Father/Son Halloween Candy Sort

I just love the weeks following Halloween. It means my family can eat for days and days without me actually having to go to the grocery store. Hungry for breakfast? Dig through the bowl. Need a little snack? Go for a dig. It's 6:00 and there's nothing for dinner? Have a Snickers....but for God's sake, eat it with a fork......dinner deserves that added touch of respect.

T and R decided to sort through all the Halloween candy tonight and pick out the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let me tell you, when it comes to candy, T has DEFINITE opinions on what is acceptable and what needs to be chunked in the trash.

Here is what they deemed unworthy to reside in our candy bowl:

Lemonheads: Because these have a "fruit" flavor, they violate T's #1 rule for desserts. "FRUIT IS NOT FOR DESSERT". (He will, however, make an exception to this rule if blueberries are involved)

Our next "offender" falls in the waxy-gross-solid-colored-mystery-candy category that you will only find in old people's candy dishes.

Also getting tossed this evening was a generic peanut butter cup. This violates Snow White's #1 candy rule: Go Reeses or Go Home.

Strawberry Hard Candy: (See T's #1 Dessert Rule)

Gross Suckers: There are two types of suckers in this world. TootsiePops and BlowPops. NOT gross flavored weird pops.

T and R ended up banishing all these Halloween gifts to the trash. (Yes, even the Tootsie Roll....we had wayyyyy too many of those so it's okay if one or two slipped by)

This is the creepiest treat we collected---it's a skeleton foot sucker.

Wouldn't that be great for a podiatrist to hand out?

(Or as we call it....."The Toe-a-nologist")

So there we have it! All the "GOOD" candy has been given the honor of hanging out in the oober fancy huge Southern Living At Home Punch/Salad bowl that I just had to have and this will be the first time I've used it.

Oh......and since it is election night and I have been watching the news for the past 5 hours straight.....I thought I would include this wonderful candy. I like to call it "The Obama Bar". I can't wait until the truckload of wealth distribution/piece of the pie sharing backs up to my front door to deliver me "100 Grand" worth of money that someone needs to share with me!



Where was G during this family activity, you ask?




SO.......What's YOUR favorite candy? What do YOU deem unworthy to put in your candy bowl?

Thought for Today

Gimme a Hand.....would 'ya?

Let's start at the beginning of today:

5:20 AM----one happy teenager bright eyed and bushy tailed just HOPPIN to go to hand surgery.
8:45 AM---in the recovery room drinking apple juice...............I haven't seen him drink apple juice since 1998.
10:00 AM----healthy nourishing breakfast.............G loves the honey sauce Whataburger puts on their chicken biscuits.
10:05-----Let's get situated on the couch for a day of recovery! Also, let's take 1/2 of a Vicodin.

10:30----Hello Mr. Vicodin! Work your magic! (Check out that awesome golfer tan)

10:45-----I gave PeeWee a Vicodin...............no! NOT really!!!!!! Nobody call PETA on me..........................there's no WAY I would waste a Vicodin like that. However, PeeWee decided to assist in the healing process and snuggle up with the patient.


10:50----Ruthie decided to help. None of us here know what it's like to lay on a couch without at least two critters on us. The rule of, "No Dogs On The Couch" really never caught on over here.






11:45----THIS IS SO SWEET...........PeeWee worked his way UNDER the cast to elevate it! That dog is so smart! (AND whacked out on Vicodin.............just kidding...........calm down PETA)



3:40----Healthy, nourishing dinner. Again, when your kid has surgery, you want them to feel better and you will grant any wish.............including clogged arteries. R was so sweet.....he took everything out and arranged it on a plate ('tell ME we don't have class) to make it as easy as possible for Lobster Boy to eat.

3:41-----A balanced meal. You've got your three basic food groups: Nuggets, Fries, and Polynesian sauce. ('tell ME I haven't taught the values of the food pyramid here at Casa Peterson) These have been G's three favorite food groups since he was old enough to gum food.


7:50----The patient is doing well and is at the kitchen table doing his best to work the mouse and chat with his friends..........he wouldn't let me take a picture of him..........

I think he's been through enough today............I'll put the camera away:-)

Fall Decorating

I am a klutz when it comes to decorating for anything. I have really good intentions.......I really do. I buy all the Southern Living At Home stuff and then it sits in a corner in my dining room with all the spider webs and dog hair because I don't know what to do with it........along with a few Pampered Chef things that I also order and stick in the corner. When Goldilocks issued the "Fall Decorating Challenge" (dorman4.blogspot.com)I really WANTED to participate. Let's be honest.......I'm competitive about some things and I really wanted her to look at my stuff, call me and tell me that I "won" the Fall Decorating Challenge. (Like when PapaBear and I WIN at Canasta when we square off against Goldilocks and T)

So I had all these visions of what my Fall Decorating scheme would be......pumpkins, leaves, mums on the front porch, hay bales in the front yard, scarecrows in the bushes, autumn colored candles on the tables.

I decided to start small, since this really isn't my "gift".



Here is the fridge before Fall Decorating began.



Here is the fridge AFTER Fall Decorating was complete. (notice the touch of Sunflowers......those are a fall flower, right?)



PeeWee wanted to be decorated for Fall.


Maggie wanted to be decorated for Fall.Ruthie............... wasn't so open to the idea.............
It took her a little time............I think she has self esteem issues. Maybe she doesn't like the pumpkin ribbon with wires in it.

But she finally warmed up to her custom Fall accessory.............for like 3 minutes. And then she peed on my kitchen floor. I think it was her little way of contributing to the Fall color palate...you know................... hues of yellows.

Basically, it boils down to this: Goldilocks must save me. Once she comes down here, takes all the Southern Living stuff and waves her incredible decorating wand over everything.....I'll post the pics. I hope she takes on the challenge........otherwise, it will be up to Ruthie.

Babysitting

We just finished babysitting my "niece", Lily, for a week while my sister went to Jamaica-mon.
Ha Ha Ha Ha...I just always add "mon" to anything Jamaica....makes me feel bilingual. Lily is a Basset Hound with gigantic paws, sweet sad-like eyes, and ears that hang down so low they get wet when she drinks......................out of the toilet. Don't say ewwwww, I can hear you.

Lily had several favorite "laying" spots this week.

Sometimes, she would lay on the floor. (Pay no attention to the golf shoes, football pad string, or shorts that were laying in the middle of EVERYTHING.......the maid is on vacation this week....WAIT A MINUTE......we don't HAVE a maid!)


Sometimes she liked to snooze on the couch. (I think she matches beautifully with the fabric, don't you think?)



Other times, she preferred the OTHER end of the couch.

The OTHER end of the couch, by the way, is where the $40 special-oober-fancy "Couch Protector with Bolster" from Lillian Vernon that I just HAD TO HAVE sits unoccupied most of the time.
(I thought the dogs would love it, but they view it more like an annoyance and end up laying on anything BUT the $40 oober-fancy "Couch Protector with Bolster" from Lillian Vernon.....I should have spent the money on vacuum bags to vacuum up all the dog hair that dogs leave when they don't lay on a $40 special-oober-fancy "Couch Protector with Bolster".)

Thank you to Lily for trying it out and trying to set an example for the rest of your canine cousins.............it didn't work, I'm sad to report.

Lily's favorite favorite favorite place, however, was the RED special- oober-fancy "Pet Bed with Bolster" from Lillian Vernon that I also, just HAD TO HAVE. (Notice I did NOT put the price on that one because hubby might read this......and he can add really well... those CPA's are tricky that way........)


PeeWee likes it, too.......it was often a little competition to see who could get all curled up in the bed first.


Sometimes Lily would try and "hold her spot" by just leaving one foot in the bed just to keep PeeWee out of it.


But curled up in a little ball in the red bed is how I'll always remember Lily's stay here with her "Aunt Drea"...........I hope she had fun! We'll miss you Lily!

Cousins

Lily sez: "I watch too menny oLyMpicks wif my cuz. Day mAke me berry tord an' sweepy. Day maKe my cuz tord, too. We sweep togefer."

This is why I go to Cornerstone

It's nights like last Thursday that always make me realize "why" it is that I go to church where I do. On the last night of Vacation Bible School, our church always has a dinner for all the participants, their families, and the helpers. This was Goldilocks third year to chair this event and she out-does herself every time. She obtained the talents and services of an awesome kid-friendly DJ to emcee the evening. R danced so much he was sweaty from head to toe....you are lucky these pics aren't in "smellovision".................

I have no idea where he found these glasses.




Proctor-The-Youth-Intern and T serve hot-dogs to the masses. (Added bonus: When you work in the kitchen, you can avoid the long lines for food....it's a Peterson trick......we are a hungry bunch.........we always vacate when the alpha-members come in and start cleaning, though......just kidding........well, not really)



CAUGHT CHA! (I know the REAL reason you two are in here........you line cutters.......)



R and his ultra cool glasses and TeenBear.




R demonstrates the "gansta" hand sign for "Methodist".



Sneezy and his gang acting like monkeys in the Sanctuary.





Here's G with one of his friends from his youth group:-)




T gives KK a piggie-back ride. (Notice TeenBear and BabyBear in the background having some sort of smack down over the orange frisbee and R about to throw one)




R and Goldilocks vacuuming the Santuary after everyone else scattered like rats when it was time to clean up the place. However, if it weren't for scattering of church rats, I could have never feasted my eyes the image that follows..........are you ready for it? Warning: Sit down before scrolling any further........I will not be responsible for any heart attacks.

Get ready........................


Almost there.............................


Sitting down?..........................................







Yes, that is G VACUUMING. (Granted, he was kinda just playing a game picking up the frisbee with the suction, but, hey, it's a start...........baby steps, people, baby steps)




Lumpy sits on his ass while Goldilocks works hard.


And so there you have it.......................

THAT'S why I go to this church, and no matter how crazy things get, I will always love it:-)
(Where else could you go for dinner and dancing wearing whatever you want, be with tons of friends AND not even care that you have to stay and clean up the place?)