North Street Records

When I met Mr. M years ago he had quite the record collection. Over the years though, his record player broke and slowly the collection dwindled. I came across the handful he still has left a few months ago and decided to get him a record player for Christmas. It's pretty cool. It looks like something out of the 1950's but has modern day conveniences. You know the things we can't live without these days... cd players and ipod hookups. He loved it. He's excited about building up that collection again.
Today, we went to North Street Records. I loved it! I've never been in an actual record store before. I just thought it was the coolest thing in the world. We probably flipped through records for more than an hour. It's a good thing he had to go to work or we just might not have ever left. He found a few must haves and so did I. The only records I had in my possession before today were a few from when I was little... Disney, Elvis, and remember "Harper Valley PTA"? These were my hot finds for the day....

What good collection could exist without Joan Jett and Beatles albums? None... my point exactly.
Don't think I forgot the kiddies...

Gotta love the Chipmunks! Can't wait for the kids to get home so we can listen to the Chipmunks versions of songs like "Jessie's Girl" and "Whip It".

Always tomorrow...

Was today everything I dreamed it would be? Not entirely. Due to my oldest waking up sick this morning, only 1 child attended school. Still... One cranky kid at home is far better than 2 kids at each others throats all day. I've also had a splitting headache since I woke up this morning, which I'm sure has to due with my lack of getting enough sleep last night. There's always tomorrow, I suppose.

Snow day overload

After a VERY long week of snow days, except for today being a holiday, the children will be returning to school tomorrow. I have to stop myself from breaking out into an "Annie" ballad about now. Oh screw it... "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love Ya, Tomorrow You're only a day A Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Yes, I went there. I'm not ashamed of it. I know all of you with kids are singing it too. The kids are pretty ready to go back themselves. They seem to think being cooped up in the house for such a long period of time is a form of child abuse. I try to explain to them that it's much more a case of parent abuse than anything. Tomorrow... the abuse shall end.

Waking up in Alaska

Yesterday we got 5 in. or more of snow and today... well today it feels like a big wind came and took my little house away and plopped it down in the middle of Alaska.
Cold doesn't even begin to cover it. How cold do you ask? Well last time I checked the regular temperature was -14. The wind chill was somewhere around -35. So cold this fancy new heater we got can't seem to keep up. Stupid heater. I'm wearing long johns....just to sit around the house! It's so bad the boys haven't had school for 2 days now. What fun's a snow day when you can't actually leave your house to enjoy the snow? No fun at all I tell you. I hear a blanket and some hot chocolate calling my name.....

Teenager in the house....

It didn't bother me much when my kids started school, when the Pickle started Jr. High, or even when I turned 30. The thing that truly has sent a panic through my entire being... The Pickle became a teenager today. We are now parents of a teenager. Nothing good can come of this. I cringe to think of all the things teenagers set their minds on doing. I think I just might be having a panic attack at the moment..deep breaths.... deep breaths...
So, it's done. Nothing we can do about it. Nothing but pray. Oh boy, there will be alot of praying going on. A teenager... seriously, where'd the years go? Excuse me now... I think I better go lay down. Something tells me I'll need to be fully rested to prepare for the next 5 years.

Letting my obsession take over for a short while

I've always been a big reader. Sometimes life gets in the way though and it seems months and months go buy without reading anything more substantial than the Glamour magazine that's delivered to me every month. This past week has offered me a rare opportunity. With an empty schedule, other than the Pickle's daily morning practices, I had the time... time to lose myself in the wonder of a good book. Going to Barnes and Noble and Borders is a whole experience in itself for me. I love book stores. I could wander around in them for hours. I'm not sure what it is. There's just something so comforting about strolling through the rows of millions of titles. Comforting to me anyway... Mr. M has the complete opposite reaction to them. To him they hold some strange creepness factor that I can't quite fathom.
Anyway, loving book stores as I do, these trips must happen rather infrequently. It is a must if I plan on sending my children to college one day. You can't imagine the money I could spend on books.
Ok, back to the subject at hand.... In the past week, I have read the entire Twilight series. I've always been intrigued by the vampire stories. I've read the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice and enjoyed them very much. So, I guess it's not much of stretch I was drawn to "Twilight". I couldn't put the books down. I read one right after the other. It was like watching a movie... you can't just stop and watch the rest later. They drew me in completely. It was the love. So much unselfish, forever love. I didn't want it to end.
Believe it or not, those 4 books were not all I read. Also, a big fan of Chelsea Handler. She is the only comic I've ever seen that is actually able to make me laugh out loud. Quite an accomplishment. I love her! I already have her book "Are you there Vodka? It's me, Chelsea." so I got her other book.."My Horizontal Life". Again, she didn't disappoint. I even read parts to Mr. M....that funny.
So now I should probably hold off on book reading for awhile. My inability to put a book down until it's complete really puts a damper in absolutely anything else getting done. Back to the real world....

New Year's bash

Since we've had kids, Mr.M and I have taken to staying home for New Year's Eve. It pretty much plays out the same way every year... funny hats, noise makers, snacks, and Welch's bubbly. We play some Playstation, listen to some music, and then of course watch the ball drop on T.V.

Grand Master Nugget found him quite the New Year's bling this year...

Then Pickle, well he some how came out looking like a wino...

Good times, good times.

Bed of Needles...

A real Christmas tree... remember how exciting it was for us to hunt down the perfect one and how grown up the Pickle felt finally getting his turn cutting it down? The stuff Christmas memories are made of. I have to keep replaying those precious moments in my head because after sweeping up pine needles for a month and then this...



Lovely as this scene may play out if it were indeed just a bed of needles on the forest floor; it's unfortunately not a fairytale. Instead, it is the nightmare that played out in my living room after all the pretty ornaments had been removed. Maybe this situation will haunt me less as time goes on and we will continue our traditions next year. At the present time though, these wounds are far to fresh to think of anything other than buying a big 'ole fake tree in a box the next time around. I suppose only time can tell....

Christmas vacation

The kids have been on Christmas vacation, for what seems like a year now, but if you actually stop and look at the calendar, has only been a mere 2 weeks. In all honesty, I can't concentrate let alone string a tangible sentence together when they're here for such an extended amount of time. There seems to be a rare quiet moment in our home so I thought I'd better start trying to catch up with you on what's been happening in this zoo we call home.
Today, I'll start with family gatherings....




They can only sit nicely for so long...

And as all parents know, this is how a major portion of Christmas is spent for us..

Things like stuffing bean bag chairs and adding all those batteries to all those toys...


Well, the children are beginning to stir so it's time for this little blog to end. Stay tuned tomorrow to see riveting M family footage.
Oh and Happy New Year everyone! May this be the best year of your lives!