Saturday Morning in Andrew Land

This morning I really wanted to sleep in for as long as I wanted.

I've been working out religiously each morning Monday-Friday and I just wanted a good ol' Saturday morning to veg.

Andrew is old enough now to understand the value of sleep. So, last night as we were tucking him in bed, I explained how Saturday morning was going to go.

Me: "Andrew, you don't have school tomorrow. You can sleep in as long as you want. I'm going to sleep in as long as I want. If you want to get up early to watch cartoons, that's fine, just don't wake me up....unless the house is burning down, then you can wake me up."

Andrew: {smile} "Okay!"

You would think with just one child, an older child, this would be possible.

Early this morning I could hear him in the living room with the tv on.

It was a little loud.

No biggie.

I kept sleeping as best I could.

Then I got startled awake to something like this:

Andrew: "MOM, MOM!!! YOU HAVE TO COME SEE THIS! IT"S THE SWIVEL SWEEPER! IT HAS SIX GREAT FEATURES!"

What? Can't my kid just watch Saturday morning cartoons like normal kids? What's up with the infomercials?

He ran into my bedroom to tell me all about the Swivel Sweeper and it's six new amazing features:

1. Touchless dirt tray
2. Back saver elbow joint
3. New and improved super sliders
4. 360 degree swiveling
5. Magnetic storage latch and space saving design
6. Non slip rubber tip

I was still half asleep and my eyes were heavy and he kept telling me to "LOOK, LOOK!" as he talked with his hands, physically reenacting the infomercial so I could see exactly all that the Swivel Sweeper can do.

The whole sleeping in thing was worth a shot.

But it was officially time to get up and make waffles.

Sledding...Montana Style

I grew up sledding. My parents were always throwing us down mountains on inner tubes, toboggans, whatever. So I pretty much thought I knew everything there was to know about sledding.

On Christmas day, we got together with some of Tim's family to go sledding. Tim's dad had scoped out a spot for us earlier, so we designated that as our meeting place and Tim and I took off ahead of everybody.

We started up a logging road and then Tim stopped the van and said, "This looks good."

I looked up the mountain and saw nothing but heavy brush.

I said, "What are you talking about, there's no place to sled".

He got out of the van and started hiking up the logging road a few yards, then plopped on his sled, slid down the road and confirmed it was good.

I thought it looked dumb.

What I didn't understand up to that point was that Tim's dad would be shuttling us as far up the logging road as was humanly possible in his 4x4 truck, dropping us off, and letting us sled all the way down. Then shuttling us back up, sled down, up...down...up...down.

Pure brilliance, if you ask me. Pure brilliance.

It was like an Olympic luge run...except Montana hillbilly style.


Ok, so I guess I didn't get many sledding pictures that day, mostly just standing around pix.

Careful where you point that thing, Tim.





On our way home, Andrew and his cousin sledded almost all the way out to the the main road.


Then we got back home to our Christmas mess and did this to our cat.


But we had so much fun, we headed back up a few days later with some friends of ours.

The corner just above where Tim is coming down was the hardest one to make. I almost launched myself off the mountain right there.




The End

Christmas 2009

The problem with being a procrastinator is that I put off and I put off and then I forget what it was I was putting off.

I do remember that we did have Christmas...I have pictures to prove it...but I don't remember much detail. If it weren't for pictures, I wouldn't remember anything at all.

So beings that it is almost Valentines Day, I'd better get our Christmas documented before my brain is a complete fog.

Lets see...

So, we actually got our lights up nice and early this year, just shortly after Thanksgiving, thanks to the weather.


Then we got our standard, tall, skinny sub-alpine tree.

I love my 'subbies'.

Fake trees are not allowed in our house...ever.

What's the fun if you don't have that tree smell...and sap and needles all over the place?



And besides, for a short period of time, the cats get to pretend that they are rugged, outdoor, hunter cats...instead of the fat slob indoor cats they really are.


Barbie made an appearance on Christmas Eve, courtesy of Andrew to his dad.


Then...after Andrew was tucked in bed...Santa re-gifted her.


Christmas morning...

...gotta love the matching penguin pants and robe.



My sister thought it would be funny to get Andrew a friend for Barbie...

...it didn't go over too well.

She redeemed herself by also getting him a 'Dr. Fart' pen and a whoopi cushion.


I asked Santa for a Beater Blade...I like it...I'm still trying to decide if I absolutely love it.

(God bless black and white for early morning, no-makeup pictures)


Timmy got some fancy new ski goggles with fancy hinge thingies so they stay sucked to your face even when worn over a helmet...






Andrew looooooves Calvin & Hobbes...thanks to ebay, he scored 12 Calvin & Hobbes books.


All done...time to go sledding...



The End

Video of the Day

This is probably one of the funniest videos I've seen in a while.

"MONKEY"

PS. I love the kids' reactions in the background.

Sunshine

I just came across these pictures of Andrew and his little next door neighbor girlfriend (shhhh...don't tell him I just said that), picking carrots out of our garden last September.

Green stuff...and sunshiny stuff...ooohhhh how lovely.

9 Years Old

Andrew turned 9 years old.

He requested:
1.) Homemade cheesecake (that's my boy!)

2.) Cupcakes (for the kids who "don't like cheese in their cake", an issue from birthdays past - little did they know the cupcakes were topped with cream cheese frosting...suckers!)

3.) Red balloons and footballs

Every year, I tell myself that I'm going to tell people not to bring gifts but I always wimp out. I would love to have a party with no gifts (a.k.a more clutter). Maybe next year.




Playing with the Hot Wheels color shifter cars in the bathroom.


Cousin Tanner was, as usual, more interested in the vaccuum than anything else.



It was a pretty eventful day. We ended up with a firetruck and ambulance in front of the house because one of the little boys is apparently severely allergic to cats and was really struggling to breath. I'm so glad my sister-in-law was there because she's the one that noticed...I was busy dishing up cake and ice cream. Apparently, his parents had just recently found out he was allergic to cats but had no idea it was so severe so they hadn't thought to ask if we had any when they dropped him off. Fortunatley, he was alright. It was just the suckiest birthday party he'd ever been to I'm sure.

Other than that, it was a fantastic day with cousins and friends and lots of yummy sweets.

Happy birthday, buddy!

11 Years

I've spent 11 years of my life with this goober named Tim...

...and I've loved every minute of it...

...most of the minutes anyways.

Happy Anniversary Poo Poo Face!