I’m not usually one for for tag games…but my dear friend from Colorado tagged me a little while ago and I figured I better make good.  The tag was for 6 quirky things.  HA…only 6!!  Here are 6 things you are going to wish you never knew about me!

1. I can’t sleep in a bed that hasn’t been made.  I drive Will crazy.  There have been nights where Will has been in bed and I make him get out so I can make it first(I do have days where the bed doesn’t get made until 10:00 pm).  I used to be even worse.  I needed all of the sheets and pillowcases pressed…then I had kids.  There is no time for ironing sheets anymore!
2. I’m an obsessive collector of random, USELESS information.  I could tell you that a worm’s brain is on the 3rd segment of his body and that if you cut between the 15-37 segment he will regenerate.  In Egypt, pyramid workers were often times paid in beer.  Did you know that when you bump into someone in the store because you are looking at them and can’t decide how to get around them…that little dance is called a kinesthetic stutter.  Dr. Seuss was the artist behind some of the WWII propaganda…okay I will stop.
3. If I am looking through a magazine and find a perfume that I think I might like, I rip it out and put it in my dresser drawer (satchet style)  I can tell pretty quickly if it needs purchasing or if it needs to find a home in the garbage can.
4. I love Miracle Whip.  In fact, I love it so much, I can eat it straight out of the jar by the spoonful.  AM I making anyone nauseous?
5. I have to sleep on my right side with a pillow between my knees and my ankles.  Not so weird, but I do it because my yoga teacher told me if I didn’t my heart would hang.  Even though I don’t quite believe her, that is always the reason I give Will if I want to sleep on his side of the bed.
6. My closet is organized by colors in the form of a rainbow.  I have to have all the red clothes together, then orange, yellow, green ,etc.  Heaven forbid I ever own a striped shirt that was red and blue.   I wouldn’t know what to do with myself or even know where to put it.  It would have to get condemned to my dresser…and really that isn’t as bad as it sounds.

After reading this you may think I am obsessive and have everything under control all of the time, especially if I think ironing the sheets are necesary…Don’t Be Fooled!!  And, by the way, don’t ask, I don’t iron my underwear or socks!  I assure you that I really am a type B personality,  just every once in a while I have a strong flare of type A.

Heidi, it’s all you…tag, you’re it!

     Hudson gets the best son of the year award, even though we lost him for 2 and a half minutes and had the cops plus several other people looking for him.  Any guesses on where we found him?  That’s right, the womens’ bathroom, buck naked yelling for me to come and wipe him.  I couldn’t hear him yelling, but some lady did.  After my 5th lap around the place and my face stained with tears a lady asks me if I am missing a boy and that he has been calling for me.  The first words out of his mouth as I walked into the bathroom were, “Mommy, I went poopoo.  I have been waiting for you to come wipe me.”  How could I be mad?  I scooped him up in a big hug and we had a little chat about letting Mommy know when he needs to go.

     I digress.  Yes, Hudson was dressed just like all of the old, fat men.  There was no fuss made as he doned the lederhosen.  He was as happy as a clam.  Yes, these lederhosen are authentic.  My mother picked them out “just” for me when we lived in Germany.  My sister got to wear the dirndl(dress)…go figure.  Needless to say, I look less than chipper when I’m wearing them. 

Anyway, I think I maybe be able to take Takeru Kobayashi http://takeru-kobayashi.com/ on in all of his hot dog eating glory.  I sweet talked the ladies and they gave me double of everything.  After eating several brauts, coleslaw, a mound of saurkraut, and multiple rolls, I polished off an apple strudel.  As you can see from above, I was still going strong. (p.s.- The cage behind me was for all the beer drinkers.  )

     Really, what Oktoberfest is complete without a polka version of the chicken dance…with hats to boot?  We really were quite the sight.  I’m sure the hats look better if your drunk, but we stayed out of the cage and still had plenty of fun!  I love Oktoberfest!  Ich liebe Oktoberfest!

     During the end of Annie’s naps I let Hudson play games on the computer to keep the house quiet.  The longer Annie is asleep the better.  Hudson usually is resistant to leave the computer so I have to start trying to get him off at least 10 minutes before.  Hudson, you have 10 minutes…Hudson, you have 5 minutes…Hudson you have 1 minute.  A few days ago, I started shutting him down at the 10 minute mark like usual.  I got to 1 minute and told him to log off.  He comes out exasperated, flips his hands in the air and says, “Mom, stop lanking me around.  I am off the pomputer.”  I look at him a little stunned and ask, “I think you mean, stop yanking me around.”  He looks at me, shakes his head, lets out a heavy sigh and replies, “No mom, I said lank.  I don’t like it when you lank me around.  The word is lank.”  I’m guessing at one point in time he heard me talking about yanking something or someone around.  The memory escapes me at the moment.  Unfortunately, he refuses to believe the word is yank.  Then again, I hear that most children think they are smarter than their parents.  I know I did.  Sorry Mom!

So I finally started the restoration process on my piano.  It has been sitting in my garage taking up my car space so the quicker I can get it finished the quicker I can park in my spot again…great motivation.  Who wants to lug groceries and children farther than necessary?  I have mostly just been taking it apart and keeping an inventory on everything that I have and everything I will need.  Here is what it looks like.

I have to admit that it is empowering, taking it apart and playing with all of the moving pieces.  The action (hammers, dampers, etc.) alone has almost 1,000 moving parts.  

Will says the real test is putting it back together.  Come to think of it, I have taken many a thing apart in my day.  I’m embarassed to say my track record for putting things back together is much less.  I may be recruiting Will soon!

     This weekend found us at the pumpkin patch with some of our friends.  We had so much fun.  Annie and Hudson were content to roll around in the straw and climb the bales.  OH my little turkeys!!  Despite the discontented faces on the children they really did have fun, especially with all of their friends.  I just think the idea of having to stop for a family picture in the midst of all the fun was not their favorite!

Of course Annie fully enjoyed the pumpkins with ALL of her senses.  How can you not love this little pumpkin licker?  I always had secret aspirations to be an ice cream taster.

I had to add this picture of Hudson.  The pure energy and joy of fall is almost tangible with him.  It’s impossible not to smile when he’s like this.

Annie is just good with exploring the world around her.  She even found enjoyment with flinging rocks and dirt.  Talk about turkey in the straw…