doodlebugmom: August 2006

Is it freak me out day today?

I must be extra jumpy today. Or its the day to get me.

This morning at work. I turned around quickly and ran smack dab into my boss. Literally. Not sure why he was standing there in the first place :/

Was alone at work most of the rest of the day. Decided to make a little pit stop mid afternoon. And the seat was up. I did not leave the seat up. Makes me wonder who comes in and uses the bathroom? Creeped me out.

Later, time to lock up.

I was walking around turning off lights, locking the back door. Turned around and there was a customer standing there in the dark. (I am so glad I made that pit stop earlier!)<

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/29/2006 04:44:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Super Nanny

My kids were watching Super Nanny last night. Makes me think I am a really great parent compared to some of these people !

-A three year old boy standing on the kitchen counter hitting his mom in the face with a thermometer. Hello?? Does it not occur to this woman to take the thermometer away from the kid and make him get down?

-Same three year old: His favorite phrase appears to be "Butt #%*!#" He had to learn that from somehwere.

-Taking the kids out to dinner is a fiasco Must not occur to them to leave the kids at home

I don't think these parents need a super nanny. I think they need some common sense.

I am far from the perfect mom and my kids are not perfect either.
But they have never been in trouble with the law (ok there was one speeding ticket, but that happens to a lot of people)
I have never gotten a call from the principal. (One from the district superintendant asking me to be on the school board doesn't count.)
They are good students and good kids. And oh yeah, we have our moments.

Here are a few:

Don't use "don't" when teaching your kids how to behave. "Don't interrupt" becomes "wait until its your turn to talk."

Tell your kids what kind of behavior you expect before you get there.

Teach your kids to be empathetic. Nothing works better than "how would you feel it that happened to you?"

And tell your teenagers not to fight with you. Mom always wins.

Punishment and discipline are not the same thing.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/29/2006 01:41:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Aimee and Katrina

Tomorrow is the anniversary of when Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. I remember following the story online while at work that day. (click on the pink words to take you to her blog)

I “met” Aimee through a scrapbook message board. She has brought the reality of Katrina to me. She and her husband live in Waveland MS, a small city that took the brunt of Katrina, including a 32 foot storm surge. Waveland was obliterated.

They were in the process of building a new home. Her posts in early August 2005 where about choosing paint colors and getting electricity installed.

On August 28 she asked for prayers.

The post on August 31, Mourning After. You can read the fear and sadness.

It has been amazing to read her blog over the past year. The heartbreak of returning home. Overwhelming emotions. The elation when she learned her Grandmother survived the storm. The frustration in dealing with FEMA and insurance companies.

Yet through it all, Aimee has this amazing spirit. Real Spunk! They are rebuliding their home and their lives. They have a long way to go. But they have come so far.

Yesterday she posted a link to some of her pictures. Check them out them here.

Don't forget about Aimee, and thousands like her, stil trying to return to normal.

Thanks Aimee, for sharing your story. I know your blog as therapy for yourself, but it is so much more to me! It is a daily reminder of your spirit!

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/28/2006 05:42:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

my new phone

I got this cool new little phone. It has way too many options for me. By the time I get them all figured out, it will be obsolete.

I went with an all-tell prepaid phone. I don't use the my cell phone much, it seemed to make sense. It even came with the ugly little clip...keeps it from falling into the bottomless pit of my purse!

I am way to easily amused

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/28/2006 10:50:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Saturday at the fair

Lots of blue and red ribbons. My yougest got a special award on her crocheted potholders (they only got secoond place at the school fair so =P !) and a special award for her counted cross stitch.

We met up with her friend, also a soon to be 6th grader. They rode rides, including the typhoon...not one you would catch me on...they both decided they were not going back on that one! J has two black eyes from that. Holy cow! Tilt-o-whirl and the big slide are much more kid friendly.

Fried cheese curds are batter dipped deep fat fried cheese curd. Stingy, greasy, once a year binge.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/26/2006 06:36:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

school fair and schools shopping

My kids had their school fair last weekend. They took plenty of projects. Ended up with mostly blue ribbons. The oldest two work as junior superintendents...so they get to hear all the judges' comments. A great help for next year. My son received a special ribbon for house plants.

County fair is this weekend. Heading down today to see what kind of ribbons they recieved. And youngest will ride some rides. Its an election year so there will be an abundance of free pencils...lol. And the once-a-year-optimist-club-fried-cheese-curds. Yummy.

* * * * * *

We dropped a pile of money on school shopping on Thursday. On the way, we stopped at the bank. My oldest had to get some $ out of her savings account. She had never taken $ out of her savings account before! But its going fast now.

We are still missing a few things. We need one more calculator and a graphics calculator (holy cow..those things are pricey! Had hoped to get a used one from my nephews, but so such luck), kleenexes and a pair of CC spikes.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/26/2006 06:52:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

hehe..funny! but yet true!

The search is over. How to make a woman happy. Turns out it’s not very difficult at all! from email:

A man needs only to be a friend, companion, lover, brother, father, master, chef, electrician, carpenter, plumber, mechanic, decorator, stylist, sex therapist, gynecologist, psychologist, pest exterminator, psychiatrist, healer, good listener, organizer, good father, very clean, yet scruffy, sympathetic, athletic, but not a jock, warm, attentive,without hovering, gallant, intelligent, funny, serious, creative, tender, strong, fugal, but not afraid to drop lots of cash on a gift for her!,complimenting, understanding, tolerant, prudent, ambitious, capable, courageous, determined, true dependable, passionate, compassionate, love shopping, be honest, be very rich, not stress her out, not look at other women…and also give her lots of attention (but expect little yourself), give her lots of time (especially time for herself), and give her lots of space (but never worrying about where she goes), and finally, never forget birthdays, anniversaries, and any arrangements that she makes.

Now you know!

Women, just show up scantily clad (if clad at all) and with food/beer.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/25/2006 12:15:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

100 years

I got this in email from my friend Rick.

Was neat to watch

Click here to see 100 years of pictures

TGIF

:o)

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/25/2006 09:27:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Who read this anyway?

So...? Anyone out there?

Reading?

Stopping by?

Say hi...yup...uh huh...you click on the little comment thing-y and type.

You can link back to your blog or not.

But be nice, my kids read this.

I got rid of word verification (gonna try again)

I think its so annoying, so I wont subject you to it anymore!

Yeah!

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/21/2006 02:56:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

centipedes

I have these really big centipedes hanging out with me at work lately.

I don't mind bugs. They are easily squishable. But these things are huge.

Three-four inches long. And fast.

At least they are not mice.

Or snakes.

Mice or snakes I would definatley be quitting my job.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/21/2006 12:33:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ushering

My friend Mary Ellen and I were ushers in church yesterday.

(Shame on me) I hadn't been to church all summer, guess the way they get me there is by assigning me a task.

The minister forgot the offering. So we stood in the back, holding the plates up. Eventually he got the hint.

Its kinda of fun to sit in the back and watch the people during the sermon:

- There was one elderly man, as to be well into his 80's. Winking and flirting with the little old lady next to him. We laughed when she winked back, the got up and walked out.
- A couple, no idea how long they have been married, but their kids are grown and gone...so its more than a few years. One he looked at her and smiled, and she just tilted her head..awww...so sweet.

-Little kids had to check the contents of every single busy bag before choosing one.

Mary Ellen: this is fun. Want to usher more often?

me: Are you nuts??

Mary Ellen: me neither...lol

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/21/2006 11:39:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Painting

I was cleaning the down stairs bathroom yesterday. You know, the not-often-enough-take-every-thing-out-wash-the-walls kinda of cleaning.

As I was taking the curtains down, the phone rang. It was my son. He had locked his keys in the car at band practice. No problem I can walk away from dust and hard water stains to bring up the extra set.

When I hung up the phone I got an idea. Since I have to go to town I will just stop at the hardware store and buy some paint. Man. Why did someone not stop me at this point??

So, after stopping at the school parking lot and unlocking the car, Off I went to the hardware store. Primer, ceiling paint, some supper scrubblable satin, a couple new brushes, and a bag tootsie rolls in hand I was heading for home.

Scrubbed the walls. Hubby replaced some water damaged yucky-ness above the shower. Primed. Let it dry. About 9:30 pm opened the color. Oooooh! What looked like pretty sea foam-y green at the store, now looks a lot like Crest toothpaste. :/

My hubby and I quit painting about 10:30. We are painting over plastic fake-tile panels(I suppose 20-30 years ago strange paneling seemed like a good idea) so it was slow going.

This morning we hung the shower curtain back up (The room is still only half painted) I took a quick shower, scrounged around in the boxes of stuff piled in the laundry room for some make-up and came to work.

So hoping my family will surprise me with a toothpaste-colored fully painted bathroom when I get home!

update: When I got home on Friday, my youngest was balancing on the toilet, brushes (yes plural) in hand and most of a gallon on paint. She was painting this-way and that way...and diagonally. Big fat drips dried onto the walls. Smudges on the ceiling. I don't know what possessed my husband to leave her inside to paint alone. (!) Maybe I should make him clean the blobs off the floor and toilet...hmmm.

I should have know better. I wanted it done. But I also wanted it done right.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/18/2006 11:20:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

What color should you blog be

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything.
You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey.
You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

too bad, its pink! :P

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/16/2006 02:54:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Back to school?

I love those Staples commercials, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" playing in the background. Cracks me up!

Some kids are back to school already. Mine are not...yet.

Our Wisconsin Legislature, a few years ago, bowed to the tourism industry, passed into law, no school til after Sept 1.

Its a joke really.

My son started offical CC practice yesterday. Twice a day, 7 am and 7 pm. And band practice at 11 am. So he is literally driving 12 miles to town morning,noon, and night.

There are two football games before school starts, two volleyball games, one CC meet.

There are still 180 days in the school calendar. They just go a week or two into June now.

Gee I am glad we have so much extra time for summer vacation.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/15/2006 12:27:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

snakes!

Saturday night at my house.

Mowed the yard. how boring is that?

I should learn, snake-hater than I am, should not mow in the eveing or look down.

Yuck!

I looked at the DNR site, trying to figure out what kind of snakes love my yard, but I didn't see anything that looked like mine. The ones (yes plural - double yuck) ones I saw were tan, with crisscross markings across their backs, they were very thin and only about a foot along.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/14/2006 09:40:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

making cards

I spent some time making cards this weekend and last.

Check out some of them by clicking here

Some of them didn't scan very well, the colors are a little off and I got crop-happy!

:o)

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/07/2006 01:22:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

ugh-updated to-yeah!

My son and his girlfriend climbed the rock Friday.

They had all the must-haves for rock climbing. Water bottles and Oreos.

There is a trail. These are some of the views on the way up.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/05/2006 06:53:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

It's a dell, Dude

My daughter's laptop arrived.

I don't think she has ever been so excited to see the fed ex driver.

But she has to go babysit this evening and has to postpone playing with it.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/03/2006 03:36:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Que sera sera

Whatever will be will be.

Today would have been my Aunt's birthday. She was the best. I loved going to her farm as a kid. My kids loved going to the farm too.

I remember one day my cousin took me for a go-cart ride, they had a track around the cow pasture. We hit a recently deposited cow pie and were both covered. Yuck. She just laughed when we trudged through her kitchen (to get to the bathroom to clean up).

She was good natured and fun. And I miss her so much.

I found this picture of us together.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/03/2006 07:14:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. ~Benjamin Franklin

My oldest daughter will be leaving for college in a few short weeks.

I am open to any advice for being a college parent.

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/01/2006 04:18:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

wilting today

Its hot. Really hot. I know its lots worse in other places. But I feel like I am wilting. And this morning some weird bug decided to have me for breakfast. I got a nice welt on my back from him. I hope I tasted bad! lol

My office is a balmy 90. woo hoo...wish I could bottle this for when its 50 in here in the winter...brrr!

We are supposed to get some relief tomorrow. Yippee!

Posted by doodlebugmom at 8/01/2006 02:12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments