Hey there! Welcome to the November Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 13 awesome bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes....
Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!
Cast:
Me
The man
A., the eldest (daughter, 19)
C., The middle (son, 15)
J., The youngest (son, 8)
Our dogs: Lila and Henry
Have you ever had one of those months where something goes wrong and you are stupid enough to ask aloud, "Can it get any worse?" Our last few weeks have been like that. Take my advice. NEVER ask if things can get any worse. Of course they can! Whenever you start feeling like you're at the end of your rope though, take a look at the news. The tornadoes in Illinois, the devastation in the Philippines...everything can be put in to perspective very quickly. On that scale, we are doing (and will be) just fine.
If you were a fly on the wall at my house this month, you would have witnessed:
Halloween:
It was a regular Halloween at our house. The older kids were at parties, I was giving out candy, and the man and J. were out collecting the goods. One of our neighbors came to our house and asked if we were the home who was giving away the Bud Light. I wiped a tear from my eye, and gave him a Snickers. I don't share the good stuff…
Henry dressed up as a fish. He loved it!
Lila went as a shark. She hated it.
J. went as Jango Fett
C. was an actor from a black and white movie.
A. went as a winner of a Publisher's Clearing House Contest. Her Man was Ed McMahon. They won!
***
J.: "It's not fair. I have to give all of the chocolate to the sugar witch. It took me a long time to collect all of that."
A.: "Did you know the sugar witch looks a lot like mom?"
C.: "Did you know you can stuff all of your candy in a sock and mom will never find out?"
I give them all the "mom-look."
C.: "What? I learned that from dad."
Food:
Comments from random family members.
"I can't eat Rice Krispies without sugar. It's all Grandma's fault. She poured sugar on those like it was crack. Now I'm addicted. To Sugar. On my cereal…"
"You weren't the first one to invent mixing Rice Krispies with Frosted Flakes. I've been doing that for years with Apple Jacks and Fruit Loops. Yes, I am a Sweet Genius."
"I can't eat these french fries, mom. They taste like…potatoes!"
"Never eat M&Ms out of the bottom of your purse when you also have an open bottle of Advil in there."
"I'm taking my sleeping bag and living at McDonald's for the next little while. They have the McRib AND pralines and cream smoothies. If I get sick of any of it (which I won't,) there's a Dunkin Donuts next door."
Teeth:
We went to our 6 month check up last Saturday. The man had to have a filling replaced, the eldest and the middle child both had a cavity. The youngest and I got off with a clean bill of health.
J: I can't believe it! I don't have any cavities!"
Me.: "I'm so proud of you!"
J. : "Do you know my secret?"
Me: "I think so…"
J: (handing me his box of complimentary toothpaste) "Here, you can have this. My secret is to never brush your teeth. I even told the dentist that."
Awesome.
A.: "Can we please buy toothpaste that doesn't taste like fish?"
C.: "What is this "floss stuff" you were speaking about?"
The man: "You are now responsible for your own dental bills."
Random:
I was stressed out of my mind one day with something completely out of my control. So, I decided to paint the inside of my house. The walls. The doors. A table. The stairs. Some chairs. A chalkboard. I didn't know where to start (because I'm the queen off ADD), so I came home with this.
Where to start? Everywhere. I have no less than five projects going on with no end in sight. My husband gets it, although he hates the chaos. My kids just shake their heads and try not to touch any paint. Another relative told me, "You will never be happy." Ouch! I promised that the man's next wife will be in love with white.
During the painting marathon, I pulled a familiar muscle in my back. It's in my sciatic nerve and I always ending up begging the man to apply these derma-patches to the area. We also have these back beaters that we found at Bed Bath and Beyond. They are fantastic. They are also loud when they hit your back. I never care. I just want the pain to go away.
"Dad's just hitting mom with his blue balls."
How do I find myself in these situations? We have no secrets, people.
Private tips overheard from the kids:
"If you throw lots of underwear down the laundry chute, mom will be happy because she will think you are (actually) changing your underwear."
(Probably not related) "Flushible wipes make everything better."
"Say something nice when you go in mom's room. It will be easier that way to ask for chocolate."
"If you look at the wrapped presents and your name isn't on any of them, you have some serious thinking to do."
Finally:
I was talking to the youngest about these wall stickers called "Fat-heads." Have you heard of them? They are life size stickers of sports heroes or princesses. You can now order (according to him) a "Fat-Head" of yourself.
Me: "Why in the world would you want a life-size sticker of yourself?"
J. "It would be SO cool. I'd always have someone to talk to. I bet we'd even agree on things most of the time."
Hmmm.
Thanks once again for stopping by, and to the Fly's AMAZING creator, Karen @ Baking In a Tornado, aka "The Blogging Original", for hosting this challenge! Would you like to join in the next FLY challenge? Click on the FLY button on my side bar. Karen will more than take care of you.
Take a look at what the other bloggers have going on inside their homes. Go on! Leave them a comment. You know you want to...
We are trying to make it through November without turning on our heater. 9 more days to go...
Happy Weekend, friends,
-Michele