New bloggage is forthcoming

I have vowed to start my blogging adventure back up January 1. I'm looking forward to it and so much has happened that I wish to reflect upon but with homeschooling, being a student, leading a Scout Pack and all the other things that I'm involved with in my life... there has been like.. NO TIME for this. But it's important to me so I'm allocating time to it and since I'm not taking any classes for the spring semester -- I really WILL have time!

Wish lists...

It's about to be "that season." You know... THAT SEASON. The one when every possible manufacturer of some consumer good tears down acres of rainforest to send unwanted catalogs to unsuspecting households all across the country. It's the season of commercialism. It's starting. It's insane.

I will say, however, that I do keep a little group of wish list items tucked away in the back of my mind. Some, I'd love to get for Christmas. Most, I'd just love to get.

There's a new book out that I've added to my list of "must have" books -- It's authored by one of my favorite blogs EVER. A Year of Slow Cooking. It's an entire blog devoted to crock pot cooking! What busy mom can't appreciate a house full of mouth-watering aromas and a warm, hearty meal that you basically had to do nothing to accomplish? You still get the satisfaction of feeding your family without the rush or 5:30 p.m. panic attacks of "what do I make for dinner?" It's an amazing little tool and I just LOVE it! So, that book is now on THE LIST of items I really want!

Other items on my list -- other than, of course, a beautiful farm house on about 20 acres and a grove of pecan trees, maple trees and fruit bearing trees... along with an amazing organic vegetable garden! OK ok ok... OR other than my current "household to do list" to be DONE -- hopefully before February -- that is the big one right now... (interior painting, floors redone, furniture moved around, window treatments)

So wish list items...

• New car. This is actually a very practical item for me to need/want because with having not two, but THREE kids, I need the ability for one to get in the back seat WITHOUT having to have him crawl OVER the seat and while still having 2 in car seats. Josh and Drew can NOT sit near one another because Drew is just incessently pestering Josh. I see that ending no time soon.
• The book. Listed above. That's on "the list"
• Illuminated iron pot rack. There is a place in Canton that makes these and I would LOVE to have one for my kitchen. It's been on my wish list for several years.
• Digital camcorder. Another item that's been on my wish list for several years. As it stands, I have no way to transfer the recorded images to a DVD without sending the little tapes out for processing (I think it's like $15 each). :(
• New camera lenses I'd like a macro lens and a really good telefoto lens for my Canon Digital Rebel.
• Cricut cartridges. I've got a growing list of cartridges I'd love...and hey, who wouldn't want the Gypsy to go along with it?

Honestly, that's all I can really think of that is really on my list. :)

So...

I go in for my appointment at the OB-GYN's office with Josh on Wednesday after dropping Drew off for school. The appointment wasn't until 10:30 so I had plenty of time to go buy me some new shoes. :) Hee hee. I got a great pair of Sketchers in a style of shoe called "skimmers" -- they're flats and look kind of like little ballerina shoes (not toe shoes, just ballerina shoes). I wound up with three pair! One from Target and two from Famous Footwear! They had a pair of Kenneth Coles in choclate brown that were $20! I couldn't say no!

So after that we go sit in the waiting room...and sit... and sit... and sit. I was getting my screening sonogram to check for any birth defects and the like. Josh went in with me... he was jus=t amazed. :) I think he really enjoyed it. I, however, HATED IT. They smash on your stomach so much like they're trying to squish you into a size 2. I swear it's been 4 days and I feel like the bruising (it felt like it was bruised) is JUST NOW going away. Painful!

But the news is that the sonogram technician said she's pretty sure it's a boy. :) Soo.... thinking hmm... boy names.

Of course, my others on my list were good ones but honestly, I was SURE I was having a girl. Seriously, I was. Boy names... hmmm...

Landry
Taylor
Max
Charlie
Reagan

It's easier to pick girl names than boy names. YOu can't pick cute names because boys don't need to be "cute" they need strong names that can be cute while they're young but that will fit an adult male that is going to be an astronaut! LOL. J/K But seriously....

I also like.... Cash and Jett... Hmm... this will be tougher than I thought...

the power of the sun

Josh is learning about the sun in science (Apologia Astronomy course). As such, he's learning about lenses and how to start fires with them! LOL Right now, he and Drew are in the back yard learning how to burn paper with a magnifying glass. Pretty cool, huh? I'm not sure I like my 5 year old knowing how to start a fire. Ha ha.

Chili

It's a little chilly outside tonight so I thought -- let's have some CHILI for dinner! I went to Central Market on Saturday with Josh and while he ate his way through the samples offered EVERYWHERE througout the store, I was careful in my choosing. I did pick up a new brand of barbeque sauce and the owner/manufacturer was there promoting it (DELISH!) and then one of the store workers had samples of a chili that you simply add 1# of ground beef to. And, since it's been chilly out -- it just makes me think of stews and chili for dinner so I opted for a taste. It, too, was YUM-O!

Tonight I was able to try it out and it was GOOD! IT's almost disheartening to find a chili in a JAR that tastes pretty much like what you spend all day making to leave simmering in a crock pot for 4 hours.

I used to make my spaghetti sauce from scratch -- from SCRATCH until I tried Prego's Fresh Mushroom... they taste almost the same! Why toil away for hours when I can open a jar? That one, I wasn't too upset over. But for some reason, even though the chili was delicious -- I was kind of sad that it really was reminiscent of mine. Bizarre.

So we're at the table and Drew is in RARE FORM. When he's in such a good mood, there's not much you can do to contain this kid.... he was talking ... and talking.... and talking... and did I mention talking... His entire conversations were salt and peppered with giggles and some reference to a bodily function. I really am not sure it's possible to make it through a conversation at the dinner table without poop, boogers, "gassing", pee or burps coming up SOMEWHERE in the conversation.... I guess this is what it's like being the mother of boys? This wasn't in the manual!

Please don't think I believe this is ... in ANY way, shape or form appropriate behavior or topics for anytime you're at a table but there is nothing I can do to keep the topic FROM turning to this. IT's crazy. We just hope he grows out of it.

And I Hope they start keeping their little butt canons away from me. It's a contest now to see who can pass the most gas in my home. I gently try to remind them that while they feel this is funny... I'm still a lady and you shouldn't do such things in the presence of a lady. Hopefully this will sink in because, frankly, it's just gross to me.

I think this is God's way of showing me how we females truly are superior. :)

I LOVE cooking shows!

For a while I was on a Rachael Ray kick but she uses ingredients that aren't too common for my pantry so I took a hiatus but still continued to watch her 30 minute meals. I even invested in a few of the 30 minute meal cookbooks. Yum-O! :) However, most of the 30 minute meals I prepared were about an HOUR and 30 minutes! :) Still, they were delicious!

So now I'm a big follower of my friend Melissa with her $10 Dollar Dinners! :) Yea Melissa! I'm so proud of her for following her dream of being the Next Food Network Star! I wish she was given a higher budget -- even $20 dinners would be a little better. Most people I know would feel VERY comfortable and still feel like it was a bargain feeding a family of four on $20. Hey Food Network, are you listening?!

Another guy I like is Guy from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I just wish it wasn't so much as just watching other people make stuff that I'll never get to eat. He travels the country over going to diners, drive-ins and dives to find unique fare. Generally, he's right on the money with the places he finds! Like I said, however, it's highly unlikely that I'll visit 99% of the places he goes.

So, what's a girl to do? Tune in to Paula Deen of course! :) Although her "yauuuuul" (pronounced ya'll in Texas) can sometimes grate on my nerves along with the way she says PEA-cans instead of puh-kahns, I can completely overlook that becuase the food she prepares not only looks delicious, it's HOME COOKING with ingredients most everyone has in their pantry and/or fridge. I've got so many of her shows bookmarked and saved or marked "keep until I delete" that I fear I may run out of Ti-Vo space! I'm on a mission now to get on my paperback swap account and get lots of her cookbooks!

I just wish I had the time to do them all! :) Who doesn't love a cook that believes everything is better with butter?! Ha!

Names...

So the topic of names has come up... why a lot of people refuse to share because they're afraid someone may "steal" their name is ridiculous to me... so I'll share the few on my mind lately.

Girls: Riley, Taylor, Harper, Meadow, Aspen

Boys: Reagan, Landry, Charlie, Maximus ("Max"), and I have a thing for Dierks as well... just love that name... I also like Zane, Gage and Vincent

So... who know which others will be added to the list... but it's fun coming up with them all. :)

Overheard at Mimi's

Drew wants a little brother, not a little sister. When asked, "Why?", he replied, "Because girls pout."

So there ya have it!

The other half

i had to share this absolutely goofy thing Josh just did.

He was contemplating what to do for lunch today since we weren't going anywhere. He asked if he could have a "snack lunch". This is where he takes a little of this, a little of that.. just snack sized bites and eats a little of everything. I said sure (after he told me what the "this" and "that" was). He wanted some cheetoes with his lunch and I said... you don't eat those as a side unless you're having something WITH IT... like a sandwich or half a sandwich. He said, I'll have half a ham and cheese sandwich then. Is aid great.

So the kid gets out two pieces of bread... starts to make the sandwich and asks me, "what do I do with the other half?"

????

WHY MAKE A WHOLE SANDWICH TO BEGIN WITH if you KNOW you only want half? LOL..

OMG... common sense? it doesn't kick in with boys until they are like... 35 right? I laughed so hard I think I may have hurt his feelings. LOL

Must.... Stop.... Head.... Ache

I'm going on my 4th day of a severe headache. It's just debilitating. I've been trying not to take a lot of medications -- well, because I can't imagine it's too healthy for "bean" but I did this morning. I took 2 Tylenol. Hopefully that will let me have a day without pain. Wish me luck -- the day's still early.

I have found one of the culprits as to why I'm not sleeping well -- other than having to get up every 2 hours to pee... my mattress sucks. I can ONLY sleep on my right side. If I sleep on my left side b/c of the mattress it apparently is like a downward groove in the mattress (you can't see it) and just causes me back pain. Wondering if I need a new pillow as well or if the neck/head pain is caused from my headache. I did an experiment this morning and rolled over to the MIDDLE of the bed (where no one generally sleeps so no "groove" or "rut" in it) and slept on my left side JUST FINE...so we'll either have to invest in a new mattress or this girl is sleeping upstairs where it's comfortable for me to sleep on EITHER SIDE! :(

I slept like a BABY in Disney.

Games

We started out the day early... 9am football game (they got CREAMED). It's hard to watch BUT he's having fun. Andy has decided if Josh wants to play contact football next year, he will let him. Josh played QB quite a bit. The other team seemed to really focus on rushing the QB which made for hasty decisions and no gains. We NEVER rushed the QB. ??? Oh well, live and learn. I'm no expert by any means...and it's supposed to be all about having fun but the OTHER coaches seem to have more of a clue with football.

After Josh's game, we went to the ballpark for Drew's game. It was at 11 but had to be there at 10:30 for warm-ups. They won. Had fun. We went home and I made some grilled cheese sandwiches for the masses.

I took the boys to a consignment sale called Just Between Friends to look for some stretchy pants (didn't find any) but they had tons of everything else! :) Then we stopped at Home Depot to buy the paint to paint Drew's room. Here is the bedding we've purchased:





So, like I stated, we went to Home Depot to purchase the "coordinating Behr paint"


And the paint chips-when put near one another-look HORRIBLE! I was goign to do one wall in red as an accent wall and the others in one of the blues. I was thinking of doing his vanity area (has a Jack-n-Jill bath with the playroom with both having separate vanities) in the light blue. People, it was BEYOND UGLY!!! Crazy how it can all look so nice and coordinated until you look at the actual paint chips. I also actually went a shade lighter with the bright blue so that it's not so dark... that just seems really dark for a bedroom to me. So, at least we have the paint but I had such a headache, I didn't dare start painting. Ugh!

The fun never ends

Goofy Drew at dinner last night.

They always screw you at the drive thru

Last night we ordered out from Chilis. Got screwed. I was so excited to get a hamburger! It had NOTHING on it. No lettuce, no tomato, no onion. It was meat, cheese and bread? I paid $8 for that? Insane! They shorted Andy on the fajitas. They had like 4 pounds of onions and barely ANY fajita meat. It was beyond disappointing.

Then today, I'm wanting some nachoes (craving Mexican)... so we went to Taco Bell. In the drive thru, they didn't give me my change... they had no cheese pizza (we went to one of those combo Pizza Hut/Taco Bells) and then when I got home, I had no taco! Couple that with the fact that the chips smelled and tasted liek they were covered with soem sort of chemical and it's proof positive that we're 0-2 for successful drive-thru missions.

I think it's a sign to get off my lazy butt and get in the kitchen.

Back from Disney

We arrived back from Disney last night about 8:10 p.m. but didn't get home until about 9:30. They lost our bags. UGH. However, they were delivered here at home about 5 minutes ago (10:45 a.m.)

Drew is now happily playing with his potato head assortment... oh how wonderful it must be to be so easily amused. Now, for me, it's a MOUNTAIN of laundry and back to life as usual... AND catching up with you all on what we've done and accomplished this month. :)

Hoop Dee Doo

For Andy's birthday we went to the Hoop Dee Doo musical revue. It's a dinner show that has the best fried chicken, ribs and mashed potatoes! YUM. Drew got on stage and here are a couple of vids -- one is very out of focus because the camera was running out of batteries -- the second is at the end where he took his bow! :)

New school year begins

I have to upload my photos (bad mommy) of Drew's first day last week. :) It's confusing for him becuase we're calling this his "kindergarten" where, in reality, he's going to skip kindergarten all together. He will leave his current school and go to a D-1 course (Developmental First) so this IS kind of like his K level courses. :) I know he'll do fine. The kid is bright!

Josh started classes yesterday. We're using an eclectic approach to school this year and have a combined curriculum from many places. In a way it's a headache but I feel that the areas that I differed from each curriculum, I'm giving him the best of what they all have to offer.

Seventeen days and we leave for the mouse house! WOO HOO

I didn't post my Menu Plan Monday BUT I will post what I'm making tonight! :) Im making a new recipe that I threw together! Ha! I got chicken breasts and cut them into tenders and covered both sides with about 3/4 of a package of mild taco seasoning. Then, I covered all of the strips with a jar of medium pace picaunte sauce (yum!) I just put foil on it and put it in the oven. I will serve it over a bed of Spanish rice mixed with a little corn and black beans that have had pico de gallo stirred in (another, YUM). I also just threw together some Mexican cornbread. I say "threw together" because, I have no idea how to make this stuff! I just wanted some. Call it a craving. :) LOL... I used a couple of boxes of jiffy corn mix, a couple eggs, 2/3 cup milk, some canned green chilis, some canned corn (don't have cream corn which is what you typically use), and some sugar. I guess we'll see how it turns out. LOL... But hey, even if it's bad... I bet it's still good...cornbread and green chilis... you can't go wrong there! :)

Mary, how's Vegas? Christa, you gonna come see me in Disney? Felecia, how ya feeling?

He's home!

Today was a great Sunday. I woke up ready to welcome the day. I was able to sleep in until 9. Drew slept in until a little later and woke up only to bring down the DS so he could play Batman Legos and sweet talk his dad into going to get him some donuts for breakfast. Generally, I'm all about eating a healthy breakfast but once a week, I let Drew have a little treat of enjoying donuts for breakfast. I figure, if you can't have a little fun while you're young, what's the point? So, that's their special little thing. I don't eat any. Typically I enjoy my cup of skim milk and my Oatmeal to Go bar by Quaker or one of the Smart Ones breakfast sandwiches or quesadilias. Those are quite yum-a-licious. And, I'm trying to stick with my Jenny Craig thing even though I'm no longer on the food/plan and won't be for about a year or more. :) I went from 162 down to 137 with 130 as my "goal". I'm happy with my progress thus far and I will still continue to follow the diet I learned from them. But, in these times, spending $500 a month on food JUST FOR ME was a tad ridiculous, to say the least.

As soon as I finished my milk and oatmeal, I went to shower. I was excited to go to church to hear my inspirational pastor, Andy McQuitty, speak. He was -- 39 days ago today, diagnosed with colon cancer. The amazing man still has the ability to touch and reach tens of thousands if not millions of people worldwide -- even when he is at probably his "weakest" point as a human. Here is his latest update from 8/19/09.

My Dear Friends,

So the IBC staff gets me this pager and puts the number out on the website and in weekend services for people to call when they pray for me. It vibrates violently each time someone dials in. I got home from a short vacation last Friday and found it waiting for me, sitting impatiently on the hope chest in our living room, buzzing like a banshee. It buzzed through supper, through the evening news, through an old rerun of Harry Potter, through The Tonight Show, and on into the night. At 2:30 A.M., it was still buzzing on the desk in my study next door keeping me awake. How insensitive of people to be praying for me at such an ungodly hour!

Of course, I jest (on that last point only—the rest is amazingly true). I’ve had that pager on my person now for five days. Around the clock, it never stops buzzing. I’ve found that I can get a passably good massage by holding it at various angles to my neck and shoulders. Sometimes multiple people call simultaneously, producing extra long buzzes. I like that. It’s better than the spa. Who needs a masseuse when instead you can have God’s people interceding for you?

My doctors wonder why I’m doing so well after major surgery just over three weeks ago. Guess I should tell them about the pager, eh?

All of that to say how grateful I am to you all for your heartfelt prayers, your encouragement through notes and letters and cards and small remembrances which have so powerfully encouraged me and my family in these days. The Lord knows I never actually volunteered to get cancer, but if this is what it took to afford me a personal glimpse into the incredible generous hearts of God’s praying people, then I’m grateful even for the disease. Through it, God is showing by you all the true depth of His loving and noble heart in ways I could have previously only imagined. (How else to explain the sudden appearance of a dozen new Titleist ProVI’s just when I needed them. . . ?)

I’d like to be so bold as to request your continued intercession for me, especially over the next two to three months. That’s a bold ask because consistent prayer over many weeks is way tougher to pull off than a crisis shout-out to God. (I know this from personal experience!). You may have to actually write stuff down to remind yourself, pray daily, and persevere through long seasons of no-news and sometimes bad news. But it’s all good, because whatever causes us to pray regularly also draws us nearer to the Father, and I’d like to bless you in that way!

Here’s why I’m counting on your prayers. I’ve got a pretty bad cancer and the next two to three months are crucial in determining how much longer I’m going to have to deal with traffic jams, high income taxes and smarmy politicians on this planet. Oncologists rank the seriousness of the disease in stages, one being least serious and four being barely hanging on. Stage three has three subdivisions: bad, worse, and almost stage four. Various scans and pathology reports coming out of the last surgery indicate that I now occupy that third subdivision of stage three. The good news is that those evil little cells have not congregated in any major organs. The bad news is they have spread to a lymph node near to my kidney where they’re sassing the doctors and sticking their insolent little tongues out at us every time we snap their picture.

Here’s how we’re going to attack the little devils. (Can I call cancer cells devils? I just did. Actually, I originally used a stronger word which Alice made me take out). I start six months of chemotherapy next Wednesday August 26. Two or three months in, we’ll take another picture to see if the cancer in that lymph node is dead. If not, another major surgery—we yank the sucker out of there and then continue chemo. If so—and this is the option we all pray for, OK?—we just finish the chemo, test to see that all the other cancer is dead, and I live on to teach my grandchildren how to hit high draws and low hooks off the fairway. So just to reiterate: we’re praying that the High Lord God of the Universe might deign to use the tool of chemo to zap those cancer bast. . . I mean devils. . . right out of this pastor’s whole body over the next six months starting next Wednesday. Got it? Good! (and thanks!)

I guess while I’m at it, I may as well ask you also to pray me through the chemo. As so many of you out there who have endured this drudgery can surely attest, it actually has the makings of a very interesting time for relationships in my life. The top three side effects they’ve warned me about are extreme fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea. I am hoping to be able to work at IBC somewhat normally through these months, but I hope you’ll understand if, during that time when I’m in conversation with you, I suddenly fall asleep, blow groceries, or dash off to the Men’s room. It’s nothing personal. Really. Another weird side effect is neuropathy (numbness or pain in mouth, throat, fingers) if I drink or handle anything cold while on chemo. So I can only drink warm Guinness and have no ice in my tea and I have to wear gloves if I take anything out of the fridge. I am not making this up! But hey, they tell me I can keep my hair, so all is not lost (literally)!

You know what I’m most excited about right now? I get to be back on the platform this Sunday at IBC. I’ve so missed our amazing IBC community, and I’m so glad that I can see many of you who are IBC’ers in this little window between surgery and chemo. Let’s have a party!

Love to you all,

Pastor Andy (a.k.a., “Semi-C”)

P.S. Today is Alice and my 31st wedding anniversary. If you see her, you might offer congratulations for having put up with this old Irish curmudgeon for all that time. All I know is I’m the fortunate one for having this beautiful one with whom to make the journey. . .

Like I said, the man has a way with words. I'm so moved to just be a part of his congregation. This Sunday, also, was like none other than I'd ever experienced. It was focused on prayer. They had someone come out that works with the worldwide missions that our church embarks on... one that he is personally involved in is how our church body raises money for the people in Sudan to put in wells for fresh water. Another came forward to lead the congregation through a series of prayers for the children... not only in our own families but also the children that we have a chance to impact on a daily basis... and those that are within our church walls...and those within the impact of the church and it's ministries...and the teachers and leaders in the schools that have such a gift... to give them strength and guidance...

then Pastor McQuitty came on... and the first thing he did was welcome us all there and personally talk about the "elephant in the room" (his diagnosis). He talked about how when you're given a new clarity in life, that the things you seem to do everyday -- when you know your days are possibly numbered -- they seem so unimportant. So, if those are unimportant, just what DO you do "now"? So he gave a verse, and I can't find the piece of paper I wrote it down on... (the boys had it in the back seat drawing on it...) but it was, in essence, how you aren't supposed to worry about anything... but focusing on God's kingdom and righteousness. Everything else that is supposed to fall into play will... so just keep fighting the good fight for Him. And when you think of doing THAT... everything else DOES seem mundane, doesn't it? I dont think there was a dry eye in the place. To hear a man, possibly living on borrowed time, with such a gift to touch and impact. My heart cries for the what if's... because he is so very much a part of that church and why I love it so much... I just pray for a miracle. I hope you will continue to pray for him too. :)

If you would like to pray for my pastor, and let him know that you are praying for him... please call his pager number. 972-229-3878 He set the pager on his ... holy cow, the word totally escapes me... where he puts his bible and water bottle and such on the stage... and the thing went off the entire time. It was so moving to know he was being prayed for right then and there... and he did that to show us that we are blessed at that moment too by the power of the prayers of strangers.

I left a few minutes early and headed straight for the airport to pick up my handsome man. His flight was right on time and I scooped him up and we headed home. I scooped up the other two and we headed to my favorite place -- Souper Salad! I love salad bars! :) LOVE LOVE LOVE them! :)

We drove by and picked up one of Josh's best friends so that he could see him before school starts tomorrow and then we took him home. I swung by Sonic for a Route 44 unsweetened peach tea -- one of my favorite things! :) We came home and just hung out as a family. It was great.

However since this is our "week" before school, the early to bed routines start TONIGHT for us. :) The boys were in bed at 8:45 (15 minutes later than they're supposed to be) but tomorrow we'll be getting up early and going through our routines... and I start back to my exercise program tomorrow. 2.5 miles of walking -daily or at least every other day - couldn't jog if I wanted to because of my right foot -- it's bothering me again! Grrrr...getting old SUCKS!

So, my only task right now is to go through the sales at the grocery store and plan our weekly menu. I'll post my "menu plan monday" tomorrow and oh yeah, I start back to school TOMORROW TOO! YIKES! :) Wish me luck. lots of changes in store at our house... some bigger than others but I think the next two weeks hold enough to keep me occupied for a while!

Oh, and the countdown to Disney has officially begun -- we leave in 26 days!!! I'm very excited and it's going to be our best trip yet! :)

Just a share

My good friend Laurie in Ohio sent me this. I've seen it circulate the web on multiple occasions but I just love what it says. :)


No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF To Those of Us Born 1930 - 1970 and it's dedicated TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's! (I even think you could throw the early 80's in there too for a lot of these!)

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this...

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight.

WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no DVR, no surround-sound, no CD's, no cell phones, no caller ID, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out any eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?

Rain, finally!

We received some much needed rain this morning from about 5am until now (7:15). I heard Sadie jump down from the chair where she sleeps and pace around. I thought she was, perhaps, needing to go outside until I heard the faint, distant rumbling of thunder. I knew she wanted me to open the bathroom doors and the closet doors so that she could retreat to where she felt safest -- in a corner in the closet (poor dog). I knew Lola would be soon to follow her. She is a FREAK in the rainstorms. So I got up and put them both in the closet and TRIED to go back to sleep -- not successful.

I finally got up at 6:15 to make breakfast - a delicious cinnamon/pecan pull apart bread but by that time a red cell was over us and the power was flickering on and off so I realized that probably wasn't the smartest of ideas. So, here I sit... Drew in the living room constructing Lego figures and the dogs in the closet...thunder still rumbling (the red cell has since moved on and we're in the "green" now)... and no breakfast.

BUT, we needed the rain. :) I started a load of clothes in the dryer, fed the snails (we really need to downsize some of those little suckers -- they're eating too much too fast).

So, thank you, Lord, for the rain...

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

Lookie what >>>I<<< got in the mail yesterday?


Yes... bag tags and information for our upcoming trip to DISNEY! :) It's almost here and I'm so freakin excited! :) I didn't think I would be but I so am! :) WEEEE!!!

Simple things.

I'm a lover of all things simple. Simple things make me happy. When I went out to eat at one restaurant in Southlake, only to discover that one of my favorite chains (Souper Salad) was now open across the street -- that was a simple thing that really made me HAPPY!

I loved walking in the Keller Lion's Parade with my Cub Scouts yesterday and handing out flyers to potential new recruits! Simple... but fun.

I love all the puzzles left complete all over my hardwood floors because they show that my son engages in active thinking to put them together...he's unplugged and still entertained. Simple fun. :)

Menu Plan Monday

Now that school's about to be back in swing around here it's time to get back to "normal" with routines, menu plans, scheduled events, yadda, yadda, yadda.

As such, today is officialy: Menu Plan Monday


My menu for the week is as follows:

Monday
B: pancakes, bacon, grape juice
L: Subway (eat fresh)
D: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread and salad

Tuesday
B: eggs/ham/cheese biscuits
L: from the freezer (Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones) and a salad
D: Crock Pot BBQ chicken, steamed veggies and rice

Wednesday
B: cold cereal, fruit, milk, toast
L: quesadilias
D: chicken enchiladas, steamed spanish rice, Ranchero beans

Thursday
B: Breakfast casserole (freeze leftovers)
L: from the freezer (Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones) and a salad
D: chili dogs, fresh veggies with dip (I use a FF turkey frank for mine, the boys eat regular all beef ones)

Friday
B: Cinnamon Pecan Pullaparts These things are highly addictive. I strongly suggest, too, that you DO pull them apart before eating them so that the calories can fall through the cracks. :)
L: Chicken or Tuna salad sandwich made with grapes, pecans and lots of green leaf lettuce
D: Pizza - we have a Scout function and that is what Drew will be eating... I may actually eat something from the freezer first before going.

Saturday
B: Breakfast Pizza because it's fun!
L: sandwiches, chips, soup
D: Italian feast. We have a monthly dinner club where 2 other families and kids all get together once a month at each other's homes. One person cooks the main course and side. One brings a dessert and the other brings an appetizer. I'm doing a 3 course Italian feast of homemade Italian wedding soup, Bruschetta and a homemade lasagna. (Of course, the kids will have some chicken nuggets in case they're not into the whole Italian theme.) :)

Sunday
B: Go out to a local restaurant called the Snooty Pig -- total dive but great home cookin'
L: leftovers
D: eat at church though we'll snack when we get home since we'll be eating about 5pm. :)

And there ya go! :) Feels good to plan again!

OMG SHE DID IT!!!

I KNEW IT!!! I knew she was going to win! They just hit the jackpot with her and there was no way that they COULDN'T pick her! She's personable and REAL!

My friend Melissa WON THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR TONIGHT!!!!

I jumped up and was screaming and jumping!!! I was SO FREAKIN EXCITED! I couldn't be MORE THRILLED and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person! She is just an amazing human being and I'm so proud to consider her a friend!

This is one mama that will DEFINITELY be turned onto the Food Network from now on! I've never been a "real" fan because ... I'm a mom. True that I'm a foodie but I'm a BUSY MOM and just don't have the time or the gumption to have 500 kinds of fresh herbs and cheeses in my pantry to just "whip" up those creations they make... but... I'm hoping this is definitely going to be something that I can sink my teeth into (no pun intended) and be a loyal viewer of her show! I am SO THRILLED!!!!

God Bless you Melissa for keepin it real!

The New Do

And as promised... photos (taken by Josh today) of the new do!





and in all fairness... I then turned the camera on him and took these:

Disgruntled shopper

That was me, today. I went to Macy's with the intention of buying a cute shirt and some new high heeled sandles for tonight's Rick Springfield concert! :) Well, wouldn't you know it... I got there and looked. I tried on 3 shirts... NO SHIRTS ARE MADE ANYMORE FOR WOMEN WITH BOOBS!

Can I speak directly to designers? LADIES AND GENTS -- EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY ISN'T AN INVERTED BRA SIZE, NOR ARE WE ALL B CUPS. FIX THE PROBLEM!

It's SO annoying being a WWB (Woman With Boobage). You can't wear ANY of the cute halter style shirts, most anything cute has to be purchased in a size too large so that it fits your chest but then leaves you frumpy looking. It's just a sad state of affairs I tell ya!

So then I wander over to the shoe section. I had full intentions of purchasing one or two pair of sandles. I left there empty handed. EVERYTHING is so ugly and ghetto and just weird looking. I wanted a heel ... like a cork heel... nothing. Just something casual would be even okay... nothing.

I guess you know you're getting old when you go to Macy's shoe department and leave there empty handed b/c it's all too trendy and ugly for you. The Coach tennis shoes.. OMG are so freakin' ugly it's unbelieveable! And, did you know Jessica Simpson designs shoes? She had the ONLY pair of sandles that I thought were even remotely cute but I still didn't want them.... because they weren't "purchase worthy."

I also went to the Verizon Wireless store today. You know my cute pink Blackberry Curve that I just got on Wednesday? The face is already cracked! :( Can you believe that crap? I have NO idea what happened. I put it in my purse, swung my purse over my shoulder, put it in the car and then went to get it from the car last night... crack? I have no clue what happened. I've NEVER ever ever damaged a phone... EVER! So for this to happen... bizarre! I had to pay a $90 deductible and will be getting a new phone on Tuesday. Lovely.

I also brought in my old phone (my LG enV -- love this phone, by the way) and asked if they could a) get my photos and videos off of it for safe keeping; b) get my ringtones tranferred to my new phone; c) update my software b/c it was so outdated that I wasn't able to send/receive photos, use the navigation system, get my e-mail.... nothing! He got the photos and videos removed from the phone and put on a 2gig memory card which I am about to transfer to my computer for safe keeping! :) He was going to TRY to make the ringtones into sound files and then save those to the memory stick and transfer those over to the new phone TOO BUT...when he was doing the update... the phone fried. SO, I'm ALSO getting a new OLD phone. So I think that will get passed on to someone else that hasn't received a new phone in a while. :)

Now the ultimate decision -- what to wear...what to wear to see MY MAN!?!?!

I CHOPPED IT OFF!

I finally got into the salon and got my hair chopped off! It's chin length and I'm goign to start going for the blonde highlights again. :) Hey, I'm too low maintenance to live in such a high maintenance area. Gotta keep up with the Jones' right? LOL

OK... I'm not doing it to keep up with anyone, just b/c I wanted a change. :) We'll see how long it lasts! :) I kind of like it... easier to fix than long hair! That's FO SHO!

Time on my hands

I actually have time on my hands right now and I have no idea what to do. I really have so much I need to do and WANT to do but I dont know where to even start! Isn't that crazy!

I'm looking at my desk... i have trash to throw away, dishes to take to the dishwasher, a Webelos schedule to plan, our days to organize/plan, a Disney World book I got from paperbackswap.com, to figure out why I haven't received child support in 2 months, to make a dental appointment, to plan for upcoming holidays - activities for the kids, to figure out what gifts I want to make for presents this Christmas, to get a hair appointment to get highlights or a cut or something -- this mop's gotta go, to get running again, to purchase my books for the fall semester, to clean my house, to work, TO SCRAPBOOK... lots of things...

what to do first? Maybe I'll take a nap. ha ha..

Don't give kids hammers

Unless you're ready and prepared for them to come in with a bloody hand.

Thank God for Kids

The Video is here of the Oak Ridge Boys... Thank God For Kids...

"We'd all live in a quiet house... without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse, koolaid on the couch, thank God for kids"

Isn't that the truth? Isn't it amazing the amount of joy we can have in our lives BECAUSE of kids and the imagination they have? Watching them play and enjoy life... learn and grow. To watch them ENJOY their childhood... it's a blessing.

Then, the high priestess herself, Oprah (just kidding, I really do like her MOST of the time) goes to visit a place where they believe that playing is goofing off. That play is not fun. These kids have never heard of Shrek, Cinderella or Humpty Dumpty. They don't allow the children to read fiction because it has no purpose. They don't teach the children that man has walked on the moon. ??? These kids ... are so pathetic BECAUSE of the extremes that the adults who are around them go to in order to prohibit creativity and imagination. How SAD IS THAT?

Oprah visited the children from the Mt. Zion sect that was raided... these kids... obviously need prayers.

The video of Oprah's visit is here

I know we live in a free country but man... you'd think they could do something to help these kids. What a buncha loonies!

Blackberries

No, I'm not talking about the fruit... I'm talking about the little hand-held portable devices. I now own one. :) I've been eyeing one for about 6 months. My contract finally came up for renewal with Verizon Wireless and so I opted for the world in my hands rather than just another phone. :)

I got a pink Blackberry Curve. Kinda excited about it. It should be here Monday or Tuesday. :) Woo hoo I love new gadgets!

Bankrupt

It's hard to believe that a few states are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy... STATES.. in OUR country... nearing the need to be filing for bankruptcy protection. I think it's a situation that needs much more scrutiny than it is given. The government's job is NOT to save people from themselves... or states either for that matter. States should not be dependent upon ridiculous amounts of taxes to function. They need to start streamlining the same way anyone else WOULD HAVE TO. #1) look at where your arterial wounds are and heal those first. Look at what you're spending exhorbitant amounts of money on... is it providing healthcare and social benefits for illegals? THEN STOP IT. I just still can't wrap my brain around the fact that people can ENTER THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY and then be given, food, shelter, medical care, and living quarters ON MY DIME when there are good, hard-workin American people struggling to provide food for their children and whose children HAVE to medical care. They get discounts on post high-school education? HOW THE HELL IS THAT FAIR? THEY charge more for IN STATE residents than they do for illegals? That's completely insane! The government has got to learn how to live within its means. NO ONE could run a household, a company or an entity they way they run this government. NOTHING can be profitable running in the red.

I hear time and time again on the headlines about this company filing for bankruptcy protection... and now a new line of stores is following suit. Mrs. Fields and TCBY filed for bankruptcy. I don't see how those companies ever made it to begin with. Who really WANTS a $3 cookie? I just don't get it.

Bennigan's (eaterie) filed in 2008. There are still a few straggling stores but the one that was my stompin grounds closed.

Bally's Total Fitness is BACK in bankruptcy with 1.5 BILLION in debt. HOW DOES A COMPANY RUN ON 1.5 BILLION IN DEBT? I don't even comprehend this.

I mean...then look at the airlines...the car industry...

Here's a LIST... check it out

Scary stuff.

Dallas World Aquarium

Drew and I took my mom to her first trip to the Dallas World Aquarium for a "field trip Friday."

They've done a lot of work on it since I was there last... a whole expansion! I let Drew have time with the camera, too. He loved taking photos. He's got a knack for getting just what he wants to see and remember. It's rather cute to see what all he comes up with.

Here's Drew and grandma making their entrance through the "rainforest"


And here is the sign for their Sloth Crossing. :) While I tend to say both my boys move as fast as a sloth.. it only seemed fitting to have Drew next to "his sign"



And you see that tree that's right behind the sign? Guess what's in it? RIGHT THERE for people to get up close and personal with? A SLOTH! Check this cutie out!


Doesn't he look like one of the Beatles? LOL

Drew took a photo of some of the crocodiles


And this is the Drew-meister up against the glass at the base of the croc tank -- near the tail.. if you look closely, you can see the head of the croc between his arms.



Drew at the turtle tank


Drew also took some photos of spiders -- two of them. The first is a tarantula. The second is a bird eating spider. They both look equally hairy and scary. And so, I chose not to put them on the blog (and since I didn't know which was which, just as well.)

This is the two at the actual aquarium.


And we always love to see the jellyfish.


... the sea dragons, too, are very neat to watch


I think the water arch is just amazing.


And, in closing, you have to visit the gift shop and buy them some little memento (read that as, overpriced crap that they don't need, really could care less about but have to have to make their visit feel complete)... we got an octopus.