Silly Dog Names

I was so inspired by the silly moniker I gave Blackie the other day that I thought I would make a little something up so everyone can play. Here's what you do: 1. Select your dog's silly first name by the first letter of his/her name; 2. Select the first part of your dog's silly last name by the first letter of your name; 3. Select the last part of your dog's silly last name by the second letter of your last name.

Example: Blackie = Barky Rae Ann = Barfin xuxxxx = drool. Blackie's new silly name: Barky von Barfindrool. Hee! How strangely accurate!



Or if that is too much trouble, just pick one you like from each column! I can't wait to read your dogs' silly names!

My Dog is Broken

Grandma is hard on my dog. Okay, that's not fair. Grandma's 100-pound golden retriever is hard on my dog. Scout and Blackie were playing in the yard when Grandma (aka: Mom-in-law) heard a yelp. She didn't know which dog it was, but assumed it was Scout since he is older and not accustomed to all the rough-housing with hyper Blackie. But no. Young bouncy Blackie was the injured party. She couldn't put any weight on her rear left foot and the foot was just dangling.

Grandma rushed her to the vet who told her she had torn her ACL and to get her to the surgery center ASAP. Once she got there, after an examination, the surgeon told her that Blackie had torn her achilles tendon completely loose from the bone. It is repairable, but will require a loooooong recovery period in which she isn't allowed to run, jump or play. She is going to have an external apparatus that involves screws all the way into the bone to keep pressure off the tendon while it is healing.

So. Hmph. It looks like we will be trading dogs for a while. Scout will be going to live with T and the poms in New Town, while Blackie becomes an only dog at the grandparent's house. (Actually, I think this will suit everyone fine and it wouldn't surprise me if the arrangement became permanent.)

The fly in the ointment? Blackie can't travel, so Grandma can't come out to our new house to help us wrangle kids and get the house into shape. Instead of a week, she will stay through Sunday, then go back to Ginormousville to take care of Blackie.

Nothing is ever easy.

Tired.

We just finished loading the truck. We got it at 8:30 this morning. My amazing friends kept my kids all day... and T piddled. Okay, that isn't exactly fair. We just had very different expectations of how the day was going to go. I figured we would be done loading by mid-afternoon at the latest. Little did I know that he planned to bring the entire garage - and hadn't packed any of it yet. Grrr.

But now it is done. Well, mostly. We still have his clothes to load up, but except for his uniforms everything is contained in some kind of way: suitcases, laundry bags, duffles, you name it.

Anyhoo, we will be heading out to New Town tomorrow (eight hours! Yay.). I will be out of communication for about a week. I am going to go into withdrawals!

Wish me luck!

Man Questions

Which is to say, questions about men, not the questions men ask!

So if you had the whole garage in which to lean something, where would you put it? If you answered in front of the dryer vent, you and T are on the same page!

If you have sterling silverware, where do you keep it? I inherited my in-laws' silver, and Dr. Dad-in-law is having kittens because it isn't in a safe deposit box. Sure it's safe there - you can't ever use it!

If you had an entire closet full of heavy, ahem, hunting supplies, how many boxes would you put it in? That's right! One! I'll see you after we get back from the emergency hernia repair!*


*T did not really give himself a hernia, though he did put about a million pounds of ammo in one box. So maybe I should say he hasn't given himself a hernia yet.

40/365

Today I am thankful for:

1. Z's behaviour seems to be mellowing out. I hope it is a new phase and not that she is getting sick!
2. Q is becoming such a talker. We're still having trouble deciphering half of what he says (ex: hee-ber = hammer), but he is definitely expressing himself.
3. That T is not only capable, but enjoys picking up heavy objects. I tend to over-pack boxes.
4. That all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed for the closing on Friday.
5. That not one, but two wonderful friends were willing to watch my kids while we pack the truck tomorrow. I will probably be thankful for this again tomorrow.

39/365

(Sheepishly) Today I am thankful for:

1. I did some price comparisons and was able to get the price of my U-Haul rental down by almost half!
2. The sellers of our new house are buying us a Home Warranty. Squee!
3. Everything from upstairs that is going in this phase of the move is packed.
4. My new azalea bushes are blooming again after a cold snap froze all of their blossoms.
5. The pit of despair pool is blue (if not clear), the sweeper is sweeping, my arms are totally sore toned after an afternoon of skimming oak tags and ornamental fruit tree blossoms from the pool.

TAG! I'm It!

I have been tagged by my friend Terry at The Four Scarbarys! Thanks Terry! I needed something to write about - and I am too brain dead from all the moving chaos to think of anything!

Here are the rules: 1. Link to the person who tagged you; 2. Share 7 things that people may not know about you; 3. Tag 7 people to share 7 things and link to them; 4. Let them know they have been tagged (I suck at that part!).

So, 7 things about me:
1. I have most excellent spatial perception. I can get more stuff into limited space than anyone else I know. This is not always a good thing. Like when you are moving. Damn that spatial perception!
2. I can't sleep in the car. This is a drag because we here at Casa Critical Mass spend a LOT of time in the car. On the up side, I am an excellent passenger and always keep the driver awake. Notice I said passenger. I don't particularly enjoy driving, so I am always happy to let someone else take the wheel.
3. I loved high school. Somehow I managed to completely miss out on all the angst and vicious peer pressure though I was not in the "popular" crowd. I was one caste down from popular, but able to move freely among cliques: smart kids (my main crowd); drama/speech/debate; cheerleader/dance team; choir/band. I had a great high school sweetheart who taught me a lot about how a boy should treat you. If I could go back, I would, but not because those were my glory days. Because it was just so much fun!
4. I was the worst sorority girl ever. I pledged my freshman year to Alpha Phi, which was a great group of girls. However, about halfway through my first semester, I (unexpectedly) ran into my best friend from North Dakota. We were inseparable and I did most of my hanging out with her. Also? I had a tendency to date guys who lived four hours away, so I was never around on weekends to do sorority stuff.
5. I am a water baby. I find it physically impossible to be anything but happy if I am in the water. In high school, I was life guard certified. In college and during the summers when I was teaching, I taught swim lessons. I taught literally hundreds of kids how to swim and yet can't teach my huz to float.
6. I make a mean mosaic. I have done a couple of table tops to rave reviews. Currently I am making some side tables with slate. Also, I am good at installing tile. Which isn't saying much as monkeys could install tile. I've done floors, showers, counter tops and a back splash. I even own my own tile saw. Gotta love a woman with power tools!
7. I do not like all the smell-good-lotions-and-potions from places like The Body Shop. I have a nose like a dog (which is to say sensitive, not cold and wet) and the strong smells make my head hurt. Also, I wear a fairly spendy perfume, Amarige, and don't want any other scents to clash with it. My mom wore Este Lauder's Youth Dew. It smelled so amazing on her that strangers would stop her on the street to tell her how good she smelled. I want to find a scent like that.

Seven cool people:
Jamie (of course!) at Kids... Me & RAW III
Mel at A Voice for Moms
Shan at My Last Shreds of Sanity
Amy at My Three Crazy Kids
Deb at Life with Birk
Blueviolet at A Nut in a Nutshell
Dawn at Bee and Rose

If you were wondering how I selected these great gals from all the dozens and dozens of blogs I follow, they were the last seven to leave comments for me. Love! Check them out. They are awesome!

Weekend Wordles - Dogs are Gross Edition

Join the fun at The Asylum, aka Last Shreds Of Sanity, to participate in Shan's Week~End Wordles. She has Mr. Linky up and running. For instructions on how to participate, go here.

Invasion

You know a while ago when I was all, "Eeeek! There's a mouse in my house!"? I totally tore the pantry apart and sanitized every surface within an inch of its (and my lungs') life. Was super diligent about wiping down counters and sweeping up crumbs. Went out and bought mouse traps... but never set them. I am just too soft hearted.

I saw no further evidence of the mice after the first sally and, eventually, things relaxed back into their former (slovenly) state. Well, apparently, the reason that there was no mouse evidence is because the single mouse we had before had gone back to the old country to tell his family that he had found Xanadu and brought every aunt, uncle and thrice-removed-cousin back to Casa de Critical Mass.

Now I am seeing evidence of mice everywhere. In the pantry? Check! Under the couch? Check! In the guest room? Check! Inside my cabinets? Check! Running across the hearth? Check. Inside my CAR? Checkity check!

I am losing. my. mind. I overcame my softhearted ways in a flash. I set the previously purchased traps with sugary cereal and waited for them to do their thing. No luck. I threaten to go buy out Home Depots supply of mousetraps and set them all over the house (and my car!). T suggested I stuff the traps with cheese, and laughed at me for not having done so already.

Do mice like American cheese?

Blackie's New Name

Our black lab, Blackie (creative, right? I didn't name her. And neither did the kids.), has earned herself a new name. Now instead of just basic Blackie, we shall call her Barfy von Horkinchow. In complete stealth mode - no small trick for a 80 pound dog! - she managed to find one of only two carpeted places in the whole downstairs to yak up what must have been a cubic foot of very slightly digested dog food. Completely silently. My first inkling that something was amiss was Q's cry of, "Yucky! Yucky! Yucky!" in chorus with Z telling me, "Mama, look what Blackie did!"

I flew to the kitchen to get some paper towels/a shovel/a wheel barrow to clean up what amounted to $10-worth of designer dog food soaking into the carpet. All the while shouting to Q, "Don't touch!" and to Z, "Please move!" and to the dogs, "Oh, no you don't!" (A dog looks at a steaming pike of vomit and thinks, "Yum! Snacks!") I managed to clean it up before anything else disgusting happened, then went into the kitchen to boil my hands all the way up to my neck.

Why do we have dogs again? Oh, yeah. They bring us such joy. Hmph.

Giving Up Day

Today was the day I gave up on ever getting back into those jeans I wore 'before.' I gave up on wearing those suits I have carted around since the early '90's. I gave up on last-minute dresses that never really fit quite right. I gave up on hand-me-down clothes that I only accepted because they were in my size. I gave up on satin dyed-to-match shoes with kitten heels. I gave up on perfectly good sandals that were just never comfortable. I gave up on decades worth of impulse buys that I later regretted. I gave up on purses that are still in good shape, but that I know I will never carry again. I gave up on a closet-full of permanently stained and stretched out tee shirts. I gave up on tacky cheap belts that come with pants. I gave up on gaudy accessories purchased before I came into the fullness of good taste. I gave up on drawers full of samples of make-up and products I have never and will never use. I gave up an army of hotel soaps and shampoos.

Today was Giving Up Day and it felt good.

At Least It Was Sparkly

Here's another one for the "Dogs are Gross" file: One of the small dogs didn't make it outside and made a pile on the rug. Blech. When I cleaned it up, I discovered that the perpetrator had eaten the decorations off of one of Z's hair bows. The poop was covered in tiny pink jewels. Nice.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I am NOT in total blog withdrawal - both writing and reading. My travel schedule is totally reasonable and would NEVER involve two 200 mile round-trips in one weekend, thus keeping me away from my precious dependable computer.

I am NOT totally behind at The Button Box because of the aforementioned ridiculous travel schedule. So of course I did NOT become totally over-involved in Jamie's new blog layout and obsess over her header after I had made her new button.

My kids were NOT completely wild (can you say 'sugar rush"?) at a birthday party at Gatti Town, yesterday. I did NOT get completely soaked with sweat from trying to restrain corral them in the games area. So I definitely did NOT have to change my clothes (surfer-style) in the car.

I did NOT leave skid marks on Mom-in-law's driveway in my haste to pawn off the beasties leave the children with her and enjoy an afternoon with Chica and Chicklette. Chicklette is NOT growing like a weed and certainly did NOT make my uterus ache for another baby. My afternoon outing would NEVER have stretched into the evening and involved dinner without giant cartoon characters and a movie that wasn't animated. It was NOT the best day I have had in AGES!

I did NOT almost need a moment alone after my first trip to the Mother Ship (TARGET!) since before Christmas. I did NOT go to three more Targets looking for a third curtain to match the other two I bought.

Ultra Mom

(Imagine the theme from old Batman playing in the background: duh nuh, duh nuh, duh nuh, duh nuh, duh nuh, duh nuh, duh nuh, duh nuh, BATMAN! Except insert Ultra Mom instead of Batman. This is my blog. He gets enough press. Damn Heath Ledger.)

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tropical fish? No, it's Ultra Mom! (That is the name I would have picked, but The Hero Factory seemed to think I was more the mysterious Lasered Whiplash type.) So here is my super hero alter image. They got the boobs right, but the abs? Not so much. There have been days lately that I have wished for a laser whip to tame my savage beasties!

Every super heroine needs a super spouse, so here is T in his super hero guise. Actually, he is built pretty much like that. But short. But still hot!

Together we are hard as diamonds! Doling out reasonable consequences to unreasonable pre-schoolers! Able to thwart a tantrum with a single laser look! Changing diapers in a flash (without getting poojinked!)! Letting the dogs out! Wha..., huh? I guess even a super hero's dog has to pee.

Thanks to Lisa from Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy for sharing the fun!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I most certainly did NOT bellow like a raging bull at my kids when the younger one caused me to drop and shatter a vase. That would be bad parenting, not to mention unladylike. I am first and foremost a lady.

I was NOT at a loss to get my daughter to clean up her toys. My consequences certainly were NOT completely ineffective. I am an outstanding parent and my children are the soul of obedience.

I did NOT use up all of my blogging time on Facebook and have to go digging through my drafts folder so I could use last week's list. I am an excellent time manager.

I was NOT so dumbfounded by my daughter's behavior that I called her father upstairs to handle it. My precious angel would NEVER bite a chunk out of her baby brother's arm. Over a crappy McDonald's toy. Impossible. I am the perfect SaHM and feed my children three balanced meals a day (with healthy snacks!) and would NEVER stoop to taking them to McDonald's.

Lame

Waaaaaay back in January, one of my favorite bloggy buds, Jamie (really, I mention her so much I should give her a tag!), gave me not one, but two awards. Being the lame-o that I am, I am only just now getting around to posting them. You know, because I want to put them in my new "They Like Me!" scrolling-awards sidebar. I'm self-serving awesome like that.


Award the First: The Friends Award


These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Award the Second: The Honest Scrap Award


A) First list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!

B) Pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.


In the spirit of rebellion, I am going to combine the conditions and pass these on to five awesome bloggers, but I will still tell you ten honest things about myself.


And the Award Goes to:

• Harriet at I Am Harriet


• Dodi at It's a Dodi's Life


• Deb at Life with Birk


• Cinnamon at My Name is Not Mom


• Brittany from The Greer Five

Ten Honest Things About Me

1. I am a terrible housekeeper. I wish I wasn't, but the fact remains that I would rather do almost anything than vacuum or clean a toilet.

2. When I found out Q was a boy, I was a little disappointed. What did I know about boys?! I was also afraid that my blatantly chauvinist (in the nicest possible way) in-laws would treat him better than Z. Now that he's here, I absolutely couldn't love him more and can't imagine having had a girl. Also? For number three (assuming T and I can come to an agreement on that)? I wouldn't mind another boy.

3. When faced with a project, no matter the size, I just assume that I can do it. For instance, my first house had a terrible kitchen. So with (a lot) of help from my dad, we waded in and did a studs-out renovation. If I had known going in how hard it was going to be, I never would have started.

4. I really, really, really want a cat. But I won't ever have one because T is allergic. Wah.

5. I'm fat. But most of the time it doesn't bother me much. My huz digs me. I can do everything that I want to do. I am one of those strangely fit fat people: low blood pressure; low cholesterol; I don't get winded easily. But sometimes, I'll catch a glimpse of my jiggly bits in the mirror and I'm like, "Who the hell is that fat chick?"

6. I am a good cook, but not an instinctual one. The only recipe I have memorized is the cranberry salad we have at every holiday meal. I measure ingredients like its a science project (which baking is, thankyouverymuch). Like Paula Deen, I have my own house seasoning: 4 parts salt, 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder, 1/2 part pepper. I put it on everything. It is what makes my huz eat veggies.

7. I am a reformed intellectual snob. It took me a long time to figure out that going to college doesn't make you smart and not going doesn't make you dumb. I have seen the err of my ways. But bad grammar makes me nuts regardless of who uses it.

8. I can make anything out of construction paper or felt. I'm a spaz with a paintbrush, but give me a pair of scissors and I can make anything. I made my first elaborate costume when I was 13. I made soup can costumes for my best friend and me. She was tomato and I was ABC. There was graph paper involved in making the Campbell's logo.

9. Half way through my senior year of college, I almost chucked everything and changed my major from Radio-TV-Film to architecture. The only reason I didn't was because UT's architecture program was five years long and I would be starting from scratch. Ironically, I attended five more years of college after graduation anyway. I still regret that I didn't switch.

10. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. T thinks I should go to vet school, which I think I would like. But, really? A&M? With little kids? Blah. Dr. Dad-in-law thinks I should be a radiology tech because the demand for them is high (so I would be able to get a job anywhere) and they can make a lot of money. That could be interesting. Especially if you specialized in ultrasounds. I think I'll probably end up doing computer-something. I'll need more training than the limited knowledge I have now, but I am not opposed to that. What I do know is that I don't want to go back in the classroom. Teaching TAG, I was spoiled for the regular classroom. Plus, the testing climate in Texas is a recipe for disaster.

So, there you have it. Ten honest things about me. Thanks again to Jamie for thinking of me!

38/365

Today I am thankful for:

1. That the (long-term) mess in the dining room has been cleared up.
2. That it has been warm enough the last couple of days to get the kids good and tired outside.
3. That I didn't kill Z during her almost constant temper tantrums while accomplishing #2 this afternoon.
4. That I can see the surface of my desk - maybe for the first time ever.
5. That the golf balls in my throat this morning seem to have been transient.

Am I Blue?

"Is it normal to be sad about moving and excited at the same time?" T asked me after coming in from working in the yard. "I just got the woods the way I want them and now I have to leave them. On the other hand, no more poison ivy!"

This pretty well sums up my feelings about the move. I'm an Air Force brat, so I have had my share of moves (20 to date) and I feel this way every time. In the sad column, we have leaving my house just as I get it looking the way I want it to look (except the master bath. Ran out of time. Rats!); losing the BEST NEIGHBORS EVER - I don't know what we will do without them; finding a new school for Z. I love the one she is in and despair of finding a comparable one in New Town.

In the excited column we have living close to family (with cousins just the right age for Z and Q!); a change of job for T that will be new and exciting; a house with the bedrooms and the laundry room on the same floor (Holla!).

When I got my new computer, I cleared out my office to make room for it. Unfortunately, in my hurry, I just transferred the mess into the formal dining room. It was like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube: easy to get out and nearly impossible to get back in. I tackled that mess today. Filing and sorting and throwing away the detritus of our life in Small Town. It was satisfying to get everything organized and put away, but has left me a little melancholy.

I'm going to miss this place.

37/365

Today I am thankful for:

1. That we are able to complete all house-related paper work electronically and I didn't have to make the 16-hour round trip to sign a few (billion) papers.
2. That mom-in-law came over yesterday so I could take the dogs to the vet without the children. Two squirmy kids, two panicked dogs and one frazzled parent? Nightmare!
3. That T woke up and realized, "Holy sheep! We're moving! Soon! I'd better get packing!" and didn't leave all of his junk stuff for me to deal with.
4. That T also realized that driving back and forth to the new house one pick-up load of stuff at a time is a beating for all concerned (see: two squirmy kids, three panicked dogs and two frazzled parents), and decided to get a U-Haul for the stuff he will need until the kids and I join him.
5. Popsicles.

Wordles: Birthday Party Edition

The lovely Shan at Last Shreds of Sanity is hosting Wordles Wednesday, so I thought I would play along. If you would like to play too, go to wordles.net.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Both of my boys are just crazy for Jeeps. I was stuck by how much Q's little Jeep was like the 1948 Jeep T restored.

36/365

I said when I started this that I would do 365 days - just not all in a row!

Today I am thankful for:

1. A successful play date/mommy date.

2. A gorgeous day in which to feed the geese.

3. The nice (if disreputable looking) workers fixing my house.

4. That there is no imminent danger of the septic tank overflowing, even though it did not get fixed today.

5. Sassy Mamas for letting me make 4(and counting!) buttons for them.

And a bonus!

6. Early bedtime for children who didn't take naps.

Play Dates

Why is it that play dates are often more fun for the moms than for the kids? Today, the kids and I went over to a friends house for pizza and play time. It had all the ingredients for a good time: food, unexplored toys, assorted outdoor ride-ons, gorgeous weather, an even split of boys and girls. (Wine spritzers for the other mom and me!)

But while the other moms and I were having a lovely chat, there was a parade of disgruntled pre-schoolers through the room. Z was bossy and a tattletale. One had a hard time sharing. One didn't want to wait for a turn. All felt the need to air their grievances. No one ate, except for the moms and Q, who ate like a linebacker.

Then, in quixotic pre-schooler fashion, all were devastated when it was time to go home. Z asked the whole way home if we could go to their house again after nap time. No? How about tomorrow? No? How about after tomorrow? (She's a persistent little thing!) You get the picture. So I guess she had a good time.

The irony is that I really enjoy the other moms, but never seem to find the time to connect with them. Now that two of us are moving, we are all bummed that we didn't get together more often. I guess I'll just have to cram in as many play dates/mommy dates as I can before the house sells!

Unintentional Cliffhanger

Thank you to those of you who have commented and asked about the new house. Your well-wishes are heartwarming! After talking to Sister K yesterday, I realized that I had unintentionally left you hanging.

We bought a house!

I think we paid the perfect price. Close enough to the list price to make the sellers happy and close enough to the price we offered to make us happy. (Actually, we paid what I suggested we offer in the first place, but T loves the dickering. If we had just offered that price to start out with, he would have hounded me for the entire time we lived there about how we paid too much for the house.)

We had a little backing and forthing about some legal verbiage and a dog pen out back that the sellers wanted to take with them. We were happy to let them have it as our dogs would be in danger of getting eaten by chicken hawks if we were to leave them out in the yard for long periods of time! (True story! One of Chica's friends, who lived near in our new town, had a nasty little Chihuahua that they had chained out in the yard. One day a hawk swooped down and carried it off. At least to the end of its chain. It then dropped the dog and flew off. The dog was unharmed, but the experience opened his eyes to how great he had it, and he became a lovely pet.)

Now we are involved in the frantic rush to get our house on the market. So far, we have had the yard done (It is amazing what two industrious guys can get done in their spare time!), the cracked windows replaced, the gutters repaired, the eaves caulked and re-painted, the septic tank crushed, the kitchen masked, and the ceiling scraped. Wha- huh? Back the hell up. Septic tank crushed? Yep. The contractors rolled a 5,000 pound lift right over the top of our septic tank. Even after we told them where is was.

T is in a twist that they didn't get it fixed immediately after the accident this afternoon. But it was the end of the work day when it happened, so I am not surprised that the open sewer will remain in my back yard until tomorrow. At least the bathrooms are still working. And the tank isn't overflowing. That's a plus. I guess now we can add to the sales description of our house, "New septic!"

She Likes Me!

Deb over at Life with Birk gave me this cool award.

I'm all Sally-Fields-at-the-Oscars about it. "She likes me! She really likes me!" It is so cool to be honored by someone with whom I so clearly would love to be friends with in real life. Cut from the same cloth are we. (Okay, done channeling Yoda.)

*Here are the award rules:
List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love. Be sure to tag them and let them know they have won!

Seven Things I Love:
1. My family (duh). All of them from my little nuclear unit to far flung aunts and cousins. They rock. I am especially lucky to have in-laws who have welcomed me into their lives so completely.
2. Doggy kisses. No, not on the lips. I love it when my Pomeranian, Griffin, sits under my desk and licks my feet/ankles. He isn't usually overtly affectionate, so I feel like this is his secret way of expressing his love for me.
3. Really good bed linens. And uninterrupted time to sleep on them.
4. A well-written-even-if-it-is-just-pulp-fiction-and-not-great-literature book. And the time to read it.
5. Good service. Whether in a restaurant or a car dealership, good service is a dying art.
6. Animal print. Leopard print in particular. You can take the girl out of the '80's, but you can't take the '80's out of the girl. I have a leopard print chaise lounge in my bedroom. LOVE! My kids' car seats are zebra print and I got covers for the front seats to match. If I have to drive a mom-mobile, it will be the coolest mom-mobile on the block!
7. Fast internet service. Dial-up is a beating.

Seven Deserving Kreativ Blogs:
1. Adventures in Diapering
2. Cherry Soup
3. Extra Hot, No Water
4. Following in My Shoes
5. Home of the Lazy Dog
6. Mammatalk
7. Thrifty Decor Chick

You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sidebar, letting the whole world know you are KREATIV!