Not Me! Monday: A Dark Colorful Surprise

I did not recently hear about a fun activity to do for the kids.

I did not fill the bath tub with bubbles and throw a few glow sticks in ( you can get a package of 15 glow sticks for $1 at Michael's).

I did not usher them into the bathroom and tell them to close their eyes while I shut off the lights. They did not open their eyes to have this site before them:

They did not shout with glee and race to see who could get in first.

I did not figure that it was $1 well spent. Nope, not me!

Not Me! Monday

On Saturday it was not I who decided upon waking up that it was the day to rip out the office carpet. I did not move everything out of the office room before my husband awoke only to have him come downstairs and ask what was going on. I did not stifle a giggle and tell him I decided to move out...only to have him look at me and demand to know what was really going on. I would never do that to my husband. Not me!

We did not proceed to pull the carpet and pad out, rip the tack strips out, pull up nails and staples, and clean the floor only to then head out 45 minutes away to buy a rug for the middle of the room and trim. It was not an all day project and we did not finally finish at 10pm after everything was moved back into the room.

I am not loving the no carpeting downstairs now! :)

While at Target after Halloween I did not run across these...
I had not heard how good they were and did not decide that at 50% off I may as well throw a bag in my cart. Oh my goodness...I did not find a new love! Over the next few days I did not hide them from my children who also did not find them to be delicious. I am not one bit sad that I can not find them anywhere else. If you are a pumpkin pie lover...do not try these!

Not Me! Monday Sicko Edition

I have not been sick for three weeks straight. It was not me who came down with a cold three days after arriving home from our vacation, only to have it linger for three weeks. I have not been tired, crabby, and totally not myself for the past three weeks. :(

While feeling so run down and sick I have not lightened my work load and taken it easier. There is no way that I got sucked into the show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and watched all the past episodes. Nope, not me at all!

My husband has not been prince charming throughout this all and has not let me have the evenings off and relax in bed with books or the tv. He has not brought me apple cider and tea in bed and run the household for an hour or two after working all day at work. I have not been feeling like the queen bee with all this lavish attention...nope, not me!

It's not me who is finally starting to feel better and now looks around at a house that needs A LOT of attention! I have not stripped all the beds, scrubbed down the bathroom, put loads of laundry away, cleaned out the bathroom shelves, totally organized the bedrooms since feeling better this weekend. I do not have a long list of what is yet to be done. Not Me!

Not Me! Monday Spooky Edition

There is no way that I waited until today to throw together costumes for the kids for trick-or-treating. I'm not using the exact same costumes from last year when I know other mommy friends of mine plan months in advance to have coordinating costumes for their family.

I did not wait until today to shop for candy for handing out this evening, knowing that our family would not eat it if they found it it in the cupboards. I did not know that I had to save myself from the candy and thus wait just a few hours before trick-or-treating to buy it. I also do not know that there will be slim picking when I go to the store later today.

I do not hate carving pumpkins with the kids. It should be a fun activity but often mommy ends up doing it all as certain children don't want to stick their hands into a gooey mess. And yet, there is no a golden lining, as we do not all love, love, love roasted pumpkin seeds and look forward to that snack after pumpkin carving.

My daughter did not go to a haunted barn the other night with her aunts, uncles, and Grandpa. She did not clutch my sisters hand as they walked through it and scream "MOM!" as someone popped out to grab her. I did not find this extremely funny when she told me this later. I also did not laugh at the thought of my dad getting stuck in one of the tubes they had to crawl through when he tried to turn around in it! What kind of mom lets her 8 year old go to a haunted house?!

Not Me! Monday

While on vacation I did not accidentally turn most of the towels at the villa blue when a blue beach towel slipped into the washer. This does not happen to us at home, much less while on vacation!

When showing the kids the beach for the first time in their life I did not get distracted by them running towards the water, so did not throw down the sunscreen bottle and dash out with them, forgetting about my back. I did return to the villa three hours later with a back on fire and have to rush out to Wal-mart to purchase a bottle of Aloe Vera. My husband did not also get a bad sunburn on his back and we did not go through half of a bottle of that stuff before we started to feel better.

Becca, Jacob, and I did not go on the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios thinking that it would be quite fun and just somewhat scary. We were not told by the lady ahead of us that it is a thrilling ride and not scary. So when we started going up, up, up towards the end of the ride I did not get a tight feeling in my chest knowing that there was a hill to go down. Our hearts did not almost stop as we started falling, falling, falling in complete darkness. I do not loathe drops like that at amusement parks and I did not feel like I just escaped death. Becca and Jacob were not speechless for several moments, ingesting what had just happened. And yet, when we were leaving later that day Becca did not say "I want to go on that ride again!"

My husband did not get stuck next to one of the crabbiest ladies on the planet on our flight back home and he did not spend $6 on a beer in flight just to get through his time with his seat mate. Nope, not us!

Not Me! Monday

Last week we did not seem to misplace the kid's reading lesson book. We did not search the house for two days looking for it. I did not about give up and give in to ordering another when we found it on top of the kid's wooden kitchen set. We did not spend that evening catching up on reading lessons!

I did not have a totally different post planned for this morning, only to not be able to find my camera anywhere. Since my post was planned around pictures it is not me who has to postpone that post until the camera is found.

I did not sort through our shoes in order to put the summer ones away, only to find several lone shoes with no partner. This has not been an ongoing problem in our house and I have not come to believe that not only is their a sock monster in my dryer but also a shoe monster somewhere in the house.

I did not come to realize that we lose a lot of things in this house and that it may be more productive to have our own Lost And Found box in the house. Because, it does not seem, that we loose a lot but rarely find those items. We may or may not have a black hole in our midst!

Not Me! Monday

We live in a small town where our grocery store has "baggers". They bag your groceries, follow you to your car, and load the groceries in your vehicle. Typically they are teenage males. So it was not I who was in the middle of a conversation about the weather (they seem to have a one track mind; all their conversations are about the weather) when I commented that the trunk must be stuck on our car. I did not repeatably click the key fob trying to get the trunk open, as the bags in the bag boys arms seemed to get heavier, then loudly remark that the battery in the key fob must be dead.

I did not suddenly have the revelation that this wasn't my car and turn wildly around to see my car parked in a completely different area of the parking lot. I didn't stumble over my words as I announced that "Gee, this is the wrong car" as I backed slowly away from the almost identical car (why did I not notice that the car I was trying to steal had a spoiler on the back when ours doesn't?!) only to have a lady laugh at me across the parking lot and yell "At least I'm not the only one who does that!" drawing several stares my way.

On the long trek to my car I did not mumble to the bag boy that I didn't typically drive my husband's car to the store and that I did typically park in the area that the other car was in, trying to make him understand only to have him give me quizzical side way looks.

When I reached my car I did not pop the trunk and loudly proclaim that "You have to admit that the cars look similar." I did not stop and stare at him until he admitted that they did. I was not totally relieved when he finished loading my groceries and hightailed it away from the crazy lady back into the store so that I could slide behind the wheel of the car to hide my red face.

It wasn't later that week that I was at our local Wal-Mart, wondering what the smell was throughout the store. I did not, of course, realize at the end of the shopping that it was me. There is no way that I walked around smelling dog poo that was on my shoe! Nope, not me!!

Not Me! Monday

On Saturday I did not get annoyed by three whiny kids and decide to run away and go shopping without them. It wasn't me who called my sister and told her we were going to escape have a fun afternoon shopping.

I did not demand that my husband take the kids somewhere fun on Saturday to relieve my guilt at having left everyone on a family day in order to get away from them get out of the house. While being highly annoyed with every antic that every. single. person. in my house displayed I did not still have mommy guilt in needing a few quiet hours alone. That would be a first sign of insanity, wouldn't it?!

I did not enjoy my shopping trip immensely (though besides the usual groceries the only extras I ended up buying was a pair of sunglasses and several books at Half Price Books). I did not top off the night with a Pumpkin Spice Frappacino from Starbucks after hearing another blogger rave about them. I certainly have never not had a frappacino before...and I surely never not knew what a frappacino was before ordering only to find a cold drink (*fanning all the coffee addicts out of their deep faint*). And it wasn't me who could count on one hand (and only get half way) how many times I have ordered at Starbucks.

With a week of cold temperatures I have not become tempted to turn the heat on once or twice. Doing so in September doesn't seem the least bit early.
I have not been a bit depressed knowing that the long dark cold months will be upon us soon. I have especially not been a bit sentimental when looking through my photos and finding all the bright cheerful warm photos reminding me of happy summer days. Nope, not me at all!

Not Me! Monday is Back!!

I did not wait more than a week to balance my checkbook...only to see a big "whoops" where we overspent. Granted, it was a busy week and we spent a little money on the fly, but now we need to be extremely careful this week.

It wasn't I who forgot that there was no school today in the district, until the kids were finished with their schoolwork. It's days like these that I am not even more thrilled with the concept of homeschooling...it sure would have been embarrassing to show up at school this morning!

I would never wait two weeks after the oven started acting funny to call a repairman. Because that would mean that the busy repairman would then tell you that this week is bad for him and that it will be a week or so until your oven can be looked at. Which would also mean that you would be oven-less for that amount of time. Nope, not me!

I am not totally thrilled that Not Me! Monday is back! :) Are you, or aren't you?!

Not Me! Monday

After only throwing up once in thirteen years I did not break that streak on Saturday when I came down with the same illness that the rest of the family went through last week. After throwing up I did not crawl into bed and stay there the rest of the day, only getting up to take a bath two different times because my body was aching so much.

I was not eternally grateful to my husband for keeping the kids busy for the majority of the day so that I could be left alone to sleep and be still. BUT, I was also not a little miffed to arrive downstairs to a completely trashed house by the end of the day.

I was also not a little sickened when I looked into the grocery bags of what he brought home on Saturday so that they could fend for themselves while mama was sick. The sight of Tostinos party pizza, pizza rolls, Little Debbie snack cakes, and pop made me want to go throw up again. Granted, there was also cantaloupe, watermelon, and salad in the bags as well. It makes me wonder what most single dads feed their children...

It won't be me trying to play catch up on a trashed house the next few days or trying to get my kids back to a (more) healthful diet this week. Nope, not me!

As a side note, I really am so grateful that I was afforded a day of rest while sick. That is a huge thing for a mama of little ones! Thanks honey!

Not Me! Monday

Is it wrong to...

...feel an urge to get pregnant because you found an awesome maternity skirt at a garage sale that you sooooooo want to wear?

...cancel your son's speech therapy for the day because your morning isn't going so hot and you just don't feel like rushing to get everyone ready to leave the house?

...hang up on a telemarketer?

...not answer the door when religious missionaries come knocking?

...yell at the dog for peeing on the floor, only to realize it was your child that did it?

...throw toys in the garbage after asking your children to pick them up for the thousandth time?

No?! Good, because I've done each and every one of these! :)

Happy Not Me! Monday!

Not Me! Monday

(Curious about my $400 grocery challenge? Continue to next post, please!)

I did not forget all about Not Me Monday and then have to rush about getting a post all ready after I posted my link on mycharmingkids! Nope, not me!

We did not stay home yesterday, on the 4th of July, because I didn't like the gray skies and just knew that it was going to rain. I was not actually relieved that it did rain so that I could say "See, we wouldn't have had any fun at Grandma's house being stuck inside anyway". I was not tired and just too lazy to attempt to follow my energizer baby around my Grandma's house where he gets into everything.

Speaking of my Grandma's house, I have not been up to visit her just once this whole year because my 2 year old is a complete terror at her house...touching, touching, touching everything. I wouldn't stay away from my Grandma's house just for that reason...not me!

I did not stand in the pouring rain this morning with three kiddos waiting for my aunt's consignment shop to open for the big 25 cent sale (everything in the store was 25 cents in preparation of cleaning out the store for all new fall inventory next week!). We did not get there just 5 minutes to opening where there was hoards of people waiting outside the store. I did not try to squeeze under the awning with the kids to get out of the rain, only managing a spot right near the gutter spigot where the rain hit the sidewalk and bounced back onto us.

I was not overjoyed when they announced that instead it was $2 a bag full! I did not try to hang onto my crazy 2 year old (who only wanted Grandma...who couldn't hold him due to the fact that she was working there today and was a tad bit busy) and try to shop...while getting surrounded by a stampede of people. I did not watch as people grabbed awesome stuff around me while I stood there in a daze - nope, not me!! Luckily, I managed to grab one garbage bag full of stuff which I have laying on my living room floor waiting for me to sort through.

Not Me! Monday

(Looking for more about my $1,200 challenge? Scroll to next post, please!)

I did not finally find the secret to keeping Joe quiet and sitting in the grocery cart at the store. When traveling past the concession stand at Target I did not see a bag of popcorn and have a light bulb moment. Asking the woman working if we had to eat the food in that area or if we could shop while eating and getting the answer I was looking for (yes, we can shop while eating!) I did not purchase a bag of popcorn for Joe and happily stroll around the store for half and hour as Joe happily munched away at the popcorn.

I did not drop my two oldest off at Vacation Bible School this morning, giddy at the thought of only having one child at home for three whole hours. That one child did not just fall asleep on the couch and I am not now wasting the total peace and quiet in the house by working on the computer, writing this post. Nope, not me!

Not Me! Monday

Since this is my $1,2oo budget challenge month (read more about that in posts below) I will post about the hardships of that!

Yesterday I soooooo did not want to go shopping. It was a rainy day and I was bored out of my mind at home. I did not have to stop myself, several times, from heading to the store.

My husband did not remark that there was nothing good to snack on and that he hates this challenge. But being a good sport, he did not only say that once and then quiet down when I made him some chocolate chip cookies.

Happy Not Me! Monday!

Not Me! Monday

Yesterday we had temperatures in the low 90's. With high humidity to boot. Our grass needed mowing. Hubby said that it was too hot to mow. I did not tell him to mow without his shirt, hoping to watch my shirtless hubby mowing for awhile. Nope, I totally wouldn't say that. I wasn't more than a bit disappointed when he decided to mow, but not shirtless. I was a bit giddy though when he decided to wear a muscle t-shirt while mowing. Hey, a girl has got to get her kicks every chance she can! :)

I was not totally relieved when hubby decided to put the air conditioner in downstairs and upstairs in the kid's room. I did not tell hubby that it was supposed to cool off last night so that we could probably get by with a fan in our window and could put our air conditioner in some other time; only to realize by midnight that it wasn't cooling down and that I felt like I was in a tropical rain forest. I did not jerk my window open as high as it could go and get the pedestal fan and aim it directly at me at midnight in hopes to cool off. It wasn't 2am when I finally feel asleep. I won't be me asking hubby the minute he gets home from work to please put the air conditioner in our bedroom! And I so don't wish that we had central air so that we don't have to go through the putting the air conditioners in/taking them out routine every year. Nope, not me!

I was not a bit confused with the ending on LOST last night. I get most of it really, but so many questions were left unanswered and I feel they rushed the death of Locke/Smoke Monster and still don't get why Jack had a son in the parallel universe (aka purgatory) and the son was even shown this episode but then later Locke tells Jack that he doesn't have a son?! Wasn't confused by that a bit...

On a side note, the giveaway ends this evening! Be sure to sign up and winner will be announced later today!

Not Me! Monday

After a whole week of rain and chilly weather I did not get excited while going to the garden to see how everything had grown, only to be disappointed to see dead tomato and pepper plants. Was it the possible frost on Mother's Day that slowly killed them or the hail that we had on Tuesday? I did not replant but also leave the *almost* dead plants hoping that maybe they will make a comeback.

It wasn't me who got a pile of books at the library on Friday and spent the majority of the weekend reading. I don't ever allow myself that type of luxury. :)

I have not become frustrated with all the "stuff" that the children have and leave all over. Clothes, toys, and odds and ends are not the bane of my existence. I do not see a huge de-cluttering spree coming on.

Happy Not Me! Monday!

Not My Child! Monday

It wasn't MY child who left the faucet outside running (for who knows how long!), which in turn got the basement all wet. We have carpet in the basement, but luckily it comes out in pieces, so it was not us who have several pieces of carpet laying in the yard to dry out last week!

One of my children did not smear cherry yogurt all over the carpet on the stairs and the toy room last week. He, who shall remain nameless, did not make sure to grind the cherries deep in the carpet. He also did not decide to decorate his sister's stick horse and his brother's Spiderman car with the yogurt.

My child did not turn the dial on the big chest freezer to "off" at least a day before I noticed it. Everything was not thawed out by the time I noticed it and we now do not have soggy vegetables and pizza that need to be eaten.

Nope, my children would never be so destructive and bad!

Not Me! Monday

Yesterday was not such a gorgeous day that we decided to grill out for the first time this year. It was not me who stuffed herself on grilled steak, homemade rolls, potato salad (yep, homemade of course!), and sliced strawberries. I did not make this whole meal for a family of five for less than $12. Nope, not me!

Are you tired of hearing about yard sale finds yet?

Last Friday I did not decide that I just had to go to a garage sale that was listed in the paper. I am totally not obsessed with garage sales and I was not thrilled when I saw the ad in the paper and realized that it was my favorite house for garage sales. Seriously, two years ago when they had a sale I did not find a load of stuff at wonderful prices. I was not so excited about this sale that I had a bit of a hard time getting to sleep the night before. That would only be pathetic and sad; so it was totally not me at all.

I was not one of a dozen cars lined up the street on Friday morning at 10am waiting for the doors to open. I did not gravitate to a table of girls clothes - the perfect size for Becca - and start picking up clothes, only to stop and wonder how much they were priced at. At that moment it was overheard that everything for sale was for a freewill donation. I did not load up on Gymboree, Gap, and Mini Boden items (yes, seriously, MINI BODEN! Those clothes are expensive and you can rarely find them at thrift stores, much less garage sales!). I actually found a few clothes for myself as well and walked away with a large box of clothing for $35.

I did not go overboard with clothing for Rebecca at garage sales this spring. My friend and I have not just recently been talking about wanting to minimize clothing and clear out dressers and not just pick things up at garage sales because they are cheap. I am totally not guilty as charged...nope, not me!

Not Me! Monday

Our city did not have their city-wide garage sales this week. I did not go to even more garage sales and spend two days driving to at least half of the 100 garage sales listed.

Most of the sales were not full of overpriced junk. No way, no how did people think that old baby clothes from the 90's were worth $1+ each. I also did not notice that it is the bigger, fancy houses that tend to have the junkiest sales.

One sale did not have a whole rack of brand new Gymboree clothing for girls and I did not pick up four things for Becca just because they were too cute to pass up!

On Saturday near closing time when my mom and I were out we did not go back to one of the church sales down the street and ask them if they were doing $1 a bag to clear things out like the other church sale was. They did not answer sure and I did not rush to the boy's table where I was able to fill a whole bag with quality Gap things for Jacob and Joe. I then did not find a bunch of Gap t-shirts for myself and a nice Pottery Barn shower curtain. 3 bags of nice things for $3? Can't beat that!

I am not addicted to garage sales....nope, not me!

So tell me dear readers, what has been your most spectacular garage sale find to date?

Not Me! Monday

Last week we did not go out somewhere three days in a row. Since I was too busy to cook we did not stop at McDonald's three days in a row. By the third day the lady at the window did not seem to recognize me and tell me that my mother had just been through the drive through. How she knew who I was (or who my mother is!) is beyond me!

At one of the very first garage sales that I stopped at I did not see a bin of purses and ask how much they were. $5 for any purse in the bin. I did not see a purse that I liked that I dug out and realize that it was a lovely Coach purse.

I am now not the proud new owner of a Coach purse that only cost me $5. :)

Don't forget to sign up for the Eco-Friendly Toy Giveaway which ends tomorrow!

Happy Not Me! Monday!