Scrabble Tourney

Oh, it was a wild and crazy Friday night here at the Schnittkers! Just kidding ... but it WAS fun! Dennis and I love Scrabble. And it was great to stay at home and just relax ... having just completed a busy week, and anticipating an even busier one! I broke down and had a glass of wine (or two!), which must have gotten my Scrabble juices flowing, because ...

Oh Dennis, you don't look happy. Let's see those letters a bit closer. Ah, that explains the long face. Better luck next time buddy! :)

What goes around ... comes around!

HA HA! I got her back!

Remember last week, when Abby and Tyler set the table? Abby tricked us by making us think she was just a five-year old that didn't know any better ... and gave us ladles and serving spoons as utensils. Well, it turns out she was playing us. And, last night, I got her back! Turns out a little spoon is just as difficult to eat with as a large spoon! Especially when lasagna noodles are on the menu. Yes, I served my family lasagna noodles instead of spaghetti. I thought they might find the pieces easier to spear, and frankly ... I was clearing out my pantry. Dennis was eating another Your Secret Pantry dish (Chicken Cacciatore) which was to be served over pasta, and I wasn't in the mood to make a whole different dinner for the kids.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub ...

How do you take YOUR tea ... in the tub? Well, Mr. "T" thought it was big fun to play tea in the tub yesterday. This was my idea, mostly because the kids' bath toys are ickin' me out! I would like to get rid of all of them and start over. Maybe this weekend. Anyway, I also threw the tea set in there because I was hoping Tyler would play in the bath for a bit longer than usual while I got dinner going. He did! He poured the tea ... and served Fred the Fish (our water faucet protector) about 100 times! When it was Abby's turn to bathe, she said it looked like the tub was filled with "green tea." How does she know about green tea? Well, she says she's heard me and Grammy order it at Panera!

WFMW: Wine Bag Repurposed

Woohoo! My second WFMW in a row. Now, I'm not real keen on people I don't know visiting this family blog, so I try not to comment on blogs I frequent (there are several cute ones out there I check regularly) ... and I don't think I'll ever officially participate in the "works-for-me wednesday" blog swap. BUT ... I think this one is a cool idea, and I thought you friends and family members might enjoy seeing what "works-for-me." For Christmas, I received a great "S" bag from my brother to carry all of our Schnittker stuff around in ... and as a bonus, he also wrapped up a Publix wine bag. I guess you can buy them, but they come free when you purchase several bottles of wine. Aaron had just helped host a holiday party ... I don't think he regularly goes into the supermarket and buys wine in bulk (beer? well, that's another story). Anyway, he thought I would appreciate the bag ... and do I! I thought it would be helpful for carrying my bottle of wine and wine glass to my semi-regular pedicure night with the gals. I always feel weird when I pull a bottle out of my purse, or worse yet, one of the kid's lunch totes! But, I've actually found a better use for the bag. I've been TRYING to drink a lot of water, and for me, the easiest way is to have a bunch of water bottles (Dasani preferably!) on hand. I refill them sometimes with water from the Britta filter, and sometimes I grab a new one from the refrigerator. But, I refuse (REFUSE!) to drink lukewarm, TAP water. So, for the past couple of days, I've been toting four Dasani bottles around with me during the day. Fortunately, it's been working. I've been drinking the water and am able to keep track of it better. Unfortunately, I've had a few close calls getting to the bathroom after downing two bottles of water or so in a very short time period. I picked Abby and her friend, Alex up in record time yesterday, and I think I screeched down the driveway on two wheels because I was in such a hurry! I even left the kids in the car for a few minutes while I ran inside (it was an emergency!). Must time the water intake a bit better from now on! Oh ... today I also stuck my travel coffee mug in one of the slots when I was toting a bunch of stuff into preschool (I subbed today). It didn't fall over, like my travel mugs often do when I stuff them into the side pocket of my purse, etc. Anyway, there you go ... Happy Wednesday. What works for me? Water in the wine bag!

Our Weekend

I'm warning you now, this ranks pretty low when it comes to interesting posts! Our weekend was pretty uneventful, although we had, well ... a few events! There was gymnastics, a soccer game, a birthday party, and Sunday School … but we managed to fit in some fun at home (long time in the backyard this afternoon, several rounds of UNO, and lots of book reading) along with the typical weekend cleaning stuff. And here are a few other tidbits:

I spent the better part of Saturday evening making a VAT of soup! All of the chopping, cooking, etc. took a year ... and that didn't even include having to stop to make everyone else’s dinner. By the time it was done cooking, you guessed it! I wasn’t hungry for soup anymore (got impatient and ate something else!) BUT, now I have three Tupperware containers full of Weight Watchers “0-point” Cabbage Soup. Just wish I wasn’t the only one in the family who will eat it! Watching me from on top of the refrigerator was ... ... Abby's favorite tiger, Starla. Uh-oh! Another stuffed animal got the sentence (read about when Green Monkey did time earlier this week) Luckily, Abby was QUITE apologetic for the way she acted towards Tyler and Starla returned to the family in no time! Good thing, because she's real, you know? Seriously! Ask Abby if Starla is a stuffed animal next time you talk to her on the phone. So, I would imagine Starla was part of this game ... Yep, she's right there next to Abby. This morning, Abs and Tyler made "a sleigh," as Dennis and I bustled around the house getting things done before church. The kids dreamt up a great little game, and they actually requested that I take this photo of them with their "two-horse open sleigh" (my name for it!) Love the Christmas PJs both of them happen to be wearing. We don't discrimate when it comes to holiday PJs here. My rule is, if they fit ... we wear them. Halloween in July? Sure. Christmas in February? Why not! "Life is like a box of chocolates ... you never know what you're going to get." (Forrest Gump) OR you never know what you may hear! Tonight I was holding my little guy, all wrapped up in his green hooded towel after bathtime. I guess he realized I was gazing at him nostalgically, because he came out with this one ...

TYLER: Mommy, I’m getting bigger and bigger and bigger BUT, when I get biiiii-gger … I will still love you ... BUT … I will be able to fix things!
ME: (melting) Oh, that’s great baby … I will love you too. And, it’s good to be able to fix things.
TYLER: I’m going to be a builder (nods proudly). I was going to be a sky jumper … but after I’m a sky jumper, I’m going to be a builder.
ME: Ohhh… (about to comment, but promptly get cut off)
TYLER: (Spies a toy on the floor … mind now on a totally different subject) Mommy - I like my toy rocket.

Do they have to grow up? Seriously! I want to keep them small FOREVER!

OutFOXED ... again!

Haven't had much to post about the Foxes, Abby's soccer team, lately. This is mostly because we're still waiting for our first goal (and I mean legitimate goal ... keep reading) of the season! I believe Abby is still having fun ... which IS the most important thing. But the team is getting pretty frustrated. This weekend was game #5 ... and no dice! Now, a goal WAS scored on our opponent this Saturday, but it was by their own team. Coach Dennis says that goal should count in our favor, because we kind of "out-FOXED" them when we started dribbling the ball towards our own goal first! Anyway ... here's a shot of our whole team. It was picture day: Now, Mom and Dad ... tell me honestly, did you call the City of Tallahassee and arrange for the photographer to ask Abby to hold the ball in the front row?!? I think it's a scam! Because I ALWAYS had to hold the ball, or the sign in my soccer (and school) pictures growing up. Being "height-challenged," I NEVER got to stand in the back row, and I really resented when they told me I had to sit on the ground in front. Guess Abby is destined for a similar childhood. But that has to be better than what THIS one is in for! YES, Tyler is wearing Abby's tights! NO, he's not getting into ballet (although he looks like he could dance an act in Swan Lake.) It was pretty cold on Saturday morning when we left for Abby's soccer game, and I knew Tyler would be running around, so I thought another layer was in order. Ty doesn't own long underwear, so I pulled a pair of tights out of Abby's drawer. Little did I know he would enjoy wearing them so much. When we got home, Tyler said, "Mommy, I want to take my jeans off." He had actually "dried" the slide at the park off with his bottom soon after they arrived, so I figured the dampness was bugging him. Nope, that wasn't it. Tyler just wanted to run around in "his tights!" Eat your heart out Uncle Aaron! This reminds me of some of your antics at age three. But I would have been the one that made you wear the tights!

Go Steelers!

We're from the town with the great football team ... we are the Pittsburgh Steelers! Winning's a habit, not only a dream ... go out and get them Steelers! (... and the song continues, but I don't know the rest of the words!)

Yes, I AM from the town with this great football team ... I was born right outside of Pittsburgh when the Steelers were THE team to beat. And, while I'm not a huge football fan, I do feel a sense of pride today as they play for yet another Super Bowl title! As my dad did when Aaron and I were little, the kids are dressed in their gold and black (little Steelers good luck charms!), but I'm sorry to say we DON'T own a "terrible towel!" Now, there's a BUNCH of towels in our terribly huge pile of laundry, so we could probably swing one of them around tonight as we cheer the Steelers on to victory. Hey ... it's the least I can do, since the rest of my family is AT the game! I'm in charge of the Schnittker tailgate party here though. You better believe Dennis will be watching the game on his new TV! And there's Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers and Beer on the menu (for Dennis that is!) Too bad I'm watching what I eat ... Weight Watchers "0-point" soup, here I come. Boo!