Muffiny Goodness

Here's the fabulous recipe for all you recipe fiends out there!

Six Week Bran Muffins

**preheat oven to 350 and make buttermilk before starting**

Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup 100% All-Bran cereal and set aside

In a large bowl beat together:
1/2 c butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 c dark brown sugar (can substitute 1/4 c honey for 1/2 c sugar)
add soggy All-Bran

In a small bowl mix dry ingredients:
3 c flour (can use whole wheat)
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tbl cinnamon

Alternate mixing dry ingredients into large bowl with 2 cups buttermilk (can make your won buttermillk - mix 1/4 c vinegar with 3/4 c milk)

After all is mixed together, fold in 2 c dry All-Bran and let sit until dry ceral absorbs moisture.

Can add raisins, dried cranberries, or mini-chocolate chips before baking. Bake what you want at 350 for 15-25 minutes (depending on size of muffins) and store remainder covered in the fridge for up to 6 weeks using it as you need.

"This is an old, old recipe that is tried and true." - Gramma Harris*

There you have it! Enjoy, you new recipe lovers, you!

*when passing along this recipe it is important to keep the quote at the bottom. 'It's tradition', says Becca, who was so gracious enough to give me a copy of this fabulous recipe. (I, too, am a new-recipe fiend!)

Major Award!

I won, I won, I won!!! Becca had a contest to guess which tooth her son would pop out first. And I won! Sweet! Even sweeter is the prize, two dozen mini-chocolate chip bran muffins (her best recipe!). I was so excited, and they arrived today! It's the highlight of my week!!! Mmmmm....such yummy goodness is found in these delightful little delicious goodies! I can't eat too many at once, 'cause, you know, they are bran muffins after all. Anyway, a great big thank you to Becca for making and sending me these super-yummy bundles of goodness (and to her son who was the inspiration behind it all!).

**she included a recipe too, should I pass it along???

February Movie Log

We didn't watch that many movies last month, which to me is surprising considering we saw a record amount in January. Ryan had a busy month at work so many nights he was playing catch up and did not have time to watch a movie. Oh well, it was a short month anyway, right? So, here is what we did watch:

1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (It was so sad to watch the final movie of this trilogy. I enjoyed watching them so much and it was hard to bring it to close. These movies had such great story lines and were very well done. Maybe in a couple years we'll be ready to see them again. Go Frodo!!)
2. Invinceable (We watched this with my parents while they were here for their weekend visit. It was good! Based on a true story and done well. I totally recommend this one.)
   
3. An Inconvienent Truth (Documentary-type film by Al Gore about our current and growing crisis of global warming. Very interesting and thought provoking.)
4. Ice Age (Our most recent family movie night movie. I just love hearing the kids laugh at funny parts, it's the best!)
5. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (Chinese film about a Japanese man who decides to finish his son's last work by traveling to China to video a certain man performing a mask opera. It was interesting. Actually, the subtitles/translation was the most entertaining. It was funny to see typos and wrong words used! Ryan also says that the film is most likely propaganda to show China as being kind toward Japan, and I think he's right. Anyway, it was a good story. I would recommend it.)
   

See, I told you our movie watching was down this month! Let's see, this month is a toss up for my favorite. I did enjoy the final Lord of the Rings, but since I had seen it before I'll go with Invinceable as my favorite (sorry Al!).

Not Much to Report

I wish had something great to write about today. I've been on the computer just about all afternoon, you'd think there would be something to say about it. Nope. Not really. I was, however, notified by Amazon that yet another book of mine has sold! That's good news, yes? Yes, it is. Let's see, after I am paid for this book I think my total of all books sold (4) should be about $23. Not bad eh?

You may wonder what in the world have I been doing all afternoon on the computer. Yeah, I'd like to know too. The computer is such a time sucker for me. I'm helpless, what can I say. Sadly, I do know what I've been doing. I was listing one more thing on Ebay. Ryan calls me Ebayin' Mama. I looked, the name has already been taken. Darn! Oh well, I'll stick with the name I already have. Can you guess what it is??? Anyway, I listed a bunch of stamping magazines that I accumulated when I was a demonstrator for Stampin' Up!. The other thing I did today was list my last Stampin' Up! catalog on Amazon. See, I've done my homework and I can get way more through selling on Amazon than with Ebay. Yep, Ebayin' mama, that's me!

Hope your day was more eventful (in a good way) than mine. Now I'm gonna get off this computer and read my book.

Zoo-rific Time

My cousin Rose and her husband Will invited us and another couple (friends of theirs) to join them at the zoo for the afternoon on Saturday. We gladly joined them and met them there mid afternoon when most people, who had been there all day, were leaving. Great strategy don't you think?! We took in an elephant show (yes, elephants can dance!). Then we got up close with the lions and even heard some primal growls! Next we took a nice stroll and saw various obscure animals (the only one whose name comes to mind was the warthog, oh!, and the black-eared fox....who consequently was being chased by the vicious warthogs, which, by the way, warthogs are not pretty). At the end of the stroll came the flamingos, then back up the trail and past warthogs again. On our way out of the zoo we saw the gorillas who were being quite rambunctious as they headed into their cages for the night.

It was a short time at the zoo, but that's the beauty of having a membership, we don't feel as though we have to stay all day and see every exhibit! The kids had a great time too. Isabel does really well in the backpack, she is up higher and can see more things. I'm not sure how much longer we can use it though, she was trying to climb out, and almost succeeded! I took my camera this time and the batteries had enough juice to enable me to take a few shots. I need more space on the flashcard though, bummer! The few pics I got ended up being pretty good. Keepers for sure.

We ended the day at our place with pizza and yummy angel food cake (laborious compliments from Rose and Will!). Then the evening closed with a tired, but somewhat strategic, game of Settlers of Catan (which Ryan and I won, go home team!).

Nice day. Great company. A must repeat!

**Thanks Rose for the great idea! We all had a very nice time, thank you!

Book Meme

I was tagged by Heather for meme.

The Rules of the game:
1. Find the nearest book to you.
2. Name the book and author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
5. Copy out the next 3 sentences and post to your blog.
6. Tag three other people.

Ok, the current book I'm reading, and is in somewhat close distance to me, is Ever After by Karen Kingsbury (no, this is not the same story that was a movie with Drew Berrymore). I have not finished reading the first chapter so I hope by reading ahead a bit doesn't give anything away!

"Don't go acting like you're not in love. The whole office knows about it."
"But this is work."

Oooooo.....a relational development! Again, I hope this doesn't ruin anything for me! It's bound to be a good book, the one before it (Even Now) was good and this is the continued story! But anything by Kingsbury is good in my book (pun intended)! *big grin*

Ok, my turn! I tag Chris, Deanna, and Kim.

Ok, Ok, Ok!!!

A few of you have asked me to share some recipes I've mentioned recently. Ok, I'll share! Here is the recipe for the white chili:

Southwestern White Chili

1 tbl olive oil
1 lb chicken cut into cubes
1/4 c chopped onion
1 c chicken broth
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 can (19oz) white kidney beans (cannelloni)

spice blend

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Heat oil in 2-3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes (or until cooked all the way through). Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir in broth, green chilies and spice blend. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken and beans. Simmer 10 minutes.

Here's a few tips for this recipe....I always double it when I make it, but this is a spicy/hot dish so if you choose to double it do not double the spice blend!!! Another tip is to to skip the part about simmering for a half hour before adding the chicken and beans. I dump it all in and heat it thoroughly, it really doesn't need to simmer for that long. One more thing....this recipe goes great with the corn bread recipe I posted last week!!!

And before people out there in blog-land post comments that I forgot the lasagna recipe, here it is! *big grin*

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

Lasagne noodles (I use 6 noodles in my 9x13 casserole pan)
9 oz. chooped spinach
2-3 c diced chicken
2 c shredded cheddar
1 can cream coup (I use cream of mushroom)
1 c sour cream
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1/3 c fresh minced onions
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c grated parmesean

Cook lasagna according to package. Cook spinach, drain well. (I use one frozen package, just thaw and drain well). Combine: chicken, onions, 1 1/2 c cheddar, soup, cour cream, mushrooms, salt, pepper, spinach. Blend well. Butter/grease bottom and sides of cassarole dish.

Layer: 1/3 noodles on bottom of dish, 1/2 meat mixture, sprinkle 2 tbl parmesean, repeat.

Top with noodles, sprinkle remaining cheddar and parmesean on top. Cover with foil. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil for 10 minutes until brown and bubbly.

There they are, dear friends, two fabulous recipes to add to your repertoire! I hope you enjoy them, how could you not, they're awesome! Now, the only thing you have to do is share some delicious recipes with when you come across something new and fabulous!

Fabulous Weekend

The weekend is officially over. *sigh* I love three-day weekends but come Tuesday morning it is always somewhat of a letdown. We had a really good weekend and it is a little hard to move forward this morning. I'll survive.

My parents arrived on Friday at about 1:30. I had all the things on my list done before they got here. That's always a good feeling! We didn't do anything that day due to their long drive and the kids having to take naps. I spent a good portion of the afternoon making dinner anyway. Mmmm, Chicken Lasagne Florentine, Wendy's breadsticks and a tossed green salad. Then for desert I made a berry cobbler (box mix) and serve it with Bryer's vanilla ice cream (it was on sale!). Everyone was tired that night so it was a quiet evening as most of the house went to bed. I stayed up and finished my book!

We could not have had more perfect weather this weekend! If it had been any warmer it would have bordered on hot. But it was absolutely perfect! I even wore my sandles and painted my toenails! We took advantage of the fabulous weather the Lord blessed us with and took off downtown to explore! Ryan, Caleb and my dad toured a decommissioned Naval ship (Caleb got a Blue Angel toy plane....score!), while my mom and I and the girls walked around looking at shops and having a yummy slushie by the water. After that we drove over to a old famous hotel on the beach. After having lunch and walking around the hotel we headed home. I had put a roast in the crock pot that morning so I didn't have to cook that night! Sweet! Even sweeter was the delicious berry pie my dad got at Marie Callender's! Mmmmm, pie month!

Sunday, after church we had lunch then took off to drive around the neighborhoods near us. Ryan's purpose in the drive was to find some houses that could be potentials for us. We did visit a few open houses, that was fun! I love looking at houses, but why is it that the ones I love are always beyond our budget? Anyway, we had a nice drive and remaining time with my parents before they had to leave to go back home.

Monday marked the end of the fabulous weather as it rained buckets pretty much all day! Ryan had the day off due to Presidents Day, and it was great having a day to relax as a family. The only thing we did was go to the gym and look a couple model homes. After looking at the open houses on Sunday, Ryan reevaluated our house budget and up'ed the cap. I spent some time Sunday night researching the housing market and saw that some new homes in the area had dropped their prices since we last looked at them early last month. So, we looked at them again yesterday. I love looking at model homes! There is a slim possibility but we will continue to look. No hurry since our lease is not up until July.

I do not have any pictures to post of our weekend. I'm terrible at taking pictures at times like this! Even if I had taken the camera, I most likely would not have used it. I was hoping my mother would take some pictures that I could copy, but she didn't take any either. What a sorry picture taking lot we are.

Today is back to normal, sort of. Mae does not have school this week and Caleb only has class on Thursday. So I will have to find things to do to get us all out of the house so as not to drive each other crazy! Oh well. The fun is over, back to life.

Stuff to do!

I don't have much time but I wanted to shoot off a quick post while I had the chance! My parents are coming today for the weekend and I have a few more things to do before they arrive in a few hours. Right now I don't have enough time to start a cleaning project or run to the store before I have to pick up Mae from school, but I do have time for this quick post!

Let's see, before my parents get here I still need to:

1. go to the store and get a few items for dinner and desert (Chicken Lansagne Florentine, mmmmm, anyone want the recipe?)
2. clean kids bathroom (not in too bad of shape but does need some attention)
3. tidy up the kitchen counters (that always need to be done!)
4. have kids pick up toys and tidy their own rooms (again, that always need to be done)
   
5. clean up table and chairs (who wants to sit on kid-sticky chairs?)
6. find folding table for dinner (there will be adults and 3 kids at the table, yikes...gotta find that table!!!)
7. if I have time I'd also like to clean the counters in my bathroom, you never know if a guest will have to pass by to use the second bathroom!

Ok, gotta run! Maybe I get a few pics this weekend and post them next week! Hope so! And I'm off........

So Loved

"For God so loved the world

that he gave his one
and only Son,
that whoever believes
in him shall not
perish but have
eternal life."

John 3:16

Valentine Menu

Tonight I am making a menu of yumminess for my family. Ryan loves the White Chili recipe I have, so that will be for him (and me), and because it is spicy I will make mac-n-cheese for the kids. So there should be no complaints from anyone at the dinner table tonight! To add to the yum-fest I will also be making some super-delicious home made cornbread. My good friend Chris gave me the cornbread recipe a few years ago and, just like her, it is fabulous! I can no longer make my chili without also whipping up a batch of this yummy-deliciousness too.

So, in the spirit of the day, I will share the love and pass along this must-have recipe of cornbread wonderfulness.

Incredible Cornbread

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 cups bisquick
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 heaping Tbl cornmeal

Beat eggss. Add milk and butter. Add all dry ingredients. Bake @ 350 in greased 8x8 dish for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and fork comes out clean. Enjoy cornbread wonderfullness!

The Cool Mom

Last night we all pitched in and made the yummy, super-delicious, rice crispy treat Valentines. I've never made them before but I knew it was easy. I added some red dye and colored them pink! Very cute! Ryan and the kids measured out the marshmellows and cereal while I melted the butter and added in the ingredients. I made two batches and thought I'd have to make at least one more in order to have enough for both Mae's and Caleb's classes. I needed a total of 34 treats. I was amazed that two batches was more than enough. We even had scraps leftover to munch on. I only have one thing to say about yummy, super-delicious, rice crispy treats......mmmmm, so very, very tasty.

Must. Have. More. More. More. More!!!

Ok, I bought way too much stuff to make the treats. I bought like 5 bags of mini marshmellows and 6 boxes of Rice Crispys. The cereal is easy to deal with. Eat it for breakfast. No problem. The problem is having 3 bags of mini marshmellows leftover. We can only drink so much hot chocolate. I know, those things are loaded with preservatives and all kinds of junk, so they could last a very long time in the factory-sealed bag. But let's be honest....that's not gonna happen! So I did the only thing that makes sense. I made more treats!

Must. Have. More.

So, now I have another batch of treats on the counter. Here's another problem. I have more treats on my counter! I just looked over at them. They're still there, beckoning for me to get up, and eat them! Oh man. This is terrible. Good thing I went to the gym today. *wink wink*

Caleb had his Valentine celebration in his class today (he only goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays). When he got home we went through his bag of Valentines and candy and I discovered that I am the coolest mom! Yep. That's me, cool mom! Most of the other kids in the class just gave out the cheapy store bought cards and there was one or two kids that had a sucker attached (and one cute pencil), but come on, how totally cool is the pink heart-shaped rice crispy treat (and little plastic dinosaur)?! Yeah, that's right. I'm 'The cool mom'! I'm stoked!

I wonder if my coolness will carry over to Mae's class tomorrow?

Big Boy Bed

My boy is getting big. *sniff sniff* He is growing out of his cute little toddler bed, so last weekend we picked up a big boy bed for him and today we got a new mattress to go with it. Tonight it is all assembled and my boy is sleeping (I hope!) in it right now! *sigh* I knew this day would come, and I assume I am ready for it. The new bed makes him look as though he is still small, so maybe that's a good thing (right?).

Caleb was so excited! Ryan took out the toddler bed then started bringing in the pieces of the new bed into Caleb's room. Caleb, being the big boy and all, wanted to help his daddy carry things in. He also stood by and watched as it was put together. He could hardly contain himself! Then he had to wait as I vacuumed his room and put new sheets on the bed. Finally it was time to do the big reveal! Oh boy was he happy and excited!!!

Later, after Caleb had his bath, he went in and got his jammies on and went straight to bed! It wasn't even bedtime yet, he still had 30-45 minutes! He didn't care. He was in bed, door closed and lights off! Crazy boy! Still, it made for an easy bedtime. Though it makes me think 'I wonder how long this will last'? I also wonder how much sleep he is actually getting 'cause I know he is just laying there giggling and being too excited and happy to get any sleep. When he finally does get to sleep it will only be because he past out from shear exhaustion! Oh the joys of growing up.

Sleep tight my dear son, I love you!

Back to Normal

My routine is back! On Tuesday Mae's school called me, I had to pick her up early, she was sick. Mae had a temp of 103 and complaining of a headache. No faking that kind of sick! So it continued off and on for the next two days. *sigh* This completely blows my routine! It wouldn't have been so bad, for me, if I hadn't just resolved to go to the gym a few times a week. Now that I have it in my mind to do go, I want to get moving on it!

Mae is all better now and was able to go back to school today. Well, she could have gone back yesterday but we played it safe and kept her home one more day (that fever was a tricky one, it would be gone most of the day then BAM! it'd be back). So I was able to go to the gym this morning. Yeah!!! Now all I need to do is have Ryan show me how to use his ipod and maybe download some of my own music. Then I'll be all set to rock out while workin' out! Oh yeah!

Valentine Plans

There are six days left until the big day. Valentines Day! As of last night I have all the little things together that I am going to give to my kids. My own mother has been instrumental in making more of this day than it used to be. So now it's my turn to tell my children that I love them!

I just love Target! They had some cute Valentine socks in the dollar section right after Christmas. At that point I wasn't sure what I was going to do (come on, I wasn't even out of the Christmas fog yet!), but when I saw the little socks I had to get two pair (one for Mae and one for Isabel....they didn't have any boyish socks for Caleb). Then a couple weeks ago I saw that Target's dollar section had little Valentine beenie baby-type animals. So I snatched up three of those. Finally, last night, I got Caleb some touchable bubbles. I will put their little gifts together and have them sitting out on the table for them in the morning (I'll most likely throw in some choclately candies for good measure....can't have Valentines Day without Kisses!). I haven't thought too much more about the rest of the day but maybe for lunch I'll make pancakes, since they are Mae's favorite (sorry, they won't be heart-shaped, but they'll be from the heart....does that count?) Then maybe after dinner I will do some heart-shaped brownies or something. I'm not too sure about that part either.

Of course I can't forget the Valentine cards for Mae's and Caleb's schools. Mae has 20 kids in her class, and Caleb 12. After much thought, I have decided to make these yummy rice crispy treats for the kids Valentines. I have some heart-shaped cookie cutters that will be perfect (one less item to purchase to put this Valentine together!). Then we will put them in Valentine gift bags along with an extra little goodie (Caleb has little plastic dinosaurs and Mae has lip-shaped erasers...again, Target!!!). Then at the top where the bag is tied off we will add a little card that says who the yummy treat is from. I have a little Valentine stamp set for the kids and they can stamp away to their hearts content on the front of the card. I think they will be cute and definitely not your run of the mill Valentine!

Mae says Valentines Day is her favorite holiday. It's because it is red and pink and has hearts!

*go here to make your own candy conversation heart for your blog page!

Motivation

I have been wanting to get into the habit of going to the gym a couple times a week, but I haven't been successful in getting myself there. Many excuses. All lame. Well, I think I have finally found the motivation needed to propel me through the doors. It's called 'I bought a dress on Ebay and it doesn't quite fit'. How is that for motivation?

I bought the dress to wear to a friends' wedding in June and it is too tight, in too many places. This is an issue I haven't really had in my life. But, three kids and a couple decades later I now do. That is, if I want to maintain a certain dress size. I do want to be healthy and in shape, that is my true goal. So, if after working out and exercising still does not get me into the dress, but gets me healthy and in shape, then I will be satisfied with that. Truly.

Here is a picture of the motivation for me to continue using that gym membership that has gathered too much dust:

(click to enlarge)

Pretty nice, huh? (the picture isn't the best, but it's a nice dress....trust me on this!) I got a super-great deal on it too! Plus it still has the tags on it, so if I never do wear it then I can relist it on Ebay and maybe get my few bucks back. I suppose it is really a win-win situation. In the end I'll be healthy and in shape. Now, whether I'll be in the shape this dress requires remains to be seen.

Things to do When Laid Up on the Couch Because a Glass Fell Off the Counter and Cut Your Foot

1. Convince your husband that the cut is not that bad and you don't have to go to the ER on the weekend with three kids.
2. Bemoan the fact that you did not shave your legs that morning and you are dire need of a pedicure (just in case you do have to get those stitches).
3. Be thankful for your exceedingly gracious husband who has brought you lunch, something to drink, and his laptop so you have something to do.
4. Be even more thankful for said husband who has carried you around the house so you can go to the bathroom.
5. Make fifty bucks on TreasureTrooper.com by filling out surveys and signing up for trial offers. (sweet!)
6. Hobble over to answer the telephone within 20 seconds of husband leaving the house.
7. Clean up cut, again, after trip to the telephone.
   
8. Settle back onto couch with foot up, again, but this time leave telephone on coffee table right beside you (not that it rings again for the rest of the day)
   
9. Try calling husband's cell phone while he is out because his laptop requires a password after being idle while you were on the telephone. (you hear it ring, he left it on the counter *sigh*).
10. Take out your own cell phone and play with ring tones.
11. Call your cell phone to see if you have the right ring tone set up (you do!).
12. Consider the cut not such a bad thing, now you don't have to cook tonight!
    

Makin' Money

I've been busy this week. Busy putting stuff up for auction on Ebay, listing 10 books for sale on Amazon, as well as one item on Craigs List. I have already sold one book on Amazon (I'm stoked about that!!) and my Ebay auctions close Sunday and Monday. If my ebay listings go well, then I will have gotten rid of most all the baby girl clothes up to about 12 months. I still have a bunch of boy clothes to go through and list, most of those at 24 months/2t (I sold a lot of Caleb's clothes last year on Ebay). As I have mentioned before, my hope for selling this stuff is two-fold.

1. I want to get rid of boxes of baby clothes that are taking up valuable space in the garage and closets. I do not intend to need them at all, ever, again! *big grin*....I love my kids, but I think I have enough.
2. I am planning a trip to see friends in Michigan over the Memorial Day weekend and I need to raise some more moolah! (isn't Ryan a great guy to let me go away for the weekend??)

So, I have high hopes for my auctions this weekend. I did my best to plan ahead and have my auctions close on Sunday (Ryan says that is the best time to have an auction close. Because people are not at work and glued to their computers looking for great deals??? I hope so!) My first attempt at posting my auctions this week was not so well thought out. Again it was my intention to have them end on Sunday, so I did a 7-day listing. The problem was that I listed them on Monday, so the auctions will close this Monday and missing the Sunday crowd. The second group I listed I did better in my thought process and timed them to end on Sunday, a couple hours before the Super Bowl (I thought this was genius!) . I will see how well this plan worked come Sunday around 1:00. I'm so excited to see how it all goes, although the number of visitors to my listings is not as high as I would like. Maybe come this weekend the number will grow?

Ryan has also told me about two places online to make money by filling out surveys etc. I looked into both places today and they seem reputable. I'm not sure how Ryan knew about them, but when he gets home I will go over it again with him and just double check the legitimacy. If all is good then I will register and hopefully make some more cashola!

So.........come on Ebay!...........go Amazon go!!! Mama needs to get away!

January Movie Log

More movies viewed by us last month. Here's what we saw:

1. Lady in the Water (another film by the guy who did The Sixth Sense, I can't pronounce his name....I call him 'Sham-a-lam-a-ding-dong'. Ok, not very nice, but it makes my husband laugh. Anyway, the movie was good. Not the guys' best, but interesting.)
2. Sketches of Frank Gehry (Gehry is a well known architect of today and this was a documentary of his work. We enjoyed the film very much. He is certainly thinks outside the typical 'box' when designing buildings and structures. It was also refreshing to see that this man, who is extremely talented, is not caught up with himself. If you like documentaries and art/design then I highly recommend this film.)
3. I Am Sam (this was an interesting film about a man who is mentally retarded and needs to legally fight to keep his 8 year old daughter. I can't say that it is very realistic, but it made me think more about the 'system' in place that takes children away from their parents. So, I guess I'd have to say this was a thought provoking movie. Good, would recommend.)
   
4. Grease (we had never seen this movie and thought maybe we should since it is a classic. I'm a little confused as to why it is considered a classic....what's all the fuss about regarding this movie anyway? I thought it was ok.)
   
5. Run Lola Run (German movie about a lady who has 20 minutes to save her boyfriends life. The movie had three different outcomes. It was interesting, we enjoyed it!)
   
6. Behind the Sun (Brazilian movie about a two brothers that are caught up the family rivalry with a neighboring family. It's definitely not an 'upper' movie, but it was done well. Sad but interesting story.)
7. The Apple Dumpling Gang (Caleb and I watched this together. It was fun to see it after so many years. I don't think Caleb quite understood what it was about but he sat in my lap the whole time, and that is priceless!)
8. The Love Bug (this was our first family movie night. Great success! Kids loved it, and so did us grown ups.)
9. Schultze Gets the Blues (German film. Borrrrr-rrrrring!!!!)
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (yes, we've seen the trilogy before and decided it was time to watch it again. Still good! I am understanding a whole lot more this time around too.)
11. House of Sand (Brazilian movie. 3 generations of mother/daughter as they live in wasteland of Brazil. It was interesting, we liked it. **we did have to use the feature on our dvd that allows us to skip to the next scene, for adult situation purposes..that's all I'm gonna say about that!)
12. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (two down, one more to go!)
    

I think my favorite movie was Run Lola Run. The movie was definitely artistic in the way it was done, it was odd, but I liked it! I also liked how it had three different outcomes. It's funny how much I am enjoying all these foreign films. At first I watched them because Ryan picked them out. I was never one that liked the idea of reading a movie, the concept was strange to me, but I'm getting the hang of it now and am enjoying it very much! (for the most part that is.....Schultze Get the Blues was a dull film, to say the least. Germans certainly have a different perspective on film making....too many scenic views/still shots). Anyway, I am loving this Blockbuster thing we've got, it's fun! I feel like I'm becoming culturally diverse. *big grin*

Growing Is Hard

I'm not sure what to say about yesterday. It wasn't a good day. For those who know me know that being a mother is a difficult thing for me. This is due to the fact that I am a selfish being and I see it more clearly since becoming a mom. I see other faults, shortcomings and imperfections as well. Not fun stuff. I must remind myself that I am in a process of holiness and that I am not expected to be perfect right now.

Today is a little better. I am trying to depend more on the Lord and look to him for guidance and help. It's not easy, but that is all part of this holiness process. I am thankful that the Lord is full of mercy, grace and patience!

Dear Lord, please help me today as I want to be, and am trying to be, patient with my kids as well as to love them as I should. I need your guidance as I desire to be a good mother to them and to raise them to know and love you. Help me to live this life in such a way as to allow my children, and others, to see you in me. Thank you for your endless patience with me as I am growing toward the person you want me to be. Thank you also for your grace and mercy along the way. Amen.

My Poor Kids

My husband and I did not chose the names of our children based on a nickname we will use. However, our children do have many names we call them (all good things). I guess we are kind of weird, because some of the names our kids now have are, let's say, strange. I don't know how some of them came to be, they just happened. Here is a list of other names our children have been come to be called:

Mae
Mae-ba-jay
Missy Mae
Chicken
Chicken choo-ka
Chicken fry
Chicken fry-be
Chicken fry Monkey fry
Monkey
Crazy Mae
Sweety girl
Sweet-n-Sour


Caleb
Turkey
Punk
Punk-a-junk
Dude
Dudey Punk
Smack Jack
Little Man
Middle Man (my dad thought of this one!)
Bruiser
Ca-lah-ba-dub-dub
Sweety boy
Baby boy


Isabel
Goose
Goosey Goose
Izzy
Iddie
Izzy-a-ka-zizzy
Belly belle
Babeh-Lu
Iddy Widdy
Iddy-ka-pity
Chooga-choog
Boogie Boo
Booga-loo

See?! I told you we were weird! Our kids are sooo going to need therapy!

Feelin' Good

There's just something about a clean house that makes me feel good. I look around my house today and I just feel better! I did some rush cleaning yesterday before the sitter came over and boy did I get a lot accomplished! Whew! I cleaned the kids icky bathroom, my own icky bathroom, made our bed, put clothes away, did 1.5 loads of laundry (sometimes just getting that nasty little task started helps get things rolling!), and tidied up the kitchen and dining room. Plus, Mae and Caleb did a great job of picking up their toys around the house and cleaning their rooms! Granted my house is not spotless, my goal is to have that nice lived-in look. I don't want people to feel bad that their house isn't as clean as mine, so I don't make my own home look immaculate (yes, I do it for the sake of others......believe me??) Now, if we can only get rid of the few remaining boxes in our bedroom, then I'll be all caught up! But, I'm a realist, I know that's not going to happen until we move out. Ha!

I'm Trying!

The other week as I was surfing the net I came across Meetup.com and found a large selection of mom groups in my area. I picked a few that meet close to me and joined them. I get emails just about everyday with different events that are being scheduled and I can choose to go or not. There's no pressure, no phone calls, just simple e-vites basically. So, today I went to my first one. I was pretty nervous and prayed about it as I got ready to go. We met at a park at a small lake and it was all very informal. Since Mae was in school and the start time for this event was 9:30 I only had about one hour until I had to leave to pick her up. It would have been nice if I could have stayed longer since I did not get the chance to really talk with anyone. I stayed with Isabel most of the time to make sure she was not going to fall off the play structure, tumble down the stairs, or just plain ol' walk away.

This group will meet at another park next week and I plan to attend. Then there is another group that is doing a Valentine card making event at someones house in two weeks. I am thinking about going to that one too. My concern is that I have not been to this persons house and I am not sure what it going to be like with my kids there. Granted, this is a moms group so it should be ok to have kids roaming around. I have emailed the planner for this event and asked my questions. It would be fun to get together with other card-crafty people!

This whole meeting-new-people thing is hard for me (as I've mentioned in previous posts). I am praying about it though. I know that I need to step out of my comfort zone and put myself out there, otherwise it could take me years to make new friends. I suppose this is yet another opportunity to depend on the Lord. He knows my needs, as well as who I am, and how it all fits together. As I am not looking forward to the pain of growth, I know that good things await on the other side. The Lord has great things planned for my life and it does include things such as uncomfortable situations, but I also know that He is right there with me even when I feel alone in a park full of moms! So, I'm trying, I'm putting myself out there for new friendships and growth and hopefully I am on my way to making some much needed friends.

Growing Pains

We have officially began Isabel on finger foods and are no longer feeding her baby food from the jars. I know, she's 18 months old and we should have done this quite a while ago. Third kid, what do you expect? It's been easier to just feed her ourselves instead of transitioning her sooner. But now we are done with all the little jars! Yeah, more cabinet space!

Anyway, finding food for Isabel to eat is more difficult that I remember. What did I feed my other kids at this point? And why will she eat one thing one day then won't eat it the next? I'm tellin' ya, this is hard! Isabel is normally a great eater (when it's food from the little jars) but now she is picky. I was not prepared for this. She would eat crackers and raisins all day if I let her, but she won't sit in her high chair and eat the food I give her. Does anyone have any suggestions??

So far I've given her green beans, peas, carrots, canned fruit, banannas, cheese, pieces of chicken and raisins. She loves the fruit and never refuses it, so I give it to her last in hopes that she'll eat all the veggies. I haven't tried beans yet, I'll pick some up tomorrow when I go to the store. Just when I think I've found something she will eat then the next time I serve it to her she refuses it! *sigh* I'm hoping that she will learn quickly that we are not going back to the jars and understand that this is it, either eat the food given or go a little hungry!

Ouch!

Earlier this week I listed ten things on Ebay and my auctions closed today. Out of the ten listings I sold 5. And the total amount I received was $6.77. I was thinking/hoping I'd make at least about $25 on one of the listings, but that one ended at $1.55. Ouch! I am so bummed.

The good thing is that I have cleared out of some baby clothes and that should mean that I have one less box of storage in the garage. I think I will go through the stuff leftover and weed out some things and then relist. Then I will tackle another box of baby clothes. Anyone interested in some boy clothes??? (sizes 24 months and up) Oh! I have two great snow suit type outfits!! Anyone want to buy them??? (they are in great shape, one has never been worn...6-9 months!!) Baby girl clothes will be starting at 3-6 months.

Ok, enough of my marketing to my blogger friends. *sigh* I'm still bummed. My attempt to make money has a purpose. I am planning to visit some friends in Michigan over the Memorial Day weekend and I need to raise some extra moolah so I can purchase my tickets soon! I have some work to do if my auctions continue to go as they have.

Well, gotta get busy! Wish me good fortune in the realm of Ebay!

Communication is a Glorious Thing

My manager often said 'communication is the key to success'. Boy was she right!

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I didn't go anywhere yesterday. I meant to, but couldn't. Caleb and Isabel had doctors appointments, but I had to cancel. I backed out of the garage and the truck felt funny. Emergency brake? Off. Flat tire? Yep, that'd be it. Pull truck back in. Call doctor and reschedule appointments. Then call the mister and let him know he has to pick up Mae from school. Later, Ryan put the spare tire on the truck and gave me instructions on driving with a spare.

Number one: DO NOT drive on the freeway.

Me: No problem, all schools and stores do not require the freeway in the routes I take.

Number two: It is not wise to drive over 35 miles per hour.

Me: Ah man! This means I need to give myself slow-poke driving time so I am not late picking up kids from school or miss Isabel's new doctor appointment.

Number three: Do not go anywhere unnecessary.

Me: Ah man! I wanted to go to Target!!!

I did follow all the rules. Yeah me. But do you know how difficult it is to drive under 35 mph? Fortunately there is only one spot that the speed limit was over 35. I was good about giving myself plenty of time to get to the 'necessary' places so I was able to remain calm with driving terribly slow as others, without restrictions, speedily passed.

Even without 'unnecessary' stops I still had many places to go today. First was Isabel's doctors appointment. Then pick Mae up from school. Get Caleb from his school. Then over to Costco to get a new tire (so I can drive fast!). Finally, back home for lunch and nap time. All the while not going faster than 35. What a busy and slow morning!

I later come to find out that Ryan and I have different styles of communication. This is not new to us, however it does effect the way I perceive what he is saying. He 'recommends' that it is not wise to drive faster than 35 mph, not that I 'couldn't'. See, I am a black and white kind of person. If Ryan says that I shouldn't drive faster than 35 then I take it to mean that I should not drive faster than 35. Ryan, on the other hand, communicates in what he calls 'ishes'. Meaning, I could drive 35-ish. That's so not fair.

Costco was able to fix the tire so we did not have to buy a new one. Whew, dodged that bullet (but not the nail that had caused this whole ordeal). Ryan has now installed the fixed tire and I am all set to go to Target tomorrow.......and drive faster than 35!

Happy Day

Mae's recipe for a happy day:

• Homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast
• An outing at the beach and out for lunch
• Cookies
• Popcorn
• A movie, The Love Bug

Take the last three ingredients and gather in the living room with the family. Start the movie. Cuddle on the floor with blankets and pillows. Eat the cookies and popcorn. Enjoy!

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Yesterday was a special day. I had told the kids last week that I would make cinnamon rolls for them on Monday since they would not have school that day. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Ryan had the day off too! So began the happy day.

I made the cinnamon rolls Sunday night so they would be all done and ready for the eatin' when the kids got up (and I didn't want to have to get up at o' dark thirty to make them). Mmmm, they were good!!! Once we were all dressed and ready for the day, we piled into the truck and made our way to a nearby beach town. We were not there very long but we were able to do a little walking around, look at the beach, run around, and have a little lunch.

Later, after dinner, we popped the popcorn, set out the cookies (but still out of reach of Issy's little hands, she was into the popcorn anyway) and piled onto the floor with our blankets and pillows and turned down the lights to watch The Love Bug. Mae and Caleb were into the movie more than I thought they'd be. Actually, Caleb seemed to be following along pretty good. He just lied there, paying attention and not saying much at all, but with the occasional bouts of laughter (all at the right moments too!). Mae liked the movie. She would ask questions about what was happening and was rooting for ol' Herbie to win the race! Isabel on the other hand was taking full advantage of having us all on the ground and was climbing all over us and giggled and laughed (when she wasn't hording the popcorn!). In the end I think we started a great family tradition of family movie night! I look forward to the next one, maybe next month.


Sunday night, when I was tucking Mae in for bed, I told her some of the things we were going to do the next day. She got all excited and said "tomorrow is going to be a happy day!" Mae was so 'des-cited' (her word for 'excited'). I am glad she was not disappointed.

Sleep Tight, Don't Let the.....

Ewe! Ewe! Ewe! I decided to change the sheets on our bed tonight, and it was a good thing I did because there were ants all in it!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!! I can't stop imagining what it would have been like had I not changed the sheets! I shudder at those thoughts. It turns out that a little bit of food was in the sheets and heralded the call to all household ants to come an' git it! That's the last time I let a cute little kiddo climb in bed and cuddle with me! Well, ok, maybe not, but they'd better shake off all remnants of breakfast first!

Frustration Abounds

I had such plans for today's post, but our computer had other ideas. I was in the middle of my morning routine (check email and a few favorite blogs) when the connection dropped. I was going to post a new recipe and tell how great it was blah blah blah, but I could not get reconnected! I tried logging back onto the internet. Didn't work. I tried restarting the computer. No go. I checked very often throughout the day to see if the little icon at the bottom of the screen showed that the connection was there. Nope. Arghhhhh!!!! Can you say 'FRUSTRATING'??? *deep sigh*

Now that Ryan, my trusty and ever handy computer technician, is home he was able to get it to connect after pulling out the wireless antennae and putting it back in. Why didn't I think of that? Well, because I'm a computer idiot. Oh well, I am happy to at least check my email and continue to surf my friends blogs! We just received our new computer yesterday so hopefully this weekend my live-in computer guru will get it operational and all the issues I've been having will go bye-bye. With that said, I hope to post my new recipe soon! So, dear friends, stay tuned......

**update....I thought I'd do one last check of my email (to see if anyone loves me!) before I go bed and I am able to get on, but here's the annoying part....the little icon at the bottom of the screen that has told me all day that the internet connection is down, is STILL THERE!!! That most likely means that I WAS able to get on and do all my surfing and I was too dumb to check it myself! *deep aggravated annoyed sigh/grumble*

Peanut Butter Blunder

She did it again! Isabel got into some peanut butter. I think Mae dropped some on the floor today when making her sandwich (really, how does this happen?). I didn't notice it right away and Isabel decided to do some finger lickin'! It took about ten minutes before her allergic reaction started. Good thing I followed doctors advice and had some Benedryl on hand for just such an occassion! I had hoped that maybe I was wrong last time, and that Isabel wasn't really allergic to peanut butter. I was wrong. Poor baby girl, her eyes were itchy and she kept rubbing them as her face got red with little bumps. At least she got a bath out of the whole ordeal (she had been playing in the tub this morning with no water and her clothes on. I think this was her way of finally getting one!) She's doing fine now. I'm so glad I pick up that bottle of Benedryl, and glad that I didn't have to take her to the ER! Praise the Lord!!!

Additions and Subtractions

We've had a couple changes in our house the past two days. The first is that Caleb is now the proud owner of a fish. For Christmas his Auntie Erin and Uncle James gave him a fish tank, rocks and a cool car statue along with a gift certificate to pick out a fishy when we got home.

First, I must admit to doing a very tedious task all because I love my boy. The bag of rocks was a mix of blue, green, purple and pink. I did not think that pink was an appropriate color for a boy (especially since the fish will reside in Caleb's room). My mother suggested that I could pick out the pink rocks, but, according to her, I rolled my eyes and said no (sorry about that Mom). Well, I did it anyway, and now that the job is done and the tank is set up, I think the rocks look much better with out the pink.

Without further ado, here is a pic of my son admiring his new fish, whom he has named Fisher Eater (no, I don't know why. he's four, go figure.)



Again it looks as though Erin has influenced some change in our house. This time it's Mae. She got her hair cut today. Earlier this week Mae told me that she wanted it cut and that she wanted it short like her Auntie Erin's. What a sweet sentiment! Mae loves her Auntie Erin. The main reason for this drastic change is 'hair brushing time'. This is a time of stress and pain. At the mere mention of such a activity envokes shrieks and hiding. Needless to say, I was all for this new change. I must mention however that what Mae had in mind was a whole lot shorter than I would have wanted. But it is her hair and if she wants it short than short it shall be.

I took 'before' and 'after' pics to mark the transformation. Again, shorter than I wanted but so darn cute! So here they are....


Before


After

Mae loves her new look, as do I. I think it is so cute and am very pleased at how it turned out. Mae keeps flipping her hair, saying how much she likes it, and telling me reasons why she got it cut. The only problem now is that she wants to maintain this new look. I hope to be able to hold off her next visit for a couple months at least. We'll see how that goes.

That's it for the changes. Hopefully this will be it for awhile. We'll see how that goes too.

Dinner update

Good news......the pot roast was a success! I just love new recipes that are easy (and can't get much easier than a crock pot!). The roast was tasty along with the baby carrots, and the cooked apples were a hit as well as the scrumptious bread sticks. Yum, yum, yum! Ryan and Caleb both told me how good the meal was, and I'm always appreciative of a good meal critique. Of course the best praise is when permission is given to make the meal again. Yes! Sweet success!

*Thanks for all the 'left-overs' advice. I'll keep that in mind for the next time I make a roast. Maybe I'll have to plan for burritos for the following meal.

Tonights Menu

I got a new book last week using a gift card for Barnes & Noble that I got for Christmas. The book is called Dying to Decorate by Cyndy Salzmann. Apparently this is her first published work of fiction. So far a like it. It's a funny mystery about a group of ladies that rehab an old house together and stumble upon an old family secret along the way. Aside from the authors' witty humor I am enjoying another unexpected find, she has recipes at the start of each chapter! The recipes are then mentioned in the following chapter. Isn't that odd? Neat, but odd. I must admit though that it is fun to find new recipes every 5-8 pages. The recipes range from cookies to drinks, and main dishes to breakfast. I am trying one of them tonight for dinner. It is called melt-in-your-mouth pot roast. Along with the roast I think I will make a batch of Wendy's breadsticks and maybe some sliced apples too. Are you interested in the pot roast recipe? Here it is:

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pot Roast

3 lb. beef roast (any kind, except brisket)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (16 oz.) package of baby carrots

Instructions

1. Put roast in Crock-Pot.
2. Top with onion soup and mushroom soup. Add carrots.
3. Cook covered on low 8-10 hours, or high 5-6 hours.

I've never done a roast before. I know it's a simple thing but I've never actually had a recipe before either, and I kinda want something written down first before I try it. So, this sounded super easy plus it uses the crock-pot! Can't beat that! I did buy a 3 pound roast but I cut it in half, there is no way my family can eat all that meat for one meal (and I don't think a roast is a good left over dish). So, now I have the other half in the freezer for another meal (if this one turns out well).

I have flipped through the book to scan the other recipes but I haven't looked too closely, I still want to be surprised when I get to a new chapter. I know, I'm silly. At least I haven't read the ending of the book and ruin the conclusion for myself!

Back to Reality

Do you remember the song by En Vouge, 'Back to Life, Back to Reality'? Well, that is the theme for me today. After spending a little over a week with family last week, it is now time to enter back into 'normal life'. There are good things and not so good things about this.

Good thing: Mae and Caleb go back to school

Not so good thing: kids fussing about school

Good thing: time alone with just Issy and time to get errands done

Not so good thing: I have to cook meals again

Good thing: I get to use the new knife set my hubby got me for Christmas

Not so good thing: the kids don't have grandparents to distract them

Good thing: kids have new toys

Not so good thing: kids have more toys

Good thing: I sleep in my own bed and I don't have to share a room with Issy (Sheesh, she can be noisy at night!)

Overall we had a great time away, but it is always good to be back home. By the time tomorrow rolls around we'll be back in our groove of everyday life and our little break will join the other memories we'll think of so fondly. I still have the ever-present list of things to do (like thinking about goals for this new year) but for now I relish my own mattress and space we call home.

Happy New Year!

December's Movie Log

Here's the monthly list of movies we saw in December, thanks to our Blockbuster On-line account! However, due to Ryan's deadlines at work we were not able to watch as many movies last month. Hopefully things will slow down for him as this new year begins? We'll see. Anyway, here's what we saw:

1. Ocean's Eleven (this was the 1960 version with 'the rat pack". it was slow and kind of boring. not as good as the newer version with Clooney, Pitt, and Damon)
2. Elf (funny and entertaining in a silly way. I liked it, Ryan...not so much)
3. Enfant (French film, with subtitles of course. What a let down. Boring. At the end it left us thinking 'what? is that it?')
4. Picture Bride (another foreign film, Japanese with subtitles. Film was pretty good, it won a couple awards too!)
5. Maria Full of Grace (foreign film from Columbia about a young woman who gives a try at smuggling drugs into the US. It was a pretty good film.....crazy that people actually do that kind of thing)
   
6. RV (was OK. entertaining but not fabulous)
   
7. Hot Rock (1970's Robert Redford flick about a heist, pretty good)
   
8. Firewall (Harrison Ford doing his usual thing....getting into a tight spot but prevailing over the bad guys)
   

My favorite movie was Picture Bride. It wasn't really based on factual events but the premise was, which was that Japanese men living in Hawaii got mail order brides from Japanese families in Japan. It was more than a sweet love story though. It also dealt with how the Japanese farm workers lived and survived.

We currently have 17 movies on our waiting list. Do you have any suggestions for us to add to our list??

Home Again

After a long drive home we finally made it. Whew! Again, I am soooo thankful for portable dvd players! I am also grateul for smooth traffic. We just about made record time coming home today, and after our drive up last week in which we encountered some not-so-good traffic we were quite relieved to not get stuck in any today. I think the kids were grateful too!

Anyway, we made it home. Now begins loads of laundry, but not too many because I did a couple before I left (thanks Mom!). Also, tomorrow we will find new homes for all the new toys and such that was accumulated this Christmas holiday. Fun, fun. However, I am thankful that we have a day to ease into our daily life. We had a great time this past week with all our family but now it's time to get back to reality. It will be so very nice to sleep in my own bed tonight. There's just nothing like your own bed. Ah yes, so good to be home.

All Done!!!

Well, I did it! Somehow I managed to get everything done without becoming stressed-out-mama! How did I do that? I finished evrything on my to-do list plus a few extras. I think I am in shock. This has never happened before. I finished loading up the truck and set up the dvd player and it was EXACTLY 12:00 when it was all done. See? Isn't that amamzing???

I think a part of how it all came together today was because Ryan was able to take Mae to work with him. I packed her little back pack with a coloring book, paper and her box of pencils/markers/crayons. She was all set and so excited to go with Daddy this morning. I was only dreading a phone call from Ryan saying that Mae was too bored and too interuptive and to come pick her up. The call never came...whoo-hoo!!

So, my kids and I have had our lunch and here I am sitting at the computer updating my blog as I wait for Ryan to get himself home so we can split! Ahhh, what a great feeling to be all ready to go and not be stressed. It truly is a wonderful thing!

Merry Christmas!

Update

So far I'm doing good as I have worked a couple things off my list. However, now our departure time has been bumped up to noon on Friday (instead of way-too-early Saturday morning). This means that I pretty much have to be done with everything Thursday night so I'm not a freaking-out-mama come Friday. Well, at least that is always the goal but never the prize. I have inherited a deep sigh from my father when it comes to cutting it short on time. Most times, the deep sigh occurs when packing and leaving are concerned (pst...my brother got it too!). Anyway, despite the change in schedule I am thrilled to able to leave sooner (a great big THANK YOU to Ryan's work!). This means that Caleb will not have to spend anytime in the truck traveling on his birthday! It also means I need to step up the pace on attacking my list!

As of right now I have 85% of the laundry done and put away (whoo-hoo!), the grocery shopping is complete, and the third tray of snickerdoodles are in the oven as I type. I do, however, have to make a correction to my list. I mistakenly said I had 2 dozen cookies to make. Don't I wish! I meant, I am making a double batch, which turns out to be about, hmmm, let's see, oh I think eleventy-billion cookies! Two dozen, my eye!

Tonight, as I finish baking scrumptious snickerdoodles, I intend to make the Christmas cards for Ryan and while I have all my stuff out I will also make and finish the gift tags. So that will leave wrapping gifts and packing which I will do tomorrow after we get back from the zoo. Then Thursday I will work on that pie. Not bad eh? Sure hope I can stay motivated!

Busy Week

I have a lot to do before we leave super early on Saturday. Thankfully I have completed my Chirstmas shopping! (yeah me!) Mae and I went out last Saturday and had a Mommy date. We had lunch together and then went shopping. It was nice to be able to spend some alone time with Mae. She needed it, and so did I! Anyway, now that the shopping is done I still have lots to accomplish this week. This is what I have to do:

• make gift tags
• make 6 Christmas cards (for Ryan's gifts to co-workers)
  
• wrap presents
• grocery shopping
  
• make 2 dozen snickerdoodles
• make this apple pie for Christmas (hope it turns out, and travels well!)
• go to the zoo on Wednesday
• do laundry
• pack

Now that I've written everything down it doesn't seem to be as much as I thought, but you know how things go......it takes longer than you expect. Plus, I have to do these things with all three kids at home. Both Mae and Caleb are off for Christmas break so if I choose to go to the store during the day then not only do I fight crowds but also herd my kids. I think I will go to the store at night when Ryan is home, that way I will only have to take one kid with me. Brillant, yes?

So, it may not be a long list but it will take me all week to get it all done. Naptime is a beautiful thing, and something I will be taking full advantage of this week (as always!).

Calendar Days

It's that time of year for me. I got out the new calendar I'll be using for 2007 and filled in lots of dates. When I got married, my mother gave me a perpetual calendar book and had filled in birth dates and anniversaries of family members. I use it every year about this time and mark each celebration in the coming year so I won't be the lame-o relative and forget important dates. This year I also used Mae's school listing of holidays and events to fill in days off and vacations. Man, they sure do have a lot of days off! She will get more days off than I ever did as a kid. Sheesh! But the school year does not end for her until almost the very end of June, so I suppose that makes up for all the days she will be missing.

The 2007 calendar we will be sporting in the new year came free with our zoo membership (thank you Zoo!). Every month has a featured animal for the main picture (surprise) along with zoo events added into the corresponding day (gee, thanks for taking up valuable space!). In our early years of marriage it had been a sort of tradition to pick out a new calendar for the year. I think our first year together we both decided on an Ansel Adams calendar. Then the following year featured shots of cathedrals, or maybe it was a famous photographer that included pictures of a few churches (ah! I can't remember!). Anyway, as the years went by it became less of a tradition and we slowly accepted the freebies that came our way. I guess that's how we came upon our newest one. It started out as something fun to do together but now it is just something to remind me, the mom, of doctor appointments and no-school days. The calendar has also become a central location for me to keep track of doctors phone numbers, stamps, and important baby sitter info. With all this stuff paper clipped to the side I can no longer really see the featured picture of the month. Oh well, I don't need to look at the calendar to know what a lounging polar bear looks like.

Happy New Year!

Productive Day

I feel good about today, for the most part. My bathroom is clean (whoo-hoo!). All clothes that have accumulated in our bedroom are put away. Our bed is made. All clean clothes have been folded and put in their respective places. Most of the laundry is done. The kitchen sink has been thoroughly cleaned and tables are free of clutter. All that AND I got a shower today (albeit it was 2:30, but hey, I'm not complaining about a non-interupted shower when kids are down for naps!)

So it would seem I had a pretty productive day. I have also received permission from the man of the house to have leftovers for dinner, so I won't have to cook tonight! What could be better? Well, I won't push it, for today is a not-so-bad day. Clean clothes, clean bedroom, clean laundry, clean kitchen. Yah, good day. *big grin*

Today With Nothing to Say

My brain is fried. I spent way too much of my day yesterday staring at this computer screen working on a Christmas gift. I walked away 5 hours later with a raging headache (mainly because I was so engrossed in my task that I didn't eat any lunch). Then I still had to make dinner. I did take something for the headache but it was too late by that point. So I watched some TV after the kids were in bed then went to bed myself. Today I still have a residual ache and no desire to stare at this screen any longer. Fogive my lack of creativeness in my blog today. But no complaints since I actually posted something! Maybe tomorrow I'll come across some spark of genious and post something really cool? Stay tuned....

So Glad I Bought This!

Yesterday wasn't Caleb's birthday but I had to make cupcakes and take them to his preschool anyway. Due to another kids birthday celebration next Tuesay then Jesus's birthday party on Thursday and Christmas break after that it was decided to do Caleb's birthday this week (his birthday isn't until the 23rd). Anyway, because of all this I was able to use my handy little cupcake carrier!!!

I bought it last year while we were still in Michigan. I was in the grocery store doing what people do, you know, grocery shopping, when I came across this little number. It holds 24 cupcakes and has the nifty carry 'thingy'. Isn't it great??? The first thing I did (after my Oooing and Ahhing) was look at the price. $19.99 Why is it that things cost more than I think they should? I considered the price and almost passed, but then I realized that this baby is worth every penny! I also envisioned all the years ahead of my children going to school and needing to take caupcakes for their birthday celebrations. And then I saw looks on the faces of other mothers and heard their comments on how wonderful this cupcake carrier was and how they wanted one and where could they get one. Not that I want others to envy me, I don't, I just realized how totally practical this baby is and that, yes, it is completely worth the $19.99. So I bought it. Yeah me!

Do you want one? Are you thinking "where did she get that?" and "I want one too!"??? Well, my dears, I have done some research for you. After another mom at Caleb's school asked me where I got mine I had to tell her I got it in Michigan. Her response, "Well, I need to go to Michigan!" (really, though, why would anyone go there except to buy this?) I really did want to tell her where she could get one so I went online and found that it can be bought here for the same price that I paid (not bad eh?). While doing my search I also found this other kind of carrier that can hold cup cakes or a cake! Cost, $32.99. (on a total side note....I found this through someone else's blog, and her blog was cool! it was all about baking! and she had pictures and reciepes for tons of delightful things. mmmm.....I'm going to have to be a frequent visitor).

So, there you go, not one but two choices. Are you totally impressed? Are you thinking "what a fabulous item" and that you" want one too"? Well....your welcome.

Early Reading Meme

I was tagged for this meme by Amanda (what's a 'meme' anyway?). I will do my best to answer the questions but I must be forgetting to take my ginkobiloba because I don't remember things so well. For this reason some of my answers are not as clear for me as they should be. I blame it on my thirties? my kids? Both, yes, definitely both!

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?
I really don't remember learing to read. I suppose I learned at school, isn't that were most kids learn? So, if that is the case then the teachers were; Mrs. Maze (kindergarten) and Mrs. Petterson and Mrs. Lindsey (1st grade....at least I think that was their names!)

2. What books do you remember owning as a child?
This is terrible! I just can't remember!!! I'm sure we had books at home but it totally escapes me! I do, however, remember a favorite story book that I'd would request to be read to me over and over.....and that was Johnny Lion (achoo, achoo, achoo!).

3. What is the first book you remember buying with your own money?
Again, I don't remember. But, like Amanda, I too was into The Babysitters Club, so maybe I bought some of those? Yeah, I think I did.

4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, what did you read the most often?
I don't think I did that. I may have read a couple books more than once but the magic is gone for me once I've read it the first time. It's the same for me as an adult.

5. What is the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?
Hmmm.....my first adult book huh? Well, I started to read a lot after I got married, and I was 20 at that time, and the books I read were The Atonement Child, Redeeming Love and The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers. The Scarlet Thread was the first book to ever make me cry!

6. Are there any children's books you passed by as a child and learned to love as an adult?
I love reading Guess How Much I love You to my kids. I get all choked up! *sniff sniff* I don't remember having it read to me as a child but that doesn't mean my parents didn't read it.

I think I have come to love reading more now that I am an adult. I don't remember enjoying it as much then as I do now. I'm always on the lookout for a new author....so please, feel free to inform me of any that you love!

Ok, it's my turn!!! I tag Diane and Mary! Let's see if they've been taking their ginko! *wink*

Is It Really Christmas Season?

It doesn't feel like the Christmas season to me. I blame it on the weather. I'm just not used to a warm December. I mean really, high 70's in December, come on! It should fee like Christmas though. The stores are playing the right music, there are people outside the stores with their red buckets and ringing bells, I see Santa Claus and snowflakes on tv (although I have yet to watch It's A Wonderful Life, a must see for every Christmas season!) and a neighbor down the street has just about every inch of lawn space taken up by every concievable seasonal decoration (but hey, where's the tribute to Hanakuh and Kwanza?).

So, I don't quite feel like putting up decorations this year. I have,however, broken a rule of mine. Last year my mother-in-law gave the kids two childrens tapes of Christmas music and I have them playing in the truck now. I have never wanted children's music in the vehicle. Call me selfish but I just don't have a desire to listen to it. The kids have been happy to listen to our own music of choice and even ask for their favorites. They have been exposed to different types of music too! Music like Bluegrass (O Brother Where Art thou), Modern-techno (Ocean's 12 soundtrack), Celtic, Christian (Steven Curtis Chapman, Rich Mullins, FFH, etc) Theatre (Newsies soundtrack!) and even foreign languages (Ryan's portuguese stuff....his car, not mine). So my kids have had quite a different exposure to music than others. But 'tis the season, so I have broken my own rule and allowed childrens Christmas music in my truck. I'm sure they will enjoy it but it won't last long. I do have to admit that hearing Caleb sing along is mighty cute stuff.

Maybe I will bust out some Christmas decorations regardless of how I feel. We won't be getting a tree this year since we will not be home the week of Christmas (no reason to have a fire hazard left unsupervised). And maybe if I play some Harry Conick Jr. Christmas music then I'll feel more in tune with the holiday? Oh! I know....I can crank up the air conditioner and wear my chunky sweaters and make hot chocolate with tiny marshmellows and turn on the fire place (yes, I said 'turn on the fireplace', for it is gas and not the real deal)! If I do that then maybe I'll find It's A Wonderful Life on tv then finally feel in the mood for this holiday?

Potluck of Disaster

Yesterday we went to a potlcuk with our new home group. Last week I asked for reciepes for a potato dish that I could take because I had none. I went with Carrie's recipe. Although it was very similar to Mary's recipe I went with Carrie's because it had exact ingredients and no bread crumbs (I didn't want to make crumbs or buy them). I forgot to put paprika on my list when I went shopping for the ingredients so I improvised and sprinkled curry on top instead. It was a risky move but it paid off! I got a few compliments on the dish but the biggest compliment was that there was none leftover! Whoo-hoo! Thanks for your reciepes!!!

The rest of the potluck was ok. There aren't any people our age or in the same stage of life in the group so it makes it difficult for me to connect with them. I'm so not good at small talk, and not having much in common makes it more difficult. I'm just plain terrible at being 'the new girl on the block'. Ryan does a great job of talking with people. I guess it is just one of those things that reflects the differences between us. *deep sigh* Most of the time I am so self-absorbed in these situations that all ideas at conversation completely eludes me and I come across as totally uninterested or boring. For example:

New person: "Hello!"
Me: "Hi."
New person: "So, how are you?"
Me: "Fine."
New person: "How are things with the kids?"
Me: "Good."
New Person: (silence)
Me: (silence, drawing a blank as to what to do or say next)
New Person: (they finish filing their drink and move on)

Pretty much that is how most conversations start, and end. It's not until later, on the way home, that I replay the tragic attempts at conversation with others and then think of numerous things I could have said. Doh! I feel like such an idiot during these times! I could have turned the questions around and asked how they are and or tried to recall something from a previous conversation to ask them about. But no, my mind totally shuts down and I draw a blank. It truly is a wonder I've made any friends at all in my life let alone met a decent guy and got married. I give all credit to God for there just isn't any other explaination!

During the potluck the kids were happlily engaged with the older kids at the house (two of which are their babysitters!). I did have to keep my eye on Isabel as she only wanted to climb the stairs any chance she got. When she wasn't climbing the stairs she managed to get her hands on a small porcelin container with potpouri. When Isabel realized that I saw her and was on my way to take it away, she prompty dropped it and broke the lid! Great. Fabulous. So not only am I a terrible conversationist but I let my kids run amuck and break things! Is there anything else I can add to my superb list of qualities? I apoligized but what good does that really do? Should I ask to replace it somehow? I'm sure the lady doesn't care, but shouldn't I make the effort anyway?

Hopefully there won't be any more all-family functions for a while. I'm not up for making small talk for a while anyway.

November's Movie Log

Another month with Blockbuster online has afforded us to watch a few more movies last month. Here is what we saw:

1. The Spanish Prisoner (I saw this with Mom when she came to visit. We both felt that we had seen it before but a long time ago. It must have been a while ago because neither of us knew how it ended! Movie was ok.)
2. The Benchwarmers (I am embarrassed to admit that I watched this, but it's true, I did. It was sophmoric and basically dumb, but we had a few laughs. I won't reccomend it though.)
3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (we saw this when it first came out...hilarious.....classic....great!!!)
4. The Itilian Job (Good heist movie)
5. City of God (Ryan watched this. It is a foreign film with subtitles and is very well done, but does have a lot of violence.)
   
6. Nacho Libre (Wierd and kooky in a Napoleon Dynamite kind of way. We liked it!)
7. Strangers on a Train (an old Hitchcock film, was ok)
8. Hitch (we saw this when it was in the theatre, but saw it again with my parents over Thanksgiving. Still very funny!! Love it!)

I think my favorite movie was Nacho Libre. We keep repeating lines from the movie (little hug, little kiss, big hug, big kiss). If you didn't like Napolean Dynamite then I would not recomend this film, it has the same type of humor BUT it does have more of a plot line. It's your call.

The funny thing about seeing so many movies is now we want to watch the previews, so we can add more movies to our que. We have the original Ocean's 11 right now, we may watch it tonight. I'm also thinking of adding a few other 'older' flicks to the list, like My Fair Lady and maybe some Fred Astair. Of course your suggestions are always apprecited.....any ideas?