Slumming It...Monopoly Style

We played Monopoly last night.  I have to say, I'm not a fan of the game.  It's funny, I have fond memories of playing it as a kid, but I mostly remember winning.  You know, against my baby brother who likely wasn't nearly as savvy as I, and against my parents who probably threw the game to get out of playing it for hours and hours. 

So now I was the parent playing.  I knew how it'd likely go.  One person would win and the rest would go down in financial ruin.  So, rather than approach the game as I did as a kid, full of dreams of becoming a slumlord as my opponents died slowly, I decided that my goal would be to lose, and to lose quickly.  That way I could get back to painting something happy.

Well, the game started out just like always, everyone getting a rainbow of properties with no one (except me, of course) getting a monopoly.  Then the big property trade/swap meet began....and then monopolies were had.  Dave and the little guy were cash rich, so they, I kid you not, jumped straight to purchasing hotels, which now that I think about it, cannot be done all in one turn, right?  Anyway, I rolled, crossed my fingers and toes, hoping to land on one of their big, red multi-family abodes...and I missed them.  Repeatedly!  My plan was falling apart!

Dave was not so "lucky" and he lost his shirt to the little guy...my sweet little guy who was now utterly and completely embodying every stereotype of a slumlord, down to the maniacal laugh.  And then I landed on his property.  And that was the end.  And I was so, so happy.

And I got my sweet little kid back.  Whew!

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Hugs-n-Kisses

I've had to get the kids up "early" yesterday and today for lovely Thanksgiving gatherings.  As it turns out, waking up is a lengthy process involving much falling asleep at varying intervals in different places.  But what's awesome about my sleepy children is that they are very willing recipients of many hugs and kisses.  A fact that I'd somehow managed to forget until my big guy whispered something as I was giving him a little shakey-shake to stir him.


Big guy:  "Hug."


Oh, yeah, I'm on it!  XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO!!!

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Feeling Thankful

Feeling ever so thankful today...


for my family

for my friends

for my critters


and for all of you taking the time to read what I ramble on about and check out what I draw and paint on a daily basis.


Thank you for being a part of my bliss!

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Consequences of Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry reared its ugly head today.  And I was with only one of my children.

I was in a dressing room at a store trying on some skinny jeans.  These weren't the run of the mill skinny jeans, these were the skinny jeans.  I pulled them off the hanger feeling quite self-assured and optimistic.  I pulled the left leg on, then the right.  Only the right just barely made it over my heel.  Now I don't have an abnormally enlarged right heel, for some reason that's exactly where they decided to place the big plastic security thingie.  I pulled the pants up to my waist...well, almost...and it became perfectly clear that those jeans were not meant to be worn by the likes of me.

So the process went in reverse.  All was fine until it was time for that right heel.  I was STUCK!  I got my phone out, considered calling my big guy who was actually the reason we were at the store, decided against it, and gave it one more HUGE tug. Success.


On the way home....

Me:  "You don't wear skinny jeans, eh?"

Big guy:  "No."

Me:  "I tried some on when we were there and I couldn't get them off.  I almost called you for help."

Big guy:  "I wouldn't have helped you."

Me:  "You wouldn't have helped me?"

Big guy:  "You would've eventually figured it out."

Me:  "Gee."

Big guy:  "Maybe I would've helped you if you didn't always side with my brother when we're fighting."


Sibling rivalry rearing its ugly head.  I love those guys of mine!

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He's Driven by My Distraction

My husband is right.  He's funny...downright hilarious.  OK, so admittedly I was pretty darn distracted with something all afternoon and into the evening.  I was nose to the grindstone and paying everyone else no mind.

So after some gentle nagging to stop, I tore myself away from my task and joined the family.


Me:  "OK, but now I need you guys to do something funny so I can blog right quick."

Dave:  "I am funny, you just haven't been paying attention."


So I did a little rewind in my brain.  And yes, the dude is correct.  Here's what my delightful husband was up to whilst I was"away."

• Dave danced for the dogs.  Yes, for them, not with them.  And they were scared!

• Dave poked and prodded me in a super flirtatious, not at all annoying, way.

• Dave approached me with random "What are you doing?" "What's that?!?!"

• And then he offered me a piece of meaty pizza.

...which meant he was willing to try anything to get my attention.  And that he's really, really funny...even funnier than he thinks he is.


If we're thinking of being thankful, my guy is at the top of my list.

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Missing one of Life's Little Pleasures

Life is filled with a myriad of wonderful things, big and small.  You know, like the sun setting, or a flock of birds taking off in unison and swooping overhead.  Stuff like that.  I get my fill, I really do.

...but I've noticed lately that I am missing one of my small simple pleasures.  Something used to avail itself about once a month, perhaps more, sometimes at home, sometimes not.  I'm missing bubble wrap.  I've said it.  Yes, this ridiculously over-the-top veggie eating, recycling junky of a chick misses one of the most wasteful things out there...bubble wrap.  I don't care if it's the big kind or the small kind.  I simply enjoy singling out one bubble and giving it a good hard squeeze till it emits that most satisfying sound, "POP!"

I don't know where the old bubble wrap has gone.  I'm sure it's gone the way of the dinosaur in some effort to save trees, which is awesome, of course.  From what I can tell it's been replaced by big bags of air (not nearly so satisfying to pop) or this weird deceptive bubblish wrap that lets you squeeze one cell...but the air just moves to another, denying the squeezer of the pleasurable "POP!"

Sigh....

OK, complaint registered.

Now accepting donations of vintage bubble wrap.

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Opossum, Totem Animal

Today I completed my fourth piece for the "Dancing With Your Dreams" class I'm taking part in.  We were to paint our totem animal.  I'm utterly and completely clueless about such things, so I pondered what animal had joined me in my life from time to time...and of course for me it is the wonderful, beautiful, and most amazing Opossum.

Somehow these creatures have managed to find me or allowed me to find them over the years.  While most folks find them scary and unattractive, I think they're simply the cutest!  And so very brilliant in their own way.

Here's what I learned about the opossum as a totem animal once I did a little digging.  And I'm feeling even more honored that they've sought me out.

The Opossum's Super Powers or what we may learn from them are...

• patience
• our mind is mightiest weapon
• kindness
• wisdom
• illusion
• sensibility
• strategy
• protector
• instinct
• supreme actor

And my favorite...

• do something unexpected

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