Sunday Sound Out

From Chicago, the town that's just northwest of Indiana (found that out the hard way this week), it's Sunday Sound Out with your host who can spell onomatopoeia, Dawn Meehan!


I have four children and boy do I sometimes feel that cleaning the house is just not worth it. I don't know, maybe I just don't have a very good routine. It sometimes feel like I have lost all of my organizational skills. Do you have any advice for me. So I can enjoy my children?
Hmmm, I have a pretty good routine. I follow behind my children, picking up their trail of garbage while muttering under my breath and complaining about being their maid. When I've finally had enough of that, I yell at them to clean up their filth or they'll be grounded until they're 30. It seems to work.

Oh, and one question: What's the best book you ever read?( Yeah, it's random but I just want to know)
Honestly, I just can't seem to find the time to read these days, and as sad and pathetic as it is, I don't have a favorite book. But my favorite book from childhood was The Maggie B by Irene Haas. I have no idea why, but I loved that book. Hmmm, I should try to get my hands on a copy.

How is Spring Break eleven days? My poor head just can't add the numbers.
Ok, so it's only 9 days. I told you I don't do math on my blog.

How BIG is that glass of wine???
Well, here's a picture of me standing next to it. What? Of course that's me! Shaddup, it could happen!



SSO, i've missed a bunch since last may. what happened with you and joe, is there a post somewhere i can read about it?
I haven't really written much about it. Joe complained to his lawyer about the couple sentences I did write, so until I talked to my lawyer, I didn't want to say anything else. Thankfully, my lawyer told me as long as I write the truth, there's nothing he can do. I go to court next week at which point a judge will give his recommendation as to what we should do with the house since we can't come to an agreement about it.

Question, though: You never do Sunday Sound Outs anymore! What's up with that?
I may skip it now and then, but for the most part, I post every Sunday. Someone's skimming.

Did you make the artichoke jalapeno dip? I would love the recipe if you don't mind, that would be great.
1. Go to the grocery store
2. Buy the dip
3. Enjoy with soy/flax tortilla chips, or veggie chips, or potato chips, or pretzel chips, or bagel chips, or pita chips.

Dawn, instead of trying to turn off the water, just lift up the flusher handle. My husband taught me that after the toilet overflowed on me once. Now when the water is rising I just lift up the handle and it stops. Hope it works for you.
Duh, I know this! I do! I even made a toilet fixing video! Although the addendum to my toilet fixing video was better.


Was it the delicious jalepeno artichoke dip from Costco?
Nooo, I got it from Jewel, thinking it would taste the same. Not. The stuff from Costco is the best!

Lets talk about Easter- What do you put in your kids baskets if you celebrate? Does the Easter bunny hide the eggs and where at? Do you do hard boiled eggs or plastic to hide?
Well, I don't put anything in their baskets. The Easter Bunny does, of course. He typically puts candy, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and maybe a small toy. I boil 6 dozen eggs for the kids to color. We eat a few, make deviled eggs out of a few, make egg salad from a few, and usually throw out several. I know it's wasteful, but I'd rather toss a couple dozen eggs than listen to the kids fight over who gets to dye how many eggs and blah blah blah. This way, they each get their own dozen to decorate. The Easter Bunny doesn't hide the real eggs though because bleeding dye on the carpet and couches, etc. is not good. Plus, if you don't happen to find that last egg until, oh say, July, it can be kinda stinky. The bunny hides plastic eggs and the kids each find their own color (Austin - blue, Savannah purple, etc). Then, of course, we go to church to celebrate the real reason for Easter.

We visited my grandma on Saturday. They had an Easter egg hunt and a special guest.



She was thoroughly freaked out at first, but then she took a closer look at the Easter Bunny and said, "Mom, that's not really a bunny!"

"Oh yeah? Why do you say that, Brooklyn?"

"Because bunnies aren't that big! And they don't walk; they hop! And I can see his hands. He's wearing gloves! And he looks creepy."

"You gotta point there, Brooklyn."


Yep, I dress my kids in their Easter finest for pictures with the bunny.


My cute nephew, Cameron, trying to pull the tutu off the bunny's neck. I have no idea why the bunny has a tutu around his neck either, Cameron.


Doesn't it look like the bunny is gearing up to take a bite out of Lexi's shoulder? Something about those black eyes just makes him look ferocious.