We Are Still Alive

Things have been crazy here at Fifty Below. Mitch is behind at work, I am in the middle of seven concerts in two weeks, and the girls are just nonstop. All. The. Time.

We don't have all of our Christmas decorations up. There isn't much food in the house. I just ordered my Christmas cards tonight. I'm drinking copious amounts of wine.

One of my (many) New Year's Resolutions? Do a better job with the blog.

Until then...

Random Thoughts and Pictures

A couple of weekends ago, Mitch and I devoted some time to working in the yard. It's this time of year - leaf-dropping time - that we begin to curse our choice in house. (Who wanted to live in an older neighborhood with mature trees, anyway?)

I think the girls had a pretty good time in the leaves, even though Gizmo had to share with Gonzo -





It was the perfect fall day that Saturday. The only thing that would have made it better would have been an Illini win.

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The next day, all hell broke loose in the house. Mitch contracted a pretty nasty virus and was out of work for a few days while I worked crazy hours due to conference week. The best part was that the girls avoided the virus.

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I had a few days of work for the state's educational convention (which I did not have to go to), so I was able to stay home and hang out with the girls. We had a great time!


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Tonight, I watched Gizmo inhale a piece of lasagna. It was the kind of no-breathing, no-chewing, can't look up, use both hands type of eating. I was completely impressed. And I come from a long line of fast eaters, especially when it comes to lasagna.

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Gonzo is seven months old. Where has the time gone? She is sporting two new teeth, and could not be cuter, although I noticed that she's starting to look a little bit like a linebacker. A cute linebacker, though.

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When I was pregnant with Gizmo, I was telling a colleague how ready I was to go home for the day to relax. My colleague, who has two teenage children, just laughed at me. He told me that for him, being at work was relaxing, and that going home was when the real work started. I remember thinking, "How could that be true?"

Now I laugh every time I think about that day, because he could not have been more right.

It Took Me Two Days to Finish This

I am . . . a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a teacher, a friend.

I want . . .to go eat another chocolate chip cookie, but I've already eaten 5 or 6 today.

I have . . .the most wonderful family anyone could ask for.

I wish . . . we would win the lottery so that I would not have to work.

I hate . . . to watch scary movies.

I fear . . . that something terrible will happen to Mitch or the girls.

I hear . . . the rhythmic sound of the breast pump. (Sorry if that is TMI, but a girl has to multi-task!)

I search . . . for socks that don't have holes in them, almost every morning. Why do I not just go buy new socks?

I wonder . . . if I will ever have job security in my profession.

I regret . . . leaving Mitch in Tallahassee to move back to Illinois when he was in law school.

I love . . . watching Mitch with the girls. He is truly a fantastic dad.

I ache . . .in my tummy after eating too many chocolate chip cookies.

I always . . . could have a glass of red wine. Or a Leinie's. Or a Jameson and Ginger Ale. Or a margarita. Or....

I usually . . . arrive at work a few minutes late every day.

I am not . . . as organized as I think I am.

I dance . . . with Mitch in the kitchen to make Gizmo laugh. And to make Mitch laugh. I am a terrible dancer.

I sing . . . almost constantly. Lately I've felt like Gizmo's personal IPod, as I start a song to sing and she says, "no", and then I change it and she says "no", until we find one she likes.

I never . . .keep promises to myself, and that's something I wish I could change.

I sometimes . . . wonder what I would do if I didn't teach music, and I honestly can't think of anything else. Which scares me as well.

I cry . . . very rarely anymore, but post-partum I have shed many tears as my hormones balance back out.

I lose . . . sleep wondering about the future.

I am grateful . . . that I have a happy, healthy family.

I need . . . eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

I should . . . learn to be more patient with people.

You're welcome. . . Mrs.

In a Rut? Try These Recipes

I had told the Mrs. that I would send her some recipes via Facebook since she had blogged about being in a cooking rut. Instead, I thought I would share some of our normal rotation recipes that don't take a lot of time and ingredients to make. These are also recipes that are great for freezing, as our freezer is stocked with these items as we await for Helmette to arrive. It also isn't a coincidence that most of it is wintertime comfort food, since we haven't seen our lawns since, oh, the beginning of November. Enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (courtesy of Betty O., plus some tweaking)

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sauteed in a little butter
1 1/2 c. celery, blanched
2-3 bunches broccoli, blanched
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 c. mayonnaise
2 c. herb stuffing mix
1/2 c. butter

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Combine stuffing mix and butter. Combine all ingredients together and put in pan. Top with stuffing/butter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Tip: I usually cook the chicken first, then mushrooms, then blanche the celery and broccoli, and put in a big bowl as it finishes. Then I mix everything else together. I also omit the butter on the top of the stuffing mix, and you'd never even know the difference. Delicious!

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Hamburger Stroganoff

1/2 c. minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (in true Rachael Ray fashion, I eyeball it, or use real garlic)
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. margarine (I usually only use half this amount)
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tb. flour
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 c. sour cream
salt, pepper, and parsley

Saute onion in butter until golden. Stir in meat, garlic powder, flour, paprika, mushrooms, and salt and pepper; saute five minutes or until meat is browned. Add soup (undiluted), and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

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Chili Mac (courtesy of Rachael Ray)

2 lb. ground beef or sirloin
2 Tb. EVOO
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tb. dark chili powder
2 Tb. cumin
2 Tb. cayenne pepper sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot)
1 cup beer (or beef broth, but a good dark beer tastes great in this!)
1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 lb. corkscrew-shaped pasta, or any pasta or macaroni, cooked al dente
salt and pepper to taste
scallions, shredded cheese for garnish

In a deep pot, brown meat in EVOO over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Cook together 5 minutes, then stir in beer and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer. Add hot pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta. Reduce heat and garnish with chopped scallions and cheddar cheese when serving.

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (courtesy of Pampered Chef)

1 c. carrots, sliced
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 Tb. butter
1/2 c. flour
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1 can (12 oz) low-fat evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. cooked wild rice (I use Uncle Bens wild rice mix)
1 c. diced cooked chicken (or turkey)
1/4 c. slivered or sliced almonds, toasted

Melt butter in soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onion; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Stir in flour. Gradually add broth and milk, whisking in until blended. Bring to a boil, then stir in cooked rice and chicken. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

Meanwhile, heat almonds in a pan on low heat until the almonds begin to brown, then remove from pan. Stir almonds into soup just before serving.

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Chicken Noodle Soup (super easy! Courtesy of Rachael Ray)

1 1/2 c. carrots, chopped
1 1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. thyme (I use herbs de provence (sp?), because I didn't have thyme one time and I think it tastes better!)
4-14 oz. cans of chicken broth
2 chicken breasts
1/2 package egg noodles
salt and pepper, to taste

Dice chicken and cook in the bottom of a soup pot with a little EVOO until cooked through. Add veggies and seasonings and cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook 10-12 minutes, or until noodles are tender.

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Crock pot recipes that we use regularly:
Pot roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots
Pork roast that is shredded for sandwiches, topped with BBQ sauce and served with baked beans and cole slaw

And, if you're feeling really decadent and have a ton of time, this is a recipe that I would strongly recommend.....

Farmer's Pasta (courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis)

Butter, for greasing pan
2 Tb. olive oil
6 oz. pancetta, chopped
4 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. flour
7 c. whole milk
8 oz. fontina, grated
4 oz. mozzarella, grated
3/4 c. grated parmesean
6 oz. provolone, grated
1 lb. rigatoni pasta
3 Tb. chopped parsley
3 Tb. chopped basil
salt and pepper
2 c. coarse bread crumbs
EVOO for drizzling

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat 1 Tb. oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and saute until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer pancetta out of pot. Keep 1/4 c. of oil/pan drippings (add more oil if necessary). Reduce heat to medium, saute garlic 30 seconds, then add flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in all the cheeses.
Meanwhile, cook rigatoni until almost al dente. Drain pasta and add directly to cheese. Add parsley, basil and pancetta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to baking dish.
Heat remaining 1 Tb. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and saute 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add bread crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle bread crumbs over pasta. Drizzle top with EVOO and bake until sauce bubbles and bread crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes.

My Accomplishment for the Night

I managed to watch the Biggest Loser, surf the web, and drink a Shamrock Shake with a straw while it sat on my belly.

There are perks to being pregnant. But that's about it at this point.

Wednesday Night Thoughts

• We had over a foot of snow again this weekend. It was heavy, wet snow that looks nice and pretty again, but after a week of 50 degree weather, is not really what we wanted. Anyhow, Gizmo finally got out in the snow and played. She loves it!
• I found out today that I will be laid off again this year. Let's hope that I get re-hired. Again. It's a pretty crucial year, as I will earn tenure if they re-hire me. Please, please, please district, don't focus on the small amount of money saved by canning me and hiring a new teacher with no experience and advanced degree. Please.
  
• On a side note to that, there is nothing more frustrating than knowing you are working hard and doing a good job, and that it makes no difference when it comes to the hiring and firing, or the dolling out of promotions. Both Mitch and I are seeing that in our jobs. External job searches have commenced.
  
• On another work-related note, my body is SORE and TIRED after having a two-hour rehearsal with my 5th grade band members after school today. Our big concert is tomorrow night, and they are going to do a great job.
  
• What does one who is nine months pregnant wear to a band concert that will not make her look like a tent? If you know, let me know pronto.
  
• For my birthday, Mitch took me to the Oceannaire, a fancy seafood restaurant in Minneapolis. It was delicious. The only bad thing: no wine. Although after this concert tomorrow night, I might just have to do it. The kid's developed enough, right?
  
• Gizmo turned eighteen months old today. When did that happen? I'm sorry that I can't post video to the blog right now - for some reason Mitch's computer won't let it upload correctly. Damn PCs. Look to Facebook for the latest. She has been a champ in her new room, and is doing really well with her potty-training. She's not nearly perfect yet, but she does know how to go in the potty chair, and her favorite part is the "dump!" at the end.
• I am at 36 weeks as of this Friday. Little Helmette will make her appearance shortly! I am beyond large, and people at work keep asking when this kid is showing up. They can't believe I have another whole month to go. They have noticed me slowing down, and comment on it. And I have slowed down. A LOT. This second-time-around-with-a-toddler-and-working thing sucks.
• After reading this post and listening to me rant and rave after I came home from work today, Mitch was glad to see that it wasn't nearly as militant as he feared it might be. Yay me.
  

Moms of Multiple Children, I Need Your Advice

Mitch and I have been looking to purchase a double stroller. Shudder. We were at Babies R Us this weekend getting a few odds and ends and tried the one we've been eyeing, the Chicco Cortina double stroller that would fit our infant car seat.

Babies R Us is currently running a special where if you bring in a piece of baby gear (high chair, stroller, car seat, etc.), you can get 25% off of a new purchase, which would make the cost of this ridiculously expensive stroller a little more manageable.

My question is this - how often did you use a single stroller (the one that you could put the infant seat into) after you had two kids? We currently have two strollers - one that came with our travel system that fits the infant seat, and an umbrella stroller. Could we do without our travel system stroller? Or would we regret trading it in?

A Neat Blog Post About Some Random Thoughts on My Way Home From Work Today

On my way home from work this afternoon, I was channel-surfing the radio stations and on the oldies station they were playing "At This Moment" by Billy and the Beaters. I was immediately transported to my childhood, thinking of an episode of "Family Ties" where Alex P. Keaton and his girlfriend were dancing at a school dance (I think). Isn't it weird, and wonderfully cool, how music can do that?

Everyone can relate everything to a song. Movies do a great job of it. Who doesn't hear Kenny Loggin's "Danger Zone" and think of Top Gun? How about "Old Time Rock and Roll"? Of course, Risky Business. I know I'm naming a lot of Tom Cruise movies right now, but how about The Karate Kid and "Cruel Summer", or even "Strangle Hold" and Dazed and Confused?

I then got to thinking of those songs that trigger memories or time periods. Here are a few I came up with today:

• "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" - I used to ride the basketball bus with my friend Meredith, and we would listen to this song on our Walkman.
  
• "Heart of Rock and Roll" by Huey Lewis and the News - my friend Jill and I used to make up baton routines and dance around on her front porch to this song.
• Sublime's "What I Got" - freshman year of college. Man, did we crank the volume on that!
• Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" can bring back all sorts of memories, from my cousin Poke's impromptu rapping to Mitch's not-s0-finest moments......
• Meatloaf's "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" - high school dances. And my bachelorette party.
• "I Will Survive" - my friend Jill singing at her sister's wedding while standing on a speaker. (Music certainly helps me remember her a lot!)
• "Lean On Me" - church camp circa 1995.
  

What songs do you link major events or time periods in your life to?

Random Comments

• Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and so both Mitch and I were off work. Between working on Gizmo's new room and the football games on Sunday, Mitch and my dad were almost out of beer. I had to run to a Dr's appointment on Monday morning, and so Mitch asked if I could pick up a twelve-pack on the way home. Nothing says trash like a 30-weeks pregnant chick buying Grain Belt Premium on a Monday morning at 9:30.
  
• I heard Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do I Do It For You" today on the radio. It was awesome.
• Gizmo loves her Aunt Winnie . She randomly will answer "Tim" to any question she's asked. On Monday night as she was eating shredded pork, she was asked where pork came from. She smiled and said, "Tim!". Winnie, I think she just insulted you for the first time.
  
• Baby #2 has flipped from breech position to head-down. She's prepping to get out of there! Only nine more weeks to go. I'll post pictures soon, as I am getting to be as big as a barn. I haven't put on nearly as much weight this time around, but nonetheless I seem to be enormous.
  
• Mitch is growing a beard. He was going to grow a neck beard instead, but decided it didn't say, "trust me" in his line of work. I can't decide if I love it or hate it. Either way, he's going to need the warmth on his face, since we're not supposed to be above ten degrees for the next three days or so.
  

Two Thoughts on a Cold Monday Night

1. This will be my third Minnesota winter. Two weekends ago, we had over seven inches of snow. This past weekend, we had an ice storm that caused Mitch to take a pretty nasty fall in the driveway. Tonight on my way home from piano lessons, it was bitterly cold and windy. I am NOT ready for the cold weather, even though I love the look of the snow. Yuck. I don't think I'll ever get used to the cold.

2. Tonight at my piano lessons I had a last-minute cancellation, which annoyed the hell out of me. When I have open slots from cancellations, I try to move my later lessons into them so I can get home earlier. So there I am, stuck for a half hour with nothing to do. I grabbed a Christmas book from the shelves and started to play, and I was disappointed when my next lesson showed up. It has been a long time since I just sat down to play for the fun of it. Yes, I play every day, and yes, my days are filled with music and piano lessons, but I never get to just play what I want, when I want, for the sheer enjoyment of it. It felt really nice. So nice, in fact, I started to wonder how I could do more of it, especially at this time of year when holiday music is so prevalent. It took me back to my piano lesson days as a kid, when we would prepare for months for the big holiday program with Mrs. Rigby, and how we would go to perform at the nursing home before the actual program. Maybe I need to find a local nursing home that I can go play at. In my spare time, of course.

I Will Blog More When....

.....I'm not working 35 hours in three days this week.  (Thank you, parent-teacher conferences!)

.....It's not a parade of guests through the house.  (But we sure are having fun!)

.....I have time to upload my pictures from my camera.  (See reason #1 - downtime during conferences = Tina catching up with computer work!)

.....I can remember all of the stuff we've been doing lately!  (Which is a lot - we are enjoying the beautiful weather we're having.)

Until then, check out the blog roll.  They can keep you entertained.  

Why Haven't I Blogged? Let Me Count The Ways.....

• Work and school have taken over our lives.
• Traveling between Illinois and Minnesota didn't lend any time for blogging.
• Since being back in Minnesota, we have been preparing for the big first birthday bash at Fifty Below Zero this weekend.
• I haven't taken any good pictures, even with our trip, to really blog about.
• Home improvement projects are never-ending.  Seriously, they never feel done.

The real reason I haven't blogged in well over a week?  I am DAMN tired.  Super-tired.  Exhausted.  Fall-into-bed-and-collapse tired.  

Baby #2 is really exhausting me.  I hate the first trimester tired stage.  

I promise to do a better job, and take great pictures for an out-of-this-world blog post of Gizmo's party.

Or at least ask Katie to take some good pictures for me.

Definition of a Major Ass-Bag

The Scene:  Target, Monday evening, 6:30pm.  I am quickly running to pick up baby necessities - diapers, wipes, formula, and Diaper Genie refills - between piano lessons.

Description of Ass-Bag:  late twenties, Tires Plus black polo shirt, black pants.

Initial Contact With Ass-Bag:  I pull into the parking lot and immediately see a front row spot.  I navigate to the spot and am ready to pull in when Ass-Bag whips his silver Camaro into the spot.  I fume and park on the other side of his Camaro.  

Continuing Contact:  Ass-Bag and I are walking into Target at about the same time, although I am slightly ahead of him.  He cruises ahead of me on his Wheelies, and I notice his cigarette hanging out of the mouth.  Ass-Bag drops his cigarette into the receptacle as he wheels into the store.

Final Contact:  Ass-Bag checks out ahead of me in line.  He is buying Red Bull and a Slim Jim.  Wheels out of store.  

He's cool.

Pros and Cons

So today I made TollHouse cookie bars.  If you are trying to decide between making bars and cookies, I have created a handy-dandy chart of pros and cons for making the bars instead of the cookies:

Pros:

• Bars don't take as long to cook as cookies do.
• The middle of the pan of bars is like the middle of the cookie - only there is a LOT of middle.  Start in the middle, I say.

Cons:

• I didn't use Grama P's recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  (Grama, I know you don't comment, but can you tell me if you've ever baked your cookies into bars before?  I'm sure it would work, yes?  Also, don't hate me for not using your recipe to make the bars.)
• It's harder to hide how many you eat when they come out of the oven, as the evidence is right there in the bar pan. 

I Can't Walk Away From It

I looked in the mirror this morning, and saw two huge dark circles staring back at me.  

I am exhausted.  Physically exhausted.  I like to try to blame it on Gizmo, or the fact that the to-do list is never finished, or that I don't get to sit down and relax until after 10:00pm every night, or that we can't say no to home improvement projects that take months to finish.  But the real reason I am exhausted?

This damn computer that I'm typing on.  And the internet that I just can't quit.

Don't get me wrong, I love to blog.  I know my family loves keeping dibs on what is going on in our lives.  But I love the internet so much, that I can't just get up and go to bed.  

Take yesterday, for example.  Yesterday was spent at the lake, and we didn't get Gizmo to bed until after 8:00, which is really late for her.  By the time I cleaned up from dinner and the dishes of the day, straightened up toys, did some cooking, and helped to install two doors, I finally sat down to spend some quality time with Mitch.  We went into his office and spent easily an hour and a half on the internet - he on his IBM, me on my Mac.  Facebook, blogging, e-mails, facebook again, check the bank account, facebook, feign shock when viewing my Discover bill, facebook, facebook, facebook......at one point I realized I had to go to the bathroom, but couldn't even bring myself to get up and go.  Twice I said, "I'm going to go up to bed", and yet I still sat.  After finally bringing myself to go upstairs, I watched two episodes of Friends, and turned the light off at 11:00pm, one hour later than when I claim I go to bed.  

I can't keep this pattern up.  I can't keep going to bed late and getting up early.  I can't keep looking at my friends' kids pictures on Facebook.  I have to go to bed.  Early.  

So I now declare that I am starting a new trend.  I will be off the internet by 9:30pm every night.  No excuses.  I will be ready for bed every weeknight by 10:00pm, watch one episode of Friends, and turn my light off.  

Mitch has also declared he will join my no-internet-after-9:30 pact.  The only exemption is when doing homework or work-related business.  

And now I gotta go, so I can get my Facebook stalking in before internet-lights-out.  

Who Thought of This?

Today in our mailbox was an advertisement for Huggies diapers.  While this is not abnormal, the style of diapers certainly is:

Just when you think your baby can't be any more fashionable in her disposable diaper, Huggies makes sure she is on the cutting edge of fashion with these jean-style diapers.

Seriously?  Do they have skinny diapers?  Or boot-cut ones?  Are you cooler if you cuff the edge of your diaper, or better yet, can they be pinch-rolled a la 90's fashion?

Gizmo will not be sporting these tragic diapers.  She's too cool for them.  

Random Thoughts

• Two and a half weeks ago it was snowing here.  Yesterday we broke a record when the temperature hit 95 degrees.  Can we make up our mind, Mother Nature? 
• My garden is being taken over by ants.  What do I do to make sure it doesn't become one giant anthill?
• It is 6:00am, and Gizmo might be up for the day.  She also put up a big fight about her afternoon nap yesterday.  Please, Gizmo, don't give up the nap just in time for summer.  Mommy needs her naptime, too.
• The series finale of Law and Order was last night.  I feel like a part of me has died.  RIP, greatest show on earth.
• Why is it that job searching must be so difficult?  And why must I search for a job every stinking year?  

"Howdy-Ho!"

For Christmas, Gizmo received a Glow Worm from Aunt Winnie and Aunt Sarah.  We have named her Chloe the Glow-e Worm, and Gizmo just loves her.

However, Mitch and I (OK, mostly me) can't help but see an uncanny resemblance between this beloved childhood toy and something that is anything but kid-friendly.  Anyone watch South Park in the nineties?  Because Chloe the Glow-e looks just like Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo.

If you are not a South Park fan, Mr. Hankey made his first appearance in a holiday episode when Kyle, one of the characters, could not participate in the school's Christmas program because he was Jewish.  Instead, he suggested that they sing the song "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", who is non-denominational and can't be offensive to anyone.  (Hopefully you won't miss the irony here.)  Mr. Hankey hops around, leaving feces everywhere he bounces.  The episode was one of the highest-rated episodes for South Park, and helped to launch the show to success.  

In college, I had a Mr. Hankey screen saver, and he would bounce around the screen covering it in poop.  I loved it.  Even though it is nasty-gross.

On a side note, did you know that Mr. Hankey has a whole Wikipedia entry devoted to him? That's not normal.  

I am the Queen!

Of coupons, that is.

Today's trip to Target:  $154.00  (Damn you diapers and formula!  And random cleaning supplies.  And of course some more new running capris that will double as lounge pants!)

Total Saved Using Coupons:  $41.59

I think the lady who checked me out was just as excited as I was to see how much I had saved with all of my double- and triple-coupons paired with on-sale items.  I'm a rock star.

Has It Really Been a Week Since I Posted Last?

Where is the time going?  Wasn't it just New Year's?  And here we are, at the very end of April, and ready to turn the calendars to May.  I, for one, am very happy that the school year is closing quickly (only five more Mondays - but who's counting?) and that summer will be here soon. 

Sadly, I have nothing interesting to report from Fifty Below Zero.  We are living very normal, mundane lives.  But here are some random topics, thoughts, and updates.  Go ahead.  Discuss.

• I'm convinced Gizmo gets cuter by the day.  She has learned how to wave, and can wave at Mommy, Daddy and Grama Jersey Girl when they leave and arrive,  and is now waving at the painting, the panda, the door, the wall, the blocks.....you get the picture.  
  
• Speaking of cute, we'll know if Gizmo made the next round in the Cutest Baby Contest this weekend (I think).  Thanks for all of those who voted online - you guys are awesome!  
• Congratulations to our friends Cara and Barrett, who just had their very first baby boy - Lucas Augustine - yesterday evening.  We are so happy for them!
• I've been applying for jobs yet again.  There are some pretty good openings - so I'm hoping that things work out.  They always do.....but let's hope that they work out sooner rather than later.  
• Today I saw an old guy riding a bike with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.  Who says you can't exercise and enjoy your vices at the same time?  (Now if I could only learn to run while holding my wine glass.....)
• My second grade boys at work are out of control.  They have been using racial slurs and swearing during P.E., fighting, and using the word "pimp" to complete the sentence "We love our earth because it is.....".  Oh, and don't even get me started on the constant grabbing of genitalia.  Seriously.  It's disgusting.  
• We are thisclose to getting a sitter finalized for the weekend.  Mitch and I are hoping that things work out and that we can go out and spend some quality time with friends.  
• I feel like my to-do list never gets shorter.  I'd like to think that I'll get a lot done this summer, but something tells me that going to the park and having play time might trump anything productive.  
• I LOVE the weather we've been having.  This is why Minnesota is so great.