Is it a sin?

Is it a sin to find out what Mr. Coffee bought for Valentine's Day? I wasn't looking for anything when I checked our online banking and found out where he'd been shopping at. So I'm hoping it's not a sin, but if those flowers are delivered anywhere else besides our front door, there will definitely be some sinning going on. There'll be some pain and illegal use of kitchen utensils. (Well...... you know I don't use them for cooking, so I might as well use them for something useful!) AN UPDATE: I did receive some beautiful tulips and a great night out to dinner. So no kitchen utensils were used to harm or cook during the evening. :)

Making the House Mom Proud

Yesterday Mocha Frap decided to find something to wear to school since he didn't like what I picked out. He did a great job matching the shirt and pants - red shirt with gray design and matching gray in the pants. Very handsome, yet very familiar. So I asked Mocha Frap where he got those clothes from.....yes, you guessed it.....the dirty clothes hamper. Said he had only worn them a couple days ago (in the SAME school week). I tried to talk him into at least putting on a different shirt. "Oh no Mom, this is fine!" So in an effort to let my child grow up, find his way in this world and be independent, I dutifully took him to school in the dirty clothes. Now they didn't smell or look dirty!!!! We do have our pride, ya know. I always say, "We're all just one step out of the trailer park."

Stomach Flu

Here's to the stomach flu which has invaded my house. Here's to Oust, Clorox, paper towels and the washing machine. Here's to my insanity - I do hope it's temporary.

Dressed for Success

Today I worked in Mocha Frap's class. I went to the school office and copied some papers for the teacher. I had some problems with the copier, so one of the teachers helped me - thank you so much! I returned to class, there was a fire drill so I left early and went to the drug store to pick up Mocha's prescription. While looking at the 75% Christmas aisle, I noticed the tie on the front of my blouse didn't look right. I reached up and discovered the tag for my blouse on the OUTSIDE of the blouse. Nice.....I walked myself to the bathroom and changed. What a class act! Going to the school, the school office, the drug store with my blouse inside out. I'm sure the teacher who helped me on the copy machine thought that wasn't the ONLY help I needed today!

Cindy Crawford

This year I'm saving money (lots of it).....

• didn't take the Fraps to the movies - I'm waiting for it to come out on DVD.
• Didn't send the Fraps to a birthday party of an acquaintance.
• Keeping the house at 63 degrees - it's cold in here!
• Bought Cindy Crawford's skin care system. Oooppps! I was doing so well until I saw this informercial with Cindy and the French doctor with the one-of-a-kind French melon extract that when slathered on my aging skin will make me look like Cindy. Well.....maybe a fatter Cindy.

And speaking of informercials. There was one with some great Latin music and a gorgeous Latin instructor, but I just couldn't get my fat arse off the couch to go get the phone for that call. And everyone on the informercial had the most amazing abs - even this gal who said she'd birthed 7 children. Well since I only have 3 Fraps, I think I'll just save my money on that product!

So here's to looking like a younger, fatter Cindy in 2009!

Too Much Toffee

8 pounds of sugar, over 120 Hershey bars and 40 cubes of butter leaves a kitchen slippery and slimey. Whew! I made 27 batches of toffee and I'm pooped, not to mention fatter from tasting all of the toffee batches. Welllll.....SOMEBODY had to. :) Let's make something clear....I'm not a good cook at all. So when Mr. Coffee mentioned he'd like to take some toffee to give to his co-workers for Christmas I was shocked. When he told me it was for 20 co-workers (and his boss) I was too tired to think about it. But when I did think about it, I decided to be flattered - because remember I'm not a good cook (AT ALL). If Mr. Coffee thought the toffee would be good enough to give out, then it must be good enough and I'll just be flattered by the fact he asked. So I wanted to give up, but I made batch after batch until I was sick from tasting it all. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it at home (it really is good!) Frat House Mom's Toffee 2 sticks of butter (use the real stuff) 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 6-7 Hershey bars Slivered almonds (optional) Heat 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup sugar over medium high heat until it boils - stirring constantly. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring for 9-11 minutes until it begins to turn light brown. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Immediately pour onto cookie sheet and cover with Hershey bars. After a minute or two, the Hershey bars will be soft enough to spread. Place cookie sheet into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take out and let continue to cool at room temperature for an hour or more. Cut up with the tip of a knife. Have a Happy New Year!

A CHRISTmas Gift

My husband did the best thing EVER last night. He did the dishes! That one act of kindness always speaks volumes to me - that gift of time and energy at the end of the day is so valuable. It reminds me to give of myself and time to others even when I don't think it's "in" me to do so. A couple years ago I read a book called "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian. There were a number of points in her book that challenged me, but the one I remember the most is when she said we (I) need to love our husband's unconditionally just like Christ loves me. Wow! Honestly that's a tough one for me sometimes (usually). But it's Christ's unconditional love for me (that I DON'T deserve) that I value the most and need to give out in return. I haven't mastered the art of loving unconditionally yet. I have a verrrry long way to go. At this time of the year I am reminded that I have received the greatest Gift of all time. The gift of a baby Boy. A Baby who was born to die for the sins of the world. God's unconditional love for me sent His only Son to earth to live among sinners to die so that I can have eternal life. It's hard to wrap my brain around that. I am so thankful for that CHRISTmas gift. I wish all of you a wonderful CHRISTmas celebrating His birth.

Is it possible?

Is is possible for Mr. Coffee to lay around alllll day watching numerous bowl games? Yes, it is. And. yes. it's. killing. me. I'm trying really hard to keep my editorial comments to myself. But it's sooo hard. Honestly...when was the last time I layed around watching T.V. and someone made me dinner. That would be never. Thanks for letting me vent.

Let's Flush, shall we?

I had someone over the other day - a handy man. Too bad it wasn't Ty Pennington......whoops...I digress. Anywhoo...the handy man is looking over the repairs he had made in our downstairs bathroom and I see him take a glance over the commode area and suddenly I realize when he glanced again that someone hadn't flushed. After Mr. Handy Man leaves I go and check and sure enough...no flush. I was so embarrassed! It kills me. The Fraps "forget" to flush all the time. Usually they remember to put the seat down (which is wonderful UNTIL you lift it to do your thing and are repulsed by what's inside). The only thing that's worse is when they haven't flushed and there is not one piece of toilet paper in the toilet! Eeeeewwwww!!!!!

School System Part II

So I went to the school yesterday for our official SARB meeting with the SARB Board which consisted of two people....yup...that's right....two. And they tell me that my Mocha Frap has been absent 4 times. All of which were excused. They took approximately 7 minutes to share that info and then wasted 20 more minutes talking about what they would have to do IF the absences weren't excused and IF we weren't caring, concerned parents. OK, thanks for wasting my time and screwing up my morning. Really...couldn't they have just sent home a letter or maybe just called????? Unbelievable! What a freakin' waste of time! Oh and then they read off the comments from the form the teacher had to fill out. What a waste of time for the teacher - yes, their son has been absent 4 times - yes, their son is a straight A student - yes, the mother emails me and let's me know why he's absent and I send home homework with the other Mocha or Strawberry Frap. What an education system!

School System

I'm so annoyed by our school system some days. I'm OK with rules until they cramp my style. For instance....my Mocha Frap has missed many days of school that are all documented and excused by the various specialists he sees at the children's hospital. So the school sends us a letter that I need to appear before the SARB Board (Student Attendance Review Board) and discuss my child's truancy problems. Are you kidding me? Like I don't know where my own 9 year old has been and don't have all the doctor's co-pays to prove it. Well Ms. SARB Board Chair....if you know something the doctor's don't and can keep my child healthy so he can come to your school everyday, then let's have it. Honestly I know the Board exists for a reason, but they're cramping my style tomorrow morning at 10:30am. I've got things to do (since I couldn't get them done when the Mocha Frap was home with me or I was toting him around to a multitude of appointments). And besides....he's a straight A student...so show me where's the problem. What's that??? Oh you don't get any money for him from the state when he's not there? Oh, I'm sorry. Take some of that cookie dough fundraiser money we've doled out in the last few years and go buy something with it, why don't cha??

G Rated

Remember the cute guy in high school that smelled so good? And a whiff of that cologne nowadays brings all those memories back (my memories were all rated G back then). Well all of my G rated memories have been soured by the scent of my father-in-law. He wears all those colognes I loved and it's just ruined it for me. I can't even have my old G rated thoughts to enjoy - his mug keeps popping up! So sad really....