Ramblings of a Working Wife and Mom

Taking a Break

2009-07-08T12:14:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been more and more neglectful to this blog, and I just don't know if I'll continue it or not. Facebook has replaced my online time and I've just been too busy to do both. So, for now I'll just say I'm taking a long break from blogging until I decide whether to give it up all together or not. If anyone still reads this, I hope you are doing well! If you know me and are not already one of my Facebook friends, feel free to look me up on there :)

Menu Plan Monday

2009-05-18T11:25:00.005-05:00

Finally, I am jumping back in to Menu Plan Monday. I have skipped WAY too many weeks, and dinner time has been chaotic and thrown together because of it!!!

I'm trying to use up some things that have been in the freezer awhile (tenderloin, popcorn chicken), things that are taking up space and I'm tired of looking at (bag of bean soup mix), and a few things that are about to go bad if not used (potatoes, celery, etc).

Sunday: Bean soup, crescent rolls and popcorn chicken type stuff

Monday: Chicken breasts/potatoes/celery/cream of mushroom soup dish in the crockpot

Tuesday: Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin (can't think of the exact name of dish, but it is one from the Biggest Loser cookbook that is super yummy!)

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Cub Scout weenie roast at den leader's house

Friday: Date night (boys will both be at my nephew's sleepover party, woohoo!)

Saturday: Steaks and/or burgers on the grill...if Joe gets our new grill in time (the old one finally gave out completely).

Mother's Day Recap, Flowers, Etc

2009-05-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

Brendan ended up getting pink eye, and couldn't go to the Raingutter Regatta or meeting to get his awards, but I'm sure his leader will get them to him later.

Mother's Day weekend we went to a BBQ with Joe's side of the family Saturday, and then met part of my side of the family on Sunday for lunch.

(L to R: cousin Amber, aunt Ginger, Grandma, Mom, sister Jill, me)

(My mom with all 4 grandsons)

(Adam twirling my hair as usual, haha)

(Joe took this picture of me & the boys when we got back home on Mother's Day)

Some of our flowers and plants are blooming in our yard, although not as many came back this year, it seems. Here are a few that did come back...

(I LOVE the hostas plants, but several of these did not come back this year either)

Then Monday night I met my sister Jill and family, Mom, Dad and step-mom at Red Lobster to celebrate Jill's graduation- she earned her Master's Degree, CONGRATS JILL!!!!

This Friday night Brendan has a sleepover birthday party at his good friend's house, then when we pick him up on Saturday morning we'll be heading to go camping the rest of the weekend.

Then next Thursday is Brendan's last day of school already! Only 4-1/2 school days left, he is very excited!

MS Walk, Cub Scouts, Camping, and Catching Up

2009-04-30T12:23:00.004-05:00

Wow, have I been bad about updating the blog! The dog ended up not sticking around once we went to work that Monday, and we haven't seen him since.

Last weekend we participated in the MS Walk like we do every year. It was windy, but good weather otherwise.

Afterwards we enjoyed a visit with grandparents. Then Sunday I worked at the local Earth Day event.

This coming weekend is Brendan's Cub Scout Pack meeting and Raingutter Regatta. He should be receiving several belt loops, arrowpoints, beads and Wolf Badge at this meeting...he's been working on requirements like crazy!

We've also decided to take on the Missouri State Parks Camper Award challenge. Basically it is a little challenge they have set up, for families to camp in 5 different Missouri State Parks, and you get your card punched at each place, and when you complete it you get a certificate and patch. While Joe and I don't really care about the certificate and patch, we thought the boys might get a kick out of it, and it will get us back out camping as a family which will be fun. Since we already took our "big" vacation in March, we figure doing 5 small camping trips this spring/summer would be fun since we can't take another vacation. Joe and I have been to several of the MO state parks already, but we booked ourselves at a few that we haven't been to so that we can see something new too :)

And I am still in disbelief that Brendan's last day of school is 3 weeks from today!!! Holy cow, where did this school year go?! He'll be diving into summer school and summer camps in just a few weeks- yikes!

Our Visitor - Making Himself at Home

2009-04-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, it appears that we may have been adopted by a stray yellow lab. One showed up yesterday, and since we've seen a yellow lab by the neighbor's house before, we just thought it was theirs. Turns out it isn't, and the neighbor said he's asked everyone else around here too, and no one claims him. The poor dog is so skinny, his ribs are showing. He is starving for attention too. He's a very nice dog, and he seems to really like playing with the boys (and they love him too). He slept on our porch, right up against our door last night, and he's been here all day so far. We really did not plan on having a dog, but I can't just watch him starve to death. So we are feeding him, and petting him and giving him some attention that he has definitely been lacking. It is so sad that people just dump dogs in country areas like ours. He does have a collar, but no tags and it is obvious no one has been taking care of him for quite awhile. We will be calling a vet to have him checked out, see if he's micro-chipped and belongs to anyone, and make sure he is healthy, etc. Then we'll figure out what to do from there.

Easter Recap

2009-04-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a nice Easter! We started the celebrating out with a family movie night to see Monsters vs. Aliens in 3-D at the theater on Thursday. Then Friday night we took the boys to a Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt. Here's Adam with the Easter Bunny at that event:

Brendan found one of the "special" shiny eggs, which won him a baseball signed by the players on Mizzou's baseball team. He was pretty excited about that!

Brendan also made it into a picture in the newspaper.

Saturday we colored eggs at home.

And on Easter morning we had an egg/candy hunt for the boys at home:

Late afternoon on Easter we headed to Joe's sister's house, and enjoyed visiting with Joe's side of the family. They even set up an egg hunt for the kids while we were there.
Both boys also had fun playing with their little cousin, William. Here's Brendan hugging William, although William doesn't look too sure about it...

This coming weekend will be another busy one, with Memoranza on Saturday and working the Earth Day event on Sunday, plus all the usual weekly cleaning and laundry and such.

Visiting the Capitol Building

2009-04-11T10:02:00.000-05:00

We've been busy with several things lately, including trying to help Brendan finish up a bunch of Cub Scout requirements for his Wolf Badge, Arrow Points, belt loops, etc. One requirement was to "visit an important place". So, since we are not too far from Jefferson City, and the Capitol Building definitely qualifies as "an important place" we decided to take the boys there last Sunday. It was a chilly and rainy day, but ended up being a pretty good little family day out. Brendan and Adam actually enjoyed it more than I expected.

Joe and I have both been to the Capitol before, but it has been a long time. I know we went there as a school fieldtrip when I was a kid, but I'm not sure if I've even been there since then. The inside is neat, especially up around the ceiling area.

Here are the boys standing in front of the Governor's office:

We looked through the museum there too.

This was just one of many requirements Brendan has been working on. He should be receiving his Wolf Badge and Arrow Points very soon!

Our Destin, Florida Vacation

2009-04-01T14:08:00.001-05:00

Yes, we are back from Florida, and I'm finally getting a chance to upload some more photos. (Adam's babysitter had to close today because her son has strep, so I am home w/ Adam today).

Anyway, the vacation itself was fun, but kind-of a bummer too. The first couple days were good, but the last half we were hit with thunderstorms, tornado warnings, lightning, etc and couldn’t go on the beach or in the water, and even the indoor pool had to close due to the storms. We tried to make the best of it, and found a couple things to go to inside. It certainly was not the beach and sun vacation we had hoped for though.

On Monday, the day we actually did go to the beach, it was sunny but red flag was flying (meaning don't go in the water), so we played on the beach in the sand. And, we got lucky for an hour or so they changed the flag to yellow so we could get in the ocean for a little bit. But that was the only time it wasn’t red the whole vacation.

Some beach fun pics...

(the boys thought it was fun to bury Daddy- you can barely see his head in this pic)

(Brendan as a stick-figure in the sand)

(Adam as a sea turtle in the sand)

(Joe and the boys playing in the waves for the brief time we were allowed in the water)

We tried fishing off the pier that evening...

Tuesday we went to Panama City Beach (about an hour from Destin) to the Sea Dragon Pirate Ship cruise, which the boys had a lot of fun on!

It was great! The crew of the ship entertained the kids the whole time with fun pirate activities, face painting, sword fights, dance party, etc and ended with having the kids pull a treasure chest onboard out of the water. It was filled with play money and toys. The parents could sit back and have snacks and drinks while the kids were being entertained. And we saw a couple dolphins while we were on the pirate cruise too.

(the boys try to give their "mean pirate look", but they are too cute to look mean)

Wednesday we went to “Fudpuckers” which is a bar/grill type place, but they also have “Gator Beach” there, where there are a bunch of small alligators and such, and we got our picture taken holding one of the alligators. (and then we had an alligator tail appetizer in the restaurant, which was yummy).

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by a different part of the beach that was really nice (more of a natural area), and no one else was there! So we enjoyed walking along the beach, finding seashells, and we saw a lot of jelly fish that had washed up on the beach.

(It was SO windy, thus the funky blown-over high hairdo of mine! haha)

(I love this pic- Brendan just looks like he's having so much fun...so carefree and happy!)

After that we went to another nature area and went on a nature trail through a wooded area that ended up at a lake. Definitely no swimming there either, but for different reasons...

On one of the rainy days we went by a place called the Gulfarium. It was kind-of expensive, but really neat! They had dolphin and sea lion shows, and the building wrapped around the dolphin pool, and there were windows all around so that you could see the dolphins swimming under water.

They also had many tanks/aquarium type stuff, and outdoor places with sharks, turtles, gators, etc. The dolphin and sea lion shows were outside, but the seating was somewhat covered, and luckily it wasn’t raining too hard at that point. So, while it was chilly and wet, at least it wasn’t storming during the time we were at the Gulfarium.

Here's a little video clip of a part of the dolphin show...

We also went to the Emerald Coast children’s science center one of the rainy days, and it was pretty neat…especially for the price- only $3.95 for kids and $5 for adults (way cheaper than other attractions in the area).

We also had a lot of really good food while we were there. One restaurant, called McGuire's, had hundreds of thousands of dollars hanging from the ceiling and all over the walls! Their food was super yummy too!

On our last day even though it was windy and rainy, we were determined to go to the beach no matter what. So we put on ponchos for some rainy day beach pictures, walking in the sand and seashell searching.

(The boys had so much fun chasing after the seagulls and making them fly up in the air)

So, while we were bummed out by the weather and water conditions/red flags, we did manage to still have a lot of fun too!

We're Back

2009-03-30T18:13:00.001-05:00

We are back from our Florida trip. Info and pictures coming soon :)

Catching Up (again!)

2009-03-16T12:35:00.006-05:00

Wow, let's see, where was I? lol

Well, I guess I'll just start with this past weekend. Saturday was my birthday! I had a pretty good day. Brendan's Pinewood Derby was that day, but Joe agreed to take the boys to that so that I wouldn't have to spend my b-day there.

Brendan won the 3rd place trophy!

(he's the one on the far left)

Wish I could say I did fun and exciting stuff while they were away, but with our vacation coming up I had to use that kid-free time to run some errands and get things I/we needed for the trip. After that I went to my sister's house for her crop (although I didn't do any scrapping- just enjoyed pizza and birthday cake while sorting some photos and chatting). When I got home hours later Joe had crablegs, mashed potatoes and champagne for us, and he and the boys had made me a cake (as I had requested. lol) No gifts, we will be spending enough on vacation- I will just claim our vacation as a way to extend my birthday celebrating another week. LOL

Sunday we spent getting things ready. Joe did some burning on our property and changed the oil in my SUV (since we'll be driving my SUV to Florida) and we completely cleaned out our cars, which was WAY overdue. It is always amazing to me how big of a mess the boys can make in the back seat! Between all of my stuff and the disaster the boys created, well, the mess was completely embarrassing. At least it is all cleaned out now though. I also did a ton of laundry and started packing things up for vacation. Also discovered that Brendan has outgrown almost all of his shorts, so I will need to make another trip out to get shorts for him this week. Go figure.

Now I just hope works goes by fast this week so we can get to the beach! :)

Bad Blogger :(

2009-03-06T12:20:00.001-06:00

I've been a bad blogger lately, I'm sorry :( Hopefully I'll be posting soon...I do have some pics and stuff I need to put on here. Will do that soon.

The Plunge

2009-02-19T12:15:00.008-06:00

On Valentine's day I took part in the Polar Bear Plunge with a few co-workers. It was very cold! haha. Seeing all the teams and their costumes was fun, but the cold part wasn't. Plus we had a couple wardrobe malfunctions as well. lol Our team was "Zeus and the Icy Aphrodites" (I'm the purple one...togas certainly are not kind to the figure, I look like a fat purple grape!)

The sun was out, but it was around 30 degrees! Brrrrr.

The pic of us actually in the water didn't turn out, it was so blurry you couldn't even see what it was. But here we are getting ready to carry "Zeus" into the water.

After the plunge, Joe, the boys and I went to a local pizza/pub place and had a fun family meal together.

Then we stopped by Joe's work and he let the boys feed some of the fish in the tanks.

And that was how we spent Valentine's Day. Earlier that week Joe brought home crablegs, shrimp and champagne and chocolate for our early valentine's dinner :) Yummy.

P-T Conference

2009-02-12T11:17:00.002-06:00

Just thought I'd share about the parent-teacher conference we had with Brendan's teacher Tuesday night. I was worried, because this was the round of conferences where not everyone has to go, only the ones that the teacher feels it necessary. So, when we got the request for one I was nervous, and with the behavior problems he had in Kindergarten and 1st grade I thought it was more of the same once again this time in 2nd grade. But, when we got there, his teacher was very nice and positive, and had mostly good to say. She is a little concerned with his focus, says he loses his focus on in-class assignments and quizzes, causing him to not finish things in the time allowed, but that she doesn't feel it is a "behavior" issue. Then she went on to tell us how smart he is and how impressed she is with his reading and all the stories and things he writes. She said he is in the advanced reading group at the school, and that he not only reads the words well, but has very good comprehension of what he has read and can retell it. After saying a few more times how smart he is, she told us that she has recommended him for the gifted program. Wow! (Talk about a complete turn-around from past years' conferences where not only did we have to talk to his teacher about problems, but also the gym teacher, music teacher, and art teacher! lol) We won't really know for sure if he will be accepted into the gifted program until the end of the year when they do the testing and such, but it is neat to know that she recommended him for it! And then at the end of the conference, Adam, not to be shown up, felt the need to recite and spell his first, middle and last names for Brendan's teacher. lol She said "you're gonna be smart likeyour big brother, aren't you". So, I think he was happy to get a little attention too. lol

Busy Weekend Recap

2009-02-10T08:48:00.006-06:00

Whew, we had a busy weekend. Thursday night Brendan has his Cub Scout den meeting, then Friday night was the Blue and Gold Banquet for scouts. Saturday I worked for a couple hours and then we headed to Brendan's basketball game, followed by a surprise party for my grandma's 80th birthday! It was at my aunt's house, and was a nice get-together. We had dinner, drinks, played cards, and we did a little activity where each person had a slip of paper to read that was "When grandma was my age, the year was (insert year)" and then we read a few things that were going on in the world that year and what grandma was doing that year, and each ended with the cost of a gallon of gas for that year. It was neat.

Sunday I worked a few hours again, and then we had yet another Cub Scout activity. This time the boys made dinner for the parents, using the kitchen at a local church (which fulfilled some achievement requirements). Unfortunately, Adam had a little attitude that got him in trouble, followed by a major meltdown and we had to take him home for part of the time the boys were fixing the meal. But after calming Adam down and making him help Joe with the firewood, we brought him back and enjoyed the meal.

(fixing the meal)

(they decorated the tables real cute with Valentine's stuff)

(they even helped wash dishes and clean up)

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

Here's the plan for this week's dinners:

SUNDAY: Hot wings, broccoli, beer (Super Bowl)

MONDAY: Easy Italian Pasta Bake

TUESDAY: Turkey & Gravy dish

WEDNESDAY: Sloppy Joes

THURSDAY: leftovers

FRIDAY: Blue & Gold Banquet (Cub Scouts)

SATURDAY: Potluck at a party

What I've Done

2009-01-30T06:24:00.002-06:00

I saw this on Carolyn's blog and Peggy's blog, and decided what the heck, I'll do it too. Especially since I don't really have anything else to write about today.
This is one of those where you copy and paste the list and highlight/bold what you've done. (if anyone else does this, let me know so I can visit your list too)

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain hiking (part-way)

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise (a day one, not overnight)

33. Seen Niagra Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing (for real? no. On a wall? yes)

40. Seen Michelangelo's David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (snorkeling, not scuba)

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching (been dolphin watching, but not whale)

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (hiked 1/2 way down & back out too)

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone's life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-01-27T15:49:00.008-06:00

Okay, so I've been really bad about posting my Tackle it Tuesday recently (and Menu Plan Monday too, which is in the post below).

We've actually done quite a bit of tackling-type things in recent weeks, I'll post about two below.

First, I totally redid my approach to the chores. Without trying to be accusing, lets just say that almost everything continued to fall on my shoulders and I had to do something or I was going to go crazy.

I have had lists and charts and such for them in the past, but found that they get too "comfortable" with their chores and start slacking/not doing them. And of course the complaints and whining when they do do them. So, we're trying it from a different approach this time. We had a family meeting about it (our 1st family meeting ever!). Everyone is still responsible for the things like making their bed, getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc., but all the other household "chores" are now typed on slips of paper and put into a container. Every Sunday night we ALL draw our chores for the week. Random, luck of the draw style. The boys draw 2, Joe and I draw 3 each. They each have "to do" lists for what to do each day, and we clip whatever chores they draw to their list.

So, it becomes kind-of a game, and I don't have to be the "bad guy" in telling them what to do, THEY drew it out themselves. And, if they hate the job, at least they know they only have it for a week and then get something else. Also, I think this will help them learn a variety of things, so when they are older and move out they will at least know HOW to do a variety of household chores. And, this gets Joe get actively involved too. SO...in theory it is a win-win-win, hopefully. Of course we have to help Adam with some things (for example, one of the jobs he drew was dishes! lol), but eventually they will learn. Oh, and for now until the boys are older, Joe will continue to do the mowing and I will continue to do the laundry and dinner (and Joe will ocassionally make dinner too), so those jobs are not part of the drawing process.

The other most recent "tackle" done by Joe was our faucets! The bathroom the boys use has one sink, and our bathroom has 2 sinks. All 3 had an old butt-ugly faucet, and Adam had a really hard time pulling it to turn on the water, so we always had to help him. I've been wanting them switched out since we moved in about 5-ish years ago, and now it has finally been done!

Before:

After:

(Thanks Joe! They look SO much better!)

Weekend Recap and Menu Plan Monday Catch Up

2009-01-27T10:51:00.004-06:00

Our date night went well Friday, and we enjoyed the hot wings and beer. The boys had a blast at Kids' Night too.

Saturday was a lot of rushing around, but went well. Brendan's basketball team had their pictures taken, and then had their game. After that we went to the Cub Scout Space Derby rocket races. We were surprised and excited that Brendan's rocket won every heat he was in, and then won in the finals, winning him a 1st place trophy! He was super excited!

I have been so bad about keeping up with Menu Plan Monday lately. So, even though I'm a day late (again) I am posting it anyway!

SUNDAY: Chicken Fajitas

MONDAY: Pot Roast w/ potatoes & carrots (crockpot)

TUESDAY: Italian Pasta Bake

WEDNESDAY: Cheese Filled Manicotti

THURSDAY: Quinoa & Shrimp

FRIDAY: Pizza/family night

SATURDAY: leftovers

Busy Saturday Ahead, and Book Recommendations?

2009-01-21T12:28:00.002-06:00

Dang, I missed Tackle it Tuesday again this week. *sigh* I'll get back on schedule soon, I hope! We have done a lot of tackling too, I just haven't been good about getting it posted. Oh well, maybe next week.

This Friday Joe and I will have a date night, yea! We will drop the boys off at a local program, and then head out for hot wings and beer- our favorite treat to share together when the opportunity presents itself. So, I'm looking forward to that.

Saturday will be very busy. We need to pick up our Angel Food early in the morning, and then Brendan has his basketball game, team pictures, and then the Cub Scout Rocket Races. Did I mention that he really hasn't even started on his rocket yet? lol So he will be working hard on that tonight and tomorrow night.

As for me, aside from the daily grind, I've actually been kinda caught up in a book I was reading...yes, a book! I haven't read a book for myself in a long time, probably not since having kids. I'm trying to get back into reading. Anyway, I ended up really enjoying the book- The Witness by Sandra Brown. I like the mystery/thriller/on-the-edge-of-your-seat/twist in plot type books, and this book had enough of that to keep me interested. Next I will be reading a book a friend recommended, Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, and I am a big Stephen King fan. It will be interesting to see what a book by his son is like. It is supposed to be a "chilling thriller" so I'm thinking I will like it.

If anyone has any good book recommendations that are thriller/on-the-edge-of-your-seat/twist in plot type books, let me know!

Friday Again

2009-01-16T10:42:00.002-06:00

Wow, here it is Friday again! This week has been a fairly productive one, both at work and home. Our new family chore system (I'll post in more detail about that on Tackle it Tuesday) is working like a charm so far, and I must say that I have been so much happier this week than I've been in a long time. One small change can make a world of difference! I feel like the "real" me is finally coming back to the surface...the happy, positive, laid back one, not the bitchy, stressed and insane one. LOL Joe, if you're reading this- THANK YOU for being willing to go along with this new plan for our family, it has helped me so much, and I'm so happy to have your help with things again! I feel like a horrible ball of stress and resentment weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Love you!

Anyway, on to other things. Let's see...the mommy-son date with Brendan went well last Friday. I took him too see Tale of Despereaux, and he enjoyed it. We both ate too much popcorn, but that's part of the fun, right?

Saturday Brendan had his first basketball game of the season. It went well- his team did SOOO much better than last year. Brendan has improved a lot too- he got his first basket in a game. (he's made several baskets in practice, but this was the first during an actual game). Go Brendan! We have another game tomorrow. We are also trying to knock out a bunch of his Cub Scout requirements.

Joe is also almost done with the mudroom! Woohoo! Just a few little finishing touches to go. Then he goes back to working on the laundry room downstairs. It will sure be nice once everything is done. I'm so excited for that day! I'll try to post some pics soon...the mudroom is SO tiny that it is hard to get any pics in there that look like anything. I'll try though.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Mommy-Son Date Night

2009-01-09T12:59:00.002-06:00

Tonight after work, Brendan and I are going out to a movie, just the two of us. He picked Tale of Despereaux for us to go see. I'm looking forward to it, I love to go to the movie theater, even if it is for a kid movie. Brendan is my movie-going buddy, just like me he loves to go see movies at the theater. This is part of a new plan we are trying this year in our family. I wanted a way to be sure that we are spending some one-on-one time with each of the boys. So, our plan is that each month on the boys' birth dates we will schedule some time with them. So, since Brendan's b-day is on Nov 9, the 9th of every month either Joe or I will take time with Brendan, and on the 26th of every month one of us will take time with just Adam. And we'll alternate. So, for January, I take Brendan out on the 9th and Joe takes Adam on the 26th. Then in Feb on the 9th Joe will do something with Brendan and Feb 26 I will do something with Adam. And we'll keep alternating throughout the year. (by putting it on their birth date of each month it makes it easy to remember! lol). And, the other part of that plan, is that since parents desperately need a little break once in awhile, on the 3rd of every month Joe will get a few hours break from the kids to do what he wants, and on the 14th of every month I will get a little break. I'm really excited about this new plan. I think it has the potential to do wonders for improving the well-being of our family even better than it already is!

So, tonight is my night with Brendan. I requested to have Brendan this month, because I feel like I kinda owe it to him. I have really been coming down hard on him lately. Granted, it was because of things *he* was doing or not doing, so he kinda deserved it, but still I think now it's time for some fun time together. He is super excited too.

Had to Share

2009-01-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

I haven't really talked much about it on here, but I sponsor a family in the rural, very poor Mississippi Delta area, through an organization called The Box Project. I was matched with this family a little over 3 years ago. It is a single mom and her two daughters. The mom and I send letters back and forth, and each month I send a box of things they may need. You can read more details about the process on The Box Project's website. What I really like about it is that you really know where your donations are going, and you hear the effects it has on their family. It's not like a charity organization where you just blindly give money and never really know where it goes or what good it did. You also start to develop a friendship with the family, which they are in need of too- knowing there's someone out there that cares about them, and even hearing advice on situations they face, or help with how to better manage their money, make good decisions in life, etc. Anyway, I didn't mean to make this post sound like an ad, but I do think it is a really great program, so I will say that if you and your family are wanting to help someone in a meaningful way throughout the year (not just at Christmas, although they have that option too), you might be interested in getting matched with a family through The Box Project.

My real point in this post was just that I wanted to share the really sweet letter I received after Christmas from the family. It brightened my day, and makes me so happy that I am a part of this...

Dear Courtney,

Hey, how's everyone doing? Hope ya'll had a great Christmas. Thanks to you we did and I love you for being a nice, caring person. Just when I think nobody cares you show me that you do. So I just want to say thanks a whole lot for all that you do cause I know you don't have to. So from me and the kids thanks and love you a lot.

New Year's Recap

2009-01-06T06:38:00.000-06:00

Whew! What a hectic couple of weeks it has been. I *will* be better about blogging and visiting all of your blogs again soon, now that things should start to slow down some.

On New Year's Eve, I worked as usual, but this year Joe brought the boys to the event I was working at that evening. They had fun making masks, noisemakers and crowns:

Then afterwards I did make it home before midnight (shortly after 11pm). To my surprise, the boys were still up. They had decided to try to make it to midnight this year. So, I ended up getting to spend a little time (about 40 minutes) with the family at home afterall.

(Playing games)

(taking silly self-portraits)

Then, at 5 minutes 'til midnight, we looked over and saw this...

They almost made it! lol Maybe next year.

Christmas "Wrap-Up" and Happy New Year

2008-12-30T07:23:00.007-06:00

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas! We did. We started on the 19th with a celebration at my mom's house, followed by Christmas Eve at my grandma's, Christmas morning at home to see what Santa brought, Christmas afternoon at dad's, and Christmas evening with Joe's family. As usual, the boys got way too much stuff, but they are enjoying it all.

Now it's almost time for New Years. Unfortunately I always have to work on New Year's Eve. Not just my regular work day, but the regular work day followed by working at a New Year's Eve event that night too. It will be a very long day of work. But, I will be glad to have a break on New Year's day and Friday.

In case I don't make it back to my blog before then...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T09:54:00.001-06:00

Wishing everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MP3 Playlist for an 8 year old

2008-12-22T10:56:00.002-06:00

Okay, so one of the gifts we're giving Brendan (age 8) for Christmas is an MP3 player. It finally came in (man is it tiny! Sansa SanDisk clip) and I've been loading it with a bunch of songs he likes. Below is his playlist...any other upbeat must-haves for an 8 year old that I've forgotten???

All Star by Smash Mouth
Dancing With Myself (from Flushed Away Soundtrack)
Don’t Worry Be Happy w/ the Slugs (Flushed Away)
Funkytown by Lipps, Inc (Shrek 2 Soundtrack)
Get Up Off a That Thing by James Brown (Robots Soundtrack)
Getting Better by Smash Mouth (Cat in the Hat Soundtrack)
Hakuna Matata by Ernie Sabella (Lion King Soundtrack)
Hound Dog by Elvis
I Just Can’t Wait to be King by Laura Williams (Lion King Soundtrack)
I Like to Move It Move It by Sacha Baron Cohen (Madagascar Soundtrack)
I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow
It’s a Sunshine Day by the Brady Bunch
It’s Your Thing by Dave Seaman (Muppets From Space soundtrack)
La Vida Loca (from Shrek soundtrack)
Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts (Cars soundtrack)

Old Time Rock 'n Roll by Bob Seger (both my boys' favorite song!!!)

One Little Slip by Barenaked Ladies (Chicken Little soundtrack)
Pump It (Kidz Bop version)
Rockin' Robin
Scooby Doo Where Are You (80's cartoon theme song)
Splish Splash by Bobby Darin
Stayin' Alive by BeeGees (Madagascar soundtrack)
Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Monkees (theme song)
We've Got the Beat by The Go-Go's
We Will Rock You by Queen
We're in Harmony (Fox and the Hound 2 soundtrack)
Wild and Free (Barnyard soundtrack)
You've Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story soundtrack)

He also loves "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot, but he only knows the main line "I like big butts and I cannot lie...". (which he and Adam both love to sing over and over and do a little butt-dance) I couldn't bring myself to put the song on his MP3 though, as I do not want him to learn the rest of the lyrics which are not exactly 8-yr-old-appropriate. LOL I did, however, add it to *my* MP3 for working out to :)

Catching Up - Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-10T07:44:00.010-06:00

Whew, tis a busy time of year! Sorry I haven't been around much lately. We had a pretty good Thanksgiving- hope you all did too! Since then we've been busy getting ready for Christmas:

(Decorating the tree)

(Got Egg nog?)

(Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend we got our first bit of snow for the year)

(This past Monday Brendan had his Christmas concert at school)

(He's the one in red shirt with the microphone stand over his face. Figures there would be a microphone stand in the way. ha!)

Friday we will be taking the boys to an activity from 6-9:30, so we'll have some kid-free time to get some stuff done. I'm planning to pull out all the gifts I've bought and sort and figure out what's from "Santa", what's from Mom & Dad and hopefully get some other people's gifts wrapped and figure out what still needs to be done. Also have many cookies to bake.

Saturday we'll be going to the annual Cookie Share with the local mom's group. Sunday is my sister's Christmas crop (scrapbooking).

Brendan has decided to be on the basketball team again this year. Practices start up again on Monday already. He still has scouts too. And we'll be celebrating Christmas at my mom's house early- next Friday evening! Yikes- things are getting close! And only 15 days until Christmas day!

Happy Thanksgiving (and a kid funny)

2008-11-27T08:11:00.005-06:00

Last night as we were putting the boys to bed...

Brendan: "At school we made a list of what we were thankful for"

Me: "Oh yeah? What did you put on your list"

Brendan: "I put that I'm thankful for the rain, the sun, and Thomas Edison"

Me: (thinking 'Thomas Edison?! Where did that come from? lol') "What about Mommy, Daddy and Adam?"

Brendan: "Oh. I forgot to put that."

LOL! Well, at least I know where I stand I guess...somewhere after rain, sun and Thomas Edison! lol

Hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tackle It Tuesday

2008-11-25T08:00:00.005-06:00

After a couple/few weeks off, I'm making myself get back to posting on "Tackle it Tuesday".

My "tackle" this week was long overdue. Last Christmas, my mom gave me an MP3 player (that I asked for). I am so embarassed to say that it sat there, by my computer, for almost a full YEAR waiting for me to take the time to figure out how to use it! *hanging head in shame* So, on Sunday I finally hooked it up to the computer and had so much fun finding songs to upload to it! I now have a bunch of upbeat songs I love on it that I can listen to when I need a pick-me-up or for working out to. Finally!

I needed to do this, not only for my own enjoyment, but also because we are planning to get my 8-yr-old son an MP3 this year for Christmas, and I want to load it with songs he likes. Now I know how and will be doing that as soon as I buy it. (We figure that will come in handy for our 14+ hour drive to Florida in March!)

Weekend Recap & Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-24T08:29:00.006-06:00

We finally had a weekend at home, where we didn't have a bunch of things to do or places to be. (well, there's ALWAYS a bunch to do at home, but I mean nothing outside of the ordinary). Friday night we had our pizza and kid movie (Friday night tradition). Saturday morning the boys and I picked up our AFM food, and then I took them to Toys R Us to use their gift cards they got for the birthdays. They had so much fun picking out toys! Joe hunted in our woods that morning, and he got another deer! This makes 3 for this year. We're keeping this one, he gave away most of the first two. Now he is done for the season.

On Sunday I helped him process it again- I washed and bagged the parts. Afterwards, I had him get us Chinese and beer as "payment" (lol), which was super yummy. I haven't had Chinese in soooo long.

And of course there was the usual weekend laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc.

I was not ready to go back to work this morning, but at least it is just a 2-1/2 day work week for me this week. Yea!

Now on to Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday: Spaghetti or goulash (using venison)

Wednesday: Chili or Potato Soup

Thursday: Thanksgiving at my aunt's! Yummy!

Friday: Pizza (Friday is pizza/family night), and some yummy treats while we decorate our Christmas tree!

Saturday: Thanksgiving again at my SIL's house! Yummy!

Sunday: probably a venison dish or any leftovers we bring home from Saturday.

Popping in for a Minute to Say Hi

2008-11-19T15:23:00.003-06:00

I'm here, just haven't been on blogger as much lately. Just popping in real quick to say hi. Had a productive and fun scrapbooking retreat this past weekend- did 30 pages. Been busy with other things too. Here it is almost Thanksgiving already, geesh! Gotta run, but I'll post more later!

Birthday Party Was a Success!

2008-11-10T12:49:00.011-06:00

Wow, what a weekend. Saturday was Brendan's Captain Underpants themed birthday party, and it went very well! We ended up with a nice size- 7 boys including my own 2, my 2 nephews, and 3 of Brendan's friends from school.

First they played a game of trying to toss balls into a fake toilet...

Then they had a contest to see who could fling underwear the furthest...

After that, they came inside and decorated underwear with fabric paint...

Originally the party was only going to be from 3-5pm, but we ended up having a slumber party too. One boy left at 5pm (the original time), one boy stayed until 8pm, and the rest stayed all night.

They had pizza for dinner, then watched the 3-D version of Journey to the Center of the Earth...

Adam (my son) and Jacob (my nephew) hung out together since they were the two youngest. Here they are playing with a smiley face light...

After lots of fun and games, playing the X-box, and so forth, they did eventually all lay down. The last two fell asleep around 1:30am. So, not too bad, I was worried it would be later.

The next morning I made them all pancakes and sausage, they played a little more, and then left. All in all it was a great party and everything went well!

Since Sunday was Brendan's actual birthday, we gave him the presents from us that day, and then took him and Adam to see Madagascar 2.

A busy, but fun weekend, and most importantly- Brendan had a great time!

Happy 8th Birthday, Brendan!

2008-11-09T18:29:00.004-06:00

Happy 8th Birthday, Brendan!

We love you!

Almost Party Time

2008-11-07T12:36:00.005-06:00

Tra-La-Laaaa!

Yes, it is almost time for the "party-o-rama"...Brendan's Captain Underpants themed birthday party is tomorrow. We must have picked a bad weekend though, because only a few of Brendan's classmates can make it. But that's okay. He'll still have fun doing silly and gross games/activities. And one friend is even spending the night (and another that can't stay all night is going to stay until 8pm to play for awhile after the party). Now I just need to hurry up and buy some things for the party after work, rush home, go to another scout meeting tonight, and somehow get the house cleaned, cupcakes baked, and everything ready for the party. Yikes!

Wordless Wednesday: My Crazy Boys

2008-11-05T12:29:00.000-06:00

Halloween Recap and Other Happenings

2008-11-04T11:49:00.009-06:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! I worked, but Joe did bring the boys to the event I was working at, so I did get to see them.

I dressed up too. Decided to go comfy and wear pjs, slippers and put my hair in pigtails. Betcha never saw me in pigtails before, huh? lol I actually didn't even have a pair of pajamas, I went out and bought some. I figured it wouldn't be appropriate for me to wear what I *really* sleep in (or lack thereof) to a family event. heehee

(Pic of some of us that were working the event)

The next day my sister and I drove to meet our mom, grandma, aunt and cousin for our annual Christmas shopping trip. Even though I am not a fan of shopping, I do enjoy seeing the family.

We're still busy working on the mudroom and trying to clear out the basement for the playroom.

Now here it is election day. I will be glad when it is over. Tired of hearing about it. I wasn't even going to vote because I didn't think I cared who won, but last night I suddenly got a nervous feeling in my stomach when I thought about a certain one of them winning, and I took that as a sign that I should go vote for the other. Which made Joe happy since I am voting for who he is, which doesn't always happen. Time was too tight this morning, but I will go vote after work when Brendan gets off the bus. He will go with me. He's been learning about the election and presidents and such at school, so I figure this will be a good experience for him to go to the polling place and watch me vote.

The rest of this week will be busy, with scout meetings on Thursday and Friday evening, and then Brendan's birthday party on Saturday at our house. One or two of his friends might even spend the night after the party, which is a first for us. Then Sunday is his actual birthday- he is turning 8. This may sound weird, but it feels like he has already been 8 for a long time. It really seems like he should be at least 9 by now. lol

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T19:55:00.006-05:00

Have a fun and safe Halloween!!!

Weekend and Birthday Recap

2008-10-28T15:46:00.008-05:00

Whew, it's been busy the last several days. Friday I went to happy hour with some co-workers, and then immediately following that we had a family bonfire party for both boys. (their birthdays are only 2 weeks apart, and we didn't want family to have to drive in twice). It was a cold and rainy day, but it did stop raining long enough for the party that night. We had hotdogs, chili, veggies, chips, and cupcakes, and then some people made s'mores and marshmallows. I think everyone had a good time, and the boys are having tons of fun playing with their new gifts.

(My boys and their cousins)

Saturday we picked up food and had swimming lessons. The rest of the weekend I worked on the basement, and Joe worked on tiling the new mudroom.

Sunday was Adam's actual birthday. We gave him a couple gifts, and had cake and icecream. I also had to go into work 2 different times during the day, and also tried to get some things done at home.

(opening his gifts in his jammies)

(Adam ready to dig in to his cake. The sore under his nose was from a fall a few days ago- he also chipped his tooth)

Unfortunately, now I'm sick with a cough and sore throat. I'm exhausted, but any time I lay down to try to get some sleep, the coughing gets worse. Ugh.

Happy 4th Birthday, Adam!

2008-10-26T10:29:00.004-05:00

Yes, that's right, it's the big 0-4!

Happy 4th Birthday to my precious little boy, I love you!

Weekend Recap and Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-20T07:58:00.011-05:00

We've had a busy past 4 days. Thursday night we went to a local corn maze with Brendan's scout den. It was fun. Brendan and his "buddy" and some of the other scouts ran on ahead and we never saw him again until he found his way out much later. Here are a few pics (it was dark, so I couldn't get any good ones):

(Adam and Joe in the corn maze)

(Brendan at the exit of the corn maze- he made it out!)

What was actually really cool, was not so much the corn maze itself, but inside the barn they have a 3-story elaborate gumball "roller coaster" along the front wall and rafters. You put 25 cents in the gumball machine, and when the gumball comes out it is taken up to the peak of the barn and then down a series of tracks and wheels and such to the bottom where you pull a chain to get your gumball. This "gumball coaster" as they call it, is a hand made structure. It is very cool.

(watching the gumball rollercoaster in action)

On Friday, Brendan's school only had a half-day, so I took off work early. Joe actually had to work late, so the boys and I had our Friday-night pizza and watched the movie "Ernest Scared Stupid". The boys are into stupid humor, and since it is close to Halloween I thought they might like this one. Parts of the movie scared them to death, and other parts they were laughing so hard I thought they'd pee their pants. lol

Saturday I had to work a few hours, and then I went by the library for their children's book sale. Hard back books were 50 cents, and paperbacks were 25 cents. I found several chapter books for Brendan, including 4 Goosebumps ones, which he loves. All in all I came home with 14 books for only $3.50!!! What a deal!

Sunday we took the boys to a free showing of Space Chimps at one of the local movie theaters. They liked it, and Joe and I actually thought it wasn't too bad considering how horrible we'd heard it was from others. The rest of the day we tried to be productive at home. Joe worked on the mudroom floor, and I dove into the huge mess in the basement (the part that we are turning into the kids' playroom). What a job! I did make good progress though, and really put a dent in the cluttered mess. Still not even close to being done, but getting there much faster than I thought I would. I'm taking pictures along the way, so you can expect some extremely embarrasing photos of our mess before too long. lol

Now on to Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Creamy noodle/veggie/mushroom dish

Tuesday: On your own, I have to work extra

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes

Thursday: Pizza (normally on Fri, but not this week)

Friday: Family bonfire party for the boys at our house (roasting hotdogs, making s'mores, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, etc)

Saturday: Pork loin?

Sunday: Beef Stew in the crockpot

Wordless Wednesday: What We Found in the Cat's House Last Night

2008-10-15T08:33:00.002-05:00

Tackle it Tuesday (Husband's Tackle in Progress)

2008-10-14T08:41:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I have barely been able to even "tackle" the regular household duties of laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc and now our vacuum cleaner broke too. So, while I am always busy doing things, nothing I've done seems worthy of a "Tackle it Tuesday" post this week, so I will highlight what my husband has been working on for us.

As I've posted about before, we are in the process of many on-going home improvement projects. The one taking priority right now is our new mudroom. I've posted some of our progress in previous posts. This week Joe had the walls ready to paint. We were going for a light green color, so he bought some paint and painted the whole room. The more it dried, and the more we looked at it, the more awful it looked. lol Instead of being a light green, it actually was way too dark, and looked more like a Kermit-the-frog green. Way too bold and overpowering. So, yesterday he went back, got lighter paint, and repainted the room. So, now we ended up with a lighter green- kinda like a mint-chocolate-chip-icecream colored green. Even though it still isn't exactly what I would have picked, it is much better than it was. I think once we have the bench and cubbies and shelves and hooks and our stuff in there it will look fine. He also tore up the old linoleum and prepped the floor, getting ready to put in ceramic tile.

So we are still slowly, but surely, making progress on that room. Will have photos to share before long, I hope.

Weekend Recap and Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-13T12:25:00.011-05:00

I wish the weekend was longer...I don't get Columbus Day off, so it's back to the regular work week. We had a busy weekend, but did manage to have some fun squeezed in too.

Friday nights are our pizza/family nights. Usually that means we watch the latest family movie that has arrived from Blockbuster.com, but this time we played games instead. The boys picked Chutes and Ladder (the Sesame Street version), and Silly 6-Pins. They had so much fun, and guess who won Chutes & Ladders? Mommy rules! lol Poor Joe kept having to take the chutes way down almost back to the start every time he'd start to get somewhere...which the boys thought was hilarious.

Saturday I ended up carting the boys all over creation. But one of the many places we went to was the playground at the park, so they had a lot of fun there...

Oh, and as you can almost see in the photos, Brendan lost another tooth last week, front and center, so he is now missing both front teeth. He looks and sounds so funny and cute.

Okay, well, on to Menu Plan Monday.

Monday: Spaghetti

Tuesday: Bruschetta Chicken (trying this recipe from Org Junkie's family fave)

Wednesday: Chicken Quesedillas

Thursday: quick grab 'n go leftovers- we have a scout outing that night

Friday: Pizza/family night

Saturday: Pork Loin

Sunday: something in the crockpot, haven't decided yet

Kids With Cameras

2008-10-08T10:05:00.012-05:00

I've been meaning to participate in the Kids With Cameras over at Raising Explorers, but have somehow managed to let a few weeks go by without starting it. So, today I will finally start participating. Brendan (age 7) has really shown an interest lately in taking pictures, and of course anything Adam (age 3) sees his big brother doing, he wants to do too. So, here are some pictures the boys took recently...

Photos by Brendan (age 7):

(self portrait- he loves to make funny faces for pictures)

Photos by Adam (age 3):

(Self-portrait- lol!)

Our Anniversary "Celebration"

2008-10-06T06:41:00.001-05:00

So, Saturday was our anniversary. I'm guessing not too many other women "celebrate" their anniversary by washing and bagging deer parts, huh? LOL Yes, that is what we did on our anniversary. Joe and his brother got 2 deer that morning (while I took the boys to swimming lessons). Then from about 12:30 until about 7:30pm they sliced and diced, and handed each part to me to wash and bag. That's it. That's how our anniversary was spent. Nice, huh? LOL I think I deserve a "wife of the year award" don't you? heehee

(And here is what the cats did all day. I think they got the better end of that deal!)

Our 11th Anniversary

2008-10-04T09:42:00.005-05:00

Today is our 11th Anniversary (together for 16 years, married for 11 years). In honor of our anniversary I uploaded a brief little slide show. Here's to the past, the present, and many many years together in the future. I love you Joe!

How Well Do You Know Your Husband quiz

2008-10-03T12:33:00.003-05:00

I saw this on Peggy's blog, and since today is my husband's birthday and tomorrow is our Anniversary, I thought it might be perfect timing to try to answer this quiz...

How Well Do You Know Your Husband?

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen?
My Name is Earl, The Office, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & other Sat. morning cartoons, etc, he will watch pretty much anything, whatever is on.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Italian

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
tomatoes

4. You go out to a bar. What does he order?
beer

5. Where did he go to high school?
St. Pius

6. What size shoe does he wear?
about an 8 or 9? He has small feet for a guy.

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
tools or knives

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
turkey sandwich, or McRib when they are available

9. What would this person eat everyday if he could?
my chocolate chip cookie bars

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Cheerios

11. What would he never wear?
a skirt lol

12. What is his favorite sports team?
MU, Cardinals, Rams

13. Who will he vote for?
McCain/Palin

14. Who is his best friend?
His younger brother Dan

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
be crabby

16. How many states has he lived in?
just one.

17.What is his heritage?
German

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday, what kind of cake?
If I'm baking it I guess it would be chocolate, but what I'm actually doing today is buying him an ice cream cake.

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Ran on the track team

20. What could he spend hours doing?
watching tv

21. Does he belong to any men's organizations?
not that I'm aware of.

Happy Birthday, Joe!

2008-10-03T04:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to a great father, husband, and person.

Orkutplus.co.cc - More I Love You Scraps

Funny but Gross

2008-09-30T12:03:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I was just over at Briana's blog and read the entry her husband wrote which included hilarious/gross boy incidents. It reminded me that I forgot to post about a recent incident my hubby Joe had while I was gone for a couple hours.

Adam had to go potty, and proceeded to sit on the toilet (intending to poop we assume, since he usually stands to pee). The lid & seat were up, but I guess Adam didn't notice and he sat down anyway. He started to pee and then fell in...while peeing...pee flies into the air and the poor little boy is soaked from taking a dip in the toilet. It is then that Joe notices that Adam had been holding a roll in his hand. Yes, a roll, as in bread, from dinner. So the toilet-water-soaked boy in the pee-splattered-room is still holding a soggy dripping roll that has just had a dunk in the toilet. Joe, who is distracted and trying to help Brendan with something else at the same time, helps Adam, tells him to throw away the roll, and then sends him in to his room to pick out dry clothes. Then he goes back to finish helping Brendan. Fast forward several minutes...Adam is in his room in dry clothes, all seems well. That is, until Joe walks in and sees Adam chewing. On a roll. Yes, *that* roll. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Recap

2008-09-29T12:28:00.008-05:00

Well, we had a good bbq/bonfire for Joe's co-worker. Things turned out fine. We had good time, and now our huge brush pile is gone- double bonus. lol It was a huge fire, the pictures don't really do it justice.

Saturday swimming lessons started up again for the boys. My two nephews signed up this time too, so the boys got to see their cousins and I got to chat with my sister during the lesson. So that was fun. That morning we also picked up our AFM food, and the church we picked it up from was having a yard sale too, so we got the boys a few things from that.

Sunday I finally had a weekend day that I didn't have to be anywhere, yea! I worked on catching up with laundry, dishes, and took some "me" time to waste away part of the day on my new addiction- facebook. lol Thanks to Briana for the extra push to join last week, now I'm completely obsessed and having so much fun finding old friends and neighbors from all different parts of my life, some from elementary school even. How fun!

Also, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Click below to go to the Breast Cancer sit to help donate free mammograms...all you have to do is click the button on the Breast Cancer site, it is a free way to help!

Un-Tackled Tuesday

2008-09-23T11:10:00.003-05:00

Ugh, I can't post a Tackle it Tuesday this week, as nothing got tackled. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say things are going the opposite way and getting "untackled". lol I had to work all weekend, and the weekend before that we were gone. So I feel SO behind on EVERYTHING. I had to go straight back into the work week without having any time to do even the basics like laundry, dishes, etc. And, to make matters worse, we have a bunch of hubby's co-workers coming over Friday for a going-away bonfire/bbq for one of the guys. Which will be a lot of fun, it's just that I have SO much to do before then to make things even presentable to company. We still haven't fixed the window panel that Adam shattered either, and now it is starting to fall out in sections (whereas before it was all still there, just in a million pieces- now all the pieces are falling). Our house is a mess, the yard is a mess, ack! We'll get there though...just have to work on it a little each evening and hope that things get done.

Menu Plan Monday: Family Favorites Edition

2008-09-22T09:48:00.003-05:00

Here's the plan for this week, including some family favorites:

Monday: *Family Favorite* - Spaghetti

(I know everyone knows how to make spaghetti, but thought I'd mention that I make ours with whole wheat spaghetti, ground turkey, some diced yellow onions, and Ragu sauce. I also sprinkle in some Italian Seasoning.)

Tuesday: *Family Favorite* - Garlic Lime Chicken

Wednesday: Chicken Quesadillas

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Hamburgers & Hotdogs, etc (we are hosting a going-away bonfire/bbq gathering for a co-worker of Joe's)

Saturday: Pizza/family night (we usually have pizza/family night on Fridays, but since we have the bbq this Friday, I'm moving this to Sat. this week)

Sunday: *Family Favorite* - Oven "Fried" Chicken

I don't have an official recipe for this, but here's what I do:

Use rolling pin to crush a long package of saltine crackers in a gallon-sized ziplock bag.

Add 1 or 2 packets (depending on your preference/taste) of dry Italian Dressing mix to crushed crackers and shake bag to mix.

Then I have a dish of egg/milk mixture that I roll each chicken leg in to coat, and then put a couple legs in the ziplock bag at a time, shake it up until cracker/seasoning mix is covering the chicken legs. Put all chicken legs on a cookie sheet and bake in oven until chicken is no longer pink.

Is September Over Yet?

2008-09-19T16:39:00.002-05:00

Every day, week, month and even year seems to fly by lately. I am usually completely floored at how fast time goes by. However, September is a different story. September is my least favorite month of the entire year...possibly even worse than the freezing cold days of winter and the hottest dog days of summer. Yes, September is what I dread the whole year, and I am always so glad when it is over. If you don't see me for a couple more days, it is because I am working all day Sat & Sun at a local festival. (and we've been busy getting ready and set up for it this week also, so I apologize if I haven't visited your blog as much lately). Don't get me wrong, the festival is great...if you are a participant that gets to enjoy it. Working it, is quite another story. But once it is over, and all the clean-up that follows next week, I will once again be able to put the dread behind for a little bit, until September gets close again next year. Yes, towards the end of next week I will be able to happily put September behind for another year, and look forward to my favorite month of the year (which coincidentally immediately follows)...October! Yea! Even though October is busy, it is busy with fun stuff...like hubby's birthday, our anniversary, Adam's birthday (and Brendan's b-day follows in early Nov), Halloween, and cool weather, pretty changing leaves, and pumpkins. Fall is my favorite season. The lovely time between dreaded September and stressful, busy holiday season. Ahhhh! Can't wait!

Doctor, Tooth Fairy Busted, and Christmas Planning

2008-09-18T08:06:00.005-05:00

Yesterday the school called for us to pick up Brendan. (they couldn't get ahold of me, so Joe ended up taking care of it). He fell at recess and hit his head hard on the concrete and scraped himself up on his shoulder and arm. Poor guy. Joe was able to get him into the doctor's office, just to be sure it wasn't anything to worry about- you never know w/ head injuries. She seemed to think he was fine and told us signs to watch for. He felt pretty crummy last night, but when he got up this morning he seemed to be much better.

Also yesterday (before the fall), Brendan lost another tooth! One of the front ones, next to the other one he lost recently...just in time for school pictures next week. Guess he will have a semi-toothless grin this year.

He was excited about putting the tooth under his pillow so that he could "earn" more money. We have a system set up that he has been earning nickles for chores and when he reaches $1 he can spend it or save it to get something bigger. So he was thrilled to find 2 quarters under his pillow this morning to add to his earnings. But, shortly after that, he asked Joe if we put the money there. He said that everyone at school has been saying that the tooth fairy isn't real and that the parents leave the money. Joe told him we were sleeping too. But then we decided to go ahead and tell him he is right, when Adam isn't around. I guess it is time for him to know. I'm wondering if he will then start to wonder about Santa this year too. Guess we will find out.

Speaking of Santa, and Christmas, I saw a link from Org Junkie a couple days ago about the site 100 Days to Christmas...have you seen this? It is a site that helps take you through the steps of getting ready for the holidays starting now, so that you are not totally stressing out. I'm going to try to follow it this year, because anything I can do to make something in life more organized and less stressful would be great! Check it out if you're interested:

Wordless Wednesday: My 3 yr old's Artwork

2008-09-17T07:32:00.001-05:00

(the explanation he gave for what the picture was of: "Butterfly on a turtle". lol)

What Will You Be Remembered For?

2008-09-16T11:10:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we went to a memorial service and luncheon for Joe's uncle who passed away. He was not an old man, only mid-60's, but he had been dealing with Parkinsons and Diabetes, not to mention some tough personal issues such as being a victim of identity theft, and some other things.

At the luncheon, people were getting up and telling stories and things that they remembered about him. The stories and memories people shared were not about what he did for a living or big things he accomplished in life, or anything like that. The main things that repeatedly got brought up were little things he had done to help family and neighbors, how he made sure to be at family events, and his laugh. A niece of his told about remembering when he and his wife would come play cards with her parents when she was a kid, and she always loved to hear him laughing in the other room. It was a memory and comforting thing that she had always carried with her even now into adulthood. Several others mentioned his laugh as well, in various stories and thoughts and memories. He himself probably never knew that his laugh meant anything to anyone, and he probably never thought that it would be brought up and talked about repeatedly at his funeral either. Isn't it funny how something as simple as your laugh can touch so many people and you never even know it? Kinda makes you stop and wonder...what will you be remembered for?

Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-15T13:04:00.004-05:00

Oops. Posted my previous message forgetting that it was Monday and I needed to also post my Menu Plan Monday!

Monday: Jennie-O Turkey and Gravy (carry-over from last week)

Tuesday: Balsamic Chicken w/ Mushrooms (we ended up skipping this last week)

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Pizza/family night

Saturday & Sunday: On your own, I have to work all weekend at a festival

Flash Floods and Flood Insurance Headaches!

2008-09-15T08:52:00.007-05:00

We don't live anywhere near where Ike hit, however, we did receive lots of rain this weekend due to leftovers of Ike, causing some flash flooding in the area...

This is normally a field with cows. It was completely under water and looked like a lake, not a field.

This is one of the roads we usually drive on to get out. Looked like a waterfall going across the street and down the hill into the field.

This was our little creek on our property, it is normally ankle deep, and sometimes dried up with little to no water...it looked more like a river this weekend. But still NO WHERE NEAR our house which is on the other end of our property and way up on a cliff about 25-30ft higher. Have I complained on here about the whole flood insurance issue we are dealing with? I can't remember. The bank is trying to say we have to get a huge amount of flood insurance, and it would raise our house payment almost $200 per month!!! When we bought the house it was not considered in the flood zone, but after Katrina, FEMA apparently redrew some lines and suddenly we are considered in the flood zone. Any idiot can look at our house and property and know that there is no way we would ever flood from the creek. During the Great Flood of '93 and everything before and since it in no way shape or form came even close to having water near it. It is ridiculous to have to pay that outrageous amount for flood insurance when we will NOT flood. Ugh! It is very aggravating. It has been a long process of arguing with the bank, etc, but to make a long story shorter, right now we are trying to fill out the LOMA form for FEMA to try to get things taken care of. It is so unfair that we have to have the burden and expense of proving something that is so obviously clear.

Anyway, there's a lot more to that story, lots of things we've tried and conversations had with the bank and FEMA, etc, but that's the basics of it. It is very frustrating. And we certainly cannot afford to pay that much more per month. *sigh*

Blog Update and Follow Me :)

2008-09-12T13:06:00.004-05:00

Does my blog look a little different? I was trying to do something and discovered that I couldn't because I had the old "template" tab instead of the newer "layout" tab. Guess I've been on blogger too long. Anyway, I clicked something to update it, not realizing I would LOSE all of my other stuff in the sidebar and top. So, I spent some time last night trying to recover what I could. I really like my header banner title thingy that Kelly did as part of my design awhile back, so I freaked out thinking I had lost it forever. But then I remembered she had told me that she set up photobucket for me, and lo and behold I found the header graphic there. Woohoo. Still couldn't recreate the rest of the design, but that's okay, it was probably time to change it a little anyway. I followed a link from Melzie's blog to a website with free blog backgrounds and found one that matched pretty well. Uploaded it, uploaded the header and voila! My blog is updated, has a somewhat fun new look, and I didn't have to lose the title/header. Yippee!

Oh, and if you read my blog, you can now click on the Follow gadget at the top of the right side and "follow me" :)

2008-09-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

Boys! Gotta Love 'Em...Cuz You're Not Allowed to Strangle Them!

2008-09-10T16:28:00.003-05:00

OMG. Earlier this week I noticed a few of Brendan's Game Boy games in the bottom of his backpack. I thought this was weird, since he lost his Game Boy at a hotel back in May and he isn't getting it replaced until his birthday. I asked him why he had brought games in his backpack (thinking he was going to say that he was playing his games on the other kids' Game Boys on the bus- as he has sometimes done in the past). Unfortunately those were not the words that he said.

B: "So I can trade them."

Me: "Trade your games? Trade them for what?"

B: "Pokemon cards"

Me: "WHAT?! You traded Game Boy games for POKEMON CARDS?!"

B: "Yes. I don't have a Game Boy to play them on anyway."

Me: "Brendan! How many did you trade?! Where are the rest of your games? Please tell me you did not trade ALL of the rest of them?!"

B: "No. I don't know."

Me: "Tell me the truth"

B: "Yes."

Me: "How many- how many games are gone?"

B: "Six"

Me: "SIX?! How many Pokemon cards did you trade them for?"

B: "Four"

OMG! I was so mad. I tried to explain to him that six Game Boy Games cost around $100, while four Pokemon cards cost about $1.00 and very sternly told him he is NOT to trade Game Boy Games or anything else for Pokemon cards. And I told him he needs to return the Pokemon cards and ask the boy for his games back. I just hope the boy will be a good person about this and do it. So far he has "forgotten" to bring them back to Brendan the last 2 days. *sigh*

And I thought what Brendan did was pretty bad...until I found out what Adam did this morning. Apparently sometime after I left for work this morning, Adam got a hold of one of Brendan's crystal rocks, and threw it at Brendan. Only, Brendan moved, so he missed. And the crystal rock hit the glass panel window by the glass door instead. Shattered into a million little pieces. This is no small window, this is a window panel about 5 ft tall! The entire thing is completely shattered. The pictures don't really do it justice, but here's an idea of the damage:

*sigh*

Wordless Wednesday: Bedtime Reading

2008-09-10T06:26:00.000-05:00

Weekend Recap and Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-08T07:30:00.006-05:00

This weekend we ended up having last minute plans pop up. Joe's sister let us know Thursday that they were all getting together on Saturday for lunch for their mom's birthday. So, since that is somewhat of a drive for us, we decided to combine it with a trip to the zoo! We had a nice lunch and enjoyed seeing Joe's side of the family. Then we took the boys to the zoo. One of Joe's sisters & her boyfriend decided to come along with us too.

Both boys loved seeing the penguins!

Adam said the monkeys were his favorite.

I like the way this photo of one of the bears turned out...it's almost like he's looking right at the camera, posing for me :)

I've been meaning to take the boys to the zoo for a long time now, so I'm glad we finally did.

Now on to Menu Plan Monday...

Monday: Llyod's Shredded BBQ Chicken on whole wheat buns

Tuesday: Balsamic Chicken w/ Mushrooms (recipe below)

Wednesday: Quinoa/Shrimp/Veggie dish (my own thrown-together creation)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Pizza/family night

Saturday: Jennie-O Turkey & Gravy roast

Sunday: Whatever we feel like at the time

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove(s), crushed

1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces

2 cup mushroom(s), small, halved (we use combo of mushrooms & pieces of bell pepper)

1/3 cup canned chicken broth

1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, the mustard and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat. Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Sauté chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet. Sauté mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining tablespoon of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

Goodbye Dial-Up!

2008-09-04T17:11:00.000-05:00

I am so excited- we are finally FINALLY ditching the dial-up and moving up to DSL! Yes, I know I am many many years behind the times on this, but we could never justify the extra expense. We still couldn't, except our company is running a special right now for current dial-up customers to switch to DSL and we get the activation and modem for free, which is over $200 savings. And then the monthly fee after that is only going to be about $5 more per month than we've been paying for dial-up, so we couldn't pass this up. We are SO sick and tired of the extremely slow connection, that we were avoiding even using our home computer much because everything was taking too long. I can't wait to get it all hooked up! They delivered all the stuff today, and we will be self-installing everything this weekend! Woohoo!

Wordless Wednesday- My Youngest Little Cutie

2008-09-03T07:55:00.004-05:00

Menu Plan Monday & Tackle it Tuesday

2008-09-02T07:41:00.009-05:00

The holiday yesterday threw me off, and I forgot to post my Menu Plan Monday, and here it is time for Tackle it Tuesday...so, I'm posting both today.

MONDAY: Deer burgers

TUESDAY: Chicken Lo Mein

WEDNESDAY: Crockpot Chicken Tacos

THURSDAY: leftovers

FRIDAY: Pizza/family night

SATURDAY: Ham crockpot dish

SUNDAY: Everyone grab whatever they want

Well, we didn't exactly completely tackle it, but Joe made some great progress on our new mudroom (where our washer/dryer used to be, we are turning it into a mud room).

Peeling off the awful pink/flowery wallpaper the previous owners put up (I'm not a fan of pink or flowery!)...

Joe had to redo/redirect the ducting, since the vent was going to be *in* the closet if he left it the way it was, so he redid it so that the ducting would come out of the front of the new closet at the bottom, and he built a sub-floor to accomodate it...

Drywall going up and wiring run for switch and light...

We are on our way! We'll be putting in this closet and a bench next to it and shelves above the bench. Should make it SO much easier for getting everyone out the door in the mornings and having everything we need right by the door. I can't wait!

Search Words & Thank you!

2008-08-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

First of all, a big thank you to Peggy for the award! That was so sweet of you!

After seeing Uisce's post about recent word searches that brought people to his blog, I was suddenly curious about mine. I haven't checked my blog stats in a long time, so I decided what the heck and looked. Here are the 10 most recent searches that brought people to my blog...

-change sheets, top bunk

-tick bites photos

-flylady blinkie

-tick bites photo

-working wife tired

-tick bite bump

-best wife & mom awards

-stacey mazlish

-pictures of tick bites

and here's my favorite...

-nasty wife photos

LOL!

Wordless Wednesday (kinda)

2008-08-27T07:43:00.000-05:00

Tackle it Tuesday

2008-08-26T08:41:00.001-05:00

It's been a few weeks since I posted on "Tackle it Tuesday"
This week I'm posting a "tackle" that we did last weekend (because I forgot to post it last Tuesday, oops!)

Our garbage disposal stopped working, and a few days after that, it literally fell off! So, we bought a new one, and Joe set to work replacing it. This forced us to clear out everything under the kitchen sink. After doing so, Joe realized that the board under it was warped and needed replaced, so he cut a new board, made a frame to support it and installed the new garbage disposal. Then I covered the board w/ marble patterned contact paper to help protect it a little from moisture, and then I set to work going through all the crap that was under the sink, and reorganized it so that it was somewhat tidy and useful and easy to get to things. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but rest assured it was a cluttered, full messy cabinet. Now, here's the "after"...

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-25T19:04:00.000-05:00

Getting this posted late in the day, but here goes...

Monday: Salisbury Steak

Tuesday: Smoked Sausage Scramble

Wednesday: Crispy Deli Wraps

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pizza/Family night

Saturday: Stir Fry w/ smoked sausage (if any is left from Tues)

Sunday: Chicken dish of some sort?

Blog Fixed- Thank you!

2008-08-24T12:34:00.000-05:00

A BIG THANK YOU to Uisce for helping me with my blog issues. Those of you that were having problems with your computer freezing up when you tried to view my blog, the problem should be fixed now. Yea! Thank you!!!

Meet the Teacher and Back to School!

2008-08-20T09:21:00.000-05:00

Last night was Meet the Teacher night, so we all went up to the school to meet Brendan's 2nd grade teacher and see his classroom, put away his school supplies, etc. He seems happy with who he has, and while he was a little disappointed that 2 of his good friends are not in his class this year, he was happy that 2 of his other good friends are! (although his desk is not next to theirs, which is VERY good...smart teacher to separate them or they will chat and be silly all year).

(Brendan with his new teacher)

(Trying out his desk)

Today is his first day back at school, first day of 2nd grade! I can't wait to hear how it goes!

Blog Help Needed

2008-08-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

Help! Some people who read my blog have let me know that when they try to view my blog their computer freezes up. I've had at least 3 people tell me this now. But I know that several others have no problems at all. I have no idea why, or how to fix such a thing. Anyone know???

Fun Last Weekend

2008-08-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

Wow I can't believe the week is almost over. I've been meaning to post about this past weekend all week, but am just now getting around to it.

My mom and her boyfriend took Brendan and my nephew to a cool dinosaur Omnimax movie and a monster exhibit and they stayed overnight at mom's house. They had a blast! Saturday I drove there to pick them up, and I took them to Six Flags. It was very busy, but luckily the heat wasn't too bad, and the boys really did behave pretty well the whole day. The long lines made it hard to ride too many different things, but the boys both had a lot of fun, and it was nice for Brendan to be able to spend some fun time with his cousin.

I think we rode the log flume ride at least 10 times throughout the day...they loved it!

We did have one incident. (well, actually 2 incidents if you count my nephew tripping and scraping up his knee on the way up to the ticket booth). But part-way through the day, I had finally talked my nephew into going on one of the milder roller coasters. He had been saying from the start that he didn't want to ride anything that was too fast or went upside down. I assured him this one didn't go upside down and that it wasn't quite as fast as some of the others. So, we get on the rollercoaster, and all is going well, he loved it and then on the very last big hill we are going up, up, up, stop. Sit. Still stopped. Everyone starts looking at each other. Yep, the rollercoaster broke down with us almost at the top of the hill. We all sat there looking around and eventually an employee came running down the field alongside the ride and tried to fix the problem at the control box, but it didn't work. So he had to call his manager, and his manager's manager. About 20 minutes later the other 2 manager show up and tell us that they are going to have to get everyone out! So here we are on the uphill side of a big hill of the rollercoaster, and we have to climb out and walk down the hill of the coaster. So, the 2 manager guys helped everyone climb out and down one-by-one. After they got me down, I snapped a picture of them getting the boys down.

I wish I could have gotten a better picture and more of the surroundings, it is hard to see exactly what was going on in the pic, and just how high up we were. On the other side was a straightdown drop-off. Luckily they had the railing on the side we had to walk down. Getting out was a tall step down (even for me, and I have long legs!). When the guys helped me down I had one set of hands on my butt and the other had his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Felt like saying "Nice to meet you too." lol

Once everyone was down, they led us through the nearby patch of trees and back out to the rest of the park. They gave each of us an "exit pass" that we could use on one ride of our choice to go in the exit and get immediately on a ride without waiting in line. So, that was nice, at least! Brendan and Tyler had been wanting to ride Thunder River, which typically has a 2-hr wait, so I said let's go! It was awesome to just walk right up and get on with no wait. And the boys ended up LOVING that ride! So, I'm really glad we did it. Even if I did get EXTREMELY SOAKED on it, with water waves gushing in and straight down my back into my shorts! lol Three hours later my clothes, shoes, socks, etc were still very wet! I couldn't wait to get home and peel off those wet clothes. Next time I'll bring a change of dry clothes so I don't have to drive home wet!

All in all it was a fun day, and both Brendan and Tyler said they had so much fun (and I did too).

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

Monday: Campbell's Cheeseburger Pasta

Tuesday: Summer Pasta Primavara (didn't end up having this from last week's menu)

Wednesday: BLT Wraps

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: normally Fridays are pizza/family night, but the boys will be going to my dad's house, so maybe Joe & I will eat out...alone...imagine that! lol

Saturday: Whatever we feel like at the time

Sunday: Not sure if we will be home for dinner

Backyard Challenge

2008-08-07T08:50:00.001-05:00

Okay, so it has taken me awhile, but I'm finally doing the backyard challenge that I saw on The Hoyt Family blog The idea was for people to post photos of their yard.

We live on 10 wooded acres, so it was hard for me to decide what to include as part of our "yard". lol Anyway, here's a very abbreviated look at ours...

Some of our flowers (I am horrible, I don't even know what these are called- they are left from the previous owner. Very pretty though, huh?).

Here's part of our yard, with the tree swing and the swingset/clubhouse.

The wood pile.

The path leading from the edge of our yard into the rest of our woods.

Fresh deer track in a muddy part of the path on the way to our creek.

At the end of the path is our part of the creek.

Adam thought this would be a good skipping rock because it is flat, but he could barely lift it, let alone skip it on the water. lol

So, that is a brief "tour" of our yard/property. I pass this challenge on to anyone else that wants to do it. If you do, let me know so I can come see your pictures!

Wordless Wednesday: Tired Out!

2008-08-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

Monday:15-minute Shrimp & Avocado Salad

(and cherry dump cake for dessert- recipe below)

Tuesday: Chicken Quesedillas

Wednesday: Summer Pasta Primavera

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Pizza/family night

Saturday: On your own

Sunday: Calabaza con pollo

My hubby apparently has never had dump cake. I thought everyone knew what dump cake was, but I guess I was wrong. If you've never had it, it is super easy, I had the boys help.

Dump Cake

1 20-oz can cherry or blueberry pie filling

1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 yellow cake mix

1 1/2 sticks butter (I don't use that much)

1/2 c. nuts, optional (I don't use nuts)

Dump pineapple and pie filling in 9x13 pan an swirl around to mix and meet the edges. Sprinkle entire cake mix over the top of the fruit, covering evenly. Cut butter into thin slices and lay evenly over top of cake mix. Sprinkle w/ nuts if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

An Award!

2008-08-01T14:08:00.000-05:00

Thank you Carolyn for the award!!!

Here are the rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

2. Link to the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you have nominated.

Now my turn to nominate 7 others for the award (trying not to repeat some Carolyn and others already did!):

1. Peggy: WebbMania

2. Raigon: The Hoyt Family

3. Cheri: Creations by Cheri

4. Confessions of a Three Time Mommy

5. Briana: Life's Little Moments

6. Uisce: Whiskey Talking (I know, I know, you don't do these sorts of things, but I just didn't feel right leaving you out. lol)

7. Deanna: Run Dude, Run (don't know if you do this sort of thing either, but didn't want to leave you out either. lol)

Last Few Weeks of Summer

2008-07-31T13:06:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe the summer is almost over. Brendan goes back to school in less than 3 weeks. I feel like summer is just getting going and there were things I had hoped to do this summer that I just don't think will happen at this point. But, we do still have some fun things coming up. Tomorrow my mom is picking up Adam and one of my nephews to take them to the Butterfly House and carousel. While he's gone, Joe, Brendan and I will be going to a baby shower for one of Joe's co-workers. It is a "family" baby shower, so men and children can go too.

Then, next Friday my mom will be picking up Brendan and my other nephew and taking them to a cool Dinosaur show and a monster exhibit, then they will stay overnight with her. The next morning I will go pick them both up and take them to Six Flags! Yes, I know I am crazy to take 2 boys (7 & 8 yrs) to Six Flags on a busy weekend in steaming hot August. But, Brendan earned his free ticket from school for reading, and I would just feel way too guilty not taking him to use it (and it is about to expire). Plus, I still enjoy amusement parks and rides too. lol

We'll still try to squeeze in some more summer family fun in the next couple weeks too, somehow.

What are you doing with your last few weeks of summer?

TV & Movie blabbing

2008-07-29T15:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, well since no one seems to like my question in the previous grocery post (LOL), here's another question for you. Anyone seen the latest X-Files movie yet? I saw it Saturday. I thought it was pretty good. Since we do not have cable or dish or anything, it has been a long time since I've seen the X-Files tv show. But, in my opinion, I think Scully looks even prettier now that she's a little older.

Anyone watch Last Comic Standing? Any thoughts on who you want to win yet? I think all of the finalists left now are pretty good, except for Sean Cullen. I'm sorry, but that man is just goofy, stupid and annoying. Parts of his little songs are somewhat clever I guess, and his voice is decent I suppose, but where's the stand-up comedy in his act? It's just 90% singing. I prefer all of the others. Just my opinion.

Apparently there's not too much excitement going on in my life right now, since I'm talking about Last Comic Standing and X-Files, huh? LOL Okay, just call me lame, I know I know.

Amount Spent on Groceries Per Week?

2008-07-25T15:03:00.000-05:00

I saw this article on MSN today, and it kinda confirmed what I suspected…that we apparently spend way less than most typical families on groceries each week.
(Click HERE to see article)

This article makes it sound as if $100 per week is a huge challenge and practically unheard of for a family of 4. We spend approximately $120-$170 per week at Super Wal-Mart, but that is not just groceries. That includes all of our other Wal-Mart needs/supplies too! So, I’m pretty sure that once you subtract the other non-grocery items each week, that we do spend right around $100 per week on actual groceries. And yet we are still feeling like we spend too much and looking for ways to cut. So now I’m curious, what *do* most families spend per week on groceries? Anyone willing to share?

Scrapping, Pool and Yucky Flavor

2008-07-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

I had a fun weekend with my mom & sister, doing the scrapbooking thing. My sister got 22 pages done, I got 21 pages done, and our mom got 4 pages done (but she also spent most of the time sorting through tons of pictures). Now it's back to reality and who knows when I'll have time to work on more pages now.

Joe got the pool out for the boys finally. June just wasn't all that hot this year so we hadn't dragged it out yet. The boys have been having fun playing in it in the evenings when we get home.

So far the cats haven't clawed a hole in it, but we'll see how long that lasts. lol

And completely changing topics...

I took this quiz after seeing it on Melzie's blog. I hate the flavor of ice cream that it says I am, just like she too hates the flavor it says she is (she got vanilla, and I love vanilla, but I can't stand coffee). LOL

Headed Off for Scrapland

2008-07-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

Yes, this weekend is the annual scrapping weekend at a cabin with my sister and our mom. I haven't done any pages in sooo long. I hope I remember how! lol I've got about half of my stuff packed, will have to do the rest tonight. Friday I work a half-day and then head to my sister's house so we can ride together to the cabin. We'll meet our mom there since she lives the opposite direction. Then we'll spend from Friday late afternoon until Monday morning scrapping, laughing, eating and drinking. Woohoo! Oh, and a little sleeping too, but not much. We go to the same cabin place every year...it is a place that is really more for people fishing I suppose, and I think the guys that work there think we are a little nuts each year, but oh well. We have fun!

"See" you when I return.

Family Sticker

2008-07-14T14:30:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Peggy's blog and decided to make one of my family too. lol

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Not much to say

2008-07-11T18:06:00.000-05:00

Well, not much to write about since we've returned from vacation. We had a nice 4th, mom, her bf, my sister, her hubby and their boys all came over to our place the evening of the 4th. Mom's boyfriend brought BBQ for everyone and we made desserts. Then we all shot off fireworks on our property. The boys love fireworks (so do I).

This week has been a blur. Some serious stuff going on at work, I'm not even gonna talk about all that. Things at home have been fine. We've been trying to carpool most days now to cut back on gas expenses. Brendan has been having fun at day camp. Adam is having fun at daycare. Brendan is about to drive me crazy with his Yu-Gi-Oh card obsession. He is constantly talking about those cards. lol During summer school it was the Pokemon cards, now it's all about the Yu-Gi-Oh ones. I should probably make an effort to learn about them so that I know what the heck he is rambling on about...right now it is just mumble jumble noise to me when he goes on and on about it. lol

Not a whole lot going on this weekend...well, aside from the usual housework and such that is. Sunday I'm going to part of a crop. Next weekend, though, is the annual trip w/ mom and sis for scrapbooking all weekend at a cabin. I've been burned out on scrapbooking lately and have done basically nothing with it for about 6 months or so, but I am looking forward to our weekend trip next weekend :)

Well, don't want to bore anyone to tears, so I'll end this post. Just felt like I should post SOMETHING since I haven't been very "talkative" since returning from vacation. (If you missed our vacation photos, scroll down a couple posts).

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-03T16:36:00.001-05:00

We're Back from Vacation!

2008-07-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

We’re back from our vacation to Wisconsin Dells! We got home on Friday evening, but I wasn't able to log on to update our blog all day Saturday (not sure why) and then Sunday we were gone helping my sister & her family move.

So, after a rough start, vacation was great. The morning we were supposed to leave, Adam came up and got in bed with us for a few minutes. He then threw up in our bed. Ewww! Luckily it wasn’t too much, and he seemed to feel fine before & after, so we think maybe he just choked or something. But, that meant we had to do another load of laundry before we could leave. We finally got out the door and drove 2 hours to our nephew’s baptism.

From there we drove directly to our resort in Wisconsin Dells (about a 7-1/2 hr drive from the baptism location). Our room was very big and gorgeous! It had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen and dining room, a living room with fireplace, washer/dryer, balcony, and our master bathroom had a jetted tub and a huge glass door shower. I think our unit might have been bigger than our house even! lol

Unfortunately the “rough start” to our vacation wasn’t over yet. That night Joe got sick with food poisoning type symptoms and spent the first night and all the first day going between the bathroom and bed. The boys and I got our groceries for the week, and hit the New Frontier and Wild WaterDome waterparks at the resort that day.

After that, the vacation was great! Day 2 we took a ride on the Original Wisconsin Ducks, which was fun. We saw some deer up close, went on the Wisconsin River which had beautiful surroundings (and rode by where Lake Delton had been before it drained into the river).

After that, we had lunch in our room and then hit the Lost World waterpark at the resort.

That night we went to the Tommy Bartlett show, which is normally a ski, stage and sky show, but with Lake Delton gone, it was just a stage show. It was okay, but I think it would have been much better if they’d been able to have the ski part of the show.

Day 3 we headed to the Circus World Museum, located at the site of the original Ringling Bros. Circus Winter Quarters - a National Historic landmark. It was neat. They had over 200 circus wagons (some were very ornate and detailed designs, etc), circus tents, an antique carousel where the music in the middle was actually played by real instruments, a 1-ring circus show that was very good, and another kids’ circus, where they pull kids out of the audience to do the show…they dress up as the elephants, tigers, etc. They pulled Adam up there to be the conductor of the circus music! He was so cute. He had his sunglasses on, and they put a conductor hat on him and had him wave the wand to lead the “band”.

After that we went to another of the waterparks at the resort, called Wild West. It was my favorite of all of them. Very fun stuff. We all had a lot of fun on the waterslides and playing in the water. We also hit the Lake Wilderness outdoor waterpark that was right next to it.

That night we went to Moosejaw Pizza and Brewery. It was a neat place too. The whole downstairs floor is a huge arcade/game room/bar where the whole family can be entertained while waiting for a table. Once seated at the table, they give all of the kids moose antler hats to wear. Their pizza was pretty good, their beer was pretty good too, but what was most surprisingly good was their home-brewed root beer. I thought it was very yummy!

Then we took the boys to the arcade in our resort, where they were very happy to win lots of tickets and pick their prizes.

Day 4 we went for a horse-drawn carriage ride through Lost Canyon. Very pretty area and a nice relaxing ride.

After that we headed back to the resort for lunch and then went to the Timberland Playhouse, a huge 30,000 sq foot indoor ball house/play area. The boys played there for a few hours. Then we went for a few more hours back to the waterpark we’d gone to the day before (the best one) and we played as much as we could there, since it was our last day. As it was approaching bedtime, we left to go back to our room.

Day 5 we basically just cleaned up, packed up and left. One road along our route on the way home was closed due to flooding, so we had to find another way around, but otherwise the drive home was fine.

All in all I think we all had a great time, and I hope the boys will always remember this fun family vacation!

Brendan gives this vacation two thumbs up!

"See" You in a Week!

2008-06-20T16:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been around much, things have been crazy busy. I doubt I will be able to blog anytime before we leave for vacation Sunday, so I'll say "bye" now! I'll post all about our trip when I return. Hope everyone has a great week next week!

Father's Day Weekend fun & more

2008-06-17T08:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers! Hope you all had a great one!

Our Father's Day weekend went pretty well. On Sunday, Joe wanted to sleep in. So, when the boys woke up at 4:50 a.m. I got them ready and took them a couple places, one of which was to the park so Joe could sleep. Here are a few pictures from the playground:

After that we went back home and made breakfast for Joe, then we all went to Joe's work to fish. They have a pond that is supposed to be for sturgeon and it has become overrun with sunfish. So, not only were we having fun, but also helping the sturgeon crew by getting some of the sunfish out. The boys both caught several fish, as did Joe. (I even caught a couple the few times I cast a line out).

In the couple hours we were there, all together 30 or so sunfish were caught.

Unfortunately there was one incident that was not so fun. At one point Brendan had his line all strung out across the ground and he was trying to get slime off his hook. Since fishing line is virtually invisible, I didn't see it and I went to get my camera and tripped over the fishing line and fell. When I tripped, the line pulled tight and jabbed the hook into Brendan's thumb and popped back out and whipped across his belly, putting a hole in his shirt and scratching him. So, he was bleeding from two places. Poor little guy. I felt so bad. He seemed to be fine once we got bandaids on him. Thank goodness I had put a little first aid kit in the car a few weeks ago.

That night for dinner we had Ribeyes, as requested by Joe. And Joe and the boys shot off the air rocket thingy that we gave Joe. Every year on father's day I try to get a fun thing that Joe can play with with the boys. This year it was this rocket shooter thing. It really did shoot way up high in the air too!

All in all it was a fun family day. Hopefully Joe enjoyed it too.

Then, Monday night I took Brendan to his cousin's party at a local swimming play area.

Brendan had a lot of fun! Today & tomorrow Brendan and Adam continue to have swimming lessons. Sunday we leave for vacation! Yea!

Menu Plan Monday (on Tues)

2008-06-10T07:33:00.000-05:00

A day late, but here's the menu plan for this week. Simple stuff since we have swimming lessons every night of the week this week and most of next week.

Monday: hotdogs (at the boys' request)

Tuesday: Easy Italian Pasta Bake (from Laura's menu plan last week)

Wednesday: Crockpot Chicken Tacos (from Cyndi's menu plan last week)

Thursday: leftovers or McD's (I work extra hours that night)

Friday: pizza/family night

Saturday: on your own (I work extra hours that night)

Sunday: Joe's choice for Father's Day, probably steak

Since there's no way I have time to cook after swimming lessons and have time to eat before the boys need to get in bed, I'm cooking Tuesday & Wednesday's meals the night before so they are ready to heat and eat as soon as we walk in the door. So, I made the pasta bake last night for tonight, and the crockpot chicken tacos will be in the crockpot while we sleep tonight in preparation for Wednesday's dinner.

Scout awards and auction

2008-06-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

Sunday Brendan had his Cub Scout awards and auction. In addition to the other 3 belt loop awards he had received previously, he now has earned his archery, bb shooting, art, soccer and basketball belt loops, and an outdoor activity award patch from day camp. He has also done the requirements for the swimming belt loop, but for some reason it wasn't presented to him yet.

Here are his latest awards he received...

After the awards, they did the auction. All year long, every time they attend a meeting or activity they get beads. At the end of the year those beads are turned in for fake money (scout bucks) and they get to use those to bid on fun items. Brendan didn't get the water gun he wanted, but he did win the boomerang, big bubble wand, head lamp, and several fishing lures.
Here he is bidding on an auction...

And here he is with his winnings from the auction...

It was a good time, except for the wind! It was SO windy that everything was blowing away and when we ate, everyone had to hold on to their plates and drinks or the wind would blow them over. Several plates and drinks spilled. And every time I'd open my mouth to take a bite, my hair flew in my mouth. So, the wind was frustrating. But, Brendan was happy with his auction winnings and his awards, and he had fun so that was great.

Now that 1st grade is over and they've had the end-of-the-year awards and auction, he officially moves up to being a Wolf instead of a Tiger Cub.

First Crush

2008-06-06T07:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after Brendan's summer school I was driving him home and we had this conversation...

Brendan: (he lets out a huge sigh) "I can't believe I'm about to say this"
Me: "What is it?"
Brendan: (long pause)
Brendan: "I have a crush"
Me: (trying not to laugh and relieved that it was not something bad) "You do? That's great. What's her name?"
Brendan: "Sonya, she's in my last two classes"
Me: "That's good, it's okay to have a crush on a girl. Just like Daddy likes me, and I'm a girl you know."
Brendan: (sounding relieved) "Okay, that makes me feel a little better."

Haha! So, after all that icky talk he does anytime he sees girl stuff or people kissing, he now has a little crush. During the regular school year some little Kindergarten girls liked him and would chase him at recess, but he would never admit to liking them. This is the first girl he has admitted having a crush on. How cute :)

Traveling With Kids- What to Bring on the Car Ride?

2008-06-05T08:13:00.001-05:00

So our family vacation is coming up and I'm starting to plan the car ride. lol This will be the longest the boys have had to ride in the car. (well, except for when Brendan was 3 and we went to Michigan, that was about the same number of hours and he did great!). Now with 2 of them though, even a car ride to the store can be a nightmare under certain circumstances, so I don't know how the 7+ hours will go. (and come March, the 13+ hr ride to Florida too, but I can't think about that one yet. lol).

So, here's what I'm definitely planning to have in the car for them:
- Leapster
- Game Boy (if we can find it- Brendan thinks he might have left it at our last hotel, ugh!)
- Dual-screen dvd player (we've had this for a year or two but have never used it yet)
- snacks & drinks
- various toys & books they pick to bring
- a couple new toys & books that they aren't sick of yet
- notebooks/coloring books for them to draw/color in
- Brain Quest cards for each of their appropriate levels
- Kid appropriate cds to listen to
- someone suggested the AquaDoodle Travel N Doodle, but I haven't decided if we'll get that or not.
- Binder of various things printed from online: coloring pages, word searches, dot-to-dot, etc.

We have some verbal car games we will undoubtedly play too of course. We tried car bingo on our recent weekend trip, and they got bored really quickly, so they probably won't want to do that again.

Okay, what am I forgetting? Anything that is a must-have for a long car-ride with a 7 & 3 yr old that you have done that was a hit?

Menu Plan Monday and Our Weekend

2008-06-02T09:52:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Saturday I had some friends from the mom's group over to chat, eat, drink and play cards. It was fun. Joe decided to take the boys into our woods and camp-out that night. It almost got rained out, but after the rain passed he decided to go ahead and do it anyway. The boys had a lot of fun, and surprisingly Adam slept later than usual. Maybe we should have him sleep in a tent every night! lol

Sunday we tried to get some things done around the house, and I cleaned at one of my work facilities for a little over 3 hours. I didn't sleep well all weekend, so now I'm run down and exhausted.

The weekend felt very busy, but writing about it makes it look like we didn't do much. lol

Brendan started summer school today. He was looking forward to it, since he had a lot of fun there last summer. He has 2 regular educational school-type-classes, followed by 3 fun classes. His 3 fun elective classes this year are an outdoor games one, a bugs one, and a magic one.

I've been slacking badly on Menu Plan Monday, so I decided I better jump back in this week:

MONDAY: Hamburgers/veggie burger, homemade fries, and salad

TUESDAY: Crockpot chicken dish

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti

THURSDAY: leftovers/on your own

FRIDAY: Pizza/family night

SATURDAY: Stir fry

SUNDAY: Probably chicken or fish something

Somewhat Successful Weekend

2008-05-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I can now see the countertop, the dresser, the top of the dryer and the floor of the laundry room again. So it was a somewhat successful weekend! You would not believe the horrible mess of piles that had covered all 4 of these places. Whew! I feel a little better now, like maybe there really is a ray of hope. Hopefully I can continue to clear and organize before the other inhabitants of my home (and myself) mess things up again. LOL

(Oh, and I don't think I mentioned that school is out! Brendan's last day was last Wednesday! This week he has Scout day camp. So far he seems to like it.)

Travel Bug

2008-05-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited. Yesterday I booked our vacation stay for next March during Brendan's spring break. We are going to Destin, Florida! I've heard so many great things about Destin from people who have been there, and we have points we need to use up before April or we lose them, and resorts in Destin were on our list of places we could go. So, we're doing it. I've been to Florida quite a few times on my own, and as a kid, but I don't think Joe has ever been, and I know we have never been as a family. Actually, the only "beach" we've been to with either of the boys was in Michigan when Brendan was 3 (almost 4) and I was very pregnant w/ Adam. Now, those who know me or have been reading my blog for awhile know that I am a mountain-loving gal and would normally choose mountains over beaches every time, but seeing as it will be MARCH, I think the mountain areas would be a wee-bit too chilly. lol (and you also know that getting Joe to agree to a vacation and not complain about it is a rarity, so this is extra-super-exciting! heehee).

Our Wisconsin vacation is also coming up in about 4 weeks, and I'm totally excited about that one too! Our resort there has indoor and outdoor waterparks, arcade, and all sorts of fun family activities (not to mention all of the fun stuff outside of the resort). I think the boys will have a blast there as well.

Lots of fun stuff coming up to look forward to! I love to travel and go on vacation, and these last several years we have not really been going on "real" vacations (just little weekend trips here and there locally). So I am super excited that we will actually be taking a vacation this summer and next spring! Woohoo!

This weekend, Memorial Day weekend, however, we are not traveling. We try to avoid crowded times like this and Labor Day weekend when the rest of the world is out and about too. This weekend I hope to get some organizing and decluttering done around the house instead.

Whatever you are doing, have fun and be safe!

Our Fun Weekend Trip

2008-05-19T10:37:00.000-05:00

We're back from our weekend trip. We had a fun time, and the weather was beautiful! The hotel turned out to be a nice one. (since it was a free weekend stay we had a voucher for, we weren't sure what the hotel would be like) We arrived at about 9pm, so since they still had more rooms available they upgraded us to the "family suite", so we had 2 bedrooms each w/ King bed, 2 bathrooms, microwave, fridge, and small jacuzzi tub. The boys (especially Adam) looked so little and lost in their King bed...

Saturday morning we enjoyed the free hot buffet breakfast on the 9th floor of the hotel, where the boys liked to look out the window since we were pretty high up. After breakfast we took advantage of the hotel game room and pool.

Then we went by a nearby fish hatchery. They had indoor aquarium with the big fish, and then outside they had the concrete raceways with tons of trout in various growth stages. The boys got to feed the fish outside.

The amusement park was fun, the boys had fun on the rides.

Brendan took this picture of Joe and me. He almost cut our heads off, but otherwise a pretty good picture for a 7 year old!

Right before closing time, they do a fireworks/laser light show. Very neat!

Sunday we drove home. Along the way we stopped very briefly by a conservation area. There, Joe found a fence lizard, and put it on his hat. The boys thought it was funny to take turns wearing daddy's hat with the lizard on it.

All in all it was a nice, fun family weekend trip.

Unfortunately there was a sad ending to the weekend when we returned home. As we approached our house, we saw that "Ollie" (the stray cat that showed up a year or so ago & we've been taking care of like a pet) had been hit by a car and killed on our road. So, we burried him by where we burried Pippin. The boys picked a couple flowers to put on his grave.

"Mini Vacation" This Weekend

2008-05-15T08:40:00.000-05:00

Well the boys have been counting down the days and very excited about our weekend "mini vacation" that we leave for tomorrow. We received a voucher for a free weekend stay last summer, and we are using it this weekend. Tonight Brendan has a Cub Scout meeting, then we will drive down (about a 3-1/2 hour drive I think?) after work Friday. We're planning to take the boys to the amusement park that Joe and I went to without the boys last October on our 10-year anniversary trip. Every night at closing time they do a fireworks & laser light show. We thought the boys would enjoy that so we're taking them there. (and I was able to purchase discounted tickets through my work too). The boys are super excited. They have only stayed in a hotel room one other time, and they had so much fun (but getting them to sleep was not easy!). They thought it was so cool that there were channels on tv in the hotel room that had cartoons all day long! We don't have cable or dish or anything at home, so this was new to them.

As always, I'm looking forward to getting away for a couple days. I just love to go places, even when it is mostly kid-oriented.

And just out of pure curiosity after seeing this on Karen's blog, I decided to take the quiz too since I don't think of myself as political at all. I really don't even know what I would be considered or where I stand on some political issues. So, I was curious to see what my results would be, and here they are...

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 55% Conservative, 45% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Lime Beer and Pork Pops?

2008-05-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

So I was just looking through our latest issue of Maxim that came in the mail today. I saw an ad for the new Bud Light Lime beer. Now I love beer, and I do like key lime pie, but I don't think I would ever mix the two. Eww. Then a few pages later I see where they are talking about bacon pops. Bacon and maple flavored lollipops...maple flavored with bits of bacon floating in it. Again I say Eww. Really? Pork pops? Now maybe lime beer and pork pops are both delicious, (and maybe if you eat your bacon pop with a lime beer chaser it is even better?) but neither sound appetizing enough to me to make me buy them and try them. But if anyone has one, I could probably be talked into trying a lick and a sip to find out. I'll let you know if I ever find out. Maybe it's a guy thing? Is that why I don't understand? lol

The absinthe lollipops, however, sound very interesting! :)