If a tree falls on a house...

And there's no one around to hear it...does it still make a noise?

Five Question Friday!! 7/30/10

Yee haw!! It's Friday! (Er...ah...can I say "yee haw"? You know, since I'm from MinneSOOOOta and all? I'm not sure if it's legal for me to say "yee haw"...but I just did. So there.) ;)

I am sooooo excited for this weekend. No real plans, no commitments, no work for several days. It's gonna be heaven. Pure, unadulterated, heaven. (Did that make sense? I'm not sure that it did...it's pretty late as I'm writing this, and I'm feeling a little goofy. Bear with me.)

It's time for Five Question Friday!! Or, 5QF, as it's known 'round these parts! C'mon in and play...it's loads of fun and you'll have a blast, I promise! Pinky swear. Scout's honor. You will. Trust me on this one, 'kay?

Alright...here we go!

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then c'mon back to link up (tomorrow)! If you don't have a blog (or already wrote a post), but would like to play along, feel free to leave your answers in the comments below!

Questions for Friday, July 30th: (Special thanks to Julianne, Ann (for inspiration), Jill,Bethany, and Tiffany for their question suggestions! We had some great ones roll in last week, thank you!!! If you want to be linked in a future 5QF, head on over here, to my community, and offer up your best question suggestions!)

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?

2. Do you dream in color?

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?

5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?

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1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?

I had neither a blanket nor a toy.

I had "Silky". Silky was my best friend, my confidant, my soul mate for the first few (and by few I mean several...and by several I mean that I just got rid of it last week...) years of my life.

Silky is a legend in my family. My aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, parents, neighbor's friend's sister's boyfriend's second cousin once removed, knew about me and my silky.

Silky was the silk border off of a blanket. I would rub my tongue (and this is where you will decide I'm a looney toon and run away laughing at my weirdness...) on the roof of my mouth and rub my silky on my upper lip.

I could also accordion the entire length of the silky between the fingers of one hand, absentmindedly, while watching the Smurf's. Or the Jetson's. Or maybe the Bozo show.

It was a talent. I can still do it...but without the speed and agility that I used to have.

Dang...I shoulda vlogged this. I could've shown you my sweet silky skillz.

Boy, would you have been impressed!

2. Do you dream in color?

Do I dream in color?!

I dream in freakin' High Def!!!

Seriously. It's scary. My dreams are so detailed and I remember them so well, I think there must be something wrong with the way my brain works.

Ahem...or, maybe you've already figured that out.

For example, just the other night, I dreamed I was touring Dooce's house. (And, for the record, I'm not even an avid Dooce reader...but I do love her house.) It was like I was there, gorgeous hardwood floors and all.

This question totally puts this song in my head.

Hello 1994, it's been so long since I've seen you!!

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?

I am 5' 7".

Okay...well, actually, I'm 5' 6 1/4", but since I'm an optimist, I prefer to take that extra 1/4 inch and round up.

I'm like that. Except if it comes to my weight. Then I totally round down (a couple of pounds...).

I have always and forever wished I was taller.

Actually, I take that back. What I've always wished, is for my legs to be in proportion to my body. So...that would make me either 6' 7" if my legs were in proportion to my torso, or 4' 8" if my torso were in proportion to my legs.

My legs are short. Oddly short.

It's not cute. Trust me.

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?

Oooooh...I'd pick that one guy.

You know...that one? Argh!! Why can't I remember his name?

He's African-American, used to stutter as a child, and has an amazing soft, deep, melodic voice.

Oh...wait. We said on my GPS. I don't have a GPS.

Remember? I have a baby who hates malls. Soon, my inner GPS will be zeroed in on everymall and I will develop a nervous twitch and profuse sweating as I come within a 10 mile radius of it.

Oops. Digression. Back to the voice...hold please, let me google.

Okay, back now. Sorry that took so long, internet snafu...

James Earl Jones.

That's who. If I had a GPS, I would like James Earl Jones to tell me where to go.

5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?

Amen and YES!!

Even with my boatload of kids, I do.

But really, only because it drives my mom crazy. It's her pet peeve and she says not very nice things about people who don't bring their carts back.

And, I'd hate for her to say those things about me, so I just take my cart back.

It's easier that way.

And much healthier for my psyche if I'm not wondering if my mom is talking smack about me.

Although...I've gotta admit...it is kind of annoying when the carts aren't back in the corral.

Just sayin'.

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Okie dokie smokie! There ya have it! Next week...I'm thinking I might vlog 5QF from the road! It'll be like "5QF: On Location!!"

Stay tuned, I'm sure it'll be real exciting. Or something. ;)

Thursday Night 5QF Sneak Peek!!

Holy smokes! Late summer is flying by for me! For the second week in a row, I almost forgot it was Thursday!!

We are gearing up for our big trip coming up next week...I'm a combination of really excited and horribly terrified. BUT...I am LOVING the suggestions, tips, ideas, hints, advice, and well wishes I've gotten for traveling with small children and enjoying the Black Hills!!

Without further ado...let's get onto the Sneak Peek!! Remember that this post is just the preview...tomorrow is the "real deal" with the linky! If you need help with the linky, let me know!

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then c'mon back to link up (tomorrow)! If you don't have a blog (or already wrote a post), but would like to play along, feel free to leave your answers in the comments below!

Questions for Friday, July 30th: (Special thanks to Julianne, Ann (for inspiration), Jill, Bethany, and Tiffany for their question suggestions! We had some great ones roll in last week, thank you!!! If you want to be linked in a future 5QF, head on over here, to my community, and offer up your best question suggestions!)

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?

2. Do you dream in color?

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?

5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?

Technology today...

Quite awhile ago, I touched on something that I dubbed "Generation Text"...or...at least...I thought I dubbed it.

Until an author of a book called "Generation Text" left me a comment telling me my thoughts were "romantic" at best. Bugger.

What's wrong with romance, anyway?

Anywho...the other day, over coffee with a fabulous friend (hi Stac!!), we were discussing technology and our children...namely, cell phones/texting with our children. Er...well, we weren't discussing it with our children...but more, how it pertains to our children.

She is a homeschooling mama (encouraging me to give it a try, myself...) with a brood of children who are just as fabulous as she. Her oldest and my oldest are fairly close in age, so we share struggles, in someways. The most recent, was the lack of friends being invited over...our kids not picking up the phone to call friends to come over, and vice versa.

Once upon a time, Mr. W was talking with his sister about how our Pal doesn't really get invited to many friend's homes to "hang out". I was more worried about it than the Mr., fearing our eldest child didn't have friends.

At conferences for school, his teachers always reassured us that he was a friendly kid that got along great with everyone...kids and teachers, they'd report that yes, indeed, he had lot's of friends at school. I'd leave, scratching my head...wondering what was up with the "un-invitedness".

After the Mr. talked with his sister, he told me that she said the Pal was "out of the loop, because he didn't have a cell phone, and didn't text". (For the record, I've always been fairly anti-cell phone for kids...) When I heard that, my first reaction was "Ah...phooey! That's just a bunch of bull!" I didn't believe it for a second.

And I went back to worrying about what could be wrong with my son, to be left out of things so often.

Well...(and this is what I shared with Stac...) about a month or so ago, my boy bought himself an iPod touch and a couple of iTunes certificates. He bought the "Text for Free" app for his iPod, so that when he is in a WiFi signal, he can text...just as if he had a cell phone.

Suddenly...our boy is doing stuff. Being invited to friends' homes and golfing and basketball. It's unreal, guys!

I didn't want to believe it...I really didn't...but, my SIL was totally right! (Not that I didn't want to believe HER, just that cell phones/texting played such a big role with today's youth and socialization [or lack thereof]...)

Stac and I realized...that kids these days don't pick up phones to make phone calls. Which makes me a little fearful for the future communication skills of our youth.

Whatever it is...I guess I do need to learn to roll with the punches. If life gives me lemons and I'm supposed to make lemonade with it...then perhaps...

If life gives me technology, I should learn to embrace it (or at least live with it?!). Right?

Drive-In!!!

Last weekend, we took a bit of a road trip to catch a movie.

AT A DRIVE-IN!! Let me rephrase that...at 1 of only 5 drive-in theaters left in MinneSOOOta!

I was a drive-in virgin. Er...yikes. That came out sounding totally wrong. What I mean is, I had never ever been to a drive-in before!

It was awesome. The Long Prairie Drive-In is exactly what I thought a drive-in would be like...vintage speakers playing 50's music (at least I think it was 50's music...) before the start of the movie,

an old time snack bar replete with everything from popcorn (duh!) to root beer floats,

and, of course...the screen. It was enormous!

There are little hills that you pull your car up onto so that you are angled toward the screen...a huge area in front of the screen where kiddos can run before the movie starts, and friendly patrons who will let your 2 year old play with their kiddo's baby stroller.

It was awesome.

And now...I think I'm going to become a drive-in junkie.

Oh...and PS...we saw Toy Story 3...AWESOME movie!!!

The Mall Hater:

I just had a revelation. You know how they say God has a plan for everyone?

Yeah...well...I think I figured out what His plan is for our baby girl.

We went shopping yesterday, and I'm quite certain that my (*plasters fake smile on face*) adorable, wonderful, (*beginning to clench jaw*) pookey, schnookums (*speaking through gritted teeth*), munchkin of a love bug was bestowed upon me to create within me, a horrid and vile aversion to malls.

I'm pretty sure that, prior to her arrival, I loved malls waaaayyyy too much and that God thought that maybe I should take it down a notch.

So He gave me her.

And now, I'm beginning to twitch whenever we pull into the mall parking lot.

In fact, I think maybe even the mall employees are starting to twitch when we pull into the parking lot. Either that, or run for cover.

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!! TAKE COVER!!! BABY GIRL HAS JUST ENTERED THE LOT!!"

And they all dive underneath their registers, quaking in fear, praying that we pass through quickly.

I'm thinking it won't be long and I'll be having full blown panic attacks whenever we come within a couple of blocks of a mall...it'll be like my own inner GPS..."uh oh. Panic attack...we must be near a mall."

And then my babe's head will start to spin and she'll begin to cackle and take on her evil alter-ego "Screech" (not to be confused with the adorable but tragically unsuccessful "Saved by the Bell" dude...he was probably fabulously behaved in malls...) who will only disappear once we have arrived back at home.

Somebody help. I think they gave me the wrong baby in the hospital.

Another post in which I solicit more of your help...

Okay friends...I am soooo grateful for all the traveling tips y'all gave me!! LOVE them! (In fact, my wheels are turning about a giveaway...)

Now...I need some destination advice.

We are headed to the Black Hills of South Dakota! I am so excited to have my kids experience all that there is to offer "out west"! But...

Well...I dunno where to start. We'll be leaving on a Friday and beginning our trip home on Tuesday. I say "beginning" because we've decided to split the return trip home into two days. So, I'm curious about how we should "run" our vacation.

Is Rushmore a "whole day" destination with 5 kids, or should we try to hit Rushmore and something else on the same day. Bear Country: yay or nay? Mammoth Dig: love it or loathe it? What are your "off the beaten path" must sees?

See what I mean? I'm clueless...

Also...on our trip home, should we stay in Mitchell or Souix Falls? Any other suggestions?

You guys rock...thank you so much for your tips (helpful and sarcastic...sarcasm makes the world go round...)!

Note To Self:

Dearest Bonehead Mama:

The next time

You see an orange crayon

Fall into the depths of the washing machine

And underneath the agitator

Try harder to get it out.

M'kay?

That's all. Carry on.

All my best,

You (me?)

A (very, very) Late Date!

While I wait for some late night Benadryl to lull me into a deep, peaceful sleep, I thought I'd get our Date of the Week up!

It was a busy weekend...I was able to score a bonus day off today, and spent it with my family at our church's bazaar. Lot's of fun, really hot, blew a wad of money and consumed waaaaaayyyyyy too much caffeine.

Hence, the Benadryl.

So...before it kicks in, I better finish this post!

Friends, I'd like to introduce you to this week's date:

Musings on the Move

Written by TexasHeather, a 30-something "ex-pat", living in Brazil, raising 3 boys and living to blog about it. Because my life is a random thing, my blog is a random place, and I like it like that. I hope you do, too.

Stop by and say 'hi' to Heather...they just got a gorgeous new puppy...who has been graced with (probably) the best name ever. IMO, of course! ;) Go check out that gorgeous puppy, and Heather's awesome blog...and tell her Mama sent you!

Thank you all who left me such fabulous advice on traveling with a boatload (er...make that a van load) of kids!

Next up: Destination tips...

A post in which I solicit your help...

I alluded to it here...or, more, I blatantly told you there, that I was going to ask for your assistance on something.

I'm ready...are you?

Okay...so, what I'm needing your help on, is our family vacation! WAIT...STOP! Don't leave yet, okay?

Here's the deal...we'll be driving straight thru (and by straight thru, I mean 47 bathroom breaks, 3 stops for food, 2 stops at drive thrus for meals, 4 pull overs for discipline, 1 stop for gas [the Mr.'s--EVACUATE! EVACUATE!!!], and one stop to fuel up...so, yeah...straight thru) for what MapQuest tells us will be a 10 hour drive.

First...hints for traveling in a mini-van, for 10+ hours, with 5 children, a husband who tends to fall asleep easily, and a motion sickness prone me.

Let's start there...

I wanna keep my advice straight!

Next up...I beg for tips on our destination...

(PS--Did you come looking for 5QF? It's just below this post...and open until Sunday night! So, feel free to join in late, if you'd like!)

Five Question Friday!! 7/23/10

I wish I could say I'm glad it's the weekend...but, alas, I hafta work. So, really...I'm not all that glad. :(

But, I'm glad for YOU that it's the weekend...unless, of course, YOU hafta work...in which case, I'll be sad for you too. :(

I'm going to be asking your advice soon, on something exciting...so I hope you'll have some wise words and fabulous tips to share...gosh. That sounded kinda greedy. I'm sorry...but I really do need your advice...

I was tempted to vlog today's 5QF...then I decided that you'd probably had enough of me and my wacky MinneSOOOOta accent, so I figured I'd spare you and just give it to you in good old fashioned black and white. Aren't I nice? Being so thoughtful for you? Consider it my pre-payment for the fabulous tips y'all are gonna share with me! ;)

Alright, I'll stop with the smiley dudes, now.

Onto Five Question Friday!

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them (like, totally, duh!), then c'mon back to link up! If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your answers in the comments of this post or any post along the way!

Questions for Friday, July 23rd: (Special thanks to Christy [for inspiration], Kelly, BrittanyCiara, Emily, and Sami [for inspiration] for their question suggestions! Wanna be linked in a future 5QF? Just c'mon over here, to my community, and offer up your best question suggestions!)

1. What were your school colors?

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

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1. What were your school colors?

My school colors were purple and white (Fight! Fight! Fight!!). Growing up, I wasn't really much into school spirit.

I was pretty much "school spiritless". I hated purple and white, for the most part. Except, for some God forsaken reason, I choose a purple and white prom dress for my senior prom.

Whatevertheheck I was thinking, I'll never know...but I do remember buying it and thinking..."Hmmmm...I wonder if it's weird that I'm buying a dress that is my school colors?"

My children now sport the same purple I loathed as a child...and I've now come to love.

Call it..."Purple Pride", I guess.

Or something.

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

Usually, the best compliments I get...or, more, the ones that mean the most to me...are the ones that are about my family.

Often times, in church, we'll have an older couple come up to us and tell us "You have such a beautiful family" and then wistfully tell us about their own experiences with their children when they were young.

It's these times, that make me beam with pride. Just the other day in church, I had a "moment".

I noticed an older woman behind us...smiling at our children (while we were most likely frowning at our children...always seems that what we think is not so cute, other people find hilarious...like siblings giving wet willies to one another...). Suddenly, I saw myself in that woman.

Old...my children grown...wistfully watching a young family in church. It actually made me a bit teary...to know that too soon, my children will be grown...struggling with their own kiddos in church.

*wipes eyes* Okay...moving on...

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

Oh my lands!!!

I am an expensive TP girl all. the. way.

My "bestie"...was a Scott's TP girl...scratch that...IS a Scott's TP girl...and it drove me crazy when she bought TP in college.

My bottom is much too special for that crap.

*Snort* Sorry...I couldn't resist! ;)

I am a Kleenex Cottonelle girl...purple package (there's that dang Purple Pride showing up again!)...and nothing else.

Charmin...too crumbly.

Northern...not soft enough.

Kleenex baby.

And nothing less.

(Hey...that should be the Kleenex saying...dontcha think? "Kleenex baby...and nothing less." Gosh. I'm a marketing genius.)

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

Yes...and yes!

The first yes, was my husband "paying me back" for his surprise party!

I threw him a surprise 30th B-Day Party...you know...I think I have his "SURPRISE" on video somewhere! I should try to find it so I can show you just how hilarious he is when he's startled!!

He was suspicious tho...but it was still a great party!

When I turned thirty, he turned the tables on me. Again, I was a bit suspicious, but I didn't want to ruin it for either of us, so I played along!

I WAS surprised, tho, to see friends from work! The Mr. "hacked" into my email account and invited my friends from that...talk about genius! That was fun.

I like surprises.

Especially when it's a party thrown just for me. ;) (Oops, a smiley dude...sorry...)

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

Wow...hmmmmm...let's see.

"Can't live without"...I'm gonna go with my laptop.

No, no...wait.

I take it back.

Not my final answer.

I'm gonna pick my iPhone. Cuz it can pretty much do everything my laptop can...but it can also call people. And, it has Words with Friends. And Tweetdeck. And a photo of my husband eating a breakfast burrito that pops up everytime he calls me.

Sexy.

Yes...iPhone it is! My one material possession I can't live without!

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Alright...done! Now, it's YOUR turn to link up!

Oh...and have you checked out the CSN giveaway I've got going on? Yup...click that link to enter...it's worth 60 bucks!!

Have a fabulous weekend, my friends!