BRAINSTORMING "B"

Previous Entry: Pass The Popcorn, Please!

Recently I came across a fun little meme. By commenting, I received a letter of the alphabet for which to list ten things I love in my life that begin with that letter.

Thanks to Amy at Adventures in Being for challenging me with "B"!

1. Brownstones...Mr. Brownstone, Tornado, and Twister ~ these are the people I love best!
2. Big Cheese and JayBird...My parents are amazing!
   
3. Brat Pack...It's great to have siblings that are also your friends!
   
4. Best Friends...I have been blessed beyond measure!
5. Brethren...Our church home is awesome!
6. Barbecue...If this wasn't on the list, then I wouldn't be a true Southerner!
7. Bargains...I am NOT a full-price shopper ~ not even for groceries!
8. Books...Reading is one of the greatest adventures!
   
9. Blog Comments...I'd be lying if I said I didn't love 'em!
   
10. Bible...Last typed on the list but not last in my life by any means ~ this is the most important part of my day!
    

Let me know in the comments if you would like to play.
Hey! Comment even if you don't want to play!
Because we ALL love comments, and if you comment, I'll come and comment for you!
And if you ask me to give you a letter, a LOT of people will probably come comment because they
will want comments, too!
Like I said...we ALL love comments!

BRAINSTORMING "B"

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/09/brainstorming-b.html

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

I promise to visit all of the new Ten Thing'ers soon! I'll come visit all of the old ones, too! Thanks for sticking in during the blogging drought around here. Things have been too busy to dare start reading and commenting. If I start, I'm not able to stop! BUT...I know you're there. I've seen you. I've sneaked the quickest of peeks...and am so glad to have each and every one of you on this journey of joy with me!



Good morning! Isn't it turning out to be a gorgeous summer? It's hard to believe, though, that it's not actually even "true summer" yet!

The one solid reminder we have, however, is SCHOOL. Yes...you read that correctly. The Brownstone kids are still in school! It's almost enough to make me complain a little bit. My philosophy is that there should be no school allowed during the months of June, July, and August.

NONE!

Not. A. Single. Day.

When I was in school, we started every year the day after Labor Day, and we were out for summer by every Memorial Day. You know what? We all turned out just fine!!!

Kids need summer!

BUT...this is "Ten Thing Tuesday". It is not a complaining post!

1. Our children are receiving a stellar public education. We are so blessed to be in a school district that has a high standard of learning.
   
2. They have a beautiful learning environment. Really...it's beautiful. The school looks brand new, and the layout is amazing. Each grade level is self-contained, with the exception of Art, Music, P.E., Spanish, and the Cafeteria, which are conveniently in one area, and the Library and the Office, which are centrally located.
3. The school is always clean. And by clean...I mean really clean. The custodians do a fantastic job each and every day. On this subject...if you've never thanked your child's custodian, you should totally do it. I've worked in schools that were not very clean and in schools that were immaculate. I fully believe it makes a difference in the performance of the kids AND the teachers.
4. The teachers are amazing! They win "Teacher of the Year" awards at higher levels than our specific school with an amazing ratio! I can't think of a single day that I've driven by the school in the late afternoon and seen an empty parking lot. They come early and stay late. There are truly teachers there with a love for teaching!
   
5. They are exposed to many extra-curricular classes, competitions, service projects, and opportunities.
6. It's a community. Everyone remembers all the kids' names. The principal, the vice principal, the office ladies, the nurse, the librarian, the custodian, the teachers, the classroom aides... They also know the parents' names, and to which kids we belong. I think that's pretty impressive.
7. There is a high parent involvement. We are encouraged to be in the building in a volunteer capacity (with a background check!) as often as we'd like to be there. There are many ways to serve as a volunteer, which makes it extremely easy to find something you like to do. We are also encouraged to come eat lunch with our kids. I try to do this at least once every six weeks for each of my children. They LOVE it!
8. This has to be prefaced with "kids are kids"...but for the most part, the kids are all great! My children have lots of really great friends from school.
9. Every year, they are placed with the teacher and the classmates that seems to truly be the best for them. The principal and the vice principal meet, and they consider every educational factor and personality trait of each child, as well as those of the teachers for the coming year. They also factor in what the teachers the previous year have said about student-to-student relationships. It's clear that it is never a hasty decision but always one that is well-thought out by the team. And PRAYER has a lot to do with it, too!
10. School is almost out for summer!!!

Have a wonderful summer! Do something fun with your kids...or your grandkids...or your nieces and nephews...or your spouse! And if none of these apply? Sign up to be a volunteer reader in the fall for a school near you! It will greatly bless you and the kids to whom you're reading!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Jayne 2. Jennifer 3. Dyane 4. Amy 5. Shana

6. Jill 7. Jennifer 8. mzzterry 9. Danna 10. Sharon

11. Emily 12. Joy 13. Joanna

Learn more about Ten Things Tuesday here.

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/06/ten-things-tuesday.html

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF TWO BABES AND A BABE

Ten days ago, Jayne at The Clock Is Ticking tagged me for the "Seven Random Things" meme. I think memes can be fun because they tell you a lot about the person. However...before "meeting" Jayne, I had already participated in this same meme; and currently, I am working on a "100 Things About Me" list to honor the 100th post tradition. (Don't hold your breath, though ~ it is much harder than you'd think. It might take all year to complete!) Considering these two facts, it might be just a bit redundant for me to list seven random things about myself. Trust me, I am not that interesting! (Even though y'all are all secretly wondering how on earth I met Billy Idol!)

To keep things interesting, I went to the ones that know and love me best. I asked Tornado, Twister, and Mr. Brownstone to make a random list of random things about me. Of course, one or two items receive a quick and definitive VETO...by me. There are still some things a girl has to keep secret!

Without further adieu, here are "Seven Random Things About Mrs. Brownstone...by 'The Rest of the Brownstones' aka 'Two Babes and a Babe'!"

1. "Sometimes you bust out dancing. Well, not sometimes ~ you actually do it a LOT! You shake your bootie, and your dancing is bad!"
   
   ~ Tornado
   
   
2. "Sometimes when you're in the car, you just bust out singing. You take a breath every few words, but you are a really, REALLY good singer!"
   
   ~ Twister
   
   
3. "It takes you a really long time to pick out clothes when we're shopping. Like when we went to Target to buy food the other day, we were there for three hours. We spent two of those hours shopping for your one shirt."
   
   ~ Tornado
   
   
4. "You get freaked out when people talk about 'Nightmare on Elm Street'. One time we were driving in the car, and we passed by Elm Street; and we were all teasing you about it. We said, 'Hey, Dad bought a house on Elm Street!' All of us were laughing, and you said, 'That's not EVEN funny!'"
   
   ~ Tornado
   
   
5. "Every time you get a new pair of sunglasses you break them or lose them. You always keep 'em on your head."
   
   ~ Twister
   
   
6. "Your deodorant smells like coconut. I like it. It smells yummy!"
   
   ~ Twister
   
   
7. "You don't like black cats crossing in front of you're while driving. You're a 'scaredy'."
   
   ~ Mr. Brownstone
   

In the spirit of carrying on this meme, here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules in your blog entry.
3. Share 7 random, or weird, facts about yourself.
4. Tag 7 random people at the end of the post, linking to them.
5. Leave a comment on their blog so that they know they’ve been tagged. ***
   

So...in "random" order, I am tagging some people that I've never tagged before for a meme, who are all new friends from "Ten Things Tuesday", and who left comments for me on Tuesday! (Thanks, y'all!) They are as follows:

1. Nikki at The Hill-Billies
   
2. Terry at Mzzterry
   
3. Shana at Easton and Lexi
   
4. Amanda at Livin' On Tulsa Time
   
5. Chandra at View From My Window
   
6. Danna at Ramsey Five
   
7. Michelle at Being A Star

Y'all are now "It"! (Or what that be "Its"?) I am looking forward to finding out more about y'all! I need to toss in the disclaimer here, however, that meme participation is optional and strictly voluntary. If it's not your thing, there is no pressure! And really, I was just supposed to tag seven people, but if anyone else would like to play along, please come leave a comment here letting me know that you joined in the fun!

***We're walking out the door to a party, so if you see this before I leave a comment letting you know that you've been tagged, then my humble and sincere apologies. It will be a bit before that can be completed!

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF TWO BABES AND A BABE

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/04/out-of-mouths-of-two-babes-and-babe.html

ELEPHANARDO DA VINCI

You will be amazed by what you will see in the following videos!

The first video is long ~ eight and half minutes ~ but it's the one all of the Brownstones preferred. If you suffer from ADD, or if you're the type that needs more immediate gratification, or even if you're simply in a hurry, then by all means skip to the second video. It's the same video, but it has been sped up and put to music. In my opinion, it loses some of the deliberation that is evident in the first video, and the quality is not as good because the camera appears to shake; but that being said...you will get the gist. The third video is slightly different. It's not quite as amazing as the first, but it's only thirty seconds. It also gives you a completely different view of what is happening in the videos.



This one /\ /\ /\ is longer, but better.

What to choose, what to choose... (I'd choose both!)

This one \/ \/ \/ is not quite as good, but it's shorter.



This \/ \/ \/ is a different elephant painting a different picture, but it shows more of the actual elephant than just the trunk!



If only someone had been throwing peanuts... We sat around the computer monitor with our mouths hanging open! They really are rather unbelievable! I did some investigating, however, and the videos are authentic. The Leonardo da Vinci channeling elephants are part of the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project, a non-profit organization based out of New York City. The elephants reside in Bali, Borobudur, Cambodia, India, and Thailand, as well as one in the United States. You can read more about them by clicking the above link. You can also purchase various items, including the artwork.

Judging by the artwork, I think that the elephant in the first and second video is an eight-year-old female, living in Thailand, named Hong. She can paint two things...an elephant holding a flower and the Thai flag. A similar painting to the one in the video recently sold for $500.00!!! The elephant in the third video is definitely a five-year-old male, living in Thailand, named Paya. His specialty is creating elephant heads!

Heard from the heckle-free peanut gallery:

• "Y'all come look at this! This is amazing!!!" ~ Mrs. Brownstone
• "LOOK! He's painting 'hisself', Mom!" ~ Twister, after simply watching (with great perception) the first brush stroke.
• "Now that picture's a million bucks!" ~ Tornado
• "The control in his trunk is showing incredible dexterity!" ~ Mr. Brownstone

What did you hear in your peanut gallery?

ELEPHANARDO DA VINCI

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/04/elephanardo-da-vinci.html

XBOX WIFE: GREATEST HITS

In this week's edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday: Greatest Hits Edition, Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer, has asked us to rerun one of our own favorite old Works-For-Me Wednesday posts. I decided to get all nostalgic on y'all and rerun the very first Works-For-Me Wednesday post I ever made! Hope y'all enjoy it!

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!
Originally published on Wednesday, September 19, 2007.

For a couple of months now, I have been reading the
Works-For-Me Wednesday carnival hosted by Shannon at
Rocks In My Dryer. And y'all...it is so awesome! Each week I find wonderful new tips for just about everything! I've longed to join in the fun; but it wasn't until this past Saturday that I was finally ready to take the big leap and not only remove a post from draft form for the first time ever, but publicly publish that post as well! After privately blogging (in draft form) since the Spring, I am gradually making all of "XBOX WIFE" public. It's a work-in-progress. :)

Now, I am so excited
to finally be a part of:

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING AND ADDING MORE WHEELS

This summer was a big traveling summer for our family. We took an airplane trip, as well as a long road trip.

Sometimes traveling with kids can be,shall we say...difficult!

They tend to get bored while waiting in line at the airport and hotel check-ins, making it an easy temptation for them to:
a)get loud, b)get whiney, or c)get lost by wandering away,
leaving you either angry, frustrated, or panicked (or all three) and wondering why you took the trip in the first place!

We found something that kept our forces of nature at bay this summer. And y'all, let me tell you, it made our travel time SO much easier! We gave each child their own suitcase. It's amazing what putting them in charge of their own set of wheels was able to accomplish. Not only did pulling their own luggage keep them occupied, it gave them a sense of pride and responsibility. They did NOT want any help, and they kept up with us in the airport. Focusing on their luggage kept them from being distracted by other things. They did not fight. They did not whine. They did not wander away from us. This held true in the hotel check-in lines as well, and it was wonderful!

Of course, there were additional benefits as well. We packed far less than usual. Each person was limited to their one suitcase. This made doing laundry so much easier when we returned home. Lastly, Mr. Brownstone and I were able to have a stress-free check-in at both the airport and the hotels because not only were our children cooperating, but we were also each carrying only one small bag. Long gone were the days of lugging a couple of large, heavy suitcases and several carry-on items, all while corralling in kids. We did each have one small carry-on item because their were certain things we wanted to keep on the plane with us. I had a large purse, and he had a backpack. These helped to occupy the kids after the luggage was checked.

We followed the same exact packing plan for our road trip. We do not have a large car, and the four small suitcases fit perfectly in the trunk. We kept the "carry-on" items in the backseat with the kids, so they could access them easily. It was easy to unload what we needed at each hotel, and it kept our children from all whirlwind activity.

I can definitely say that the idea of downsizing and adding more wheels Works-For-Me, and I hope that it will work for you, too!

**To see another thing that is working for me, click here! (Link removed for reposting.)

HAPPY TRAVELING!

And now back to the present day...

What is working for me today other than the things about which I've already written?

It's "Ten Things Tuesday" ~ a carnival of thanksgiving!

You can click here to read the guidelines,
and you can click here to read about the inspiration behind it!

Since we're all breaking out reruns today, click here to see my other Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips, which include:

• how we clean out children's closets with ease (really fun!)
• what meaningful gesture of love we use with our children (my very favorite!)
• what we've learned about dining in and dining out
• "Backwards Edition" tips for shopping at CVS
• "Backwards Edition" tips for removing white spots/rings from furniture
• how we master math in the Brownstone household (GREAT tool for math!)
• "Backwards Edition" tips for correct "tipping" etiquette in almost any situation
• how I get my kids (and Mr. Brownstone!) to try new vegetables and love them (biggest reader response!)
• how we make traveling with kids easier (see above!)

Click here to find out what works for us regarding chores and allowance!

Click here to see what easy recipes are working for us!

XBOX WIFE: GREATEST HITS

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/04/xbox-wife-greatest-hits.html

UP TO THE MOON AND BACK...

Upon viewing this, I'm sure you want to ask...

"What
on earth
is that?"
I can't blame you for wondering...
Because I'd be wondering, too...
It's an odd sort of picture to be posting on a blog.
Especially on an entry about showing kids how much they are loved!

Earlier today, I was cleaning out and organizing the drawers in Tornado's bedroom, when I came across this stack. At first, I was a bit surprised and wondering what on earth these were doing in the drawer!?!! That feeling was quickly followed by a healthy round of tears and a nice thick lump in my throat, as I had the big "A-Ha!!!" moment. Have you guessed what they are yet?

These are most ~ if not all ~ of the napkins that I have written love notes on for Tornado's lunch box this year!
And I found them tucked safely away in a drawer...
Some pristinely clean...
Others rumpled and dirty...
Some shriveled up from water blots...

All with a love message from me.
Or Mr. Brownstone...Or Twister...Or a grandparent!

The notes are not difficult to write. We always keep them short and simple ~ just a brief "Have A GREAT Day!" like the one shown, or "You bring a smile to my face!" Sometimes they include an apology..."I'm sorry we had a rough morning...", or "I was a little grumpy, and I'm sorry." Sometimes they have a little sketch of something...a smiley face, an ice cream cone, a big sunshine, or roller skates. Sometimes they are a reminder..."Two more days until vacation...", or "It's Friday! Yippee!!!" Sometimes they are an encourager..."Good luck in your play tonight! I can't wait to see you!" or "You are a reading and writing machine! Good luck on your test!" Sometimes they are a thank you note..."Thanks for being such a great helper on Saturday!" Sometimes they are wistful..."I had so much fun with you this week!" or "You are growing up so fast!" Sometimes they are a witty play on the napkin...a blue napkin reads, "We are so 'blue' without you! Can't wait until 3:00!" A jack-o-lantern napkin reads..."You make me smile like this guy!" And always, always...they are an "I love you!"

Clearly, this gesture of love is working for Tornado. Apparently, it's also working for Twister. After this find, of course I had to rummage through those drawers, too! Just guess what I found... In fact, upon further digging for both kids, I found stacks and stacks of little napkins dating all the way back to preschool!!! The really funny thing is this...I am the one that cleans out the lunch boxes each day. Not once have a found a napkin inside. I just assumed that they had been tossed away at school. The notes obviously were so meaningful to them that they stashed them away at school so they could save them once home. And that is meaningful to me!

Visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer to see more

tips this week!

Click here to see my other Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips:

• what we've learned about dining in and dining out
  
• "Backwards Edition" tips for shopping at CVS
  
• "Backwards Edition" tips for removing white spots/rings from furniture
• how we master math in the Brownstone household
• "Backwards Edition" tips for correct "tipping" etiquette in almost any situation
• how I get my kids (and Mr. Brownstone!) to try new vegetables and love them
• how we make traveling with kids easier

Click here to find out what works for us regarding chores and allowance!

Click here to see what easy recipes are working for us!

UP TO THE MOON AND BACK...

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/03/up-to-moon-and-back.html

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

Do you remember playing "Red Light, Green Light" in the schoolyard during recess? How about "Mother, May I?", "What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?", or "Simon Says"?

When I was young, we didn't have a lot of expensive playground equipment like many schools today. Recess was a time for "Tag", "Red Rover", "Hopscotch", races, and jump roping, not to mention all of the clapping games! We got creative, and some of my best early memories are those of the playground. When Tornado started to school, all of those memories came flooding back to me. Though I could not remember a lot of the rules or lyrics to the games, it just so happened to be the time of Google! Lucky me!!! I won't say it was a complete and total breeze to find what we were looking for back then, but it wasn't really that hard either. After a few clicks, we had several sites giving us all the information we could want for many of those old games!

Today was the first day of Spring Break for Tornado and Twister, and it was a gorgeous day! With the threat of rain and cooler temperatures tomorrow, we played outside for hours! We had so much fun playing these games from my childhood. Of course, I was always "It" ~ whether "It" was "Simon", "Mr. Wolf", or the "Traffic Cop". We were even inspired to make up new games with math facts and spelling words, too! The kids laughed and giggled and screamed and jumped and practiced schoolwork without even realizing it...we had the best time!

What games do you remember from childhood? I'd love to hear from you in the comment section!

Ann Kroeker is hosting "Monday FunDay" ~ "a carnival dedicated to swapping simple, amusing – maybe even silly – everyday ways you enjoy good, clean fun" ~ over at her blog. We really had a "Monday FunDay" playing these silly games today! Try them sometime, and see for yourself!

You can find other fun ideas over at Ann's blog,

and y'all know...we can all use a little fun now and then ~ especially on Mondays!

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/03/red-light-green-light.html

TO DINE...OR NOT TO DINE?

I grew up in a very small town...a town so small that you could count all of the restaurants on one hand. To be honest, counting them would not even require all of the fingers on that one hand! Needless to say, we ate at home ~ a lot!

Today, I live in a much larger town. It's not even a town really...it's more like a metropolis. Maybe it's city life, or maybe it's just this day and age, but people do not seem to eat at home as often anymore.

And I don't think it's just the Brownstones.

Everywhere you look, at almost anytime of day, cars are packed into the parking lots of fast food joints, fine dining restaurants, and all types of eating establishments in between the two.
Maybe it's the bright ~ sometimes flashing ~ neon lights of the whimsical signs that draw us in, promising a fun atmosphere.
Maybe it's the commercials on television with their catchy theme songs and tables of people talking and laughing over plates of colorful, steaming food that promise lots of great bonding over a delicious meal.
Maybe what lures us in is the thought of not having to prepare the meal, or clean up after it for that matter, promising lots of free time and a clean kitchen.
Maybe ~ just maybe ~ we are trying to keep up with Joneses.

Well, I'm telling you...the Brownstones have been on a roll the past few months! We have eaten at so many different restaurants I can't even begin to count them all. It would require all of my fingers. And all of my toes. Oh, let's just be honest here ~ it would still require additional body parts! Remember what I said earlier about growing up in a small town?

That might sound glorious to some of you. It used to sound glorious to me! But let me tell you what I have learned from it because it just doesn't work...

• Sometimes we are overstimulated! Bright lights do not necessarily equal fun. It's harder to remember the glory of the simple things when we have to be entertained all the time.
• A catchy theme song does not always equal good food. It's easy to forget that the food in the commercial is the "star of the show", so it always looks perfect. The food we are ultimately served...well, that's real life food. And laughing customers do not mean there will be great conversation. Often it's really too loud to even talk ~ especially the kind of talking that we should be doing with our children over dinner. It's time to hear about their day!
• Sometimes taking the easy way out really isn't that easy! When you factor in the time that it takes to drive to and from the restaurant, to order your food, to eat, and to pay the bill, are you really saving that much time? My children finally came to the point of literally groaning if they knew we were going to a restaurant for dinner. They expressed to me that they just wanted to be HOME! That, my friends, was a well-deserved knock upside my head! Sometimes, we just need to slow down.
• And finally...in trying to keep up with the Joneses, will we ever actually be able to keep up with the Joneses? Probably not. Even if you eat only fast food, dining out gets expensive!

I also learned this...
There is definitely a time and place for dining in various types of restaurants. It is fun to meet friends over a carefree dinner. Some of my best memories from growing up are of eating at the local Dairy Queen every Sunday night after church. It was fun being a room filled with the laughter of so many people that we would not have all fit into one house. Though we opt for Sunday lunch instead of Sunday dinner, this is a tradition that we have carried on with our friends today! I have no doubt that some of my own children's best memories will be those of Sunday lunches with dear friends.

And dining out ~ when it's done occasionally ~ can be a really fun way to celebrate! We each get to choose our favorite restaurant, whether it be fast food or fine dining, to go and celebrate at some point during our birthday week. Those are special memories! I will never forget how one year Tornado picked McDonald's, and the very next year, the choice was Benihana!

But...there is nothing better than throwing together a simple meal at home and having your kids smell it and say,
"Mommy is cooking! We get to eat at HOME tonight!"
"We are having real food!"
"That smells soooo good!"
"This is the best thing I've ever eaten!"
"Mommy, you are the best. chef. ever!"

That best thing they've ever eaten? You can find it below the post. It's one of the easiest things I know how to make. It's also very inexpensive and very easy to clean up the kitchen. Now that works-for-me!

Back to the beginning of the story...Thing 2, Thing 3, Thing 4, and myself are all still very close. We are also still close to our parents. And we all still frequently enjoy meals at home together. We talk often, and laugh much...and we know what is going on in one another's lives. I think a big part of that is what our parents instilled in us when we were young through family participation in preparation and cleanup, as well as many fun conversations around the dinner table. And those memories are even better than the ones from Dairy Queen!

A final thought ~ the less we eat at home, the more we are teaching our children to do the same. Kitchens are meant to be used!!! It's OK if they aren't completely spotless all the time! It is great fun for kids to help in the kitchen, and it creates a memory that will last a lifetime...which is WAY longer than the memory of that meal that saved you so much time!

Hobo Dinners, or "The Easiest Meal I Know How To Make"

2 pounds ground chuck or turkey
1 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
4 potatoes, sliced
1 bag carrots, halved and then sliced lengthwise into quarters
salt and pepper to taste

Line a jelly roll pan with heavy duty foil. Form meat into patties, and place on pan. (If you really want to make it easy, buy pre-made patties, though this does up the cost a bit.) Season with salt and pepper to your taste preference. Add potatoes, and season again. Then add carrots, onion, and pepper. Cover tightly with foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Enjoy super easy preparation, a tasty one dish meal with your family, super easy cleanup, and loads of compliments from your kids!

Happy cooking!

Visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer to see more

tips this week!

Click here to see my other Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips:

• "Backwards Edition" tips for shopping at CVS
  
• "Backwards Edition" tips for removing white spots/rings from furniture
• how we master math in the Brownstone household
• "Backwards Edition" tips for correct "tipping" etiquette in almost any situation
• how I get my kids (and Mr. Brownstone!) to try new vegetables and love them
• how we make traveling with kids easier

Click here to find out what works for us regarding chores and allowance!

Click here to see what other easy recipes are working for us!

TO DINE...OR NOT TO DINE?

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/03/i-grew-up-in-very-small-town.html

HELP ME! HELP ME!

I'm seeing spots!

This week Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is hosting her second edition of Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Backwards Day! Once again, she has charged us to ASK for tips rather than give them.

Oh, how I hope that at least one of you can give me a tip on how to fix this problem:
We think that it is an anti-bacterial hand sanitizer gel stain. Twister recently sneaked a bottle from my purse. I found the almost empty tiny, little bottle and this BIG spot on the coffee table! Yikes!!!

The sad thing...we don't really ever even use the gel. We're soap and water kind of people. However, some activities call for the stuff when you know that there will be no soap and water around come hand washing time!

Please help me! We also have a lovely ring on another table. I think the culprit was Mr. Brownstone, but he will never 'fess up to it!

For my other Works-For-Me Wednesday tips, click here!
To find out what works for us regarding chores/"allowance", click here!
To see what easy recipes are working for us, click here!
To see who won in my Fall, Y'all! Bloggy Giveaway, click here!

Visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer to GIVE more Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Backwards Day tips this week!

HELP ME! HELP ME!

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/11/help-me-help-me.html

HEADLINES

My good friend Jenn, or "Lurch-Lady" as I like to call her, was recently tagged over at texas wife and mom. (Jenn, we really need to discuss your de-capitalization of TEXAS!) She participated by listing seven random thoughts as they randomly popped into her head. Once tagged, it seems to be customary to tag others to participate in the fun. I mean, Lurch-Lady was tagged by her friend Reagan from Mississippi, who was tagged by 24Crayons from Virginia, who was tagged by Kate, tagged by Zombieslayer, tagged by Beach Bum from South Carolina, tagged by Mike from Michigan, tagged by Meggie from Australia, tagged by Leanne from Australia, tagged by Nicolette from Netherlands, tagged by Tracy from Norway, tagged by Hege - also from Norway and with a bilingual blog to boot, who was tagged THREE times:

• by Monica from Norway, tagged by Kristen from Norway, tagged by Petunia from Norway, who was tagged twice,
  
• by Marianne from Norway, where the trail went cold on September 23, (Monica, Kristen, Petunia, and Marianne all had completely foreign language blogs! Check out Monica's blog just for kicks. Bet you can't read it either!)
• and by Hobbygasa from Gjovik, Norway (FINALLY, a bilingual blog!), tagged by Tina from Dixon, Kentucky, tagged by Carol from Las Vegas, Nevada, where the trail went cold on September 19.
  
• by Sylvia from Norway, who was also tagged three times!
• by Frokenij from Norway, tagged by Mrs. Darcy from Norway, tagged by Sina from Norway, (both completely foreign language blogs), tagged by Hobbygasa from Norway (same as above), tagged by Tina from Dixon, Kentucky (same as above), tagged by Carol from Las Vegas, Nevada, where the trail went cold on September 19 (same as above).
• by Ninne, tagged by Lilje, who was tagged twice,
• by Sina from Norway, same as above
  
• and by Kristin from Norway, same as above
• and by BIM-HD, where the trail went cold.
  
• AND by Merete, from Norway and a foreign language blog, which made it difficult to find the meme and it's origin and date because no 1-7 numbers were visible as they were on the other foreign language blogs.

(And yes...I DID take the time required to investigate how long this meme has been going and where it originated. I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to stuff like that! And Y'ALL - let me tell you, those Norwegian women can knit! I was amazed by all the pictures of the beautiful things they have created! AND...may I just ask you the question...do you find it completely incredible that this little meme has traveled AT LEAST from the United States, to Australia, to Netherlands, to Norway, and back to the United States between September 19 and today, and it has been bounced around ~ sometimes more than once ~ between AT LEAST twenty-seven people, not including the off-shoots of every OTHER person these people tagged? Me either!)

Silly Lurch-Lady!
SHE, apparently, had OTHER ideas... Instead, she wrote:

"Okay, I'm tagging..........no one, I could hardly find time to do this one myself!! I'm off to get the kids and myself dressed to go to Ladies Bible class and hopefully enjoy a fun lunch with all of my great girlfriends from church!! If you want to do the tag, be my guest!!! :)"

Of course, I called and harassed her after she didn't tag ANYONE! Being one of those "great girlfriends", I personally felt that I had the right to give her a hard time about not tagging ME! As a new blogger, I don't really get tagged ~ ever! (I was once tagged by Jenn BEFORE I started blogging publicly!) Lurch-Lady really needed to help a "great girlfriend" out with a tag opportunity, especially considering that I've been at a loss for words this past week. I told her that I would be happy to participate, but she had to actually tag me first. ~ no vague references about being her guest but a real black, white, and true tag. In other words, I basically called her and said, "ME! ME! Pick me for the meme!"

So, yesterday I made the headlines in her blog:

"Okay, Jill, you are it!"

That was the title of her latest post. Obviously, the harassment (as well as the shameless begging) worked! I have officially been tagged to list seven random thoughts as they randomly pop into my head. It was interesting to see how this meme evolved over it's traveling course. In the oldest link I could track, there were rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
   
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names.
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog.

On that note, here are some of MY headlines, or the random lines of thought that are running through my head...

1. With the exceptions of Rhino's Real Total Package, M4Mom, and Lurch-Lady, people reading this meme have NO IDEA how extremely difficult it is for me to sort out only seven of the seven hundred random thoughts that will run through my mind while typing this. Seriously! Mr. Brownstone told me I need to be tested for ADD. Mr. Brownstone never takes lightly anything for which he will have to shell out money. He is also not of fan of "labels" or of taking medication unless you truly need antibiotics for something. He must be serious about my short attention span if he's mentioning it.
2. I wonder if ADD is what causes my little problem with chewing gum. Can you get bored while chewing gum? Is it possible to forget why you put it in your mouth in the first place? It is for me. I am thirty-something years old and cannot chew a piece of gum without swallowing it. Seriously ~ Can.not.do.it. This is why I do not chew gum very often. Sometimes I swallow it before the flavor is even gone! Sometimes I swallow it while saying to myself, "Do not swallow your gum. Chew your gum. Do not swallow your gum. Chew your gum." I know ~ gum-swallowing is immature, and it makes me a little weird; but it's a struggle. The really weird thing...I didn't start this nasty little habit until adulthood. It just came out of the blue, and unfortunately, it seems to be an unbreakable habit.
3. I have at least five loads of laundry to do right now, and that does not include all the bed linens, or the towels, or what I will find lurking under the bed and in the corners of Tornado's room. It also does not include the two loads that I have already done that still need to be folded. Laundry is my nemesis. Really, it should be such a simple task, but it is my least favorite task. If I can ever get caught up, it will be simple because right now, I have to do at least one load every day just so the loads do not multiply. Laundry, you better hope we never meet in a dark alley. Your grime will be mine.
4. The background noise of the crowd at televised football games really gets on my nerves. That kind of white noise gives me a headache. The air conditioner noise gives me a headache, too. There is a battle over the thermostat between Mr. Brownstone and myself. I do get chilly but could live with the cooler temperature. It's really the noise I don't like, and I do not like to feel the air blowing either. (I just sneaked in there and bumped the temperature up a couple of degrees so it will quit blowing right now.) I also do not like to feel or hear the air blowing in the car. I could listen to the crickets call, or the frogs croak, or the birds chirp, or the rain, or the thunder, or the rushing water all day long. Please, though, never lock me in a room with crowd noise, or an overactive air conditioner! I'd be crazy by the time you released me.
5. I really miss my kids right now because they are at my parents' house for the night. I'm happy that they get to be around all of their grandparents so often, though. We are lucky like that. I love my family so much. It's such a great feeling to have such a great relationship with our parents and siblings. I don't know what I would do without my parents or the other Things. It's also a bonus because it's free babysitting whenever we need it. It's fun for all of them, and it's nice to have an occasional date with Mr. Brownstone. Mr. Brownstone still has it! I'm not always good about letting him know it, but he still makes my stomach flutter. He is very cute to look at and very funny to boot. Our kids are inside/outside beautiful! They are also very sweet and funny. Tornado is a master prank caller and is quite the teacher for Twister in the art of prank calling as well. Twister pranked called our messages three times today. The first one said, "Hi, this is Rochelle, Buddy's mom, and we would like for Tornado um tuuuh come over at 2 am in the morning tomorrow... well not at 2 am. Two am in the afternoon... after school and we would like Tornado to spend the night. Well, no. Tomorrow after school... the next day, um Monday? Wait, I messed up on my ...." CLICK! Now that, my friends, is a QUALITY prank call. Twister also called earlier this week and left a message that informed me my shirt was ready to pick up from "The Shirt Store" for one thousand and one dollars. When Tornado calls, it is a whole different ballgame. I have to say...Tornado has prank calling skillz, and that is "skillz" with a Z!
   
6. I am not sure if my friends know that I can play the saxophone. I used to be pretty good ~ you know...skillz with a Z. They were not hard to play, but my favorite songs to play were songs from before my time: "Brandy", "Smoke On The Water", and "Horse". I really think I could still play them if I could get my hands on a saxophone.
   
7. I have the best friends...ever! We have not all known each other our whole lives. Some of them I haven't even known for a year, and I haven't known ANY of them for more than two years. We just all came together at the right time, and we just fit. I feel like I have known them forever, and it's a great feeling. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that any single one of them would drop what they were doing at any given moment to come to our aid, and we would do the same for them. I can't imagine not talking to them several times a week. We are so happy where we are...living this full life!

Well, there's seven or more random and weird facts about me. I tag Chrystal, Jenni, Liza, Julie, Rosheeda, and then of course "Rhino's Real Total Package" and "M4Mom" - y'all can post your answers in the comment section here. Please play! I would love for ANYONE that reads this blog semi-regularly to also feel free to participate if you'd like. Please leave a comment for me in the comments section, if you decide to play along, so I can go read your answers! And if you are a brand new reader...YOU CAN PLAY, TOO! The more the merrier!

And Lurch-Lady...thank you so much for helping me find words again!

HEADLINES

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/10/headlines.html

$61.55

We are just about to finish up the sixth week of school, and so far my total for money-doling is $61.55!!

This does not include:

• cafeteria money
• the "voluntary" donation
• book order forms
• all outside activities (sports, scouts, etc.)
  

And the really sad thing is...we are not even remotely finished!
This total does not include the things that I know are yet to come:

• field trips
• fall pictures
• spring pictures
• carnival tickets
• carnival donations
• fun run fees
• sock hop tickets
• etc.
• etc.
• etc.

It's easy to complain sometimes, but in all seriousness, I LOVE my kids' school. I love the office staff, the administration, the teachers, the building, the activities... I am so thankful for the confidence I have in our particular situation.

I think the thoughts I have about the amount of money that is going out stem directly from that mean old Dave Ramsey making us assign a name to every dollar! I'm just kidding about the mean and old part. He's not so bad, especially when you realize that he is helping you change the way you think about debt, cash, and saving ~ even if you thought you were good at it!

$61.55

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/09/6155.html

MOMMY, CAN WE HAVE STEAMED SPINACH FOR DINNER?

Following Entry: Today Is The Day

How many times have you heard your child ask this question?

I hear it at least once a month.
I also hear, "When can we have those brussel sprout thingies again?"
Or you might hear one of my kids say, "My mom makes the best shells and stewed tomatoes!"
And then there's what might be my favorite, "Can we have the boiled kind of okra instead of the fried kind?"

Of course...it was not always like this. Tornado and Twister feared the unknown just as much as the next kid, but I have found something that truly Works-For-Me.

Every time I want to introduce anything new in the kitchen, especially vegetables, I ask my kids if they would like to help me prepare dinner that night. They ALWAYS say, "Yes!" And why wouldn't they? Cooking is fun! It's the clean-up that most people dread.

The part that I have them prepare is always the new vegetable. We keep it very simple.

• They get to wash it if it needs to be washed.
• They get to put it in the pot or the dish.
• They get to measure the seasonings if we are using them.
• They get to turn on the stove, oven, or microwave.
• They get to set the timer.

During this time, I make a HUGE deal about what a great job they are doing as "Head Vegetable Chefs" and how it will be so exciting to try their new dish at dinner. I tell them that Mr. Brownstone is sure to love it, too. I also tell them why this particular vegetable is healthy to eat and an important part of our diet.

At dinner, I make an even bigger deal! They get to introduce the new dish to Mr. Brownstone, telling him all about it - how they made it and why it is important to eat it. Then I follow-up with what a great job they did in the kitchen.

Mr. Brownstone and I then sample the dish first and make the biggest deal ever! We tell them how this is the best steamed spinach, or the best boiled okra, they are the best stewed tomatoes, or the best brussel sprouts that we have ever eaten. Tornado and Twister cannot help but be proud of their culinary skills, and of course, they want to sample the goods, too!

We have yet to meet a vegetable that they will not eat!
Not only do we get variety in our diet and and different tastes for our pallates, we are confident that our kids are getting necessary nutrients, and they are developing healthy eating habits for life! And we have fun while doing it, not to mention that they are learning how to cook!

This Works-For-Me, and I hope it will work for you, too! Visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips!

For my first ever Works-For-Me-Wednesday tip, click here! It's a great tip about making travel easy with kids!

Previous Entry: My Second Menu Plan Monday

MOMMY, CAN WE HAVE STEAMED SPINACH FOR DINNER?

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/09/mommy-can-we-have-steamed-spinach-for.html

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!

For a couple of months now, I have been reading the
Works-For-Me Wednesday carnival hosted by Shannon at
Rocks In My Dryer. And y'all...it is so awesome! Each week I find wonderful new tips for just about everything! I've longed to join in the fun; but it wasn't until this past Saturday that I was finally ready to take the big leap and not only remove a post from draft form for the first time ever, but publicly publish that post as well! After privately blogging (in draft form) since the Spring, I am gradually making all of "XBOX WIFE" public. It's a work-in-progress. :)

Now, I am so excited
to finally be a part of:

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING AND ADDING MORE WHEELS

This summer was a big traveling summer for our family. We took an airplane trip, as well as a long road trip.

Sometimes traveling with kids can be,shall we say...difficult!

They tend to get bored while waiting in line at the airport and hotel check-ins, making it an easy temptation for them to:
a)get loud, b)get whiney, or c)get lost by wandering away,
leaving you either angry, frustrated, or panicked (or all three) and wondering why you took the trip in the first place!

We found something that kept our forces of nature at bay this summer. And y'all, let me tell you, it made our travel time SO much easier! We gave each child their own suitcase. It's amazing what putting them in charge of their own set of wheels was able to accomplish. Not only did pulling their own luggage keep them occupied, it gave them a sense of pride and responsibility. They did NOT want any help, and they kept up with us in the airport. Focusing on their luggage kept them from being distracted by other things. They did not fight. They did not whine. They did not wander away from us. This held true in the hotel check-in lines as well, and it was wonderful!

Of course, there were additional benefits as well. We packed far less than usual. Each person was limited to their one suitcase. This made doing laundry so much easier when we returned home. Lastly, Mr. Brownstone and I were able to have a stress-free check-in at both the airport and the hotels because not only were our children cooperating, but we were also each carrying only one small bag. Long gone were the days of lugging a couple of large, heavy suitcases and several carry-on items, all while corralling in kids. We did each have one small carry-on item because their were certain things we wanted to keep on the plane with us. I had a large purse, and he had a backpack. These helped to occupy the kids after the luggage was checked.

We followed the same exact packing plan for our road trip. We do not have a large car, and the four small suitcases fit perfectly in the trunk. We kept the "carry-on" items in the backseat with the kids, so they could access them easily. It was easy to unload what we needed at each hotel, and it kept our children from all whirlwind activity.

I can definitely say that the idea of downsizing and adding more wheels Works-For-Me, and I hope that it will work for you, too!

**To see another thing that is working for me, click here!

HAPPY TRAVELING!

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-first-works-for-wednesday.html