The Domestic Side of Life

Catch up

2011-01-04T07:58:00.000-05:00

As I said in my last post, life has been pretty crazy around here in the last year.

Jeremy left the Navy in June and started his new job. That of course meant moving and that is always stressful. We found a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I am still getting used to it, but I think it will be nice.

I am now officially a Lamaze certified educator. I am still working on updating my class design and finding somewhere to teach. It is a lot harder than it sounds, but I am making progress in the right direction (or at least I hope so!)

The biggest shock of the past year was finding out I was pregnant in August. To say that we weren't planning that is an understatement. We are all very excited once we got over the shock. We found out just before Thanksgiving that it is another little boy. We are definitely done after this. As sad as it is to end this stage of our lives, I am looking forward to the next one.

Meal Plan Monday

2011-01-03T07:53:00.002-05:00

My poor blog has been neglected for over a year! I wish I could say I can't believe it has been that long, but really I knew it. Between moving, Jeremy starting a new job, finding out I'm pregnant again, and just life in general I didn't have time to sit down and write. A lot has happened and I will try to catch up soon.

Meal plan:

Breakfast rotates between muffins, eggs, pancakes, cereal and the occasional Pop-Tart.
Lunch is usually leftovers, crackers and cheese, or dino nuggets.

Monday - frozen chicken parmesan
Tuesday - homemade mac & cheese with roasted broccoli
Wednesday - goulash
Thursday - grilled cheese and tomato soup
Friday - chicken casserole
Saturday - leftovers/fend for yourself
Sunday - ????

Meal plan Monday

2010-01-11T07:27:00.002-05:00

It is another week of packing around here. Last week went pretty smoothly so I'm hoping for the same this week. I have a few meetings to attend this week and then on Friday I am treating myself to a punch needle art class. I've loved doing it for awhile, but want to improve my skills.

Our menu plan for the week is:

Monday - Aloha chicken

Tuesday - fish

Wednesday - homemade pizza

Thursday - chicken and biscuits

Friday - Catalina beef kebobs

Saturday - ribs

Sunday - roast beef in crock pot

Menu plan Monday

2010-01-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

Here is our menu for the week. I'm not listing breakfast or lunch because they are usually the same three or four things during the week.

Monday - homemade mac and cheese

Tuesday - meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and veggie

Wednesday - lamb steaks, hot crash potatoes, veggie

Thursday - chicken stuffing casserole

Friday - lemon honey turkey, mashed potatoes, veggie

Saturday - chili and cornbread

Sunday - grilled cheese and tomato soup

My poor neglected blog

2010-01-02T19:33:00.002-05:00

My blog has been so neglected lately. The holidays really threw me for a loop this year. I just couldn't get into the holiday spirit. I was actually happy to take down the tree and everything. Very unlike me. It was a nice holiday spent with family and relaxing. The boys got spoiled terribly by "santa". I got spoiled by my husband with a Kindle. I am loving it. Reading is a big part of my life and the thought that he put into my gift meant a lot to me.

2010 is going a year of big changes for our family. Jeremy will be getting out of the Navy in July and where we go from there isn't known right now. We are going to be putting our house on the market in March. It is going to be a huge undertaking.

So because of the unknowns in our life right now I have decided to set monthly goals this year. I do have a few long term things, but mostly I am going to work month to month.

January's goals are:

Do all the tasks on my Motivated Moms list each week. I used this system last year and it worked well till I started to slack off. I really need to get and keep this house is show shape so this is a must.
Do everything on my monthly to do list.
Pack up all extra things. We are in serious declutter mode with the house selling. If it is a duplicate or not absolutely needed in the next 6 months it is getting packed up.
Work on my Lamaze certification. I have let it slide for awhile and really need to get back to it if I want to sit the exam in April.

I have some longer term personal goals, but I'm not quite ready to share them yet. I haven't worked out all the details yet.

I hope to post more on here with my progress and just tidbits about our life. I miss writing in here.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-16T17:26:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick post for my meals this week.

Monday - grilled cheese and tomato soup
Tuesday - out after swim lessons
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - scalloped potatoes and ham
Friday - early Thanksgiving dinner
Saturday - Not sure, depends on what time I get done with my hair appointment
Sunday - turkey stromboli

Meal plan Monday

2009-11-02T19:46:00.002-05:00

I know I've been neglecting my blog. Hopefully it will get better soon. We've just been so busy with school and activities and travelling that I haven't had a moment to breathe. Now that soccer is over hopefully life will calm down some.

Here is the meal plan for the week. I am trying some new recipes so no recipes yet.

Breakfast will be a mixture of cereal, muffins, pancakes, and eggs.

Lunch with be salad most days and leftovers.

Monday: stuffed pork chops, hot crash potatoes, and peas

Tuesday: sloppy joes and salad

Wednesday: couscous and Italian dressing marinated chicken, some sort of veggie

Thursday: pasta bake from Cook yourself thin

Friday: BBQ chicken salad

Saturday: chili and cornbread

Sunday: chicken wraps

Meal Plan Monday

2009-09-07T08:55:00.003-04:00

I'm posting from a different computer so no meal plan picture today. School starts this week so it will be crazy around here.

Monday - turkey breast, potatoes, veggies

Tuesday - stuffed peppers

Wednesday - out for first day of school

Thursday - lasagna roll ups

Friday - Turkey stromboli

Saturday - grilled cheese and tomato soup

Sunday - goulash

Meal Plan Monday

2009-08-31T15:14:00.002-04:00

I am really trying to get back in a groove with school coming up and what better way to start then with menu planning.

Monday - tuna noodle casserole
Tuesday - chicken packets
Wednesday - pasta provencale
Thursday - hawaiian turkey burgers
Friday - pizza roll ups

Recap on the past month or so

2009-08-19T15:31:00.002-04:00

So life has taken over around here. I haven't had much time to sit still never the less write a blog post. I've had ideas floating around in my head for awhile, but I haven't had much luck getting them on on "paper".

So to recap the summer so far:

We've been travelling to my parents about once a month to help out and visit. My dad is still going through chemo. He is doing as good as can be expected. He is tired and the treatments make him sick, but he is getting through.

Jeremy's parents came out of a weekend and helped us do some work around the house. We put laminate flooring in the living room/hallway, new crown moulding, and baseboard. We also fixed the garage door and did a few other small projects. We are almost done with getting the house ready to sell.

Jeremy has been enjoying his day staff job. It is so nice to have him home every night. With all the schedule changes softball has been iffy at best. It was sad to have him not be able to play as much, but that's the way the world works.

I finished up my course design and handed it off for review. I haven't heard anything back and it's driving me crazy. I can't find a place to teach yet or a way to observe births, but I am trying to work on it.

Cooper is pretty much potty trained. It has been a trying experience to say the least. He is a stubborn child, but I think we finally broke through. That means he can start pre school in the fall. I am scared to death about that because of his nut allergy. I know that it will probably be harder on me than it will be on him. I am still trying to get everything set with them.

Cody is enjoying his summer break. I will be sad to see him go back to school. I love having him home. We've been going to the library a lot for their summer reading program. He is getting better, just needs some more practice.

Colton is growing by leaps and bounds. He has two bottom teeth and knows how to use them. He refuses to crawl because he hates being on his tummy, but he is an expert bottom scooter. He can get to things faster than you think. We've been trying to solid food, but he isn't too interested most of the time. I'm all right with that though since it is less work for me.

I think that covers most everything. I am hoping to be back to regular blogging soon. We've got some things coming up, but once September comes things should settle down. Of course then soccer, swim lesson, gymnastics, and school start so I guess it will still be hectic!

2009-08-14T09:42:00.001-04:00

I swear I will be back soon with an update. Life has been crazy around here and I've just not been in the mood to update. Hopefully things will calm down soon and I will have the motivation to post something!

Book Review

2009-06-30T12:01:00.002-04:00

Recently I was asked to review the book "if your kid eats this boo, everything will still be okay" by Lara Zibners, MD.

I was excited to check it out because with three boys I figure I will end up in a situation where I don't know whether to it is ok to wait or head to the ER.

The book is full of really good information. It goes through a lot of the common (and some not so common) problems you run into as parents.

There are also chapters on airway, heart, head, eyes and ears, nose, mouth, throat, tummy problems, "the plumbing", body, skin, fever, allergies and bites, poison, bumps and bruises, and major trauma.

I like that she talks about newborns in a separate section because of their unique situations.

She covers everything from a minor little bump on the head to a major trauma and everything in between. I really liked that it was broken into chapters by parts of the body. It made it really easy to find what I was looking for quickly.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the style of writing. It wasn't really talking down to you, but for me I didn't appreciate her brand of humor.

All in all this book is a great reference book for parents to have around. I would still go with your gut instinct in reference to your own kids, but this is a good book to have around just in case.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-06-29T07:43:00.002-04:00

Starting this week I am going to try and plan out all our meals. With Cody out for the summer we will be trying to have some sort of structure to our day. And I really need to get back on track with my budget so hopefully this will help.

Monday:

B: panackes, berries

L: cheese, crackers, pepperoni D: out

Tuesday:

B: muffins, fruit

L: sandwiches, veggies D: bacon cheeseburger pasta

Wednesday:

B: cereal

L: mac & cheese

D: BBQ chicken sandwiches

Thursday:

B: eggs & toast

L: leftovers

D: beef kebobs

Friday:

B: french toast

L: out

D: hot dogs and hamburgers, potato salad

Saturday:

B: eggs

L: picnic

D: ribs, grilled veggies

Sunday:

B: pancakes

L: leftovers

D: goulash

Swagbucks

2009-06-28T15:14:00.002-04:00

I found this cool site on another message board I'm on. It is search engine and certain things you search earn you swagbucks. You can trade the bucks for other things like Amazon gift certificates and other cool stuff. You use it just like a regular search engine. I've earned 31 bucks in about a week, but I don't search too much. If you want to join use this link http://swagbucks.com/refer/3cboysmommy or click on the banner on my side bar.

Happy searching!!

Teacher gift

2009-06-26T07:39:00.003-04:00

I finally had a chance to do something crafty a few weeks ago. I would love to say that it is going to happen more, but I doubt it. Right now I am knee deep in my Lamaze course design. It is fun, but very time intensive also.

Anyways, on to the craftiness. I found the idea on this blog http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2009/05/teacher-gift-framed-crayon-letters.html awhile ago and thought it would make the perfect end of the year teacher gift.

It is super simple to make and didn't cost me anything put a piece of paper and the frame.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-06-22T11:17:00.003-04:00

Now that life has calmed down a little bit I am hoping to get back to Meal Plan Monday each week. My grocery budget was so much better and we didn't have that horrible what are we doing for dinner discussion every night.

Monday: chicken wraps (based on a recipe by Sam the Cooking Guy)

Tuesday: chili and cornbread

Wednesday: pork loin, baked potatoes, and veggies

Thursday: bacon cheeseburger pasta

Friday: hot dogs and beans

Sorry about not updating (LONG)

2009-06-16T08:39:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Life has been very interesting and hectic around here lately and not always in a good way. I'm going to try and sum everything up in this post, but be aware it will probably be long and not always light hearted.

In March we found out that my dad has colon cancer. He had surgery in April and started chemo in May. It has been and continues to be a long road. He is doing as well as you can on chemo. We've been going down as often as we can which leads to a lot of travelling with three kids.

In April my uncle passed away suddenly. It was my mom's only sibling. It came as quite a shock and sadly we weren't able to be there for the service.

On a happy note I started my training to become a Lamaze certified educator. I attended a seminar in Buffalo the first part of June. It was awesome and I will dedicate another post to just that. Needless to say I am super excited about doing this.

Yesterday I found out that my dad's brother passed away. He had been sick for awhile and had some complications in the past week or so. It is hard because he is in Florida and no one had seen him for awhile. I'm glad that he is no longer suffering, but I feel for all of the family that is left behind.

Cooper was retested for his nut allergy yesterday and the results weren't good. He is still allergic so I guess we will spend the rest of our lives in a constant state of concern whenever he eats something or goes somewhere. I am grateful that it isn't something worse, but it is still a hard thing to live with.

On one other good note Jeremy is now on a day staff job! This means a consistent schedule and most weekends off. He will have to work a few late nights and a weekend here or there, but nothing too bad. I am so grateful to not have to do anymore night shifts.

Overall it has been a very rough 6 months or so. I am grateful for the good things and trying to deal with the bad. I am hoping to get better about updating my blog with some fun lighthearted stuff in the near future.

For those that are still reading, thanks for sticking around!

Tomato dumplings

2009-06-01T22:18:00.002-04:00

This is a recipe that my MIL gave me when we got married. It is my husband's favorite meal and his request every year on his birthday. It is super simple and quick which I love.

Tomato Dumplings

2 c Bisquick
2/3 c milk
1 68 oz can tomato juice

Pour tomato juice into large pot and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine Bisquick and milk. It will be a little dry and lumpy looking.

Once the tomato juice comes to a boil, drop dumplings in. Usually the bigger dollops you put in the less "sinkers" you have. I usually get 8-10 dumplings per batch.

Lower heat to medium and let boil uncovered for 10 minutes then cover and cook for 10 more minutes.

Let cool slightly and serve.

Careers

2009-05-28T10:17:00.003-04:00

When I was little I always wanted to be a teacher. I used to play school with all the books and papers and everything. Then as I got older I decided that I really didn't want to have all the extra stuff that goes along with being a teacher. So I was looking for a new career path.

In high school I was always the shy kid (still am really). I didn't join in much and hated speaking in public. I even failed my high school speech section. As I was looking through the course catalog for college communications caught my eye. I know, sounds weird for someone that hated public speaking, right? What drew me to that major was the options I had. I didn't have to pick a specific major right away.

I eventually chose Public Relations and while the professor wasn't anyone I really wanted to see again, the projects were great and I loved the writing aspect of the courses. I figured I would end up working in PR in the sports world somewhere. Then I took a public speaking course. I found out that I wasn't half bad at it and I had dealt with my fear. I competed on the forensics (speech) team and placed at every meet I went to except Nationals. I had found a new love.

After college I had a hard time finding a job in my major. I ended up working as an assistant to the Maintenance Supervisor at a pharmaceutical company. It wasn't my intended job, but I loved it. I am still heartbroken that my old boss lost her battle with cancer. She was such a huge inspiration for me and the guys that I worked with became like a second family to me. Sadly, when the Navy moved us I had to quit my job. I found out just after that I was pregnant. Because of Jeremy's job we decided that I would be a stay at home mom. It has been tough at times, but something that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Now that Jeremy's job is a little more stable (or as stable as it can be in the Navy), I have decided to pursue my career again.

I have decided to turn my love of public speaking, my desire to teach, and my passion for natural childbirth into a career. I am in the process of working on my certification to become a childbirth educator. I am really excited about this new opportunity. It is scary to kind of start all over again, but I am ready and hope that things work out for the best.

Necklace holder

2009-05-21T15:14:00.004-04:00

I'm not a big jewelry person, but I do love wearing necklaces. I have quite a few that I rotate around. I have a really nice jewelry box that hubby got me when we were dating and I love it..for everything except necklaces. Those stupid little hooks and doors always got everything tangled and just annoyed me. I started just laying them on the dresser, but then the cat would play with them and they would get tangled or lost.

I looked forever to find something that would work and just wasn't finding anything. Then my MIL was making message boards and I had a light bulb moment.

It was so simple I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. All I did was take a small piece of foam board and covered it with fabric and batting. Then I bought small hooks and screwed them into the foam board. I have a picture hanger on the back. I will probably add another one because I have a few heavier ones that make it tilt if I take them off. It works so well. I can see all my necklaces and they don't get tangles or lost.

Kids music recommendation

2009-05-09T08:34:00.002-04:00

I am always in search of kids music that doesn't make my ears bleed. I can't take much of the cutesy kids stuff. And I especially hate the Kidz Bop things. I don't think that allowing kids to sing some of those songs makes them ok.

I knew that our neighbors were musicians, but I never really knew that type of music they did. The other day we were talking and they brought over a kids CD for us to listen to. They thought our boys might like it. Boy were they right.

The songs are mostly original. All the songs have kind of a folk feeling to them, but upbeat and fun. My kids were dancing all over the living room and trying to learn the words to sing along the first time we listened.

If your looking for a CD that both you and your kids love listening too check out http://johnandtrish.com. The CD is called Big Rock Candy Mountain and they have a few snippets of songs on their website http://www.johnandtrish.com/newqstep/Big_Rock_Candy_Mountain_CD.html.

Added bonus is supporting local musicians!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-04-27T15:42:00.002-04:00

Monday - picnic w/ sandwiches, fruit, and chips after softball practice

Tuesday - out after swim lessons

Wednesday - lamb chops, pasta salad and potatoes

Thursday - chicken wraps

The weekend we will be in and out so no plans for those days.

Kitchen reorganization

2009-04-24T07:48:00.008-04:00

Here are some pics from my kitchen reorganization. Some of the before pics aren't too bad but the layout just wasn't working for me. I am short and can not reach the top shelf without standing on something so I wanted to move things around to make it more user friendly.

BEFORE:

This is by far the worst cupboard. It is poorly designed and just a pain to deal with.

DURING: I pulled everything out of the cupboards and grouped it together on the floor and table.

AFTER:

It's still not perfect, but it is definitely better.

Now like things are together and I put all the stuff I use the most on the bottom and the seldom used stuff on the top. It feels so good to get it done. Hopefully I will be able to get some more stuff organized around here soon.

2009-04-23T22:23:00.002-04:00

I completely rearranged my kitchen cupboards today. I have before and after pictures to post, but not feeling like it tonight. They weren't really messy, but the layout wasn't working for me any more. And I got rid of a bunch of stuff that I never use. I am in serious organization/declutter mode.

It has been rough around here lately. My dad is having some health problems and I'm worried about that. Then my uncle passes away last night. He was my mom's brother and while we weren't really close he was still my uncle. This is the second uncle I've lost in a year. Hopefully things will start looking up soon.

Jeremy is taking some vacation time next week so we can get some yard work done and just little things around the house. I am hoping to take some time to sew too. I have a few small projects that I need to get finished up before I start anything new. I have a little brown and pink quilt that I am eager to start. First things first though, I have to clear off my table and find some space to work.

Birth survey

2009-04-19T15:41:00.003-04:00

1.Were your pregnancies planned?
The first two were, but the third was a definite surprise.

2. How long were you married at the time of birth?
Cody: 1 year 6 months
Cooper: 4 years 6 days
Colton: 6 years 9 months

3. What were your reactions?
I was excited for each, but nervous and scared in different ways. With Cody I was scared because he was my first and I had no idea what was going on. Cooper I was worried about how Cody would react and how I would handle two babies. With Colton I was shocked and just worried about how my body would handle it since I wasn't in the best health.

4. How did your spouse react?
He was excited for all three. He has always wanted 4 kids so it great for him.

5. How old were you?
Cody: 23
Cooper: 25
Colton: 28

6. How did you find out you were pregnant?
Cody I was feeling really tired, but we were in the middle of moving so I didn't think much about it. I took a test when we got settled and I realized I was late. Cooper we had been trying so I just kept taking tests until it was positive. Colton I had irregular cycles so I had no idea I was late. I took a test on a whim and was shocked it was positive.

7. Who did you tell first?
Jeremy all three times. Then the parents and sisters.

8. Did you want to find out the gender?
Heck yes. I am a planner and there is no way I could wait to find out.

9. Due Date?
Cody: September 26, induced and born on September 3o
Cooper: March 7, born March 15
Colton: December 1, born December 5

10. Did you have morning sickness?
Yep, all three times. It was horrible for the first three months.

11. What did you crave?
I craved french fries with all three. There were some random cravings, but mostly it was french fries.

12. What irritated you the most?
Anything and everything at times. I wasn't a very nice pregnant woman. The last time was the worst. You looked at me wrong and I would jump down your throat.

13. What was the child’s sex?
All boys.

14. Did you wish that you had the opposite sex of what you were getting?
Nope, I love my boys. I am sick of people asking if we are going to try for a girl.

15. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy?
Cody: 35lbs
Cooper: 30lbs
Colton: 25lbs

16. Did you have a baby shower?
I had two showers with Cody and one with Colton.

17. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy?
Nope, none during the pregnancy. I had some complications after delivery with Cody.

18. Where did you give birth?
Cody: Lawrence & Memorial hospital, New London, CT
Cooper: Wentworth-Douglas hospital, Dover, NH
Colton: Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga Springs, NY

19. How many hours were you in labor?
Cody: from start of pitocin to finish was 5 hours
Cooper: 3 hours
Colton: 6 hours

20. Who drove you to the hospital?
Jeremy all three times. Cody was induced so no big rush to get there. Cooper I didn't believe I was in labor so it was a shock and he will never let me forget it. Colton I had a doctors appointment and went to the hospital from there.

21. Who watched you give birth?
Jeremy and which ever doctor/midwife and nurses were there.

22. Was your baby delivered the regular way or by c-section?
Natural all three times.

23. Did you take medicine to ease the pain?
Nope, none, nada

24. How much did the baby weigh?
Cody: 6lbs 11oz
Cooper: 7lbs 7oz
Colton: 7lbs 14oz

25. What did you name your children?
Cody Lewis
Cooper Frederick
Colton Dale

26. How old are your children today?
Cody: 5 years 7 months
Cooper: 3 years 1 month
Colton: 4.5 months

2009-04-07T07:52:00.002-04:00

Life has been getting away from me lately. I haven't had time to sit down, never the less write a blog post. I will think of all kinds of things to write, but never have the time. Hopefully things will get better soon, but I'm not holding my breath because I would probably pass out from lack of oxygen.

I started Weight Watchers online again last week. I have lost count of how many times I have started this program. I've always had good luck, but then I get lazy and stop counting and gain everything back. Jeremy is doing it with me this time so hopefully it will stick. I am really trying to focus on making life changes, not just losing weight. I lost 5 lbs so I am excited to see the scale moving.

I have been pretty stressed out about some family things going on lately. Happily it looks like things are looking up on all those fronts so maybe my stress level will even out soon.

Other than that the boys are growing like weeds. I will have to do a picture post soon. Colton goes for his four month appointment this week. These four months have flown by. It is crazy to think he is four months old already.

Taco Chicken Packets

2009-04-02T08:21:00.002-04:00

I love packet cooking. It is so nice to not have a bunch of dishes to clean up. We do it a lot in the summer because it is perfect for grilling. Of course here in NY it isn't quite grilling season yet so I did these in the oven. They still turned out really yummy. I got the recipe from the Kraft foods website. Check them out. They have a ton of yummy recipes.

Taco Chicken Packet

4 chicken breasts (about 1 lb total)
1/2 lb red potatoes sliced really thin
4 tsp taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cup Mexican blend cheese
4 large pieces of aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out all four pieces of foil on table or counter. Spray lightly with non stick spray. Place potato slices evenly on each piece of foil. Place chicken breast on top. Sprinkle 1 tsp of taco seasoning on each chicken. Distribute salsa evenly into all four packets. Sprinkle cheese over top. Create packet out of foil by pulling up long sides and crimping them together. Make sure that you leave some space between the top and the food or it will stick and burn. Gather up the small ends and crimp tightly. You want to make sure that there aren't any holes. Place on baking sheet and cook for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is done. Let cool a few minutes and enjoy.

I will try to add a picture later today when I get a chance to download pictures.

Our crazy life

2009-03-23T16:02:00.002-04:00

Life has been a little crazy around here lately. My inlaws were here this weekend which was really nice. They even watched the kids so we could go out for the evening. We ended up going to Pizza Hut since that was where our first date was. It was nice to go out for a night and actually be able to talk. Then we headed to Coldstone for dessert. YUM!

On Sunday we had planned on going bowling with some friends for Cooper's birthday. We called in the morning and they were like it was fine no problem. We got there in the afternoon and they had conveniently forgot to mention that there was a bowling tournament going on. We ended up coming back here and just hanging out. We ordered pizza and just talked and watched the kids play. It was a nice afternoon even if things didn't work out the way I planned. I am thinking about having a Wii party soon!

This weekend my parents are coming out. I am excited to see them again. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will be able to get outside and play.

My plan this week is to get the house back together. We will see how that works.

Crafting

2009-03-17T12:27:00.003-04:00

I haven't had a lot of time to craft since Colton was born. I did manage to finish one baby blanket, but nothing beyond that.

The other day I went down to my room fully intending to do some sewing. Instead I found myself overwhelmed by all the clutter. I had projects that were just sitting around, fabrics that were stuffed everywhere, and just stuff. I didn't want to work. I was just looking around trying to figure out where to start. I felt guilty ignoring the started projects and yet irritated with them because I wanted to start new projects. I walked out of the room totally disgusted.

After thinking about it I decided that some changes were in order. I wanted to walk into my area and be inspired, but overwhelmed. I wanted to work on things that excited me, not made me feel guilty or irritated.

I went through everything I had. After going through piles and piles of scraps I determined that I am just not a scrappy quilt kind of person. I like symmetry and plans when making quilts. And I found quite a few fabrics that I liked at one point in time, but now they just don't speak to me anymore. I also went through all my old projects and cleared out the ones that I just didn't want to finish. Surprisingly there were only a few that I completely ditched. A few I reworked and decided that I liked the new idea better and there were a few that I really want to finish as is.

Right now I am thinking about listing all the fabrics on craigslist. I want them out of the house. I know that if they sit around long enough they will end up back in my room because that is how things work in this house.

I still have some cleaning to do, but I am excited to get back to crafting soon.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-03-16T12:41:00.002-04:00

Monday - Chicken and Dumplings

Tuesday - Beef stew and biscuits

Wednesday - Pizza bubbles

Thursday - Parmesan pasta

Friday -Mac & Cheese http://thedomesticlifeofccmommy.blogspot.com/2008/08/macaroni-and-cheese.html

Saturday - Sloppy joes for kids, dinner out of hubby and I

Sunday - pizza at the bowling alley

Happy Birthday Cooper!

2009-03-15T21:27:00.002-04:00

Happy 3rd birthday to my Cooper Trooper! We love you and all your craziness.

I'm back

2009-03-12T10:58:00.003-04:00

UGH! That is all I can say about the past few weeks. It has been crazy around here. We have had some family stuff going on which has been stressful and caused a lot of travelling. It was nice to see family again, but being gone two weekends in a row makes for a lot of work.

Add onto that that fact that at least one person in this house has been sick just about every day since January and you have a very tired mommy. It started out with a cold which went through all of us at least twice. I was at the doctors office with Colton 3 out of 4 weeks in February. He got so far behind his two month shots that we will have to do a modified schedule for awhile.

Now that we are mostly over the cold we got hit by the stomach bug. Oh my goodness I hate stomach bugs! I will take colds any day. It started out with Jeremy getting sick last week. Lucky for him he was over it in less than 24 hours. Then Cody got it. Of course he waited until we were in the car at the mall to get it. Let me just say that it is not fun to clean puke out of the car. It was everywhere! We spent the weekend mostly healthy. Cody was still a little sick, but nothing too bad. We got home for the inlaws on Sunday and Cooper got it. He was miserable and we ended up having to pretty much clean his whole room. He was like Jeremy and was pretty much over it in about a day. I started feeling sick during the night Sunday and I am still not 100%. I didn't get the whole on bug, just the blah feel like crap part. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Colton doesn't get it.

I am so ready for spring and nice weather. Hopefully being able to air out the house will help get all this sickness out of here.

Once everyone is back healthy I have some really cool things going on here. If you check out the places I waste time at list on the side you will see a new addition. I have been contacted by http://www.jerky.com/ to do a review of their products. Our family loves jerky so I am excited to try out their products. I have a lots of willing test subjects!

2009-02-24T08:54:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but things have been a little crazy around here. I haven't had much time or desire to sit down and blog. Hopefully things will get better soon.

Meal Plan Monday on Tuesday

2009-02-17T08:46:00.004-05:00

Sick kids has made Meal Plan Monday a day late!

Monday was leftovers

Tuesday - http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/2008/08/toasty-chicken-squares.html

Wednesday - pork loin, mashed potatoes, and veggie

Thursday - Tuna noodle casserole

Friday - Lasagna, bread

Saturday - out

Sunday - crock pot beef roast with potatoes and carrots

Cody is off school this week so we will be doing lots of crafty stuff as long as everyone is feeling better. It has been a rough few days, but hopefully everyone is on the mend.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T19:23:00.005-05:00

Playing train

Where's Cooper?

Chocolate strawberry cupcakes. YUM!

Plastic bags are more fun than the actual toys.

This ramp is the best invention for bowling with little kids.

Cody watching to see what happens. It's a rarity.

The Valentine King.

Showing off the toys.

New product

2009-02-13T09:15:00.003-05:00

I am usually skeptical of "green" products. I've tried a few and haven't had much luck with them. However, I had read quite a few good reviews about Green Works dish washing liquid so I figured I would give it a try.

I am a skeptic no more! This stuff works really good. I would even say it works better than the Dawn I was using before. It makes a bunch of bubbles and they last. I have also noticed that my hands aren't as dried out as before. And the best part besides it being environmentally friendly is the tangerine smells awesome! If I am going to be stuck doing dishes at least it will smell good!

Give this product a try the next time you run out of dish soap.

Pictures of the week (times 2)

2009-02-13T07:07:00.003-05:00

I forgot to post the picture of the week last week so you get a double dose today!

From left to right: Colton looking cute, stealth cat, Super Bowl Sunday, painted car banks, smiley boy, Cooper's mad face, Cooper enjoying a snack

From left to right: Colton's nebulizer, Cody making faces, Budweiser shootout, Carmel Bars, Sun Chip Chicken, playing laundry catch up, my only craftiness in awhile (flashlight holder)

Lemon Honey Turkey

2009-02-12T08:34:00.003-05:00

Recipe number 2 is a success too! It is so nice to add new foods to our menu. I get sick of eating the same stuff over and over again.

Sorry there isn't a picture. Dinner time was a little hectic last night.

Lemon Honey Turkey

1/4 c honey
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 tsp rosemary (I used parsley since I didn't have any rosemary)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb turkey breast fillets or tenderloins
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine honey, lemon juice, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. I heated the honey slightly to make it easier to mix together.

Put turkey into small baking dish and pour half the sauce over. Bake for 40-45 minutes occasionally basting with remaining sauce. Cook until turkey it done through.

Combine water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour sauce from baking dish into small saucepan and add cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Serve sauce alongside turkey.

Another yummy and healthy dinner!

Sun Chip Chicken

2009-02-10T09:26:00.003-05:00

New recipe #1 for the week turned out really good. I found the recipe in a Pampered Chef 30 minute meal cookbook.

Sun Chip Chicken

1 lb chicken tenders or breasts cut into cubes about 1 1/2 " big
1 egg white
1 TBSP dry ranch dressing
5 oz (about 6 cups) sun chips (I used French Onion)
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with Pam.

Combine egg white and ranch dressing. I added a little water because it was pretty thick.

Crush Sun Chips in plastic bag. Make sure the crumbs are pretty small and uniform in size. It will make them stick better. From the picture you can see I didn't do that.

Coat chicken pieces in egg/dressing mix.

Add chicken in two batches to bag of Sun Chips and toss to coat. Place pieces on prepared baking sheet.

Once done you can spray tops with a little Pam to help them crunch up, but I didn't do that and they came out fine.

Bake for ~15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Yummy and healthy!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-02-09T09:04:00.002-05:00

Monday - Sun Chip chicken, Hot crash potatoes, veggie

Tuesday - Taco Sandwich

Wednesday - Lemon Honey Turkey

Thursday - Homemade Chinese night

Friday - Pizza rolls

Saturday - Steak, twice baked potatoes, veggie

Sunday - Race snacks

All the recipes this week are new. If they are good I will post them during the week. If they suck then I will spare you.

Coop de Troop

2009-02-08T11:03:00.002-05:00

See any resemblance?? So true it's scary!

Sick

2009-02-05T08:38:00.002-05:00

I finally broke down and went to the doctors yesterday. For me to do this I have to be sick!

Ends up I have double ear infections plus my ears are plugged full of wax. That explains why I can't hear anything. I am on antibiotics for 10 days and wax treatment for a week. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon.

I have to spend the next few days working on a last minute project for a baby shower. I am taking Colton to the doctor today. It was supposed to be a well check, but looks like it is going to be a sick visit. He still has the cold and hasn't gotten much better. Poor little guy!

Finally

2009-02-03T08:55:00.003-05:00

I finally got a Colton smile on camera. It was a challenge, but he decided to cooperate yesterday. I think he just got sick of me sticking the camera in his face.

Everyone in this house is sick right now. It started with Cody who is mostly back to normal Then Cooper who is still coughing, but better. Now Colton, Jeremy, and I have it. I also have some kind of ear issue going on. I'm hoping it will get better soon, but I have a feeling I will be making a trip to the doctor. YUCK!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-02-02T08:59:00.004-05:00

Monday - out

Tuesday - Oriental Pork and Cabbage stir fry

Wednesday - meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and beets

Thursday - ribs

Friday - Parmesan chicken, crash hot potatoes, and veggies

Saturday - breakfast for dinner

Sunday - baby shower so who knows

Pictures of the week (a little late)

2009-02-01T21:50:00.004-05:00

From left to right: reusable grocery bag, daddy and baby, Coop the troop, yummy chocolate orange cake, Colton not looking comfy, stupid lazy cat, and brotherly love

Forgot one

2009-01-31T10:02:00.003-05:00

26. I hate the phone. I wish it had never been invented. I believe everything should be handled by email or text.

I am a little late on my 365 picture project post. Hopefully I will get to it today.

Figured I'd join in

2009-01-30T22:58:00.003-05:00

I've seen this on a few blogs that I follow and on facebook so I figured I would give it a try.

25 things about me

1. I am horribly shy. I hate meeting new people and I obsess over it for days when I have to.
2. I hated public speaking in high school. I gave up an A in English class because I wouldn't get up and read my paper.
3. In spite of that, I competed on my college speech team and placed at States.
4. I never thought I would move more than an hour from my hometown.
5. Obviously I was wrong since I've lived in Portsmouth,Nh (twice), Groton, CT, and now here.
6. I am researching becoming a childbirth educator.
7. I have a degree in Public Relations, but I NEVER want to do that job.
8. I had a horrible experience with a boyfriend in college.
9. When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher.
10. I can not sing a note.
11. I love to do crafts. Right now my love is quilting.
12. I have at least 10 unfinished projects going at the same time.
13. I spend way too much time on the Internet.
14. I've fed my kids cake for dinner once.
15. I love to bake and have made 50+ dozen cookies at one time.
16. I hate to cook. I am not good at just throwing things together.
17. Writing this I realize I am a very boring person.
18. American President is my favorite movie.
19. I am a Bravo TV junkie. Minus the Millionaire Matchmaker I watch pretty much every show on there.
20. I interned at Watkins Glen Raceway in college.
21. I had the opportunity to work for the Busch North series (Nascar) and turned it down.
22. The first time I spent the night completely alone was after I was married.
23. I have no close friends. Acquaintances yes, friends not really.
24. My sister is 12 years older than me.
25. My parents were 37 when they had me. My dad didn't want kids. I still torture him about that.

Brotherly Love

2009-01-29T05:00:00.001-05:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love being a mom of boys? It still amazes me how much the boys love their little brother. I was worried that there would be some jealousy issues, but they have been awesome. They have been patient with me having to feed him, they will check on him when he is sleeping, and are just all around great big brothers. I'm sure that eventually the jealousy will kick in and there will be fighting, but right now I am enjoying the love fest that is going on.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2009-01-28T09:31:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about what type of job I would like when I decide to go back to work. I have a degree in public relations/speech communication, but I definitely do not want to be in the public relations field. I am glad that I took the classes, but I hate the actual job.

When I think about getting a job I really want something I am passionate about. I don't want to just do something to earn money (not that it is a bad thing, just not for me). After doing a lot of thinking and soul searching I've decided to look into being a child birth educator.

I loved giving birth to my children. I enjoyed learning about the process and just knowing what is going on in my body. I would love to teach other women about what is going on and how to get through labor and delivery the easiest way possible.

Right now I am just in the research phase. I know that it will be awhile before I am able to actual start working on getting certified, but I am excited to be at least headed that direction.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-01-26T06:35:00.003-05:00

Our menu is pretty easy this week since hubby is on a weird schedule and I'm trying to use stuff up before our big monthly shopping trip.

Monday - hot dogs and beans

Tuesday - marinated chicken and veggies

Wednesday - pizza

Thursday - something from the freezer (I have to clean it out today so I'll figure it out then)

Friday - chicken pot pie

Saturday - homemade mac and cheese

Sunday - Superbowl snacks

Next week will be better once I stock up on groceries and actually have time to cook. I hate weeks like this where everything seems rushed!

Bowling

2009-01-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

We went bowling with some friends yesterday. It was a lot of fun considering the fact that I am horrible. Give me Wii bowling anytime. The second game I got beat by all the kids that were playing. I really wish I would have gotten my grandmother's bowling skills. She will be 93 in February and last year she bowled a 300 game.

Cody has to throw the ball. It is so cute to watch him all intent trying to will the ball to go where he wants.

Cody patiently waiting to see how he did.

This ramp thing is awesome. It makes it so much easier for the kids.

Pictures of the week

2009-01-23T06:43:00.005-05:00

From left to right:

Cooper jumping, Colton at 6 weeks, my mostly completed Motivated Moms list, the boys playing Star Wars, Colton sticking out his tongue, Cody with a normal smile finally, Colton smiling

Reusable grocery bags

2009-01-22T09:00:00.004-05:00

We bought some reusable grocery bags at Walmart awhile ago and I wasn't impressed with them. They were flimsy and just didn't seem like they would last too long. Yes they were inexpensive, but was it worth it if you would have to replace them often? Then when the cat had a UTI she used them as a litter box and gave me a good excuse to get rid of them.

Since then I have been trying to find a decent bag that was sturdy and strong. I wasn't having much luck, but then I started cleaning out my fabric stash and found some duck cloth (a canvas like fabric) that I had bought for a project long ago. As I was sitting up feeding Colton one night it hit me that the duck cloth would make the perfect grocery bag.

After a few trial and errors the prototype was made. This one is pretty close, the only thing that I really need to change is that I put one handle on backwards.

Because they are stronger than plastic you can fit quite a bit into them. I just put a few things in that I had downstairs to show the size.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-01-19T18:33:00.003-05:00

I am going to start posting my menu plan for the week. I found the site http://orgjunkie.com/ which has a TON of menu plans. I am hoping it will help me to stay on track with what we are eating.

This weeks menu includes:

Monday - leftovers

Tuesday - Cheddar chicken spirals (new recipe)

Wednesday - out

Thursday - Crock pot beef roast, potatoes, and carrots

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Stuffed shells

Sunday - goulash

Shameless kid pics

2009-01-18T17:22:00.003-05:00

2009-01-17T20:38:00.003-05:00

Things here have been moving along. We got a shock about hubby's schedule yesterday so I am trying to adjust to that. I am seriously a creature of habit and must now what is going on to plan. It is very hard for me to change directions quickly. I will get there, it will just take some time.

I am loving the Motivated Moms system. My house has been clean every day for a week. It is amazing. I have always hated cleaning and keeping up on things. Crossing things off the list is very motivating for me. I love to see all the little boxes filled in.

I am hoping to have some crafty stuff done soon. It is hard to find time to get down there with a newborn and two others that need things. I have so many ideas and projects running around in my head that I really want to get to work on. Hopefully things will settle out with the schedule change and I will be able to get back to doing stuff for me.

Surprisingly, things are going very smoothly being a mom of three. It hasn't been as big of an adjustment as I thought. Colton is a pretty laid back baby. He only really cries when he is hungry and overly tired. The other boys are big helper and love their brother. We haven't had too many issues with jealousy yet. I'm sure they will come though.

I am still trying to find some balance with everything. I think that is going to be my biggest challenge this year. Trying to balance kids, Cody's school, me time, housework, time with the husband, and possibly a sport for Cody in the spring. Right now I am just trying to not let the scales tip so far that I fall over.

My week in pictures

2009-01-15T16:00:00.002-05:00

From left to right:

Damage from the ice storm, Cody all bundled up for school, Colton stylin thanks to Aunt Sam, the boys playing games, Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta (YUM), trying to catch Colton smiling, and Cody trying to fly

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

2009-01-13T10:20:00.006-05:00

Ignore the horrid picture. I took it after we had already ate. I really need to get some photo editing software to make these look better.

From the Taste of Home Busy Family Cookbook

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked penne pasta

1 lb ground beef (or you could use ground turkey)

6 bacon slices

1 can undiluted tomato soup

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions

While pasta is cooking, cook hamburger in skillet. Cook bacon as you usually would.

Drain both and crumble bacon. Set aside until pasta is done.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Add hamburger, bacon, and tomato soup.

Heat through. If it is a little dry add some spaghetti sauce.

Once heated through, add cheese and cover. Cook until cheese is melted.

Project 365 Week 1

2009-01-08T09:57:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned on here before that I am trying to do a picture a day for 2009. I thought it would be a good way to document what happened this year. Here is the first week in pictures.

From left to right:
Colton styling in his hat, Cooper being Cooper, scary dudes, my Dolphin fans, Colton at 1 month, Cody being Cody, and our homemade donuts.

My UFO list

2009-01-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

One of my "resolutions" for this year is to get caught up on my unfinished projects. I went through my huge bag where I had them all stored and figured out which ones I wanted to keep and which ones I had moved on from. I am hoping to have the majority of them done by the end of June. There are a few bigger projects that will not get done before then, but at least I will have a start.

The list as of now is:

- green and yellow potholders

- patriotic pot holders

- penguin pot holders

- nautical pot holders

- folded ornaments

- Snoopy baby blanket

- Diagonal Paths quilt (long term)

- Cotton Reels quilt (long term)

- Kaleidoscope quilt (long term)

- big embroidery floss holder

- travel embroidery floss holder

- fall tablerunner

Homemade Donuts

2009-01-07T14:02:00.004-05:00

We love donuts in this house, but the only kind we can have is Entenmann's because of Cooper's nut allergy. I have wanted to try and make my own for awhile, but just never found the time. Since Cody had a snow day today I figured it was the perfect time. I found this recipe online at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Delicious-Homemade-Donuts and it is really yummy. Next I want to try and find a baked donut recipe because the frying is unhealthy and time consuming.

4 1/2 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c sugar
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Beat eggs with sugar until light. Add butter, mil, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough is formed. Do not over mix. If dough is too soft to roll, chill it for an hour.

Roll dough out 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface and cut with donut cutters. Fry in 370 degree oil until golden on both sides, turning once.

Remove from oil, hold over hot oil for a few minutes to drain, and then finish draining on absorbent paper. While still warm shake in sugar, sugar- cinnamon mixture, dip in glaze of choice, or dust with powdered sugar. 3 dozen

I made a powdered sugar glaze with 1/3c boiling water, 1 tsp orange extract and 1 c powdered sugar to dunk them in.

2009

2009-01-02T12:07:00.003-05:00

Now that 2009 is here it is time to make some goals for the new year. I am not going to do resolutions because they always get broken. One of the message boards I frequent had a post the other day asking you to list where you want to be on December 31, 2009. I like this idea because you can be more vague that resolutions.

By December 31, 2009 I want to:

- be thinner
- be healthier
- be caught up on my crafting projects
- have spent more quality time with my kids
- explored the area more
- taken more pictures
- have less clutter

I am slowly working on getting more organized too. I worked on cleaning out our filing system yesterday. I also purchased the Motivated Moms planner. I tried something similar a few years ago (the Sidetracked Home Executive System) and I hope that will help me keep up on the cleaning and stuff. I really work much better when I have a list to go by.

I hope that your 2008 ended on a good note and your 2009 is happy, healthy, and prosperous.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T08:54:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pics from our Christmas. We really enjoyed spending it with family and seeing how excited the boys were. While I love the holidays, I will be glad to get back into a routine.

Colton Dale is here

2008-12-07T20:22:00.004-05:00

Introducing Colton Dale. He was born December 5 at 7:23pm. He weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 21.5 in long. I started having contractions at 8:30 Friday morning, but they weren't anything consistent or painful. I had an appointment at 12:30 and was 4-5 cm so they sent me to the hospital. We got the boys all settled with friends and headed over. I was admitted at 1pm and he was born at 7:23. It was my longest and most painful labor yet, but he was worth it. I am doing pretty good. Still sore and tired, but getting along.

2008-12-04T09:02:00.003-05:00

Nothing much going on here. Just waiting. I am hoping he will be here tomorrow, but you never know with these things. I am feeling really uncomfortable and am ready to be done. It is still a surreal feeling that he will be here soon. I know that we have everything ready, but it just doesn't feel real. I'm sure it will feel very real when that first contraction hits~ They say that you don't remember the pain, but I do. Probably not the full extent of it, but still remember what it was like.

I am so looking forward to meeting this little guy. I want to know what he looks like, what his personality is like and how his brothers are going to react to him. There are just so many unknowns it is kind of scary. I know everything will work out, just have to get him here. I have an appointment for an ultrasound, NST (non stress test), and a midwife appointment. I am hoping that she will help me along some and I will go into labor tomorrow afternoon. We'll see though.

If I don't post for a few days then you'll know what happened!

Advent tree

2008-12-02T09:16:00.004-05:00

Here is our Advent calendar for this year. They boys are loving it. It is a great way to countdown to Christmas and give them a little treat too.

Here is the tree all set up with the boxes.

Each individual box. I got the idea from here (http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/2008/07/favor-boxes-how-to.html)

And here is the inside of each box. There is a piece of candy for each boy and then an ornament to replace the box so their tree stays decorated.

Other than that not much going on here. I am officially overdue and I'm ok with that. I'm hoping he will hold out until Friday. My friend Jen had her baby last night. I was hoping to get to the hospital to see her, but with only a half day of school I won't be able to. I'm sure she is enjoying her new bundle of joy though.

2008-11-28T14:51:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Ours was nice and relaxed which is exactly what this pregnant woman needed. I am feeling pretty tired lately and ready to be done though I want him to hold out a few more days so that I don't have to stress about who is going to take care of the boys.

Here are a last few craft pics. I have one more project that I need to get done, but there is no rush on it and it is super simple.

Little baby booties. I am so happy I finally figured out this pattern. I love how they turned out and I will probably be making a few more pairs for the little guy.

Here is a Christmas gift all rolled up.

And here it is all opened up. It didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, but it is functional and cute so it will work.

Here is the baby blanket. It turned out really nice and cuddly. We will use it on the floor and probably over his car seat when it is really cold.

If you ever wanted to know...

2008-11-25T08:26:00.005-05:00

what 56 dozen cookies looks like here ya go.

I spent most of the day Saturday and Sunday baking cookies for hubby to take to work. Usually I do it around Christmas, but with the little guy coming I figured I would do it now. Plus they have been really good about this whole deal with his messed up school schedule. There are sugar cookies, ricotta cheese, chocolate chip, Andes mint, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate cherry.

And here is a pic of the 9 month pregnant belly that kept getting in the way. I have been horrible about taking pictures this time around. This is actually the only one I have. I can't believe that I am due in less than a week. I am thinking I will go at least a few days late, but you never know.

Lots of pictures...finally

2008-11-15T22:31:00.007-05:00

I finally found the camera cord and had time to sit down and download the pictures. It has been a crazy week here with strange schedules, lots of appointments, and just stuff going on. I have been trying to work on my to do list and getting things crossed off. Only a few more weeks before this little guy makes his entrance and I am starting to get worried that everything isn't going to get done.

I have made some progress on my craft projects. I am happy to say that I only have a few small things left to do. I'm hoping to get them mostly done by the end of the week. Of course that assumes that everything goes as planned and I know that won't happen around here!

This isn't the best picture of my blanket I made for my friend's baby, but I forgot to take one before I wrapped it up.

This is a table runner I made for my grandma. She is such a hard person to buy for and she doesn't have a lot of room for knick knacks. I figure this will look great on her coffee table.

Here is the back. I'm not in love with this fabric, but it does fit in with the leaf/flower theme of the front fabrics.

Here is the front of little man's birth announcement. You can't really tell from the picture, but the Welcome is printed on the computer and the baby is a stamp that I embossed. It is a blurry on the one edge because I smudged the ink. Also, there is a line of swirls and dots that I embossed with clear powder so it just gives it a little sheen.

Here is the inside. Obviously our last name will go where the white box is. The name isn't set in stone, but it is what we are leaning towards right now. The stats are just place markers so that I could get all the spacing right. There is a be a wallet sized picture next to the stats when they are all finished. I am really happy with the way it turned out. Now I just have to actually make all of them!

Here is a hat that I made for the baby, but it turned out too big so Cooper has taken it. I love the colors of this yarn and will definitely be making a smaller one for the baby.

Here is the same pattern, just in a different yarn and definitely smaller.

And finally...

the dreaded Christmas present quilt. This thing has been a thorn in my side since I started it. I love how it turned out and am really happy that I did it, but man was it a long process.

Here it is all quilted. You can sort of see the little squares in the middle. I stitched in the ditch around the two squares and then did a smaller square in the middle.

The backing is a really big four patch. I couldn't decide which fabric I liked better so I used both of them. I like how it turned out because now the quilt is actually reversible.

And a close up picture of the binding that was the bane of my existence for hours and hours. I hate hand sewing, absolutely hate it. Unfortunately, hand sewing the binding looks 1000 times better than trying to use the machine so I sucked it up and did it. YUCK!

I still have to finish my mom's chicken picture I am making, make a few more hats for the baby, and I am hoping that I can figure out the baby bootie pattern that I found. I am almost done with his baby blanket too.

2008-11-12T21:27:00.002-05:00

Congratulations Beth and Andy!!! I am so happy for you two.

2008-11-10T18:05:00.002-05:00

Pictures of my latest projects coming as soon as I can find the stupid camera cord.

2008-11-04T15:17:00.003-05:00

Life has gotten in the way of writing out blog posts. I swear that I have all these ideas and thoughts I want to write about, but I just don't have the time.

Cooper and I were sick all weekend. I missed a friend's baby shower because of it which sucks. Jeremy's schedule is still all messed up. Hopefully we will know something tonight, but who knows. I have hit the miserable part of pregnancy. I am sore all the time and can't sleep. This little nameless guy has to stay put for a few more weeks, but I am so done being pregnant.

I have started nesting some just hard to do when you have no energy. We did get the freezer restocked with hopefully enough stuff to get us through the end of the year. We found this little meat place not far from the house that has awesome prices and quality. We ended up buying 65 pounds of various stuff for $170. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday weighing it out and freezer packing. I still have to get a few baskets for the deep freeze to keep in organized, but at least it is all in there. Next on my list is to do some baking for the freezer.

I am stressing out about not having a name for the baby, not having everything done, and worrying about what to do with the kids when I am in labor. My MIL will be coming out, but not until I am in labor and if this one goes like the last two I will probably only be in labor about 2 hours. They live 3 hours away on a good day.

Yeah, I am stressing.

Mini vacation

2008-10-27T13:47:00.003-04:00

We decided to take a mini vacation this weekend while we did our Christmas shopping.

We got a really nice hotel and spent the weekend relaxing and shopping. We got about 90% of the shopping done which I am so happy about. I still have to get hubby's stuff and finish up the boys, but that is about it. Now the task of wrapping it all. Luckily hubby likes to wrap and is good at it so I will be putting him to work soon.

The boys had a blast swimming in the pool. Their swim lessons are really paying off. They both were swimming all over the place and jumping in the water. The only bad part was the hotel lost power Saturday night for a few hours. It was annoying, but at least the boys were already asleep so it didn't bother them. Then last night I was in the middle of watching Army Wives and our electric went out at home. Luckily it was only for a few minutes, but it was still annoying.

This week is jam packed with cleaning and finish up projects. Hubby schedule got all messed up which I am not happy about. Hopefully we will be able to get everything done, but I'm not sure. There are days that I really dislike his job.

Baby blankets

2008-10-23T13:09:00.005-04:00

I finished cutting all the squares for the baby blankets that I am making. Luckily there are just 21 pattern and 21 solid squares for each one. I am hoping to get the tops done within the next two weeks. It will depend on hubby's schedule since right now things are up in the air.

I'm not sure which one is going to be ours and which one is going to a friend. Once I get them together I will let the boys choose. I'm guessing they will choose the train one, but you never know with them.

I love these simple blankets. They are perfect for putting on the floor for tummy time or throwing over the car seat to get from house to car when it is cold.

We are going to try and finish up the majority of our Christmas shopping this weekend. It feels very weird to be shopping in October since I am usually a last minute type of person, but I can't really do that this year!

Halloween Costumes

2008-10-22T08:58:00.004-04:00

The boys just had to try on their Halloween costumes. They look so cute. I can't wait to see how they like Trick or Treating this year. It will be hard with Cooper's allergy, but luckily we have a stockpile of candy that will replace anything he can't have. I don't think he will mind too much as long as their is candy to eat!

My favorite jam

2008-10-21T07:58:00.003-04:00

I love toast with peanut butter (or in our house sunbutter) and jam. Usually we just had strawberry or raspberry that my mom or MIL made. Then last April I went to a Taste of Home Cooking School and they made a Apple Berry Pomegranate jam that looked and smelled really yummy. Since hubby loves Pomegranate I figured I would give it a try. Oh my goodness it was heavenly. It made 5 small jars and we had it gone within a month. It has just the right combination of sweet and tart.

Apple- Berry Pomegranate Freezer Jam
Ingredients:
1 pkg (1.59 oz) Ball Simple Creations Freezer Jam Pectin
1 ½ C sugar
4 cups peeled, cored, and chopped apples
½ C pomegranate juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 C crushed frozen raspberries (don’t completely unthaw leave a little frozen)

Directions:
* In a large mixing bowl, combine freezer jam pectin and sugar, stirring until evenly blended
* In a medium saucepan, combine apples, pomegranate juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Lightly crush apples and allow to cool 15 minutes
* Add apples and raspberries to pectin mixture, stirring until just combined. Continue stirring for a full 3 minutes. Ladle ham into clean 8 oz freezer jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Apply lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

My day in pictures

2008-10-20T08:29:00.006-04:00

Yummy raspberry pie
Halloween cookies with the kids
Stupid football game
Coop haircut
Cody hair cut. Hubby got one too, but no pics of that.

Mountains of laundry.

Eaten pie while watching...

the Red Sox lose!

Updated to do list

2008-10-14T14:13:00.004-04:00

A little while ago I posted a crafting to do list that seemed overwhelming. I figured now that I am under 50 days till this little guy comes I would see where I stand.

- the Christmas quilt. I have the top done, the back done and it is ready to be basted. Then it is quilting and binding. Right now I am about 1/3 of the way done hand sewing the binding down. I am hoping to get it done in the next week.

- baby bibs. I have been looking for bibs that have terry cloth on the back because they absorb so much better, but I haven't had any luck so off to the sewing machine I go. I have one done except the Velcro and another cut and ready to be sewn. I have two bibs done. I am not in love with the fabric, but I have two to get started with and I can make a few more later.

- baby blankets. I have the fabric to do both mine and my friends, but haven't started working on them yet. I am still trying to get all the red dye to bleed out of the fabric. Once I get that done I will be ready to cut. Luckily these don't take long to put together.

- car seat blankets. I have some fleece to make a small blanket to wrap around the babies legs when we are in the car this cold winter. Two done, maybe one more to go. The two that are done are for me. I might make one for a friend, but depends on time.

- a punch embroidery chicken wall hanging. I have maybe 1/32 of this done for my mom for Christmas. I was making progress on this until my punch needle broke. I bought a new one so hopefully will be making progress on this again soon.

- a crochet hook holder. My MIL wants a roll up crochet hook holder for Christmas. Right now I am in the planning stages of this. I need to find some fabrics that I like for this. I've got the idea all laid out, just need to pick fabrics. Luckily I don't think it will take too long to finish.

Right now I am ignoring the rest of my list. I have a million things to accomplish over the next few weeks. We are going Christmas shopping on the 25th of this month. It seems so insanely early, but in order to get everything done and wrapped I need to get started.

Baby crafts

2008-10-12T22:34:00.004-04:00

Saturday morning hubby took the boys for the morning and I got so much accomplished. I have had this pile of things I wanted to do for the baby and I actually got most of them done.

Right now I am soaking the fabric for his blanket and waiting for the stupid other computer to run virus scan so I can work on his announcements. I know what I want to do, just have to get it to work out. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures of them this week. I am still plugging away on the Christmas quilt, but right now I am getting frustrated with how slow it is hand sewing binding so I am taking a break for a few days.

These are little car seat blankets that I made. I wanted something warm, but small to wrap around his legs since he will be born during winter. I love how they turned out.

I have been looking for bibs that have terry cloth on the back for awhile and I haven't had any luck. So I decided to whip some up. I'm not sure I am loving the lady bug fabric, but it was what I had on hand at the time. I will probably make a few more before he comes.

Here is a little crocheted hat that my mom made for him. I want to make a few more because I know they will be needed here. I plan on getting some warmer ones too. I might even try making one out of fleece, but not sure if I will get there or not.

This is a breastfeeding cover prototype that I made. I love using receiving blankets as covers, but they were always falling down and with two kids climbing all over me I needed something that would stay put. I have to get some new receiving blankets and make a couple of real ones.

Sneak Peek

2008-10-09T23:19:00.004-04:00

Here is a sneak peek of the Christmas quilt. I am working on hand sewing the binding down on the back. For me it is a very slow process. I hate hand sewing, but it looks so much nicer that I force myself to do it.

There will be more crafty pictures coming soon. I have about 8 projects in the works right now!

Crazy weekend

2008-10-05T23:02:00.004-04:00

It was a pretty busy, crazy weekend around here. After getting sick Thursday night, Cooper woke up Friday and still wasn't feeling good. He was whiny and mopey and just miserable. He slept on and off all day and just gave this pitiful little look. My parents came in Friday night and he was pretty clingy to me which is unusual for him when the grandparents are around.

Luckily Saturday morning he was pretty much back to normal and driving us crazy. My parents helped with a bunch of stuff around the house. We went out and bought the boys Halloween costumes. It was a very interesting experience. They were both so indecisive. Cody didn't want a mask, Cooper couldn't decide what he wanted, they both wanted all this extra stuff to go with the costumes. My dad was the smart one by staying in the car!

I finally finished the quilting on my Christmas quilt finished. It is drying from where I had to wash away the marking pen. Hopefully I will be able to get a picture of it tomorrow. I still have to make the binding and attach it, but at least the longest part it done. I love how it is turning out, but I will be glad when it is done too. I have too many other projects I want to work on!

Foiled plans

2008-10-02T22:51:00.003-04:00

So much for making plans tonight.

I needed to get groceries, but had to wait until after my mom got home so I could call her about something. Of course she didn't get home until late so I left later than I planned.

Then I had to go to Best Buy to return the boy's DVD player because it died. I thought I would be all set because I had bought the 4 year warranty. They did replace it, but because it was more than a year it voided the warranty so I need to decide if I want to buy a new one.

Next off to get groceries. I hate going to Walmart period. Going with two kids who haven't had dinner yet is horrid. Luckily they weren't too bad, but it still took forever.

I picked up Burger King for them because frankly I was not going to go home and cook anything.

Finally got home around 7 and sit down for dinner. Bedtime is at 8 so the boys pretty much ate dinner and went to bed. Not a great way to end the day, but nothing too horrible.

Cooper had been coughing on and off all day long, but I wasn't too worried because Cody had the same thing last week. I went downstairs thinking that I could finish up some of the quilting on my Christmas present quilt. I no more got one line done and I hear Cooper cough really bad and then a weak call for mommy.

Upstairs I go and of course he has thrown up. EVERYWHERE! It was gross. Usually it doesn't bother me, but this was pretty bad. He looked so pitiful. So I wait until he is better and draw a bath. He is loving just splashing in the water and letting his head and tummy settle. After stripping the bed, remaking, and cleaning up he crawls back into bed and pretty much promptly falls asleep.

Ugh! I am exhausted.

Apple bread

2008-10-02T14:19:00.003-04:00

I have been in serious apple baking mode since we went to the apple orchard. A 1/2 bushel of apples is ALOT! Luckily I only have a few left to use.

Here is one of my favorite apple recipes. It is super yummy and moist.

Apple Bread
Ingredients:

3 eggs
3 C flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 C vegetable oil (I used all applesauce. You can also use half applesauce and half oil)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 C chopped, peeled apples
1 C chopped pecans (I obviously left these out and just added about 1 TBSP more flour)

Topping:
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 325₀
 Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (make sure you do this really well)
 Stir together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla
 Combine flour, soda, and cinnamon on flexible cutting mat
 Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined
 Stir in apples and pecans (batter will be lumpy and thick)
 Divide between loaf pans
 Prepare topping and sprinkle over both loafs
 Bake for approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean it’s done It sometimes takes a little longer. Make sure you check it right in the middle of the loaf.

You can also make a bunch of small loaves and freeze some. It freezes prefectly.

Cody's Birthday

2008-09-30T22:55:00.004-04:00

Here are some pics from Cody's birthday. They didn't turn out great for some reason.

2008-09-30T16:00:00.001-04:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BETH & ANDY!!!!

I hope you guys have a great anniverary

2008-09-30T15:18:00.003-04:00

My baby is 5 today. How did that happen? We have a busy night, but I will be back later to post some pics of his birthday party!

Caramel shortbread cookies (TWIX bars)

2008-09-25T09:47:00.003-04:00

If you love Twix bars this recipe is for you. It really does taste a lot like a Twix.

Chocolate Carmel Shortbread (aka Twix cookies):
1 cup butter
generous 2 cups flour
generous 1/2 cup light brown sugar
12 oz chocolate, either milk or dark depending on your taste

caramel:
3/4 c butter
generous 1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 T light corn syrup
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you want, line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. (I never do. it just protects your pan from the knife and makes it slightly easier to get the cookies out.) Process the sugar, butter, and flour in a food processor until it starts to bind together. (stand mixer will work fine) Press into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

while the crust is baking, make the caramel. Place the caramel ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat gently until the sugar has melted (I use medium heat.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until very thick. Pour over shortbread and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.

Melt the chocolate and let cool, then spread over the caramel. Let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until set. These are easier to cut if they are at room temperature, so you can let them sit out for a bit before you cut them. Once the chocolate is set, they don't really need to be refrigerated any more. Be sure to cut them into small pieces because it's a very rich cookie. I usually do 42 (6x8) small cookies.

The only thing I would do different next time is maybe make the shortbread layer a little thinner. It is pretty thick and sometimes takes over the caramel layer.

I swear crafty pictures are coming. DH conned me into doing a ton of baking for his work yesterday so I didn't even get to walk into my sewing room.

Sugar cookies

2008-09-23T14:41:00.003-04:00

I have always loved sugar cookies, though I hate the process of making them. I am good until they are out of the oven and then the thought of having to frost them just made me want to throw them away. I had never found sugar cookie recipe that was good enough to eat without the frosting.

Until now.

I tried this recipe the other day when I was trying to keep Cooper occupied. We took our our big bag of cookie cutters and went to town. He loved picking the shape and "helping" cut the cookies.

We baked the first batch just as hubby was coming home. He went straight for the rack and I said to wait and we will frost them when they are cool. Of course being him he dove right in and declared that we wouldn't be frosting them since they didn't need it. Never one to believe my husband when it comes to food (the man will eat anything pretty much), I decided I better check this out for myself. Low and behold the man was right. They were soft, chewy, with just a little crunch around the edge. And they weren't bland! I was in love.

Sorry there aren't any pictures. I forgot to take some when we baked them. I made another batch that I cut into circles and just used powdered sugar icing to pipe softball laces onto for DH's championship game. They were gone in an instant. Definitely give this one a try!

I have been busy in my craft room so expect pictures soon!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth

2008-09-19T15:01:00.004-04:00

I swear I am still around. It has been crazy busy around here lately. Between end of the season softball games (they lost, but still finished second), swim lessons, doctors appointments and sick kids I haven't had spare second to get anything done.

Both of the kids have been sick this week. Cody started on Sunday with a cough and then had a fever when he got up Monday. Luckily it was gone by Tuesday. He was not happy about having to stay home on Monday. Then Wednesday Cooper was miserable. He was just whiny and crying and just plain upset. It was a long day and night, but luckily yesterday he was back to his normal self. Hopefully no one else in the house will get it.

I did manage to get my christmas quilt basted. I found a new technique on You Tube that I was intrigued by. I don't know if I really like the actual basting part, but I love the use of boards instead of taping it to the floor. First of all because I don't have a space big enough to lay this quilt out and second because this pregnant body has a hard time getting up and down off the floor.

Here is the first part of the technique. You can find the other part on the side bar once you load the page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

I started quilting it today. It is going to take awhile, but I think it will turn out pretty nice. I am hoping to get some time to work on it this weekend, but we have a lot of stuff going on so not sure how that will work out.

Boring

2008-09-09T22:28:00.003-04:00

It has been boringly busy around here lately. Just the same old, same old.

Cody is loving school. I can see where we may have a few problems in the future, but I am grateful that he likes going every day.

Cooper is being Cooper. There is no other way to describe it. He has a very unique personality. Jeremy has been on vacation the past week so he has gotten the full on Cooper effect. It is hilarious to see those two interact.

I am just pushing through this pregnancy. It has been rough on me for some reason. I feel huge, tired, and miserable.

We have a very busy few days coming up. Cody had his first swim lessons today which he loved, tomorrow Jeremy has a dentist appointment and open house is tomorrow, Thursday is groceries, Friday is Cooper's swim lessons and setting up the yard sale, Saturday and Sunday are the yard sale (assuming it doesn't rain again), Monday is Jeremy's championship softball game and BBQ, Tuesday is swim lessons, and Wednesday is my doctors appointment along with the stupid glucose test again.

I will be ready to crash on Thursday!

I am still working away on basting the quilt. I think I am going to like this new technique, but I have to start the quilting in order to figure out if it is going to work out. Hopefully if my pregnant body holds up I will know by the end of the week.

2008-09-05T18:32:00.003-04:00

Things here are moving right along. Cody is loving school and seems to be really excited to go everyday. I'm sure that will wear off after awhile, but it is nice to see him excited. He did get a little boo-boo today, but he didn't seem to mind too much. I am curious how he handled it since he HATES band aids.

Jeremy and I got to go out by ourselves last night. We were supposed to go to a Jeff Dunham concert, but I was so uncomfortable sitting there that we came home early. We did get to go out and eat which was really nice.

My parents came out to watch the kids. It was hard because I wasn't able to spend much time with them, but it is always nice to see them and the kids love when any of the grandparents come up.

Jeremy's softball team had their semifinal game today (finally) and they actually won. Even though they didn't do that great during the season they have made it to the championship game. Who knows when they will get to play that though.

Nothing much else going on here. I haven't had much time to do any quilting. I am trying a new basting technique with the Christmas quilt. If it works out I will share!

2008-09-03T18:14:00.003-04:00

My baby is officially a Kindergartner. He was so excited this morning and was all ready to go in plenty of time. He spent most of the morning wearing his book bag and asking when the bus was going to come.

He even had to change shoes. He decided that the sandals wouldn't work and he needed to wear his fancy shoes (his sneakers, no idea why he calls them fancy shoes).

Here he is all decked out in his Iron Man gear. The bag looks so big on him, but he had to have it. Plus that size was the only one we could find that would fit his lunch bag and the folder he has to take.

Waiting for the bus. Surprisingly it was on time though the driver looked a little confused when he got here. Waiting for the bus is fine now, but I'm hoping by the time December rolls around he will be ok getting on and off by himself since I really don't want to have to bundle up a baby and stand in the frigid weather.

Cooper had some adjustment. He was excited to see the bus come, but didn't quite understand that Cody wasn't coming right back. For about the first two hours he kept asking when Cody was coming home. The nice thing was he actually took a really good nap which never happened when they were both home. He was a ball of energy when he woke up too.

He looks so small getting on the big bus. He could barely see over the window. The bus driver was really good though and seems nice.

He said he had a good day at school. We asked him what he did and he said that he didn't remember. Typical of him. Hopefully the teacher will send home some notes so we can at least have a clue of what is going on. I know he will never really tell us anything!

I did all right. It was a rough day all the way around. I was sad about him going to school, but very grateful that he was ready and willing to go. I would rather just be upset that my baby is in school then to be worried that he is a crying mess there.

The other thing that made today hard is some family stuff. My uncle Arnie died last Thursday and today is his memorial. I feel guilty about not being there because he was the uncle I was closest too. I know that the family understands, but it still makes it hard. He was a great person and while I am sad that he is gone, I am glad that he isn't suffering anymore and can fight with my grandpa in heaven about fishing and hunting.

When will I learn??

2008-09-01T22:05:00.003-04:00

When will I learn to not start 10 projects at once???

Right now I am working on:

- the Christmas quilt. I have the top done, the back done and it is ready to be basted. Then it is quilting and binding.

- baby bibs. I have been looking for bibs that have terry cloth on the back because they absorb so much better, but I haven't had any luck so off to the sewing machine I go. I have one done except the Velcro and another cut and ready to be sewn.

- baby blankets. I have the fabric to do both mine and my friends, but haven't started working on them yet.

- car seat blankets. I have some fleece to make a small blanket to wrap around the babies legs when we are in the car this cold winter.

- a punch embroidery chicken wall hanging. I have maybe 1/32 of this done for my mom for Christmas.

- a crochet hook holder. My MIL wants a roll up crochet hook holder for Christmas. Right now I am in the planning stages of this.

Somehow I have to get all these done plus all the other pre baby stuff that needs to get done. Yeah I'm in for a busy few months. Hopefully my nesting instinct will kick in soon!

Be prepared for a sob fest post on Wednesday...my baby is starting Kindergarten.

"granola bar" recipe

2008-08-29T15:18:00.004-04:00

I love granola bars, but since we are a nut free household we can't just go to the store and buy them. I have been searching for awhile and find a recipe to make at home.

I finally found one last night. It isn't a true granola bar. It's more like a granola muffin, but they are really good and filling. They will be great to freeze and have when the baby is born as a quick snack.

I found the original recipe online and made some changes based on comments left and just our own preferences.

"Granola Bars"
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (I used quick oats this time)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
3/4 - 1 cup raisins
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a 9X13 baking dish. In a large bowl combine oats, sugar, cinnamon, flour, raisins, chocolate chips, and salt. Once well combined make a well in the center of the mixture. Add honey, egg, applesauce, and vanilla to well. Mix until well combined. Pour into greased baking dish and spread to desired thickness. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until edges just start to turn brown. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes. De pan and cut into desired size.

The original recipe called for wheat germ, but we don't like it so I added a little extra oats. This time I used craisins instead of raisins because it's what I had on hand. You can really change it up however you want. Leave out the chocolate chips, add more raisins, add peanut butter, whatever sounds good to you. If your not a nut free house you could always add some nuts too. In other words, go wild!

2008-08-28T23:38:00.004-04:00

Sorry I haven't updated lately, but between going to the state fair and trying to get everything in order for Cody to go to school I haven't had much spare time.

We had a blast at the fair even though it was HOT! The boys loved all the animals. The only part that sucked was Cooper couldn't ride hardly anything. I have no idea what was up with the quacks that ran the show, but it wasn't very kid friendly. What really got me was when one of the guys running a kiddie game had a shirt on that said "I'm not mr. right, but I'll f*** you until he shows up" It is just wrong! I know that most kids playing the game couldn't read, but the parents and older kids could. It was disgusting.

The cutest thing was the banana races. They had little capuchin monkey riding dogs. It was really cute. The boys thought it was hilarious. We also saw the Pirate high flying act. It was cool, but kind of scary. Those guys had no fear.

I finally finished the top to my christmas present quilt. I went to get the backing ready and realized I don't have enough. Hopefully I will be able to get to the store this weekend.

Other than that I am dreading Wednesday. My baby starts Kindergarten. It just can't be happening already. It is sad, but he is really excited and ready to go.

Blogger isn't playing nice so I will post pictures later!

Appointment update

2008-08-21T13:47:00.003-04:00

I had my 24 (25) week appointment yesterday and I am happy to report that everything is going good.

I only gained 2 pounds which puts me at a total of 12 pounds. Way better than with either of my other pregnancies. He is measuring right on target and his heartbeat was 159. I also got the results of my diabetes test which even the midwife thought it was stupid that I had to have an early one. I have to have the second one in September which is annoying, but at least it will be the last time.

This midwife was awesome. She answered all my questions without making me feeling like an idiot. She gave me some suggestions for the pelvic pain I've been having. Now all I have to do is fill out the preregistration paperwork for the hospital and schedule the tour. I figure it is a good idea to know where we are going especially on how fast this guy comes.

Crazy kids

2008-08-20T08:34:00.005-04:00

There isn't too much to write about. I've been feeling kind of icky the past few days. Nothing too bad, just kind of icky. I have a doctors appointment today so we'll see how this little guy is doing.

We are headed out to the state fair this weekend. It should be interesting with the boys. Sadly it is supposed to be hot which doesn't make me too happy. Oh well, at least I'll have the hubby and the in laws to help out.

Since there isn't too much going on around here I'll leave you with some pictures of my crazy kids. This is what happens when they want their picture taken right after waking up.

2008-08-19T08:26:00.004-04:00

The guy that came and tested our water last night was a quack. I knew that he was going to try and sell us a softener, but crazy me thought he would actually run a legitimate test.

I think he is ticked off because Jeremy knew everything he was talking about since he deals with it at work. Plus my dad is a water operator so I know a lot from him. He couldn't just tell us a bunch of stuff and have us believe him.

He did an iron test and then said that he had to repeat it because that is protocol. Yeah, well the first test came back with really high iron levels (like almost off the chart). He goes to do the second test and both Jeremy and I saw him use a different tablet than he did the first time.

Then he did a TDS (total dissolved solids) test which is supposed to show you how much "stuff" is in your water. He kept saying that it would be around 250-280 and he did the test and it only came back at 150. He said that was impossible.

Frankly the guy just pissed me off. I hate when people try to bully you into doing something just because they can fake a test. I know our water isn't perfect, but I know it isn't that bad either.

I really hate to shell out $150+ for a test that I can't be sure is true either. Why can't their be any reliable people in this world.

And on the same idea:

Rain rain go away DON'T come back for awhile!

Boring update

2008-08-18T12:31:00.004-04:00

We spent the whole weekend cleaning and running errands. My feet and back hurt something horrible.

I scrubbed down the kitchen and Jeremy did all the furniture moving and vacuuming. I still have some more deep cleaning to do, but at least it looks better on the surface.

We have an appointment tonight with a guy to check our water. We are trying to figure out why there is a water softener here and if we can get rid of it. It is huge and I hate the noise it makes. Hopefully we will be able to get rid of it and save the money on electric and salt.

Nothing much else going on here. I have a bunch of errands to run this week, but Cody has a little cold so they are put on hold until he feels better.

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-08-14T13:05:00.003-04:00

I have never had good luck making macaroni and cheese. It either turns out into a big lump or is curdled and runny.

A few weeks ago my mom sent me a recipe that was in her paper and said that they both
loved it. I was skeptical, but figured I would give it a try.

My husband who hates anything but the blue box kind actually ate three helpings of it so I know it must be a winner.

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard (I used Dijon mustard instead)
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute, remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2 qt casserole. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!