What the Weekend Brought

So this was a GREAT weekend, even though it involved no basketball. I mean none....zero.  We didn't even go to the gym, which is extremely unusual.  So what did we do?  Well, the "big kids", which I have been calling my two oldest daughters since the birth of my youngest, went to Winter Homecoming.  It was very exciting to see them get ready, see their excitement and hear the stories of their evening when they returned home.

 

 

The little kids and I went sledding.  I hadn't gone sledding yet this year.  It was the absolute perfect weekend for sledding.  It was wintry out, with a light snow and sort of mild out...almost actually warm.  We went to our friends' house and tested out their new front yard which has an awesome hill in it.  (You just have to be a little careful not to hit the trees on the way down, which wasn't too difficult.)  Then just before we went in we finished it off with a snow fight.  Snow fights are pretty much dumb.  The object is to get snow all over someone and totally freeze or drench them.  How do you know when the snow fight is done?  Well, when someone gets ticked off and screams, cries or gives up.  Well the kids teamed up on me and I got ticked off relatively quickly since my face and hat was packed with snow.  So in the house I headed for hot chocolate.  And what is the best kind of hot chocolate you ask?  Ahhhh, the kind someone else makes for you.  The hot chocolate and having it made for me where great treats.  And you may be thinking where is the picture of sledding?  Well, their is none.  No chance...I look awful in sledding attire.  Snowpants are just not flattering.  And lets just say I am not a hat person.  Maybe next time I will get a picture of the kids.  But you will definitely not see one of me.  You have a better chance seeing a picture of me in my swim suit.  (Ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration....cuz there is no chance of that happening...ever!)

 

We also watched movies this weekend...ParaNorman and Battleship.  They were both pretty good.  I would, however, add Battleship on to my list of favorites...although I would put it down at the bottom.  The movie wasn't Oscar worthy but was a good time.  So currently my list of favorite movies would include:

Star Wars

ET

Goonies

Ghost

Toy Story

Super 8

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer (probably the dumbest premise for a movie ever ...yet it was still pretty darn good.  I don't think I need to mention my fascination with Lincoln again, do I?)

Stand by Me

Sandlot

Battleship

*And just as a disclaimer, although some of the movies appear on my favorites list, I have recently watched them again and thought, what the heck that was not so amazing.  I think a movie can make a mark on your life because it was amazing the first time you saw it or because you had such good company or memories when you saw it.  I recently re-watched ET and it was not as amazing as when I originally saw it in the theatre.  I can remember being mesmerized by that movie.  Unfortunately, like 30 years later I did not get that same feeling.  Bummer!

Ellen and I also went to the Fitness Center.  I am making an attempt to get buff.  I know it is a pipe dream, but at least I am trying.  And lastly, we broke out the Othello game.  Do you remember that game?  With the black and white disks that you flip over.  I taught everyone how to play and then they all whipped me.  I didn't win one darn game.  It appears I am a gifted instructor...lol!!!

So what did you and your family do this weekend?  What movies would appear on your favorites list?

 

 

 



Just thinking...

• So I was over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom, reading my cousin's blog.  When I found that she has added some adult content.  Well.... really just some trashy subscription box reviews and some interesting discussion about the Bachelor, who is now claiming he is a sort of "born again" virgin.  Of course I had to immediately comment on her blog about this.  Then I realized there is a lot to say on this topic.  First, of all, the absolute obvious...ah that is one thing you definitely can't undo.  Once you have done IT....ahhhhh...you have done IT.  Isn't that the whole point?  You are a virgin until you are not one....then you are not anymore.  It's not like you are 6 years old and you whiffed the ball in baseball and shot out "do over".  Ah nope this is one thing then once you have done IT...it's done.  This topic recently came up on Grey's Anatomy.  One of the characters got all frisky, did it and then wished she hadn't.  And decided she want a "do-over".  So she told everyone she was re-virginating.  Ahhhh....I do believe this term / concept is one that slutty people have made up to make themselves feel good about themselves again. 
• Don't you hate it when you text someone and it takes forever for them to respond?  And you are like what the heck... just reply already.  Then you realize you didn't hit the send button. 
• Today I had a mind boggling experience while toilet paper shopping.  Yes, today was the kind of day where toilet paper could blow my mind.  Sad but true.  Whatever happened to a normal size roll of toilet paper?  You know the size when you were a kid?  Like you went to the store and bought toilet paper.  The roll was just normal size and your only choice was how many to get.  Now the regular size roll seems wimpy and tiny.  (Did they just look bigger years ago because I was a little kid?  I don't think so. Something happened to the standard size roll....it has shrunk.)  Now there are regular rolls, Mega rolls, double rolls and triple rolls.  And each is a different multiple of the standard roll or the double roll.  And of course each brand calls their large size something different and also sells different pack size, making it virtually impossible to compare prices.  Ugh!  I have no idea what is the cheapest or the best bargain.  I think the USDA or the FDA needs to step in and regulate this!
• I am a bit of a history / biography buff.  I watched "Killing Lincoln" on the National Geographic Channel the other day.  Everyone was telling me how the "Killing Lincoln" book had so much new information they hadn't heard before.  So I was guessing that the TV show with the same name would be all new and interesting.  That would be a big fat NOT!  Turns out same guy still killed him, he was part of same conspiracy, he was shot dead 12 days later and they still hung everyone else involved. Yep, same old news! (OMG!  I forgot to put in a spolier alert.  Sorry, if you had that dvr-ed!) I am not sure what I was expecting.  It was still interesting.  Even though it was nothing new.  And yup if it comes on again and there isn't anything else riveting on...I will probably watch it again.  Why?  I only wish I new.  I guess maybe I need to read the book. 
• I am planning a trip to France this summer.  The whole international cell phone issue annoys me.  I have an iPhone 4. I was falsely lead to believe that an iPhone is amazing and can do anything.  However, this is just not so because it will not work in France apparently.  Neither will any of the kids Blackberries.  What the FLIP?  I have the option of renting an international ready phone and paying ridiculous rates per minute and for each text, and then adding in an additional fee for data.  Ahhhh, seriously?!  I am a pretty connected person.  How can our wonderful technology suck so bad as soon as I leave the country?  Let's just say that service is far from being global.
• I have this giant chick Easter decoration.  I mean the chick is giant...he's like 2 feet tall. He has big chick feet and I think a cracked in half egg shell for pants and he is yellow and furry.  He is definitely scary!  (He's way too creepy for the front room. And beside the dog barks at him.)  So this year I decided I would put him outside by the front door.   So I did.  Then it snowed some more!  Now it is a creepy snow covered chick.  I apologize to anyone, with small children, who may visit my home.  Creepy chick is standing guard at the front door....BEWARE!  Nothing says welcome spring or celebates the resurrection of Christ as a giant snow covered chick! 

Recent Ponderings

.....I was reading my cousin's blog, Ramblings of a Suburban Mom, and for some reason clicked on her link to my own blog.  Apparently I do not even know how old my own children are.  Child #4 is not 11.  Well not until April anyway.  At what point did I forget the ages of my own children?  I can remember people asking how old the baby is and would spot off..."6 months and 3 days".  What happened?  Now I can barely remember the correct number of years.

.....How come I always just want a little bit of time to relax?  Then when I actually get some of this elusive free time....I have no idea what to do with myself or I just fritter it away. I am afraid I suck at free time. 

.....Summer is coming again.  As the Florida Spring Break trip nears, my thoughts turn to swimsuits, once again.  UGH!  My least favorite thing to do on this earth is to shop for a swimsuit.  I did it last year with the kids help.  It was horrid.  They kept screaming at me to just come out of the dressing room and show them.  "It couldn't be that bad."  Ahhh... yeh... it was.  If I can't squeeze everything into the suit...let's just face it...there is no way I am opening the door.  And this may be silly but I have a size threshold.  There is a size in my head.  And I just won't buy anything bigger than that size.  It doesn't really matter that I may actually wear a bigger size, then the mental size threshold that I will not cross.  I bought a swim suit last year.  It works.  But seriously, I don't look great in it.  If anyone knows a place to buy a swimsuit that fits a tall person with a generous cup size please fill me in.  Oh, and here are a few other criteria I have - I am cheap (I won't spend a ton of money) and it can't look like some middle aged person or granny should be wearing it.  The size threshold and my shopping criteria have pretty much made swimsuit purchasing a personal hell.

.....People keep asking me if I am ever going to sell any of my honey from my bee hives.  Well, probably not because if I charged what I would have to...to make a profit...it would cost about a zillion dollars.  Beekeeping for me is apparently a hobby, not a business.  Maybe someday I will be better at it.  Maybe not.  Until then the few limited jars of honey are gifts for family and friends.

.....Is it possible to house train a Yorkie who weighs less than 5lbs?  I am beginning to think not.  I would appreciate some cooperation here MAGGIE!

.....I recently did a liquid cleanse diet thingy.  It was very difficult not to eat solid food for 3 days.  And why do people think that you will spend 3 days in the bathroom with intestinal issues?  Folks its a liquid diet!  Your intestines are pretty much on vacation! (And p.s. if you liquefy a beet and add it to anything...it pretty much makes it completely unpalatable.  Just an FYI.)

.....I have started to punch a speed bag in hopes of firming up my "bat wing" arms.  I have finally got the coordination thing down and can hit the bag repeatedly pretty quickly.  OK buff arms....I am waiting.  Where are you?  Anytime now!

Well, that's what I have been pondering.  How about you?