Duh of the day

Barack Obama's senior advisers have drawn up plans to lower expectations for his presidency if he wins next week's election, amid concerns that many of his euphoric supporters are harboring unrealistic hopes of what he can achieve.

You don't say. I mean they are worshiping him as if he were God, do they really not know it is likely he can't deliver?

And in funny of the day 

What a coward of a dad to send his child to steal a sign and replace it with another. Talk about teaching values!!

The final pumpkin

{r} finally carved her pumpkin 2 nights ago but all the batteries in all the cameras (ok, we only have 2 cameras) were dead so we didn't get  a  picture until last night. 

And just to recap all three.

Have a fun and safe Halloweenie!!

Homemade clothes

So, we have all had fun recently on this blog poking fun at me for being told I was a homeschooler, and the trauma it caused to my coolness status.  Two nights ago I ran to Target to get candles for the pumpkins and saw some cute coats. The girls were in need of coats so I bought them. 

{l}'s red;

                          {r}'s black

I have been thinking of making them cowls for Christmas since they are just as warm but easier to wear than scarves. Well, looky looky here.

OOOOH, let's get a closer look at that cowl please...

My own children are going to be fashion icons!! Denim jumpers my arse!

Pumpkins minus One

Tonight was pumpkin carving night and boy are my fingers sore! In years past we have always gone traditional-ghosts and gobliny. The past 2 years (in OR) our Halloween was celebrated at our homeschool groups All Saints Party so the pumpkins had religious tones. This year the girls were trying to decide what to do. Originally {l} thought of doing Noah's Ark and {r} was leaning towards Mary Queen of All Saints. When we informed them that our Saints party here isn't until Nov. 9th and that we would not be taking pumpkins to that party therefore they could pick whatever they wanted they decided on 

Give 'em a chance at the dark side and boy do they take it!! The spider is {j}'s (chosen by him, carved by me), the wolves are {l}'s (carved by her and Tug combined). {r} is a bit under the weather so she is going to do hers tomorrow since she went to bed early. She is having a cat and bat I think. This is the back side of {l}'s, which she carved entirely on her own (Tug did the punch holes, she did the actual cutting which is why the second o needed reattachment via toothpick).

Have you heard?

Actual audio of a radio interview BO did back in 2001. I think if he is going to try to be Robin Hood he should have to wear tights!!

The Answers

click play to hear the answers to the meme

My kind of meme

Shelly recently got the movie line meme started and, while fun, I totally sucked (as expected). Movies aren't really my thing-I like going to the movie theater, Tug likes watching them at home, neither of us wins. Music, on the other hand, I love. These aren't necessarily my favorite songs but I do like them and they should all be popular enough to know-I'll even throw a country song in...

1. Darkness imprisoning me

all that I see

 absolute horror

2. Though you haven't made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I've known it from the moment that we met

There's no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawling down the avenue

There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do

3. Winters cold spring erases

And the calm away by the storm is chasing

Everything good needs replacing

Look up, look down, all around  

4.  {highly appropriate to sing on 11/4 should BO win}

   Six o'clock-TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers.

Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn.

5. Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dream

I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been

6.  Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace

I dream at night I can only see your face

I look around but it's you I can't replace

I feel so cold and I long for your embrace

7. But nothings greater than the rush that comes with your embrace

And in this world of loneliness I see your face

Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy

Maybe, maybe

8. Did you write the book of love

And do you have faith in God above

If the Bible tells you so?

9. It was kind of cold that night

She stood alone on her balcony

She could hear the cars roll by

Out on 441 

Like waves crashing on the beach

10. We were born before the wind

Also younger than the sun

And a kind of obscure one that I think at least one of you will know:

11. I leave you with your misery

A friend that won't betray

I pull you from your tower

I take away your pain

And show you all the beauty you possess

If you'd only let yourself believe that 

We are born, innocent

Bonus (renee, if you remember this song you cant guess ;))

12. Like the ones from Navarone last night on Channel 21

It's a long way back to El Paso.

And I will tag

Paula

Laura

Amy

Jessica

Shelly

Aubrey

Heather

cuz I am interested in what kind of music you like, and I want a trivia game I might have a shot at getting right!

Answers here

Breaking it down

9. pretty great years
8. days a week, I lo-ov-ov-ov-ove you
7. brothers & sisters-in-law
6. different homes
5. different cars
4. usually wonderful kids
3. different states
2. shall become...
...One (true love)

Happy Anniversary

I love you Tuggie!!

Hey Max

While you are over there in cold-erquerque, trying desperately to keep your lil' pumpkins from freezing thinking "Man my hands are cold, but I really need my fingers to lay these tarps!" I will be thinking "I wonder how it feels to have cold hands?! These fingerless mitts are grrrrreat!"

fetching mitts pattern here

movie lines

Though no one actually tagged me for this I am going to play along because I didn't do a post yesterday and I still have nothing to blog about today. Paula and Shelly have already done it if you would like more challenges.

I am not a good movie-lines person...music lyrics I am a champ...movie lines not so much. I haven't seen a recent release in some time so most of these are relatively old and I had to google the movies to get the lines but whatev.

NO cheating Paula-I am suspicious of you batting 1000!!

1. Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togetha today.

2. That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older and they stay the same age. 

3. I'm sorry I had to fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.

4. Who is Keyser Soze?

5. His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!

6. I don't like black people? I am Mister black people. 

7. My boy's wicked smart. 

8. No son of mine is gonna play any foos-ball.

9. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers. 

10. First thing it's two minutes, then four, then six, then the next thing you know, we're the U.S. mail. 

A bonus for Paula:

11. I love those Redheads.

A bonus for all:

12. Lillian cannot use the telephone. 

In their own words

A friend of ours created this video showing the differences of Obama and McCain, in their own words, when it comes to life. 

No Obama, now isn't the time to play offense...NOW is the time to stop playing GOD and start realizing life begins at conception-it is above your pay grade to snuff life out!!

youtube link

America's choice now

All Done

Somehow when we registered to vote (when we got our new driver's licenses) we were automatically entered to receive absentee ballots. Works for me-and now it is in the mail!

Obamination

ht:hobbit

You don't have to call me darlin, darlin

a quick funny:
{l}: mom, did you know sam's* middle name is elvis?
me: elvis? really? i am not so sure.
{l}: yes it is, he told me.
me: hmmm
{l}: yeah, he told me his middle name is elvis because that used to be his mom's last name...
me ::quizzical look::
{l}: pressley, pressley. his mom's last name used to be pressley. his middle name is pressley.
*a fellow Catholic homeschooler though sam isnt his actual name

another quick funny

more videos here
ht shelly for the video

Double yeah what she said

Cris at junecleaverafterasix-pack has a great post up...background: her husband is in the Air Force and is currently 1 or 2 months* into a 1 year deployment. I really liked this post, especially the last, poignant paragraph. 

*updated to correct, thanks Michelle for noticing. I originally meant to say he has 10 or 11 months left. 

Compliment?

(tug don't read this post)

Yesterday while the girls were in gymnastics I was playing bball with {j}, {s} was in the stoller nearby. There is another mom there who has kids in gymnastics and a daughter who is about 5 that was out playing with us. {s} had a little ball that someone wanted to use so I was going over to get it from her when 

girl: You can't take it from the baby, she will get sad!

me: Oh, that is ok. We will just give her something else. ::take the ball:: See, now she is happy again ::hand her water bottle:: She is used to it. She has things taken from her all day. 

other mom: You are a homeschooler aren't you?

WHAT? I have never spoken to this woman about school (though I have spoken to her maybe 2 other times) and she doesn't really interact with my school aged kids since they are in gymnastics (and the girls haven't told her kids that we homeschool, I checked). Why would she ask me that?? I then said

me: Why? Am I awkward and antisocial?

other mom: ::laughs:: No, I just had a lot of friends in TX who homeschooled. 

I don't know what to think of this and it is honestly troubling me. Yes, I am being superficial and silly but I never saw myself as the (wrongly) stereotypical homeschooler. Tug is getting annoyed asking if I would rather be identified as ::insert strong words here::. Then, to top it off, the girls said in judo the other night a girl asked if they were homeschooled. Do we have signs on our foreheads? These are both activities done at night, not during school hours. I know it is silly that it is bothering me, but it is. 

What do you think?

Lots to hide

Kinda long but good, interesting info you won't find on CNN or SNL.

ht shelly

Ohop Pioneer Farm

On Friday we had a field trip to Ohop Pioneer Farm. It was a bit of a drive for us but the kids had a great time, despite the cold. 

{j} was in usual picture form

It was a 'hands-on' museum and the kids rode in a carriage and saw how a Pioneer's home would have lookedThey were able to milk a cow, pump water from a well, and do various things Pioneer's would have doneThe museum had a blacksmith area set up and {j} couldn't see so this sweet museum worker picked him up...in the second picture he is weighing a chicken egg{r} is checking out the blacksmith in her new hatAnd finally a group shotAnd some scenery

As if I didn't no

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test ...

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 93% Expert!

ht: shelly
(me think if you score fewer then 70% acrost the bored on the test you're blogging writes should be revoked)

Totally true

Hey Laura, here are some conspiracy theories for you

Who Wrote Dreams From My Father? (fyi, that is the Obamunist's* first memoir)

Barack Obama: Member of Socialist Party AND Democratic Party? well, this one is kinda more fact than conspiracy but whatev

*first read this term here, LOVE it since it couldn't be more accurate!!

Fairies

No, not you Max We have had a rash of visits by the tooth fairy. On Sunday night {r}'s right front tooth came out. On Tuesday night her left front tooth came out. pics from tuesday

"we did it, yeah"

Unfortunately we can't find the tooth. {r} was rather distraught until I told her the the Tooth Fairy would still come and would still leave her money. Once {r} found this out she calmed down and wrote the TF a note explaining the situation and promising to leave the tooth should she ever find it. Damn Tooth Fairy didn't come on Tuesday night. Last night while tucking the kids in I found this letter written by {l} (I found out this morning that {r} couldn't find the note she had left the night before)to which the TF responded

Free Stuff

You like getting free stuff? I do and here are 2 chances for you.

1-head over to Jessica's and read about a cool felt Advent calendar, leave a comment, and get a chance to win $25 of felt products (click here)

and/or

2-head over to Barbara's and leave a kind comment for a chance to win a handmade (by her) rosary (click here)

or

stay here and get a chance to win zip, zero, nada, crap (though i recently realized i missed my blogiversary so maybe i will do some sort of giveaway soon, though not likely)...now skidaddle!

oh yeah, WOW-I got a new battery and went to weigh in but turns out my scale is broken (hallelujah) so maybe next week?

Sixes

Fun, six is my favorite number. Shelly tagged me for this little game...go to your 6th picture file and post the 6th picture within that file.  I don't have that many pictures on the mac so this is the 5th file and it was the only picture in that file:It is {r} back in Albuquerque in 2004 so she was 2. We were at a fishing hole and she is holding the bait worm. That is Tug's hand in the foreground and my mom standing in the background. 

In business

Wow, what great friends you guys are!!! I tell you I am in need, and suggestions to 'check this website' or 'look at espn360.com' come in as well as an offer to record the game for us and mail it later. You guys are amazing! I am happy to report, however, that the game is going to be shown on ESPN Gameplan. We used to buy this package before the Big 10 Network came into existence. Now they aren't supposed to show Big 10 games but ESPN is no idiot. They know Buckeye fans want to watch their Buckeyes so they are showing it. We had to shell out $22 to get the programming just for the weekend but we get to watch the game. $22 well spent!

amy-thanks again for the link to the sports website

erica-fyi, we did look at 360 but it is only offered through select internet providers and comcast isn't one

paula-you are off the hook but way huge thanks for offering to record

Somebody's Cryin

Tis me. This weekend they are showing the buckeyes vs wisconsin on ABC, regionally. Regionally! We won't be seeing this game. Instead we will get USC vs Oregon. I hate regional coverage. I hate the left coast. We will be buying an audio feed to hear the game, but it just isn't the same. Go bucks!!

Homeschooling woes

Yesterday was one of those days. The type of day where, no matter what they do, your kids can't do anything right (in your bad mooded opinion). The type of day that you start rethinking your homeschooling choice. You start reasoning that Catholic school is too expensive but public school is free. Public school. It can't be that bad, right? I was publicly educated and look at what a gem I am. Then I read crap like this

Virginia Teachers Union Sparks Outrage With 'Obama Blue Day'

and realize, yup, homeschooling is the right choice for me. If anyone is going to brainwash my kids, it is going to be me...not the liberal hags influenced by stupid teachers' unions. And speaking of liberal hags, are you going to watch the lopsided debate? How can a person who has a vested monetary interest in the outcome of the election be allowed to moderate the VP debate? Not that I was foolish enough to think PBS commentators were impartial...

I don't think I am going to watch, I've already decided who to vote for. This year I am going with the Green Party-their ideas are spot on!!

I know somebody...

who wants to learn piano so she is teaching herself
who likes to stand herself up in the middle of the room but still refuses to walk
who is excited for day 2 of gymnastics and refuses to take her 'leetatard' off
who is working on fixing his 'big trumpet'
who has a very fat left foot but is still very happy to not be  in a true cast
who nearly cried when she discovered she had messed up a round 3 rounds prior to where she was so she stayed up until 2 AM frogging (lots of on purpose twisted stitches and i was on decreases so it was very slow going)

Wow

Still no battery for my scale, honest mistake. I have forgotten the few times I have gone to the store and there are no special trips for a battery to put in a scale that will tell me I have gained weight. I do have to go grocery shopping today though and I have added a battery to my list. I will check in next week, for the reals. Oh who am I kidding? I am not dieting. I am fat and loathsome and doing nothing about it. 

Yeah to Laura who lost 3 pounds this week-biotch!

See ya next week.