Hello Snowtober!

Well, some of you may have heard about (or experienced!) the little Nor'Easter we got here in New England. Wow, did we get nailed at our house. We woke up this morning to about a foot of snow in our yard, which, by the way, blows away a huge record for snow this early in Maine. White Halloween's are not unheard of here in Maine, but not stuff like this. Some parts of the state reported getting as much as 18 inches (and parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported as much as two feet!).

Anyway, here is how we spent our morning:

I. Am. MAD!!!! Halloween Edition

Okay, so, all three of our pumpkins, including Lizzie's special one from my mom and our jack 'o' lantern are gone. Stolen and smashed on the side of the road.

I am *insert expletive here* livid.

So, so, soooooo freaking mad.

I know it's Halloween. I know it's what some jerk-off, a-hole people do. I know some people think it's funny.

But I don't care.

What kind of idiocy/cruelty does it take to trek down a looooong, completely unlit driveway to someone's house, steal their pumpkins (including a jack 'o' lantern, which, to me, implies there are little kids involved, and you are therefore stealing a young child's pumpkin, which is just plain MEAN), and then pointlessly smash them in the road in front of their driveway.

Honestly, and I'm sorry if this makes me sound totally lame and over the top, but it makes me feel unsafe. If they don't have a problem coming up on my porch, why not in my house?

Again, I know that this can be something that "just happens" this time of year, but it's really disheartening to know that I can't put a fricking pumpkin on my porch without worrying it's going to lure in some jerk who will smash it to pieces.

And poor Lizzie cried forever over it. I'd like to make who ever did this sit and watch a poor little three-year-old girl ball her eyes out, crying for her pumpkins, saying that she'll never be able to have a pumpkin again because they'll "get lost" again.

I AM SO MAD ABOUT THIS!!!!!!

And I know there is nothing to do, so I'm writing this completely pointless blog post, that will solve nothing, but maybe make me feel a little bit better.

Perhaps I'll just leave this note taped to our next jack 'o' lantern:

#8 is sort of my favorite. 

Uh-Yuh

I have a small obsession with accents. There are some I love, some I hate, and I love talking about cultural differences in speech (as you'll see from the beginning of the above video). I was inspired by this blog, which was interesting to read/watch, because the author is Canadian (so there are definitely a few differences in pronunciation). I know my accent probably doesn't come out as strongly in this video, but seriously, you get me going (especially at work), and the New England-y sounds come out. I can't say I have a Mass. accent any more, but my way with words hasn't quite formatted itself to the Mainer ways, so I tend to just say I sound like I'm from New England.

Anyway, go ahead and take a listen and let me know what you think! Oh, and please excuse the sort of creepy internet stalker lighting, my webcam blows.

Maybe A Cool Idea

When my family first moved to Maine, we lived with my grandpa for a year. He lived down a dirt road, where the houses were spread out, most of the neighbors were gone during the year, and the road ended at a nice sandy little beach. If that doesn't sound enough like a kid's dream land, get this: there were these really pretty little paths that snaked through the woods, starting just after my grandpa's house and ending just before the lake. What's more, they were open to the residents of the "neighborhood", so it was perfectly fine for me to run up and down those paths by foot or bike as much as I wanted. They were maybe the coolest part of living with my grandpa (besides, you know, getting living with my grandpa--who is, coincidentally, really cool).

The reason I bring this all up is because I would really love for their to be paths on our property. You see, we have about three acres going here, and while much of it is opened up (and filled with crazy huge gardens that are going to take the rest of my life to tackle), we have nice little swaths of woods that are within our property line on either side of the house. 

Wouldn't it be neat to create a little path that travels along the outskirts of our property, line it with pretty shade-loving plants, and maybe even lanterns and solar-powered string lights? I think that would be so freaking awesome! It also might make us the coolest house to hang out at in the world. It has such a wimsical fairy-Harry Potter-Midsummer's Night Dream groom to it. 

Okay, as if I wasn't convinced before, I am now. We're totally doing this. 

When You Feel Like Caca...

I deem this to be a seasonable suitable picture to describe how I currently feel, though I am not puking.

Do you:

a) Curl up in a ball and cry
b) Tell your husband, even though it's completely unwarranted, that he's a big loser (you even do the whole L on the forehead thing--feel free to start singing "All Star" by Smash Mouth)
c) Call your mom up crying and beg her to take your small child, mostly because you're sick, but also because she ripped your diploma and when you got mad she simply replied that if you put her in time out she'd rip up more of your diplomas (ha, as if).
d) Take it like a woman and just deal and move on with your day.
e) You do a, b, and c and tell anyone who can actually do d they can go take a flying leap.

Yes, yes, I'm proud to say I selected e from that little quiz. Do I get an A or what? I hate feeling like crap, and I hate feeling like crap because I feel like crap even more, if that makes any sense. Basically, I hate succumbing to my weaknesses. I've been sick for about...a month now. Whether it's a persistent bout of colds I'm receiving from my little snot rag friends at school (I say this with love), seasonal allergies, or a combination of all three, at the  moment, I'm left with what could very well be the onset of bronchitis and an ear infection.

Woot.

Now, that all sounds pretty cruddy, and it is. And up until today, I've powered along. I've showed up at work. I've taken care of my family (though the house is in a bit of a decline, mostly because I slog my but home at about 5, cook a meal, then crash somewhere until Lizzie's too tired to play any more, then drag her to bed with me). I've been attempting to help my husband with the house training of our new puppy (some success at this point, but it's been really hard to remain consistent). Anyway, all this requires a lot of energy, of which I do not have a great supply.

So, now, as I begin to see the very rocky bottom of this situation (possibly getting just a tiny bit sicker than I've been so far) these two things occur to me.

1. DOH goes back to work today, rendering him virtually useless until Wednesday night (long 12-hour shifts doing incredibly stressful work--I tend to let him be on work days). 
2. There is a very good possibility my car will not start in the morning. Just sayin'. 

I'm trapped. And alone. 

The alone part (at least I'm alone for now) doesn't bother me so much. Mom came and took Lizzie for the day. I slept for a couple hours (hence how I am able to muster the strength to write this blog post). It's actually kind of nice, though I did end up feeling really bad/guilty when my mom showed up to get Lizzie (who, of course was thrilled to be rid of me). As crazy busy/into things Lizzie is now (it's actually worse than when she was a toddler--the smarty-pants and curiosity factor have been boosted times a million, and she's so independent, so she's into every freaking thing), the house feels empty without her in it. And the car business? Let's just say I'm dumb and it could have been avoided had I taken certain precautions (like stopping to get gas), but I'm sure the situation will resolve itself...somehow. I just don't like the uncertainty of the availability of my car. 

Maybe worst of all, DOH is sick, too. And I want to cuddle when I'm sick. He doesn't want to be touched. We spent a half an hour of me slowly trying to rest my arm across his chest or trying to snuggle up to him, and him then pushing me a way, saying, "Stop. Watch this show with me." Larry the Cable Guy? He can git himself done (that sounded way wittier in my  head...). Somehow DOH thinks watching a comedy special with him is the same as being tenderly wrapped in his arms. Not so much. 

Okay, well, now that I've hacked my brains out and can see that according to the clock I have now let enough time go by that I can use my inhaler (thank goodness for drugs), I'm going to go do that. 

If you don't hear from me soon, assume I've been affixiated (I really feel like this is a word, but spell check keeps telling me otherwise--I am choosing to ignore)  by my own windpipe. 

What I've Never Done

Here's a prompt (I haven't done one in a while) from Mama Kat.

I'm 23 years old.
And I've never:

1. Left the United States (sad, I know

2. Eaten a kumquat

3. Gone surfing

4. Read Gone with the Wind

5. Appeared on television 

6. Spoken a foreign language fluently

7. Occupied Wall Street

8. Remained unshowered for longer than a day

I'm pretty sure this is my mother-in-law

9. Permed my hair

10. Seen Forrest Gump

11. Supported the New York Yankees

12. Gotten into a fist fight

13. Been to the top of Mt. Washington

14. Made fudge successfully

15. Been to Disney World or Land

16. Gone clubbing

17. Peed in public (like, in the open--I use public restrooms all the time)

18. Lived on my own

19. Been tattooed 

20. DIY'ed a really cool project

21. Served in a political office

22. Purchased a gigantic chicken 

A New Addition to the Family

A while back, we brought home our little friend, Rosie, our kitten. Well, we've welcomed a new furbaby into our family...
Meet Autumn!

She is an eleven week old Boxer/Golden Retriever mix and is maybe the sweetest doggy ever.

DOH and I had talked for a long time about getting a dog, researched different breeds we might be interested in and had decided to start keeping an eye out for dogs we might be interested in purchasing/adopting, either through a shelter, a foster home, or a good family.

We wound up adopting Autumn from a foster family yesterday and are so pleased we did. While she's nearly three months old, there is a lot of work to be done, because her previous owners (prior to the foster home) were very neglectful (which I cannot understand; how can anyone neglect a puppy?!). We're working on all the basics, from sit and stay to getting her to go potty outside only. We realize it's a large undertaking, but I'd rather do it now while we only have one very independent 3 1/2 year old (a letter to Lizzie is long over due, look for one later this weekend!), rather than waiting another four or five years to get a dog after baby number two is at a more independent stage.

DOH has been amazing. He's the one who found out about Autumn and has been doing a ton of research regarding how to train a dog, different stages of a puppy's development, and has been great in sharing the chore the last two days of taking Autumn out to got potty and for walks in the rain (something Autumn isn't terribly thrilled about).

For now, I feel like our little family is kind of complete (I still think we need a fourth human, but we'll be working on that some months down the road). It's such a wonderful feeling, having this little puppy in our family, and, as Charlie Brown says:

An Extension

In light of what I wrote about (briefly) in a previous post here are some of the words of people who are still being affected by the man who we are "celebrating" today. Very well done.

Christmas Outfit

So, because I'm absolutely in love with Christmas and all things "holiday", I've already figured out Lizzie's Christmas outfit.

It was really easy because it's basically the same thing she wore last year.

I love this dress. I bought it from Hanna Andersson last year for Lizzie's Christmas dress and while it was a bit big, she still rocked it. 

Well, what do you know, it fits her perfectly this year. BUT there were some small stains on the dress that I hadn't been able to get out last year. Bummer, right? Well, my mom gave me a little tip: soak the dress for a a few hours to  day in the tub along with some OxyClean the wash it as you normally would. Well, low-and-behold, the dress came out of my dryer like new. Yes!

So, now we need to buy new tights (which mom kindly offered to do). Last year, we got the tights at Hanna Andersson, which is where we'll get them again. This is the pair I think we'll get:

Don't you love the ruffle butt? 

Anyway, we'll slap on some cheapo patent leathers from Wal-Mart and call it a day, bringing my grand total to $10.88 for Lizzie's Christmas outfit. Pretty great considering I spent about $50 last year...

Planning Ahead

We've been having a problem lately at my house. I haven't been cooking much lately and there has been a major uptick in the purchase of pre-packaged frozen meals and take-out.

Now, I don't have a real issue with either one of those things, if they make it to my table (or, more likely, on my couch in front of my T.V., because not home-cooked meals seem to not call for the nice family dinner at the table) only once in a while. A couple of times a week is a little much for me, both in terms of my own family values and my pocketbook.

Something's gotta give.

Today is Columbus Day (Or, as I like to call it: Happy Smallpox Day, North America's Indigenous People! Fun Fact: Did you know that between the late 1400's (Hello, Mr. Columbus) to the mid-1650's, the native population in the Americas declined by more than 50 percent? Someone please explain to me why we celebrate this idiot, who wasn't even the first European to discover North America, never mind the first person, period.), so we have the day off. I'm taking to day to throw together some freezer meals. Basically my own version of those lovely, over-salted freezer meals I can pick up at the grocery store.

I've planned for five meals to make ahead of time and one meal where I'm going to make certain components head and then all I have to do is mix some stuff together and throw it in the oven (actually, I could probably make the whole thing and then freeze individual pieces...hmmmm). Okay, make it six meals! So, that means I'll have, let's say, at least three meals that I can just throw in the oven when I get home from work and then steam up some veggies to go on the side.

I've planned on ten meals for the next two weeks. That leaves four meals for take out and family dinners with our in-laws. Not bad, eh? Hopefully having some go-to things in my freezer will make getting us all to the table to eat something that's not vaguely reminiscent of cafeteria food will be a bit easier.

Do you have a tricks to getting a tasty, home-cooked meal on your table most nights (despite being ridiculously busy)?

Note: Please excuse my mini Columbus Day diatribe. I have strong feelings about early colonial decimation of the Americas indigenous population.

This Is What Happens When I Try to Look Nice

My husband's aunt is getting married today (yay!). I decided to do something fancy with my nails. I bought some acrylic nails

Holy crap. I went from super short, bitten down nails to these...

I have adult film star hands.

I haven't quite decided if I like these yet, but I definitely have decided I can't function with them on. I can't type (this is taking me twice as long), can't do dishes easily, I'm afraid to touch Lizzie for fear of slicing her to pieces, and I'm a little nervous about DOH's reaction. He's either going to think their hot or be totally freaked out. My money is on freaked out.

And now I'm going to see if they'll finally let me join X-Men, as I sort of feel like a mutant.

Someone Amazing

So, the other night I was feeling pretty sick. Really, really rotten. I've had a cold for about three weeks and this past week was maybe the worst, mostly because I lost my voice (and felt like poo). Anyway, my mom basically ordered me to her house. And she made me supper. And she put me to bed. And the next morning she gave me a big hug and kiss.

I felt loads better.

This is just one of the many reasons why my mother is maybe the most amazing person I know. She is selfless, loving, and a happy and positive person to be around. Even when things aren't always so easy. I'm not going to go into great detail about my mom and what is happening in her/our lives right now, partly because my mom gets embarrassed when I give too much detail on this blog, and this stuff has more to do with her than me, but let me say, she's got a lot on her plate. She's busy every. Single. Day. And while my dad, my brother, and I do make attempts to be helpful, it's not enough. But she still keeps chugging along. With a smile on her face.

She is simultaneously caring for the family her lives in her home, family who live outside of her home, working a job, fulfilling other obligations, and dealing with whatever other unexpected things that crop up (like her 23 year old daughter needing to borrow $10 for gas because she forgot to ask her husband before he left for work, leaving her to meet said daughter at her granddaughter's daycare to drop off the money). I am consistently blown away by  her ability to multi-task and hold it all together at the same time. I can't do it, not yet, and I wonder if I'll ever do it quite as well.

All of those balancing act/Supermom things aside, the biggest thing about my mom that completely floors me is how much she cares about my brother and I, and how much of a good mom that she is. Obviously our relationship was/is not always perfect, but there has never, ever been a day in my life where I doubted the love of my mother or whether or not I could go to her with something. She has always been a solid and loving force in my life, even in the days when I would scream, "I hate you!" and slam the door in her face (Sorry, Mom...:-().

I've always said, if I can be half the mother she was to Lizzie, then Lizzie will have it pretty darn good.

Ugh.

My fave thing about my life lately? Feeling WIDE awake at this time every morning.

Where Does the Time Go?

Do you ever feel like there is some weird time vortex that just sucks up the extra hours in your life? I've been planning and planning to sit down and write something (not even necessarily on the blog), but it never happened.

Huh. Weird.