September 12, 2012
September 10, 2012
Monday Musings and Our Winner!
Well, let’s start with the winner of our caption contest.
Baby Monkey got a good chuckle out of all the entries and was delighted to be the focus of the blog.
Yet, who was most in tune with the 6 year old mind?
It was Heather, with this entry:
{sung to the tune of spiderman theme}
“SpiderCorn, SpiderCorn, does whatever a SpiderCorn does”.
Congrats, Heather…apparently, you are a 6 year old at heart!
However…
I must say that Tracy’s entry set his little giggly self into near convulsions, as well.
Tracy’s entry was:
Holy Smokes, Batman! Spidey’s been eaten by a pony! – Robin
Therefore, although he picked Heather for first prize, Tracy, we are going to award you a special, second place prize.
Ladies, I’ll be contacting both of you for your mailing information and CONGRATULATIONS!
Now, on to the musings…
1. So, my fall scary movie quest as begun again for this Halloween season.
I know, it’s not exactly the Halloween season, but the scary movies are starting to come out.
I’m in heaven.
Real Man and I saw “The Possession” on Saturday night.
Good premise with a bit of a twist.
This time, instead of a Catholic demon possession, it was a Jewish demon who had been captured in a box.
The commercials will show you that a little girl gets the box and gets possessed.
Story is good, some good solid scary stuff, and great acting.
The little girl who plays the lead is one cute, and alternatively, scary as hell little kid.
Kyra Sedgewick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are some of my favorites anyway, so I knew I’d be good with the adult acting.
I’d recommend it.
Scariest I’ve seen?
No, but I was happy.
I keep seeing previews for “The House at the End of the Street” with Jennifer Lawrence from “The Hunger Games.”
Looks good.
Plan on seeing it.
Soon.
I’d love to hear what you think is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen. Always on the look out!
Aside from scary movies, Real Man and I also recently saw two older movies that I really enjoyed.
The first was “In Time” with Justin Timberlake.
Excellent premise.
Everyone ages until they are 25, then they don’t age for a year, and then they die at 26.
Except, your year is marked on your arm, digitally, and you can get and spend time like most people do money.
There are many, many metaphors about time and living day by day in the film, but I found it to be a smart movie that I really enjoyed.
It does get a little predictable in parts, but it was much, much better than I expected it would be.
We also finally saw “Contagion.”
Sheesh…scared the bejeebers outta me.
Not in a nightmarish kind of way, but in an “OMG, I have to get to the store right now and begin my stockpile for when the biological warfare begins.”
Really, really good.
When I saw the commercials, I turned to Real Man and said, “Hey, I think we saw this movie when it was called “Outbreak.”
Similar, but different enough that you could forget the other one.
2. I have a new favorite snack.
Well, it’s not new, but I haven’t told you about it yet, so it’s new to you.
I have to be careful, obviously, about what carbs and sugars I eat, but because I’ve been exercising I need to make sure I’m eating lots of protein.
I’m a cheese-a-holic, which is full of protein, but is also full of fat, so I always need to be careful there.
So, my new favorite snack?
A nice (thick) slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and some slices of Hormel turkey pepperoni.
The mozzarella is fattening, no doubt, but as far as things I could be eating, it’s one of the healthier fats.
Plus, it’s got a lot of nutrients that I do need in my diet, and so it’s a good pick.
The “turkey” part of the “turkey” pepperoni takes away most of the fat and it’s so spicy, it satisfies my palate.
Good snack.
3. Speaking of my health, I am walking in this years Step Out: Walk to End Diabetes event.
The event takes place on October 27th and I am looking to raise $500.
If you are so inclined, please visit my page.
Feel free to just visit to read my story, or make a small donation.
No pressure…but definitely wanted to share!
4. I think if I had been a rock star in my early twenties (which I was clearly meant to be…someone must have just missed the memo) I would have been like Taylor Swift.
Not as pretty or as talented, but I think I would have written music a lot like she does.
Her songs are not incredibly deep, but they are so catchy and tell you exactly what she is thinking and feeling at the time.
I kinda dig that.
Sometimes we don’t need to get deep.
Sometimes we just gotta get it out.
My favorite, favorite of her songs is “Ours.”
Not entirely sure the video does the song justice (kinda like the crazy karaoke videos), but it’s always nice to have something to look at while you listen.
5. Busy boy this fall.
Someone has been sleeping really well.
6. I’d love to re-institute Truthful Tuesdays around here.
So, if you have any burning questions for me, Real Man or the monkeys, please leave them in the comments below!
September 7, 2012
Five Question Friday
1. What is your favorite fall family tradition?
Football, baby!
On Saturdays, we go watch Monkey in the Middle play, come home and watch Rutgers.
On Sundays, it’s football snacks and the Giants!
2. If money weren’t an issue, how many kids would you have?
I’d love a gajillion, but even if money weren’t an issue, I think four is enough.
It’s important to me to spend quality time with each and every one of my kids and to make sure no one gets lost in the shuffle.
It’s hard to do with four, but if you work at it, you can do it.
Beyond four, someone is getting left out.
3. If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you put it?
Next weekend, I’m getting an enormous heart tattoo across my back that says “Honey Boo Boo.”
I kid, I kid.
Don’t know that I’d get a tattoo.
I’ve always thought about it, but I’m not sure it’s me.
If I did, probably do it on my shoulder-blade and it would probably get a music note or on my wrist and get a fountain pen.
4. What condiment is a must in your house?
Butter.
Is it a condiment?
Don’t know.
But, it’s a must.
5. How did your spouse/fiance propose?
I think I’ve told this story before.
It was a completely and utter surprise.
I had absolutely no idea it was coming, which made it that much more amazing.
It involved a Rangers key chain and beautiful words.
Love that man.
September 6, 2012
Caption Contest!
It’s time for another caption contest!
This time, we are going to let the subject of the photo pick the winner, so entries should appeal to a 6-year old sense of humor.
Just to up the ante a little. 🙂
I will read the entries to him, anonymously, and let him make the selection.
Winner gets their choice of a $25 iTunes or Barnes and Noble Gift card.
Please put your entries in the comments below! Contest will run until Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.
Good luck!
September 5, 2012
September 4, 2012
Here We Go!
Clothes and shoes have been purchased.
Supplies have been bought, notebooks have been organized.
Hair has been cut.
Bedtimes have been returned to their normal state.
Bathing suits and towels have been retired for the season.
Calendars have been updated with practices and appointments and meetings and Back to School Nights.
We spent a weekend together, doing the things we have been enjoying all summer, grasping those last few moments of togetherness before the hustle and bustle of homework and schedules interfere?
And now…it is time.
I return today, the kids return on Thursday.
New school year, new possibilities, new opportunities, new challenges, new joys.
Here we go!
September 2, 2012
Random Sunday Thoughts
1. Monkey Girl and I played Band Hero on Saturday.
It’s been awhile since we’ve played, and we decided to change it up.
Usually, she plays drums or guitar and I do vocals, or I play guitar or bass and she does vocals.
I decided to try the drums.
I rocked those drums!
Granted…I was on the easy level (not beginner…one step up) but I was jammin’.
I think tomorrow, I might go for medium.
I think I have a new future.
2. I’ve been watching Arrested Development while on the treadmill.
Never watched this show before, but people always said it was a show they thought I would like.
Good call, those people!
I’m loving it!
Always a Jason Bateman fan, and the rest of the cast is just as awesome, and the story is ridiculously hysterical.
Great show.
3. I haven’t logged into Twitter for awhile.
I guess I kinda let it go for the summer.
Didn’t mean to…just forgot about it.
I use Twitter as a professional learning network.
I subscribe to a variety of different educators and educational journals and it’s a main way that I keep abreast of what is new and exciting in education.
I logged in Saturday night and caught up on a lot of great reading, just in time for the new school year.
Oh, and was surprised to see that, apparently, I must have somehow accidentally subscribed to follow Hugh Hefner on Twitter, as well.
In case you were wondering, the Saturday night movie at the mansion was Chariots of Fire.
4. Tiny is utterly delightful.
Am I biased? Perhaps.
Don’t really care, and I’ll say it again, delightful.
He is in the stage where is vocabulary is bursting open and it is hysterical.
And delightful.
His newest thing is “I don’t know.”
You say, “Tiny, where is the White House?” and he says, “I don’t know” and shakes his head mournfully.
Say, “Tiny, where is your ear?” and he’ll touch his ear and say “Ear.”
Say it again and he’ll say, “I don’t know.”
He’s also really into “Awesome.”
It used to be “Cool!” and now it’s “Awesome!”
The other day, we were hanging in the bathroom, because one of his favorite games is “Pull all the bath toys out of the closet and throw them in the empty tub.”
Keeps him occupied for at least 15-30 minutes at a time.
So, while we were in there, he was chatting away, declaring things to be “Awesome” and so I pulled out the camera and recorded this little smidge of delightfulness for you:
One more time.
Delightful.
Until I had to clear the bath toys back out of the tub.
That was not delightful OR awesome.
5. I was filling in our calendar for September (I use the Cozi app…phenomenal) and I suddenly realized that between work and carting the kids to all of their “stuff” after school, I may not have time to read another book until Christmas break.
That sucks.
September 1, 2012
Boys With Older Sisters
It’s a fact…
Boys with older sisters get to try things that boys with only older brothers would get teased mercilessly for.
They get to paint their nails, try on princess dresses, put on makeup…
…and wear their sisters big, fluffy, purple bathrobes.
Or pretend to be purple Yoda.
Whichever.
August 31, 2012
Five Question Friday
1. What do you enjoy doing the most with your spouse?
Pretty much anything.
He’s a lot of fun to just hang out with.
He makes me laugh all the time, whether we’re doing laundry, eating dinner, doing housework, hanging on the couch, out to dinner, or doing anything else.
When we were dating, we used to say that it was pointless for us to go out, because we’d go to a bar or a party and wind up just hanging out with each other, because we just like each other the best.
Pretty lucky that way.
2. How do you eat your taco? From the top or from the side?
Um, how would you even eat it from the top?
And why would you?
The good stuff is down inside, and you can only get to it, during the first bite, if you eat it from the side.
Or the bottom, but really, that would just be stupid.
3. Have you ever shut off the basement light and ran like a fool because you knew someone was down there and would get you?
Ever?
How about every time?
4. If you could change one thing about you what would it be and why?
You know, I really don’t know.
I can think of physical things I’d change about myself, but then I always think again.
Sometimes, I’ll be out, and someone with an incredible body will walk by and I’ll think “Wow. I wish I was built like her.”
And then I remember that THIS body is the body that gave birth to my four babies, and THIS is the body that has gotten me through some tough times, and so, while I may wish I could have the killer bod every now and then, this is me and I’m okay with that.
Personality/Character wise, I think there are also some things that I might wish to change, but again, I’m me and I’m cool with me and my friends are cool with me and Real Man and my monkeys are cool with me and that’s all I need.
5. What age do you think is appropriate to have the “bird and the bees” talk with your children?
I think it depends on the child.
When they start asking questions or hinting around that they are curious about this or that, it’s a good time.
Because if you don’t tell them, someone else will, and their version may be WAY off from the truth.
August 30, 2012
Genetics
He looks just like his Dad.
But he definitely got the ham gene from his sister.
