Free Friday

After talking to my good friend and mentor Michelle (she is really awesome and I admire her greatly) last night I decided to make some changes in my life... I know I posted a while back about a full plate... I made the positive step forward of emptying things off my plate... However I made the negative step forward of just filling those places with other harder to recognized comments because they were not routine but sporadic in nature... I became even more over worked then before... I've another change... I'm going to take one day for myself a week... Right now it's just about 2 hours in the morning but I hope to expand it to a longer time... I won't be spending these days catching up on housekeeping, grocery shopping, or running to appointments... It is about time for ME... I also changed some other things in my life like going to bed and when I take a shower... Since it's Winter can't take one in the morning before the children wake up because my hair would freeze... I don't own a blow dryer so that's not an option... I do enjoy a nice shower when my hair won't freeze... Good way to help you wake up... I'm also making an effort to remember to take my vitamin and eat 3 healthy well balanced meals in a day... Does anyone have any links with print outs where I can write down what I ate so I know I know if I had all my servings of each of the food groups? I thought about looking on a diet set I won't be using it to lose weight but I'm sure they might have that sort of thing.. Any input would be helpful...

Thankful Thursday

10 Things I'm most Thankful this week

1. A freezer full of food
2. A clean home
3. Celebrating another birthday with Monkey
4. A family doctor
5. Outside help to provide the best environment we can for our oldest
6. Linebacker is a healthy growing boy
7. Loving, Faith-ful/filled Husband
8. Staying At Home to care for household
9. Family
10. My husband's employer

Not to much going on today... Monkey had Speech... Peanut had Speech to make up because one day the therapist son was sick so she had to reschedule... My oldest had a psychiatry appointment... It was only 1/2 hour and we didn't talk about all I wanted... So, we will go again before the end of the month... We also need to do labs... I will do those that morning and see him in the afternoon to discuss the rest of what's going on and lab results... It was a good day... Talk to many friends online and on the phone... I'm going to make some changes in my life but that will have to wait til tomorrows message because it is late... Night all...

Winter Blizzard - Wednesday

We survived our March blizzard... It was a lot bigger then our December Blizzard... My devoted and loving husband cleared the drive way after the Blizzard went through and was gone at 1 AM... He shoveled almost 2 hours to clear it out... I still had to fight the drift the plow made but it wasn't too bad... He's a good man to his family... I'm very grateful... Everything was on delay today because everyone had to dig out from the big Blizzard... Peanut had Speech in the afternoon and Monkey didn't have Speech at all because his therapist was out of town and finally made it home to the Blizzard in town... They closed many roads and no travel advisories were every where... The weather channel came and visit for our last Blizzard in December... They should have some for this one instead...

Tasty Tuesday

I know I promised Lenten recipes but I made this on Sunday and now I have to share because it was so delicious...

Creamy Cajun Chicken w/ Pasta

2 T. butter
1 t. garlic, minced
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 T. Cajun Seasoning

1 T. Parsley

2 bunches of green onions, chopped
1 pint Heavy Cream
Cooked Pasta (we used wide egg noodles but you can use whatever you may like such as spaghetti or spirals)

1. In skillet melt butter and cook garlic for about 30 seconds over medium heat. Stir in chicken and cook until browned... Add Cajun Seasoning and stir until mixed well... Sprinkle on Parsley... 2. Add Green Onions and cook until tender... Add Cream and turn heat to high, boil until slightly thicken.
3. Stir in cooked pasta and serve immediately.

Monkey Birthday - Monday

I'm feeling a little bit better... Today is Monkey's birthday... First I will talk about the day then share photos of Monkey's wonderful day... I picked up mini cupcakes for him to share with his friends... Peanut had speech... We dropped my husband's car for repair... We went out and picked up the rest of the things we needed for the party... We made homemade pizza and ate ice cream cake... I decorated it... Monkey opened is presents and talked to his grandparents on the phone...

::photos to come::

Sick Saturday

I have this awful headache... I'm going to take some pain medicine and go lie down...

2nd Lenten Friday - No Meat

I was Thankful for a quiet day today... I had one appointment this morning and was able to be home the rest of the day... I had a choppy nap so I am a bit tired... I'm looking forward to my husband mini vacation when I can have some R & R... I made Shrimp Broccoli Alfredo w/ Bow Tie Pasta today for lunch with my husband... The children and I are having a traditional Lenten meal of Fish and Chips (fries) for dinner... I did do a bit of laundry today just to be caught up for the weekend... We are doing linens during my husband's mini vacation... I dropped my latest Netflix video in the box Monster-In-Law... It was surprisingly different then I thought it would be especially the ending... I would recommend all women who have a Mother-In-Law, are a Mother-In-Law or will some day be a Mother-In-Law to watch it... It does have a few things I generally don't watch in movies and those were same gender relationships (very mild only 'references') and cohabitation/premartial relations... Otherwise a good movie... The rest of the Christy series arrived today so I look forward to watching those and then the 'independent movie spin offs' are next in my queue... I also dropped of a giant stack of DVDs at the library... When I went to renew them online I did so on the wrong day so they were due earlier then our 'usual' weekly library days...

Linebacker's Teeth

Not the best picture but I hope you can see his two tiny teeth on the bottom...

Thankful Thursday

10 Things I'm Especially Thankful This Week

1. Warm Home
2. Functional Auto
3. Indoor Plumbing
4. Modern Medical Care
5. Plenty of Food
6. My Children
7. My Husband
8. Good Friends
9. Ability To Read
10. Religious Freedom

I dropped everyone off and headed to the dentist for visit... My second this week... It went very well... I stopped at Walmart to pick up Monkey's CARS Leapster game but they only had one and it the box was empty... ::frown:: So, I sat for 15 minutes and waited for TRU to open... It was cheaper there because I had coupon but I didn't really have time to wait for them to open... However I guess Walmart made the choice for me... I was about 10 minutes late coming home... I went and picked Peanut up and at a 'snacky' lunch... We had buffalo strips, mozzerella bites, pot stickers, creamed corn, pepperoni/sausage mini pizza and mini chicken egg rolls... We didn't want to fix a 'meal' because we knew we couldn't eat meat tomorrow... I picked up the house and vacuumed... The carpet man came and steamed cleaned the house... Monkey has ST in the kitchen because the carpet man was working where they usually work in the library... We took a quick drive around town while the carpets dried a bit... I didn't have respite because staff was attending a funeral out of town and wasn't unable to come back for their shift... I watched 1/2 a movie and did a ton of laundry... Almost ready for the weekend...

Whirl Wind - Wednesday

Today could not be describe better the the title above... I dropped the boy off and then wrote out the bills for mailing... Peanut had speech... I continued to work on the bills an other household items... I went out to run errands... I stopped at the PO drop box and put in almost 10 things to be mailed including my Netflix videos... All the bills are now paid or on their way to be paid... Always fills good to be over and done with that... I stopped in Kmart and picked up Linebacker an umbrella stroller... They only had one style and I'm not thrilled with the pattern but it's more about function vs design... It will perform the purpose I need it to... Umbrellas don't last long in our family so it's also a matter of what's the best deal over prettiness too... I will need it on my next trip to the dentist because I can't hold him while I have my tooth fix like I did when I had my cleaning done... I dread being numbed... At least the issue will be fix and I won't have that funny feeling forever... It was off to pay my husband's clinic bill off... When I was in there in February they said his was paid when I was paying on mine... I though that didn't sound right but the usual patients account lady was working with someone else who was having more serious problems then me coming in to pay off an account... We received a bill saying it wasn't paid off and so I finally made it back in there today to do that... I stopped at the Cake & Candy world, a cake decorating type store, to pick up the toppings for Monkey's birthday cake... I found a really cool Lightening McQueen Candle and some other little doo dads... I also picked up a tube of pre-made/pre-colored icing... No reason to make a whole bunch of icing and coloring it for a bit of writing... I picked up Monkey's Cake from Ice Cream Plus... Their ice cream cakes are 1/2 price on Tuesdays and Wednesdays... I made a quick trip into our bank (right next door to the ice cream store) because the ice cream store only takes checks or cash no plastic not even your check/debit card from the bank... My next stop was the grocery store... I picked up just a few things like Linebacker food/juice, bananas, bread, milk, juice, mustard, tuna, spices/extracts, and candles for Monkey's cake... I looked at my receipt and it had just turned noon... I headed home for lunch and kiss my husband before he headed to work... I unpacked all the items and put them away... I ate a bowl of stir fry and chatted with friends via IM... I found Monkey's Leapster CARS game (there are several) I will buy for his birthday present... It was time to pick up the boys... No nap for me today and now I'm starting to think maybe I shouldn't have skipped it... Monkey had speech... It is his speech therapist birthday today... She's 25... Happy Birthday R! We had religious education tonight... To Be Continued...

Day Trained!

Peanut is day trained... I owe my thanks to this book -

Title: The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers
Author: Elizabeth Pantley

Here are two Quick Facts About Potty Training from her book...

♦ The perfect age to begin potty training is different for every child. Your child's best starting age could be anywhere from eighteen to thirty-two months.
♦ You can begin training at any age, but your child's biology, skills, and readiness will determine when they can take over their own toileting.

This is 100% true and so helpful... After reading this book and taking the quiz I knew Peanut wasn't ready yet... She had just turned 3 years old... However when she was ready I knew and could help out where she needed me too... She will be 4 in a few months... There have a been a few bumps along the way but no tears from me or her... ::grin:: I couldn't recommend a better book (I've read a dozen or so)...

Tasty Tuesday

I'm going to write about the day then share a tasty Lenten friendly recipe... Today has been a busy day... I dropped the older three off... I made a stop at Kmart to pick up more pull ups for Princess... She is almost completely day drained... I also picked up Monkey a book for his birthday... I dropped a Netflix Disc in the Mailbox... I had a dental visit... Just a general cleaning... I have one tooth that is a bit rough and I have to floss that spot constantly... They are fixing that later this week... I called in my oldest prescriptions as to speed that up... I dropped off my form for mileage reimbursement... I went to the pharmacy and only had to wait a few minutes... I'm glad I remember to give them a call so I didn't have to wait too long... It gave me just the perfect amount of time to go across town and pick up peanut... I paid the electric/gas bill and the phone bill online... I also paid an eBay auction for my husband... He bought Monkey (who's birthday is around the corner) a coin bank... I went to the car insurance place and paid our bill... I also made a quick run to Sam's... I picked up a cooking magazine from Taste of Home and Love Dare the book from the movie Fireproof... I picked up the boys and did a 'recon' trip to the new doctors office... Linebacker has a check up next week and I wanted to make sure I had good directions and check to see how much time I needed to arrive on time... I also worked on the laundry... I am 'caught' up for the moment... I fixed the shower sliding door... I watched the rest of the Christy discs I have... I will drop them in the mail and excited to finish the series... I wish they had more then just a couple seasons... I'm really enjoying it...

Homemade Fried Fish w/ Homemade Tarter Sauce

2 eggs, beaten
2 C. crushed square crackers (saltines)
2 lbs of fish cut into 1-1/2" wide strips
Oil for frying

1. Beaten eggs in one bowl and crushed crackers in a ziplock. Dip fish in eggs and then shake in zip lock till lightly coated. Let stand for a few minutes before frying.
2. Heat oil to 375 degrees or when the water pops when flicked on the surface... Fry just enough for one layer of fish in your pan without touching. Fry 2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels.

1 C. Mayo
2 T. Sweet Pickle Relish
1 T. onion, finely chopped

Combine ingredients and chill well... Serve with fish...

Money Spent - Monday

Today I seemed to writing checks left and right... I walked to boys this morning... I caught a ride back with a friend... I should have dressed better... I thought it was warmer... I was thankful for the WARM ride home... We went and picked up the van... A new radiator, repaired door handle and reattached turn signal/runner light... Peanut didn't have ST because the ST son is ill and didn't go to school today... We will have to reschedule to later in the week or some time next week... Next was the plumber... The tub was draining a bit better then it was a week ago but still wasn't draining like it should... He also unclogged the toilet... The holder did become stuck... He managed to remove 2 of the 3 parts and the 3rd part hopefully managed to go the rest way through the line... We have two plumbing fixtures working at peak performance... He referred us to the estimate department for our vanity... The water doesn't want to come out of the faucet and the drain doesn't want to drain... It seems we will need to replace our galvanized pipe with new modern 'pipe'... We will know more once the estimate team comes out for an inspection... The next check to be written was to the Schwan's man... I paid cash for my order and the stuff my husband and I picked out I wrote a check too... Supposedly there is a joke the Schwan's man is the modern day 'milk man'... I told my husband our Schwan's man was not seen as that way to me... I wanted to mother him versus having a 'crush' on him... We had a good laugh about that... I had a good nap... I picked up the boys and made a drop at the library... We had Chinese stir fry we made last night for dinner... It has steak, pea pods, green beans, peas, carrots, broccoli, green onions, and mushrooms in it with lo mien type noodles... I need to put the troops to sleep... They are resisting... I'm sitting away here just tap tapping on the keyboard...

Super Movie Saturday / Special Request

Several new Netflix movies arrived today... I watched most of this new series called 'Christy' some times it is hard to watch because of what the people endured during that time period (1912 and beyond) but I enjoy it because of how they responded to what times were like... My husband's first movie arrived today too... He wanted Enemy of the State... I will not be watching it with him... He isn't interested in watching Christy... I washed several loads of laundry today... My husband had to work today... When he works Saturday it makes for a long day for me... Our oldest flushed the toilet paper roll holder down the toilet... I went to the local hardware store and picked up another then installed it... I'm not sure how he managed this task... He did clean up his room today when asked... We bought him a drawer to store his toys in... It is working like we had hoped...

I have a special intention prayer for one of my readers... If you could please prayer for M. and her family in this especially hard time we would both greatly appreciate it... Thank you...

1st Lenten Friday - No Meat

Today is the first Friday of Lent... Hasn't been going very well for me in my 'improvement'... I only pray that each day I can do better then the previous... The fasting and no meat part has been easier then in years past... My husband had the day off and we dropped the van off for a new radiator, driver's door handle and to put that turn/runner light back because it fell off again... It was also my husband's pay day... We ran a few errands together like grocery store, Target, picking up a new deep fryer from Macy's and bank deposits... We made baked fish for dinner... It was delicious... We finished Hancock... It was pretty good... Better then I had expected... We didn't make it back to the repair shop before he closed so we are vanless... Which we aren't happy about at all... We will know better next time I guess... It is hard to do things in my husband's dinosaur I mean car... Otherwise good day...

Tasty Thursday

I tried a new recipe this week... It is very simple and easy... I found it on the back of the Onion Soup Mix Box...

Onion-Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix
2 lbs of potatoes cubed
1/3 C. Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In baking dish or roasting pan combine all ingredients.
2. Bake, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

I had the monthly meeting about my oldest and the various services he receives... We all gave our updates as to how things are going and if there are any needs... I passed on the information from the Parent/Teacher Conference to the 'team'... Monkey had ST... I placed my first Schwan's order online... Now to wait for them to contact me about delivery... I went paid for class photos for the boys... I also talked to the staff and addressed questions I didn't ask at conference... We are all on the same page... I did a little laundry...

Ash Wednesday

Happy Ash Wednesday... I don't know why we have Ash Wednesday... I just know we fast, don't eat meat and go to Mass to have a cross of Ashes put on our forehead... I will have to do some research as to the whys of Ash Wednesday... I welcome my readers to share their resources... I'm always learning new things as a convert... The children colored some Ash Wednesday print outs (photo to come)... I picked up a veggie pizza which the children revolted and refused to eat... I gave it to a friend and her family of 10... We had plain ole boring cheese only pizza for dinner instead... I guess I will know better next time... I have Mac & Cheese scheduled for the children on our first meatless Friday... Peanut had ST this morning... I tried to rest this afternoon but the Schwan's man came and knocked on my door... ::smirk:: I flipped through the new catalog and saw several items I'd like him to bring when he comes again... Nothing for today... I'm still fighting off various ills... I'm going to rest and watch my newest to arrive movie Kit Kittredge... She's an American Girl for those who don't know... I've seen Molly, Samantha and Felicity's movies... I'm not sure if Chrissa's movie is available through netflix or not yet... I will have to do a search... I wish I could go to sleep but the tub is clogged (read hair cuts on Sunday) and I'm waiting for my husband to unearth the snake where ever he put it so I can unclog it... Maybe tomorrow I will have some good rest time... We will see...

Tooth Tuesday

If you hadn't guessed by the title of today's message... Linebacker has his first tooth coming through on the bottom right... I don't think I've ever seen a cuter tooth! Amazing how we can take the most joy in the tiniest things... He has to show his tooth off to those he meets... The children are all excited and now they think he can eat all kinds of things... ::smirk:: I had to explain he needs lots of teeth just like them... He does eat his far share of items without the aid of teeth... Some of his favorites are bits of chicken and waffles...

Today is Fat Tuesday... To celebrate I ate a whole regular size Baby Ruth... It was delicious... I'm going to switch Tasty Thursday to Tuesday starting next week... I think I'm going to share my Northern Pike Cakes recipe... It is simple and oh so Tasty... Thursday will be Thankful Thursdays when I list 10 things I'm especially Thankful for that week... If I don't limit myself it would be a very long post... ::grin:: I have no staff today because it's the staff birthday... He waited till late Sunday afternoon to say anything so no replacement staff could be found on such short notice...

I had all three conferences today... Monkey is doing AWESOME... The district had tried to hold him back a year because of his delays but I'm so glad I pushed for him to be in Kindergarten this year instead of a year of Head Start before starting Kindergarten next year... He is doing well in ST, OT and PT... He will probably not need OT or PT at all after 1st Grade... That is very exciting... In general academics in November when writing the numbers 0-20 he could only write 6... He can now write 17 out of 21... Upper case letters in November he could only write 2... He can now write 13 of 26... Lower case letters in November he could only write 5... He can now write 17 of the 26... He won't need ESY this summer but we are looking into a delayed students summer program through the local city park district... He has had wonderful improvement...

Next was my oldest Conference... He is doing very well too... They found a way to help him write... He builds the letter/number using wooden pieces then he writes the letter/number... That is a huge improvement over last year... It was a struggle to write just one letter or number for anything... He is also working on putting his shoes on correctly (left on left foot) and tying... He can put his shoes on his correct feet 75-80% of the time... They also noted he had only had 5 time outs in about 60 days... Where it was 20+ in a month... He would only work for 5 minutes or less... He can now work up to almost 1/2 hour with minimum disruptions... All amazing improvements...

We loaded up and had to drive across town for Peanut's conference... She is also doing very well and won't need to attend ESY this summer... She will need to come in for ST but only once a week... I'm hoping to work it out with my oldest ESY schedule... She has mastered since she started in September words that end with M and T... She has also mastered the concepts in/out, on/off, over/under, big/little, up/down and open/close... She still needs to master words that end with D, P and N... She is also still working on the concept of behind... She spoke in understandable sentence length in September of 2.5 words... She now speaks in an understandable sentence length of 3.95 words... It surpasses her goal of 3.5 words...

Linebacker showed off his gross motor, fine motor and social skills... I'm not sure if I wrote about this but he was screened last week and had to score a minimum of 48 out of a 100 to not be developmentally delayed... He scored a 78... The test is only up to 11 months so he is advanced at 9 months old...

I'm finishing off today with fighting the laundry and watching Out of Africa...

More of the Same - Monday

The ills seems to be circling our home... I now have a pretty bad cough and sore throat... My nose is either running or I can't breathe... I guess this is round 2! Peanut woke up with what I thought might be a fever... She had ST and then became warmer... I gave her medicine and she has slept most of the day... Hopefully that won't mean she will be up all night... She also has a mild cough... My oldest was sent home from school early... He has an ear infection in his right hear... They also 'cleaned' his ears... He should be able to hear better now and hopefully be in a better mood once the antibiotic kicks in good... Linebacker has an on and off caught and runny nose... Monkey has the occasional runny nose... I hope we are well enough to attend Ash Wednesday Mass this week... I'm glad today isn't Wednesday because I don't feel like going any where but to bed... I did two loads of laundry this morning while Peanut snoozed... I also emptied dishwasher... I made NC Pulled Pork BBCUE in the crock pot (will share recipe on Thursday)... It turned out delicious... We make it on the grill in the warm months and in the crock pot in the cool months... I picked up oldest RX for his ear and a bulletin so I know what's going on at the Parish this week... Completely slipped my mind on yesterday... My oldest went on a road trip with his respite worker... To see the new 'stage' finished... His respite worker is in a band... My oldest helped them build the 'stage'... Praying for a quiet, peaceful night... Hopefully some sleepy medicine and full nights sleep so I can wake up well... I would write about Sunday but I really need to lay down... We did start watching Hancock together... Sad and Funny at the same time... So far pretty good...

I'm Blue. What Color Are You?

BLUE

You give your love and friendship unconditionally. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Super Tired - Saturday

I am sooo tired... I didn't have a nap as I had planned and was very busy this afternoon and evening... We went to the library, my husband paid one of his Mall bills, plus looked in JPenney for a deep fryer, next we headed Target and Sam's... We did a ton of shopping and stocked up on all kinds of great things we needed... After we came home and unloaded everything... I divided up all the Sam's items... We cleaned out of freezer in the garage and reorganized it and our refrigerator freezer... I had to go back out for regular grocery store shopping... We had 'snacks' for dinner.. We bought a new phone to replace our other one... The LCD went out on both handsets causing many issues in receiving and making calls... We are very excited to try them out once they finish their SEVEN hour initial charge... We spent the rest of the night watching our new DVDs from the library with the children... A new Netflix arrived today 'First Wives Club'... Old but funny movie... I look forward to it... I remember watching in my past... I've also recently enjoyed 'Overboard' and the original 'Stepford Wives'... After that I'm headed to bed for an even earlier night then last night...

Frosty - Friday

We had quite the snow event today... They had said 1-3 inches but we had at least 4-6 in my part of town... It was beautiful snow... Very light and fluffy... I ran out for errands around the new hour... I also took Peanut to the doctor... She failed her hearing screening... She has a cold and a sore throat but no strep or ear infections... I baked the bars for the funeral... I picked Monkey up and we went to Soccer... The children had an awesome time... I dropped off my many items to my friends... I saw so many of my FMCHE friends I hadn't seen for a while... Each of us has had our share of illness not to mention weather that keeps us from being able to visit each other as often as we would like sometimes... I cleaned up a lot of papers that had been cluttering the computer room... Filled on our of 'paper' trash cans... I watched a couple Netflix movies online... Now I'm going to head to bed early... I'm sure tomorrow will be another busy day...

Tasty Thursday

I did a load of laundry as soon as I woke up... I dropped off the oldest three... I also made Tasty Mozzarella Chicken before picking Peanut up from school... I took a nice nap and picked up the boys... Monkey had ST... Our Pampered Chef order came in... I talked to several friends about what I will bring with me to soccer... My group is serving the reception after a funeral on Saturday... I won't be able to help in person so I'm making bars... I wasn't able to make them tonight like I had planned... Here is the recipe I promised...

Tasty Mozzarella Chicken

1 egg, beaten
2 T. water
2/3 C. bread crumbs
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/8 t. pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-1/2 C. spaghetti sauce
8 oz pkg mushrooms, sliced and sauteed or 7 oz can if you like them like that
8 oz block mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. In quart zip lock, place egg and water. In gallon zip lock, combine bread crumbs, soup mix, and pepper. Coat chicken in egg mixture, then shake in crumb mixture till well coated.
2. Place in greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
3. Place mushrooms over chicken, pour spaghetti sauce over chicken. Bake another 10-15 minutes until chicken is done and sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes longer until cheese melted.

Wintry - Wednesday

Today was a very Wintry day... It was chilly cold and we had a light dusting of snow... I would go outside and shiver... That rarely happens to me... I dropped the boys off... Peanut had Speech... The phone rings... The voice on the other side "come pick up oldest his nose is running, and he wants to lay down and be wrapped up... he 'might' have a fever"... So, I go and pick him up... I expected him to wreak havoc after we arrived home but he was surprisingly good... I stopped by the auto repair shop so the mechanic could make notes as to what he needed for the radiator replacement... Now he can order the parts... I made Tasty Mozzarella Chicken for lunch... I will post the recipe on Tasty Thursday... I ran out to the library and picked up some videos and books... I picked up a couple cooking magazines for my next cooking inspiration... I picked up Monkey and he had Speech... It's almost dinner time and Linebacker was a bit fussy last night... I'm quite tired today... No nap since oldest was home and despite him feeling a bit under the weather he wasn't interested in taking a nap... Hoping to call it an early night after baths and story time... Hopefully we will sleep better tonight... I think he might be starting to teeth and he does have a cold...

To Do List - Tuesday

Today was super busy as predicted... I dropped the three older ones off and headed way up north to the Children's Museum... Monkey had a field trip there this morning... We were the blue group... It consisted of Glasses (girl), Miss In Charge (girl), Free Thinker (boy), and Monkey... We had a great time exploring all the hands on activities... After that I stopped at the post office to mail my mother some pictures of the children I printed out here on my photo printer... I stopped to see a friend of mine... They are recovering from the stomach thing... It was a brief visit... I went to the bank... I stopped and picked up 3 bars of face wash for my husband... It was time to pick up Peanut at that point... I picked her up... I fixed 'lunch'... We scheduled the radiator repair for the van... I ran out to the store to pick up 'dip' chips and breakfast bars for Monkey... I also had to go to 4 stores to find my husband his 'special' medicine he likes to take when he has a cold... He will only take one kind and it has to be name brand and not the long lasting... I ate lunch and paid the mortgage online... My husband was finally off to work and I took a power nap... I picked up the boys and made another stop at the bank... I fed the children dinner and thought I still have plenty of energy left in me... I'm going to do some quilting... Unfortunately a special ruler I need is missing... My 6" and my 12"... I ordered another 6" and 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars and Companion CD-ROM... I ordered both from Carol's website... I buy directly from her... My little you paid all your bills 'reward'... I used some money I earned answering surveys... Nice to buy things without worrying about interest later... It is like using electronic cash... I look forward to the day when I don't have CC bills coming month after month after month... I did make a huge dent in them with our tax refund so I'm on my way to be CC free... ::grin:: I also have a savings that is starting to build... All of which is very exciting... I'm feeling optimistic about life in general... Now if spring would come things would be just rosy... ::smirk::

Might Be Over - Monday

My head cold might be over... I'm feeling better and didn't take any medicine today... So, hopefully that's a good sign... I'm still very tired... Linebacker is 9 months old today... Nothing much happened on Sunday... Spent the day laying around taking medicine... I went to bed early... Today was a quiet day... I paid a lot of bills today... It was a long day of crunching numbers to decide how much of the tax refund to devote to different debts... I'm almost finished with my new book - The Duggars: 20 and Counting! I have learned so much more about their family that the 'TV Shows' could possibly cover... It is well written and an easy read... Tomorrow promises to be a jam packed busy day... I'm headed off to bed...

Still Not Feeling So Well - Saturday

This head cold is still going strong... I picked up more medicine for the children and I today... I did manage to have a nap on and off this afternoon while my oldest was out... The other children who are also part of the sick ones settled down for a nap too... Hopefully the sleep did us some good...

Not Feeling So Well - Friday

Head colds have struck our household and taken down 4 out of 6... One of those is me... So, no message... I will probably take tomorrow off too... Happy Saint Valentine's Day...

Tasty Thursday

First I will recap the day then I will share my new chicken recipe I made Monday and Wednesday this week... I dropped all the children off where they needed to be... I went to the hardware store to pick up some 'keys' for the upstairs doors... The other ones have 'vanished'... I also picked up thicker and longer screws for our front door hardware... I went to the bank and cashed a check... I put gas in van... I was at a 1/8 of a tank... ::frown:: I'm up above a 1/2 now... I stopped at the local Catholic book store... I picked up a really cool book called Religious Customs In The Family: The Radiation of the Liturgy into Catholic Homes by Fr. Francis X. Weiser, S.J... I've browsed it casually but look forward to reading it cover to cover... I also picked up some prayer cards... A Valentine's gift for my husband and new Crucifix... My other one went missing after I had it repaired... After I picked up Peanut I went to the grocery store since we were almost out of milk... I picked up two more things for Valentine's for my husband...

Chicken Fingers

6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Egg, beaten
1 C. Buttermilk (or 1 C. Regular Milk and 1 T. Lemon Juice/Vinegar stirred and let it sit a bit)
1-1/2 t. Garlic Powder
1 C. Flour
1 C. Bread Crumbs
1 t. Salt
1 t. Baking Powder
Oil for Frying

Cut the chicken into 1/2" strips; place in gallon size resealable bag. Combine egg, buttermilk, and garlic powder; pour over chicken. Seal and refrigerate 2-4 hours (I usually do overnight because I cook our 'dinner' mid-morning or do it first thing in the morning to cook that evening what ever works best for your schedule). In another gallon size resealable bag, combine flour, bread crumbs, salt and baking powder. Drain chicken, and discard buttermilk mixture. Place chicken in flour mixture; seal and shake to coat. In an electric skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees. I used a standard non-stick skillet on the stove... I heated it to medium... I knew it was ready after I flicked it with water and it made popping sounds... You may need to increase or decrease depending on your stove... I used enough oil so the chicken was 3/4 submerged when frying... Fry the chicken in batches (my pan held 4-5 strips) for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown... Again 4 minutes for the first side and 5 minutes for the 2nd side worked best for me... That had it nicely browned and it was over cooked or raw in the middle. Cut to test it is cooked through to a safe eating temperature. Drain on paper towels. Yield: Approx 18 strips/fingers

Wadding Through The Water - Wednesday

Not sure where to begin to tell you about the events of today... Peanut had ST... The slushy / icy lake at the end of the drive way was still there... It didn't freeze solid like I thought it would... Monkey still had a fever today so we did no schooling with him... Peanut had ST... I went and had Linebacker weighed... We didn't make it to the monthly Breastfeeding group... He is now 15 lbs and 7-1/2 oz... Up from his ER weight of 14 lbs 4 oz on January 19th... So, over a lb in less then a month... We are thrilled! I dropped two NetFlix DVDs in the mail box and two more are 'estimated' to arrive tomorrow... I picked up my oldest and canceled Monkey's ST... I rescheduled my oldest psych appointment because I had scheduled it on the same day/time as my dentist appointment... I fried more chicken today... We loved it so much my husband had me another batch of what we had Monday... The recipe to be shared tomorrow... All the children went to bed easily... Linebacker was asleep but has woke up again when my oldest came home after going out for the a bit tonight to the mall for some Valentine's day shopping... Linebacker ate some veggie and cereal... Hopefully after some 'mommy milk' he will snooze back to sleep so I can have an 'early' night tonight... I slept wrong or the stress of all this water has my back in knots... I ache from the hair line on my neck all the way down to my waist... I did have a 5-10 minute hot soak in the tub... That helped a bit... I'm hoping it is from stress and not how I slept because it makes me not want to go to sleep for fear to wake up in even more pain... I'm trying to avoid taking medicine since I am still nursing... I feel a cold coming on so I soon will probably have to take medicine for that... Again I'm waiting till it's so bad I can't stand it... I wish there was something all natural I could take (oral) that was also safe with nursing...

To Be Continued Tuesday

The day didn't improve as I signed off my blog last night... Our ceiling continued to drip to wake up to puddles in the table (containers overflowed catching the drips), puddles on the floor and a wet kitchen rug... Cleaned it all up... We are praying everything freezes and doesn't thaw for a few months so if need be we can save up the extra funds we need for a deductible or repair... Prior to waking to that Monkey had another episode of croup... Luckily it was a mild episode that didn't warrant a middle of the night trip to the ER like last year... He said he felt well enough for school today but we had to cut the day short because he didn't feel as well as he calmed... Today was the 100th day of school... A very exciting day during the school year in our house... So, at 1 PM he was put in the bed for the day... I was leaving this morning and was trapped at the end of my drive way for 10-15 minutes... The ice/snow had melted enough to create deep ruts that you become caught in if you don't BARREL out of your drive way onto the street... My tires were half way underwater/ice chunks when I was stuck... We spent an hour chipping away at it... It rained most of the day is now an icy lake... It is due to freeze in about 90 minutes... So, it will be a GIANT sheet of ice... Fun fun... We dropped the van off at our repair man... He fixed the dangling running/turn signal light on the passenger side... He also informed us our radiator will need replacing... He did a temporary fix till our Tax Refund can come... We learned why it was delayed today... AUDIT! Now why on earth they would waste tax payers money to review our tax return is beyond me... We have the simplest and most ordinary return someone could have... We have a total of 3 papers to file ONE W2, ONE Property Tax, and ONE Homeowner paper (interest paid on mortgage or something)... What a Joke! We are hoping it will show up in a few day NOW vs it showing up a few days from the last time I talked about it... I signed us up for NetFlix... The library selection was becoming more and more limited... Our first disc arrived today for our free trial... We have Little House on the Prairie - Pilot, Season 1 Disc 1 and Season 1 Disc 2... We are really enjoying watching good quality family programing together as a family... I will be sending a couple disc back out that we are done with tomorrow so new ones can arrive... I think that is about all that's happening today... Hopefully tomorrow will be less eventful...

Messy Monday

Today has been just a messy day as far as weather goes... I slide all over the place this morning... Including into a snow bank (would have hit the curb if you was visible)... The front license plate came off when I backed up to continue on my way... To think I was only going 10... I hate the thought if I was going the 25 the sign says... I won't be going any where today and don't look forward to the mountain of errands I have to do tomorrow... I have appropriately named this post... I returned from picking up the boys and discovered my kitchen was WET... I was thinking ugh those children attacked the kitchen the sink sprayer again... NOPE! Our roof is LEAKING!!! In 3 places over the kitchen table... So, I mopped up the water and put out some plastic containers to catch the water as it drips... The down side was 3 of my cookbooks were on teh able two of them open to recipes... Now I have to figure out how to dry them out... The party has started huh? I made a new chicken recipe which I will share on Tasty Thursday (hopefully the cookbook will be dried out by then)...

Yesterday wasn't too exciting... We attended Mass...

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Blessing of Saint Blaise

We received the Blessing of St. Blaise... I found quite a bit of information at the link attached to his name...

We had a quick 'sub' lunch... We picked up a DVD for Monkey's birthday which is about a month away now... I went out later with Linebacker... We picked up the rest of the 'grocery' list... We bought him a stand-up push toy... He loves it... I will snap some pictures to share... I also picked up a 'sometimes' baby gate... Linebacker likes to 'interrupt' ST so the gate would be used for that 1/2 hour 4 times a week to keep him so he isn't being confined to his jumper toy or being held the entire time... He will have the freedom to explore... He's really into the going out checking things out and then coming back to check in with mama phase... I finally have a copy of the new Duggar book... I flipped through it and already learned all kinds of new things... I look forward to when I can read it cover to cover... We bought a new 'fryin' pan over the weekend... We made burgers in it last night... They were awesome!

Simply Ordinary Saturday

Today was simply an ordinary Saturday in our house... My husband let me take a short nap while he made 'breakfast' for the troops... It was a much needed nap... We then headed out to run errands... We went shopping in search of a new 'family' size frying pan... We found an awesome one... However we didn't find a new 'phone' table for the library... Our current phone table was a tall slender dresser that has bit by bit been dismantled by the oldest and is nothing but an empty shell now... It is an eye sore... Really drags down the whole room... We de-cluttered that room last night of unneeded toys and books... We now have 42 gallons worth of toys in storage... We also threw out a LARGE garbage bag (not one of those tiny 13 gallon ones) of just plain TRASH! Trash meaning everything from ripped up paper, broke toys to pieces of crayon and unusable books... The room is so much more pleasant now to play in... Much easier to maintain... Just now I tackled my bookshelf... I wish I had taken a BEFORE picture because looking at the AFTER you can't truly appreciate the nightmare it was without knowing how far it has come... It looks really nice now and I was able to take media from other rooms of the house and put them where they belong which of course is the book shelf... ::GASP:: Keep books on a book shelf! Who thought of such a thing ?!?!? ::smirk:: We also picked up another tote which I filled with books I don't need in my current path in life but will want later... We made a quick run to the grocery store to restock the freezer/pantry/refrigerator... Also, to pick up the fixings for Sunday Dinner... My husband went out with Monkey to the PO and Library also earlier today... They found 'General Lee' the car from Dukes of Hazzard at a local 2nd hand store... My husband noted the large amount of people shopping he also noticed the jacking up of prices on the part of the 2nd hand store... How nice of them huh? That's all for now... I'm going to call it a night and take a much desired soak in the spa... ::grin:: As for the spell check and image buttons as well as all the other buttons... They have now reappeared... I 'cleaned' our computer and that fixed the issue... Thank you everyone for suggestions...

Filled with Thoughts - Friday

I have a lot on my mind today... Things are changing around here for the good but how to make through these changes is what I am struggling with... Today I made my family's version of Mexican Layer Dip... I have the recipe on Tasty Thursday (will write that soon)... I de-cluttered my sewing area which is related to my struggles... How does one down-size? It is obvious... Painfully so... We have too much 'stuff'... Yet it is hard to part with 'things' because it cost money which most of you know we have very little of... So, we feel we must keep these items because we did use what money we had to buy them... The price of things only seems to go up as we progress into the future... So, buy now why the price is still low... ::smirk:: I don't know... This is just really hard... As a parent we all want our children to have so many things yet we don't want them be selfish or be ungrateful with what they have... How do we find balance? What do they 'truly' need? I feel we haven't been good stewards of the wealth we have been provided which in part is our fault for falling into the whole commercialism nonsense... We are all bombarded every day with all this 'you need this' or 'to be a good parent your child needs this'... After the fact you feel bad you spent all that money (you never can obtain what you paid for an item it automatically loses value), your child lost interest in the item quickly and here you are stuck with this thing you should never have bought in the first place... ::sigh:: I am truly at a loss as to the best course of action...

Tasty Thursday - Recipes

Today wasn't too exciting... My oldest went to his monthly psychiatry appointment... No changes were made... My dad had his birthday today... We talked on the phone a bit... That's about all that happened... I going to devote today's post to all the recipes I made for Super Bowl Sunday 'week'... ENJOY! Photos will come shortly if I took one...

Mexican Layer Dip (family recipe)

1-2 C. Re fried Beans, warmed (I have a recipe for this too)
8 oz Sour Cream
1 C. Salsa
1 lb prepared Taco Meat, warm
8 oz block of shredded cheese, I like mild/white cheddar
1/4 head of lettuce shredded finely
1 lg tomato diced (I forgot this in the photos)
1/2 bunch green onions, thinly sliced/chopped
1-2 Jalapenos, finely chopped (optional)

Use a large plate or pizza pan (round metal one w/ rim)

Place a thin layer of re fried beans, next a thin layer of sour cream on the re fried beans, next a layer salsa on the sour cream, layer of meat on salsa, layer cheese on meat, layer lettuce on cheese, layer tomatoes on lettuce, layer green onions on tomatoes, and finely if you choose to do so garnish the top with jalapenos... If you are a guacamole lover you can add a layer of that as well between the meat and cheese... Serve warm the first time w/ some type of corn chips... It is great the next day cold or you can heat it but it may not be to tasty with warm lettuce/sour cream... If you make the layers too thick it won't turn out well either...

Taco Tater Skins (Taste of Home)

6 Large Brown Skin Taters
1/2 C. butter, melted
2 T. Taco Seasoning (I used what was left of the packet to season my meat for the layer dip listed above)
1 C. shredded cheese
1/2 pk bacon cooked and crumbled
1/4 bunch green onions, chopped
Salsa/Sour Cream (optional)

Bake taters at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. Reduce heat to 350 degrees... All taters to cool enough to handle... Cut into quarters length wise... I used a ice cream scoop to scoop out excess potato... You want to leave a 1/4" shell... I turned the extra potato into a side dish for the children who didn't like the skins... Brush each skin w/ butter on both sides... Place skin side down on a baking sheet... Sprinkle each skin with taco seasoning... Top w/ shredded cheese, bacon and green onions... Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with Salsa and/or Sour Cream if desired...
Yields: 2 dozen

Jalapeno Popper Pizzas {official name} (Pampered Chef Recipe)
Coming soon... Need to take care of linebacker...

Ways to Grow in Catholicism - Wednesday

It started out a typical Wednesday... Dropped the boys off and Peanut had ST... I finished making the rest of the Jalapeno Poppers and Taters Skins... I seriously should not wait so long to type... My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be at times... It is hard for me to even remember the events of Wednesday... I picked up the boys and Monkey had ST... It was monthly CCD night... I was expecting a talk to the parents about various Lenten activities that we could do as a family... However the Fr. W. gave this wonderful 'presentation' about setting up for a Sick Call with the aid of a Sick Call Box or Sick Call Crucifix (see photo above)... It was truly an amazing experience... Growing up non-Catholic I know very little about this particular sacrament... There is nothing that I can even compare it to in my protestant upbringing... I learned so much and am grateful for the knowledge he shared with us...

Time To Run Errands Tuesday

Today was 1st of the month errand day... I dropped off the children... Linebacker and I made our rounds... I dropped paper work off for a 6 month review and headed to the Property Tax office/county treasurer to pick up our reimbursement... Last year you just handed them a piece of paper and waited/hoped for it to come in the mail... This year I waited a couple of minutes and she handed me a check... Woo hoo!!! Now for our tax refund to come in a few days (yes, we already filed ::smirk::)... We will "never be broke again" a famous saying my husband uses... The good news is I will go from 7 debts to 4 after tax refund arrives... How awesome is that?!?! After Treasure's office I headed further into downtown to fill my oldest monthly prescriptions... I headed south to our repair man... He took a look at a few things we are fixing again after the refund arrives... He wrote down what he needs and we have an appointment set up for my husband's next day off during the week...To the PO was my next stop to ask questions and buy 'forever' stamps... Don't forget the price is going up again on stamps only after Mother's Day... A lady who I sold eye shadow to on eBay bought me out... So, I have NO MARY KAY in my house except a few outdated compact which you can't even give away for $0.99 and FREE shipping on eBay... To think I sold these to people for $16 + tax before the 'restyled' them and made them obsolete... ::eye roll:: So, I've paid off my debt from that mistake and removed all inventory from my home... VERY GOOD FEELING!!! I paid our car insurance (we are on the monthly payment plan). I tried to figure out how best to pack up my buy out... I chatted with my husband briefly before I left to pick up Peanut and he headed to his bi-yearly dental appointment... On the way home Peanut, Linebacker and I stopped at the bank to deposit the Property Tax Refund... After returning home Peanut drew on a note pad while Linebacker played at my feet... I was busy using up the rest of the crab meat I used to make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms into Crab Cakes (Mr. Food recipe)... They turned out DELICIOUS! My husband returned just as I finished the cooking of the last cake... We sat down and enjoyed lunch together before he headed to work... I took a much needed nap then headed out to pick up the boys... I figured out how to ship the buy out for the price I quoted... That was a relief... It was looking like I was going to be off by $2-4 and not in my favor... After the PayPal payment arrives, out it ships gone forever... Time for dinner... I'm going to make more Jalapeno Poppers (Pampered Chef Recipe) and Tater Skins (Taste Of Home Recipe) tonight... Hopefully catch up on dishes and laundry... Wish me luck... ::grin::

Beginning Again

I'm back hopefully without another long break like before... I'm going to work on the habit of blogging every day (minus Sundays) again... Today Peanut had ST... I made Crab Stuffed Mushrooms (Mr. Food Recipe) during that time... I then took my husband to the DMV... His driver's license expired on his birthday 16th of December and he didn't know it expired till January 31st when a check out girl asked to see it when he wrote a check... He is good till 2012... I stopped at the store with Peanut and Linebacker to pick up Milk, Juice, Linebacker food, and a few other things I needed for 'Super Bowl' food... I then spent the next hour systemically tearing our house apart to find my oldest Bob the Builder - Teamwork DVD box... It was due today... I found it INSIDE the recliner he likes to sit in... I had to flip it upside down and unfold it to dislodge the box... It has been safely returned... I picked up Monkey and my oldest... I had to leave the van in the driveway where I usually put it away after picking them up so I don't have to do it later when the temps really DROP... Well, with the BIG thaw we had the past few days snow melted and dripped in front of the 'work shop' door making it nearly impossible to go in and out of the garage... I did manage to squeeze through this morning to take the van out... I had 4-6" space to squeeze through... When my husband comes home he will have to pound the ice w/ a sledge hammer so we can open the door further... It will be in the teens below zero by that time... I was using the computer and notice an odd smell coming from the direction of the CPU... I turned it off and went hmm that isn't good... I opened it up and saw it was extremely dusty so I de-dusted it... It isn't making that funny smell any more... ::smirk:: I made Classic Mini Cheeseburgers tonight... Delicious!!! I will share the recipe later... It is from Pampered Chef... I have a crazy busy errand filled day tomorrow... I'm off to clear out laundry so my husband can clean out our room... I will wash the laundry if it is in the laundry area... I am however not going to go 'seek' out laundry to do... Anyone with 4 of more children understands me completely... It is good to be back chatting with you all again... I look forward to sharing my ups and downs with you... Welcome Back... ::smile::

Baptism

Today was Linebacker's Baptism... I'm finally downloading the PICS from my camera... Almost a 100 of them dating back to Mid-December... So, info and PICS will soon appear on my blog instead of titles only... ::grin::

General Update

Day After Christmas

Christmas Day

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Eve

Stay Tuned

Mid-December 2008 Blizzard

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Here is our Thanksgiving... ENJOY!

Prep for Thanksgiving is HARD work!

Moved to a more comfortable spot...
Turkey: One wing stuck out from under the foil after we covered to prevent over browning...
Table All Set (minus noted items below)...
Here is our healthy, happy, and very Thankful family...
Myhusband always reads Proclamation of Thanksgiving by Abraham Lincoln that they print in the paper ever year...
My husband has the honor of carving the turkey...

Our fridge full of 'leftovers'...

Our Menu:
Cheddar Potato Soup
13 lb Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Squash / Onions sauteed in butter
Green Bean Casserole
(doubled)
Carrots/Peas
Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Deviled Eggs
Cranberry Sauce

(not pictured see bread note)
Cornbread
Bread

(not pictured forgot to remove from pan till after photos)
Apple Crisp
2 - Sweet Potato Pies
Pumpkin Pie

Thank you for all those who helped to make our Thanksgiving Bountiful!

45 Years

35th President

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

May 29, 1917 - November 22, 1963

An Irish Roman Catholic born to Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy in Brookline, MA... He was their second son and second child... One of four sons (Joseph Jr., Robert, Edward) and five daughters (Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, and Jean)... He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953 and was father to Arabella (still birth), Caroline, John Jr., and Patrick (preemie/infant death)... The youngest elected President of the United States at the age of 43...

For a short time we had the honor to have him one of the greatest men in history to be president of this country that has been so richly blessed...

Let's take a moment in silent prayer to remember President Kennedy...

God Bless You... Rest in Peace Jack...

Time Off Thursday

I'm going to take some time off... See you all soon...

Happy Thanksgiving...

This, That and the other Thing Tuesday

We had some mild ills go through our house on Sunday... All is well now...

I know many of you will not be happy to read this but there is approximately 35 days till Christmas as shocking as that is... I'm currently trying to figure out what to put on my list... Christmas is a hard time for me one reason I never know what to tell people when they ask what I want... It is so much easier for me to say oh well such in such child needs x or my husband would really love x? For me I'm like uhhh... hmmm... ::silence::

So far on my list I have:

Book: The Duggars: 20 & Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families-How They Do It
Music CD: Johnny Cash The Millennium Collection (2 volumes)

Plastic Storage Container Set

Massage Gift Card

Gift Card to Favorite Hobby Supplies Store

?

So, I'd love people to write in the comment section ideas of things I might like or things they might be giving as suggestions for themselves... Thanks!

Towel Bar Replacement

Our only towel bar in the bathroom broke so we replaced it today... Now we just need to mud and paint were the old bar was...

Before:

After:

Where did we go wrong? Wednesday

Well, that thing that was supposed to END today has only become worse... We now are going to the next level and a DATE has been set in January... Praise God it is at least after the holidays... The other side doesn't want to talk about it at all A. because they know it's all just ridiculous and B. if they talk about it then they have to end it because there is no basis for it to continue... So, several more weeks of unpleasantness to come... Of course now it means a lot more money and even more mess to deal with on several levels... Our person remarked one man had been through this for 6 months and it finally just disappeared this morning on the day they had the set the DATE... He was staring at 20 years... So, all this money, and not to mention stress and turmoil of a possible 20 and it's gone in an instance with an opps never mind... That is just wrong... We could really use your prayers in this matter... It has decimated us financially and now it's working on us emotionally and psychologically... ::sigh::

On a positive note Linebacker is now 14 lbs 2 oz... Woo hoo!!! Talk about a silver lining... Speaking of Linebacker he's sounding his where's the milk alarm... ::smirk::

Typing Out Tension Tuesday

Today was going mostly good and then went wrong... I'm too upset to even type out the incident... ::sigh:: So, I decided my life is not going how I like it so I try to type up a schedule to better manage my time and well my life is unscheduleable! I don't know what to do to better manage my time because every day is different... I'm going along and then oh well we have this on this day and that on that day so let's move this here and that there... Despite my cleaning of my plate my life is still a busy mess... Grrrrrrrrrrr.... It's a why me night!!!!

Look at my 'big' boy!

Linebacker is growing up so fast... Here are a few pictures I took today... He can't do this on his own yet ie go from laying and sit up but if we sit him up he will sit and play... If he is 'propped' in a semi reclined position he can sit up right on his own... He does this often in his bouncy seat...
Another exciting event was me cutting Monkey's hair for the first time with a home trimmer system... Doesn't he look great...
Before:
After:

Homesteading Motivation!

One of the best ways to motivate me to accomplish daunting tasks is to stage a before and after... So, here are a few before of things I'm struggling with in my home...
Here is the top of my entertainment center:

Top of my dresser in the computer room:
My 'drawer' in the computer desk (not sure how I even close it?!?!):
After photos...
Top of my entertainment center:
Didn't make it to this one...
Top of my dresser in the computer room:
My 'drawer' in the computer desk:
On a side note gas has dropped under $2... Currently at $1.94 at most stations... Isn't that exciting? We also have light dusting of snow outside... Not even enough to turn the grass completely white...

Struggles

I'm really struggling with a few things here... I'm having that outsider/alone feeling again... My friends and I seem to have less in common now... I'm not sure how to feel/handle that... Hopefully the big mess that exploded mid-August will be over with before the next 'meeting' on Wednesday... We will see... I cleaned off my plate with 'outside' activities yet feel like I'm still overwhelmed and can't accomplish anything... Which isn't logical at all... I despise illogical things! I'm just confused and not sure which way to go or who to talk to in able to sort things out... I just know things are in need of changing but unsure as to how to change them... I'm not sure if I updated but Linebacker is now 13 lbs and 7 oz... I took Monkey to a Dino event at the library... He really enjoyed that... Things are going well with all the children's regular schooling... I can't say so much for their religious education... It's really difficult for me as a convert to grasp it and complete the activities... Either I wasn't absorbing said material in RCIA or they just didn't teach it... Your guess is as good as mine... I'd appreciate prayers... Thank you...

Election Day

The votes have been counted... The next President has been chosen...

President Elect Barack Obama:

Happy Halloween!

Here are photos from our Halloween...

My oldest as Bob the Builder/Construction Worker:

Monkey as Batman:

Peanut as Cow Girl:

Linebacker as Jack-O-Lantern:
The whole crew together...

We did the door to door trick or treating and gathered 17+ lbs of candy to eat... It was a bit on the cool side but everyone had great fun...

Bathroom Linen Closet Curtain

I had to remove the old busted up bi-fold doors... Next it was to remove the track/hardware that connected the bi-fold doors tot he 'closet'.... Going in and out of the bathroom the door would hit the bi-fold doors breaking it apart...
I marked the wood for cutting...

I used my new saws all (birthday present) for the first time to cut the pieces....
Using a drill and 3" drywall screws I installed the blocks to hold the tension rod... Tension rod installed... I bought 2 pieces of fabric after measuring my 'closet'... I have sewn one piece of fabric into a ruffle less single pocket curtain... I need to sew the other piece of fabric to make it's matching curtain to create a fuller look... At least now the 'closet' is covered... It was hard taking a full length shot so I have a top shot:
Bottom Shot:
Full Length Shot:

Many Things To Say Monday

I've been quite busy since the last time I wrote... First off gas here is now $2.19 or LESS! Isn't that amazing? We were inching towards 4 not to long ago and now it appears it may be below $2 in the not to distance future... Crazy! I finally sew up the curtain for the bathroom linen closet... Photos to follow in another publishing... We switched all 4 children's clothes from summery/warmish fall... To coolish fall/wintery wear... Now that we have gone through storage we know exactly where we need to fill in if at all... My husband said it's like shopping in our home... ::smirk:: The highlight of my weekend would have been going to the 'Women's Showcase' and seeing Jo Frost a.k.a. Super Nanny... I didn't take a camera because I figured I'd be too far away for a decent PIC... Well, I was wrong... I sat with three friends from FMCHE... We were only 6-8 rows behind VIP seating or closer and centered stage (right behind the camera for the 'big' screens that were all over the arena)... So, we had a great view and Jo's talk was really good... I didn't see much of the 'Women's Showcase' other then Super Nanny... So, I can't really tell you what the 'Women's Showcase' even is... :-X I picked up Jo's newest book entitled Confident Baby Care... Other then the misinformation on Co-sleeping it is a really good book from what I've skimmed through and read thus far... I hadn't seen and finally met a new Avon lady... Mine has disappeared on me... So, it was a really cool afternoon... After Jo's talk I saw another friend from FMCHE and a friend from CCM browsing the booths and chatting... My husband had to work so I only had a short amount of time to attend the event... For $15 ($12 for show and $3 to park) it was a great deal... I might even consider going next year... ::grin:: Yesterday I made my first ever 9 pound Spiral Glazed Ham... It was DELICIOUS!

Touching Base Tuesday

I figured I'd take the time to touch base with my 'readers'... Things are up and down here... Mostly up... Linebacker had his 4 month check up today (5 weeks late)... He is 12 lbs 14 oz (peanut was 12 lbs 4 oz at 6 mo) and 24-1/4"... So, he is on the small side he isn't small like she was... Our doctor noted his BMI was over 15 which I guess is good... Don't know much about BMI except I'm in the 'you're big fat' range on the chart... ::smirk:: The doctor noted we had visited the lactation consultant earlier in the month... She didn't say the F or S word the whole time... I'm surprised but happy! He had his vacs and did well with that... He was all smiles 2 hours later... He is a bit fussy now but I think he just wants to nap... We are gearing up for Halloween... We have two costumes so far... Batman and Jack-O-Lantern... Should have the other two figured out by next Monday... My new less filled plate doesn't feel any less... I still feel as busy as ever... I'm hoping the less fullness will kick in soon... I'd really like to make a difference around her visually... Ahhh... I hear baby snore noises.... My guess was right... ::grin:: Tomorrow should be a quiet day with time to work on things I've put on the back burner... I picked up some new yarn to make the boys and Peanut new hats for this year... So, photos should be rolling in soon... I also will be knitting up Linebacker a scarf... The weather hear has cooled off much like the gas prices... We are at two - thirty something at some stations... He is in the 30s/40s and occasionally 50s... Too cold to walk very far with Linebacker... So, we will be walking less and driving more... I've been eating and sleeping better... I'm still tried... Hopefully as I continue to eat and sleep properly that will go away... I'm off to make homemade Mushroom Chicken Tetrazzini... Will try to update again probably on Monday...

A Life SAVED!!!

Praise be Jesus Christ, a mother & child have been spared the pains of abortion. We have received word from a young mother who had an appointment scheduled at the abortion clinic. The night before she, drove by the clinic and saw a man praying in the rain.

She said I can't believe that I wanted to get rid of my baby and then there's people out there praying everyday that their 1 pound babies live through the night, and some guy freezing all night in the rain praying for a baby he doesn't even know.

Thank you for your prayers, they are having a profound impact.

Thanks Be To God! Let all us continue in our prayers during 40 Days For Life and year round to save more lives...

This young mother's precious gift from God will be approximately the age of Linebacker (pictured above) this time next year... Amazing isn't it? The gift of life is such an honor... We should all accept this tremendous joy with grace be it biologically or through adoption...

Going Digital

Details to come...

To Do List Thursday

Today was bus-y! I had a lot of places to go... I did however finish it all before Peanut was done with ECSE... I dropped the boys off and picked up Peanut and dropped her off... I dropped the extra donuts from MACH I at my friends house and sat at home and prepared for my day and nursed Linebacker his 9:30 AM feeding... So, I was pleased with that... I went to the bank to make a deposit... Followed by a stop at State Farm to buy our insurance... They give a free gift for your birthday and I planned ahead and chose the ice scraper as my 'gift'... Next I headed towards downtown and dropped off some paper work and filled out forms... It was a stop at the PO to mail packages and bills before I could head back south for a stop at the Dentist to pay on our bill... Next month we can pay it off... Woo hoo!!! I stopped at the south pharmacy to pick up brush on fluoride the dentist recommend (Gel Kam)... Next I stopped at a speciality pharmacy to pick More Milk Plus... It was recommended by the lactation consultant if I wanted to do something if I felt like I needed it... It is better then taking just Fenugreek alone... I went with the capsules over the liquid... I will start taking it tomorrow... For good measure... Linebackers check up is coming up and I want to be well prepared for questions... Next I picked up Peanut and headed home to eat and give Linebacker his 11:30 AM nursing... We ate turkey, stuffing, ham, green beans, carrots, and broccoli... I then went to my friends to help with the twins and socialize... Her sister was there and we were busy... I held one of the twins for a bit till it was time for his feeding and Linebacker needed his 1:30 PM feeding... We made a quick trip to the store together... Her sister's daughter celebrated her 4th birthday today and they had a late afternoon party for mostly family only... I picked up the boys and came home to catch up on things here since I wasn't home much yesterday... I worked on catching up on laundry and cleaning up the clutter...

Wonderful Wednesday

I have a lot to share but Linebacker needs his 9:30 feeding... Well, I didn't make it back till tonight (Thursday)... I fed linebacker and called it a night and headed to bed... So, tired I even forgot to set my alarm... Good thing for early rising children waking me up or today may not have started off so well... Back to Wednesday... I dropped the boys off at school and headed home for Peanut to have ST... Next we headed to the local grocery store to pick up 3 dozen donuts for MACH I... It will be one of my latest as this is one of the 'obligations' I'm dropping... I'm going next week for the first 1/2 only because they will have a speaker talking about advocating for your special needs child... So, even though I hadn't planned on going I changed my plans for that... I will have to leave early though because I'm going to a once a month breastfeeding group... For some support and information... I home long enough to eat before heading to see the lactation consultant about Linebacker's slightly slower then average gain... What I learned is that changing my list of 'obligations' improving my diet and slowing life down in general is all I really need to do... Yes, he is gaining slightly slower but he is still average doing very well... He just happens to be one of the smaller people... So, he is doing wonderful and I feel great! What a relief of stress that has been weighting so heavily on me... She did recommended More Milk Plus if I wanted to do more then what I'm already doing and I will pick that up tomorrow... If the doctor insists on supplementing to supplement with expressed milk... So, I'm going to start pumping after feedings to build a stock for either supplementation or to mix with cereal when that times comes in a couple months... We will be using the Jack Newman method of supplementation if necessary... I checked into feeding tubes and they come in 3 sizes so that will be one of my questions for the doctor if she insists on supplementing... They are $9 and the speciality pharmacy can order one and have it in about 4 days... After that I picked up the boys and Monkey had ST... We rested a bit and then we to the Home school Mass/Pizza party to celebrate the start of a new schooling year... We stayed till almost 9... I came home and popped a 6.52 lb turkey in the oven... That leads us back to where we are at the top of this message with a turkey cooking and me about to sit down and give Linebacker his feeding... Well it is now 9:30 PM (Thursday) and time for nursing session so I will end my message...