Friday, May 30, 2008

can you use it in a sentence?

It's spelling bee time! Oh, how I love it. Today, in the earlier rounds a girl said, "Can I have an easier word?" And, really, there were some hard words -- especially the words based on names. I mean, I know how to spell "Biedermeier" but that's because I've seen it and I kinda sorta know the rules of Germanic spelling. I also got a little teary when a boy who was making his fifth appearance at the Bee was eliminated and everyone stood up and applauded for him. Poor kid. His face just fell as the bell was sounded.

The girls and I are planning on making brownies and watching the finals tonight. We just have to decide which kind of brownies to make -- with chocolate chips, with nuts, with caramel. I think we'll also have some ice cream, too.

There is much to do tomorrow. Clean the pig sty we call our house, color my hair, find a blouse to wear to a wedding, go look into getting that bike I want. Also, "Lost." We have the finale on the DVR and man, it is killing me not to watch it. And if Desmond and Penny don't end up together, I will have to hurt someone.

Monday, May 19, 2008

double score at target

We had to pick up some stuff at Target on Sunday. So, we all loaded into the Saturn and arrived to find it fairly empty for an early Sunday afternoon. We saw individual Indiana Jones DVDs, which excited Archie because, "I can just get the first and third ones and pretend the second one never existed!" Ha! The girls were happy and Archie was pushing all three of them on the cart -- Cha likes to balance on the bottom shelf of the cart and hang onto the handle, kind of in-between whoever is pushing the cart and the cart itself. The twins were each on a side. We debated whether to stock up on Coke Zero, since it was on sale and decided cheap caffeine was a worthy expenditure.

We were in the first aid aisle as Archie tried to figure out which Band-Aids he wanted. A woman approached us and asked if all the girls belonged to us. "Um, yeah." Cha was on the bottom of the cart, picking her nose and the twins were standing being all emo-like and staring at their feet. The woman said, "They are all super-cute and so full of personality!" She must have been stalking us through the store. She introduced herself as a talent scout and gave me her card. There is no way I want to get my girls into the entertainment business, but it was nice to have a professional who tries to find cute kids as her job tell me mine were adorable. Score one for the girls!

So, now we've got the Band-Aids and we're moving past the electronic section and Archie notices boxes of what look like Wii consoles. We thought about getting a Wii for Christmas, but they were tough to come by and well, we're kind of lazy and figured we would get one after the Christmas rush. Except they've still been hard to come by. But our local Target had just gotten in a shipment that morning and we instantly bought one. Second score for the whole family! I think I was much more excited than the kids -- they seemed kind of bored, while I was actually doing a little dance right there.

The kids became appropriately excited once we set up the console and let them play. They love it and I think I've already developed Wii tennis wrist. I foresee summer tournaments. A friend came over last night and we all took turns (we only have two controllers) bowling and playing tennis. I had to promise the girls we'd set up Miis for them this evening -- but I made them promise that they'd get their homework done and take showers before we did that. I will live up to my end of the bargain!

(The best thing last night was when Archie and Jeff were playing tennis after I'd put the girls to bed. Cha was exhausted and I think she fell right to sleep. But the big girls both came out several times to get drinks of water and they would stand and drink very slooooowly so they could watch. That was very funny.)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

maybe cha will be the evil genius

This morning, as Charlotte and I waited for the class to open, a little boy who she dislikes was walking across the play yard. Cha said, "It's my nemesis, Christian!" And she said "Christian" just like Jerry Seinfeld always said "Newman." It was hilarious.

Especially to think that a six year old has a nemesis. Christian should be very afraid.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

best birthday song

Last night, as I was getting ready to turn out the lights and send the girls off to sleep, the twins told me they had a special birthday song for me. They'd learned a song at school for Cinco de Mayo and they had reworked the lyrics to make it a birthday song for me. Lulu sang the new song and Bebe had me in tears with laughter. At the end of each line of the song, she would pop her head out from behind her sister, flash some perfect jazz hands, and chant, "She's 43! She's 43!"

It was absolutely hysterical and I hope it becomes a birthday fixture.

Monday, May 05, 2008

the most random exchange ever

Happy birthday to me! And happy Cinco de Mayo to those of you who don't view the day of my birth as a holiday. Although, in all honesty, I still think that lots of people are really celebrating my birthday.

Today is great -- it's sunny and beautiful and Cha is currently playing in the kitchen sink and we're singing along to ELO and enjoying the early afternoon. Not only have I been enjoying the day, I've also been productive. Several loads of laundry and a load of dishes are knocked out. Also, I cleared the hated tiny table because my husband put together a cabinet to use as a pantry and he can take that awful table out to the garage or something.

Yesterday, I took the girls to get shoes. We were on our way home and had the Barenaked Ladies song "One Week" blaring on the Shuffle (hooked into the car radio), with the windows rolled down. We were at a stop light and a very large man was walking through the crosswalk. As he got next to my car, he said, "Remembering 1998, huh?" I laughed.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

making gentle fun of the child

Charlotte and I went to the library and happily brought home our books. Cha was very excited until she realized that a book she picked out was "scary, Mama -- really scary!" This one. Actually, it's really adorable and I love Judith Viorst.

So, tonight at bedtime, Charlotte had an attack about the book. It was too scary. Wouldn't I take it back to the library tomorrow? I told her I wasn't going to have the car, so I couldn't take it back and what was a book going to do? It doesn't have legs, so it will stay wherever I put it. I promised to hide it and she could forget about it. But, she still complained.

And Archie said, "Charlotte? You want to put the book in the freezer?" and I laughed and then Charlotte was mad because she thought I was laughing at her.

[There is a Friends episode where Joey and Rachel are reading each other's favorite book. So Rachel is reading The Shining and Joey is reading Little Women. Rachel tells Joey that The Shining is frightening her and Joey responds that whenever that happens to him, he puts the book in the freezer. At the end of the episode, Joey comes into the girls' apartment and the following conversation occurs:


Joey: Beth is really, really sick. Jo's there, but I don't think there's anything she can do.
Rachel: Joey?
Joey: Yeah?
Rachel: You want to put the book in the freezer?]

reason #528 why i love my husband

Way back in 1992, when Archie and I were emailing each other on Prodigy ("The Strip Mall of Online Services -- TM me), he sent me flowers for some occasion and the card was signed "Leonardo DiCaprio." I thought this was hilarious -- mostly because I'm not really, nor have I ever been, into Leo.

Archie nowl signs emails with the names of guys I think are hot. Usually combos. So I've had mail from Sayid McClooney (mmm, "Lost" and the George and Ewan McGregor all combined!) recently and over the years, lots of other famous people who obviously adore me.

Today, I had an email from Naveen Firth. "Lost" and Colin-y goodness all wrapped up in one dream package! Of course, Naveen Firth was responding to Jessica Alba. It takes two to be this ridiculously silly.

why i cried at 7am today

Just go read it and look at that picture. I dare you not to get choked up, at the least.

I think I'm going to print out that picture and frame it. Just to remind me of what people are capable of, in a good way.