Saturday, November 08, 2008

favorite thing friday

I'll bet you were thinking that I had dropped Favorite Thing Friday like a bad habit. But rest assured, I haven't. I've just had so many other things to discuss and since there is only so much time on any given day that I can unload my thoughts in to the computer, my list of favorite things has been pushed to the back of my desk and pulled out only when I need to jot down other things that our family thoroughly enjoys or that I've determined helps to make living easier.

Like dryer balls. They make living easier. They replace fabric softener sheets which it has been theorized, can cause adverse health effects. I like the dryer balls because they last a lot longer than fabric sheets and they seem more 'green' even though they're blue.

(But hey! That's a great marketing idea!! They should make them green!!)

Alas, the purpose of this post was not to write about eco-friendly dryer balls. Nor is it to poll everyone that has purchased a butter crock, how well that handy invention is working out for you. Is your butter soft and spreadable? Or has it been repeatedly falling out? Have you tried adding cold water to the crock?

Instead, I wanted to write about a tradition that we have in our house that dates back to the year Charlie and I were married. That year we were wed, the Year of our Lord 1994, my sister bought us a flag pole for Christmas. It was a simple wooden flag pole with the hardware to mount it directly to our home. She also bought us a Christmas flag, that had a brightly embroidered picture of Rudolph. Over the past 14 years, I have added to our flag collection. I have swapped out worn flags for new ones, and in the course of perusing a local flag store, now boast a collection of flags for most of the big holidays.

I have a birthday flag. And a New Years flag. A Valentine's Day flag, Saint Patrick's Day flag, Easter flag and Halloween flag. I have several varieties of Christmas flags. I have a Thanksgiving flag. In fact, this is the very flag we have flying outside our home at the moment. (Every time I look at it, I think people should be thankful that they aren't a turkey. Especially this time of year.)


I have an American flag that I hang up for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Veteran's Day. I have a Boston Red Sox flag that I hang up whenever they are playing. (Or more appropriately, whenever I am watching.) And I have a random assortment of flags that I fly when we are outside of a particular holiday period, but within a season.

We've got flowers for spring, sailboats for summer, brightly colored leaves for fall and snowmen for winter. That last one is particularly fun to have up when it's January and the temperature is a sweltering 92 degrees.

The kids have almost as much fun changing out our flags as they have going to the flag store to pick out new ones. (If you don't have a flag store near you - you can peruse several companies that sell them online).

In addition to adding festive decoration to our home, I think that flags help the children to anticipate the holiday we are celebrating or the season that we are in. It also helps for them to understand the passage of time, in that holidays that we celebrate will end - but there is always another holiday just around the bend. And chances are - we have a flag for it. If not, we'll get one.

Currently, I'm looking for a white flag that I can hang up with the word POTTY and a strike through the middle of it. Because I am truly at that point of resigning myself that one of my children will never ever go poop on the potty. And honestly, I'm ready to die. In fact, I might already be dead and trapped in poop hell.

Do you have a visual of that??

Because that's pretty much what it's like around here.

11 comments:

  1. Call Martha (aka Anne Marie H. or Grace F.) They will make one for you!!! These people can do anything!!! ;-)

    About the triatholon; I think we should go for it. When is it? Just a little concerned about the distance but .......think about that later. Need one more, right? (Regina?)

    Love, Marg.

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  2. We also have a flag for every holiday and season!!! And we also have a "seasonal tree" inside the house...it's just a tall, thin pine that sits in one corner of the living room, but it has lights and we decorate it for each season. The kids love it and look forward to changing it out throughout the year. Sorry about the pooping. Maybe you can start Henry potty training early and tell them "if your little brother can do it, so can you"!!! J/K of course :)))

    Kelly(Houston)

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  3. I have never gotten into the flag thing, but it's nice to be festive, for sure!

    My secret to the butter bell: it has to be totally and completely dry before you put the butter into it. Like wipe it out with a paper towel, not a dishtowel. Dampness or condensation when you are putting the butter in seems to make it more likely to fall out. :-)

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  4. Yea......not that organized! But I do like watching the neighbors flag change:) Confession I still do not have the butter crock(holding my head down in shame.) Everytime you talk about poop I get that darn song stuck in my head! that my friend is hell:)

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  5. God you are hysterical. What does Poop Hell smell like? Poop?

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  6. Pardon the pun but "This too shall pass." Be thankful that you do not have 7---count em---7 children to potty train.
    You would be proud of Auntie and Unk and me for participating in the Lungs 4 Life race at the Y. Marg and her family were there also Lisa. I thought I came in in 9 minutes but then found out it was 19 for one mile. Faster than a frog!
    MOM

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  7. My friend's brother has a Martini flag. His neighborhood knows when the Martini flag is flying, everybody is welcome to stop in for a drink. I think that's the coolest thing ever. Well, except I don't drink martinis.

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  8. Poop hell!! You've probably tried reverse psychology? Say absolutely nothing to the poopy child as you remove the offending article from his/her clothes and redress his/her bottom with clean clothes but verbally (only verbally or you end up buying miliions of rewards which ain't good) congratulate the nonpoopy children each and every time they deposit in the correct place.

    I'm also guessing you've checked there is no underlying problem like an infection that might be affecting the success rate?!

    Good luck!!

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  9. Thanks to you I just ordered a butter crock. Of course amazon had the buy this and get these for cheaper deal and now I have a butter crock, garlic saver, and garlic baker....I didn't know I needed any of those! lol. Favorite Fridays are almost as awesome as your organizational posts. Love those too!

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  10. Love the comment from "hw" about when his friend's brother hangs out the martini flag everyone is welcome to drop in for a martini. Now just how would that work if you hung out a "poop flag"??..

    Just say the word and I'll whip one up for you. Thanks Marg.....LOL

    Anne Marie

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