Awkward and Awesome

Awkward:
- when you decide to make mashed potatoes and good ol' green bean casserole for dinner... at 6:30 pm at night because you're a slacker, but you use frozen beans instead of canned beans. You may think you thawed them well enough, but next thing you know, half an hour in the oven has turned into an hour and a half in the oven, and they are STILL crunchy. Mashed potatoes for dinner it is, my poor family. Aaaaand now it's bed time.
- the amount of time I have spent obsessing over eyebrows in the past month. If you've talked to me in person lately I can 100% guarantee you we've spoken about eyebrows. I am basically a brow theory expert now. An expert who won't shut up about it. Sorry.
- and this brings us to awkward number next: when you finally feel like you've got this whole penciling-in-your-eyebrows thing down, and then a 9-year-old randomly tells you, "your eyebrows are so cool... it totally looks like you just drew them on!" Translation: THE JIG IS UP. Dang it.

Awesome:
- Your seventh grader going off with her youth group to her first ever big city youth conference, and all the memories it brings back of your youth group days. Ahhh, the good ol' days ;) It's actually hard to decide who's more excited; Kendall, whose love of praise & worship, large crowds of potential new friends, and missing a day of school, are all combining into one happy event, or myself, who knows exactly how much she's going to absolutely love it.
- This season of American Idol. In it's 13th season, I think it's officially my longest running TV love. (If only Friends had never ended!) That Harry Connick... I love that guy.
- Friends who walk with you at the track when it's 38 degrees outside... and who don't let you give up on working out.

Thanks, Kristie! (^^bad eyebrow day alert^^)

- and cousins who come over to help you fold and stuff 150 Scrap Around the Clock registrations while you watch Here Comes the Boom together. (Hey, it had to be a safe pick for the kids, otherwise it would have been The Notebook FOR SURE.)

Thanks. Linley! (^^good eyebrow day alert^^)

If Miley the schnoodle could talk

If Miley could speak English...

When Miley:
Gets tired of waiting for you to finish getting ready in the bathroom: You don't see me sneaking in to check on you and quickly ducking out again. For the 3rd time. Carry on.

Hears a strange noise while you are getting ready in the bathroom: Don't mind me, I'm just going to check the closet again for the secret entrance to Narnia. Nope... nothin'. Carry on.

Hears a car approaching the house: I know I'm not allowed to bark so I'm just going to whine loudly and shake my tail feathers because I'm really excited!

Hears Russell's car approaching the house: I can NOT contain the excitement! Just a single bark. See, that wasn't so bad, right?

Hears a bag being opened in the kitchen: Coming!

Sees the BB gun being brought outside by one of the boys: Leaving!

Hears the bathtub being run: I'm just going to nonchalantly check to see if what I think is going on is actually going on... yep. Thought so. You never saw me... I'm backing away slowly and was never here... dogs don't neeeeed baths...

Welcomes you home after you've been gone for hours: OH MY GOSH, YOU'RE HOME! OH MY GOSH, I LOVE YOU! WELCOME HOME, WELCOME HOME! I shall now run in a circle around your legs five times and then race back and forth across the room twice and then go grab one of my toys and attack it joyfully because YOU'RE HOME, YOU'RE HOME!

Welcomes you home after you've been gone for 15 minutes: see above.

Welcomes you back inside after you've been outside for longer than 10 minutes: see above.

Welcomes anyone to our home, no matter who they are or if we even know them: see above.

Realizes our visitor is our friend the deputy sherriff in his uniform: Danger! Alert! Stay back, people, there's something fishy about this one. I'll just keep my eye on him from under this dining room chair.

Welcomes you home after being naughty and getting into the kitchen trash: Oh you're here? What a coincidence, I was just slinking, err, leaving to head outside to wallow in shame and regret. Pay no attention to me...  

Sees you put your shoes on: I can see that you are about to ditch me so I'm just going to stay standing, no further than 5 feet away from you no matter where you go in the house or what you do, FOR ALL ETERNITY, or until you take your shoes back off.

Hears you zipping up your boots in the closet: Did I just hear what I think I heard? Show yourself immediately so I can know whether or not I need to be on high alert!

Thinks you are walking towards the front door: Race you there! Really? Just the kitchen again? LAME.

Sees the kids go outside: let me out too, let me out!

Notices you stayed inside: let me back in! I love you!

Gets a dog treat: No need to tell me to sit. I'm already sitting.

Gets a dog treat from the gas attendant/bank drive-thru/coffee drive-thru: I will sniff your treat but don't expect me to take it from you... stranger danger! Please hand it to one of my people.

Gets dog food poured in her bowl: Step one: I shall sniff the food. Step two: I shall ignore the food for two minutes so no one else thinks it's appetizing and tries to eat it. Step three: I shall sneak a bite and briskly walk to the front doormat where I shall "test it". Step four: I will now eat the food, unless you leave the kitchen, in which case I will abandon all eating until I am sure you are not leaving me.

Gets dog food poured in her bowl when you have your shoes on: PLEASE, like that's going to fool me. Food is dead to me while you have your shoes on!

The weekend haps

In short, it was a great weekend.

But who wants short, I mean, c'mon. Let's break it dowwwwn!

Friday night: Jamberry nail party. I took with me the first set I bought, oh back in October maybe? and actually put them on for the first time.

Conclusion: nail parties with girlfriends are sometimes almost always a much better option than another Friday night basketball game.

Saturday was a full day: My close cousin's son, Tristan, turned one and our whole family went to his birthday party (he's the CUTEST)

I got mah hair did...

goodbye pesky gray hairs!

and the Halverson boys all took off to the Blazer game, leaving us girls (my mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, myself, and all the girl cousins + one sad little Blake) to pizza-party it up, which we did with fervor, solving all the worlds problems and discussing permanent eyebrows for waaay longer than necessary. It's what girls do.

just missing Uncle Tim, the photographer

Sunday: Halverson family prayer day!

Year fourteen is in the bag! This year included special guests Pastor Gary & Pat, who wanted in on the action, and also these preserving jars with all the kids and adults praises, special scriptures, and prayer requests, plus a box of fiber to keep us going all year long. Inside joke. 

We'll open these babies up next year and marvel at God's goodness when we see how many requests were answered in amazing ways. Happens EVERY year. Without fail. We are blessed!

Bonus weekend info: Russ and I are all caught up on American Idol and Sherlock thanks to some wee-hour laptop watching in bed, and Russell has finally fallen into the clutches of Candy Crush. It's pretty funny... I actually caught him crouched on the floor next to the bed playing it late last night because his phone had died and he had to plug it in to recharge.

I would laugh more, but sadly, we have all been there ;)

Happy Monday!

Friday photo dump

It's the end of the week! I get my hair cut & colored tomorrow! American Idol has started and Russ and I are having a catch-up marathon tonight! Sherlock has also returned to PBS and I LOVE ME SOME SHERLOCK!

What I'm saying is that it's a Happy Friday. Here's what's been up lately:

Saturday morning science club with Cooper. This was some sort of cornstarch/water/food coloring concoction. 

Something about a solid under pressure and then liquid with no pressure? 

Miley figured out how to roll down the back window. She is now worse to drive with than a two-year-old.

Step aside MAC eyeshadow, I have fallen  in love with L'Oreal Infallible 24-hour shadows. Half the price, yo! (YO. Not ho ;) 

These colors are iced latte, endless pearl, and gilded envy. And they are awesome. 

Office perks. I volunteer at my kids' school Friday mornings and there just happens to be a coffee shop inside, and this morning there was also free donuts! 

Jana went to Hawaii last week and while I was a little green with envy, I was also very happy to get some fun treats when she returned! 

Yay for best friends who know how much you love yummy smelling soap and chocolate!

When face-painting actually turns out really pretty. School was a fun one today!

Enjoy your weekend!

Awkward and Awesome

Awkward:
- Let me set up the scene: I'm in the Nike outlet store at the Coast this past weekend waiting in line to check out. It's one of those corded off winding lines like in the airport or Disneyland so at a certain point there is a horizontal line of people behind your back, not just one person. It's at this point that I swivel around to talk to Russell who is not in line, and my denim shirt that snaps up the front catches on a piece of metal on the post that holds the cord and literally RIPS OPEN.

OH YES IT DOES.

Full row of people behind me. As I resnap my shirt with lightening speed, I quickly make eye contact to see if anyone saw. Yes. Possibly all of them. "Awwwkward!" Is all I can mumble as I spin back around to face forward again.

Snaps are from Satan. My shirt and I are no longer speaking.

(The one saving grace was that I had safety pinned shut the gap right between the 2nd and 3rd snap down from the inside of my shirt, you know, "the bra gap", So it was not a full flashing. Thank GOD.)

^^The shirt pre-breakup. This was in the Nike fitting room not 10 minutes before "the incident".
I was taking my opportunity to get my outfit picture for the day since there was no mirror in our room at the beach house!^^ 

- Also slightly awkward: While at the coast with Russ's team I put a picture on facebook of our van full of teen girls headed to shop after hitting up Starbucks with the caption: "outlet mall, Ho!"

I meant this in the same way sailors of yore would yell, "Land, Ho!", like, "here we come! Outlets ahead!", but apparently I'm outdated because every single girl in that van read it and thought I'd meant to write "yo" but had made a typo and actually called them all hoes. I had to explain what the saying meant. They still thought everyone that read it would think the same thing they thought. And then I felt 100 years old.

Awesome:
- My outlet store deals! After my traumatizing experience in Nike (all for a pair of 20% off the clearance price sweatpants), I hit the Loft clearance sale and bought a $69 dress, $42 sweater, and $35 blouse all for $46.00 total. And then I did a happy dance.
- The City of Portland (my husband's employer) accidentally paid everybody a day early this week so after an appointment in town yesterday morning I was able to pop right over to Costco, hitting two birds with one stone. This led to the discovery of this cute sweater that popped itself right into my grocery cart.

Was it fate? I think so.

(I know, I know, lay off the stripes already, Jodi! I hear you. And then ignore you. ;)

Beachin'

Saturday morning Russ and I ditched the kids and took off to the coast for a couple of nights.

We'll call it a mid-basketball-season getaway.

It was just us, the waves, some (miraculous) sunshine...

Aaaaannnddd... a van full of teenage girls.

So let's actually call it a mid-basketball-season TEAM getaway!

And it was so. much. fun.

My teenage nephew, Ben, tried to give me his condolences before we left, not thinking I'd enjoy myself.
"Are you kidding?" I replied, "I'm excited!"
"But you'll be staying with eleven teenage girls in one house!" he said.
And then my niece Debbie piped in, "yeah, but Aunt Jodi kinda IS a teenage girl".
I laughed so hard.

It's sorta true. I soaked up every last bit of the trip and was sad when it was time to come home Monday afternoon. I love these girls. Throw in a ton of chick-flicks, shopping at the outlet mall, eating out, adventuring down to the beach in the dark, going out to the movies, and hanging out with the other trip chaperons (our friends Lisa and Janin), and you have yourself the makings for a very fine weekend indeed!

(Especially the shopping part. Some deal scoring happened there that was worthy of a few congratulatory high-fives.)

The views weren't so bad either.

^^The lake house in Pacific City that we stay in every summer^^

And in case you wondered how Russ enjoyed himself; he got to put a fishing line in the lake and watch the Seahawks game while we shopped, all he needed to have a happy time as well. It was a giant win all around :) 

Just a few things

1. First of all, thank you for helping a mama out yesterday with the eyebrow question! I feel fully supported, whatever my choice ;)

2. On Monday my sister informed friends and family via facebook that it was the 22-year anniversary of our family moving to the United States.

My reaction was twofold:
a) "it can not have been twenty-two years ago! What?!!! How could I have been raised in New Zealand and lived here for so long on top of that?! I'm sooooo OLD! Waaaaaaaa!" (the inside of my head can be a very dramatic place)
and b) "well that's why Kelly is the memory-keeper of the family... I would have sworn we moved here January 21st."

3. Sunday night's episode of Downton Abbey was quite traumatic and I'm not over it yet. I couldn't sleep afterwards. I was afraid to actually... of the dreams I might have. Not cool, Downton, not cool.

4. I love January because the kids are only back in school for a week before finals week... meaning three half days of school and then another 4-day weekend. I don't know why I equate school vacation with me vacation but I guess that's where I'm at right now, because it totally is! Yeah!

5. Sometimes Russell wears my purple silky sleep mask to sleep and then I take pictures of him to send him at work the next day. Hubba, hubba ;)

6. So there's this Japanese thing on the market called Happy Kitchen kits; little boxes of tiny edible candy-type food to mix together, mold, and decorate - no baking. My brother Jamin saw them on TV and ordered all the nieces and nephews three different kinds for Christmas, just as a fun experiment to try. The boxes and instructions don't have a lick of English on them so you have to go to youtube to watch a video tutorial (there are tons) to get the basic idea of what to do, but it's not complicated. We dove in Sunday afternoon and tried out the donuts.

Look! It's like Barbie food! It was pretty much the best half hour of easy entertainment you could ask for. And I didn't try one because, umm, no thank you, but the kids said they were tasty. Thanks, Uncle Jay!

7. And that's all I have for ya. I was going to go for ten but I just spent an hour helping my daughter study for her history final and my brain quit working 40 minutes in. I'm done.

Hey, Monday (the weekend update)

No confessional today. Believe it or not, nothing truly embarrassing happened to me over the weekend!

It was a lovely weekend too. My husband's basketball team won their Friday night game against our school's arch enemies friendly rivals for the first time in 4 years, and it was a triumphant moment. TRIUMPHANT!

Saturday was laid back until the evening, when we dropped the kids off at their grandparents and drove up to Vancouver, WA to spend the evening with this fine couple:

^^Remember I&N? Yep, they're having a wee bébé!^^

^^Russell & Isaac demonstrate how to properly do the couple's belly pose^^

Such a fun night! After a great visit and dinner out, we ended our evening at Cinetopia watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and once Russ stopped making fun of it for the first half hour or so, even he admitted to liking it! I thought it was darling. If you like happy endings, you will like it :)

Sunday after church Russ went to his first ever poker game (I know, where has he been all his life? Not playing poker, I guess) and my afternoon was filled with random texts about banking on the blind and wheels falling off, to which I responded: "no hablo el poker-o". He had a great time, that much I know.

And finally we finished the night off at our nephew Hayden's birthday party at All Mine frozen yogurt. Given the location, I don't have to tell you it was worth the school night outing. 

^^Uncle Jay & Christine with the birthday boy^^

And that was our weekend. I love it when it's a good one! 

Friday photo dump

Pics from the phone cam...

My monkey bread. Loved by the people everywhere. Will possibly be found in heaven. Recipe found here.

My very cute new phone case from my husband finally came this week! I love it oh so much.

And Russell's new boots, also from himself! (Wouldn't mind a pair myself actually for those trips to the woodshed during the winter...)

Mom hell, level 29: when you have enough partnerless socks to fill a laundry basket. 

Where have all the socks gone? I don't even know. 

My latest food addiction, in this particular flavor. With a thin layer of butter. Cheese optional.

And speaking of cheese, since I seem to have a food theme going this week: we take our Tillamook very seriously here in these parts.

5 pounds lasts us one month. No, we can not use another brand. Ever.

I Found these two tucked away in Kendall's room last night, reading Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Carry on, sweet children!

Happy Friday, everyone! We have basketball games, a fun date night, and a birthday party this weekend.

And let us not forget... Downton Abbey!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awkward:
- learning how to use a Sonicare toothbrush. Let's just say there's definitely a bit of a learning curve. The good news is I now know NOT to turn it on once water and toothpaste have been applied until AFTER it's in my mouth. I can also report that toothpaste in your eye is not pleasant.
- when husbands who get up at 4:20 am use their fancy new electric toothbrush in the bathroom next door, with the door shut, and you are suddenly woken from a dead sleep sure the darn thing is actually going off 10 inches from your face, it's that loud.
- driving the 20 minutes to work in your husband's cute little Jetta instead of your Honda Pilot to save on gas money because he's home for the day, only to realize upon arrival that the key to get into your empty work office is back home on your Pilot key chain. Money save FAIL.
- sending your kids next door with a Christmas card for your elderly neighbors and instructions to not just hand it over and leave but to chit-chat for a while to be polite, and then getting the report from your older son when they return that upon handing over the card, your neighbor said thank you and Merry Christmas and attempted to say goodbye and shut the door, but your 5-year-old son told her, "we can't leave yet, our mom said we have to stay and chit-chat."
- picking a day for your brother to take your son out of school early to take him on a special outing, and promising said brother to send your son with a note for his teacher so he can be released into your brother's care, and then not only forgetting to send the note, but forgetting to even tell your son, so when your innocent brother shows up at the school no one knows what's going on and commotion ensues.

(Text to my brother immediately after: spacey, forgetful, a dork - yes, I am all of these things.)

Awesome: 
- my ability to remember the simplest of tasks planned only the day before! It's astounding! I assure you everywhere I go people think I'm so organized and on top of things!
- uncles who take their nephews out of school for the day to experience the wonder that is OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), and even remember to take pictures!

- boys who are inspired by all they have seen and done and learned, and who come home on cloud nine full of wondrous descriptions of atoms and neurons and thingamanons, who then do this instead of the homework they're supposed to be working on:

- the miracle that is the electric toothbrush. Yes, we're back to dental hygiene. Oh my gosh, my teeth are so clean. And I was meticulous with my teeth brushing before! The difference is just unbelievable and I'm sorry, but it's really exciting.

Monday Confessional

Confession: Up until recently (very recently, possibly a week and a half recently) I didn't know that dishwashers heat their own water. As in, don't need a full supply of hot water from your hot-water heater.

I found this out in the most random, roundabout way while talking with a girlfriend and was all, "WHAT?!! You mean all this time I've been scheduling my dishwashing times around our laundry and shower use FOR NOTHING?!!"

And she was all, "I'm so embarrassed to know you, how did you even make it to adulthood on your own?" (Okay not really but she was possibly thinking it.) And I didn't even care because I was all, "My. Mind. Is. BLOWN".

This was a game-changer, folks. Oh, I have been washing my dishes whenever I want to! Like a crazy dishwashing lady! Who doesn't even care that 4 people just took a shower and we are down to tepid-at-best water temperatures for the next hour!

(But still, yes, I'm embarrassed that I missed this key point in common household appliance knowledge. I knew dishwashers had their own heaters... I just thought it was only for drying the dishes. Huh. This would have been very helpful information about TEN YEARS AGO.)

Here's to homemaking made a little bit easier!