Work Time Killers

One of the best parts of my job is that watching TV and playing on the Internet counts as work. I think we spend as much time on You Tube as CNN. Mostly we just like to look for other reporters screwing up or getting hurt. These videos or a live California car chase on Fox can bring the whole newsroom to a standstill. These are some of the best ones we have found.

***Warning-some of the language is not suitable for work or around small children with good ears.

New Crayons

I'm sure you've seen this kids craft before. Grace has always brought home these cool little melted crayons projects from parties and such. I've always wanted to try it because it seems so easy and this little muffin tin I found at Mardens this weekend reminded me to try it. You can try it in other shaped trays as well. A good cleaning and I'll actually be able to use the tin again for muffins as well.

First I had to convince them to part with a few of the 3000 crayons we have. That part took much longer than needed. Then you have to peel off the paper-expect the kids to wander off during this part of it.

Then I sprayed the pan even though it's non-stick. Break up the crayons and divide them evenly among the tins about halfway up.
Put in into a 200 degree oven for about 10 minutes-keep an eye on them. It won't smell as bad as you think. Take them out carefully because they swish around a lot in the tray.

Let the tray sit for about an hour and then pop them out as soon as they look dry. Then let the kids fight it over who gets the prettiest ones.

Then hopefully they will use them to make you a picture like this to put on the refrigerator.

The Latest Products

Mostly in the mood for just pictures tonight so I thought I would show what I have been making lately. No ones banging at the door begging to see my great works of art but they keep me busy. Its also these kinds of posts that make me realize that our digital camera is not very good for what we use it for. I want my own but can't justify it yet. I want a pink or red one that takes good close-ups. That's such a female way of picking a camera.

Took the kids to the paint your own pottery place. Grace painted a yellow dog with runny eyes and Declan did a very minimal interpretation of a gecko (he painted for 2 minutes and then went off to play with their toys). I made this little vase. I know its not very original but painting intimidates me.
I played around with the sewing machine and managed to make these 2 little balsam filled pillows as practice. The machine does most of the work for you so its very easy. I just get thrown by the fact that math is involved in figuring out how to make something. Anyone who knows me knows that my brain shuts off when numbers are involved. Grace now want a Little House sleeping hat so we went off to the fabric store today. It won't be very historically accurate because it will have Care Bears all over it. I also want to make a roll up crayon pouch that I found directions for. I'll let you know how they turn out. I bought extra fabric for the mistakes.
I had all these flat heart shaped beads so I made this bracelet tonight. I always end up making them a little too big because I have freakishly thin wrists.
These are the earrings I made from the same beads. They would look more polished if I wrapped the wires at the top but I don't have the coordination to do it.
Here's Grace's 8th birthday cake. At first she wanted a Spongebob cake and I had no idea how to do that so I just casually showed her this one off the back of a cake mix and she changed her mind. Its just a 1 layer cake with cupcakes stacked on top and dotted all over with Kissables. Grace was happy with it.
I dragged out the bread machine today and make this loaf of honey wheat. I hardly ever use the machine but every time I do I try to remind myself to use it more. Declan helped with the ingredients and kept track of its progress through its window for the 3 hours it cooked.
And I am still plugging along on my winter blanket. I realized the I needed more squares than the pattern called for because I want a blanket that is actually useful and covers you. I need to make 3 more white ones and then I'll start on the blue ones.

Public School Education

This week Grace told us the favorite game at the 2nd grade lunch table was something called Underage Drinking. She said she couldn't remember who started it but they all pretend to drink as much as possible as fast as possible. We asked her if she knew what underage drinking was and thankfully, she had no idea. I didn't ask her what it was they pretended to drink but I'm not worried unless I start finding empty bottles under her bed. I know I'm supposed to be horrified by this but really I just couldn't stop laughing. I swear I am going to buy a notebook and start writing down all these crazy and strange things they say to us everyday so I don't forget them.

Etsy Addiction

I have a new addiction to share and I'm hoping to start selling my own things on it if I could just get going and do it. Anything to raise winter heating oil money! Anyway, it's www.etsy.com and its as fun as Ebay. I bought this tonight and I feel guilty about it but I have been staring at it for over a week. I have a weakness for handbags-I think it makes up for the fact that I can never find pants or shoes when I go shopping. You can buy bags and not have to face the horrors of a dressing room. Once I just got a quick glimpse of a Kate Spade bag that a woman in front of me in line at Wal-Mart had and I scoured Ebay until I found one for myself. On a side note, my Wal-Mart is in Falmouth which, if you know Maine, explains why people who shop there can afford Kate Spade bags. I actually just bought a new purse a few weeks ago but it doesn't have a zipper closure and I don't like having the contents of my purse on display. This purse seems really big and I actually don't carry that much around with me but I like that a book fits inside it. I'll let you know if I actually post anything for sale.

ABC's Of Me

Well I was tagged for this list in my friend Heathers blog so here goes.
A. Attached or single? Attached.

B. Best friend? Tim, Grace, Declan.

C. Cake or pie? They are very good together on one plate.

D. Day of choice? Saturday.

E. Essential item? Blistik in my pocket at all times since the 8th grade. I can open it one handed.

F. Favorite color? Red.

G. Gummy bears or worms? Gummy Bears-why did the font change? How do I fix it? Why did I never take a computer class?

H. Home town? Born in NJ, raised in mid-coast Maine, now living in Portland-pick one.

I. Favorite indulgence? The candy aisle.

J. January or July? January but can handle July with the air conditioner.

K. Kids? Grace & Declan born to me-another one that I married.

L. Life isn’t complete without? David Letterman.

M. Marriage date? June 28, 1997.

N. Number of brothers and sisters? 3 much older brothers and 1 sister although it sometimes seems I'm catching up to them in age.

O. Oranges or Apples? Apples.

P. Phobias? Flying-I don't trust the people that build them-what if they slack off at work as much as I do?

Q. Quotes? It was hard enough coming up for one for my senior yearbook that I don't even want to have to think about it again.

R. Reasons to smile? Vacation-again with the font change! Also any books that Grace or Declan write.

S. Season of choice? Fall or Spring-I like sweater wearing seasons.

T. Tag 5 people: I don't know 5 bloggers to tag. I would if I could. I know Becky so I'll tag her.

U. Unknown fact about me? If I didn't control myself I would be covered with tattoos. I only have the one from college but its very addictive. I don't want to be the trashy mom though. Or eventually the trashy tattooed old lady at the nursing home.

V. Vegetable? Lately avocados but usually raw cauliflower.

W. Worst habit? Many I can admit to and some I can't but sitting on the couch too much is one of them.

X. Xray or ultrasound? Ultrasound.

Y. Your favorite food? Anything someone else cooked.

Z. Zodiac sign? Pisces.

Brushes With Greatness Part 3

I'm feeling a little low on creativity so I thought I would share my last brush with greatness story. Its pretty short but so I am. We used to have guests come on our noon newscasts for interviews. We don't anymore because that would take time away from all the death and destruction but that is another post. So anyway, someone noticed that a real Hollywood film was making its national debut at The Movies on Exchange Street here in Portland. Obviously it was not a big budget blockbuster. I honestly can't even remember the name of it because nobody ever saw it but I'm sure it was good. Anyway, it was premiering here because its director/star had Portland ties. Did you ever watch Wings or Stark Raving Mad? Ok-neither did I but you probably have seen Monk or if you have kids then you have heard his voice as Luigi in Cars. It was Tony Shalhoub and he is a University of Southern Maine alumni and he also used to do theater in Portland. His people called our people and he was booked on our noon on the day of the premiere. He shows up a little before noon and of course I volunteered to go up and meet him even though I usually loathe doing that because I am not the secretary. He came in alone and was very nice and I shook his hand and then felt weird about it because Monk would never do that. If you watch the show then you will understand. I started to take him into the studio but he wanted to know if we had a makeup person so he could get powdered down. Now this is Maine so we don't have that which I let him know. That seemed to unsettle him a bit but he understood so he sat down and got ready for the interview. I didn't get to see him after that but he was great and very low key. So that's it for all my brushes with greatness stories unless you count the various politicians who come through the newsroom and I don't.

7/12/2000

I am trapped in my kitchen until 5 very awake girls fall asleep. The sleepover is in full swing in my living room and its been going very well but no one but me is tired yet. They keep going led by my daughter Grace-who by the way somehow turned 8 years old today. Today marks 8 years of little sleep, opposite work schedules, diapers, bottles, Care Bears, blankies, potty, binkies, PBS kids, car seats, minivans, preschool, refrigerator artwork, college funds, Halloween costumes, visits from Santa, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, nightlights, Curious George, Bob the Builder, drinks of water only from the bathroom sink, dollhouses, plastic soldiers, Webkinz, school buses, parent-teacher conferences, birthday parties, chocolate chip muffins, Lego's, time outs, Happy Meal toys, Wheel of Fortune obsessions, paint projects, growing apple trees from seeds, going to G rated movies, kids traveling free or half price, going to the pet store to visit the fish, always going to visit the lobsters in the supermarket, spelling tests, Crocs, becoming a big sister, fighting with her brother, playing with her brother..... I could obviously go on so I'll just leave you with these pictures. Here she was 8 years ago tonight and here she is now. I think she has been worth it-after all she did arrive after only 5 hours of labor so I can't hold that against her. Although she has been dawdling ever since.

Embarrassing Shows I Watch

A few months back I made a list of TV shows that people should be watching. Seeing some of the things I have recorded gave me the idea of coming clean about the embarrassing shows I watch. I know they are really bad but you can't make me ashamed. After all, my cable bill is a tax deduction as a work expense. I'm just putting it to use.



This is You Are What You Eat from BBC America. It's my new obsession. This woman goes into peoples homes and puts them on an 8 week detox diet. She actually looks at their stool samples as part of her plan. Thankfully, they blur the screen for those bits. The show makes me feel guilty for what I eat but also a little hungry. It's why I had to stop watching The Biggest Loser-that show just made me want to eat.

This is The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. I think everyone has seen this at some point. He makes godawful paintings like the ones sold at an art show at a Howard Johnson's but I can't stop watching him. He is hypnotic-the sort of creepy thing is that he has been dead for about 10 years but he still on all the time.

This is Tori and Dean. It's about the most awful thing I watch. It's Tori Spelling from 90210 and her 2nd husband as they do strange things to make money. I can't write much about it because nothing really ever happens on it.

This is Degrassi:The Next Generation. I realize I am a little old to be watching a show about high school angst but I go way back to the original Degrassi from the 80's and I feel obligated to watch.

This is Swingtown. I don't know how a show can be so awful and so good at the same time. It really needs to be on cable because CBS can't really handle the swinging part of it. I just like how well they have captured the 1970's. I also like that the most uptight woman on the show was also in Hedwig and The Angry Inch.

This is General Hospital. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I have been watching this show since about 1979. This clip features Spinelli who I love. He is the strangest character this show has ever had and that saying something for a show that has had space aliens and Richard Simmons on it.

Girls Day Out

Well, I made the jam and it actually worked. I fed it to Declan and he's still alive so it must be okay. I seem to be going through quite a Laura Ingalls Wilder phase. I made jam, I'm knitting a blanket and I'm seriously considering making an apron once I figure out the sewing machine. I mean, who makes or wears aprons anymore? It's not like you can buy one at the mall. I got the idea for an apron when I was making the bright red splattery jam while wearing a white t-shirt.
So anyway, Grace and I had a girls day out today. We went to the party store to get stuff for her birthday party and then we went to the movies. We saw Kit Kittredge:An American Girl and I expected to sit back for a 90 minute nap during it but I think I liked it more than Grace. My parents were small children during the Depression so it was interesting to watch. Kit was wearing the cutest little knit hat in the beginning of the movie. I want to make it for Grace but have no idea how to make a hat. Knitting instructions are impossible to decipher. They remind me a lot of algebra tests. Now we are just getting ready for the sleepover birthday party on Saturday night. I'm not stressing out about it because I refuse to be one of those parents that rent a circus for the backyard when its someones birthday. Grace is just going to have her friends over, eat junk and watch movies. It's not going to be much different than the sleepovers I had so I'm expecting payback for what I put my parents through. One year I think I had something like 10 girls sleeping over and some of us were running around the neighborhood in the middle of the night. If it gets to be midnight and they are still awake then I'll just slip some Benadryl in their drinks to put them to sleep.

Berry Picking

One thing on my vacation to do list was going strawberry picking. I picked one of the most humid days to do it but luckily the farm is right on the ocean so that made things cooler. I didn't realize how quickly you fill up a tray or how expensive it is. I bought jam making supplies also and I'm going to make my first attempt at it tomorrow. Hopefully I won't give everyone botulism.
Grace just wanted to wander around and make sure she got only the biggest ones. She says all the ones she picked are for Daddy and I'm not to touch them. Declan only wanted to help me fill my tray and so it took awhile to fill his. Done after only 20 minutes.
The fruits of our labor. I hope I don't ruin them. The ride home goes right past Portland Head Light so I had to stop in. By this time the kids were not in the mood for it but I dragged them around anyway.




They won't appreciate it until they grow up. Declan did think this lobster boat hauling traps was "awesome" He told me he was going to be a lobster boat driver when he grows up.

The 4th In Rangeley

Again, mostly a pictures post. I am tired, slightly sunburned and ate too many smores. We got back this afternoon from our annual trip to the Rangeley fireworks. They are the only fireworks I really have ever gone to or remember. Went to Portland's once and hated it-lived in Topsham for most of my childhood and not even sure where they do the fireworks there or if they even have them? So now we just do Rangeley. Some complain about the crowds and traffic it causes in town but this is Maine and crowds and traffic don't really exist here like they do in the outside world. I am rambling off on a tangent now which is just proving how tired I am. Here, in short, are our last few days.

Here's the camp-now known as my parents home. If my mother is reading this, please don't ever sell it.


Declan and Grace were determined to catch fish but all they accomplished was drowning some worms but they loved it . Grace thought she would have better luck fishing from the canoe . The float plane landed next to us while we were out on the boat-I thought Declan would explode with joy. I tried to take a new batch of lupine field pictures like I did last July but I think the novelty of being lost in a field of flowers has worn off.
Did manage to get a few good ones though.

Patiently waiting for the fireworks in the town park. Got there a little too early and had to go off to the store to keep the kids busy while we waited for dark. Candy was obviously one of the things we got at the store to keep the kids busy. Our usual stop at Smalls Falls on the way home. No one felt like hiking up to the top so we just looked from the bridge. Plus there was a d-o-g there so Declan freaked out.


I'm not sure Grace took off her blankie the whole time we were up there.

So Much Easier

Whoever invented these huge knitting needles is a freaking genius! I know this just looks like a big misshapen potholder but its actually the first square in my blanket project. I started it tonight after the kids went to bed and finished it in a few hours. I started this thinking it would be another scarf and really, I just wanted to try the big needles out. After a few rows I had made more progress than I had in 3 days of knitting my original blue square for the blanket on smaller needles. So I have abandoned my original blue yarns and I have to get more of this cream yarn and some other complementary color and if I keep it up I could have my blanket by the end of the month. Of course I have no need for a wool afghan in July but that is besides the point. Maybe I could knit 3 more of them by winter since we apparently won't be using the heat this year unless we win Powerball.