RazNoggle

Thanksgiving and all it’s glorious nummyness is happening at my house this year. Is it happening at your house too??? What are you doing to prepare? For some reason I have had recently almost a “nesting” urge. And lest you all take that wrong let me be perfectly clear, there is NO reason for me to be having that urge either!!! Some people! But none the less, I have been cleaning and trying to organize. I used to think that I was an okay organizer, but I’ve recently come to the conclusion that it isn’t one of my gifts. I can sometimes (key word) keep things organized once they are so, but getting them there is not an easy task for me.

Still, I’ve been doing what I can. I washed, dried AND ironed the stinkin’ curtains, but you’d never know!! After spending nearly 2 hours trying to get the wrinkles out I gave up and just let them do their own thing. Life is easier that way. I may not be able to do that with my kids, but I can do it with my curtains, ha ha! I “organized” and cleaned out the pantry, minus the mouse. Found out later it was hiding under the dryer watching me the whole time!! If that doesn’t send chills up your back something is wrong! I’ll be posting pictures of my pantry journey, which is what finally and completely convinced me I can’t organize, soon. Stuart and I rearranged the spare room, but it is in serious need of a face lift AND massive organizational overhauling. *sigh* But I’m optimistic because Stu said he’d help me, and organizing IS his gift, for sure! I bought some curtains to replace the ugly blinds, and that will be as much of a facelift as that room will get for now.

Today’s interesting drama… was the kitchen stove, well more specifically the oven. I hate, Hate, HATE to clean the oven! The cleaners, the ickyness, the pain in my knees from kneeling on the hard floor. My back straining to reach those remote corners. HOW do those get dirty??? Do things explode in there while they’re cooking??? I don’t know, but I do know it was disgusting. I knew that in a few short days a turkey, which I absolutely LOVE was going to find it’s final resting place in my oven. What better reason to FINALLY get it clean? Yeah, that’s what I thought too. So I bought a can of “heavy duty” oven cleaner and this morning when Littlest Buddy went down for a nap I was ready to commence! I plopped Qade down in front of Veggie Tales too, and am so glad he was out of the way for all this carnage! Now let me just tell you that I followed the instructions on the back of the can TO A T for “warm oven” cleaning, because that takes less time. I preheated the oven to 200* and shut it off once it got there. Shook up the can and started spraying. That disgusting cleaner immediately evaporated into a noxious white cloud of nose, throat and lung burning fumes and filled the house!!! Ugh! I threw open the windows, turned on the vent above the stove, and turned on the fans. Then I went to the more “calm” task of scrubbing the bathroom because it didn’t smell as bad in there! I did have to laugh though when Stuart happened to wander through and started coughing and gagging. I decided after all the extra time wasn’t a big deal and to do a “cold oven” cleaning. That worked. The cleaner is repulsive, but it does get all that baked on nastiness off the oven. Qade came over to inspect when I was nearly done and said, “Good job “keening” stove, Mommy!” He’s so ready with words of affirmation! Almost made the whole thing worth it! So now I’m proud of my newly cleaned, sparkling, almost-as-good-as-new, oven. Even with ALL my scrubbing and 2 applications of the nuclear blaster oven cleaner, some stuff would NOT come off, so it’s lucky for me I’m not a perfectionist!

Here’s a picture! If you were a turkey and HAD to be eaten for Thanksgiving, wouldn’t you like to be cooked in THIS oven? I didn’t take a before picture because well…. even though I’m the Martha Stuart antithesis, even I was embarrassed about how this thing looked before.

Someday I’m just gonna have had enough and go ahead and invent that laundry folding machine that I’m always wishing for. But since I am neither engineering or mechanically inclined, it’ll have to be a heaping helping of motivation with an elephant sized dose of good luck for that to happen. It’s how I’ll make my millions though, because as soon as I get it, EVERYONE will want one. Yes, as I procrastinatingly type here at the computer, there is a pile of clean, dry clothes lurking behind my back. I’m sure it must be reading over my shoulder too because I can sense all it’s evil presence boring into the back of my skull. Slightly dramatic, but I don’t WANT to fold laundry! Blah! I want to sip hot chocolate or cider and sit curled up in the overstuffed chair and do NOTHING!! *sigh*
The pantry isn’t done either….

But onto other things that are more fun to think about! Me and my lads are going to visit my Mom for her birthday tomorrow!!! She knows, so I can blab about it on here. She doesn’t know what I’m giving her though so I won’t tell. Qade is excited to see his Grandparents. It’s so fun to watch my kids enjoy being with their grandparents. It’s a huge blessing to Stuart and I to have such wonderful parents!! In a culture where marriage is falling apart, it’s nearly unheard of for the both of us to come from unbroken homes! It’s great for our kids! A wonderful heritage! So I’m looking forward to some time with my fam, and the lads are looking forward (though they don’t know it yet) to some spoiling.

Myles is on a nap strike this afternoon, which is not good news because we’re having dinner with some friends. He doesn’t do too well with a lack of sleep. Here’s hoping that he’ll sack out soon!! Before I put him down for his nap strike, we were having a wrestling session! If EVER I get down on the floor, both boys feel like it’s an open invitation to tackle mommy! But I don’t mind! Myles kept clobbering (and slobbering) me and laugh and laugh. Then he would back up and get a really serious look on his face as if he was thinking strategy or something before launching himself at me again. I was totally laughing out loud at him. SO funny!! He’s been practicing taking more steps to Mommy and Daddy recently. He gets totally psyched out too, it’s hysterical! He has successfully taken about 3 steps in a row. Doing great!
Music has recently dawned on Myles. Qade was very “musical” from about 5 months on, and would “dance” to any music going on. Myles has seemed pretty oblivious to it until fairly recently. I got a song off of iTunes that has a very “do-wopy” sound and whenever it would come on I would snatch up Myles and dance with him. Then it got to the point where if he heard it come on he’d automatically start jiving. Very cute!! Now he dances, and often sings along, to any of the toys that play music. Plus he sings and plucks the banjo too! Fun fun times!

Okay, fine! I’ll go fold the laundry. (grumble grumble) But seriously I am thankful for our washer/dryer!! I’m also thankful for dishwashers, but I think that the NEW one we just got has some kind of issue… so that doesn’t make me happy, but hopefully eventually it’ll be working flawlessly. Enjoy what’s left of your Lime Green Thursday!!

I have musical children. Lately they amuse themselves while I fix breakfast by strumming the banjo and “singing.” Yes, they are multi-talented! The past 2 days Qade discovered that he could “turn on” our digital piano and they both love to play that as well. So much for leaving the toy keyboard at Grandmas!! Qade told us last night at dinner that he likes the “Piona.” Ha ha ha!! We’d respond with “you like the piAno?” and he’d come right back with “piona.” So I guess that’s what it’s going to be for now. Welcome to our place, home of the worlds only Piona. Kids are fun!
So since my son is so brilliant in other ways, seriously he can figure stuff out faster than I can keep up with him, then why can’t he figure out that he needs to potty IN the toilet??? I just caught him in the middle of a “poey” and he was able to “finish” in the pot, but still wrecked havoc on the unders he was wearing. Not bad enough to go in the trash though, thankfully. We’re going to go broke buying unders AND pull-ups!! Still it does make me wonder.
So yesterday I told you all that I was going to organize the pantry. That did NOT happen. However I plan to blame it on the fact that I donated blood and was very tired after that and besides they told me not to do anything strenuous. Yep, me the needle hater, donated blood. My hubby guilted talked me into it. I’m a universal donor so I suppose it’s my “duty” to donate when I have opportunity. Hmmmm… well they won’t be back till March, so I won’t think about it till then. You’d think after having 2 babies I’d be somewhat desensitized to needles, but I HATE being poked. All of that to say, I didn’t get the pantry done. I looked at it this morning and then told Stuart that it frightens me. Every time I look in there, it seems to have grown, and I’m sure if I try to mess with it, something will eat me! But it still does need to be done…. maybe today.
The curtains did get washed and hung up because it was already dark by the time they came out of the dryer. I had hoped that the dryer would do the trick on the wrinkles so I wouldn’t have to iron, but NO SUCH LUCK!! They look terrible, and funny too!! So today I must pull them all down again and iron them all out. *sigh* Now I know why I don’t do this often. Confession: I found some of last year’s Christmas Tree needles logged in the folds of one of my window sashes. See? I don’t do this much. And I don’t care how “Martha Stuart” you are, it is SO not worth all this work more than once a year anyway! I mean, I KNOW that the curtains are all clean now, but that’s only because I washed them. You’d never know just looking.
I’m just blathering on now. It’s time for me to get the littlest monster up, and enjoy a late morning cup of coffee. I’m also going to hazard putting Qade back in unders again. One day we will conquer this!! Enjoy your Wednesday!

Right now as I write I am enjoying gourmet cookies, some wholesome oatmeal, and other delicacies complements of my in-house chef named Qade. He brought me a “plate” which was his Skippyjon Jones book, and he also brought me a basket full of cookies, and a car with cereal in it. What an imagination my little lad has!! This morning he had a stuffed bone from one of his animals that he was using to “brush” everyone’s hair with. Mommy’s hair, Daddy’s hair, Myles’ hair and of course his own. He would brush it, wait for his “thank-you” then respond with a hearty “Ya wecome!” Too cute!
Yesterday my day did not go as I intended. I had a HUGE list of things to do. I’m getting a late start on my Fall cleaning. Not that I want to do all of that, so procrastination has been my MO. Still, I was motivated yesterday, but instead of a huge success I kept running into problems mostly do to my potty training lad’s disasters, (YES they were disasters!! Two more unders into the trash and 3 into the washer!!) plus I was checking often for updates on Stellan. That little boy was filling my mind even as I did finally get busy on my “do it NOW” list. However, even with the messes and other interruptions I managed to get the windows washed inside AND out. Qade helped by cleaning the window that he decorated with crayon!! Arg!! I was very happy they are washable crayons! I will NOT have anything but washable crayons and markers in my house until the lads are trustworthy…. College perhaps? I also cleaned out our vehicle. It’s amazing how ickified the back seat can get with all the lad’s snacks and whatever else that gets schmoozed on the seats. It’s all vacuumed and nice looking now, even their seats! I believe I’ll take Stu’s advice and find an old sheet to cover the seat with before I put their car seats back in.
Today’s list includes washing the curtains, since it didn’t get done yesterday. I did do 3 loads of laundry, but only folded 1 so I still have that to do as well. PLUS the worst thing probably on my list is to organize the pantry. Ack!!! Not a fun job, and one I’m dreading for sure! We’ll see if it happens today. I’m kind of skeptical as it’s already 9:30 and I haven’t even started on that stuff. Blogging is so much more fun anyway!
But seriously, I should get busy. Let me tell you, I have had SO much more energy lately since I started taking the SuperMom vitamins!!! I’m sold. So off I go to take one little mess maker to the potty, preemptive strike I hope, and then to yank down the curtains. See, if I take them down I will surely get it done because I hate having no curtains up when it’s dark out.
Ta-ta friends.
Oh and read this update from McMamma on Stellan. He still needs prayer for recovery, especially his little leg.