wisconsin Dells!  Actually, I'm surprised we made it to the Dells on our way there.  As we set out on our seven hour drive, we did not think about being on toll roads the entire way there.  It's a good thing between the seven of us we had lots of cash and change because we would have been in trouble.  We were a little bit smarter on our way back.
Let me just tell you all right now that we LOVED the Dells.  We spent most of our time at Noah's Ark Water Park (it is the largest water park in America).  The water slides really are like huge roller coasters.  Some of them were pretty scary!  It took us a few days to travel around the entire park and ride everything.  We did manage to get on every ride once except for two slides that had over an hour wait and the kids were too small to go on.  We bypassed them hoping we would have time to come back to them but we simply ran out of time.
Jason and I both had a few injuries while we were there.  This place is hard core.  Jason cut his foot on some cobblestone at the bottom of a slide and had a pretty nasty wound.  It was right on the side of his foot where his sandals rubbed against it so it was pretty painful.  I went down the only extreme head first water slide in America (yes, it is just as scary as it sounds.  It is even crazier at the top looking down) and after the first drop is a another huge drop.  I went airborne for a few seconds and tried to regain control of my mat that I was sliding on by sticking out my elbows in the exact manner they warned me not to do in all of the pictures that were posted that I looked at while waiting in line.  As I got up from the slide, I knew I burned my elbow but when I looked at it I had blood everywhere.  I found a medic who fixed it up for me and then I went down a second time.  It was awesome!
The park was so big and had tons of rough pavement.  I admit, I laughed at the idea of wearing water shoes while we were there.  However, if we ever go back, I will definitely invest in a pair.  The pavement and rocks were really hard on our feet and it is a lot of walking.
The girls had a blast and able to go on most of the slides.  There were probably about four slides that Kinsey was too short/not heavy enough to ride and just a few more than that Kaitlyn couldn't ride.  But there were 49 different water slides.  That's not to mention the two wave pools (the girls loved those...even though they made us nervous because they got a little too confident in the waves), a few kiddie water slides, two lazy rivers, and so much more.
There was a really cool gift shop by our hotel that we went to and got lots of yummy Wisconsin cheese.  Jason got his cheese curds and I got my goat cheese.  We were a very happy couple!
Jason and I went out one night to press our lucky at the Ho-Chunk Casino down the road (don't worry, the girls stayed at the hotel with my parents).  All I really want to say about that is that Ho-Chunk was not very giving...especially on the table games.
On the way back we stopped in Madison and took the girls to the Children's Museum.  That place was really cool and had so much for the kids to do.  Everything was hands on and so exciting for them.  We spent about an hour and a half there and literally had to pull the kids away crying.  I wish we could have stayed longer but it was a long drive ahead.  We tried to time it so we weren't going through Chicago at rush hour.  I don't know whose timing we decided to go with but we ended up in the heart of Chicago at 5:00pm on the nose.  Luckily, I was the one driving.
Now, we are back safe and sound at home.  I've spent the last two days getting my classroom ready for 30 fifth graders and 29 sixth graders that will be there Monday morning for an exciting new school year.
Also, Kaitlyn starts kindergarten Monday so I'm sure I will have lots of great new stories for you next week!

My top five product recommendations

I'm always looking for products that friends recommend that they love and use.  I thought I would share a few of my favorite products right now.  Hopefully you will find these helpful.


1.  Pantene Pro V® Intensive Restoration Treatment  This has been a miracle product in removing chlorine from the girls' hair this summer.  It is so affordable, quick, and easy to use.  Their hair is so soft and pretty when we get done using this.  Love this stuff!







2.  Kaboom® Foam-Tastic  I'm sure it's not normal that I get excited to use this stuff every time.  It sprays on blue and turns white when it's done doing the cleaning for you.  I have really hard water and trying to find a product that removes residue was really hard to find.  This one works wonders!  I just spray it on, leave it set for a few minutes, and wipe it clean with a dry cloth.  So easy!


3.  Scentsy warmers  How cute is this scent warmer?  I own three of these that I have throughout my house.  One large one, one medium, and a plug in and they are on all the time.  Sadly, I do not own this one...yet.  That may change soon!  They are better than candles because you can change the scents as often as you like.  Also, there is no open flame because it's heated by a light bulb.  Honestly, I think they give off more scent than a candle does.  These are a must buy.  Check them out here https://pamkirkpatrick.sce​ntsy.us/Home 



4.  Keurig®  Although I do not actually own this product...yet (this is the #1 item on my Christmas list this year) I fully intend on owning it by the end of the year.  At which time I will blog about how awesome it is and how much money it will save me in Starbucks™ drinks.  I've used this product at my mom's and it is nothing short of amazing!





5.  Hamilton Beach® Programmable Slow Cooker  This is definitely my number one most used kitchen item.  I have to admit that I have a couple slow cookers in my house but this one is my go to cooker because I can program it.  It also has a lid that you can lock into place and nothing spills out of it if you are traveling with it.  This is the easiest cooking you will ever do!  Honest.

To all the naysayers of expensive purses

My family always gives me such a hard time about buying expensive purses.  I have to say, this is the one thing I really splurge on buying.  My favorite for the past eight years or so has been Dooney & Bourke purses.  And let me just clarify that when I say splurge, I'm talking like one purse a year at Christmas time when my amazing husband buys one for me.
A few weeks ago, while out to dinner, I found an amazing deal on a purse.  I paid only $8 for this purse.

I thought my family would be so proud of me.  I got home and quickly transferred all of my things into it.  I toted it around proudly for two whole days until this...

If I had to replace my purse every two days and if I found a ridiculous deal like $8, I would spend almost $1500 per year in purses.  That is a far cry from my current $150 per year.
Check out this picture from when I was in the hospital after having KINSEY (that was in 2004 folks).

Yes, I have had that purse for seven years!  Which, actually, I got that purse for Christmas in 2003.  Granted I have not carried that purse for the whole seven years but I did carry it for a good four or five years...seriously.  I don't change purses often.  So my purses get a great work out.  I am also not a light purse packer.  I carry everything from a medicine kit, first aid kit, bug spray, lotion, wallet, toothbrush, coupon filer, and so much more.  This is the same purse seven years later...in perfect condition.  Not a single blemish on the thing!

And, what, you might ask do I do with my perfectly good expensive purses after I am done with them?

I let my children carry them around for play purses so they are not just sitting around (Fun fact: This purse is older than Kaitlyn by about three years).  They get used and I get my money's worth.

I now feel justified in my expensive purse purchases.

Freedom

I finally get my stitches out today.  Here is a list of things that I plan on doing with my new found stitch freedom...

1.  Pedicure...pronto!

2.  Swimming oops...kind of never stopped swimming

3.  Not spending anymore money on waterproof bandages

4.  Evening out tan lines where said bandages were 

5.  Will not have to ask Jason incessantly if the wounds look ok (please note that he has no medical training and has absolutely no idea what the wounds should look like.  However, I usually take medical advice from him anyway.)

Let's hope that I don't pass out this time around because that was really embarrassing. I've had two children and didn't pass out for either of those experiences.  That pain far exceeded this.  

Here is a stitches picture of my foot for you crazy people that like that kind of thing.  If you do not like that kind of thing, do not look at the following picture.  I didn't get one of my back because....well, it's on my back.  It's really difficult to take a picture of your own back.

Notice the tan lines around where the bandages were?  I know. I will have to spend the next few days fixing that. 

Independence Day

This year we decided to check out a 4th of July festival close to our house that we'd never been to in previous years.  Normally, we go a few hours early and let the kids play games, get treats, and then set up for the fireworks.  And normally, we spend a ton of money on those games and treats.  So imagine our surprise when we got to this festival and found out that all the little games were free!  FREE!  They also had all kinds of festival food that was very cheap!  We ended up spending $4.50.  That's all!  It was a fantastic night with the family.  Here is a summary of our night in pictures.

First, we checked out the car show

Next, we played a few games...Kaitlyn playing ladder golf

Kinsey playing ladder golf

Kinsey playing the bean bag toss

Kaitlyn trying to toss ping pong balls into the cups

Kinsey trying to shake the gumballs to the bottom in  under  one minute

Then we got balloon hats

Of course we had to get tattoos

Really hard core tattoo

Kinsey got a star tattoo

After we set up for the fireworks, we had a dance party...robot style, of course

Kinsey opted for a senior pic pose

Kinsey and Kaitlyn...sisterly love

Finally getting to watch the fireworks

All that fun completely wiped them out!

New toys are always fun

Today was another amazing pool day.  We got there at 12:30 and had to pull ourselves away at 4:30.  I took my camera and got a few shots during the rest periods while the girls were out of the pools and off of the water slides.  Of course we also took lots of new toys that Kinsey got for her birthday.  Among the new toys were four squishy balls.  Kinsey and I had fun throwing them to each other in the pool.  It was pretty busy today so we were throwing them over groups of people.  I successfully hit an adult and three children during a few of my throws.  Oops!  I got a few dirty looks that loudly said our game of catch was not welcome.  The two new squirt guns were a hit too.  Except, after being hit in the face with water 8000 times, it's not so fun anymore.  The girls tried out their new goggles...and I do mean they tried out every.single.pair (as if they were not all the same).  Which they were.  Except the color.  So it was a very exciting day and looking at the forecast for this week, we can't wait to do it all over again for the next few days :)

Hmm...something seems out of place here

Well, this is an odd thing to see while your child is napping.  Let me try to explain what I think is going on here...
This morning I took the girls the the dentist.  They love going to the dentist because they get to choose a prize out of the treasure box at the end of their visit.  Today, Kaitlyn chose a very nice bracelet.
A little aside...Jason received a flask a few years ago from one of his friends as a gift for being in his wedding. It has his name engraved on it and it is very nice.  It usually sets on a little shelf on our desk.  It has never been used other than setting on the shelf for a few years.  Anyone that knows us can attest to the fact that we do not drink...ever. If you know Kaitlyn, you know she loves to play with every single trinket whether she knows what it is or not.
When we got back from the dentist Kaitlyn thought it would be a good idea to put her bracelet inside of the above mentioned flask.  She brought it to me while I was doing laundry and said she couldn't get it out.  I told her to put it back on the shelf and we would fix it later.  Apparently that was not good enough for her at which time she went and laid down on the couch.  I thought she was just watching tv but I think she was waiting on me to get her beloved bracelet out of the flask and fell asleep in the mean time.  Thus, resulting in a photo op that looks like she passed out from drinking out of a flask.
Never a dull moment around the Pfeiffer's house!

Future occupations for Kinsey & Kaitlyn

Yesterday I had to go to the doctor.  It was just a follow up so I decided that taking the kids with me would be ok.  I went fully prepared and had both girls take something to to keep them occupied.  Kinsey took her Nintendo DS and Kaitlyn took her Leapster handheld.  Luckily, we got right in and the doc was in the room within five minutes of us getting back to the room.

The doctor mentioned it was time for some routine lab work and she would send in the girl to take a few viles of blood.  I didn't think the girls were paying any attention to our conversation and as soon as the doctor walked out...
Kaitlyn: "Mom, are they going to take all of your blood?  How do they get that blood out of you?"
Me: "They use a needle.  It doesn't hurt and it will only take a few seconds."
Kinsey: "Well, I hope they put your blood back. They shouldn't take it away without giving it back to you."
Me: "I don't need it back.  Our bodies make more blood to replace what we loose."
Kaitlyn: "What if they take too much?"
Me: "They won't."

Just then the lady walks in to take my blood.  As soon as she stuck me, Kinsey turned white as ghost and turned away either ready to pass out or get sick.  Kaitlyn, however, stood up right beside the nurse and had her face as close as she could get it to the needle.  She must have asked the nurse a hundred questions.

"Why does that blood come out so fast?  Where did you learn how to do that?  Does that hurt, Mommy?  Why are you bleeding?  Will you get a bandage, Mom?  Do you have princess bandages?  What are you going to do with her blood?  Are you going to keep it?  Kinsey said you have to put it back.  Are you going to put it back?"

She asked so many questions in the two minutes it took to take blood that no one had any time to answer anything she asked.  After the nurse left, Kaitlyn turned to me and asked excitedly, "Can they do that again?"

From across the room, under her breath, Kinsey mumbled, "Ugh, I hope not!"  I laughed and realized that Kinsey will probably never have a job in the medical field while Kaitlyn stands a pretty good chance.

One crazy weekend

Bad news first:  Somehow I managed to take a fabulous weekend and not take one single picture.

Good news:  I had a fabulous weekend!

Weekend highlights:

1.  Happy birthday, Mom! She is so old now still so young at heart! On Friday evening, we took her out for a birthday dinner.  

2.  Saturday morning, I met my best friend, Sarah, for Starbucks.  After a perfect cup of coffee, we headed to get our annual summer manicure and pedicure while gossiping about our lives.  After whispering to each other about not getting hot towels on our legs during our pedicure, we decided we needed to start going to a classier joint than Wal-Mart to get our nails done (I know, right? But it's true...Wal-Mart has a nail salon in it!).  For reasons completely unimaginable to us, they changed their pedicures and now you can get different levels of pedicure satisfaction.  Of course, I was completely thrown off guard by this and when she asked me what kind of pedicure I wanted, I went completely blank and said the cheapest one.  Which was, in fact, the exact opposite of what I really wanted.  However, I still had a perfect time getting some much needed time with my BFF and hearing all she had to tell me!

3.  Saturday night Jason and I went with his family to Takaoka (I feel like there should be a sigh of yumminess every time you say Takaoka...it's that delicious.  It deserves it's own sigh.) for dinner to celebrate his dad's birthday.  Happy birthday, Dale!  Aside from the best food ever, it was so incredible to spend time with the best in-laws in the world.  I love you all so much and am so happy that I've been a part of this family for almost 10 years now :)

4.  After dinner, Jason and I decided to continue our date night and go to a movie.  We caught a late showing of the Hangover 2.  If you liked, or loved, the first one...you will definitely love the second.  It was very entertaining.

5.  Sunday afternoon we ran some errands with my mom.  At one store there was an big freezer with an assortment of ice cream.  Of course, my girls wanted some so I caved and let them have one.  I picked out a Strawberry Sundae Ice Cream Crunch Bar, which I used to get all the time in high school and haven't had since, and I think time stopped momentarily while I ate it.  It was the most amazing thing I'd had since Takaoka (insert sigh of yumminess) the night before.  Bad news:  It made me want to rethink the attention I usually don't give to those ice cream freezers.  Yikes!

6.  Sunday evening we went with my family out to dinner to celebrate my dad's birthday.  Happy birthday, Dad!  You too are getting so old still so young at heart! I absolutely love when we all get together.  Our family has no shortage of laughs and good times.

It was a such a wonderful weekend!  I couldn't have asked for a better time with family and friends.  I hope you all have a great week!

Thoughts of children

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

Dear Kaitlyn,

If you ask me, the most amazing thing in the world is to listen to your stream of conscious thought.  The way your thinking jumps from one idea to another is like a waft of fresh air in each new thought.  Each idea connected together in some obscure way that only seems to make sense in your little mind.  

I love getting a glimpse of the world through your eyes.  I love how you have so many inquires about the world, you can't even begin to verbalize all of them.  I love that you ask questions about your own questions.  I love that you dream about your future.  And that you think about all the things that life has in store for you.  

Yesterday, while you were looking out the window on the way to dinner, you had this to say:

"Why is that 'Road Closed' sign right there? Is it so people won't drive on the grass?  Because cows eat grass.  I wish I had a barn with cows!  When I grow up, I think I'll get farm.  I'm never going to find a husband, though."

You will learn so much in the years to come.  Lots of your questions will be answered but I hope that doesn't deter you from asking even more.  I hope you continue to seek learning and understanding at every point in your life, even when you are old.  And don't worry, since you are only five years old, you have plenty of time to find a husband.

Love,

Mom

Summer Job

It's a hard job, but for the next nine weeks I'll suck it up and spend my time at the pool.  Today we spent our third day at the YMCA.  It was so nice to just lounge around and have no worries.

Splash pad at the pool

Kaitlyn was in good spirits when we first got there

Splash pad at the pool

Kiddie area at the pool

Kinsey's favorite part of the pool...the water slides!

Of course, Kaitlyn is ready to go before everyone.

When we are not at the Y pool, we play in the pool in the backyard :)

Kinsey playing in the backyard pool

 If you need me, I'll be at my summer job...working really hard!

Summer Loves

Love the feeling of the first day of summer
Love how excited my girls get when we go swimming...everyday!
Love knowing I get to spend every minute with with my family
Love the smell of a charcoal grill
Love that we are done paying for daycare
Love always having a clean house
Love that we are going on vacation in July
Love the outdoor YMCA pools
Love being spontaneous
Love the carefree feeling of summer
Love not having to wear socks
Love little girls summer dresses
Love flip flops
Love the fresh air and the bright sunshine
Love having an excuse for pedicures
Love watermelon
Love floating in the pool
Love cookouts with the whole family...

just to name a few.  There are so many things to love about summer!

Yard sale

Today, I thought of you.  I drove by a sign written in large black letters, "Yard Sale."  The flood of memories came to me in an instant as if it were just yesterday.
Today, I thought of you as I remembered the drive down a bumpy road, past Aunt Goldie's house, and right onto Mayfair.  The smell of spiced apples perfectly wrapped in dough and covered in sugar and caramel sauce was as strong as the day you stood and sold them to anyone who happened by.  A big pot of chili you called your witches brew stewing on a nearby table ready to be gobbled down by hungry buyers.  And, in my mind, your specialty (I liked to pretend you made them especially for me), perfectly wrapped and brightly colored popcorn balls.
Today, I thought of you and chuckled a little as I watched people gathering at the yard sale with children running around.  I envisioned the little blue motor bike we took to the back of your yard while the adults chattered and talked about things I knew nothing of.  Riding it down the perfect little hill that was just steep enough for excitement but small enough to keep from getting hurt.
Today, I thought of you when I read that sign that said, "Yard Sale."  For those two little words together will always mean something much more.
I thought of you today.  And it made me smile.

This is why I should never drive

Let me tell you a little bit about how my week is going.
Yesterday, I hit a pothole.  Not just your regular run-of-the-mill pothole.  It was such a huge pothole that I had to immediately drive to the tire place and have both my front and back passenger tires and rims replaced.  I thought they were trying to scam me when they rang it up for FOUR tires and rims.  I quickly shot that down and explained that I only damaged the two on the passenger side.  There was absolutely no reason for me to buy four.  I went back and sat quietly in the waiting area until my car was finished.  John, the man fixing my car, nicely pulled my car to the door when it was finished.  It was at that moment that I realized why they thought it would be a good idea to get four instead of two.  Because now I have two different sets of rims on my car.  The driver side has factor rims, while the passenger side has brand new aluminum rims.  $211.86 later, I drive off with a half set of new wheels.  Awesome.
Also, yesterday I wanted to make my favorite southwest chicken pasta dish.  My plan was hindered when the deli was out of rotisserie chicken.  I did, however, get a coupon from the deli for a free one that I could redeem today.
As I set out on my way to redeem my free rotisserie chicken that was sure to make up for last nights pot hole gone wrong (although, I don't think pot holes can ever go right), I set my purse and keys on the passenger seat to put my coupon away.  Just as I shut the door, I realized my keys were still inside and the doors had automatically locked.  This problem was compounded by the fact that my spare keys were inside my purse along with my cell phone.
I've come to realize I would make a terrible burglar.  I tried everything I know, which is limited to the coat hanger method I've seen in movies, to break into my car to no avail.  Unfortunately, I had to call a lock smith to come get my keys out.  I watched him very closely to see how he got them out...apparently, all you need are two blood pressure cuffs and a long hook to break in and unlock a car.  $77 later, I have my keys back that I spent the previous three hours looking at through my window.  Double Awesome.

What a waste of time

After reading a friend's blog over at just1step, I started thinking about what things in my life are a huge waste of time.  If I could manage, without any recourse, I would eliminate the following time wasters in my life:

1)  Grading papers.
Contrary to popular belief, teachers do not love grading papers.

2)  Getting ready for work.
It would be so nice to sleep an extra 45 minutes each day instead of showering and doing my hair.  Besides, I go through all that and I don't really feel I look a whole lot better when I get done anyway!

3)  Doing dishes.
If I thought I could get away with it, I would never waste another moment loading and unloading the dishwasher.  I hate looking at food that someone has eaten off of.  Gross.  Also, I hate when my children don't finish eating something made with bread (sandwiches, toast, biscuits, etc.) and it gets wet and soggy when I rinse it off the plate.  Double gross!

4)  Laundry.
I honestly think I could spend 24 straight hours doing laundry. We might have set a world record for most laundry in one week by a family of four.  Note to self:  Call Guinness Book of World Records

5)  Driving.
There are literally some days that it takes me so long to get to work during rush hour that I think it would have been faster to walk.  It usually takes an hour to get to work and an hour to get home from work (all because of traffic).  Not to mention that when we visit our family, 100 miles away, we drive over two hours each way. Driving stinks!

6)  Picking up toys (mainly stuffed animals and Barbies).
As soon as I get one room picked up, the girls run to another room and get everything out.  We follow this pattern for several hours.  Some days, I think I'm getting punked.

7)  Mowing grass.
I think this is made worse by TruGreen who feels it's necessary to put fertilizer on my grass every time they come by for a visit.  I might tell them to stop visiting so often.

8)  Picking out clothes to wear.
I would rather not waste time on trying to figure out to wear every morning.  Because really, I would much rather just wear my sweats everyday!  I think I would be more effective at my job if I could just be comfortable.

9)  Cooking.
It takes so much time to prepare, eat, and clean up the mess.  This would easily give me an extra hour to hour and a half each day if we just cut out cooking and eating.

10)  Grocery shopping.
Somehow, I always seem to go to the grocery when everyone else in my city goes too.  The aisles are always packed, the lines several people deep with full carts of stuff, and it takes forever to shop!

Oh, the things I could do if I didn't have these ten things taking up my time!

Life altering

I'm not usually a crime show watcher.  They all kind of freak me out to know that there are people in the world that have that much disregard for human life.  It chills me to the core.
Recently, I found out that my husband watches Criminal Minds when I fall asleep early and my alleged snoring keeps him awake (I don't believe that I snore.  I refuse to believe this until I see it on video tape...with audio).  One night, I actually stayed awake and this show came on.  He was all like, "Oh, Emily and Morgan will get them."  And I'm all, "Who the heck is Emily?  And Morgan?  How do you even know these characters?"  Apparently, my husband lives a secret life of crime show watching when I'm sleeping.  I had no idea.
I digress...I watched one episode and my will to stay away from shows like this went straight out the window.  I found myself watching the reruns every night after the girls went to bed for the past few weeks.  I even mentioned something to Jason about buying the seasons to catch up.
Lately however, I am beginning to understand why I tend to stay away from shows like this.  I find the story lines intermingling in my dreams with real people from my life.  It's sort of unsettling when the people in my family become criminals in my dreams.
There was one particular episode that has altered my life forever, I think.  I won't go into detail but I'll just say it was about pigs.  Yesterday, I stopped at McDonald's for a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel.  I found myself completely unable to eat it because my thoughts kept flooding in, "What if they fed their pigs the same thing as on Criminal Minds?"  I couldn't finish it and wished at that moment that I was a vegetarian.
I might think about giving up the show but my new life long dream of being an FBI agent and analyzing behaviors is too strong now.  You know...if the whole teaching thing doesn't work out.

My tech savvy life

1.  After two years and a few very unreasonable electric bills, I finally decided to program my thermostat.  I looked up the owners manual online and read their recommended settings for energy savings.  I liked what they had to say, so I followed all the instructions.  I was able to successfully program my heat at 68º for when we are home, have it automatically turn off when we leave in the morning, and automatically be back to 68º when we return home after work/school.  This slightly cooler temperature hasn't fared well with our visitors who have suggested that it is cold in our house.  I would like everyone to know that I am trying to save 33% in energy savings this year as promised by my Honeywell thermostat owners manual.  Please wear warm clothes to visit.

2.  For the first time since...well, ever, my blog got a new look.  I kind of have mixed feelings about this.  All I wanted was pretty fonts for my titles and dates.  Unfortunately, I couldn't do the pretty fonts on my existing blog template.  I had to make a choice: pretty fonts with a whole new look or same template with no changes.  Clearly, I went with a whole new look.  Let me tell you, after the process of getting the new fonts for titles and dates, I feel like I could write a whole computer program.  It was quite a detailed process!
In related news:  I updated my tech savvy résumé to say, "Thermostat Programmer" and "Pretty Blog Font Editor"

3.  I've been playing with one particularly amazing app on iPad2.  It serves absolutely no purpose other than pure amusement.  It looks like this (Of course, this is not me. My photos are far more embarrassing and laughable so I choose to show you someone else)

This photo was taken from here-CLICK

One of my favorite parts of this app is the thermal image camera in the top left corner.  I usually turn the camera around so it's not pointed at me and search my house for ghosts.  I haven't seen one on there yet, but I'm sure when I do...it will probably be the last time I use it.

This is why I stick to a routine

I could not wait until Saturday to go to the grocery store...alone!  I knew Jason didn't have to work Saturday so I was looking forward to a nice, peaceful shopping trip all by myself.  Believe it or not, there are some weeks when that is my only "me time."  When we woke up Saturday morning, I told him I was going to the store.  Jason decided that he wanted to go, too.  I tried to explain that it is very difficult to shop with two kids and a husband.  I know you all might find this shocking (insert sarcastic tone here), but I have a very specific way of grocery shopping. Usually, just the girls are with me so I have to contain Kaitlyn in the cart and Kinsey has the job of looking for all of the items I call off on the list.  I keep diligent track of my spending on my calculator, make sure I've used all of my coupons, mark things off of the list, all while pushing the cart with a smile and maintaining sanity.  Usually, Jason is not with us.  So when he came along, it threw everyone off of their shopping trip routine.

As soon as we got into the store, Jason wanted to push the cart.  I thought this was fine...one less thing I have to do.  Kinsey wanted to mark things off of the list.  She is a proficient reader so why not let her mark things off?  Kaitlyn wanted to hold the coupons.  That's fine right?  They are all stored nicely in my filer.  What could go wrong?  Everyone had a job; it was time to get shopping.

Aisle one.  

I start putting items in the cart and tell Kinsey to mark them off of the list.  Problem 1:  she can't find them on the list as quickly as I am putting them in the cart.  Result:  We have to stop frequently and abruptly to find them for her.

Aisle two.

I open a freezer and turn around to put the items in the cart.  Problem 2:  Jason has put bonus items, not on the list (like $3.25 ice cream), in the cart without telling me.  Result: My diligent calculation of all items is not correct because my husband wants to sneak ice cream into the cart.

Skip to Aisle five.

I don't have my list in my hands.  My six year old has it.  Problem 3:  I realize that I forgot items on the opposite side of the store.  Result:  I run circle around the store at least four times.  

Aisle six.

Jason sneaks brownies in the cart.  Problem:  He couldn't just choose the $1 brownies.  He had to have the hot fudge lava brownies that were $3.50.  Result: frustration.

Aisle seven.

Going through my list in my head, I know I am about half way through.  I ask Kinsey what has not been marked off yet.  Problem 4:  She informs me that she has marked everything off already.  I took the list from her because there was no possible way we got everything.  She was right.  She literally marked everything off because I was putting things in too quickly for her so she just marked all items off.  Result:  extreme frustration.

Aisle...lost count by this time.

Miraculously, I realize that I am under budget and ask if there is anything else we need.  We decided that we need new toothbrushes.  That is great because I had a coupon for toothbrushes so we go pick them up.

Checkout.

I give the cashier all of my coupons.  She scans them all and wouldn't you know it...my toothbrush coupon is expired and she wouldn't take it.  Go figure!

Next weekend, I might fight a little harder to go alone.