Half-Past Kissin' Time

Rants and Raves Wednesday

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Rants and Raves Wednesday is brought to you by Little Ms. Blogger, at A Little Blog About Nothing. Click on the button to join in the fun!

RANT....Hey, Kid---Holding a book up in front of your face doesn't make your arm invisible; we can see you picking your nose, and it's disgusting. Get a danged Kleenex!

RAVE...Being assertive is empowering and feels soooo good. However, it takes skill; there's a fine line between being direct and honest and being aggressive. Bravo to you if you have skills for being assertive. (If not, I encourage you to learn; it's very empowering.)

RANT...If you are a novice at something, that does not mean you suck; it just means you have a lot to learn. Being closed to input from others simply because you are insecure is immature and keeps you from learning. Stop being pig-headed, and you might learn something that makes you feel great!

RAVE...This weather!!! Sooooo....warm! So mild! Such sunshine!

RANT....I hate when I catch myself doing the very thing that I complains about other people doing. I hope I'm not pig-headed....

RAVE....Figaro's Pizza--It's not only delicious, but the owners of the Figaro's around here really deserve recognition for their generosity when it comes to the schools and community. (You Ignarski's rock! Thanks for all you do for kids :)

RANT....I hate when something bad happens (stubbed toe, chore not being done, deadline missed) and I have no one to blame but myself!

RAVE...Our middle school, which has a reputation for putting on some incredible musicals, is in production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. You are not going to believe the sets on this thing! And our "Charlie," who happens to be a young lad in our homeroom, is going to be fantastic; the perfect mix of sweet, innocent, smart, and talented. I can't wait til May!!

RANT....I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that the new, failed attempt to make "Preston Scavo" (of Desperate Housewives) look older is absolutely ridiculous. Please! They could have at least given him a goat or fu-man look, rather than making him look like a flipping 80's porn star. Was it the idea of some 60-year-old, male (porn-watching) executive whom everyone's afraid to disagree with? If so, I'll stick my neck out and say, "Dude-Your idea sucks rocks! Ick!

RAVE...A student who was sitting across the room from me today sent me an email message. She is normally pretty disagreeable and snippy, so I appreciate it all the more. It read simply, "your the best." Ya gotta love it (correct spelling or not.)

Got rants? Got raves? Join Little Ms Blogger's meme and have fun!

Sexting

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Friday night...kids away...Mr. and Mrs.4444 had the house to ourselves...

Hours later, Kendall texts:

"On our way home...put clothes on."

My reply: "LOL! If you only knew!"

She replied, "omg mom. Gag. You're too old."

Hey, she asked for it! Besides, you're never too old to gross your kids out, right?

Well, there is one more thing...

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Mom was moving pretty slowly; it was the evening following her back surgery. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, the first time fully upright in hours, looking a little pathetic in her little hospital gown, messy hair, and furrowed eyebrows (the result of a wicked headache she'd been fighting all day. The nurse had come to take her to the bathroom before bed, and after a few minutes, she helped her stand and steady herself before walking the short distance to the bathroom. We were trying to problem-solve the headache but weren't really coming up with anything. As Mom hobbled, ever-so-slowly, towards the destination, the nurse said,

"Well, we've given you Thisadol for the headache; a migraine med, actually, so that should have helped. And there's the Thatadol for the pain and the Whatchamadol for the anti-inflammatory, plus the I.V., so I think we have everything covered..."

Mom stops, lifts up her head to meet the nurse's eyes, and says with a grin, "....except for my rear end."

Oops. Almost everything covered...

Weekly Winners/Sundays in My City

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Fog is the name of the game in these parts this week. It's been so suddenly warm that the snow is melting quickly, and fog has been hanging around for days.

These photos were taken at 7am and 3:30pm.

(I put the frames on in Picnik and applied "Boost" to the first one.)

And finally, remember Mr.4444's masterpiece from just two weeks ago?

Just a few offerings this week, but there are plenty more shots from places near and far at Sarcastic Mom's and Unknown Mami's places. Stop by and say "Hi!"

Because I can never get enough...

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:53:00 +0000

How cool are these?

And how cool is this button?!

Entering is easy! Visit Leigh if you'd like to win!

More From the Drama Queens

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

This a follow-up story to the OMG Moments in Education, Part II, sure to make you smile (again.)

The next day, I found this note in my mailbox at school. Chuckling, I tucked it into my "Funny" file (for those days when I need a laugh) and sent an email to Sassy, by way of her teacher, Mrs. M:

"Dear Sassy, Thank you for the nice apology note. I forgive you, Mrs.4444."

The next day, I stopped to supervise a growing group of students whose teacher had not yet arrived to open the classroom door. Sassy, Silly, and Spunky were there! Apparently remembering me from our "incident," one cheerfully called out (even though she was directly in front of me), "HI!!"

Because I still didn't know, I smiled and asked, "What is your name??" She replied, “Sassy.” Remembering that Sassy was the one who signed the apology note, but Spunky (who is now standing nearby) was the one who smacked me, I said, “Aren’t you the one who wrote the apology note to me yesterday??” Instantly somber, Sassy nodded and replied,

“Yes. I hit you. I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about?! You aren’t the one who hit me!” I said, pointing to Spunky. “She is!”

Sassy immediately thrust an accusing finger towards Spunky and shouted, “SHE did it!”

Spunky announces, “I did it!” jumps up to me, puts her head on my shoulder and says, “I sorry.”

Thoroughly confused, I again went to Mrs. M to gain insight. It turns out that after the incident, she and the aides weren’t really sure who had smacked me, because I hadn’t known who was whom. When confronted after lunch, Sassy had been the first to reply to the question, "Which one of you hit Mrs.4444?"

“I did it. I hit Mrs. 4444.”

“No!" asserted Spunky. "I did it! I hit Mrs.4444.”

“I hate myself for what I've done!” a forlorn Silly insisted. "I hit Mrs. 4444."

All three drama queens insisted that they had been the one to smack me, and they begged to be the one to write an apology note. Mrs. M and the aides could not figure out who had been the "spanker," but figured it was Sassy, since she had been the first to "confess," (and it fit with her history.) Sassy, full of self-importance (her friends jealous) got to write the apology note.

That is how I met Silly, Sassy, and Spunky (and how I learned where to go if I ever need to squeeze a false confession out of someone.)

Friday Fragments, Episode #85

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Having been married for 20 years now, I think I know the secret to a happy marriage-- it's Friday Fragments! [Just kidding. I got nuttin' for my intro this week; it sounded believable to me, so I'm going with it. [To learn more about Friday Fragments and how to join in the fun, click on the button above, and don't forget to link up at Friday Night Leftovers, too!]

***Mom is recovering nicely, thanks. This morning, having spent the night, and while preparing to leave for school, I asked, "Do you want me to make the bed, Mom?" She replied, "Oh, no. I'll do that later; it'll keep me out of mischief!" She cracks me up.

***Felt like I was on Little House on the Prairie last night at Mom's; no internet connection, my cellphone died...we went to bed at nine o'clock! It's good to be back on-line :)

***My absolute, hands-down Favorite Friday Fragment this week came from MattyThoughts, where I laughed and laughed (along with many of you and, hopefully, Matty) over his fragment about making my Baked Mostaccioli recipe. It's a little too long to paste here, so please stop by his place to read it; it is hilarious; I promise. Matty, the award is yours this week!

Honorable Mention goes to Caution, for these "people will notice" tidbits:

If one volunteers in the church nursery and successfully delays changing a bad diaper until after the service is over and the parents arrive, people will notice.

If one fails to squeeze one's buttocks tightly enough during a sneeze and ends up with an embarrassing snart as a result, people will surely notice.

Caution, I've been there (not saying which one) so I could relate, and I really loved the "people will notice" angle on your fragments.

And to Coby, at Finding Joy, who shared this about her potty-mouth twin:

A couple of days ago I heard Baby A dropping F-bombs left and right. He did not learn this from his parents, I assure you, and he's not in preschool and doesn't really watch TV. So where did he get it?

"What are you saying, son?" I asked him.

He giggled and said, "Crows say, '#*@!, #*@!, #*@!'"

Apparently this is his translation of caw, caw, caw, because when I asked him if caw was, indeed, what he was saying, he answered yes. Hm.

~I loved Coby's fragment, because I remembered when my own two kids accidentally dropped f-bombs as toddlers. Yikes!

***Just want to say a quick thank you to Amy, of Pretty Babies for helping teach me the ropes of Gmail this week. I am slowly figuring out how to rebuild an address book!

***Want make a new friend or two? Connect with some old ones? Link your FRIDAY FRAGMENTS post up here and then play eeney-meeny-miney-mo to visit another fragmenter (or six.) I can pretty much guarantee that you'll be welcomed with open arms.

Have a great weekend!

OMG Moments in Education, Part II

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

(photo from Google images)

[Inspired by a conversation with Confessions of a Working Mom, I decided to post this funny story, which took place two years ago and was originally titled, "The Three Musketeers."

There are three 6th grade girls with cognitive disabilities in our school. They are 11-year olds who often seem more like little old ladies, walking down the hall arm-in-arm, thick as thieves and full of confidence. I often see them bossing each other around or encouraging each other with a lot of sincerity, and sometimes a lot of emotion. I have had almost no interaction with them until today, since Mrs. M is their teacher, but today was memorable!

I just got SPANKED by one of these girls the hallway! That’s right; smacked right on the butt by a girl whose name I didn’t even know. I had stopped Spunky, Silly, and Sassy in the hallway, because I had just seen Spunky smack Silly on the bottom. I said, “Excuse me, Ladies….that is not [SMACK] appropriate!” Spunky slunk off, giggling, and her partners-in-mischief followed suit.

Taken aback, flipping wildly through the Rolodex of appropriate responses in my head (and trying not to laugh out loud) I said sternly, “THAT is not okay! I think we need to go talk with Mrs. M! Spunky crinkled up her nose, stuck out her tongue, and defiantly spat, “No!”

Grasping at straws; at a loss for what to do (I don’t know these girls at all and have never taught kids with cognitive disabilities), I threatened, “Do I just need to write a referral instead?”

“OOOOOOOOOOOOO!” came her smart-aleck response (as in, “Ooooooooo; I’m so scared! Lady, you are in way over your head, so just shuffle off and mind your own business!” Yikes!!) And she turned around, shuffling off to lunch.

Of course, I followed up with her teacher, and I have an entirely new respect for Mrs. M and her gang of aides down the hall. I now know Spunky’s real name. (And I’ll probably walk backwards down the hall the next time I see her!)

My Heart is Full

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

"Just a quick note to tell you how lucky I feel to have you as my partner...I love you more than words can describe." [random text message from Mr.4444 to me one day last month, posted with his permission]

Happy Anniversary, My Love. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. May the next 20 be every bit as fun, humor, and blessings.

P.S. Oh, and comments are closed to anyone wanting to leave a crack about that veil! haha

Scenes from the Recovery Bed

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Mom had her back surgery today (Monday), and it went well. I'm typing this as she naps on and off, here next to me. (My sweet sisters, Michelle and Mary, spent the day here, so it's the least I could do.) Mom is good company, so I can't really complain.

Mom is charming the nurses already. As one took her hand to place a pill in it, Mom instinctively, gently, rubbed the top of the nurse's hand as she spoke to her (before realizing that she had a purpose for the hand-holding.) It was so sweet.

Mom ordered dinner (chicken noodle soup and peaches, which went mostly untouched.) Then she worried, "Do you think they have graham crackers here? I have to have my graham crackers and milk before I go to bed, you know!" (She settled for a nice, big, "homemade" oatmeal raisin cookie.)

Mom woke up from a brief nap and turned to me, "You know that Tiger Woods changed his name, right? It's now, "Chee-tah!" I laughed pretty hard at that one, so she shared a quip she made recently, at my brother's retirement party,

"I know why my son Jim likes golf so much; as a boy, he just loved playing in the sand and the water!" [As I type this, she admitted she got this one from the newspaper :)]

So, as you can see, she hasn't lost her sense of humor, and I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before she's shakin' her hips and singing another goofy song...

Mortifying Moments in Education, Part ?

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

You know how sometimes when you are talking to someone, you can tell they are really not listening to you but are instead very distracted by something else about you, like your earrings, or your freckles, or the hair growing out of your nose? Their face might be pointed in your direction, but you know you really don't have their attention. (Hold that thought; it will come into play later.)

And you know how sometimes when you are having a conversation with someone, you notice them looking at a particular feature of yours, like your third eyebrow, or the toothpaste dried in the corner of your mouth, or the huge zit on your nose, and you know they are thinking, "Holy CRAP!" but neither of you says anything about it? That's social skills in action. (You need to know that for this post.)

We were in a meeting at school; myself, a parent, his 6th grade daughter, Kelly, Principal Awesome, a regular education teacher, and a specialist whom I will call Mrs. Nice.

It was this child's IEP meeting. IEP meetings are held annually to discuss the child's progress toward annual academic and/or behavioral goals created the previous year, among other things. As stated in previous posts, Kelly had issues that were mainly centered around organization and social skills (the lack thereof), not to mention ADHD (medicated.) That said, she was a cutie pie; innocent and oblivious to her [low] social standing in school, and charming, in an odd kind of way.

We had discussed organization and the fact that Kelly had made some progress but had a long way to go. We discussed personal hygiene and set up a plan for her to brush her teeth and hair when she arrived at school each morning. We addressed the fact that she needed to look in the mirror after lunch (and change her food-covered shirt, if necessary). (Hey, I told you she had issues.) Kelly was doing pretty well in the meeting, especially considering it was after a long day of school and had gone on for almost an hour now; she was only a little fidgety and was mostly paying attention. Finally, I brought up the subject of socialization skills. Kelly inquired, "What are those?"

Mrs. Nice replied, "What an excellent question! Social skills are...."

and right in the middle of her sentence, Kelly (who is looking directly at Mrs. Nice) cuts her off with a very loud,

"Is that a fake tooth?!"

And, God bless her, Mrs. Nice (who is momentarily mortified but recovers) replies, "Yes, it is," and then continues what she had been saying.

Not surprisingly, Mrs. Nice did not take the opportunity to call Kelly out on her rude behavior. She was too embarrassed, understandably. (I took care of that, later.)

Sundays in My City/Weekly Winners

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

For the record, I realize these photos are technically not the best, but I love them all the same. I snapped them hurriedly, on my way to school on Friday. (Yup--we have daylight at 6:30am now!!!) The snow was sparkling so beautifully, it was impossible to just keep driving past.

Here begins my "The Morning After" series....

What do you get when you mix pizza, chips, roasted Starbursts, and rootbeer with a sleepover?

Add the words "three a.m." and you have this...

and this:

And finally, Kendall and I updated our annual spring goofing around outside pic:

[I can't tell you the restraint it took to not go to Picnik and erase my wrinkles.

I am trying to embrace the aging thing, but damn, it's hard!! Just look at Kendall, okay? :)]

Visit Unknown Mami and Sarcastic Mom for really great pics from around the world...

you'll be glad you did!

Just a Couple of Notes...

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

First, a note to tell you that our 10-year-old desktop computer has gone to meet its maker, along with my entire address book and any emails sent to me before today. Yeah, it's a bummer, but it's not the end of the world; I'll survive. Plus, I had a feeling this was going to happen and had backed up all of my personal files/pics a week ago, so I have that, at least. Just thought I'd let you know in case you contacted me recently. I'm figuring out how to get emails via my laptop, but so far can only receive email. I'll keep working on it...

Second, an answer to Thousand Words Thursday photo question. Your answers cracked me up, but for the record, we no longer have a cat. The buckets are used for this...

I'm surprised I've never posted about the annual 4444's family maple syrup operation! Stay tuned...

Friday Fragments, Episode #84

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

WooHoo!! I made it to all of last week's Friday Fragmenters! It was so nice to be able to catch up with everyone (and I only had to delete two links for not linking to a FF post). This week, I'm joining forces with Danifred, who hosts Friday Night Leftovers, another Friday meme that allows us to un-clutter our minds. Link up here, link up there :) Please remember to link back to us so that others know where to join in the fun! For more information on Friday Fragments or Friday Night Leftovers, click on the buttons above.

***In case you missed the update, Cooper is fine.

***On January 7th, I reported that a beloved snake (yea, seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?!), Stella, had disappeared from her tank at the middle school. Last week, she was found alive on the floor of the classroom from which she disappeared, somewhat thin but okay. There is no way to know if she had been loose in the school or "borrowed" by a student. Regardless, she's back, and most people are happy about that, haha.
***Need a new recipe to try out this weekend? Try my kick-butt Glazed Meatloaf offering on Mrs.4444 Cooks. It's GREAT.

***My Favorite Friday Fragmenter this week is Angie, whose fragment entitled, "The Unit" stole the prize. Check it out here. Angie, enjoy your award :)

***I love guacamole, but I only love it when it's made with Lawry's Guacamole mix (Yeah, I know--I sound like a commercial; it is what it is, I guess.) Anyway, my favorite grocery store didn't stock it, so I had to keep going to another store just to buy it. Finally, my favorite store got it in stock, per my request. Ever since, whenever I shop there, I grab a packet, just to reinforce their being nice enough to get it for me. This week, Mr.4444 counted the guacamole mix packages in our pantry and announced that there were 22. Guess what we're having for hors d'oeuvres tonight, and tomorrow night, and the next night?

***I have a favor to ask: If you know my real name and are a Facebook friend, will you please Follow Half-Past-Kissin' Time on Networked Blogs? I'm at 19 followers but need 20 in order to get stats to show. Thanks.

Okay, it's your turn! Add your FRIDAY FRAGMENTS link to McKlinky below, and don't be afraid to visit some other fragmenters to say hello :) [And don't forget to link up at Danifred's place, too!

Thousand Words Thursday

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

This is a sign of spring.

Do you know why? [I hope to post the answer by the end of the weekend.]

For more pictures that "say a thousand words," visit Jen, at Cheaper Than Therapy!

P.S. Cooper is back to his normal self, BTW, thank heaven!

Mostly-Wordless Wednesday

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Poor thing; when a dog won't eat a peanut butter sandwich, you know he's sick...

"Why the blanket," you ask? That's where the sympathy for me is in order; we came home from school today to find a dog practically bathed in his own....well, since this is a clean blog, I'll stop there. Opening the door, we were greeted by a wave of nausea-inducing stench, which inspired a lot of drama, dry heaves, and a great deal of preparation for the clean-up job. First, I changed into pants that could be thrown away, if necessary, accessorized by rubber boots. We had no masks or rubber gloves, so Kyle and I improvised...

The 4444 family knows how to recycle a plastic grocery bag...

(You're welcome for my cropping out the "offensive" parts in this photo, taken just before Kyle and I lifted the whole thing and carried it outside.) An hour later, we had cleaned the kennel, the dog, and saved the carpet cleaning for the pros (Mr.4444 and a neighbor friend.)

Remind me again why we have a dog???

Newbie Love

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Remember back in the days when you first started blogging? You hit Publish and then waited by the computer to see if anyone would read it. You made the rounds to other blogs to introduce yourself, set up a reader, and slowly became immersed in the phenomena that is blogging. And that comment thing? It's what you checked first thing, or every chance you got throughout the day. Validation, friendship, positive reinforcement; it became your crack.

Today, I'm shutting off my comments and sending you instead to comment at the blogs of some new friends who'd love to meet you, I'm sure; bloggers who are either just getting their feet wet or have fewer than 150 posts in their archives. I'm not saying you have to comment on all of them, but a quick hello on at at least one would be nice :)

Sketches by Mary has been blogging for just a couple of months. She's a cat-loving elementary school teacher and has only a few Followers so far. Her posts are almost always brief, so it won't take but a moment to say hello!

Kerri, of Kerri's Klutter is hilarious. Her first Friday Fragments post cracked me up! She's got a little over a hundred posts under her belt and is sure to become a lifer.

Matty Thoughts is a wonderful guy with wit and sensitivity. He's also got a brand new photography blog called I can See Clearly Now. Matty is a stand-up guy, so you should meet him if you haven't already had the pleasure.

Long-time blogging friend, Amie, has a new blog called The Dark (in)Side. She's a grad student in a land far away from family. The Dark (in)Side is her place to vent her frustrations about random stuff. You might share some of her frustrations...

Ocean Girl is also relatively new to blogging, having less than one hundred posts but plenty with substance. She lives in Kuala Lumpor and is a fine writer. She's a sweetheart who also has great photos.

So, there you have it. Why not make someone's day by stopping by to say hello? :)

Parenting FAIL

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Mr.4444's recalls a funny t-shirt that started all the trouble in his high school; the infamous acronym on the shirt created by members of the Ashwaubenon Fine Arts Repertory Theater. (I'll give you a minute to work that one out.)

Yeah, A.F.A.R.T. apparently caused a bit of a stir back in the day, and that's why I think our parenting FAIL is Mr.4444's fault.

I should have paid more attention when Kyle said, "Check out our swim shirts!" and held it up for me to read.
Nothing bad there, right? Keep reading and see if you spot it.

I said, "Nice! I love the color! What does it mean?" and he replied, "It's the words from a song."

Did I ask, "What song?" or notice the LMFAO reference at the bottom? Nope; too busy on the computer...

So, the shirt apparently caused a little stir at the high school. The team captains were called down to the office and told that the shirt offended some teachers and probably shouldn't be worn at school. End of issue, really; no big trouble or anything, but I really feel dumb about not thinking that one through. On the bright side, neither did a handful of other adults who knew about the shirt before it even went to print.

Kyle thinks the objection is dumb, but he's respecting the ruling, of course. And, I suppose if that's the extent of his high school-aged rebellion, we got off easy.

To read the offensive lyrics that are not on the shirt but come to the minds of anyone who knows the song, click here (but make sure no innocents are around!)

Snowman Fun

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Mr.4444 was full of ambition this morning and begged the rest of us lazybones to go outside and build a snowman with him. He didn't get any takers; Kyle had an errand to run, I was cleaning the bathroom and taking a shower, and Kendall was on the computer. After my shower, while cleaning the sink, I heard a knock on the bedroom window and found Mr.4444 whining about how old he felt pushing snowballs and needed help. Cold beotch that I am, I said, "Poor baby....no," and went back to cleaning the bathroom. (Hey, I don't clean very often, so when I do, it doesn't make sense to stop me.)

I did, however, grab my camera and take a few shots. This is my Sundays in My City and Weekly Winners contribution.

Soon, Kyle came home and went out to help his dad...

And, of course, he built it right where anyone driving by will see it and smile. Is this not the cutest snowman you've seen in a while?

Happy Sunday! Visit Unknown Mami and Lotus for more winning photos from around the world.

And speaking of the world, I just want to acknowledge the devastating earthquake that wreaked havoc today in Chile this weekend. My heart goes out to those suffering and am praying for everyone touched by the tragedy.

The Writing is on the Palm

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

I am so glad the weekend is here; my to-do list got so long, it overflowed onto my hand!

I don't think I'll get a lot of it done this weekend, but I do plan to find some more paper...

Friday Fragments, Episode #83

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Take a picture; it'll last longer!
Remember saying that?
I think of Friday Fragments as snapshots in the photo shoot of our lives.

Say, "Cheese!"

[Click on the FF button above to learn the ins and outs of Friday Fragments.]

***

I worked very late tonight and came home to an amazingly clean kitchen, courtesy of my loving husband and son doing a "10-minute Power Clean."
I am so lucky!
What a great way to enter the weekend.

***
Thanks for your well wishes for Mom, which you left here. I've printed out a hard copy to add to my mom's album, and she is going to love it! That said, she was unable to go through with the surgery as planned (Thursday), because she came down with a very bad cold; it's been rescheduled for March 8th.

***

Danged spammers have hit my special blog page with posts about my mom. I switched to Disqus commenting, and it's working well, but I still haven't figured out how to import the Blogger comments to that page successfully. Working on it....

***

I recorded another audio post (see sidebar). It's the Post That Shall be Named, which I have now named Gifts from My Father: Parting Words.

***

If you missed my Baked Mostaccoli post on Mrs.4444 Cooks,
you should check it out;
it would be a terrific recipe for this weekend :)

***

This is really random, but did you know that some kids who sell drugs in high schools have figured out that by removing the drawstring in sweatpants or shorts, they can slide contraband inside the resulting space? What will they think of next?! Customized pockets in their underwear? (Oh, yeah; they've thought of that, too.)

***

Woohoo! Friday Fragments has reached epic proportions! I want to take this time to thank you for visiting some of the blogs of other fragmenters,
since I obviously can't get to every single one in a week's time.

Here's McKlinky for your FRIDAY FRAGMENTS linking pleasure...

There's an App for That?

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

With today's technology, there are tons of tools out there to make your life easier. I don't have an Ipod Touch (yet), but I'm blown away by the ingenious applications available. For example, you can tour major cities, keep track of your bills, and even compose music with an Ipod Touch or IPhone. There are (I'm sure) thousands of applications out there and more being invented every day. Take this one, for example:

Does my Butt Look Big in these Pants? App. Instead of asking your significant other if your butt looks big, you can take a pic of your butt in the pants in question and the app will honestly tell you if your butt looks big. Think of all the arguments and hurt feelings that could be averted.

Unknown Mami, you really cracked me up with that fragment this week. Please accept this award in thanks...

To order this or any of Unknown Mami's other ingenious Ipod apps, visit Unknown Mami.

Rants and Raves

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Rants and Raves is a weekly meme hosted by the charming Little Ms. Blogger.

Rave...Kyle got accepted to the University of Minnesota-St. Paul last week! (Still says he's sticking with U.W. Green Bay, but regardless...pretty cool!)

Rant...The musical, Footloose, was very nice, but we could barely see Kendall in the chorus and certainly couldn't hear her, so that was kind of a bummer.

Rave...Trader Joe's. In case that's not enough to get my point across, I'll add organic blue corn tortilla chips and guacamole with pico de gallo. Mmmmm

Rave...GLEE is starting up again soon :)

Rave...The middle school is currently holding auditions for Willy Wonka, the musical. We do some kick-butt musicals, so I'm really looking forward to the show!

Rave...Got my hair highlighted tonight, and it looks fantastic! I might let it go to hell more often; seeing the incredible transformation was fun! And, to put this in perspective; the last time I saw my "hair stylist," she was 50 pounds heavier! I hardly recognized her! Congratulations, Krista, on your new size 2!!

Rant or Rave... (depending on who you are, I guess)...my view from a stop sign after work today at 3:30pm....I actually loved it. (It is February, after all, and if it's going to be cold, we might as well have snow, in my opinion.)

Rave...Thank you so much for all the well-wishes you've left here for Mom. She is going to feel so special when I show them to her :) Rant...Can't get those comments to show up in Disqus, now that I've made the switch. I do still have them in Blogger and will print them out for her. (Don't worry; I'll figure it out soon...)

Rave...I love you guys. Truly. Your friendships are treasures to me. Thank you for stopping by.

Split-Pea, Split-a-Gut

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

My friend, Diane, was babysitting her young grandson, who was lamenting about how "grandmas always make you clean your plate." She shared a childhood memory of her own:

"When I was a little girl, my mom made me eat everything on my plate, too. In fact, I
remember a time when she insisted that I eat a bowl of pea soup that she had served me. I refused to eat it, and I remember sitting there til almost midnight."

The little boy listened intently and then went off to play.

Fifteen minutes later, the troubled tyke returned and asked,

"Grandma, did your mom really pee in your soup???"

Mmm Monday

Mrs4444@new.rr.com (Mrs4444) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Want to be adored? Revered? Admired? Popular? Bring this to a potluck or make it for your family this week. I promise you'll thank me.