candy debate

Here's a kindred spirit hyperbole-heavy blogger I can relate to - The Top 5 Worst Halloween Candies.

I do have some bones to pick with the author, however.  Get it?  Bones...halloween ...hardy har.

5.  Butterscotch discs - yes, these are gross.  But, he considers butterscotch a suitable flavor for puddings and such, to which I still say barf-a-rama.
4.  Wax bottles - I don't have much experience with these, but I seem to recall chewing on waxy lips or something as a kid and finding it strangely satisfying.
3.  Candy corn/pumpkins - not altogether loathsome.  Not somethin' to hand out to trick-or-treaters, but I think they're acceptable as a once-a-year candy dish item.  He says to hand out jawbreakers instead, even the cheap ones.  No.
2.  Tootsie Rolls - mostly agree.  Real chocolate doesn't masquerade as taffy.  The fruity ones are good though.
1.  Peanut Butter Taffy - yeah, I didn't like getting those.  But they're not straight from hades or anything.

Some dentists give kids a buck a pound if they surrender their candy to them.  This is horrible, and not just 'cause it's a ripoff.  Let kids have one day to OD on candy for pete's sake.  Besides, it's like saying 'Here, you poor child/military person/homeless man, you get cavities.'

tricksy hobbit

Three or four times recently, this little stinker has raided the frig for apples while I'm on the treadmill or otherwise occupied.  At least he's going for something healthy, but fruit ain't cheap, either.

dinner pleasantries

A conversation at dinner tonight (because that's when all such conversations occur around here):

Adrienne to Michael:  Hey, don't touch my wart.
M to A:  What?  You don't have a wart.
A:  Yes I do.
M:  Nuh uh.
A:  Uh huh! 
Nicky:  Adrienne, you're going to make people sick.

Indian summer

Or is it Native American summer?  American Indian summer?  Either way, it's been gorgeous lately.  Weird, though, too, to smell the leafy fall goodness when the temps are over 80.  I'm a little worried our pumpkins will rot.

Saturday we went to Red Wing.   Four years ago we climbed Barn Bluff for the 1st time, and since the weather was great we decided it was time to try again.  The kids thought it was a hideous idea that would take forever, but the hike up and back was only about an hour and 15 minutes.

The hiiiills are aliiiiive....

This year we sprung for the 'Giant Ultimate' chocolate-pecan-caramel covered apple at the outdoor art-fair thingy.  I blogged about our discovery of these beasts last year.

This pic gives me a thrilling idea for a whole new blog - Cross sections of foodstuffs.  Somebody probably beat me to it, though.

the enemy

homecoming week 2010

It's that time of year again.  Toilet paper sales are through the roof and kids are encouraged to look goofy by dressing up in a different theme each day of the week.  Seen here are Wild West Wednesday and Crazy Thursday.

Once again the flash exaggerates.  It's too bad their hair wasn't actually this bright.  A few kids pestered Nicky for wearing *gasp* pink in his hair.  Argh.  I guess silly school boy machismo is alive as early as 1st grade.  Well, I'll be darned if I raise any swaggering macho apes.  Anyway, Nicky is excited because he gets to have his first sleepover at a friend's house tonight, despite the fact that, as he put it, this friend has an "evil dog".  He's such a card.  He's really smart and sweet and unintentionally funny.

family tree project

We've been busy with school stuff the last few weeks.  Michael has had 3 or 4 projects already, including putting together a power point, a big poster, a presentation from notecards...bleh.  He's currently working on a genealogy assignment.  He made a family tree going back to his great-grandparents and interviewed great grandma Esther last night.  She grew up in a home without electricity or plumbing and walked 2 miles to school and back everyday.  She also remembers the advent of battery-operated radios, which Michael thought was cool.  He'll be researching Germany, where half or more of his ancestors came from.  I found this map of European ethnicities yesterday:

I thought it interesting that Germans and Scandinavians are in the same ethnic group, though I guess it makes sense.  I'm half Finnish from my dad's side, which is in a different group (Finland is the northernmost lime green country).  Anyway, I'm a nerd and find this kind of stuff fascinating.

Zach turns the big 0-3

greasy pizza supper and arcade games (check)

Mario, Spongebob, and Star Wars type gifts (check)

big cheeks while blowing out candles (check)

feelin' the love

Last night during supper the kids were talking about what they think they'd like to do when they're grown up.  Michael said he might live in a big city like Chicago when he's finished college.  Adrienne piped up "I'm going to live close to home so I can take care of Mommy and Daddy!" to which Michael replied "Good, then I don't have to do it.  Hooray for Adrienne!"  Pffft.  Ha.  But we did have to set them straight that we won't quite be old enough for adult diapers & walkers when they're in their 20's.