Now I know where he gets it....

Jeff came home, saw Lili's tooth and said "Yeah, she looks a little like Patrick, but I think she looks just like the sea monster from 'Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'!"

(a girl could get a complex in this house.....)

Quick Post

We're on fall break today and it's a wonderfully dark and ucky day to stay in and watch Halloween movies. mwuh, ha, ha!

The kids just got their school pictures and here's what this year brings:

Brett: 6th grade

Lili: 1st grade

OK, hold everything. I was right in the middle of writing this quick catch up post when I heard Brett yelling for me. Lili lost her tooth. Right front and center. It's been loose forever, sticking straight out horizontally and making us HOPE that it would fall out soon, already.

Brett was in a bit of a tizzy as he witnessed Lili yank it right out. He told me that she was crazy, he'd never do anything like that (we know).

Lili was calm and pleased as could be.

Isnt that red gaping hole just icky looking? Byuck.


And, Brett, being the sensitive, caring, always ready with a compliment, typical older brother promptly told Lili she looked like Patrick from Spongebob.

Judge for yourself:

Hmmmm.....

What Have I Done?!?!

Why is it that I always have to mess with a good thing?
I've got it pretty good.
I bargain hunt every day.
I do what I want, when I want.
I don't even need to shower everyday if I don't want to.

So why, oh why, do I feel the need to foul it all up?
Why, oh why, did I go on an interview Monday?
Why, oh why, am I just so darned amazing (ha ha) that I got the job?


It appears that I'll be working 20 hours/week at one of our local library branches.
Now, it's not certain yet. I haven't taken the drug test or done the background check yet. And, considering we've been through an international adoption I don't really forsee any problems with it....unless my thrift shop addiction somehow shows up in my bloodstream.
I have to say, I'm really not sure at this point if I'm going to accept it. I'm sure I will, but I'm really torn. I don't need to work, but that extra money sure would be nice.
After all, I have an addiction to support (although if I work, I won't have as much time to pursue it....)

argh...

Treasure Hunting

I just had to throw in this picture of Lili.

Intimidating, huh?

Last Friday, I found an estate sale. Yay!

I picked up this picture for $2

The mirrors for $2.50 and the arborvitae (I got 2 of them) for $2.
I hope I don't have to wait till spring to get the urns for them. I think I'm going to put them on each side of the front door.

I went to Goodwill yesterday and picked up these 2 angels for a buck.

The lighted one was still in the box and imagine my surprise when all the lights actually lit. It looks like it's from the '60s...I don't recall seeing yellow twinkle lights lately either.

This little angel was hidden in the back of the box with the other angel.

What a find! I just love her sweet little face and glittery little outfit.

I just can't believe how many auctions and sales I've been able to find lately.

And don't even get me started on Goodwill. It's like crack. I go to each one once a week, every week. There are 4 in the area as well as 2 Salvation Armies and 2 St. Vincent DePaul's.

It's a full time job just scanning thrift shops, auctionzip.com and the classifieds.

Wish I could find a way to make money at it...

Yesterday I took Lili to get an eye exam. To make a long story short, she lost her original glasses from last year and her school nurse sent home a note requesting an eye check. We got the exam plus TWO pairs of glasses for one price. Not bad.

She was in prime form, let me tell you. She kept the doctor in stitches the whole time...never knew an eye exam could last so long. The dr. asked if we charged for entertainment. I don't think he wanted her to leave.

I, however, wasn't so amused after our wait in the waiting room:

Lili: (as I'm filling out forms) "Mom, I like your hair."

"Thanks, Lili."

[pause]...

"MAMA!! YOU HAVE A GRAY HAIR!!"

Man sitting across from us: "Bah Ha Ha Ha!!!"

Yep. What a kid.

The Day the Music Died...

I'm a Hallo-Weiner!

Kim K. had a contest on her blog a couple of weeks ago, and I was one of the winners!!

(and a week before that, I won a bracelet from Shanny's blog too!)

I never win anything, but maybe my 'luck' is changing.......

I just wanted to say a big, huge, gigantic THANK YOU to Kim for the wonderful Halloween hat she made. Isn't she something?

If you want any fantastic Halloween craft ideas, recipes, decorating tips, visit Kim's blog at:

www.kenward.blogspot.com

One of these days, she's going to have a book/TV deal and we can say "we knew her when"!


And a big, huge thank you to Shanny for the handmade bracelet I won a few weeks ago. She's quite the little jewelry maker and I just love my jade green "Go Irish" bracelet! I wear it for every ND game (and so far, so good!)

Are you ready for some foosball?

I went to yet another fantabulous auction Saturday.

They didn't have a lot of antiques, but they did have some good bargains.

I got the box of ice skates (for Christmas decoration projects) for $3, the sled (Christmas decoration) for $3 and the foosball table for two dollars!!

Brett was SO excited about the foosball table, he hugged me so hard he picked me right up off the floor.

I got some other things, among them 2 framed 11x14 prints for $1 total and some nice gifts. Everything for 17 bucks.

It was freezing and I stood outside for 6 hours, but I thoroughly enjoyed every single second. I can't think of anything else I would enjoy while standing for 6 hours straight, freezing my butt off (ok, other than a football game), but I just love, love, love bargain hunting, be it a flea market, yard sale, thrift store. You name it and if it's cheap, I'm there!

And no hot dog on earth tastes better than an auction hot dog. Mmm, mmm, good!

There's yet another promising sale this coming Saturday right down the road from our house...I think I really need to check it out :)

(by the way, I check www.auctionzip.com every week and make my plan of attack!)

A Very Sad Week

You may remember I mentioned that my grandpa had a stroke.

He hung in there for as long as he could. Jeff and I made it to see him last Thursday. He tried talking to me, knew who I was and waved and smiled. He was alert and looked very good.

He died last Sunday. He had contracted pneumonia and was being made comfortable. He just slept and drifted away.

Exactly the way he would've wanted it.

He was 93 and was very strong, healthy and independent.

He wasn't your 'typical' 93 year old. He lived alone, drove, shopped, cleaned, did chores. He had more energy and sharpness of mind than a lot of people half his age.

Anyone who knew him knows that.

He was an amazing, amazing guy.

Lili called him "Roundball".

To make a long story short, my gramp has always, always done this little song called "roundball". Every single person in our family knows the song. People from 90 to a year old know it.

After the funeral, we were sitting at a table with my dad's brothers and sisters and they started singing "roundball" to Lili. It's awesome to know that seriously, hundreds of people know this song because of one man.

He made quite an impact on quite a number of people in his time on earth and I am blessed to have been both a recipient and a witness to it.

Thank you, Gramp, for everything.