Baby Benjamin

I haven't talked about this before because I'm so egocentric this blog is only about me. . .but my sister is pregnant as well. She was due December 29th. Then her due date was moved up a couple weeks because of some complications. She would have had a c-section on the 19th.

She's been in the hospital since Wednesday and on bed rest. They want to watch her closely. Well this morning there's great news and not good news.

Baby Benny is making (maybe already made) his way into the world today. She's 33 weeks along so it's not too bad for Benjamin but Stacey is freaking out. I'm pretty sure Moe is nervous too.

We'll have some more updates as the day goes on.

Please pray for them.

Gobble gobble goo Gobble gobble Gickel. I wish turkey only cost a nickel.

So I love Thanksgiving. It is my most favorite holiday. I'm not sure why. I think it's the family togetherness time and the turkey. I do so enjoy going over to my Auntie Marg and Uncle Jim's every year to celebrate with the fam.

My uncle Jim makes these yummy cranberry/vodka drinks with filberts in it. I look forward to those every year (except this year). Last year my cousin Peter brought along a box of wine. My sister and I had quite a bit of that and had a great old time. This year I will not partake in the boxed wine but maybe next year!

Do you remember the Turkey on Thanksgiving song by Adam Sandler? I don't know all the words but it is my mantra around this time of year.

Do YOU like Thanksgiving? Why?

USA

Idelogies aside. Politics aside. Democratic, Republican, whatever you may be, aside.

I am proud to be an American today as we begin a new era with our first black president. I'm proud to say that my next child will come into a world that is willing to accept people of all colors and races.

We've come a long way and as Americans we should be proud. No matter where we lay on the continuum.

BTW: I'm pretty darn republican. Especially for being a teacher in the inner city.

God Bless America.

Super Fly

I'm so excited! I got my Best of Donny Osmond CD in the mail today from amazon.com.

He is still so yummy. Heck. . . he's supa fly!!!!

I also bought Gracie a Dan Zanes CD.

He's not so super fly. But he's got good music!

3 reasons to get up in the morning

I'm so proud. Part deux.

Well thanks for all the encouraging comments about my husband and his wonderful cheesy moustache contest. To add to all this wonderful fabulousness I have to share a story with you about his big fish he caught.

Late August he was up at our cabin and he called me on Saturday morning freaking out. Here is a snippet of the phone conversation:

ME: Gerten's

DAN: I caught a 30 inch walleye this morning (trembly excited voice).

ME: Oh good for you. What does that mean? Is that big?

DAN: Yes it's a huge fish. I'm so excited!

ME: Oh. . . what did you do with it (quick short prayer that he threw it back)?

DAN: I'm on my way back from the taxidermist because I'm having it mounted.

ME: WOW. That's great. Where will you hang it?

Then other talk about that.

Well this weekend he picked up Wally from the taxidermist and brought him home.

I've accepted that Wally will be hung in our tv room. I've accepted that my husband won the cheesy moustache contest. But all in the same month? WOw. I'm so proud!!

Here is Wally hanging out on our new recliner. That's right, if you are white trash you MUST put your newly stuffed fish on your brand new recliner!!!!

I'm so proud.

My hubby has just finished 30 days of working ridiculous hours at his job. He was on days for the first half and then on nights for the last half. This meant that he was working from 7 at night until about 6 in the morning.

A lot of his co-workers worked these hours as well. So to boost morale they decided to hold a cheesy mustache contest. For the last 30 days members of the contest have grown these nasty moustaches. Dan joined this contest and not only did he grow a cheesy moustache, but he grew chops on the sides too. He was definately one of the top three going into the final voting.
Um. . . yeah and I had to look at that cheesy mug for a month! He was sort of embarrassed about going out in public and would often glance more at the ground than where he was going.

So the night before the judging, Dan not only needs the cheesy moustache and chops but he also decides to create a "look" revolving around his cheesy moustache.

So he gets a really tight v-neck tshirt. It's got some pretty stains on it and has a hole right around the belly button.

Then he takes a pair of old tight jeans and we cut them at the thigh/crotch. To compliment the look he puts on some bling around his neck and wears tube socks with his brown work boots. Oh and a pair of yummy aviator sun glasses with a nice ball cap.

Super sexy. During the modeling he gives his "Blue Steel" look and does the whole leg up on a table pose so people really get to see his. . . um. .. .(you decide what you want here).

Well I'm so proud because my hubby won the contest!!! He got $85 for the shenanigans and I think he should take the second runner up out for dinner. Actually I'm entitled to half of that because I had to deal with the whole cheesiness for the month of September/October.

The day he won he got home and pretty much shaved that beast off right away!

Here is a picture of him and the runner up (Travis). All I can say is wow.

Dan is the hunk in the white tshirt.

I'm so proud.

Play Dates

Well Gracie is getting to that stage where she is starting to have play dates. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Play dates with cousins are ok. They are safe and I know their parents.


Last year we had our first play date with two kids (bro and sis) from her Spanish Immersion school. I invited them over and it was really fun for all the kids. So when their mom invited Grace over for a Saturday afternoon I barely hesitated dropping her off. I know the kids and the mom well and their daddy was at work that day. Everything went well and Grace had a great time!

Now another family from her school has been asking about a play date. I have been putting it off for awhile (mostly because I didn't see them in the summer as Grace stays at home with me). The mom (who is really really nice) kept asking me and asking me. I couldn't really say no anymore so we have it planned for today. The mom asked me which house we should do it at and I would rather do it at mine because I have more control and I know what's going on and what the kids are doing and can watch them. But we can't do it at mine because Dan is working nights right now and needs to sleep and quite frankly the house is a PIG STY! I gave up on cleaning because it just takes so much energy. I also have a fear that Buddy stink it still in the house so I really don't want to host right now!!

So Gracie is going to their house today. I am hesitant to do this and really wish that we weren't. The playdate starts at one. The mom wanted it to last until 5. I only want it to last for a couple hours. I even don't want it to last that long. It's toooooooo long for me to unsupervise my child. I'm hyperventalating just thinking about her in their house. Not because they are bad people but because I don't know them that well. ARGH. Why did I agree to this??

HOw do you have that conversation with other kids parents? Help me!!!

Getting Better

Sorry to begin a post with that but I imagine that is the last image Buddy Lee had before he got skunked. None of it was pretty. The fact that a skunk stuck its tush in Buddy's face, the smell it caused, the amount of moola we have spent trying to deskunk him and how I wouldn't pet him until yesterday because he was still stinky. Oh yeah, and, if he gets wet it activates the skunk stench on his coat. Joy beans of America. He will be yummy for a long time!

Yesterday while Dan was working Grace and I went to Petco and bought some deskunk stuff. When we got home we applied the deskunker and let Buddy sit outside for awhile until it dried. Then we hosed him off and it was like he was skunked again!

As of today, if he is not wet you barely barely barely can smell the nasty skunk stuff. I petted him for awhile today and it felt so good. There is some truth to animal petting lowering your blood pressure.

Ok so here's my question:

WHY DID GOD MAKE SKUNKS? Seriously what is good about them?

Lizards eat mosquitos. Bats eat nasty bugs. Snakes eat mice and rodents. What the heck does a skunk do?? NOthing!

Maybe there is some smart animal person out there that can tell me the reason there are skunks and how they fit into the circle of life. You didn't see them with Moofasa and Simba in The Lion King!

Here's to wishing you a skunk free life!

Skunked

My dog just got sprayed by a skunk. Nice happiness to return home to after a 12 hour work day.

Argh.