Teeth!

Alice has at least 2 teeth popping onto the scene. A canine (or maybe just one next to the middle two) has broken the surface, and I can see that the middle two are on thier way out as well.

This explains 104.9 last night. Followed by a tepid bath. Followed by ibuprofen. Followed by a trip to the store to buy more Tylenol.

Did you know that you can 'alternate' between ibuprofen and tylenol for infant fevers...so long as you wait at least 4 hours between doses. The nurse thought it was probably because it had been 8 hours since her last dose of ibuprofen that the fever was so crazy.

Of course she was fine the rest of the night. At 5am this morning she had a 100.3 so we put off giving meds until 10 am when it was 102.something. She also acted interested in toys and food and even smiled today! Yay. Recovery is on its way! It only took about 2 days of sleeping, lots and lots of nursing and some drugs. Oh yeah, and a blessing (which she got before the fever got really bad, ironic huh?)

Unconfirmed Invaders

It's official. There are unofficial unconfirmed announcements of new teeth. It's about time Alice. Alice is playing with her drug bottle and looking at me like she wishes she were dead. And it's all because of her invaders.

I have to go to the theatre. It kind of sucks. Because I have a need to go soon rather than later, actually, I should go today. I am going to go see "A Christmas Story". That's right, that movie but performed by some sort of new interpretation that will probably suck. I guess I'm going to have to take a notebook and take notes so that I can write about it, which is exactly why I have to go.

I really don't understand why my class thinks that I need to go to a play, because the class is called "Drama as Literature". In what way is literature the same as theater? Anyway, I'm gonna go. Rebecca might correct this for grammar later.

How to be Cheap!

So today was the morning of 'amazing' deals and lots pf people shopping. My observation of the day was: people WILL spend money, even if they have none.

We got back from Thanksgiving with the family last night with a feverish and cranky baby. After finally locating the thermometer, we found out, yes 103.2 is bad and drugged her quite well with infant ibuprofen. The nice part about it, she actaully can stand the taste of it, unlike evil infant tylenol. Cherry flavor = death; berry flavor = i guess I can take this. 7 hours later she woke up and felt warm, and was wet, and Daniel was not in bed. Of course I didn't know what time it was, I just knew it was late(ish) and he wasn't there. I called him and he admited he was watching season 2 of heroes. So check temp again, 102.1. Thats better than 103, and it had been long enough, enter drugs.

Then Daniel was not fast enough putting her diaper back on, and alice peed on our bed. Um, yay. Look for another sheet. Then change the pillowcases, etc and force everyone to take showers. OK I was already in the shower when the pee-ing happened, but whatever. Then I realized it was 5:30am.

Now since we had discussed goign to black friday cause there were some things we wanted/needed that were great deals, and everyone was awake. We all got dressed and headed out into the sleet/rain.

1st stop, the dreaded Walmart stop. Yes it was packed. Yes there were deals, but I got so messed up trying to push a cart around and avoid people that after about 15 minutes, all we had was cough drops. (Yeah the pharmacy section was EMPTY). So we got close to the whole way round the store and decided, we are not going to be buying enough stuff to justify an hour or two in line. Literally lines were backed up down the main aisles almost the whole way to electronics (the hub of activity of course). So we abandoned the cart and the lone item in the midst of the clothing section (also deserted) and went outside to hike our way to our car.

Next stop Sears, cause I had seen online they they were going to have some pot and pan set, and I have been wanting sometihng along those lines for a couple years...and after finally finding the area, and the 'deal' we realized the pans weren't good enoghu quality for us to want them. And all the other things that were good deals, weren't needed or were just too expensive.

So we drove home. With nothing. Yeah. I know, we are cheap. OR maybe we are just poor. But the baby went back to bed and is still passed out, and so is Daniel. So that was my morning.

Don't inhale

I found out that this caulk type stuff that you put on windows to seal them for the winter is really noxious. I.E. if you inhale the fumes it will affect you neurologically...and make you go nutso or at least feel sick and screw with your nervous system.

Luckily I think all the yucky stuff has pretty much dissapated. (I learned that if you can smell the fumes, its not ventilated enough oops) and that would explain why the baby was so 'cry, cry, cry.' So yeah. Tada. All is well, not just cause I had come to terms with feeling not as amazing as all these other people that in my view are freaking awesome (don't ask guys, everyone has one of those days I am sure)

Daniel took some time off work to get caught up on end of the semester projects...and he also came down sick yesterday. So his nose is drip, drip, drip. And I have some very stuffed sinuses, so I am sure I will be the next to drip. Oh well.

I glued the broom head onto the handle last night. And then duct taped it. Yeah its stylish. Then while I was holding a piece of trim for daniel to nail into the wall, I look at Alice. Yeah, she had taken the lid off the wood glue and had it all over her, and the floor. Daniel transported her to the tub, and I came up and bathed her. It was everywhere. In her hair, covering her clothes, sticking her fingers and toes together. Yes. Glue.

So I got to take a shower after I bathed her cause she still hates baths and was trying to crawl her way out of teh tub via my body.

Now, if only she didn't want to be awake at 6am.

Not a thing to be stirring, not even a mouse

Well, the weekend was long and treacherous.

But, its over, so its time to move on. Daniel and I talked, and we are moving on.

No more feelings of being not wanted.

No more having to take extra steps because I don't fit in.

I'm moving on! (I don't know if I am exclaimation point excite,d but if I write it I might believe it)

Anyway. Enough with that.

We went to Target at the end of last week. I had a gift card we got from points back on our credit card, and I wanted to buy curtains. You know, make the home, more homey...oh yeah and stop the drafts.

So we go, and yeah there is one aisle of curtains there. I mean, its not the best selection, but I had a gift card, so we looked. After feelign the thickness of the different curtains, we got three panels for our one big window, and our strange skinny window in the living room. Each panel was $20, but it was like I was only paying $10 for them, so I figured, whatever. Then we were heading to the check out and i realize we need curtain rods. Now the curtain rods and blinds were on a second aisle, so I go look. I saw a cart sitting in the aisle, in the middle, but I scooted it over and went past it to look at the curtain rods. (I had seen a lady leave that aisle and go to the next, so I thought it was hers.)

After deciding to get tension rods I turn around and head to leave. Then I noticed that there were more curtains on this aisle. Only a few, and they were the thermal kind (i.e. plastic lined, but that doesn't sound eco friendly). Well, thermal is what I had actually wanted, so I was sort of happy. I looked and they were more (naturally) but I did see a couple of packs lying at the bottom with clearance stickers.

I can't help looking at clearance items. Its an addiction.

They said, originally 19.99 now 14.01. Cool, thats cheaper than what we got on the other aisle, and I can get these two panels and find a matching color instead of the blue gray we had. There were the exact same curtain panels for sale for $30, but its not my fault they were mismarked. I mean for real, the exact panel was on the wall. But I didn't want to get a third panel for $30 when there were $20 panels...of course they were sold out. I also noticed that the cart that was sitting in the aisle was still without that lady, and she was completely gone. Strange. Then I spotted in her cart one of those little scanner things. Anyone that has done a registry or works in retail stores knows what they looks like. And I realized that the entire cart was full of things that were returns and were getting marked clearnace.

The only other curtains I saw wouldn't work though (sad hideous color, at least when held up next to the ones in my hand) and they weren't any cheaper than the $20 ones I had already deecided on.

While I go back to try and decide tan or red daniel sees a package I missed in the cart. It was for a dark brown thermal panel. It wasn't as wide as the other ones, but it was makred down to $5. The color, i wouldn't have chosen myself if I had other options, but for that price, I can comprimise.

So we got all of our curtains for free. Sweet. And we spent way too long putting them up because the tension rod wasn't strong enough on the large window to hold up the heavy thermal curtains. That means we took down the nice curtain rod that was in the kitchen and put it up in the living room. The 'curtain' that was up in there was something I made from a sheet, and it wasn't even shortened properly.

We also took out the front set of French Doors Saturday and put them back in. It only took 4 hours, and we didn't get trim up, but it looks a whole lot better. Even though I have smal pieces of yellow Great Stuff foam all over my dining room. And I didn't sweep because my broom decided to break. Ghetto cheap walmart $15 broom. If i wanted a breaking broom I would have bought a $1 model from the Dollar shop. (Thats where we are buying a replacement btw. Probably 3 of them, cause I expect them to break.)

So yeah, I didn't see any signs (read mouse poo) indicating that they returned yet again last night, so my stacks and stacks of clean pots and pans bowls, etc can return to the lower cabinets. Thank goodness. I was getting so sick of stubbing my toe on a stack of baking dishes, and having my counters or table covered in skillets and bowls.

And its still a.m. that means I can clean. (I am really much more of a morning cleaner, you know before I get frustrated at the baby, while the sun is shining in the kitchen windows warming the tile, and after loading up on breakfast carbs.)

So long bipolar blog!

Today has been a day from hell. Not heck, not any other mild form of the word. Hell.

Let me explain.

I hate Sundays. It used to be the best day of the week. Until I had a child. Then meeting from 11am-2pm became torture. It helped that Daniel gets weekends off.

Then he started school.

Things went downhill even more. I have dealt with more mind-losing screaming today than for a while.

I hate many things today. One of them is the parasite attached to my boob. Another is the fact that we have our blog auto emailed to some of Daniel's family. I will be stopping that for this entry. I don't want their sympathy. Sympathy from 2000 miles away is wasted on me. In fact unless you can shut up the baby, get her away from my breast, and take away this headache that I have drank 3 glasses of water and taken 800mg ibuprofen for, I do not want to talk to any of you.

Daniel is home teaching. He still has tons of homework to do. This job I got is turning into a nightmare. My home has been bombarded by chemicals of all kinds to plug up weather holes, and mouse trails and every smell is making my head hurt worse. And its a freaking mess and I can't even do anything because I have a freaking parasite attached to me.

Things and Stuff

So yesterday I was sitting with Alice in the living room, and watching something and feeding her and I see this guy walking up the front walk. Huh, ok. So I think, I wonder what this is. He comes up and does NOT knock, but starts peering in the window. He looked in the dining room first, then started looking at the living room and saw me staring at him. He jump, startled, and walked quite quickly away.

I snickered.

But, it was strange. I think he was a guy that was working on the remodel next door, but I dunno. I was just glad that Alice was eating bread and not boobs.

Last night we had Schlectness. It was pretty enjoyable. The giant Ho turned out. I made a chocolate sauce and tried adding oil to make it harden. We ate the saucy ho before it was hard. It was chocolately delight. I also busted out the pink depression glass dishes. I was given a bunch from Daniel's grandmother and we have used them like twice in the last year. I also got a cute pink depression glass pitcher and 4 juice glasses. They are so tiny, its very cute. We used them as well. For milk. Cause milk should be drunk from tiny pink glasses.

Oh, and the poetry. Man the poetry was funny. We combined a poem by some old drunk guy (can't remember his name, sorry guys) with the back of a movie case. Best line: "DRUNK! I AM DRUNK!" "Check" Laughter, laughter. Yeah, and the baby went to bed at like midnight, which means I have free time! (Hence, the post, ja).

On a sad note, I cleaned out under the sink, and all the cabinets in bleach soaking joy yesterday. I also finished wasing all, all, ALL of the pots and pans under the cabinets. This morning Daniel saw freaking mouse poo under the sink. AGAIN! I JUST FREAKING CLEANED THAT! (i must yell because out loud yelling would wake my spawn.) The mouse traps were sitting under the sink, untriggered.

Tonight, we will be putting trim up. FOrget relief society hanging out with cookies. Forget choir. Daniel will be climbing inside the cabinets looking for holes. The trim will finish getting up (we had dome some potential hole covering, but no actual trim). The cabinets will get cleaned again and we will stop the freaking poo machine that is the mouse in our house. I am so freaking sick of him, I am Mormon swearing up a storm. I put thefood processor under there. I put all my clean pots and pans in that cabinet. I Just ate breakfast.

Don't get between a woman and her food. You will be crushed tiny little creature.

Party over here! I mean... down there.

So... Rebecca is having a party. This is apparently, based upon what I've seen, a made up holiday that is celebrated every third year wherein people are thankful for things that are pretty bad. I believe it's called Schlechtesmas or something like that. Derived from the German word for bad schlechtes and the Danish word mas meaning trouble nuisance or worry. So I guess it's a double negative and therefor actually fun.

Anyway, I don't have nearly so much of the blogging flair that Rebecca has, but yeah. I'm not invited to the party. Atleast, I wasn't invited to the party, but I can participate later if I want to do so.

For the record going to school and working full time is pretty obnoxious... especially if you have a small child in your home that doesn't like to let you sleep through the night. Last night she woke up at about 1:30 and was crawling on me and crying in my face. Not sure what to make of that... The night before I guess she actually woke up about the same time, but she was up a lot longer. Actually, she was bad enough that Rebecca got really frustrated and I took Alice downstairs for like an hour and a half and played blocks with her. Yes, I was tired.

There's so many things that I have to do now that it's just so easy to get overwhelmed. Unfortunately, when I get really overwhelmed I generally just shut down and don't get anything done that's useful. I'll have to do better in the future. Sorry I really don't feel like I have anything to say, so cheers.

Okay, yes. I would have posted that already but the mouse stopped working on the lap top.

I'm up in the middle of the night. I can't really say way. One reason I suppose is that I was curious if I'd gotten a raise yet or not... and um... that's inconclusive because the money hasn't hit the bank yet. So I don't know.

I've been listening to what I'll call a scary book at work. And I mean that apparently it's scary enough that I was lying upstairs in bed and kinda started to imagine ghosts looming in the shadows coming to rape my women and burn my crops. A bit ridiculous but there it is.

Working, working, working!

OK, Obama needs to not be at the top of my blog post anymore. So here we go.

I have a 'job' working for ChaCha. Its a free service (paid by advertising) where you text in a question, and get it answered by a person. Its like what KU info used to be. Its sort of cool. Only downside, providing sources. Especially for math questions. ANd i keep getting feedback emails that my presentation isn't the best. I guess i don't sound personable enough? I am not sure. Maybe its also cause I sometimes take a while to answer a question. I dunno.

Anyway, I have made over $9.50 in my spare time in the last couple of weeks, and though thats mot much, its better than nothin. So here is to texting (or calling) in questions! I don't know how you get an answer if you call in though. Maybe they email it to you?

SO here is all the useless facts I have learned:
1. Bill Gates retired June of 08. Before that he was paid $700K directly for use of some company that microsoft buys thier sample pics, etc from. There was also much more money paid to that company, but it wasn't directly to Gates.
2. You can't use a pdf document as a source, unless you view as html (its that whole select text thing that don't work.)
3. Germ-X (hand sanitizer) does NOT work for pimples. That was a duh, answer, but I did tell the guy that it can prevent staph infections that sometimes look like pimples or boils. Yummy.
4. 10 foot sections of aluminum gutter are about $7.50, and come in white, but you can paint them. Sorry dude, they don't come in maple unless you find some local retailer, and thats not on the net.
5. 3% of 93 is a little more than 2. That was honestly a HARD question to answer. They have links to stuff for doing math problems, but nothign for finding a percent. I finally found a site for 3rd grade math, and copy pasted that you have to remember that percent is per hundred then gave them the answer. I will probably get a feedback note on source, but whatever.
6. If you want 10" subs, and a 10" amp, you can get both from Overstock.com for about $220, with 2.95 shipping. I would give you the exact models I pulled up, but it REALLY doesn't matter.
7. If you boil bleach you will end up with a precipitate...that solid is an explosive! I found it on some pro-NRA site. The question was 'can you boil bleach' and i gave them a what you can do with it when you do. As a note, you can also buy the solid from pool stores...its a few bucks for a pound.
8. 60% of women secretly hate wedding showers. I don't know if thats really a secret or not. I was glad mine was a total flop. I have never really enjoyed them. I sort of hate lots of the things we do that are extraneous with weddings and the like.
9. A nollie is an ollie done with the nose of a skateboard.

ALso, the best thing to do when bored is to go to the ChaCha forums (for employees) and read the bad answer, better answer. Some of the original answers were HORRIBLE. Like ones that don't havea thing to do with the questions. Or the reply, Dunno man. Source? ChaCha.com

Oy. Enough of that. Its cold. I should clean. Its 7am and dark(ish).

Obama does weekly YouTube posts?

Think this is a joke? I did. But, it appears that the fake wood paneled background is, in fact legit.

I just watched the video, and I have to admit, this is a definite change for past president elects. I mean what past president's have gotten their own websites (www.change.gov).

Ok, so the video is pretty good (if you scroll down, I embeded it), I just have a few criticisms. Why does he think socialized healthcare will help the economy? I don't get the correlation. I don't have a job, but I can get sick or whatever, no problem. Umm, jiggah what? He talks about a rescue plan to boost the economy, but he also says that wall street and 'main street' will rise and fall together. And starting all these new jobs repairing roads, etc. It reminds me of the 1930s (i think) when they had all sorts of government jobs building things for the betterment of the people. I know all of you remember the "New Deal" that FDR initiated after the great depression. If you don't remember, read your history book, or google it or something. I like that he wants us to make sure the government starts an even newer deal. I mean, Change.

I also like that if you go to his website, he has already announced many of the staffers for his administration. What happened to taking it easy, and announcing things after Thanksgiving? I thought that was reasonable. I mean, the guy has younger kids, and you can't make up for lost time with them. Pretty soon they will be tweenagers with braces boyfriends and bad attitudes. Maybe if they get the puppy it will all be good. (yes guys, some of these comments are sarcasm. its not president-elect hating, or title-ism. I just think its funny that I had to listen to the webcast 3-4 times to get everything. Its cause he switched topics A LOT. I mean, it was all the same topic, but it felt unorganized enough to me. Probably because I like my facts in bullets, grouped by similarity. He has too many fancy schmancy sounding scentences, they juts confused me. )

SO yeah. Change = a president that supports Google's takeover of the world. As do I. Note: this blog is through google's blogspot, and youtube is owned by google. Creepy how me and Obama are like the same person huh!

Anyway. You should check out the website. Its sort of interesting. http://www.change.gov

We got some of these:

And Daniel stuffed a bunch of SOS pads in all the cracks he found around the edges of the house.

And I found out the replacement part we got for the bifold door is too big to fit in the track that's already installed. SO hopefully Home Depot has more than one size of track runner thingies. Or Ace hardware. Or anyone.

We also haven't decided what we are going to do if we DO catch said mouse. Take him a mile away and let him go? Let him go in the yard?

FOr all we know, the neighbors are the ones originally letting them in...we just had a temporary second solution. But last night I heard a scurry sounding thing in one of the outside walls...as far from the kitchen as possible. Yeah, ok it might have just been leaves, but still.

Alice is sleeping and I am attempting to put some order back into our home. I can't get myself to dive into under the sink yet.

I guess I will start loading all of the pots and pans into the dishwasher. (We are in all items in lower cabinets get washed phase) and vacuum the living room. FYI. The pantry is so clean, orderly and tidy, I sort of want to stare at it. Its pretty.

Oh my Freaking Gosh

Yeah. Its that bad.

I will give background of why I am swearing up a storm.

So I decided I would fix the bifold door in our kitchen (the one covering the utility closet) today. Daniel and I bought a repair kit Friday on date night. Yeah, we spend date night at home depot, what of it?

Anyway, I go to fix it and I realize I will have to repair the broken wood at the bottom so I can put in a new peg thingy. I am sure there are technical names, but whatever. So I find a shim, wood filler, and glue. No wait. Where is the glue?

I looked in the bin of household repair things. No Gorilla Glue. No wood glue. Where did I see that stuff? I know I saw them together. I thought it was on a shelf. I know at one point it was under the sink.

So I go check. Assuming its not under there. I was right, no glue. But! Moment of amazing epinephrine rush! I see the horrible unwanted, evil mouse poo. Yeah. In case you haven't noticed my feelings on these creatures, let me explain. *&!@$#%*!@$)*$%

That was the edited version.

Mice are fine outside. They are acceptable in pet shops. They are forbidden from my home. Forbidden. I don't care if the came with the place, they need to be gone.

So I don't know where they are living, but they are getting in.

I looked harder in the pantry (where we keep all random tools, etc.) And then I see more evil mouse poo. Now this stuff was way back in the back amongst our water storage, and it looked old. Like some ot it was whitish, and it was like pebbles. No matter, operation freak out was instated.

I pulled out everything from the pantry floor. I made a 3 row barrier of water bottles and canned juice to keep the baby out and mixed up some bleach solution. I hosed the place down.

I also started looking through the computer room closet where I admit we have some boxes that have never been unpacked. You know, wedding reception decorations, empty baby junk boxes, etc. Then I notice a water line on the cardboard of the bottom box in there.

For real now! Why.

I pulled it out and pulled up the carpet. Yeah. Mold.

Still no gorilla glue though.

So I find the spray disinfectant stuff that has been sitting on a shelf forever and not used. I smothered that place in it. The baby was of couse fasto n my tail and mad that she couldn't get int. When she got close she started coughing.

Ugh.

Meanwhile I have the bleach solution sitting on the pantry floor, I barricade tha baby in the living room (all 3 exits are baby gated) and cut up an old Tshirt I was planning on turning into a grocery bag anyway.

I sprayed even more bleach solution and started slowly hand mopping up the floor. And tossing the rags into a grocery sack to go into the trash bin.

I also shoved a steel woll cleaning pad into the hole. I think I will need to add about 4 more to fill it.

And find Gorilal Glue.

Meh.

*Note* While writing this, Daniel called back and he is coming home and picking up Gorilla Glue on the way. And the baby is wailing in the living room because she finished off her bribe (bread) and wants to be in the same room as me. Sorry kid. I will join you, but once we get a 2nd adult, we will have to work on hole sealing and home sterilization. And all this after we get a postcard in the mail sent to my Middle and last name (odd) saying Got Mouse problems? Call us. Daniel says it was sent by readers of my blog.

Crazy good Dillons deals

So we went grocery shopping today. Dillons is having their mega plus sale (or whatever its called) and if you buy 10 items you get $5 off your purchase. So we were shopping and buying things, then see see that Kroger muffin mix is 50 cents and there is things next to it saying if you buy 10 you save $5. Well hello, free muffin mix.

So we got 14. (We already had 6 items that would save us $ and we decided food storage muffins? Sure!) Anyway, we go to check out and they didn't give us the $10 off so we were like...what the heck. And asked and the cashier said that we only bought 6 items and we had to buy 10. So we said, but the muffin mix had a sign saying it was part of the mega save $5 deal. (I should look up the name, but I don't feel like it.) So the bagger goes and looks, and sure enough they had the signs on the wrong things. So we got our $10 off.

Ironically, instead of her changing the signs, she left a memo. But whatever. We also got 5 containers of Eggnog on manager's discount for 5 cents. Yeah, I had to look twice. Actually 3 times. Then I decided, I think you can freeze eggnog. And Daniel said he likes eggnog, so we got way way too much egg nog. But we only spent a quarter on eggnog. And 4 of the bottles are in the freezer. Oh yeah, I was supposed to say we saved 52% on our grocery thingy (and that doesn't count the manager's discount for eggnog). Plus we got TP for a great price, i.e. some coupons and Dillons had it on sale, so boo ya 24 'double' rolls for $9. Thats a better price than crappy cheap brand TP.

I also made a curtain for our bedroom today. Too bad Dillons doesn't sell curtain rods, and we weren't gonna go to Walmart, because we never go there, and its all the way across town, and I sort of hate going there cause its so huge. Plus it was 9pm when we got out of Dillons, so the baby needs sleep.

I also dug up our iris patch and spread the roots (rhizomes? I don't feel like google-ing to find out for sure). I not have irises planted all along the south side of the house between us and the neighbors, and I put a couple out in the front flower bed, just cause. I am also feeling like doing garden prep work so I will be collecting newspapers to put down no weed barriers. Maybe I will just go get a pile of Kansans from Campus some evening, that way they will at least go to some use.

So yeah, we have more than a year's worth of Muffin Mix (cause we never usually have it) plus some other items that we wouldn't usually get, but were very inexpensive and are shelf stable, and sometimes you just don't want to think about what to make, you want to add milk, and butter, and an egg...or whatever and tada side dish, or breakfast, or things.

I am in a wierd mood. I think its the weather. Oh well, I guess off to bed even though I am not tired...cause the baby should have been in bed earlier. Technically. Meh, whatever. I don't really care, I like her sleeping in. PLus I get adult interaction in the evening...even if she is awake. Better than nothing.

Rodent Problems? We have Solutions!

All righty then. So yesterday when Daniel called on his break I was still grossed out by said mouse. (See my last post for more info on that.) I asked him if he would come home early, thinking he would work a couple more hours and get home with some daylight still. (just an FYI his first break is at 11, lunch at 1:30, so I thought maybe lunch?) He said he would check his benefit time and call back, or call at lunch. Instead of calling he was home within 30 minutes. Sweet!

Meanwhile, I had moved the fridge, and tracked the possible entry as next to our back door where we had never replaced the trim. We really should do that as its getting cold and I am sure adding trim helps stop cold air from coming in.

I had also noticed that the temp solution we had done last year with Mama Cook was warped and leaving a welcome sign to our home. This was noticed a couple days before, but we hadn't done anything about it (read we only have time for these things on weekends as the sun is gone before Daniel gets home) My thought was affirmed when we looked outside and found pink snow! It might be somewhat hard to see, but its on the ground by the bottom of the house.



Operation close the hole began. We were somewhat cautious of potentially coming upon a nest, and praying we wouldn't. Just in Case, Alice was put in a safe place. Ok, ok. Daniel did all the dirty work. I stood inside with a broom and the door open. Just in case we had a runner, I could sweep him outside. And this is what we found.
Yeah, I forgot to take a picture of the tunnel in that hollow area behind the orange cord. It was very much a mouse tunnel to the inside. I immediately put in in the trash bin. As you can see the source of the 'pink snow' is this random pink styrofoam thing. Call it yet another 'good enough' solution from the previous owners. And as you can also see, Termite Damage! (Don't worry both sides of the duplex have been treated, and there was a second stud put in to help out with the termite damage.

Then we found it. The Stairway to Heaven!

OK, forgive the sideways pic, I don't want to mess with changing it as the baby is awake and wanting to play with the computer mouse (oy ANOTHER mouse). So we found tunnels and mouse poo making a stairway through our insulation. And we cleaned it out.
yummy. Right into the trash. Of course we cleaned out both sides, and put up new siding (which we had palnned on doing at some point anyway, but we didn't want to start a project when we the other side took FOREVER and a broken air conditioner to get done). So fast forward a few hours and some board cutting....

By 4pm we had this:
And it was caulked by yours truly. Note, the door trim is absurdly fat. Its 'cause Daniel wanted never rot. We will be replacing it with standard wood most likely. After we go to the beautiful Home Depot for Date Night. Yeah, spending even more money! (As a side note, Daniel told me we need to spend $400 less this month than last, that's totally impossible even if we don't buy trim from Home Depot. Hence, the spending more money comment was in fact sarcasm. The fact that I explained that is irony. And, that is the end of today's lesson.)

In fact, we have been really productive in the house department lately. Here is a picture of some of our handy work:
That was acquired from the curb, via the neighbor's $12,ooo remodel project including new cabinets. Granted, they are not the same as the rest of the kitchen, but I was wanting some shelves and this can hold our bulletain board and cute canisters. Plus its the only cabinets they didn't break down into pieces. ANd it was FREE! All we had to do was mark studs, and screw it in. Between that, and my caulking lots of windows, it feels like lots of house work getting done, and none of it was cleaning!

So, now that I have bleach, I have to put the baby in lock down and bleach the kitchen. If you wanna read something scary, look up the CDC.gov info on cleaning up rodent infestations. Yikes.

Evil Heathen in my Home!

Thats right, we have a mouse. I haven't seen it, but I found droppings under the sink. The sink I moved all the cleaning chemicals from under and it was storing toaster, crockpot, and MOUSE POOP! I feel nauseus knowing he was down there. Luckily the crockpot crock has been in the sink for a while (it was clean mostly except the evil mineral deposits). Still, I pulled everything out and cleaned it with borax. We NEED bleach now. I didn't want it in my home, but its much better than a mouse.

And to think this happened after I caught Alice chasing a spider across the kitchen floor. Yeah, she was spider hunting. I went in for the kill and removed her from the room. I wonder if I can just stuff the holes by the sink pipes with SOS pads. They are steel wool...sort of. And I have some that the previous owners left. And it will make me feel better. Right now I am considering cuttign holes in the bottom of the cabinets to make sure there isn't any under them. I am also considering throwing up.

Our apartment we lived in when I was pregnant with Alice had mice. Every time we turned on the oven it smelled of pee. It was so so nasty. We ate lots of microwave food. I feel sick just thinking of it. Gross.

So, Obama Wins.

I have to admit, I am not surprised. We don't watch much TV, but McCain's TV ads made him look like a moron. Plus, people saw that statistic that in 2007 he voted with the president 95% of teh time (even though its been lower) and were like, oh no nothing will change! Of course if they look at Obama's recod every year he has been in congress he voted with his party 97-98% of the time. Plus democrats are in control of the House and Senate. Normally I wouldn't see anything wrong with that, but in this case he feel like a puppet president. (Look at how i am talking, he isn't even president, he was just voted in more popular).

In anoher note, the final call for Prop 8 isn't in, but it is losing with 60% of the vote in. Maybe because they did that ad of mormon missionaries ransacking some female couple's home and ripping up thier marriage certificate. It was really in poor taste. Especially since they introduced themselves as from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For real now, why wouldn't our church support adding the words "marriage between a man and a woman" to ANY thing. I mean its in the Family Proclamation tothe World. And yeah, that was set out to the world in 1995. Looks like yet again the Lord issued revelation before it was needed. Now, I am not saying laws like that won't get passed, but the reason why the First Presidency sent out letters asking people to support it makes total sense.

Overall I am not really excited or bummed about the elections. It happened, we have chosen, as a nation, to have certain people represent us. Now is the time ot see if that happens.

We voted!

So we went to the polls (which according to sources was supposed to be open until 8pm, according to the county 7pm). SO yeah, we got in there right at cut off time. Alice hung out on the floor, then she got my sticker. She proceeded to eat it until it was a blob of sticky gluey paper. Now she is hollering about it sticking to her. Its sort of funny.

We had about 8 people that we had to support or not support to stay as judges. Daniel sent them all packing. I kept a few, though I don't know who any of them are. Stay or go, whatever.

Whomever wins, wins. I will support them. I may not agree to everything they do, but sometimes you have to make decisions you think are for the greater good.

We are watching "Vantage Point" right now. Seriously, its like the movie groundhog's day, only its for the day the president was shot. 30 minutes in and we have seen the same 5 minutes worth of stuff 3 times...from 3 different people's view. Yeah, I am getting bored. I do wonder if we will ever have a bald president. Wait, is McCain bald? We shall say he is, just cause. Then, theoretically, the bald president will make some huge peace treaty with Spain (cause you all KNOW we be fighting them Spaniard, ALL the time) and at the big press conference thingy he will get shot...by Moroccan terrorists. Yeah cause that makes sense.

Sewing Project!

So I signed up to be part of a holiday/Christmas/cookie apron swap. And I am excited. Saturday we went to the fabric store. I went that day because they were having a sale on patterns. Of course, after looking at the patterns I decided to use a tutorial I saw online, so my fabric choices weren't the best. Ok let me rephrase. Its not that the fabric was bad, but I got more of it than I needed. Plus I wanted to do something different, so I got some ribbon. The potentially bad part is that the ribbon isn't 100% cotton (which was a rule) but its totally washable, and I think it looks cute, so I went with it. I suppose if my partner is against it I can make another one with a regular waistband, but FYI the ribbon is cute.

So I spent some time measuring and cutting my fabric, and I thought, this seems like it will be small. Of course once it started going together it seemed bigger, plus my partner isn't as rotund as I am. (how's that for an appropriate use of a word) But I will be needing a test subject to make sure it fits right for someone in the size 8 world. I might use my sister, who is no size 8, but the part that makes her a 10 is all the junk in the trunk. So I am sure she will be a good model.

So yeah anyway. I have been up and at em for 2 hours now, and the baby is still passed out in bed. Thank goodness for time changes! And in a few minutes I will be trying to finish the apron. If I get it done, even with my unstitching and redoing a few seams it will have taken like 5 hours with most of that time being chased around by a baby who thinks pin cushions are chew toys, and fabric should be played with. Especially ruffles. Ruffles are made for playing with. Even if they are only in the pinning stage.

I would post pictures, but my blog has been passed on to my partner, and at least half the fun is the surprise. Right? I will tell you, I went to the store and came home with three types of fabric. Only one was even in the holiday section (a cute blue with white snowmen) and it was scrapped. The classig red and green just looked better. Plus the fabric is deeper colors. I don't know if I lost some of the blue in the wash, but the red and greens turned out great.

But anyway, enough wasting time reading blogs and writing in mine, I have an apron to finish!