Tuesday Tidbits

It is Tuesday, right?  

As per usual these days, I have nothing much to offer.  Just a few tidbits and random thoughts for future post ideas - perhaps if I put them here, I'll be more likely to actually write them. Or not, if history is any indication.  We shall see.

My tidbits:

1) Have you ever had the suspicion that the "experts" are full of it?  Or that snooty wine drinkers are... well, just that... Snooty.  Don't get me wrong.  I like wine (though I'd probably prefer a beer.)  Anyway... I love this article that my mom passed on to me: How Expert Are Wine Experts?  Inexpensive wine drinkers of the world - you aren't drinking crap.  It says so right here. 

2) On a more serious note:  Nella, a friend that I know through our Catholic homeschool group, just recently had her sixth child. Nella is battling cancer and her sweet daughter, Avery, is in neonatal intensive care.  They could use your spare prayers.  And please visit Nella's blog, Is There McDonald's In Heaven  to read her most recent reflection - it's a tear jerker - tears of sorrow, appreciation, surrender, and hope.  It's good.  (I'm praying for you, Nella!)

3) A few nights ago, Russ and I got to go out for a date. Dinner! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) The restaurant had a soup sampler option. Three small cups of soup for $5.  I also recall going to an Olive Garden (?) once and having a dessert sampler - little shot glasses with varying desserts so you wouldn't have to decide between chocolate or vanilla or fruit.  THIS IS GENIUS.  Absolute perfection for someone like me who can't make up her mind and wants to try a little bit of everything anyway.  Why don't more places have options like this.  If you know of any places, and fail to refer me to them immediately... fie on you.  I am in search of an all-sampler eatery.  Won't you join me in my quest?

4) If a sampler platter is not available, then I'm the type of diner that likes to eat half of what I order and then half of what my companion has ordered. (This love of gastronomic variety is unusual, as it certainly does not carry over into other areas of life.  In most things, variety is messy.  In a restaurant meal?  Bring it on!) I was shocked the first time someone said "no" to my request that we each order something and then switch halfway.  It never occurred to me that this wouldn't be the preferred method of eating out for anyone else.  Thank you, Heavens Above!  for sending me a husband that is either of the same mind, or is so easy going he just always says yes.  

5) What am I reading these days?  Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan. Which I like.  And it is funny.  But I'm having a hard time finishing it.  I've seen all his netflix stuff, got to see him in person (tres funny), and I really like his humor, soooo... I'd love to give the book glowing reviews, but I can't because it's just more of the same.  I'm also reading The Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family, my Mary Ostyn (check out her blog, owlhaven.net).  Mary has a family of 10 - 4 biological and 6 adoptive children. It's a great read - practical, straight forward, fun.  My aunt sent it to me after she found it in a Dollar Tree store.  (Thanks so much, Aunt Claire!) This book does not belong in the Dollar Tree, but since it was, I rushed to my local DT, but there weren't any copies.  My plan was to buy the whole stash and give them to friends and blog readers.  But now it seems you'll have to get a full-price Amazon copy (worth it) or wait to see if I write any more about it another time :)

6) What do you do with the child who, after having threatened him with ______  (fill in the blank with your favorite lazy parenting threat) comes out of his room again during quiet time, creeps down the stairs and says, "Mom, please don't get angry.  I need a pink pearl." ???? Of course, I gave it to him, hugged him, and told him I couldn't wait to see what he was drawing.  I should probably just stop threatening.  Or let him set up a little art-supply store in his closet.  

7) Other things I've been considering writing about:  (1) next year's school plans (Almost coming together!!  But not quite. Still trying to figure out if local library Lego Club can fit some requirement on the IHIP.  Science?  Phys Ed?)  (2) My sister is having her first baby in the Fall!  (Yipee!)  She asked me today what she should register for - so that sounds like a blog post about first-baby basics, if you ask me!  (3) At a friend's recommendation, I've started reading 10 Ways to Destroy the Imagination of your Child (Anthony Esolen) which may or may not work into a post that's in my head - "Cultivating Imagination in my Kids - it's a Love/Hate Thing"  (4) What to write for my 100th post  (5) How do boys that had a shower the night before get SO sweaty and smelly by lunch time??? And do I still really have to hug them? ** Well, you can see that this list is fast falling prey to my Blogger's Dilemma - a little too much Ordinary and not enough Lovely.  

8) Time for bed.  Oh, and speaking of bed - the girls went down at the same time in the same room this evening!  And Russ and I are talking about some major bedroom changes around here - mini improvements and maybe a big switch-a-roo (Russ says it should be spelled switch-er-oo.  Anyone want to weigh in?)  But, if you know my husband and me, you know that we can drag our feet forever on stuff like this.  By the time we finally decide, the kids will be moved out and the foot-dragging will have left canyons in the wood floors that won't allow for the re-arranging of furniture anyway. So forget I said anything.  Goodnight.