random thoughts

• I could live on stuffing.
• While I have always been fully aware of my control issues during holiday decorating, (which could, btw, be its own blog) today I realized my eldest daughter has them too. Must have been funny watching us each turn something the other had placed, 13 degrees counterclockwise, and slide it 1/4" forward.
• Holidays make me more emotional than usual. The first 3 newspaper articles I read yesterday all made me cry. Yes, I finally did put the paper down and walk away.
• I am very blessed to be so excited that I will have family visiting all month. More than just a few people have given me the you-poor-thing-knowing look when I mention it. I can't wait!
• We are very lucky that I sell PartyLite. If I did not, not only would Dennis be annoyed at how many candles we have, but he would be ticked at how much they cost us, because as I walk through the Iced Snowberries and into the Cinnamon and Bayberry I realize I am not willing to give those up. Our house smells yummy.
• The house is much quieter when 1 child is at a playdate. And it doesn't matter which child; one has to be gone and there is magically, very little fighting.
• Folding fitted sheets is NOT a genetically inherited trait. My mother's folded fitted sheets are perfectly square and flat. Mine have odd corners jutting out and are lumpy little rectangles, which cause the pile of sheets to tip to one side.
• I LOVE wrapping up in one of the many hand knit, crocheted, and quilted blankets we have received from our very artistic, crafty, handy family.
• Speaking of handy, I love that my husband is just that. Fixes, builds, designs, draws, paints...
• I know better than to have caffeine after 4pm. Hence this post of rambling nothingness when I have a birthday party with six 10 and 11 year olds tomorrow...er today.

Once a gym rat, always a gym rat.

A week ago I went to the gym with my friend on a guest pass. It had been quite a while since I have set foot in a gym, but that didn't stop me from going full throttle on some of the machines. So after 20 minutes on the Stairmaster on "fat burner" mode, and 20 minutes of weight machines at the levels I USED to do eons ago when I actually lifted weights, I was feeling really good, but worried I may be pretty sore in 24-48 hours. Much to my surprise, I had very little muscle soreness at all.

Fast forward one week to 36 hours after tournament style competitions in Wii bowling, pool, darts, ping pong and washers - all fairly non strenuous games - and I have a sore right arm (triceps)... But I'm NOT competitive; the kids get that from their dad!! :)

Economics 101

Gabrielle has asked before (usually after she has been told that money doesn't grow on trees) why "they" can't just print more money. I tried my best to explain the principals of supply and demand. And that if "they" printed more money, then everyone's money would be worth less. And that just printing more money is called counterfeiting, and it's illegal.



As an example, I tried using 10 gold coins in the entire school (1,050 kids). Kids would be willing to give or trade, alot of something to have one of the gold coins. But if there were 10,000 gold coins in the school, they wouldn't be as rare and it would be no big deal if you had a gold coin, because everyone would have several gold coins.



Tyler: "Yeah, like when I get the best Silly Bands for my mozzarella cheese."

Mom: "You trade your lunch for Silly Bands?"

Tyler, sheepish grin: "Yeah! I got three Bands for just one piece!"

It's the little things that make me happy

I know this is silly, but when I went into the downstairs bathroom this morning and washed my hands, the "ghost" soap dispenser ran out of hand soap. Today. On the day after Halloween. That means I don't have to set it on the counter draining into the "fall leaves" soap dispenser, and then clean up the mess when it inevitably falls over. Yay. Made my day :)