A 7 year olds perspective

Andrew: "Hey mom, some college kids drink alcohol. I think they drink alcohol to try to be cool. When I'm in college I'm not going to drink alcohol, I'll just buy a cool t-shirt. Because college kids that drink alcohol don't have cool t-shirts. They just think they're cool because they drink alcohol. I won't drink alcohol but I'll have a cool t-shirt."

Mom: "So you just need a cool t-shirt to be cool?"

Andrew: "Yeah. When I'm in college I'm never going to drink alcohol."

Mom: "Do you promise? Cross you heart and hope to die?"

Andrew: "Yeah, I promise."

...oh to be an innocent kid again.

Captain Underpants Goes to Church

This is what Andrew drew at church in his primary class on Sunday. If you can't tell, it's a pair of underwear with arms and legs.



After seeing this picture, I asked Andrew what the lesson was about and he said, "I have absolutely no idea."

NO KIDDING!

Wounded

I've always prided myself on having pretty high pain tolerance until the other day. While slicing up some squash, I managed to slice into my finger as well. It was a pretty good bleeder, so I put pressure on it like a good boy scout, got out the gauze and tape and wrapped it up good. But it actually made me a little woozy. It was really weird. I hate to admit it but I had to lay down on the couch. So I'm laying there and our cat Squirt jumps up on me to see what's going on.

Just a quick history on the cat - he loooooves Q-tips. He flips them around and chases them, he chews on them, he packs them around in his mouth like a cigarette, then he chews on them some more, and when the cotton on each end starts wearing off, he deposits them in his food dish.




Anyway, back to my finger. I mention the cats Q-tip obsession because he spotted my gauze taped finger.


So I'm laying on the couch with the cat, thinking "oh nice kitty coming to snuggle with me and make me feel better", when all of a sudden I feel a long sharp tooth penetrate the gauze and slide right down into my fresh cut. Apparently I had fashioned my finger into a giant Q-tip. Naturally I started screaming obscenities at the cat which really must have confused him because he just looked up at me and bit down harder. Yes, he finally let go, and yes, I whimpered like a little girl, and no I didn't get the opportunity to kick him across the room.

The squash turned out great though.

The H2O Mop

This happened a while back but it just came up in conversation the other day and I realized I had almost forgotten the story. I'm posting it now just for my own sake to get it recorded. Anywho...

One Sunday morning while getting ready for church, Andrew plunked down in front of the boob tube and found a fishing show to watch. Ten minutes or so go by and I hear, 'Mom, come here, you have to see this'!! I ignored him for a while but he was really excited. I mean really excited! 'Mom, check this out, you have to see this. This is so cool!' He wouldn't shut up. I thought someone caught a big fish or something. So, finally I go over to the t.v. but Andy isn't watching the fishing show. He's been sucked into an infomercial. They were selling The H2O Mop.


'Mom, you need that'! (I'm so glad my kid is looking out for me and all my cleaning needs). He sat on the edge of the coffee table completely engrossed in the silly infomercial - dazzled by all the things the H2O Mop can do. Then they proceed to tell all the things you'll get with your H2O Mop order ... and then a bombshell - 'valued at over $200 dollars' they say (of course it's really just 3 payments of $33). The sparkle in Andy's eyes completely dissipated and he let out a little sigh - knowing that the H2O Mop was completely out of reach at that kind of price. I just kind of chuckled and went back to my bedroom and I think he watched every last minute of that stupid infomercial.

A couple days later Andy had his best friend Ben over at the house to play. They were sitting on the couch just talking and then I hear this,

Ben: 'Hey Andy, have you ever seen Indiana Jones?'

Andy: 'No, but have you ever seen the H20 Mop?!!'

It was a complete conversation stopper.

And maybe it's just because he's still young but Andrew obviously has not mastered the ability to know what is cool to say around ones friends and what you should just keep to yourself. I love it!

Biggest Loser

We've been eating dinner late at night for the past little bit because Tim gets home from work pretty late - stupid summer hours that will hopefully be getting better soon. Anyway, I can't stand going to bed with a full stomach. So tonight when we were putting Andrew to bed I made the comment that I will never be able to lose weight if we keep eating so late at night. Andrew said with a perfectly straight face, "Oh that's okay mom. If you can't lose weight you can always go on t.v. to not be fat anymore." What kind of a comment is that?

I guess it's good to know that he's looking out for me and has a plan as to where to send me if things get out of control. Thanks Andy.

My new love

I can't believe I have survived so many years of marriage without a proper mixer. We received a hand mixer as a wedding gift almost 10 years ago and beings that Tim and I are both kind of cheap, we decided there was no need to spend money on a mixer as long as we had that little hand held thing. It worked just fine. And stand mixers are stupidly expensive. But deep down I longed for a nice, sturdy stand mixer in all it's shiny glory. I started to realize my dream when the little hand mixer bit the dust last month. I convinced Tim that instead of spending 40 bucks on another hand mixer we might as well save up and get the real deal. He agreed it was time. I began to do my homework and started shopping around. I decided to stick with a good ol' KitchenAid because that's what my mom had so it's what I used when I first learned to bake. The thought just gives me the warm fuzzies. I stuck with the standard tilt head because my sister has one with the bowl lift design and she hates it but I won't bore you with all that. So, I finally found my love on ebay and put in my bid. A couple of weeks ago, the UPS man delivered my shiny black beauty. I was out of town and so I called Tim to check the porch and see if it was there. It was! I got home that night to find that he had already opened it. What a dork. It was like ruining a little kids Christmas. I don't know what it is, but part of the fun of receiving a package is opening it even if you know what's inside. Anyway, I plugged it in and immediately started mixing whatever I could find. I love it!

I made my first chocolate mousse pie last night and it was to die for! I couldn't even get a picture taken before it was half gone or before Andy swiped his fingers across the top. I don't usually toot my own horn, but this is one gooooood pie.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

I took Andrew and his friend Ben to my old place of employment, the good old Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I used to work in their accounting department. Fun bunch of people we accountants are. Unfortunately I quit my job there before they moved into this gorgeous new building. I bumped into an old coworker the other day and she informed me they were having a bear awareness thing for kids today, and I decided since I had yet to see the new place, I'd take the boys and check it out.

Climbing the trees outside
Petting the local wildlife. Yes, of course it's stuffed.
They were most interested in the elk poop display.

The boys got to make casts of animal tracks but I forgot to take a picture of that. As we were leaving, a guy was calling people over for a pepper spray demonstration. Sign me up for that. That sounds fantastic. Now I'm sure the guy was spraying something non-peppery but let me remind you that this is Montana and you just never know.