Confusion and Delay

Good new this morning on the CPSIA front. A friend of mine emailed me a link to this LA Times article. The CPSC has "deferred" the February 10th deadline for lead (and phthalate) testing for one year to give everyone more time to figure out the "how to" of this law.

I sure wish I was a constituent of the Senator that seems to have actually listened to all those calls and emails. According to the article Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina was "planning to introduce legislation next week to exempt some small businesses from the law..." I hope Senator DeMint will still do so because I would love to see an exemption for small businesses.

I was also glad to read this:

"The commission has been bombarded with thousands of calls, e-mails, letters and visits from people upset about the law, Martyak said. Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) and Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) and Sens. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) also sent the commission a seven-page letter chastising it for the "great deal of confusion and misinformation" that had arisen over the law."

Notice you don't see any Wisconsin senators or representatives listed as doing anything helpful. The bottom line is the deferred date is not really an answer to the CPSIA issue, but a delay at this point is better than nothing.
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Bonus Trivia: What character talks about causing "confusion and delay"? If you have little boys you better know!!

On the Road to Potty Training?

We use cloth diapers. Well, I take that back...we recently started using cloth diapers again. For purely economic reasons, we used them exclusively with Wesley and almost exclusively with the twins. Hayden was in them a good part of his little life as well. But when we put the old house up for sale in September 2007 we had four in diapers so we decided to take a little break for convenience and aesthetics. Plus, at that time I was getting diapers for free or nearly free with coupon deals at Walgreens and CVS.

In the last month or so I finally depleted my diaper stockpile and there are no good diaper deals to be found! So I decided to make the switch back. Every 5 cloth diapers I use instead of a disposable saves me about a dollar. Even with "only" two in diapers, that is definitely worth it to me. JD doesn't seem to mind. Hayden, however, has made his displeasure known! He obviously has no memory of the cloth diapers and repeatedly asks to be put in an "old" (disposable) diaper. He has even cried, begging: "Please don't put me in a new diaper. Pleeeaaaasssse put me in an old diaper!"

I told him, "If you don't like these diapers you know what you can do? You can go on the potty!". He seemed interested. I was so encouraged! Maybe potty training for Hayden will be quick and easy. He is a pretty bright kid. Encouraged by his big brother's examples he seems a bit ahead of his brothers at the same age. He has made other transitions (like crib to bed) without the difficulty some of the others experienced. So, I got out the potty chair. He sat on it for one minute once and hasn't sat on it again since. I offered big boy underwear. Nope. A treat? Nope. Guess those "new" diapers aren't so bad after all!

Well Visit?

This morning I took Eli, Justus, and JD in for their well checks with our pediatrician. Wesley and Hayden came along for the ride. Overall, they are a healthy bunch. Eli is 3 pounds heavier and an inch taller than Justus. Can you tell Eli is a much better eater!?! It's not that big of difference but "on the charts" Eli is in the high 30th percentile and Justus is only in the 16th. Both have come a long way considering they started out at 3 pounds!

We learned at last years well check that Justus has a slight heart murmur. This year the doctor said she can only hear it when he is laying down and that it's nothing to be concerned about. He will probably outgrow it and since he had an echocardiogram after he was born it probably isn't something structural.

JD appears to have an intolerance (allergy?) to peanuts. So a good portion of our visit was spent talking about that. The first time he tried peanut butter his eyes got all red, swollen, and itchy so I didn't give it to him again for 6 months. A week or two ago I tried again and it was the same thing. The doctor said to avoid peanut products altogether and if I notice the reaction again give him liquid Zyrtec.

If we want to know for certain if it is an allergy or just an intolerance we can have a blood test. I'm guessing we'll just go ahead and do the blood test at his 2 year well check so we can know for sure. The doctor also gave me a prescription for an EpiPen just in case he has a more severe reaction. Fortunately, at this time he doesn't seem to be bothered if peanut products are in the house or near him. I pray that never happens. Of course, we would do it but eliminating peanut products would be very hard for this peanut butter loving family.

Eli checked out fine at the pediatricians office. I took him back later in the day for a vision re-check with the optometrist. The doctor had been hoping that his glasses alone would improve the vision in his bad (right) eye but it looks like he'll need a bit of additional therapy. So he will be wearing an eye patch for 2 hours each day to help improve his vision. He has a lazy eye, but not the kind where the eye actually wanders. It is literally lazy in that is just isn't trying.

Apparently, while my sister had a true lazy eye (with surgery to fix it), I had the kind of lazy eye that Eli has and if I had worn a patch as a child I wouldn't even need glasses. I had dreams of one day getting Lasik and ditching my glasses but the eye doctor told me that my eye structure isn't the problem it's the actual wiring from my eye to my brain. There's nothing you can do to fix that once you're past about age 1o or so. In Eli's case, he won't ever see well enough to not need glasses but the patching should help improve his vision by forcing that brain-to-eye wiring. How much and how soon it will work remains to be seen.

And You Just Thought It Was a TV Show!

You all know I only watch one show on TV. Well, if you didn't, you know now! LOST is that show. I think when the series comes to an end I'll just toss the TV. I won't need it anymore anyway. I'll just spend the rest of my life re-watching old LOST episodes on DVD and digging deeper into the hidden meanings of the show. What hidden meanings you say? It's just a show! There is nothing deep about it...

Read this blog post to change your mind. Literary references abound in this show where main characters are named after famous philosophers (John Locke, Hume, Rousseau) and episode titles are also books (Through the Looking Glass, Stranger in a Strange Land, Catch-22). The author of the above mentioned blog post, book guru J. Wood, has written a book about Lost. If you don't want to get the book, he writes a weekly post (like the one linked above) about the show that will make you feel stupid with a capital S. I was shocked the first time I read one of his posts. I wondered if I had even been watching the same show.

If you're like me and love to read, just reading the books referenced or seen on the show will take a good long time. Books...that Sawyer read, that lined the shelves of the hatch, and that the Others had a club to discuss! When you're done with those you can move on to reading the books that the writers used for inspiration. It could take years. At least I know I'll have something to do when the show ends!

CPSIA

Jerry pointed out to me this morning that even the blogs he reads are starting to cover the CPSIA. I guess today is even "CPSIA blog day". This is really not just about children's toys. Actually, with the "failing economy", I am shocked that something hasn't been done about this yet. And I'm quite dissatisfied at the response that I personally have gotten from the people in the Senate and the House that are supposed to be representing me. Some replies don't even make sense. I'm not sure if these government representatives are deaf or dumb or both. I've said I all I have to say on the subject but here are a few other links in case you want to read them.

Birthday Boys!

It's a big day! Eli and Justus are half way to 10...a quarter of the way to 20...the big FIVE! I can now say we have more children over age 5 than under!!

We had a little party last night. I let the boys choose the food...mostly. On the menu at their request: hot dogs, puffed corn, cheetos, chips, and fruit! To round things out for the rest of us: coleslaw and beans. Oh and cake of course!

They enjoyed opening their gifts. Justus' gift enthusiasm was still going strong. Eli was so excited to get a weather DVD that he feigned fainting! It was pretty funny! The big hit, with all the kids, was a mini-trampoline from GGS and gang in Arizona. Everyone had to take a turn. The adults were placing bets on the first injury while the kids were j-u-m-p-i-n-g away! I think it will be a great way to get the winter wiggles out! I'm not too worried about injuries. My kids break bones jumping off desk chairs, dislocate elbows sliding off furniture, and get teeth knocked out just walking past a swing set...yet rarely get hurt when it's most likely!

Here are some pictures of the birthday boys this morning:
Here are some pictures from yesterday's festivities:

Future Storm Chaser Eli with his cake

Justus opening gifts

Blowing out the candles

Last year, I posted pictures of the boys from the day they were born. I thought this year I'd post their birth story! A day or so after each of the boys were born , I took a bit of time to write down the story of their birth for their baby books and so I wouldn't forget. (I didn't do it with Roz. I wish I would have!) You'd think one wouldn't forget such important details, but each time I re-read one of these stories I remember things I've forgotten. If you're interested and want to read the twin's birth story, click here.

Holy Twisters Batman!

The twins turn 5 tomorrow so we had a little party for them today. Did you know there is an unwritten rule that twins each need their own cake? Well, there is! I'm not making this up. But I do think a baker made up the rule. So I follow the rule but beat them at their own game by making cakes myself! I take cake requests and try my best. This year Justus asked for a Batman cake. Easy enough. Eli asked for a tornado cake. Ummm, okay.

So here they are in all their sugar-y, dyed glory!!!

Justus' Batman Cake

A chocolate cake with yellow and black frosting. The bat is a giant sugar cookie with black glaze on it. [I need to work on my frosting penmanship.] After the design was already in the works, I discovered Justus really wanted a cake in the shape of Batman's head. That wasn't going to happen, so I added the little Batman figure as an extra bonus.

Eli's Tornado Cake

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a dead cow on your cake! That's Eli for you...my future storm chaser loved it! A white cake with green frosting. The actual tornado is made of circle shaped sugar cookies in decreasing size. I put a hole in the middle of each circle and put a tiny dowel through the holes for support and used frosting as the glue to hold it all together. [It was a bit too heavy so there are two additional dowel pieces in the back for support.] The little house is a sugar cookie too. The destroyed road is Oreo cookie crumbs and the other decor was borrowed from the toy box and my Christmas village. I did have to add the little satellite dish to the storm chasing vehicle...it's just a piece of paper "glued" on with a dab of frosting.

Since tomorrow is their real birthday I'll share the rest of the photos in tomorrow's birthday post!

Woohoo! We are the Champions!

I'm happy to report all that clicking made a difference! Our undefeated record stands! After starting off over 5,000 clicks behind we came back to win! Now only if the team could do as well as us clickers!

Now that this is over...our new chant: Go Cardinals!

Change of Heart

This post has been saved as a "draft" for months. I will never get it "just right" so I may as well post it. Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade so I figured it was a good day to hit "publish". Sometime last year I heard about Gianna Jessen, if you have not heard her story it is compelling. She survived a late term abortion and was put up for adoption. I googled her name and that led to a little research rabbit trail.

There is a book about Gianna's life (up through age 17). The book is "Gianna: Aborted and Lived to Tell About It" by Jessica Shaver. I was able to check it out from my local library. Actually, I was shocked my library had it! They have very little on the subject of abortion and even less about the pro-life side. This book won't win any literary awards, but the story was very interesting.

The book mentions a short documentary called "The Silent Scream" about abortion. They now have the whole movie available in short segments online. I had never heard of this movie. It is a bit dated but the footage is amazing and has changed many minds about abortion (including the doctor and ultrasound technician that helped film it). The movie is not terribly graphic like some other abortion films. However, the most disturbing part of the film uses ultrasound to show the abortion of an 11 week old baby.

The director and narrator is a doctor (Dr. Bernard Nathanson) that was one of the founders of NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League originally the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws). He worked hard, admittedly lying, to make abortion legal during the Roe v. Wade time frame and performed many abortions, including one on his own unwanted child. However, after the invention of ultrasound, he changed his mind about abortion. In 1996, he became a Catholic. He has written a couple books that I have yet to read, Aborting America and The Hand of God, and made another documentary called the Eclipse of Reason about late-term abortions.

Next, I wanted to read a bit more about Roe v. Wade. I was curious, who exactly was Roe anyway? "Roe" was really a woman named Norma L. McCorvey that had said she was raped and became pregnant. She wanted an abortion and since they were illegal at that time, she sued to get it. Of course, we all know the results. However, she never got her abortion. The court case went on too long, she ended up having her baby and giving it up for adoption. Years later, she admitted she had lied and that she was not raped. She too has changed her mind and is now an advocate of the pro-life movement and campaigns to try and overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling. Ms. McCorvey has also written two books, I am Roe and Won by Love, and in recent years has become a Christian. She has petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case again "in light of evidence" to no avail.

The abortion rate seems to be dropping a bit in recent years but there are still over one million babies aborted each year (less than 1% of those are due to rape). While I'm sure there are many more, here are two people that worked very hard to make abortion possible who have now changed their minds. More/better/improved birth control or even education isn't going to eliminate abortions. I truly believe that the end to abortion will come through changing the hearts of people. People like Norma McCorvey and Dr. Bernard Nathanson. One heart at a time.

Gold!

Need a good laugh? Want a peek into our life through the eyes of my economics minded husband? Here you go...

My offer of a Creme Saver to everyone who helped clean up the basement turned into:

Well, as you can imagine, her announcement went over like someone had shouted "Gold!" in the dusty main street of some 19th century boom town. And with her shout every pint-sized prospector rushed for the proverbial hills in order to secure his portion of the riches.

Wait there's more! Go read it!

The Wait is Over!

Just wanted to let you all know that the phone will be off the hook for two hours tonight while I catch up with some old friends! I missed them terribly and I can't wait to see what's new with them...

Almost there...

Don't stop clicking!!
I think this will be over tomorrow...
and it looks like we'll come out on top!
Go Pack G0!

I Love Technology

Have you seen Napoleon Dynamite? It's a great movie! One of the characters sings a song about loving technology ("I love technology, but not as much as you, you see"). That is where I am at right about now.

I've been a Mac convert for a long time. Both my parents and in-laws, who are long time Mac people, have gotten new iMacs in the last week or so. My parents are recent converts. While I have had the ability to video chat since we got this computer, I never had anyone to chat with! Now, with all these new computers in the family, we have been enjoying the ability to video conference with these fellow Mac users!

Today, Justus colored a picture of some popcorn and when I said that was one of Grandma Molly's favorite snacks he asked if he could show it to her. So we popped on the video chat and did just that!

When my parents ran across a small problem (missing plug in) this week. I tried walking them through fixing it on the phone. We got part of the problem solved but needed a little additional assistance.

That's where my friend Theresa, who is also a Mac person, stepped in. With the latest Mac operating system you can actually hand the controls over to someone else and they can remotely control your computer! It was AMAZING! I had to get kicked out of the little conference because I'm behind the times a bit. Theresa got the ball rolling by taking control of my parents computer. When it was all taken care of we all cheered and had a three way video chat for a minute to celebrate!

Here is what it looked like on my screen. The picture quality changes on a second by second basis depending on the internet speed. Theresa's on the left, Mom (and Dad) are on the right, and I'm in the middle on the bottom.
If I was addicted to the internet before...this is definitely NOT going to help! What a great way to visit with far away friends and family. And this will come in super handy when Roz is away from home at college! Theresa, thanks for all your help! Grandparents, we'll be "seeing" you soon!

Silly Speaking

Wesley, just tonight, said the the colors of the rainbow are: "red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and bunting". (If you're wondering...here's why!)

Those crunchy things on your salad? Yeah well, according to Hayden that would be a "toucron" (pronounced too-cron). We have salad just about every night. He always sits at the island and watches me toss it together. Every time he asks for a toucron "in his hand", which means he wants it now, he doesn't want to wait until it's served on his plate.

These will have to be added to the list of funny things the kids have said. There have been some other good ones lately, I'll add them later if I think of them. I'll have to do a better job writing these things down so I can make sure they end up in the next book!

Stuff Management: Part 1

Since so many people make getting more organized a goal (I won't say resolution!) this time of year, I thought I'd post some of my favorite organizing tips and tricks. There are many "how to" blogs and books on organizing, but maybe just reading a short post on what really works (for one person anyway!) will get you motivated.

My advice: start small! If you set out to accomplish the whole house in one weekend...I'm guessing you'll end up a bit disappointed. So pick something simple to start, finish it, and be happy to have at least one thing of your long "to do" list.

I suggest you start with your purse. I don't have a purse. My purse is a diaper bag. I do have a large wallet that I take out of the diaper bag to carry when I go shopping by myself. So if you have a purse (or diaper bag) empty it out. EVERYTHING. Don't forget the pockets. Shake out all the fuzzies and put back only the things you really need. I can't tell you what you will and won't "need", that's up to you but I'm guessing you don't need several items in there! [If you don't have a purse skip this part and go on to the next.]

Move on to your wallet. Again, empty it out..the whole thing. This time as you are putting back the items you need, you have an extra step. Write down everything that you put back into your wallet. Or if you want to keep track on your computer, type everything in a document. [You can also make a photo copies of the contents of your wallet, front and back, if you would rather do that.]

For each bank card/credit card record the account number and 800 number of the company that issued the card. Same for library cards and any other membership cards you might have. Don't keep infrequently used items in your wallet at all (like your Social Security card)...it's better to leave those things in a safe place and keep only the items you really need and use in your wallet. That way there's less to worry about if you wallet is ever lost or stolen.

Keep this list in a safe place! If you do lose your wallet you'll be glad you have all this info in one spot. I personally like to type my info on the computer so I can edit or update and reprint my list easily each year.

While you are at the computer, type up a small business card sized emergency information card to put in your wallet. I include the following on mine and I do the same for Jer:

• At the top is says: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
  
• Spouse's name and phone number(s)
• Another local contact person
  
• Another non-local contact person
  
• Medications (Rx that you take daily)
• Allergies/Blood type/Organ donor
  
• Any other important medical info you would want known in an emergency

Here is what my whole page looks like, minus the actual numbers! After I print it, I cut out the lower left corner EMERGENCY section and stick it in my wallet behind my drivers license. That way if I am in an accident and unable to give my info they will find it when they find my ID. I hope it never has to be used, but it's there just in case.

Up Next Time (not sure when...maybe next week!): Household Notebook

Ridiculous!

Think I was overreacting a bit to the CPSIA thing I posted about a couple days ago? Read this!

It's from the American Library Association, here's the shocking first paragraph:

The American Library Association (ALA) released a letter to Congress yesterday, urging members to take action against a recent opinion ruling released from the General Counsel of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that would require public, school, academic and museum libraries to either remove all their books or ban all children under 12 from visiting the facilities, beginning on February 10.

To keep up with how this affects other industries check here. (They're nicknaming it National Bankruptcy Day.) There is also one site, available here, that allows you to contact all your senators and reps at once. The only thing I don't like about it is they have written a small part that you cannot change (however, you can customize a bit if you want) and I think "form" letters get looked at a bit differently than those clearly written individually.

One more thing...Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesperson Scott Wolfson says that the CPSIA will go into effect on February 10 even though the specifics of the law will not be finalized by then. Wolfson says that the CPSC wants to hear from the public regarding how the CPSIA will affect them and that CPSC "is working on a 30-day comment period where we will hear from consumers, manufacturers, retailers, anybody affected by the act." (No word yet when those 30 days will be but since February 10th is fast approaching it won't be before the law goes into effect.)

Thanks AZ Family and Friends...

...for not rubbing it in that the Cardinals are well into the play off and the Packers are...well, where are they anyway?!? If the Packers aren't in the playoffs, the Cardinals are the next best thing...in our house anyway! I, personally, am happy the Jets didn't get any farther than they did; that would have really been sad for GB.

Jerry is very excited about the Cards and enjoyed watching the game last night! We are all hoping they go "all the way". It will make the Super Bowl a lot more fun!

If you are a die hard Packers fan, there is some good news! They are still on the road to the Super Bowl! The Chunky Soup Click for Cans Super Bowl. So keep clicking!

Our Government At Work

I'm afraid I'll sound a bit like Jerry in this post about our government...not that would be a bad thing...it's just not my usual type of post. So bear with me or skip it if you so desire.

If you haven't heard about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, I wouldn't be surprised. It seems to be America's best kept secret. Remember all the recalls last year due to lead in toys? Even our family was affected and sent several lead infested trains back to the manufacturer for replacement. I also received a small ($30 store credit-don't spend it all in one place...oh yeah, I have to!) settlement because of those recalls.

Well, last summer/fall while we were all busy watching the election and economic news coverage, Congress quietly passed a law to help "protect" children by requiring ALL products (clothes, toys, books, etc.) sold for children under age 12 be tested for lead and phthalates. In their haste to get this bill passed, Congress unfortunately didn't consider the impact this would have on the resale and home/small business industry.

Children's products that don't meet the requirements will be "banned hazardous substances" under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and can't be sold as of February 10th. This law is also retroactive and covers products manufactured before the date. This is bad news for small businesses (crafters, Etsy, eBay, etc.).

It is also BAD news for the environment. What is more "green" than re-using and recycling clothing and toys? These questionable items will cause TONS of additional piles in the landfills. Some items that end up in the land fill will actually meet the requirements but since the testing costs too much they will end up there anyway!

Originally there was no exemption for the resale industry (meaning no thrift store or garage sales for untested items). However, yesterday, the CPSC issued a "clarification" (ha!) saying:

The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.

Well, CPSC, how on earth would one know if a product exceeds the limit without testing? If these items can't be sold without determining whether they are compliant, then what is going to happen? I'm guessing many thrift and resale type stores won't want to take the risk of being sued. Many businesses will close and jobs will be lost, especially bad news during these hard economic times.

What do you think will be happening to prices as companies pay to have EVERY component of EVERY product tested? [For example: a shirt would need the thread, fabric, buttons, zippers, and decorations all tested.] Our habit of buying cheap junk from China is going to come back to haunt us. How many children have died due to lead poisoning anyway? Not lead from paint or household items but toys, clothes, and books? Are Chinese children dropping like flies due to all the lead in their clothes and toys? I guarantee more children die related to disease caused by second hand smoke, yet the government doesn't do anything to stop those deaths!

We had a short discussion regarding this at my Mother's of Multiples club meeting last night. We have a resale twice a year and all of the items we sell will be affected by this new law. Reading the CPSC's clarification didn't really ease my mind about selling second hand items. One of the main questions: How will they enforce this? I'm not sure, but that is a bit beside the point really. In good conscience, should you break a law just because you're almost certain you won't be caught?

Listen, I have six kids, five of which put all sorts of stuff into their little mouths; I can honestly tell you that lead and phthalates wasn't even on my "things to worry about" list! Do I think toys could be safer? Sure! But there has got to be a better way. This might make more sense if millions of children had died of lead poisoning. But right now the benefits do not justify costs. Uncle Sam is trying to help us out by making EVERY children's product we buy cost MORE during the biggest "economic" downturn this country has seen since the Great Depression! Congress (and for sure Senator Kohl-who I got a response from today) just doesn't get it. Probably because most of these people either don't have small children or won't have trouble buying more expensive, newly tested items. In my opinion, it's just another example of the government going a bit too far.

I have much more for you to read about this, but I don't want this to be a book! Below are some links to read more.

To read more:

• Info sheet I put together for my Mother's of Multiples group
• CPSIA website
• CPSC "clarification" issued January 8, 2009
• A message from a fellow mom of many Rebekah Wilson, a small business owner on how this will affect her business (if you only read one link, make it this one!)
  

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

• Write your congresspeople. Find your Representative and your Senator.
• Contact the CPSC , send an email directly or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923 The CPSC stated they want to here from consumers.
  
• Post your concerns on your blog, on Facebook, or on MySpace.
  

==================================================
Here is the contact info for our area:

US Senator Herb Kohl (202) 224-5653 or email
US Senator Russ Feingold (202) 224-5323 or email
US Representative Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 or email

US Representative Tammy Baldwin (from WI) was on the committee that introduced the bill.
Her contact information is: (202) 225-2906 or email

Slip n' Slide

Saturday night it was warm enough to cause some sleet/freezing rain instead of snow. When Roz came home about 10pm she said she almost "died" walking up to the front door. I thought it was a bit of teenage dramatics, but as I headed to bed, I looked outside. It did look a bit icy out there.

We watched the weather in the morning and they said the main roads were fine just be careful on the side roads...so we headed to church. The driveway was a sheet of ice. The garage door opener is broken so Jer had to get out to shut it manually after we backed out of the garage. We all laughed as he slid down the driveway when he stepped out of the van. He could NOT make it back up to the garage door. He slid his way over to the side of the driveway and then walked on the snow where there was better traction. Then he shut the garage door and slid on down the driveway grabbing hold of the driver side door as he went by.

The weather man was correct. While the side streets were a bit icy the main roads and highways were in great shape. Traveling to and from church was no problem. Then we got home.

Remember the garage door opener is broken? Afraid the van would slide down, Jer parked the van at the end of the driveway and attempted his climb. He fell once. Then twice, before he made it to the edge where there was snow. He couldn't stay on his feet and push up on the garage door so he had to kneel as he got it started.

Instead of making him slide all the way back down, I moved to the drivers seat. We got about halfway up the driveway before we lost traction and the wheels started to spin and the back end of the van fish tailed. So I backed up and tried again. Same thing. One more try, with the neighbor children cheering me on, and I gave up.

We parked the van at the end of the driveway. But now we had to get up the icy incline. On foot. In our church shoes. I told each boy as they stepped out: "Be careful! It's slippery!" And each of the bigger boys promptly fell on their behind as soon as their feet hit the ground. Hayden got a bit farther before he slipped and bumped his head. It was a trail of tears I tell you!

Jerry had to go back to the van for JD who was the only remaining child in the van. I offered to throw him a rope, but he said he could make it. And he did.

After getting a bag of salt spread, we spent a good bit of time scraping away the ice so it wouldn't get buried under the next round of snow. Jerry scraped, I shoveled, and Wesley loaded the ice into the sled and took it away for dumping. It was a proud moment when the van was pulled back into the garage!!
Here is a picture of the van parked at the end of the driveway. The neighbor girl is sliding down the icy driveway on our sled and Wesley is trying to get back up to the garage by crawling! I'm hoping if you click on the picture you'll be able to see the ice.

Can We Build It?

Yes, we can! Saturday we took the boys to the free Home Depot kids workshop. They had a great time and were very proud of their finished products! Each boy got a Home Depot apron with their name on it. And each of us, including me, got to build a set of football helmet bookends. [Hey Uncle Joe...act surprised when you get a set for your birthday!] Once we completed the project each boy got a certificate and project pin to put on their apron.

Home Depot probably sold several power drills/screwdrivers after the workshop since they made us assemble the bookends with a manual screwdriver. It was S-L-O-W going. But maybe that was their plan all along?!

The boys are already asking to go next month. In February, we will make a heart trinket box...a bit more "girlie" but I'm thinking they will make lovely gifts! :) So you all can thank Home Depot for next years Christmas presents!

*If you're interested in going: the workshop is available at all Home Depot stores the first Saturday of each month. No registration required. From 9am to 12pm you can walk right in and build your project. All supplies (and instruction sheet) are included and free. The website says from ages 5 to 12 but I saw several younger kids there and a few older ones too.

Best Internet Finds of 2008

Hey! Where have you been...I haven't seen you since last year! Roz always rolls her eyes at my "see you next year" and "haven't seen you since last year" jokes. But you only get to use that joke once a year, so I take advantage of the opportunity when I can.

Just for fun I thought I'd share some of my favorite internet finds of 2008. Who knows, you mind find something you enjoy on this list as well...

The Pioneer Woman website is one of my best finds! Ree is hilarious, takes beautiful pictures, and shares awesome recipes.

Conversion Diary - the blog of a lifelong atheist turned Catholic. Very interesting. Be sure and check out her conversion story in the side bar as well as her most popular posts.

Amy's Humble Musings - the blog of a mom of many who tells it like it is. She has a little something for everyone. Her ever-changing "Also Worth Visiting" links in the sidebar are great.

Little House in the Suburbs - a shared blog. These gals live the "homestead" lifestyle right where they are...in the middle of the suburbs. A little more self-reliance is a good thing!

Everyday Food Storage - a great food blog, full of recipes made with items everyone should have in their pantry. If you have wheat kernels and a blender you should try her blender pancakes! They're delicious and a good way to get whole wheat into the kiddos! [If you live near me and want to give this a try...let me know and I'll give you some wheat.]

JANE4girls $800 Annual Budget - a coupon/money saving blog. This gal had a grocery/household budget of $800 for 2008 (the WHOLE year!) and still had $7.54 leftover! Makes me wish I lived in the land of double coupons! She's going to do it again this year!

Google Reader - Okay, I know what you're thinking...how do I have time to check all these blogs? I can check them all and MANY more in just a few minutes by using a reader. When you use a reader you can check all your favorite blogs at once from the same page. Google Reader is free and easy to use. If you read blogs and aren't already using a reader...put getting one on the top of your "to do" list.

Sitemeter - if you have a blog and want to keep track of your statistics, Sitemeter is a must have!

ScrapBlog - a free, online digital scrapbooking site...yet, so much more! It's how we made Jerry's blog header and how I made several of my blog elements. If you want a more "personalized" blog start here. It's addicting!

Delicious - an online bookmarking site that helps you keep all your internet finds organized. If you find a recipe, tip, article, or craft online you just add it and tag it so you can find it again easily. If you use Firefox (and you should be!) you can get Delicious built right in so it's super easy to use.

Paper Back Swap - get free books. I wish I would have joined PBS sooner! If you read and/or have books sitting around...PBS is for you!

My Points - earn gift cards for clicking emails (and shopping). I've made about $50 in CVS gift cards this year clicking on My Points emails. With those gift cards (and a couple from prescription transfers) I haven't paid ANYTHING out of pocket at CVS since February 2008...and I've gotten a LOT of stuff. If you're interested in joining let me know and I'll refer you and earn a few extra points!

Pandora - internet radio. Listen to the music YOU like. Put in an artist or song and a "station" will be created for you. I really enjoyed this during the holidays; Christmas music with NO commercials.

Library Elf - I've mentioned this one before, but if you check out books from the library it's a must have! Just register your household's library card number(s) and Elf will let you know when your books are due or your holds are ready. It's saved me many $$ in fines this year!

AllRecipes - online recipe book. Find recipes by recipe or ingredients. If you only have tuna and broccoli in the house (I hope that's not the case!) and are wondering what to make...put "tuna" and "broccoli" in the ingredient search and you'll get several recipe suggestions.

Pinecone Research - pays you $3 for each survey you take. Really. I get a check for $3 about a week after I take each survey. You won't get rich but a few extra dollars here and there can't hurt.

Seeing this list makes me wonder what's out there that I haven't discovered yet...