Cool Concept

Check this out!!!

http://www.myspace.com/ohhushmusic

I've added the link to Oh, Hush! on the right of my blog. It will be easier to click on it that way.

I'd love to make "Sleigh Ride" my background music, but I haven't figured out how to add music to my blog yet. If anyone can give me some pointers, I'd be very appreciative :)

What Kind of Pie Are You?

I saw this on another blog and thought it was fun. Took the test myself - results below. Have fun!!!

You Are Pumpkin Pie

You're the perfect combo of uniqueness and quality. You're able to relate to many types of people with many different tastes. But you're by no means generic or ordinary. In fact, you're one of the most original people around. Those who like you are looking for something (someone!) special. You tend confuse people when they first meet you. You're not as complicated as you seem. Even though you have a lot of spice and flavor to you, you're never overpowering. You are a calm and comforting force in people's lives.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

My Chess Stars

I need to brag today. My boys play chess. They both learned at the age of four. They compete in tournaments locally and we drive to big tournaments that happen to be within driving distance. We had all planned to go to Houston this past weekend for the National Grade Championship, but after attempting such a tournament with CiCi in St. Louis recently I told my DH to take the boys and I would stay home with her. At this point he decided to fly. :)
Anyway, this tournament is designed so that the best kids from all over the country come together and duke it out on the chess board. 1st graders play only 1st graders, 2nd graders play only 2nd graders and so on. My sons are in Kindergarten and 3rd grade. This tournament is hard. These are the best of the best kids competing and it can become pretty intense.
My third grader, Arby, did exactly as he should have done. He won all of the games he should have won and he lost the ones he was most likely to lose. This is huge. Often you can be intimidated and lose games you shouldn't. He never did. He ended up in 56th place (out of over 160 kids competing in Houston in his grade). Very impressive!!
Kenz blew us away. He played seven games. He won the first and then the second. At this point they paired him with the second top rated child in his grade and he beat him!!!! We couldn't believe it. He then got paired against the top guy and lost. Next game he was paired against the guy that ended up winning the tournament and he lost that one, too. He won his next game. With one game left, we knew(he did not)that if he won he would have been in the top 5 - for the entire country!!! Unfortunately he lost (he would have been in 4th place), however he ended up in 11th place!!! 11th place...in the whole country!!! We are so proud of him. He really has no idea what he has accomplished. He loves to play and it truly is a game for him. We want to keep it that way for both of our boys while gently encouraging them to continue playing (forever) because it is such an amazing game and one that can be played well past any physical sport they want to play. My boys are very athletic, so balancing the time commitment of chess with the time commitment of sports will forever be a challenge for our family.
Thanks for letting me brag!!! :)

Who knew???... and random CiCi cuteness

OK so probably everyone but me. The problem with my washer. A clogged drain. What clogged it? Change. From pockets!! Yes, I know I am supposed to empty pockets before placing them in the washing machine and generally I do. If I hear it or feel it. I don't make a point of checking all pockets, though. I've always assumed that you clean out the pockets so you don't wash something valuable or so that the change doesn't clink around in the dryer and drive you crazy. I am always careful to pick up all spare change that has fallen out of the pockets during the wash cycle so that they don't clink around in the dryer. Never did I expect that little pieces of change could cause so much damage.
Here is the damage:
1. I believe all the clothes that were in the washing machine were ruined. THEY STINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. When the repairman got the door unlocked for me, I had to take all those stinky clothes out of the washer. They were dripping with dirty, smelly, mildewy water. It was horribly disgustingly gross. and smelly!!!! I put the clothes in a garbage bag then drug the bag outside and dumped the clothes in a pile. I am going to let them try to dry out and then see what I can salvage. I had to wash my hands 5 times to get rid of the smell!!!
3. The repairman pulled out 3 quarters, a nickel, a dime or two and a penny. You would have thought I had clogged the sucker up with live rats by the way the repairman showed me the offending particles.
4. Today's repair cost $154.00.
5. Today's repair may or may not last. He said there was still a few pieces stuck that he could not get to. If those pieces fall back into the washer then I will be OK. If they fall out into the outer parts of the washer then it would take hours for a repairman to fix it and they would charge me close to 500.00. Like I'm going to pay that!!!!

So I am crossing my fingers that the change falls in. If not, you can bet I won't be buying another Maytag.

and, as you have probably guessed, I will now be checking all pockets.

oh, by the way, he said this is a much greater problem with front-loading washers.

And, which I have not yet mentioned, before all this happened I have never been satisfied with my washer. It has always had a somewhat mildewy smell to it. I asked the repairman about this and he said he hears that all the time with the front-loaders, but that the newer models are getting better. If I do have to get a new washer, I will probably go back to the top loading washers. They seem to have less problems.

Better not pout, I'm telling you why

Because the poor boy can't. Recently Kenz asked me - how do you do that thing with your lip. I had no idea what he was talking about and he tried to show me, but couldn't do it. I soon realized he meant - pout. How do you pout? Never really thought about that and never really realized that he has never pouted. He really is The Happiest Kid, but seriously everyone can pout, right??? He can't figure it out, so now when he wants something and I say no, he pulls down his lip into a pout and holds it there. It is the cutest thing ever!!!!

I, on the otherhand, can pout. Today I did just that. I promise I will make this my last whiney post (as long as my washing machine gets fixed tomorrow), but for today - I have to share. Today a good friend of mine came over. She lives close by, but we never seem to see each other. We e-mail each other and always say "we need to get together" and then it just doesn't happen. But today it did. And it was a really nice visit. Near the end CiCi needed to be changed. Her changing table is in my bathroom. While changing her I notice that I need to flush the toilet. So I did. Then I turn and continue changing CiCi. Then I start to hear water and realize that the toilet is overflowing. SO now I have CiCi on a changing table which I must get her down from and moved far away. Then I turn off the water. Then I get towels to clean up the water from the floor. Many towels are needed. And then it occurs to me that once more this nastiness (only P, but still...) will have to just sit (rinsed out, of course) until my washing machine is fixed. Of all the times!!!!! My friend was completely amused by my form of entertainment.

After my friend left CiCi and I went to Target to buy diapers. While there I decided to brave the toy aisle. Row upon row of plastic. I can't stand it. I know I sound like I am not in the Christmas spirit, but I seriously do not think that purchasing oodles of plastic toys has anything to do with the true meaning of Christmas. My boys have never really asked for anything. Maybe one thing each, each year. I have never encouraged then to do otherwise, but ineviatably by December 26 our home is filled. School, relatives, friends. It never seems to end. For years I have been begging my mom not to get plastic toys and she has never understood. Ths year with all the recalls from China, she has finally called it quits. I am so glad. I never even thought about the plastic toys as a safety issue. I just don't like them (except Little People ) , but if that can make other people think twice about our over-consumption of toys at Christmastime, then I am not gonna complain about that one bit. Now if we can quit commercializing Holidays (holy days) then I will be even more happy.

I'm Not There Yet

Yes we are well into December and I have not done a Christmasy thing yet. No cards have been bought. The picture has yet to be taken. The Christmas tree is not up and I have bought only a very few presents.
I just can't seem to find the energy for it all. Some part of me thinks it is because we never really had fall this year. I love fall. It is my favorite season. But this year we went from summer to one week of fall to rain to cold. I have not been properly prepared for the season that is now upon me. You think I am kidding???

Another reason - I don't like shopping. Never have. And the thought of it with little CiCi is overwhelming. I plan to online shop, but time is running out...
And CiCi is attached to my hip. Seriously. I can't put her down to go the bathroom. And she really makes you feel bad. Her tears are huge and the look on her face is heartbreaking.

and another thing... I HATE MAYTAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two years ago I bought the top of the line Maytag Neptune washer and dryer. About nine months ago, you could smell burning from my dryer. I had someone come out to look at it and he said I needed new rollers. The rollers cost about half of what a new reliable dryer would cost. After much deliberation I decided to buy a new dryer. Wanna know what the guy at Sears told me? There is absolutely no reason to pay for an expensive dryer. A dryer is a dryer is a dryer. Why do they have the expensive ones I asked? To match the looks of the expensive washers. Apparently it is appopriate to spend more on a washer. And idiots like me buy expensive dryers thinking they must perform so much better than their less expensive counterparts. OK so lesson learned.
Another lesson... appliances aren't what they used to be. They may have all these fancy bells and whistles, but they don't last like they used to. Can you imagine only getting 18 months out of a brand new dryer?
So why am I complaining about this today. Because my laundry room STINKS. Wanna know why? Because my fancy schmancy washing machine locked up on me. Yep. The darn door locked and I can't get it open. I have turned off, unplugged, replugged, shook, hit, pulled, etc. and the door isn't budging. It locked. You know that wonderful safety benefit of making sure the front loading washing machine stays locked. Well it stays locked I can tell you that. With my wet clothes in it. And the washer is not working at all. It is just humming. 2 years old!!!!! I am not happy. And did I mention that my laundry room stinks. This took place last Saturday. I called to have someone come fix it on Monday. First available appointment. THIS Saturday. Those clothes will sit in my washing machine for an entire week. Wet. Mildewing and smelly.
Bah Humbug!!!
I'll be better tomorrow.........