Updates and ANOTHER recipe

 1/14/11

Well, folks, it's been a while since I've done a regular post since recipes have taken over my brain. The latest happenings:

Mark had something big and exciting happen at work this week. But I'm not allowed to blab about it (like I normally would...party poopers...). Part of it involves him being in the final stages of *hopefully* being approved for the NHSC, which would pay his student loans. Hallelujah and praise the Lord!!

Ear wax update: After using three ear candles in each ear, Mark still had to bring home his earwax removal doodad from the clinic to remove a GIANT wad from Madelyn's left ear. There's another giant wad in her right ear, but it's packed up against her eardrum so we're trying to use ERO drops to get it out. I know you've all been on pins and needles for this update. You're welcome.

I think I want to marry this product:

I saw a couple people post about using Scrubbing Bubbles to clean their grout on facebook, and eventually I figured out what they were talking about. This little tool works like one of those sonic toothbrushes with high vibrations and a lovely blaring noise, plus I bought the accompanying cleaning spray. (Tool is $12.99 at Walgreens, and the spray is $3.99. I couldn't find either at Wal-mart.)

You see, my kitchen table has a tile-top, and the grout has bugged me for YEARS. It was used when we got it and so there's got to be at least 10-year old grime in there, and not for lack of cleaning on my part. If you have small children nearby, you might want to shield their eyes for the "before" picture:

Blllllleeeeecchhh!

So yesterday I spent about an hour blasting the heck out of that grout with my new tool, first with the Sonic Scrubbers cleaning spray and then with Soft Scrub with Bleach. And........

 

 It's a MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!

 Of course, I have been planning to knock the tile out of this table and replace it with either new tile or wood, so my victory might be short lived. But never fear, I have about a mile of tile-covered countertops to clean as well. And who knows, now that it's actually clean, I might leave the table as it is!

 Luke had to give it a closer look. He's already plotting how to scribble on the grout with green crayon like Madelyn did in the hall bathroom.

Speaking of my little miscreant: 

(I love the view of him from the back)

Mark put a serious damper on his recreational activities:

AHA!!!! Take that!

These drawers (and the ones in my bathroom) were the last to finally be safety latched. I could tell when Luke discovered this because I could hear him screaming bloody murder from all the way up in the attic in the garage. Mark said he was turning red from straining to open the drawers. Although he did discover a faulty one on the entertainment center and was quite happily taking DVDs out of their cases this morning.

And last but not least:

We finally finished Lost! We had been faithful devotees for the first three seasons when they were on TV, but then we moved and didn't get it anymore and meanwhile, the series finished without us. Cue Netflix Watch Instantly (which as we all know is the best invention ever). So starting around Thanksgiving, we started watching a few episodes a night...

This is one of those shows that always ends on a cliff hanger and brings up more questions than answers. It's maddening and thought provoking and makes you have trippy dreams about alternate realities, time travel, existentialism, and why you should always have a rifle with you when stranded on an island. The ending blew my mind. We hardly know what to do with our free time now that it's over. Do you have a favorite TV series?