Lights, Camera, ACTION!
We don't get out to see a lot of movies that don't have talking animals, vegetables or minerals... okay, so maybe I've never actually seen a movie with talking minerals, but that's not the point here.
We did see the National Treasure movie when my in-laws were here. It was okay. Felt a lot like the first one... and that annoyed me a bit... before that we saw the last Harry Potter movie... I think that was in November. And before that... um... before that was.... uh... yeah. Actually, it may have been the 4th Harry Potter movie. We just don't go see movies very much. But this year... THIS YEAR there are TONS of movies that I want to see! Let's start with this one that opens tonight... Penelope
I would love to see this movie! It looks cute AND clean! Who knew you could make a romantic comedy that wasn't all about sleeping around!
I have no idea when these next movies will be released... so, in no particular order...we have the new Narnia movie...and watching this trailer just makes me GIDDY!!
Moving right along we have the new Batman movie... loved the last one, can't wait for this one!
I'm also looking forward to the new Indiana Jones movie...
And then... this fall is the new Harry Potter movie...
I know there are some I am missing, but those are the ones I am most excited about. Do you think they will just rent me a seat for the year??
Tell me... what movies are you looking forward to this year?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Allrecipes.com
Some of you requested the brownie recipe I used for the Great Brownie Experiment. I have to tell you, it's not my recipe. It's one that I got from allrecipes.com. Have you ever been to that site? It's fantastic! Anyone can submit a recipe and then people can come back, after trying the recipe and review it, explain any substitutes or variations they tried, and then rate it.
So, when I was looking for a brownie recipe, I looked for one with more than 4 stars and that had lots of reviews. This one has 4 1/2 stars and has been rated almost 2,000 times! And a lot of the reviews were very positive. So we gave it a shot and everyone loves these brownies. Here is the recipe, just in case the links don't work, but I would suggest going to the site if you want to print the recipe up. They have different formats for printing...
Best Brownies
1/2 cup butter (I use margarine)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour (I only grease) an 8" square pan.
In a large saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes - do not overcook
There is a frosting recipe, but I'm not going to put it on here because I've never used it and so I have no idea how it will turn out. If you do try the frosting, let me know how it turns out!
I will say that when I'm melting the butter, I throw in a handful of milk chocolate chips. It makes them a little fudgier and chewier. If you decide to do it in the mini muffin pans, reduce the heat to 325 and then cook for 15-20 minutes. But, honestly, we probably won't do it in the mini muffin tins again. They just didn't cook up the same...
Let me know if you try the recipe out and what you think of it!
Some of you requested the brownie recipe I used for the Great Brownie Experiment. I have to tell you, it's not my recipe. It's one that I got from allrecipes.com. Have you ever been to that site? It's fantastic! Anyone can submit a recipe and then people can come back, after trying the recipe and review it, explain any substitutes or variations they tried, and then rate it.
So, when I was looking for a brownie recipe, I looked for one with more than 4 stars and that had lots of reviews. This one has 4 1/2 stars and has been rated almost 2,000 times! And a lot of the reviews were very positive. So we gave it a shot and everyone loves these brownies. Here is the recipe, just in case the links don't work, but I would suggest going to the site if you want to print the recipe up. They have different formats for printing...
Best Brownies
1/2 cup butter (I use margarine)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour (I only grease) an 8" square pan.
In a large saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes - do not overcook
There is a frosting recipe, but I'm not going to put it on here because I've never used it and so I have no idea how it will turn out. If you do try the frosting, let me know how it turns out!
I will say that when I'm melting the butter, I throw in a handful of milk chocolate chips. It makes them a little fudgier and chewier. If you decide to do it in the mini muffin pans, reduce the heat to 325 and then cook for 15-20 minutes. But, honestly, we probably won't do it in the mini muffin tins again. They just didn't cook up the same...
Let me know if you try the recipe out and what you think of it!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
This Is The Song That Doesn't End
I think I'm going to lose my mind. My kids are sick. Red is getting worse. Little Bug is still very ill.... and now Baby Girl looks like she is getting it. She and Hubby had something else about a week ago - bad sore throat and a cough. The rest of us have had this upper respiratory infection. And now... well, I think she's getting it. Do you know how long it's been since everyone in this house has been healthy??? BLAHGRRRWAAAAAAAAH! (That's one of my new words. It means I'm so frustrated with this crap that just one word won't cover how I feel)
I have wiped every surface known to man. I have washed bedding and clothes and towels and every other item they could possibly come in contact with. Repeatedly. I bought stock in Lysol and then bought a few hundred cases to fumigate my home. You know, the stuff that is supposed to kill 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and germs? Apparently this virus is one of the .1% not covered. It won't die. I am waging a war and I am losing. Badly.
I'm not ready to wave the white flag of defeat just yet. We are replacing toothbrushes and possibly pillows. I'm going to take the kids outside tomorrow (it was in the 80's today, supposed to be about the same tomorrow... no harm in going out and eating lunch or something) and then I'm going to set of a nuclear Lysol bomb in my house.
As soon as the fallout has dissipated, we will return to our home. And maybe, just maybe we can get healthy again. Now, where did I put that gas mask?
I think I'm going to lose my mind. My kids are sick. Red is getting worse. Little Bug is still very ill.... and now Baby Girl looks like she is getting it. She and Hubby had something else about a week ago - bad sore throat and a cough. The rest of us have had this upper respiratory infection. And now... well, I think she's getting it. Do you know how long it's been since everyone in this house has been healthy??? BLAHGRRRWAAAAAAAAH! (That's one of my new words. It means I'm so frustrated with this crap that just one word won't cover how I feel)
I have wiped every surface known to man. I have washed bedding and clothes and towels and every other item they could possibly come in contact with. Repeatedly. I bought stock in Lysol and then bought a few hundred cases to fumigate my home. You know, the stuff that is supposed to kill 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and germs? Apparently this virus is one of the .1% not covered. It won't die. I am waging a war and I am losing. Badly.
I'm not ready to wave the white flag of defeat just yet. We are replacing toothbrushes and possibly pillows. I'm going to take the kids outside tomorrow (it was in the 80's today, supposed to be about the same tomorrow... no harm in going out and eating lunch or something) and then I'm going to set of a nuclear Lysol bomb in my house.
As soon as the fallout has dissipated, we will return to our home. And maybe, just maybe we can get healthy again. Now, where did I put that gas mask?
La La La La Lemon
Do any of you remember that song? Bert and Ernie sing it on Sesame Street. I tried to add it to my play list, but they don't have it. I found a YouTube video... and I'm going to go ahead and post it. It's not Bert and Ernie singing it... it's someone who has taken some anime and put it together. They did a good job...
Okay, the whole point of that was to tell you that my post today is going to be just as random as that song. What an intro! Do you think I could have been any more long winded? Wait... is it "long fingered" when you're typing?? MOVIN ON!!
I showed my blog to the women last night at our Creative Ladies night and I think it went really well! Some were very interested and I was pleased to hear that a couple of them have blogs themselves! It was fun to share stories and swap blog ideas and thoughts with them. Who knows, maybe there will be some new bloggers because of it :) And it was fun to get out of the house. I've felt a little cabin feverish the last little while because of illness. It was good to get out. And speaking of cabin fever....
Little Bug is sick. HORRIBLY sick. I got home last night and he was asleep. He started coughing, but was still asleep. I decided to try and rub some Vicks menthol stuff on him. Woke him up. He didn't go back to sleep till 3:00 - which means I didn't go to sleep till 3:00 either.
Red is coughing a lot this morning. Enough said.
My Grandma is in Salt Lake City today to see an eye specialist. They found something called a "freckle" in her eye and her regular doctor was concerned because it can be cancerous. Would you mind saying a quick prayer for her today? I talked to her yesterday and I know she's worried. She's an AMAZING woman! I could write post after post about the memories I have of her... hmm... maybe I will write about her in the next few days!
I didn't get to watch most of American Idol last night... but I did see the last one - David something or other. And I've decided he's going to win. They should just end the contest now. The boy is A-MA-ZING! Loved his performance last night!
By the way, I won the duel. And the prize was a pat on the back. So, here I go... pat pat pat. That was a lot less satisfying than I thought it would be... perhaps I'll reward myself with a brownie breakfast. Yeah. That would work!
Well, I'm off... I have two schools to call, a bus to cancel, medicine to administer, movies to put in for one kid and throw two others back into bed. I wish I could throw myself back in bed...
LA LA LA LINOLEUM!!
**Update** I found the Sesame Street version of the song... just had to post it to... in case we have any SS purists out there... although, I like the BNL version in the other video :)
Do any of you remember that song? Bert and Ernie sing it on Sesame Street. I tried to add it to my play list, but they don't have it. I found a YouTube video... and I'm going to go ahead and post it. It's not Bert and Ernie singing it... it's someone who has taken some anime and put it together. They did a good job...
Okay, the whole point of that was to tell you that my post today is going to be just as random as that song. What an intro! Do you think I could have been any more long winded? Wait... is it "long fingered" when you're typing?? MOVIN ON!!
I showed my blog to the women last night at our Creative Ladies night and I think it went really well! Some were very interested and I was pleased to hear that a couple of them have blogs themselves! It was fun to share stories and swap blog ideas and thoughts with them. Who knows, maybe there will be some new bloggers because of it :) And it was fun to get out of the house. I've felt a little cabin feverish the last little while because of illness. It was good to get out. And speaking of cabin fever....
Little Bug is sick. HORRIBLY sick. I got home last night and he was asleep. He started coughing, but was still asleep. I decided to try and rub some Vicks menthol stuff on him. Woke him up. He didn't go back to sleep till 3:00 - which means I didn't go to sleep till 3:00 either.
Red is coughing a lot this morning. Enough said.
My Grandma is in Salt Lake City today to see an eye specialist. They found something called a "freckle" in her eye and her regular doctor was concerned because it can be cancerous. Would you mind saying a quick prayer for her today? I talked to her yesterday and I know she's worried. She's an AMAZING woman! I could write post after post about the memories I have of her... hmm... maybe I will write about her in the next few days!
I didn't get to watch most of American Idol last night... but I did see the last one - David something or other. And I've decided he's going to win. They should just end the contest now. The boy is A-MA-ZING! Loved his performance last night!
By the way, I won the duel. And the prize was a pat on the back. So, here I go... pat pat pat. That was a lot less satisfying than I thought it would be... perhaps I'll reward myself with a brownie breakfast. Yeah. That would work!
Well, I'm off... I have two schools to call, a bus to cancel, medicine to administer, movies to put in for one kid and throw two others back into bed. I wish I could throw myself back in bed...
LA LA LA LINOLEUM!!
**Update** I found the Sesame Street version of the song... just had to post it to... in case we have any SS purists out there... although, I like the BNL version in the other video :)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Great Brownie Experiment .JPG)
Yes. Yes, I did lick the spatula.
Yes. Yes, I did lick the spatula.ANYWAY, yesterday I FINALLY got to make my brownies. And I think they turned out really well. I have a recipe that is soooo good! To me, they taste like brownies you get in a box. The only trouble I had was that I mixed them entirely by hand. So, when you see little white bits in the photos, it's flour that I didn't get stirred in all the way. But that didn't stop us from eating a bunch of them last night!
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I did a little research before popping them in the oven and found that they needed to be baked at a little lower temperature than what you would normally use - 325 instead of 350. One pan of brownies baked for 15 minutes and the other for 17. I don't know why... they went in at the same time, same size of pan, same amount of batter in each cup... I think it's just my oven.
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Another thing I learned in my research is that you shouldn't fully bake your brownies because they will keep baking in the pan! Which is why my brownies usually end up like rocks.... So, you should pull them out just before they are really finished. For the mini muffin tins I baked them till they were done and then popped them out of the pan so that they could release the heat faster. .JPG)
Again, the little white spots are flour... sigh... and all the little holes on top? That just seems to be how this recipe is. It's done that every time I've made these.
.JPG)
I did a little research before popping them in the oven and found that they needed to be baked at a little lower temperature than what you would normally use - 325 instead of 350. One pan of brownies baked for 15 minutes and the other for 17. I don't know why... they went in at the same time, same size of pan, same amount of batter in each cup... I think it's just my oven..JPG)
Another thing I learned in my research is that you shouldn't fully bake your brownies because they will keep baking in the pan! Which is why my brownies usually end up like rocks.... So, you should pull them out just before they are really finished. For the mini muffin tins I baked them till they were done and then popped them out of the pan so that they could release the heat faster. Again, the little white spots are flour... sigh... and all the little holes on top? That just seems to be how this recipe is. It's done that every time I've made these.The brownies were a big hit! The edges aren't as chewy as normal brownies though, so, in that respect, I was a little disappointed. I was hoping for a bite of all edge and I just didn't get it. Perhaps I'll have to get the wonder pan after all! 
Monday, February 25, 2008
Interesting
I was wondering, for those parents out there that have kids with some form of autism, have you ever experienced this?? All day today Little Bug has been saying things. He's not stimming as much. He's calmer.
And then Hubby showed me the article about fevers improving symptoms of autism. I had never heard that. But we witnessed it today! He had a fever awhile ago and when I asked him if he wanted to play with "Buzz toys or animals" he said, "animals". He wanted to watch "Lion King" today and I wouldn't let him. It makes him mad. He screams and cries at certain parts that are intense. Usually, when I won't let him watch it he bangs his head. Today he just picked a different movie and it was no big deal.
I'm curious if any of you other mom's who have kids with autism have ever noticed this?? The article I linked to is very interesting... it really made me think...
I was wondering, for those parents out there that have kids with some form of autism, have you ever experienced this?? All day today Little Bug has been saying things. He's not stimming as much. He's calmer.
And then Hubby showed me the article about fevers improving symptoms of autism. I had never heard that. But we witnessed it today! He had a fever awhile ago and when I asked him if he wanted to play with "Buzz toys or animals" he said, "animals". He wanted to watch "Lion King" today and I wouldn't let him. It makes him mad. He screams and cries at certain parts that are intense. Usually, when I won't let him watch it he bangs his head. Today he just picked a different movie and it was no big deal.
I'm curious if any of you other mom's who have kids with autism have ever noticed this?? The article I linked to is very interesting... it really made me think...
Doing the Happy Dance
I know... I'm a blogging fool today... but I just had to share this! Little Bug is home sick today... (no, that's not what I'm happy about!) He wanted to play with his dinosaurs - they are located in a big box in his closet... on the top shelf. So, he has to find someone to help him. Today I asked him to say "dinosaurs" before I got the box down. He scrunched up his face in concentration and then said "diah.....sore... dinah.... sar.... diahsar... dinahsar". WOOHOO!! He was so pleased with himself for saying it! We had a happy dance party!
After the "dinahsars" he wanted the Magnetix down... I tried to get him to say "magnet", but he just stared at me. So, I asked him to sign "help please" and he did!!!
Moving on in our morning... he wanted another bowl of cereal. I asked him to say "cereal" and he wouldn't. But, after much prompting, and hand over hand example, he did finally sign it. Then I wanted him to say or sign milk. He was frustrated. I don't usually make him work this hard for the things he wants (I'm a super huge pushover when it comes to him... bad, I know). He slapped his leg in frustration. But I kept asking. Eventually he signed it and then he said in a rather annoyed voice "EAT NOW! EAT!!" Not many parents would take that kind of attitude from their young kids, but I was THRILLED!! He was letting me know that my little games were NOT ACCEPTABLE! He was done and was going to eat without further delay thankyouverymuch!
I have a smile on my face a mile wide!! What a fantastic day!
I know... I'm a blogging fool today... but I just had to share this! Little Bug is home sick today... (no, that's not what I'm happy about!) He wanted to play with his dinosaurs - they are located in a big box in his closet... on the top shelf. So, he has to find someone to help him. Today I asked him to say "dinosaurs" before I got the box down. He scrunched up his face in concentration and then said "diah.....sore... dinah.... sar.... diahsar... dinahsar". WOOHOO!! He was so pleased with himself for saying it! We had a happy dance party!
After the "dinahsars" he wanted the Magnetix down... I tried to get him to say "magnet", but he just stared at me. So, I asked him to sign "help please" and he did!!!
Moving on in our morning... he wanted another bowl of cereal. I asked him to say "cereal" and he wouldn't. But, after much prompting, and hand over hand example, he did finally sign it. Then I wanted him to say or sign milk. He was frustrated. I don't usually make him work this hard for the things he wants (I'm a super huge pushover when it comes to him... bad, I know). He slapped his leg in frustration. But I kept asking. Eventually he signed it and then he said in a rather annoyed voice "EAT NOW! EAT!!" Not many parents would take that kind of attitude from their young kids, but I was THRILLED!! He was letting me know that my little games were NOT ACCEPTABLE! He was done and was going to eat without further delay thankyouverymuch!
I have a smile on my face a mile wide!! What a fantastic day!
We're Sorry, The Number You Have Called Has Been Disconnected or is No Longer In Service
Sometimes I am tempted to disconnect the phone... at least for a little while. You see, Red has a friend that calls all. the. time. I'm not exaggerating. He will call, talk to Red for 20 minutes, get off the phone and call again 10 minutes later. He called at 8:00 yesterday morning and talked for about 5 minutes before we made Red get off to go to church.
I stayed home from church yesterday (Baby Girl is almost better, but Little Bug is now getting worse... up all night with a cough :P) and he tried to call every 10 minutes. I didn't answer. When Red and Hubby got home from church, we wanted to play a few games with the family. The phone started ringing again. I checked the caller ID and then we didn't answer. To me, the phone is a convenience in my home. Just because someone calls, does not mean I have to answer. After we were done playing games, he called again and we let Red talk.
Fast forward to 5:12 this morning... we got a phone call. Now, most early morning phone calls have either been people wanting into our community (we're gated) or family, calling with bad news. But today... well, today it was the friend. Hubby answered and whoever it was tried to hang up and start dialing again. Didn't work. Then they hung up. We checked the caller ID - it was Red's friend's home. GRRR! I know this kid's Dad works nights - and so they may have accidentally hit redial trying to call him, but it called us... and it woke Little Bug. Which means that I'm annoyed. Once Little Bug is awake - he won't go back to sleep. And he's sick... he needed those extra two hours...
We have set down rules about the phone. If we didn't, this kid would keep Red on the phone for hours... normally I would say, "Why don't you just ask him to come play?" But we just can't seem to shake this illness... hopefully Little Bug will get through it and all will be well.
Anyway, we've told Red that he can only accept two phone calls a day, 15 minutes each time. I think that's plenty for a 9 year old boy...
What would you do? Would you continue to screen calls? Or do you think we are overreacting? Should we just let them talk as long as they would like? I like this kid - but I think these boys need to be outside playing, not inside on the phone. Thoughts??
Sometimes I am tempted to disconnect the phone... at least for a little while. You see, Red has a friend that calls all. the. time. I'm not exaggerating. He will call, talk to Red for 20 minutes, get off the phone and call again 10 minutes later. He called at 8:00 yesterday morning and talked for about 5 minutes before we made Red get off to go to church.
I stayed home from church yesterday (Baby Girl is almost better, but Little Bug is now getting worse... up all night with a cough :P) and he tried to call every 10 minutes. I didn't answer. When Red and Hubby got home from church, we wanted to play a few games with the family. The phone started ringing again. I checked the caller ID and then we didn't answer. To me, the phone is a convenience in my home. Just because someone calls, does not mean I have to answer. After we were done playing games, he called again and we let Red talk.
Fast forward to 5:12 this morning... we got a phone call. Now, most early morning phone calls have either been people wanting into our community (we're gated) or family, calling with bad news. But today... well, today it was the friend. Hubby answered and whoever it was tried to hang up and start dialing again. Didn't work. Then they hung up. We checked the caller ID - it was Red's friend's home. GRRR! I know this kid's Dad works nights - and so they may have accidentally hit redial trying to call him, but it called us... and it woke Little Bug. Which means that I'm annoyed. Once Little Bug is awake - he won't go back to sleep. And he's sick... he needed those extra two hours...
We have set down rules about the phone. If we didn't, this kid would keep Red on the phone for hours... normally I would say, "Why don't you just ask him to come play?" But we just can't seem to shake this illness... hopefully Little Bug will get through it and all will be well.
Anyway, we've told Red that he can only accept two phone calls a day, 15 minutes each time. I think that's plenty for a 9 year old boy...
What would you do? Would you continue to screen calls? Or do you think we are overreacting? Should we just let them talk as long as they would like? I like this kid - but I think these boys need to be outside playing, not inside on the phone. Thoughts??
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Money Doesn't Grow on Trees
There are so many places to see, people to visit, things to do in this world. Too bad money always seems to get in the way of most of these things. For example: I would love to go to Hawaii tomorrow. But, Hubby has to work, so that we can pay bills, so that the collectors don't show up on the door demanding our first born child... wait... there are days when I just might take them up on that... hmmmm.... MOVING ON!
We decided to make a Family Fun Money bucket. It's just an old plastic jar, but we have decided to use it for all our loose change. Tonight, as a family, we took a vote as to what to save our money for. It was unanimous.
Everyone is eager to save our money to get passes to Disneyland! It's going to take us awhile to get all the money saved up, but we think we can have it by September or mid October. After we sat down and figured out how much we needed to reach our goal, the kids ran for their banks. Baby Girl gave me everything in her bank but the pennies (she loves those the best) and Red contributed the last of his birthday money. I insisted that they had a choice - they didn't have to put all of it in, but they are excited and wanted to do it. Red even asked if he could do extra chores around the house to earn money to put in the fund! It's going to be a great experience for my kids. They will learn about setting goals, saving money and then the sweet joy of reward! Wish us luck!
There are so many places to see, people to visit, things to do in this world. Too bad money always seems to get in the way of most of these things. For example: I would love to go to Hawaii tomorrow. But, Hubby has to work, so that we can pay bills, so that the collectors don't show up on the door demanding our first born child... wait... there are days when I just might take them up on that... hmmmm.... MOVING ON!
We decided to make a Family Fun Money bucket. It's just an old plastic jar, but we have decided to use it for all our loose change. Tonight, as a family, we took a vote as to what to save our money for. It was unanimous.
Everyone is eager to save our money to get passes to Disneyland! It's going to take us awhile to get all the money saved up, but we think we can have it by September or mid October. After we sat down and figured out how much we needed to reach our goal, the kids ran for their banks. Baby Girl gave me everything in her bank but the pennies (she loves those the best) and Red contributed the last of his birthday money. I insisted that they had a choice - they didn't have to put all of it in, but they are excited and wanted to do it. Red even asked if he could do extra chores around the house to earn money to put in the fund! It's going to be a great experience for my kids. They will learn about setting goals, saving money and then the sweet joy of reward! Wish us luck!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
I Love My Mom
I had saved that story about Red and the military for a day when I didn't have anything to blog about. I got up this morning, listed of a bunch of things I wanted to get done today (all of them very boring) and decided that today would be a good day to share that story because I couldn't think of anything else but my to-do list. And now I'm back. Because I thought of something that I would really love to share with you today...
It's my Mom's birthday today! I was going to put up a bunch of pictures of her, but almost all of the ones I could find had the kids in them! (And Hubby still doesn't want their pictures up... so I'm honoring that :P) She loves my kids! She will sit and play games or dolls or read stories... whatever they would like to do, she's willing. She has even offered to take all three of them for a week this summer!
She's always been someone that I could talk to. She is one of those amazing listeners who will hear you out without interrupting or changing the subject. She would wait up for me when I went out with friends or on dates. It wasn't so much to make sure that I got home on time (although, I'm sure that was part of it), but she loved (or at least pretended to love) to hear about the things I did. And I really treasured those times.
I remember seeing my Mom read a lot when I was a kid and she used to read to us all the time. I think that this is where I get my great love of reading. She has also always been a spiritual giant in my life. Whenever I've had a problem, she has given spiritual advice first. I know she prays for us. I can feel it.
She hates the fact that we live in California. She's pretty sure that we will all die from:
a - earthquakes
b - air pollution
c - gang violence
d - any other bad thing you may have ever heard about Southern California!
Some might get really annoyed by this, but for me, it's just another way that she shows that she cares!
One thing that I have always loved about my Mom is that she not only listens to, but asks for my opinions. She values my thoughts. Even though some of my thoughts gave her a pretty rough time during my teen years (Sorry Mom!), I think she still tried to pull good things out of it... if there WAS anything good to pull.
She's caring and compassionate, but, she doesn't take things too seriously. She likes to laugh and be silly and have a great time.
My parents are planning to come this fall for Little Bug's Birthday. They know that this is going to be a hard time for me. They have already asked for the time off and they want us to all go to Disneyland together (I'm game!). They want to be here to support my family and to celebrate a wonderful little boy!
Oh, and did I mention that she loves Jon Schmidt? First few songs on the playlist are his... (just for you Mom!!)
I am so blessed to have her as my Mom and my friend! (Thanks for everything Mom - I love you!)
I had saved that story about Red and the military for a day when I didn't have anything to blog about. I got up this morning, listed of a bunch of things I wanted to get done today (all of them very boring) and decided that today would be a good day to share that story because I couldn't think of anything else but my to-do list. And now I'm back. Because I thought of something that I would really love to share with you today...
It's my Mom's birthday today! I was going to put up a bunch of pictures of her, but almost all of the ones I could find had the kids in them! (And Hubby still doesn't want their pictures up... so I'm honoring that :P) She loves my kids! She will sit and play games or dolls or read stories... whatever they would like to do, she's willing. She has even offered to take all three of them for a week this summer!
She's always been someone that I could talk to. She is one of those amazing listeners who will hear you out without interrupting or changing the subject. She would wait up for me when I went out with friends or on dates. It wasn't so much to make sure that I got home on time (although, I'm sure that was part of it), but she loved (or at least pretended to love) to hear about the things I did. And I really treasured those times.
I remember seeing my Mom read a lot when I was a kid and she used to read to us all the time. I think that this is where I get my great love of reading. She has also always been a spiritual giant in my life. Whenever I've had a problem, she has given spiritual advice first. I know she prays for us. I can feel it.
She hates the fact that we live in California. She's pretty sure that we will all die from:
a - earthquakes
b - air pollution
c - gang violence
d - any other bad thing you may have ever heard about Southern California!
Some might get really annoyed by this, but for me, it's just another way that she shows that she cares!
One thing that I have always loved about my Mom is that she not only listens to, but asks for my opinions. She values my thoughts. Even though some of my thoughts gave her a pretty rough time during my teen years (Sorry Mom!), I think she still tried to pull good things out of it... if there WAS anything good to pull.
She's caring and compassionate, but, she doesn't take things too seriously. She likes to laugh and be silly and have a great time.
My parents are planning to come this fall for Little Bug's Birthday. They know that this is going to be a hard time for me. They have already asked for the time off and they want us to all go to Disneyland together (I'm game!). They want to be here to support my family and to celebrate a wonderful little boy!
Oh, and did I mention that she loves Jon Schmidt? First few songs on the playlist are his... (just for you Mom!!)
I am so blessed to have her as my Mom and my friend! (Thanks for everything Mom - I love you!)
Military Service
When my in-laws were here, my FIL spoke a few times of his service in the military. He was stationed in this area for a few years and would make comments about how it had or hadn't changed.
Red was pretty enthralled with the whole thing. He asked me "How old do you have to be to join the military?" I wanted to tell him 50... because the whole idea of my baby going to war at any point in time scares the crud out of me. I would be proud of him, yet terrified. But, ya know, that whole honesty thing kicked in and I responded with the truth, "18" - which, even as I type it, knowing my 9 year old is HALF WAY to 18, it sounds SO YOUNG.
Red replied, "When I turn 18 I'm going to join the Air Force. And when I'm done in the Air Force I'm going to join the Ground Force." Makes sense to me...
When my in-laws were here, my FIL spoke a few times of his service in the military. He was stationed in this area for a few years and would make comments about how it had or hadn't changed.
Red was pretty enthralled with the whole thing. He asked me "How old do you have to be to join the military?" I wanted to tell him 50... because the whole idea of my baby going to war at any point in time scares the crud out of me. I would be proud of him, yet terrified. But, ya know, that whole honesty thing kicked in and I responded with the truth, "18" - which, even as I type it, knowing my 9 year old is HALF WAY to 18, it sounds SO YOUNG.
Red replied, "When I turn 18 I'm going to join the Air Force. And when I'm done in the Air Force I'm going to join the Ground Force." Makes sense to me...
Friday, February 22, 2008
Red Light, Green Light
Wahoo! I got the green light to show my blog at the meeting. I'm trying to think if I've ever said anything snarky about anyone from church on here. I don't think I have... I guess it would serve me right if they read it, eh? That would teach me to only speak kindly of others! But I can't think of a time when I would have... hmmm... maybe I should take my Hubby's advice and dig through the archives just to be sure! Not that anyone would sit and read all 10 billion of my posts... that's kind of an arrogant thought, isn't it? ANYWAY, I will have access to a computer and Internet for my blog reveal. We'll see how it goes. I know there are some who think blogging is a huge waste of time. And, maybe it is. But for me, it's an outlet to be creative and keep a weird kind of journal. A borderline obnoxious journal, but still! Something is better than nothing, right?
WAIT!! STOP THE PRESSES! I just hit the spell check key to just see if it MIGHT be working and guess what! Lots and lots of yellow highlighted words! HURRAH! You will no longer have to suffer through my inability to spell things correctly! You can all breathe a collective sigh of relief!
Wahoo! I got the green light to show my blog at the meeting. I'm trying to think if I've ever said anything snarky about anyone from church on here. I don't think I have... I guess it would serve me right if they read it, eh? That would teach me to only speak kindly of others! But I can't think of a time when I would have... hmmm... maybe I should take my Hubby's advice and dig through the archives just to be sure! Not that anyone would sit and read all 10 billion of my posts... that's kind of an arrogant thought, isn't it? ANYWAY, I will have access to a computer and Internet for my blog reveal. We'll see how it goes. I know there are some who think blogging is a huge waste of time. And, maybe it is. But for me, it's an outlet to be creative and keep a weird kind of journal. A borderline obnoxious journal, but still! Something is better than nothing, right?
WAIT!! STOP THE PRESSES! I just hit the spell check key to just see if it MIGHT be working and guess what! Lots and lots of yellow highlighted words! HURRAH! You will no longer have to suffer through my inability to spell things correctly! You can all breathe a collective sigh of relief!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wanna Help?
I'm hoping to get the green light to share my blog at a meeting called "Creative Ladies" next week. We meet once a month, share a creative project we've been working on and then we learn a new skill. This month we will learn how to make soap! I'm really excited!
But, I need your help with the whole blog look. I have tons of headers. TONS!! Would you mind going through (this isn't even a 10th of what I have) and just voting in the comments? Just leave a little description of the one you like best... the winner will be the one that I use. I know there are tons to look at... but if you have a moment, I would sure appreciate it!
**Update - I started this post last night so that I could have time to download all of the headers... I finished this post this morning, but forgot to change the time stamp... for those of you who are watching the duel... I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to pull a fast one :)
I'm hoping to get the green light to share my blog at a meeting called "Creative Ladies" next week. We meet once a month, share a creative project we've been working on and then we learn a new skill. This month we will learn how to make soap! I'm really excited!
But, I need your help with the whole blog look. I have tons of headers. TONS!! Would you mind going through (this isn't even a 10th of what I have) and just voting in the comments? Just leave a little description of the one you like best... the winner will be the one that I use. I know there are tons to look at... but if you have a moment, I would sure appreciate it!
**Update - I started this post last night so that I could have time to download all of the headers... I finished this post this morning, but forgot to change the time stamp... for those of you who are watching the duel... I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to pull a fast one :)Wednesday, February 20, 2008
I Wonder...
... do you ever get cofused when you come to my blog? I change the look so often... does it ever throw you off?
... how do people find my blog anyway? And why do y'all keep coming back? (Not that I'm complaining... just curious)
... who in the world is staying on my blog for more than an hour? (I have STAT counter) Do you enjoy the play list or what?
... will Blogger EVER fix spell check??
... how many times a day do you think I can change the look of my blog? I just might try that one of these days...
... if I were to show my blog at a meeting about creativity (to show the look of the blog as my "talent") would you all write some wonderful things about me and make me look good?
I was just wondering....
... do you ever get cofused when you come to my blog? I change the look so often... does it ever throw you off?
... how do people find my blog anyway? And why do y'all keep coming back? (Not that I'm complaining... just curious)
... who in the world is staying on my blog for more than an hour? (I have STAT counter) Do you enjoy the play list or what?
... will Blogger EVER fix spell check??
... how many times a day do you think I can change the look of my blog? I just might try that one of these days...
... if I were to show my blog at a meeting about creativity (to show the look of the blog as my "talent") would you all write some wonderful things about me and make me look good?
I was just wondering....
OH, Give Me a Home....
Okay, I don't want a home where the buffalo roam, but I would like an illness free zone somewhere. Baby Girl was better, but she's sick again. The main symptoms are cough, fevers and a desire to be awake. At unholy hours... like 4 a.m. She was up for the day at 4. I’m just a tad on the tired side.
Little Bug came home with a note from his teacher saying that he had thrown up... and they didn’t call me! They changed his shirt and kept on going. He doesn’t have a fever and he isn’t acting sick. And honestly, he is really sensitive to smells and has a gag reflex you wouldn’t believe! So, he may have just smelled something gross and lost it. But, shouldn’t they have called me? They couldn’t get him to change his shorts, so he had to wear his puke-y ones for the rest of the day... is it just me, or is that wrong on many levels?
Sigh... anyway, Hubby has a sore throat and a cough. My cough is coming back... I think it may be from a lack of sleep. Go figure. Red is the only healthy one in the family and last night I threatened to ground him if he got sick. He stared at me and said, "I don’t know how to not get sick! Mom!! That’s not fair!" Well, life isn’t fair, is it? What can I say? I'm a mean mom... and I'm tired of sickness!
Okay, I don't want a home where the buffalo roam, but I would like an illness free zone somewhere. Baby Girl was better, but she's sick again. The main symptoms are cough, fevers and a desire to be awake. At unholy hours... like 4 a.m. She was up for the day at 4. I’m just a tad on the tired side.
Little Bug came home with a note from his teacher saying that he had thrown up... and they didn’t call me! They changed his shirt and kept on going. He doesn’t have a fever and he isn’t acting sick. And honestly, he is really sensitive to smells and has a gag reflex you wouldn’t believe! So, he may have just smelled something gross and lost it. But, shouldn’t they have called me? They couldn’t get him to change his shorts, so he had to wear his puke-y ones for the rest of the day... is it just me, or is that wrong on many levels?
Sigh... anyway, Hubby has a sore throat and a cough. My cough is coming back... I think it may be from a lack of sleep. Go figure. Red is the only healthy one in the family and last night I threatened to ground him if he got sick. He stared at me and said, "I don’t know how to not get sick! Mom!! That’s not fair!" Well, life isn’t fair, is it? What can I say? I'm a mean mom... and I'm tired of sickness!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I Yell At Everything
I noticed something rather odd about myself today. I talk to everything - including inanimate objects.
This morning I dropped a plastic bowl and "shhhh"-ed it.
The other day I spilled some water and I yelled "NO! STOP!" I don’t know why. Maybe I thought the water might feel badly about making such a mess and quit flowing all over the floor.
I slammed my finger in the door and said, "Stupid door!" as if it had closed itself ON PURPOSE, instead of ME being the stupid one in this instance.
I was folding laundry and a pair of socks rolled away from me... to which I instantly proclaimed "Get back here!" Because, ya know, socks do that. They come when called.
I think I have a problem. Does anyone else do this? Or is it just me?
I noticed something rather odd about myself today. I talk to everything - including inanimate objects.
This morning I dropped a plastic bowl and "shhhh"-ed it.
The other day I spilled some water and I yelled "NO! STOP!" I don’t know why. Maybe I thought the water might feel badly about making such a mess and quit flowing all over the floor.
I slammed my finger in the door and said, "Stupid door!" as if it had closed itself ON PURPOSE, instead of ME being the stupid one in this instance.
I was folding laundry and a pair of socks rolled away from me... to which I instantly proclaimed "Get back here!" Because, ya know, socks do that. They come when called.
I think I have a problem. Does anyone else do this? Or is it just me?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Clever
Some of you may remember when I blogged about this:
Some of you may remember when I blogged about this:
The wonder pan that makes all edge brownies. I have been coveting this pan ever since that day. But then I got on Amazon to read some reviews... they were all positive, but one person had written in and asked "Why don't you just use muffin tins?"
And I sat.
And stared.
And thought to myself... "Brilliant!"
So, as an edge lover, I am going to make brownies using my mini muffin tins! I'll let you know how they turn out!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Cheap Skate
Baby Girl and I headed out for our little Girly Adventure yesterday. I called around to a few nail places to ask about pedicures.... um... $20 was the lowest price. So it would have been $40 for the two of us... and I just couldn't do it! I couldn't spend $40 for something that was going to take 20 minutes. Just call me Ebenezer. So, we changed plans. I told Baby Girl that if she would be really good during her hair cut, then we would buy some polish (that's the only thing she cares about anyway) and go home and paint our toes. It worked. She sat really still, kept her head straight (for the most part) and didn't fuss or cry. I love bribing my kids! We went to one of the little jewelry stores in the mall and found some polish that was buy one get one 50% off. So we bought a few and came home and painted toes! Her's are blue with pink flowers and mine are red with black swirls. I would show you pictures, but, um, I'm no artist! And they don't really look that great... maybe if I perfect my technique, then I'll share some photos!
In other news... Baby Girl had fevers last night, started coughing, and is fairly miserable this morning. Little Bug is coughing, but seems to feel okay. Hubby has a sore throat and seems to feel pretty nasty. I've always been good at sharing... and I love my family enough to share the very best with them! Including all viruses and bacteria. BLAH!
Baby Girl and I headed out for our little Girly Adventure yesterday. I called around to a few nail places to ask about pedicures.... um... $20 was the lowest price. So it would have been $40 for the two of us... and I just couldn't do it! I couldn't spend $40 for something that was going to take 20 minutes. Just call me Ebenezer. So, we changed plans. I told Baby Girl that if she would be really good during her hair cut, then we would buy some polish (that's the only thing she cares about anyway) and go home and paint our toes. It worked. She sat really still, kept her head straight (for the most part) and didn't fuss or cry. I love bribing my kids! We went to one of the little jewelry stores in the mall and found some polish that was buy one get one 50% off. So we bought a few and came home and painted toes! Her's are blue with pink flowers and mine are red with black swirls. I would show you pictures, but, um, I'm no artist! And they don't really look that great... maybe if I perfect my technique, then I'll share some photos!
In other news... Baby Girl had fevers last night, started coughing, and is fairly miserable this morning. Little Bug is coughing, but seems to feel okay. Hubby has a sore throat and seems to feel pretty nasty. I've always been good at sharing... and I love my family enough to share the very best with them! Including all viruses and bacteria. BLAH!
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