A Jen Too Many

This is how I keep from blowing up like a parade balloon in the week before Halloween: I don't buy chocolate.

I buy Twizzlers, and Jolly Ranchers, and Dum Dums, and Tootsie Rolls, and SweeTarts. I buy bubblegum, and suckers, and jawbreakers.

I do not buy chocolate. I also do not buy peanut butter candy.

There is no temptation in this house. Not one teeniest bit of temptation.

At least, not until late Halloween night, after the kids have gone to sleep ...

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four feet
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people 1
09. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe.
113. Seen a child buried
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book 128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in a historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Ran a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Been summoned for jury selection
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Name one thing we didn't mention: Milked a goat

The context: Oldest Girl child wanted to color a memorial heart for her teacher to put up on the wall as part of her school's Jump Rope for Heart campaign. I tried to explain to her that she didn't know anyone who had died of a heart attack.

OGC: I've had a heart attack.

Mommy: No, dear, trust me, you haven't.

OGC: Yes I did. Remember when we were waiting for Daddy outside his work and my chest hurt?

Mommy: That was heartburn, sweetie.

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The context: Youngest Girl Child saying family prayer before bedtime.

YGC: Please bless my family not to die, because I would be lonely.

****************
The context: Butterscotch is a FurReal toy which has been sold in the local stores for the last couple of Christmas seasons, and cost a little over $300 as of last Christmas.

OGC: I'm going to ask Santa for Butterscotch for Christmas!

Mommy: I think that might be a bit too expensive, dear. Remember, Santa has to give away a lot of toys.

OGC: Oh, I know he'll give it to me. My friend Maree asked for one last Christmas and he gave it to her!

Mommy: speechless and wondering how to explain why Santa gave one to Maree but won't give one to OGC

Right. Blogging. Something I should do.

Wow, has it been that long since I actually posted something substantive?

Oops.

*groan* I am so not awake yet, though. I was typing a response to a comment before starting on this post and I kept typing the wrong words. I reread what I'd written, and kept looking at this one word, vaguely aware something was wrong, but not able to pull my mind together enough to realize what.

I'm like this in the morning. I can't make my eyes open for a while, then I have to wait until they consent to focus. If I try to make myself move too quickly I tend to lose my balance and walk into walls.*

Last night I made the fatal error of staying up until after midnight. A very, very bad idea.** It was very difficult waking up this morning and took much longer than usual to get all systems up and running. It's not my fault, though. It's because we had our ward Halloween party last night and it started at the same time as our usual bedtime.

So, we got home nearly 2 hours late for bed. This wasn't a problem for OGC (except for the crankiness we will undoubtedly have to endure when she gets home from school today), but Youngest Girl Child is a night owl. She never falls asleep until about two hours after I put her to bed. Whenever I put her to bed. It doesn't work just putting her to bed later, because she'll just fall asleep later. This makes me crazy, because it means I spend the entire evening fielding requests from her.

"I'm hungry."
"I'm thirsty."
"I want to snuggle."
"I'm not tired."
"I'm hungry."
"I'm bored"
"I'm thirsty."
"I can't fall asleep."
"I'm thirsty."
"Mommy, will you come talk with me?"
"I'm hungry."

It was 10:30 before she finally fell asleep.

Have I mentioned before my obsessive need for alone time? I tried once to get it by getting up earlier. You know what I found out? No matter how early you get up, if you don't want the rest of the family to get up, they will.

The only way I can get alone time - time when the house is quiet and I'm not dealing with any requests, needs, or injuries - is when I stay up late. Which is why I am so tired this morning.

Next year. Next year I will have everyone in school all day long. All. Day. Long. Hours and hours of solitude (except when The Boy Child and Husband Darling are at home. So, hours and hours of solitude a few times a month.)

I might actually get completely caught up on my sleep. Wow.
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*Of course, all that goes out the window when I start the day off with a healthy dose of adrenaline, the way I did the other morning when my alarm didn't go off and Husband Darling woke me at 7. "Bwaaaa!! Oldest Girl Child! GET UP NOW! Get dressed! Get your book bag! DON'T MISS THE BUS!"

**Gosh, I am getting so old. I was complaining to a friend last night that I was tired and it had been a long day and I wanted to go to home, sit down, and maybe go to bed early. It was only a little after 7 p.m. I used to stay up until 3 and 4 a.m. all the time and get up and go to class the next day without a second thought. And now I can't stay up past midnight. Sheesh.