Starving Artists

My kids are ravenous artists.  So, they were particularly excited when a Crayola Color Wonder set showed up in the mail.

Want a chance to win a set for kids you know?  Come on over.

Disclosure: These Crayola Color Wonder products, information, and giveaway were all provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark.

And like an idiot, I said "Thank you"

Yesterday I had to run an errand for work.  It wasn't even a cool or fun errand.  It was just an errand.


I pulled out of the parking lot like I do every. single. day.




Followed the route to the freeway like I do every. single. day.


Noticed the new road construction and merged.




Approached a green light.


Turned on my right turn signal.


Turned right.


And saw four police officers directing people to pull over to the side of the road.




One approached my car and asked if I had my license.  I passed it on to him truly having no idea why I was pulled over.

Officer: Did you even see that sign back there?



Me: Hmmmm, which sign would that be?



Officer: The one that said "No right turns?"



Me: Really, no right turns, I turn there every day?  No I truly didn't see any sign.



Officer: Yeah, that's why we had to come down here, because so many people are taking a right and we have a temporary no turns sign out with the construction.



Me: Oh, wow.  Really.  Gee, I am so sorry.  I just turn here every day.  And it's a turn on to a one-way street and I had the green so I hadn't slowed down much.  I was just following my normal routine.

He took my license, walked away and issued me a ticket.


He came back and explained how I could call and get more information or contest it if I wanted to try.


And then he pointed to the ticket and said,

So given all that, I just cited you for failing to follow a traffic light or sign.

How nice of him, I thought.  He must have recognized I haven't had any kind of a moving violation in nearly ten years.  He must have understood that the sign is hard to see until you are upon it.  Maybe he knew that I was driving a minivan with no air conditioning and that I was going to come home that night to find out that both my kids brought home lice.  Again.  He must have felt badly.  And so I said,

Oh, okay.  Thanks a lot!  Thank you!  Have a great day!

And then I got to Target.  And I read the ticket.  And it was for $131.  On the high end of fines.

And I had just said, "Thank you."  With a smile no less.

I thanked him for giving me a ticket.

I am an idiot.

My Black Thumb

I would love for this to be a post about my beautiful gardens.

I would love to tell you of the amazing vegetables I have been growing and bringing in to share with coworkers.

I would love to say "I have so many cucumbers I am scouring the internet for what to do with them all."

I would love to wax poetically about the hours the kids and I have have spent gardening, peals of laughter being heard ringing through the neighborhood.

I would love to have this be about my great green thumbs and the tremendous pride I take in being able to feed my family from the back yard.


This is none of those things.


I am a horrible gardener.  Now I admit, we have a teeny city yard and just about the worst clay soil ever.  But that said, it's just not my forte.


That doesn't stop me from trying each year.  And usually I get some tomatoes and some really good basil.  But that is it.


But this year, the kids wanted to expand our horizons.  Carrots.  Melons.  Herbs.  Peas.  Beans.


And loving their enthusiasm, I went for it.  And it bombed.  I have a lovely garden of nettles and clover.


Except for one thing.


Pumpkins.

We might just be getting pumpkins.

We have several pumpkin plants that are growing. Fast. And flowering. And expanding all over the yard.  And exciting the kids.

They are exciting Brian a bit less as they are encroaching on his grill and getting in the way of mowing the grass.  But still.

And they are even attracting bees. (And yes, that is clover, I wasn't kidding about that.)

So there might even be some hope of growing more than just plants.

But then again, this is me we are talking about.

I'm not holding my breath.

The worst pickup line ever.

Getting the kids ready for school this morning, I was pouring Noah some cereal when he asked,

Noah:  Mom, do you think you're fat?


Me:  No.  I mean, I'd like to exercise more and lose some weight, but no I guess I wouldn't say I was fat.


Noah:  Oh.  Why don't you do that 30-Day Shred thing again?


Me:  Because one of you took it out of the DVD player and hid it and I can't find it.


Noah:  That must have been Caleb.  I wouldn't hide it because I thought it was funny when you did it before.


Me:  Awesome.  Thanks, Noah.


Noah:  And you know Mom, at least you aren't so fat that you look like one of those really huge pregnant women.  You're a bit better than that.

Yup, I don't think we have to worry about Noah picking up any girls any time soon.

A boy and his old school bike - Wordless Wednesday

I need to break up with the cable company

I know I am not alone here.



The cost of having cable is insane.  Stupid.  Insulting.


Just. Don't. Get. It.


I find that every summer I start to reevaluate why we pay this ridiculous cost to have television in our home.


And then I remind myself that it's July and we aren't watching TV.  But that we live in Minnesota and in January, we see more of our TV than we do of our neighbors.

But still.

Last night Brian and I headed to the family room to watch our DVR-ed season premiere of "Mad Men."

As I pulled it up I realized we had not sat down to watch a television show since the finale of "LOST."  Which, for the record, was May 23. 

And cable runs about $130 a month.  So that means that watching that one episode of "Mad Men" last night cost us about $260, meaning one of us could have practically flown to Madison Avenue in New York ourselves.

What do we like about cable?
-- On Demand, especially for good kids programming, at the ready.  
-- DVR because with both of us working full time and parenting full-time when we are home, we don't watch anything live. 
-- I like being able to watch shows when they are current (meaning I don's see us being people to watch old seasons of shows on DVD a year late).
-- Having shows in HD.  Cause they're just prettier that way.

So I need options.  What do you do to avoid the cable insanity?

What is your story?

Several years ago, there was a reporter with one of the networks on one of the news shows.  This is starting out really specific, isn't it?

He would do this feature where he'd simply open the phone book and put his finger on a name.  He'd then call them and explain who he was and offer to come out to interview them.

Inevitably, they all would initially say something like, "Really?  Nothing special about me.  I'm just working, living my life, doing my thing."

Being a great journalist, he would manage to persuade them. He'd head out to their town and learn about them.  And what do you know?  They did all have stories.  Often, amazing ones.  Ones where, watching it, you'd find yourself thinking, "How in the world has no one told this story before?!"

Where am I going with this?  My story.

I spend my professional life telling other people's stories.  I don't use the phone book to find them, but the idea is the same.  And just like the reporter, most people, when I first talk to them, don't see their story as remarkable.  It's just their life.  And my job is to see past that.  To see past the routine and the process to get to a nugget.

It's hard to describe your story when you are living it.

In some ways, having a blog has given me the opportunity to do that.  But I am willing to bet that if I asked each of you reading this what you think my story is, I'd get as many different answers as there were people.


But it can be hard to see the forest through the trees sometimes.

My story?  I'm a wife, a mother, a friend, a full-time worker, a Minnesotan, a blogger.

But really, my story is a story of finding perspective. 

Of laughing more than yelling.  Of smiling more than frowning.  Of letting go of the control which I so seek, and never find.  Of letting go of stuff and finding the goodness underneath.

But I am still figuring my story out.  And so far, no one has put their finger on my name in the phone book to come and tell it for me.  And so I keep writing.  Reflecting.  Engaging.  And living.

Knowing that, eventually, "my story" will become clear.

Note: This post serves as me tossing my name into Project Mom Casting, a TV concept that is being explored, in part, at BlogHer.  I have gone back and forth about 400 times over the past week about whether or not to post about it, thereby throwing my name in that proverbial hat.  Why would I want to do something that is all about having a story when I am still finding mine?  Why would people want to talk to me?  But then I re-read this post and reminded myself that I promised to be willing to skin a few more knees.  So bring it knees.  Here we go.

Decorative Toilet Paper

From the depths of the bathroom last night, Caleb called out:

Mom, why in the world do they put pictures on toilet paper?

Stifling my laughter, I responded, "Gee, Caleb, that is a good question.  I guess to make it look a bit more attractive?"

I mean, it's just going to go in someone's you-know-what.  But they go and put flowers on it.  Which is just strange.  Seems kind of wasteful to me.

Yes, Caleb, I guess I have to agree with you there.

Do we know anyone who designs toilet paper?

No.  No, I don't think they we do.

Good, cause I might have to tell them they weren't doing such a great job.

Zoo-Bikini Bread

As I sit here, I have just pulled six (yes SIX) loaves of Zucchini Bread out of the oven.


Yes, you are still reading The Snyder 5 blog.  This is Molly.  I know.  Domesticity and baking.  Not your usual combo from me.


But our accountant (and friend, these are her girls) gave us a ginormous (have I ever mentioned how much I love the fact that is officially a word now?) zucchini and I opted to dig out my grandmother's old family recipe for Zucchini Bread.  Better known, round these parts, as Zoo-Bikini Bread, which is what my brother called it as a child.


Quick story and then I'll share the recipe.


Growing up, we lived in Minnesota and my grandparents lived in Beatrice, Nebraska.  Every time they would come to visit, my grandmother, who we called Gaga, would pack a bag full of her loaves of Zucchini Bread.  My brother couldn't pronounce that at the time, so he took to calling it Zoo-Bikini Bread.


One year, after she and my grandfather had headed home, we had managed to eat through the loaves.  My brother and dad were out driving when they ran out of gas.  The conversation went like this:

Dad: Oh nooo, Josh!  We ran out of gas?


Josh:  Oh no, Dad!  We're out of Zoo-Bikini Bread, too!


Dad: What are we going to do?


Josh: I guess we are going to have to call Gaga and tell her to bring us some more.

Yup, it's that good.  It even trumps having gas in your car.

So here it is, a classic family recipe.  Straight out of the 1960's.  Horrible for you, but so good for you, too.

Zoo-Bikini Bread
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 t. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
3 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. grated orange peel
2 cups grated zucchini

Add ingredients alternately with the 2 cups of grated zucchini.  Mix only until well mixed.  Pour into greased loaf pans (2 regular or 3-4 mini loaves).  Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

Can be doubled, which is what I did here.

Enjoy.

And, yes, it does seem a bit funny to be posting this recipe in the midst of my Better for BlogHer challenge.  These loaves will be for the four men around here.  But here is the latest on that effort.

An Open Letter to Volkswagen

Dear Volkswagen,


Let me start off by saying we are fans.  Love your cars and have only had great experiences with them.  My husband drives his second one now, in fact.  (Side note, it's not always a great idea to let 7- and 5-year-old boys pick your car color, it will be Lightning McQueen red.)

And as much as I love your cars, I also have loved your marketing.  As anyone who works in marketing knows, you guys have long been considered pioneers.  From the Lemon ad on, you have been advertising geniuses.

But remember those little boys I told you about?  The ones who picked their Dad's car color?

They are 7- and nearly-9-years old now.  And they think you are marketing geniuses, too.  They also appreciate that you have given them a reason to punch each other constantly while we drive.

I grew up in Minnesota.  Maybe it's that whole Minnesota Nice thing, but we grew up playing "Slug Bug."  You only got to punch someone if it was a Beetle.  And that I could handle.

But, according to your web site, just last month, you sold more than 21,000 units.  So I can only image that means there are hundreds of thousands of Volkswagens out there on the road.  

And now the game (for me, at least) has changed?  Now we are supposed to punch someone each and every time we see a VW?  And how do you handle it when you are driving in one?  Constant, non-stop pelting?

Oh, did I mention I have a 2-year-old, too?  And that he thinks his brothers hitting each other is a riot.  But doesn't get that it's about cars.  So just just walks up to them now, in the house, and says "Boo One!" and socks them.

I love you guys.  But you're making this "Don't hit your brother" thing a real challenge.

Thanks,

A Mom of Three Boys (who have bruised arms)

 

Look Before You Leap. Or don't.

I tend to be a thinker.  Which is a good, thing.  Right?

Some would say that I am an over-thinker.  I would be in that group of "some."

I look at things from every angle and contemplate all of the "what ifs," even if the "what ifs" really are "probably nevers."

I am the go-to person for "what do you think about this..." kind of questions.

And while it's good to think.  Sometimes I think that it's just that thinking that prevents me from doing.

From taking a risk.

From seeing what is in front of me and just going for it.

Sure, I might not always land exactly on my own two feet.  And it might not be graceful.

But I will land.

And scraped knees are only temporary.

It's good to think.  But it's also good to do.  To move.  To try.

To pull myself out of the "musts" and the "nevers" and just go.

And I am trying.

I am letting go of the unimportant. 

Focusing on the important. 

Letting go of stuff.

Taking risks.

Putting myself in new situations.

Not dwelling on the things I cannot fix or control.

And embracing that which I can.

My Lunch Date

Does this look like a sick kid to you?
Nope, me neither.  So today I got to pretend to be a stay-at-home-mom and hang with Eli at the park eating Noodles and Company with friends.  And, I got some free food for some of you, too!

Wordless Wednesday - Kickball Sprinkler Style

Living the Dream

We woke this morning to a disaster of a house.


Good news?  Boys had a great night with the sitter while we hit the Twins game.


Bad news?  They trashed the house while doing so.


Then, I read an email from the boys daycamp mentioning that they were trying to "slow the spread of lice."  Hmmm, that doesn't sound good.


That led us to a quick survey of Caleb and Noah's hair.


Good news?  Not sure there is any good news here.


Bad news?  Not only did Caleb manage to pick it up again.  But now Noah has it, too.



I headed out to my car to find this.


That would be Caleb's tupperware container holding a grasshopper and a stink bug.  Evidently when stink bugs get left in hot cars, enclosed in tupperware with teeny air holes, overnight, they get angry.  Or stinky.  At least I am blaming the stink bug and hoping that the boys haven't left some other horrid smelling item in my car.

Good news?  I removed the bugs.

Bad news?  The smell lingers.

Dropped Eli off and headed into work.  Got a call two hours later that the little guy had a nasty stomach bug and had to come home.

Good news?  At least I now have six hours to wash all of the lice laundry.

Bad news?  Eli is sick.  And I am home with him until he is symptom-free for 24 hours.

Driving home with Eli, I found myself annoyed and frustrated.  This is not how anniversaries are supposed to go.  Heck, this is not how days are supposed to go, period.

And I looked up and realized I was sitting behind this couple.

Out for a midday motorcycle ride.

For a moment, I had that little pang of, well, intense jealously laced with a bit of anger.  You know, that irrational, "I kind of hate you" feeling that comes with jealously?

And, no, my personal dream does not involve sitting on the back of a bike.

But here they were, 11:00 a.m. on a Tuesday, out for a ride.  And declaring to all, via the back of the shirt, that they were Living the Dream.

And then I woke up and reminded myself that, so too am I.  Dreams have twists and turns.  They don't always turn out the way we think.

But I too am living the dream.  Right now I just want to wake up for a few minutes.  Right now, my dream has lice and stomach bugs and messy houses.

But my life is also pretty darn good.

I am living the dream.  Even if it involves nasty little bugs.  And too many diapers.  And a mess that I don't know how to attack.  And a husband who has to work late on our anniversary.

So until I wake up from this part I am off to nitpick (the kids, not Brian).

Best Wedding Gift Ever

Today is our 14th wedding anniversary.

And along the way many of the wedding gifts we received have been broken, lost or left behind.  And yes, most of the broken things were my fault.  I define "butter fingers."

We have replaced towels and sheets.  We have had several bedding sets.  We have broken dishes (again, by "we," I do mean "I").  But there are plenty of things that we still have.

But there is one thing that stands out.  It has moved with us several times.  It is showing it's age.  But I still love it. 

It's the personalized door knocker that my aunt gave us with our name and "Est. 1996" on it.
Growing up my grandparents had one on their home, too.  And seeing it always just reminded me that we were in a good place.  In the family home.  Established, safe, happy, warm.

Seeing it on my own home reminds me of those same things.


And no, no one asked me to write this post and no one is paying me for doing so :).  Of course, if you want to pick up one of these for someone you know, you can do so through Things Remembered.  And yes, that is an affiliate link.

I'm Not Tired - Part II x III

After walking to Highland Fest this weekend in 90-degree heat, the boys were shot.  Done.  Spent.  Over.  Whining, crying, oh-so-not-fun-bundles of boyness.

I pushed, nudged and encouraged them back up to the hill.

For the sanity of all of us, I informed the boys that there would be naps.

Eli didn't fight me.  In fact, he promptly tipped over at the table. 

No worries.  I moved him to his bed.

Noah got it, too.  And marched up to bed.  And was out within minutes.

Caleb not so much.  He fought it.  He protested.  He stood his ground and refused to get in his bed.

He marched downstairs three times to try telling me that he had already slept and when I didn't buy that, would tell me that he wasn't tired.  As he stomped marched away he shot back,

I will not get in my bed!

And I went upstairs 20 minutes later to find this.

Okay, buddy, you win.  You proved your point.  You didn't get in your bed.

But you did take a lovely two hour nap on the floor.

Mom wins afterall.

Day 29 of the 500 Pound Declutter - Basement Toy Shelves

If you're new to my Great Declutter Challenge, you might want to start here.

Welcome to one of those annoying parking grounds in our house.  Located at the bottom of the basement stairs, it was an easy place for the kids to set stuff that they didn't fully want to put away.  It was a place for us to dump stuff that we didn't have time or energy to put away.  It was a dumping ground.

Ugh.

Evidently at some point, I was trying out another trio to complement the vases.  I made it out of two random white candles and a roll of paper towels.  Isn't it striking?


Yup, if anyone needs interior design consult, I am so your girl.

It had also become a home for lost game pieces, glue sticks and CURSE YOU matryoshka dolls.


I had had it with the attack of the matryoshka dolls.  I have found partial body parts from these "charming" stackable dolls everywhere in the house.


It was war.

Look at her staring me down.  Pure evil.


That's it.  The matryoshka dolls have all been gathered and put away.  Someday, perhaps, I will pass them along to my grandkids to give my boys just a little bit of payback.


Mwhahahahaha.

Next, I had the boys go through the games to decide what they didn't play with anymore.

Several they declared broken.

We then came across Hi Ho Cheerio and I wondered why I hadn't seen them play it in years.

And then I figured out the answer.

With games sorted into donate, keep and toss piles, I continued the decluttering, coming across this.

Caleb, I will say it here and now.  I am so thoroughly proud that you cut a piece of wood.  But we didn't need to keep it forever.  I am quite sure that you will have more wood to cut in your life.

I moved all of the kid games to the left shelves.

Putting the grown up games along with the wine.  Ah, a perfect pairing.

Resulting in a set of shelves that looked like this.

Oh so much better.


And we're down another 6 pounds, bringing the running total to

479 pounds

It's Wedding Season - Great Gift Ideas

Knowing that summer is prime wedding season, and with our 14th wedding anniversary this week, I thought I'd pass along some cute wedding gift ideas I have seen lately.

I know I get tired of always giving towels and sheets (and yes I know that is sometimes what people really want and need, but still).  But when I am shopping for someone really special, people that I know, I often like to get a personalized item.  Something unique.

Things like these.

Personalized Love Hearts Frames

This framed hearts piece is handmade so every piece is unique. Each one is then personalized with initials, names, dates, etc.  There are a variety of styles available starting at $49.

 Custom Heart Tree Print Pillow Cover

Another personalized thing (can you tell I have a thing here?).  My cousin received one of these from her husband and I fell in love with it.  You can add names or initials.  Prices start at $34.

 Silhouette Mugs

Love this idea.  You simply send them side shots of the two people and they put their silhouettes on his and hers mugs.  $65.

Personalized Popcorn Bowl

While we didn't get this particular bowl for our wedding, we did get a personalized popcorn bowl and I love it.  Could have something to do with loving popcorn, and the person who gave it to us, but I love it all the same.  $27.

And stay tuned.  Later this week I'll share my very favorite wedding gift...

This post would fall into the "just talking about this stuff cause I want to" category.  I didn't get any samples, these Etsy shop owners don't even know I was writing about their things.  I just like them.