Sophie and I got a girl's day out today. Victoria had a slumber party and Josiah went to Six Flags with his bestest friend in the whole wide world.
I had to track down a movie theatre in the area that was still playing the American Girl Doll movie. Seems it got bumped from a bunch of theatres because of The Dark Knight. I had been promising her all week we would go. Most of the showings were too early. I finally found one in Annapolis that was showing at 4:10pm.
I got everyone else to where they were going and we headed out. I was super excited because there is an Amish market AND a Whole Foods in the same shopping center. I needed more truffles (Yes, I finished off the box I bought Monday night, but in my defense I shared with the kids, my mom, my sister in law, and broke them out on TV Thursday.) and wanted to grab some creme fraiche since no local store sells it.
The movie was good, but a bit of a tear jerker. Not once, not twice, but like 5 times at least. The Great Depression was definitely depressing. The cool thing was almost every group that came in consisted of a mom, some kids, and a great grandma (at least, I'm assuming it was a great grandma, they all looked like my Mom-Mom). There was even an elderly couple by themselves. I couldn't help but think that my Mom-Mom would've enjoyed it, considering she lived through the Great Depression herself.
After the movie we hit up Whole Foods. I bought my truffles and creme fraiche. I also picked up some cute grocery bags that were made from recycled plastic bottles. I love me some reusable bags. I hate plastic grocery bags with a vengence. They always seem to multiply and it's gotten to the point that I feel horribly guilty throwing them away knowing they are just going to sit in a landfill somewhere. The hardest thing is making sure I remember to take my bags into the grocery store when I shop.
On the way home, Sophie was dropping hints about going to dinner at Sakura, a Japanese hibachi restaurant. I was trying to steer her toward a local Korean restaurant, even reminding her that Jon and Kate Plus 8 just made Korean food. She could have some just like they made. She wasn't buying it though.
Steve got home shortly after us, and was like, let's go to Sakura, without Soph ever saying a word. Needless to say, she was thrilled. She was also thrilled to find she is too old for the kid's menu, so she got an adult portion. Nothing like a good dinner and enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Knowing Sophie, she may just break it out for breakfast.
So, anyway, I'm rambling. Soph's in bed, so Steve and I are going to curl up and watch a movie.
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One of my favorite things to do is grocery shop. I really do love it. Scanning the ads, writing the list, clipping the coupons, planning the meals. I love every part of it. Well, I could do without having to lug it all in the house, but everything else I love.
I've noticed something in the last couple of months that irritates me. I first noticed it when I was purchasing some lovely Hamburger Helper (yes, I love that stuff). I pulled one box off the shelf, then grabbed another. The second one was smaller and lighter. Hmmm. I looked at the weight. Less food, same price. Sneaky General Mills. You didn't get one over on me.
A week or so later, I was buying some Breyer's ice cream. I noticed some were 1.75 quarts, while others (same flavor) were 1.5 quarts. Same price. I was peeved enough when ice cream went from a half gallon to 1.75 quarts, but reducing the size again. Grrrrrr.
They've done the same thing with cereal. It just irks me. Look, I understand prices are going up. I expect to pay more. Just don't try and trick me into thinking I'm still getting low prices while giving me smaller portions. I would rather pay more and get the same amount.
You may be able to fool some people, but you aren't fooling me!
]]>Yesterday, I took homemade cupcakes into school for Josiah's 8th birthday. This was my first time. Every other school the kids have ever gone to have had strict rules for birthday snacks. No homebaked or bakery items, must be individually packaged and have ingredient list due to possible allergies. Sure, it took less effort from me, but it's just not the same bringing in a couple of boxes of twinkies instead of some homemade cupcakes. I have fond memories of watching my mom in the kitchen, the night before my birthday making cupcakes. There was something so wonderful about carrying that box full of cupcakes into your class, knowing that everyone else in your class would hurry over to see the goodies you had brought in.
A side note, I was amazed at what a little bit of candy sprinkles do for a horrible frosting job. Who knew cupcakes were so difficult to frost? Although, I guess it could just be me.
]]>I'm having a lot of fun with my new computer (whom I have named Oscar, just because). Yesterday, I installed iTunes and put our entire library on it. I burned myself a cd of a bunch of songs from the various mix cds Steve made me when we started dating. I hadn't really listened to "secular" music in almost 10 years, so I was a bit behind on music. (Don't ask.)
Anyway, while driving home from the store with Ashley and Alex and listening to my "new" cd, we were discussing how certain songs can bring you back to a particular time and place in your life.
"These songs remind of when I was dating your dad. It's like I can close my eyes and just be there. And like The Fray's album reminds me of last October when Mom-Mom died because it was the cd I listened to the most." I said.
Alex (13) pipes up like he totally gets what I'm trying to say, "Yeah, and like, I don't know why, but the word supper always makes me think of spaghetti."
Alrighty then. I was a good mom and didn't laugh til I told Steve later. Although, perhaps a good mom wouldn't blog about it.
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I've noticed that we aren't going through toilet paper as fast as we once did. So I did some thinking. The only thing I can figure is that it has to do with the kids going back to school. Now I need to adjust my toilet paper buying schedule. I've been buying it in the same quantities I was over summer and it seems I have 36 rolls of mega roll toilet paper after buying a humongous 30 roll pack at the wholesale club 2 weeks ago (yay for new wholesale club membership and being able to buy things in bulk!). I think I can skip buying toiler paper for this pay period. Don't you think?
]]>Don't you hate it when people ask you that? Then they hold up whatever nasty smelling thing they are holding up to your nose. Why do we feel the need to share the stink? (Marlen, I'm looking at you!)
Speaking of things that smell weird, about a month ago I called Steve on his cell phone to ask him to pick up a gallon of milk on his way home from work. No big deal, he stopped and there was milk for everyone's snack of cereal before bed. Steve saved the day. Well, I thought he did until I opened the milk. It was sour. Stinky and sour. This made me very angry and bitter because milk is getting up close to $5 a gallon in some stores. So $4.79 down the drain, literally, and the kids had to eat dry cereal.
Last week on our way home from church, we needed milk. We stopped at the same place where Steve had purchased the offending gallon. When he came out, I decided before we drove off I was going to open it. Fat chance I was going to get home and find out it was sour, once again wasting a ridiculous amount of money. I opened it and took a whiff. Sure enough, it was sour! Steve took it back in and they gave him a gallon that didn't smell like rotten feet.
Ever since that day, Ashley has developed a paranoia over the possibility of the milk being bad. Any time Ashley is eating cereal she comes to get me.
"This milk smells funny!", she whines. I assure her, especially since the other kids and I are having it with our cereal, that it is perfectly safe.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I just had some. It is fine."
Alex and Victoria have to put in their two cents. "Yeah, rotten milk tastes like strawberries." Hmmm, guess instead of buying them strawberry syrup to put in their milk, I'll just give 'em some sour milk next time. Much cheaper, don't you think?
This had played out at least once a day since we had the whole "sour milk" debacle. I'm not sure how long she'll stress about it. Hopefully she'll give up before she gives me my second grey hair. The one I have might be lonely, but I don't want her to grow any friends anytime soon!
]]>Unfortunately, the day the Twin Towers fell, my oldest daughter happened to be in the room. I wasn't expecting to see planes crashing into buildings on the morning show. She ended up seeing what happened that morning. She was only 7 years old. This is a picture she drew and brought to me the next day.
Well, kind of, just another day, Josiah woke up at 4am and knocked at my door. He announced he was going to be sick and ran back down the hall to the bathroom. So, I had my first kid home sick. He didn't throw up anymore, but his belly was bothering him most of the day. Sure, I didn't get everything taken care of that I planned today, had to put some stuff off, but I do like having my boy home with me, even if he is sick. He really is a sweet kid.
Actually, I'm not feeling too well myself. I feel like I'm on the verge of coming down with something. I hope not. So yeah, that's it. I'm all blogged out today. Maybe I'll be more interesting tomorrow.
]]>I finished the book last night, such a relief, like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Still it exhausted me. Don't let that deter you from reading it. You won't regret reading it.
Another day of sports practices down at the school, cleaning, laundry, cooking, the usual. A mom's life. Monotony puncuated by silly little things.
Today it was a rousing game of "Smack My Hand With a Brush" in the backseat of the car. Yes, Josiah and Ashley came up with this wonderfully fun game. Up until this point, they had been laughing and playing in the backseat of the van. I had no clue as to what was going on til Josiah decided he had enough. Then the tattling commenced.
"Ashley hit my hand with a bru-ush!" he whined in that wonderful sing-song tone they use when they are tattling.
"You hit my hand and made a mark!" Ashley shot back.
"Well, you made my hand bleed!" Not sure how much truth there was to that one since I'm thinking some weeping and wailing would have started at the point of blood being drawn. I quickly put a stop to this game.
It seems there's a lot of petty fighting going on with the youngest three lately. I think we are all ready for school to start. Put on those new bookbags, meet some new people, change of scenery.
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