Happy Halloween!

Last night the Foster's hosted an Office party. It was a blast! Jenna made dinner in a pumpkin! Yeah! A PUMPKIN!! I got there and Jeff just took this huge pumpkin out the oven. It was full of rice and gravy and meat and peppers. It was good! And, did I mention, cooked in a pumpkin? To make the night really special there was homemade rootbeer! It bubbled over like a cauldron of magic potions. It was a lot of fun. The event was well-attended by a drug lord, a banana, SnowWhite, SpiderMan, and a cowboy. Where do the Foster's find all these people?

The Bad Vet

Today Ken took Rusty to the vet to get his annual shots. We are going to Salt Lake this weekend and Rusty stays at the AmeriPet Hotel while we are away. Before you turn your noses at us and claim that we are so snobby we take our dog to our hotel- listen up. The AmeriPet is incredibly affordable. $16 for 24 hours. They feed him, provide a spacious place for him to sleep, give him one on one human interaction/playtime twice a day, and then 4 times a day he gets to play with other dogs that are his size and at his athletic level. He loves it there. And it really gives us peace of mind knowing he is safe and well-cared for and Rachel is nowhere near him while we are not. To get back on task- all dogs at AmeriPet must have their current vaccinations. I fully support this rule. I don't want Rusty coming home with kennel-cough anymore than the next pup-mom. We've come full circle...

Today Ken took Rusty to get his annual shots. We go see Dr. Stone and this was definitely our last visit there. I sincerely think Dr. Stone hates my pup. And, put plainly- if you hate Rusty, I hate you. Sorry bout it. Last year Ken took Rusty and it was a fiasco. Rusty got out of his collar and basically terrorized all the sick animals. Yeah, he jumped over the counter and ran back to where the sick puppies are kennelled and started barking and knocking things over and really made a mess. For this, we apologized and paid for whatever we broke and got a stern talking to. Shortly after Rusty went to obedience school and although we were asked to leave and not come back just about every class session- him and I stuck with it and kept going back and got a certificate. For participation. With all that behind us, Rusty has grown into a fairly respectable dog. He no longer barks at other dogs when he sees them and he'll let anyone pet him and play with him- even check his ears and teeth. So this years trip to the vet was supposed to go much smoother. Ken took the little prince and he was so sweet in the lobby. He sat right at Ken's feet and didn't bark, didn't escape, and didn't act out. When it was his turn he walked into the exam room and let Dr. Stone check his ears, teeth, belly, and paws. Ken said Dr. Stone was being a little gruff with Rusty. He would pick up his ears and look and then almost throw them back against his face. This doesn't bother me too much. Russer is tough. But (!) when it was time for shots the vet pinched Rusty! Ken said they normally pull up his skin a little to put the needle in. No prob. But Dr. Stone pinched and twisted Rusty's skin. Ken could see the doctor's muscles flexing! Rusty yelped and cowered and sat down which made Dr. Stone angry. So he started telling Ken to control his dog and make him stand up and yadda yadda yadda. Boy, if I was there. Smack down. Ken said he told Dr. Stone that it looked like he pinched Rusty pretty hard and that's why he yelped and sat down- not because he was trying to be bad. Of course, the Dr. didn't care and remarked that Rusty is not well-trained. Jerk. Doesn't he know we went to the dumb classes he told us to go to and they tried to kick us out!? Over and over again! Doesn't he know Rusty has a big ol' heart and just wants to make everyone happy?! No, I'm sure he doesn't. Because he doesn't care to get to know the animals he is treating. He just wants us to write a check. Well, Dr. Stone- you got your $70. Way to go. You're successful and you suck. I hate you for being mean to my dog.

Sexy Little Bridal Shower

Last night my lil' sister Julie had her bridal shower. She gets married November 8th and is the most beautiful bride out there. No joke- she's stinking hot. We had her shower at her friend Jan's house and her sisters, some BFFs, and the girls she worked with came. When we got there the host had us lean over without bending our knees and trace our hands and then sign where we traced. It seemed really silly- but turns out it was a game. She wrote down what each person said while there were trying to bend over and trace and then that is what Julie and Chris (her fiance) will be saying on their wedding night. People said things like "This is where yoga really come in handy." "Ouch! I just can't bend like that." "I'm going to turn this way so you can't see my bum." It was funny and sweet Julie was so red. Cute.

We played a Chris trivia game and Julie got 12 out of 20 right. In her defense- some of the questions were tough. Like how old was Chris when he had his first crush. What?! I don't know that about Ken and we're making it alright.

Julie totally scored on gifts too. She got 5 or 6 giftcards to places like Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Walmart. I heart giftcards. My youngest sister Andi got her wine and martini glasses. You have to know Andi. To brief you: Andi drinks everything out of a wine glass or champagne flute. She thinks it's more special that way. I mean everything. Milk, orange juice, water, pop, and of course sparkling cider. But it always looks like my parents just hosted a party because there are fancy glasses everywhere. Anyway- back to Jules. She got some basic home stuff; towels, potholders, and candles. I got her games. "In a Pickle" and "Clue." I remember getting married and at my bridal shower I got a ton (A TON) of things to take care of a house. Laundry baskets, nice detergents, cleaning caddies, toilet scrubbers, all that stuff. And I was like, "I guess I am becoming a servant." No one told me how fun being married is. No one told me how great it is to pop popcorn and turn on your favorite CDs and play games with your husband. So I wanted her to know that right off the bat. Plus, Julie is about the biggest gamer alive and Clue is her favorite board game. So, I think she liked it.

9 days in counting to the big day!

Spell-Check

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Walking on Sunshine

I was looking through old Christmas pictures as I am amping up for the holidays. I know Halloween is the day after tomorrow but Ken and I won't be in town and we don't have any kids- so other than the exchange of candy bars- it pretty much falls to the wayside. I am a Halloween fan, this is just an off-year. AND (!!!) there are only 57 days until Christmas. Yeah. Newsflash, right?

I found this picture of Julie and Andi. (Check out those legs! Whoa Mamma!) They are my two younger sisters. They are wearing killer shoes from our sister Victoria. She lives in Pittsburgh but always brings or sends the most extreme and gorgeous shoes. I look forward to the holidays knowing that Vicky will bring me some footwear that screams empowerment. Always stilettos, always chic, and always become my new favorite.

This year I couldn't wait. I needed that extra hitch in my giddy-up. And I found it. They do the trick. And I think they oughtta hold me off until Christmas.

Mic Check

I'm a new person, so watch out world! I have a whole new level of self-sonfidence. (Just what I needed, right?) I am happier. I feel in control. I feel powerful. I feel more free than I ever have. It's the new Patty!

I can tell you how to do it too. All you have to do is make a mix of your favorite songs to sing. The ones you really love to belt out, even if you're a "marginal" singer. There are 21 songs on my mix and I called it "Mic Check." I called it Mic Check because I need to play it when I think I am losing myself to something. My job, my routine, my anything! My mix will remind me of me! Of who I am and what I like. So after you have your mic check the next step is to sing them! Turn on the CD player, turn it up louder than you ever have (even if it's just by one notch higher) and sing your songs! Grab a wooden spoon. Stand in front of the mirror. Shake your hiney- but sing them!

It's liberating.

(Some track suggestions: You Don't Own Me-Bette Midler and The First Wives Club, Proud Mary-Tina Turner, Hate Myself in the Morning- Leann Womack, Me and Bobby McGee- Janis Joplin.)

You have your favorites. Use those. Sing those. Free yourself. You'll be surprised.

Movin' On Up!

Starting last Thursday Ken and I began painting our living room. It was a 3-day grueling project. You know you start these things and it's all excitement and fairydust and by the end it's like you can't stand to look at that same color anymore. It was long. But, totally TOTALLY worth it. Our living room was white- or so we thought. It turned out to be more of a dingy yellow color when we started painting the ceiling and trim. The light switches and plates were this old tainted ivory color. We're guessing they were the same plates that were there since the house was built. In the 60s. I'm posting before and after pictures. We are for hire. Ken has an excellent eye for color and design and I'm the work horse. We make a damn good team.

The National Debt

After the 2nd presidential date a few weeks ago (maybe more) I blogged about my great idea on how to figure out who the president should be. If you didn't read it, shame on you, it's called "A New Republic" and should be a mandatory read in high schools nationwide. To get back on task... in that blog I mentioned that I had a killer (KILLER!) idea on how to get rid of the national debt. Rumor has it that the national debt is over $10.5 trillion dollars. That's a lot of bread, folks. It needs cut, reduced, or eliminated. John McCain wants all spending freeze. Then, he wants to take a hatchet and chop off all excess spending. Barack Obama wants to take a scalpel, and delicately cut through the debt. I have a better idea than both of them.

Consider the following box office revenues for their first 3-5 days of screening:

Batman: The Dark Knight- $355.6 million

SpiderMan 2- $152.4 million

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End- $142.1 million

Transformers: $152.5 million

Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix- $330.3 million

I am Legend: $128.5

If you total those up you get $1.1 billion dollars. In less than a week. LESS THAN A WEEK! Now, it was reported that each of these movies grosses over $852 million dollars before they left the theaters. That brings us to over 5 billion dollars, a decent chunk of the national debt. Do you see where I am going here?

I think the government needs to make a movie. And not some gay documentary about the building of America. They need a box office hit. They need a Batman. A Harry Potter. AND- there are always those liberal actors who are saying that this country needs our help. They should be the ones to volunteer to act in it. C'mon Ms. Jolie- show us what a goodwill ambassador you really are- and do something for your own country. I think if they got some good/popular actors- and had a studio donate equipment or whatever (total tax write off) then they could make a good movie! And if no one knew it was made my the government they might go see it! I think everyone would go see the next Batman movie anyway. And the Harry Potter movies are just a goldmine. We're not even getting into merchandise here. Think about it, if all the acting was done for free, and the production was sponsored or donated or however that works, all those revenues would be total profit. When applied straight to the national debt, BAM! What national debt??

People, are you with me? Can I get an AMEN!

Cosmic Connection

Today I had lunch with Natty. Natty is my friend who I simply adore. Not only is she absolutely crazy and shameless enough to do just about anything with me.... she is incredibly smart. She's super into politics right now. If you are voting for Obama... don't tell her. On second though, DO tell her! She will change your mind. She does her research. Today we had lunch together and found out that we grew up together! (I was raised in Pennsylvania and she was raised in Washington) but somehow when she thinks of her childhood- she remembers me being there. And vica versa. Just today she was talking about all the fun we used to have at Jefferson Park. And then someone spray painted it and they had to fix it all up again. We've actually only known each other for 3 years, maybe 3 and a half. But there is an amazing connection. I'm really glad she lives in Idaho.
I got to thinking after she left that it's really rare to have a great friend. A really awesome friend that you can be yourself with and you feel so close it's like you shared the same childhood. I know you all have one. So, call her today. Ask her to lunch. Don't let it die.
If it's been awhile, let me give you some conversation starters/topics to talk about over lunch.

1. Come up with your new secret handshake.
Me and Nat go in for a hug and shuffle our feet really fast until we meet in the middle. Don't copy us.
2. Pick a friendship song.
Ours is "Get Here" by Oleda Adams. Don't copy us. But DO download this song... it's killer.
3. Set a new tradition or meeting place.
Nat and I have lunch once a week and sometimes we pack lunches. Also we are going to start watching Ghost Hunters together Wednesday nights while our husbands are gone.

The most important this is keeping that connection. You might not make it with any one else! Nat, sorry I stole this pic off your MySpace... couldn't find one of JUST you!

And Tracey, if you are reading this, please comment and let me into your life. Maybe we'll have a connection.... who knows.

Dreams Come True

I taught a Relief Society Super Saturday class about blogging- that was a relative failure or so I thought. Today I discovered Larae's blog. She's doing it! And thriving. This must be what a proud mother feels like. I am a little teary and feel very satisfied. Check her out-
www.thebellsarenapping.blogspot.com

The Bradley Girls

I am a Bradley Girl. My maiden name is Bradley. I was Patty Bradley. I thought that had the cutest ring to it. So quaint and a little coy. (Apparently, slightly conceited.) Then I met and married Ken and became Patty Poulsen. The double P has a nice ring to it as well. But there are things I miss about being a Bradley Girl. There were only girls in the Bradley family. 5 of them. Krissy, Vicky, Patty, Julie, and Andi. My parents wanted all our names to end with the "eeee" sound. All of our full names end with the "ah" sound. Kristina, Victoria, Patricia, Julia, Andrea. I've never been into the whole name game thing with your kids. Like all J's or S's. But I think my parents were pretty clever. Anyway, things I miss about being a Bradley Girl. We had the most ridiculous rules. Especially regarding Sundays.

1. You have to wear your dress all day.
2. You can only watch a musical. Disney movies are not musicals.
3. If you are taking a nap it must be less than one hour- or it is "sleeping" not "napping."

The list went on. But we were so connected. My oldest sister was born in 1981 and my youngest sister was born in 1987. 6 years. Yeah- we were tight. We were always making up games together. We all had "supper jobs" which had to be done after supper. Wash the dishes, dry the dishes, wash the counters, sweep the floor. Our kitchen floor had green tiles in the middle and grey tiles on the outer edge. The game was someone was "it" and they could only tag you if you were on the green tiles. So we cleaned the kitchen creeping around the edges staying only on the grey tiles. It was called, "Grey." We also had, "Ship," "Wolves," "Legs," "Sounds," "Office," etc etc etc. I loved that we played games together all the time. I loved that we didn't have a lot of toys so had to make something up. It inspired creativity.

We also had a band. Well the little girls did. There were the "big girls" which was Krissy and Vicky and then the "little girls." Me, Julie, and Andi. The little girls had a band named Flower Power. I was the band manager. I am laughing right now- because... what did I do as "band manager." I booked the gigs of course! We played a show for the big girls, one for mom and dad, and one for Uncle Joe as I remember. And at your request I will gladly sing any of our 3 hits. "Necessarily." "Confusion." "Can't Get You Out of My Head." We wrote all of our songs ourselves. They're... funny.

My favorite thing about being a Bradley Girl is when we all get together and talk and laugh about this stuff. We all remember it. It's great.

AND!!! I want to hear about your "old" families. Not you and your kids- but you and your siblings. This isn't an official "tag." But it's definitely a tag.

The Best is Yet to Come

Tomorrow me and Ken celebrate our 3 year anniversary. As a friend said, that is nothing to sneeze at. I got to thinking about that and realized that... Yeah! I am pretty proud of being married for 3 years (minus one day). When we were engaged a bunch of people told us that the first year is great, no problem. It'll be fine. But the second year. Ugh. If you can make it past the second year you'll make it forever. I think our first 2 years were smooth sailing and this past year we really grew and fused together as a couple.

So, the eve before each of my birthdays I write in my journal things I learned that year. And it's normally like- "23 Things I Learned Being 23." But to only have 3 things learned while being married 3 years- is so cheap. I've learned a lot more. But I am going to say I'll share 10 things. So, here it is:

10 Things I've Learned in 3 Years of Marriage

10. Watching a really lame TV show about the engineering behind building a bridge and not complaining means a lot to my husband. It's the time spent together.

9. The words, "What can I do for you?" can make a marriage last forever.

8. Go to bed at the same time- even if one of you is sick and wants to go to bed at 8:00. Just do it.

7. Be united- but keep your individuality. Ken likes to golf and I like to swim. No harm there.

6. Listen to the whole idea or story before jumping to conclusions or solutions. I've learned to start by saying, "Hear me out." Then I know I can get all my ideas out there and we can really talk about it.

5. There isn't an answer to every problem.

4. You have to talk to each other everyday even when there is not that much to say. Even when today was exactly the same as yesterday. Even when you'd rather not. You just have to.

3. Teasing each other is fun and keeps the fire burning and all but can turn bad... really fast.

2. Date nights work. Even when date night means turning off our cell phones and playing Scrabble together. It still counts.

1. Love is free.

It's been fantastic. Ken is unbelievably good to me. I love him.

Fatty Patty

A few months ago a client came into my office and really made me realize I was "too fat." He was older- mid 70s I'd say. He comes in once a month to pay payroll taxes. We normally talk about farming and fishing and outdoor stuff. I know close to nothing on each of those topics- but I am pretty good at pretending. Anyway- we were talking that day and he pointed to my stomach and said, "When is your baby due?" I was totally shocked! In my head I screamed, Baby? BABY?! DO I LOOK PREGNANT, FOOL?! Instead of saying no I am not pregnant and letting the guilt and shame come over HIM- I felt bad for possibly embarrassing him and so said, "Oh, no time soon." Followed by several nods and smiles. I thought the embarrassment was over, but no. He continued to give me maternity advice. "Be sure to get plenty of exercise, and don't smoke or drink and you'll have a big healthy baby." The rest of the conversation is a blur. I was caught up in my embarrassment and unbelief that he kept on going and going! I told a couple co-workers and they claimed it was the shirt I was wearing. Whatever. A couple friends said old people just don't know any better. The topic was dropped.

Until today. When he came back in. We were talking shop and suddenly he says,

"What was your baby?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your baby. Was it a boy or a girl?"

It was time to set the record straight.

"Oh! I was never pregnant. You must be thinking of someone else."

"No. I'm thinking of you. You were wearing a green shirt and I told you to get plenty of exercise. Remember? Did you have a boy or a girl?"

"Neither! I wasn't pregnant." I think it hit him then that he had called me fat.

"Oh. Well, I see you took my advice on the exercising then. Good. Clears your bloodstream. You're looking much better."

Gosh. Stop. Please, just stop talking.

I Heart Celebs

This weekend Ken and I watched the Love Guru. It didn't get the greatest reviews but I thought it was downright funny. And Ken was laughing so hard he was crying! So I suggest renting it (without children around). Justin Timberlake plays a hockey player in this movie and every time he would show up on the screen Ken would ask, "Do you think he's hot?" Soon it was a joke. And, no, I don't think Justin Timberlake is hot. I have decided to clear the record books. I think I have different taste in celebrity crushes. I am not dissing anyone else's- but I am going to list my top three and then it will be settled and everyone will know better than to ask me if I think Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Michael Phelps, or Zach Efron is hot. I don't.

#1- Phil Mickelson. We've posted about him before. There's a connection there. I can't explain it. Must be in the stars. He always looks so happy! (Must be thinking about me.)

#2 Jim Cramer. If you don't know who he is watch CNBC at 9 PM. He the host of Mad Money. He talks stocks and money management. But he is so egotistical! A real shameless self promoter. And he says he is all the time. He has an incredible memory and has no problem acting like a total buffoon's bottom to get a laugh out of you (or to get the message across). Love him. Tune in for his Friday show...a little after 9:30 they do "The Week That Was" and show all his funniest/craziest highlights from the week. Classic. In this picture he looks like he is from the street. thestreet.com ba-bay!

#3 Stephen Colbert. I am not saying anymore. Stephen Colbert.

But don't worry, Ken. You're still my man.

Suzy Snowflake

The change of seasons is upon us. We had "quite a snow" this weekend. Which of course led to staying indoors, starting a fire, and listening to Christmas carols. I love Ken for putting up with all my silly inklings. The first snow of the season is always really exciting for me. I like being outside when it's that cold for the first time and sniffing in and having my nose burn. It's exhilarating. Think what you will. I would have to say my all-time favorite thing about the first snow is all the leafy snowmen that pop up around the neighborhood. I was walking Rusty and saw on the upwards of 6 or 7 of them! I like it because I remember being little and begging my mom to let us go outside and play in the snow. Even though there might have only been an inch of so. She would tell us there wasn't enough and we should just stay in and be warm. But would always cave- and we would PROVE to her that there was enough snow by building a snowman. That would inevitably be covered in leaves. And all the grass would be showing. But it's charming. It's childhood. And I am so happy to see it in my neighborhood.

Lovers.

I love these two. They love each other. It works out in the end.

Rusty loves people food. He'll try to eat it right out of your mouth. This is Ken finishing a popsicle. Rusty wanted the last bite. He knows Ken will give it to him (softie). He knows if he tries with me he'll get squirted in the face- so I take the pictures.

Turtle Wordle

I stole this from Karlenn. Fun! My biggest work is Ken... and the NIGHT! Wahoo! And then Karlenn's kids names are pretty noticeable! I swear I am not that obsessed. I attribute this beautiful post to wordle.net

Try it! You'll like it!

A NEW REPUBLIC!

Last night was the second Presidential Debate. After YW Ken encouraged me to watch it because I've been sporting Barack Obama in every possible way. He's just so cool. Ken says I can't vote for someone based on the fact that they are cool. Hmmm.... free country? Anyway, we watched about 45 minutes of the debate. I'm torn. They are both really dumb in my opinion. Yes, I prefer Obama as a speaker and dresser. (He's so GQ.) But his policies seem a little unclear. A little "too good to be true." And McCain spent more time speaking ill of Obama then promoting his policies and ideas. Bad move, John. Bad Move.

So I was getting ready for bed and thinking about the candidates and it hit me! The best idea! I'm going to trademark or copyright or make sure no one can steal this- so don't even think about it.

Instead of having the republican and democrat candidates face-off for months and then have the country vote- we should take the 2 top candidates... the ones that will be on the poll (in this case John and Barack) and make them the President and the Vice President! They are obviously the top 2 favorites, right? That way all the republicans can't say the country is going to hell in a hand basket because the president is a democrat and all the democrats can't say our country is going to hell in a hand basket because the president is republican! Then the candidates can get off their soap boxes preaching about bipartisan leadership and prove that they really CAN work together!! It's genius!! And, face it, it makes sense.

I also have a killer idea on how to get rid of the national debt. If I receive enough comments about it- I'll blog it.

The Other Patty

Since the Rusty/Rachel incident I have been craving a fight. Another chance to smack down. But this time, bigger and badder than before. How awful, right? I blame it on the "Other Patty." Which is what I have come to call her. (or me- when I am not really myself) For instance, Rachel brought us over a loaf of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread from Great Harvest to apologize and fix the bridge she friggin tore apart. Ken was home and accepted it and said thanks and was all sweet about it. When I got home he showed it to me and was all smiles and I said in this dark voice, "Throw it away-she probably poisoned it." WHAT?!!? Where did that come from? I love bread! Carbs. Carbs. Carbs. Here is my neighbor trying to be sweet and apologize and I am swearing at her silently in my head and visualizing eggs splattering on her front door. "Other Patty" be good!

Last night Ken and I were at Walmart. I had to get the oil changed in my car. So we're there and the guy takes all our information and then says it's going to be 40 minutes. "40 minutes?!" Uh-oh.... I feel "Other Patty" coming up. "Other Patty" looks around and sees that there are no other cars there, there are mechanics everywhere smoking their cigs. "What's going to take so long?" Ken grabs my hand.... he must sense "Other Patty" too. The mechanic, Barry says we have another car in there and there are only 2 mechanics working. I take in a breath and am ready to go off on the facts that I bet there is more than one lift in there and maybe if he cracked the whip a little and got those 3 mechanics to do something traffic could get moving a little quicker.... but Ken. Bless his heart. Says, "See you then" to Barry and we go into Walmart. Now. Normally if you have to run into Walmart for one thing you're in there for an hour and don't even know. But last night- GOSH! We were there for an hour and 20 minutes waiting for my dumb car and couldn't think of things we wanted to look at. "Other Patty" doesn't like being bored. She went back to the tire place like 5 times and drummed her fingers on the counter. When the car finally was done- Barry came and talked to Ken (clearing avoiding me) about the tires on my car. Apparently, they're pretty bad. He said they were below legal limits. Yikes. (BIKES! Mr. Colson rocks my world.) He gave us a receipt with a checklist of everything they did. "Other Patty" got a hold of it. And flipped out. "Yeah right they washed the windshield." "Vacuum carpet? Ah- no. Turn around- we're going back." Sweet Ken just grins and bears it and tells me to calm down and act normal. He doesn't get that it IS normal for "Other Patty." She's bad. She laid on her horn and gave someone the bird on the way to work this morning because they wouldn't let her pass. Jerk. Also, if you have any suggestions on what to call "Other Patty" let us know. I don't like her disgracing my good name.

Friday Night- Date Night

Ken and I go on a date night every Friday. Sometimes we go to dinner- sometimes we go to the movies. There are times we go bowling or out with friends and there are times when our date night is phones off, leftovers, and Talladega Nights (which we have seen over 100 times.) This past Friday night was the best date night we have had in a while! We babysat Ben and Karlenn's kids for them while they went on a date night. I was so excited all day I couldn't wait for them to go. And then like a half hour before I got really super nervous. They might not like me. I'm not that fun. What if I get mad? We don't have any kid toys. What are we going to do? Ken calmed me down and told me I had a pretty good imagination. I stood my post at the window waiting for them to come.

I had a blast! At first, it was a little awkward. I haven't been around kids that aren't family in 7 or 8 years probably. I was rusty. They have 3 kids. Dylan, Sadie, and Micah. Micah is the baby and Ken said he'd be in charge of the baby. (baby-hogger) He did not let go of that baby the whole time! I didn't even get to hold him! But that was okay because I was partying with Dylan and Sadie! They have incredible ideas and imaginations and love to talk. The hardest part was listening to both of them at the same time and trying to give responses.

Rusty was no help whatsoever. Our original plan was Ken and Rusty could read in the back room and I'd have the kids in the kitchen. But Rusty would not have of that. He wanted to be in the action. But Rusty, bless his heart, forgets that he towers over small children. And although he wouldn't hurt them he can traumatize them for life. So I "locked" Dylan and Sadie in the kitchen (not really Karlenn I just closed both doors and warned them about what would happen if they came out) and released the hound. Who ran and jumped and barked around the coffee table 5 or 6 times before plummeting down the steps to his play area. I locked (literally) him downstairs and the night went smoothly. I came up to the kitchen and Dylan and Sadie just stared at me all wide eyed and spooked. Dylan spoke first. He's a big dog. Yes, he is.

We had drawing contests, made a big animal poster, played with Tonka trucks, played Beauty and the Beast, learned how to catch popcorn in our mouths, made a fort, sampled cookies, made a golf ball noise tube, and heck- I had a good time.

I'd have them back anytime!

This is the fort we made in the living room. You can unfold the canopy for more privacy.

We have a Kennywood arrow on our fridge (you Pittsburghers know what that is). Intermittently throughout the night Dylan would go in, change the direction, and get this silly smile on his face. I asked him what that was all about. He smiled even bigger! "You see, you come here and change the arrow, (changes arrow) and that is where Rusty has to go! Downstairs (change arrow), upstairs (change arrow), upside down!" The laughter was uncontrollable then. He got such a kick out of it- but wasn't so into posing for the picture.

Sweet Sadie. I have "magnetic" paper dolls. It's Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Sadie was so good! She's sit there and make new outfits and then bring it over to show me it was a "gweeen dwess." She also was very proud of her Hannah Montana T-shirt. And ought to be!

NETFLIX

Me and Ken signed up for Netflix roughly 3 weeks ago. We love to watch movies and hate to bring them back. We were basically handing our life savings over to Hastings. Enough of that! The Fosters introduced us to RedBox which was the coolest thing ever, or so we thought. The one at the Albertsons on 17th is SO slow! And there are always people there with 100 screaming kids! I have no problem with kids. I love kids! I want kids! But-when they are putting their sticky grimy hands all over the RedBox stand because their mother won't give them any attention- oooo! It gets to me! But maybe I'll understand that more when I am a beloved mother. Anyway- it took awhile but I convinced Ken to sign up for Netflix. We got the $13.99 a month plan. 2 movies at a time- unlimited rentals per month- and unlimited movie watching from your computer. It's AWESOME! I love getting those bright red envelopes in my mailbox. It really is like the commercials. Where the characters are waiting for you. Oh, I love it! Except me and Ken are total addicts and can't control ourselves. So we started with 2 movies. And thought we'll watch one, put it in the mail, watch the next one the next night, put it in the mail and by then we'll have a new one. Wrong! We gorge. Watch 2 in a night and then sit and look at each other like- what do we do now? We don't have a NetFlix? Sad. However, we'll get on schedule! AND I highly recommend this service to everyone. Especially people who hate going to the video store. The selection really is incredible! We've got all seasons of Seinfeld waiting in line to come visit us. Yippee! Also- there are plans as cheap as 8.99 a month. I can't think of a reason NOT to have Netflix. In closing, if anyone knows how the Netflix factory works let me know. I like to imagine that they have a worker just for me and Ken. And everytime we send in our movie request our little NetFlix elf smiles and shakes his little elf head as if he just KNEW we would pick that movie. (But that can't be it.)