Most ridiculous thing I have seen today

Dog in a jacket in a car waiting for Costco to open.
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Black Friday

Yes, I am out shopping. So far I have been to Sears, Target, and Walmart. I still have Shopko and Costco on my list. I have gotten a lot of the items on my list already. I did get our new microwave at Sears, but it won't be in until December 2. Target was a zoo and I got the one item that I needed from them and then checked out. Walmart was crazy and I ended up walking around the store 3 time to find everything, but I got most of it.

I got some of my shopping done this morning at 1am. We got home from Ry-ry and Anne's and I checked to see if any stores had their deals online already. Radio Shack did and that saved me a stop this morning that would have been problematic for me. I did some shopping then went to bed, then got up at 4:15am for my current shopping spree.

Nothing like 3 hours of sleep and then fighting with people, I mean, shopping black friday.
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BFFs

My dentist and I are best friends. I had a checkup today and the result was: no cavities. Six months ago I went to the dentist for the first time in 12 years or so and I had four cavities. It wasn't that I don't take care of my teeth, I just never went to the dentist so I had a lot of time for something to go bad. Diana believes that good oral hygiene is good for your heart (I don't believe it, I told her I need to see some research but she has never given me anything, so it must not be true) and I have promised her I will go every six months to get a checkup. As long as this keeps up, me and the dentist can be BFFs!

By the way, my dentist asked about my Dad. You see, my Dad and I have the same dentist and occasionally meet up there for dual checkups and stuff. The dentist finds this funny so he always says how weird it is that we were there at the same time.

I Can Only Hope

Chloe is sick. She is complaining of a fever, headache, and a sore throat. Could be a cold, could be the flu. Could be something else. Whatever it is, I hope she throws up.

That might sound mean, but she is the only person in the family with a longer streak than me right now and that is just not right. I should have the best no-throw up streak in the house. That is just the natural order of things.

By the way, you can always check out my streak counter in the right-hand navigation. Almost up to two years without throwing up. Just like a pro athlete, I am taking this streak one day at a time.

Spelling

Chloe just said that she doesn't need help getting tested with her spelling words. She says she knows them because she writes them 5 times everyday. Then she goes, "See, certain...S...E..."

Yeah, I think she needs some help.
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First Thanksgiving and Powers Out

We just got home from Diana's Moms house for our first Thanksgiving (we had spaghetti). It was pretty tasty. Diana's Mom has a really good spaghetti recipe - she uses a mix of spicy hot and regular sausage and a spice mix from Colosimos. Tasty, tasty, tasty. While we were there it started snowing and snowing and snowing. There is probably an inch or so on the ground right now and it is still coming down.

As we drove home we saw some traffic lights that were out. Then we saw some neighborhoods that had no power. Then we got to our house and there was no power. We came inside and now the entire family is camped on my bed waiting for the power to come back on.

Jordan is reading. Chloe is practicing her spelling, Diana is playing her DS, and I am blogging. We are having a good time.

I am sure the power will come back on anytime.
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I'm Gonna Go Swipe Those Kids

We are watching some friends kids for the weekend. There has been some great quotes from the little ones. Our friends kids are 10 (boy), 6 (boy), and 2 (girl) and this is a rundown of what they have said:

I was a little dancing M&M.

Interrupting cow, MOOOOOOOO!

I'm Livi-bird. Tweet Tweet! Chicken Nuggets!

My tummy is really happy.

Chloe is my best friend.

I'm a little big bad wolf.

Ring, ring. Hello, Christmas!

(fake laugh)

It was a yucky bear.

We're going to McDonald's, I can see it!

Your my best brother. Can I have a kiss?

There has been many others that I cannot remember right now. It has been a fun couple days.

Chloe and a Major Award

Chloe was accepted into the Junior National Honor Society at her school tonight. She got a pin to wear and a membership card that is needed to gain entrance to the meeting. At the first meeting they will probably teach them the secret knock so they won't need the membership cards after that.

Way to go Chloe!
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Fixing Toliets

Over the past couple weeks I have become a pro at fixing toilets. In the past month I have replaced 2 valves in 2 different toilets and 2 flappers. One of the flappers was just a slide-on so it was no problem. The one I fixed tonight was a clip on. It took me a minute to figure it out, but I got it.

I just wish all these things around the house didn't need fixing. That would be much easier.

Next up is the floor in the kitchen. I also need to make sure that the connector on the fridge is not leaking.

New Glass Is In

My Dad got me some replacement glass for the coffee table that Chloe broke a couple weeks ago. The glass fit right in. Looks good and I just sent her the $40 bill for it. I didn't want to be mean so I gave her 10 days to pay it.

I Am Sick

I am wide awake right now. I slept almost the entire day. I have been sick this week. Not feeling good at all. I just cannot get to sleep right now. Nothing is comfortable on the bed. I tried watching TV. I decided to come into the living room and blog for a minute to see if that would get me to sleep.

Don't know if I have the Swine Flu or not. One of the kids at Chloe's Halloween party did have the Swine Flu and has missed a bunch of school this week. That might be it. Or, I might have something completely different. If I can get to sleep in the next little while I am going to try and get to work on Friday, or maybe I will take one more day trying to get well. I don't know. A lot of it depends on if I can get to sleep tonight.

I do feel a lot better today. I actually ate something solid. From Tuesday afternoon to tonight I had only eaten a bowl of cocoa krispies and 3 yogurts. Tonight I had some spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. It was good.

I don't want to complain too much, Diana and Jordan have been sick as well, but I don't think they have what I have. I have had fevers, chills, sweats, pains and aches with a little cough. Those two have been mostly coughs, but Diana has also spoken of some aches and pains. But neither has had the fevers or the sweats like I have.

I know, pity me.

Parent Watch Night

I am at Chloe's parent watch night for dance. She is a dancing machine. Her team is preparing for their Christmas concert - which will just be in the studio. Sorry, I won't be able to get you tickets.
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Broken Glass

We had family over on Sunday night (busy weekend, right? - haven't even told you that I fixed a toliet too!). We were happily preparing - doing last minute cleaning, getting chairs out, moving the coffee table. Well, let me go back...

We have a pretty small front room, enough room for our two couches face-to-face and our coffee table with aisles to walk through. It is great when people are over. No TV to distract, you are just face to face with the other people and you can chat. We bring in chairs from the office or kitchen or downstairs. We then take the coffee table and put it in Jordan's room or down the hall. We have been doing this for years with no problems (I am usually the one moving everything).

Yesterday, Diana and I were snuggling on the couch and having the kids take care of getting ready. They were doing a fine job, took the coffee table out, started getting chairs. Diana and I were reading the Ward Newsletter and all of a sudden CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I could put enough exclamation points. I look over and see Chloe inside the coffee table - I did say it was glass top, right?

I run over to Chloe, Diana asks if she is OK, I can tell she is fine, maybe a small scratch where she broke through. I toss her out and start surveying the scene:

Glass is broken into hundreds of pieces
Table is scratched on the top and the bottom
I am pissed

I try not to yell, I think I do a pretty good job: I go outside for a minute to calm down. I do go in and give her some choice words, basically asking her 1) what was she thinking climbing on the glass with a chair; and 2) what was she thinking as she crashed through the glass. She just sobs. Now remember, she is not hurt physically, she is just mad/sad that it happened.

I get a box to pick up all the glass. My parents arrive and start babying her once the hear the story. I get things picked up and vacuumed, my Dad measures the opening so he can check with some people on the glass.

I now spend the rest of the night making "funny" (to me) comments. Diana is not happy and Chloe is not talking to me.

Now, the question I have is: did I do anything wrong? I was mad, but controlled, I left the house when things were too bad. I didn't kill her. I think I did good. What are your thought and comments?
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And Trick or Treating

The night finally arrives. Jordan is in his mad scientist costume. Chloe is in her Athena costume (to answer the door). I on my way to ChikFilA for dinner when I get a call on the cell phone. Jordan wants to go trick or treating with friends. Now, trick or treating is a family activity and I have turned the kids down many times on going with friends and no adults-we have gone with friends, but always with adults.

I had already spent 3 and a half hours walking the hike with Jordan and my feet hurt. I took the opportunity to stay home and hang out. It has been years since I stayed home on Halloween (one year I was in Germany).

I got back home, took Jordan to his friends and Chloe, Diana, and I all hung out listening to music and YouTube videos (mine were mostly met with Boo's or apathy). It was a good night and my feet didn't hurt by the end.

Jordan loved going with friends and he knows this is a one time thing as next year he will be having a party and no treating.

You know, a good Dad would probably have taken some picture or something. Sorry.
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A Hike

Jordan is an 11-year old scout. He is tryung to get to his Second Class Boy Scout badge. He has some swimming still to do (the boy sinks like an anchor- the swimming could be a problem) and a five mile hike and map orienteering. Jordan's troop was doing the 5 mile hike on Halloween (nothing like tiring out the kids before trick or treating). I decided to go on the hike with Jordan.

We looked at the map and set up our five mile path. Up 6400 West to 5400 South, over to 6000 West and then down throught the golf course. From there we cut through the neighborhood to get back to the starting point.

It was a good five miles and Jordan did pretty good. We stopped to rest a bunch of times but we made it through strong.

Once we got back to the house we hurried home for trick or treating! I thought Jordan would be too tired. I was wrong.
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A Party

At my house, kids do not trick or treat after the sixth grade. Chloe just started seventh grade. That must mean this rule now applies to her. Diana and I decided that becuase she cannot go out trick or treating, she should be able to have a Halloween party. Chloe happily accepted the terms of the deal and invited 16 friends.

About 12 kids total atteded the party last Friday. It was wild. We did "Witches Brew" which is where you get a list of food items to be blended and drunk by each person (everyone gets a custom made witches brew). We had food items like strawberries, blueberries, ice cream, pickles, string cheese and broccoli. Everyone got a prett wild drink - no I did not partake (I wasn't invited, I was making sure no one blended their fingers off).
After the witches brew we did "Donuts on a String" where you have a group of people eating donuts off a string with no hands. First one to completely eat the donuts wins.

At this point we broke out the glow sticks and the kids went outside to play tag in the dark. They really enjoyed this.

Lastly, the kids went downstairs and played "Mafia", don't ask me what it is, they tried to explain it and I have no idea.

Once we got all the kids out (some parents don't know what 10pm is I guess). Chloe then started the long taks of cleaning the house. She did an ok job that night and finished up the next morning.

I was asleep for all the cleaning - it wasn't my party.
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