My Work at Home Life

Where's the Mute Button!?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:13:00 +0000

So I recently upgraded the mobile phone I use for business. It's an HTC Hero and it is great, BTW. However, I have STILL not mastered the mute and/or hold button which is sometimes necessary as I have a 2yr old running around my office quite a bit of the time.

So, this is an apology to the customer that heard ear piercing screams. I had no choice but to hang up, call back and blame it on a wild animal outside my office window. We are in MN so we are more or less in the midst of either a forest or lake everywhere we go anyway, right? (Seriously though, many people from either the west or east coast have no idea where we are an those that think they do believe we are part of Canada.) Either way, I'm fine with it.

I sure hope I figure this phone out soon!

Toilet Paper, Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:14:00 +0000

I have a business and a family of six so purchasing supplies and/or household items in bulk is a regular occurence. However, even though the 24 pack of cream of chicken soup, 8 boxes of crackers and the 36 pack of quick noodles are great and may help out in a local food emergency, there is something very satisfying about hauling a case of toilet paper through the door and stacking the rolls on a shelf. I feel like I have done my duty as the owner of a toilet and as a mother.

I'm not sure if it's because there are not a whole lot of appropriate alternatives, or because once you realize you are out-of-stock, it is not usually convenient to make a quick run to the corner store.

So does a cupboard full of my favorite brand of toilet paper make me prepared, or just weird?

A New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:49:00 +0000

For just a bit after the Holiday season, there is always a short time to catch your breath from both crazy schedules and a busy sales season. I'm not so sure which is worse: being so busy you don't have time to think, or having a little extra time and not sure what project to do first (if any). I'll let you know what I decide.

Good Help Is Hard to Find

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:23:00 +0000

If having a home business isn't bad enough, trying to find good help is neary impossible. Take a look below at what I have to put up with . . .

And seriously Mary, this isn't junior high art class. Get to work !

Know your weaknesses

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:47:00 +0000

Everyone has weaknesses and I think the key is to find out what they are before anyone else does.

I wish I knew how to sing. I wouldn't even care if I wasn't that good as long as I wasn't so bad that I was the talk of the birthday party. "Who was that singing? What was she thinking trying to hit that second birthday high note?"

Although I can wish, my fairy god mother isn't coming soon so I do the next best thing. I listen to and often sing along to my IPOD while I mow the lawn. No one (not including me) can hear my singing. How perfect is that!?

What are you telling me . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:46:00 +0000

I'm somewhat accustomed people telling that I can't do something, or that "such and such" is not a good idea. Well,it's good thing I don't listen or my life as I know it would not exist. It started out as a result of being a stubborn pain in the rear as a kid, but as an adult, I realized most standard opinions and suggestions were not for me.

In my opinion, there are two overall ways to deal with life, a new job, stress, and just about any decision - big or small.

There are those that will explain either to themselves or someone else how something CANNOT be done. They will list all the negatives, "what if" nots and go over every which way failure will surely occur. [

Then there are those that will do anything in their power to figure out how something CAN be done. They will strategize, maybe pray and find every conceivable way how something surely will succeed even if that means adjusting their plan along the way.

Now how likely will the first person reach their goals even if the idea itself is a good one? How likely is that the second person may succeed even if their original idea is bad one?

Who do want to be? Who do you want to be in your company?

A Gallon's Worth of Gas

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:10:00 +0000

It's was a very busy day with the business with yesterday being Memorial Day. The entire day was rushed and I ended up running out of the house at the last minute with 2 kids in tow in order to pick up 3 more at school (not all mine - this time). Many times I have an errand to run as well, but not today. I like days like today when I leave the house in my sweats and if I'm lucky, no bra. Today was one of those days, but my sweats were all in the wash so I was wearing some very old ones that belonged to my husband complete with elastic ankles and a slightly torn crotch area.

I'm in a hurry, can't find my purse, but I don't care as I'm not stopping anywhere. Off I go. Half way on the 8 mile trip, the low gas indicator chimes. Then I remember that the crazy gas light has actually been on for a day and was registering "0" miles left the night before. There are no gas stations along the direct route, but what does that matter as I don't have my purse.

Great, that's just what I need - to run out of gas with someone else's child in the car. At least I remembered my cell phone - just in case. Once I picked up the kids at school, I had my daughter dig in the car for cash or loose change. We ended up with about $4.00. There was no way I was going to make the trip to drop of the extra child and then back our house, etc. So, I had to make a pit stop with my $4.00 in change.

So, with my extra long, elastic ankled, ripped crotch sweats and no bra, I handed the gas station clerk my change and asked for a prepay of 1 gallon of gas on pump #5. It wasn't my proudest moment, BUT if that is the worst thing that happens this week, I am very grateful.

And to all, a good night . . .

I will be honest with you . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:59:00 +0000

This is how I start out many of my responses to acquaintances and strangers that ask about certain aspects of what I do. I have an online business and unlike what people expect I should be doing, I don't were a t-shirt randomly in public that advertises the business, I don't have a window decal in my car with the website info and I don't hand a business card out to anyone I see or speak to regardless of the situation. That's not to say I don't ever do an of these things as I have a worn a shirt with my business name and have business cards and brochures available when I do demonstrations, etc.

So where am I going with this and what am I being "honest" about when people wonder why I don't do these things? "Don't you want to promote your business?" is what is asked of me. Sure I do, BUT I don't want to be asked by just anyone how much money I make, can they get free products, how they can get started doing the exact same thing, where I get those "nifty little sample containers," do I really make any money at all, who designed and built my website (I did, by the way and I'm not for hire) and on and on. These are the types of questions I get when people know what I do. It's never, how much for such and such product.

The honesty part comes in when I don't think having those types of advertisements are worth the possible very few sales I may be missing. So if you ever hear me saying to someone, "do you honestly think I want to give you business advice while I pump gas and we listen to my crying infant and 4 & 6 yr old boys argue over who can or cannot see the airplane trail in the sky," you better back away.

By the way, don't take any of what I say as business advice. I don't do much of anything that the "experts" recommend.

On this Memorial Day, thanks to all service men and women, past and present. May God bless you and your family.

Are you kidding me ... !? (my most recent post office experience)

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:23:00 +0000

On our daily run to the post office (yes, I prefer to drive them there vs. have them picked, but that's another story) I had one of those infamous keys in my PO box. I hadn't picked up mail from the PO box in 1 or 2 business days because the key ring onto which the PO box key is attached was misplaced. It's not a big deal because that outgoing packages are not not affected - my main concern.

Well, what I found in the lock box was a Priority Mail package that I had sent out 2 days prior. It was never sent out because I apparently owed postage. I have a scale, print postage on the computer and I have never had a problem with this over the last 4 years. So, I weighed the package on the scale in the PO lobby and it was fine. So I go out to the car, get my 2 kids and wait in line to get it straightened out so it can get on it's way to the receipient.

I eventually get to the counter and of course they know me there. The service rep says Hi and states that I must have had a bad day because they have an entire box of packages from the day before with the wrong postage. To make a long story short, their scale must have been off - enough to put it 1/10 of an ounce over the next weight class. So now, I have who knows how many packages that are either 1 or 2 days delayed. A lot of times, the packages are sent priority mail so that they arrive sooner than our standard ground shipping. I could just see some potential refunds - over 1/10 of an ounce.

Here's my issue. After this, I re-weighed all of the very common package combinations and found out that I had been overpaying on some first class packages by 47 cents. Do you think they ever thought of holding the packages (and there are many of those per day) so that they can refund me? Of course not. Also, the priority mail packages from the day in question were all same size and the very same packages that we ship daily. They weigh our packages each and every day and on this day, all of them were 1/10 of an ounce over the next weight class. You think they'd check the scale?? Instead, they hold, and therefore delay, several Priority packages. If something were to come up, I'd end up refunding, but I didn't even get an apology - just a comment about their scale possibly being "out of calibration" the day before. Luckily everything turned out okay, but ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!

The Underwear Order

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:42:00 +0000

A lot of times you will hear people say that they would love to work at home so that they (among other things) could work in their underwear. After five plus years running a business out of my home (for the most part), I'd have to ask why would anyone want to do that? Sweats or shorts maybe, but underwear?

I don't know about anyone else, but I have kids with me most of the time and someone unexpectedly coming to the door at least once a day. I don't even want to look at myself partially naked every time I pass a mirror and I certainly wouldn't expect anyone else to do so. Also, I can just see them telling the clerk at the super market that their mom's uniform consists of white granny pants. For that, matter what about the occupational hazards? I may bend over and get something caught in my tape gun.

So fast forward to spring break week. The kids are at Grandma's for a couple of days so the schedule is a little more casual. I stayed up until 2 or 4 in the morning working on extra projects and didn't get up until 8 or 9am. The business officially "opens" for phone calls at 9am so this morning I was barely awake and barely dressed when the first call came in. So now I can officially say that I have worked in my underwear. It was even a sale, so I can even say that I officially made money in only my underwear. I wonder how that would go over at "show-in-tell" in Kindergarten during "tell us about your parents work" week.

Sweatshirt Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:54:00 +0000

I grew up in a very small town where everyone knows everyone (even if you don't think they do). One aspect of large city life that I have grown to love is the anonymity. I think once in 12 years I ran into someone I knew while running errands. Well, that was until tonight.

At about 9pm I ran to the nearest store for some infant nose drops (so hopefully the rest of us can get some sleep), which was a Walgreens. I was in the midst of working in my shop when I remembered the errand so I left just as I was with ink all over my hands from a cartridge refill gone bad, a badly stained sweatshirt and ripped running pants. I really couldn't care less about appearances, but that just goes to show that I don't ever except to see anyone I know.

However, while browsing the aisles, I heard someone call out "hello" from behind me. I looked back and reciprocated the greeting, but wasn't 100% certain who I was speaking to. I thought it was probably my neighbor, but because we are in the deep freeze otherwise known as Minnesota, I hadn't seen him face-to-face since about September or October. I quickly looked outside and saw his truck, which confirmed he was indeed my neighbor. At the same time I casually covered up my impulse purchase - a body waxing kit. I wouldn't want that along with my large bottle of children's Ibuprofen and bag of pretzels to give him the wrong idea about our evening life. I felt bad for him because based on his need for a prescription, 2 types of Robitussin, orange juice and Mentholatum, someone in his family was not doing well.

A few minutes later, we pulled up together into our respective driveways knowing a little more about our neighbor and waved to each other for probably the last time until May when it is safe to be outside again.

I don't know about hime, but I felt good knowing that it could be another 12 years before this happens again.

So what was that number again?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:12:00 +0000

I've been asked several times what I like the least about running my own business. It took me a while to come up with something. I mean, what is not to like. There's being able to type this in my underway at 10:15am and processing orders at 3am.

However, one thing finally came to mind. I have only had to do it twice that I can recall, but the worst thing you can make me do is to call a customer back and tell them that their credit card information has been rejected.

At first, taking orders over the phone was the thing I least enjoyed (and luckily 95% of our orders are placed online). Even though the customer had called me to place an order, I still felt weird when the conversation got to the point of asking for payment. I have since gotten over that and it is second nature, but what I still almost fear is when the credit card info they give me is rejected by our credit card processor. For various reasons, I almost always process the card several minutes after getting off the phone so if the card is rejected I would have to call the customer back (and then I hopefully remembered to get their phone number).

Even now, you will probably still hear a sigh of relief whenever a card is processed successfully.

Baby Hand Mold Instructional Video Demonstration

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:21:00 +0000

This quick video was made by a family member for one of our family run businesses: Casting Keepsakes. We hope it's a great compliment to our written directions and slide show photos.

Candy Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:15:00 +0000

Because we run a business (mostly) out of our home, we have an even greater challenge managing time than the average family with 4 kids 8 and under. Cleaning and keeping the house organized are no exception.

Although many things are kept up throughout the week, we set aside a few hours a week (usually Saturday morning) for "family cleaning time." This is when the kids do a thorough cleaning of their rooms and we get on our hands and knees and scrub the ceramic and hardwood floors (not my favorite), etc. Not only do the adults have to motivate themselves, but we have to in turn motivate the kids.

I will be honest and say that the reward charts and all those types of things are more work for me that it's worth and they always seem to get tampered with, so I have come up with my own solution for clean time, which is pretty much the only time we need a rewards system. Except for maybe at Grandma and Grandpa's house, the kids (nor the rest of us for the most part) don't consume soda-pop, candy or chips. So when "clean time" is over we all head out to the store and each child picks out a treat. It works out well. They each usually pick out something different and do "trades." You'd think they had won the lottery - it's great!

So, if you don't avoid soda, candy or chips for health reasons, you can use this as an excuse and have them only for special rewards. I know maid services cost much more than a $0.65 bag of Skittles.

Hungry ?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:15:00 +0000

This past weekend our family's plans changed suddenly and significantly and therefore we did not get a chance to do our bi-monthly big grocery shopping run. I was going to make a quick run to the closest store, but to be honest, I just didn't feel like it. I then opened up the cupboard and then the freezer and decided that we actually quite a bit of food considering it was grocery shopping time. So, except for a gallon or two of milk, we decided to have a little "fun" and use only what we had on hand.

We heated up some ready-to-eat soups that had been around for probably a year, used up several ingredients in a "surprise" hot dish that surprisingly tasted quite good, and the kids had a great time making pudding that we didn't know we had. And guess what, it's the end of the week and other than the fact that we are running out of creative ideas for the after-school-snack, we still have plenty of food in the cupboard and freezer. And we surely must have saved money. [Now how can I apply this to business . . . .]

It is obvious that we have never known what it is like to go hungry and not know where the next meal will come from. I'm considering trying to make it another week and hopefully give the kids a better appreciation for where food comes from, etc. And there's no need to worry: we still have at least a half dozen cans of either cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, plenty of chicken breasts and 10 lbs of rice (don't ask). What more could one ask for . . . ?

Can Someone Help Me Understand ...

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:48:00 +0000

I just can't believe that in the same country for which the news of the most recent mother who killed her newborn twin made national headlines today, but abortion on-demand is a "right."

Why is it that if a woman aborts her baby (whether it be at 10 weeks, 24 weeks, or has a partial birth abortion at 37 weeks) that it is perfectly legal, but if a woman drowns or otherwise kills her newborn infant she goes to jail for life (well, that is provided she doesn't plead insanity).

Yes, I agree that there are sooooo very many people that probably shouldn't have kids, but that still isn't a reason to take a life. Maybe we should make adoption easier and less expensive. Statistics show that there are about the same number of families waiting to adopt as there are abortions performed. I don't think that is a coincidence.

No matter how much this is debated, I will never understand the position of supporting the "right" to take a life. I have an annoying neighbor with an even more annoying kid who I think will never be a productive member of society. If I call that child a fetus, do you think the "choicers" will take care of the problem for me?

My Rebellion

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:03:00 +0000

Growing up, my parents would tell you I was stubborn, strong-willed and difficult. I was actually a straight "A" student, but I would find just about any way I could to annoy the teachers (for which I am now terribly sorry), parents and just about any authority figure. As far as school, I would argue/negotiate about getting that last point to get a perfect score on a test instead of 98%, purposely arrive to class just seconds after the tardy belly rang - stupid stuff really.

Everyone just assumed I was bored. That could be true I guess, but as an adult I still seem to have a need to not follow the ("unspoken") rules. For some reason, I feel the need to run to the "nice" grocery store in town in my toner stained college sweatshirt with shorts and sandals (in overcoat weather), not shave my legs before my "yearly" exam, not put on make-up for my driver's licence photo and in fact, purposely wear that same college sweatshirt that I had worn for my prior driver's licence photo and hang out with the men around the fish cleaning table outside vs inside with the women cooking dinner or whatever else they do in there. I could go on, but I fear I have already revealed too much.

I think it is these very characteristics that make me who I am and keep me from loosing my hair and my mind while I run a business and attempt to raise 4 kids (okay, so I have a little help from my husband). Friends, but especially family, tease me about my daughter turning out the same way I did and giving me a "run for my money." I can only hope she and I are that lucky.

Man, Woman or the Missing Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:38:00 +0000

Just as I was about to leave to volunteer on the playground at my kids' school, I remembered that I had forgotten to put the stroller in the back of the van for the baby. Already bordering on being late, I quickly ran into the garage and "threw" the double stroller in to the back of the van.
Once we arrived at the school and I was setting up the stroller, I noticed one of the front double swivel wheels was missing. Right at that moment, before I had even fully comprehended what was in front of me, one of the other volunteers (who happens to be a man) approached me. He saw me looking in the direction of the missing wheel and once he realized what I was looking at, he stated something similar to, "wow, look at that - it's standing on it's own with only 3 wheels." He then gave it a push and mentioned that unless a child was going to sit in the front seat (which I wasn't planning on as my baby sits in the rear reclining seat) it didn't seem to affect the stroller at all. He walked away to head over to the playground.

As I was thinking to myself that, yeah, I guess it will still work. I most definitely didn't have time to do anything about it. It was ridiculous looking and I assumed people would think I'm a little nuts, but it's certainly better than no stroller and therefore leaving the infant in the carseat/carrier (which she hates when not in motion) or carrying her around myself. Just then, an acquaintance of mine walked past as she was leaving the school and started laughing. I guess she agreed with me. She then asked me how it happened, what was I going to do about it, maybe I wasn't going to be able to "work" the playground that day and other things of that nature. Well, that as a fine how do you do - was she trying to break my volunteer spirit?

As I mentioned, I didn't have much of a choice, so I put the baby in the rear seat and went on went about my way. As I avoiding flying footballs, swinging jump ropes and the occasional "the boys are chasing me" squeal from a 3rd grader, I was in deep thought about my missing wheel (okay, not really, but it did cross my mind whenever a child would let me know my wheel had fallen off).

As in life, business and relationships, things happen and there's not much you can do about it. I think there is that phrase about how life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react and/or deal with it. So in this example, are you the man, woman or are you still looking for that missing wheel?

Any Other Minnesotans Out There?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 02:15:00 +0000

Jokes or not, all but 1 of these statements was true for me (a lifelong Minnesotan). Enjoy ...

Here's what Jeff Foxworthy (American comedian) has to say about Minnesota and Minnesotans:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you live in Minnesota.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't even work there, you live in Minnesota.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Minnesota.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in Minnesota.

If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of International Falls for the weekend, you live in Minnesota.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Minnesota.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once,you live in Minnesota.

If you have switched from "heat" to "air conditioning" and backagain in the same day, you live in Minnesota.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a ragingblizzard without flinching, you live in Minnesota.

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you live in Minnesota.

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows howto use them, you live in Minnesota.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Minnesota.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Minnesota.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winterand road construction, you live in Minnesota.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in Minnesota.

If you find 10 degrees Fahrenheit "a little chilly", you live in Minnesota.

If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your Minnesota friends, you live in Minnesota.

Which is worse ....

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:27:00 +0000

For reasons I don't really need to explain, working hard on a hot day I became concerned that my deodarant may no longer have been working. The strange thing was, I had taken a shower just a few hours before and as certain I put on sufficient amounts of the stuff and I had never had a problem in the past.

It then occurred to me that may I had forgotten to up on the deodorant in the first place.

I don't know if I should be more concerned that the deodorant was no longer working, or that I had forgotten to do something that has been a daily routine for 20 years.

My Home Office Assistant

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:21:00 +0000

For some reason this past winter, my "assistant" decided that underneath my (temporary replacement) desk chair was the best place to take a quick nap.

Most days, I wished I could join him.

Peace-Lovers vs. Peace-Makers

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:20:00 +0000

Thomas a Kempis once said, "All people desire peace, but very few people desire those things that make for peace." That's another way of saying, there is a difference in this world between those who are peace-lovers and those who are truly peace-makers.

There are so many people in our world who say they love peace, but what they are really saying is that they don't want to be bothered. They turn away from necessary conflict and ignore dangerous evils hoping they will just go away. Someone who is truly a peacemaker, on the other hand, is one who is willing to struggle, to confront, one who doesn't look away but willing to deal with difficult things.

I Just Want to be Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:49:00 +0000

How many times have you heard that phrase? Personally, I'm tired of hearing it. I think to myself, "so be happy already and stop talking about it." However, what most people probably mean to say is, "I want someone or something to MAKE me happy." Well, it doesn't work that way.

Keep in mind this is just my insensitive opinion, but no thing or person can make you happy. That is a conscious decision you make for yourself. It is being content and satisfied with your situation and most importantly, satisfied with the destination of your eternal soul.

There are plenty of underprivileged people that are happy and satisfied with life. There are also plenty of unhappy people that have more money than they can spend and more "friends" than they can count. So, we're back to something outside and beyond material things.

Quite frankly, I think most people in the US have too many "things" trying to make them "happy" and they've forgotten how to "live joyfully." Take a trip to another country where people are thankful for clean water and an education, think about where you will go when you leave this earth, and then hopefully you can shut up and "be happy" already!

Go in peace; my rant is now over.

In my dreams . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:14:00 +0000

There are few things that I wish I could do, or talent of which I am jealous. Of those few things, dancing is one of them. I am watching "So You Think You Can Dance" right now and the partner dancing especially just blows me away. I took a ballroom dance class in college and a had a blast. My partner and I were always one of the best 2 couples in the group (not that there was fierce competition or anything). Of course that was back when I was a lot younger and in pretty good shape. It's like being the starting football quarter back in high school. You never forget the short-lived experience, but everyone else has, or didn't even realize it was you.

When the cat is away . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila) — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:31:00 +0000

Well, it's more like when the kittens are a way the momma cat will ... EAT.

So, my husband takes the kids out for a bike ride on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I sit down at the computer to get a couple things done. It then occurs to me that some McDonald's french fries would be really great right about now. After all, I did manage to somehow miss lunch. We rarely eat fast food. Neither my husband nor I really like it all that much and none of us need it, but McDonalds just sounded good today. So a McFish & fries it was.

Once I was done I decided that I better hide the evidence. [I don't know if I'd be forgiven if the kids found out I went to McDonalds without them.] So, I put the trash in the outside garbage, but when I got back inside I noticed I had forgotten the outer bag. No big deal, I simply turned it inside out (to hide the writing) and stuffed it in the inside garbage.

Would you believe that my 5 yr old son found it when went to go throw something else away! The even funnier part is that he thought it was from the last time we had gone to McDonald's (probably over 2 months prior). I don't know if he thought we had kept it as a keepsake or what. It was a Sponge Bob bag after all. It didn't even occur to him that his mother would sneak something like that past him. [It's not that we usually have months of garbage lying around, we had been spring cleaning and throwing away a lot of unusual things that day.]

So, would you confess?