Easily Pleased

I wasn't totally convinced I needed a Smart Phone, but I received one - a very, very smart phone.  I immediately got overwhelmed with apps and putting things on the pages and all the cute little things you can do.

So pretty much all I do now is use it like a phone and check emails and go online for some of my favorites.  I don't like to type on the little keyboard, so I send texts and emails only when forced to.

It is nice when away from home to be able to do all these things, but I haven't downloaded many of the things people seem to like.  No games for sure.  The GPR thing is nice when you're lost.

It's been all of an hour, so I can't remember where I read about an app for consolidating all those stores cards you accumulate and have to scan for discounts, but it seemed like a good idea.

I'm always scrambling around to find the right one, and at least once I've offered the librarian my Books-A-Million card and vice-versa. 

It's called Key Ring, and it's free, so I downloaded it and put it on page 2 of my phone. I did it on the first try too.

It was fun to scan the bar codes in and then choose the store from a long list. If it wasn't on the list (like Southern Homes and Gardens), I just put in "other program."   But then you take a picture of the front and back of your card so you always know which one you're looking for.  For some reason, the library one didn't use the pictures I took.

 Then when you go to the store or library, you just hold out your phone instead of your card to be scanned. 

 

We're not yet convinced that the funny-looking bar code thing is going to work, but I guess we'll find out soon.  You get updates on specials or coupons also and can share your number with someone else (I guess they have to have the same program).  I'm not going to get ahead of myself right now.

 

I'll be doing really well to remember I have this app when I'm scrambling around trying to find my library card.

 

We got a package from Guatemala.  Yummy.

 Instant coffee for Mike.

Hot chocolate for all of us.

And several flavors of regular coffee.  Can't wait to try them.

This is the chocolate before it's added to the milk or water.

I used milk.  It's a little bit more trouble than instant hot chocolate but so worth it.  Just in time for a cool windy October afternoon.

Thanks to Dina and Gaby for thinking about us.

All is not happiness in the kitchen though.

 
This is where the refrigerator went and where there was once a lot of water.  We seem to have had a leak where the ice maker tube connects to the water pipe.  I started hearing it last week, but we some people decided it was just the ice maker and that it would be fine just turning that off.

And we went out of town for several days and came back to still more water-running sounds.  There was not actually a lot of water under the refrigerator - not enough to seep out and give us the clue we needed - but it had gone into the wall and under the tiles.

We'll be seeing the plumber nice and early in the morning and finding out how good our homeowners insurance is, if necessary.  Mike took off some molding, and there doesn't seem to be any damage to the wood.  Let's hope it gets resolved without a lot of tearing down and replacing.

I got to do more baby holding this morning, but I forgot my camera.  I had the 2- and 3-year-olds for awhile.  I love talking to them and seeing how many interesting things they can do with marshmallows in their mouths.  Sarah had a paper cut and manged to milk that for a whole bunch of sympathy.  She and Tyler are the perfect ages right now to be cute and charming, but later when I was in the baby nursery and 2 more toddlers were added to the mix - well, I'm not sure who was doing what, but I heard some wails and cries of "That was MINE."  I'm glad Whitney got to handle that while I loved on Bronner. 

He really is the sweetest, calmest little boy.  I looked at the clock at 11:10 and kind of panicked over how I was going to entertain him for 45 more minutes, but the time just flew by, and he never cried once.  I may have had to pull out all my  rusty old tricks, but he played himself to sleep (bored with me), and I got in some practice for next year.

As I was looking for something else just now, I found this old picture of Sarah I took some time ago.  She was watching some older children play with a bunch of balloons and wasn't sure she wanted to join in.

 

Next May Sarah's twin baby brothers/sisters will be added, so things will stay lively for a good while.