Big Rocks and Little Polka Dots

Helloooo Luvah.....

2011-12-19T20:24:00.002-05:00

This bad boy is making it's way to my home as we speak. I cannot wait to get my hands on it! This was my birthday gift from the hubby this weekend. I am dreaming of all the things I can make...Let's see...Chocolate cake, sugar cookies, red velvet cupcakes, creamy frosting for the cupcakes. I could go on and on. However, this probably means I will be gaining too many extra pounds, but what the heck?! At least we'll have a good time in the process...

Making Whoopie...pies, that is....

2011-10-25T20:13:00.001-04:00

So lately I have been salivating over all of the yummy whoopie pie recipes I've seen. I attempted to make the box version they sell at the grocery stores. Eh, not my favorite nor my kids. So I saw a recipe using a cake mix for the tops and bottoms and I thought I'd give it a whirl. We're having a pot-luck at work tomorrow so I thought I'd let my co-workers be the guinea pigs for this concoction.
I picked up a caramel cake mix and whipped up the top and bottoms. Uber easy. I took another filling recipe and mixed all that together and it definitely wasn't a pretty sight when I turned on the mixer.It.went.everywhere. I learned my lesson on that one!
After that disaster was cleaned up I put the filling on the tops/bottoms and then rolled them in some fun Halloween sprinkles. I took them to the kiddos to test and moments later I heard my youngest say "These are a-maz-ing!". I've never gotten quite that response from him. Makes a momma melt!

My New Adventure....

2011-10-09T18:57:00.001-04:00

This is me. This is me when I run. This is not a pretty site. I've wanted to be able to run for a long time. It seems like a great way to blow off steam. People all around me are running. At the bus stop I see runners. Family members are running. So in an effort to at least attempt to start running I challenged my son and myself to do the couch25k program. I may or may not have given him a little monetary incentive. I did W1D1 of the program and I was pleasantly surprised I didn't drop dead on the treadmill. Sooo, we'll see how this really goes in the next few weeks. Now I'm not saying that at the end of all this I'll still want to run, but it's a challenge for me and my son to complete. And if I do want to continue then, well, maybe I'll do a 5K with my kiddo.

Oh, where has the time gone...

2011-05-22T13:37:00.007-04:00

My beautiful baby girl went to the Prom last night. Where has the time gone? Just yesterday I remember her running up the driveway after getting off the bus. Sigh.....

Chirp, Chirp..

2011-04-05T14:53:00.003-04:00

I think that's the sound baby chicks make. I've loved making different kinds of cupcakes for a while now, but I've been dying to make some cake pops. I've made the traditional cake balls in different flavors, but they just didn't have the pizazz of cute cake pops. I found Bakerella's website a long time ago and I even attempted to make the cupcake cake pops without success so I gave up. My dad was in town visiting this past weekend and we went to our usual stomping grounds Barnes and Noble. I thought, "Let me at least look at Bakerella's cake pop book I have been salivating over...." Well, needless to say the book came home with me. I had a cake mix in the pantry and whipped that up and impatiently waited for it to cool down. I made the cake balls and dipped them in just plain 'ol chocolate to see if I'd have success with at least the coating. I did, so I had to wait until my day off today to run out and get the rest of the items to try one of the recipes in the book. Well, about an hour after I got home this is what I finished up with...

Now I realize that my little chickadees are not exactly the most round in cake pop form and the pics are not the brightest due to the nasty weather, but I am pretty proud of the outcome. The hard part will be eating them since I don't want to!

Yummy Layered Salad Recipe...

2011-02-27T12:36:00.009-05:00

I recently received two different magazines in the mail. My youngest did some type of program at the beginning of the school year and it looks like my family donated their magazine subscriptions to me (it is much appreciated!). As I was looking through the Southern Living mag I noticed a pic for Southwest Layered Salad. Looked yummy so I hopped on-line to search for the recipe. I printed the recipe earlier last week and finally made it to the store to pick up the ingredients yesterday. Let me tell you this was soooo good~at least in my opinion. It was hard to wait the two hours in the fridge (and I may or may not have eaten it before the two hours because I am impatient like that). I couldn't resist! The only thing I did differently from the recipe is omit the cornbread as I am not a huge cornbread fan. It turned out wonderfully anyway!

Here's the website info:http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000642233

Hope everyone enjoys!

Yummy Stuffed Pizza Rolls

2011-01-23T14:26:00.004-05:00

Today I attempted to make some stuffed pizza rolls from the Our Best Bites website/blog.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/stuffed-pizza-rolls.html

Let me tell you they were so good I didn't even get the chance to take pictures as they were gobbled down so quickly! On the blog they used hawaiian pizza toppings, but I used the basic pizza standby-pepperoni and cheese. (I did sneak in a few with some chopped up chicken breast I had in the fridge.)These were so easy to make and I can see us definitely making them again in the near future. As I am typing this the kiddos are already planning for the next batch!

New Year's Day 2011

2011-01-01T16:22:00.007-05:00

So here it is, New Year's Day already. How did 2010 go by so quickly? In the grand tradition that is New Year's Day we made our black eyed peas. I didn't follow a specific recipe of any sort I just threw together some things in a pot and it turned out pretty yummy! Here's what I did:

4 cans black eyed peas (I admit I am a total slacker and didn't use the dried version)
6 slices of bacon
1 medium onion
3 large carrots
3 stalks of celery
4 cubes chicken bouillion
Approx 4 cups water

First I cut up the bacon and fried it in a dutch oven. After it was nice and crisp I put in the chopped onion, carrots and celery and cooked until tender. While those were cooking I opened and drained each can of beans and rinsed them. Then I added them to the pot. Next step I added approx 4 cups of water and brought it to a boil. When it started to boil I added the bouillion cubes to the pot and let simmer until cooked through.
When we have beans I always like to have some crunch or add other items when I go to eat them. Usually I add some tomatoes, but today I added some jalapenos and fresh cilantro instead. Really it's because I forgot the tomatoes, but I won't admit that part to the hubby.
Happy New Year!

Next!

2010-11-02T12:15:00.005-04:00

Okay, so Halloween has officially come and gone. I was such a slacker with the Halloween and fall decorations. (The true reason being is that the hubby didn't get the decorations out of the attic. We really need to get some stairs to the attic and then I can handle it myself-until then, I have to rely on him!)
I've been working on some gifts for the holidays already so I am definitely in Christmas mode. I can't share too many details just yet, but boy is my brain over-loaded with ideas! The pic shows just a taste of what I've been working on...

Uneventful Halloween...

2010-11-02T11:59:00.006-04:00

Halloween was very uneventful for us this year. Our middle child was the only one to go trick or treating. He's techinically got one more year after this year. Our youngest has never truly had a love for Halloween. We tried to encourage him to go to just a few houses, but we couldn't convince him. Instead, he stayed home with his older sister and her boyfriend to help out the candy. This is what my house looked like that night~no tricks or treats here!

Fun Halloween Craft Tutorial

2010-09-14T13:35:00.022-04:00

I saw this really cute craft idea on this blog that I found recently(it's called eighteen25) and thought I would give it a try. This is my first attempt at a turtorial so it may not be so pretty!

Supplies you will need:

Wood letters
Foam brush
Glue
Glitter
Acrylic paint (choose a color close to the glitter color)
Decorative paper
Frame (I used an 8.5x11 frame for this project)

I found these fabulous wood type letters at Michael's for another project I've done recently so I went back and found these letters today. I dug and dug through the bin and I'm pretty sure that I got the last "e's" they had.

I painted around the edges of the letters a semi-matching color since I didn't plan on trying to get the glitter on the sides of them. I have the patience of a two-year old at times so I let them dry for all of two minutes before I began to spread the glue on the front of the letter.

After spreading the glue I sprinkled glitter all over the letter and let it sit for a few minutes and then shook the glitter off the letter.

While I was waiting for the glue/glitter to dry I took the frame I bought at the dollar store and cut some scrapbook paper to fit the size of the frame. The paper is black and it had very pale purple spiderwebs on it, but it is hard to see in the picture.
The next step was to glue the letters to the frame. I will finish the frame with a cute halloween ribbon and hang it on the wall.
Hope you enjoyed!

Does This Even Count as a Recipe for Chicken Enchiladas???

2010-06-08T18:06:00.014-04:00

So I was asked to post the recipe for chicken enchiladas after I bragged about being a "devoted wife" and made them for the hubby's work guys. The truth is that I really don't follow a true recipe and I tend to make it a little differently each time.

Since I'm a total slacker and take short cuts, here's what I do:

Ingredients:
Chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
sour cream
milk
small can green chilies
flour tortillas
cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, or any mexican flavored-whichever you'd like, but lots of it!)
seasonings (sometimes I use chili powder, garlic, cumin, but again, use what seasonings you like.)

I take one whole rotiserrie chicken (already cooked)and take all of the meat off of it, shred it, and put it into a large mixing bowl.
I then put a can of cream of chicken soup, half a container of sour cream, green chiles, and some cheese into the bowl. Mix well. At this point I will put some seasoning in, that is if I remember to!
Once that's done I take my casserole dish and get it ready. In a smaller bowl I take another can of the cream of chicken soup, the rest of the sour cream, and mix it together. I use the milk to thin out the soup/sour cream mixture to make it more of a sauce. Once mixed, I take several spoonfuls and spread it on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Now to roll the enchiladas. I place a few spoonfuls of chicken mixture on the tortilla and roll it up. My enchiladas look more like mini burritos by the time I've rolled them, but do whatever you like.
Once they're rolled and put into the casserole dish I take the remaining "sauce" and spread it over the top. Load it up with oodles of cheese and bake at 350 degrees until nice and bubbly. Yumm-O! (I so stole that from Rachael Ray!)

Old Glory...

2010-06-05T18:54:00.008-04:00

I had an idea last weekend as the "hubs" was working on deck project...

With some help from the middle kiddo, we turned this....

Into this...

The old owners of our home had a hot tub and they took it out so my hubby had to fill in the nice hole in the deck with new boards. I thought of a picture I saw a while ago that used different boards to make a wall picture. Being that it was Memorial Day weekend how better to celebrate other than making an American Flag! Things didn't go exactly as planned at first with the colors of the stain so we ended up using some paint on top of the stain. Overall I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It makes me feel like summer is here!

Strawberry Whipped Sensation Recipe

2010-05-31T16:10:00.003-04:00

Today we headed to a cookout for Memorial Day courtesy of family members. It was nice to get together with everyone and eat some yummy food! I love trying new recipes and today we scored with another winner. I found this recipe in the Kraft Foods "Food & Family Cookbook" magazine. It was super easy and my youngest kiddo helped me make it. Actually, he did most of the work!

What you need:

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can(14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed and divided
8 Oreo cookies, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

To make it:

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mash 2 cups berries in large bowl. Add milk, juice and 2 cups cool whip; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Mix chopped cookies and butter. Spoon over cool whip mixture. Cover with ends of foil; gently press cookie mixture into cool whip mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

Invert dessert onto plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Frost with remaining cool whip. Slice remaining berries; use to garnish dessert. Freeze leftovers.

Like I said, it was super yummy. I think it would be great with blueberries or even with mixed berries as an option. Enjoy!

Those Darn Critters..

2010-04-27T07:32:00.004-04:00

The youngest recently went to the allergist. We've had three episodes since January of pretty impressive facial swelling and the last episode we landed in the Emergency Room as his lips were swelling and he complained of tongue and throat tingling. Anywho, we did some allergy testing recently and wouldn't you know it, he came back positive for dust mites. So nothing major, no answer to the explosion of swelling on the face, but the guinea pigs are safe (no new home for them). It's never an easy answer when it comes to my children. BUT, on the way home I had a genious idea! As we were talking about dust mites and I was explaining what they were and what we needed to do to help keep them at bay, I decided I would use this to my full advantage. I told him he had to keep his room super clean-no clothes on the floor, carpet has to remain clean and vaccuumed all the time since these little suckers could jump on his clothes, etc. He looked at me like I was crazy, but I intend to make sure he's compliant if ya know what I mean (wink, wink)...

Yummy Salsa!

2010-02-14T17:29:00.001-05:00

Last night hubby and I went to grab some dinner at Chipotle while two of the kids were at Yuck E. Cheese's (aka Chuck E. Cheese). The oldest was hanging out with our adorable nieces for the evening. I've never been to Chipotle, but the kids any hubby have several months ago. They kept saying how yummy it was. Let me tell you-they were right. Super yummy! I, of course, ate entirely too much and felt like I could not walk upright for at least 15 minutes afterwards. I fell in love with one of their salsas. It was the Tomatillo-green chile salsa. Yumm-o! (Geez, I sound like Rachael Ray now.)
Anywho, today I decided I would try and replicate the salsa so here's my recipe...
(I just made it up as I went so the ingredient amounts are not exact.)

1 can whole tomatillos, drained
1 small to medium white onion
2 large tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic
1 small can green chiles
fresh cilantro

Throw everything in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Let sit in refridgerator for about an hour to let the flavors blend.
I think it turned out pretty good. I forgot to add the green chiles and it still tasted great. I hope you enjoy!

The Holidays are Over....

2010-01-01T20:11:00.006-05:00

It's officially 2010 and now the holidays have come to an end. The tree came down today along with the rest of the decorations. I've been thinking about my resolutions for the new year for some time now and I don't know why I'm so bent on making them work this year. I've never really done that before.
My main resolutions are to focus on family and myself. I'd like to have us do more things together as a family. How I'm going to do achieve that? I haven't quite figured that one out yet. I also need to make taking care of me a priority too. I've gone too long and pushed that to the back-burner and focused on other things. Of course, there's the exercise resolution, which I do have to say I've been okay with working on since latter 2009, but I definitely want to step it up. I'd love to have even a 2-pack or 4-pack of abs if I can't have 6. :)
There are a few other resolutions, but I won't bore anyone with those details...

In other news, I have to say that I am incredibly excited about reconnecting with an old friend. This friend and I were super close in middle school. She was the type of person that you knew would be your BFF for life. Unfortunately she had to move at the end of 8th grade as her parents were missionaries. I remember being so sad when she moved. Of course in 8th grade you don't keep in touch like you say you're going to. However, I did think of her many times and tried to find her in a few different ways over the years. She gave me this siberian husky ornament (she was from Alaska) and I still hang it on my tree to this very day. Anywhooo, as I logged onto facebook this afternoon I see I have a message in my inbox. It's asking if I was the person she went to middle school with. I was so excited~it's been, ummmm, 20+ years. (Ewww, I just really dated myself there.)I hope to at least reconnect and see how she's doing. It definitely made me smile...

So, here's to a new year and new resolutions!

This Week Has Been a Doozy!

2009-12-20T18:36:00.003-05:00

This week has been a week of all weeks! I don't even know where to start!

Here we go:
Monday:
First of my father in law went in for a cardiac cath and they won't let him go home afterwards as it is found that he needs triple bypass surgery!

Tuesday: It is my mother in law's birthday and with her hubby in the hospital, it's not a good day for celebration.

Wednesday: Father in law still in the hospital...

Thursday: It's my birthday, father in law has his surgery (which felt like it took forever, but went very well), went out to try and get some of the Christmas shopping finished with no success.

Friday: Very hectic day at work, trying to train a new nurse, dealing with the Dept of Health, it is colder than all get out. It then starts to snow and it is a beautiful drive home until I get into our town. It is pouring cold, cold, cold rain. It always seems like the snow wants to avoid our particular area and then snow inches to feet so nearby.

Saturday: In the morning, still raining. Did some more shopping, but when out with the hubby I flipped out while shopping as he was trying to be helpful and I just didn't see it that way at the moment. I yelled something and followed it by saying "J**** Chr***!" He then tries to be funny and says, "You're not supposed to refer to me in that way in public" with a smirk on his face. NOT FUNNY...I finally cool down and get back to shopping. Go and visit father in law later and while at the hospital it starts snowing big beautiful snow. Ahh, I needed that. The kids were outside, we made hot chocolate and then it all seemed okay.

Proceed to this afternoon: Youngest had a friend sleep over last night and they have been in and out of the house in the snow ALL DAY LONG. My house is trashed! I get a call from MY dad stating that on Friday night they got stuck on the interstate near their home and ended up being stuck for 12+ hours due to the snowstorm!!! Holy heck! My dad is a diabetic and my step-mom has MS. They had no food except some chex mix and some bottled water. So finally at 7am yesterday they were plowed out of their space on the interstate with everyone else and proceed to go home. My folks live in BFE in WV. They couldn't get down their driveway so my dad parks his car on the side of the road as close as he can get and leaves my step mom in the car so he can walk home and get his four wheel drive. He walked a mile and a half home in the blizzard, gets in the truck and gets stuck in his driveway because of the ice/snow. Now he can't get back to my step-mom. So luckily the neighbor could get his four wheeler out and goes to get my step-mom and drives her home. Well, they're at home, but the kicker is, no power=no heat=food going bad in fridge. Nice. And the power company tells him it could be until the 25th before they get close to having power. Pure panic has now set in for me. I can't do anything to help them and I can only pray that they will get out soon and just come down a few days early where I know they're warm and can eat properly. Bad thing is I just checked the weather and more snow is scheduled to come tonight and tomorrow for their area...

So there it is, my hectic week! It has to get better this week!!!

Thanksgiving is Over, Bring on the Decorations!

2009-11-28T20:35:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving was great. Lots of good food and family is always a good thing. No sooner than the food is served I start thinking about Christmas. Each year I have grand ideas that don't always come to fruition. Even this year I have vowed to make it special as this is our first year in our new home. Maybe by Christmas Day I will have everything done. Ha!
I have to admit, I am by far, no Martha Stewart. I would love to have that kind of talent. I've been in this crafty/decorating phase lately. I don't know how successful I've been though. I've made a few Christmas/Birthday gifts for some. (I have purchased a few for others.) I see a good idea and then try to do it~and I am not always the best at it. I will give myself an A for effort though.
For a few years now I have been wanting to have lighted, potted Christmas trees for the front porch. Well, I guess the hubs was tired of hearing me hint to him that I still haven't gotten them yet. He took me to get some! I can't wait to get them out on the porch. Just hope no one tries to walk off with them like they did our pumpkins!
Hopefully once I get some of the decorating/crafting done I will try and post pictures....

Let's Bow Our Heads and Have a Moment of Silence...

2009-11-17T18:48:00.003-05:00

It's a very sad day.
I just read that Costco will not be selling Coca-cola products any longer as there has been a pricing dispute between the two.
What?
Where will I get my bazillion cans of Diet Coke from now on??

My Brain Feels Like It Could Explode!!

2009-11-10T14:38:00.003-05:00

There are soooo many projects that I want to do it truly feels like my head is going into overload. We've been here in the house just shy of 6 months and there is still so much I want to do. Maybe Santa can bring us lots of materials so that we can finish all of these projects.
1. The dining room could use some molding and some pictures/artwork.
2. The den with a fireplace still needs to have a few boxes un-packed.
3. The office needs serious help. The hubs built a desk for the room. The whole room lacks its purpose as of right now.
4. My pantry needs re-organization. The teen takes all the dishes and just throws them in there so you can't even get to what you need to get to.
5. My poor kitchen desperately needs new counter tops. I have some all picked out, they just need to be purchased. :) The room could use some paint, too. Oh, and don't let me forget the lovely floors~I'd like some tile please.
7. I'd love to get a new shower curtain for the main bathroom upstairs. The teen decided to spray a bleach cleaner around it and it looks all spotty now. Nice...
8. The downstairs "powder room" needs to be finished. We need a mirror and light fixture to complete it. Pictures will come soon enough. It would just be nice to be able to look in the mirror.
9. Our laundry room could use a nice coat of paint. I have an idea of some things I'd like to hang in there as well. A new floor would be helpful, too.

I realize that all of this takes time. I'm just wanting to see progress and I am being impatient...

And finally, it's about 6 weeks until Christmas. There are several projects I'd like to do in regards to decorations. Don't worry, I'm not neglecting Thanksgiving, I'm just so anxious to get started on making the decorations. With so much to do, I don't know where to begin with everything. I want to have some nice decorations as this will be our first Christmas here in this house.

Totally Random

2009-11-07T13:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a totally random week here...

~The oldest son is recovering well from the flu. He's got a nasty cough, but that is to be expected for a little bit. Hopefully he'll continue to get better.

~My parents (dad and step-mom) were supposed to come yesterday, but were not able after my step-mom fell in the parking lot at her doctor's office and hit her head. She's doing okay, she's at home and resting, but I still worry about her with her MS.
She's lost a lot of weight and is exhausted and gets weak very easily. I can't imagine having to feel that way each and every day.

~The teenager has her last band competition this evening. It has been a very busy season and I am anxious to get back to some normalcy. Hopefully they will have a good night and bring home 1st. Go Marching Wolverines!

~I've had a good week workout wise. I took a two day rest period due to a major headache and then getting home late the other night. I can definitely feel myself getting stronger. I just need to keep the momentum going and hopefully see some good results. I know I really feel better when I've been working out. It helps clear the mind after a stressful day. I wish I could just re-program myself to exercise in the morning vs the evening!

~With all the stress at work I've been investigating a tip that a neighbor gave me in regards to a new job. I know I can handle the work and all at my current employer,but I am just truly amazed at the lack of respect and behavior of some. Whatever happened to good 'ole flexibility? Obviously it's disappeared for most. This has been such an a-typical flu season and we can't control the flu or the vaccine companies. So why waste energy on being upset about it all and be grumpy? I refuse to do it. Flexibility is the key. I wish more people could see it that way...

Have a good weekend!!

Scales

2009-11-01T09:27:00.002-05:00

I've been on this fitness kick off and on lately, but with work being so hectic and two trips to the doctor's this week, I haven't made time for myself to workout as much as I should. I am exhausted by the end of the day and in the morning I can't seem to get my back-side in gear. I know, it's not an excuse if I want it bad enough. I am also terrified to get on the scale so I avoid it by all means. I don't like to disappoint myself when I see the reading. Well today after my workout I had this nagging urge to get on the Wii Fit. According to the little person I haven't been on for 217 days. What??? Today I love the Wii Fit though, it said I was down almost 6lbs! That was a nice surprise, but not enough to keep me wanting to get me on the scale frequently. Now I just need to get my back-side in gear so that I can lose another 10!

Sickness and funk please leave my home...

2009-10-30T13:41:00.003-04:00

Please, oh please sickness and funk leave my home. You've been around for a few days and I'm beginning to get tired of you. You have given my daughter a funky type of rash on her face and my son the H1N1 flu. You have caused me to visit the doctor twice this week. The hubby has been under the weather, too. Can you just leave me and my youngest alone and just go away?? Please...

Finally Feeling Like It's Fall...

2009-10-17T16:55:00.003-04:00

Wow, there has been a huge change in the temps over the past few days! It went from being in the mid 70's to the mid-50's. I love the cool temps as you can bring out all of the warmer clothes, but I could really do without the rain. (And today I feel a little like the weather-dreary. I've worn myself out this week). This weather makes for a great excuse to eat soups, so today after getting home from work I threw on a big pot of chili for the family. I love the way it smells! As I am sitting here I'm enjoying a nice hot cup of tea, too. Just wish all of the aches and pains would go away along with the rain!

Some-what back to normal...

2009-10-13T19:03:00.002-04:00

Today was my regular day off from work. I really wish I could have more days like this. Now that the kids are back in school I can actually get something cleaned up and be able to enjoy it and not have them mess it up almost immediately. Ahhh, the little things in life. I have to say I was pretty motivated today. I started cleaning while the kids were getting ready for school. After the youngest left, I did my workout for the day and then started on the rest of the house. After five loads of laundry, the kitchen floor being cleaned, the laundry room catastrophy, the den clean up, dinner being cooked, one load of laundry ironed, and our room being cleaned~dusted and vaccuumed, I am FINALLY done for the day. Whoa, I am worn out, but man do I feel at peace, at least for the moment. Give it about 10 more hours and I will have to start all over again...

Sometimes you just need a good cry...

2009-10-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

Oy vey! It's been one of those weeks I should say. I've been super busy with family and work and I've really not had much motivation to do much of anything with the exception of little spurts here and there. I've felt like I haven't accomplished much, but I think with a good cry today I've been able to put it all into perspective.
Like I said with it being "sick season" at work it has been non-stop questions about the flu and vaccines, etc. I almost "lost it" at work yesterday when we were told a shipment would be delayed yet again. The tears started to sting the eyes, but I bit my lip and held back. Today, I had a meeting at school for my youngest. It's a long story, but he's needed special services before and we met today to see if it was necessary again. I was a nervous wreck and then there are five other people in the room when I walk in. His teacher started talking and she mentioned all these wonderful things about my little guy and I couldn't hold it any longer. I felt like a complete idiot, but I just burst into tears-literally. It was so bad, that by the time she finished talking the other four females in the room were grabbing tissues as well. Boy, I made a good impression, huh? I am happy with the outcome of the meeting and we are going to take it one step at a time. I am truly blessed to have all of these wonderful administrators taking their time to work with my family.
The good cry must have worked a miracle. I feel so much pressure lifted from my shoulders and I feel like I can accomplish what I set out to do. I realize that there are things that are not in my control and I have to let it go. That's not what I am used to, but it is important that I work on that. Now this wasn't a serious funk or anything, but I feel so much better. After the meeting I went out and got some supplies to work on some projects I've been wanting to do. (The hubby is really going to thank me. :)) The only bad part is, there are so many projects!!

Motivation:Found...

2009-10-04T10:42:00.003-04:00

Okay yesterday I mentioned I had no motivation to do much of anything that required much work. Well, today the motivation found me~just at the wrong time. It arrived at 645am. Of course, I was nice to the kiddos and didn't start anything loud until almost 8am. Last night I semi-cleaned the kitchen which is supposed to be the teenager's chore. Least to say I got tired of warning her so I ended up doing a bit of it myself. It's like total anxiety when things are messy and out of control. I felt some relief last night, but this morning the motivation was a clean floor. We have ugly white linoleum floors we inherited with this house. We do intend to re-do them eventually, but hubs is working on the powder room. I did manage to get two loads of laundry done and some ironing. I am a no-wrinkle freak. Anywho, I feel a little more at ease that I was able to accomplish something. But, we are going to see Grease at Chrysler Hall this afternoon and it is right smack in the middle of the day. Motivation will be depleted after that, I am sure of it. So for now I am going to count my blessings that I was able to get some done today and just suck it up and live with the rest until I can get motivated again....

Wanted: Motivation...

2009-10-03T09:01:00.005-04:00

Oh motivation, where are you???
I am so lacking in the motivation department these days. Work has been uber busy as we are heading into the "sick season". I am making a bazillion calls a day to parents and having to repeat the same info a bazillion and one times. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job, but when you're talking and stressing all day long, you could use a break. I'm sure I'm talking about it in my sleep too. Anywho, my desk looks like a tornado hit it and I know I would be more at ease if I could just get it cleared and organized again. I just don't see that happening anytime soon since It looks just like it did before once I do get it cleared. 'Tis the season I should say. So now that brings me to our home. I have neglected my poor house recently, too. The hubby has done a great job working on the "powder room" downstairs, but of course, we have things all over the place. Not just his stuff, but everything is all over the place. I am very anxious to get things back to normal so we can just relax and enjoy our house. I am begging for the motivation to find me. I've been looking for it myself but haven't been very successful...

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!

2009-09-17T21:06:00.003-04:00

Wow, it has been nine years since my last child was born. Where has the time gone? He officially turned nine at 117pm today. He is an awesome kid and I cannot wait to see how he grows as a young man! Actually, I can wait, but you catch my drift. Today he is sharing his birthday with his cousin Emily, who turns one, and his late great-grandmother. Happy, Happy Birthday Brendan!

Chicken Tortilla Soup....

2009-09-15T19:09:00.006-04:00

Okay, so I am hooked on dip and soups right now. Why? I truly don't know, but I thought I would share an easy evening soup that doesn't take hardly any effort. I usually get one of those rotisserie chickens from Costco, Sam's, or even the good ole Food Lion. When I get home I like to shred it to pieces to make life easier....

Chicken Tortilla-type Soup

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 28oz can whole tomatoes

1 15oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

1 15oz can corn, drained

1 150z can black beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups water

3 chicken boullion cubes

chili powder

garlic powder

cumin

salt and pepper

fresh cilantro(for garnish if you like)

tortilla chips, crushed (for garnish)

Saute celery, onion, and carrots until tender. Add to pot tomatoes, water, boullion cubes, spices(adjust to your taste), and bring to a boil. Next, add chicken, corn, and black beans. Return to boil and then simmer for approx. 20 minutes. Use tortilla chips for garnish on top. My kiddos love cilantro on top, but not everyone likes the taste of cilantro. Hope you enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2009-09-13T17:55:00.004-04:00

I've been on a dip kick lately and I saw Rachael Ray make this dip the other day on her show. I didn't write it down at the time as I figured I could go to the website and get the recipe. Well, I couldn't find it anywhere on the website so I'm doing my best to re-create from memory...
Note to self: when cutting and taking the seeds out of the jalapenos, remember to wash your hands because when you accidentally lick your finger later on it may cause your lips or tongue to burn. (I'm speaking from experience today :).)

Here goes:

2 fresh jalapenos, minus the seeds if you don't want the heat

1 brick cream cheese, softened

8 oz sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese or taco flavored cheese

crushed tortillas chips for the top

Your choosing of chips or veggies for dipping

The recipe originally called for the jalapenos to be blackened and then chopped. I didn't do this, but I did chop the jalapenos and then sauteed them in a skillet to soften them. When softened, I mixed the jalapenos, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup cheese in a mixing bowl. After mixing until smooth, I transferred the mixture into an oven safe dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and finish with some crushed tortilla chips. Place in 350-degree oven for approx. 15 minutes or until heated through. After taking it out of the oven, let sit for a few minutes to cool. Enjoy with your favorite chips or veggies!

I decided to take the seeds and membranes out of the jalapenos this go around since I didn't know what the heat level would be. After trying the dip, I may leave some seeds in for heat the next time.

The Beast is Gone...

2009-09-11T20:15:00.006-04:00

We used to have this big, beautiful oak tree in our back yard. Notice the past tense word "used". Today the massive beast came down. We've been in our house about three and a half months and since day one, the hubs has had this grand idea to have the tree taken down. He's had a bazillion people come and give estimates. He finally settled on one and today was the day the tree came down. (He was afraid that there would be major damage for a number of reasons if the tree stayed up.) Anyhoo, the guy that we went with had originally come over early one morning and gave this ridiculously inexpensive quote. It was on paper, etc. So, when he comes by today he stated he must have been asleep the first time or the tree must have grown an awful lot in two weeks. Well, he did the tree anyway as he was being honest. It's nice to know there are still some honest business people in the world as he could have easily declined to do the job. Let me tell you, the backyard is a mess! Lots of dust, dirt and holes. When it fell it crushed a nice fruit bush, too. Obviously I wasn't too thrilled about the whole situation, but it will hopefully keep the house from being damaged in the long run. And do you know that the hubs actually asked me to help him clean the rest up??? Ha! There is one helacious oak tree laying in my backyard along with two good sized holes. He'll be having fun cleaning up that bad-boy on his own...but being the sucker I am, I'm sure I'll end up helping out in the long run....

And they made it...

2009-09-08T20:21:00.003-04:00

All three of the kids started school today and they all came home unscathed with the exception of a schedule snafu for the oldest. The middle schooler didn't get shoved into a locker (yet)~thank goodness! In fact, the youngest of the three, who normally hates math and has automatic meltdowns, came home and did math homework without complaints. Who knew? Is the world coming to an end? I am hoping for an awesome year...

School Days...

2009-09-08T08:30:00.004-04:00

So not much has happened lately. It's been a while since I've visited here and unfortunately I have nothing much to offer. Today is the kids first day of school. Now the three of them are in three different schools. Wow. I still can't help but feel a little overwhelmed for them on that very first day. Sometimes it feels as if I am more nervous for them then they are. The oldest is in 10th grade and it feels like I just sent her to middle school. We're not always seeing eye to eye, but she should know how proud I am of her. And to top it off, as of this Friday she can technically get her driving permit!! Watch out! The middle child started 6th grade today. He seemed as cool as a cucumber. If he's nervous, then he is keeping it all inside. And then the youngest. This is the first year that he is having to rely on himself at school and not have his big brother there. I truly think he was a little apprehensive but he will be just fine once he gets back into the routine. His bus driver seemed super nice and one of the neighbors said she is great so that puts my mind at ease as he is my tenderhearted child. I enjoy my quiet days off, but at the same time I am anxious to see how their first day went. So, to my dear kidlets, have a great day, you're going to do just fine. I am very proud of all three of you!

Weekly Wrap-up

2009-08-02T08:40:00.003-04:00

I must say that it wasn't a terrible week for the most part. It has been hectic at work as usual. I had a lot of pressure to finish my schedule for the month and it's been really hard since we were minus one employee now. It takes a lot of coordinating with my staff to fill in all of the holes that are now there and we're getting there slowly, but surely. Everyone has been pretty good about helping and they've been very patient with me. I finally got it finished with the exception of a hole or two, but at least it's done.
The highlight of my week is that I got to see a friend that I haven't seen since high school! Unfortunately she is in town as her step-brother recently passed away. She and her two other siblings are left to take care of everything as they are the immediate family. Even though she was extremely stressed and overwhelmed with everything, we had an awesome visit. We enjoyed some smoothies and we were able to do some catching up. The nice part was- it felt like we picked up right where we left off. With the exception of filling each other in on details, it was like we had seen each other just last week. Now that is a friend! She will be coming in town more frequently for a while so we did make some plans to get together.
Last night we went to Busch Gardens with the kiddos. This is the first time they have been this season. You would have thought it was the first time period as they were pure energy. I don't know what possessed the youngest, but he decided he wanted to ride some coasters. That was a total shocker. Big Bad Wolf was the first choice, and he has been on that before, but the line was crazy long. He then ventured to the Lochness. Wow, he did it!! Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ride it the first time when it was dark and he couldn't tell where he was going. He was pretty dizzy when he came off, but being the trooper he is, he decided he still wants to ride it again. We're going to wait until it's daylight though. I am so proud of him!!!

Yay for me!!

2009-07-20T20:06:00.002-04:00

Not much to say, but I had a personal best today on the treadmill. In the normal time it takes me to do a mile, I was able to do 1.5 miles! I know, not exciting for most, but for me it was a major accomplishment coming from someone who used to hate to run. I'm now running at a faster speed too which I never thought that would. I just have to remember to keep it slow and steady so I don't mess up my knee. I can already feel it starting to ache as I increase the intensity :(....

Blah, blah, blah

2009-07-14T14:29:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've done anything on here. It's been a crazy busy summer so far... Here's a few updates:

1. It's been almost two months since we've been in our house. We're just now finally finishing up the rest of the boxes and starting to get things organized. And just recently I've hung up our first thing on the wall. It's a small mirror, but I have to figure out just where everything should go. That will take me forever, but we will get there....

2. The kids will be home probably on Thursday. It's been a nice long break (almost three weeks), but it will be nice to have them home. I talked with my mom yesterday and was really upset by the time I got off the phone. The kids are having a great time, but some of the things she said really struck a cord with me. I am extremely grateful to her for all of her help, however I don't see everything as rosey as she does. We didn't have the best relationship in the world growing up-she would tell you otherwise, but I try. I try giving the benefit of the doubt all the time, but most always I am proven wrong. I am just glad the kids had a good time.

3. I am getting back into the fitness thing once again. I know, I go in phases, but it feels so natural this time around. I've still been doing my jaunts and continuing my love affair with the treadmill and it's getting better everyday. I think by taking it slowly this time, it's been easier getting back into it. If I don't feel like running, I don't because I won't be productive. Hopefully I will start to see some payoff soon. (A set of "12-pack abs would be fabulous!!! )Even if I don't I at least feel better and it's great for just forgetting about life for a few moments...

Before I forget...

2009-06-22T20:30:00.002-04:00

School is officially out-I am the proud mom of an upcoming 10th grader, 4th grader and 6th grader. I went to school last Wednesday and witnessed my oldest son graduating from 5th grade. Wow, where has the time gone? They did a special little celebration for the 5th grade classes and it was the awards and recognition yadda, yadda, yadda. However, even though I was the proudest I could be I nearly lost it when they showed a slide show of pictures throughout the 5th grade year. I'm a baby and I had to try very hard to not shed a tear-I didn't. I can't imagine him being in middle school next year. They had a nice little reception afterwards and I think he was pretty excited to have me come to school. I really enjoyed it.
Now I am feeling pretty old realizing that my kids are not babies anymore. It's nice for them to be so independent, but it's going by way too quickly. Congrats to all of my "babies"!

The beginning of an affair...

2009-06-22T20:18:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been on a few dates without my husband. And I've been pretty bold to tell him about it too. I've started a new love affair with... my treadmill. He's been around for a while, but I haven't used him too much. It's been sporadic, but I think it's all about to change. I have always wanted to be able to run and haven't been that successful. For some strange reason I would get bored. With the moving and getting the flu I've had to put all exercising to the wayside, but I've decided it's time to get back into it. I know this sounds stupid, but the other day on the treadmill I decided to do the interval stuff again. I had a personal best and ran for four and a half minutes straight! I took a few days off and ran again this evening. Hooray for me, I made it for seven minutes this time and I am still in one piece! Now I will have to see how I feel in the morning. Hopefully I won't be in that much pain. I still love my hubby quite dearly, even though he looked like a complete redneck riding on the lawnmower last night, but for now I will continue my burgeoning love affair with my treadmill until it ends. Sorry honey...

I'm beginning to get nervous...

2009-06-16T16:34:00.003-04:00

Today was supposed to be a good day. Truthfully it has been for the most part. Brendan had his awards celebration at school today so I went and watched that. Austin was able to get out of class to watch, too so it was sweet that he had a seat saved for me when I got there. It was combined third and fourth grade so the whole thing was about 1 1/2 hours. Not short and sweet for sure, but pleasant. So after school I got them lunch on the way home and then dropped them off and headed to the store. That was also uneventful. After that I was trying to relax a little and surf the net and then the cell phone rings. I immediately knew it wasn't going to be good as it was my boss. I contemplated not answering it, but I did as we've had a really rough week and lots of crap is going on. I thought it would be something related to that. I couldn't remember that I had done something wrong. So, she asks me a few questions. When I answer, I though, oh yeah, I was going to get some help at work where I wouldn't have to train someone as much, etc. Well, she proceeds to tells me there could possibly be a HUGE change at work and I immediately feel like I want to throw up. Seriously? I am still transitioning into this new position, but to possibly have to do everything on my own. I am seriously panic strickened. Just last week I was doubting myself and now this. WTH? Now I do have to keep in mind that she still has to have a discussion with her boss, yadda, yadda, yadda before this could possibly take place, but I don't mean a negative nellie-I don't have the best feeling about this. Help!!

Boo, tomorrow is Monday!

2009-06-14T20:10:00.004-04:00

The weekend has gone by way too fast this time. I made some progress on getting the house in order. We still have a long way to go, but it's definitely getting there.
Yesterday, Stephanie had a graduation to play in and a softball game immediately after she got back to the school. They didn't win, but she had fun. Drunk coach was supposively sick and throwing up, but I am sure it was due to the Big gulp cup filled with liquor of his choice. The game lasted 2 1/2 hours. How is it that all of the games I go to last that long? When I'm not there, it's short and sweet. Hmmm...Anywho, had to bake a bazillion cookies for Austin's hawaiian party at school tomorrow. They didn't turn out as I had imagined, but hopefully they'll like them. I can't believe the end of the school year is upon us again and he will be in 6th grade next year. Man, I am feeling old. He also had his end of the season soccer party today at the park. It wasn't too bad. They did a pick up game of parents vs. kids and that was a site. One kid ate too much pizza and then started throwing up right in front of me. Nice. He was nice enough to apologize in between heaving so that was pretty considerate, huh? Poor kid. And lastly, we broke in one set of cornhole boards tonight. Those suckers are pretty slick at first. We only had to sew the bags one time during play so I guess that's good. The kids seem to be having fun with it, too.
And lastly, lastly, I spoke with my mom today. I already knew she was taking the kids to the beach around the 4th of july, but she stated she wanted to pick them up early-like a week early! Yeehaw! So that means two weeks sans kids. Lord, what will I do with myself. I mean I will miss them like crazy, but it will be nice to enjoy the hubby for a while without the kiddos. Maybe we can finally catch up on some movies....

Oh Friday, where are you?

2009-06-11T19:38:00.004-04:00

This week has been a particularly stressful week at work. I'm feeling better after having the ridiculous flu last week and I am needing to get caught up at work. That ain't happening anytime soon. I'm taking on new responsibilities at work with the supervisor stuff and at the same time still trying to work on the floor full time AND precept a new employee. Our new employee is great and she is doing a fantastic job which I feel extremely blessed to have her. However, with me missing some time last week and being pulled in several different directions at work I am feeling so guilty that I haven't been able to give her my absolute undivided attention. I tell ya, when it rains, it pours with screw-ups at work. I guess I am one of the few that actually have a conscience at work. And now I am left to clean up their messes and they keep getting chances. Besides feeling like a horrible preceptor and a horrible supervisor I am hoping to get to my desk and dig through the mess and find the wood that I know exists there somewhere(I will try and be positive), but I don't see that happening tomorrow as we are short one employees for a screw-up. Thanks goodness tomorrow is Friday and there is a light at the end of the dark, dark tunnel that has been Thursday. One can only dream.....

I gots the yucks...

2009-06-02T13:48:00.003-04:00

I am sick. I am tired of being sick today. I want to be able to breathe all the time, not just for a few minutes and then be stuffy again. I want the cough to go away. I want to be energetic again. It's not happening today. I would be one of the lucky ones to have the flu in JUNE. Usually I just get a cold. I guess working with sick kiddos all the time has helped me build up some immunities, but unfortunately not for this round. It could be worse though. I could be laid up in the hospital with the flu so I'm not going to complain too much-just a little. Hopefully no one else will be lucky enough to catch my germs. I am trying very hard to quarentine myself. Only the next week will tell. I am off to drink my bowl of chicken soup when I would rather be un-packing boxes. Sigh....

Pampered, Refreshed and Mother's Day

2009-05-12T17:04:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I am not the most pampered girly girl. I'm trying to be better about it. Those that know me best know that I like jeans and t-shirts and always dress very casual. (I am slowly trying to break that habit, but it's hard). Don't laugh, but I just redeemed a gift certificate today that I got for Mother's Day LAST YEAR. Yep, I am a total slacker, but I feel like I can't find the time sometimes. I know it's not a good enough excuse, but today I vow to get better at treating myself more often. I went to a local day spa and had a great experience with a mani and pedi. The girl that did it was super nice, very soft spoken and very gentle. I'm not much for someone messing with my toenails as they are uber sensitive, but I felt comfortable with the tech and she worked with me. I have this thing with toenails. It's a long story and those I work with know that very well. I've been like that since I was very young. I would recommend this place to others even though I can't figure out if the receptionist was just snooty or if she was just busy. I can definitely see myself splurging to go there for special treats. As I am typing I keep looking at the purdy pink toenail polish...
Mother's Day was pretty uneventful this year. I made my hubby go to some stores with me as we haven't had much time to do things with the kids being super busy with sports and activities. I didn't drag him to girly stores or anything. He should feel blessed as I love going to Lowe's. We then went to the grocery store and a drugstore so that I can try and start battling the blinding white skin I seemed to have inherited from the irish side of my family. It gets pretty embarrassing at times. We then went over to the in-laws for dinner to get together with everyone. It was very pleasant. I honestly can't say I got any gifts from my family. Yeah, they can be kind of slack, but it's not all about the material things. All of them except the grumpy teenager wished me a happy mother's day so that was good enough. Then last night the hubby surprised me with this fabulous little laptop that I mentioned I thought would be handy to have to take with me for work and whatever. It's so light and cute and something that's all mine! It doesn't have the same GB and all that other stuff, but it suits my purposes just fine. Now I don't have to steal the grumpy girls' laptop. Hey, maybe she'll be happy about that, huh? One can only hope...

Hot, Tired, and Annoyed

2009-05-09T17:15:00.004-04:00

It is pretty humid and hot today. Not sure of the temp, but it just feels sticky hot to me and I normally don't complain about it. We decided to move a bunch of stuff today as we only have a few weeks left before we have to be out of our rental. At least there was a nice breeze going, but it was sticky hot. It didn't help that I am completely exhausted by now from the heat but also from the fact that a certain teen of mine had her sibling's cell phone when she was not supposed to last night. Said teen decided to text and what not on the phone while her friend was here earlier in the evening. (All this because I have custody of her cell for the moment.) Anyhoo, she decided to be, let's say, not smart, and leave the phone open when she went to bed. The phone somehow decided to dial my hubby's cell phone at 130 AM. Are you freaking kidding me?? So the hubby gets up and starts ranting and flipping lights off and on, etc. After almost 45 minutes the phone mysteriously re-appears and I'm all awake and ranting by now. So, we both didn't fall back asleep til almost 4AM. Nice...Then somehow I went to the house with three kids and came back with five. How did that happen?? I did however, get to play with cutie pie nieces for awhile. They can always put a smile on your face with their funny expressions...

I need to be extremely careful these days...

2009-05-06T18:49:00.002-04:00

What in the world is happening to my family?? First, the youngest scrapes his entire leg outside. Then the husband decides the slice three of his fingers at work, one of them probably needed stitches. His response? "I just super-glued it together." Nice... Then the oldest steps on a tape dispenser that holds packing tape and slices her foot, not once, but also sliced the second foot since she decides not to move it the first time. There are only two of us left that have escaped injury thus far. Will our luck continue?

This is straight from a 15 year old honor student...

2009-05-05T10:26:00.002-04:00

Do I even need to say anything else???

The weekend...

2009-05-03T14:26:00.002-04:00

It's Sunday here and I should be more productive today as we're hoping to move a good chunk of our things next weekend. I just can't get motivated to do it today. I worked yesterday and when I work an extra day I am usually pretty drained, but I must get some things done. I've already done three loads of laundry, I just need to fold them. I've cleaned one of our bathrooms, washed and cleaned the kitchen, too. I guess I'll take a break as I can't do much with four boys yelling and screaming/laughing as they're playing video games. The rain is keeping them inside so it's kind of hard getting into the groove of cleaning. I'll get some stuff done as moving is a motivation.
We've finally got all of the painting done in the living room and the dining room. I even broke down and painted our bedroom which I swore I would not do. I just couldn't take the color anymore. However, I refuse to paint the awful paneling we have in two of the other rooms-Lord knows I was tempted to start but I restrained myself. Hopefully we'll get the counters in the kitchen done soon as it looks pretty nasty in there. Maybe next weekend-it should be a pretty easy project. One can only hope...

House Madness

2009-04-26T20:47:00.004-04:00

So the drama of the termites and water damage has been finished. We FINALLY closed on our house on Thursday morning. There was one last mini-heart-attack on the day of closing, but we decided it was better to keep this house than walk away from it. The hubby thought it would be funny to text me at work and say that we're walking away from the table at closing because the seller's realtor didn't finalize her details correctly. I obviously didn't find that too amusing as the prior week was pure stress. Anyhoo, the house has so much potential. For the most part things were in good shape. It needs cosmetic things, but it's a way to make your house your own. But then I didn't particularly feel that way as we were painting on Friday afternoon. I had this color imagined somewhere in my scattered brain and went and picked it up in the afternoon. Well, to make a long story short it was nowhere near what I envisioned. It looked like mustard had been thrown all over the room. I started stressing more and more and poor hubby was trying to reassure me it looked good. Never trust a man's opinion when it comes to paint-I was thinking. So I decided to change the color. We found one and I really do like it. I wimped out and went with a neutral, but I have several other rooms to paint I was just wanting to get something on the walls. So, after one horrible color, a coat of primer, and then two coats of new color we have finished. I think it turned out really nice. Props the hubs, he even picked out a nice color for the dining room. We had a family member come over today and they stated, "you all paint so much." Helloooo, if your dining room was three shades of primary blue and looked like it belonged in a dorm room, you would be painting it too! We have two rooms of color down, now we only have three bazillion more. I think we're going to suck it up and hire a painter. I just want it done. Now. Hopefully the hubby will start work on the flooring in the dining and living rooms tomorrow. I, however, have to head to work. It will keep me sane-maybe....

Yesterday totally stunk...

2009-04-14T10:15:00.004-04:00

The house buying process was going so smoothly until yesterday. Picture in your mind screeching car brakes and almost slamming into a brick wall. We were supposed to be closing on our house today(Tuesday) and the hubby called me yesterday at work and said we have to post-pone again. What now??!! Well, the bank decided to wait until Friday to start their termite inspection. Okay, but of course yesterday while they were finishing they found some proof that we had some of those lovely little critters. On top of it all, they found joist and water damage that our inspector somehow missed. The repairs that need to be made are to the tune of about $7,000. I felt the tears start to sting in my eyes so I had to hang up. Okay, what do we do now? Supposively since the bank owns the house they are supposed to take care of the cost. Yeah, right. Now on the day we're supposed to close I am sitting on pins and needles everytime the phone rings. This bank has never made a move that fast, it only took them about five weeks to approve our offer for the house. We have already given notice to our landlord that we will be moving and I WAS going to go the kid's schools and change the address and all that jazz, but I guess I will be putting that off for now. If the bank won't pay for all of the repairs, then we may have to walk away from this house. I will be so disappointed, but I know that means it wasn't meant to be. So, in my attempt to drown out my "funk" that I'm in I did an hour long work-out so I'm sure my booty will love me tomorrow. I was going to try yoga, but I can't shake the mood. Now, maybe I will focus my attention to doing some cleaning and laundry. Then again, maybe some Cold Stone Creamery ice cream would make things better...

Promotion and Progress...

2009-03-29T15:45:00.004-04:00

Okay, not too much has happened recently. We are slowly making progress with packing-and I mean SLOWLY. I know it's a lot to expect to have things done quickly, but it's always nice to dream. I have a co-worker and she is moving in the same time frame we are, but since she's relocating they're getting someone to pack for them. I am extremely jealous...I think pretty soon we will be over come by cardboard so if you don't see me just check in one of the taped boxes and you may find anyone of us in there! I did make progress on the boys' room. Boxes are packed, drawers and closet are cleaned out, and you can actually see the floor! We will need to repaint their room before we move out of here, but it is going to be completely white so that will make it easier. I do feel that I accomplished something this weekend so I don't feel completely defeated with this move. I even found time to fit in my workout for the day. I've worked out in the past only to get so busy or sick and then never got back into it. I tend to go in spurts, but this time I am telling myself it is more for my sanity. It helps to work off some steam...
At work a few weeks ago there was an opening for a nurse supervisor position. With a little poking and prodding from some co-workers and the hubby I was coaxed into applying. I wasn't quite sure that I would get the job, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to apply. Did I really need or want the extra headaches that come along with it? No-it would be great experience though. I had my interview along with another co-worker that would be absolutely fantastic for the job. After a long weekend and a few days they told us who they chose for the position. Of course not expecting it to be me, we both went into the office awaiting the verdict. Well, a few moments later I found myself literally picking my jaw off of the floor because they chose me. Whattt???!!
I am extremely flattered by the fact that I've been at my place of employment a little less than 3 years and I'm in this position. It is a great feeling to know that my co-workers and the providers I work for have been so supportive of this venture. I even received cards from a few of them. I think the best thing has been knowing how my co-workers feel about me. Now, we'll take another poll on that in a few months and see if they have changed their minds!...

Ahh, life is better now...

2009-03-24T12:17:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I know females can definitely put themselves in my shoes. Lets start off by saying that as we get older we all know that we're going to go gray at some point. My hair is a lighter brown color and I've been noticing the grays more and more these days. I don't know if it's stress or what, but I'll go with that excuse. Now when it's time, I will go completely gray, but at my age I am not ready for that-nowhere near ready. Another tidbit, for those that know me I am completely particular about my hair. I have always been that way. Admit to yourselves that you too go to the salon only to come home and make sure your hair is cut the right way. Well, back to the grays. I have found a wonderful stylist now that I am really satisfied with. It's a pricier salon and I hate to spend so much money. So, with the grays becoming very apparent I was thinking of ways to highlight my hair without having to pay the arm and a leg the salon charges. I was so close to trying it myself, but I talked myself out of it. Bless the hubs though, he even said he would help knowing he would be taking his life in his hands if it was messed up. Anyhoo, the hair appt was several days away and seeming like an eternity, I went somewhere else and got my hair highlighted since I chickened out myself. Wow, what a mistake. She lightened my hair, but I felt like bigbird in the moment. I just about died. I even went to the drugstore to buy haircolor to cover it all. I again chickened out and decided to suck it up. Everyone said they loved it at work-so I decided to leave it alone. Well today was my haircut appt with my regular stylist. I slinked in there and admitted all of my guilt. She giggled with me and said, "Easy fix. Let's throw some toner on it." Let me tell you, she may just be considered God. I went from a big yellow feathery, six foot childrens character to my normal self. I will never do something like that again. I figure, I work hard so I deserve to treat myself to something ridiculously expensive here and there, right? Life is better now-that is until this afternoon. I have to meet with my high-schooler's guidance counselor for career pathway counseling. Doesn't that say it all.........

New Things, Let's start over

2009-03-15T16:04:00.006-04:00

Okay, I attempted the blogging thing a few times before. I enjoy reading other blogs and again, I figured it's a great way to vent, etc. So, I will attempt again. I'm not the most computer savvy with pics and all, but I do want to learn~for now I will take it one posting at a time....
There is so much going on in our lives right now. The most exciting and stressful thing is that we're buying a home! Yep, this is our first home purchase ever and I wish it hadn't taken so long to do so, but I'm glad and blessed to be doing it now. The hubby and I have been married almost 12 years and we've always rented-even the house we're in now. I know, we've been throwing our money away. We've just had some obstacles in our way and I guess it's now the right time. All through the process of the last two months I have had such good ideas for decorating/renovating and seemed organized with my ideas. Since they have told us the house is ours-I can't seem to make a decision for the life of me! How sad is that?! I know it will take time, but I'm so excited to be doing this. This will be our home for a very long time. I was motivated in packing, but now I can't seem to think straight to begin packing again. But I am proud of the fact that I am dutifully labeling each box on the outside for easier access. I thought that was a pretty smart idea. Please tell me I will regain my sanity at some point and time after this move. I feel like the inside of my head is complete mush and it's beginning to show. If my husband and kids don't divorce me in the mean time, I will say it's all been worth it...for now I'm planning on forgetting about all this even if it's just for a few hours and go and celebrate my daughter's birthday. She turned 15 years old this week and I can't believe how time has flown by! Just yesterday she was a tiny infant then a bubbly toddler. She has grown into a beautiful young lady. What happened? How did so much time go by? Regardless of the teenage mood swings, (ha, ha!) I still love her just as much as the day she was born even though she may not believe it!

Baby it's cold outside!

2008-10-28T13:23:00.002-04:00

Since Sunday there has been a massive drop in the temperature! Yesterday it rained and as it rained the temperatures kept falling. The wind is not helping matters either as it makes it feel cooler. So in about five hours as the temps are falling even more, I will faithfully head out to the soccer field with our 8 year old to freeze my bum off. Thank goodness I love the little guy!!

It's been a busy week..

2008-10-26T17:18:00.003-04:00

It's been a pretty busy week around here. Nothing too exciting though, just busy things if you know what I mean. The hubby had his birthday, one son had soccer and then I worked two flu clinics after my regular days of work. Wow, was I exhausted! Then yesterday, my oldest had a marching competition. Well actually I think it was more of a festival where they got judged and then given a rating type thing. It was kind of a dreary day to begin with. It kind of sprinkled here and there, but it looked worse than it was. Anyhoo, we get up to the stands and it starts to sprinkle again, and then stops. I'm thinking, yay, perfect, as the band was getting ready to perform. It all snowballed after that thought. As I was trying to record the performance with my camera, the hubby was taking pictures with another. Then it starts. A little sprinkle-okay, I can handle that. Then it sprinkles a little more. And a little more. Full on rain begins, the battery in my camera dies. Lovely. I put the camera away feeling defeated that I didn't get much video, but the hubby managed to score some pictures. I feel better about that. But what I didn't feel good about was the fact that that I was just about completely soaked on one side of my body. Ahh, the sacrifices we make for our kiddos. You know, I wouldn't have traded it though. I was so proud of my marching Wolverine. They did manage to score a rating of excellence...

Today...

2008-10-21T10:19:00.003-04:00

Today I sit on the couch like a bump on a log. It is my day off during the week and I can't decide if I feel good. I've been fighting sinus junk off and on for a few weeks. Yesterday I get a nice little nag in the back of my throat-I am already exhausted from working all day and I am training a new employee at work so I've had to talk pretty much non-stop all day. This morning I wake up with the feeling that someone is hitting my head with a baseball bat. Nice. Now it feels like I've got something stuck in the back of my throat. Great~but that's the lovely thing about working with little people-you can easily catch something when they're about 2 feet tall, and haven't learned to cover their mouths until after they hack in your face. I do love my job though. It's a great and rewarding feeling knowing that you've helped a kiddo that's sick or helped ease their fear about getting immunizations. The best part is when their little face lights up when they see you becuase they're excited to see you. It's nice knowing that you're time and patience has been appreciated. So today I would love continue to sit like a bump on the log and take a moment for myself, but I really shouldn't. There are a million things to do. The laundry is calling me and I would love to finish organizing some of the other rooms. Most importantly it is the hubby's birthday. Yep, he hits the big 3-4 today. I intend to make a nice dinner for him. I wish it would be something fancy, but I don't know. He doesn't truly have a favorite. I think he would just love to have a hot meal. I may even make some type of dessert,but that might be stretching it though. He's worth it. (He'll have his cake later this week as his dad's birthday is in a few days and we'll have a family get together.) Okay, I better get started as I am moving just a little slower today. I promise, I am only going to sit for ten more minutes~maybe........

Let the organizing begin!

2008-10-19T13:05:00.002-04:00

In the process of trying to get myself in a better place by taking better care of my body, I've come to the realization that my house is in a total chaotic state of organization as well. I am going to start tackling organization projects in each of the rooms in our house. I do realize that this is a huge under-taking, but I will get it done at some point and time. Today I plan on starting with our bedroom closet. The hubby is at one of the major super stores as I am typing getting some storage totes for me. Note: he'll purchase the items, but I'll end up doing the project. (That's okay though, he'll do other things for me... he has bathroom cleaning duty today.) I am really excited to see how everything turns out. I am hoping with a little bit of organization will come more stress-free moments. So, with that being said, let the organizing begin!

It's a Dreary Day-Let's Complain...

2008-10-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

It's a cloudy, dreary day today. The temperature is fabulous and cool, but it's been raining off and on since yesterday. Hey, it's a nice break from it being 87 degrees in the middle of October.
My complaint today is that I really, really dislike lazy people. What happened to the good ole saying, "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine"?? Well, I guess that phrase is just about extinct. Work is a perfect example. I usually go out of my way to help someone if they need it. I know I don't want to be stuck late at work if I don't have to, so I try and help everyone get out of there on time. We have two nurses scheduled each evening to purposely stay late so the others can go home. And we ALL take turns doing this late rotation. Anyway, it never works out that way. Some like to take advantage of others and sit around when they could be helping. These people disappear into oblivion when it's convenient and then magically re-appear when it suits them.Or some are even bold enough to sit and yack all day in front of those who are working. And left are the busy bee workers that care and truly want to go home, but nooo, we have to continue to do others' work for them. Teamwork is the key word, but that doesn't apply I guess. The hubby is reminding me gently that I need to leave when I'm scheduled to leave and to heck with the others. I try, but I'm a giver type and a worrier that something is left undone. I am going to try VERY hard to leave when I am supposed to and TRY not to be such a worrier all of the time. I have to because people are taking advantage of my generosity. I'll keep telling myself that it will reflect on me in the long run and it will come to haunt the others. I have to learn to use the word no. Heck, I use it with the kids and the hubby so I should be able to use it with others....Sorry for the rant, I needed to get that off of my chest.

Getting back into the swing of things...

2008-10-12T17:39:00.003-04:00

Okay, so for several weeks, I'll even venture to say months, I had been really good at exercising. (I can't let the hubby start looking even better and then let myself look like crap. Ha, ha!) I am trying to take better care of myself these days. I'm tired of feeling self-conscious about my body. I've been trying to add vitamins into my regimen as well as I am sure that I'm missing some essential nutrients. I do pride myself in not eating too bad, as overall I eat pretty healthy. It never fails though that when I get into a good grove-I get sick. I am doing something good for my body and then my body punishes me. Anyhoo, I haven't worked out much in about two weeks with not feeling well and the kids also have so many different activities going on. Today I decided to get back into it. I was able to score a Wii Fit several months ago. With the Wii and some exercise videos that's how I was doing it last time. Today I just decided to go with the Wii. I braved the weigh in and had still lost 1.3lbs. Not bad I guess. Now I know your weight supposively fluctuates within 2 lbs or so a day, but I'm glad it wasn't +2 lbs. I did about 30 minutes or so and that is alright for me. Tomorrow I shall try and add a video and see where that gets me...

There's Always A Learning Curve

2008-10-11T09:32:00.003-04:00

Okay, so the oldest is now a freshman in high school. I am learning that for me high school can be more stressing for the parent than the child. This is where the grades come into play. She's always made good grades pretty easily. She's classified as a talented and gifted child and this year she is in all honor's classes with the exception of one. Then to my shock they placed her in an AP class as a freshman. Immediately I went into stress overload as that's they thing I tend to do. So, the first progress report comes out and there's a D on it. What!? My tears start flowing as I feel in some strange way that I could have done something to help her. In all of my kid's schooling this is the second D, but a first for her. I panic and go crazy thinking we need to pull her out of the class, give her the usual parent lecture about grades, college, scholarships, GPA-you can imagine it all. The teacher requests a conference and we go there on Thursday night. My stomach is turning and I'm a little sweaty thinking, okay he's going to recommend that she goes to a lower class. To my surprise he states that most of the kids are in her same position at this point as this class is a huge shock to a freshman. He goes on to state that she's in the middle portion of the grades as well and it will get better. Okay, I start to pick my jaw up off of the desk. Supposively as the class year continues the kids will become more efficient, better organized, etc and this class will prepare them to become exceptional students. Maybe there is hope for my disorganized child. Will she transform? Only time will tell, but I can't wait for it to happen!!!

Tropical Storm Hanna

2008-09-06T13:47:00.003-04:00

Today we are dealing with Tropical Storm Hanna. It's been very windy and rainy here. Earlier, my hubby and I decided to venture out to get some groceries as we are the biggest procrastinators when it comes to things like that. We went to the local "super store" which I figured would be packed with other idiots like us. Surprisingly, it wasn't. So we got all our things and headed home. Just as we were pulling up in the driveway it started to rain pretty heavily. Perfect timing, huh? A little bit later, a large tree branch decided to use our roof as a target so that gave me a heart attack when I heard it. I don't think it was big enough to do much damage so that's a good thing. Supposively, we are not going to get as much bad weather as anticipated, but we do need the rain as we haven't had much this summer. Tomorrow maybe the kiddos can throw on their bathing suits and go swimming in the lake that's forming in our back yard! Ha, ha! I hope everyone is staying safe...

Hello All!

2008-09-06T13:33:00.005-04:00

I am pretty new to all of this blogging stuff, but I figured it would be a great way to journal what is on my mind and release some everyday frustrations I may be experiencing. I apologize profusely for any future ramblings!