Scentsational!

Clothing stores nowadays are just expensive. I walked into Hollister the other day and could not believe the price they wanted for T-shirts alone. Cute clothes, but come on with this economy why should I pay that much for clothing? I gave a casual look and began to make my way out and that is when the store got me. The scents! Oh the scents! I am not a big perfume person, but I do love body mist. I love Bath and Bodyworks Brown Sugar and Fig, Victoria's Secret used to have a cucumber scent that I was mad about, but today I will add Hollister to my new favorite store to fill my aroma therapy addiction. I have to go back there and try one scent at a time, but I think Laguna Beach is my favorite, at least today anyhow. And how fun is that that all the scents are named after beaches that I have been to? Laguna, LaJolla, Ventura. Great names, wonderful scents, and the price isn't really that much more outrageous than B&BW. And the men's scents are to die for as well. I think I know what D is getting for Valentine's Day. (I already have gotten him more Christmas than I had planned, Drat!)

Oh and PS, D doesn't want me to blog about it, but he got his MBA! Maybe he deserves that scent afterall!

Not so Horrible

It is no secret that I am a huge Joss Whedon fan. Firefly is the best ever! So I have to be excited knowing that on December 19th DR HORRIBLES SING ALONG BLOG will be out on DVD. This is not a happy movie, but for some reason it puts me in the best of moods, especially the first act. I probably should be embarrassed to say just how bad I hope I get this for Christmas, but if there was ever something I could count on putting a smile on my face it would be Neil Patrick Harris singing the Laundry Day song. So I know that you each have a weakness, something that might seem idiotic to everyone else, but you can't help but love. I put mine out there, what is yours? Go ahead admit it!

Nano a no no...House a go go!

So Nano kinda fell through for me. I did manage almost 20,000 words, but then the housing project began to suck any life force from me. WE have been painting non stop all week I swear. Everyone keeps saying to me. "I painted my whole house in 2 days" or "You're still painting?" It is a little frustrating. We have been working hard, but I have no idea how anyone can 3 tone their entire house when ceilings need 3 coats, rooms are all different colors and they each need 3 coat, baseboards and casings all need 2 coats, doors need 2 coats, and some of the doors are one color on the inside and another on the outside depending on what room they join. It has been insane. I think I have learned my lesson on picking many colors, but it just looks so good that I might not have.
Tonight we finished L's blue wall. That took 4 coats of paint plus the primer. It might have needed more, but after one gallon on one wall we are calling it good. I love it next to the yellow walls and can't wait to get the red trim on. His room really is my most daring room, but it is the room I am also most excited for. I got him one of those city street rugs at Home Depot and he is getting a fire engine bed from his cousin. I can't wait to see it all put together. It will be such a boy room.
M is still having a surf room. Her quilt is getting closer to being done. I will post it here when it is finished. My mom has hand stitched the whole thing. The applique is so cool. I am thankful for a talented mother. I have a Hawaiian message board for her to hang up, but I am still looking for more decorations. Anyone have any good ideas? I thought about doing grass skirts for the windows.
C's room is the easiest since she will be inheriting all of my Mary Engelbreit things. She has curtains, paintings, light switch covers, the works. It will be so bright and cheery (also the name of her trim color). As soon as M's quilt is done, my mom will start on one for C, but even now her blanket has cherries and posies on it so it is already very Mary Engelbreit.
There is still a lot to do and we are not out of the woods yet, but everyday we get a little closer and with any luck we may move in officially the weekend before Christmas! That is all I want this year and it just might happen. At that point I can turn my focus back to writing in my free time, which lets face, as a mother of three I don't have much of, but some is better than nothing. So sorry nano, I flaked out, but just you wait until next year!

Reflections Night

Tonight was reflections night at the school. It is such a simple thing, go to the school, get your medal (everyone gets one), look at some art and get a brownie. It takes all of 10 minutes, but it is worth it all year to see the look on a child's face as they hold up their medal and know that someone thought they did good. M has entered for the last 3 years. The last two years she has entered in art and gotten an honorable mention and the opportunity to move on to the next round. This year she decided to enter in literature (how proud am I as a writer that my daughter wanted to do this?:))The theme for the year was WOW! She decided that she was going to interview her Oma about her life as a young child during WWII and the Russian occupation of East Germany. (Okay it helps that my mom had a pretty amazing story to tell.)
M interviewed my mom, composed a story about what she learned and then wrote it in her best handwriting(which is something she struggles with, so that alone made me super proud!)Well, when we got to her place tonight, there were two medals there. She looked at me and said "Who is that other one for?" I tried not to laugh as I told her that it was hers. She had won the award of excellence for literature. She looked at me for a moment with a blank expression and then got a huge grin. "Really?" That smile was all worth it.
On the way home we had our usual talk about how proud we were that she entered and it doesn't matter if she doesn't move on past the next level, but that she did her best and that is what will always make her a winner. It is hard as a parent to find that fine line between encouraging your children and making them think that winning is all that matters. I try my best, but for tonight I am going to gloat for a moment and say, my baby girl rocks! I love you M and am so proud of you!

Test your Awareness

I always look forward to reading Orson Scott Cards reviews on Hatrack. They always give me something to think about, talk about, read, see, or avoid. Today they gave me this great ad that I have watched several times. GO ahead, take a minute watch it and then as Card says watch it again!

When you're sick...

So I finally am taking a break from running around, getting water, holding achy kids, playing candy land with L who is not sick, taking temperatures, and some stuff that needs cleaning up that I am sure no one needs to hear about. I just made a pot of cinnamon raisin rice and now M is finally saying her tummy feels a bit better. It got me to thinking about the things that comfort us when we are sick. I made this, because it is what my dad always made me when I was sick. I also used to only drink Hi-C Ecto Cooler when I was sick. I don't think they even make that anymore. Now when I am sick, my comfort is my big pillow, my blanket and silence!
My sister swears by peppermint tea. When she is taking care of my kids and they are sick to their stomach that is what they get. I can't stand hot drinks and so while I might take a sip or two (it does work) it is not a comfort to me and so I usually try to avoid it.
It is funny how each person is different when it comes to what will make them better. L needs to sleep when he is sick. M likes her rice pad heated up and C is all about sponging herself with cool wash cloths. But no matter what different things each of them need, the number one thing they all seem to want when they are sick is Mommy. It makes for a lot of work which is added to the stress of seeing your kids sick, but it also is a comfort to me that when they are miserable, it is me that they want. Maybe I am doing something right after all!
So what is it that you need when you are sick? A friend, chicken soup, coke? Whatever it is I hope you always have it, and you never need it! Healthy thoughts for this upcoming sick season!

I'm Sick and Tired

Yes, you heard me. I am sick and tired! Literally! I am sick to my stomach as is C and cleaning her throw up up is not helping. L has fifth disease, and I thought with the fever that is what C had as well until dinner started coming back. I am also tired. We have been working like crazy on the house. Painting ceilings is hard work, I am sore. But all the ceilings have been primed, five got a first coat of paint, and three of those got their second coat this weekend before the bug hit me. I hope to feel better tomorrow so I can get back at it. I so want this house to be done and for us to be in it. I have waited a long time for a house of my own. Now the only thing I wish about as much as I wish to get into it, is that I can take my current neighborhood with me when I go! I love it here so much. I know I should give the new one a chance, but I live in the ideal neighborhood right now. I am going to miss everyone! Just thinking about it makes me sad. So now I am sick, tired, and sad. Oh well C'est La vie! That is my rant and my reason that there has been no word count posting this week. But the silver lining is that last night I had a dream about my story and figured a way to begin resolving all of my many dilemmas. I am sure there will be more to come before this is a book, but maybe, just maybe next week I can write again! Oh and three cheers to my fellow codex writers Eric James Stone and Ami Chopine. Both have stories in the recent edition of Intergalactic Medicine Show. If you are looking for good reads, check it out!