This is Proof! Wash Your Hands...

This is kind of jumping around today... I don't have a lot of time because I've been goofing off all morning so now I have to get all my stuff done and supper started and laundry and, well, you get the idea all within the next two hours so I'll be humping and working my arse off to get it all done before I leave at 2:30pm to pick up all the kiddos. Sometimes it's just that way, you know, you can't get going and end up talking on the phone and playing on the internet and answering emails while everything around you suffers. I promise I'll be good tomorrow. And I get to work at the shop so we're putting out some of our jewelry so I'm excited about that. I'll let you know how it goes.

First things first: I found this quote this morning and I wanted Brent to be sure and read it. Whether it be today, tomorrow or whenever he happens upon my blog again, I want him to read this and know that this is who we are.

• A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, one of them will fall for the other, maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe, just maybe...forever" ~Unknown

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Fireproof is out on DVD today. I haven't made it to Target yet to pick it up but it's on my list for this week. I think I'll get it today and watch it tomorrow without Brent first to see exactly what's it is all about. But I dunno, I digress. I will have to ponder that.... any suggestions? Should I watch it first or should we watch it together first??

OK. So on with what I have proof of, what really exists .... and it's effin scary.

This is proof that what lurks inside our bodies can be very harmful, just by now washing our hands regularly: Brain-Eating Worm - And the boys never believed me that things like this happen. Guess what they'll both be watching when they get home from school today? Nothing like a Scared Straight video to help things along, albeit in a little bit of a different direction!! LOL

My friend sent me this and it totally freaked me out. So now I think I have one. I think it's what contributing to my being tired all the time, not listening when my kids tell me something, skipping from one thought to another, one project to another, getting bored easily -- oh wait, that's right about a year and a half ago I caught my nephew's ADHD. I guess I could also just as easily catch the brain-eating worm. Just thinking about it is making me sick. I can't shake it. I am totally grossed out. On a lighter note, I was really happy to see this woman get back to her life and her family.

Ciao

photo courtesy of : redstandard.org

Hy-dee Ho, no offense to the "Ho" part if you are one.

Well, it's been awhile but I can't seem to jump into a settled routine. Between school stuff, making jewelry with my friend and keeping up everything and getting stuff ready for taxes, every day seems to just fly by. This weekend went in the blink of an eye. So exactly what have I been up to since January 6th?? Well, I had a birthday on January 10th and it was really great. Brent was totally trying to surprise me so he succeeded for the most part. I knew we were going to my sister's in Lafayette but I just thought it was the same ole stuff. So he takes off on Friday and we spend the day together. He comes home with a rental car so we can take our trip which just happened to look like a pimpmobile. It's a beautiful car, really pretty but every time I see one (and I want one) it looks like someone should be chauffeuring around the local pimp. It was a Chrysler 300 and it made for a very nice trip. Great car with lots of room. The boys loved traveling in something other than the Expedition for a change. So, we get into town and instead of heading toward my sister's house we ended up at the Hilton where he had reserved a room for us for all weekend. I was really happy then when we walked in, there was only one king size bed. So, what made it even that much better is that the boys were staying with my sister. Yeah. oh I have to say it again. Yeah. So he made reservations at this restaurant he had went to when he was in North Carolina for a production seminar and it was really good. It's called BoneFish and it is as good as everyone says, well actually better since we have nothing in our area to compare it too. It is way better than Tokyo which would be the only thing remotely close to it. I made Christene, Bailee, Liam & Ian come into the bar part with us and have appetizers and we had a few drinks. I fell in love with their winter cosmos and the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer was exceptional. I would have taken pictures of all this but I forgot my camera at home with a dead battery not knowing all this fun stuff was planned for my birthday. They left to go to another restaurant and to the movies and we stayed for a couple more hours and ate and had a few drinks. It was really nice. We had great conversation and forgot how much we love going out and trying new things (umm, without kids). I love 'em but sometimes, you know, just sometimes it is really a good thing to get away from them. You know?? Do you know or am I the only parent who thinks that way? OK, so here is the official review of BoneFish in Lafayette - A+. And I am not exaggerating. Service was great, drinks were to a tee and the food was titillating and satisfying. That's funny .... titillating and satisfying in the same sentence. Sounds like a porn story or something. hahaha So we had a cake my other sister had made by a friend. it was gorgeous to say the least. My sister and niece took pictures but I can't seem to get them to email them to me, hint hint! It was hot pink with black ribbon and a big black bow tied like a gift and then it had pink and black curly ribbon hanging from it. It was all edible fondant and the cake weighed about 10 pounds I swear. It was so heavy and delish! It was white with raspberry filling. I am going to be using this lady for all my cakes from now on. I don't know what others she does but the wrapped gift look is great for just about any occasion. I really hope to post a pic of it on here soon if I can get them emailed to me. hint hint. It was one of the most special birthdays I can remember and Brent did a great job making it really special for me and I love him more each day for all that he brings to our relationship. OK, enough of the sappy emotional stuff.

So then it was time for CCD, basketball practices and we just signed up for baseball this weekend and picked up our two cases of candy to sell. Yuck. I hate that because they end up eating it, along with me and Brent, so I just end up writing a check for the lot of it to cover everything they ate along with anyone else who comes into the house! Ever since we came back from Lafayette that weekend, Liam's friends have been here all weekend long and we've had basketball games for Ian and then on Saturday we took Ian to Beaumont for a birthday party at the movie theater and got to spend three hours all by ourselves again. I'm getting used to having all this time with my husband. We did some errands, ate lunch and then hit up Super H-E-B to stock up on stuff that you can only get there. I love that store and I recently started going to Kroger Signature store in Beaumont and it is sooo nice. I actually had people who work there come up and ask me if I needed help finding something. Huh? Wha?? That never happens at Walmart or HEB here. In fact when they see you coming they turn around and head the other way or give you that "I can't believe you are going to interrupt my conversation while I'm at work to ask me some dumb ass question about where something is when it is clearly labeled on the sign ten foot above your head at the beginning of each aisle" you know that look right? Well, I just found a bunch of sights about Krogering and using coupons and their mega sales and stuff like that so I will be going back. I would rather drive 20 minutes and enjoy my grocery shopping experience in a CLEAN store that doesn't smell like dead, rotted meat than the crap Walmart has to offer. Our Walmart always seems to be super dirty and most of the time (if I have time) I will make time to drive to the other Walmart which is about 10 minutes farther. So if you have a Kroger Signature store nearby, give it a try. The blogs are raving about the sales and good deals so give it a go if you get a chance.

One new thing I've started is a menu plan. Yup, yesterday I sat down and did my menu planning based on things we already have. I have an obsession with grocery stores and going like everyday almost so I'm going to try and weed out so we can have some room. All three freezers are full and the two refrigerators are in need of stuff being weeded out and used up. So I did my menu based on things I don't have to go out for unless we run out of an essential item or I did a hair up my butt and want to try a new recipe. The cupboards have so much crap that I have nowhere, absolutely no where to put any new things. I am in the process of looking for an armoire with all shelves inside to use as a makeshift pantry for more canned goods and things of that sort. I recently put all the extra pumpkin, peanut butter and other canned goods of that sort on the shelving unit in the garage but food being outside with critters and bugs well that just doesn't sit well with me. Nope. Not at all. So we are going to see about using up some of the "crap" I have in the pantry and then stockpiling new things to do my weekly menu planning. If this goes well I want to do once a month cooking and shopping. I grocery shopped at the beginning of January with the understanding that it was for the month but within 2-3 days tops I was back at our local grocery store getting things for a new recipe I wanted to try. My friends just laugh at me. Even Liam said "Mom, we don't need anything else." But.... we always need milk, bread, eggs, etc. So I am going to try hard to stay out of Sam's too. That is the worse place for me to be - Sam's - hungry -- and bored. It makes for some very expensive shopping, although all the chicken, pork, and bacon I happened to pick up doesn't have anyone griping about it now. Last week I made the Cajun Meatloaf from The Pioneer Woman and it was soo good. Ian and Liam really liked it. Ian even commented that on all the cartoons they make noises and faces when they hear they are having meatloaf for supper, but he didn't understand why because he thought it was so good. My poor boys. I have never made a meatloaf in my life and I'd like to thank the meat manager at Kroger for pointing out the difference between ground pork and ground pork sausage. I won't go into details but will say that (1) there is a difference and (2) I'm glad I followed the recipe. So here goes my first ever Menu Planning Monday:

Monday:

Roast, rice & gravy, pinto beans (not from a can), cornbread

Tuesday: (CCD for Ian) Chicken-fried Steak w/gravy(courtesy of Sam's), butter beans, mashed potatoes which happen to be Liam's favorite food

Wednesday: (CCD for Liam) Salisbury steak, broccoli w/ cheese sauce, potatoes au gratin

Thursday: (Basketball Practice Ian) BBQ ribs (for ian - he loves them), citrus chicken (YUMMO), asparagus, dirty rice

Friday: Kids over so probably taquitoes, chili con queso, chips/dip; banana splits for dessert

Saturday: Basketball Games - probably out for late lunch or supper

Sunday: Hey, I just started this so if it lasts this long it will suprise me and you! Thinking Gumbo or Sausage and Lentil Soup courtesy of a copycat recipe from Carrabba's - truly DELISH.

Back to the Grind in Mom City: Argh

Yes, officially over. Time to get back to the daily grind of cleaning, cooking, homework and being the taxi for my two, make that three, overbearing bosses. I was recently asked in a meme if I loved my job and honestly, I'd have to say yes. A lot of the time I feel undervalued, you know, just an itty, bitty bit but for the most part I'd have to say that I love what I do as much as I love them. Trying to learn to solder silver jewelry but I'm scared of burning metal and if I mess up I'm sure I'll be scarred for life, but I can do it. I know I can. Positive talk, positive self talk. Are these posts boring? I think so but I guess I'll just ramble on. I feel like I worked trying to get everything so clean yesterday and no one noticed. Within fifteen minutes of the boys and Brent getting home, it seems just as untidy and messy. Backpacks on the floor, books all over the table. I guess I can gripe or I can accept it and make happy memories. Soon enough they'll be grown and on their own and we'll be wishing for these times back. The hustle and bustle of the everyday life. Tonight I'm making the easiest stroganoff recipe in the world -- hang on I have to take out the roast. Well, I guess not tonight because you have to use either stew meat or cut up a roast into bite sized pieces and the roast is frozen solid. Another night I guess. I guess tonight it will be a little simple, we have CCD for Ian and then he has has basketball practice Thursday night. It's already time to sign up for Little League and Ian's basketball games have not even started yet. He's doing the UPWARDS program at a local church. Our church doesn't have the program but Hillcrest Baptist in Nederland does and Liam played for about five years and loved it. I hope Ian enjoys his experience. He has really enjoyed the practices and his coaches thus far.

I started reading the series of books that True Blood on HBO is based on, written by Charlaine Harris. The first one seems to be following the beginning of True Blood but a friend totally me it does veer a little as you get more into the series. I am also about three-quarters of the way through Jon & Kate Gossling's book Multiple Blessings. I'm so on the fence about them but the book does seem to be a telling memoir of her feelings about being a mother of multiples. I'll let you know how that turns out, or let me know if you've read it or Dead Until Dark and what is your feedback.

I really need some of this today. I wonder where I can get it? I need to get some Red Bull or Monster to get some major stuff done.

OK, so I'm trying to watch a movie online called In the Valley of Elah. Only about 15-20 minutes but it seems really interesting about a missing soldier whose dad is trying to locate him. The dad is Tommy Lee Jones. So I'll let you know how this one turns out. It's so dreary, rainy and cold and I had a million things to do but have not mustered up the motivation yet. Even with three extra strength Excedrin. Brent is doing a project at work and we're trying to find sliding cabinet storage shelves for the kitchen. If he sees them while he's out today, I'm going to go get them so we can get them installed. No time like the present right? So I'm off to do a mom's devotional and try and get some things accomplished on such a melancholy day.

Change of plans: My sister/partner in crime just called and she's coming over for coffee and breakfast. What? My friend wants me to go Hobby Lobby (yeah!) so I guess all this boring stuff can wait. After all, add a little spice to your life and fly by the seat of your pants. If I run across any good deals I'll be sure and share them. Oh and I totally racked up at Target on all Christmas decorations and apparel for 75% and 90% off. Cannot wait to use all the new stuff next year, well this year. Toodles. Ciao!

It Said Any Bitch Could Cook, But I Highly Doubt They've Eaten My Food!

In this instance, BITCH is a good thing. Keep reading and get your mind out of the gutter.

Umm, ok. So I have all these cookbooks, big ones and little ones, that say I can supposedly cook. However, I doubt they have eaten my cooking. These little cookbooks are printed in San Angelo, Texas and they have some of the best recipes. You can get your very own right here. I've tried a few but with my new Kitchen Aid that I got for Christmas, I'm really hoping to start soon. I'm going out tomorrow to try and get a few more of these "bitch" cookbooks. One for a friend's birthday on Sunday and now they have one about appetizers and other about cocktails. By the way, BITCH stands for Babe In Total Control Of Herself. So if you haven't had a peek at these, you really need to get one or two!

Another great find lately has been this pecan pie in a jar mix. I swear this is the best stuff. I made one of the pies for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. Brent loved it and his brother liked it a lot too. I liked it better after it had been refrigerated and was all sticky and gooey, OMG I could have slapped your momma (not my momma, she's too little and frail right now). It is freakin awesome so I ran back to Gaudie & Co. and bought two more. At $15 a jar, it's a little pricey, but it is so well worth it. Really it is. I also found another place in town that sells it so if they don't carry it after the holidays, I know where I can get it locally. But there's always the internet. I think I'm going to make one of these for my friend's birthday that's coming up. However, I'll have to ask if she even likes pecan pie. Not to sure and these days, people are allergic to everything. I'm going to post a few pics over the Christmas break of us working on our gingerbread house. It was pretty pathetic but the boys (and Brent, and me) had fun doing it. We had to cut craft sticks in half to hold up the roof (lol) because it kept sliding off. The directions said to wait at least 30 minutes before adding all the embellishments to the top but did they listen to me or the directions? NOOOO. So it was sliding off and falling off so I just started eating the candy. The gum drops that we put on the roof were old and chewy, and they were so good. We couldn't get enough of them. So I hope you enjoy the pics of all my boys working so very hard. They tried to be so perfectionistic and it turned into a mess. But it was beautiful when it was done, in a mother's eyes of course.

Even Liam took part in this family endeavor, which, if you have teenagers, is a big deal!

Ian and his daddy were all into this. I usually just let 'em throw it together and call it good but no, it had to be perfect. Well, until it started falling apart. he he


Brent's trying to look really tough while he oversees the decorating of the gingerbread house. Now that's funny, I don't care who you are!

Ian intently watching his daddy construct the pieces of gingerbread which will soon burst into the semblance of a home. Well not exactly. He's just getting po'd because he has to actually put the candy on the gingerbread house instead of eating all of it!

Awww, Brent... you can put icing/jellybeans/whatever you want on my rooftop any time...! he he You'd know I'd have to make this into something erotic. Then again, if I wasn't so randy all the time we'd probably be pretty bored all the time!!

New Year, New Attitude

Oh my gosh long time no see! Happy New Year!! Hope 2009 brings a lot of happiness, health, wealth and all the prayers I can send your way. I have taken a long bloggy vacation and I swore to myself that at the beginning of the year when all the hype from soccer playoffs, holidays, shopping, Christmas and New Year's were over with, I'd get down to business and try and find a happy medium. I dunno, maybe I had writer's block. That's funny because I don't actually consider this writing so I had blogger's block. Yup, the dreaded BB. Every time I'd think of something to blog about or get excited about telling everyone, I'd have that foreboding feeling that people were just judging every sentence, every period, every comma, every comment. Well, for someone who really doesn't give a crappo what others think, I think I was doing a good job of giving a shit. So, if you like it, keep reading, if not, log off. I've been perusing hundreds of blogs lately and that is basically the consensus. Write what you want and if people don't like it, well, they'll visit other sites they do like. I am very opinionated, stubborn and at times obscene, but hey, not everyone has all of those good points. Now for the bad... I'm opinionated, stubborn and obscene with a capital O, S, O. lol OK, that's funny. So I hope you all celebrated the New Year even if it was at home in dreamland. A new year, a new start, a new beginning, freshness abounds. blah blah blah.. Whatever. I just like it because my birthday is nine days away and I'll have a reason to celebrate with my hubby.

A quick recap of the last two months. School, homework, taxi for the boys, soccer games, soccer playoffs, CCD, Thanksgiving, a very long week with no school, shopping, shopping, excruciatingly mundane things like groveling over Christmas lists and gift lists to the point that I think I developed an ulcer, more shopping with Brent on two of his vacation days, school Christmas parties and staying up until past midnight making Christmas mice and goodies for the kiddos, a really great Christmas with family and friends, enjoying all the fruits of our labor, watching the boys play with all their new stuff and learning how to use my new professional series Kitchen Aid mixer. (I love this piece of kitchen equipment. If I go on an extended vacation, I will be bringing it with me). Did I tell you how much I love my mixer? Did I tell you how pretty it is? Did I tell you that it's so nice, pristinely clean and beautiful that I haven't even used it yet because I don't want it to get cake mix and flour and water and oil and crap all over it to never be the same again. Kind of like when you get your new haircut and it looks great because someone else did it and at home you know in your heart it will never be quite that great. Well, that's how I feel about the new addition to our family. She sits there so purty and clean that I've scrounged and scoured over recipes only to say "nah, not today. Maybe tomorrow." Do I have that Scarlett O'Hara syndrome? You know the "I'll think about that tomorrow." Yup, I really and truly believe I do. I promised Brent I would use it before the boys go back to school so I think a nice, simple peanut butter cookie recipe will suffice. I know, I'm rambling on. But does anyone else ever feel that way about such a materialistic thing? I guess I could just go throw some flour and water all over it and leave it overnight and then get up in the morning, kind of clean it and never feel the same about it again. Yeah, yeah. That's it. Like when you get a brand new minivan and your child spills an entire bottle full of milk in between the seat and the sliding back door but you don't discover it until a day later when the Texas sun has curdled all the milk into clods and your brand new van now smells like rotten feet. Yup, been there, done that. Ok, on to the recap. Christmas - Check. New Year's - Check. I guess we're up to par on the events unfolding in my life since we last had contact. New year and hopefully new ideas.

OH MY GOD I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU!! It freakin' snowed in Texas. We're in Southeast Texas and Brent woke us up at 12:30 in the morning on December 11th (I think it was the 11th) to tell us that it was snowing. No, not just a few flurries here and there but to us it looked like a blizzard. The boys were so funny. Sleepy, cold and gathering snow to eat and throw at each other. It was snowing hard until about 3:00am then it slowed down and we got back up at 5:30 am to watch it some more. It was so peaceful and tranquil. They played in it for about 45 minutes before they had to get dressed and go to school. Yup, you heard me right. It hasn't snowed and stayed on the ground here since 19freakin89 (last time it had even close to this amount was 19freakin73) and the school did not even delay it one minute. All the other school districts in the whole area and up north delayed school by two hours but noooooooooo, not our district. Liam went to school kind of bummed but once we drove up all the kids were having a giant snowball fight in the football field. He said that since first period was athletics the coaches let them stay out as long as they wanted. He didn't last too terribly long because he said his hands were so cold he was afraid he'd get frostbite. He's too funny, frostbite - in Texas - poor thing - he's so naive. But we took lots of pictures and it really did create some great memories. Ian still has a bag of snow (well, actually it's just a big clump of ice now) in the deep freeze. Sweet little man. He has no idea it's a big hard ice ball. I don't think I'll tell him for right now either.

These are the oleanders in the front yard. It was so beautiful to see the banana trees, oleanders and palm trees covered in snow. Talk about strange -- tropical plants covered with snow.

Even when we go on vacation, it's usually to the beach or somewhere else just as hot so this is the first time the boys have ever built a snowman, a cowboy snowman at that!

OK, to us this was almost blizzard like conditions. It was too funny. Tricia said she was going to call in sick to the post office because she didn't have snow tires. I believed her. She calls in all the time for dumb things like that so I wasn't sure if she was kidding or not. She was.


The sun was just beginning to rise and it was so gorgeous on the snow. The boys were thrilled. The snowman kind of looks like he's shooting the finger in a way. Now that's funny.

Oh, one new thing I'm doing is helping my friend at her jewelry shops. My neighbor sells purses, jewelry, Yellowbox flip-flops and slippers and things of that sort. So, for the last several months I've been going to the shop on Wednesdays and working there for her while she does the jewelry shows in bank buildings, office buildings and hospitals. I guess I kind of volunteer, since I don't actually get paid. But for Christmas I got some great gifts for people on my list for our bartering arrangement. She gets help when she needs it and I get gifts when I need them. I have really enjoyed it. The women who come in are great and they buy stuff on their breaks at the hospital and lunch hour. So in the new year we've decided we're going to start making these really neat necklaces and try to personalize them, although we're still not sure exactly which ones. It's a really exciting opportunity and she's just as pumped as I am. It's been a long time since I've looked forward to creating something from nothing. Hurricane Ike repairs and damages kind of put a big damper on Christmas cheer around this area, but I think everyone is coming around. Like I told Brent, we could be living in a travel trailer in Bridge City so I guess ours doesn't seem so bad now. Just cumbersome. We actually had the structural engineers out the week before Christmas so we're waiting on their report to finally begin the next step.

I don't know about where you are but the traditions in Texas dictate that you have to have pork, black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's Day. So even with his smidgen of a hangover leftover from last night, Brent helped me get everything ready for a great lunch of bbq ribs, cabbage with smothered ribs, ham and a big ol pot of black-eyed peas. I have no idea how he seasons them but I love them the way he cooks them. I used to hate them so much that even as an adult (probably when we were DINKS -- double income no kids) that I would gag. Then one year after I had Liam and he was a small baby Brent made some and they tasted so good. They were so delicious and I've loved them ever since. He really spices them up and adds chunks of ham and... well you get the idea. So whatever the traditions are where you live, imbibe in them, carry them on year after year. Remember that song Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof. My daddy loved that song and used to sing it and dance around the house like Tevye, the father of all the girls in the movie. If you have never seen the movie, get it and watch it. Tradition. Tradition.

I hope everyone has been doing well, and I wish you all a Happy New Year. There are some awesome women out there with great blogs and my bloggy resolution for this year is that when I find a great blog and things that I feel others could benefit from, I will be sharing it here with you. I've received a lot of recipes, coupons, freebies, samples from great sites that have made such a difference. I love reading about other women and their families journey to a debt free life. We made our goals for 2009 and I have no doubt that we will meet them. Ciao Bella!

Miss Me? I Missed Y'All!

I thought these two little boys were so cute with their red hair. I always tell Brent I was born 40 years later than I should have been born. I'd love to be my age that I am now back in the 1940's, raising my boys and raising providers for their future families, but then again I'd probably be dead from old age by now. But I just love that era, don't you??

We have been busy for the last couple of weeks between soccer games and practices and Ian's school had their annual Fall Festival last Thursday so that was pretty time consuming. However, it worked out great and he had a lot of fun running around with his little friends and Brent was watching over them while I worked the food. Yikes, that job was demanding. When these people get off work and bring their children to the school festival, they are hungry. I was so busy that I didn't look up but the time went by so fast, it was over before I knew it. Liam even skipped soccer practice that night to come with us and he ran around with his friend chasing some girls, well the way I saw it the girls were actually chasing the three boys. He said they were following them and then when they started running the girls started running and then they all ended up hanging out together. I can remember things like that when we had functions at our Catholic school. I could tell you stories that would make your hair stand on end about what went on with all those good little Catholic kids I went to school with, oh yeah, I was one of them. Nothing major but the girls definitely instigated all the chasing, hugging, etc. We thought it was such a big deal to get hugged back then and hold hands. Yup, we were bad, bad, bad. lol

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... everywhere you go!!! Now isn't that the truth. Santa's already arrived at the mall but I absolutely REFUSE to partake in any kind of Christmas activity until after we give THANKS for all that we have received this year. Isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about -- family, fellowship, relaxing before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I abso-friggin'-lutely LOVE Thanksgiving. I just told Brent the other day that it has to be my all-time favorite holiday and do you want to know why? Huh, huh, do you? Well I am going to tell you - in just a sec I have a text message to send. Who said I wasn't a multitasker? I love Thanksgiving because it gives us time to just be, do you kind of understand what I'm trying to say? All you have to do is show up for dinner, maybe bring a side, everyone can relax and enjoy each other, drink a glass of wine or two, listen to Christmas music, watch the game, just be. No worries about is he/she/they going to like the gift, should I have gotten a bigger size, this child needs a nap because Santa came waaay too early, listening to everyone whine and gripe about leaving the house and all their new toys to make the rounds on Christmas. I think Thanksgiving is about spending time together, enjoying it -- even if the food tastes bad or the kids are acting up, after all, you are with your family. If you can't be yourself with them, then who can the kids act up around or say that something doesn't taste too good. I just really enjoy it. I love spending the day with Brent and the boys, I love coming home and laying on the couch with Brent and watching A Christmas Story or any kind of Christmas movie, then snacking on all the great tasting goodies we brought back home.

Isn't this little girl adorable with her little fat feet and I can just see her boinking that turkey on the head with the ear of corn!

After I brought the boys to school this morning, I came home and have been listening to Christmas music on 104.5 all morning. They usually start this on Thanksgiving but it is really early this year. That's ok though, it still won't make me buy into the mainstream media propaganda by trying to boost the economy with the ever engaging commercialism of the Christmas season. And by the way, when cashiers, waitresses, waiters, the guy at Best Buy say (or don't say) Merry Christmas, I always make an effort. Even to the Salvation Army people stationed outside of Sam's Club I said Merry Christmas. If they say Happy Holidays or anything other than Merry Christmas, I am always wondering what is up with that???? I cannot consciously do that. Maybe it's a good thing I am a stay-at-home mom because if my employer asked me to do that, I would have to speak up. Hell, I worked for a Jewish family for three years right out of high school and it was not an issue then, what is the problem now? OK, off the soapbox. Just give thanks on Thanksgiving and celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Is is really that hard?

(I used this turkey last year and thought it was hilarious then. Well, guess what? I still think it's hilarious this year!)

So soccer season is officially over. My baby's team is going to the playoffs in December. They were undefeated all season and have done exceptionally well. So the first weekend of December is going to busy between playoff games and Ian will be making his First Reconciliation at church so we are going to do a dinner and cake for him, just to celebrate his First Penance in preparation for his First Communion in April. He told us that soccer was waaay more important and he'd rather go to Liam's games. I was like no way buddy. I think he's just worried about confessing his sins and trying to remember his Act of Contrition. We've been working on it but the next few weeks I am going to work with him every evening. He actually has CCD tonight so while he's at church for that hour it's the one hour a week Brent and I get it all to ourselves. Last week we went to Starbuck's (although I don't really like their coffee) so this week I think we are going to go look at a few Christmas gifts at Circuit City. We tried the other night and ended up buying them things they wanted, mainly two video games, that were on their list in the first place. Must. stop. this. Must. stop. buying. them. things. before. Christmas. If I keep that up their Christmas is going to be really disappointing. You know what I do like??? Kind of acting ADD today again right? Jumping all around as much as the thoughts in my lil o' head. Anywho -- I like the coffee at Cracker Barrel. We had to go and buy the stain and acid for the cement we are staining in the den last Tuesday when Brent was off for Veterans Day and we wound up eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Their coffee is so good. I bought a pouch of it and a few other things in the shop. I love shopping at Cracker Barrel. I bought a new Gooseberry Patch recipe book. I guess I need to go again sometime soon and get some more coffee. I actually drink my whole cup in the mornings then when I get back from taking the boys, I drink my hot tea. Yum. I love my PG Tips tea that I bought at World Market in Lafayette. Are there any grocery stores that sell the Cracker Barrel brand? That would make it a little more convenient but then again, I do love going shopping at Cracker Barrel. And the John Deere stuff is so cute. Just when I think Ian is growing out of it, he'll says something about his so-and-so broke so he needs another one or he'd like the collectors edition of this one certain combine. Maybe his passion for John Deere will stick with him who knows?

Brent is supposed to be going to Colorado again in January right after Christmas. Hoping and praying it's not the same time as my birthday. With my luck though who knows? He'll still enjoy it and we can just celebrate when he gets back. Oh yeah, why would I want to celebrate THAT? Getting toooooo old for that crap. So I've been lurking around blogs and getting ideas for Christmas gifts this year. There are sooo many great ideas. Of course I am not crafty at all. I love crafty people, but I'm not crafty. I can follow directions and reproduce crafts, but to just come up with it all on my own -- no way Jose.

I have made some really great recipes lately. I keep making the Apple Dumplins from the Pioneer Woman's website. They are so good and Brent loves them. He takes them to work for breakfast. I also made the Mexican Potato Casserole from Diary of a SAHM and they love it. I've made it twice so far and they can put it away. We made Sausage and Lentil soup from Carrabba's this weekend. We froze out butts off at soccer all day Saturday with two games in Beaumont so we came home and Brent made a big 'o pot of this delicious soup. When I email the recipe to my sister, I'll include it here. Didn't take it any pics of the soup but it is so good and spicy. Everyone who tasted it loved it. I have no idea what to do with the porkchops I have defrosting for tonight but I'm sure I'll think of something pretty soon.

Thursday is Thanksgiving Dinner with Ian at his school. I guess the middle school is not doing it this year but Liam hasn't said anything about it. I'll have to ask him about that. He told me in the car this morning on the way to school that he wants to get his hair cut. I'm sure he means more like a trim but I told him I'd call the guy that cuts our hair and get him an appointment. If he does it on his own, does that mean he doesn't have to get straight A's anymore? He's kept up his end of the bargain since third grade, so we are going to keep up our end. Little toot, he's such a stinker. I have got to get off and go figure out dinner -- decisions, decisions. Ciao!

Can You Guess Who Ian Was for Halloween?

Brent & Ian on Boston Avenue Trunk-or-Treat

I never realized how much Ian looks like his daddy until they won a little costume contest last weekend. I was really floored. Ian will watch him and do exactly what he does, such as standing, folding his arms, scratching his ... well, you get the idea. Like father like son ... or monkey see, monkey do. Whichever, I love 'em both!!

YUP, Ian wanted to dress up like his daddy for Halloween, so that's exactly what we did. He was so cute and proud of himself. We even managed to find their old jeans with holes in them so he could match. I do believe this had to be the cheapest Halloween costume in America. They actually wear everything they have on and the Astros caps are from this past baseball season and the mascara, well, they snatched up my new tube and used it so I went and dug out an old one for them to use. All I've ever really asked is STAY AWAY from my makeup! But hey every now and then they have to go in my makeup bag, mainly when they are searching for the best tweezers known to man, and I watch those little suckers like a hawk the whole time Ian's trying to get out his own splinter. Yeah, we have made huge strides during the summer months. He's not a baby anymore and can get out and dig for his own splinters. Hey, more power to you little man. The less I have to gag, the better. Anyway, they were too cute. Liam was with his friends wreaking havoc on their neighborhood and playing chase with some friends who happen to be girls all night. I guess he turns 13 and runs amok. Not really, but from what I heard the girls were chasing them. Here are a few extra pics of our Halloween week and our pumpkin decorating contest. I think Brent won with the black and gold pumpkin, which are the colors of our school. He always does a good job with artsy stuff. I just wanted mine to have black polka dots but then I tried to join the polka dots and add a little splash of pink and Brent said it looked like a bunch of special spiders. He said my pumpkin was hideous. Oh well, I was the judge and he didn't win. Both the boys tied and got a kiss and a buck from mom. They were less than thrilled. But... it's all about that quality family time we spent together until I threw a fit and stomped off because mine turned out so fugly. Brent's was the best and his was the first to either and die because all the acid in the paint or some chemical reaction ended up eating right into the pumpkins. ha ha Serves him right for being so hoighty-toighty (is that even how you spell it??) and big-headed about having the best pumpkin!

This was Brent's pumpkin he decorated. Yeah his is great, mine sucked. His deflated after a couple of days because of all the paint. HA HA

This was Liam's pumpkin. One side was a happy face, the other side was a scary face. He was trying to appease everyone and one of the little kids in our neighborhood is scared of scary faces. I thought that was really sweet.

This one was mine. I know it's hideous, you don't have to tell me. I put a lot of work into until I got pissed off because it got uglier and uglier the more I tried to help it. Oh well, c'est la vie.

This one is Ian's. It's kind of crazy and all over the place which suits his personality perfectly. He took great pride in his Bulldog pumpkin to reflect his love for our high school football team. He said it was all different colors because he couldn't decide. He does take after me in some aspects, especially his indecisiveness. Now those words could have come straight out of my mouth!! Do not, I repeat, do not give that child a $5 bill and the toy section. You will be there all day.

And I just wanted to say Happy Birthday tomorrow (November 4th) to my sister, Lesley. I'll be out voting so I'll be sending my love and wishes to you on this day. Sorry we had to leave so soon Saturday night. I know I probably missed the free cake but you know how Tricia is... Have fun and remember, you are only as old as you feel. You may look really old on the outside but I'm sure you feel younger on the inside. LOL Luv ya lots Lesley!

OK, so today I have some cooking to do and we have basketball tryouts tonight and working on a school project. Yup, another one. Then Brent and I are going to sit down and make a list of stuff that needs to get done. We are going to playoffs in soccer this December as Liam and his team won a really important game Saturday but the kicker is playoffs are the same weekend that Ian makes his First Penance. AAHHH, another kink in my plan to go away for a weekend with my family and get some Christmas shopping done. So I may have to call on godparents to make sure Ian fulfills his First Penance, especially if Brent has to work overtime that weekend. Hopefully it will work itself out.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow if you haven't already. I was going to vote early but every time I thought about it my stomach would start hurting. So procrastination is my friend in this case. You never know what could develop to make me want to change my vote. So we're down to the wire and I think Barack Obama and the Democrats have a great chance of winning, at least from the information I've perused these last crucial days. Like I always say, I really don't care who anyone votes for, just VOTE. It's your constitutional right. Especially women. Moms in this country do not get enough credit for their participation in these elections. Take pride in your country and the fact that you are voting on your children's behalf. It really does matter. OK, off my soapbox. Get out and VOTE on Tuesday!!

Hey All: It's Been Awhile... Happy Halloween Week!

Ladies, I have been busy reading lots and lots of blogs. I absolutely LOVE all the new sites and blogs for moms and money saving ideas and making our houses into homes. I have gotten so many great ideas in the last couple of weeks that I can't wait. We've had a few small projects going on, but this week I'll be concentrating on trying to do one thing each day for Halloween or fall related with the boys. Liam could really care less but usually once we start he'll join in because he cannot stand being the only one not doing something. Tonight we are making caramel apples so I'll try to remember to take pics and post them tomorrow. Ian is excited because although we have made them before, usually he just eats them after I'm done. This year I told him we'll put the caramel stuff in the crock pot and after supper we'll dip and decorate the apples. I'm also attempting my own pumpkin puree with the six small pumpkins I bought but since I have never done anything like that before my expectations are quite low as to what it will taste like. I'll let you know either way!~M






I finally decided yesterday that I would keep up with my posts and even if they aren't the best posts in the world, it would be something just to chronicle the day's events and rag on people that piss me off. I have been really busy lately. We've cleaned up from the hurricane but wrangling with insurance companies and things of that sort is just so frustrating. We had a great weekend and it was over sooo fast. We went to the Homecoming Parade for the high school football team on Friday afternoon and then tried to entertain Liam and his friends. Keeping Ian out of their way is our biggest challenge so we decided to lit the fire pit and drank wine on the front porch. Brent and I stayed out there forever. It actually felt like fall and had a little nip in the air. We talked for about three hours (which isn't hard for us to do) and came up with the answers to some questions we had been pondering for some time. I felt better after our talk and it's always great having someone to listen to you, I mean really listen, and then coming up with an answer and sticking to it. You know those life-altering decisions I have to make like "What should we let the boys dress like for Halloween? Scary? Original?" and "What did y'all do for Halloween when you were little" and "You're voting for WHO?" That was my biggest question. Maybe after a little lovin' and some sweet talkin' I can persuade him to RETHINK that vote if he plans on doin' any of that again!!!! Just kidding, but I would resort to that if I had to. Last weekend we painted our pumpkins instead of carving them and I didn't really know this at the time, but acrylic paints looks great on pumpkins but from what Liam told me the acid eats away at the pumpkin and now all the pumpkins we painted are distorted and deformed! I bought some more but they will stay in their original presentation and be boring and healthy. The other ones have not fallen apart yet but at any second the back on the biggest one will probably fall off -- it is disgusting. We took Ian to two church fall carnivals and he had fun. The first place Brent took him to was his preschool for Mother's Day Out that he attended for five years. I sooo miss that little school. I loved it and it was so simple - no homework and he looked forward to going every day. I didn't go with them because Brent waited too long to wake me up and so I got dressed while they were gone to the trunk-or-treat there then they ran back and picked me up and we headed over to St. Charles for our Halloween Carnival. Brent and Ian won Most Original with Ian's costume because he was a "mini-me Brent." They dressed alike in camo shirts, hats, jeans and shoes. Then we used mascara to make the goatee on Ian and they look remarkably alike! Everyone just died laughing and were standing there pointing and taking pictures. One girl from our soccer team said she knew they always looked alike, but that Ian was a clone of Brent. I thought it was pretty funny. Until they stood up on the stage and looked out, I don't think I ever realized exactly how much they look alike. Ian was so proud of himself for placing in the contest. Of course, if Brent's not around he just looks cute but when they're walking together people turn and do a double-take. It was hilarious watching their reactions. I'll try and upload a pic from my cell phone. My camera battery was dead so I used the cell phone now I have to figure out how to get it off the media card on the phone. I love the gadgets but sometimes they don't love me!

Reports cards and conferences were this past week and both the boys did really well. Liam made all A's with an overall average of 97 which is really great and he's been working hard to keep his grades up because he loves his long hair. We are so totally proud of him and give him great kudos for such a good job. Ian had really high grades this six weeks which really surprised us because he had such a hard time wanting to go to school, getting him to go to school and to stay there. With the two hurricanes, evacuations and time off of school, he has really stepped up and pulled his weight. I told him that second grade is a hard adjustment for a lot of kids and that what he's feeling is totally normal, only that some kids hide it better than others. And I told him that if he ever feels sad or lonely then when he goes to the nurse to take his tummy medicine (TUMS for kids) to ask the nurse to call me and I can talk to him for a minute. He said he'd like that if he feels that bad but that right now his days are busy at school and he has not gone to the nurse for his Tums in two weeks. Whew! I know it takes 21 days to form a habit, but geez, this is the first time since school started that they have gone for 21 days in a row. His teacher was really generous with her comments and said he is smart and competitive. She knows him well. Liam on the other hand doesn't have a competitive bone in his body. He loves winning in soccer but on a personal level he just does the best he can and doesn't feel he HAS to be the first or be the best. I wonder if it's that "second child syndrome?"

On Wednesdays I help my friend at her jewelry shop and so for the past two Wednesdays I have really enjoyed it. I am not actually getting paid for it, but I'm ordering stuff to put in there to sell and coming up with ideas and bouncing them off of her. She's so much fun to do this with and hopefully the holidays will keep it busy. I found some beautiful crosses that I am going to try and sell in the store and am researching the need for Bento boxes in our area. I talked to a bunch of friends in my neighborhood and at school and we seem to have run out of ideas for lunches. They get so boring and I hate doing that to the boys. However, my kids really don't like buying their lunches and I make them buy it at least once or twice a week so I can get a break and try and find something interesting to pack for them. The bento boxes are so versatile and so I'm going to bounce those around and use them on the boys for awhile and decide if I'm going to try and get them in the shop. Went and scouted out other boutiques/shops in our area and got some great ideas. I love, love, love the vintage wallpaper and initial necklaces. However the place in our area that has them also has them priced pretty high. The ones I looked at were like $18 for two pendants and the chain. The one I priced was $79 and that was only one pendant. I don't know the difference in the quality but the overall effect is the same. Cute and charming.

Halloween plans are trunk-or-treating at several area church functions again and another carnival on Wednesday evening. Liam has CCD but he said that it was OK and we could just bring Ian. I guess he's growing out of the kiddo stuff. I bought this adorable headband to wear that has a giant black and purple spider on it with leopard print so I bought some leopard print yellowbox flip-flops to match for our trick-or-treating night out. However, with my luck, it will probably be chilly or rainy and I won't be able to wear any of the cute stuff. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

OK, so I've tried out a lot of new recipes in the last several weeks. In all of our married years I have never made or attempted sloppy joes. However, my child came home from school the other day asking what a sloppy joe was and could I make him one. So Saturday afternoon after soccer and before our trunk-or-treating, I made my first sloppy joe. I researched about seven different recipes online and then just incorporated all of them and they loved them. Liam & Ian each had two and Brent ate three. I ate one, it was OK, just not my cup of tea. But they loved them and it was super easy. Meat, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, mustard, Lea&Perrins Worcestershire sauce, a little brown sugar, onion, garlic and basically that was it. I added a little water then let it simmer until it was pretty thick. They were famished and ate almost the whole pot. Even Ivy had a little sloppy joe. I think what sparked it is the lunch lady song by Adam Sandler where he sings about the lunch lady and sloppy joe getting married. Ian sings it all the time and I think they had sloppy joes at school or someone brought one from home and he didn't know what they were. So, it was a success and I'll probably be making it more often this winter. Super fast, cheap and easy. I have two new recipes in line this week so I'll review those later in the week as I make them. Tonight we're having chili. Have not made chili yet this fall season and it's about that time. Brent made jalapeno wraps and grill pork tenderloin last night and there was a lot left over but I feel like it is a chili kind of day so tomorrow night we have CCD for Ian and we can have a smorgasbord of different flavors. I found a recipe that looks great on Diary of a SAHM of a Mexican Potato Casserole. Looks easy and like something I could get the boys to eat and maybe even like.

From Tween to Teen: Happy 13th Liam

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIAM
stay sweet and happy
WE LOVE YOU

My baby, my sweet little innocent baby is turning 13 today. We cannot believe it. Not only does it make me sad, it makes me wish he was just so little again and I could rock him to sleep every night and make everything better for him. He is 13 going on 30 and I am not kidding. Brent and I are just amazed at how fast time flies by (when you're having fun) I guess. He's so little for his age but he's growing. He's actually grown about two inches since the end of the school year last year and he now weighs 75 pounds. Yeah, we made it to the mid-70# mark before high school. Bad thing is the little fart eats night and day. He eats more than my friends 12-13 year olds who tower over Liam. He loves being little and fast. He loves track and being the fastest kid on his soccer team. He is so funny with the "being fast" and yet in everyday life he moves sooo slow. He talks slow, he eats slow, he walks slow. He is never in a hurry. Unless he's playing soccer or running. Some days I'll call him a sloth and tell him I'm going to have to mount a camera on him just to make sure he is moving when we fast forward it. I guess it will only get worse as the teenage attitude is starting to rear its ugly head. But in his case I'll say damn cute little head if you ask me, but then again, I am his mom. His friend at school is 5'10" and weighs 175 pounds. Can you imagine what they look like hanging around together? LOL That's almost as big as Brent!



So today is his birthday and we have a soccer game out of town at 4pm so I'm trying to do this really quickly so we can load up and leave. Then we're having dinner at his favorite seafood place and doing cake and ice cream. He really wanted an IPOD touch for his birthday and we kept saying no, no, no but guess what he got. YUP, we broke down the other night at the mall and got it for him. Hey, he's a good kid, says yes ma'am and no ma'am and makes straight A's in honors classes. I think the kid deserved it and so did his daddy. He was so happy. I told him we'd give him some $ and let him pick out his own gift and I could see the disappointment in his eyes. So I guess the surprise this morning was all the more better because he had no idea he was actually getting one. He said he knew he'd get it for Christmas if he didn't get it for his birthday. I hate when they're right all the time.


Anyway, doing the hurricane clean-up crap day after day and whittling my way through major cleansing of clutter. Actually broke down and got new cell phones the other night so now Brent and I can write nasty texts back and forth to each other. That's what we did last night when we took the kiddos to Chili's for supper. Drank margaritas, ate chips and salsa and sent nasty texts back and forth. The boys were just laughing and talking and had no clue we were texting each other. In fact, Liam said it was rude for me to ignore his daddy. We just started laughing because it was our little secret. Came home and set up the birthday table with all the decorations I bought for Liam and it turned out really cute, of course we waited until he went to bed. I know he thinks it's a babyish thing but I told him to indulge me and act happy about it. No one else will see it! (just everyone who sees it on here!) I'll try and download one of the pics from early this morning. We woke him up at 5:30 to open his presents and blow out the candles on his cookie just to indulge me before Brent and Ian went to work on his uncle's property that had hurricane damage also. Take care, have a good weekend. Waiting on adjusters and waiting.... and waiting.... and waiting. I guess that's the name of the game. Ciao!

The Aftermath of Ike: Still in Lafayette, LA

Just a quick note to let everyone know we're still alive. We evacuated Thursday night after having to talk Brent into it all day. And I am so glad we left. Brent went back home the day the storm actually hit so he was back home by 3pm on Saturday. He's a first responder so he had a hologram to be able to get back in quickly. We have flood damage and a tree scraped down the side of the house taking all the electrical lines, boxes and weatherhead. I haven't been back yet. Brent said I'd be horrified. Evidently the french doors were blown open during the hurricane and we had leaves, debris and pieces of shingles all the way into the bathroom and hallway. That means the wind had enough force to blow in the french doors in the den, travel through the dining room and into the hallway. That seems pretty powerful to me. No power so I'm in no hurry really. Brent is wearing himself out trying to clean it all up and work at the same time. He has been ripping out the carpet in the den and had to board up the french doors that were destroyed by the high winds of Ike. We were looking on the internet today at the devastation and destruction at Crystal Beach and Galveston. I cannot believe it. It is so sad. We were planning on spending a week at the beach with the boys for Thanksgiving this year. Brent's grandfather's cabin that was on the second row and has been in their family for decades is just gone. I just saw the aerial and there is nothing there. You cannot even distinguish the roads. Please say a prayer for all the families involved. It looks like a long road to recovery. We're fine and doing good. The boys are fighting everyday and healthy. What more can I ask for? I miss Brent. I miss my house. I miss school! LOL. So, hopefully by this weekend we'll be back home. I don't have any idea when we'll get power but Brent has a generator and we could make do for now. Ready to get things back in order and start a list for all the things that need to be done and need to be replaced. Weren't we doing this three years ago? It is so bizarre that it's happening all over again. Everyone I have talked to and kept in my prayers daily is safe so that's all we can pray for right now. Some very dear friends lost their home and their business on the Bolivar Peninsula. So many friends I've made throughout the years have been affected by the devastation at Crystal Beach. Let's pray for a speedy recovery of the beach towns we love so much.

Bridge City is about 12 minutes from my house down Highway 73. My brother-in-law's dad had 9 feet of water in his home and from what I read on the news sites, 100% of Bridge City was underwater during the storm. It is unbelievable because we actually went through Bridge City on our way out Thursday night heading toward Louisiana. I cannot believe people would try and ride it out, especially in a town surrounded by water.

http://jakeabby.com/ has some great pics of the beach and before/after pics to view.

Check out the pics and CNN and youtube has some great footage of the devastation this hurricane has caused. Oh and by the way, FEMA was nowhere to be seen until about Monday in our area. Brent was home on Saturday afternoon and as of Sunday evening he had not seen FEMA anywhere or Red Cross. He did see military but water and ice was not being given out until Monday. I would think after what happened in New Orleans the government would be a little quicker in their response time. Entergy trucks were traveling into Texas with my husband on Saturday, the day of the storm. I think FEMA and RED CROSS should have been ahead of the power company, don't you? There are people who do not have very much and those supplies mean a lot in a time like this. C'mon, Chertoff, get it together.