Ugh...

I have a problem.

It's food.

The problem is, I don't like it.

It mostly just irritates me.

I recognize this is a problem since one must actually eat food to sustain one's life, which irritates me even more.

The three main issues I run into are these:

1. Nothing ever sounds good...well, sometimes things do, but rarely.  Unless somebody else makes it, then it sounds great!
2. My kids hate everything so just about every time I make a meal they don't eat it and tell me they don't like it.  Always fun.
3. It takes so much work to put together a meal that will be eaten (or not eaten) in 3 seconds so I figure, why not make a bean burrito that takes a minute to cook and a minute to eat.  The ratio makes more sense to me. :)

These thoughts make planning meals for my family very difficult.

The other thing is supposedly everything on this planet is "unhealthy" so it's all garbage anyway.  That thought also deters me from meal making.

I've spent half the morning looking for meals to plan for the week and even though I have access to the best food blog in the world (www.melskitchencafe.com) my stomach and brain just won't get on board to make the plans.

I'm at a loss.

We will accept any pre-cooked meals if you'd like to contribute to our cause.

Please deliver between 5-5:30pm.

Thank you. :)

Death Trap

Olivia has a fish...alive and well.

Owen has a fish...alive and well.

Morgan has had two fish...both dead.

Then her dad got her a little swimmy frog yesterday....dead.

It didn't even last a whole day.

There is no explaining it, Morgan has simply had bad luck in the fish/amphibian pet department.

As we were discussing this yesterday, amidst major bawling, she proclaimed that everything she gets dies and perhaps it is time for her to just get "another kind of pet".

I told her we could get her another little frog today and it would be fine.

"But I want THAT frog!  Another one won't be the same.  Wahhhhhhh!!!"

"I'm sure we can find one that looks just the same, you'll see." I tried to soothe her.

She just looked at me with big tears in her eyes and wailed, "But it won't have the same personality!"

Apparently she liked the way this one swam.

Nevertheless, we are going to try to find a frog today with a great personality.

Let us know if you know any.

My Two Cents....

Listen.  Politics are stupid.  But I have something to say.

Okay, several somethings.

Obama is not the devil.

I don't care if he is Muslim...it doesn't matter to me.

I don't believe he is trying to take down America.

I don't care if he was born in Hawaii or Hati.

Doesn't matter.

What does matter is that while Obama may be a nice guy he is not a good President.

He doesn't know what he is doing and he doesn't know how to make things happen.

Plus, I do believe his ideas are fundamentally wrong.

Mitt Romney is not a god.

I don't care if he is Mormon....it doesn't matter to me.

I don't believe he only cares about rich people.

I don't care if he was born in Mexico or Michigan.

Doesn't matter.

What does matter is that while Mitt Romney may seem like an "out of touch with the little man" kind of guy, he would make a fantastic President.

He knows what he is doing and he knows how to make things happen and he has a very impressive track record to prove it.

Plus, his ideas are quite good.

I have never been so certain that a man as President can actually make good things happen for our country.

Then I read this by Ann Romney, Mitt Romney's wife:

“Four years ago, I was definite about one thing: I would never do it again,” she said of her husband’s failed 2008 campaign. “Mitt said, you say that after every pregnancy. All the women out there know what I’m talking about.” 

When he broached the subject again, she said she was reluctant. Before she was going to endure another campaign, she asked him to answer one question: “Can you fix it?” When he answered yes, she was in.“ 

"He has the ability to find the core of the problem and then figure out how to fix it,” said Ann Romney.

http://americaisconservative.blogspot.com/2012/01/ann-romney-makes-difference-in-florida.html

Can you fix it?  ....  Yes.

America, if you're smart you will vote for Mitt Romney.

He is our only hope for this sinking ship.

Van Man...

Excuse me, sir?

Yes, you.  The one driving the mini-van.

I realize your ego has taken a bit of a hit having to drive such a vehicle, but speeding up to not let me in your lane is a bit much.  It's really not becoming and it's not proving anything.

You lost your "cool dude" status like 3 kids ago, so just own it.

Slow down, smile, and let me in your lane.

That's all I ask.

It's ON!

So if you'll recall, we recently re-did our front yard to look oh so lovely, like this:

And we have one of these: 

Which a certain feral animal:

Thinks is this:

And it's making me:

And also:

I've spoken with the "cat lady" across the street from us that feeds feral cats.  Apparently their poop isn't her problem and she claims they would still be here even if she didn't feed them.

So I've had to take matters into my own hands.

I've researched several sites trying to figure out how to keep those dang cats out of my plantar box.

I wanted to do it in a humane way.

I put bamboo skewers, pointy side up, all throughout the plantar box.

They pooped in there anyway.

I sprinkled black pepper all throughout.

They pooped in there anyway.

I sprinkled red pepper all throughout (I read this may cause them to scratch their own eyes out. Being humane was becoming less of a priority for me).

They pooped in there anyway.

After checking the plantar box this morning and finding MORE poop I told Shane, "It's on.  I'm going to war with the cats."

Shane just smiled his knowing smile because he knows I like a challenge...wait, or maybe it was because he thinks I'm crazy.  One of the two.  

Nevertheless, the war is on.

Watch out cats...you're going down. 

(in the most humane way possible.)

Heritage...

The other day I overheard Morgan telling Dane: "You know I'm half Mexican.  Everyone in my family is half Mexican!  Even JERSEY is half Mexican 'cause you know, Chihuahua."

I started laughing and Shane said, "Oh she's been on this kick for awhile now.  She told me all of this the other day."

"What did you tell her?" I asked.

"I told her that she wasn't half Mexican and that the only people in the family that are half Mexican are me and Jersey."

"Did she buy it?" I asked, knowing that Morgan isn't one to back down because she is always so certain of her stance.

Shane said, "She insisted that she likes salsa so she is half Mexican too."

It's hard to argue with logic like that. :)

Wrapping Up the Front Yard...

Want to see what my front yard used to look like yesterday?

Dumpsville.

When we got this house I HATED the front yard, if you can even call it a yard.  I've never been a huge fan of desert landscape, although it can be done well, this was definitely NOT done well.

Although you can't really tell in this picture, most of those shrubs are dead or dying, the rock is obnoxious, and well, you have eyes...it's just ugly.

It bugged me every time I drove up and when people would come inside our house they would go, "Oh! This is really nice!" Not knowing that their enthusiasm was giving away the fact that from the outside they thought it was going to be a "fixer-upper" inside.  

I don't blame them.  I had the exact same reaction when I first met my house.

But now that I know my house, I felt really bad that it was so homely.  It was in desperate need of some curb appeal...someday.

Someday came sooner than I was thinking.

Two days ago Shane told me Santa was coming to give me my Christmas gift.  Santa came in the form of Ron Ponsin...a gruff landscaper that did our backyard over a year ago.

I smiled as soon as he drove up.

I knew what was coming and Santa had never looked so good. (Neither had Shane. :) It's incredibly sexy when a guy knows just what to get you for Christmas and does it without you knowing and works extra weekends to earn the money to pay for such a large gift.)

Shane had me talk to Ron to make sure things were gonna be done the way that I'd like and work was started the next day.

Today (our Christmas Day), my front yard looks like this: 

When our tree gets bigger and actually has leaves and our bushes grow and bloom it will be even better.

I had no idea grass could make me so happy.

I had no idea you could get a front yard for Christmas.

I had no idea my house could look 3000 times better in one day.

I had no idea my husband was so brilliant...okay, actually I did have an idea about that.

For so many reasons this was the best Christmas ever, and it will always be the year I remember getting a front yard for Christmas.