Friday, October 9, 2015

7 Quick Takes about Self-Improvement Tips from a Preschooler, Undead Drugstore Employees, and Ordering Your Life in a Restaurant

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday!


This past weekend was General Conference, a twice a year broadcast for Mormons (and curious onlookers) from the leaders of our church on different spiritual topics.

Over Saturday and Sunday, we spent a sum total of 8 hours sitting, watching, and listening. (The kids did coloring pages, ate snacks, and stealthily drifted away during the last session to play Legos somewhere.)

There were a lot of great talks that I plan to listen to again later as I'm working around the house, but one of my favorites was on seeking God's help to find what improvements you need to make in your life:

I sometimes like to ask my preschooler deep questions just to see what she'll say so I asked her, "What can I do to improve myself?"

I expected her to say "I don't know" and keep coloring because mom's a weirdo always asking her weird questions, but she actually gave me some pretty comprehensive advice:

"Don't starve and die of hunger. Eat lots of food and go to bed. Swat the flies before they, like, do something to you. And kill the bees before they sting you, because that hurts!"

And there you have it.


I'm enjoying Halloween more and more the older I get. Maybe I'm just more easily amused.

In Zumba (yes, I actually rolled out of bed and went to Zumba) we danced to this funny song:

And when I stopped at CVS on the way home afterward I saw that some of the employees have a sense of humor:

I've actually waited in lines so long I think this guy was the cashier.


Another perk of living in New England is the fall. I actually dislike the chillier weather because if it's less than 70 degrees I'm cold, less than 65 and I can't feel my hands and feet, but I do like the scenery.


I took this from the parking lot of the grocery store about 5 minutes from where I live.

It was a particularly soothing sight after my toddler had just broken a big jar of pickle relish and accidentally dumped out an entire carton of eggs all over the contents of my cart trying to "help" unload them at the register.


In my town and other towns across New England, as some of you may be aware, we are our own garbagemen. Every week I take the recyclables to our transfer station (Phillip is in charge of the trash,) and there's also a "swap shop" where you can just take or leave gently used stuff.

We've been talking about Halloween costumes lately in our house and when I saw some size small crutches in the swap shop I knew one of the kids could definitely use them.

Phillip was slightly alarmed to see that he'd missed several calls from me on his phone (I was calling because I forgot onions at the grocery store and wanted him to pick some up on his way home) and then walked in the door to see a pair of child-sized crutches lying on the floor.

My 9-year-old thought it would be particularly ironic if someone had tripped on the crutches and broken a leg, but it didn't happen. Yet.


What do your kids want to be for Halloween? 

Mine want to be a Lord of the Rings elf, Annabeth from the Percy Jackson books, someone injured in a catastrophic accident (the crutches, a fake cast or two, and some gauze around the head), and an owl.

Anybody got any cute costume ideas for a one year old who has absolutely no opinion on the subject?


Just a little update on how I'm doing this pregnancy:

Hey, I'm admiring the fact that she called first. That's doing something!

I've actually been feeling a little better the last few days. You know, like normal tired instead of the kind of tired where you wonder if you still have a soul.


And lastly, I just wanted to share something hilarious with you. Happy watching.

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Unremarkable Files


Jenny said...

Preschoolers give the most interesting answers to all questions.

When my kids were one, one of them was a bear which was nice because the costume doubled as a snow suit, and a rock for peach from a league of their own. This year it sounds like they will be Cinderella and a fairy godmother. I'm hoping to have another year or so to be able to give them really awesome ideas for Halloween but I'm not sure that will happen.

Chaun said...

Hahaha this line:

"like normal tired instead of the kind of tired where you wonder if you still have a soul."

Jenny Evans said...

I love a League of Their Own - that would be the cutest little toddler costume. Depending on where you live, having a snowsuit/costume is really important on Oct 31! Thanks for the ideas!

Queen Mom Jen said...

I have watched that Studio C bit before! My kids are hooked and I have probably watched every episode. Glad you are feeling a little better. That first trimester is brutal. I am feeling too old at this point to try it again. I barely survived the other 4 times. Ah the joy of pregnancy!

Jenny Evans said...

It's pretty intense. I think every time I'm like, "This is my worst pregnancy yet! I don't remember feeling this terrible with the others!" And Phillip is like, "Yes, it was." Mom-zheimer's.

AiringMyLaundry said...

I love Halloween as well! That CVS register cracked me up.