I Can't Spell; Can't Fudge the Time. What CAN I do?

I've been so excited about Miss M finally learning to read. She's only in Kindergarten but already reading Level 3 books. She can pick up just about any book on her bookshelf and fly through it. I'm so proud of her!

However...When Miss M first started reading, I realized I couldn't just spell stuff for DH any more. She was figuring it out. So I started getting more cryptic with my conversations when she was around. Instead of "I need to go to T-R-U for her p-r-e-s-e-n-t" I had to switch it around to "I need to stop by that place over off x street to pick up the you-know-what."

Well, we just celebrated her birthday this past weekend. She's 6 (OMG)! We had some errands to run tonight then stopped out for dinner before returning home. On our way back home, we had the following conversation:
Miss M: "Mom, can we play in your bathtub tonight?" (My bathtub is a tad bigger and more conducive to 'swimming' in.)
Me: "Sorry, honey. It's late and we don't have time."
Miss M: "Mom, it's only 6:43. My bedtime isn't until 8 o'clock. There's plenty of time."
DH: About to get us into an accident because he's trying so hard not to bust a gut laughing.
Me: Speechless to Miss M. Glaring at DH. "What's so funny?"
DH: "She can tell time now. You can't get away with that any more."

So I can't spell. I can't tell her there isn't enough time before bed. What's next?  Someone lend me some new tricks to use, please! 

My 6 year old is making me feel stupid.

The Ultimate Bacon Sandwich

When I was pregnant, my fail-safe food was bacon.  We had BLTs at least once a week.  I never experienced morning sickness, but I really couldn't stomach meat.  It was terrible for our health but at least I could enjoy the bacon.

Well, we had BLTs tonight and I was reminded of a post I wanted to do last month but got too busy for!  (No, I'm not pregnant.)

DH stumbled on a blog post about weaving bacon.  Sorry that I can't give that blogger credit because I don't know who it was.  He surprised me one day by making them and even taking pictures of the steps.  (Aren't DH's the best?)  I thought it was pretty cool so we decided to share the bacon weave process.  How often can you make a bacon sandwich and know there's bacon in every bite?

Here's what he did:

Three pieces of bacon

Cut each in half

Weave them together

Cook them like normal bacon

Flip them over like normal bacon (notice how they are maintaining their shape and the normal bacon isn't?)

Drain them off (oh, like normal bacon)

Add them to a sandwich. If you use normal bread, the bacon weave will cover the bread perfectly. No more concerns about bites that are all sandwich and no bacon. If three pieces of bacon aren't enough for your sandwich, then add two weaves to it!

DH - This is an awesome trick. Thanks for sharing it!

Knock, Knock. Nicole are you there? (Christmas 2008)

Me:  Hello?  Nicole?  Are you there?  I haven't seen you around.

Answering myself:  Ummm.  Yeah.  I think so.  What day is it?

Me:  It's Sunday.  That means the kids go back to school tomorrow.

Answering myself:  WooHoo! 

I was looking at my blog and didn't realize it has been forever since I posted.  The past few weeks have been crazy.  We decided to spend Christmas in Alabama this year so things were a little off kilter.  The last week of school was filled with volunteer stuff for both kids' schools, work at the church, school programs and parties and OMG a freakin' snow day.  Should have been called an ice day because we were covered in ice - not snow.  Trying to pack for the trip, take care of last minute stuff then have a snow day.  Wasn't what I had planned.

There was just enough of a reprieve in the weather for us to hit the road on Saturday the 20th.  We drove to Alabama - DH, myself, two kids and two dogs.  Was a long trip but well worth it.  While MIL was getting her grandgirl fix, I had planned on spending some time relaxing, shopping with DH, maybe hitting a movie, finishing my annual Christmas calendar presents and catching up on reviews for SAHM Reviews.  I had not gotten many posts done when DH insisted I step up the pace since after Christmas things would be too hectic to meet any deadlines that I had.

But we shopped and went out to eat and spent time with family... and I got in a review post here and there.  I have a few posts lined up for here but just haven't gotten to them (yet). 

Then Christmas morning, I opened up a package of nothing.  Literally, there was nothing but wrapping paper.  I turned the wrapping paper inside out to see my gift.  You can look up top to the URL and you can see it too... Written on the back side of the wrapping paper was a note.  DH registered my domains:  http://www.sahmramblings.com/ and http://www.sahmreviews.com/.  I am totally stoked.  That's the best package of air I have ever received.  It was literally the only thing I asked for as a gift. (Oh wait, I asked for a new Crock Pot too since my old slow cooker went kaput the week before we left.  My mom and dad got me a new one.)

From DH and the Alabama family, I received some clothes, a bath set, a bird feeder, a new set of cordless phones among other things.  I was happy with all of it and was once again totally satisfied with what Santa had delivered.  But THEN... After all the opening was done, DH handed me an envelope and said that everyone in the room knew about it except me.  I opened it to find a postcard that said "Merry Christmas. Pack up your stuff! We're leaving tomorrow morning for 4 days and 3 nights at this all-inclusive B and B in Destin, Florida!"  My MIL and BIL were going to take care of the kids and dogs while DH and I had some time alone.  (Then I understood why he was pushing me to get all my computer time in before Christmas!)

We left Friday morning for Henderson Park Inn and returned to Alabama on Monday.  In the middle, we enjoyed a few days of nothing but us.  We hadn't packed any shorts because DH knew that would lead to nothing but questions from me.  Freezing cold in Iowa, not freezing but certainly not warm in Alabama.  "Honey, why on earth do we need to pack shorts?"  Yeah, good call not to pack them.  Since we didn't have the kids, stopping by 15 stores to find shorts we liked wasn't a problem.  It was actually enjoyable and we found more than just shorts... and I typically hate shopping for clothes.  Once we had the shorts in hand, we headed back to change and walked on the beach for at least an hour and a half.  Ahhh, it was so relaxing, so nice, so not-freezing-cold-Iowa.  And it was just us.  (Can you see me smiling from ear to ear?)  Four days and three nights of going out to dinner, a movie, shopping, walking on the beach and relaxing.  All sans kids.  We even played checkers on a giant checker board during the B and B's happy hour.  It was absolutely wonderful.

Spending time with DH alone was awesome.  Despite the fact that we're together at home all the time, we really don't have that kind of quality time.  I can't remember the last time he had me laughing as much as he did this past month.  The B and B was a total surprise - I don't know how he managed to pull it off without me knowing.  Yeah, he's good at stuff like that.  No, I'm not planning on sharing him but I will be happy to set up seminars for him to teach other DH's all his Christmas surprise tricks.

2008 was a rough year with DH and I each losing a grandmother and an uncle.  With the stock market making life miserable for us and many others.  With us feeling like "if it could go wrong, it did".  But thanks to DH, we rolled out 2008 on a great note and I'm enjoying starting 2009 fresh and happy. 

Thanks to MIL and BIL for their parts in coordinating this special Christmas gift.  But most of all, thanks, DH, for being you.  For being wonderful.  For being my best friend and true love.  I couldn't ask for more.