Dwight Speaks!

by Dwight Schrute

It's a new year, so perhaps we can finally put an end to rampant incompetence that continues to plague this office. For the last time, do not use permanent markers on the dry erase board. The only time it has ever been acceptable to use permanent markers on the dry erase board, was when I wrote, "DO NOT USE PERMANENT MARKERS" in permanent marker on the dry erase board. My warning could not be any clearer.

The marker that conveniently says "dry erase marker" on it is the only writing utensil appropriate for the dry erase board. It doesn't take a genius to see the connection between the "dry erase marker" and the "dry erase board." Obviously, dry erase markers don't contain xylene and/or toluene, hence their use on white boards or overhead transparencies and their subsequent inability to be used on porous surfaces. If you can't understand some basic advanced chemistry, maybe you're not cut out to work in the office supplies industry.

My Uncle

Today is my uncle's birthday.

He would have been 49 years old today.


This is my Uncle John.

He was more like a brother than an uncle to me.


Growing up, my cousin and I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's house. John was always around and willing to play. He let us hang out in his room. He took us places. He teased us.

After I graduated from High School, I worked for John. He and I became very close during these years. Some of the memories from those years are my favorite. John was always good for a laugh. Chevy Chase was his favorite actor. He mimicked lots of Chevy's jokes and actions. I can't watch any old Chevy Chase film without thinking of John.

John was the best man at our wedding. He was B's Godfather. C2 is named after him.

John did not live to know my children. He died when B was nine months old.

Oh, the things he could have taught them. He was a computer wizard waaay before computers were cool. He never held a cell phone. He never used the Internet. He never watched a DVD.

He designed and constructed so many things for his personal use. He was creative. He loved to cook. I see a lot of his characteristics in B. I think they would have gotten along great.

John died at the age of thirty four.

He took his own life. To this day, we still ask ourselves, "Why?"

I have now outlived him. This saddens me.

One thing that has helped get me through this is something our pastor said that night.

He said, "You have to look at this as a giant leap of faith. He knew that there had to be a better place."

I like to think that is true.

My Report

Why I Like Snow by Mom of Three

I like snow because it is beautiful. It is very pretty when it first falls. When I get a first look after a snowfall, it makes me feel good. God is so good to us.

I also like snow because it gives us days off from school. I really like to stay home in my lounging pants on a snow day.

I do not like snow because it is cold. It is also wet. My feet get cold and wet when I walk in snow.

I don't like snow because it takes too long to go away.

The End

Stiff

These are B's jeans after he shoveled out M's car this morning.

He also shoveled the end of the driveway where the plow piles up all the snow.


He got a good laugh!

Snow Day

My kids have been outside ALL day!

Does this make me a bad mom?

I hope not, because they have had a ball!

When M and B shoveled M's car out this morning, they piled all the snow in the front yard. This made the perfect place to make a clubhouse. They each made their own room complete with mailboxes.

This is how they spent the first two hours outside.



They came in for hot chocolate and a quick warm up and headed right back out.

This time they headed across the street where the snow plow made a big pile.

This one, they are sledding down.


They went back out over two hours ago.

They are getting sunshine, exercise and using their imagination.

Better than sitting in front of the TV, right?

And a plus for me...

They'll be in bed early!

Now, who's the bad mom?

Life Is Not Fair

This is what Copper had to endure this morning when he went out to take care of his "morning business".

Almost seven inches of freshly fallen snow.

Meanwhile, his friends inside were doing this


They couldn't handle being a dog!

I "heart" Empty Squares

I don't really have much to say.

This weekend was pretty boring. I did manage to get a lot of things done around the house. I did some organizing and cleaning.

The laundry is all caught up.

I could be running the vacuum...but I'm not. I'll make one of the kids do it when they get home.

I should be adding up Girl Scout Cookie order forms. That needs to be done and in the computer TODAY. Hate to miss that deadline. I wonder what would happen. Surely there's a grace period. I don't want to find out though.

As soon as I got home from work, I checked the calendar to see what was going on tonight. We have one of those rare "empty square" nights. You know, where nothing is wrote in the square on the calendar for a particular day? I love the "empty squares".

Since we have nothing to do, I changed into my lounging pants. M calls them my pajama pants, but I argue that that is what they are at night. If I'm wearing them during the day, they are lounging pants, right?

Who doesn't enjoy a comfy pair of lounging pants?

Especially on an "empty square" day!

New LIsting

If any of you watch "Jon & Kate Plus 8",

here is the listing to their house.

C1 was right, they have moved.

(By the way, I found it here)

Musical Road

M and I saw this commercial the other night. I think we ended up watching about four times. I just kept hitting the rewind button.



This is the type of project I would have enjoyed working on.

Can you imagine the math involved?

President Obama

I love this picture.



I can't even begin to imagine the thoughts that he was having at this moment in time. This was just seconds before he walked out the doors to the inauguration stand.

I pray that God is with him.

I pray that God gives him the strength, courage, wisdom, and knowledge to do what needs to be done for this country.

Godspeed President Obama.

Godspeed.

Low Pressure!?!

Last weekend when it got this cold outside, (according to my car's thermometer),


my tires did this.


The worst part is, who knows how long it will take for the pressure to go back up.

I need a heat wave!

I'm Done

Sidney, Napoleon, St. Mary's...

I'm disappointed.

I am no longer speaking to you directly.

Winter Sun

When I took the kids sledding the other day, I was at the bottom of the hill and looked up to see this


This doesn't actually capture the true beauty, but you get the idea.

A ray of sunshine on a bitter cold day, warms your heart.

Let's Play

Sidney, Napoleon, St. Mary's...

You are driving me crazy!

Anyone that knows me knows how nosey I am!

Will you play twenty questions with me?

You can comment using the anonymous option.

#1) Have we ever met?

Pleeease play!

If you don't, I may develop a st-st-stutter.

(Name that movie (anyone))

This Is Just Wrong!

C1 had a friend over today and they were just getting ready to go outside to play in the snow when another friend called. Did they want to come over and go sledding?

Of course they did.

So being the Best Mom in the World, I took them to the "city" to go sledding with this other girl.

They went to the hill by the pool.

CAUTION!!!

The following pictures will break your heart.

The sight of this, broke mine.








No pool should have to tolerate these conditions.

It's just wrong!

Oh! This Makes Me Want To Go!

When we used to go to Hilton Head Island to visit family, we would make sure to take the kids down to Harbor Town to see Gregg Russell. He performs there every night, and is wonderful.



This makes me feel warm on a very.cold.day.

Best Buds

So what if I stole this from here?

I like it!



And at the end, the reporter asks a really good question.

Think about it!

Pleeease...

Sidney, Napoleon, St.Mary's tell me who you are.

If you e-mail me, I won't tell anyone:)

I neeeeed to know.

Do I sound like my kids or what?

That Was Easy!

2 Two hour delays
1 One hour early dismissal
1 Cancellation
+1 Day off for teacher's meetings
_______________________
1 Easy work week for me!!!

I Have An Addiction!

My kids have Webkinz.

To those of you that do not know what a Webkinz is, it is a stuffed animal that comes with a secret code. You enter this code at their website and you can then play with your pet online. You have to feed it, clothe it, take it to the doctor and play with it. You can buy furniture and almost anything you could imagine for these pets.

But that takes money.

Money that you have to earn.

You earn money by playing games at the arcade.

C1 and C2 ask me from time to time if I will play some games for them so they can have more money. If I play, I get a higher score, and they get more money.

The only problem?

Some of the games...are addictive.

This is my latest addiction


But I don't feel too bad.

C1 came home from school the other day and said that they were talking about Webkinz in Language Arts and guess what!?!

Her teacher is addicted to this game too!

I'm glad I'm not alone.

What Will You Do?

Visit usaservice.org to see what you can do in your area.

I think when we go to the grocery this weekend, we will purchase and extra fifty cans of food to donate to our church's food pantry.

What will you do Internet?

Finally!

Lovin' these two hour delays!!!

Raingutter Regatta

Last Saturday morning C2's Cub Scout Leader dropped off the kit for his Raingutter Regatta Boat. He and I opened it up and he was really excited to get started on it. I told him that he and his dad would have to work on it over the next week because the race was just a little over a week away.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. The boat.had.not.been.touched.

M generally works sixty to seventy hours a week and just had not gotten the chance to work on it.

So, C2 and I did it.

He was really excited about the whole race until I explained to him how the race works. Each Scout places their boat in a ten foot long raingutter filled with water and blows it down the gutter. Two boys race at a time and after two losses, they are out.

This freaked him out a little. He is very shy and just did not like the idea of doing this in front of other people. I built up his confidence and we talked about how he should blow in long, strong blows and to aim at the center of the sail.

After much coaching, he was ready.


And win, he did!

He came in second for his den. There were a total of nine boys competing.

Then, he came in fourth place over all! There were about thirty five boys all together. During the last race, C1 and I were so excited for him we couldn't stand it!


Way to go C2!!!

You're awesome!

Call Me Crazy!

Yesterday when it started to snow of course the question of going sledding came out.

"Pleeease Mommm" they said. "You promised when it snowed we could go."

OK. First of all, I don't promise anything.

Second, I'm sure I never said the FIRST time it snowed.

But, after listening to them ALL morning, we went.

The actual temperature wasn't too bad. It.was.the.fine.mist. that did me in. But they didn't care. They were having a blast. And actually when I got smart and switched to the other side of the hill, the wind and mist weren't too bad either.



C2 said he really hated climbing back up that hill every time.





I lasted about a half an hour out there. I bribed them with going to the restaurant (which is just across the street) for hot chocolate.

But, just as they were taking their last rides down, who showed up?

M! That's who!

He saved the day! They got to sled some more, and I got to go home.

I wish though that I had stayed. C1 and C2 talked him into going down the hill on the sled.

I'd LOVE to have a picture of that!

Well...

Happy Birthday tomorrow.

To anyone that has a birthday tomorrow.

Like, maybe someone that comes here to read?

Why?

In case you've noticed the music that I have chosen for this month and are wondering why, here's the story.

When I was about 8 years old, my parents invested in a home stereo system similar to this:


It had a turn table, radio and 8 track player.


My mom would crank this up and play John Denver, Barry Manilow and Abba.

For Christmas this year I gave her a CD that I burnt for her with these songs on it.

This was the music that I was raised on.

This was the music of my youth.

When I hear it now, it takes me back.

What takes you back Internet?

What Is This?

In the car I have some CD's that I have burnt.

These are my CD's. They have music on them that I have picked out and burnt for my enjoyment.

Tonight C1 and I made a quick trip into "the city" and I happened to be playing one of my CD's.

This one happened to have a lot of Prince, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston from the 80's.

It's my CD, so I was singing along.

After about three songs, C1 looks at me and says, "What is this? It's just weird!"



And for that comment, she will be hearing it a lot more!

Jinxed!!!

Well, T you jinxed me.

Yesterday afternoon, C2 came down with a headache and fever. Then in the evening, he felt a little better and his fever had come down some. I was hopeful that he would be OK in the morning.

Fast forward to half an hour ago. He woke up complaining about his head again. We checked his temp and it's back up to 102.5.

Great.

I got him settled back in bed and signed in for a sick day.

Maybe you can work today after all?

Is This For Real?

Friday C1 got this text message from my cousin:

R u ok? Call me asap! I saw the short bus flip over and I know u dont like 2 wear ur helmet cuz its harder for you to lick the windows

C1 wondered if she was serious or trying to be funny.

"First of all," she said, "I don't like to lick the windows. And I don't ride the short bus!"

I Wanted To Be The First To Say: