Death and Taxes, revised

The English vernacular has adopted a phrase to represent the inevitable. Something that no one can escape, and that is a part of every one's lives that we have to accept and deal with.... "it's like Death, and Taxes." I have successfully dodged the filing for taxes part by playing ignorant (luckily I have always had a significant other to fall for my "blond tax moment"). Maybe if I'm lucky, I may even experience the "twinkling of and eye" thing and get out of the death part too. No, in my life I need a better phrase for describing the inevitable, the things I can't escape, that are a part of life... I've got it! DISHES AND LAUNDRY.

They are both like little demons hiding around every corner. No matter how hard I work, no matter how many loads I run, people in this house keep wearing clothes and eating food! I have thought about solving this by saying, "No more clothes." Jake actually liked that idea. He prefers the feeling of the wind on his backside (also from his backside). Or maybe we could switch to paper plates and plastic forks. But alas, I love mother nature and planet earth a little too much to settle on that solution.

So I have decided to accept and deal with my DISHES AND LAUNDRY. This acceptance has helped me to discover I can even enjoy these daily tasks. I can listen to my favorite music, or watch a nice movie, while I fluff and fold. And who doesn't enjoy the feel of warm soapy water on their hands, or the opportunity to ponder the deeper things in life while the water is running over the dishes. Pondering topics like mortality... and what is the best way to organize my IRA in order to pay as little taxes as possible (shoot, I may have blown my cover).

So instead of complaining about my daily plite, I accept it as inevitable. Hey, I can't escape it. It happens to all of us. It's like... DISHES AND LAUNDRY.

Katieology

I really liked this quiz from facebook...

Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your name followed by "ology".
***********FOOD-OLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice?When I’m being a “good girl” it’s a squeeze of lemon, when I’m naughty it’s thousand island.
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?Nearly Normal’s (vegetarian food in Corvallis)
What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?breakfast cereal
What are your pizza toppings of choice?Pineapple
What do you like to put on your toast?cinnamon and sugar
***********TECHNOLOGY***************
How many televisions are in your house?1
What color cell phone do you have?
Dark red (it’s a chocolate cherry)
What's your favorite method to get a message out? (text, email, voice mail, snail mail)phone call, or e-mai
l***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed?right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body?5 lbs of breast tissue, then of course there was that time I had babies… 9 lbs and 11 oz of Benjamin, 8 lbs of Sam, and 8 lbs. of Jake
What is the last heavy item you lifted?Sam. He is a solid 4 year old, and he was asleep tonight when I took him to his dads
Have you ever been knocked unconscious?nope
************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?I don’t think so.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?When I was a kid I wanted to be Elizabeth, but I really like my name.
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?you bet, I’m a sucker for that kind of thing
************DUMBOLOGY******************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own?One really good pair (they are nike’s), I’m not a shoe person. I think less is more, as long as they are quality shoes.
Last time you had a run-in with the cops?A speeding ticket when I was in college.
Last person you talked to?My hubby called me from work to tell me he loves me
Last person you hugged?Ben, good bye for the weekend
**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season?Fall
Holiday?Thanksgiving
Day of the week?Sunday
Month?March (both mine and my husband’s birthdays, and spring break!)**********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone?All my sweet hearts, Ryan and my little boys.
Mood?good, Ryan gets home soon.
What are you listening to?the gentle hum of the heater
Watching?Nothing
Worrying about?Nothing.
***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning?To the DMV! My name is now Katie Hill. WOOOHOOO
What's the last movie you saw?Adrenaline Rush at the IMAX
Do you smile often?All the time, and I’ve got smile wrinkles already to prove it :)
QUESTIONS
1)Do you always answer your phone?yup
2) You love...My husband, my kids, surfing (we were going to go tomorrow, but looks like snow 3) If you could change your eye color what would it be?I love my eye color. After all of the silly appearance things I complain about, that is the one thing I wouldn’t change.
4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?We don’t have a Sonic here… rub it in why don’t ‘ya
5) Do you own a digital camera?Yep
6)Have you ever had a pet fish?once, but would like to have some again
7) Favorite Christmas song?You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch
8) What's on your wish list for your birthday?A trip to the coast with some major wet suites and a surf board. Dang you snow!
9) Can you do push ups?Sir, yes sir!
10) Can you do a chin up?I can do a few… very few.
11) Does the future make you more nervous or excited?very excited
13) Ever been in a car wreck?when I was a kid
14) Do you have an accent?Only when I talk to Ryan’s southern family members, they say I sound funny.
15) What is the last song to make you cry?He Is, by Hilary Weeks
16) Plans tonight?After this I’m gonna catch up on some Lost online.
17) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?No secret that I had a failed marriage, I know what rock bottom is like.
18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday?I spent no money yesterday, Yay!
19) Have you ever been given roses?Yes!!!!
20) Current worry? not a worrier
21) Current hate right now?I’m not a hater.
22) Met someone who changed your life?One or two people
23) How did you bring in the New Year?playing board games and kissing my hubby
24) What song represents you?Bob Marley, Don’t Worry About a Thing
25) What were you doing 12 AM last night?Sleeping, while my husband was trying to tell me about his night at work.

Silly Stuff Fingers Says

This kid is hilarious! I can't believe some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth. Two of his most recent brilliant moments...

1. We were discussing the tooth fairy. The Brain was letting us all know that he did not believe in her anymore. He said that his friend at school stayed up all night to see her, and her mom actually came in and left money under her pillow. I guess she was fake sleeping. I said, "Well, the tooth fairy knows if your awake and won't come... you can't trick her. She will only come if you are asleep." It was like a huge light bulb went on for Fingers. With large gestures and wide eyes he emphatically informed us, "Stuff happens all the time when I'm asleep, and I don't even know about it." For a four year old, he is pretty smart.

2. Warning, this story is a little bloody. First thing you should know is that Fingers is a tactile "hands on" kind of guy. He looks at things with his hands. His eyes see perfectly well, but it doesn't exist until Fingers has touched it. One major advantage for Fingers's having to handle every thing is that he also has a good memory, and can tell you where missing house-hold items are. "Fingers, where's the (hair brush, nail clippers, keys, toilet lid)?" He always runs off to get it for you only to return instantly with the missing item. It's amazing!

A few weeks ago, Fingers came to me crying, and holding his bloody index finger. "Fingers, what happened?" I asked. "Pooh-Paw (my dad) was right," he said. "You shouldn't put your finger in the pencil sharpener."

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was the best day of the calendar year... my birthday.

We celebrated all day! My lovely husband made me a yummy breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and strawberries. Then we went to the cheesecake factory for lunch. The kids were very dissapointed that it wasn't actually a factory, but not so dissapointed with the cheesecake. Then we went to OMSI. The kids had fun (of course) at the kid area, after which we saw an IMAX movie called "Adrenaline Rush." It was OK, but sky diving gets boring to watch after a while. Honey Bear and I really wanted to see the DaVinci exhibit but it wasn't "hands on," so the kids got board fast.

On the way home we stopped to do something I have been promising the kids we would do for a long time... we rode the Areal Tram. OH MY GOODNESS! That was the highlight of the day for the kids. The driver gave the boys a whole book of stikers, and it was night so we got to see the lights of the city. It was a very fun family day.

I don't feel a day over 14. Sometimes I act like it too. But really, I'm not that old. I'm not even 30... yet :(

My family

In our family there is:
1. Honey Bear(age: really old), group life coordinator at a youth correctional facility, and yoga/Pilate's fan.
2. Bug Gutz(age... still in her twenties: barely), nursing student and surfing mommy.
3. The Brain(age 7), Katie's first born and master reader.
4. Mr. Sticky Fingers, or Fingers for short (age 4), my second born and ladies man.
5. The Snake (age 2), mommy's boy and Dora's biggest fan.
We also get to claim...
6. Big Brother (age 7) Ryan's oldest who looks just like him... as handsome as can be.
7. Lil Sis (age 4) daddy's little girl, who can't help but be loved by all who know her.