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!