tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11270964580752177982024-03-13T11:41:25.770-06:00Anita KnappA little place where I record all the fun and odd and mundane goings-on of this wonderful life I share with my big family... <br> and then I take a nap.Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.comBlogger853125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-65308490774435991642019-10-30T10:54:00.000-06:002019-10-30T13:01:31.767-06:00Happy Birthday!
I have two sisters-in-law who remember everyone's birthdays. Everyone. That is no small feat in a large extended family. I figured that this year I could at least send a birthday card to all of my siblings-in-law. And my brothers. And my parent-in-laws. Whew - we're up to 16, but I should be able to handle that many. We've got a lot when you Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-47936747052157251192019-10-23T13:23:00.000-06:002019-10-30T13:24:44.333-06:00Funny Family Faux Talent ShowWe were in charge of the talent show for the family reunion. We have so many talented people in the family, and a few with fabulous talents (I'm looking at you, boys who perform on Broadway!). We all love to hear them sing and play the piano, but it does make some of the others a little bashful about sharing their talents. No. We need all the talents.
A couple of weeks Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-6304299635970907252019-10-16T10:23:00.002-06:002019-10-16T10:35:24.980-06:00Sailing by Ash Breeze
I was up in the night last night. I like that "up in the night" means that you are not thinking straight, or are just plain crazy, as well as literally being awake in the middle of the night. It is admittedly harder to think straight when you haven't had enough sleep.
I go to bed at a reasonable hour, think for a long while as my body calms down and relaxes, then finally drift Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-26966807495456004762019-09-25T10:31:00.000-06:002019-10-16T10:32:23.397-06:00Family FunniesWe hear the funniest things at our house. I only wish I could remember half of them!
Freddie: Dad, do you get backscratches?
Dad: No, sometimes I scratch my own back though.
Freddie: Doesn't Mom give you a backscratch?
Dad: Not really. She did give me a good backscratcher though, so I do it myself.
Freddie: Oh. That must be why your life is so sad.
Heard at dinner: that Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-343347815396713052019-09-14T18:17:00.001-06:002019-09-14T19:21:15.699-06:00Just a Minute
I made the world's ugliest bagels today. Georgie and I watched a little video yesterday about how bagels are made, and he got all excited about it. Of course, we make some.
I made the dough and let it rise overnight. This morning, I shaped the way-too-sticky globules into round-ish shapes and pretended they looked appetizing. I preheated the oven and set a pot of Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-30990628087832241202019-09-10T13:52:00.000-06:002019-09-10T14:09:45.555-06:00Angel Wings
This cutie just had a birthday, and I'm amazed. After 5 boys, I thought I was getting the hang of the whole "child growing up" thing. But then Heaven sends me this... girl... and everything is different. For starters, she's taller than her older brothers were at this age (except for the one brother who is honestly closer to 7 feet tall than 6 feet). She thinks Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-85679671984355566212019-08-09T17:19:00.001-06:002019-08-09T17:19:25.082-06:00Focus
There have been a bunch of things tearing at my heart lately. A bunch of little things, and several solidly heart-rending Really Big Things. I've felt unheard, rejected, and abandoned. It hurts to know that your love - the only thing you really have to give - isn't wanted. It's devastating to see that people you care about don't care to be with you. I've cried Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-13422660251134990432019-07-17T16:37:00.000-06:002019-08-09T17:23:21.421-06:00Summer Reading
This is how our summer has been so far - piles of books, frequent trips to the library, lots and lots of reading, and shaggy haircuts. I'll trade a nice hairdo for a good book any day!
Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-72616654676768433972019-06-13T16:35:00.000-06:002019-08-09T17:53:45.600-06:00We're All Immigrants
I was looking at our family history and wondering "how much" of us were from different countries. I realize this is very nearly impossible to completely figure out. To simplify, I looked at our great-grandparents and their family's country of origin. Since we have a blended family, our numbers are all a bit different.
I'm half German, 3/8 British, and 1/8 Scottish.
Jay is Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-88890741801267928932019-03-05T13:21:00.002-07:002019-03-05T13:21:46.575-07:00Letting GoMy dad's hands are cold, the skin blotching pink and white, and I want to take them in mine and rub them until the color comes back and the cold leaves. His thin legs look like they need to be gently stretched and take a short walk. I'd like to give him a cold chocolate shake to sip on and moisten his dry mouth. His eyelids are heavy - I'm sure he just needs a nice afternoon napAnitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-74815437071591192022019-02-15T10:56:00.000-07:002019-02-22T10:56:54.783-07:00Happy Valentine's DayWe started the day by whipping up seven servings of breakfast, three Valentine boxes, nearly 100 valentines, and an emergency trip to the orthodontist to fix a broken bracket. After the last kids straggled out the door, I took a deep breath, then a nap. But wait, there was no time for a nap!
I scurried up to the high school in time to find Eddie before he went into his next class.&Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-8625665762539170822019-02-08T13:30:00.000-07:002019-02-08T13:30:36.137-07:00Flu Deodorant - a New RecipeWe all got the flu a few weeks ago. Thankfully, I have a family full of strong, robust children (and husband), and they are all doing much better. Some of them didn't even get sick. Some were only sick for two or three days. And then, me. Still sick. I have this nasty cough and I'm still so, so tired.
I got up this morning at the usual way-too-early-in-my-opinion Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-41001378899947012732019-02-06T19:21:00.002-07:002019-02-06T19:21:49.422-07:00Wanted: a Better NarratorWhen I was a little girl, I read a lot. I mean, A LOT. I read every book in my parent's library - multiple times. I read the "A" encyclopedia dozens of times - because that was the only volume we had. I practically lived in the school library. My grandmother was an elementary school teacher and I remember spending many hot, sticky summer days in her cool basement, Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-26496527066894807212019-01-29T10:11:00.000-07:002019-01-29T10:11:32.009-07:00I Missed This!The kids were giving me a hard time about the pictures in our living room. Specifically, our family pictures. We have a larger picture of the whole family, surrounded by smaller individual pictures. What? They are the faces of the people I love most in the world! I see no problem with them. But Mom, they protested, the pictures are more than 5 years old.
They Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-63872552248156605602018-06-20T14:00:00.000-06:002018-06-20T14:20:44.875-06:00June TidbitsI've found a whole-foods friendly treat that makes my mouth hop-up-and-down happy: fried or grilled pineapple! Don't need any oil, just slap some fresh pineapple slices in a hot non-stick pan and wait until the edges are brown and toasty and caramelized. Don't burn your tongue but you will want to because it's horrible having to wait until they cool off enough to eat safely.
Georgie Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-13719450066063663212017-11-10T15:14:00.001-07:002017-11-10T15:14:22.331-07:00Hope of America AwardToday my body is demanding a rest day, and I am happy to oblige. This afternoon, I'll be doing finances on the computer (wrapped up in two warm blankets and snuggled into the couch), but I spent much of the morning binge-reading some of my favorite blogs. I haven't done it for a while, so there's a lot of catch-up to do. Darn. http://www.nieniedialogues.com/2017/05/Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-39990189775146338332017-11-02T13:54:00.001-06:002018-06-20T14:03:23.390-06:00My Mop
My hair grows fast - it always has. Since high school, I have let it grow long for a while, then I chop it all off and donate it to a hair charity. Or I think about selling my hair and let it sit in a box for a while while I dream of all the money I'll make, and then I send it to a hair charity.
I've always gotten lots of comments and questions about how I can get it to growAnitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-43758610258485148002017-10-26T13:36:00.000-06:002018-06-20T13:37:04.614-06:00October TidbitsGeorgie was taking a shower (the bathtub isn't working yet), and said he was done. On being reminded to rinse the bubbles from his armpits, very loud laughing and giggling was heard from the bathroom.
When Freddie heard someone raising their voice, he said, "Hey! You should be more like me. Sometimes I am mad, but when I'm not, I always try really hard not to be mad."
Angel Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-60479987078038200952017-10-21T17:13:00.001-06:002017-10-21T17:13:34.099-06:00Laundry!I'm doing laundry! That normally wouldn't be too terribly exciting, but see, I'm doing laundry at my own house! In my own washing machine that is actually hooked up to running water! Because of city codes, we couldn't hook up the washer and dryer until the kitchen passed its final inspection. Trent made that happen this week and I'm elated. I am a lucky lady to have such Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-50309249678930185672017-09-28T17:35:00.001-06:002017-09-28T17:37:25.174-06:00Shredded Jeans
Growing up, my brothers and I wore jeans a lot. We wore them until they were "high waters" or until the waist was so tight you couldn't sit down in them anymore. Then you passed them on down to the next kid (who was obviously delighted to get another batch of hand-me-downs, of course!). That didn't actually happen very often, because we always wore out the knees first.&Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-80096366479139076002017-09-23T15:40:00.000-06:002017-09-23T15:40:05.023-06:00The Zero Problem
I have a zero problem. No, not zero problems - although that might be nice to try! It happens when I am thinking about large numbers that have lots of zeros. I know how much a house is worth, but I'm just as apt to say, "thirty thousand dollars" instead of "three hundred thousand." That last zero makes a huge difference! Some people are quite confused when I talk Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-13358991346599447192017-08-16T20:16:00.000-06:002017-09-28T20:28:03.257-06:00New Carpet and Old Pipes
We scraped the ceilings, painted the walls, and put new carpet in our fixer upper of a house. We have lots of work left to do (the tub doesn't run water, we have no washer or dryer, several rooms don't have light fixtures, only one bathroom has a working sink...) but that keeps us busy and out of trouble, right? (sigh)
But at least the framework of walls, ceiling, and floor were Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-23757219892238464142017-08-15T17:20:00.000-06:002017-09-23T16:09:03.521-06:00Dirty Dishes
Oh, I have a lot to say about last week's DesignMom feature! I still can't believe that they really wanted to feature my house - my family. I'm pinching myself.
I had so much fun with the photo shoot. A friend came over and helped me scoot chairs and plump pillows and remove clutter and laugh. Mostly, it's laughing that what is normally an every-day scene can be Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-52749897496911865152017-08-08T16:24:00.002-06:002017-08-08T16:24:15.025-06:00DesignMom Feature!
I can hardly believe my good luck today! Our home has been featured on DesignMom - a publication I've long read and admired. I've been alternately excited, humbled, and terrified.Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127096458075217798.post-41507281270543916622017-08-04T14:24:00.000-06:002017-08-07T14:25:19.255-06:00The Bike Rack
I grew up on a bike. I loved flying down the street, my timid feet planted firmly on the brake, so I wasn't really flying but going as darn fast as I dared. My brother gave me a hard time about how slowly my "fast as I dared" was, but I won't go there today.
When my first boys were 2,4, and 6, Jay and I decided to spend Grandma Jeanne's Christmas money on little bikes for themAnitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953587239300975768noreply@blogger.com0