Flopsy, Mopsy and That Really Big One With No Name....

We are venturing into a new realm around here. The kids have decided to take up 4H. I am actually very excited about this, mostly because I've always dreamed of having a farm. However, we do not live on a farm. We live in a nicely manicured subdivision. This obviously limits our choices for animal projects.

My children are very resourceful however, and were able to come up with the perfect animal project for the suburban family. Rabbits. You know, those sweet little cuddly balls of fluff that are just so cute? Yes rabbits. I agreed that this was the perfect plan (envisioning dwarf bunnies). So the kids began researching types of rabbits and their care. They finally decided on a breed.

FLEMISH GIANTS!

Did you get the GIANT part of that? These rabbits will grow to be larger than my dog. They can reach 28 pounds...you know, just a little lighter than me. They require a large cage of course, that will have to be built. They also require more food and more cleanup. This information has not deterred the rabbit olympic hopefuls. They are going for the gold in this rabbit project.




Incidentally, I have no idea who the guy in the picture is, but he obviously runs some kind of Flemish Giant Army. Do you see the size of that thing? Are you feeling my pain?...

As we have looked at picture after picture of the very large specimens, I have been pondering some things in my heart. Kind of like when Mary was pregnant with Jesus, but not. Anyhoo...

First, do giant rabbits like people for dinner? If these rabbits are almost the size of me, will they see me as a tasty snack?

Second, isn't the word rabbit awfully close to rabid? Hmmm....

And lastly, this is where you come in my dear internets, what do you name a GIANT rabbit? Cottontail and Freckles don't really seem appropriate. Killer and Demon would seem more fitting.

All this to say, we want some help naming our FLEMISH GIANTS. So leave me a comment and give us your suggestions! Some names we've considered are SUR short for Sport Utility Rabbit, GOLIATH which just implies LARGE, and PEE WEE cause it's funny.

We will be getting these precious pets within the next few weeks, and want to be prepared. So enlighten us with your knowledge, blow us away with your creativity, give us a rabbit name by golly!

And if you never hear from me again....you will find the leftovers in the hutch......

To Sing What They Could Sing....

Yesterday was one of those days where I needed to be trapped in the car for several hours with antsy children. Thank goodness for the DVD player! But alas you can only watch so many movies and I was tired of them arguing over the remote, so I suggested another activity.

My children have always been very creative and usually have no problem coming up with something to do.

I was not surprised that within a few minutes they had formed a plan that would make me want to throw myself out the window into oncoming interstate traffic.

"Let's practice Christmas songs", I heard from the backseat. Why O why didn't I bring more movies? UGH!!

I guess when you are 6 and 8 it's very important to practice Christmas songs in August, that way you won't be rusty come December.

So after several rounds of Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, and a very interesting version of Silent Night, I thought they were finished. But....then what to my listening ears should I hear....the suggestion of another song.

"Mom, how's that one go? You know Jesus Went Over the Mountain?" Josh asked in all seriousness.

To which I replied "what in the blazes are you talking about?"! I didn't remember that song from past Christmases. Josh however was insistent that it was his very favorite and he learned it in church.

Then it hit me. He was referring to Go Tell it on the Mountain! Of course!

It's a good thing Mary and Joseph didn't have to carry Jesus over the mountain. They might have run into that pesky bear!

Fresh Air....

I opened my windows today! Did you hear me people? It's August and I opened my windows! You can't do this if you live in say Florida or Arizona or in some equatorial country.

The weather here has been absolutely beautiful the last couple of days and it makes me crave fall! I'm ready for summer to be over so that I can put out my pumpkins and cheer on my favorite football team! GO VOLS!!

I'm sure that by the end of the week it will be 90 degrees again, and I will be floating in the lake and drinking diet coke to keep myself hydrated. But.... until then, I may start shopping for sweaters!

Good Friends, Good Food, Lotsa Years!....

Thursday was Brian and my sixteenth anniversary. Sometimes it's hard to believe we've been married that long and other times....not so hard.

So for our anniversary we celebrated with our favorite friends. You might remember my fake twin sister Amy? Well she and her husband Derek share an anniversary with us! Can you believe it? Totally cool!

Anyway, the four of us went to our favorite wing hang out (Wild Wing Cafe) and gobbled down a few unsuspecting chickens. It was a blast!

Here's the funny part. Derek was scheduled to have surgery the next day so they weren't even supposed to be at dinner. Guess what happened while we were there?

Derek won a cruise!!!!!!! Unbelievable!

So not only did we have a wonderful time, but they got a cruise out of the deal!

Man I love those wings!!

A Deer in the Headlights or Buying a New Car....(the final chapter)

So we drove home, feeling somewhat frustrated but trying to remind ourselves that good things come to those who wait. And wait we did!

The next day, we had several conversations with the dealership. We negotiated numbers and needless to say they were not very happy with our bottom line. After all of our back and forth haggling they decided that they just could not sell us this vehicle for what we were willing to pay. So to that we said okay, we will find a car somewhere else.

Within a couple of hours we got a call back asking us to come in because they think they can work it out!

We drove back to the dealership fully confident that we would be driving our new van home. Confidence is highly overrated.

After 3 hours....yes that's 3 as in one, two, three....we were informed that because Brian works so much overtime, it was making it difficult for the bank to verify his income. Keep in mind that they had several pay stubs and the last two years W2's in front of them. This, we determined, was all part of the game.

They told us that because it was Friday evening, and we were facing the weekend, it would probably be Monday before we would know anything for sure.....UNLESS....
we wanted to put more down to prove that we had a sufficient bank account.

Can you say LIVID!?

We were not putting more money down, and I was not going to play this game anymore. We told them that they could either make the deal or we would be looking elsewhere.

We drove home again. This time I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that we would be looking elsewhere. The sales manager at the dealership had other ideas.
Apparently, sales have been extremely slow and this particular automaker has a year's worth of inventory sitting on car lots throughout America. They are actually at an advantage....some manufacturers have three years worth. Needless to say, they really needed to sell us that van.

Saturday came. It was Katy's birthday, so I was busy. I did not have time to deal with ridiculous deal making and I certainly was not going to go sit at the dealership for an extended length of time...again.

Around 3:00, after several back and forth phone calls, we were told to come get the van. I made it perfectly clear that there would be no more negotiating and that I had a total of 1 hour to spare. That's it!

When we arrived our van was waiting for us. It had been washed and was ready to take home. It looked so nice and shiny in the sunlight!

In a matter of 30 minutes, we had signed papers, and were given the keys. I sat in my brand spanking new Nissan Quest and breathed in the new car smell. It was intoxicating. Driving home was like some kind of dream. It was smooth. Nothing was leaking. The kids were constantly messing with buttons and wondering why I didn't come prepared with a DVD to watch.

My van is now parked in my garage looking all new and sparkly. I keep coming up with excuses to drive it. I know it will not look sparkly for long.....did I mention I have 4 kids?

The car shopping experience was not pleasant. It was stressful and full of a lot of bologna! But, if you can get past all of that, now is a great time to buy. Just stick to your guns, and don't eat the hot dogs....I'm just sayin =).

A Deer in the Headlights or Buying a New Car....(part two)

So there we were, needing to go to the dealership. It felt somewhat like Daniel being led to the lion's den or Nemo being scooped up by that diver. Anyhoo...

We had decided before we left that we would not be victims! No siree, we knew all about this vehicle, and we knew what we would and would not pay for it. All we wanted to do was take it for a spin and make sure that I felt comfortable.

When we pulled onto the parking lot, it was in the middle of a tsunami. I was thinking this was a plus for us. Afterall, what salesman in their right mind would want to come out in this kind of mess? I was wrong. Right away we were approached by a young guy with a giant umbrella and a much to eager smile on his face. We'll call him J.

J was obviously new at this car selling thing. He couldn't answer all our questions, and he didn't even have his own business cards yet. Score for us! We drove the van, and immediately decided it was the one we wanted!

We presented J with our offer. We knew our stuff. I had written down all facts, figures, rebates and number of hot dogs allowed per customer. All we had to do was wait.

They did all of our paperwork and after about an hour and a half, sweet, inexperienced J came to report to us that all of the lenders were closed for the night and that it would be tomorrow before we could do anything.

I'm pretty sure this was code for I'm new and if I am going to make any money off of you people I need a night to come up with a plan.

A Deer in the Headlights or Buying a New Car....(part one)

Our trusty minivan has recently been having some health issues. Let's just call it what it is....a terminal illness with no hope for recovery. This obviously has put us in the position of needing a new car.

Now in order to make our car shopping experience perfectly clear to you, I need to give you a little background.

I have been driving a minivan for the last 11 years. I have been desperately wanting a big, road hogging, air polluting SUV so as to establish my coolness on the road. In all of our when we get a new car discussions that has been my preference. Something shiny, loaded with extras and did I mention BIG!

But alas, we ran into a little glitch in my plan. It's called $4.00 a gallon. My hopes for an SUV were fading fast, and we unfortunately did not strike oil in our backyard while digging flower beds. So.....

I became resigned to another minivan.

My minivan research began on the internet, where all research of any value begins. I read all the info, specs, engine parts (which I totally did not understand) and options on all the top models. I had pretty much decided that there were really only two options. These were the only vehicles I would accept and be seen driving in the minivan world.

Then the newspaper came...

There was an ad for a local dealership offering all kinds of rebates, incentives and free hot dogs if you would buy their car. Apparently salesmen are a little desperate these days. There was one problem with this....their minivan was not on my approved list.

Since I like to give all automakers a fair shot, I decided to research this particular van. It looked good. Really good. It had reviews. Really good ones. And it was shiny. Really shiny!

We decided that this would definitely be an option for us. There was one problem....we needed to see it in person.