Category Archives: Life in general

Five Question Friday

Posted on December 9, 2011 | 1 comment

Apparently the dryer got jealous that I was talking about another major appliance yesterday because it decided to freak out and take up smoking last night when I ran it. It is kaput. So sad, especially since the washer was the one we thought was going to die first since it has been leaking a mystery fluid for the past year (but still running so we just gave it a makeshift diaper and called it good). So we bought a new washer and dryer set last night that will be delivered tomorrow – not exactly the plan, but what can you do, with two boys and a husband who wears three outfits a day (at home, at work and working out), a working washer and dryer are kind of necessary and since I bought them together, I saved $200 and another 5% for using my Sears card so it was almost like I was getting them free, if free = a chunk of change.

[Aside: Liam is playing the Wii at the moment (Star Wars Lego game), all by himself, and on of the characters shot at him and he yelled, “Dude, just stop it and chill out!” Makes me chuckle, he does.]

1. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
My favorite Christmas treat is homemade peppermint patties. Simon’s favorite is the baklava I make once a year. I guess neither one of us is into cookies, per se. And we both love Chex mix equally, though he has to have his special mix with just Chex cereals and nothing else.

2. What’s your favorite holiday movie & why?
Holiday Inn. I just love the music and the dancing and any movie with both Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

3. Is there a gift that you bought for your kids that you wish you hadn’t after they opened it?
Anything that makes an obnoxious amount of noise, but since Liam’s first Christmas I’ve learned to avoid those so usually I’m happy with the gifts we’ve given them. If we’re going to talk about regret, I wish I’d never given them a chicken nugget, but then, what would Jack ever eat?

4. What is the messiest room in your house right at this moment?
The whole house. It would be more accurate to say what the cleanest room in my house is, and even that I’d have difficulty pinpointing… but after some thought I’d go with the downstairs bathroom.

5. What is the furthest you have driven for the holidays?
Just after college my parents and went to Texas for Christmas – the one and only time we haven’t had Christmas Eve at their house so that’s the furthest I’ve driven. I’m not too adventurous when it comes to Christmas travel. And though you didn’t ask about flying… the furthest I’ve ever traveled for Christmas was when we went to Australia.

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday!

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Posted in Five Question Friday, Life in general

Dishwasher drama

Posted on December 8, 2011 | 3 comments

Simon and I play something I’ve started calling dishwasher roulette (at least in my head – in reality, I don’t think Simon knows we’re playing this game). Along with having an indicator light next to the word “clean” on the outside of our dishwasher, the other way you know the dishwasher has just run through a cleaning cycle is when you open it, you hear the door to the compartment that holds the cleaning tab audibly “pop” open. Because of our schedules, we’ve gotten into the habit of running the dishwasher at the end of our “parenting shift” leaving it so the other parent comes home to clean dishes in an unemptied dishwasher. It’s easy to ignore the clean dishes and avoid having to put them away until you have to open the dishwasher and hear that popping noise. Once it’s opened, it won’t “pop” again and then the other person knows you’ve open the dishwasher full of clean dishes but haven’t put them away. I personally feel guilty if I don’t put them away once I’ve heard that pop so I avoid opening the dishwasher unless I have to (ignorance is bliss) and thus avoid hearing the telltale pop (hense the dishwasher roulette – though not nearly so life-ending). Simon does not feel this same measure of guilt if his simply pulling the clean dishes out that he needs to use and shutting it again is any indication. Like a good little Dutch girl, I feel the guilt and curse that wretched popping sound when I hear it.

On a related note, has anyone else gone to put dishes in the dishwasher and found it full of clean dishes and after putting away the clean dishes realized that they accidentally put the aforementioned dirty dishes away with the clean ones? I thought that happened the last time I emptied the dishwasher and I sort of shrugged and thought, “Should I go through the cupboard and find those two dirty plates, they only had bread on them…” but then I saw the dirty dishes sitting on top of the coffee maker. [That sound you heard a couple seconds ago was my mother gasping – I assure you, she raised me better.]

And completely unrelated to the above… I heard a new Kid Rock song today (see below) called “Care” and I was reminded that I inexplicably like Kid Rock’s music (not to be confused with actually liking Kid Rock as a person).

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Posted in Confessions, Life in general

For crying out loud…

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 5 comments

I have a problem… I’m an ugly crier who has, at times, cried inappropriately.
For example, when I get very angry and have a confrontation, I often end up in tears. This is helpful for arguments with my husband but not so much when I was in middle and high school and having the usual petty disagreements with friends. If I would get at all riled up, I’d burst into tears, this never helped me win my argument then.

It’s the intense emotions of an argument mess me up but any intense emotions will do. If I’m overly tired and slap happy, I’ve been known to go from laughing to sobbing without reason or warning. And once I feel the tears coming, I cannot shut them off, this drives me crazy and also contributes to the ugly factor as I’m usually trying (unsuccessfully) to control my tears. Often it is something inexplicable that sets me off when I’m already emotionally charged. For example, at our wedding, I was doing pretty good holding it together with no tears and as my dad was walking me down the aisle I caught the eye of one of my cousin’s husbands and he smiled so big and I literally burst into tears and continued crying through the entire ceremony and straight through until we had personally dismissed each guest from our wedding. It was a bit ridiculous.

The most recent example of this happened this weekend at my patent’s church. As mentioned, it was the farewell Sunday for the pastor I grew up with and I was prepared since I remembered how I reacted when the last main pastor left 20 years ago (my mom and I sobbed the whole way home from church). I didn’t wear mascara and tried to focus only on happy, non-serious thoughts but then I opened the bulletin and saw that the sermon title was “Thank You and Goodbye” and I felt that awful tingle in my nose and knew resistance was futile. And yes, I cried, a face-scrunching, impossible-to-stifle cry. Certainly for good reason but I sure wish I could have done it in private. Much less awkward for everyone :). But I just have to accept that I can’t change this about myself.

My name is Michelle, and I am an inappropriate and ugly crier, I can’t help it. Thanks for loving me anyway.

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Posted in Life in general

Status report

Posted on December 6, 2011 | 4 comments

Boxes packed for moving the office in two weeks: 1 (the new printer I ordered is still in the box it came in so that’s done)
Vendors to coordinate for the move: 0 (at least I’ve done the planning)
Christmas cards left to address and mail: all (but they have been at the house since before Thanksgiving)
Presents left to purchase for Christmas: 0
Presents left to wrap for Christmas: all
Fabulous husbands who do laundry (and live in my house): 1
Parties/holiday activities to attend (before Christmas Eve): 6
Bennett boys who are super excited for Christmas: 2 (Simon’s just moderately excited; George could care less and is only sort of male)
Batches of Chex mix to be made: 4-6
Goodies to be made: more than enough
Delicious food to be eaten: a boatload
Minutes spent exercising: probably not enough
ememby’s who are stressed (but really wouldn’t have it any other way): 1
Cranberry-orange vodka to drink: as much as my brother, Mike, will give me
Days until we leave the country: 24
Days until we get to Australia: 26