Ramblings of a SAHM

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Happy New Years!

See ya next year!

Quote of the Day: "New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." -Mark Twain

Katie at 5:39 PM

Friday, December 30, 2005

"In the morning, I'm makin' waffles!" -Donkey, from the movie Shrek

And next, lunch at IKEA! (My brother and sister are confused on why we're taking them out to eat at a furniture store, hehe)

Tonight for dinner: 2 types of lasagna with garlic bread and salad and an entire jug of Chianti (thanks Abbey!)

I love the holidays!

Katie at 12:14 PM

Thursday, December 29, 2005

How's this thing work again?

Sorry for the impromptu hiatus, I really meant to update along the way. But I feel weird using other people's computers (*cough* laptop! hint, hint) and with all the driving and present opening and eating, blogging just didn't happen. So here's the last few days in 30 seconds:

Saturday: Open Santa's gifts. Drive 7 hours (near record time, woot!) to Ohio. Eat lots of good food. Open lots of gifts. Wear new Christmas PJ's. Knit a scarf.

Sunday: Open more gifts. Wear nice Christmas outfits. Eat more food.

Monday: Drive to Indiana. Open more gifts. Eat more food. Knit a scarf.

Tuesday: Hang out in Indiana. Eat more food. Drive 2 1/2 hours back to Ohio. Accidentally leave new Sony Handycam in Indiana.

Wednesday: Put together the jigsaw puzzle that is our 12 passenger van filled with 3 days of gifts, suitcases, guinea pig cage, and 7 people. Eat Skyline Chili. Drive 9 hours home (bridge collapsed on I70 on Tuesday in PA so there was an hour long detour to drive 5 miles). Unload van. Collapse in bed.

Thursday: Gained 2 pounds and half a toy store of gifts that needs to go somewhere. Have approximately 3 hours before my sister and brother arrive at the BWI airport. Currently have no good food in the house (unless Fruit Loops count).

So I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry/Happy(?) Kwanzaa, and Happy Boxing Day. It's New Year's Eve's Eve's Eve, is it too early to start drinking?

Katie at 10:15 AM

Friday, December 23, 2005

Has anyone seen my Christmas spirit? I seem to have lost it...

The tree is up with lights and beads, we'll put ornaments on after the kids get home from school. I can't believe they have school today, I really wish they were home. Especially since we're looking at only 27 more hours at home to do Christmas type stuff before we're on the road. You have no idea how tempted I was to say "School is canceled today, stay in your jammies!"

Let's see, the rest of the list... I've decided to hold off on decorating the stockings. We have old big red and white fluffy ones we'll use but I bought felt ones on clearance last January to personalize (applique and whatever else you do to those type of things). So not happening at this point. Maybe I'll procrastinate them again until next year at this time.

The Christmas dresses... ARGH! I always forget how much I hate putting in sleeves and the bottom hem. You'd think after all these years I'd have figured out the trick to them. I suppose patience is key but that trait has gone missing along with my Christmas spirit. I know I just need to soldier through and finish them. For Kimmer, crepe back satin is very nice to work with, it unravels very little and the reverse side (crepe) is almost as pretty as the front. I'll probably use it every time I need satin from now on.

There are a few gifts that need wrapping and a whole house that needs cleaning and then the packing. I just wish I wasn't feeling so "blah" about everything.

Katie at 8:36 AM

Thursday, December 22, 2005

ARGH!

I managed to get 4 children through toddlerhood without this happening:

Kelly yesterday afternoon.

I was sewing, I was getting things together for the Brownie meeting, I was doing a million other things because I thought Kyle and Kelly were nicely watching Noggin in the family room. Well Kyle was while Kelly was hacking off her hair in the kitchen. She was also in the band-aids, maybe she was trying to fix her hair boo-boo?

*sigh* Just in time for Christmas pictures.

(Dresses? Almost done. The Christmas tree goes up today!)

Katie at 8:26 AM

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Ha! Like I could stay away for days...

Yes, we made that. I'm still in shock myself. And of course since it turned out so well, I have no funny stories to blog about. Darnit. Maybe I'll invite King Kong over or something.

Christmas #4, 5, 6, and Zach's dentist appointment are finished on the list below and I'm only on the computer to work on #2 the Brownie meeting today. Well and to show you the little bit of my progress with Christmas. Now if only the tree would set itself up...

Katie at 8:26 AM

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

It's coming to that time of year. You know, where there's so much to do and give and wrap and decorate. And something has to go and it's so hard deciding what it'll be. I already nixed the Christmas picture and we're not baking Christmas cookies (first because I'm lazy and second my jeans can't handle anymore). The tree still isn't up. *cringes* But it's going to be up come hell or high water just in time for us to leave on Christmas Eve for Ohio. *sigh* (I'm thinking it may stay up until January 25th to make up for this.)

What's left to do? Everything it seems. I'm such a pro procrastinator, I'd hate to give up that status at Christmas time. The list goes something like this:

1. 3 Christmas dresses
2. 1 Christmas tree
3. 7 stockings
4. 1 gingerbread house (I'm kicking myself to next Wednesday for agreeing to make another after last year's code violating home)
5. 2 Christmas cards
6. 40 individual candy cane bead and pipe cleaner projects (due tomorrow for school)

And the non-holiday stuff:

1. Zach's dentist appointment today
2. Brownie meeting after school tomorrow that involves a presentation by the girls in front of their parents
3. Emily and Ally's 7 year check up on Thursday
4. 1 knitted purple poncho (Emily's version of Kelly's)
5. 1 knitted shrug for me (I really need to stop starting new projects when I have 2 gazillion going already.)

Did I mention we're driving to Ohio on Saturday? Santa is visiting our house Friday night because there's no way I'm lugging all those gifts to and from Ohio and Indiana. We're making a 2 days buzz through Indiana after Christmas to arrive home before 1pm on Thursday because that's when my sister and brother fly in for New Years. I'm kinda bummed New Years isn't going to be a big party this year with all our siblings (see 2004 and 2005) but the difference of a half hour or 3 1/2 hour drive to 8 or 12 hours is a bit of a hard pill to swallow. Tell me about it, I'll be driving it all next week.

Where was I? Oh yeah, something has to go. Stay with me now, this is going to be harder for me than you.

I'm turning off my computer.

It pains me to do it but I don't think the CPS would appreciate it if I quit feeding the children instead. So no computer until I finish the above lists. Thankfully the gifts are all bought and wrapped (see I have been doing something with my time!) so if worst comes to worst, we'll just open gifts under the glow of Greg's big screen TV and the girls can wear last year's dresses... hehe

So no computer... I'm shaking from withdraw already!

3, 2, 1...

Katie at 8:42 AM

Sunday, December 18, 2005

A quick mention that I've been making some updates around the site. First I've fixed all the picture red X's and links to blog posts in the archives. Then there's a new project under "Sewing" (Greg's jean quilt) and a collection of Halloween photos under "Pictures" (just in time for Christmas! yeah I usually don't make sense like that).

I'm still working on a concept for the "Scrapbooks" page, I'm trying to figure out the best way to put the kids' scrapbooks online. I've added some information under "Writing" (nothing very exciting though) and my next big update will probably be completely redoing the "About" page.

It's amazing what I can accomplish when I'm procrastinating Christmas decorating and sewing dresses...

Katie at 4:53 PM

Saturday, December 17, 2005

I'm in a good mood today. Let's just savor that for a moment: katiefleck in a good mood... *breathe in, breathe out*

Well I do have a little itsy bitsy complaint (I told you to savor the good mood while it lasted). The Cheesecake Factory last night? SUCKED. So it was a Friday night, maybe I can excuse our 2 hour wait for a table. But then we waited 40 minutes for our appetizers. Which weren't that good at all. The cheesecake at least lived up to the hype although after 4 bites, I was full. The manager and waitress apologized for the long wait and took a bit off the bill. Course they didn't give us the itemized list so I'm not positive exactly how much but it was definitely less than 10%. I don't plan on my wasting my precious babysitting hours there again, maybe I'll order take-out cheesecake sometime though.

Needless to say we didn't make it to Target last night. So I'm going today. Without the kids. Because I've learned Kyle and Kelly are finally old enough that it is nearly impossible to buy their Christmas gifts while they are with me. I tried but they were all like "Why are you hiding that toy under your coat? Why can't I have it now?" (The security people love me...) I miss the days of clueless babies who hadn't developed "object permanence" yet.

We'll get into the fact that Christmas is only a week away (eek!) and the New Year begins in 14 days (double eek!) another time. Have a lovely weekend all!

Quote of the Day: "People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." -H. Jackson Browne

Katie at 10:41 AM

Friday, December 16, 2005

Greg and I are going out tonight without the kids! I'm so excited! I haven't exactly found a babysitter yet (although I have a lot of "maybes" as in the mom says "maybe my daughter could babysit sometime". It's better than "no" I suppose). A local Girl Scout troop is hosting a 6-10pm Fun Time fundraiser at $10 per kid this evening. They were actually almost full (as in 3 spots left) but I used my pull as a Brownie leader to get all 5 kids in. hehe $50 for 4 hours isn't bad and it's for a good cause. Me going out without the kids! Err, I mean donating money to the Girl Scouts is a good cause.

So I'm thinking dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and then I need to do a little more Christmas shopping. Greg said something about going to the mall although everything on my list can be picked up at Target. Man, 4 hours isn't sounding very long at all now. Is it 6pm yet?

Speaking of yummy food, this contest has had me drooling all month. I'm pretty sure there's a Godiva store in the mall. I should drop in just in case I don't win. Mmm, chocolate...

Katie at 4:23 PM

Ramblings of a SAHM will open two (2) hours late today, Friday, Dec. 16, due to inclement children. There will be no AM blogging.

Katie at 9:23 AM

Thursday, December 15, 2005

7... So really, 7? Eek!

Happy Birthday Emily and Ally!

(Emily and Ally at their Winter Concert on Tuesday)

We're having a simple birthday party for them (Fairy-Tale Unicorn theme) and they've requested hot dogs and fruit cups for dinner. (I'm not sure exactly what that says about my cooking...) Em wants yellow cake, Ally chocolate so I'm making a marble cake. Doh, I forgot to ask what flavor frosting and ice cream. And of course there will be M&M's and presents! They've actually already opened one gift from us (snow boots) and Greg plans to take them bike shopping this weekend (yippee, got out of that one! *winks*).

As per the school's request of no sweets on birthdays (they are concerned about obesity and allergies), Em and Ally are handing out fancy pencils and cute erasers today. And that's as far as their friends get involved. I feel a tiny bit guilty that we don't do the huge "invite every child in the class" birthday parties but then again I really don't. I like birthdays to be celebrated with family and close friends (and I'm really bummed we're so far away from everyone right now). Maybe in a few years when the kids have a few good school friends, I'll invite them to our birthday dinners. Anyway enough on my birthday party philosophy, I have a cake to bake!

Katie at 8:50 AM

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

I'm having a bad mental health day. It's too much to go into and all the little stuff is probably not all that important in the whole scheme of things. So I'm forcing myself through the exercise of light cleaning and organizing the house while "accepting the things I cannot change and changing those things I can." The trick, as always, is figuring out which category all the flotsam in my head belongs to. And then being brave enough to attempt the changes. De Nile is not just a river in Africa, you know.

Zach's Winter Concert is today. It's the same program that the twins were in yesterday so I know exactly when to tape Zach's finger cymbals part. The concert is very cute although I'm terribly afraid the video I took yesterday has me saying "Kyle, be quiet" and "Kelly, sit down" every 5 seconds. I need to get used to the audio capture with video taping instead of my normal "image only" with the digital camera. I'll do better job today (I'm thinking duct tape may help).

Quote of the Day: "Every possession and every happiness is but lent by chance for an uncertain time, and may therefore be demanded back the next hour." -Arthur Schopenhauer

Katie at 10:34 AM

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

I feel human again! And since I can see that my illness is such an attention getter, we'll move on to other subjects...

Most notably I'm now able to torture you all with home videos! Greg finally bought a Sony Handycam (he's been researching them to death) and today I'm going to use it. First to film Kyle and Kelly ice skating (because it's really, really funny) and second to record Emily and Ally's "Winter" Play. (I love how PC everything is). Course I have no idea how to transfer any of it to the computer or even to my server but don't forget, the threat is there. *winks*

Quote of the Day: "I was just thinking, if it is really religion with these nudist colonies, they sure must turn atheists in the wintertime." -Will Rogers

Katie at 8:36 AM

Monday, December 12, 2005

Not feeling much better today... This is a pretty light week "To Do List"-wise so we should be able to survive. Except there are those two little issues of the girls' bikes (not bought!) for their birthday (Thursday) and we haven't even begun decorating for Christmas (beyond my Charlie Brown Christmas trees and electric candles in the windows). After I pay the bills, I wanna go back to bed.

Katie at 10:42 AM

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Weekend? Oh you mean that time that has passed while I've had a low grade fever and headache with off and on sore throat? I hate this type of cold that just drags on. You don't feel bad enough to stay in bed but crummy enough not to want to do anything but can't quite justify doing nothing because you aren't that sick. I keep hoping to wake up and be all magically better.

Katie at 5:43 PM

Friday, December 09, 2005

I think I'm going to go into the private snow plow business here in Maryland. Although with our high taxes and all, you'd think they'd have a few snow plows to do the work themselves. 3 inches overnight, no school today. So that's how it's going to work out here. (I swear one of these days I'll quit bitching about the snow. But not today! *evil laughs*)

I'm trying to decide if it's worth going out. I've driven through an Erie PA snow storm before in the big van (lake effect snow is the worst weather phenomenon ever), so 3 inches (and no snow coming down) isn't a big deal. It's just the other yahoos on the road that don't know how to drive that worry me.

And you know me, I have terribly important errands to run today. I finally found the Boy Scout store in Baltimore and need to buy Zach's council patch and a replacement Tiger Cub patch. I need to buy one more thing to finish a Christmas gift I'm working on. I need to exchange a Cabbage Patch baby doll for another before tomorrow's drop off of the "Adopt a Family" presents and Christmas dinner at the church (the kids were disappointed when I explained that the "adopted" family wouldn't be coming to live with us).

But most important of all, the 3 inches of snow has thrown me into a panic and I must go to the grocery store immediately! For milk? Nope, we have 2 gallons, that'll last through the weekend. For bread? 2 loaves there, we're fine. For toilet paper? Still have 12 double rolls. Mountain Dew? ACK!!! Must.Go.To.The.Store.Immediately!

Except the one thing I hate more than snow (and no, it's not shopping with 5 children, I got over that a long time ago) is the cold. And it's cold out there. *whines* So maybe I'll just drink more tea and ask Greg run my errands in his 4x4 Jeep Wrangler instead.

Katie at 9:18 AM

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Since all I'm doing this afternoon is Brownie Girl Scout stuff and laundry, I thought I'd quickly do a couple of MeMe's I've been tagged with. (If you tagged me for another and I didn't catch it on your site, feel free to yell at me in the comments...)

From Steph, 2:

2 - names you go by: Katie and Mom
2 - parts of your heritage: Irish and German
2 - of your everyday essentials: tea and hugs
2 - of your favorite bands or musical artists: Bare Naked Ladies and Kelly Clarkson
2 - favorite songs: "A Long December" (Counting Crows) and "Pinch Me" (Bare Naked Ladies)
2 - things you want in a relationship (other than real love): understanding and humor
2 - physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex): smile and height
2 - of your favorite hobbies: scrapbooking and blogging
2 - things you want really badly: world peace and more hours in the day
2 - places you want to go on vacation: Ireland and Hawaii
2 - things you want to do before you die: jump out of a plane and see my grandkids
2 - ways that you are stereotypically a chick: chocolate and romance novels
2 - things you are thinking about now: Brownie Girl Scout stuff and why it's kinda chilly in the house
2 - stores you shop at: Target and Safeway
2 - things that scare you: a loved one being hurt and being alone
2 - people I would like to see take this quiz: uh... you and you

And from my sister, List seven songs you are into right now:

1. James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
2. Rihanna "Pon De Replay" ("Hey Mister DJ")
3. Rent "One Song Glory"
4. Dora the Explorer "Chocolate Song" (very catchy tune)
5. Bare Naked Ladies "I Have a Little Dreidel"
6. Weezer "Beverly Hills"
7. Julie Andrews "A Few of my Favorite Things" (okay, so that one is for Kelly)

Katie at 1:13 PM

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Darn it, I miss the Charlie Brown Christmas Special last night.

This is exactly why Greg never lets me decorate, I always get the wrong size of whatever I'm trying to do. On our front steps we have these 3 big planters that I had lovely huge mums in during the fall (okay so I got the size thing right that time). But now that fall is over (and the mums were dead, dead, dead) I wanted Christmas trees in the planters. I didn't realize how hard it would be to find artificial "outdoor" trees. Bed, Bath, and Beyond had some so woot, there we go!

Only they are barely 2 foot tall and look kinda pathetic in the big planters. Having the odd sense of humor that I do, I decided to buy red ball ornaments and make them my "Ode to the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree." The trees are actually already strung with lights except I don't have an outdoor power strip and there are no outdoor electrical outlets here. Good intentions count, right?

Katie at 8:38 AM

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

The kids have a two hour morning delay from school. Good thing St. Nicholas brought Pez dispensers and small puzzles overnight.

Snow? Like 2 inches. That all fell before midnight. Marylanders are weird. There's not even enough snow to bother with the snow shovel, I'll just use an old broom to sweep off the porch and sidewalk.

On the same note, I found this nifty service: School's Out. They will email you free of charge if your school closes early or calls off school or whatever (if your school belongs to the service). For $12.95 a year, they will text message your cell phone too. Like Erin said yesterday in the comments, a county near us closed 2 hours early. I was out shopping (in light flurries, how scary! *rolls eyes*) and never would have known the kids were coming home if it had been our county. (I listen to XM radio or CD's in the van). So for a little peace of mind and not having to try to catch a radio or TV report about the school's status, it's a very helpful program.

Katie at 9:09 AM

Monday, December 05, 2005

Random Monday Thoughts

It's freezing here. Which is alright at the moment (it's when it's several degrees below freezing that I get crabby). Although Kyle refuses to wear a coat. And my coat is at the dry cleaners. *best Napoleon Dynamite voice* "Idiots!"

Why are Boy Scout patches sew-on when Girl Scout patches are iron-on?

We went to the Maryland NaNoWriMo TGIO (thank goodness it's over) dinner last night. It was a lot of fun and big kudos to Greg for dealing with our nutty children while us writers talked subplots, word count, and how the little state of Maryland outwrote the rest of the world. WTG!

The girls' Christmas dresses are going to be crepe back satin (in red, green, and white which Kelly has claimed) with black velvet trim. I bought the good velvet too, the $20 a yard type (although it was 50% off). I making McCall's pattern 4241 (you can search for it at www.sewingpatterns.com, the middle dress although I'm also adding the cuffs as seen in the top left dress).

Still no bikes for the twin's birthday. I need to make some phone calls and even if a nearby Wal-Mart has one, I may not buy it on principle now. (I don't shop at Wal-Mart unless it's do or die.) It's tricky because I want an 18" bike with training wheels. They will outgrow a 16" too quickly and a 20" doesn't have training wheels. And it makes it even trickier because I need two.

Speaking of phone calls, me the phone-o-phobic has to make a dozen calls today on behalf of the Market Day lady. She started the conversation with compliments and then asked for a favor. I'm such a sucker. *deep breath* I can do this, I can do this.

We don't have any Christmas decorations up yet.

I think tonight is St. Nick's night. I always forget if we're suppose to put the shoes out on the evening of the 4th for the morning of the 5th or the evening of the 5th for the morning of the 6th. Either way, I suppose my only option at this point is tonight (I need to go shopping now...).

Happy Monday!

Katie at 9:07 AM

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Eek, how did I just spend $122 at Jo-Ann Fabrics?

Quote of the Day: "In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'" -Dave Barry, "Christmas Shopping: A Survivor's Guide"

Katie at 1:10 PM

Friday, December 02, 2005

Can I just say again how much I fucking hate Wal-Mart?

3 stores later (and one even promised they had one over the phone) and I have no bikes for the twins. Oh but I do have a scratch on the van from a cart blowing across the lot. So I wasted my entire morning dealing with old people shopping at the speed of snails, the most clueless unhelpful employees ever, and packed Wal-Mart parking lots. grrr...

I'm thinking $30 shipping and us putting the bikes together ourselves might be worth it.

Katie at 1:04 PM

So while we're on the subject of Christmas gifts, I'm almost finished! The UPS, FedEx, Airborne, and Post Office people are going to love me because I have at least 10 shipments arriving here. (More if Amazon.com keeps breaking up my one big order into smaller ones. grrrr...)

Besides ordering online, I did a lot of shopping on Friday last week. I actually ended up buying several gifts for my in-laws to give (I was in the right place/right time) so they got some good deals too (and more Cash Back on my Discover card for me, hehe).

The kids have very easy lists this year and I've been taking notes of what they've thought was cool on TV or what their friends have. I'm also almost done with Christmas clothes and PJ's too. Just need to sew 3 dresses and wait on a package from Old Navy. Woot! We try to make Christmas about being with family so I only have 5 gifts per child plus stocking stuffers (usually 3 under $5) and then a new Christmas outfit, PJ's, and Christmas ornament (this year's will be Maryland related). One of those 5 presents will be from Greg and I as well as the clothes and ornament, Santa doesn't deserve that much credit!

Here's the quick list (and no, they don't read my blog):
Zach: scooter, Legos, Robots dvd, gameboy game (not purchased yet), hockey goalie stick (not purchased yet)
Emily: scooter, spiralograph, Cinderella dvd, umbrella (it was on the list! hehe), Build-A-Bear gift certificate (not purchased yet)
Ally: scooter, card games set (on the list), Little Mermaid dvd, umbrella (odd children, I know), and Build-A-Bear gift certificate (they have done Build-A-Bear before but the bears were ruined, long story)
Kyle: scooter (did I mention I got a really good deal on those last Friday?), Thomas the Tank playset, Doodle Monster, Madagascar dvd, Imaginext dinosaurs (he loves these, highly recommend!)
Kelly: Fisher Price Little People train set, Aquadoodle Bear, Aquadoodle Mat, a set of Sandra Boynton books, and a pink trike (not purchased yet)

As for other relative's gifts, I'm halfway finished. Adult gifts are more slow going for me, kids are so easy to buy for. Greg and I don't buy each other presents, last year we went to the Bahamas instead of traditional gift giving. I'm not sure what "our gift" will be this year. Probably affording to live in Maryland.

And then we have the twin's birthday here in several days. Today I'm purchasing their big gift (bikes!) and partyware (they want Unicorn/Horse/something like that). I need to double check that their bike helmets still fit. I sometimes hate their winter birthday because all the fun big stuff (like bikes) will have to sit in the garage for awhile.

So I'm glad to say I'm almost done with the bulk of Christmas shopping and doing my part to keep the US economy afloat. Now onto decorating and Christmas card sending and dress sewing and figuring out how many other little random gifts I need to buy (kids' teachers, Greg's boss, etc). Let's see how long I can go before yelling "BAH HUMBUG!" hehe

Katie at 9:44 AM

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Happy December 1st! Do you know where your Christmas presents are?

Katie at 9:05 AM

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