House of Estrogen

Simple Woman's Daybook, February 27, 2012

For Today...

Outside my window... a yucky, rainy day.

  

   I am thinking... about doing some laundry... exciting life, eh?

 I am thankful for... the dentist finally getting Nina's teeth out on take three. Poor Nina was pretty well zonked for most of the day from the Versed, but at least we are done with extractions for a while.

 

 From the kitchen... tacos.

   

 I am creating... blog posts in my head. They just haven't made it to the keyboard yet.

  

I am going... just a little bit cookie crazy.

  

I am reading... Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I had heard a lot of hype about this book and bought it for the Kindle without really reading much about it. It definitely is NOT what I was expecting, but it is entertaining nonetheless. I finally gave up on Peter and Wendy. It was boring me, and I don't have time for boring right now.

 

  I am hoping... that the rain stops before I take my dad out to lunch. It would just be easier without rain.

 

 I am hearing... our housekeeper vacuuming.

 

Around the house... little slips of paper with cookie counts on them EVERYWHERE. I count cookies on post-it notes, envelopes, pieces of cardboard, scraps of paper, and they are all over the house.

 

One of my favorite things... the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill. We went there this week for a belated Valentine's/birthday dinner.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... jump rope, gymnastics, cookie booths, repeat. Book club is this week too.

 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... this is the pillow that Elise's class contributed to the silent auction at the elementary school "Night of the Arts" fund-raiser. The kids voted on a theme for their drawings (hearts received the same number of votes as sports, so we told the sport loving kids they could do a sports-themed heart), and then each created a quilt square.  My mom then did all the quilting. THANK YOU MOM!!  As cute as this turned out, I was really not at all a fan of this fund-raiser. The gradeparents each had to come up with an idea for an art project that (a) the kids could do (b) wasn't too expensive to create and (c) other parents would want to bid on. That is much easier said than done. There were painted canvases, painted furniture, drawings printed on blankets, and painted flowerpots. I think for most of the items, the cost of the item was higher than the winning bid - seems sort of pointless, eh?  The teachers didn't like this fund-raiser either. It took away class time with the kids working on the project. Anyway, regardless of my feelings about the fund raiser, I really was pleased with this cute pillow! The kids loved it too.

 

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Feminist, Lesbian, or Communist?

I thought my biggest Girl Scout obstacles this month would be counting change, keeping up with the cookie inventory in my garage, and finding good booth locations. Now, Indiana State Representative Bob Morris decided to add to my plate. According to his letter to lawmakers, the Girl Scouts are a radicalized organization that promotes the homosexual lifestyle, sexualizes young girls, encourages abortion, and is a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood. Morris believes that all Girl Scout role models are feminists, lesbians, or Communists.

Wah?  How have I been involved in Girl Scouts since I was in first grade and never known this? Have I been living under a rock?  And all this time I thought those camping trips were for fun, for girls gaining independence, and for bonding with friends.  I guess I have been completely brainwashed by the Girl Scouts' radical agenda, and I didn't even realize it. 

Well, heck. I try to be a good role model to the girls as cookie mom. While at booths, I teach them how to count change properly while handing out pro-choice pamphlets with the change. While going door-to-door selling cookies, I encourage good manners, looking people in the eye, and always saying thank you, especially to the homosexuals who buy cookies.  I guess that makes me a feminist, lesbian, or Communist. Decisions, decisions!  I'm fairly confident I'm not a lesbian. I suppose I could be called a feminist, but that sounds kind of boring compared to the other two. I think I shall be a Communist!  Yes... a Communist I shall be. I will sell cookies while wearing my rainbow stripe t-shirt with "pro-choice" on the front and a hammer and sickle on the back.  That's the Girl Scout way.

Anyone want to buy some Girl Scout cookies?

Simple Woman's Daybook, February 20, 2012

For Today...

Outside my window... SNOW! Holy cow - we've actually gotten some winter. The girls were outside in swimsuits playing in the sprinkler two days ago, and then outside in snowsuits sledding today.

I am thinking...that Nina needs to finish her Black History Month project about Oprah this morning.

I am thankful for... good health insurance. Everyone should have it.

From the kitchen... taco soup in the crockpot.

I am creating... this post, not much else.

I am going... to take Elise to the ENT this afternoon. I'm not sure if that poor child misses more school from being sick or from doctor's appointments. Her pulmonology appointment last week took the entire day. She never even made it back to school  after her morning appointment.

I am reading... nothing but cookie related emails.

I am hoping... that my dad is OK. He wasn't feeling well today.

I am hearing... the movie "Barbie as Rapunzel."  I can think of so many things I'd rather be listening to. Addie is home from school for President's Day, and the big girls are on a two hour delay due to the snow, so they popped in a movie.

Around the house... I cleaned up the kitchen yesterday. I looks so tidy for once.

One of my favorite things... my 50 mm 1.4 lens.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... this week should be a doozy. Elise goes to the ENT. Nina goes back for "take three" of attempted teeth extractions. They have increased the anesthesia each time to try to get her numb. If they can't get the teeth out this time, she'll have to go to an oral surgeon and be put under. Elise has jump rope team practice, jump rope club, and a jump rope speed and agility class. Nina and Addie have gymnastics. We have the elementary school Night of the Arts, a friend's 40th birthday party, and of course cookie booths.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... my poor sad cookie-mobile. Apparently hauling cookies around killed it. It is in the shop getting 4 different code/warning lights looked at. How is a cookie mom supposed to function without a cookie-mobile?

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

February

February: Playing in the sprinkler today... forecast for snow tomorrow.

Happy Balentine's Day!

I think my favorite part of today was listening to Addie wish everyone a Happy Balentine's Day, talk about her Balentine's Day party at school, and to see how excited she was about all the Balentines she received. I doubt next year will be Balentine's Day, so I'm enjoying it while I can.

The last two years, we have put a lot of time and effort into the girls' Valentines for school. Two years ago, we did the iPod Valentines. Last year, we upped the ante with the iPhone Valentines. This year, I had no time or energy for anything complicated. I needed cheap, easy, and quick. Hello Pinterest! I found these great glow stick valentines on the Teacher Wife Blog complete with a free printable. Bingo!  Glow bracelets are 15 for a dollar in Target's Dollar Spot. For six bucks, I got enough for all three kids classes. 

 

I hope Addison's friends enjoyed their Balentines from Abbison and Appison!

For the first time ever, I decided to attempt heart hairdos. I have always admired these but never actually attempted them.

Elise's hair is short enough that there weren't a lot of options. I went with this little side heart. I think it has potential, but I definitely need more practice. She liked it, but apparently she took it out on the bus on the way to school when Nina told her it looked ugly. Gotta love little sisters.

For Addie, I went with the braided heart. It turned out OK, but her hair wasn't quite long enough to really do it properly.

Nina's hair is the longest, and I think hers definitely turned out the best. Fun, huh?

I hope all of you had a wonderful Balentine's Day!

Simple Woman's Daybook, February 13, 2012

For Today...

Outside my window... it is too cold to want to go out to deliver Girl Scout cookies, but we have to anyway.

I am thinking...that I need to go to bed. I started this post this morning and just remembered that I never finished it!

I am thankful for... all the support and love that has been given to JC's family since his grandmother's passing.

From the kitchen... sausage, pasta, and green beans, I think.

I am creating... Valentines with the girls, or "Balentines" as Addie would say.

I am going... to take Elise to a jump rope private lesson this afternoon. There is one performance routine that she hasn't quite mastered, and she is getting so frustrated with it. Every time she tries to get it checked off, she is "this close" but not quite there. Hopefully this lesson will push her over the hump.

I am reading... Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie. I really should be done with this, given that it is a children's book. It isn't really a page-turner (should I say page-clicker since it is a Kindle book?). It is sweet though. I'll finish it in time for book club.

I am hoping... that Elise's appointment with the pediatric pulmonologist goes well this week. That child desperately needs to get well.

I am hearing... a few birds chirping.

Around the house... cookie paperwork seems to be everywhere. That is going to come back to bite me at some point. I really need to get more organized.

One of my favorite things... popcorn and hot chocolate on a cold, blustery day.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... pick up another 100 cases of cookies, picnic with Addie in her new pre-K classroom, volunteer in Nina's classroom, jump rope for Elise, gymnastics for Nina, Elise's pulmonology appointment, Girl Scout meetings, and Addie starts gymnastics this week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Elise's solar system for the science fair.

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Cookie Mom Humor

The job of Girl Scout Cookie Mom isn't one I would ever characterize as "fun", "enjoyable", or "full of laughs".  Better descriptions would be "time sink", "mind-numbing", or "pit of despair". I took this video tonight, then watched it and realized how totally pathetic my life as a Cookie Mom is. Check out the way I laugh at about 0:41. This is about as exciting as life gets during cookie season.

Saying Good-bye

We lost J.C.'s grandmother this week.

It has been a tough week.

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born. I lost my grandmothers when I was in high school and college.  When I came into J.C.'s family, in my mind, I think I adopted his grandparents as my own. "Granddaddy" became the grandfather I never had, and "Grandmother" filled that role in my life.

The two of them were married for seventy years. I loved watching them together. You could tell their love was still going strong even after so many years. I always loved the way her name, "Mary Elizabeth" was always pronounced as one word, "Merlizbeth" by her husband.

I can imagine that if you had asked her how they kept the spark alive for so many years, one of her answers would have been to keep a sense of humor. She certainly had one. She would give people a hard time or make funny observations, always with a smile on her face and just a hint of mischief in her eye. She was a wonderfully sweet lady, but had a little spunk inside as well. She was deeply devoted to her husband but had such an independent streak too. Every Christmas or birthday, each of us would receive a card with money inside - cash from Granddaddy and a check from Grandmother. Grandaddy has never been a fan of banks, so you knew the cash came from him. I was never sure whether or not he knew that she included the check too.

Her obituary today in the paper said that she was well known for her chocolate pies. She was always ruler of the kitchen on holidays. If she told you to stir, you said "Yes, m'am" and started stirring. If you were charged with carving the turkey, you better know how to do it.  Along with her chocolate pies, everyone loved her chicken salad, her chicken slicks, pecan pies and sweet potato pies. I hope one day, when I'm a grandmother, my grandchildren will fondly remember my specialties in the kitchen as well. For my own grandmothers, some of my strongest memories of them are food related - Moonie for her cherry pies and cherry jam, and Gonga for her broccoli cheese casserole, slaw, and chocolate cake. One of JC's favorite parts of the holidays has always been his grandmother's sweet potato pie.

I wish my children had been able to get to know her better before her health began to decline the last few years. I know they would have loved her.

May she rest in peace after 88 wonderful years of laughter, love, family, and chocolate pies.

Simple Woman's Daybook, February 6, 2012

For Today...

Outside my window... it is too cold for my taste... still probably warm for February though!

I am thinking... about that psychopath Josh Powell. If he wanted to blow himself up, then good riddance, but why did he have to take the innocent children with him as well? If only police could have nailed him for his wife's disappearance, those two sweet little boys would still be alive.... so tragic.

I am thankful for...my husband's Microsoft Excel skills. I couldn't survive cookie season without him.

From the kitchen... Girl Scout cookies for dinner, perhaps?

I am creating...Valentines soon for the kids' classes at school.

I am going... to lunch with my parents today.

I am reading... Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie. I am enjoying it... Barrie had such a creative mind. I finally finished Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. That really wasn't a good book.

I am hoping... for peace for JC's mom's family. His grandmother is not doing well.

I am hearing... Born This Way on the Lady Gaga Pandora station.

Around the house... I don't even know where to start with the mess. It seems overwhelming.

One of my favorite things... Thanks-a-Lot Girl Scout cookies.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... volunteering in Elise's class, elementary school science fair, cookie booths, cookie delivery day. Also, Addie moves up to a pre-K class this week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Nina and a friend working on their science project growing sugar crystals.

 

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

M.I.A.