Shrink into Summer Challenge

I have decided to join the latest challenge over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. As much as I don't want to do this, I have to post my starting weight. I Guess it will hold me accountable for weight loses and gains. So here goes, my starting weight is 175.5. This challenge runs for 8 weeks and my goal is to lose at least 2 pounds a week. With a total of 10- 16 pounds lost. Wish me luck and head on over to The Sisterhood to join me.

Spring in Wyoming!

On Sunday the weather was warm enough that we were able to take the dogs down to the river. It was Peton's first time there and she had fun in the water and rolling in the burrs. On Monday we were blessed with a foot of snow and early release of school. In fact, practically the entire town shut down at noon. School was cancelled again today.

All About James...

through his kids eyes. I turned the table on him and did the same interview with the kids. The answers they gave for him were as funny as the ones for me.

1. What is something dad always says?

T: Do your jobs

K: Fold laundry

S: Go to bed and stop fighting

B: Let's go to Taco Bell

2. What makes dad happy?

T: When he is not so stressed

K: When the house is clean

S: When we get our jobs done and we don't fight

B: When we do what he says

3. What makes dad mad?

T: When he is stressed about work or when his computer isn't working

K: When we don't get our jobs done

S: When we don't do what he says

B: When we don't do what he says

4. How does dad make you laugh?

T: When he says funny things about people, mostly about mom

K: When he makes fun of mom

S: By teasing mom

B: When he says funny jokes about mom

5. What do you think your dad was like as a child?

T: I don't know, he doesn't talk about his childhood alot

K: A bully! He pinched the end of his cousins nose once and turned it purple. He also got beaten with a wooden spoon.

S: I heard he had a girlfriend in the third grade. He was hit by his mom with a wooden spoon. His mom went through a lot of wooden spoons.

B: He was nice

6. How tall is your dad?

T: 5'7"

K: 5'10"

S: Taller than mom

B: I have no idea

7. What is his favorite thing to do?

T: Get on his computer

K: Go fishing

S: Watch TV in the "man cave"

B: Sleep

8.What does your dad do when you're not around?

T: On his computer, watching TV, or working

K: Watch TV, play his PSP, & update his Facebook

S: Watch TV in the "man cave" or sleep

B: Work on his computer

9. If your dad becomes famous, what would it be for?

T: Technology

K: Most money spent on iTunes

S: Taking the longest hike

B: How long it takes to get home from work

10. What is your dad really good at?

T: Fixing most things

K: Fishing...he caught a fish once

S: Fixing things...that is kinda a lie, oh well!

B: Doing stuff on his computer

11. What is your dad not very good at?

T: Spelling

K: Putting stuff back together, he always forgets stuff...like that time that he tried to fix grandma's mixer and he forgot to unplug it and it went "POOF" so he had to buy her a new one.

S: Singing...when he is at church he does fine, but when he is in his garage singing with his iPod it is not a pretty sight.

B: Putting stuff back together...he always has extra parts

12. What does your dad do for his job?

T: He's a manager for GE

K: He's a manager for GE & sells oil tools

S: I think he is a sales manager

B: He works at GE

13. What is your dad's favorite food?

T: Steak

K: Mahi Mahi

S: Steak

B: Oranges

14. What makes you proud of your dad?

T: He works hard to get us our food and stuff

K: He always works really hard

S: He works hard

B: He works very hard

15. If your dad were on TV, who would he be?

T: Probably an actor

K: Jimmy Neutron, because he likes working in his garage all the time

S: Robin Williams, because he is really funny

B: Sponge Bob, because he says "I'm ready, I'm ready for a promotion"

16. What do you and your dad do together?

T: Work on things around the house

K: We go out to lunch

S: Sometimes we go to Home Depot

B: Watch TV

17. How are you and your dad the same?

T: We both like paintballing

K: We both have blonde hair and blue eyes

S: We both have glasses

B: We both have straight, blonde hair and blue eyes

18. How are you and your dad different?

T: I like acting and singing and he likes sports more

K: He is a boy and I am a girl

S: He is taller

B: He has glasses and I don't

19. How do you know your dad loves you?

T: He tells me and I just know

K: He always works really hard to get us what we want and need

S: Because he says he loves me

B: He buys us stuff that we want, like a puppy

20. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?

T: the "man cave" to watch TV

K: Home Depot

S: He is always wanting to go to Menards and Home Depot

B: Taco Bell

Stay on your own side!!

James has been telling me that I have been grumpy the last few days. Hopefully by Friday I will be able to post the reason for this grumpiness. Anyway, tonight he told me that I was especailly angry and that when I came to bed I was to stay on my own side. He even went as far as to put tape down the middle of the bed.

All About Me...

...through the eyes of my children.
This interview has been circulating Facebook and blogs for awhile. I decided to ask these questions of my children and brave their answers.

1. What is something mom always says?
T: Seriously...I hate when you say it in your weird way
K: Go get me a Diet Coke
S: Get your jobs done
B: No

2. What makes mom happy?
T: Having a clean house
K: Diet Coke
S: Getting our jobs done
B: When we do our jobs

3. What makes mom sad?
T: When we don't do what we are supposed to
K: When she is out of Diet Coke
S: Not getting our jobs done
B: When dad pinches her

4. How does mom make you laugh?
T: When dad makes fun of you
K: When you sing
S: Telling jokes
B: When she smiles

5. What do you think your mom was like as a child?
T: A rich kid
K: She had a PoGo Ball, so she was probably pretty cool
S: Well, I have heard that she kicked her sister in the face. She was probably a cheerful child who brought love and happiness to everyone
B: Nice

6. How tall is your mom?
T: 5'6"
K: 5'3"
S: no clue
B: I don't know, 5 to 3 or something

7. What is her favorite thing to do?
T: Get on the computer
K: Get on the computer
S: Get on the computer
B: Sing

8. What does your mom do when you are not around?
T: She usually cleans up the house
K: Gets on the computer
S: How am I supposed to know, I am not around?
B: Writing or something...it is mean to say that she is always on the computer

9. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
T: Photography
K: Not her singing
S: Dancing
B: Taking pictures

10. What is your mom really good at?
T: Making dinner
K: Typing...just kidding! Cooking and painting
S: Cooking
B: Painting my nails

11. What is your mom not very good at?
T: Singing
K: Singing
S: Singing
B: Singing

12. What does your mom do for her job?
T: Helps this old lady
K: She is a nurse person
S: Takes care of this old lady and gets paid for it
B: A nurse for old people

13. What is your mom's favorite food?
T: Chicken
K: It's not spaghetti. She always likes to try something new. I don't think she has a favorite.
S: I don't really know, she pretty much likes everything
B: Chicken

14. What makes you proud of your mom?
T: She takes me to after-school activities
K: She never gives up
S: Well number 1. She is a good cook and number 2. a very, very good dancer
B: She is nice

15. If your mom were on TV, who would she be?
T: A news person
K: Donald Trump, because she loves money, money, mon-ey
S: London Tipton...she is really rich
B: The richest girl there

16. What do you and your mom do together?
T: Go grocery shopping
K: Cook dinner
S: Ask funny questions
B: Go shopping

17. How are you and your mom the same?
T: We both have brown eyes
K: We both have curly hair and we have the same laugh
S: We both have really great smiles
B: We have the same hands

18. How are you and your mom different?
T: She is a girl and I am a boy (Thank you, Captain Obvious)
K: We have different shaped tongues. Hers is long and pointy and mine is short and round.
S: We have different shaped noses
B: Our hair and eyes

19. How do you know your mom loves you?
T: She tells me
K: She works really hard to get us what we need and want and need
S: When I am sick, she takes care of me
B: Because she tells me all the time

20. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
T: To restaurants
K: Home (she then began singing Home, Home on the Range)
S: Florida
B: She always talks about going to Wal-Mart

You're just middle-aged!

{You will appreciate this one Lissa.}

While we were sitting at the table this morning for breakfast (yes, I actually cooked breakfast this morning) we were talking about the time that James' uncle, Scott, threw a hammer at his head for not listening. The kids asked if I was there when it happened and I said no that it happened when he was younger and I didn't know him. Kayla ever so seriously said, "you were younger?" I said, "yes, believe it or not dad was young once and now he is so old." Sierra piped up saying, "he's not old, just middle-aged. You're not old until you are like 57." What? Where did 57 come from? What makes 57 old and not 56? My kids never fail to surprise me and are always making me laugh.

Here Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Leprechaun...

Do you think that this trap will attract any Leprechauns?

Super Trooper!!

Sierra went in for her oral surgery this morning and we were able to do it without sedation. Yay Sierra, you rock!

Removal of impacted tooth w/o sedation---$340

Trip to the mall to make it all better---$100

Getting to see her mom almost pass out and then miss the chair the first try---priceless!

The doc said that he has never had someone leave his office laughing. For the most part, he also sedates kids Sierra's age and younger because they freak out and don't hold still. She just turned on the iPod, closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and then 7 minutes later it was over. The sad thing is she knew more about what was going on than I did and I watched the whole thing. I guess when the blood left my head and I thought I was going to throw up I blocked the rest of it out. It wasn't even that bad of a surgery. I have seen worse and not been affected. Must have been because it was my baby!

Our Awesome Find

While removing shelves and a portion of the wall today we found this awesome signed lithograph in the wall. The original receipt was there from some previous owner and they paid $200 for it. We looked up the artist and its worth $895. Now I am ready to tear out more walls. Check out the artists website http://www.bevdoolittle.net/ .

Schmokey McFlubbers

Tyler had his musical performance of Lil Abner this past weekend. They got to choose their own names and he chose Schmokey McFlubbers. I am so glad that this is over again until December. Now to get throught the rest of the chorale performances and then it will be summer. It is creeping up on us FAST!!

Goodbye Trees