Week(end) in Review

Our family Christmas fun mostly started on Thursday. We had a home visit in the afternoon (tribal social worker and someone from the courts. Christopher hid in the dog kennel.) so I worked in the morning and took the rest of the day off. Once the visit was done, we went to the mall for the annual picture with Santa:

Such serious faces!

Mykela has had her picture taken with this particular Santa every Christmas for the past 17 years! I like this Santa, because we used to do theatre together, and he remembers me as Miss Charity from a melodrama we were in. Miss Charity is far better behaved than Miss Ami, and therefore more deserving of presents, so I am quite fine with Santa calling me that.

On to Golden Corral for dinner. We don't eat out much, so this was a treat. My only request was that it be somewhere I could hear everyone at the table talk, and with all the varying tastes, a buffet seemed like a logical choice. Plus, children 3 and under eat free. They may be changing that policy soon. S. had steak, scallops, mac and cheese, several kinds of vegetables, rolls, chicken, shrimp, brownies, fudge, ice cream, and a bunch of other things I have forgotten. We were all stuffed, but she kept shouting, "I need more chocolate!"

We dragged her out, and drove around looking at Christmas lights. We stopped at cousin Bryan and Taryn's, but discovered Taryn was out of town. Oh, and Brian killed Santa (windy nights are bad for Christmas decorations.) S. kept saying, "I have Taryn at my house," but we looked when we got home and didn't find her. S. was the only one who stayed awake all the way home, yelling "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" most of the way. Did I mention the chocolate?

Friday I needed to be at work early - so, of course, the washer overflowed. Got that sopped up and one load going, then bundled everyone into the Toyota - according to the scanner, the roads were pretty bad, with even a snowplow getting stuck somewhere, so my 2-wheel-drive van didn't seem like a good option. Our roads were mostly just...weird. Little bit of drifting going on. One lane would be bare pavement, while they lane next to it had four feet of snow.

So, I was a bit late, but made it to work in time for the staff party staff meeting with refreshments and gift exchange. There is always WAY too much good food (Senta: your grandmother may make blueberry muffins for us any time she chooses), but we did our best to put a dent in it. The gift exchange was good for some laughs - a non-cook gets the cupcake making kit ("It's a....spatula? Spatula! And a....whisk?"), etc. I pulled the last number, so I didn't have to agonize over choosing, and ended up with something I really liked (brownie makings in a jar, soup mix and cool soup bowls, and white chocolate, which is my absolute favorite). Then we staggered to our desks to set up for the patrons. It was pretty quiet all day, but steady. So was the snow.

Rashal, our reference librarian, got a great Christmas present towards the end of the day - she is now our new cataloguer/systems admin person, which leaves us with TWO reference positions open. As soon as they are officially posted, I will share the information, but please let anyone who may be interested know. An MLS will probably be recommended but not required (nobody else on staff has one), what we really need is someone with library experience.

Saturday we woke up to...more snow! Daddy still had some running around to do, but Mom and the kids stayed home and baked. Mom wanted to put goodie baskets together, but for some reason, there weren't any Buckeyes to be found. Hmm. That's okay, they are pretty easy to make. For those who asked earlier, you just need to mix:

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup softened butter
1 tsp vanilla

Then blend in 6 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time. It should get dry and stiff towards the end. Shape into 1-inch balls (try to resist making them bigger, they are super-sweet!) and place on cookie sheets lined with waxed or parchment paper. Poke a toothpick into each ball and place in the freezer for an hour or more (overnight is fine).

You will need to get a wooden spoon at this point. I will tell you why in a minute.

Melt a package or so of chocolate chips in a small bowl (I use a measuring cup). Start with a minute and stir, then 20 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until everything is melted. As it cools, you may need to pop it in for another 20 seconds.

Dip the balls in the chocolate partway, then put back on the cookie sheet. This is where the spoon comes in handy...

Some of the balls may fall off the toothpick. Which isn't necessarily bad. You can hold the spoon underneath to catch them, or use it to fish them out afterward.

You will also need the spoon to whap your husband every time you find a lone toothpick sitting next to an oily spot where an undunked peanut butter ball once was.

Anyways, if they all start falling off, put them back in the freezer for a bit, then continue. Take the time to rinse off your spoon and threaten your thieving husband some more.

If you want to be fancy, like my friend Althea, you can drizzle chocolate over the top to hide the hole. I'm lazy. Unlike Althea, who has 87 gorgeous small children at home, and still finds time to bring beautiful baskets of goodies to the librarian. There were other things besides Buckeyes in the basket, but everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to these. This was the only one left to take a picture of, an hour after I got home.

Problem: what to do with the leftover melted chocolate? (As if extra chocolate is ever a problem). First we played a bit:

Cocolate ribbon is very yummy, fyi.

I started thinking it was shame I didn't have any chocolate molds, then remembered the mini muffin pans I never use because I hate cleaning them. M. helped me quick-scrounge some other leftovers, marshmallows and sprinkles, and voila:

Rocky Road candies. I meant to do that all along.

Next we made these Caramel Apple Cider Cookies from The Girl Who Ate Everything. I had never made them before, but they were pretty easy, and the kids had fun putting the caramels in the middle. A few minutes in the oven, and...

...holy decadence, Batman! I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that Christmas is all about sharing. And I love my family. And I can always make more. Tomorrow.

The afternoon was a flurry of last-minute wrapping, people sequestering themselves in various rooms with strict instructions for no one to follow them. Then baths and dressing up for a candlelight service at my mil's church and dinner at her house.

Sleepy kids - but they know when Mommy is pointing the camera at them!

I started to feel a little cruddy at that point, and after watching everyone else in the family get sick over the last week or so, I had an idea of what was coming. I managed to hold it back through Daddy's reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas, bedtime, and getting the presents out and ready...and then I collapsed into bed. Only to get back up again. Frequently.

Fortunately, Santa didn't seem to mind my being out of bed half the night:

We really do try not to go overboard at Christmas, but with four kids,and with grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. buying for them too...yeesh! There was once a tree back there, I promise.

I was able to drag nyself to the sofa and watch the proceedings, for which I am very grateful. Some pics from the morning:

What do you mean, some fat guy was in our house?

More ducks!

The first gift M. opened was a new skinning knife, which put her in charge of opening all packages and removing all tags. yes, we planned it that way.

Duct tape!

It took FOUR HOURS to unwrap everything, mostly because we had breakfast after stockings were opened (well, most of us did), and because we like to stop and play with things along the way. Things came to a screeching halt while C. looked over his Star Wars book...

...and S. played with her talking tea set...

...while M. prepared for the upcoming apocalypse.

L. wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he did like this softly singing glow worm. Mommy liked that it was quiet.

Mommy got a stocking full of her favorite candy, and a cooking set she has really wanted:

Yes, guys, it is perfectly acceptable to buy the woman kitchen things, if that is what she has asked for. In fact, knowing how I go ballistic when people use metal utensils on my good cookware, daddy also got be nice bamboo spoons, rubber tongs, etc. M. got me a big set of heat-resistant spatulas. They done good. Someday, I hope to be well enough to enjoy it all.

Daddy got kitchen stuff, too. I really REALLY wanted to get him a cider press, because every fall he mentions how much he wishes he had one. I had half the mountain looking for one in my price range, and everyone had one they just sold a week or so ago. Then I saw this post from The Pioneer Woman, and after another flurry of conferences with my mountain friends, decided a juicer would work just fine. I also got a selection of different types of apples for him to experiment on, which smelled really good, and posed some challenges in hiding. I finally just put them in the pantry and told him to stay out.

M. got a cotton candy machine that works with hard candies, and it was immediately put to use.

Her best, gift, though, came in pieces, numbered in the order she had to open them. This was the first one:

and she figured out what it was! We told her she was wrong just to bug her, but by the end it was pretty obvious. For those who need to see more pieces:

Now she has to put it all together:)

Then Grandma came over: more presents!

Wrapped in a ball of crepe paper. S. was most confused.

She also brought food, which Mommy was actually able to eat a few bites of - before crashing into bed again.

You know, dreams when you are sick are all the more bizarre and vivid. For example, I was waiting for C. at the school bus stop in front of Lowe's in Alamogordo (which of course is where the High Rolls kids get off), and it was July (which is, of course, when they go to school), and I decided I wanted a slushee. So I turned to the slushee stand (which does exist, but which is not, to my memory, two stories tall), and called up my order - a 60 oz. apple butter (?!) flavored slushee - to Andrew Mancuso. Unfortunately, Andrew was so freaked out at one of his former teachers ordering a slushee, he disappeared into the inner workings of the booth, and never came back. C.'s bus came in early, and he wanted a slushee too, but we never saw Andrew again. I woke up REALLY wanting a slushee. And rather annoyed with Andrew Mancuso.

So, that was Christmas. A good time had by all, for the most part - it could have been worse, at any rate! I am on the mend, just moving slowly, and trying to figure out just where Santa thought we would PUT all this stuff before we have C.'s entire school over to play Tuesday - which should make for another good blog post all by itself...

Week in Review

I know, I know, I didn't do one last week - it just flew by so fast, I didn't have time to 'review' anything - and now, if you asked me what happened, I would just have to stand here with a puzzled look on my face!

This week hasn't been any quieter, but I can remember a few blurbs:

SUNDAY: S. and L. were pretty demanding of my attention last night. I felt badly for C., who was very good, but didn't get much Mommy time. I had resolved to spend some time with just him this afternoon, but didn't have a definite plan. As we were crossing the parking lot after church, a gentleman I don't know pulled up and asked C's name. I told him and he said, "Merry Christmas, C.!" and handed him a brand new Mater (from Cars) Lego kit! How perfect, and completely unexpected! We had fun putting the first half together while the little ones napped, and will finish it up over the break.

While Daddy and M. were out in the evening, the littles and I watched the second "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie. S. of course ignores every movie until there is music (which is fine by me). When the credits rolled, that was the signal for everyone to start getting ready for bed, but somehow we ended up dancing to all the songs instead. Usually C. will do a few spins, get embarrassed, and stop, but this time we were all spinning and jumping around the room like idiots. Even L. was bouncing along and grinning in his rainforest jumper. You just can't beat moments like that...although I am getting a little old to keep that up for very long!

MONDAY: So, how long have we been doing foster care with the BIA? Since before C. was born, right? Today we get a letter from them (wow, actual print communication?) saying that they are suspending our foster care payments, because they have NO RECORD OF US. Wha??? Called the supervisor, and while there is a file for C., there is no file on us. Anywhere. I have no words. How can...how...just...gah!!!

See, no words.

TUESDAY:
This is Norman:



I named him Norman when Daddy started drooling over him. You can't eat something you have named. Norman comes into the yard every morning to graze. Most of the dogs ignore him, but Kota has to bark, because Kota is a lab and has not yet grown a brain. Lab brains are like wisdom teeth; you don't get them until you are older, and some don't get them at all. Kota barks, Daddy chases Norman off, Norman trots a few yards away, Daddy goes inside, Norman comes right back. Repeat. As annoying as the barking dog can be, I absolutely love that I live where this can happen on a regular basis.

WEDNESDAY: Norman!!! Did I just say I loved this? Actually, I'm surprised it took this long for the larger critters to discover the mulch pit.

The chipmunks discovered it long ago, but no chipmunk did that...or left those footprints!

Spent all day at work setting up for the Scholastic Book Fair, which starts Monday. Pulled about $1600 in books we want for the library, so I sure hope sales go well! We closed at 5PM, and everyone pretty much ran home to start cooking and cleaning. The plan was, Daddy would get one turkey started in the smoker and occupy the kids, while M. and I made a bajillion side dishes.

And then the pager went off.

So, M. tried to keep little ones from helping, while I cooked and Daddy dealt with cars stuck on ice. S. managed to escape M. and sample just about everything multiple times, but it all got done by the time Daddy made it home. I LOVE to cook, so this is my kind of holiday! I tried a couple newish recipes - nothing bizarre, just not the way I've made things before. The Asparagus Casserole from Mennonite Girls Can Cook was good, but I'd skip the cheese next time - or maybe use Parmesan. Daddy liked it with the cheddar, though, so it's all good :)

I made The Pioneer Woman's Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples, and her Soul Sweet 'Taters. I doubled the latter recipe, and they turned out pretty sweet - I think if I do that again, I won't double the sugar. S. sure liked them, though, much to Daddy's disappointment (he says squash is what you do to bugs.)

THURSDAY: Too. Much. Food. I wanted to try everything, but couldn't quite manage. Both turkeys (one in the roaster, one in the smoker) turned out great. I thought the one in the smoker might be dry, but both were scrumptiously juicy. In fact, despite having two whole turkeys, there was hardly any left over!

There were pies left, but only because everyone was so stuffed. I was especially looking forward to my neice's chocolate pecan pie, but I wanted to wait until I had enough room to really enjoy it...which wasn't until about 7PM! And boy, was it worth the wait! S., on the other hand, had at least three of what we are dubbing "M.'s Mistake Brownies". M. made these Wednesday while I was at work, and according to her, was too tired to pay attention to the recipe...so she ended up with something entirely different, but probably better. Here's her version:

Ingredients:
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. sweet butter
5 eggs
1 T vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 T powdered Maxwell House Cafe Francais
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups flour

Prepare your pan (we lined with foil) and preheat the oven to 425. Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Set aside. Lick spoon thoroughly (then wash it, if someone is looking.)

Mix eggs, vanilla, almond extract, salt, coffee, and sugar. Add chocolate and beat only until mixed. Add flour and do same. Pour into pan and smooth top.

Bake for 35 minutes and then STOP. If you insert a knife, it WILL come out with stuff on it, but it's still done, trust us. Let stand at room temp until completely cool, then you can take it out and cut it. If the edges are dry, you can trim them off, or just save those pieces to top with ice cream.

Finished product (or what is left of it, anyway - this was a large pan...):

As you can see, nice and soft in the middle, but not undercooked.

Of course, as good as the food is, Thanksgiving is more about the people you get to spend the day with. In addition to family members we don't get to see often enough, we were joined by our friend Priscilla, a retired teacher. I watched her play a dice game with C., and was reminded once again of what an awesome teacher she is. The game was quite obviously teaching him addition, but if I tried to do it, it would have an air of "this is an educational game". Somehow she makes everything seem like just pure fun, and he had a blast! I wish everyone could have stayed longer, but there were long drives under turkey-induced comas ahead.

FRIDAY: No, we did NOT go shopping! After an overtired, early bedtime, the kids all woke up rested and wound and ready to go. Daddy and M. left, suggesting a barricade myself in the corner with C.'s light saber. Not a bad idea. Actually, C. and S. spent most of the morning playing with the folding chairs we had borrowed from Grandma. They made a fort:



a tunnel



and a superhero headquarters

Batman and Superturd!

And yes, that is the same shirt she was wearing yesterday. Nobody cares.

I made sweet potato rolls with some of the leftover sweet poatoes, and twice baked potatoes with the leftover mashed potatoes. Now I have leftover rolls and twice-baked potatoes.

SATURDAY: Quiet day at home. Worked on a present for Daddy while he was out (hah!) and tried to teach C. that he is not supposed to volunteer information about his person while playing "Guess Who?" Planning to finish out the evening with one of the most quotable movies of all time...so, until next week, be careful, or...YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!

Week in Review

SUNDAY: We skipped church due to runny noses and cranky children. Of course, that meant the carpet layer had to deal with runny noses and cranky children - I tried to keep them in their rooms or in the kitchen, but you know how that goes! She managed to work around them, though, and here is the end result:

The whole room looks bigger to us, even with all the furniture moved back in. It feels very homey, and very, very CLEAN. I can lay the baby on the floor without feeling like I need to disinfect him afterward.

Just as importantly, it is not PINK. We have four kids and five dogs, and we live in the country. Pink is bad. Even if any of us liked pink, which we don't, pink would be bad. Pink that was put in many, many years ago, when the house was built, is especially bad. See the sofa? It has been in that spot since we moved in. When I ripped up the old, PINK carpet there, I found stain over top of stain on the bottom part. No wonder I could never get the top clean! This, as you can see, is a nice, chocolatey brown. And covering anything in chocolate can only make it better, don't you think?

We decided to do some rearranging, and will be looking to sell the Russian tortoise in the first picture, as well as the entertainment center underneath, so we can put in some book shelves. The left side of this is a book case, as you can see, but the other half is really just wasted space. Tune in to hollomanyardsales.com if you're interested.

MONDAY: Try explaining Daylight Savings Time to a five-year-old. C. chastised me for being 'late' picking him up. I don't think I was able to convince him that I was actually a little bit earlier than usual, it just happens to be dark now at that time. At 7:30 I had him start getting ready for bed - five minutes later, I turned around and found him fast asleep on the sofa.

Five-year-olds who are in the 97th percentile for height can be very heavy. Just so you know.

TUESDAY: The bottom drawers all over the house are generally things S. is allowed to play with. This morning, however, she got into the middle drawer in the bathroom. I told her to put everything back, but she had found a stick of deodorant in it. She knows that I keep a stockpile of things like that under the sink, and she insisted on putting this one carefully with the others, scolding me the whole while, "It GOES over HERE! Silly Mommy!"

I have been told. Note to self: Teach S. where everything in the house goes.

***

Cuteness: little blonde child very seriously handing Daddy screws one at a time, while he puts the carpet trim down.

WEDNESDAY: A couple weeks ago, some idiot was selling quarter-sized red-eared sliders on the side of the road (totally illegal). I called DPS, not having any contact info for the USDA on me, and the dispatcher acted like I was being ridiculous for thinking there was a problem - of course, I realize a dispatcher knows SO much more about federal law than anyone else in the world, so it was silly of me to insist they send someone out.

Since then we have had several people coming in for books about them, and they are rather dismayed when they find out all the things their little turtle needs. We have a nice setup at the library for our turtles - UVB light, heat lamp, filter, wet and dry side, sandy area to lay eggs if they so choose. Pretty, but a bit pricey - suddenly that $5 pet isn't such a good deal.

Today I dropped by the local pet store for gecko food, and mentioned the turtles. Good news! The sllers were arrested, fined and deported (take THAT, nasty dispatch lady!) Bad news! Guess where many of the turtles are ending up? She showed me a tank just swarming with little bitties that people have asked her to take off their hands. Now, what is she supposed to do with them? She can't sell them either!

Long story short, we are going to trade her the three big sliders at the library for an undetermined number of tinies. They can grow up safely here, and she can sell our three, making up for a fraction of what she is spending taking care of the refugees. We are looking forward to watching the little ones - expect my productivity to take a nose dive for a while - but first Doug and I have to make sure the tank is secure. Yes, people steal pets from libraries - it has happened in the past - nice, huh?

THURSDAY: This is my 'late' day to go in, so I try to both spend time with the little ones and get some projects done around the house. Grandma had turned over the old family photo albums to me, minus some pictures my brother wanted. The albums are about as old as I am, and we have both started falling apart, so today S. 'helped' me start putting them in newer albums. It was funny to open the first one and see myself at S.'s age, doing something she does all the time! If I was a good Mommy, I would make a whole new album of both of us, with side by side pictures. Maybe for her second birthday...

Today was also the day of the Thanksgiving lunch at C.'s school. In town, this would be attended by two or three parents from each class, but up here it is a VERY big deal. Tables are covered in tablecloths, everything is decorated, and EVERYBODY's parents come. Both of them. Plus some grandparents. C. has been asking all week if we are coming, and I have been telling him yes, of course. This morning he asked - "Will you sit with me?" I bit back a laugh just in time, and told him yes, we could probably do that, if he would save us seats, please. When he saw me, he body-slammed me in a hug. The kids were all super-wired throughout, but everyone had fun. If there was ever a day when teachers could be excused for showing movies all afternoon, this would be it! Some of the other mommies and I made tentative plans for a get-together between Christmas and New Year, at our house. The kids can run around outside while we gab and share leftovers inside. I have the feeling we will need it!

Two young (middle school) patrons at the library, 'studying'. The young man picked up our book fair flyer and was thrilled to discover the latest in the Lawn Weenies series listed. He tried to work the title into his conversation as much as possible over the next five minutes, annoying the tar out of the young lady. I finally explained to her that it's just one of those things adolescent boys do, and it's easier to just go with it. He mulled over whether he should be insulted or not for about two seconds, then was distracted by "Poop Happened."

SATURDAY: I was supposed to go to a baby shower, but this was my first day at home with the kids without something major going on, so I took advantage of it. I alternated between playing with them and cooking. I LOVE to cook, and usually have a chest freezer full of meals - perfect when I don't get home most days until 6:30PM. As of last week it was empty, though, and tghese darn kids still expect to eat each night. Today I started with the easy stuff, and have four meals of mac and cheese (finally found a recipe I like, on thepioneerwoman.com), four of mac and beef, four of a beef and bacon soup, and a few other odds and ends. Then Daddy and Sheridan made enchiladas, which we had for supper. Yum! The house sure smells good, and the kids won't starve for a few days at least. Just don't ask me what we are going to do when they all hit the teenage years...

Week in Review

Halloween: So, after hearing C. asking me every single day if it was Halloween yet, and if this was the day of the party at the church yet, the day finally arrived. Grandma had the kids fed and dressed in their costumes when I ran up straight from work, picked them all up, and met Daddy and M. at the church.

Where C. promptly threw up.

When Grandma asked if he wanted to just go back to her house, he agreed immediately. Poor guy! But bless Grandma for taking him home, so the other kids could enjoy themselves. L., of course, slept through the entire thing. M. hung out with her friends. S. played several games, won a carrot cake in the cake walk with Daddy, and scarfed down approximately 12 pounds of BBQ.

Picking her teeth with her knife. That's my little redneck girl.

Library: Slightly not-all-there patron ranting about social services while I continued to scan books and say "Mmm-hmm" occasionally. My phone rings, and he jumps and looks around the room to see where the scary noise is coming from...

Kids:
S. - This child is not old enough to understand the things she understands.

Example 1:
Daddy: "Guess what? I have a picture of a mountain lion!"
Mommy: "Guess what? I have candy!"
M.: "Guess what? I'm seventeen!"
C.: "Guess what? I'm five!"
S.: "Guess what? I'm six!"

So, she not only understood the thread of conversation, she contributed her own, AND one-upped her brother.

Example 2: I have a latch on the cabinet under the kitchen sink that requires you to push the tab in, tug on the strap, and slide it to the side atthe same time. Earlier this week, I watched her trot over, smoothly open the latch, and take the Febreeze out. Cleaning chemicals have now been moved to a wall cabinet.

Example 3: Earlier this week, she said "Mo-Mo-Mommy," which I thought was a funny way to say it. Then she started saying "ho-ho-horsey," and "d-d-duck." C. has been watching "The Talking Words Factory" and Grandma's house, and S. has picked up from there that words have beginning sounds. Not just the words in the video (cat, hat, bat, etc.), but all words! SHE ISN'T EVEN TWO YET!

We are in so much trouble.

She wasn't feeling good this weekend, but still tried to be cheery:

Just a little too rosy-cheeked.

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S. ordered Daddy into a bib, and he will go to grea lengths to make his little girl feel better.

M. - The room reorganization continues - it's all the little things that take forever - but we do finally have a picture of the new bed:

Pretty nifty! And she hasn't fallen out of it yet! We will paint it later - probably black. Daddy is going to build a little shelf at the wall end, for her candy stash and whatever books she is reading at the moment. Another shelf will go above that for CDs and her Ipod. Silverstream, as you can see, enjoys being able to look down on everyone literally, as well as figuratively.

C. - While his week started off with a disappointment, he got to end it with a fun birthday party for one of his classmates. One of the neat things about our little country school is that you can just invite the entire school to your party, and not worry about having too many people. It was the first time I'd been to this particular home, and it's absolutely gorgeous. I'd double the size of this post if I tried to list all the fantastic food and fun games the parents had for the kids. I got a kick out of the kids who had just filled their coffers with candy on Monday, going crazy over a Spongebob pinata. I guess getting to whack the tar out of a cartoon character is always good. Later on, I overheard one little boy offer to trade another boy Spongebob's leg for a Tootsie Roll.

L. - He seems to want to skip sitting up and crawling, and go straight to walking. It's almost impossible to hold him any more, because he just wants to stand! He has the best smile and laugh - and, now that he is three months old, it actually means something (according to M's psychology class. Whatever!)

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So, what do you think of the living room? Okay, that's actually the dining room, but it is currently the home for much of our living room furniture. We are putting in new carpet - a nice dark brown, to replace the original PINK carpet. Yes, pink carpet, with four kids and five dogs, out in the middle of the forest. There will be no "before" pictures here, it was just too icky. Stay tuned for an "after" picture - ran into a snag this afternoon, but tomorrow we'll finish it up and probably rearrange the furniture six times before putting it back exactly the way it was.

Stay tuned also for a description of our family night, along with some recipes. How was your week?

Week in Review

The Weather: It is definitely Fall. Chilly in the morning, heat on in the car. Baking in the afternoon, car switched to AC. This is the time of year when I amass a pile of jackets at work, because I wear them in, but not out.

The leaves are changing, making for a pretty view en route to work:

And the deer and elk are getting back together into herds.

Even baby elk are cute!

Except for these two young ones, who have taken to hanging out on the school playground:

I think they are trying to figure out how to navigate sitting on the swings. Or maybe they are debating who gets to swing and who has to push. I would imagine once they fold themselves onto a swing, it would be hard for them to pump those skinny legs and get themselves going.

Of course, there was the one night it rained really hard...and then there came sleet...followed by snow. Not surprisingly, there was a rollover by 7AM. This is what the road looked like when I headed down at 9AM:

And, two days later, I didn't need a jacket again.

At Work: We are in the process of changing our juvenile fiction around. More on that later. We stopped for a couple days to get ready for our Halloween party (see Friday's post).

Still working out bugs with the new online catalog. They won't let me spray the computers with Raid. I really think that could only help.

Our cataloger/systems admin person has taken a new job, as director of a nearby library. Yeah for Steve! We'll have his old position open soon, so if you have experience in that area, let me know.

Oh, and don't forget, we have a Scholastic Book Fair starting the day after Thanksgiving break! That was a message for me, btw. Because I keep forgetting, and then it pops into my head attached to a "you need to do something about this" feeling, only to be replaced by other things I need to do something about.

Kids: M and I have spent most of the weekend cleaning her room. And by cleaning, I mean we took EVERYTHING out and put it in the living room.

See, all clean!

We took her old, falling-apart bed to the dump, and Daddy built her a very cool new platform bed. We are still in the process of putting everything back, under Mommy's very strict instructions. So far, the tally is:

5 large bags of trash

28 pairs of shoes

265 books (that's my girl!)

124 stray hangers

14 loads of laundry

I can't poke too much fun, because I know Grandma and Grandpa will be all too happy to describe the perpetual state of my room when I was younger.

Tonight, M and Daddy are on a date - her late birthday gift, tickets to a Martina McBride concert. Mommy is having a date night with C., S. and L., watching - sigh - Ghostbusters, and eating hot dogs and beans. We made cookies, too, and have been sampling them quite thoroughly.

Christopher is looking forward to Halloween tomorrow, and driving me absoluteky berserkers - we still don't quite have the whole how-many-days-until perspective down. He is dressing as Darth Vader (as seen in Friday's post). He has been a bit shy this year, and things with masks seem to make him feel more confident. When my brother and his girlfriend came to visit, he hid in his room for a while, then came out in his Ironman outfit. (Uncle Mike scored points by trying the helmet on himself!)

Last night we went to a Halloween party at our friends' house. No mud this time! Once again, C. took off and played hard all night, S. alternately entertained and tried to scare Daddy with her fearlessness, L. slept, and M., Daddy and I got to socialize with real, actual grown-ups! Favorite quote from the evening: "Does anybody know what street I live on?" (And no, the speaker was not intoxicated at the time. Hey, when you have a PO box for mail, it's like trying to remember your own phone number!)

I know there was more going on that this, but Halloween and The Great Room Cleaning of 2011 sort of eclipsed the rest of it. My goals for the next week: new carpet in the living room, start updating the photo albums, and get to the "D"s in the juvenile fiction. Tune in again next week, so you can laugh at my progress!