September Acres

We carved our pumpkin last night. When I say 'we' I mean my husband carved and Little Miss and I dug out the pumpkin seeds. I love the way the pumpkin turned out. We got one of those little kits you can get at Kmart or Walmart that has the templates to trace your design. Whoever thought up that idea is brilliant. I remember many years that I had to use a toothpick (or 2) to keep the pumkin's teeth in. And this is the 3rd or 4th year we have used the kit since there are many templates to choose from. $4 well spent. Tomorrow night is the big night. We are heading to our church for 'trunk or treat'. I don't know if that's something that they do in other parts of the country or not but people fill their trunks with candy and hand it out to the kids - mostly in church parking lots. Our church has a really good trunk or treat and this year they are adding games booths for the kids. Our town puts on a trick or treat event on our Main Street but we have never been

Well, here goes - my post on Sen Obama's redistribution of wealth idea per the request of Europafox . I orignally wrote this on Oct 20 and since then there has been more talk about this in the mainstream media. I still think there are alot of folks out there who just don't get it. Otherwise intelligent people who find nothing wrong with this idea of taking from the rich and giving to the poor (hence the Robin Hood reference). I find it scary that he is talking about 'change' & this is one of the things he has in mind. I didn't get all technical with stats and details because that's not really what I intended to do. It was a post on my thoughts about this aspect of Obama's campaign and this one issue that I strongly disagree with. Here you go... Please tell me I am not the only one outraged... I am hearing more and more about Sen. Obama's plan for 'redistribution of wealth'. I have heard quite a bit today and it really makes me sick to my sto

Literally. My husband's birthday party was on Saturnday night. It was a fun, casual time. I was a little worried we wouldn't have a good turn out since a few people who said they were coming couldn't make it due to illness. But it ended up being a great time with fun friends. My husband had fun and that's what matters. I didn't go too crazy with the cruel 'over the hill' related decorations. I did have black and silver balloons which looked nice. Having a birthday so close to Halloween means the real 'bargains' in paper goods are either black or orange. So I usually switch it out. Plus, I am the queen of re-using things so black is pretty versatile. My husband's actual birthday is the 29th but he claims he already feels older. ha. I never really felt that way at 40. But he says he can notice a difference. It may be that he has started playing hockey 3 nights a week now and his muscles and bones aren't quite used to it yet. :) I have mentioned

If you have read this blog for any time you know of my dislike for Walmart. Well, I am having my husband's birthday party on Saturday and decided I would head to Walmart for the supplies and some of the food. Mainly I was going for the beer and wine as they have the best prices in town. They also have the best prices on paper goods (plates, napkins, etc.) I was happy with what I got and the prices. I actually came in almost $5 under budget. I have a couple small things to pick up at the grocery store on Sat. morning which may put me a tad over but if I hadn't trekked out to Walmart I would be WAY over. The thing that made me the happiest was my big pumpkin shown above. $3.98!! They are $6 at Safeway and I kept thinking that was alot. I guess I was right. :) My friend is being kind enough to make a big pot of chili for the party. She is a great cook and it will be one less thing for me to do. I am making homemade mac 'n cheese. Kind of a comfort food type of party. A

It's just about Halloween. Above is the cute page I made yesterday at my stamp club. It's hard to see the top that says 'spooky'. I just love this page. Love the colors and patterned paper. I wish that my daughter had a more spooky costume this year. She will be Sharpay the golfer (photo to the left) - not too spooky. The school is having a pumpkin carving contest which Little Miss would like to enter. I will look for a pumpkin for her tomorrow. We will carve it tomorrow night and I pray that it will still be presentable by Friday when we take it to school. Each class picks one pumpkin to enter into the contest at the Fall Festival on Friday night. My husband & I generally don't dress up for Halloween. I do have a Halloween t-shirt I will wear to show a bit of spirit. The last time my husband dressed up he was Bill Clinton (complete w/ mask) and I just don't want to go there again. That was before kids. I was a hockey player last time I d

visited 35 states (70%) Create'>http://douweosinga.com/projects/visited?region=usa">Create your own visited map of The United States or determine the next'>http://douweosinga.com/projects/thenextpresident">next president have you been? Check out the above website to see what % of the country you have seen. I thought this was interesting and a fun little 'project'. I had a whole post written that I saved as a draft about Sen Obama and the redistribution of wealth issue. I realized after writing it that no one really wants to read my 'opinion' - I mean that in a nice way. It felt good to just write it and no one really needs to read it. I won't sway anyone's opinion & that's what I wanted to do. :) Only 15 days until the election. Yippee. A busy week is underway here. I am getting ready for my husband's birthday party on Sat, the 25th. I think we will have about 20 people at the party. Not too many but a nice cro

It's that time of year again when the Christmas lists are going around. I can only imagine that this will be a tough year for a lot of folks and the lists will have to be cut - a lot. Personally, I know that there is nothing I really WANT this year. Things I would like to have, sure, but nothing I really want. Thank heavens, since a certain little girl has a list a mile long. I work on trying to explain wants and needs to her and I think she somewhat gets it but more still gets added to the list. My husband and I decided to do a 'family' gift this year. My parents went in with us and we are getting a Wii. We bought a package and some of it will be from my parents and some of it will be from Santa. I feel a huge weight lifted off of me as my shopping is done this a year, save a couple of stocking stuffers that won't be missed if I can't get them. I am hoping this turns out to be a hit with Little Miss. I think it's important to teach our kids that we can't ha

Yes, please give me a call if you need my services and I will fit you in. I have felt like a taxi cab the past few days. Thursday is a busy car day for me since I take to school and pick up (I car pool with a friend and this is the day I do both). Then we have hockey at 5, church play practice at 6. I stay at hockey but come home for the 1 1/2 hr play practice. It's a 5 minute drive to church but sometimes it feels longer. Monday is busy too but Thursday's a biggie for me. I know that all the other moms out there feel the same way (times 3 or 4 for some of you) & frankly I wouldn't change it for the world. Today I worked at my husband's office since his secretary is on vacation. Lots of help I was - here's my day - Drop kids at school Stop at Starbucks (priorities!) Stop at Staples and get some office supplies for hubby's office Arrive at office about 9:25 Leave at 10:55 for daughter's 'no tardy picnic' (kids eat out on the grass if they

Heard at our house this morning while getting ready for school: Little Miss (with hands on hips): I can't wear this shirt today. I didn't realize this is the one I put on (??). Me: What is wrong with it? LM: I don't like it. Me: Why? LM: I don't like these orphan flowers. Me: Oh..... Someone please, please let me know if you know what an orphan flower is... (the shirt is white with lots of pink flowers all over the shirt. It really is cute, in my opinion.)

Tonight is the last presidential debate. I am interested in watching it and I hope it is a real debate and not just an opportunity to blame the other guy. I can only imagine how hard it is for these men to debate and not blame. But don't you want to know just exactly WHAT they will do as president?? I have to say that I am not quite sure on either side. I know that the things Sen. Obama wants to do are against what I believe (ie. 'universal healthcare', taxing the 'rich', etc.) and I hope that Sen. McCain can get across his plans & ideas clearly. Oh, and don't you just hope they can actually really answer a question they are asked? That is the one thing about most politicians - they don't answer the questions. How many of us would keep our jobs doing that?? Only 3 weeks and this election is over...

Well, I finally got the Cutest Blog on the Block template to work. Yippee. I am so glad as the old green template was kind of irritating. This is a bit more soothing. Little Miss is off to school today after a week long fall break. She didn't want to go to school today since she thought she would miss me. Very sweet. We had a fun week and she was so good - even without alot of other kids to play with. She got straight A's on her report card (if I mentioned that already, I apologize) so this Friday she will get to have donuts with the principal along with the other kids who got straight A's. I think it is nice (although not necessary) to acknowledge the kids since they do work hard to get good grades. I only wish they didn't have donuts. But I guess 'Oatmeal with Mr. Davis' doesn't have the same ring to it as 'Donuts with Mr. Davis'. I bet there wouldn't be as many kids striving for A's either. :) My husband and I celebrated our

netted me this cute square plate ($3.99) (the square bowls are from Walmart, last year) and this darling sign for the front porch ($4.99) I don't think I have been to Marshalls in about 10 years. I forgot how cute and cheap things were. We have a new Marshalls near Target so I will probably try to stop there when I go to Target. Target netted me some papertowels, moisturizer and other boring but practical things. Oh, and some teacher gifts and stocking stuffers from 'the spot'. I love that place. I am slowly getting the house Halloween ready. Should be done by the 31st...

We have spent the past two days at a state park on the Colorado River about 20 minutes from our house. Our friends were camping here but we went down for the day. My husband thought he was going to have to work all week but was able to take this afternoon off so he joined us today. The weather is great. The kids were able to play in the water all day. Our friends have jet-ski's so we spent some time on those. We decided that this is definitely a great place to camp. The campground is really clean, with hookups, a fun play ground for the kids and all the sites are within walking distance to the beach. We ate dinner out there this evening and Little Miss was pooped. I think she was asleep before we hit the highway. Sometimes I forget that we live in such a great place. Twenty minutes from home feels like a world away. People come from miles away to vacation here. I know my husband enjoyed being outside today. Although he may have the jet-ski bug now. Yikes.

Well, I have wanted a new look for my blog and have looked around and this will work for now. I want a 'free' change of course. I went to The Cutest Blog on the Block & they have really cute backgrounds but I have a headache trying to do it and I have given up for now. I know I am doing something wrong - just haven't figured out what. So for now I will live with this and maybe re-visit this at another time. I have thanked my husband for giving me his cold. I don't think it's going to be too bad - I am at the 'blowing your nose a hundred times an hour' stage which is my least favorite. This could also explain the headache I have. My husband got it pretty bad but he seems to be on the mend now. Thanks to the cold I was up at 4:30 today. I am not tired yet but I know it will hit me soon. Probably at dinner or some other inopportune time. Since I was up at 4:30 I got the OJ verdict news bright and early. I have to say that the first trial (when

Today was the first day of my daughter's fall break. It started out a little rough - I think she got up on the wrong side of the blow up mattress. We let her sleep in her playroom on the blowup mattress last night as a treat. She is not a morning person (gets that from her dad) so most mornings are a struggle at the beginning. Things, thankfully, got better as the day went on. We had a parent teacher conference at 9 am. My mom came over to watch Little Miss (thank you) and I met my husband at school. It was a good conference. She got straight A's. The teacher says she is well behaved and that Little Miss gets visibly upset when other students interupt the learning time. I am thrilled she is doing well. We went out to Walmart today (yes, I know I went last week, too). I needed a couple things and we had the time so off we went on our journey. They had these little bead kits - to make necklaces/bracelets - for $3.50. Quite the bargain but they were hidden on an end cap

No extracurricular activity is more important than the family having dinner together. Enough said. Enjoy dinner with your family tonight. (Quote from Life's Little Instruction Calendar Volume XIII)

I was wearing my new Donny Osmond t-shirt yesterday when I went to pick my daughter up from Daisy Scouts. It is black w/ a silhouette of Donny. One of the little girls in the troop said "I love your shirt. Is that the singer Elvis Purse-ly?" Too cute! I worked on the invitations for my husband's 40th birthday party yesterday while at my Tuesday scrapbooking day. I just have to fill in the details and make a nice note on the bottom that it is adults only. :) We have done the kids before and it's just too crazy. My daughter doesn't get to bed anywhere near on time and it's just chaos. I think the parents end up having a better time too. We'll see how it works. So far I haven't had anyone balk about it. I started a 3 day detox today. It is a plan I got from Body & Soul magazine a year or so ago. I try to do it every 3 or 4 months. It is long overdue right now. I feel horrible - guess that's what all that candy corn does to you. It basic