92!

I don't believe this. I just counted, and I have 92 mateless socks in my orphan sock basket....and I just went through it and matched, so I know there are no pairs in there. Can you believe that????

Product Review: Mashed Potatoes

Three cheers for those refrigerated mashed potatoes you find in the dairy aisle! With a little doctoring up, I can't tell the difference from homemade from scratch potatoes. While they obviously cost a little more than if you started with a bag of spuds, they aren't the thing that's going to break your budget and you won't end up with half a bag of rotten potatoes that you didn't use....They are often on sale as well, which is when I tend to buy them, but with the holiday coming up, here's a quick shortcut on a sidedish that will certainly be admired.

For my family of 7:

Take 2 packages of the mashed potatoes and put them in a deep casserole dish. Throw in cream cheese, butter :) and sour cream to taste (I use one block of cream cheese, half a stick of butter :) and no sour cream because my kids don't like it too tangy.) Microwave it until it's all nice and hot and the extras are melted. Stir until blended. Top with grated cheddar cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and browns and the potatoes are piping hot. Done! No peeling involved unless you count peeling the cellophane back from the potatoes. So good!

Attention! Existence of Parallel Universe(s) Proven!!!

Yes! Just released to the associated press.! It is true! Evidence of at least one parallel universe has been discovered at a private residence in a quiet St. Paul suburb!

The primary proof of this parallel universe is the lowly sock. It seems that the membrane separating our universe with a parallel one, (hereafter referred to as P.U.) has holes in it that allow socks to slip out of one reality and into another. However, once a sock is through, the membrane repairs itself in some manner as to prevent the mate of that sock from following. That is the reason that puzzled housewives everywhere wonder at the statistically absurd number of mateless foot apparel in their laundry baskets.

However, there sometimes occurs an as of yet unexplained phenomenon where a small percentage of the socks are catapulted from the P.U. back into our universe! We know this because they inexplicably "appear" in the back yard in no apparent pattern. Scientists are also following other trends of rogue socks, as these mysterious items are called, reappearing in flower pots, light fixtures and behind television sets. Theories as to electromagnetic forces affecting their re-entry are still being formulated at the time of this writing.

Socks are by no means the only objects prone to intra-universal travel. Other common items which routinely disappear from our universe, and thus must reappear in another, include but are not limited to the following: batteries, kitchen shears, fingernail clippers, chap stick, rolls of duct tape and finer writing utensils. Homemakers have long wondered why it seems that no matter how many of these items they buy, there never seems to be any when they are needed. Now we have the answer! Whether there is a separate universe for each of these items or just one universe for them all remains for speculation, but interesting observations are continuing to be made.

It is also notable that the Reverse P.U. effect is also to be observed with some specific items. In this schema, we are the P.U. and items are showing up in our universe with regularity. No matter what the average person does to get rid of these objects, there always seems to be MORE! The list is currently incomplete, but observations are being done on stuffed animals, fast food type toys, half drunk water bottles and hair binders. Techniques to send these unwanted items back to the universes from whence they came have been unsuccessful, and the state of the art recommendations are to have regular garage sales and garbage pickups.

If your household experiences a large number of P.U. phenomenons, you may want to explain to all of the members how your mood swings are connected to these occurrences and enlist their help in controlling the situation. Perhaps, with proper funding, these disconcerting episodes can somehow be controlled, but until then we continue to be amazed at how so much can get so lost.

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Ha ha ha. I have to laugh. God is still good, but about an hour ago, Lily threw up on the ivory colored center medallion of the one and only expensive wool oriental rug we own. I've thought about it, and I'm pretty certain that that spot is THE most expensive square foot in our whole house....maybe the piano keyboard would be more, but otherwise, she picked the best!

God's Good

Aaaaahhh, I'm frustrated because I seem to have NO TIME. But there have been so many ways that God has been merciful and good to us this week, and I just feel that I have to give him thanks! God has provided some lovely, Christ-following friends for Katie who rallied around her last week when her face exploded in a horrible skin reaction caused by a virus. God has helped me through an incredibly busy couple of days, and even provided an afternoon of childcare for Lily (thanks Lisa!) which I didn't expect but don't know how I would have done without. We've had good conversations...two sided and everything, with the older boys, and it feels so wonderful to have open communication with them. He has protected our health amidst sickness. He provided a fabulous conference for me to go to that provided me with tons of encouragement and new ideas....and I thought I was just going for the fellowship...and He gave me that too! I feel like I am a lot more connected with the younger women at church now. Wow...so many blessings...God is good, and I just wanted to say it!

"That's Where I Lost It!:

Lily: "MOM! I lost my nuk!" (begins ticking off on fingers...with attitude): "I had my nuk on Monday. I had my nuk on Tuesday. I had my nuk on Wednesday. I had my nuk on Friday."

Me: "Wait! Didn't you have your nuk on Thursday? You forgot to say Thursday."

Lily: "That's where I lost it!"

(Note: This is why 3 1/2 year olds should not have pacifiers.)

Chicago Day Two and Three

Shedd Aquarium: Day Two

OK, I'd better finish this vacation blurb before I forget where we went or what we did! I'm going with the "picture is worth 1000 words" approach.

Here's Lily and the Giant Pumpkin...waiting to get into the aquarium.

Katie was absolutely riveted by all of the aquarium exhibits...she would have stayed for hours more. Timmy was engaged too. The older boys....

We all loved the 4-D show...I mostly loved seeing the kids in the glasses...so cute!

And here's Lily about 2:30 in the afternoon...Zach is beside her (but on a bench thankfully).

We shopped on Michegan Ave. at the Nike Town store, and then headed to Giordanno's for what the boys quickly named, "the best pizza ever." In this picture, Lily was told to smile pretty and show her teeth. MmmmHmmm.

Katie and Tim at Giordanno's. I love this picture.

Wheaton: Day 3


Katie, Sophie and Lily...coloring.

We enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing morning with Dan and Micah. The kids were so happy to be together that they practically took care of themselves. It was great.

We got to see both Sophie (on top here) and Emme play amazing soccer games! The cheering section was loud and rowdy, you can be sure!

Aunt Micah introduced us to the wonder of Dunkin' Donuts! And luckily, there's one on every block! We had some here, right before watching Josiah play a basketball game. It was so fun to get to see him play, and he did a great job!

And we had some (chocolate donut) HERE, on our way out of town after attending College Church (where Tim and I were married back in 1991) on Sunday morning. Zach is saying "Enough with the camera...help me here!"

We had a great little trip, lots of fun memories, and it only took me about a week to get the suitcases unpacked and the clothes washed, so that's pretty good. There's a lot more to do in Chicago, of course, but I think we had a good taste and certainly had a good time together.