Chirps from the Birdcage!

Life is nothing without struggles

2012-01-15T21:28:00.000-06:00

I have been struggling to get some online work secured and have a lot of things lined up that will make things easier, but afraid to say anything until it is a done deal. But I did get paid on Friday for the work I have done. Much of the check had to go to bills since there was some issues at the big job but can't wait for the day that my check is nothing but savings and fun money. I did spend a little on fun because I needed it and a friend of mine needed it. Went to the mall and talked for a couple of hours while the kids played at their friends' house. However, woke today and just really couldn't get going again. JJ was complaining about not feeling that great, I could hardly move due to a bad back ache and Jeremy was exhausted from working twelve hours the day before. I stayed in bed. After a massage and a day of rest, I was at least able to make dinner. Thankfully, Jeremy was home to make lunch for the kids. :/

Our dinner was just what my spirit needed though. Queso Blanco con Pollo with "homemade" corn chips. I have been wanting the Queso Blanco for a couple of days because we had half a block left after our Christmas goodies. However, we didn't have any chips left so I kept telling myself I needed to go buy a bag of chips. Jeremy, the smart one, said "why don't we make them?"

You start with this:

And you cut them up so you get these:

Add them to a little hot oil:

Finally you have your chips!

Pick any type of dip or just eat them plain. Yummy!

The photo we have selected is!

2012-01-11T21:21:00.002-06:00

Sorry but it was my ALL time favorite photo and several photographers gave it the thumb up approval. =)

A Photo Contest!

2012-01-11T01:46:00.000-06:00

My baby girl is going to enter in a photo contest. Her 4-H photography group holds a contest after every group field trip. She missed the field trip to the pumpkin patch because we were in Wichita at the time, but she made it to the Plaza. She waits ALL year for the Plaza photo field trip. She gets to go without mom or dad present and just takes pictures to her hearts content of whatever she thinks looks cool. With a little guidance from the leaders and us reminding her for several days NOT to move until she can see the picture on the screen, she took some BEAUTIFUL shots this year. We have narrowed our favorites down to three photos. The decision must be emailed to the leader by the end of the month. I think the sooner we email, the better since I am waffling SO bad on which one to send. Here are the choices:

1. Focus on the horse, the rest comes behind.

We love the focus and perspective. We love the fact the carriage is lit up for Plaza Lights. We do NOT like the cone in the picture or the bright light on the building on the left.

2. Beautiful in White

LOVE the emotion this picture draws. LOVE the fire dancing. Dislike greatly that stupid tag visible on the cushion.

3. Classic Staircase


I know this is a picture that you have seen many times but I can't help but love it!

So, what are YOUR thoughts?

Well, what would you have done?!

2012-01-10T01:08:00.001-06:00

Today, today being yesterday since I am writing this after midnight making today really my tomorrow ... I digress, today did NOT go as I had originally planned. See, I woke this morning having this wonderful plan all worked out in my mind. I would go run a few errands, which I did and got done early. Then I would do some schooling, which we did and the kids went outside to play in this beautiful weather. Then I would take a 15 minute phone call ... sccrreeeccchhhh. Yup, you guessed it, the first snag. That 15 minute phone call was anything but. There was WAY too much information that needed to be gone over and then of course we had the Chloe bird squawking in the background because SHE was tired. An hour later, I got off the phone, ran to the library to meet a friend and then back home. It was SIX PM. YIKES. I was expecting to have dinner done, Family Home Evening Started, and the smell of dough rising in the background. Totally didn't happen. And I was upset. I was upset with myself for thinking I could get everything done that I needed to without much prep work, upset with my family for not pitching in and helping make it work, just upset. Tempers flair, I nearly get burned by exploding food on the stove because I forgot to clean the stove after the kids made lunch, and I threw a container of roast beef and some bread on the freezer and said "have at it." Yup, like I said ... upset. So, hubby did the smart thing and just went to bed without saying anything to me (I say this is smart because NOTHING he would have said could have diffused the situation at all - just listen to Jeff Foxworthy or Bill Engvall if you disagree). I sent the kids to bed 30 minutes early for failure to do their chores, and a few other things. And then put Chloe to sleep. I was still super upset and was crying off and on about all of this and finally decided that I needed to do something. I got up and went into the kitchen. I was avoiding the fridge at all costs because bad things lurk in that fridge after 7pm, they are called CALORIES! Then I remember that my dear friend brought over some tea, herbal tea .... ROOBIOS tea. I put the pot on the stove and grabbed a couple bags for my tea, KNOWING that would just calm me down. Then it hit me, *I* promised to make two dozen cookies last month at a meeting for church for this month. That meeting would be .... tomorrow night. Awesome. I can't make cookies tomorrow because my day is already jammed packed with home school activities. So, now I am up at midnight making cookies. I grabbed 2 sticks of butter and while those were softening, I grabbed my tea and sat to do some work. Got a resume done, wound down, and am already feeling LOADS better. Now off to make cookies.

I can't make cookies without grabbing grandma's cookbook. Her famous Chocolate Chip Cookies are in there! I made these cookies over Christmas but I haven't had a chance to blog about them. Better late than never.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c shortening (I used butter the past 2 times - Yummy!)
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 c white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz pkg chocolate chips (I have done these with milk, semi-sweet, dark, and mint - all yummy)

1. Cream shortening, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. I USUALLY use our pastry blender but the past two times I have been rushed. I can tell you the KitchenAid does NOT replicate good ol' fashioned cookies.
2. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Finally, stir in chocolate chips.

Doesn't this just look yummy?

3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Using a small melon baller or ice cream scoop. Carefully trying to steer clear of staying in the kitchen too long because you WILL eat this cookie dough. I don't care HOW bad people say it is, it doesn't make it any less appealing.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned

Had to stop halfway through blogging because I realized the timer hadn't gone off ... yeah, those cookies are NOT pictured here!

This recipe makes about 5 dozen ... unless you eat the cookie dough.

So, to recap. Had a productive day ... with a crappy ending ... and I STILL didn't avoid those calories. BUT, my house smells delightful now AND I have those promised cookies for church tomorrow! =)

Off to a good start

2012-01-06T01:16:00.001-06:00

I told myself I would not make any specific New Year's Resolution. I don't resolve to do anything new really ... I just want to get back to me! I had a really rough 2011 that I would really just like to forget. So I sat back and thought, who am I? I am a mother who loves crafting, spending time with her children, baking and animals. Those aren't new resolutions, I just have lost myself over the past year ... or years.

This week I have attempted to get back on track. I have started tracking my food again, started packing my husband's lunches, and have continued in making crafts. We have tried new methods in our household structure and I feel that we have a long way to go before we are where I am hoping to be. I am feeling hopeful.

For those like me who don't make resolutions, what are you hoping 2012 brings for you?

New Year, New Life!

2012-01-01T22:09:00.001-06:00

I am SO glad 2011 is done. Good riddance. I am ready to start 2012 off fresh and new. I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions, but my husband and I do take stock in what we have accomplished and what needs to be fixed. Among the things we have noticed is the need for us to get to a healthier state, a routine with structure that works for our family, and more down time for us adults.

Jeremy and I are DONE being unhealthy. We have decided that there is just no getting around the fact we have GOT to shed pounds and we have GOT to get out of the house to do it. Until tax return, we plan to go walking around the park on nice evenings and walking around our dying outlet mall in Olathe for the colder days. When we get our tax return, we are going to pay for a year membership at the Y so that we don't have to worry about any bills for a year. The kids have been begging to go back to the Y, even though it is a drive. I LOVE our Y and have missed it greatly myself. In addition to working out, we are going to start eating better meals for breakfasts and lunches. Dinners we already do pretty good on. I am eager to travel to Gardner twice a month to make fresh pasta with a friend. My mixer, her attachment, kids playing .... yes, totally see this as GREAT times by all. Our goals - Jeremy wants to lose 30lbs by the end of the year and I would like to lose 50lbs.

We need structure in this house! I am STRUGGLING with being an at home mom, a teacher, a wife, and still being me! I realized that our routine we had going prior to Chloe entering the picture has been washed away and I need to come up with something creative and new. So we have started holding Family Meetings every Sunday night. At our meetings, we discuss plans for the upcoming week, any concerns a child has, any activity the child knows about, and above all, showing that we respect each family member. We started scripture reading & story time every evening at 7pm, unless we have a 4-H event. The kids enjoy reading from the New Testament and I am sure they will enjoy the story time where we pick a book and they read to me every evening. The big change we are making is adding a reward system with the use of marbles. I will post the system at the bottom of the blog for those who are wanting to know more in depth, but basically we have a large jar (Mason Qt jar) for accumulating acts. There is NO removal of marbles from this jar. Then we have 2 small jars (we used Stage 3 baby food) that is for their daily marbles. Here is where they start out with marbles and can gain and lose them. They will get a daily reward if earned and then they can accumulate points for a weekly reward. The kids are VERY excited about this to go into affect tomorrow. We will see how it goes. The entire system cost under $20 for supplies.

You will notice a HUGE change to my blog in appearance. I have separated my blogs out so that those who don't care to read about natural parenting, don't have to ... but ALSO because I am going to start reviewing products and doing giveaways. I have gotten into writing and am making a little money on the side but have decided that I enjoy it so much, I might as well get better with my blog and help other mamas and businesses out. At this time, my reviews will all be from small companies OR work-at-home parents. I have a few that will be starting soon. I will be testing a product and then giving away either a product or a discount from that company. I am very excited about this change. So with our new schedule, we are looking at me having time to myself and ability to play from 8pm to about midnight. Of course, that does depend on Chloe. Jeremy will be getting his downtime from the time he gets done with work until 4:30pm. I am very excited about the prospects. However, if you are following this blog, you will want to follow the other blogs to make sure you catch the updates.

Large Jar (quart mason jar)

To get marbles:

~ All chores done – 1 marble

~ Any time childresponds to non-yelling commands – 1 marble

~ Resolving fights onyour own – 2 marbles

~ Finishing school workby the end of the day – 2 marbles

~ Finishing school workearly & correctly – 1 marble

~ Getting caught beinggood – 2 marbles

~ More than 4 marblesat the end of the jar each day – 1 marble

~ More than 8 marblesat the end of the jar each day – 2 marble

Personal Jar (Stage 3 baby food jar)

To get marbles:

~ All chores donewithout being informed – 1 marble

~ Doing an extra chorewithout being asked – 1 marble

~ Respond to commandswithout yelling each day – 2 marble

~ Finishing school workearly & correctly – 1 marble

Lose marbles:

~ Simple disobedience(not doing what you’re told) – 1 marble

~ Physical attack onsibling – 1 marble

~ Leaving a mark(scratch or red mark) – 2 marbles

~ Drawing blood – 3 marbles

~ Urgent Care trip – 5 marbles

~ Meltdowns – 1 marble

~ Not finishing schoolwork by 4:30pm *exceptions for special days* – 1 marble

~ Name calling – 1 marble

~ Yelling or escalatinga fight – 1 marble

~ Interrupting – 1 marble

~ Repeat questions – 1 marble

~ Bad words – 1 marble

~ Lying – 1 marble

~ Stealing – 2 marbles

~ End in thinking time –1 marble *extended time out is more marble*

~ Sent to extendedthinking time *bedroom* - 2 marbles

Rewards –

Personal Jar

~ 4 marbles at the end of the day – 1 cookie

~ 8 marbles at the end of the day – 2 cookies

~ Each marble you have at the end of the day you get 1minute of Wii or Computer game time on Saturday – guaranteed! *5 marbles at endof the day = 5 minutes*

Large Jar

~ First time Filled *FUN* – movie day, park day, other freeevents

~ Second time Filled *PARTY* – movie theater, pizza party,Monkey Bizness, or other paid events

Oh National Attention

2011-12-29T15:19:00.000-06:00

I just LOVE how people parent has become a NATIONAL debate. Do you choose to breastfeed, do you choose to formula feed ... how is that ANYONE else's right to tell you want to do?! It is the parent's responsibility to feed their child ... if that woman wants to give their baby the most healthy form of food possible AND cheapest, then that should be their right. They should not have to worry about people ridiculing them or talking down. They shouldn't have to worry about what people might tell them about how long they should or should not breastfeed or when their child is suddenly old enough to sleep through the night without waking to feed. With that said ... let me continue with what I originally wanted to blog about.

Last week, a mom out shopping with her infant had to stop to nurse her child at a Target. She didn't draw attention to herself, she was doing what her baby needed so people wouldn't consider her a bad mom for shopping while her child was having a meltdown. She had a nursing blanket on and was asked to stop by an employee. I am sorry, say what?! That is equivalent to me walking up to someone and telling them that the smell and sight of their dinner grossed me out and they needed to stop eating and go elsewhere. Who, honestly, would be offended if someone walked up and told you that?! I would be irate! So, in return, thousands of mothers all over the United States held a nurse-in. Guess what, not only did YOU draw the attention to the nursing issue in the first place, now you draw NATIONAL attention. It was a peaceful protest and many used covers. *I* personally use a cover in the cooler weather or if I am at someone's house. However, when it is hot out, I wear a nursing cami under my shirt and I wear a baggie shirt or blouse. Nothing shows, ever. I am too self-conscious of my own body to let anyone else see it. Ask my husband! I don't draw attention to myself, I sit quiet and get Chloe situated. I nurse her before she is irate so eyes aren't drawn to a screaming child. So I ask this ... how is what I am doing MORE offensive than women who barely cover their bodies to solicit looks and sexual comments in the summer? That is all bikinis really are. Most of them hardly leave anything to the imagination and you are just wanting to show off as much skin as possible. No thanks. If you don't have a problem with bikinis, then you certainly shouldn't have a problem with my nursing. Even with those who show a little skin when nursing, it is still a far cry less than what bikinis show. Guys have NO problem with bikinis. Is it because someone is attached to the body parts they are imagining? I just don't understand.

Just remember that according to the WHO, nursing to at LEAST age 2 gives your babies the most chances to fight off disease, cancer, and asthma. Their IQs are higher and immunity is stronger. Not only that, it also gives you, the mom, the best chance to fight breast cancer odds. Use them or lose them factor. This is not made up stuff. It is researched and proven. Bathrooms are NOT appropriate places or cold cars to feed children. Think about where you feel comfortable eating. By not making a big deal out of it, no one else will notice. I do have to state that I love the fact that EVERYWHERE I have gone, I have been able to nurse Chloe. The fair, stores, people's homes, Adella's dance clinics, etc. I have NEVER run into a problem here in Kansas City. I wish it were that way for all moms everywhere.

For further reading from CNN

Next year will be AWESOME

2011-12-26T23:01:00.000-06:00

okay, so I am not for SURE that it will be awesome but this year is ending so rocky that it can only go up from here! As far as my blog goes, I have some exciting news coming up very soon. I can't wait to talk about it and share my goodness with you guys. I appreciate everyone who reads my blog and gives input, be it on the blog, in my email or on Facebook with NetworkBlogs. =)

Today we got back to work on schooling and the kids got back into the swing a lot better than I had expected. Chloe is now mobile which is making schooling very ... well, she keeps us on our toes now! I love all 3 of my babies and am so proud of where they have come and excited to see where they are going from here. Thank you for growing with us and I hope your 2011 has treated you well. If you don't think it has, just remember to count your blessings ... you might be surprised!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:36:00.000-06:00

Our family chose to stay home this year to begin our own family traditions for Christmas. We got a few down and will do better next year as more thoughts came to mind. We realized that our family needed to develop traditions of our own since we are a growing family and want to give our kids some traditions to pass down. A lot of what we did are things that we did as children and wanted to do again. So grab a cup of hot cocoa and journey with me.

First, we wanted to go back to the reason for the season. Christmas literally means the Mass of Christ. Christmas was, is, and always will be centered around Christ for us. We are not Catholic but that is just where the name came from. Gifts being given to each other are like the gifts from the Wise Men. We give a gift of gold by a gift of something the children want, a gift of frankincensen by a gift of something we need, and a gift of myrrh by a gift of something to wear. Since we usually give the gift of something to wear on Christmas Eve, we do a gift of something home made and something to read on Christmas Day.

So here are our plans for next Christmas, and things we started this year.
Advent Sundays - We will be doing a wreath with candles next year. Light a candle, read a scripture, and learn about what that week is representing.

Friday after Thanksgiving:
Hit the Black Friday Sales if there are any that are good. Go get hot cocoa, come home and put up the Christmas Tree.

December 1st:
Start playing Christmas music on Pandora and car radio. Begin the Advent Calendar. We will be buying one made of wood next spring and work on it so it is good to go for the beginning of December. The Advent Calendar will have candy for each child, a scripture, and a tidbit about the season and reasons.

December 6th:
Sinterklaas visits. Starting 2 days before, we will make sure the house is all clean and our shoes will be cleaned. They will be set out on the evening of December 5th for Sinterklaas to visit. We do this tradition because my husband spent a great deal of time in Germany. It is important to us to remember our past and things we have learned. You can read more about Sinterklaas at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas.

December 19th:
Begin holiday baking. Each child will get to pick their favorite goodie from Grandma Osborne's cook book for us to make. We will make it together as they learn the process to make their great grandmother's baking. We will also make lots of cookies to make and freeze.

December 24th:
Caroling (we didn't do that this year but have in years past) in the morning and pass out cookies & treats. Go to a new movie with family in town or just our family. This year we went and watched Sherlock Holmes while our children went with Jeremy's family to see We Bought a Zoo. Following the movie, we all go out to eat with Jeremy's family. We have done this every year for as long as I can remember and it is so nice. In the evening we will read Twas the Night Before Christmas and open one gift. This is always pajamas and we enjoy it. Starting next year we will then bundle up, jump in the car and go look at the light displays (avoiding the Plaza like the plague!). Then off to bed.

December 25th:
This is the day we don't do any big time cooking. This year we had summer sausage, crackers, cheese, candies, cookies, deviled eggs, cream cheese salsa dip and queso blanco. We went to church and then came home and took a nap. We watched Mr Kruger's Christmas and then family movies. We forgot to bake our cake for Jesus this year but will be better prepared for next year. It is when we celebrate his birthday after all. We open gifts and spend time together as a family. We do stockings with my side of the family so that won't be on Christmas day. =)

January 6th:
This is Epiphany, or when the Wise Men made it to see Baby Jesus. I am not sure if we will get to it this year, BUT I hope to learn to make a king cake for the kids to eat after a large dinner to celebrate.

So, while commercialization sure has gotten the best of most people this time of year, I so hope to teach my children that there is so much more to Christmas than a tree, presents and Santa Claus. They enjoyed their gifts this year and I REALLY enjoyed making gifts for them and celebrating the way we did when growing up. We are discussing changing the way we open gifts to be more like the way Jeremy did as growing up with numbers and waiting. It sounds fun and is a strong possibility that we will go that route. If you are looking back on the holiday and wondered where your mind was or how your pocketbook is so empty, remember to go back to the reason for the holiday, humble yourself a little, and make changes for next year. What is done is done ... what happens tomorrow and in the future is up to you. Losing important people in my life around the holidays has made it so hard to work through and keep my mind clear. I think I made both of them happy this year ... at least I hope so.

I'm officially a WAHM again!!

2011-12-23T05:39:00.001-06:00

I have been working with a friend to get a job working from home, WITHOUT a start-up cost. I have made a few dollars here and there working for one company and will continue to work with them for small pay. However, I needed something a little steadier. I was accepted last night to work for a different company. It isn't a whole lot but it will cover gas expenses and our cellphone bill. I am so excited that I had a hard time sleeping last night. Unfortunately, so did Chloe. LOL. Oh well, Jeremy has a short work day today and the kids have a playdate. I'm set to finish everything up tonight and tomorrow morning. IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!

Such a GREAT Day

2011-12-22T00:43:00.000-06:00

Happy Hump Day! Several huge accomplishments occurred today.

First - Looking Up
We have made it through the shortest day of the year. Everything starts to brighten from here. Means only a few more weeks until I can cut back on my Vitamin D regimen! That makes me very happy.

Second - Bell Ringing
Okay, so this isn't really an accomplishment, but it is something that our family really enjoys doing. The Salvation Army is always looking for volunteers to ring bells for their Red Bucket drive over the holidays and our 4-H club signs up for several days every year. Today was the only day that worked for us so we signed up for a 2 hour shift. I could NOT have asked for better weather. We sang carols, rang bells, and had a great time without worrying about needing to bundle up. Even Chloe enjoyed ringing the bells!

Finally - Christmas Crafting
I have to say that I have been VERY frantic in trying to finish my sewing for Christmas this year. I started WAY in advance and then put off a lot of it as I took on other tasks .... and NOW that it NEEDS to be done, I can't keep Chloe asleep or the kids in their room for me to craft. GAH! SHAME on me. Anyway, I have 1 more bean bag and 3 more cloth blocks to go for the kids. That's right, JJ's bean bag chair is DONE! I made them out of shirts that they outgrew but I didn't want to part with because there were meanings or stories behind them. I installed a zipper ... without a zipper foot because I am a procrastinator and never got around to calling people. Or maybe it is because I am stubborn and hate asking for help. EITHER way, It actually doesn't look TOO bad and it IS in working order. Isn't that all that matters anyway? I say yes. I can not WAIT to reveal these to the children.

First 2 sets of cookies done {recipes & pictures}

2011-12-20T22:09:00.000-06:00

Two things to note before getting started on posting.
1) I used my KitchenAid to make my cookies this year and normally do not. I just don't have the time to hand make everything and I, personally, can taste the difference.
2) Several of these recipes are first time use recipes in my house and some are recipes I got from my grandmother's cook book. I will note the ones that are my grandmother's and tell a story about them if I can remember a good one. :)

Now ... on to the goods!!

Mr Grinch's Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 pouch sugar cookie mix (I am sure one could make their own mix if desired)
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 tsp mint extract
8 drops green food coloring
1 egg
1 c creme de menthe chips (I found Andes mints cheap at Aldi's and cut them into my own chips!)
1 c chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food coloring and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in chips.

2. Drop scoops of dough onto un-greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes and then move to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing. (I prefer to put my cookies in a freezer proof ziplock bag and then take out when ready to serve since we are making these days in advance. Out of sight, out of mind .... right?)

This recipe and this size scoop makes 4 dozen cookies. I think it is the perfect size scoop. Now if only I could remember what size it is! Almost looks like 2 TBS.

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick softened butter

6 TBS sugar

6 TBS brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

11 Oreos, smashed up

1 c chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until well combined. (USUALLY I use a pastry blender for this!) Add egg and vanilla until mixed well.

2. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Then stir in Oreos and chocolate chips.

3. Spoon onto un-greased baking sheet at a uniformed distance apart.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes and let col for 3 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Let cool completely before storing. Read above for my preferred storing method!

I have 4 types of cookies to make next but not sure if I will get them done tomorrow or not. Have a LOT scheduled.

Oyi Vey

2011-12-16T01:22:00.000-06:00

When it rains, it pours in this household. I am going to count my blessings today because the darkness overpowers.

1. All my kids are healthy despite the ickies floating around.
2. My kids haven't had school since the 9th and have been big helps in making sure all gifts are done and wrapped (and tagged) by Saturday morning.
3. My daughter loves to cook and has been making sure everyone has lunch at lunchtime so that I can work on items they don't realize are being given to them! *wink*
4. I have found some online jobs that I am eager to really take off on after the holidays.
5. Jeremy still has a job.
6. My kids LOVE reading.
7. Oh, and my supply is up. Yesterday I pumped 3oz. Today I pumped 5oz. This makes me feel AWESOME inside.
8. Chloe is currently asleep ... IN HER CRIB.

Yeah, I think I will dwell on the last two. They make me smile. I hope everyone remembers to count their blessings when the darkness begins to creep in. It really is the only way I stay sane some days. The list could easily go on as I think about it. Which, of course, is why it is important to count the blessings because once you start, it is easier to keep going. Something called inertia I think. lol

serious rough day

2011-12-14T18:55:00.000-06:00

Well normally Wednesdays are days we look forward to because they are the middle of the week and it is all downhill. Unfortunately, today didn't work out as beautiful as the weather. The silver linings to the day: the temp was AWESOME, kids' ornaments look AWESOME, and kids got to pick out some new books from the library. The big stinks: hardly slept ... again ... and Jeremy was not accepted for the position he wanted. Yup, that about sums up my day. Just keep swimming .....

Holy Smokes!

2011-12-14T02:53:00.000-06:00

Time is flying TOO fast. As much as I want it to be the holidays so I can see people's faces with the gifts I have slaved on for awhile on (either making or thinking about) ... I am NOT quite ready for it. We are dealing with colic again with Chloe so sleep is becoming a rarity as we start to figure out what food is causing it. We are doing massages with essential oils, baths with essential oils, blessings, and a LOT of rocking. We are suspending our home school lessons until after Christmas. The kids are quite happy to have some time to just play for a bit. This week we have lots of meetings and errands to run and then next week will be cleaning and baking. The excitement in the air is certainly NOT helping Chloe. lol

Adella is spending more and more time getting into reading and jewelry making. JJ is spending a lot of time reading and getting into card games (Pokemon, Bakugon, Yu-Gi-Oh and hopefully Magic). Both are starting to become predictable in school and I am learning which strategies work best with each of them. Adella is heavily into manipulative and visual (videos, experiments, etc) ... while JJ is heavy into the reading and doing. Adella only enjoys the drill sheets once she no longer really needs to be drilled on a subject. lol. We have done a lot of checking out videos from the library to help with a concept and it seems to be helping immensely.

Jeremy had his interview (finally) for the new position at work. He should know tomorrow whether he gets his first pick or not. For us, the changes and new structure at work is a win/win. His first pick, however, is salaried which is a very nice thought. Actually having a steady paycheck, regardless of the time of the year, is so novel to us. However, since they are changing how they will pay people, even a new route won't be a bad thing. Either way, we are eager for the changes and Jeremy certainly likes the person they have hired to run the vending division of the company. It has been a humbling year but we have learned a lot and the kids really are enjoying learning how to make more food instead of shopping for convenience! In that regard, I am thankful for the trials that have been put before us.

Finally, I am working on doing different testing products for work-at-home businesses as well as companies that are larger. I would prefer to have more followers though ... SO if you read this blog on Facebook or receive it in your email (new), PLEASE click on the "Follow" button the side of my blog to add to my list. It really will help with the amount of items I can test and review ... who knows, maybe my blog will be added to the many that do giveaways. You never know!

Christmas Cooking

2011-12-08T13:53:00.003-06:00

I don't plan to eat healthy at all on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It is the ONLY time I just don't care. We sit around and snack and watch movies. Of course open gifts as well. What else will we do on Christmas Eve, not sure. Normally we go out to eat with the family and watch a movie in the theaters. I am not sure what we are going to do. The kids really enjoyed caroling last year but with an infant, not sure we will. What I DO know is what I am baking or will have served on Christmas. I am thinking I am going to have the kids not do school from the 17th to the 25th and just help with the house, the baking, and keeping Chloe busy so I can finish with the present prepping. JJ is so far ahead in school, he is expected to finish at the beginning of March! Well, here is the menu *oh and several of the items are on my Pinterest Christmas Snacky Food Board!*

Protein Choices
~ Summer Sausage & Crackers
~ Sausage bites
~ Queso Con Carne
~ White Queso
~ Meatballs & Weiners

Cookies
~ Mr. Grinch Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
~ Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies
~ Snickerdoodles
~ Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
~ Chocolate Chip Cookies
~ No Bake Cookies

Candies
~ Oreo Truffles
~ Chocolate Fudge
~ Peppermint Creams
~ Dipped Chocolates (mint, butter rum, vanilla, almond, banana)
~ Chocolate Coated Coconut Balls
~ Cherry Mash Candy

Desserts
~ Mini Apple Pies

Sides
~ Guacamole
~ Deviled Eggs (reg & avocado)
~ Stuffed Mushrooms
~ Veggie Bars
~ Cream Cheese Salsa Dip

Breakfast
~ French Toast Bake
~ French Toast Muffins
~ Eggnog Coffee Cake

Oh Pinterest ...

2011-12-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

I have a love/hate relationship with this site. Love all of the ideas it gives me but hate how much time I waste on it. Well, I guess I do better than on Facebook since I actually ACCOMPLISH things from Pinterest. I have made 3 gifts with ideas from Pinterest. I have several more in the works. My Christmas snack ideas are mostly from Pinterest and from my grandmother's cookbook. I have 3 MAIN boards I pin to: Crafts, Home Educating, and Food. If you have Pinterest and feel like following, feel free. I pin what I find on blogs and google searches as well as re-pinning other people's items. There are things I swear I pin though and I can't find them later. Not sure if the pins are being eaten or I never pinned them in the first place. Guess that is what I get for pinning so late at night. I tell ya though, when you are stuck in a rocking chair with a little nursling ... pinning is about the only thing you can do. *laugh*

2 week menu!

2011-12-08T12:00:00.001-06:00

Totally meant to post this a couple days ago. So I guess today you guys will be blessed with 3 blog updates. LOL

So we do our menu in 2 week blocks because Jeremy gets paid every two weeks. Here is our menu for the next 2 weeks. :D

Thursday, Dec 8, 2011 – Taco Bar *corn tortillas*

Friday, Dec 9, 2011 – Meat Loaf

Saturday, Dec 10, 2011 – Hamburgers *served with homemade fries and corn on the cob*

Sunday, Dec 11, 2011 – Pot Roast *served with mashed taters and gravy*

Monday, Dec 12, 2011 – Grilled Chicken & rice *served with corn or green beans*

Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 – Shepherd’s Pie

Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 – Pasta Night

Thursday, Dec 15, 2011 – Pizza Night *homemade crust this time*

Friday, Dec 16, 2011 – Hobo Dinners *served with corn*

Saturday, Dec 17, 2011 – Quesadillas *served with side of beans & rice*

Sunday, Dec 18, 2011 – Lasagna

Monday, Dec 19, 2011 – Tator Topped Casserole

Tuesday, Dec 20, 2011 – Mac & Cheese *this will be homemade cheese sauce and baked*

Wednesday, Dec 21, 2011 - Chili *Mema's style ... LOVE Mema's style*

Tis the season

2011-12-04T22:35:00.000-06:00

It has been a really rough week here. I have a lot on my mind and not a lot I can blog openly about. I hope everyone has a great holiday month season and I will blog when I have time. This week starts our winter co-op classes and parties. I have gotten a lot accomplished but due to family who read this blog, totally can't post about it. LOL. Be prepared for lots of chatter AFTER the holidays when I can post pictures of what I have made and where I got ideas from. :D

Loss of a Celeb

2011-12-01T00:04:00.000-06:00

I spent some time trying to figure out what to name this blog post. Kansas City lost a very prominent figure but as much as he is a celebrity, he was a friend to almost everyone. Don Harman has worked for Fox4 as a weatherman for as long as I can remember being in Kansas City. He was always super funny and even after his baby girl was born, seemed to be chipper. He would talk about his family and ask for ideas. He would respond to emails and questions on Facebook. He made mornings start with a smile, regardless of how late I had been up or how little sleep I had gotten. I am reading stories from people who talk about how he would penpal their children ... things he has done for charity ... his love for teaching oddities of weather and science. I will forever miss Don Harman and what he has done for Kansas City. I ache for his family and for Fox4 as a whole. He leaves behind shoes that will be very hard to fill.

That brings me to another issue today brought. I was asked about Don Harman news last night ... LAST NIGHT. Apparently some news station in another town had a slip-up and said something. I did a lot of investigating and was pretty much confirmed before I went to bed but I said NOTHING because Fox4 was very clear that we should respect family. *which was also what was pretty clear* Got up this morning and there was nothing mentioned on the news about anyone passing away ... just simply a statement that people had questions and while they respect those questions, family comes first. So again, I said nothing specific. I knew for certain but was respectful of the family. What upsets me greatly is EVERYONE else in the KC metro who claim to respect Fox4 and the family and yet blasted his name and R.I.P. Could you imagine what it would have been like to see that on Facebook if you didn't know and you were a family member. The thought devestates me ... and angers me. I can't believe the lack of tact and the rudeness MANY of the residents in my city showed by starting a fan group saying RIP (which was open for ANYONE to see) and claiming they had the right to put it up. Sure, you have the right but it is still tactless. I think anyone that was careless enough to post his name before an official announcement was made was disrespectful. I was very careful in my wording and was thanked for it by the Fox4 team. Death is a very sensitive thing and what people don't realize is while you were watching him on tv for the last 10 years ... the family at Fox4 were working side by side and dealing with that persons ups and downs for the last 10 years. I can not imagine the amount of pain they are in. I can't imagine the questions that are going through their minds. Were there signs they should have seen? Could they have done anything to prevent this? All of the what ifs. Don leaves behind a wife and a very young daughter who will never get to see how hilariously funny her dad could be. A daughter who will never have her dad prep her for dating and deal with heartbreak. A dad who will never be there to walk her down the aisle or be there when her child takes his/her first breath. All of these things just break my heart. I can not begin to imagine how much pain he must have been in to think that this was it. I don't think it was too much to ask to not put anything on social media until after an official statement had been released. While KC Star says that Mark Alford read something at 4:45am, no one who I know was up at that time watching saw it and it was most definitely not on their website, Twitter or Facebook pages. All that was said was to respect family. :'( I just had expected so much more out of Kansas City ... especially with someone who had nothing but Kansas City at heart when he did things. *sigh*

Need a day or two ...

2011-11-29T19:30:00.000-06:00

As I am sitting doing schoolwork with my children still ... closing in on 8pm. It has occurred to me that if my children want home made Christmas gifts, I will need a day (or 2) with NONE of them in my house. I get the kids going on their schoolwork and then Chloe needs cuddles or nursed. Then get her calmed down and the kids need to be refocused onto the task at hand. A dog needs taken out or a meal needs prepped. Can someone PLEASE tell me how they can do it all in only 24 hours a day?

Life After Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T00:52:00.000-06:00

Well today went a lot better than I had imagined it would. Both kids struggled but JJ finished 2 core lessons and 1 math lesson. Adella finished 2 core lessons and is currently working on 2 math lessons. She is struggling on understanding that 20 minutes until 5 is the same as 4:40 so I am checking out some teaching DVDs to help her. I am not ready for Wednesday because it is our last L.E.A.R.N class for a little bit but the following week starts our Winter Co-Op session and we are jam packed full of fun activities! The kids are going to have field trips, craft classes, and other fun activities. I am so excited.

Chloe discovered beef and rice today and apparently it was a huge success. Even though she had 2 handfuls of food ... she dove face first into the bowl. I can only imagine what her first birthday will be like!

Thanksgiving over ... Bring on Christmas

2011-11-27T19:53:00.001-06:00

I am a pretty big stickler on NO Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I know some people have no qualms with listening to Christmas music or putting up lights before Thanksgiving. I am not one of those. For me, Christmas belongs AFTER Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a very important holiday that should not be swept under the rug. Thanksgiving is how our country started. We should be thankful for all we have been given. Thanksgiving is the one time that we remembered to be thankful for how we were helped and fed. Our country is always such a give-me give-me country and it upsets me that the ONE time of year when we are to sit and remember everything that is good in our lives and how it came to be, people want to shove it aside too. While I have no problem working on Christmas gifts before hand (or they won't get done), I think that all the music and all the Santa appearances, and all the holiday hoopla can wait until after the 4th Thursday in November.

Today was the first Sunday of advent. I didn't have my kids home but I have been spending time today plotting and planning how I want to be prepared for next year. I am going to work on getting an advent calendar the children can make and I can fill. Working on setting up an advent wreath that the kids can light each Sunday and then we will have a lesson. We will be teaching the children about St. Nicholas as my husband spent a great deal of time in Germany and his past means a lot to him. We hope to have the kids clean the house on Sunday in preparation for his arrival and shoes out on Dec. 5th.

I am excited to be home schooling during this season as I can teach all the reasons behind symbols and answer questions as they come. While December 23rd will bring the 10 yr anniversary of the loss of a very important person in my life, I hope to teach my children what she taught us. Christmas is the time to get together, put hatred aside, and remember what the season is all about. I remember living nativity scenes and plays. I am hoping to hunt down The Best Christmas Pageant Ever because I think it is a GREAT play but teaches a lot. I doubt we will put a tree up this year but it is mainly because Chloe is into EVERYTHING right now and I don't feel like fighting with one more thing. lol Welcome to the holiday season and I hope everyone has a blessed end of the year!

It's been 7 years

2011-11-24T07:42:00.001-06:00

7 years ago I was in hard labor at the point I am writing this. My younger sister and my husband were in the delivery room and there was a FOOT of snow in the outside world. My doctor was unable to make the trip from the other hospital to the one I was delivering in. He was came quick and hasn't slowed down. In the last 7 years he has developed his own personality and yet is still sensitive to the desires of others. He is quick to share and is excelling in his learning. He loves card games such as Bakugon and Yu-Gi-Oh. I don't ever think he will have enough match box cars. He constantly amazes me on the things he understands at his young age. I can't believe he is 7 years old. The time seems to have flown by. So as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I have so many things to be thankful for ... one of them is my baby boy, Jeremy Lee, Jr. Happy birthday baby boy!

Bad blogger am I

2011-11-23T00:41:00.001-06:00

I have done a lot of thinking about blogging ... not ANY blogging. lol. Guess that kinda happens when you have kids and get busy. I have 50 billion things racing through my head. So, want a little insight as to what's going on that has me so busy?

~ home schooling two children with 2 VERY different needs.
~ Keeping up with a 7 month old who thinks that she should either breastfeed every 2 hours or eat solid food (NOT baby food)
~ Keeping a house running well (*snort*)
~ Re-arranging 2 rooms due to acquiring some new furniture
~ Making several gifts for Christmas that I am SO excited to give
~ Planning field trips and activities for our winter co-op with the KC Homeschool group
~ Trying to figure out the perfect food combination for our two pups
~ Did I mention keeping a house running well?

Several of my friends have been dealing with severe trials in their life and I have spent a great deal of time in prayer for babies who have been through, or are still going through, a lot. I look at Chloe and realize she could have the same problems in just a blink of an eye. I need to be grateful for every moment of every day. So with Thanksgiving being just around the corner (and my baby boy turning 7 o.O) here is just a basic list of what I am grateful for:

1) My VERY supportive husband and my children that live, and don't live, with me.
2) The fact that I have been nursing for 8 months regardless of the trials.
3) The fact that my husband has a job that allows me to stay at home.
4) Children who want to learn at home as much as I want to home school.
5) My church family who offer a place of sanity and help when I need it - even from people not in my ward!
6) Having a vehicle that I OWN, not lease.
7) The ability to sew and provide for my family
8) My online friends who provide humor when I need it and help me find grounding.
9) My health!
10) The knowledge I have learned over the last year that money isn't everything and when pushed to your breaking point ... you find out who you really are and what you are capable of. That your mother and father are almost always right even when you can't see it at the time. That when you go back to the basics, you are so much happier.

I'm broke but I'm happy
I'm poor but I'm kind
I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah
I'm high but I'm grounded
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby
What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five
I feel drunk but I'm sober
I'm young and I'm underpaid
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah
I care but I'm restless
I'm here but I'm really gone
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby

What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be quite alright
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is flicking a cigarette
And what it all comes down to
Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving the peace sign
I'm free but I'm focused
I'm green but I'm wise
I'm hard but I'm friendly baby
I'm sad but I'm laughing
I'm brave but I'm chicken****
I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

And what it all boils down to
Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is playing the piano
And what it all comes down to my friends
Is that everything's just fine fine fine
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab

Fluff Planet!

2011-11-07T14:12:00.002-06:00

Many have known for awhile that I am more into natural parenting than mainstream parenting. Some people call it attachment parenting, being granola or crunchy, but I just call it being in tune with what my kids needs are. So I have been starting to get more and more excited about different areas. Some people get excited about new designs on disposable diapers ... well *I* get excited when I find cloth diapers that are WELL made and fit great. Oh, and a great cause to back them up!

So, let me tell you about my find. I love my find so much that after my tester diaper I purchased, I am purchasing another 7 diapers before the end of November. Best part about these diapers ... they are a one size so they will fit her until she no longer needs to be in diapers! YAY!

The company is called Fluff Planet. They don't only do diapers, they do everything cloth you can think of, but today I'm gonna talk about their diapers & wipes. First to talk about the company and why you should look into them. I met Kimberly in a birth board that moved to Facebook. We developed a solid friendship and when I found out she was going to be making diapers, I was interested. I have several patterns myself but not a whole lot of time so I prefer to make some and buy some. :) I bought a tester diaper from her and then started to look into her Work-At-Home business. She runs the business with a friend named Jessa. Here is a little of our interview and then my review on the diapers!

Me: Why did you two start Fluff Planet?

J&K: We kept hearing stories of moms who would be slow to change diapers or would reuse disposables because they didn't have enough money to buy more diapers. When we heard of a story of a child that was frozen to the floor of a house due to no heat and a wet diaper, we knew we had to do something. Unfortunately, making cloth diapers is not cheap and we couldn't do it without help.

Me: So how does you selling diapers help others in need?

J&K: For every item sold on Fluff Planet, a similar item will be donated. So if someone buys a diaper, we will donate a diaper or if you buy cloth wipes, we will donate cloth wipes.

Me: How do you hope to draw business with your costs being higher?

J&K: We run specials and will work with mothers who place large orders.

Me: Other than diapers, what are some products you guys make?

J&K: Wetbags, cloth wipes, nursing pads, burp towels, bibs, and snack bags just to name a few. We also repair old diaper's elastic and will change velcro to snaps.

Me: Thank you both so much for your time and all you do to help those with financial needs!

Now for my review of the diaper:

The diaper I purchased was a pink owl tester diaper. The material diaper itself is very well constructed. It has elastic on the legs and then also at the top pocket both on the inside fabric and outside. The PUL is hidden so they can use almost any fabric. The location and tightness of the elastic keeps it tight up against Chloe as she crawls and rolls. They do two layers of snaps so we have no wing drooping after awhile of wearing. Because it is one size they use cute snaps to adjust the length. They have all sorts of different colors of snaps for the diapers. We have washed the diaper several times and have had no problems with the PUL delaminating. They sent a care sheet with the diaper letting us know that the initial wash MUST be done before wearing because it needs to be washed on HOT and dried on HOT to seal the PUL. Now, our care for the diaper is the same as the rest of our cloth. We rinse in cold, then wash on hot, warm rinse, line dry. :)

Review of purchase process:

This has got to be my FAVORITE part of the company. You can purchase online. My next order will be partially done online but more with the ladies because I am placing a large order and true to their word, they are working with me for a deal. You can bet this means I will be going back. So, with my purchase I just did ... I ordered a custom OS Pocket diaper. My diaper is going to be a CUTE KSU diaper that Kim found a great print on. Can not WAIT for it to come in. Anyway, back to the process of purchase. I used their menu to get to the section of diapers I was interested in purchasing. They have several types of inserts that are an additional charge and as soon as my inserts get here, future inserts will not be needed. :) It can make things cheaper to purchase inserts separately in a co-op unless you are using just cotton or microfiber, so just keep your eyes out. :D Then the snap preference. I LOVE that they give you the option of choosing snap colors, although I LOVE using the surprise me method. Then you check out. SO EASY PEASY! They give you an email confirming your purchase as well.

Now for pictures!

The diaper on Chloe bird

Elastic on the pocket *one of my favorite parts*

The diaper *note the double layer of snaps*

Crazy week & weekend!

2011-10-24T00:30:00.001-05:00

This past week FLEW past! Of course most of the time I spent it counting down until this weekend.
Friday we got to go to Weston's Red Barn Farm with Maize Virtual Prep School and the kids picked pumpkins out. They also learned all sorts of different things about farm life. On the drive back to KS, we talked about everything we learned. I even let the kids know that I learned things I hadn't known before, so it is okay to constantly be learning things! On our way home, we went to Cider Hill Family Orchard to pick Golden Delicious apples. The kids learned how to use an apple picker and they ate about 10 apples as they picked apples for their bags! We finally ended the night with Adella cheering at a football game with the Shawnee Mission North Indians.
Saturday we drove to Wichita to spend time with my grandmother. The kids had a great time hanging out and playing Jenga. I remember sitting around the table as a child and playing Jenga. The kids had a lot of fun and Adella even challenged Jeremy to a few games! Chloe loved "crawling" around the floor and sitting on grandma's lap. We barely got back to KC in time to pick Johnny up from PetSmart! Long, fun day!
Today we COMPLETELY overslept the morning because Chloe slept in. HOLY COW! What a PERFECT day to sleep in! We did get our family photo shoot done today thanks to a WONDERFUL family in our 4-H club being so kind to do it for us. The weather could NOT have been better. The trees were all changing colors and Chloe had just finished a nap! Yup, PERFECT shoot.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Adella and her friend S showing off their pumpkin

JJ and his pumpkin ... oh and the hat was TOTALLY not needed ...

JJ using an apple picker

Adella using the apple picker

Adella checking which cheer they will be doing next

Great Grandma & Chloe Bird

Adella & Daddy playing Jenga

Adella Marvel - Age 8

Family Photos - Oct 2011

Jeremy Lee, Jr - Age 6 (almost 7)

9 1/2 yrs of marriage and still happy!

Chloe Eileen - Age 6 months

I love this photo of my family!

Daddy & JJ - I love this photo

IT'S FALL!!!

2011-10-17T23:26:00.002-05:00

Okay, so yes, fall started awhile ago but apparently Mother Nature hadn't gotten the memo. It was still 80's and 90's here and I kept patiently ... or not so patiently ... waiting for my weather. I LONGED for the 50's and 60's. I love apple cider and picking apples and pumpkin patches ...

I have, over the weekend, gotten all the home school stuff to the locking closet and am starting to work through the rest of my living room. I have been working on Christmas gifts and have several more complete or in the works. I am just super giddy.

On the agenda for this week:
~ Home School Art Co-Op
~ Talent Show at Church
~ Pumpkin patch in Weston, KS
~ Cheering in a Shawnee Mission North Football game
~ Visiting grandma
~ Celebrating my birthday!

Can you tell that I am SO excited that fall has begun? I am counting down until Alton Brown's book signing, Halloween, Crown Center's Ice Terrace opening day, and so much more!

This evening was productive!

2011-10-11T00:51:00.001-05:00

I made the pattern for the kids' bean bag chairs this evening. I also got 13 of 24 triangular portion of the panels made and 8 of 12 rectangular portion. I still have 3 shirts to cut up and then I need to buy some fabric to go with the shirts. We are mulling over the possibility of having an inner lining to our bean bag chairs and a zipper closing. That way we can take the cover off and wash it. Adding a zipper wouldn't be that difficult and so it is just a matter of if we can make it easy to get the insides out.

The other big yay for me today was I discovered how to turn a flannel receiving blanket into a diaper. I treated it as a flat and performed origami on it. It was great knowing that I don't have to stress when we get low on diapers. I normally push it because I need someone to watch Chloe while I am rinsing diapers. Well, the flats allow me to easily make it until my husband gets home and can take Chloe bird.

Now off to get a little more sleep than last night .... I hope. It is a good thing babies are so gosh darn cute!

Wow I have gotten busy!

2011-10-10T00:02:00.001-05:00

Fall is in FULL swing around here! We have so much on our plates and so many cool plans in place. The kids are excelling in home schooling and really enjoy the freedom they have. Of course, we are really enjoying having them around a lot more. I don't feel like I am missing them grow up anymore. We decided to go back to chore charts since I felt like I was falling further and further behind on the basic house cleaning ... the kids were more than happy to fill in the gaps. My house is finally getting to a better place. The kids just wash a load and then hang it to dry. Saves us a lot of money!

Jeremy and I went to see Bobby Flay talk and then I went to see Anne Burrell. We are looking forward to getting to see Alton Brown in a couple weeks. I am trying to take the hints they have been giving out to my cooking. Today I was able to chop an onion with ease. However, I did have a small bonus, my allergies are acting up so bad ... I couldn't smell a thing! lol.

Speaking of cooking ... I finally got going on Chloe's baby food. I still have pumpkins, yams, apples, peaches, squash, and yogurt to do BUT today I got 18oz of squash, 18oz of carrots, 40oz of pears and 16oz of apples made up and frozen. Chloe is eating about 9oz of solid food a day. Then of course she is still nursing about every 2-3 hours *we have tried to push her until 4 hours and that was a no go* and takes about 12oz in supplemental breast milk a day.

We have been discussing Christmas around our house and I think we almost have everyone planned out. I feel great. We have a budget of $200 for ALL gifts. I think we will stay under it. We are making things for the kids ... except for a Baby Bullet that we are buying for me to make Chloe's baby food easier.

Oh and the BIG announcement I have is that I am going to be doing business spotlights on my blog! I plan on buying from my crafty moms who have businesses that are either starting out or trying to grow. Then I am going to highlight the mom, the business, and include a review on the product. These products may or may not be local to KC. If you have a business that you are trying to get off the ground and would like some extra attention, email me or message me on Facebook.

Now hopefully to get back on track with blogging every day about our going ons! :D

My mind is spinning

2011-09-20T02:00:00.000-05:00

I sometimes hate my mind. I have days where I just can't sleep .... all because I get a ton of ideas running through my head. I have thoughts of trying to make my life just a little simpler ... have thoughts of making just a little extra money ... have thoughts of how to be just that mom that my children want and deserve. I ENJOY cooking, I always have. I am now taking that love for cooking and am now working to stock our freezer and pantry so that we will buy less processed food. This food will be that much healthier for us but more importantly ... when we are craving pizza, we don't have to drop $20 that we don't have on it. The first big step we have done was throw out ALL fast food coupons. We have changed our diet enough that now almost all fast food makes our insides just absolutely hate us. I am not saying that the food doesn't still SOUND good ... we just know better now!

The funny part though to my life, is that I suddenly enjoy being domestic! My mother made it a BIG deal to learn to sew when we were younger. She wanted to make sure we KNEW how to be domestic for when we left the house for college and beyond. I HATED it. I am not even sure if that is strong enough. It is just amazing what having children does to your desires. I have never been very girlie or into pink. With 2 girls, I now enjoy sewing, want to learn crochet, and have a LOT of pink in my house. What's funnier is that *I* purchased that pink stuff willingly ... and sometimes without my daughters being present!

I guess what I have learned over the last 9 years is that, never say you don't like something. Never get to that point where you refuse to believe you are capable of being that person. I am so glad that my mother made me learn. I am so glad that she made me a person who continues to drive to learn more and teach my children the same thing. I am glad I married a man who supports my whims and pushes me to dive into my desires. I know that I don't always make the right choices or say the right things .... but I am glad that I have people that stick around and help me keep on the right and keep that end goal in sight. People come and go in life ... but there are several that I am glad they choose to stick around through thick and thin, the good and the bad .... and offer advice and support ... mostly support!

So here is to a new direction in my life, let's see if I can't pull it off. It sure will be fun!

Crazy week!

2011-09-19T01:32:00.002-05:00

Well it is just before 1:30am and I am sure by the time I finish typing this entry, it will be close to 1:30 or after. *sigh*

This week has been a whirl wind. Things going good with the family, things going rough with the family ... things going great with me and then of course the things going bad with me. School is slowly ironing itself out. I hope next week will be even better since we have the kids school areas in their room complete. All we have left to do on JJ's room is his closet and the top of his dresser. In Adella's room, we are hoping to add a bookshelf or two for her books, the text books, and notebooks for 4-H. The kids are real excited about their school areas and hopefully having a designated work area will help them remain focused. At least it couldn't hurt!

This week has also been a week of re-finding myself. Jeremy has been a saint in trying to help me remember that not only am I a mom and wife ... I am a person. I have likes and dislikes. I have wants and needs. I have this knack of putting me on the back burner and constantly putting the kids needs and wants above mine. For the most part, that isn't a problem but after awhile, I do get burned out. I need just some time to myself. Unfortunately, my body decided to force the issue today and my back went out. I couldn't move at all this morning. It took an Aleve and a few hours before I could get my body to limber back up. In that time I talked with my sister-in-law about making fitted pocket diapers, covers, and other fun little things that we can make ourselves. I had this bright idea that I would start it tonight. Well, unfortunately, Chloe must have sensed that idea and just could not be consoled unless in my arms all night. So for tonight I get to stew with all these ideas running through my head. Boo hiss!

Well, Chloe is looking like she is stirring again and so I am going to go touch her to make sure she knows I am still here ... and yes, it is just after 1:30am which is way too late for me to be up!

Today was a better day

2011-09-13T23:07:00.001-05:00

I am far from perfect ... I don't even pretend that I am perfect. I try not to swat my children, I try to use various types of discipline (including letting the children come up with the consequences) ... but I have to admit, as much as I hate it, there is yelling in my house. This is one thing that I have been working on a LOT, especially since we have been prompted to home school. Yesterday we had to take a complete break from school for about 2 hours due to all over frustrations. Frustration on my end, frustration on the kids end and then me turning into monster mom ... or as I call it "a Kate day." These days bring out the worst in me. I spent a lot of time talking to my husband, our home teacher, and 2 of my really good friends who also home school. We tossed around SEVERAL ideas for using on Adella and her math. You see, Adella has this issue with learning ... she HATES the process. She likes to be able to just KNOW how to do something (read, do math, etc) and not have to work at it. She is a perfectionist and admitting that she is wrong is just horrid to her. I think of Adella as a nut .. you have to figure out exactly what tool is best used to crack her but when you figure it out, she spills out SO much goodness. So now that I have our tools, we are just going to tinker with each one to figure out that magic combination.

Which brings me to today. We had a complete 180 today. We opted to not do math first, in fact, I let Adella pick her first subject. After 2 short subjects, she dove into math and not only finished it in a short amount of time, but she also had NO errors. I was SO proud of her and seeing her BIG grin, immediately sent her off to choose whatever piece of candy she wanted from our candy stash. She choose a candy bar and had expected me to nix it but I told her it was fine. She needed to know that CHOOSING to move from a bad experience and CHOOSING to find the fun in it, led to good results. Needless to say the rest of the day flew for both Jeremy and Adella. Adella got one question wrong on her assessments for the day, landing a 96% for the day. While she didn't get the 100% she was looking for, the smile on my face and her ability to go play for several hours with her friends let her shake it off easily. We still have a few options in our back pocket to throw in there that will hopefully keep her happy to learn.

Just a quick bounce back, Adella always knows just the things to help lighten the mood and make everyone just a little bit happier. *my kids really do rock* Last night, while waiting for us to get her computer open and ready for her to blog ... she hip bumped me out of the kitchen and took over dinner for a little bit. She did a most excellent job of rolling dough out thin and filling it with the correct amount of filling for our bierochs. I am sensing pot pies in our future and possibly an assistant as I fill our deep freezers! Oh, and yes, it did lighten my heart and make me completely forget about my monster mom moment in the AM. So much easier to start fresh when you go to bed loving everything about your life and knowing you made the right choices.

I miss cross-stitching!

2011-09-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

I'm a mom, I'm a cook, I'm a teacher, I'm a wife, I'm a chauffeur, I'm an accountant, I'm a secretary .... I'm many things. I love EVERY aspect of my life, I really do ... BUT, I miss cross-stitching and crafting. I just haven't had time for it with everything else I do. I am waiting for the day when Chloe doesn't immediately think that my chair in the living room is nursing only. I will feed her and then try to relax in my rocking chair ... only to have her get all excited about eating again. Silly baby!! I have decided that she does nap during the day so maybe I can take one of those naps and work on a short project! I have been following my long friends at Stitching The Night Away who now have a blog. Well, they have had a blog, they just revamped it. This week they are doing a give-away because they have reached 1000 fans at their Facebook site http://www.facebook.com/StitchingtheNightAway. Check out the give-away!! http://www.stitchingthenightaway.com/1632/1000-fans-celebration-stash-giveaway/. They have an overall GREAT blog with free charts, helps, tips, etc.

My Heart Still Skips a Beat

2011-09-11T23:35:00.000-05:00

10 years ago today, my world changed ... as did many people's world. As I explained to my children, bad guys took over our planes and drove them into buildings and killed thousands of Americans. Then told them that some brave Americans prevented a plane from hitting the White House. Then I got to tell them that after 10 long years of battling, we finally killed the bad guy that was behind the attack. I know that I am skipping over a lot of details but I just don't want to ruin their innocence. I don't want them thinking they can't go out and play without fear.

I tell ya though, watching different documentaries today, reading through people's diaries, reading status updates .. my heart still skips a beat and my eyes still well up with tears. I ache for those who have lost loved ones. I ache for those who were there that day. I ache for those who have lost loved ones battling against a war that not everyone supported. A good friend of mine from 4-H signed up for the military right after 9/11 and was sent to Afghanistan. 2 years and 14 days after the terrorist attacks, his young wife was left a widow and a single mom of an infant. It breaks my heart. A lot of people compare 9/11 to Pearl Harbor, but after reading my older sister's blog about my grandparent's standpoint ... it reminded me, America at least KNEW there was a war going on. 9/11 caught us off guard. It was out of left field ... or as I call it, it was a low blow.

2001 ended really rough for my family. First we were rocked with 9/11 and then right before Christmas, my grandmother passed away. So, in response to my older sister's blog, and my wise grandfather's response to Pearl Harbor ...

9/11/01 marked 1 year after my husband and I started dating. 3 months later he got a job up in KC and we became engaged. So this anniversary of 9/11, I chose to remember that I have had a wonderfully supportive husband beside me through the worst of times and the best of times. We will celebrate our 10 year anniversary next May. As I wipe away my tears today from remembrance, I know that *I* still have a husband to hold me, *I* still have children that love me, and *I* still live in a free country. I don't think I could ask for more.

Back to the Real World

2011-09-06T23:32:00.000-05:00

Today is our first day back to the regular routine. We have had interruptions off and on over the past couple weeks and maybe it would have been better to just start school after Labor Day. Oh well, who would have known everything that transpired! The weather is just awesome so we have opened up the house and made schooling so much easier with crisp weather.

This evening we did a little food shopping and came home and altered our dinner plans just a touch. See, my good friend has a food blog called Dine & Dish and she blogged about a dump cake. Who knew ... I had all the ingredients, nevermind there were only 3 ... so I just HAD to make this. We were in need of sweets and peach is my husband's fave anyway. *note, Kristen and I go back a decade so check all her blog out, she really is superb!* We did a basic family favorite called Calico Rice, just rice, meat, onions, cheese and sour cream. Since we got started late on dinner, I didn't want to spend too much time on everything. Kids went out to play with their friends while we were prepping dinner .. I say, we, because apparently no matter how much I love cooking ... Chloe's hunger comes first!

However, AFTER dinner ... I let the kids work on their blogs. Adella was supposed to also email her older brother but got so wrapped up with blogging, I had to pull the plug! She really likes having an outlet to tell everyone everything without having to repeat herself or stutter. She decided she wants to blog when she gets older as a "job" and have a business page and everything. I can totally see her being able to do it too .... along with everything else she dabbles in! lol

Back to the Grindstone

2011-09-05T23:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a tumultuous week, it really has ... HOWEVER, it is time to get back into a routine and move on with life. I had a great time on Friday, Saturday and Monday with different family members. The kids have gotten to see family they never met, family they haven't seen for awhile, and then family they just love to spend time with. We finally have all our family members home: one husband, one wife, 3 children, and 2 doggies! I have got to say that I have seriously missed our Johnny Boy. It is amazing to think all that went on during the 6 days he was with my sister-in-law. The only bummer part of vacation time that is used, is I am not ready to give my husband back to his job! Tomorrow morning when I wake, I will be getting breakfast for free from Chik-Fil-A and then it is back to the grindstone for school. Routines are back in order and I am ready. The weather is awesome and the house has been opened up. We have learned that I need a couple kitchen gadgets soon so that I can start re-stocking my freezers. I need to purchase a tortilla press (we go through about 15-20 tortillas a week!!) and I want a Cut N' Seal from Pampered Chef.

I'm Back!

2011-09-04T23:48:00.002-05:00

It has been a really rocky week. My daughter got a new dog on the 27th, however, we lost a family member who was dear to my heart the same day. My grandfather left this world, leaving behind a big hole in many hearts. While I know this is not the end, I am sad my children will hardly remember him when they get older and barely got time with him. I have spent the last week spending time with family, reading family stories, and mourning over the loss of a man who meant so much to me. He lived 90 good long years and got to experience a lot. He also was a strong testament of love and loyalty as my grandmother and grandfather were married for almost 70 years. I am glad for everything I was able to learn and gain from his life.

This week, Chloe also cut her first tooth. It hasn't fully grown in but it is through the gums. So far, I am counting my blessings because she has not bit me. She is also starting to get interest in solids. She is growing up quickly.

The funeral for my grandfather was on Wednesday and immediately following we planned on heading to Manhattan, however it was 110 degrees there and we had no intention of taking the kids out in that heat! So instead of leaving for Manhattan on Thursday, we left EARLY on Friday morning. We spent all day at Mema's house and let the kids do school and then play. At 4:30pm we were off to Purple Power Play on Poyntz. We were decked out in tutus and bows and purple! The bows were made by a good friend of mine who just opened a business called Glow's Bows. Her website can be found on Facebook at Olive's Bowtique. I still have a couple of business cards left for her business, so if you want one ... let me know!

The best day of the trip, though, was Saturday! We started the morning off watching our nephew participate in his first cross country meet. The Eisenhower Eagles took 5th place overall BUT our nephew shaved 10 seconds off his time! We are so proud of him!! Then we took the kids back to my parent's house and they played with their grandparents and with the neighbor girl. Got soaked, helped make lunch, played doll ... so much excitement that Chloe crashed for 3 straight hours, and then slept the whole way home ... and then fell asleep for the night about 45 minutes after getting home!

Today, though, showed me that apparently I was just more exhausted than I originally thought. I slept 6 hours straight ... then off and on for another 6 as my wonderful husband took the kids for me. I woke and am now feeling FANTASTIC. I just didn't realize how bad I really was. Luckily, I was able to catch up during a holiday weekend!

Here is our menu for the week:
Sunday - Dine & Dish's Egg Breakfast Cup and waffles
Monday - Spaghetti
Tuesday - Calico Rice
Wednesday - Fried Rice with either chicken or beef (not sure yet)
Thursday - Leftovers (4-H night)
Friday - Unsure - Family Fun Night in Mission, KS so we will see what plans are
Saturday - Date Night - Will probably be doing a roast as hubby LOVES roast

Tomorrow is the Labor Day parade in Louisburg and then back to the grindstone. I'm going back to enjoying time with my family!

Saying goodbye

2011-08-30T23:58:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow will be one of the toughest days of my life. I am saying goodbye to a man who was influential in my life. He was my grandfather. And as I go to sleep with memories flooding back and the tears running down, I have realized to myself that he always looked at the bright side of life. Tomorrow, on the long drive to Wichita, as my husband drives, I will be reading my grandfather's autobiography to my children. My grandfather presented the stories to me 17 years ago. It also made me think, I need to write down my memories or my children won't know what to tell their children. So my husband and I will be starting a family challenge. Once a week, we will all write in a journal answering a question and then Jeremy and I will spend some time writing the beginnings to an autobiography. What about you? Do you write in journals? Will people know everything about you if you pass?

Taking a break

2011-08-29T21:49:00.000-05:00

I am sorry I haven't updated. I am taking a mental break and will be back this weekend sometime to update. There is a lot to going on and just not a lot to say about it. However, in getting my house back in shape, I have learned one thing ... I know not what is in doggy slobber, but it is a PAIN to remove from the windows of my vehicle! OH, and Miss Chloe LOVES to be all dolled up! Thanks to Glow's Bows and a wonderful friend of mine, Chloe and Adella have tutus and bows while I have a matching bow as well. Such bliss is a happy, squealing child!

Whew it has been a LOOOONG Day

2011-08-26T00:36:00.000-05:00

To start with the positive ... we have learned we need to take a different approach with Adella on school, or at least some subjects.

We started our day off GREAT. Kids got up on time without having to be awoken, got their chores done and breakfast downed. Then got out their religion work ... well, Adella got hers out, JJ lost his. :/ The day basically went downhill from there. JJ finished his work up just in time for lunch. Adella finished her math by lunch. Then all afternoon was spent doing reading, spelling, social studies, composition, etc. Needless to say, my nerves were shot by the time we finished. I left the house after dinner to get a slurpee to ease the nerves. I walked away knowing that I need to make some changes to I approach subjects with her and we need to get some practice sheets. Crawled in bed with her a few hours ago to make sure she was aware that no matter how frustrated we get, we still love her unconditionally. She, of course, snuggled right up and sighed. All is forgiven with that.

Dinner was a huge success. For the first time I made hamburgers that DIDN'T fall apart on the George Foreman. Normally I have to grill them on the griddle since they fall apart. Not tonight. YAY. Also fixed my blender and made YUMMY cucumber soup. I REALLY like this CSA thing. Really making me think outside the box on how to use different veggies. As soon as I get jars, I can make pickles with all these cucumbers I keep ending up with. I have the hot water bath cooker, just need jars, lids, funnel and tongs.

Well, tomorrow is going to come early so I am going to pump one last time and then go to bed. I thought I would leave you with my DAH-LING little girl with her Powercat bow on preparing for the pep rally next weekend. I can FEEL football season upon us. WAHOO!!

I love me some good fajitas!

2011-08-24T23:49:00.000-05:00

Today I was completely in a fog. I barely slept last night, the kids and I flew through the first half of lessons ... and then I had to crash due to no sleep last night. Then as soon as we finished lessons, I was off again. It was FAJITA NIGHT! We just don't do fajitas very often but I LOVE them. Normally we do them with steak but today we made chicken fajitas. I put the beans in the crock pot last night to soak and started them cooking at 10am this morning. Our fajitas sometimes are crock pot meals and sometimes, like tonight, not. I sauteed a green bell pepper, a yellow bell pepper and a red bell pepper with an onion that I had Julienned. Tortilla, rice, black beans, veggies, shredded chicken and a little sour cream (not on Adella's) ... oh and fresh pepper jack cheese for the boys. BLISS! Okay, so then I got our clipless coupons for Hen House and cookie dough is on sale for 99 cents. That is over $2 off! Woot. *side note, later found out I could have gotten it for free so I will be going back for more ... wink* Chloe wasn't having any of this watching us eat and then nurse business, I had to cave and finally start her on solids. She ate 2 TBS of applesauce without missing a beat. Then she nursed and fell asleep. *later woke because she pulled her own hair. Which apparently was NOT as amusing as I found it to be!* Then after telling the children that their failure to listen to directions through dinner and asking the same question multiple times, they lost the ability to help make cookies and since it was 8pm, they would not get any cookies until tomorrow. AND enter bad momma. Tired of dealing with the huge meltdown about cleaning up their rooms and they were so close to finishing. I finally walked in there with my phone acting as a timer. Told them that any child that had their room cleaned in 15 minutes got one cookie before bedtime. Yup, both kids had VERY clean rooms in 15 minutes. Bad parent or not ... bribery does work when you are wanting to end the day on a good note!

Need more hours in a day!!

2011-08-24T00:42:00.000-05:00

So today I finished day 2 of our home educating adventure. It was brutally hot again outside so we opted to do outdoor recess in the AM and indoor recess in the PM. Adella had a major case of feet dragging today and didn't finish school until after 4pm. Boo hiss for the teacher. She didn't seem phased in the least bit that her brother ended about 2 hours earlier than her. We have noticed that due to traditional schools using more and more online studies, Adella struggles in areas of math. She just does SO much better actually writing out problems and doing a lot of repetition. We are playing catch-up now but at least I get to see EXACTLY what she needs extra help with.

Since it was so hot out, I decided to call it a $3 loss and not go to the T-Bones game tonight with the kids. However, I had to do a quick on your feet thinking for dinner since we had planned to eat sandwiches and granola bars. I hate using our granola bars for eating at home so I saved making them for Friday when we will hopefully be making another attempt at being out of the house for dinner. Instead, I made eggs in toast because it is simple and delish. To fancy it up a little bit, I stuck a slice of ham on top as well as a tomato slice. On the boys' dishes, I put a few slices of cheese as well. Then served it with some canned fruit and called it good. Filled everyone up and there were a lot of smiles. I am calling it a success.

This evening I have made 2 loaves of wheat bread and currently have cinnamon rolls baking in the oven for breakfast. They should be hot when my husband eats breakfast and then I can re-heat them for the kids or they can just grab one after caring for their pets.

Oh, the other stuff I did today? Drank 112oz of water, cared for an infant, washed 23 diapers, started black beans soaking and started a package of ham, a package of cut up chicken, and a gallon of milk thawing. So, welcome to the world of a stay at home mom who is a full time mom, full time wife, full time teacher and needs a FEW more hours in the day to make life just a tad easier!

First Day Under Out Belts

2011-08-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

Well we have the first day of home educating under our belts. It really didn't go too badly but there are some things that I am hoping will iron out as time goes on. The biggest hold up is the fact Chloe did NOT appreciate not being the center of the universe and refused to nap more than 30 minutes all day. Yikes! We got off to a late start and then lost power for a few minutes due to a pretty hefty thunderstorm that came through. HOWEVER, with all those hold-ups, we STILL got JJ done with his lessons by 2pm and Adella was done by 3:15pm. I think our favorite subject today was Science. JJ had to figure out which fruit was which by using his sense of smell and touch only. Adella got to make craters in flour by dropping marbles of different sizes at designated distances.

So other home educators, I have a HUGE question for you about a very PETTY issue. *side note, I KNOW I should be counting my blessings since many would love the problem I have but I hope I explain myself well*
~ Adella and JJ want to do more work later in the evening and I am not in the mood to keep doing school stuff. I want a separation between school time and home time. Adella was very upset because she wanted to continue working on her cursive writing in her school notebook and I told her that all school supplies are put up after the last assessment is taken for the day and not touched again until we start in the am. Being an at home mom, I am in charge of the house, feeding an infant, cooking dinner, and everything else. I am SO glad they REALLY enjoy school so much they want to do it all the time, but I just really need to have a break. Any thoughts? Am I just being dumb and just should let them do school whenever? Is it abnormal for a person to want to have a set school time and then after hours just being a mom?

Change in eating habits

2011-08-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

Well, Adella has had to face the cold hard fact that she is lactose intolerant ... or at the very least, very sensitive. She drank a glass of milk today, not even all of it and she has been ill the rest of the day. I would think it was the milk but JJ drank the exact same milk and more of it and is still fine. She doesn't have a fever or any other symptoms. We knew there was a very strong possiblity of this as she was extremely lactose sensitive from birth to about 18 months. We thought she had grown out of it though since she has had cheese, ice cream, milk, etc since then with relatively few problems. The past few months though, we started to notice she became more and more intolerant. I am not sure if she can have small amounts of lactose or not, so we are starting her on the cleanse of no dairy for 2 months. This will be incredibly hard for not only her but me as a mother trying to figure out what she can and can not have. We are going to start with the major culprits: chocolate, liquid milk, cheese, sour cream, ice cream and yogurt. As far as bread or other things that use powdered milk or very limited amount of milk in it and it has been cooked (cookies, etc) we are going to try letting her have.

I am going to attempt to keep up with my menu plans again but we will see how things go since I start teaching tomorrow bright and early!

Sunday - Tater Topped Casserole
Monday - Hamburgers with Tomato, Melon, Cucumber Salad
Tuesday - Sandwiches and granola bars *T-Bone's Game*
Wednesday - Chicken Fajitas & Black Beans
Thursday - Homemade Bison Burgers served with Chilled Cucumber Soup
Friday - Packed meal that we will take to the zoo for Sunset Safari
Saturday - Date night ... this is a spur of the moment dinner usually for us. :)

Just a quick post!

2011-08-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

Well last week was a blast! I had my kids home and we had activities that we attended. The weather burned a couple of our plans but that is okay. We met our new pediatrician yesterday afternoon and while we came to the same conclusion ... Chloe burns WAY too many calories a day and we have GOT to figure out how to get more calories in her. HOWEVER, the difference between new ped and old ped ... her immediately discussion was how to get my supply higher, how to get it higher calories, or how to get so I could pump and supplement more breast milk. YAY! I can TOTALLY take that. Either way, Chloe is now 11lbs and we will have a weight check in 2 weeks. She is waiting on the records from the old peds office to get to her so we can really see where we are at and where to go from here.

Today was our annual family birthday party. I stayed up late last night to make brisket and ice cream. Well the ice cream maker wasn't completely frozen yet so I had to scrap that and restart in the AM. The party got off to a late start but turned out great. The best picture EVER taken that day was Chloe sitting on Lady Diane, our in-laws new dog. She is a newfie/lab mix and the sweetest girl ever. Chloe LOOOOOVES dogs and was SO upset that she hadn't had a chance to pet her so we made Lady stand still and Chloe just petted her and petted her. Well, it was mentioned that Chloe could ride her so I sat her on top ... she grabbed the collar and Lady's ear ... well you just CAN'T pass up that photo op! LOL. I am waiting for my SIL to send me the picture.

This evening Adella went to her BFF's house for a sleep over and JJ played outside with our neighbor boy. I am not sure I am 100% ready for Monday but real life has to hit some time. My kids are more than ready so here we go!

Wow, the calendar just exploded!

2011-08-17T00:46:00.000-05:00

As I plan the kids schedule for home schooling, tentative plans for the first few weeks until we get a feel on how long each subject will take, I started to look for things outside the house to let them get involved with. We have signed up with KC Homeschool, which is a group that encompasses the entire KC Metro. They have co-ops and clubs and other such events. Of course we are also doing things with the other children in MVPS. Between those two AND all the other free or nearly free things to do in KC (see kcmetromoms.com for a GREAT calendar of events), my calendar just went "poof". It is so awesome living in a place where the kids can be SO involved in SO many different things. This weekend is our family party which I am in charge of. Then we are going to the zoo the following weekend and all the sudden it is Labor Day Weekend! Holy Cow! HOWEVER, we have been counting down until Labor Day weekend because we have plans ... HUGE plans and they would NOT be completely possible without two REAL good friends of mine. One of them has her own business called Glow's Bows and because of her, not only will Chloe look ADORABLE, Adella and I will have matching bows. We bought a bow and purple crocheted headband for Chloe to wear to go with a tutu that a friend of mine is making for us. Then she offered us a deal we just could NOT pass up on to have matching bows. She has already finished them because she kicks serious butt! If you EVER have a bow need, I urge you to go to Glow's Bows. She gets your bows done in a VERY reasonable time, has a LOT of mediums to chose from and she is just darn good! Here are what my bows look like ...

Are those not the cutest things EVER???

The Curriculum Came!

2011-08-16T00:38:00.000-05:00

Not a moment too soon, the curriculum for Calvert School came today. The kids helped me sort through it all and get it ready to start school on Monday, the 22nd. I sat down and figured out our tentative schedule and what supplies we still needed to buy. The kids are so excited to actually get the ball rolling on school this year. It is still surreal to have them home with me and not drive to and from the elementary school. I bought a teacher's planner so that I can plan my weeks out a little better and know what I need to purchase for that week before it hits. We will be starting our day with scripture study, which I am hoping will lead to a more peaceful day. We are following the seminary classes and studying the Old Testament. I purchased a workbook for $20 from Discover the Scriptures that works with the Stories from the Old Testament available online at LDS.org. The lesson plan is supposedly only 9 weeks long so we will see if it takes us longer or if I add more to the program. That will only get me through the first quarter of the school year so that just won't do.

Speaking of quarters and figuring out what I want to do, is physical education. I do know that we are putting the children in swim lessons but those are only 6 weeks long. Again, not nearly long enough to last the entire school year. So my options are to either put them in more than once, or to figure out other things to put them in. We are still waffling on what we want to do. Swim lessons, gymnastics, flag football, martial arts, man the list goes on and on for different possibilities. I guess this is something we will have to talk about and pray about before putting money down. We do know that swim lessons before the end the school year will be a must since they are old enough for the big kid section of the pool and I would like to take Chloe into the baby pool without fearing about the other two.

So, moving on. As I have stated on Facebook, I am ordering a bow through Glow's Bows for Chloe and I LOVE it. She has made my year and come September 1st and 2nd, I will blog ALL about it ... along with pictures. I am SO freakin' excited!! I just can't wait to tell everyone all about it so stay tuned!

End of the Week!

2011-08-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

I am too wiped to type to much so I will do a quick sum. Today was our annual family reunion in Amsterdam, MO. We love going every year. This year I made sheet cake in exchange for some deviled eggs from my mother. It was a huge hit. We came home, dropped husband off and did a few chores and then took off to the ballpark. Today was one of the 2 games where tickets for the berm will be $1 by using the new app for the T-Bones. The game was HORRIFIC to sit through the first few innings. We were getting CREAMED. Then, the boys stepped up and started to really play some good ball. Ended the game with the bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, full count BUT only 1 out. Then Kala Ka'aihue came and brought 2 boys home and we won 8 to 7. THAT is a ball game. THAT is why I LOVE going to games. The weather was beautiful too. The kids ran the bases after the game and we came home. I am sore and exhausted but what a GREAT week!

The fair is done!

2011-08-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

Our family's first full year in the fair and my first year as a 4-H parent has successfully ended. Last night Adella stayed with her 4-H club following the meeting to work the food stand. I went back to pick her up at 9:30pm. She had a GREAT time and we got to take JJ to iHop for dinner. Oh, and she was elected song leader by her 4-H club.

Today was the parade. Adella was selected to be Dorothy and she sat front and center on the float, waving to both sides of the street. SOOOO cute! JJ watched the parade and got a TON of candy, 3 ice pops and we bought an ice cream sandwich for him and daddy for only a $1 each. I also purchased their fair shirts because they are adorable this year.

Summer Vacation is Ending

2011-08-11T23:12:00.000-05:00

Even though we are going to be "home educating", my kids are sensing the end of the summer. I put that term in parenthesis because we are using a chartered public school known as Maize Virtual Preparatory Academy. It is a public school based out of Maize, KS but is a virtual school. The kids have a teacher assigned to them so they will have that access if needed. We are starting, hopefully, August 22nd. However, most schools are back in session as of Monday morning at 8am. That means pools are closing or going to reduced hours. This past summer we attended Sylvester Powell Community Center's family fun nights and on the last night they held them ... they gave away pool passes to the Mission Municipal Pool. We ended up with a total of 7 passes so we got to go for free SEVERAL times this summer. We went to their free nights on Wednesdays for Aqua Jamz and then today was the second time we got to use our pool passes. There weren't many people there so the kids really got the run of the place. Adella spent much of her time on the slide and the diving board. She ran into a friend of hers that she hadn't seen in so long, they had forgotten they knew each other. *how sad!* JJ hung out in the baby pool for awhile and then I finally caved and let him go to the big kids pool cause his pals were moving to that pool. I have to be honest, he was ready for the big kids pool ... it was me that wasn't ready for him to be that grown up yet! *sigh*

Watching my children splash and play in the pool without a care in the world reminded me exactly how happy I am that I get to be at home with them and watch them grow. It reminded me that I need to be more diligent about thanking my husband for slaving many hours and supporting him in every way he needs to make his life just an ounce easier. Is being a mom easy? Heck no. But being a working parent who is supporting EVERYONE else is not easy either. Sure he isn't here to pick up the mess he helps make, he isn't here to help break up the fights and the bickering, he isn't here to run all the errands or even help with the errands ... BUT, he is here when I need a shoulder to cry on, he IS here when his children want to tell him about their day and he IS at almost EVERY important event they have. He sacrifices sleep to go to things that are VERY important to them. To me, that is SO much more than forgetting to put socks in the hamper ... or a dish in the sink. To me, that is the world. Why? Because it puts smiles on the kids faces and it reminds me that housework will be there when we get home ... or will be there on the weekends when I do have an extra hand to help out. So, to all the fathers out there (or mothers with sahds) THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!

LONG but FUN 2 days!

2011-08-11T01:09:00.000-05:00

The last two days remind me why I LOVE being a kid (well ... I guess having kids keeping me a kid at heart). Monday was simply the first day of the fair ... the real fun started on Tuesday!!
We got to the fair at 2pm and Adella went in for her conference with the photo judge. She found out she got a blue on all three photos which was GREAT! Her barn picture had the leading line go across the page instead of heading into the barn. Her picture of JJ at t-ball practice would have been better if she completely chopped off the sides so JJ was the only thing in the photo. Finally, her swirl picture would have been perfect if she had chopped the people out and simply stuck to the swirl. The judge was impressed at Adella's knack for photography at this age. *proud momma strut* Her posters almost faired as good. Her self-determined poster for skating got a blue, while her poster for Health/Wellness got a red. She just needs to work on slowing down and taking a little more care in writing and tracing letters. They were both very cute and very creative ideas. The judge loved the photos she drew on them as well. Adella is already looking forward to next year. *another proud momma moment* After all that, we chatted and walked around. Finally had the kids register for the pedal pull (which they both failed at due to being short) and prepared for the Family Fun Night. Adella was a 1/2 lb too heavy for mutton bustin' but she didn't seem to care too much at all. She cheered on the other kids and laughed as they hung on for dear life. JJ never has shown an interest in mutton bustin' so he has always enjoyed watching them goof off. After the first round of mutton bustin' was calf scramble. Adella LOVES the calf scramble even though she has yet to win. She listens to Grandma Mo give her tips on the best way to get a calf cornered for a ribbon off their tale. JJ is excited that next year he gets to do the calf scramble because he will be 7 years old! Then after another round of mutton bustin', it was time for the greased pig competition. My kids get down and dirty for this one. JJ will literally dive into the dirt for those poor little piglets! Adella ended up helping catch and carry the final pig but there was a "misunderstanding" on how the pig was caught and carried so she ended up with no reward. I fixed that with a dollar in her pocket. The kids exchanged a few words before us parents stepped in and set everyone straight. Argument over, what's done is done, and we move on. Quick rebound when reminded that the entire night was about family FUN! However, the evening ended on a sour note when my van battery was dead. After about an hour of finding cables, finding a vehicle to jump it, cleaning the battery off, etc ... we were on our way home. Whew, another year done!

Tonight was another FUN night. I won tickets from KCMetromoms.com which is one of my FAVORITE web blogs. My friend Candy started this blog a few years back and I have been a member since the start of it ... I do believe we were friends PRIOR to the blog as well. I took a gamble and answered a question in HOPES that I might win tickets to tonight's T-Bone's game. I was OVERJOYED when I found out I did. I ran out the door and told the kids that they needed to get things together so we could start getting ready to go to the ballgame. They counted their money they had been saving for a fun summer event and found out they had $7. So, after begging that I let them, they spent the money on a sno cone and Dipping Dots. Now, Adella actually had $5 and JJ had $2 but there was some issues that occurred the night before and Adella felt terrible, so she split her money so JJ could get a sno cone. It was SO big that JJ not only shared with her (and me) but also to a child he ended up be-friending tonight. The boys stayed paired up and played catch on the field after the game. *cue another proud momma moment* T-Bones didn't win but I could not think of a better way to enjoy the end of today. I absolutely LOVE my kids and LOVE the fact that they take HARD lessons in life and turn them around. It reminds me of a song in Sound of Music ... "somewhere in my youth, or childhood ... I must have done something good ..." *sigh*

*side note - this week is only HALF over!!!*

Another Fair Day DONE!

2011-08-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

Today was the first official day of the Johnson County 4-H Fair. Foods were judged from 1-9pm in the elementary school while across the street, the 4-H building was opened up for entries to be dropped off for everything else but animals. We decided not to go until nearly 4pm and it was PERFECT timing. The lines were next to none and we got in and done within 30 minutes. Wowza. Adella entered Marvel's Chocolate Chip Cookies for her drop cookies, Mema's Oatmeal Fudge for no bake cookies and then a strawberry cupcake recipe I found online that didn't require a food processor for her unfrosted cupcakes. She got a blue on all of them and we couldn't be happier. The judge gave her some great tips for things to work on next year and Adella is already starting to think about what she wants to learn next year in Food's!

After we were done with the foods, we chilled in the car for about an hour while we waited for it to be time for entries to be accepted. We did photos first and we should be doing interview judging between 2-2:30pm ... maybe a little later, we will see. Then we had to wait around for General to start accepting gifts ... so, what do you do with 2 little ones while buying time? Take pictures!!

LOL! Anyway, posters were entered and unfortunately, they are NOT doing conference judging at all in the General division. Big boo to that! Tomorrow is bound to be a long day but SO exciting! Judging, browsing, pedal pull, calf scramble, catching greased pigs ... a little fair food ... yup, BEST time of the year EVER!

Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Week

2011-08-06T23:18:00.006-05:00

Well, actually it is the end of the World Breastfeeding Week, BUT today marks 2 things for our family. First, Chloe has officially been the longest nursed child AND we participated in the Big Latch-On.

Chloe turns 4 months tomorrow and even though we have had our trials, we are almost completely off supplements and she is really getting a deeper suction and more effecient at nursing. Not to mention it is what she enjoys. Since she is better at nursing, I took the gamble and participated in the Big Latch-On today which is an attempt to set a world record with the largest group of women nursing their children at the same time for a full minute. Chloe passed the test with flying colors by falling asleep.

However, that wasn't the only thing we did today. Adella got to go to her friend's birthday party and not only was it at Skate World ... it was the 80's theme. I was bummed I didn't have a crimper OR hairspray BUT .... we DID have fun. She put her hair in a pony tail on the side of her head and used washable hair color sticks & sprays turning it pink, yellow and purple. We had her wear an oversized shirt and put a hair tie on the side since we didn't have one of those shirt buckles. I put some small dangle earrings in her since she isn't quite ready for long dangles and finally topped her off with make-up, including that electric blue eye shadow that was famous in the 80's. She had a GREAT time. She didn't make it far in limbo due to her hair BUT she didn't even care. My favorite photo of her today was when she put on the rock star glasses her friend handed out to everyone in the birthday party. I don't think I could trade my kids' smiles I have gotten this week for the world. JJ gave me a great one at the SUPER hot baseball game and Adella gave me hers today at the party. Chloes ... well, she gives me one almost everytime she eats!

*well wanted to upload a picture but blogger isn't playing nice today.*

Time is a-ticking!!

2011-08-06T00:10:00.002-05:00

The fair is upon us!! Last Saturday was clothing and fabric arts judging and Adella entered a pair of pajama pants. She got a blue on the construction and a blue on her style review. She knows that next year she will need to work on the following things: making sure her lines are straight and she starts where she stopped if she has to correct a seam, work on posture and knowledge of caring for the garment. While she is slightly bummed she didn't get a purple, we have told her multiple times that a blue is AWESOME for the first year in 4-H.

This week we have been designing, altering, and shopping for her posters and pictures to enter for the fair. She came up with the initial design for her two posters and then with the aide of Grandma Mo and mommy, we have tweaked her design enough to get her more points for creativity and educational value of the poster. She has a LOT of work to do on them tomorrow so we won't be up all night on Sunday (which still might happen if we have food snafus). Her pictures, however, are all set and ready to take on Monday night. Spent an entire afternoon measuring the tops and the sides to make sure those suckers fit the guidelines PRECISELY! Talk about anal. Anyway, I think her photos look great this year and I am very excited to see if the judge is as excited as we are. We have been over the fact that photographs are just like art and some people just don't get it or don't like it. She will need to be prepared for that.

This entire week has been breastfeeding awareness week and I have struggled for MONTHS with Chloe on nursing and my supply. Things have FINALLY gotten better. We still have a couple bad days now and then but she is almost completely eating from me now. To celebrate the end of breastfeeding awareness week, there is an event called The Big Latch-On tomorrow morning. Moms across the United States are all meeting in designated locations at the same time and are going to attempt to set a world record for the most moms nursing at one time. I am very excited to be able to participate in this endeavor.

Well, I am going to catch a few zzz's and let my back recover from bending over and measuring, and re-measuring lines to help Adella have the best posters possible. This wraps up such an eventful week of VERY hot baseball game attendance, swimming, Fashion Revue (where Adella walked off the stage before they were done reading her paragraph *eye roll*) and shopping. Adella is SO exited for her first year in the fair that it is all she has been thinking about .... well, outside of the fact she is finally big enough to enter the big kids' pool AND go off the diving board (give momma a heart attack) AND go down the big tube slide. Yup, my little girl is growing up. Next year, both kids will be full blown 4-Hers. Holy cow. :/

Hello August ... STILL HOT

2011-08-02T00:44:00.002-05:00

Okay .. this heat has officially overstayed it's welcome! We have basically had 2 straight weeks of heat! May be longer than that but I honestly can't remember a cool day right now. Yikes!!

The fair has started and we have crossed the first hurdle. Adella's pajama pants she made this year were judged on Saturday. She received a blue ribbon on the construction which is AWESOME since we had a snafu late Friday night. She did awesome in her interview and I wasn't allowed to watch the model so I'm hoping she beamed there too. We will find out on Thursday night what ribbon she got when we go to the Fashion Revue. Then Monday, foods will be judged. Tuesday, we are hoping for GREAT weather as we will be at the fair grounds from 8 in the morning until 11pm! uuuuugh. Adella has 3 photos and 2 posters that will be judged. Then that evening is the Family Fun Night. The kids are going to be doing the pedal pull, greased pigs and calf scramble for sure. The only iffy is the mutton bustin'. Adella is right on the edge of the weight limit and they over lap the line for weigh-in and sign up with the pedal pull.

Well, tomorrow night, regardless of the super heat, we are going to a Royal's game for the simple fact I couldn't sell the tickets that we had ordered back in June. Yeesh. The things I do for these kidlets.

Oh My Gosh IT IS HOT!!!

2011-07-23T20:43:00.003-05:00

The past few days it has been over 100 degrees actual temperature and I just don't feel like doing ANYTHING. Luckily it has been a dry heat, not a humid heat so you can stand to be out in it for short spurts. For example
~ Thursday despite the heat, I took JJ to Mahaffie Stagecoach & Farm to help with the wheat harvest. He had a GREAT time. The minute the horse drawn "combine" started pushing out piles of hay, he was there helping the employees tie the bundles up and carry them to the side of the road. He helped rake the downed wheat in the the piles and would run back and forth to get more twine. He learned how bread was made in the olden days and got to ride in a stagecoach.
~ Tonight was our ward bbq to celebrate Pioneer Week. I wasn't going to go BUT I heard that it wasn't going to just be hamburgers and hot dogs ... husband mentioned the word BRISKET. You just don't turn down brisket and pork loin. So we went and had fun. Let the kids drench themselves in water. Chloe is just happy as a clam in this heat. I can't figure her out at all!

It is HOT out there!!

2011-07-19T23:54:00.002-05:00

Whoa Nelly it is hot out there. I couldn't bring myself to cook anything major for dinner tonight so I put our chicken in the crock pot with some fresh squash and some onions. Made some rice and called it good. It was DELISH and it didn't heat up the house. Complete score. Jeremy got home real early today which allowed me to go to the gym a little earlier. Unfortunately, my body is beat from the gym! I am soooo sore. We ended the day at Community America Ball Park with the a lot of the MVPS staff and some fellow students. It was VERY toasty but after about an hour and a half in, it started to cool down with the breeze and shade. Chloe nearly had a ball land on her head .... but it turned out to be a nerf ball and the guy behind our row caught it and gave it to Chloe. We all thought they were throwing out baseballs and so we were all on guard. The ball game was long, lasted 3 hours, however, it was a great time and we won! YAY. I am pooped so I am calling it a night. Tomorrow I am taking JJ to Mission Pool for free swim from 6-8pm, while daddy and Adella have Activity Nights together this week!

Finding the Silver Lining

2011-07-18T19:08:00.002-05:00

This heat is HORRID. It makes my kids act up, it makes me not want to do anything, I gotta find stuff in the house for the kids to do ... BLAH! So, I learned last week that the local Y's act as cooling centers between 1-4pm. While childwatch is closed, they are free to the public for cardio equipment, weights, and pool. I mentioned to DH yesterday that I would like to get my butt to the gym if possible this week since it was free, and he made it happen. As soon as he got home, I jetted over to the nearest Y and hopped on an elliptical. 30 minutes later, I hopped off. I was worn out and sweating up a storm (which is funny since I went to the cooling center to heat up!) BUT I felt awesome. I came home and got dinner cooked and am now looking at hopefully starting some laundry. Tomorrow I am hoping to get to the gym again, so I am going to do a crock pot meal for dinner. We are going to a free T-Bones game in the evening, well the kids and I are, with Maize Virtual Preparatory School. It is going to be HOT so I am planning to bring some extra cash to buy water there and then just refill the water at the fountains. I might sneak some water in Chloe's cooler bag for her breast milk. :D

Other things on our agenda this week:
~ Free swim in Mission
~ Sewing Class
~ Helping harvest wheat
~ Zoo Trip
~ T-Ball
~ BBQ
~ Trip to Wichita

Would LOOOOVE for the weather to tone it down a tad between now and Sunday.

yeah, I will get better

2011-07-17T22:03:00.002-05:00

I am a terrible blogger. I should be good since I have about an hour to myself in the evenings now but I just never think about blogging when I am relaxing. I am writing for another blog now so I don't really have an excuse not to get over here and blog. So, tonight I sum up and then tomorrow, I will work on keeping up.
~ May - school ended. Attended Jiggle Jam at Crown Center
~ June - Adella went to 4-H camp and I watched her friend a few days out of the month.
~ 1/2 half of July - started doing family meetings and family activities on Fridays. Preparing for the fair.

Today we went to the 2nd Annual Touch-a-Truck event at Overland Park Convention Center. This is one of the kids all time FAVORITE events. They get to jump into semi trucks, play on tractors, look in ambulances, see local artists, and much more. My good friend, Candy, with KCMetromoms always does a great job promoting this event. We brought food for Harvesters and then released the hounds ... I mean kids. ;) Had a really good day overall. Ate WAY too much high calorie food so we will have to REALLY watch our numbers this week to end on a good note. Lots planned for this week so expect may pictures up on Facebook!

First Stab at Couponing!

2011-05-20T14:48:00.006-05:00

I don't think I did too bad. I have to go to a different CVS as I NEED my Vit D and they only had one bottle at the one I was at. Well it is Buy One, Get One FREE and I have a $1 off coupon as well! So, I have to get it this weekend. Also, need to go check a sale ring up at Walgreens cause it appears I was shorted a $10 off sale with Reward's Card but I'm not 100% sure so gonna double check. So I will blog later on the ACTUAL spending and savings plus percentage. But right now we are at spent $123.43 and saved $141.69 at 3 locations. Here is the breakdown:

Spent $0 and saved $20 at New Chinatown

Morgan's Deal had a deal for $10 for $20 worth of food. Then my ValueMail had a coupon for $10 off Morgan's Deals. So I got $20 worth of food for $0!!

CVS (spent $39.90 and saved $58.71)

2 AirWick Freshmatic Odor Detect Systems - they were on clearance AND I had a coupon! (saving $11 PER system)

10oz Dawn Botanicals dish detergent (paid $.77)

2 Vit D/Omega 3 Gummy Vites for Adella (BoGo FREE - saving $12.29)

Tide To Go Pen ($1 off)

Lady Speed Stick ($1.40 off)

2 B Complex (BoGo FREE + $1 off coupon ... savings of $8.89)

2 Right Guard Total Defense 5 (BoGo coupon + In Store Sale ... savings of $6.19)

52 Aleve Liquid Gels (Bonus box + In Store Sale + Coupon ... Got the box FREE!)

And THEN ...

I had a coupon for 25% off my entire purchase! *too bad I have to visit another CVS for more meds ... maybe I can print another coupon. I will read the policy*

Walgreens (spent $83.53 ... saved $62.98 - again, I believe this is wrong)

2 Old Spice Body Washes (In Store sale + coupon)

Gillette Mach3 Disposable Razors (In Store sale + coupon)

CoverGirl Volume Exact Black Mascara (Clearance + coupon)

Pantene Shampoo & Conditioner (In Store Sale + coupon)

2 Gillette Body Washes (In Store Sale + coupon)

Head & Shoulders Shampoo & Conditioner (Buy Shampoo, Conditioner is free)

Dawn Dishwashing Detergent (Coupon)

Bounty Towels 1 Ct (Coupon)

Gillette Shaving Gel (In Store Sale + Coupon)

Finish Powerball Tabs (In Store Sale + Coupon)

Oral B Advantage (Coupon)

Colgate 360 2ct (Coupon)

Gillette Deodarant (In Store Sale + Coupon)

Gillette Fusion ProGlide (In Store Sale + Coupon + Register Rewards = .99)

3 Scotch Tape ( Buy 2 Get 1 free + 2 $1 off coupons = savings of $3.99)

AirWick Freshmatic Refill (Coupon - cheaper than price at CVS)

Oral B Glide Pro-Health (Coupon + In Store Sale)

Excedrin Migraine (Coupon + In Store Sale)

Excedrin Tension (Coupon + In Store Sale)

Excedrin Extra Strength (Coupon ... no in store sale??? - yup, checking!)

Got another coupon for next purchase

Emotional Day

2011-05-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

I am not going to lie, today I have really struggled. I am struggling with very limited sleep, I am struggling with 2 children who really need me to listen as much as I used to with less time, I am struggling with a little girl who is growing up but is still a child, and I am struggling with a baby who is very colicky. I ended the day in tears. I have everyone in bed but I am not sure how long the peace and silence in this house is going to last, so I will try to type fast. Chloe is almost 100% refusing formula but she doesn't seem to be completely satisfied on breastmilk, at least with nursing, right now. I am going to try to tackle that problem with a phone call to the lactation consultant tomorrow. I have a manual pump so I will plan on pumping right before I go to sleep tonight so I have some milk in the fridge when Chloe wakes during the night. I am hoping with how much she was awake and crying today that she will sleep a LONG time tonight!
JJ got to hang with his Sunday School teacher this afternoon and they made cookies so it was nice for him to be completely the center of attention for a few hours. I, of course, drowned my sorrows in homemade cookies this evening before bed.
Adella walked home for the second time today ... however, she didn't make it home. Poor girl got turned around and turned right instead of left. She ended up a good distance from the house but was smart and asked for help from a couple who wanted to help her cross a VERY busy intersection. They stayed with her after calling the police to help her out. The police called us and she got to ride in a cop car home. She was SO upset that she had gotten turned around and was so worried that we would miss her and not know what to do. I got concerned at 4pm when she wasn't home, cause that is what time she should have gotten home, but that was the time the police arrived. We informed Adella that we would spend the next few days driving the route, again so that she will become more familiar and we will write out the directions along with some markers to know she is going the right way. We are also going to put a simple phone on our plan that she can keep in her backpack turned off, JUST in case she needs to call us. After we went over everything and she had time to calm down, she and JJ were back outside to play. I am secretly hoping she realizes that walking home with her bff is just as cool as walking by herself. :)

Outside of the screaming, the scare, the whines, and the clutter ... I got to cook. Normally dinner de-stresses me but unfortunately, Chloe wouldn't allow me that treasure today. BUT dinner was YUMMY none-the-less. I turned to my Taste of Home 2009 Annual Recipes again and made their Orange Chicken with Sweet Potatoes. Yes, grandma, the person who DESPISED yams now LOVES them. We used bone-in chicken thighs instead of boneless chicken breasts because that is what we had easily on hand. I liked how the orange flavor was VERY faint but helped accent all other flavors. Here is the recipe.

Orange Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2/3 c plus 3 TBS flour, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 TBS butter
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 c unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms (or more if you are mushroom crazy like us)
Hot cooked rice

1) Layer the sweet potatoes in a slow cooker. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2/3 c flour and the seasonings. Add the chicken, one piece at a time and shake to coat.
2) In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken in butter for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Arrange chicken over sweet potatoes.
3) Place remaining flour in a small bowl. Stir in soup, juice, sugar and peel until blended. Add mushrooms and pour over chicken.
4) Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees and potatoes are tender.
5) Place hot rice on a plate or in a bowl. Top with sweet potates and then the chicken. Ladle the "gravy" over all and enjoy.

Food & Growing Up

2011-05-10T19:17:00.002-05:00

Well, I am going to combine two posts cause I didn't get around to blogging last night. I had such a bummer headache, I called it an early night. However, Chloe didn't think sleep was really needed last night as she woke every 2 hours. Eeek. It wore her out though cause she has been napping off and on today. Hopefully she will still sleep tonight. I finally have time to post as I have caught up on much of what has been put off the past few days.

Post 1:
Pot Roast Fans & Healthy Decisions
First - the pot roast because it is NOT part of the healthy decisions but it sure tasted good. We are huge pot roast fans but we like to try different pot roast meals instead of doing the simple beef roast, potatoes and carrots and a simple gravy. SO, I turned to my 2009 Taste of Home Annual Recipes book and got the following recipe.
Pot Roast with Gravy
1 beef bottom round roast
6 TBS balsamic vinegar, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TBS oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tsp beef bouillon granules (I just used 1 beef bouillon cube)
1/2 c boiling water
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
4 TBS cornstarch
1/4 c cold water
1) Cut beef roast in half; rub with 2 TBS vinegar. Combine salt, garlic powder, and pepper and rub over meat. In large skillet, brown roast in oil on all sides. Transfer to large crock pot.
2) Place garlic, bay leaves, and onion on roast. In small bowl, dissolve bouillon in boiling water; stir soup and remaining vinegar. Slowly pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is of correct temperature.
3) Remove the roast; keep warm. Discard the leaves. Whisk cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook on high for 30 min or until gravy is thickened. Slice roast and return to slow cooker until heated through.

Things we will change next time - with the remaining 4 TBS of vinegar, use 2 TBS apple juice and 2 TBS vinegar because it was a bit strong for the kids. I thought it was great but I love vinegar.

Now for the healthy part of the day:
It may have been 90 degrees yesterday but I decided to walk to get JJ from school and took along Johnny. I realized it is 1.7 miles TO the school, which makes it 10.2 miles driving to and from the school all day. I am trying to find ways to trim our budget up even more as I am done watching the extra child in 3 weeks and we will lose a good chunk of money, more specifically, we are losing the money that pays for my gas card! Well, I am going to try to walk to get JJ unless the weather is just too hot for Chloe or it is raining. Then we are going to let Adella walk home. I went to get her yesterday since ding-a-ling wore sweatpants. *note - I am SUPER sore today and it seems to get worse as the day goes on so I am thinking that I need to drink a LOT more water before and after!

Post #2
Adella is a big girl
Well, today was the big day for Adella. Yesterday when I picked her up, I drove the route I wanted her to walk home. I was very nervous about her walking by herself even though it is a heavily traveled route by kids and roads that are designed to slow traffic down. Luckily, her bff's dad has been walking to get his kids every day after school and was willing to let her walk with him. Jeremy dropped some Gatorade off for her when he got JJ at 11am. I waited for her and in she popped about 45 minutes after school got out. She was beet red and super hot. She grabbed a damp towel and laid on the floor cooling down. After a cool shower, she started talking about how she wanted to walk home from then on. I have officially opened the door that can't be closed. *sigh* I am not ready to think of my baby girl being old enough for this but I am not surprised either. She would ALWAYS chose walking/running/biking over getting a ride anyway. She was super excited to learn we were doing fish and rice for dinner since it is healthier. We made Garlic Lime Tilapia from Eat at Home Cooks blog but we used Swaii. It was so good that EVERYONE got seconds. I am really the only huge fish eater but that is very slowly changing! Here is the recipe Garlic Lime Tilapia. I am really liking the fact we are doing more meals than just chicken or just ground beef. Oh, and this recipe was less than $10 for 6 servings, we even paired it with rice that I cooked in a rice cooker and put some lime juice and seasonings in the water to have the flavor mix through with the fish.

Happy Mother's Day and More

2011-05-08T21:46:00.002-05:00

Today was one of the best mother's days EVER. The kids made me a big poster and even traced Chloe's foot so she could be part of the gift. I love to cook so I made the mommy's day meal BUT the kids did the dishes and clean up so I thought it was a GREAT trade. Then dinner was at Chili's where we had some of the best service ever. I got sang to, I got gifts, I got a nap, and I got smiles from all 3 kids. I could NOT have asked for more!

Okay, now on to the "more" part. I have such awesome sisters and my older sister loves blogging and is good at it (unlike someone else in this family). Well, she has a 101 in 1001 where she completes 101 things in 1001 days (2 years, 9 months, and 1 day I believe). One of those items is to make a new recipe from every cookbook she owns. NOW, I have sat there and realized I have a few cookbooks .. I don't have many as I wrote many of my recipes that I liked into a book and then purged the extra. I don't have much room in my apartment but I have a few treasured cookbooks and I haven't used them much or not for a very long time. So the next two weeks, almost all of my recipes will come from 2 of my favorite cookbooks and one of my new ones. I am not a big fan of cookbooks as I like using food blogs, recipe sites (allrecipes.com, recipezaar.com, and food network to name a few), and my family recipe sheets. I would like to thank my sister as even though I have a very strict budget for my family, I am able to make it work! So, here is the menu for the next two weeks (and the recipe from today!)
~ Company Pork Chops
~ Manicotti
~ Tater Topped Casserole
~ Noodles Divan
~ Curly Roni Casserole
~ Casserole Italiano
~ Mexican Casserole
~ Chicken Cordon Bleu
~ Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts
~ Pot Roast w/Gravy
~ Orange Chicken w/Sweet Potatoes
~ Garlic Lime Tilapia
~ Broiled Sweet & Tangy Tilapia

Then today I made Strawberry Mascarpone Crepes served with sausage (purchased on sale) and fresh cantaloupe.

Filling:
1 c Mascarpone cheese (normally I use reg. cream cheese but YUMMY)
2 TBS powdered sugar
3-4 tsp fresh basil (I didn't have fresh and it was yummy!)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 c sliced fresh strawberries
Batter:
3 eggs
3/4 c plus 2 TBS milk
3/4 c flour
5 tsp melted butter
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
2 c sliced strawberries
1/2 c sugar
2 TBS orange juice
1 tsp strawberry or vanilla extract (I used vanilla)
dash of salt

Filling: In a small bowl, combine the cheese, sugar, basil, and juice. Gently fold in the berries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Batter: In a blender, combine batter ingredients and cover. Process until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Topping: In a small bowl, combine the berries, sugar, orange juice, extract and salt. Let stand for 30 minutes (see a trend?)

Melt a little butter into center of skillet. Pour about 1/4 c batter into the center of skillet; lift and turn pan to cover bottom. Cook until lightly browned; flip and brown the other side. Remove to a wire rack (which I do not own ...). Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter as needed to prevent sticking. When cool, stack the crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between.

When ready - spoon the filling over the crepes and roll up. Serve topped with strawberry mixture.

Photo Card

2011-05-05T13:29:00.001-05:00

It's A Girl Baby Announcements

Personalized cards for babies, Valentines, Easter and Mother's Day.

View the entire collection of cards.

We are oatmeal LOVERS

2011-04-01T08:18:00.003-05:00

Well, in this house, we LOVE oatmeal. I don't mean your instant oatmeal ... I mean your good ol' old fashioned, takes forever to cook, oatmeal! Mornings aren't always a GREAT thing in this house, but they ARE getting better. A few reasons is I have things ready to go so when kids get up it is boom, boom, boom and then they are awake enough to have competent conversations with them (as in I don't go insane trying to communicate what I need done and they don't get mad cause mom is frustrated). The only downside to mornings is yummy breakfasts take FOREVER to get done. I am NOT a fan of this unless it is a Saturday morning when we have a lot of time. The kids eat their good breakfasts at school because I would rather know they are getting a healthy breakfast over a bowl of cereal because I don't have time to do eggs, pancakes and fruit. One of the kids favorite breakfasts is oatmeal. We do it a lot during the summer and breaks because they enjoy it so much. I have NO idea how I got so lucky to have kids that have no problems with oatmeal. Maybe it is because I don't do plain oatmeal, but I also keep it healthy. We experiment with different fruits and different recipes. I was shown a recipe a few days ago that I decided I would HAVE to try this morning since kids didn't have school. It was a HUGE hit so I am sharing it with you ... of course it has been edited the way *I* like! Also, after price shopping, I learned it is MUCH cheaper to buy oats in bulk so I will need to buy another container so I can buy a few pounds a week until my supply is up there. The best part of this meal is the fact it is made in a crock-pot so you can start it right before bed and it is waiting for you in the morning ... as long as you have a crock-pot that has a keep warm function. For our family, this works because I stay up until midnight and then the kids are up around 7am.

Crock-Pot Oatmeal
2 c milk
1 c water
1/4 c brown sugar
1 TBS butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c steel cut oats (if you use old fashioned, then eliminate the water)
1 c peeled & chopped apple
1/2 c chopped dried fruit (we used cherries this morning)

Spray the inside of the crock-pot with anti-stick spray. Mix all ingredients in the crock-pot. Set crock-pot on low and cook for 7-9 hours. *note, do NOT use any quality of oats less than old fashioned as you will end with soup - blech*

Menu for the week

2011-03-28T20:53:00.002-05:00

I am sorry I am delayed on this! I have had my menu planned for a couple days but then went I went shopping today, HyVee had some AWESOME deals and I just couldn't pass them up. Totally changed my menu but I think it was for the better!

Tonight - meal was provided by the school as we had an activity. Got off the hook and no dishes! YAY
Tuesday - Oven-baked Ribs served with baked beans (see the recipe from the other day) ... cost $11 (ribs on sale for $3.99/lb, BBQ sauce on sale for $.99 and then leftovers)
Wednesday - Calico Rice (never made it last week) & Carrots
Thursday - Enchiladas (never made it last week)
Friday - Sloppy Joes, French Fries and Sliced Peaches
Saturday - Taco Pizza
Sunday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Sliced Pears

I am lucky ... I have a family that LOVES meatloaf. I do not know how I got so lucky, but I did. I love trying different meatloaf recipes so the one I am going to make this week is the one from Pioneer Woman. I just can not go wrong with her recipes. Yum, yum, and more yum!

Menu for 3/21 - 3/25

2011-03-20T11:02:00.002-05:00

This week has basically been a blur with the kids home. Got a lot of cleaning done, kids did some roller skating and lots of playing outside. We missed a couple of the meals at night, which is exactly why I don't plan meals for the weekends. Turns out I ALWAYS have a meal change during the week OR we have tons of leftovers. I apologize for those who need 7 meals planned. So far, we have had HUGE successes with all our new meals and I tell ya, I am going to have to list my food blogs I religiously follow because I have YET to have a fall through with their dinners they post. Last night I did the country fried steaks from The Pioneer Woman. I would LOVE to meet Ree Drummond some day. She is my ideal housewife! Anyway, I digress ... here is our plans for this next week. I am going to only post our dinners since the kids go back to school on Tuesday so they will be eating breakfast and lunch at school.

Monday - Crockpot Steak Fajitas
Tuesday - Enchiladas (see below recipe but it is from my good friend Sheila!)
Wednesday - Asian Noodle Bowl (see below recipe but it is from a menu mailer)
Thursday - Calico Rice (see below recipe)
Friday - Lasagna

Enchiladas
1 1/2 lb ground beef
2 c water
1 can refried beans
2 c shredded cheese (calls for 1 c mozz and 1 c cheddar but we are using cheddar cause that is what I have)
1 can enchilada sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning (we are using fajita seasoning though)
1 pkg Lipton Spanish rice mix
12 soft tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1. In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in seasoning, water and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread about 2 TBS of refried beans, 1/4 c beef mixture and 1 TBS of cheese down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in a greased 9x13" baking dish.
2. Combine enchilada sauce and soup; pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Asian Noodle Bowl
3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked & chopped
4 3oz packages ramen noodles
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or chopped
16oz bag of frozen stir fry

1. Boil noodles and carrots in medium sauce pan according to package directions. When noodles are soft, discard half of the water (or more if desired). Stir in seasoning packages (I only use 1/2 the package to reduce sodium). Fold in chicken pieces.
2. Cook frozen stir fry according to package directions and serve with the noodle bowl.

Calico Rice
2 c cooked rice
1/2 lb ground hamburger, browned
1 c cheese
1/2 c sour cream
Seasoning as desired

Stir all ingredients together.

Weekly Menu & recipes

2011-03-14T14:04:00.002-05:00

Well this is something new that I am going to attempt. A few of my friends have been asking me to post my menus for the week and then the recipes. So, here goes nothing! :D My smoothies will be different daily. I bought mixed berries, strawberries and I have frozen mango to put into the smoothies.

Monday:
B - Smoothies & Cereal w/fruit
L - California Sushi Wraps w/orange slices
D - Loaded Nachos (chips topped with cheese, beef, refried beans, sour cream, guac, and salsa

Tuesday:
B - Smoothies & Cereal w/fruit
L - Mexican Grilled Cheese w/corn & Juice
D - Hamburgers & Baked Beans

Wednesday:
B - Smoothies & Cereal w/fruit
L - Grilled PB and Apple Sandwiches & Carrot Sticks
D - Country Fried Steaks & Baked Potatoes

Thursday:
B - Smoothies & Cereal w/fruit
L - Mac & Cheese w/hot dogs & peas served with canned fruit
D - Turkey and Potato Cheesy Casserole (see recipe below)

Friday:
B - Smoothies & Cereal w/fruit
L - Spaghetti & meatballs w/garlic toast & juice
D - Brinner (breakfast for dinner - omelets, waffles or pancakes, and bacon)

Turkey & Potato Cheesy Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 c shredded cheese
3 c cooked turkey (can use chicken if desired)
8 oz sour cream
28oz potatoes O'Brien

1) Lightly spray slow cooker with cooking spray
2) Combine all ingredients in slow cooker
3) Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
4) Top with croutons or French Fried onions if desired!

Failing at this!

2011-03-11T22:56:00.002-06:00

Well, my daily blog has become pretty much a weekly blog. Really struggling to keep this updated with everything else being thrown my way and I am not succeeding. I have already decided that the picture a day just is NOT going to happen. lol Oh well.

This past weekend Jeremy got sustained into the Melchizedek Priesthood on his birthday and will be ordained this Sunday. BIG excitement in our house. Adella met with the bishop and has gotten the green light to be baptized and boy is she excited! We are hoping to do her baptism and the baby's naming the same weekend for those traveling to attend those events. Jeremy will be able to do it all and that is something that has NEVER happened for us. We hope to start temple prep classes soon and look at being sealed in Winter Quarters temple before the end of summer. :D Like I said, super excitement around our household.

Other HUGE excitement around our house, Adella has gone three straight weeks with no loss of cubes at school. This meant no thinking times, no green notes, etc. She is sticking to her strategies she has been working on and she has been taking extra Vitamin D as we have been told it helps. I am not sure what really sparked the change and I really do NOT care! I am happy that she is having a great time in school and I'm not hearing from the teacher every week! We are celebrating by taking her out to dinner on Saturday night. She has SO earned this!

The weather here has been AWESOME. Today was the first day of spring break so I kicked the kids outside at 9;30am after they had a breakfast of champions ...homemade waffles, cantaloupe and a fried egg. They didn't come back in until 12:45pm for lunch and then were gone again by 1:15!! They have made some great friends in the complex. There is a couple of Adella's friends from school living here and then of course our neighbor boys who we have known for quite awhile but the kids weren't quite old enough to really play with. Between them and biking, I doubt I will see my kids much this summer at all. LOL. The kids have also made some pretty good friends with other adults in the apartment complex so I know they are safe. It is pretty nice that our complex is FINALLY starting to become more of a family friendly place. We used to have a LOT of young Hispanic males who worked with construction but it appears more families are moving in. YAY. We are still hoping to buy a house in about 5 years but it is nice to let the kids have a blast. JJ has learned how to ride his bike without training wheels so I might have to pack the bikes up and let them ride the trails at Antioch Park. Just one happy momma here.

I am almost 38 weeks and excited for the day to be finally nearing. We are excited for the doctor to announce the gender and for the baby to be placed on my belly. The kids are hoping we will allow them to stay the night in the hospital once we change to the mommy & me room but we aren't sure if that is the route we will go. We know that it is okay but we think they might sleep better if they are at Jeremy's dad's house and can concentrate at school. It will be a wait and see type decision I think.

Well, tomorrow the kids are running in the Kids' Fun Run after the St. Patrick's Day race and then they have a skate party with their 4-H club. Loads of fun for tomorrow as well. Next week will be packed with zoo trips, park trips, and more roller skating. Of course lots of sun time as well. Gonna have to pull out the sunscreen!!

Lots has happened ... so sorry

2011-03-03T18:48:00.003-06:00

Let me sum up since it has been a few days. I have tried to blog daily but I am starting to get so it is getting harder and harder.

Feb 26 - Adella attended a basketball clinic that was free from the school. She had a great time and isn't too bad at it. She wants to participate in a basketball camp this summer, and we are going to do everything possible to make it happen.

Feb 27 - The kids' 4-H club had their winter activity late in the afternoon at the ice rink. Luckily it was the indoor one cause we had thunder, lightening and HAIL going on by the time we got there. UGH. The kids did have a great time and weren't able to skate the entire 2 hours cause their feet were sore. New skates from Santa were to blame. Afterwards we decided to do Adella's dinner since I had a meeting on her birthday. She wanted me to make my homemade bread and slice super thick and serve an open face sandwich. I used cube steak and made homemade mashed potatoes. Total winner dinner. She picked red velvet cake for dessert in which I made homemade butter cream frosting to ice with. I ended the night with making some rice krispie treats with cherry chips to have Adella take as her treat for her birthday at school.

This week has been AWESOME in the way of weather! The kids have been outside playing most of the week and making good friends with the neighbors. Kind of excited for summer when they will have even more time to play outside and just be kids. Tonight, Adella is back to sewing after having several weeks off. She finally gets to use her birthday present ... a sewing machine. Talk about an excited little girl!!

Day of joy and sorrow

2011-02-22T21:39:00.002-06:00

Today has been a rough day to describe. Many great things happened today, but we had to say good-bye to a family member. Jeremy's maternal grandmother passed away this morning after suffering a heart attack last week. I never knew her before her stroke that damaged much of her brain, but Jeremy remembers her fondly. She will be greatly missed and although we are unable to travel to Idaho at this time, our hearts are there.

The things that brought joy in our lives were simple. The crib we ordered came in a week early AND was one of the last as it is now out of stock and was already on clearance. I also got our living room completely re-organize and cleaned up. Love it to bits!

Tonight was McCougar night at McDonald's. Between 4-8pm, our local McDonald's donates 20% of the proceeds to Crestview Elementary's 5th grade class for their field trip later this year. We haven't been able to participate in a long time but we were this time. We couldn't pass up the chance to help the school out and the kids got to meet the Cougar mascot. It was a great way to end a extremely eventful day.

Not much down time

2011-02-21T21:15:00.002-06:00

Well, I am not doing a great job right now with posting daily or getting pictures posted daily. *sigh* Oh well, I have spent a LOT of time with the family and we have gotten quite a bit accomplished and that sometimes is just more important. Adella's 4-H club participated in County Club Days and she was in a skit called 12 Angry Pigs. Their skit took Top Purple so on March 19th, they will be participating in Regionals in Lawrence, KS and we couldn't be happier for her!

The kids and Jeremy spent Sunday afternoon cleaning the living room, while I was in some pretty intense pain. After a short nap, we were bombarded with lots of little feet. Last weekend, our friends took Adella & JJ overnight for us to have a date night and in repayment, we offered to take their 3 youngest on Sunday for them! It was tons of fun and we had taco night, which always goes over well! Well, then I got to thinking that since we didn't have school today, Adella might enjoy her friend just staying overnight. So I had our friends just bring her an overnight bag when they picked up their boys. That, I have got to say, was the BEST.DECISION.EVER!!!!

Today was awesome. The boys and the girls had equal numbers and everyone had loads of fun. We had only a couple fights but nothing big and bad. It was a fantastic day and was almost relaxing! Kinda odd thinking that it was relaxing having more kids in the house. LOL.

Adella got her immigration project done for tomorrow and LOVED gathering the information and putting together the Mayflower, Thanksgiving, and exactly where all her family came from. So much fun. Kinda nice having a big homework project that doesn't require pulling teeth to get it done.

Now everyone is off to sleep and I am just waiting to get my husband up. I just hope everyone else has had a great few days like I have!

Happy Hump Day

2011-02-16T20:27:00.003-06:00

Well, today has been full of productivity.
1) Got my van registered so both vehicles are registered a full month and a half before they are due.
2) Got my van cleaned out and the car seat base installed
3) Got the area in front of my patio cleaned up so I could open my patio door due to the BEAUTIFUL weather
4) Got dishes done and the ones needing hand-washed, washed and put away.
5) Made an AWESOME dinner! We had braised pork riblets topped with roasted balsamic onions and served with cheesy polenta. Yummy.

What an AWESOME Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T23:30:00.008-06:00

This Valentine's Day was the best ever! Picked JJ up from school and he had a bag of sweets just for me. Picked Jeremy up from work and we got the car insured and then licensed ... with absolutely NO wait. The only bummer about it was we wanted to do the minivan as well since we were there, but they wouldn't let us because it wasn't the 15th yet. *sigh* Then I get Adella from school and she has made a Valentine's card for Jeremy and I. How awesome! Jeremy got me a VERY small box of chocolate since he knows I can't do a lot of chocolate with IBS (how thoughtful is that!) and a VERY cute little bear. Love it a lot, not to mention it is one of those super soft bears. Finally KSU takes out KU. YES! I am sorry this blog is short today but by the time I hit the hay, I will have been up for 23 hours, which is nothing compared to Jeremy's day (he was up for about 27 hours). I am hoping for naps tomorrow. Jeremy has Designs with Dads but maybe he will still get done in time to catch a nap before going.

Holy Cow!!

2011-02-13T22:28:00.005-06:00

It has been a VERY busy few days! Friday and Saturday I was barely home and barely sitting down. We got Jeremy a '95 Celica and I apologize for no photos yet. Hopefully will get that done tomorrow. I have gotten ALL the laundry done in the house but my body was paying for all the flurry of activity. By last night I couldn't move ... at all. :(

Friday - Our dear friends, also the parents of my kids best friends, took both our children overnight so that we could have a date night. Jeremy and I went to Famous Dave's for their Two-Feast for $22.22. :D We didn't come near finishing even half of it but we had a GREAT time just sitting and chatting. I also made the cakes for the kids' food class on Saturday since we got done car shopping SO late. They wanted banana flavored so I made a white cake and added banana extract. Tastes GREAT.

Saturday - We took the kids to their food class and got laundry loaded up to take to the mat. We were blown away with how well Adella did on her first cake! JJ wanted his to look like there was a party going on, and we think he successfully got that! After an eventful day, I laid down with my feet propped up and we put on Red. AWESOME movie. Must own, in my opinion. However, by the time I got up to go into the bedroom, I was in tears due to the round ligament pain. Bummer. Spent most of Sunday AM on bedrest and popping Tylenol every 4 hours.

Sunday - We did the kids cake pops today. I have a LONG way to go before they will look professional or even beautiful but I tell ya, they taste AWESOME! I made a total of 50 of them and we couldn't find any lollipop sticks. So, I found pencil toppers and decided that we would use un-sharpened pencils for a double cool with the kids. They will get to eat the snack and keep the pencil! Here is Adella with one of the 50 I made for their classes. Yes, they think they will be the coolest kids on the block which makes me feel AWESOME.

Today was SO much better

2011-02-10T22:52:00.002-06:00

Well, to our delight (and surprise) our one time threat to Liberty Tax and our 10 hour fight with the whole process, our money was deposited this morning! YAY. We had a LOT of unfinished business to tend to and we started that process today. I was running errands and paying bills from 10:45am to 5pm. My body is SPENT tonight but I feel GREAT.

We got Adella her birthday present a couple weeks early and she is chomping at the bit to play with it. She has to wait until Sunday afternoon though. So what is it? It is the Brother LX-3125e. I like it because it is a base sewing machine, which is good for her to start on, but it also has several built in stitches. We went ahead and got the 1 year warrenty on it as well just to be safe. She was SO excited to see her gift that she was literally knocked speechless. We also bought her some snow boots. CLEARANCE!!! We went to like 4 places before finding some and the ones we found were the LAST ones in her size! They were purple and she was so happy she couldn't sit still for hours. If I had let her go to bed in her boots she would have been happy. LOL

Then I turned attention to ME. It was just finally time for me to get me two things that I have been wanting (one for a long time and the other just for the past month or two) and it really made my day. The first was a diaper bag. I LOVE it. JJ helped pick it out. He has such GREAT taste! The second was a haircut. I got a shoulder length bob with sloping sides. I will post pictures of my hair sometime this weekend as I want to style it how I love to have my hair done. I love how it turned out though and wore my hair down for most of the day for the first time in a LONG time! However, what do you think of my new diaper bag? (in LOVE - way to go JJ Bean)

The Front

The Back

Another rollercoaster day!

2011-02-09T19:59:00.004-06:00

We didn't start the day off on a good foot. It was snowing and was SUPER cold so the roads were HORRENDOUS. I was not happy that they didn't delay the start of school and we barely were able to make it at all. The roads were worse than they were following our massive snow blizzard last week when they did cancel snow. I was baffled. Even a one hour delay of school would have been ideal. By the time I got my son from school, the roads were beginning to clear up.

Unfortunately, I got absolutely no nap in today because I was battling with IRS, Liberty Tax and our bank to locate where our refund was ... after a 10 hour run around and avoidance of phone calls (finally a few threats of the BBB being notified to be dealing with the situation, sheesh) we MAY have it situated. We will find out tomorrow morning. GRRRRRR.

Anyway, so thanks to an over zealous supervisor at my husband's company, he was unable to make our appointment today for the baby. This was the first pre-natal visit he has missed but the worst part, it was a sono. :( Even worse, we found out that it will be the last sono since the baby is super healthy. Of course that is a good thing ... but sad at the same time. I was excited to possibly have another sono at 36 weeks. Our baby has chubby cheeks and a head full of hair, currently weighing in at 5 lbs and 5 oz! Unfortunately, baby is still breech but I'm not too concerned yet.

After the appointment, went to get Adella. She skipped to the car and got in and said no bad green notes but she came home with a green slip. It was a GOOD green note!! She has increased her Accelerated Reading level by quite a bit in only a few months. YAY!!

After all this, a migraine has set in so I am calling it a day and turning lights off until it is time to take my husband to work. Hopefully tomorrow will be a new and better day!

Weekend of nothing

2011-02-07T21:13:00.004-06:00

Well, by the end of Friday, I could hardly walk I was in SO much pain. Jeremy decided that I was to do NOTHING this weekend and basically I was put on bed rest. It was a free weekend for us so it was kind of hard not to feel blah about not getting things done, HOWEVER by Sunday night, the pain was gone. Not really sure what this will mean for me come my appointment on Wednesday. The pain is already starting to come back today after running kids around and running errands. Not a good sign. Hopefully it is something the doctor and help me deal with and I won't get the dreaded bed rest words spoken! I am officially 33 weeks and have 27 days until I am officially full term. I am VERY excited but officially over the "happy to be pregnant" stage. I have hit the "how many more weeks until I get to meet my little one" stage. However, that does not mean that I am anywhere NEAR ready in my house! With Jeremy's ankle injury, it really has set us back quite a bit. We are hoping to get some stuff done this weekend, even if it means I sit and tell Jer and who ever helps where to put things.

Today was a rough day learning wise. Adella is struggling with math concepts and continues to bring home work sheets for us to have her correct and us sign. Of course this upsets her as much as it does us. So I went off to the library and printed off worksheets. I think I will go to Mardel's this weekend and look for a few books to help her out. Lucky for me, she doesn't mind doing worksheets to learn. It isn't the WANTING to learn ... it is the ABSORBING the information she seems to have problems with. I have decided I will just have her do 3-4 worksheets every night until she grasps each concept. If there is one thing I remember from my parents ... REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. I can't even remember how many times they had me do worksheets and write math problems out on scrap paper to pass time in the car. Math was never a SUPER strong point for me but I did well in it. The best part of the evening was her going to bed all chipper because she felt that she FINALLY understood it. We will simply review it again this week and by the end of the week, she should ace her quiz! Of course, JJ just absorbs new concepts like a sponge right now so we are teaching the children that everyone is just different in how they pick up on stuff. Adella's biggest issue is she tries to do everything in her head and we are trying to get her to learn to write out her thought process so that when she makes a mistake, it is easier to figure out exactly WHERE that mistake was made.

The other thing we enjoyed over the weekend was the weather. Adella left to go to her BFF's house on Friday evening and returned home on Sunday morning. While JJ got a lot of outdoor play time and freedom from having to play with his sister. He REALLY enjoyed himself. Which I am really glad because our temperatures are going to drop dramatically tomorrow. We aren't supposed to get much snow in the KC Metro (main) but our temperatures will most likely be in the single digits. I can not wait until the weekend when they are talking possible 50 degrees. YAY!

Over the weekend, JJ built a HUGE Lincoln Log castle and just HAD to show it off. :D He is my little architect.

Should have stayed in bed!

2011-02-04T22:49:00.001-06:00

Well, I think my dog had the right idea today. Nothing has gone right today and I like my mother's reasoning for why it is a Monday on a Friday! The worst part of the day was my all time FAVORITE bra broke today. Bah humbug on this Friday!

Went down memory lane

2011-02-03T22:08:00.004-06:00

Well, the nesting bug has slowly been sneaking in and hitting everyone in the house. Yesterday my children completely cleaned their bathroom and it looks AWESOME in there. Way cool. Jeremy and I decided that we want to utilize our storage unit a little more and want to get rid of things that we just don't use. We have sold several movies that we just don't watch and/or aren't kid friendly. We are getting rid of 3 boxes worth of stuff that we just don't need anymore either. However, going through the boxes led us to photograph's and school memories. Yearbooks and photo albums were our huge walk down memory lane. I want to share the photo that I just love. I have always loved it and probably will always love it. The photo is actually done by a sketching machine and it was done in January of 2002, 4 months before Jeremy and I got married. This is pre-kids and we were still in that extreme "giddy" stage. He was living in Kansas City and I was living Manhattan, until the end of my lease. We saw each other on the weekends only.

Today has been pretty relaxing. Jeremy got done super early at work and I was able to catch a nap, regardless of the kids being home from school. Adella had sewing tonight and started making dresses for girls in Africa. However, she is having a hard time focusing AT sewing class. She seems super interested in sewing but doesn't do well at meetings. Trying to figure all that out. I am sure it is the same problem with school. She does GREAT at home and at school, just can't pull it all together. Tomorrow the kids are going back. YAY ... although I am pretty sure they are happier than I am as I think our neighbors across the street could hear their squeals. The poor weather has been so crummy they haven't even been able to play in the massive amount of snow we got. What fun is that?! Tomorrow is JJ's 100 day party so I am making 100 brownie bites for him to take. I HATE procrastinating. LOL. It is 10:15pm and I am still working on the stupid things. *sigh* However, the kids are excited. Adella has skit practice in the afternoon and then she is off to a friend's house for a sleep-over. While JJ gets to spend the evening with daddy and making another construction piece. I believe they are going to make a chest but not sure. :) Excited to watch. Maybe I will pop some popcorn and let him watch a movie afterward!

"Snowmaggedon"

2011-02-01T21:19:00.004-06:00

Well, they predicted it and talked it up for DAYS. Our city started pre-treating roads starting Sunday night in preparation for the storm. Then when I woke this morning .... nothing but a dusting. Really?! I laughed .... quite hard. I was still getting the warnings and the alerts from the NWS but was having a hard time believing we were still under a warning.

Then 9:30am hit and the snow starting coming down. By 10:30, we had a good layering start. Then by 11:30 the blizzard hit. Visibility was about 1/4 mile and dropping. Snow began to pile up and it was still coming down. As I type, it is STILL snowing ... 12 hours AFTER the storm started. They say we have another 2 1/2 hours of snow to go and possibly another 2" out of it. At last check, we were just over 11". Amazing! The more amazing part than the amount we have gotten ... my husband's company called a snow day ... first time in 25 year history! Just insane. Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. :)

What a great ending to a nice day!

2011-01-31T21:35:00.003-06:00

Well, last night we made this AWESOME cheese sauce to go on ham steaks but there was a LOT extra. Not really anyone in this house complaining about that though. Jeremy mentioned last night that open face hamburgers sounded awesome. So, that meant making homemade bread, homemade hamburger patties and then just re-heating the cheese sauce (the easy part!). So today, amid the rainy, blah weather, I got everything ready to make a loaf of homemade bread tonight and then searched for a good hamburger recipe. I didn't want to just make a patty out of ground beef. While the kids cleaned their room, and the laundry was running ... I started the bread machine. Well, I should back up a bit ....

Yesterday my visiting teachers came over, actually one came over and the other was there in spirit (in the form of COOKIES!). Well, those cookies led to a craving today. It was like Pringles! You can't eat just one, or two in my case. So, I sat and thought today on how to satisfy my cookie craving and then it hit me. Ask my dear husband to bring me home a few bags of plain m&ms (if at all possible). He delivered!! (of course he brought me a few Lenny's subs, some bags of salt & vinegar chips, and a chocolate chip cookie to boot!!)

So! While my bread was cooking itself, the laundry was getting clean, the kids' rooms were being cleaned ... I started making m&m cookies ... with a new recipe. Not ALWAYS a good choice but in this case, it was an EXCELLENT choice. I got the recipe off of Allrecipes.com (one of my FAVORITE recipe websites) and here is the link Robbi's M&M Cookies Recipe. They are so excellent, however, I am not a candy on top person so I just put 1 c of m&m's into the mix and omitted putting m&ms on top. This is personal preference and nothing else! No other alterations were made to the recipe. Then I was off to make the hamburger patties. Now, my husband works with another person right now while on light duty. This person is getting into the rub business and wow does he have a winner. So excuse me while I plug it for him. You can get them in Kroger right now but he is working on getting it into Hen House & Price Chopper as well, maybe even HyVee. The brand is called Beorken and their website is www.beorken.com. It is still under construction, so have patience. This is a local group based out of Grain Valley, MO. I LOVE locals! They are talking about changing the labels but this is what our bottle looks like and we are told that it will run about $5 for a bottle this size. Not bad at all!!

The rub is one that gets spicier as you add more so I only put in just over 1 TBS into my hamburger patty mixture to season it. The dinner was SUCH a success that our kids begged for seconds, something that even Jeremy and I couldn't do! I am already sure Adella is going through a growth spurt but I would like to just tell myself that the dinner was just THAT good. Of course, it was finished with a fresh m&m cookie! What a great end to the day!

TOO tired to post yesterday, BUT

2011-01-30T20:45:00.003-06:00

I had a really good day.

Yesterday, we made a "Pony Express" run to Manhattan. We went to see my parents, a friend, and Jeremy's mother. We had stuff for my father and they had stuff for us, and then my friend had stuff for us, and finally my mother-in-law had stuff for us. We actually had stuff for my sister-in-law and it was IN the van! I can't believe I forgot to drop it off. Growl. :( The kids played on their scooters outside in the "nice" weather for just over an hour and then we headed over to Jeremy's mother's house. He was afraid it was just a tad too cold to let the kids play outside at the park for 3 1/2 hours. I think the kids wouldn't have minded too much but they had fun at Mema's house anyway. We did take them to the park to meet up with our friend. The kids played at the park for just over an hour. I was hoping to have them outside as much as possible, since it was the final day of our great temperature. Needless to say, the kids zonked out shortly after getting in the van at 7:15pm and then were back out when we got them into bed. Of course, after all that driving, with off and on Braxton Hicks, I was exhausted so no blog post yesterday.

Today, different story! I am still exhausted but got a lot done today. After church, ran to HyVee to get some bread and a few other needed items. Then we took a good nap. It has been forever since I took a nap with my husband and I was out cold. It was awesome. After our nap we got to cleaning house. With the kids help, the living room is all organized and the kitchen got re-organized as well. Very proud of how much we got done. Made an easy dinner that was a huge success. It isn't often I make a soup that the kids want seconds of! I made a potato cheese soup and served it with ham steaks smothered in a homemade cheese sauce. Then the kids ate homemade cookies for dessert that were given to me by my Visiting Teacher. YAY!

The only bummer is we have a NASTY storm headed our way that we are keeping our eye on. It is supposed to be all freezing rain tomorrow from 3am until sometime evening. Then it will change over to snow and drop somewhere between 8" and 16" in our area by the end of Tuesday. :/ I am SO over winter.

It is late ... been a long day

2011-01-28T23:37:00.002-06:00

Today has been VERY long. We are in the process of de-cluttering our house in preparation for baby arrival. Jeremy is gaining strength in his ankle but is still limited on what he can do. We have sold the xBox and the games. We are now going to go through the movies that we don't watch a lot now that we have kids and will sell those. No need to keep them around. My living room is slowly becoming more open. Which of course will be another bonus as I am preparing to home school at LEAST my daughter next year. JJ has been begging to be taught at home for quite awhile, although he assures me he enjoys public school. Adella understands that we are trying to do what is best for her since she seems to excel at home where there is structure and lack of distractions. I also can allow for more "fun" to be had as that seems to be lacking at schools. I think that is Adella's biggest problem with school is she doesn't view it as a "fun" place. Jury is still out on what program, if any, we will use for her studies. I am leaning towards K12 and then supplementing it with computer programs that will continue their desire to learn. The other thing with K12 is it is a public school so she can still participate in everything just like she could in public school. That is VERY important for me. I want her to still be able to do band and choir, and preferably organized P.E. and music. We are going to read, study and pray until June to decide what we want to do. Especially with our dear son, JJ. I am inclined to teach him at home as well since that is what he really wants, but I will do whatever is best for each child regardless of what is "wanted."

However, this afternoon it was ALL about wants. The weather was awesomely nice out so the kids wanted to play outside ... so they did. This put everyone in a great mood as there are HUGE piles of snow for them to climb on and play king/queen of the snow pile, and it also allowed Jeremy and I time to go through the house a bit. To show his good spirits, JJ put on one of daddy's beard nets from work that was in the back of the van ... he was SUPER cute!!

Cleaning in the air!

2011-01-27T20:37:00.003-06:00

Well, it isn't just me with the nesting bug today ... who knew that kids could get it!

This morning I attempted to get a nap in because I was super exhausted. However, I wasn't able to get much of a nap in. The whole "I'm tired, but not" is not only a weird sensation but VERY annoying. If I am going to be tired, I want to be able to nap so that I feel rested and can get stuff done! At least I didn't have any errands to run or anything.

Now, for the nesting that wasn't me! (at first anyway) JJ came home from school with the "bug". He got his lunch and made it all by himself. He even showed that he has gotten better about pouring and got himself a glass of milk. After lunch, he unloaded the dishwasher and then just took off. He got the dishes re-loaded and started, counters, sink and stove were cleaned, microwave was cleaned, dishwasher front was cleaned, floor was swept and then swiffered. I was worn out just thinking about it. After he finished, he asked for more ... so he handwashed the griddle with soap and water (and yes I checked it!). After that he got stuff ready so we could go get daddy and Adella. All this because "we have to keep the house clean for when baby comes, don't want the baby getting sick!" YAY! Now if I could just get him to do that to his room ...

After the kids got home, we immediately sent them outside in the beautiful 40 degree weather and they rode their scooters and played in the diminishing snow. We finally brought them inside an hour and a half before Adella's sewing class. JJ got to help me clean the bedroom some more (hard for me to bend over now so kids get to help which the do NOT complain about) and Adella decided to use her free homework pass coupon so she didn't have homework tonight. LOL. Smart girl. Jer took her to sewing since she LOVES going with him and I REALLY dislike sewing. I get so frustrated so fast with sewing. Turns out, my baby girl is just like me ... only she likes to sew. LOL I hope the patience will come with time.

Today's pic of the day is JJ playing with his Connect 4 game ... only not playing Connect 4!

More preparation done

2011-01-26T21:02:00.002-06:00

Today I decided that I want to have stuff prepared for if we want to make pizzas out of the blue. I figured, they sell frozen bread dough, so why not make some! I have 6 clumps of dough that will make 6 party pizzas. I hope to make some more tomorrow but we will see how it goes. I got it done today despite having to run errands. Tomorrow, Adella has sewing so I might make some more dough and then keep a batch fresh so I can whip up a pizza for dinner.

However, the big difference today was the dogs. I think Jeremy scared some sense into Johnny and Bentley behaves when Adella keeps him in check. Johnny had been getting bad because he saw Bentley misbehaving and nothing happening to him. Well, he got the snot scared out of him last night and it IMMEDIATELY made a difference. So, tonight's dinner was super cute. Jeremy was finishing waffles after serving everyone else their dinner and dessert so Johnny was trying SO hard not to beg ... so hard!

Is it only Tuesday?

2011-01-25T20:35:00.003-06:00

Wow has it been a long week! What's worse ... it has just begun! *eye roll* Braxton Hicks at least were non-existent today ... until this evening. I didn't really do much today as I was trying to rest and take it easy to prevent them. However, when I started making dinner, back they came. Dinner was a HUGE success though. We tried a new recipe from Kraft called Mini Taco Salads. They were a big hit and then since we had a "Mexican" dinner, I did a Mexican dessert. I made rice pudding. Next time we will try it with minute rice cause the rice didn't cook as soft as I had hoped. Kids and husband LOVED it though.

For the photo of the day, I am posting another Plaza photo my daughter took last weekend. I loved almost all the photos she took and am having a hard time finding a favorite.

Happy Monday ...

2011-01-24T19:40:00.003-06:00

Well today braxton hicks have been plaguing my day. I walk around, they go away. I sit down on the couch or car and they come back. So, I am going to grab some gatorade and see if electrolytes help because I am about watered out! I wouldn't be concerned so much but they just seem pretty frequent today. Not painful and not regular though. Just trying to ease my nerves.

Today came several decisions ...

1) We are going to make a "Pony Express" run to Manhattan on Saturday. We have stuff to pick up for ourselves and others as well as stuff to drop off. Message me if you need anything transferred from Manhattan to Kansas City or vice versa!

2) We are changing our baby theme from Dr Seuss to Monkeys. Since we haven't gotten anything Dr Seuss related yet, and we haven't gone shopping, I don't see a problem. Plus, we got a VERY cute monkey outfit that is gender neutral and it has been decided that it will be our going home outfit.

3) It is too nice outside for kids to be inside. This week, the kids will be kicked outside as much as possible!

4) Gonna have to make pizzas and freeze them. My daughter has gotten to the point where she doesn't really care for store bought pizzas. Not saying that's a bad thing AT ALL, just more work for the momma lady! :)

So, here is a picture of the cute going home outfit! Enjoy as much as we do!! (btw, the long sleeve shirt says "I'm a great catch")

Cravings led me back to the kitchen!

2011-01-23T20:20:00.003-06:00

Well, today was uneventful, for the most part. Last night ended badly but we left that in yesterday. This morning woke up and checked the stairs, turned out they were pure ice this morning. They got better because this evening they weren't that slippery. So, we weren't able to make it to church. Can't chance a crippled or a pregnant slipping on stairs. I was pretty sure if I called to ask them to treat them, they would have charged us with emergency maintenance so I just put kitty litter on them for traction a little later.

For lunch I was craving corn dogs. They are SO expensive to buy though so I decided to search for a recipe. I found a great one and added it to my recipe box. I plan on buying hot dogs when they are 10 for $10 and make a whole bunch of them. Then I can syran wrap them, put them in freezer bags and stock our freezer with corn dogs. :)

So for dinner, Jeremy was craving KFC ... BUT KFC costs money. PLUS I have been following a blog written by a VERY good friend. It is called Eating In with Ingenuity and you should check it out. So, what did I do tonight? I made our OWN fried chicken. Made oven-fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. Since that was a heavy dinner, our dessert was ice cold orange slices (fresh from the freezer) and hot cocoa with whipped cream on top. I am SUPER full and Jeremy said I made Swanson's Hungry-Man dinners look like sissies. What do you think? :D

Great start, Bad End

2011-01-22T22:45:00.004-06:00

Well, today started out with HIGH hopes ....

Pulled a tooth for Adella Bella. She feels SO much better. 1/2 Price Books to get some presents - LOVE that store. Cool books for discounted price. Can not beat that deal! Gardner to pick up some baby toys - YAY!!! And then back into town to pick up a car seat with 3 bases - YAY again!!! Finally get everything ready to go for final Christmas party of 2010 (ish). LOL

Party scheduled to start at 2pm and did start by 2:30pm ... WOW! That is AWESOME for our group. Party was great fun, minus one hormotional breakdown (that would be a breakdown caused by hormones and emotions smushed together). Didn't leave the party until after 7pm. Told you it was fun!

Come home and only 30 minutes after sending the kids to bed, JJ comes bolting out of his room saying Adella threw up and he was getting towels for her. Jer and I quickly send him to help us out so that we could get it cleaned up. Quite interesting when you have one who can't bend over because of a big belly and one who has issues doing anything due to an injured ankle. After getting her stomach settled, she fell asleep. Not sure what caused it. We still have no fever and no lethargy. She had red splotches in areas of her skin so was it allergy induced? She had sloppy joe mix, 3 bags of chips and 2 cupcakes (1 with frosting, 1 without) between 3pm and 6:30pm, could it be grease, sugar or red sauce? She hadn't eaten anything since 10:30am, could it have been from having such a time between eating? UGH, I HATE having a baby not feel good and me not have a simple fix or even an explanation. *sigh*

Anyway, here is my baby girl minus her 2 front teeth.

Success/Failure

2011-01-21T22:46:00.003-06:00

Well, today was a mixture of success and failure.

Failure - lost a pound in the past 2 weeks despite all my deliciously fattening foods I have been baking. Crazy! I am blaming the fact we haven't had the money to eat the bazillion calorie food offered at ANY fast food or restaurant joint.

Success - got to HyVee and purchased 10 Larry's potatoes at 77 cents a piece and then got a package of chicken quarters for 39 cents a pound (paid $1.00).

Failure - went to Target to check out sales but my legs hurt and baby kept rotating making me sick to my stomach.

Success - tried a new dinner and had a GREAT success. It is a Hawaiian dish called Loco Moco. You make rice and put a layer in a bowl, then top it with a cooked hamburger, topped with a fried egg and smothered in brown gravy. Sounds HORRID but it tastes SO good. Oh yeah, check the steam coming off that dish!!

Let Nesting Begin!

2011-01-20T23:11:00.004-06:00

Today was a snow day which meant sleeping in for us and wait for the temperatures to warm up enough to let kids play outside. Which it FINALLY did at 1pm, and then I didn't see the kids for 3 hours because they had 8" of snow to play in! Before they went outside to play though, they completely cleaned their rooms and I got started on our bedroom. We are putting the bassinet in the bedroom with the rocking chair. In order to do this though, we have to turn our bedroom sideways. So today I started the process of cleaning from ceiling to floor and move the small items, measuring as I went to see what big items we would move. I got one fourth of the room completely done. Not bad for being 30 1/2 weeks pregnant, having 2 kids home from school, and making sure I was ready for husband to be home and need tending to! I got the bassinet set up, while not in the correct location yet, I just HAD to snap a picture as it is beginning to feel really real now. I have 67 days left until my due date and just can not wait!!

One VERY Snowy Day!

2011-01-19T21:08:00.003-06:00

Well, they predicted it ... and it came. A HUGE snow storm. inches upon inches of snow and it is still falling. They say we could get anywhere from 6" to 11" depending on what area of the metro you are in. I ran ALL my errands this morning and even picked Adella up a little early since it was starting to get slick. I don't normally do the trash but I did it today since Jeremy is still injured and there would be no way for him to get it out in the snow. So, what do you do on cold and snowy days? You make food that will warm you up! Tonight's meal was Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Hot Cocoa Cupcakes as dessert. So, I have already started having requests for the recipes so I am putting it in my blog, with the picture of the final result! Please enjoy.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty 18" Wide Foil
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups salsa
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line a large baking pan with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty 18" Wide Foil. Combine chicken and soup with half of sour cream, cheese and cilantro.
SPOON 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, in foil-lined pan. Top with salsa and remaining cheese. Cover with foil.
BAKE 15 minutes; remove foil. Continue baking 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and sour cream
Number of Servings: 6

Now, since we are olive fans, I added about a cup of sliced olives to the mix to put inside the enchiladas, and then topped the enchiladas with more olives. The picture is before the sour cream topping.

HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

CUPCAKES:
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
6 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
TOPPING:
3 candy canes
1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 tbs + 2 tsp milk or water
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line indents of a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. CUPCAKES---In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy, 1 min. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Bake 25 min. or until done. Remove cupcakes from pan to cool.
TOPPING---In a bowl, beat powdered sugar, shortening and milk until smooth. Spread over cupcakes. Top each cupcake with 9 marshmallows. Cut wrapped candy canes into 2" pieces. Unwrap and tuck a piece into each cupcake, then serve.
MAKES 12 CUPCAKES (mine only made 10)

The big kicker ... kids LOVED the dinner and really thought the cupcakes tasted like hot cocoa in solid form. Pretty awesome!

Simplistic Days

2011-01-18T22:00:00.003-06:00

Well, outside of morning sickness rearing it's ugly head again, today was a very simple day. Take kids to school, run a couple errands, set up baby stuff, and pick kids up from school. Not too shabby. I was feeling pretty blah by dinner time and was going to call it a freezer night. I have 2 types of hot pockets made, bierochs, and Angel's enchiladas in there but my wonderful husband had other plans. He took to the kitchen tonight and after I de-boned the chicken for him (thanks to my mother who made sure we had practice), he made the most awesome flavorful meal that actually was gentle enough to sit on my stomach. I should have taken a picture of it because it was GREAT. Gonna have to get the "recipe" (little of this, little of that) so I can put it in our list of meals to re-create in the future. Always nice to have a simple, go-to meal when the days get long. I didn't get much done in my bedroom as I was pretty worn out with the nausea that plagued me off and on all day, but I did get my pack n' play all set up. With the knowledge that we have a stroller and receiving blankets on the way (AWESOME friends), I feel more ready for March! Which I guess is a good thing since we have just under 10 weeks left!!

*and note, the canopy will NOT be used with the raised bed, it was just put on to make sure all pieces were accounted for.*

Today was just an awesome day

2011-01-17T23:32:00.003-06:00

I must say this today was a MUCH better start to the week than last week. Jeremy went back to work, kids had a GREAT time playing with a friend on their day off from school, and then we ended the night with driving from one side of the metro to the other side of the metro picking up donations! With 10 weeks left in our pregnancy, we now have a few clothing items, bottles, diaper genie & refill, swing, sling, bouncer, exersaucers for our house and FIL's house, 2 containers of formula (JUST IN CASE), a pack-n-play with bassinet, a wooden bassinet with 2 mattresses, car seat & 2 bases (just need to pick up), a few toys, a couple receiving blankets, and a stuffed animal that I might steal! :D I feel so much better than I did last week. Next dr appointment is on Thursday, let's pray the weather holds out for us.

The picture for today is JJ's awesome Lego build!!

Done with Winter!

2011-01-16T21:43:00.003-06:00

Well, last night we started worrying about my son because he barely ate dinner, complained of a stomach ache and asked to go to bed. That is unlike him! Especially when there is dessert available!! Well, this morning we checked him and he felt pretty warm and so we made the decision to just take him to the Take Care Clinic and get it checked out. He had been battling what we thought was a cold for almost a week and so we thought it just took a turn for the worse since he had been outside. Unfortunately, it never was a cold he was battling. He was diagnosed with a severe sinus infection and was on the verge of at least a single ear infection but both ear drums were bulging pretty badly. She was surprised his ears weren't in pain. So, he is on amoxicillin for 10 days, Robitussim 3x a day for at least 5 days, and breathing treatments in the afternoon and evening for at least 5 days. The Robitussim and breathing treatments are solely dependent on his coughs. Either way, he is feeling better but still sleepy off and on. The only bummer part was occupying 2 children (one sick and one not) for 2 hours while sitting in chairs at Walgreens!

Well, we decided that since there was no school tomorrow, JJ wasn't contagious, and it hadn't been done for awhile ... we would let the kids camp out in the living room. Bentley is crashing in the small tent with them. If I knew it wouldn't wake them, I would grab a quick pic of them in the tent sleeping with the puppy. However, I do have a picture of the set up for bedtime at least. This is prior to 2 pillows, 3 blankets, 1 stuffed owl, 2 kids and one dog entering it!

Baby Shower & More

2011-01-15T22:33:00.003-06:00

Today went SO much better than yesterday. We spent the morning just chilling and I got a nap in. This afternoon we dropped JJ off at his friends' house, Adella off at her photography meeting and then we headed over to our shower. Due to work schedules, kid events, and stupid viruses going around, only a handful of people were able to make the party BUT it was SOOOO much fun! We sat around and chatted for THREE hours. Jer hung out with the hostess' husband and said he had fun so that was good. Besides, there was free yummy food. How can you not enjoy yourself?! One of my friend's brought her little girl, who is growing up WAY too fast, and she was in the spotlight the whole time. I miss having her at my house so much! After the party, we went back to pick the kids up and came home for Family Home Evening. We are following a blog called A Year of FHE to help us have them weekly since I am terrible at planning them myself right now and didn't want that to be the reason we don't have them. We did song, scripture, lesson, and then a monthly song that we will go over each week for a month. Then I made cupcakes and used my new cake decorating tools to top them. Then we let the kids put sprinkles on top. It was great fun and it is always fun to hear how the kids interpret the stories and relate them to their life. They are both getting very good at saying VERY relevant prayers and their reading abilities amaze me!
Tonight's photo is one that Adella took at the Plaza with the lights. Unfortunately her settings weren't right and many of the photos didn't come out. BUT we are hoping to catch the lights tomorrow night and see if she can't get a few more taken then. If not, we will plan on going this fall for next year's 4-H project shoot!

Been a long day

2011-01-14T22:45:00.003-06:00

And not one I am really in the mood to blog about ... However, the picture I am going to post today for my Project 365, I believe, sums up how we all feel! (oh and notice that Bentley is FINALLY out of his kennel for the evening. He finally gave up the battle of wills! *we think*)

Such a relaxing day

2011-01-13T20:16:00.002-06:00

After yesterday's cooking adventure (30 hot pockets and 15 pop-tarts) and staying up WAY too late ... today was deemed "be lazy" day. This worked until 5pm when on my mom's board on FB got to talking about food. Then, my tummy led the way back into the kitchen ...

JJ & Adella spent 30 minutes cleaning the living room and kitchen and left me with a spotless stove and clean counters. My sink was left with 2 dishes after they did the dishes. Even better, they kept asking what else they could do so my kitchen floor is swept & mopped! Sweet!

So, to reward them ... AND to satisfy my strong pregnancy cravings for brownies a la mode (thanks prego board!) ... I made homemade tacos for dinner and then for dessert I made Grandma's Brownsies with added peanut butter. Then made homemade vanilla ice cream in my ice cream maker using some of the WONDERFUL gift my sister sent me ... Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. It is AMAZING the difference between ice cream made with the paste and ice cream made with the extract! I can not even say how wonderful hot brownies covered in fresh homemade ice cream is! Best stuff on Earth!

The rest of the evening was spent playing. JJ played with legos, while Adella did her homework. Then they had friends come over to blow an hour or two! Now if my killer headache will go away, life would just be PERFECT!