"I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite."

This loooonnnngggg weekend has made me smile! Yep, a big toothy grin ,type of smile. :D
We kicked it off by seeing the new Disney flick Bolt. All five of us got to go, which in and of itself is pretty amazing! The show was great. Very cute. Very funny. The cat "Mittens" and the hamster "Rhino" were hilarious. Think of it as Toy Story 2 and maybe All Dogs Go To Heaven/ Aristocats combined.
Next on our list was Thanksgiving dinner. All five of us again. Wow! We got to make our own dinner at our own house, then go over to Jason's parents for dessert.
Friday, we got up super-early (jk). Like 8 o'clock, and hit Costco. Much success there! Then went to a bunch more stores...all with pretty good success! We ended our busy day at Melinda and Duane's for a Jazz game and Rock Band.
Saturday is a blur.
And today, we got to go to Sue's first Christmas performance of the year. (they have 44 more, I believe) After that, we decked the halls!
All in all, it was a pretty great weekend!
Now, I must go to bed, so that tomorrow, I can "make work [my] favorite. [My] new favorite!"
Song for this post: Put a Smile on Your Face: Vitamin C

"Elves love to tell stories"

My favorite Christmas movie is Elf! No contest!
I'm going to share an "Elf-ism" each time I post throughout this month. I hope you enjoy the quotes as much as I do!

Today's quote is from Papa Elf
"There are only three jobs available to an elf. The first is making shoes at night while, you know, while the old cobbler sleeps.
"You can bake cookies in a tree. As you can imagine, it's, uh, dangerous having an oven in an oak tree during the dry season.
"But the third job, some call it, uh, "the show" or "the big dance," it's the profession that every elf aspires to. And that is to build toys in Santa's workshop."


I'm also going to attempt to put some non-traditional Christmas songs to go with each post. BUT you are only as strong as your weekest link, so hopefully playlist will be able to come through for me. Today's song is Jingle Jingle Jingle by the Silver and Gold Singers

Surrey With The Fringe On Top

Sue's last performance of Oklahoma was Monday. Now she'll have a couple days of rest, then start the Christmas crunch. It looks like they perform every day from November 30-Dec 22. With the exception of Mondays. They don't have any performances on Monday. Whew!

Anyway, Oklahoma was fantastic! Once again Mr. Moore put on a great production! If you didn't get to see it, they had a real horse, a windmill, and even a surrey with fringe on top! Talk about cool!

Here are some photo highlights: (the Fordahm's weren't there with their beefy camera, so I just took it with mine. And most of the time there was a giant head in front of me with a stupid baseball hat on. So inconsiderate!)

Song for this post:

I Want to be a Cowboy by Boys Don't Cry BUT playlist doesn't have that song! Gol darn it! (remember that song from the 80's? it was so stupid that it was funny. Riding in my chuck... waggon, I got my hat...on, I've got my boots....dusty)

So, here's the Surrey With The Fringe on Top instead.

(I'm keeping the other songs from the last couple posts on, in case you want to click on them while you read. (Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode and the others)

Thanks (TTA)

100 things I’m thankful for (in no particular order)
1. My husband.
2. He’s sweet, smart, sexy, a great dad, great handyman.
3. Super
4. She is cracks us up! Lately her favorite song is The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars. She belts it out around the house. It makes me happy.
5. Loo
6.She’s very witty, very smart, and she’s the poster child of middle child syndrome.
7. Sue
8. She’s extremely ambitious when it comes to work, school and her future.
9. Our pets: Alice, Dax and Dargo
10. Especially Dax, she is a great protector and playmate.
11. My grandparents! Amazing!
12. My parents
13. Jason’s parents
14. Jason’s siblings
15. And their spouses
16. And my nieces and nephews
17. My extended family.
18. My friends
19. Especially the ones who know the real me!
20. The changing of seasons.
21. I especially love fall and spring!
22. Flowers (I promise, that if I never see a weed again, I will still love my flowers)
23. Trees
24. The mountains we live by (borrowed that one from my friend Dani)
25. They help me know North, South, East and West
26. Did ya ever notice when your on vacation that you can’t tell NSEW (unless you have a compass in your car) Love those mountains!-- Thanks Dani
27. And all the other types of land!
28. Coke
29. Modern medicine
30. Family movie nights
31. On the big huge leather couch.
32. Big enough to snuggle up next to my husband.
33. Google
34. For all my blogging needs!
35. Playlist for supplying my music
36. And the internet in general
37. Jason’s job
38. My job…
39. Never a dull moment.
40. Plus I can be totally goofy and the kids don’t care!
41. The “mom’s” I’ve met.
42. Many are very good friends of mine.
43. And are loyal readers!
44. Our home. My fortune cookie a couple of days ago said “A small home can hold just as much love as a large one”. It’s true!
45. Central Air. (ahh)
46. And of course the opposite, Heat.
47. Being able to decorate my home with my hubby.
48. Lowe’s for all our home improvement needs.
49. The library.
50. You can rent movies,
51. Cd’s,
52. Books… all for FREE!
53. Plus, they let me do my preschool graduation there.
54. Amazon.com (love to shop there)
55. FREE shipping when you spend $25 or more.
56. Costco
57. And cash back for being an executive member!
58. Lame Giant (I love shopping somewhere where clothes can be too big)
59. Having dependable cars.
60. One that’s paid off!
61. Gas prices that continue to fall.
62. Living so close to easy freeway access.
63. Cell phones
64. And texting (never thought I’d say that)
65. Computers
66. I wouldn’t have this list without one!
67. Cameras to capture life’s best moments.
68. Freedom!
69. And the men and women who continue to fight for it.
70. Being able to vote!
71. Electricity
72. Bathrooms. Not outhouses.
73. Soft toilet paper
74. And paper towels
75. And Kleenex
76. And Q-tips
77. Feminine Hygiene products (although I’d be even more thankful if I didn’t need them any more)
78. Vasectomies. Just relax, and keep on practicing!
79. Being able to use a faucet, not a well.
80. My washer. (love the front loader)
81. A clothes dryer
82. My dishwasher (not a human, but a Bosch)
83. SATC
84. Heroes
85. The Shield
86. My Name is Earl
87. Megaplex theaters…
88. Reserved seating
89. Best coke in town (at Jordan Commons)
90. My list wouldn’t be complete without Stephenie Meyer! “Literary Genius” who created
91. The Cullen Family
92. And the Host
93. And recommended “The Hunger Games”
94. Wii
95. Rockband!
96. For hours upon hours of enjoyment.
97. And introducing us to some new tunes!
98. Speaking of tunes… mp3 players! What did we ever do without them? (oh yeah, I remember the Sony Walkman)
99. My stereos (both in the cars and at home)
100. Tuesday Tell All (for supplying great ideas to blog about)

Song for this post: Thank You by Dido

Don't Pull The Plug!

Lately, I've found myself asking Jason (more than once) why did we ever get rid of Loo's binki? Lately, she has been kind of fussy. I think she may be cutting some teeth (her twelve year molars)

I wish they made binkis for teenagers! How nice would it be? If they are whining... give them the binki. When you want them to go to sleep... give them their binki. Need to be consoled...give them the binki... They're hungry, but your not ready to make dinner...you guessed it! Give them the bink!

Why did we ever try to get rid of it?

I wish all my children still had their binkis!

Advise to moms with young children: Don't get rid of it till they are ready to move out of the house.

Ssh! here's todays songs:

Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel

Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode

"There's Room For Everyone On The Nice List!"

Do you ever wonder what to do with your children's Christmas lists?

Not sure how to get them to the North Pole?

Well, wonder no more! I'm about to share a very fun, very easy Christmas tradition with you! It is in my top 3 of favorite Christmas traditions!

Every year, on the eve of December 1st, our kids set out their shoes by the front door. Then they carefully roll up their Christmas lists and place them inside their shoes, so that the Elves can take it to Santa Clause. Usually, my girls put out their snow boots (because they hold more). Anyway, the Elves take the lists while the kids are asleep, then leave behind some Christmas treats and a small gift. In years past, the kids have received Christmas socks, or a Build a Bear outfit, or some jewelery, or some perfume or whatever the elves see fit to do.

I hope that if you decide to do this tradition, you'll love it as much as we do!

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear". So with that in mind, here are 2 songs for you today:

Pennies From Heaven by Louis Prima (from Elf)

Holiday Road by Limp Bizkit (from Christmas Vacation)

I should note that I'm not trying to skip Thanksgiving, just wanted to give everyone a heads-up on a super fun tradition.

Fencing with Vampires!

Lately, I have been sort of on - the - fence about the upcoming Twilight movie. I love the books so much! I couldn't decide if I wanted to ruin my love for them by seeing the movie. Tonight, when my oldest told me her and her friends were going to the midnight showing, I felt a little ping in my heart. I didn't want to be left out! PLUS, all of my fellow fan "mom's" I talked to today were going. Not one person I talked to today was waiting to go see it.

My oldest girls and I were going to go see it next weekend while Jason took Super to see Bolt, but I decided I can wait no more!

I searched for at least an hour and a half for a theater that still had tickets available. Finally, I ended up finding some. But not at my favorite theater. And not reserved seating. Sigh. Oh well, at least we get to see it tonight. Right? I would love to chat about it tomorrow on the comments section. Tell me what you thought about the show. What were your favorite parts? What do you think they should have done differently?

AND, if you haven't seen it yet, don't click on comments, or you may see something you don't want to see.

I've been dying to use this song on a post, and I think I have finally found a good one to use it on!So. Please. Enjoy "The Show" by Lenka (I hope we're not saying "I want my money back")

A Pie With a Heart in the Middle (TTA)

Today's Tuesday Tell All is entitled "What is your favorite Thanksgiving Pie?"

I hate to be boring, but I think my fave is pumpkin pie. I hated it as a kid and even through most of my adult life. But about the time I was pregnant with my "caboose", I started to crave it. Weird ha! I love the squishy texture. I love how the bottom crust has a slightly undercooked taste. It's delicious! And my sister in law makes a killer pumpkin pie crust that's perfectly sweet and perfectly flaky. She says the "secret" is lard. Mmm?

But, I don't want the other pies to get a bad rap, so I feel I need to make another statement. About a million years ago, when I first moved to this great valley, I worked at Marie Callender's. As you can imagine, I was able to taste pretty much everything on the menu.

Some surprisingly good pies are:

"Mince Pie" with rum sauce. Don't knock it till you try it. I wondered what in the world was in that pie, so I checked the MC website, and it says it is rich with "holiday fruits".

Custard Pie. It tastes very old fashioned. It's not overly sweet.

Marie's used to make a sour cream raisin pie that was pretty tastey, but I noticed it's not on the menu any more. However, Patra Hepworth's raisin pie, is divine! (and I'm not a huge raisin fan)

And, not really surprising good, but my favorite pie when I worked there was warm cherry pie with ice cream. BUT for me to eat it, I have to take the top crust off (I'm typically not a fan of crust) then warm it, then put the ice cream on top.

I'm going to leave you with a picture and a song from one of my favorite movies: The Waitress. Song: Baby Don't Cry. The movie's about pie, friendship,and pregnancy.

Other songs about pie you might want to check out (for old time's sake)
Cherry Pie by Warrent
American Pie by Don McLean

Up on the Rooftop!

Loo's last performance for Fiddler on The Roof is tomorrow. Although I'm glad there will be no more pyscho schedules for a while, I'm sure there will be some sense of let-down here. The play has been Loo's life for the past 2 1/2 months!

I think they put on a great production! I have already seen the show twice, and plan to see it Tuesday night as well. You can't imagine how proud it makes a parent feel when you see your child succeed at something they have been working their butt off for! It sounds stupid, but I have the hardest time not crying when I see them nail a scene!

Kudos!! To everyone involved in the show!

Tickets can be bought ahead of time (for Fiddler) if I have notice before tonight is over. Otherwise, you can just buy them at the door.

Sue's performances for Oklahoma begin on Thursday. I can't wait for that one either! There is still time to get tickets if anyone is interested.


My friend Janeene and her hubby Chris took these pictures. They are both amazing photographers! Thanks so much for doing that guys!
Another thing I need to do is thank Janeen's sister! Talk about the kindness of strangers! She lent me her camera because I forgot mine at home. then she let me take her camera home and download the pics onto my computer. You totally rock! Thanks again.

Pollyanna Moment

After my last post, I figured I should probably find something to be glad about. I could have it a lot worse right?

This Pollyanna moment was brought to you by the letter "S" (for sunshine) and the #5 (for the five things I am glad about)

#1 ah ah ah (do I sound like "Count") I'm glad that I went to church yesterday. I almost didn't because I wasn't in the mood at all! BUT, the moment I sat down and we started to sing, I felt a million times better. The power of a Hymn is amazing!

#2 ah ah ah! I'm glad it was nice weather yesterday. Beautiful!

#3 ah ah ah! I'm glad my hubby saved our old cell phones even when I gave him crap about doing it. 'Cause now we are using both of our old ones!

#4 ah ah ah! I'm glad we got cards canceled, the cell phone re-activated, and the front door lock changed. Now we have a pretty new one.

#5 ah ah ah! I'm super duper glad that the rock band track pack vol. 2 came out at midnight! The moment preschool is out...watch out Game Stop!

UPDATE on #5

boo hoo hoo! Turns out the internet is wrong (stupid internet) about the release date of RB Track Pack Vol. 2. It ships today, therefore, will not be in stores until TOMORROW! When I can't play it because I have preschool!

Hey moms: Do you mind if I just let the kids have free time all day and I will play my new game? Just kidding! I won't let them have free time the whole time, we will all get a chance to play the game. What a great idea!

Cuff 'em!

I'm a bit frustrated today!

My oldest had her Sadie's dance yesterday. Poor girl! Hardly anything went right for them. They started out at 6am to get breakfast. That went right. Yeah! Then everyone went to play practice. (not sure why any of the kids even leave school Mon-Sat. They should just set up cots.) After play practice they picked the guys up again and attempted to go to Some Dude's Playground. The girls were prepared. They got a map from google the night before telling them how to get there. Well, I'm not exactly sure what went on, but I guess the place moved and they drove around for an hour and a half trying to find it! In the end, they went bowling instead.

After, the girls all went back to their houses to get ready for the dance. They decided to go to Wingers for dinner. "Sue" found a hair in her food, so she didn't eat anything after she found it. The service was terrible. They kept running out of drink, and the server was put-out to have to bring them some. The food was cold and gross. And, last but not least, Cassie threw up in the bathroom there.

After dinner, they went to the dance. All was going well, but as the last song of the night was getting ready to start, my kid set her purse down on a bench. When the song was over, there was no purse.

The worst thing for my oldest was that she had taken the van. Which meant she had MY keys. Which means she also had the Scion key, and the house key, and my copy key. I should note that my oldest has NEVER taken the van alone. The moment she got her license, she started driving her own car. So she already felt somewhat nervous about having the van in the first place. Oh, and some idiot almost hit her in the van that morning at play practice.

Also inside her purse was her digital camera, her cell phone, her wallet, her ATM card, her money, Cassie's wallet, Cassie's money, and a signed blank check that Cassie's mom gave her so she could buy pictures. Scary.

We have tried to cancel her ATM card, but they said the bank said they can't do it till Monday (WTF) We tried to put a hold on the cell phone, can't do that till today. (I'm sure Jas is doing that now) We are going to go buy a new front door lock today.

I freaking HATE people who steal!

What are they going to do with her driver's license? What about her phone? It's kind of a piece of junk. It's been dropped in the toilet, but a new one is a couple hundred dollars without a new contract! And the Scion key! I bet that's a $200 key! It has the remote and key in one! It's not like I can take Jason's down to Walley World and have them make us a new one! The van key is the one that has the chip in it for valet parking and stuff. My remote was on the key chain too. And what about her camera and all her pictures? Are now that they have my keys (and they know our address because it's on the drivers license) are they going to try to come steal our cars? The money she had in there is the least of what we are concerned about!

And who in the hell did the kids who steal learn their values from? I hate people who steal! I can't stand that they can take something with no thoughts about what that might do to the person they took it from! We can't afford to go replace all those keys and her phone and her camera!

I hate thieves!

I'm so on-the-fence about this whole thing too! On the one hand, I'm so pissed that she would do something as stupid as leaving her purse sitting unattended during a song. I want to just scream at her! Who could be that dumb! On the other hand, it's not like she meant for this to happen. And she set it down by lots of other purses. She totally feels like crap! She was crying all night long! She feels like she has let us down because it's the only time she's ever taken the van, and then this happens. Plus, she knows that she is going to be without a phone for awhile. That's going to be difficult! Especially given her commutes each school day!

Her and her friends searched around the outside of the school last night after it happened, hoping to find a dumped purse somewhere. We did the same after we brought her some keys for the van. We even searched the field, the dumpsters, everywhere! The police came over last night, and he said he was going to go over to the school to search too.

As you are driving around, keep your eyes peeled for a white and dark brown floral bag/purse thing.

I would post a cute picture of the group, but WE DON'T HAVE THE CAMERA!

I'm not sure I can think of a song in my state of mind. Is there a song about wanting to kill the person who stole you daughters purse?

Post-Worthy Meal

It's been awhile since I have made a meal worth posting about, but last night, I did! I made White Chili click here if you want the recipe. The only thing I did different from the recipe, is I only put 1 can of green chilies and I used about 1 teaspoon of red pepper rather than 1 1/2 teaspoon.
I also made some cornbread to go along with it. Click here to view and print that recipe. The cornbread is perfectly sweet, very moist, and oh, so tasty!

Songs for this post:
Hey Good Lookin' by Johnny No Shoes
Yummy, Yummy Yummy by Ohio Express

delete

Delete: /dɪˈlit/ [di-leet]
verb (used with object), -let⋅ed, -let⋅ing.
to strike out or remove (something written or printed); cancel; erase; expunge.

Just wanted to throw it out there that I have deleted comments that contain "private" information. I just don't want anyone to be offended that I took their comment off. I can still see all the comments, but no one else can.

I love love love love love it when you leave comments. I love knowing who knows what, so that I don't repeat myself like an idiot! So, please. Keep 'em coming!

The Mine-O-Saur (TTA)

Today's TTA assignment is to tell about the last book you read.

The very last book I read was The Mine-O-Saur by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

I got it free in the book order last month and one day last week, I was struggling to find something fun to read, and I grabbed this book. I hadn't ever read it before then, but as I was reading to the class, I realized this book would soon become a staple in our class!

It's about a dino called "Mine-o-saur". He isn't very nice. He takes toys from other dinos and says "MINE MINE MINE!" He takes snacks from the dinosaurs and says "MINE MINE MINE". He gets mad at the other dino kids and destroys their tower, then he builds one all by himself. But, there isn't anyone to see how cool it is, because they have all gone to play with someone else. (no one wants to play with a dinosaur that doesn't share and play nicely) When the Mine-o-saur comes to the others to play, the other dinos look at the ground and frown. Eventually, the other dinos let him play with them if he will share and be nice. Mine-o-saur finally realizes that he has everything he wants when his friends play with him.

Anyway, my kids loved the book! We re-read the book today and had a lesson on being nice to others and talked about not being a "mine-o-saur". You should pick up a copy! I think you will love it!


For my personal reading, I've recently posted about what I finished reading last. Click here to view the post. (I'm not a super fast reader...about a book a month is all)


"Super" and I are currently reading "My Father's Dragon" by Ruth Stiles Gannett . We are loving it so far! (ages 4-8 according to the publisher). It's a story about Elmer Elevator and an alley cat going to Wild Island to help rescue a baby dragon. You should check into it if you have little ones who are ready for a bit more of a challenge. It is a "chapter book", so you will probably have to read it with your children unless they are older. Super and I do what we call "my turn - your turn" and we take turns reading the paragraphs. She loves doing it that way. Another plus is that she can comprehend the story a little better when we take turns reading.

Do you hear what I hear?

TMI Part 2
So in answer to "Nene's" question about why I'm doing things a bit differently from now on, it's because there are so many creeps out there!

Nothing really has happened (except that I have got a few weird comments last week and a friend of mine has had a rude one as well)

But, there was a story on the news a few days ago about blogging (I tried to find it for this post, but can't see it anywhere). I didn't get to see it, but the story was about some person in our state that posted a picture of their kid on their blog, then some person grabbed the photo and put it on some Nazi blog. Not that big of a deal. But I guess that it also just reminded everyone, that if you have a public blog, EVERYONE can see it. Good people (like family and friends and friends of friends) and also bad people (like racists, pedophiles, and other types of "bad guys")

So my homeland security package is really just about making myself more private so I don't have to go private. I was private once, and with the exception of my friend Chrissie, no one else was, that's why I decided to take my stock public so-to-speak.
Whew! that was long (sorry)

My friend Cindy asked me if it was a pain to change names and stuff... it wasn't too bad, it did take an hour or so, but I can usually remember what I was writing about on each post, so I went in, and pressed "edit" and took the names out.

Hope that helps some of you. Until next time,
Brandi

Can You Hear Me Now?

TMI-
aka: Too much information
I've been getting a bit more concerned with my blog as of late. I love being public! I love sharing funny pictures or stories I find other places. I love sharing family stories and photos too. I love it when your friends come to take a gander...makes me feel special and important. But because I'm so "out there" I'm starting to take some measures to be a bit more vague. Mainly, I have taken my profile off...everyone who knows me knows what I do and what my interests are... I feel like I'm pretty good at keeping everyone in the know about toher things too, like my hobbies, pass times, etc.
The main difference you will find is the use of nicknames. No more real names for my family. (except for Jason and I)
I have introduced my children on the sidebar if you would like to meet them!

Today's top 5 countdown:

#5 public blogs
#4 reading Maureen's blog about politics. So fun to read people's views
#3 pumkin pie
#2 take out Chinese Food
#1 Dinner with friends... So great! Thanks Chris and Chrissie! Dinner was fab!

Song for this post: Too Much Information by Duran Duran

Our Nation's Choice (TTA)

How do I feel about the Nation's choice for president?

• Pleased. At our Nation's choice.
• Proud. To be an American.
• Blessed. To live in the land of the free.
• Honored. To be able use my "voice".
• Thankful. That the electoral college worked this time! (remember when it didn't? 8 years ago I think. when the popular vote said one name and the electoral vote said another)
• Moved. At both of the candidates speeches last night. I thought both were fantastic.
• Relieved. That the election is finally over.
• Happy. That our nation has finally overcome racism. (I know it still exists, but this is HUGE)
• Ready. For change.
• Excited.
• Hopeful.
• Proud.
  

Can you tell that we talk about the candidates at our house? This is "Super's" original art

song: We Care Alot: Faith No More

Scissors are for Paper ONLY!!

Scissors are for paper only!

I don't know how many times I have told my preschoolers this! When they are scissor-sword fighting, I say "remember, scissors are for paper only". When they are trying to give themselves a hair cut, I say "Ah- Oh, scissors are for paper only".

I guess you can never be too old to hear that reminder! Last night, Lexie was in the office, updating her blog and playing on the computer. She was playing with scissors and magnets. Two magnets were stuck together, and Loo used the "grown-up scissors" to try to cut them apart. She succeeded in getting them apart. What a relief. (sarcasm). She also succeeded in cutting the tip of her finger off!

Jason and I were at Smith's when we got a frantic phone call from Loo telling us that she cut her finger really bad and she thinks she can see the bone. We left our grocery cart and took off. (sorry Smith's workers, but it was an emergency)

It was bleeding pretty good. We ended up taking her to urgent care. They put a pressure wrap on it so that the bleeding would stop. They weren't able to do stitches. There wasn't really skin to put together and sew. It was more like a big deep deep whole.

Song for this post: Cuts Like a Knife from Brian Adams (that oughtta take you back)

I'm having a girl!

While at the doctor's office last night:
Doctor #1 was helping with Loo's problem
Doctor #2 came in and said he needed to speak to the other doc (doc #1). But before Doc #2 left the room, he asked me "and another girl?" I say, yes, this ones a girl too and grab Smash. He says "no, I mean another one on the way? Another girl?" I say no. But I want to scream I'M JUST FAT YOU MORON!
Now, what to do? I don't know, I guess I'll grab a coke, sit on the couch and sing
Poor Poor Pitiful Me by Linda Ronstat

You Give Me Fever

Super woke up this morning "sick". She wanted to stay home. Our conversation went like this:

Super: Can I stay home Mom, I'm sick. (sniff sniff. cough)

Me: Let me see if you have a fever. (I place my hand on her forehead to check) You feel just fine to me Super. I think you can go to school.

Super: No, Mom my head's hot, you just touched a cold spot.

Please enjoy these feverish songs while you visit today

Hot Blooded: Foreigner

You Give Me Fever: A Fine Frenzy

It's time for change!

I was searching for preschool paraphernalia, when I stumbled upon this. I thought it was cute! Especially since I have an affinity for "elf culture" and children's books.
I have found my candidate!
I have loved him from afar for years and years. I can’t believe that in this moment of national crisis I didn’t think of him sooner.


I saw this today:

Undecided Voters Flock to New Candidate
Barn Party Announces Duck as Presidential Nominee

NEW YORK (January 30, 2008): In a mass migration from established party politics, undecided voters are flocking to a new political party that promises change—real change. The Barn Party offers Americans an agenda of domestic goals supported by children’s booksellers and librarians, first and second graders, and the cracked corn industry. Leading the party’s charge for more reading aloud, recess and protecting the family farm, is Duck, an Avian-American who is making a splash among independent voters across the country.

Duck, a farmyard hero, has declared his entry as the Barn Party’s presidential candidate for the election of 2008. Previously holding elected offices as Farmer and Governor, Duck is seeking the Presidency to present a new face of the United States to the global community. “This election will be a quack heard round the world,” said the Barn Party campaign chairman, Paul Crichton of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Duck’s authorized biographer, children’s author Doreen Cronin, says, “Duck’s time has come. He worked hard on the farm, and even harder as Governor. Hard work brings change, and Duck is a choice for change.”


Click! Clack! Cluck!

Scary, Spooky, and Haunted - OH MY!

(Sue was Dorthy and Super was Alice in Wonderland) Loo was a cow, but wasn't home for trick-or-treat pictures)

Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title. ~From Scooby-Doo

Here's an update on our Halloween festivities:

• There ended up being "no costumes" at school. (no surprise as things were too far planned and I was complaining on my blog rather than someplace where things could actually change)


• Super did have fun at her party at school. Also not a surprise. She has a darling teacher, and they had a piñata.


• Loo went trick-or-treating with her friend Alyssa. One person in Alyssa's neighborhood had a camel. With humps. The highlights of her loot were some pixy sticks and bottle of coke. (not quite sure why the pixy sticks were such a hit, but they were.)


• Super and I went trick-or-treating. In short sleeves. She went to two different houses that gave away full-sized candy bars. One of them gave her 2! We also went to another house that was serving (yes serving) fresh home-made donuts. People were carrying them out by the plate-fulls. We didn't know the people, but a friend of a friend did, so we ate them. (I know, I'm teaching my kid bad things. What's new?)


• Jason handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Then he came and picked us up near the Hastings house. Smash was tired of walking.


• We went out to eat after trick-or-treating. To see Sue at work.


• Jason got a bad sandwich.


• We watched The Corpse Bride.


• Hannah (my niece) came over and had a sleep-over with Super.
  


• And, we went to the zoo today. We went today, because we are bad parents and we turned around and came home last weekend, when we saw the millions of people heading in for Boo At the Zoo.
  

Songs for this post were a bit of a stretch this time, but here they are anyway:

Love Me Dead: Ludo (love the song. Dead=Halloween. told you it was a stretch)
Tree Hugger: Antsy Pants from the Juno soundtrack (been listening to that a bit lately and the song talks about being someone else. . .and what do you do on Halloween? Be someone else)


And, last but not least, my five fave countdown:
#5 Helping with Super's class party
#4 Going trick-or-treating with my baby
#3 Watching Halloween flicks with my hubby
#2 Hanging out at the zoo with the girls minus Sue (play practice, then work)
#1 "Picnik" for helping me dress up (get it) the picture of Sue and Super. Thanks Deanna for sharing that website!

Live Long Enough ...

To be a problem for your kids!

(I got this email today, thought I'd share it)

songs for this post:

100 Years: Five For Fighting

When You Were Young: The Killers