I've lost my Spark

I want to be shocked.

I need a jolt to blogging, as I am currently suffering from brain farts and lacking enthusiasm to continue this time taker.

Can you shock me into staying?

Can an old friend say "hey"? (Anna, Gabby, Shannon, Parri, Tammy, Zann, Amy, Kelly, T, B.... to name a few) I want to know what's up with you! Or a new friend could say "yo."

Do you have a question about ANYTHING that might spark my interest?

Do you know of any great Giveaways or the funniest blog you've read?

Share, please. And for friends whose blogs I haven't been to in awhile I'm coming around.

I can't wait to read what you've been up to.

Give Give Giveaway

From random comments, come random friends with random gifts.

Go check out Natalie and her

Mindi wants to buy your love

with a Giveaway that ends soon!

Now, how can I help you advertise?

At least give it a try...

I've been saying this more often than not as of late.

"At least give it a try.... You may like it"

For Kate and Luke: It's with food.

For Wil: It's being Home. (honey, I know how hard you're working.)

For Jack: It's listening and not having to be told something over and over

For Me: it's completing a task quickly

For Jack and Luke: Um.... playing WITH their toys. HELLO!?!?!?!? I actually have to tell them to play with the items they begged, cried and stomped to have purchased. I have been known to send them to a toy timeout. "You guys HAVE to play with toys for 15 minutes!!!" Yesterday, Wil was a workin' at the office and being a single parent for the umpteenth day in a row, sent me into borderline depression. I asked the kids to find something to do other then the noisy video games and watching the same episodes of Spongebob we watched the day before. Please please please please please.... find something to do...

They grabbed these

and this

Along with various household items.

VHS cases, baskets, cardboard tubing, chairs,

yoyo's (the pendulum effect) cups, stools,

Six hours later, tv silenced and baby sister included...Wil returns to find the family room turned into a concocted track and our kids wildly proud to have perfected a super sweet system.

I LOVE watching them really play.

Do you have to practically pay your kiddos to use up the toys in your home?

Is it just mine?

Realistic Discovery

I'm here. I am posting to say I'll be posting! How sick is that! I think it is divinely twisted.

Um yeah. I didn't get as much done as I would have hoped. Maybe it's not the computer holding me back. Mysterious. What will I give up next in my experimental quest to discover "What Takes My Time?", you ask? Well, I think I THINK too much. Just sit and think, think, think. We'll see. Next week I'm going I will attempt to think less. FAsCinatINg!

Reality Check

I think I need to be grounded from the 'puter.
I started asking myself some questions which I tried to answer truthfully (I like to lie a bit to make myself feel better) regarding household chores. The answers were sad sad sad. Even when I distorted the factual response with one that felt a little better.

How long has it been since you mopped the kitchen floor? Less than forever ago.
Do you realize that you actually DO have a mountain of laundry to launder? I am so glad we are blessed with enough clothes.
Why can't your family eat at the kitchen table? it is so nice to be able to complete an order for SIS and monitor the snackage intake of my entourage all at the same time.
Why is it important to know the minute a comment is made on Living Realistically or Saying It Simply? Someone may NEED me...

This is just the beginning of my Reality Check. I am in serious trouble here. That being said, I will not be in blog world until Friday. I am an addict and I may falter, but for the good of these four walls that protect our gaggle, I am putting down the keyboard. Come back, to me friends. Please. You are welcome, Wil, Jack, Luke and Kate.

she gave him some nice teeth

Katey has told me that this dog is her perfect friend.

He doesn't bark.

He doesn't poop.

He stays with her.

She's been carrying the drawing around all morning.

His name is Chilly

(she said not like the food- it's like being cold)

He doesn't jump up on people.

He likes to ride on her bike with her.

And he's a happy dog because she gave him some nice teeth.

I think I need to have some more playdates. I think she's lonely.

fight like a girly girl

I feel like beating the stuffing out of something.

I feel like cutting myself free to act out of control. It's just one of those days.

Since I am not a great fighter (and 34)

I am realistically regulating myself to fight like a girly girl.

A new handbook I came across gives me the rules and regs for pillow fighting. I'm gonna make feathers fly, take out the trash & wrestle!

FYI:

Matches are a combination of pillow fighting, trash talk and wrestling with LOTS of fan interaction. According to the PFL, there are various ways to win a match, but a referee is always on hand to “keep the hair pulling and scratching to a minimum.” To view video clips of some of the action, go to: http://http//www.gopfl.com/ and click on multimedia. There’s also a place to sign up for any women out there who might have been slumber party pillow fighting champions and miss the action!

Anyone? Takers? Feel like talkin' smack with a pillow upside yo' face? Game on.

New Guests for the Garden Party

Just in case you haven't seen the new UTARDS, click here to see who's heading RS, organizing the neighborhood parties, babysitters for hire, driving the buses, keeping the cheese melty at Maverick (that's for you Mindi) or working in the secretarial pool:

Too much on my mind...

While straightening up the pantry yesterday, I came across a bag I had misplaced more than week ago. A bag of grated cheese. GRRRRRRRoss!
After finding cheese in the pantry, I began wondering what else I must be missing but have not realized the loss due to the fact I have too much on my mind as of late.

With a goal in hand of retrieving lost items, I started looking in the Quick-Pick up~stuff the stuff ~ hide the junk locations.

This is a sad state of mind in which I reside.

• frozen rag in the freezer (I remember wiping the freezer down~the phone must have rang. I am easily distracted)
• A bag of rice in the linen closet (maybe I thought it was a buckwheat pillow?!?!? It's possible)
• Kid scivvies (clean and folded) in the dish towel drawer (note: clean and folded ~ and since I HATE putting away laundry, this seems to be a step in the right direction just not the right location)
• Craft paint in the spice cabinet (while making SIS stuff, I am often using paint and spices at the same moment)
• An apple (this was gross, too) behind the nuker (I just don't know)
• Sewing needles under a magnet on the fridge (they weren't on the floor)
• A box of cereal on the game shelf (shape. size. I think this could be argued to be an acceptable mistake.)

I have to stop or I may die from mortification.

This has given me a new Lower the Bar opportunity. Instead of putting the mislocated item in the correct place~ I am just throwing it away. (ok the cheese and apple... OBVIOUSLY) Who knows how long something has been sitting waiting to be found.... Ummmm GoodBye. Junk In the Trunk no more.

MMMMmmmm. Strawberries

This just looks too good not to share. Feelin' like a big ol' slice of pie. Can anyone make this for me? Doesn't this just scream summer? I think when I have a garden party, I will serve this to the lovely ladies attending.

I should be ashamed

Looking to take the work out of meals, I'm thinking of picking up one of these bad boys. It stores 103 frozen pizzas. When someone purchases a pie, the machine first scans a barcode to make sure the pizza is still within the sell by date then removes it from it’s packaging then cooks it all within 90 seconds! I want! I want many! The best part about it is that it doesn’t nuke the pizza it actually cooks it!

Rules and Regulations

One by one they came. DING DONG. 12 times the doorbell rang. Word spreads fast when you have a BEAT THE HEAT toy. I had 14 kids at my house attempting to swim in our new pool.

What rules and regulations should I have in place. We have it filled to 20" and it can go to 42", so I think the kiddos are thinking it's a sigh safe.
NOT WHEN THERE ARE 14 rugrats in it!
I couldn't turn anyone away. When we hit #7 I felt too bad saying NO at that point. 14!!! For the love! What would you do? Kourtney, I am so glad you showed up when you did!

Will I ever learn?

I told Wil I would have SIS stuff out of the garage by today.Why do I set a"done-by" date?!?!? Will I ever learn? Now, so I can prove to him that I can accomplish a task in an allotted time period, I have to clean the car spaces and it's HOT outside. Wish me luck. There is A LOT of SIS junk out there.

extra curricular activities

Went up to Kate's room because the giggles were just, you know, too happy.

Feather's.

Flying~ floating~freely falling.

WHY? I asked.

Because they had seen this:

on TV.

Where did the feathers come from? I queried.

From here:

On Kate's Bed. But only four squares. Not all of it.

Why didn't you guys do the whole thing?

You always tell us to save some fun for later.

I asked.

I had told them to FIND something to do while my attention was occupied in business junk. I didn't expect them to try their hands at redecorating~ My bar is lowered. Maybe too low.

SIS Giveaway

To enter: Simply leave a comment here (on the SIS BLOG) by Friday, June 20, 2008 and the winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday, June 21, 2008

A 3 piece set is $15. Fabrics vary, but will always be patriotic.

mindi, mindi bo bindi

have you jumped from here to there? have you

experienced "Word to your mother"? if not, today is the day to change your ways, for a giveaway has been posted.

Mindi, blog hostess with the mostest, has just returned from vacay in the aloha state and is sharing the love. You MUST go here and enter. go ahead. go visit mindi. tell her I said hi.

I wish. I wish. I wish.

I desperatley wanted a scooter.... i know it's silly, but HELLO! one seater. Just me. I hoped. I dreamed. I begged. I put the positive vibes out there. I asked the grand ol' universe for a special order... and it's like Wil read my mind...

This is what I got. I lowered my bar of expectations and I am pleased to say my new 1 seater runs on K power. I love it! Ahhhh Wil, you can go out of town whenever you want. (wishing, hoping, dreaming....completed basement... I'm just sayin'............)

Wil, you are:

thoughtful, kind, handsome, loving, strong, caring dedicated, dependable, hard working, successful, brilliant, ... thanks! thanks! thanks mr. manly. i am sooooo crushing on you, right now. i think i'll be washing your laundry today AND ironing.

How I SPEND my anniversary

June 10th marked our 14th anni!!! That's a pretty amazing accomplishment, wouldn't you say? Married at 20 and 21 years old and STILL married!!!! He is the BEST!!! I couldn't blog about the special day because Wil wasn't around to share it.

He had a last minute trip to Norway for business. (didn't want anyone to know I was home alone with my entourage of 3...) I'm not bugged by his absence, I was just sad. I wish trips weren't on short notice...we're talking, he confirmed his travels on Friday and left Monday morning. I need some time to prep for single parenting~ that's how I survive. I am thinking of remarrying him on a totally different date. June 10th seems to a popular day for conducting business... You see,

He has been in Guatamala over our anni.

We started our relocation drive to Minnesota for a new job on 6/10 one year.

Went to Disneyland WITH the kids on the 10th of June for our 10th anniversary.

This one has to be my favorite, he spent our anniversary one year, in Niagara Falls .... "Wish you were here" spewed irony that day.

This year I just felt sad. I had planned a weekend getaway and had to cancel them ~ ya know, on account of his jet lag and all. Even had many WONDERFUL people who had willingly accepted to watch the kiddos. Instead I took the entourage out to dinner in celebration of their parents surviving 14 years together. They picked Mc Donald's and asked to bring friends. Feeling left out on the world travels, my entourage and I went on a Kung Fu adventure where Panda's reign supreme. Not the most romantic day, but I still celebrated all of the good things in my marriage. Jack, Luke, Kate. See you tonite, Wil. And Honey, Happy Anniversary. Thanks for marrying me

Look how I SPENT our Anniversary

He really shouldn't leave town. Last time I bought sod. This week, I bought 100 tiles for our backyard and for the front courtyard.

Happy Anniverisary, Wil. Ok. Happy Anniversary, me. And Happy Father's Day, Wil.

Pic is not of our tiles. Ours are dark brown. First, he has the camera for Norway and Secondly, I can't pick up 100 tiles by myself! Hurry home, Honey. We have a PROJECT!!!

Where in the world are you from?

Re-POST! I am putting this up again to get some more responses. I have had a few and I will be buying cards tomorrow, so I wanted to give some delayers a chance to participate. Thanks to all of you who have emailed me! This is going to be great. One Suggestion: If you'd like to receive postcards from other places, too. Leave a comment on this post and maybe someone will get in touch with you through your blog or email. POSTCARDS! POSTCARDS! ALL SUMMER LONG!


Here's my original posting from last week:

As a simple surprise, I sent Jack, Luke and Katey a postcard from Newport beach last week. They were so excited. (Everyone loves to get mail, right?) I circled the spot I caught a gnarly wave and jotted down all the hot spots we need to visit when I bring them next time. My entourage is hungry to travel. Wil has a trip to Norway (for the love!) soon and they are feeling left behind already. To satisfy this hunger, I was hoping to have some postcards sent to them from far off places~ give them choices for new visits. If you'll send one to them, we'll quickly send one back to you telling why you should visit this land we love. We won't discriminate against friends and fam who live close by... we will reciprocate your kind stamp as well! Wanna correspond? Email me: krishans31@yahoo.com.

Happy Thanks Day

Already? ok. here goes...

• Games. Love to lose myself in some competitive activity where shrewd thinking and a victory can be achieved in about an hour. (Game on, Kourtney! I'll be seeing you t'nite)
• Employment. How glad I am to know Wil loves his job. Don't think I could handle having around the house more often than he is... He'd know too many details.
• Spring. It's still technically spring, right? Even though my kids are home? Well, I love how green the mountains are right now.
• Jack. Man. This kid is something. He's smart, handsome, kind, influential (and it's in a good way!)
• Luke. He slays me. Funny, charismatic, tender, whizzical~quizzical. (sure keeps me on my toes)
• Katey. Little lady. Adoring, inventive, sweet, beautiful and our resident elephant (ya know how elly's never forget, Kate knows exactly where to find a misplaced item)
• Wil. He works so hard for our fam. He is the most patient person I know. I am so thankful for his patience... I am a handful.
• Comments. Thanks for letting me do all this and acknowledging my realistic life.

A Guide?!?!?! For lil' ol' me?

I didn't know there was a handbook! I've been winging it and all along there has been a rod on which I could grasp for guidance to Lowering the Bar!!!

Synopsis
Lower the bar. (I've done that!) Turn it down a notch. (just moved the dial back to SLOW & STEADY) Get off the Stairmaster. (Ok.) The Underachiever's Manifesto is the playfully persuasive pocket guide to living life to the least and loving it. With sharp humor (I love to laugh) and genuine wisdom, (smart works, too)this welcome little book extols the fabulous (note, FABULOUS...) benefits of underachievement in our overextended society. A witty introduction makes the case for the right amount of effort a lot less than we've been led to believe. Ten (1 for each finger!) principles of underachievement establish the basics (#8: The tallest blade of grass is the surest to be cut); and practical applications (it's a "HOW-TO? I am in love!) show how mediocrity is the key to happiness at work, in relationships, dieting, exercise, investment, and more. Devilishly enlisting examples from philosophy, economics, science, and good common sense, The Underachiever's Manifesto is a lighthearted, life-changing rallying call for those who dare to do less and enjoy more.

A Guide?!?!?! For lil' ol' me? Feel like joining a book club? Anyone? I'll make tee shirts!

dreamed gathering

i want to have a garden party in the evening when candlelight is effective. i want to hand deliver monogrammed invites attached to teacups. i want longtime friends, new friends and friends i don't even know to be there.

i want ladies in big hats with parasols. i want finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off. i want skewered fruits in a hollowed watermelon bowl. i want a crystal punch bowl filled to the brim with sparkling ice cubes and floating citrus discs in a bath of hand squeezed lemonade. i want balloons. i want an entrance arbor covered in blooming wisteria. i want live music.

POP! who wants to come over and jump on my trampoline?

Am I blue...

Martha sends me fab ideas. This shade of blue is simply delish. Makes me want to swim...

Directly from Martha to me:

To create this illuminating centerpiece, place a glass vase inside another that is slightly larger (secure them with floral adhesive), and then pour tinted water in between them. Pillar candles are best for this project; not only are they pretty, but their weight will further anchor the interior vase. For added light play, make a series of these centerpieces in different shades of the same hue (a few extra drops of food coloring will yield the desired contrast).

I am desperately in need of a party. Anyone up for a luncheon? I wanna decorate. I want good food and friends. Let's celebrate something. Anything.

Where in the world?

As a simple surprise, I sent Jack, Luke and Katey a postcard from Newport beach last week. They were so excited. (Everyone loves to get mail, right?) I circled the spot I caught a gnarly wave and jotted down all the hot spots we need to visit when I bring them next time.



My entourage is hungry to travel. Wil has a trip to Norway (for the love!) soon and they are feeling left behind already. To satisfy this hunger, I was hoping to have some postcards sent to them from far off places~ give them choices for new visits.


If you'll send one to them, we'll quickly send one back to you telling why you should visit this land we love. We won't discriminate against friends and fam who live close by... we will reciprocate your kind stamp as well! Wanna correspond? Email me: krishans31@yahoo.com.

Me? A princess? Unlikely.

You Are Megara!

Charming and witty. You are always the first person to come up with a wisecrack. Sure, you have an attitude, but that's why people love you. You keep them on their toes. Sometimes you can be misleading, but always end up doing the right thing for the people you love.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Yah. That seems to sum me up. Who are you?

Bearing Reality: Good Idea ~ Bad Idea

GOOD IDEA (for me)
11 years ago, my anniversary present to Wil ~ matching tattoo rings. (They fit secretively under our wedding bands.) This is not a pic of my tat~ my camera is charging. Our tattoo's are not terribly intricate, in fact they are distorting as the years pass and the weight comes and goes, but I still love having it.

With all of his traveling, I know if the band of ownership is ever removed/lost, he still bears my branding! Love ya, Wil!

BAD IDEA! Drawing attention to what you think is your worst feature.

This was a terrible decision on my part. Before we had kids and right about the time this bling was posh and fab~ I did it. DUH!!! When your nose begins to swell with a minor cold and it's bigger than you'd like to begin with, WHY would you choose to give it an opportunity to infect and glitter? Think before you alter, friends.

Tell me your Good Ideas and Bad Ideas. Would love to know I am not the only one...

Rise and Shine

What time does your alarm awake you? My gal pal, Angi cracked me up with a realistic analogy that bites you awake with baby teeth. (figuratively speaking, of course.)
You must click here to enjoy a new visual with words on the ol' standard time piece.


Thanks, Ang! Lovin' every minute of it!

I SHOULD BE FIRED

Really. My reality bites today.

Waking early with hope that if I check blogs and email in the a.m. I will free my day for my real job... domestic diva. But when I decide to quit blurking (or any of these terms I enjoy) the mountain of household tasks overwhelm me and I keep sitting, keep clicking, keep typing, keep reading to avoid my job.

JOB? When do I receive a paycheck? Has anyone figured out a salary base for this profession? While writing my to-freakin'-do list, I begin feeling like polygamy might be worth looking in to... having everyone take a specific job for a week and then mixing it up in hopes of keeping household progress fresh. (not seriously, folks. I was just thinking about it.) So many, many to-dos...

However, if this was a job with a real paycheck involved and I had a yearly review. I SHOULD BE FIRED. My performance as of late falls short of employment stability.

Any other ideas?

I am needing a new pic for my header. But remember friends, Kris has lowered the bar and the photo must reflect this underachieving goal.

I've heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I couldn't agree more. My current picture reflects where my realistic priorities lay in the a.m. .

• Aspirin- I know that one of my entourage is going to begin demanding perks and a raise at some point as I shake the sleep from my gray matter. ie: breakfast; entertaining company (friends); pick out the perfect ensemble for impressing the locals; cold hard cash~ a sad state when an 8 and 5 year cannot find something to do that does not require the cha-ching.
• Cappuccino - It's either this highly caffeinated beverage or a Coke, friends. And since I am trying to avoid the dentist at all costs, I try not to down the high octane, fully loaded carbonated beverage until at least 10am.
• Listerine-Sometimes brushing just can't give me the fresh feeling I need for conversing with those who demand a chit-chat.
• Meds-Got me my very own prescription for Thyroid issues. I HATE taking this silly pill. How is it that I have been cursed with something I HAVE to do everyday and yet I fail repeatedly? I can't remember my kids names and I helped label them.
• Dishes-Can't tell but I snapped the photo near the kitchen sink. Because no matter how hard I try to make the dish receptacle sparkle before I rest my weary head, the dish elves in my home load it back up before the sun rises. I am beginning to believe my kids come down after I hit the hay to eat

So, after all of that. I need a pic that will reflect reality. Kourtney has suggested an empty laundry basket with soiled garments surrounding the perimeter. Any other ideas?

Drawn to all that Glitters

Found me a new favorite stop. Over the Tipsy Top Design
These chicks could make my weeds seem spectacular. I feel like a raccoon lately. I am so drawn to the sparkle!




sparkle weed photo compliments of www.photographyblog.com

Reality in an Air-Band

So~ it's summer and my kids are in a band. They meet at the park @ noon. Jack is a back up singer and pounding out the beat. And Luke. Luke is the dancer. I didn't know he could get his groove on... Looks like their band is out for a Mighty Might Bosstones feel.

I told my brood I thought practice might be called on account of the nip in the air and the pouring rain~ but they are bound and determined to be famous and like the mail- come rain, sleet or snow the music must get through. I told them again in a firmer Mom-voice that I did not want them at the park today. Pouting and Faux-hawked to the max, they gloomed at the front windows, wishing the drops to stop. I went upstairs.

Well, I just came back down. The front door is wide open and this is what I see:



My children fleeing the confines of home in search of their destiny. A destiny which they believe can be found at the park down the street in the form of an Air-Band.

Have I mentioned that Katey escaped as well? I think she's the costume/set designer. She wants everyone in the band to have blue hair.

Can I complain? They did wriggle from my authoritative grip, yet my house stands silently blissful. Rock on, Little Tones.

AMY is one of my favorite blogging Peeps!

My sister's, husband's, brother's, wife is give~give~giving an apron that any domestic diva would don. You must go visit her blog and enter! Everyone needs an apron!

needed that

Yeah. This post was for me. Hmmmmm.......

Making Homemade fun

I am currently searching for some good ideas. Please HELP!!! I need to come up with something for my kids to do that they can accomplish with little or no help from me. I desperately need them to be busy so I can make this home sanitary. (I have been terribly neglectful to home tasks. )

I am going to make Jack, Luke and Katey a pair of these:
in hopes they will allow their imaginations to take them to a place where Mom does not need to be for fun.

Any other bright ideas that will carry my offspring into another dimension will be gratefully received. GRACIAS!!!

Picture and idea found on www.marthastewart.com

I know my strengths. Really.

I have realized I am VERY good at vacation. It comes naturally.

I don't need to be shown anything.
Sit on a sandy beach and not fidget a bit. I didn't wiggle once.
Sleep without the weight of unaccomplished tasks pressing on my me. No dishes. No laundry.
Great at room service. How wonderful would it be to have tips left for me at home? "Housekeeping!"
Leave my room and NOT make my bed, Easy.
Come back to said room and throw myself onto the bed now neatly tucked. Superb.
Drive a little faster then normal in a Convertible, RED Mustang-Sure.
Play all day and not make sure the members of my entourage are present and accounted for. I worried only of me and my needs. Selfish, but SO nice.
Have grownup conversations with my intelligent, beautiful sisters and mom. Thank you for not asking me to make you a PB and J once.
Laugh and Laugh and Laugh. I am so glad I am related to people who get me.
Body surf and Boogie Board in the ocean like a kid. Might not have been a pretty swimming suit view, but I was on vacay and didn't give a damn.

Lynnie (mom) I hope this was as enjoyable for you as it was for me. I love hearing your laugh and knowing you think your kids are funny. You fuel our insane fires. Sorry for making you play the MOM role while at Newport and giving you some worry when you couldn't find your daughters ~ 34 yrs old, 30 yrs old and 27 yrs old who were playing in the ocean. Happy Birthday. Let's do it again this weekend. xoxo, k