3 year old Jello and other good things

Did you know that apparently the expiration date on a box of Jello really doesn't mean anything? I got the idea in my head last night after dinner that I wanted to make some Jello jigglers for the critters. You know, since we'd be stuck at home today, the more sugar the better, right? I knew I'd seen some Jello in the back of the pantry, and knew it had been there for awhile--I was right! One box expired in October 2005 (when the critterboy, who is now almost 4, was only 5 months old!) and 2 more expired in January of 2006. So, what's a mom who is iced in going to do now you ask? Call my mom, of course! We remembered that my wonderful aunt Charlene has many many old boxes of Jello and pudding mixes at her house--much older than mine--so we decided to give it a shot. We now have one big bowl and one pan of jiggly deliciousness chillin' in the fridge. Woo hoo!

Good thing #2: You know how every year, if you're a homeowner, you get the nasty little statement from your mortgage company saying that you have an escrow shortage and you'll have to pay a small fortune RIGHT NOW to avoid having your payment go through the roof? Well, this year we got a CHECK back! Lo and behold our taxes and insurance both went down in 2008--and while I'm sure they'll go back up this year, but hey, I'm not complaining about getting money back for once. Yee haw! Hubby dearest asked me what we were going to do with the money . . . . ummmmm pay down one of the many bills we've accumulated this year? Adoption expenses, new heat and air system, etc? Remember those? I so wish we could do something fun with the little chunk of change, but since I'm always Miss Responsibility, it'll go toward the yucky bills. I'm still celebrating and so thankful that we actually got some unexpected cash. The year is starting out right!

Good thing #3: I get to stay home with my kids today since the daycare is closed due to the ice storm. So far it's been whine and fuss fest around here, but I'm confident the day will get better. The day started as they all do--up by 6:00am for everyone. This mama never gets to sleep in! I made homemade waffles for the family before daddy-o had to head out on the slick roads to go to work. Yummy! The critterboy shredded the paperwork my doctor's office sent, so I need to call them today and get them to resend a new set. After his brief time out, he asked if he could wear a "jammie jumpsuit" (footed jammies) for his clothes today. So, he went potty all by himself, then went in his room all by himself and got out clean underwear and a jammie jumpsuit and got dressed with only a tiny bit of help from me. Can I get another woo hoo??!! Then he put on his bicycle helmet--darn it that I couldn't get to the camera in time! He's a hoot! La princesa is following bubba and me around, bringing us things and taking things from us. She has some pancake syrup in her hair, but so what? Nothing a bath can't fix later!

Good thing #4: I went to a kid's boutique on Saturday after the "Princess Potty" (a party for our friend's Guat tot Danielle who is now completely potty trained!) with a couple of friends and got some great deals. Check out the cutesy cute outfit and red glittery Wee Squeak shoes on my sweet girl! (okay so you can't see the shoes, but holy moly they're adorable--I didn't buy them when I was at the store but thought about them all the way home. So I called Jana, who was still at the store shopping, and she brought them to me at church on Sunday. Yes, I'm obsessed with matchy matchy stuff . . .)

I spent way to much $$, but I never splurge on kids clothes, and most of what I got was either 50% or 75% off. How could I resist?! And, since Mary Ann, mama to the Potty Princess, had plans after the party and couldn't go to the boutique with us, I picked up some pillowcase dresses for her girls. Then on Sunday after all the kids had naps, she brought the girls over to play for a bit. The kitchen was a big hit for the whole group. And now I'm inspired to start making some little boutiquey outfits for la princesa. I haven't sewn in awhile but most of the outfits are very simple and I know I can do it. Stay tuned--when I get time I'm going to make lots of fun stuff and bombard you with pictures!

Good thing #5: We're hosting a "Souper" Bowl party on Sunday for our Sunday school class. So far I think there are about 25 people (adults and kids) coming, and we're expecting about 10 more! I'm sure it will be a great time and we're really excited. I need to get off the computer and clean a bit, but it'll have to wait . . . Anyway, some have said that we'll regret volunteering our home for the event, but I'm not worried! Our house is always a zoo anyway--why not add a few more people to the pandamonium?!

Good thing #6: Since the roads are really bad, Weight Watchers was cancelled this morning. This means I have another week to either blow it or do really well before I weigh in again. I'm only 3 pounds from my ultimate goal, but it's getting harder! Maybe it's because this cold weather makes me want to eat? And since I'm home today I've decided to make homemade pizza for dinner and probably something yummy for lunch in between. Sigh. I really need to stay on track, but it's cold outside and I need to fatten up for winter! :)

Last but not least: Here's a pic of la princesa and me--hubby took it for me to use on my Facebook page and it turned out pretty good considering I like VERY FEW pictures of myself! I think it's gonna be a good day . . .