I'm not going to prison.

A little lesson about crime.
Last weekend I went a little crazy in the fruit department.  I'm trying to be a little bit healthier in my life, so I've been buying produce to help facilitate that whole concept of "eating well".  I've never really jumped on the fruit band wagon in the past, because
A) fresh food goes bad so quickly
B) my inability to choose the best produce

If I were Denise (my dear mother) and I wasn't sure how to choose the right watermelon, then I'd go to the cubby where the produce people hide and find some expert to show me which watermelon is the perfect one.  He's got an apron and a name tag on.  He MUST be an expert.

Denise is a smart buyer.  If she doesn't know the answer, she'll find someone who does.
Me?  I'm a little more timid than my mom. 

Well, a few successes happened at the Wood house a la ME (I love that I just acted like I knew a little bit of a foreign language there).  Some call it successes, I might call them small miracles... either way, I feel good every time I go to the kitchen.

Not only did I find great clementines AND apples AND bananas---the real kicker is this: I also found AWESOME GRAPES!  Now, I will give some of the credit to Costco for the first few.  Pretty much THEY choose them, and any pack you grab, you're pretty set (you can never go wrong with Costco produce).  BUT! The grapes were found at my local grocery store.

I am an anti-grab-a-grape-out-of-the-bag-and-pop-it-in-your-mouth-to-give-it-a-try-right-there-in-the-store person.  I just worry that the hidden cameras they have (don't act like they don't have them, they do) all over the store will prompt an employee come and escort me to a JAIL CELL!  Call me crazy, but seems to me that popping a grape in your mouth to "TEST" it is called STEALING.  I mean, how come it's okay to "test" a grape, and it's not okay to open up the package of new peppermint sprinkled Oreos and "test" one of those (they DO look delicious, don't they)?  Do we peel a banana in the store and take a nibble to "test" it's ripeness?  You get the point.  The answer is NO.

So, even though I personally know many grape thieves, I won't report them to the authorities any time soon.  Alls I'm saying is this: I'm just glad that I won't be the one arrested.

I digress.  I didn't do a "taste test" and I was able to find the perfect plump purple grapes for me and my family.
Moral of the story, CRIME DOESN'T PAY and I'm getting better at choosing produce.  I think I'm slowly turning into a real adult.

**I'm ALMOST finished making Tillie and Cal's stockings.  It's a labor of love, really.  I started Tillie's last year, never finished (in true Melissa form).  A few weeks ago, I pulled out hers and the materials for Calvin's too.  Hours later, all I have left is to embroider their names.  Easy.  I'll show you them as soon as I'm done!  (which I told Aaron I'd have the mess out until Thanksgiving, so that gives me TWO whole days left.  I can totally handle it, don't worry.)

here's a shot of tillie's stocking a few weeks ago.  there were many many pins involved = consequently many many pokes to my fingers involved.  no worries, I'm a survivor.

**Tillie's comments continue to kill me.  Twice yesterday, as I was pulling her out of her high chair, or helping her with something, she said, "Ow, mama, that hurt me. Say sorry to Tillie Mae!"  hA!  What?!  And then, we were watching Cal on the video monitor and she said, "Oh mama, Cal is so sweet and kind."  For a 2.5 year old, I think she's pretty darn clever.  What a corker.

 

 

**Calvin and Tillie have a TON of fun playing together.  Here's a random day that happened.  Matilda's really into pulling out every pillow in the house, making a pile, and then slamming her body onto it.  She's very feminine and dainty.  Oh wait...

 

 

 

**New story about Calvin.  This boy is has the cheeriest outlook on life (I know that the above picture looks like he's pretty serious, but this is a rare moment for him.  Usually he's doing a wide mouth opened grin---as seen below).
Here's the thing, if we show Calvin a book, ANY book, he starts laughing.  If we take him up the grocery aisle and say, "Cal, look at this..." he starts laughing.  Hard.  It is hilarious.  We've got to capture it on film for all you nay-sayers.  Seriously, he laughs at everything.

"please, no more photos, mom."

I've gotta take some more pictures of that boy for your viewing pleasure.

Anyway, there's the 411 for now.
peace out, yo.