Spaghetti Trick

I just found out about a cool dinner trick you should try at your next party.

Take some regular uncooked spaghetti noodles. Tell your friends to hold each end of the noodle and try to bend it so it breaks into two even pieces. When they fail, tell them to try over and over- following the same rule- must use one hand on either end of the noodle. Then laugh a little bit at their frustration. :)

Math tells me that Spaghetti cannot be bent into two pieces, it will always be three or more. It has something to do with the fragmentation of the noodle, that it will snap at the weak points between the fragments before it snaps in half.

Jake tells me that your diner guests can easily cheat and just choke up on the noodle and snap it in the center- but those are the guests that get the smallest dessert portions.

Dora The Explorer

My kid watches TV. Not a lot of it on normal days, but she's been teething this weekend and got a cold on top of that so yes, Chucky-Sue has been watching a lot of Dora. And Diego and Wonder Pets,along with the whole PBS line up. I'm surprised she isn't singing the alphabet in her sleep yet. ( I know I am...)

And I have some questions for the creators of Dora.

1. What parent doesn't question the fact that their five year old daughter's best friend is a monkey that wears rain boots 24/7? Let's just go with the whole she communicates (bilingually!) with animals and fairy tale characters.

2. What five year old is allowed to go through the Forest of 'Thorns and Prickers, over Crocodile Pond and to Gooey Geyser in order to find the big red chicken? I wasn't allowed to cross the street but Dora and Boots get to battle crocodiles!?

3.Has Dora been checked for near-nearsightedness and Alzheimers? She can't seem to see 5 inches in front of her face and she often forgets things, like where she lives (she's needed Map to get her home in several episodes!)

4. This is more for Diego, but he's only a few years older than Dora but is driving through the rain forest?

Comedian Brian Regan explains the show the best way possible:

Jokes.com
Brian Regan - Dora the Explorer
comedians.comedycentral.com
Brian Regan Videos Brian Regan Jokes Brian Regan Standing Up

Now I'm off to snuggle my poor teething toddler!

April Fools' Day

Once a  year we gather as a people to make our friends look ridiculous.  We balance buckets of ping pong balls on doors, we put rubber bands on the spray hose in the sink, we seran-wrap cars and tinfoil offices. The history has something to do with the change of the calendars way back when, but really- those crazy 15th century dudes were just bored and wanted to pull some pranks.

This year I thought of many joke emails I could have sent to my family, they varied from "We're Pregnant!" (nixed because we decided we don't need more bad pregnancy karma) to "We're moving to Boston for a new job!" (nixed because my mom would have found a way to smack me via the internet) and the stories just got sillier from there; and even more unbelievable.

The Internet is always a good place for pranks, Gmail did not let me down this year, they promised new technology that would allow me to read and reply to emails with just my webcam and funky body motions, neither did Thinkgeek.com with their Star Wars lightsaber popsicles.(which I am hoping become a real product soon.)

So, Dear Readers, did you get pranked today? Or were you the prankster?

Have you ever...

had a day where everything goes right?

Nothing super-duper happened today, but everything just seemed to click into place.

We had a fun picnic lunch with some friends. Chucky-Sue was afraid of the grass for 30 minutes, and then BAM she was off crawling around in it with no problem.

Chucky-Sue went down for her nap and for the night without any fuss or tantrums. (okay, I had to snuggle the living daylights out of her to do it, but it worked)

I tried out the BTO self-serve yogurt place on main street, fell in love with fruity pebbles as a dessert topping.

I got to hang out with Jake because he FINALLY had no meetings, job interviews, work crap to do on his supposed "days off".

I found time to sketch for a whole hour uninterrupted!

It's these small things all happening at once that made today a great day :)

Little Things

Chucky-Sue learning how to "kiss"

Jake bringing home dinner after a tough day.

Dorita snuggling (even if it was just for a second between fussies)

Finishing a load of laundry and dishes during nap time.

Finding out Chucky-Sue hid my phone in her  security purse.

The fact that Chucky-Sue HAS a security purse.

Well timed rainstorms that let me have a good excuse to stay in PJs all weekend.

I love the little things in life.

Blogs I'm reading

I have too many thoughts swirling in my head to sort through them and post, so here's a list of posts I'm reading from some of my favorite blogs:

SAHM Etsy Team Blog: Washable Sandwich Bag tutorial I definitely want to make some of these!

Advice to a bored Child @ Stark.Raving.Mad.Mommy I can just HEAR my mom's voice in my head when I read this.

Thoughts @ Happiest Sad I love this LDS birth mother's blog so much (I've blogged about it before) Her point of view on adoption is just amazing.

Epbot: Miami Comic-Con It's always good to get a daily helping of geek in your blog diet.

Sketchbook Challenge: Look in The Middle I love this site, it gives me great inspiration for my on sketchbooks. Have you checked out thepink-butterfly.blogspot.com to see my lastest doo-dah-doodles?

One Month Left.

So I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out.

why?

Because a certain TV show I had loved long ago- but since losing cable I hadn't watched it in forever. I found it on netflix today, and in the season I'm watching right now the writers thought it funny to pull at my heart strings by putting five children and a husband in mortal danger between two episodes, the cliffhanger of one was of the mother/wife screaming for them.

Really?? I did not need that today. Normally it would have been just sad, not "pause the TV for an half hour while you use half a box of Kleenex" sad.

But today is a little different. Today is the last 14th before Chucky-Sue turns 1. Only 30 days left before my little preemie is considered a toddler! (Not that she actually will do any toddling. Please please no toddling!) Also only 30 days until some hopefully well-healed wounds are put to the test. I've been thinking that Valentine's day will be no more worse than Christmas or Thanksgiving, which I feel I handled well. But as it creeps closer I feel my steely resolve seems to be wavering. I'm hoping the party/houseguest/valentines festivities keeps me just distracted enough so I don't get too weepy. Like I am now. Over imaginary children in imaginary peril.

I am so weird.

NaBloPoMo

okay, so I've been sitting here trying to come up with a really cool reason why I abandoned NaBloPoMo three posts into the month. and I came up with:

A) I've been time-travelling around and they just don't have internet access in the 1800s. (But then I'd have to explain WHY I was time travelling and most of my readers wouldn't get the joke about the Evil Baby Orphanage!)

B) I'm a mom. But then I get the problem that 80% of my readers are  ALSO mothers, some with 2+ children and THEY managed to post more than I did.)

so I'm sticking with

C) nothing blog worthy really happened and I didn't want 30 posts about discovering NerdFighteria, A Very Potter Musical and how cute Chucky-Sue is! I did write a lot in august (mostly a fiction story, and a few ANGRY POSTS about mean people asking mean questions.) and eventually they will be put up here, back-dated.

I have re-started the job that I orginially started this time last year, watching a kid MWF while his parents work/learn. (and that job is the only reason you're getting this excuse post, as I am quickly writing during snacktime!) so here I leave you, with empty promises and no photos. What a blogger-fail.

Random Thoughts

I like list posts, I'm rather addicted to them, so here is a list of Random Things:

1. I really liked Toy Story 3, sequels from Disney are usually HORRIBLE (Cinderella 3? Really??) but Pixar's dedication to "story first" has saved the Toy Story franchise from going the way of Peter Pan with it's millions of Tinkerbell spin-offs. I cried, yes cried. I have the same strong connection to toys as Andy does and the end was just tenderly heartbreaking! I also now NEED to get a spanish-mode Buzz Lightyear!!

2. Teething is a cruel cruel trick on parents. (and babies, I guess, they are the ones dealing with the actual pain...) My once happy easy going baby is cranky, fussy and cannot sleep during the day due to these mean calcium deposits in her gums!

3. I've learned that having two adults at home during the day does NOT make the house cleaner as I earlier imagined, but in fact makes it messier, as there is twice as many dirty dishes, twice as many DVDs and video games strewn about etc. etc.

4.Cakewrecks.com newest spin-off blog epbot.com is hilarious!  I love seeing the "behind-the-scenes" posts from Jen and John while on their book tour, and the geekiness that oozes out of every post is delectable!

5. I am losing BADLY to my mother in facebook's scrabble game. Horribly. She is kicking my butt all over the place!! my tiles have been horrible and my only open spots give her great bonus spaces to work with!! I need to play with someone who has a worse vocabulary than me. Know of any first graders willing??

6. As of this moment I am creating a playlist for our cultural night. Jake is laughing at the songs I'm including but they all fit the theme! to make the list the song must be either A) in another language B) Mention a different country C) Mention the words "Summer " "Beach" or "Fun" and D) is upbeat, fast and clean
I totally think Macarena, Istanbul(Not Constantinople) and Bohemian Rhapsody-Dance Club Remix belong on the same playlist.... What? Why are you reaching for ear plugs??

7.We were pet sitting this past weekend for our family. A total of 4 dogs, (three at one house, one at another) and I've narrowed down our future pet choices. The "pet" must be mellow, older, not overweight, well-behaved and quiet. I think that leaves us with the choice between Webkinz or a pet rock.

Now, these are the thoughts that I've been thinking blogging about for a while now, but no one topic seemed important enough to have it's own dedicated post. All together and you get a glimpse in how strange and varied my mind is.

Snow Day

Flakes.
Dusting.
Drifts.
Ice.
Powder.
Flurry.


Whatever you call it, I like it. Snow is my favorite weather condition ever, even as an adult when I have to deal with people getting to and from work, shoveling the icy walkways, or digging out our car. It's beautiful, fun and comes in all different types. Jake and I have spent the day snowed in watching DVDs, eating yummy snacks (Well, HIS are yummy, I'm on my 3-day gestational diabetes pre-diet. No sugar for me!) and just talking. It's nice to take a break from real life and just be with each other. :)

Image from: Bryant Altizer Photography

A little laugh for today

in today's world climate, everyone needs a little giggle now and then:

(Note: A sincerely nice gentleman in his Mid Sixties approaches the check in counter with a CRT monitor.)

Me: “Hello sir, what can i do for you?”

Old man: “I can’t check my email any more and I need you to help me.”

Me: “Okay, no problem! Did you want to bring your computer in here, too?”

Old man: “Here.”

(He sets his monitor on the counter.)

Me: “Um…”

Old man: “What’s wrong?”

Me: “Well sir, this is just your monitor. Imagine if you will that your DVD player…”

Old man: *looks confused*”

Me: “…or VCR…is broken and you want me to fix it, but you bring in your television.”

Old man: “Oh my goodness, I am so embarrassed.”

Me: “It’s completely understandable, technology can be a bit overwhelming.”

Old man: “I’ll go get my VCR!”

:) Have a good day! (Psst, all you ladies have fun at Girl's Camp!)

I am such a baby

Especially when I don't feel good.

if you're looking for Tracy, you won't find her. Instead you'll find a whiney, snivelly complaining shell of a human being. I can't believe Jake hasn't kicked me out of the house yet ;)

I don't know what's up with me, we're guessing mono- but that's the ever "trusty" online diagnosis. If it gets worse I'll be finding my way to a doctor. Until then let me tell you what I do on an average day now that I'm sick

- Sleep 14+ hours a day

-take my tempature

- drink my body weight in water and juice

-  nibble on some toast or waffles

- update my facebook status melodramatically.

-take my tempature

- call Jake for him to bring home medicines/crackers/ freezer packs

- re-watch every season of every TV show we own

-freak myself out with scary "you're going to die" medical websites

-take my tempature

- calm myself down

- check the blogs to see if anyone's written anything that will entertain me (and you guys have! lots of posts lately)

-take my tempature

- Take some medicine so I can sleep again

-wake up due to headache

- take a cold bath in the dark (and then forget that I did the next morning when Jake makes fun of me)

-take my tempature (just did, holding steady at 101.4)

I'mma gonna go whine to Jake then pass out. just wanted you to know I'm alive- who knows for how long ;)

Edit: The doctor says I have strep, I have medicine and my fever has been gone for almost 24 hours now! I  had forgotten how to feels to only be 98.6! Thankfully the strep is only on one tonsil and my throat doesn't hurt much at all. I'm still deeeeaaaaaddd tired, but the doc said after a few days of meds my energy should come back :) I'm very much looking forward to not being sick!

Sketch Catch-Up

So, Mother Nature decided to turn the freakishly warm winter into a cold snap with "snow" (It's not a real snowfall if I can see grass!) And I'm going to gloss over my rant about the school going on a two hour delay because it was cold. I could understand doing that if the heating system was broken, or if the roads were really icy. but COLD? Wear a sweater and go to class! Because of this, I decided to stay in my snuggly warm house with my Simpson pajama pants. Yes, they were given to Jake but I appreciate their snuggliness so much more than he does! So no nice scanned in artwork yet. I've been working on the human form, getting the proportions, shapes, and shadows right, without looking TOO cartoon-y.

Some Kroger Love

You know it's time to go shopping when even Michael will start eating fazoli's food. Thankfully, our cupboards emptied the same week Kroger had a 10 for $10 sale! I love these things!! I never remember Hanafords having them, or Market Basket, so it's very exciting. We were able to get just shy of two month's worth of food for $88 and some odd change! I'm hoping to be able to supplement it with some Fazoli's and Sunday Dinners and make it stretch a bit longer. Nothing feels better than a full freezer of food and a cupboard of goodies. Seriously, Grocery stores in NE cannot compare to Kroger or Food Lion, I love looking at the "members saved this much: $xx.xx" line on the receipt! I do admit I'm a bit of a dork for a good grocery sale. I think I learned it from Melinda. :)

I'm saving up my daily sketches this week and will do one big post later, once I can get to the scanners at school. I also have photos of a craft to show you, but you'll have to wait till after the baby shower to see it; as the recipient is an avid blogger

Sketches

Here's saturdays and sunday's sketches.

>



(I swear he throws a hissy fit if I move one inch off "my" side!)



I drew this in sacrament, it's missing 4 children, but I haven't met those 4 yet!

This week is full of drawing, painting, sewing and babysitting. I'm making a few baby shower gifts (I'm expanding from just paintings, you'll have to be at the showers to see them!)I am making a scarf too out of the million of scraps I have. I got a whole big bag full of them! I'll be sure to post the results if it comes out well.

I can't wait till the school opens up so I can scan these photos in, instead of taking a photo of them with our webcam. They look a lot better and crisper in person.

Very Quick

It is late, but here is drawing #2 out of 101, the Four Seasons and a cute pic of me playing Wii.

101 Art Exercises

In my quest to be better at art, I've been looking for Art exercises to do daily. Just ideas for quick sketches or to practice new techniques. I found this site with 101 art ideas.

I also got an idea from Twitter do make a daily sketch of something I did that day and use it with my diary.

So here's my first attempt, a new cover for a harry potter book, and sketch of my night last night.


Been working with perspective, trying to make it look less cartoony.


And then I go and do a full cartoon! This is how my nights usually go...

I liked the show

This was the comic today, I found it particularly relevant to my life.

Goodbye 2008

So before my sidetrack to the ER I had planned to blog about the New Year and what not. Here it is!

In 2008 I was newly married, living completely independent from my parents for the first time,(well like 90%, Parents never truly stop helping their children). I learned so much more about Jake in those first few months than we ever did when we were dating. I learned that while I could cook without burning down the house, my creativity was severely lacking. I started researching recipes and calling my mom to get all the recipes I'm sure she tried to make me learn when I was a teenager. One of my goals in 2009 is to learn 5 new recipes that I can make from memory.

In 2008 I gained a very strong testimony about family. Living far away from my parents and New England relatives made me realize how much I counted on them always being near-by. I now know that family doesn't always mean blood relatives. Friends and in-laws have been my lifeline through the tough times of the past year. I want to strengthen those relationships and keep strong relationships alive this year.

In 2008 I loved Art. I had always doodled and played around with crafts- but I had never thought that I had any talent for it. Now I know it makes me happy, and if I can find away to do something I love and make some sort of living out of it, I'll be even happier! I want to start making money off of this hobby in 2009, either by giving art lessons or selling online.

In 2008 I learned how strong I was. I learned that I could deal with loss, pain and grief with my chin up. I learned that I trusted in my temple marriage far more than I ever knew. I learned I could still laugh and let that laughter keep me above depression. I can't begin to say how lucky I am to have that talent, to be happy when everything in my life wanted me to be sad. I hope that in 2009 I get to be happy because my life wants me to be happy :)

Now on to 2009, I already have a new experiences coming my way and it's not even February!

Blog Customization

I've spent the better part of today learning how to make blogger layouts. (Hey, it's rainy out, don't judge =D ) My first successful one is currently online as my blog! I used a tutorial on cutestblogontheblock.com and a few online scrapbooking sites for the images and backgrounds. I'll definitely be posting a few more on here, and I'll gladly make ones for you guys if you want. (of course, it looks good on my screen, I have no clue if they'll work on different resolutions.
Edited:

Here are some other layouts I made today :)





I am hoping that the doctor will let us find out what we're having on tuesday, if not- we have to wait until after our vacation.
-Tracy