The New Republican PAR-TAAAY!!!!

I saw this and had a flashback to my days at Ricks College (and probably Boise State) where 73% of my friends were just like this. Oh, how times have changed...for me, at least. I'm down to maybe a 34% ultra-conservative buddy quotient. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Oh, and don't forget, they're "SUPER SUPPORTIVE of President Hussein Obama."

Cheers to the average American taxpayer

Because obviously the average American taxpayer's money is what is keeping this country afloat, especially when prominent members of this country's political machine are kissing their careers goodbye over their choices not to belly up to the bar.

That's right. This post is for you Tommy D., Nancy K., and Timmy G.





How the h*** do you guys expect us to believe that you "overlooked" THOUSANDS of dollars in taxes that you owed this country? For things like live-in housekeepers and cars with drivers?? In this country, you are the privileged. Millions of us scrimp and save to pay the taxes that keep our country going. But you? You can't prioritize hiring that accountant to make sure that the right amount of the MILLIONS of dollars you recieve every year is given back to the government that PAYS YOUR SALARIES!!!! I'm sorry, but your public service--the service you signed up for--does not negate your responsibilities as taxpayers.

I'm glad you've decided to withdraw your nominations for prominent offices (except for you, Timmy. How you got the job I'll never know). If you can't be bothered by the basic demands of being a member of this nation, you don't deserve to represent the nation. Period.

Small Miracles

Last week, I took Carter with me to our Young Women's activity where all of us were painting cute picture frames.

First scare--Carter walked up and said, "Mom, I am sticky." And I noticed he had yellow paint on his hand...and therefore all over his dark green shirt. Problem solved by taking him to the bathroom, stripping off his shirt and rinsing it out. Carter was more than happy to run around shirtless for the remainder of the activity, although I'm pretty sure I got bad-parent points for letting him run around shirtless IN THE CHURCH.

Second scare--I had given him half a piece of gum before the activity, and after the painty-shirt episode, he said, "Mom, I lost my gum." I asked everyone very politely NOT TO MOVE!! while Natausha and I looked around on the floor, the table, in his clothes, on his shoes. We didn't find the gum anywhere. Carter finally admitted that he had swallowed it. I think he felt sorry for us.

Because here's where the miracle comes in.

I found the gum today. Where did I find it, you ask? I found it after I pulled a full load of Carter's laundry out of the dryer and one of his socks stuck to the sleeve of my shirt. As I pulled the sock off, I simultaneously noticed the ice-blue gum binding the sock to my sleeve and the minty fresh smell permeating all of the clean clothes. I frantically searched every piece of clothing and to my utter shock and delight, not one other item was slathered with gum!

I now firmly believe there is a good fairy watching over me as I try to keep this house in order. I just wish she would fold the laundry and put it away, too, because the clean laundry piling up around my house is really getting out of hand.

Lindsay, this one's for you.

My friend Lindsay posted this recipe on her blog yesterday, and I swear to you all that I have been daydreaming about these things ever since. So today, on the way home from school, I stopped at the store and bought the stuff to make them. I made them BEFORE dinner (big mistake) which explains the gaps on the cookie sheet. Carter liked them, too.



Line up pretzels on a cookie sheet, then place Rolos on top. Stick them in a 250 degree oven for 2-5 minutes. With broken pieces of pretzel, mush down the Rolo into the gaps in the pretzels and leave the pretzel piece on top. Drizzle with white chocolate (I just melted white chocolate chips) and let harden. DIVINE!!!!

Thanks, Linds!

Other people's children

The following picture illustrates perfectly the reason why I try to avoid Toys R Us. I realize that toy stores can be wonderlands for the little ones. When I was growing up, a trip to Toys R Us was roughly our equivalent to what Baptists refer to as "The Rapture." However, as a parent, anyplace that has chronically dirty floors and/or merchandise, unwashed and unsupervised waifs running about and an entryway that smells like someone's kid just took a leak in the corner is no place I want my child to be any longer than is necessary. And with a Target three minutes away from me and the internet just a click away, Toys R Us--along with Walmart--has become unnecessary.



(For those of you questioning the ickyness of this photo, YES, that's a wad of used chewing gum in the corner.)

Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!

You know, I love books. I freely admit to being a book geek. And I take full responsiblity for my choice to become an English major. But even I--book lover and English major that I am--find this stack of books a wee bit daunting.



For THREE classes?? Seriously??

Perspective.

I have decided that whenever I am having a bad day, I will look at this picture and say to myself, "Self, it could be worse. At least you didn't try to go skiing today like that poor schmuck."