Friday, November 21, 2008

The Healthy Edge

Ok folks...new thing going on in my life. Check out my other blog (link to it over there on the side--------->), Confessions of a Supermom. Me and my two buddies who publish The Edge magazine, http://www.theedgemagazine.org, are having a weight loss contest. It's a Biggest Loser type contest. We'll be blogging about it faithfully, working with personal trainers, nutrionists, and our local doctors. Check it out. Join in if you want and/or be our support staff and/or just follow our progress and read our blogs. The three of us will be chattering back and forth on our blogs alot. There are also other comments at The Edge website blogfeed as well. Leave us your comments, thoughts, and tips and advice, please.

And yes....there will be before pics posted! YIKES!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Rat Results.....

So, I let Karter do his science fair project using rats. He did a great job checking on them daily and conducting his experiment. He handled the rats with ease, fed them, watered them and just did a great job with them. He did one of the 12 hour food withdrawals then neglected to feed the rats before he left for school one morning. When he got home here is what we found....

White rat was busy eating and washing his face.
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Test Rat was busy ignoring his sugary treats....
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And Rat #3 was gone in search of food and water and other entertainment.
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OH CRAP!!! A RAT LOOSE IN MY GARAGE!!!

I wasn't as freaked out as you would think though. It was just ONE rat. No other rats loose and none around here for it to breed with and it was in the garage. I wanted to catch it, but it didn't gross me out and it didn't worry me too much.

Besides, it's a rat with a Rockstar Complex! He (or she) did NOT want to miss its big debut at the Science Fair so, it made its way back to its former cage just as Karter was going out into the garage to get things ready for the Science Fair. He saw it in its cage so SNAP! he shut the lid on its cage as quickly as he could. WOHOO! We caught the rat and just in time for the science fair. Alright!

Little guy was thirsty!
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Oh, and btw...Karter won the science fair. He got "Overall Showman". His presentation was very strong. He knew his project well and that's what put him over the top. People can say what they want about parental involvement in these projects, but you can't fake the kid's knowledge. He knew his stuff. It was HIS project, he did all the work and his efforts were recognized. I'm very proud of him for that. He put forth 100% effort and didn't half-way do any part of it. I love that it was all his idea too. He's got a scientific mind and he's a curious kid who is always learning. Way to go, Karter!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Oh Rats!

Yes, I am THAT mom.

Karter is doing the science fair this year and wanted to do an experiment using rats. So, I let him.

Here are the new additions to the Rook GARAGE (come on, you didn't really think I'd let him put them in the house did you?). There are 3 of them and he is still working out the small details of the experiment, although he has started it. So far, they're not really cooperating like we thought they would. I thought rats had voracious appetites, but we are not finding that to be the case.

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Fluffy likes them. LOL
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Sunday, November 2, 2008

I love Halloween!

Scary Werewolf!
My one masterpiece this year. Ally's costume was great. She looked so real and people didn't recognize her at all. I glued all that hair on her face and hands with theater costume sticky stuff called Spirit Gum. Then I used some really good costume makeup. It was so easy to work with and blended beautifully. So much better than that nasty grease paint stuff you get in those store bought kits.

The werewolf costume fun to do, but she cringed a bit when it came time to scrub all that spirit gum off. LOL You can click on these to make them bigger.


Kai was a Dracula-era vampire but he wouldn't let me put blood on his mouth or make his lips any more red. He was a cute lil' Dracula.


Kenyon was the dog again. This could also be a great baby Sasquatch costume.


Karter and a few of his buddies dressed up as nerds. They were one big ol' Nerd Herd. Here he is with Kyler and Ky's big brother, Kaden. Great nerd costume, Kaden!


Tedders was the cutest lil' polar bear EVER!
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I got in a bad wreck that morning. Had a little bit of glass in my face. But, I didn't have time to go to the hospital so I just had to walk around all day like this.
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I was decorating for the school carnival all day though. We brought back the good ol' Neola Elementary Halloween carnival and it was a HUGE success. It was packed and I think we made quite a bit of money(I hope we did anyway!). I was in charge of decorating so I enlisted the help of my magazine editor and friend, Michelle Spencer and she and I made a spooky forest and graveyard in the entry way and put up spiders, ghosts, and other fun stuff inside the school. It was a FUN night. And our decor ROCKED! Thanks, Michelle! Couldn't have done it without you.

Here are a few of our creations. (don't bother clicking on these, I uploaded them from Photobucket so they won't come up any bigger)
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We bucked those bales, cut those corn stalks, draped that webbing, carved those jack-o-lanterns and pretty much just worked our butts off to make the school look great.
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