My afternoon could've been better, not wetter.

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Yesterday was a bit of a crap day, with some lovely flooding of the living room and sun porch due to holes in the sun porch radiators. Which we knew about, because we'd accidentally frozen the pipes in them our first winter in the house, when we'd closed off that room, but assumed (wrongly!) that it would stay warm enough since there's just a French door separating it from the rest of the house. Yeah, with no foundation under that room, it got cold. So, frozen pipes in the baseboard radiators. Fortunately that's mostly a separate system from the rest of the house, so it wasn't a big deal to leave it off, drained out, and unfixed, until it made it to the top of the house-fixing-budget priority list.

But, imagine that, the heating guy who came out yesterday to check the system before winter didn't know that.

And some homeowners (*coughuscough*) hadn't thought to label the shut-off valves for those sun porch radiators with anything, let alone, "DO NOT OPEN!"

And, of course, in the process of checking everything, he turned those valves.

And when I walked downstairs with Penguin to get her a potty treat at the beginning of quiet/nap time, I thought, "How is there a puddle in the living room? There's no pipe or sink over there by the TV. And the kids aren't allowed water/drinks/food in there. Oh, wait, that's a BIG puddle! Oh, DA*N, the sun porch is flooded! ARGH! IT'S THE RADIATORS! WHERE'S THE SHUT-OFF VALVE!!!"

Quick call to the source-of-all-knowledge-of-our-house, aka my husband, some pipe following down in the basement, some "ARGH! Now it's SPRAYING out! Different valve!", and eventually the system was reisolated and off.

And the wrapped presents, unwrapped presents, wrapping stuff, rug, 2 boxes of books to get rid of, one of the two rocking chairs, giant candle stand, and a few more miscellaneous stuff were moved out of the sun porch, I spent about an hour mopping the corner of the living room and the flooded sun porch. (While quiet time was replaced by some video watching time.)

Which was rather icky since the water in the sun porch was mostly black thanks to the coal dust that had been embedded in the grout between the tiles and under the baseboards. But hey, it's clean(er) now!

And my hubby volunteered to cook the supper last night, which was a new recipe I'd picked out (Fettuccine with Garlic Scallops), and it was yummy! I'll try to post it over to Recipeeps soon.

I think Kashka_z was right when she twittered that I was maybe on some alternate version of the calendar where yesterday was actually my Friday the 13th. Especially considering that while I mopped, not 10 feet away from me Penguin swallowed a coin, probably a penny.

So, Happy Friday to you all and Happy New Day to me! :)

Looking on the bright side

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

The sun porch floor is the cleanest it's been since before we moved in (white grout, who knew?)...

...I don't think we lost any of the (wrapped) presents on the floor to water damage...

...and I now know where the shut-off valves are to the radiators in that room.

P.S. Oh, and also, that I'm pretty sure it was only a penny that Penguin swallowed while I was mopping.

WW - Us at the Colosseum in 2002

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

(FYI, yes, this was prescheduled, but I did post actually today over at Recipeeps.)

...and the rest of the questions stolen from Mugsy

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Thanks again to my favorite Star-Trek-rock-climbing, cute-boot-wearing, clapping-man-traffic-spotting fellow NaBloPoMo'er! Here's part 2 of the strange questions.


26. What color is your watch? I just bought one recently that's like clear plastic. Not that I wear it since I usually just check my phone.

27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia?” "Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia! We love you, amen!" I blame my husband for that.

28. Would you strip for money? No. Well, maybe I'd swallow my pride if we were talking 6 figures or over. Not that anybody's offered. :)

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? We eat fast food rarely, and it's usually when we're trying to make time while traveling, so we go in to use the bathrooms, but get the food to go.

30. What is your favorite number? I'm partial to 6, but not strongly.

31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone? The guy at the photo place who called about the estimate for repairs on the camera.

32. Any plans today? Well, since it's already 9:30 pm, to finish this, and do my Flylady Before Bed Routine.

33. In how many states have you lived? Just two, but three countries.

34. Biggest annoyance right now? The age of two. Many, many things about the age of two years old.

35. Last song listened to? Some Norah Jones one in the car.

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Sort of, but I have to sing it and/or think really hard. Thanks, They Might Be Giants.

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? Nope.

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? It varies, but I'm fond of my tan suede Simple Shoes sneakers, which I got on sale this summer. Something like these.

39. Are you jealous of anyone? Yes, various people for various reasons.

40. Is anyone jealous of you? I'd like to think that at least one somebody thinks my life is pretty good besides me. Not perfect, but pretty darn good, all in all.

41. Do you love anyone? Definitely.

42. Do any of your friends have children? Quite a few of them do.

43. What do you usually do during the day? Care for children; cook; clean; run errands; wear pearls while cooking dinner; bring my husband his slippers, pipe, & scotch when he gets home... Ok, mostly the first four.

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? No.

45. Do you use the word hello daily? Definitely.

46. What color is your car? Tan.

47. What size wedding ring do you wear? I think 7. It's not something I find myself shopping for often.

48. Are you thinking about someone right now? No, I'm thinking about answering these questions.

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? No, I don't think so.

50. How did you get your worst scar? I accidentally stuck a pitchfork into the top of my left foot (but not through) while wearing sandals long, long ago, and I still have a small round scar, and probably will until I die.

Reason #432 I wish I had my camera back

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

In Pumpkin's Sunday School class, they often do crafts. Makes total sense - lets them connect with whatever Bible story or concept they're talking about, fun, it's a fairly long time they've got them, etc.

Yesterday after the service we got her from class and I was completely puzzled by her craft.

No. I take that back. Actually, I was completely puzzled and taken aback by the fact that she'd apparently made the Flying Spaghetti Monster in Sunday School.

Yup, round plate, covered with glued-on off-white yarn in squiggly sorts of shapes, hole cut out for the mouth, 2 googly eyes. All it was missing was the meatballs.

My daughter, the Pastafarian?

Upon further questioning, turns out they'd actually talked about Daniel in the lions' den. She hadn't used any of the yellow or orange yarn in the mane of her lion, choosing only the lightest yellow.

I just so very much wish I had my camera back (got estimate today, called back and approved, maybe 7-10 days?), because, oh, I so want to share it, FSM or lion or whatever it is!

Warning: Earworms

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Lately I've ended up with a few songs stuck in my head. And since the surest way I know to get rid of an earworm is to pass it along, well...

These first two are kid songs via Jitterbug.

• Green Anaconda (Pumpkin's current favorite)

• Polar Bear Over There by Uncle Rock (Penguin loves this one and will sometimes randomly point and say, "Polar bear ova dere!")

Also,

• Beyonce's Single Ladies as performed by Pomplamoose, via Mighty Girl.

• And then as a result, Beyonce's Single Ladies.

...and there was another one, but danged if I can remember it now. Oh well, if I do, I'll just add it on later. Gotta hit "Publish," you know, and move on to the second half of this NaBloPoMo month!

Thank God for Mugsy

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

If there were going to be a day for me to fall off the NaBloPoMo wagon, it'd be today. I just got nothing. Fortunately for me (and you! *grin*), Mugsy is also doing National Blog Posting Month this November and she just posted a lovely half-a-meme of strange questions. So guess what?! I'm totally stealing it and copying her. 'Cuz you know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? xoxo - Thanks, Mugsy!

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? Blue with pink and white
2. Name one person who made you smile today? Mr. Kluges
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sleeping in! Mr. Kluges and I traded mornings this weekend.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Putting the girls to bed on my own since Mr. Kluges had a quarterly outage this weekend.
5. What is your favorite candy bar? Mmmm! Candy bar! TWIX with Moro and/or Almond Joy coming in a close second. There are many, many third place choices.
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nope.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? Good night; I love you; go to sleep.
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Any. If pressed, probably Mr. Kluges' coffee ice cream, or gelato in Italy, but really, any ice cream is good ice cream.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Red wine.
10. Do you like your wallet? I have no strong feelings about it, but it's fine.
11. What was the last thing you ate? Bellatoria Garlic Chicken Alfredo Ultra Thin Crust Pizza and salad
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No. My shopping tends to be maybe every 2-3 months if I'm lucky.
13. The last sporting event you watched? Parts of the Vikings-Packers game 'cuz the in-laws were here. No, not the most recent one, the one before that one.
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Salted, with butter. Or with garlic salt and butter. Yum.
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? Either Mr. Kluges, one of the belly dancers in my troupe, or my neighbor. Not going to bother to go look now.
16. Ever go camping? Yes!
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Yup.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Not every Sunday, but now that Pumpkin's in Sunday School, we try to go pretty regularly. In fact, tomorrow I'm the reader. I had to look up how to pronounce "Elkanah" and "Peninnah."
19. Do you have a tan? Um, no.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? In general, pizza wins, but I do love me an eggroll.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? If it comes in a to-go cup.
22. What did your last text message say? I have no idea.
23. What are you doing tomorrow? Getting up first, getting ready for church, reading at church, brunch at home, I dunno what else.
24. Favorite color? Usually blue or green. Peaceful colors.
25. Look to your left; what do you see? An overflowing bookcase and a big toy organizer shelf.

Thoughts on Cookie Baking With Multiple Child "Helpers"

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

I've baked with Pumpkin for ages. I've baked with both girls "helping" me - pizza dough, cookies, etc. Today I tried something new - I baked chocolate chip cookies with three helpers!

Yup, today, Pumpkin (age 5), Penguin (age 2.5) and "Rachelle" (age 5, Pumpkin's classmate & child I babysit) and I made chocolate chip cookies. Here are some tips, hints, and pointers.

• Model the pre-cooking steps of making sure you have a cleared off counter/space to work, looking over recipe, and making sure you've got all the ingredients you need. Then, when you actually don't have enough vanilla, you'll know before you get started.
• Even if the grocery store is only a half mile away, and your helpers are sure they want to walk/take turns in the wagon, drive anyway. The little bit of exercise you get from walking (slowly) and pulling the wagon will not compensate you for the time or hassle involved. Trust me.
• Aprons are good. They make it fun, and official, and do help protect everyone's clothes. Also, don't just have the kids push up their sleeves; YOU roll them up past their elbows.
  
• 3 kids = 3 batches of cookies. WAY easier if nobody has to share bowls or spoons or wait for their turn to stir. It doesn't really take any more time to measure or for them to mix up, and if you don't want to bake them all then, just freeze the dough. You'll be glad later.
• We have two 2-step stools from Target (like this, but one's white & one's natural). One lives in the kitchen anyway so they can reach the sink, but the other one normally resides upstairs for reaching the laundry chute. They work great to get the kids to the right height at the counter. Plus, it makes them stay in one space so they're not interfering with each other. We used a smaller step stool for Rachelle since she's taller anyway.
  
• I usually place myself between the two kids to minimize "bothering." That way I can also take a turn stirring as needed.
  
• When you put them up at the counter, take a look at what they're near... Penguin does not get to stand on the side next to the knife block!
  
• A bowl with a handle can be easier for a little one when the stirring gets tough. It keeps the bowl from turning and gives 'em some leverage. :) I've heard you can put a damp wash cloth under a bowl to keep it from turning, too, but I've never tried it.
• Also under things I've heard of but never tried, I've heard that you can make temporary child-height counters by opening two cupboard doors and putting a board across them. Never tried it, but it sounds handy.
  
• As soon as the first batch is out of the oven and cool enough, reward your helpers with the fruits of their labors! And while they have their warm cookies & milk, you can quickly wipe up the worst of the spills, throw any sticky/doughy bowls and spoons into the water to soak, and maybe do some of the other tidying up.

So there you go. Maybe something here will be helpful if you end up baking holiday cookies with kids - your own, nieces/nephews, neighbors, the babysat, whomever. If you've got any insights from baking with kids, please, share them in the comments!

The Rain Forest comes to our town

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Pumpkin got to go to a special program at school today, put on by Understanding Wildlife, about the rain forest. I knew they were having it at school, but didn't mention it to her since I didn't know if the half-day classes like hers were going.

She came out the door at the end of her day calling to me, "Kinkajous, Mom! We got to see two, real, live kinkajous Their names were Jack and Jill and we got to see them!!!!" Definitely a hit.

They put on a program, which I think was pretty much identical to the in-school one, this evening, at a nearby elementary school. Pumpkin was so excited about it, they've got no school tomorrow, and Penguin had napped today, so we decided to go.

It was cool, but ran a little longer than we'd thought it would. I had guessed an hour, and it probably would have been, except that after 35 or 40 minutes they had an intermission... which lasted forever. That's because during the intermission, for five bucks, you could come up and get your picture taken holding the 15-foot long giant snake (um, an albino anaconda, I think?). So, of course, EVERYBODY practically did that. Plus, some of us (yes, us) also came home with new stuffed animals (monkeys, in our case) from their display. Then, finally, they did the second half, which was more like 25 minutes, and THEN you could line up to touch the small alligator on your way out. Which, of course, we also did.

It was cool. The first half was mostly birds - a scarlet macaw, a blue and gold macaw?, a cockatoo, a yellow-maned some-kind-of-parrot. They were all well-trained & the trainer had a very funny schtick, so it was amusing for the grown-ups, too. One talked, one flew in over the audience, one was trained to fly to an audience member who was holding up a dollar and retrieve it (and then return it), one nodded and shook his head - all very funny. Oh, plus the giant snake was shown... and even held by like 8 kids from the audience all together.

In the second half we saw two small alligators, a big one, a jungle cat-thing that looked sort of like a cheetah but smaller, the kinkajous, and a monkey. Obviously, most of those weren't as trainable/trained as the birds, but there was a funny bit with the monkey.

All in all, good fun, even though it ran later than we'd anticipated, and yeah, we did come home with two more stuffed animals, and a picture of Pumpkin and I holding a giant snake. Too bad it's not digital or I'd share it!

WW - He makes a really good Bert, doesn't he?

(c) 2009 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com