Friday, September 19, 2014

Sometimes people just do stupid things....

Which is the most ridiculous?

Example #1: DAPHNEY- Stubbornly insisted on her sippy-cup being stored in her boot.

Why.. really? Does it taste better? Does it keep it warmer? Is it contraband? Nobody really knows why...



Example #2: Katie- Struggled Trimming the Bush

All summer I have been waiting to trim this beast of a bush and it is finally close enough to fall that I was allowed to try and remove half of its bulk. I clipped and clipped and clipped until my shoulders ached and my body cried, "The Jones... (Breathe) have... (Breathe) beastly bushes". Definitely the new pink!

It was about this time that my husband pulled up for lunch and said, "you know we have an electric trimmer right?" - This is my second bush he has seen me do and he is just now telling me this! (PS. My first bush, I did better on that type of bush than anyone else in the whole entire neighborhood. I might need to make a career out of shaping bushes; it takes a great deal of artistic ability. Just think me and Edward Scissor-hands passing notes and swapping stories!)

Anxious to shave that beastly bush I hurried back out after lunch. The kids watched as we all stood in awe at the amazing power that this machine had that my muscles had not so eloquently displayed. Seriously Daphney and I simultaneously breathed out an awe/wow a few times!  I was in that act of showing my daughter how a real women gets a job done when the machine kind of shorted out and then ran and then shorted out and slowly came to a stop and did not turn back on. The bush looked like Alfalfa's hair at this point so I hurried to check the plugs of the extension cord. It was still plugged in. I tried another outlet- nothing! Come on; the tool only had two buttons surely I could master turning it on and keeping it on. Sadly I admitted defeat and wound the cord up and put the machine away.

When my husband came home and saw the Mr. Alfalfa bush he gave me the eyebrows raised and slightly skewed look and then the question of what happened.

"Seriously Shane I just can't do it. I wasn't meant to trim bushes my dream is crushed into a pulp."

Like a good husband looking out for my dream, and wanting to make the bush look like it wasn't decorated for Halloween Shane went out to sort out the problem. He is so amazing; took him like 5 seconds outside. He came in carrying the new electric cord that I had completely sliced through. Well not completely, all the way through the wires but just not the plastic on the other side too. So our cord is sliced like Nearly Headless Nick is decapitated. That dangling orange end there was easy not to notice... Seriously not the stupidest thing right?!

Example #3: Shane- Buying Light Sabers 

So for Halloween I always force my family to dress up and have a silly stupid seriously fun family outing. This year we are planning on being star wars characters. I am not going to pretend to know anything about it or even try to find out about it, because I swear by looking online you could find whole books just on why producers chose certain colors for the character's light saber. I am choosing pink for Daphney's because it is a girly color, and I don't care that it doesn't really exist.

Anyways, Shane being again the amazing husband he is and not wanting to look like a goof (he not knowing that is a requirement) decided to help me look online for costume parts. I told him I was going to have to make the light sabers, because they were too expensive. 

He took the challenge and found six for six dollars, and because of prime got free shipping. They were cheap looking but would work. After he had ordered them I was looking at the page and noticed that a little LEGO Yoda man was holding a lightsaber. I asked, "Shane you don't suppose that they are only like a centimeter long do you?"  HAHA Even after my begs that we could go ahead and please use those awesome things... he canceled the order. It would have been the funniest to have that tiny box show up in our mailbox. 

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Cereal Upstairs in the Bedroom?

Definately not allowed... Accept when I really want to finish working on part of a painting and the two kids wake up early from their naps!



Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Play Time

Sometimes I worry if I am giving my kids the best life that I can. Then I look at the collection of videos I have taped lately and I really start to wonder... I want to stop my kids and say, "Wear this cape and save the world; wear this princess dress and have dinner with your imaginary tribe of trolls". But so often in the pictures, videos, and memories we have created I see a common thread.

Not a princess dress but a nursing cover or apron. 
Not a cape but daddy's shoes. 

I want to stop my kids and say, "Wait, there will be time for this; enjoy life now". Something like, "Just have fun; stop changing your babies diapers and worry about yourself." 

But, I can't.

Daphney's got it right. Shane and I have an amazing life. Who needs to be a princess or a superhero when you can be a mom or a dad. Yes, it is work, but oh what a wonderful work.

What sweet kids to labor with us!


Saturday, September 6, 2014

Saturday Adventures

Money Crunch

Shane and I have been trying to save some money- you know because life is hard and it is nice to have some cushion in this wonderful economy. Alas my husband sees these three little neighbor girls out with their lemonade stand and fake cash register that is just waiting to snatch our few coins we have saved up to get our son a round head. We trek down to the stand and in a sing song voice the girl asks if we want a small or large cup? I look for the price difference... They cost the same! Okay so listen girls I definitely want a big cup. What kind of question really? Has she never seen an AT&T commercial BIGGER IS BETTER!

She then proceeds to pour Shane and I two almost half full cups of lemonade. This is too much for my mind. Michelle Obama change serving sizes again? Refer back to the fact that bigger is better! I bridle my tongue, and decide to be neighborly and more mature. I ask these girls if they have plans for the money they earn. Get this they austerely respond, "Oh well we will probably donate it to something." Man nothing like a slap in the face to realize that I am the worst person in the world!

Pictures from our day playing outside on this gorgeous Saturday.

Daphney wants to color Demitri's helmet with sidewalk chalk. Come on mom painted on it!
My son does not know how to take a bad picture!