My Life Could Be Like...

... A Sitcom! Here's why:
1) I can solve any problem in under 1/2 an hour... that's as long as my attention span (squirrel!) is anyways.
2) 4 kids in 5 years, those kids say the darndest things!
3) I've become good at being the parental figure that is absent until the very crucial moment (aka I caught you dumping pepperoni and strawberry syrup in a cup, topped with mustard.)
4) We're trying to live in a house that's a touch too small for us, CRAZY things could happen, just to remind us why we love this house. (Or love to destroy it.)
5) I've got a variety of kids: the oldest, the middle, the youngest, the girly girl... who said that couldn't be funny?
6) I've got a stern looking hubby with a hilarious (sometimes very scary to others) side.
7) I'm a stay-at-home-mom with some Nurse's training... slap stick anyone? (NOT WITH A REAL STICK BOYS!!)

... a Drama. Here's why:
1) With the aid of Ritalin, I can upgrade to under 60 minutes for my attention (Squirrel) span.
2) There's lots of tension in our house. Especially between the hours of 4pm and 6pm. (24, you have NOTHING on the tension around suppertime around here!)
3) There are extreme moments where I think someone may have finally broken a leg or killed their sibling. (Well, maimed is more like it.)
4) Same stuff, different day. I can show re-runs too, you know.
5) Driving down the Deerfoot sometimes reminds me of a car chase that I saw on NCIS.
6) I too can finally figure out the problem at the last second. (Even if that problem is where the heck did I leave the keys to the van so I can pick up kids from school.)
7) I too suffer from technological breakdowns that I can't fix in time to view that important email telling me something that I've shipped from the States may or may not finally have gotten past the boarder and may be at my house in time for me to use it for the sole reason I bought it in the first place. (Gasp, gasp, gasp.)

... a Soap Opera. Here's why:
1) Overreaction? We NEVER overreact. WHO told you we overreact? WHO? I'll get them.
2) Soaps make clutter look sexy. I make it look like clutter.
3) My hubby would like to see me... without the kids (what were you thinking?) more often.
4) We have slapping, hitting, biting and poor choices made on a daily basis. The consequence of which are dire - for my sanity.
5) I love my husband, but I have a deep, dark secret. There are other men that I love. (They mostly exist in cheesy romance novels.)
6) I have a love affair going on -- with chocolate.
7) Sometimes I run away from my problems too. Or just leave the kids with the hubby and do something for me once and while.

... a Reality Show. Here's why:
1) The sneakiest contest is my second oldest who can silently torture or sneak food.
2) My Drama queen is around to let me know the latest injustice done to her and why it wasn't her fault.
3) The prize at the end (of the day) is silence, and baby, is it GOLDEN.
4) Lots of people tune in every day to see what is going to happen next. (Yeah I saw you staring at me struggling with my 4 kids at Wal-Mart.)
5) The only one that tends to get voted off the island is me. (And sometimes I run off.)
6) According to my children, I starve them.
7) The stunts performed by my children are without the supervision of a trained professional and therefore should not be attempted at home. (Or at least within the earshot of Mom.)

Introducing...

a new blog! You have to go and check out my friend Val's food storage blog. This lady knows what she's talking about. And if she doesn't have an answer... she'll find it for you. I love the passion and enthusiasm that she has for this subject. It really shows when she talks about preparedness and everything that has to go with it. While I am on the fringe compared to her, I am both humbled and excited to follow what she's searched out that can make it easier for me to find things to help out my family! So please, check it out. This is for everyone! This month's goal: Water. Storage, purification, etc... Check it out.

http://preparednesscorner.blogspot.com

The Best Way to Watch a Hitman Game....

What's the best way to watch a Hitman Game? In the box with a couple of friends of course. Two weeks ago we invited some friends to enjoy food (way too much as always) and a little hockey. It's always fun to have someone there for each of my kids to do something with. Thanks to the families that came for such a great time. Hopefully we can do that again sometime soon.

Halloween Traditions...

Every year my mom puts on a Halloween Dinner. There's a menu with everything called something halloween-y. The point of the dinner is to try and figure out what each thing is. Years ago, I decided instead of trying to dress everyone up and worry about getting the costumes dirty before halloween, we'd get Halloween shirts. So that's what these are. I found everyone excepts Enoch's shirt at Wal-Mart in the States for $5 each!

Here's all my kids and some friends in their costumes, just before we head out trick or treating. We wandered around the estate homes so we cleaned up in about 1 1/2 hours. The last picture is the loot we got. The one on the left is chips and the one on the right is just candy. You know the kids have had enough when they start asking to skip houses to go home! Our saving grace was that we brought the wagon and the large stroller. There was somewhere for kids to pile into when they were tired of walking and somewhere for the candy.
Caleb even helped out a friend who was sick with H1N1 and took a bucket around for her. It was fun to hear people comment on the two buckets he had. A lot of comments were: "Double bagging it, eh?" "Two buckets?" Then he would explain that he was collecting candy for a friend that was sick. All of a sudden, they would reach back into their bowls, buckets, etc and say "Here's some extra, hope she feels better." It was a good experience for Caleb, who is totally willing to help out anyone just naturally. I think he helped people feel the "Halloween Spirit." :)

We all survived and I'm now counting down to when I get to get rid of the candy. (Sad, I know.) We have already had junk for breakfast 2 days in a row. My fault for not getting up on time, I guess. Happy Halloween!