I added a new recipe to Cheap Ass Gourmet. Garlic Ranch Cheese Bread. Have you noticed that a lot of my recipies call for chees? I love cheese. Especailly sharp cheese. Not super sharp cheese but normal one-step-above-medium sharp cheddar is really yummy.

I also started a third (and final?) blog called 'Obscure Facts'. Which is random snippets about me inspired by Chelee. It has no comments or dates becasue I don't care what you think, and I don't want you to know what I wrote when. :-P

So I got my couch to a presentable state and then my landlord comes by and offers us a whole new livingroom set! It's not super fantastic. But it's nicer than our couch and it's a couch and loveseat that match! So, of course we accept it.

So after three hours of cleaning my couch it's out and the new stuff is in and the new stuff smells veugly like pickles. No one else seems to notice it but I sure do. So at some point I'm going to have to clean it too.

Guess the gift horse annalogy applies here hu? Something witty about not sniffing a gift couch?

But I'm very very happy to have it. :)

Here's a fascinating statistic. In my married life I have had 7 couches. I only paid for one. And it was from Goodwill. LOL

K	Keen
A	Appealing
T	Terrific
I	Ideal
E	Exciting

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

Our new house is very cool. It's big and tall and wide and deep. It's everything a house should be really. :) And I'm mighty, mighty happy here.

I've already lost 7 pounds going up and down (and up and down and up and down) the stairs. I kid you not. Seven pounds! See my laundry room is in the basement and my bedroom (and bathroom) are on the top floor. This makes it necessary to climb stairs dozens of times a day. Of course the fact that I'm not used to living on three levels also contributes. See, I'll get downstairs and remember I forgot my keys upstairs or I'll go down to the basement and then Kathrynn will need me to wipe her ass upstairs. Stuff like that. I figure that about half of my ventures up and down stairs are because of my lack of organization. Eventually I will become better at planning ahead (and my kids will learn to wipe themselves) and I will be able to be as lazy as I was before.

My kids room is SO clean! Having all of the toys in the basement has sure paid off. :-)

My refrigerator has the best ice water ever. I could even give it to Danw (in a GLASS) and feel good about it. It's like Shari's without the sleepdeprive underpaid waitstaff.

My New washer and dryer (thanks Erin) have been going nearly non-stop since Monday. Which is something my old washer and dryer couldn't have done. I have only two loads left and ALL of our laundry (as in all of the clothes we own!) will be clean. This will be a monumentous occasion. Litterally the first time in our entire marriage, possibly in my entire life!

Life is good, all is well, waiting for something bad to happen any day now...

I can't help it I'm in love with a machine!

To remedy the aforementioned grimey couch my neighbor loaned me her Bissell Little Green Clean Machine! Holy crap I love this thing!

My couch has been reborn through the grace of Bissell. Ok it still looks like a couch dragged in off the curb (well, it is) but it's WAY cleaner and it even smells nice(er). I also used my newfound love to clean my glider rocker which Aiden had cracked an egg on (no, it wasn't hard boiled as he thought). It came clean too!

I must have a Little green Clean Machine of my own!!

In the midst of the move Kathrynn came across a flyswatter and was happily swatting flies. I found her at one point inspecting the remains of a fly she had just swatted.

I asked "What are you doing?" To which she replied "See, a fly. Isn't he Cute? He was my friend. He needed to die."

Errr...

I signed onto my computer to check my email just now and Aiden (angry that his computer won't play the game he wants it to because the CD is damaged) ejects his game from his computer, opens the drive on mine, installs the CD, climbs in my lap and steals the mouse away from me and starts playing his game, all before I notice. Seriously!

Either I'm really tired or I'm raising a stealthy little ninja child.

The moving is going well. We joked about not wanting to move our couch and just throwing it away because it is so heavy. Decided against that. But then when we got it to the new house we wished we HAD thrown it out. For some reason it didn't seem so filthy and disgusting at our dark and dreary apartment. But in the house with all it's windows and white carpet it's really bad!

We're trying to figure out how to instill the joy of white carpets into our children. We have been telling them since we originally looked at the house that there will be no eating of food or drinking of beverages anywhere with the white carpet. This is certainly new for them (and us). The problem is we're really used to eating in front of the TV and at the computers. I suppose the best solution to keep the floors clean would be to put the TV and computers in the dining room on the linoleum and put the table on the carpet since we never eat at the table anyway! LOL

Signing off now... too tired...must sleep!

And woes and woes and woes. I love moving, really I do. I just hate it when things aren't turning out as they are supposed to.

Where do I even begin?

We're moving tomorrow and almost nothing is packed. This actually doesn't panic me so much as maybe it should because we have until the end of the month to be moved out and I prefer a gradual move over an all-in-one-weekend move. I'm an expert procrastinator but I REALLY need to make sure this all does get done because I can't afford to pay a ton of money to our current landlords to cover cleaning I could have done myself.

Erin is going to Florida next week and said we can use their truck to move while they're gone. That couldn't have worked out better if we'd planned it that way. But I can't find Erin! She's in the process of moving herself (in with her mom) and I can't get her at her home number, I don't know her mom's number AND the phone company turned off MY phone today which they weren't supposed to do until Monday! So now I can't get hold of her, she can't get hold of me and I need details from her. Lots of them!

For instance we invited her brother to come stay with us in the new house for a little while. But I don't know if he's coming. And it matters because if he isn't that room is going to be the 'toy room'. So I want to know this before we start moving.

I'm supposed to be getting her washer and dryer. From her old house, where she won't be for another week. I CAN'T go another week without a washer and dryer!!!

Also I'm supposed to be watching her kids part of the time she's in Florida. But I don't know when! And they're staying with her mom and I don't know her number, and she doesn't know mine! At least not the new one at the new house where I'm NOT LIVING YET!! And as I said before our current phone has been disconnected but the stupid phone company didn't use the recording that tells the caller what the new number is!

So if anyone sees Erin. Tell her to find me somehow. :)

I'll write my new phone number here in case anyone wants to call the new house (where no one is) maybe I can set up my answering machine over there today. I'll write it in code though. The last four numbers are 6770 the first two are the middle of Richland numbers with a 3. Get it? Get it? That's to minimize stalkers. LOL

P.S. Yet, somehow in the midst of pure chaos, I still have DSL service. There must really be a God!

We watched a thunderstorm from the very start today. It was cool. But Shawn has Kathrynn convinced that the rain is God crying (over her sins). Where does this crap come from? ANd why must it be passed on?

Anyway, the kids were very impressed with the lightning and the thunder. We stayed in it as long as we could but eventually the rain was too much and we went inside. It inspired the following pictures. (Which were nice and will take up room on my blog to make it look like I had more to write than I did)...


by Kathrynn


by Aiden

Speaking of which, we are on our second to last ream of paper. We got the case of reams of paper for Christmas. On one hand I'm surprised it has lasted almost six months, on the other I'm a little alarmed that it didn't last longer!

Yesterday started off with No plans. Shawn came home from work and said "Hey, we should go fishing." (possibly not an exact quote) and told me to wake the children from their quiet slumber to get an early start on fishing. By the time I had the kids up and ready SHAWN had fallen asleep in their bed and was unwakable! So I decided to go to plan B and take the kids to the Playground of Dreams. Kathrynn wanted to invite her cousins so I called my sister and invited them along.

Before I left for the park Keith called and invited us to a small barbecue in his honor at the park (he FINALLY graduated!! YEAH!!). The day was just getting fuller and fuller.

At the park we noticed that the little train was running. Well, 'noticed' might be understating things as Aiden refused to budge from next to the train until I was convinced that riding it was mandatory! Lucky for us all I was able to scrounge $0.75 out of my purse. The train is fun. Although it gives me heart attacks. There's just something about having 2 kids who seem to want to jump off the train and have themselves crushed repeatedly by ALL of the wheels that freaks me out. I become a banshee I recommend NOT riding that train with me and my kids.

Can I make a public complaint here? Of course I can, It's MY BLOG!! I HATE automatic flushing toilets in public restrooms. For some reason they are made in such a way that when a small child is sitting on them and leans foreword even a half inch they flush. And when these things flush it's with tsunami force and just as loud! Aiden is a sensitive child as it is. He hats being in the bathroom as it is because everything in there echoes so damn much and then mid pee the thing flushes! So much for using that restroom EVER again!

We played at the park for a bit. It's rebuilt nicely with more features for littler kids, which was a big hit with my littler kids. :)

Then we ran home and got Shawn to go to Keith's BBQ. It was mostly Keith's family with his father at the grill. And that man can GRILL!! I have never in my life had a burger quite that thick! I'm serious here people the thing had to me almost 2 inches at the center! And I was amazed that it was actually done in the center and not charred to a crisp on the outside. That's something I can't even accomplish with those performed frozen patties you buy at the store! As I said Master Grill Chef! Go, Keith's Dad!

At the BBQ I mostly hung out with Dawn and CV. Those two crack me up. Mostly because I don't understand half of what they are talking about. It's like they speak a whole other language sometimes and I am left to try to figure it out from their body language. But it's fun anyway. I found out that they were going to Mean Girls together later and I invited myself along. I was thinking about it later and in my head They invited ME but when I closely review the tapes it's clear that no, I invited myself. Oh well. It's not like they were going to make out through the movie or anything (they're brother and sister, you know).

The movie was great. Very funny. I love knowing almost nothing about a movie before I see it. I had pretty much no idea about the actual plot of the movie. That was cool. I recommend everyone see the movie. I particularly recommend that M'Ellon take Lisa to see it (the main character was homeschooled until she was 16, and then goes into high school). Assuming she wants to and wouldn't get really offended by the constant use of the words slut and whore. Other than that I didn't think the language was all that bad. Of course I'm also really good at overlooking things like that, so what do I know?

Here's my confession. Before the movie there are previews of a bunch of other teen girl movies. I want to see them ALL!! Particularly A Cinderella Story with Hillary Duff. Sometimes I think I might still be 14. Of course when I was 14 Hillary Duff was probably still in diapers... Also Sponge Bob Square Pants the MOVIE!! Must See! And *cringe* the one with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson who I HATE (mostly because they look like creepy zombified slutty children in all the photos I see around.) But their new Movie looks kinda good. I'd watch it anyway. I'd be more interested if it weren't them of course.

My conclusion is I just really like movies. And people who make previews know how to mold me like putty.

After the movie I want home. I realized then that I had spent more time out of the house than in it that day. I went to bed early, I was exhausted!

So it's all signed and official. We're moving the 22nd!. The problem though is I don't feel any motivation to pack and move. Mostly I just want to take my bed and a few articles of clothing and leave everything else behind! LOL While trying to unpack all of the crap in the bottom of my closet I came across a box of notes from Jr High.

My friend Rodney (love of my life at the time) went to Hanford and I went to Carmichael. But we passed notes every day. :) My friend Sara had orchestra with Rodney at the highschool early in the morning. So we had a little empty film canister that we would send notes back and forth between schools in. It was pretty inventive if I do say so myself. So anyway I found a large stash of these notes and a whole box of crap Rodney had given me in the 5 or so years I spent ga-ga over him. There was a small box of his hair, gum we had shared, empty Clearly Canadian bottles, and empty thing of deodorant. A GIANT New Kids On The Block Button... etc. I thought about tossing it all. I recovered from my crush on Rodney in 10th grade and have hardly looked back. He didn't even make it to my wedding (which I took very personally) but his mom did. Last I heard he was living in Seattle and doing well. Presuming he's openly gay by now.

So maybe it's time to get rid of his crap. I thought seriously about just dumping it all. But I couldn't. It's just one more thing to move. Just one small trunk. I thought about going through it piece by piece and getting rid of the things that didn't make sense (why do I need 4 Clearly Canadian bottles when one would probably suffice?) or the things that are just gross (um, hair? used deodorant? GUM!). But I couldn't even bring myself to do that. I'm hopelessly nostalgic.

In another trunk I found a plastic grocery bag tied shut I opened it and found the garbage from my purse and Shawn's wallet back before we were married. This SHOULD have been trashed in 1997 but now it's like a time capsule. I couldn't throw it out! Going through my closet is like an archeological dig. It's like finding fossilized Dinosaur poop! It's not just shit anymore!

Ok I know I need help! Good psychological help. :)

For Mother's day this year we went all out. We spent $8 on three drops of gas (and felt luxurious) then we took the kids to the Family Fishing Pond and caught some fish. We caught 4 fish in less than an hour and then had to run home because dead fish don't keep well at the park.

It was lovely because nothing reminds me of the miracle of becoming a mother quite as much as gutting and frying up some little fishies!

God, I hate change! Why? Why did they have to go and change stuff at Blogger? Why, why, why? I know they think they're just updating for a fresher look or whatever but in reality they're screing with my universe and I hate that! *gasp, gasp*

I will be Ok. Give me a few days and I won't be freaking out. I'll probably come to like the new Blogger format as much as the old one. I just wish they had given me some warning. What the hell.

I added another menu item at The Cheap Ass Gourmet. Creamy Cheesy Crockpot Chicken. I stole it fair and square off someone else on the internet. : ) It's very tasty.

.....................We're moving!!! YEAH!!! Yeah!!! Yeah!!! :) Could I *be* any happier?

I got the call today from the landlord of the house we looked at. After overcoming overwhelming obstacles we were finally able to pass the security screen. And we can start moving in in about a week! I'm so happy. I never thought I would be so happy to be moving to Richland. I just like moving. I love the change and newness of it all. It's so exciting.

On the less good side of things my yardsale was a bust. Well, not a total bust I suppose. We made about $500 total. Unfortunately WE only made about $40 of that because it was a big multifamily yard sale (and we were just a little one of the families). But it was fun. I wish I could have a yard sale every day. It's thrilling to watch people buy off your garbage! :) Of course the 6am wakeup was a little sucky. Won't do that again for a while.

Not much other news. I'm hating this 2 week pay schedule crap. I liked unemployment when we got paid every week. I've still got a week left to next payday and NO money except what we made at the yardsale and I owe my dad $50 of that (out of $40, you do the math). Brokenness sucks! It will get better. This payday should kick ass! Shawn worked a LOT this week and last. So it's only short lived poverty. But it's sure draining.

I think I've posted here before about Aiden and how artistic he is. If not I'm sure you've heard me brag him up in person. I might be over reacting. I'm sure there are other 3 year olds who draw equally well. Maybe it's just the kind of "my kid kicks ass" feeling that makes parenting so much fun. :) Anyway, I found this on the floor and was shocked to realize that my 3 year old is doing PERSPECTIVE DRAWING! Ok, so the perspective isn't perfect but come on! He's 3!



This is The Magic School Bus from his current favorite video series. This particular one is from the outer space video. He drew this from memory. It's not the only version. There are litterally dozens of almost this exact same picture all over the floor. LOL

We also bought Thomas and the Magic Railroad which inspred this drawing...



I know, I know, shut up. But I'm impressed by his abilities and wanted to share it with everyone! :-)

I had another dream last night and had to share. It was kind of an interesting dream.

I dreamed I was back in highschool. But I wasn't highschool me. I was 26 year old me. And the school wasn't my high school it was actually more like the mall. It had a food court which would have been TOTALLY cool in highschool.

I started out in first period homeroom. They gave us a ton of papers to fill out. I looked them over and then didn't fill them out. The teacher asked me why I wasn't filling them out and I told him/her (not sure) that they didn't really matter. I wasn't supposed to be here because I was going to homeschool after today.

The teacher said "Oh, well in that case you'll need you parents signature on this, and this, and this" and handed me a bunch more forms. "but in the meantime you ARE a student here and until I have your parent's signature you do HAVE to fill out these other forms too. They're due back today." The bell rang.

Next we were given a chance to go to our lockers but I decided not to because I wasn't staying anyway. And my locker was on the other side of campus but my second class was right next door.

The second class was loud and crazy. I don't remember anything except that it was loud and crazy.

In the hall after that class I was debating whether I should go to my next class or not. This girl who was apparently in one of my earlier classes came and said hi. She was short and perky and cute. She was apparently a freshman. She wanted to be my best friend and said so. She was there with her 'friend' a cute skater-boy who looked really familiar but who I can't place now. He was quiet and didn't say much, but I could tell by the way they looked at eachother that she was totally in love with him and that he thought of her as more like a sister (lol).

I asked her if she thought I should bother going to my next class (As I shuffled an unorganizable, huge slippery pile of books and papers in my arms). She thought it was really cool that I was thinking of not going. I didn't have the heart to tell her my reasoning. Then a taller dark haired girl came by as I was saying "what period is next anyway?" she said "Second". For a moment I believed her and then I remembered the crazy hectic second period class. And I said "No, it's third, I KNOW!"

The look she gave me was weird. I knew she had been trying to trick me. Which seemed like something that WOULD have happened to my in highschool by all the bitchy popular people I hated. And it seemed like that. Like she was trying to be a bitch. But when I called her on it she gave me this look of pure respect coupled with awe. It was a nice moment.

SO, I was shuffling through papers trying to find my schedule. I found it and noted that my next class was on semen. It had a long scientific name, but it was a science class mostly about semen. My new short friend thought that was hysterically funny. But I was really excited and then a little sad when I realized I wasn't planning to STAY in this school. I wondered if maybe I could stay just in that class.

I went to the class and the teacher started talking about seminal vesicles. The whole class was disruptive and uninterested making it very hard to hear anything. Frustrating.

After that we went to lunch. I went through the line and when I got to the place to pay I held out my debit card and the guy stared blankly at me. I said "You DO take debit right?" No, apparently they didn't. And I had no cash (I don't carry cash!) they said I could go to the office and use my debit card to buy a punch card with 30 lunches on it. But I didn't want THAT because I was only there for today!!! I thought about going to lunch somewhere else like McDonalds but then remembered I was on a closed campus!

Then I woke up. LOL

My conclusion: Being 26 in highschool would REALLY suck!!