Halloween 2010!

Halloween is one our favorite times of the year. We thoroughly enjoy dressing up, playing pretend, attending parties, hanging out with friends, and eating yummy treats.

Without further ado, our costumes & party log:

Our Friend's/Neighbor's Adult Party

Hubby & I attended. I dressed Goth and he dressed as a Biker. This was such a fun party. The couple who hosted it are some of the funnest people around. We ate a delicious dinner and played games along the line of Minute to Win It. We played Boys versus Girls. It was hilarious! At least, until is was my turn. And then I was a sore loser because not only did I lose, but I looked absolutely ridiculous while doing it. My task was to shake six ping-pong balls out of an empty box of Kleenex...except the box was tied around my waist and I had to shake my booty to get the stupid balls out. Ugh! I think it was unfair, because with my big booty, the Kleenex box was aimed straight up. Oh well. Hubby says that he very much enjoyed watching me shake my toush.

Party at Preschool

Cakes preschool teacher had everyone wear their costumes to class. Cakes was so excited to wear his "Hi-Yah!" to preschool. "Hi-Yah" is what he called his costume. They played Halloween games and learned more about the color black and orange. Fun! His teacher is such a fun and creative lady.

**The bigger kids had parties at their school too, but I didn't go so I don't have any pictures of those events. And I don't even care! Hahaha! I have plenty of other pictures of those darling kids. :)

Foster Family Halloween Bash

Everyone attended this activity. It was hosted by the agency who we are licensed through. They are a very nice agency with wonderful, compassionate, and competent workers. They had a hot dog dinner, games, contests, coloring activities, and a dance ring. Anne really got into the dancing. One of the workers showed her a bunch of dance moves. Cakes is a Ninja, Rose is a Devil Girl, Anne is an Egyptian Princess or Greek Goddess...depending on her mood, Joe is a Shadow Ninja, and Baby Jim is a Spider. I dressed Goth again and Hubby was lame and just came in regular clothes. The kids came home LOADED with candy. I came home with a new quilt! The agency regularly gets donations for children coming into care. One quilting group wanted to donate quilts for the Families who fostered. Isn't that kind! So we got a lovely baby-size quilt. 

Trick or Treating at Dad's Workplace

Every year Hubby's work has a trick or treat activity at the office. All the employees' kids are invited. It is mostly a way to show off how much your kids have grown over the past year and to see how your co-workers kids have grown. It is hilarious to see grown-up men ooo and aaah over the little kids. I expect it from the ladies of the office, but not from some of these tougher guys.

6 year old Friend's Halloween Bash

Joe's friend, son of Cakes preschool teacher, invited Joe, Anne, and Rose to a Halloween bash at his house. They had a blast! They were fed a dinner of hot dogs and spooky sides and played spooky games. I have no pictures from this event either.

Elementary School's Fall Festival

Hubby and I had to divide and conquer to attend this event because it was the same night at Hubby's trick-or-treat at work and Joe's friend's party. Hubby and Rose went to the Festival first since they had volunteered to work some booths. It was important to Rose to be there and help. Her grade is raising money for a trip to Sea World. It was also important to Anne that her Dad attend, since her class was raising money for a trip to a local historical site. It's funny how the fifth graders are expected to do their own volunteer work, but third graders need their parents to do it.

I came later with Joe, Anne, Cakes, and Jim. Hence the picture with just those four kids. I tried to get a shot of Rose, but she was always moving!

Ward Trunk or Treat

This was a fun event. I have to make special mention of the Dinner. Most ward's just serve hot dogs (if anything). When we lived in Kansas, we always had a pot-luck first...since several people were driving an hour into town just to attend. Our new ward had hot dogs and they also had SLOPPY JOES!!!  And not just any sloppy joes, probably the bast sloppy joe I ever did eat in my entire life (no offense Dad). It was so delicious! Many-layered flavor, not-to-sweet, and very savory. I asked the gal who organized the event for the recipe. She says she'll have to make some modifications before she gives it to me because it is a recipe to serve 100! Hahaha! I told her to just give me the recipe as is.  I love recipes like that!

We invited two girls to attend the party with us. They are our neighbors and good friends to Anne and Rose. The best part about inviting them was when the older girl came back from getting her dinner.  She had Two hot dogs, One sloppy joe, a Huge slice of chocolate cake, several cookies, a couple of cupcakes, and a bit of salad. Hubby and I just stared at her! She looked at us and said, "What? I'm hungry. They said we could have as much as we want. And I haven't eaten since this morning." Then she proceed to eat EVERY BIT OF FOOD ON HER PLATE!!!  Well, not every bit. She did have a bit of cake left over. Hahaha!

Hubby decided not to dress like a biker for this event. I'm so glad he didn't! There was a woman who wore his exact costume. Hahaha! She had the biker hat, gloves, and even the fake tattoo sleeve. Hahaha!

Hubby came as a nasty ghoul of a thing. It was awful to look at it. Just plain old awful!

 The Actual Day of Halloween

Halloween fell on Sunday this year, so we spent the morning at church. That evening Hubby made us a fantastic hamburger dinner. I had gotten a pineapple at Bountiful Baskets the day before. Hubby sliced it up and grilled it. Plus we had crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, sweet teriyaki sauce, and some tangy cheese. Hubby put it all on the table so we could each make up our own "perfect hamburger". SO GOOD!!!  Hubby asked me to take a picture to document the goodness that he created, so he could always remember. Haha!

We spent the evening eating yummy hamburgers and handing out candy. My kids got such a kick out of handing out candy to our neighbors and friends. I truly believe that every kid ought to have the experience of handing out the candy. It is a wonderful feeling to be the one giving out the treats and making the little kids smile. We had great fun admiring the costumes of our neighbors, picking out candy to give out, and wishing them Happy Halloween. I had this experience many times as a kid due to my asthma. October is a bad month for me, even now. My Mom said that if I couldn't breathe right just sitting around, there was No Way she was allowing me to walk. Haha!

3DT (aka DDDT)

Have you noticed that most families have a "saying"? Some small phrase that is repeated often within the family. A saying that helps keep the family grounded and focused on their familial goals.

One saying popular with LDS families is "Return With Honor". This saying reminds family members that the things they do outside the home matter. It encourages them to do good and strive hard in the outside world, so that when they return home, they will return with honor.

A saying popular with Christian families is "What Would Jesus Do?". Family members, when faced with choosing between various options,  should ask themselves this question then proceed as Jesus would. This saying helps family members to mirror Jesus' actions, his charity and compassion.

Another saying used in Christian homes is "Wise Men Still Seek Him". This saying lets family members, and others know, that if they wish to be truly wise, they should seek for Christ.

A fun saying that I often seen adorning the walls of friends' homes is "Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much". This saying encourages family members to truly enjoy their lives and live those lives to the fullest.

In my childhood home, the saying was  "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." My Mom had even cross-stitched this scripture, framed it, and hung it on the wall in plain sight of all. In our family, there was great focus on truly following the Lord and learning to serve his children here on earth.

I appreciate these sayings. I think there is great wisdom in each. However, none can compare to the effectiveness of the saying that Hubby grew up with. This saying was no mamby-pamby, feel-good phrase. There was no positive spin, no uplifting words...Just straight-forward commonsense.

Now, I have to admit, when I first heard this saying, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that Hubby's Dad had actually said what he said. I was appalled by his lack of compassion and his blatant disregard for other's feelings. But over the years, I have come to understand and appreciate the true wisdom of this simple phrase.

Don't Do Dumb Things

Hubby's family usually referred to this phrase by its acronym: 3DT (pronounced Three, Dee, Tee).

As Hubby and his siblings were walking out the door to various activities, their Dad would call out, 3DT! Reminding them to, obviously, Not do dumb things.

This amazingly simple, yet powerful phrase has been employed in the Blue Household for the last few years. You would be astounded by the effectiveness! 

Now, I feel it important to note that in our home we never call a person dumb. There is a palpable distinction made between a person's actions and that person as a whole. My undergraduate degree focused on child development and psychology. I know how detrimental it can be to a child's fragile psyche to be called dumb, especially by their parents. That is part of the reason that I was so appalled when I first heard this saying.

We have emphasized through lecture, modeling, and role play the difference between a person and their actions. Hubby's parents made the distinction too. And it because of this distinction that the saying works.

Our kids know that we know they are super-intelligent. They know we love them and will love them no matter what. They know that they will make mistakes, lots of mistakes. They also know that their mistakes don't define them. We can learn from those dumb mistakes and do better in the future.

On a Side Note: Making the distinction between actions and a person's self-worth was one of the best things we did for our foster daughter, Miss Q. In previous homes she had been called dumb, stupid, retarded, slow, and so on. In our home she was called an intelligent, bright, loving, and wonderful girl who occasionally made mistakes. The change this distinction wrought in her psyche was PHENOMENAL!!

By now you are probably asking yourselves, why the long essay on sayings and 3DT?

Well, that is the background you need to truly appreciate Joe's story.

Papa (Hubby's Dad) came to visit a couple weeks ago during the kids' fall break from school. Papa has been very sad since his wife died. We tried to plan things that would take Papa's mind off Grandma and to do things that he liked.

One day, while Hubby was at work, I made Papa his favorite lunch...Pimento Cheese Sandwiches. He was so tickled! After lunch the kids and I were going to take him to a Mormon Battalion Memorial and show him our favorite park. When the kids finished eating, I instructed them to use the bathroom and get their shoes on because we were leaving in twenty minutes. Simple task, right?  WRONG!

After just a few minutes I hear a crash, followed by a wail. A minute later, a crying Joe enters the kitchen followed closely by Rose who is talking a mile a minute, trying to explain what happened and how it wasn't her fault.  The short story, Cakes and Joe were in the bathroom (yes, at the same time...apparently boys can pee at the same time if they stand on different sides of the toilet. please don't ask me to delve any further into that scenario as it usually involves me cleaning urine off the floor at a later time). The door was Wide Open. The boys had finished and were washing their hands. For some reason, Joe, who is tall enough to reach the sink without a stool, felt the need to stand on the toilet. Maybe it was the fact that Cakes was standing on a stool...I just don't know.

Anyhoo, Rose walked down the hall, past the open bathroom door. Seeing her two younger brothers, she made a split-second decision to scare them. She turned, made a scary face, and growled. I'm not sure what Cakes reaction was since I am still unable to fully decipher his sentences. But Joe's reaction was to attempt an escape by jumping from the toilet lid to the bathtub...The rim of the bathtub. Naturally, the rim was slippery and the boy slipped. He tried to catch himself with his right hand, which didn't work, and crashed into the tub, crushing his right forearm.

I wasn't sure how serious the injury was, but knew a sure fire way to find out. After a severe lecture to Rose on not trying to scare people in the bathroom and and a milder lecture to Joe on not standing on toilets and not trying to jump to bathtub rims (not once citing 3DT), I loaded everyone into the van and proceeded to the park as planned. A kid with a serious injury will nurse the area while a kid whose just bumped or bruised will forget everything as soon as they reach the slides.

Joe was nursing his injury. Gingerly holding it as he went down the slides and avoiding the monkey bars altogether. It was starting to look like he had a serious injury.

When we returned home, Joe and Cakes ran out back to play. Cakes, being the mischievous little punk that he is, turned on the hose and aimed directly for Joe. Joe leaped out of the way, tripped over his feet in the process, and landed on his already injured right arm. And then he turned into a pile of goo! He literally curled into a ball and sobbed!  Oh, my poor little guy!

I quickly put the baby down and rushed over to help Joe. I scooped the boy up, brought him inside, and laid him on the couch. When he had calmed down some, he turned to me and in between sniffs said:

"Mom, don't tell me 3DT about falling down 'cause that was a axe-dent and axe-dents aren't dumb their just axe-dents and if you say it was dumb then you're being mean. So don't be mean to me, 'cause I just don't feel good and my arm hurts and it was a axe-dent. Okay?"

I quickly agreed, gave him a kiss on the head, and high-tailed it out of the living room. As soon as I was out of his ear-shot I laughed and laughed and laughed.

That poor little guy. He was such a pitiful little mess of a kid at the moment, but he still had the wherewithal to recognize his own emotional needs and, in an attempt to avoid adding insult to injury, express those emotional needs to me in a way that showed he understood where he had done wrong earlier and to illustrate that no wrongs had occurred this time round. I was proud of him for voicing his concerns and asking for the things he needed. I was also proud of the depth of understanding he had shown. But, it was so unexpected and framed in such a poor, pitiful way that all I could do was laugh. Oh well, at least I didn't laugh where he could hear me.

It guess this just goes to show that the boy is paying attention as we try to teach him...at least, sometimes. The ironic thing was that this all happened when Papa was there. But he didn't say 3DT either. Come on people! We're not cruel!! ;)

The diagnosis for the darling Joe, a buckle fracture in the distal radius. Translation: He a broken right arm. Poor guy. At least he's left-handed. :)

The darling boy sporting a cast in his favorite color.

A Close-Up of the Cast

Hello Again

It's been several weeks since my last post. I'm not the most consistent blogger. Many times, when I sit down to type, I feel guilty for not spending that time elsewhere...in more productive ways. After all, I do have a big house to clean and maintain; five kids to feed, clothe, teach, and entertain; and a myriad of unfinished projects to complete.

I'm also about five years behind in Memory Books. I've kept up with the births of my children, but not their birthdays, Christmas, Easter, or growth and development. And a nagging little voice always reminds me of these facts each time I sit down at my computer to update this blog.

As I sit here now, my kitchen is in shambles, clean laundry is piled high on the couches, dirty laundry lies in piles around my living room, my floor is covered in candy wrappers, and my bed is covered with Halloween costumes. There are so many things that I could be, probably should be doing. And yet here I sit.

Because I realized...I get more done when I think somebody cares about what I'm doing.

Yes, yes. I know that Hubby and the kids care. But it's not the same as having a girlfriend who cares and sympathizes and cheers one on. And let's face it, I am a slow one to make friends. It takes years for me to feel comfortable with others and to truly develop trust and friendship. Blogging helps me stay connected to those dear friends and family members that live far away.

This past month, I purposely avoided blogging. I listened to that nagging, guilt-filled voice. And you know what? My house isn't any cleaner and I've only made a teeny little dent in the projects galore. The only thing that changed was my heart...I have felt so lonely and isolated this past month. And instead of creating more time for myself, I felt as though I had less time and more work than ever!

Looking back, I've realized that I am most productive when I have someone to share with.

I started blogging so my Dear Sister could "stalk" me, as she so sweetly put it. We lived in different states and blogging provided the perfect way for us to stay connected. But, as the popularity of blogging grew, random people began reading my blog and, quite frankly, it weirded me out a bit. I started thinking I needed to write a certain way or only include certain topics. I began to over analyze everything I wrote, worried that someone who didn't know me and my dry, sarcastic sense of humor, might take offense. And for the people who do know me, Offending others is the last thing I would ever want to do. I became bogged down...taking weeks to write and edit a post that should have only taken thirty minutes to type up and post.

And I've decided that I'm done with that.

I am who I am. A nerdy, introverted, sarcastic, homemaking intellect.  And I am done worrying about what others think in regards to this blog. Especially when they are faceless names in the cyber-world.

I'm going back to the way I was when my blog was private. I am writing the way I speak. Nothing fancy. Just a nice conversation between sisters and friends.

I'm not vain. I'm not perfect. This blog is only a sliver of me. Reading it does not make you an expert on me or my way of thinking. It only provides a glimpse into my life. But for family and friends who truly know me, the sliver is all they need in order to catch up with my family and I.

People I don't know are welcome to read. Though I may be slow to make true friends, I am friendly to everyone I meet. But if you are going to judge negatively or get your feelings hurt by a person that you haven't even met (namely me), please move on. There are plenty of other blogs to read.

This blog is addressed to my Sisters and Friends.

Which Do You Want First?

The Good News?  Or the Bad News?

Go ahead. Think it over for a minute.

I'm guessing you would like to hear the Good News first...

GOOD NEWS! Paying Your Tithing Brings Blessings!

Hubby entered me into AAA's "We Know Disney" Sweepstakes. And I won. Really! I did. I won a Family Four Pack of 2-Day Park Hopper tickets to Disneyland and California Adventure. We had the option of getting the tickets now and using them by January 3, 2011 or getting the tickets in January and using them by May 31, 2011. We chose the latter.

Our kids are very excited. We started saving up for Disneyland a couple months ago. We were using the experience to teach our kids about working hard, budgeting their earnings, and saving for a long-term goal.  We made sure to pay tithing on all our earnings. We discussed with our children the Lord's words, given through the Prophet Malachi: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)

My kids, remembering our discussion, are convinced that I won because we paid our tithing. Can't say I disagree. ;)

BAD NEWS...Fasting and Prayer Works

Today was Fast Sunday. Hubby and I chose to fast for his Momma to pass soon.  She has been slowly dying for four months now. It is not a good situation. The brain cancer is doing horrible things to her.

Our prayers were answered tonight. My dear Mother-In-Law passed on at 8:07 pm. She was only 65 years old.

Testing, Testing...

So...Blogger has an updated editor. With lots of cool new features. You may have noticed dots between my paragraphs in previous posts. I had to use them to keep the paragraphs separate. Otherwise, all my words and pictures ran together in a big, jumbled mess.

But that doesn't seem to be the case any longer. Wahoo!

Putting pictures in also seems to be easier. So without further ado, here's this week's update:

Rose has been growing her hair steadily for two years to donate to Locks of Love. Rose, Anne and I all donated hair in January 2008. We've all reestablished the length. Anne and I love our long hair. Rose was hating it. She wanted to wait a few more months before donating, but the maintenance just became to much. I took her down to get her hair chopped and styled. We mailed the locks and Rose is enjoying her new shorter do. I think it is quite becoming.

Anne and I have decided to be selfish. We are not donating our hair. We are keeping it. Sorry.  Although Anne says she will keep growing her hair down to her bum then chop off ten inches to donate. That way she keeps her long hair and still helps with wigs. We'll see how it goes.

Joe is a Dangerous Boy. As such, he is required to build a go-cart. The Iggulden brothers suggest going to the local dump to get the necessary supplies. Joe and Hubby opted to go to Harbor Freight and the local hardware store instead.  The purchased four wheelbarrow wheels, saddle straps, threaded 36 inch dowels, 2 x 4 x 8's, and a few other items.

They got busy putting the cart together. Joe kept calling it a "Goat-Cart". We're not sure where he thought the goats would fit.

Cakes helped too. Mostly he helped by demonstrating to Hubby and Joe that things were or were not put together sturdily enough not to be broken.

They took the cart out for a few test runs. The front wheels could pull a ninety-degree turn on a dime. The guys learned this when Joe, unknowingly, pulled hard on the strap and went flying. Hubby added a wood block to limit the turning degree. They are still working on it. Taking it for rides to test then making the necessary adjustments. It is Wonderful to watch Hubby, Cakes, and Joe work on this "dangerous" activity.

I have fattened up my baby. He now weighs a bit over 15 pounds. He doesn't look much fatter though because he is such a TALL baby. It will be interesting to see if his height follows him into adulthood or if he will just hit 5 foot in third grade and never grow again. Cross your fingers that he makes it to at least 6 feet before the growth spurt stops.

This little cutie is also starting to get teeth. His poor little gums are swollen and he is drooling up a storm-hence the bib. But do you think that would upset him or cause him to grumble? NO!! He is still as happy as ever. I sweat there is nothing that can get this kid upset. He laughs and smiles and coos, just happy as can be. And doesn't he have the prettiest mouth that you ever did see???  SO HANDSOME!!

I have finally figured out how to arrange my living room. I mapped everything out and Hubby is implementing my plans. The blue tape is a rough outline of a bookcase that Hubby is going to build for me. The yellow line represents the TV. The bookcase will be 11 3/4 inches deep and 98 inches tall by 72 inches wide. We purchased BEAUTIFUL solid-Poplar pieces. Poplar is my new Favorite wood. It is a gorgeous hardwood- creamy colors with streaks of green and gray. I LOVE Green and Gray!

I'm counting this as my Anniversary present from Hubby. Now I just have to get him something. He's easy though. He considers a date night with me (sans kids) to be the epitome of grand gifts. So that's what he's getting...except I am bringing the Baby Jim. Hubby agrees-we don't leave babies with sitters until they are one and the Baby Jim is only four months.

And that is the end of my testing. I just "Previewed" this post. Everything stayed in place! And my pictures corresponded perfectly with my text. Hooray for this new editor!

My Counting is Off!

Once upon a time my family consisted of:  Me, Hubby, Rose, Anne, Joe, and Cakes.  Six people. Four children, two adults.  I am a counter. I count the kids when we get into the car, during activities, and when we leave. Counting ensures that I know where all kids are at all times, thereby ensuring their safety and my sanity.

A year ago, we added Miss Q to the count. Adding one was fine and I had a few months to get used to the new count of five children.

Then we added Mr. J and our count became six children. Again, adding this one was fine and I had a few months to get used it the new count.

Then came Baby Jim. We had known about his arrival for quite a while, so he was easy, easy to add. And my count was seven.

It was a large family. Nine people in total. Seven kids to keep track of. But I was fine. My count was spot on.

Then the first week of July Mr. J left. The first week of August Miss Q left. And my count was Off!

I kept counting five kids and thinking I'd left someone behind. I'd count and recount. Sometimes while I was driving I'd have the kids count off for me again, just to ensure that everyone was in the car, even though I had counted them getting in.  It was ridiculous.

The foster kids left in such rapid succession that it took a while for my brain and count to acclimate themselves to the new number. I now have five children. Only five. Once my count readjusted I was fine. Absolutely fine.

A stranger, on hearing that I had five kids, asked how I managed with "so many children". I laughed and told her Five was easy when compared to Seven...I just had to adjust my count. ;)

Quick Update

The kids have returned to school. Rose is in 5th Grade, Anne in 3rd Grade, and Joe in 1st grade. Can I just tell you what a relief (and joy) it is to not have to worry about keeping these kids entertained, busy, and not fighting!

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Now it's just Cakes, Jim, and I at home during the week. They are fun and silly little boys. We are working on Memory Books. I am only four years behind. :S

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Jim had his four-month check this week. He is 27 1/2 inches long and weighed 14 lb. 11 oz. That puts him in the 98th percentile for height, but only the 45th percentile for weight. My doctor likes the percentages to be closer, but wasn't overly concerned because the Jim-boy looked super-healthy. My Mom and Hubby, on the other hand, think we need to fatten the boy up. Wish me luck!

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I am completely flunking on my diet and exercise plan. The Hubby bought me an entire box of Mars Bars! That was my favorite candy bar when I was fifteen. But they stopped making them when Snickers decided to court almond lovers. That was fine by me. I haven't eaten a candy bar in about 13 years (the two bite-size bars my kids share with me at Halloween don't count. I only eat those to show the kids that we are polite and share. most of the time I will sneakily pocket them, while pretending to chew, and pass them to Hubby later.).

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Hubby has, off and on, been tracking the candy bars on my behalf. That was always hilarious to me, because I really don't have a sweet tooth. I much prefer savory foods. For example, when we used to go to his parents' house for dinner, I would opt for an extra roll rather than eat cake and ice cream.

As often happens, my tastes changed with this pregnancy and they have yet to bounce back. I have serious cravings for chocolate that cannot be met! It is quite infuriating to me! I am doing my best to not cave in to the cravings. I was doing so well...

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And then Hubby brings home an entire box of Mars! Turns out they never went out of production, they were still being made and sold in England. Only the U.S. stopped selling them. But now they are coming back, exclusively at Wal-mart. I laughed when Hubby unveiled the box. He was so proud of himself. He knew I had been craving chocolate and thought this would be a good remedy.

I was very proud of myself that I didn't spit in his eye.

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After much cajoling, I agreed to try one, to see if it tasted as good as I remembered.

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I wish I had just spit in his eye. :(

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Oh. My. Stars!!

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It was delicious!

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And I couldn't stop at just one!

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That rotten old man! Why did I ever marry him? Ugh!

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I do not know what the Baby Jim did to my body, but it was something truly wicked to produce such intense cravings!

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Someone please kill me now.