What I Learned This Week

No joke.  This actually happened this morning. 

I put some eggs on to boil, but was way too impatient too efficient to watch a pot of water boil.  So I set the timer and ate my breakfast and watched the news while they cooked.  When the timer went off, I came to find that in my absence, the water had boiled over.

Then, just minutes ago, I was reading through some of my favorite blogs, and found that Julie, From Inmates to Playdates, found a great tip on keeping water from boiling over.  Wish I would have known this an hour ago!

So, today I am linking up with her What I Learned This Week, and letting you in on some of my newly acquired knowledge.

1.  I always suspected, but now I know for sure.  There is a reason we wear our pants the way we do.  This is not a good look.

2.  Norwegians know their stuff.  Since moving to Indiana, my hands have cracked and bled all winter long.  Until our pediatrician told me about Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream.  I leave it with my clock and my Kindle and apply a little dab every night.  Have had nothing but soft, smooth hands ever since.  But this week I learned a new use for it.  When my lips started cracking and bleeding, and no amount or kind of lip balm would work, I read the label on the hand cream.  It suggested I use it on my lips.  Done and done.  Chapped lips are completely gone.

3.  Eggs come in all varieties.  We have had itty bitty round eggs.  We've had ginormous double-yolked eggs.  We've had eggs with sand paper-like shells.  But yesterday, we found a new type.  Hubby found this in the coop.

An egg without a shell.  Awesome.  Creepy feeling, and makes me a bit nervous for the hen that laid it, but awesome none the less.

4.  Twin day is way more complicated for girls as they get older.  I had to get up extra early this morning to do my daughter's hair in just the right way.  A french braid on top, a different braid at the bottom, and a head band.  Apparantly, the more complicated the costume, the more like twins you are.  Very unlike the boys, who were happy to have matching shirts for their friends.  Although, the nine year old did mention something about cutting his hair.  No, I don't have a picture of daughter.  It was way too early for my brain to think of a camera.

5.  For years and years I have fought diaper boxes.  They put ridiculously sticky tape on those things.  Every time I have to open one, I lose a nail to the fight.  And now, months away from the end of my diaper buying years, after SIX kids, I finally realized that there is no tape on the bottom of the blasted box!  I opened the box this morning in a matter of seconds, all nails intact.  How have I not figured this out before?  And I'll let you in on a few embarrasing secrets.  First, I never used scissors, because I opened the box in the kids' room, where there aren't any scissors.  I wasn't going to waste time and energy going all the way downstairs to retrieve the scissors.  Each time I wrestled a box, I reminded myself to open the next box as soon as I got home from the store.  Before I took it upstairs.   Never did.  Another secret:  Each of the opened boxes is used as a cardboard recycling receptacle.  Several times the boxes have given way, and it never occured to me that tape did not keep it together.  Apparantly, I am a lazy moron.  But it does beg the question, "Why in the world is there tape on the TOP of the box?????"

So there you have it.  It's been an enlightening week.  And it's only Tuesday morning!

What have you learned this week?

It's getting crazy warm around here.  The chickens, the kids, and I are thrilled to be going outside. 

Hope you have a lovely, warm day!