The Fritz Facts

We Are Moving! Well, the blog is

2010-03-30T16:33:00.002-05:00

The FritzFacts is moving houses!!

After many years, 853 posts it is time to move onto another place.

Please join me over at The Fritz Facts new home!

What I Learned This Week - Julie's First Week!

2010-03-30T07:23:00.000-05:00

First, lets all give a warm "Hello!" to Julie of From Inmates to Playmates. She is taking over What I Learned This Week, and it's her first week in charge! You rock Julie!!!

So many things are learned each week, so many things that may or may not make an impact in each of our lives. There are things that we wish we could forget, and things that we want to imprint in our minds forever.

Realizing that someone you love is in pain, not something fun to learn. But also learning that your daughter is so excited to try something new is a huge thing too.

This week saw us marveling at the joy that Koda has brought to our lives, but also realizing that so many things have to change in order for our family to work. We have started retraining him, and that is an everyday battle. He has gotten better, and so have we. Our evening are not so tense anymore.

We also spent a great deal of time figuring our our families NEEDS over WANTS. I WANT a new stove, but it isn't something that we NEED (right now at least). As long as mine is still kicking we are good to go. We NEED to finish the basement bathroom before our roomie moves in in 4 weeks but WANT to redo the entire basement walls and ceiling (it is bad...you have no idea).

That last one was the hardest lesson of all. Knowing that our WANTS are many, but our NEEDS are few it not something that anyone wants to admit. While we NEED to paint the kitchen, we don't NEED to paint the living room (even thought now I WANT too). We are trying to teach the kids the difference between the two, and by showing them that we know the difference makes a big step in that direction.

Head on over to From Inmates to Playdates for more What I Learned This Week posts!

Rambles

2010-03-28T21:36:00.003-05:00

I always say to myself on Friday "sweet...I will have time to write this weekend" and it never happens. Life gets in the way, and it is perfect that way.

We spent all of Saturday going here and there, getting things done and playing outside in the cool Minnesota Spring weather. We are working to retrain Koda on some things, and took our first walk as a family since last fall. It was glorious.

Today was another day, only we actually did some house stuff.

Have I mentioned before that I DETEST wallpaper? I am FINALLY getting to pealing the wallpaper in the kitchen (it gives me nightmares...seriously) and it feels so good to get it done. I am still up in the air on colors for the room, but we found at least an accent color (I think). I am going back to Home Depot tomorrow...so who knows what I will come out with in the end.

I am listening for Boo tonight. She has been getting some headaches and they are waking her up in the middle of the night. The poor girl can't catch a break it seems. Hopefully it is just something she is going through because Mama needs a break!

And that concludes the most boring post ever...man...my brain is shutting off and ready for bed.

Night all!!

What I Learned This Week

2010-03-23T07:39:00.004-05:00

Today is a good day, I woke up and have gotten a ton done. All that is left is taking out the trash and going to work. Today is also Koda's birthday! He is 1!!

Did you know there are websites just for Dog Birthday Cakes? Who knew! We are not doing that, but I am going to get him a special treat at some point today.

Making a shelf out of a skateboard is SO MUCH easier than I thought it would be, and I did it myself! That is a HUGE accomplishment if I do say so. Plus, it looks REALLY cool.

When a certain 13 year old forgets to bring his glasses he will show me that he can bowl just fine, even though he will complain when he misses a shot. Drives me nuts.

Spending an afternoon going from one thrift store to another is my idea of heaven, the kids...not so much. But we found what we needed, including 6 9x9 cake pans! Woohoo!!!

Spring has sprung, and one of my Lilies is already starting to come in. No tulips yet though...

I have two weeks until I fly out to Philly/New Jersey, and my nerves are in over drive. I must find my Dramamine... The nerves probably have NOTHING to do with the fact that I will be meeting three bloggers in Philly...nope nothing at all.

For more What I Learned This Week posts head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

A Little Bit of History

2010-03-22T19:26:00.013-05:00

*I have no idea what is going on with the font...

Hubby spent the weekend in Iowa helping to clean out his grandma's house. She has made the choice to live in a Senior Apartment, and has been there since her surgery last winter. They have a coffee shop and play Wii every night. She likes it there, and many of her friends have moved there in the past months, so she has her friends still close. She is a social butterfly, has someone there 24 hours a day but is still very independent.

Her house has sat empty since December and once she made the decision to stay at the Apartment the decision was made to clean out the house and sell it. The brothers (Hubby's Dad and his brothers) all took the weekend and sorted, told stories and divided things up. Hubby took the trip down because there were things that he hoped he could bring home, things that meant a lot to him.

He helped clean the rooms that were dusty with lack of use, helped scrub the cabinets that hadn't been touched in months and relived part of his life in the many MANY pictures that Grandma had held onto.

He did bring home some things, things that meant a lot to him and things he thought we would all enjoy. I wanted to share some of it with you, since it is our own little piece of the family history.

This is a bible that came over from Germany in the early 1900's, the date written inside is 1899, given to a child at their birth from the little German I remember.

Even the scriptures are written in German, those I can't translate. It is simply gorgeous.

These are Hubby's Grandpa's medals. He was in the Navy, serving about the time of WWII

This is the ship that Grandpa served on for many years, one of a couple. The piece of paper in the corner is his Navy ID.

This is something that Hubby's Mom made 30 years ago, a picture of the farm that Grandma and Grandpa then owned.

These are old cookbooks, you know the kind, church and community cookbooks. I have called these the "Use 4 sticks of butter for everything" cookbooks. There are some FANTASTIC recipes in here and I can't wait to dive into them.

These are canning books, giving direction to can pretty much anything. There is also a grilling book, and Grandma's recipe for the BEST Pumpkin Pie. On the bottom of the recipe she even has where she took the pie many years ago.

Hubby brought me this. It is a Hamilton Beach stand mixer. It can also be taken apart to be a hand mixer. This mixer dates pre-1960 and still works like a dream. Big Sis said it will probably last forever.

It even has a timer!!

This...this just plain creeps me out, but it isn't staying at my house (thank GOODNESS!). It is a Santa bird feeder...and the EYES! Oh My Look At The Eyes!! Just creepy! Hubby's parents will be getting this bad boy at their house SOON.

Hubby was glad he went, so am I. I didn't know how he would handle it, but he said it was easier than he thought. There are a lot of memories tied into Grandma's house. We still have her, so more memories can be made at her apartment too.

Seriously, I have to stop looking at the Santa...

Why does my dog hate the camera?

2010-03-21T12:18:00.002-05:00

Koda has a love hate relationship with my camera...he hates sitting still to have his picture taken and would LOVE to eat it straight out of my hand.

No clue what it is, but I even went as far as to turn of the little green light thinking that had something to do with it.

Nope, he jumps for the camera, or lunges depending on who you ask.

Today he was being a...brat for lack of a better (appropriate) word. I took him outside and brought my camera (mistake #1). I watched him play, but then he saw the camera (mistake #2). He came running over, but sat nicely for me (yeah!).

Then...I tried to take his picture so that I can send the breeder a "Look whose 1!!!" photo slide show because his birthday is on Tuesday (mistake #3).

He jumped, and while I got the camera out of the way (woohoo!), my lip did not. I know have a fat lip...

And the dog is being super well behaved.

Why does he hate the camera...I just don't get it.

Hunter and I

2010-03-19T18:48:00.003-05:00

I am keeping my ear trained on the door, listening for squeals, yells or barks. The kids are outside on "land mine" patrol and Koda is with them. Yesterday Koda took Boo's glove...he is a sneaky little booger.

I spent the entire afternoon with Hunter today, something that we haven't done since before his birthday, before what he likes to call "the conversation". I won't go into what that was, just that words were said by a 13 year old that made a 30 year old cry.

Not fun.

We have been working our way back to what we had before it all started, before that night, and it has been a road to take. We talked, A LOT and realized where the feelings were coming from, where the hurtful things stemmed from. It was not an easy talk, but one that we are both so grateful to have had.

My relationship with Hunter is so special, but so fragile at the same time. We have to work to stay on level ground at times, and other times it is so simple and easy.

Today is a prime example:

H: What does Boo need cleats for?
M: For softball, remember?
H: Oh...why can't I?
M: You can't ask me that...you know who to talk too...
H: Yeah...it just isn't fair.

My heart broke, but being honest is hard and the right thing to do. Yes, he wishes he could do all that Boo has had the chance to do, but it isn't something that I can fix for him, not even Hubby can. He needs to push, prod and fight for it. It stinks.

I know that 13 is an age that REALLY stinks (man the eye rolling alone...), and one that is really going to test what we have for our relationship. I know that the next 5 years are going to be HARD, harder than anything I have ever done with him before, with almost anything I have done before.

BUT, with that said...I can't wait to see the young man he has already started turning into. He is so smart, so energized by the freedoms he has learned this year. He is finding out who he wants to be, how he wants his life to go. He is starting to grow more before my eyes than ever before.

It is going to be a great year.

Play Ball

2010-03-16T07:43:00.000-05:00

I don't know where even to start, there is just so much right now.

I had another parents meeting for the Softball Association last week...and got a 12 page packet of information that I need to read through before Boo's tryouts next month. 12 Pages! Lots of info...

The good thing is that tryouts for Boo's age are like practice. They are so young that they are more focused on the wanting to learn. Boo is 8...another girl is 7, tiny little things. So tiny that no matter what I will have to take in her uniform and sliding shorts.

I called Ma last night to tell her about the meeting and that Boo will be doing two or three tournaments, her reaction was fabulous "She is 8"...Yes Ma...

Boo is excited to play her first year of ball. I am excited to see if this is sport she will love, like or not. I played growing up and besides dance class it was my favorite thing.

Spending days on the field, throwing into a tarp in the basement, breaking all the garage windows out as I practiced a new pitch...good times (my brother broke a few of the windows with a hockey puck too, so it wasn't just me).

Softball was also the place where I met some people that I am still friends with today. My catcher for many years and I still e-mail via facebook, and a fellow pitcher and I still keep in touch too.

Softball is a demanding sport. It requires a commitment that in-house sports do not. Yes, it can seem a lot. Yes, she will have practice 2-3 times a week, games once a week and tournaments, but Softball is a very VERY team driven sport.

Not only are the girls at Boo's age learning the game, but they are learning the skills that will build that sportsmanship skills, their leadership skill and team building skill. These are all things that make a huge difference in their lives ahead.

I can' wait for the season to start.

What I Learned This Week

2010-03-15T22:12:00.003-05:00

Oh man...the weekend FLEW by. We had so much going on, so many exciting things, that I didn't hardly sit in front of my computer all weekend.

It was heavenly.

I learned simple things this weekend. The joy's that we experienced are so special, so monumental. We had the weekend of family, friends and the BEST weather since last fall.

My nephew spent the night on Saturday for the first time since he was about 4 months old. We had a blast. EC and "Bobby" (his "bear") were the hit of my niece's birthday party. He snuggled up with Boo after to watch Monster's Inc, and I realized how much I have missed the belly laugh of a little one.

So much.

I also realized how much I loved watching said little ones fall asleep. The almost asleep look and then the eyes popping back open - FABULOUS. I could have snuggled him all night long. He was such a good boy, as always...right SIL??? lol

Friday night was spent putting together the invites for Lia's wedding. I can't wait for her to be married, and having any sort of part of it makes me giddy each day. Her bridal shower is creeping up, I really need to get on that...really.

I apartment hunted with one of my best friends this weekend. After 8 years of living south of us, she is moving back to "the cities". I am so excited for this, and can't wait. She found the apartment that she wanted, but has to wait a bit longer to move in...so she is moving in here. Before I met hubby we had talked about moving in together, and now it is happening in a sort of way...I can't wait.

I did realize that while looking at apartments with her that I love my house, love having space and love having somewhere that I can call my own. I wouldn't want to go back...at all.

Oh, and letting the dog run through the mud and gunk yesterday was fabulous...until we realized that we had to give him a bath because the groomers was closed. Not fun, but a little funny. We were all in shorts or swim suits and the bathroom was FLOODED by the time we were done. Koda...not so much a fan.

See, some simple yet big lessons. At least to me.

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Rain Drops on Roses - Favorite Things Swap

2010-03-11T20:34:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I told you about the fantastic swap the Mamarazzi was having, a Favorite Things Swap. I was so excited when I got matched with someone, and even more excited to buy stuff that I love to send to the person!

I was matched with Angie from Angie's Spot.

And I must say, from what I know I sent her, and what she sent me...we would be IRL friends if we didn't live uber far away from each other...very similar goodies were sent both ways! I couldn't believe it! Here are the wonderful goodies that I got from Angie!

I was squealing...ask Boo. She kept asking me what was wrong and didn't get it when I was just plain excited.

I got some flower seeds, including Sun Flowers that Hubby and I were JUST talking about on Sunday and gardening gloves (bonus since my are just nasty from fall clean up)! A cook book (I sent her one too!), some chocolates and Crystal Lite packets for my never ending quest to drink more water. She sent me a book (I sent her one too!) and a gift card to my home away from home Target (LOVE Target).

Thank you Angie for all my wonderful goodies! I love it and can't wait to dive into the books. I hope you loved all your treats too!!

Major HUGE thanks to Mamarazzi for hosting this wonderful swap. I loved shopping for someone but getting what I would love!

If you want to see the other Favorite Things posts head on over to Dandelion Wishes!

Almost Garden Season!

2010-03-07T15:28:00.002-06:00

Today was a day for nothing. We had nothing planned, nothing we HAD to get done. It was perfect.

And the weather, sweet mother is was FANTASTIC! We had windows down in the car, no coats...wonderful.

We are planning our garden for the year, and have spent the past few weeks talking about what we wanted, how much and where. The where is still iffy, but we know Tomatoes (duh), onions, cucumbers, peppers, green beans and snap peas. I can't wait. Fresh green beans are the best, snap peas too. Last year we had a ton from my sisters garden, and my in-laws, but this year we will grow our own.

The worst part about it, planting indoors for 6 weeks due to snow, frost and still frozen ground. Tomatoes and a couple others will have to be started indoors, but not too many. It just makes a mess of things at times. Especially since we have to find a place with sunlight that Koda won't get at. That is always a challenge.

And don't get me started on flowers. I planted some tulips on my own this fall, and I can't wait to see if they come in or not. I adore tulips. They are my favorite flower ever. But I need some more spring/summer flowers that are hearty...I kill flowers. It is really a gift I am told.

So, what flowers do you put in? What have you found that lasts? What veggies do you love to do?

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

2010-03-05T20:46:00.001-06:00

I had to break up with a Mom this week.

Have you ever had to do that?

There were just too many things that I didn't agree with, too many things that impacted my child when our children were together.

It was not a fun thing to do at all.

I had to tell her that I didn't think it would be a good idea for our girls to play together outside of school anymore.

I am not a perfect parent, but any means. I let my kids stay up too late, they don't always eat their veggies and sometimes we have important conversations after they see something on tv (see a meth-lab blow up on tv..."Boo...don't do drugs, things blow up when you do" I know...Mom of year here!). But there are some thing that I just don't do, and that is what made this choice an easy one.

I have expectations for my kids, and for their friends when they are at my house. I don't take attitude very well, don't handle rudeness or any lack of respect. I lay down the law whenever a child walks into my house, even the cousins, because I don't want anyone surprised. I have only had to call a parent once to pick up their child early, and now the story has gone full circle.

I don't blame the child, don't even really blame the parents but I have to control the people that my children are exposed to while I can. It won't be long before I will lose the control on this, where Boo will no longer see the people the way that I do.

There are very few moments where we can teach our children the right way to treat another child, and this was one of them. Boo and I learned an important lesson this week, one that hopefully will carry with us for sometime.

School Update

2010-03-04T21:31:00.003-06:00

We have some news on the Boo-School front.

First off, her principal is retiring and I just might hog-tie him to his desk so he can't leave.

Just saying.

Love that man.

Anyway...

We are keeping her at her current school for the time being, at least two more years we think. She goes to a school that has a focus on Math, Science etc. It is a great school, and the teachers are learning right along with the kids as this is the first year that they are going this direction. We love that school.

I met with a principal of another school Friday morning, and her principal and teacher that afternoon. I let her principal know that we were looking at this other school and he asked what we were looking for when it came to changing, and we agreed to give Boo the chance to find out if the Sciences and Math is what she excels in and go from there. So at least two more years there and then we will reevaluate.

On the front of her being bored...her teacher has done a great deal of digging to find out what Boo likes, what she is REALLY good at and what resources she can bring to the room for Boo and another student. I was shocked to learn that her math scores were higher compared to others then her reading score.

She gets that from her Daddy...me and numbers do NOT get along.

She has mandated testing next week, so we will look at her scores during conferences the weeks following and figure out a more firm plan. Her teacher agreed that Boo needs more, so we have her on board which I was nervous about.

We are moving forward, and we have a team that listens and agrees that something needs to be done to ensure that Boo gets the most out of everything.

A step in the right direction I think.

So...Funny Story...

2010-03-04T20:03:00.006-06:00

I have the FUNNIEST story ever...

Ready?

A few weeks ago...sure you are ready?

Hunter asked for a cell phone.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Snort* Woooooo! hahahahahahaha

Hoo

Wow...

Still really stinking funny.

Now my stomach hurts.

Hubby and I are one-cell-phone house. That's right...we have one cell phone for both of us, and it is $19 flip phones that does NOTHING. Hubby is even resistant to that one, and I don't use it as much as friends of ours do. We rely on the land line, that is our communication tool 99.9% of the time! We use about 200 minutes a month and send less than 100 texts...total...for both of us, and that is mostly me texting.

We, meaning Hunter's Mom and us, have agreed that until Hunter has a job there is no need for him to have a cell phone. I have seen WAY too many kids with cell phones in school using them during tests, texting their parents (a co-workers kids do this ALL THE TIME, drives her nuts) and even losing their phones for using them during class times.

Our other reason is that Hunter is not in activities at this point. He is home, or at our home. When he is at bowling we are too since Boo is so much younger than he is. When he is out and about it is with an adult so we don't worry. It is just the way his life is right now. Same with Boo.

I have heard many thoughts on young teens/tweens getting cell phones, and they just don't sway us. We all agree that Hunter is too young and does not have the need for one. If at some point before he turns 16 things change, we will revisit.

I grew up in the time when NO ONE had a cell phone. I remember when my Dad got one for work, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. This was before the "Zach Morris Phone" but when they only came in a bag that HAD to be plugged in for it to work. It was awesome.

Then of course he got the "Zach Morris Phone" and that was the coolest thing ever.

But we were never allowed to get one, we never even had pagers (unless we snuck one in...but I NEVER did that...of course not...I was the perfect child...or something). My parents believed that if we wanted to talk to someone, call them. You don't need a cell phone or pager to do that (do they even MAKE pagers anymore?).

I know that technology is a great thing, I do. Look at all I can do because of technology. Look at how so many jobs and evolved because of the new technology that comes out everyday. But does that mean we must follow suit with each thing?

I told someone last week that technology was a perk, but not really an expected thing. If I go to see a doctor it is because they are the doctor that I want to see, if they can pull up my full medical history with a few keystrokes, great. If not, they are still a great doctor that I want to see.

Many people put so much stock into cell phones. Lawmakers are seeing the problems that cell phones can pose to drivers. There are bans being put into place left and right saying that Teens are NOT allowed to use their cell phone AT ALL while driving. Best ban ever. I had my first accident 2 weeks after I got my license, I can only imagine what is going on with teen drivers NOW.

Can I say right now that in 5 years when Boo is 13 it will be the same? No, you never know what will happen in life to change the circumstances, but for right now our kids need to focus on being kids. They need to learn the responsibility of being a child, young teen and teen before they can venture into that realm of it all.

You should see my reaction to kids having their own computers! That one is a hoot too!

What do you think? Do your kids have cell phones? What is your families age requirement?

What I Learned This Week

2010-03-02T08:31:00.002-06:00

I am fighting a cold, and I think I just might be losing this battle. Ugh! This week was jam packed to the hilt! We had so much going on, and it will now only get worse.

- Sleeping in the hospital is not fun, it is even worse sleeping right next to the PICU. Whoever planned that made a HUGE mistake. Not good sleep for me!

- Hubby's hours are changing at work, sleeping in the same bed 7 days a week after almost 4 years of not is going to be interesting.

- Finding out that your "home away from home" of your youth is closing is heartbreaking. Finding out that a HUGE PARTY is in the works helps a bit...just a little.

- I signed my LIFE away to our Fastpitch association on Thursday…let it begin.

- Ball players have to wear masks on the front of their helmets now…that's dumb. I get the safety of it but duck faster! I only broke my nose once…

- Catchers need to learn to catch the correct way, not with what I like to call "wussy pads" on the back of their knees.

- I am not a fan of all the changes in softbal, but one thing hasn't changed. I saw a shirt that I had as a kid on a teen "Friends don't let friends play slowpitch". Made my day.

- Yes, if Boo likes to play ball I will be one of THOSE moms. Just like MY mom. I can't wait.

- On Friday I met with two different principals from two different schools. I am now more confused about what to do with Boo. It will work out, but man it stinks.

For more What I Learned This Week posts head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

*I will write about Boo's sleep study this week, after we have our next appointment. Thanks for all your fabulous support!*

My First Once a Month Cooking Day!

2010-02-28T16:43:00.003-06:00

For the past few weeks (months really) I have been tossing around the idea of Once a Month Cooking. It was such an idea that I adored, but didn't know if I could pull it off. I like cooking (more now than ever) but am not the greatest at following recipes. With Once a Month Cooking you sort of have too, since some things just don't freeze well.

Since this was my first time, I started with just 5 things. It was only going to be 4, but I decided to try one thing that wasn't really freezer cooking but that my kids could eat now.

Breakfast/Snacks:
Breakfast Burritos
Home made Pop-Tarts
Nutrigrain Bars (I have this recipe in an e-mail from a friend. I will gladly share it!)

Dinner/Lunch:
Lasagna with meat
Chicken Nuggets

Total, it took me about 5 hours to get everything done.

I loved doing this. Making sure that even if I am sick, busy or just plain don't want to figure out what to make for dinner, we have options. We have something that we can throw in that will be a full meal for the family.

I loved finding blogs that we helpful to planning and organizing my cooking plan. I never would have thought that there would be so many resources out there. I had gotten this book from BIL for Christmas, and did the lasagna recipe from there. It is a FABULOUS book to have!

I also used Once a Month Mom and Life as Mom a TON in figuring out how to get this started, and keep my sanity. Looking forward to summer, this will make a huge impact!

Next month...more!

The list

2010-02-24T21:42:00.003-06:00

Hi...

This is me...

Ramming my head into the wall trying to get everything done that MUST get done this week.

Boo's Science project - DONE!

Boo's Sleep study - tomorrow

Register Boo for softball - tomorrow

Talk to Hunter's Mom about this summer - DONE

Pack my stuff for Boo's sleep study - tomorrow

Meet with not one but TWO principals - Friday

Figure out what to do at the hospital while Boo is having her sleep study - ummmm....

Dream of a laptop - DONE DONE DONE DONE

Help a friend with cake issues via facebook - DONE

Paperwork...paperwork...paperwork - NEVER ENDING!!!

See...no time. Must be off. Have a fantabulous night!!

What I Learned This Week

2010-02-23T06:40:00.002-06:00

We spent the weekend at the cabin snowmobiling, well my kids and Hubby did. I sat and read and worked on my knitting project most of the time. That is FINE with me.

- An 8 year old will surprise everyone by being able to hold onto the back of the sled even when the trails are very bumpy. This.is.huge!

- A 13 year old will abandon ship when he is done driving and forgets there is a brake. Talk about the best story ever.

- A LCD book light does not cause a glare on the windshield of a car. Thank goodness for that!

- Booking a flight to the east coast for a baby shower will be fun, flying alone without hubby...a bit freaky. I apologize to whomever I sit by up front. So sorry.

- Dramamine will become my best friend again, for sure.

- I have heard it said over the blogosphere a lot the past few weeks, but I must add my two cents. Pink Eye Sucks.

- Koda had a great time at the kennel while we were gone, so much so that he still is exhausted and not back to normal yet. Must get him around more dogs, he sleeps better!

- Being in charge is not fun, and I have had enough. Seriously, someone else want to take over now? We have some hard choices to make in the coming weeks and my brain is fried already.

For more What I Learned This Week posts head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

A Few of my Favorite Things!

2010-02-18T08:34:00.003-06:00

Last year when From Inmates to Playmates talked about the Favorite Things swap, I was intrigued. I became a lurker on Dandelion Wishes, reading and laughing. Mamarazzi is fantastic!

The Favorite Things swap is swaping what you would LOVE to recieve with someone else, giving them a touch of you!

I am signing up, are you? She is only taking a limited number of people...so hurry!

Oh I hope I get picked...

Sticks and Stones

2010-02-17T21:51:00.001-06:00

There is the that old saying "Sticks and Stones will break your bones, but words can never hurt you"

Whoever started that is full of it.

Words can leave scars, burn holes, break your spirit. Words can leave a thumb print on your heart that will hurt for days, weeks and months to come.

Words can not be taken back. They are imprinted and lasting.

Forgiveness is so important.

But what about when forgiveness is so hard to freely give?

We all know that forgetting is not an option, at some point many months/years down the line something creeps up that reminds us of the awful things someone said to us. It still hurts. It stings.

Forgiveness is something that must be done. You can still be angry, don't get me wrong on that one, but forgive. It will help to heal. It will start the feeling of wholeness once again.

I forgive, even if I can't forget. I may still be angry, but I forgive. I don’t agree, and probably never will, but I forgive.

Just don’t ask to much to soon.

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will make me stronger.

What I Learned This Week

2010-02-16T09:17:00.001-06:00

I have been MIA from WILTW for a few weeks. There have been some interesting things going on in our house, and things that I just couldn't/didn't want to share. But, here we go once again with the lessons of the week!

- I have said it once, and I will say it, Child Life Specialists are the BEST ever.

- It takes less time to get a child in for a sleep study than an adult!

- Stress can cause all SORTS of issues. Thankfully it will all work its way out.

- Words from a child can hurt you more than anyone ever told you, and they leave a scar.

- A dog will tear buttons off a remote (like the mute button) but you will adapt instead of getting a new one.

- Snowmobiling is not my idea of a good time, I go for my kids and my husband.

- Random on my ipod is still my favorite. I go from Needtobreathe to Britney to Metallica to Sawyer Brown...it is wonderful!

- Opening up is a very VERY hard thing to do, but once you do it will all be better.

- Boo still snores, but now whistles too...that's a little annoying.

- Spending time with a teacher will change how you feel about them a little, and I do mean little.

- Waiting is the worst thing in the world.

- People that question my blogging drive me nuts.

- Trying to figure out how I will kill time in the hospital while Boo does her sleep study just might drive me nuts...especially with no laptop.

- I really want a laptop...

For more What I Learned This Week posts head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Some Lovely Randomness

2010-02-14T20:31:00.004-06:00

It's Valentine's Day, and that means little to our house. Except for Boo who loves any reason to make a card...

Things have been a moving lately, so much going on. We find out this week about Boo's school situation, so keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

I worked at my companies conference this past week, it was interesting. My team from the office was wondering if my face hurt from using my "corporate voice"' and "nice smile" all day long. Yes...yes it did. I felt a bit like Barbie from the end of Toy Story 2...

I am gearing up to possibly do a big Once a Month cooking day. We will see how that pans out. I am testing all the recipes on my family, or as Boo calls it "Are we your pigs again?" Yes dear, yes you are. Today I made Stuffed Pancake Muffins, and they were yummy. Those will be made again!

Speaking of Toy Story 3...who's excited for that movie! ME ME ME ME ME! More excited for Toy Story 3 than Eclipse! I love Toy Story movies, have the first two on VHS. Boo is bit geared up for it too, not to sure about Hunter though. Just think about all the new innuendos that will come from this one!

It is snowing again, not sure how I feel about this.

I am watching the Olympics so much! I watched the Biathlon today, who does that! Me! It love the Olympics and love that they are in our time zone so I can actually watch Hockey without waking up at 2 am. Apollo Ohno...need I say more.

Boo is sleeping over at Little Bro's tonight...that is HUGE! There is no school tomorrow, and SIL offered to watch Boo who was OVER THE MOON at the chance to play with her cousins all Day LONG. She packed Wii games, snow gear and her DS (which she then left on the counter). I can't wait for the stories to come out this!

I have no kid, a dog in bed and a Hubby at work...I am going to bed!

13

2010-02-11T07:45:00.000-06:00

Today Hunter turns 13. My little man, my partner in crime.

13

I just have a hard time believing it has been that long, that he is that old.

I love this kid, more than you could ever imagine. He gave me the hardest job in the world, being a step-mom.

I love you Hunter. I can't get the word out to express to you the impact you have had in my life.

Below is my favorite video of him from this past summer. I know I have posted it before, but it makes me laugh every time.

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY HUNTER!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

An Anniversary

2010-02-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

Today is a big day for me. And Hunter, but being a day before he turns 13, he will deny it.

10 years ago today I met Hunter for the first time. Hubby brought me to his birthday party, the day before his birthday to meet this red headed wonder.

It was love at first sight.

Since then, he has grown, aged and matured in ways that I never thought possible.

Hunter has the kindest heart, the strongest spirit and the smartest brain. He loves his families, loves his friends and loves his dog.

He has so many talents, so many that I can't even begin to tell you all of them. He can read like no bodies business, can do fractions in his head and makes the BEST grilled cheese sandwiches.

He can climb a tree like a monkey, shoot a basket from behind the car and do back flips off the swing set (oh my heart).

Hunter can make his sister giggle like no one else can, can make me laugh by saying just one word and is his dad's soon to be best hunting partner ever.

Tomorrow is his 13th birthday. I can't believe he is turning 13.

Thank you Hunter, for making me the mom I am today. For sharing your life, your love and your mind with me everyday.

Turning 8

2010-02-09T22:23:00.000-06:00

My baby turns 8 today.

8!!!

It seems like yesterday she was running around the house in her diaper yelling for her brother, dad or toy.

There are moments where I just look at her in wonder, amazement and curiosity. Where did she come from, how in the world did the perfect mix of me and her dad come to be.

She is just that, the perfect mix.

She loves to fish, but would love to spend all day playing dress up with her friends.

She loves Taylor Swift, but adores some old 90's hip-hop.

She loves to curl up in our laps to tell a story or just be, but the girl can NOT sit still even in her sleep.

She can burp louder than anyone (so proud) but will tell you at once if you do it at the wrong time.

The little girl, this amazing creature is mine. How in the world did I get so lucky.

Happy Birthday my 8 year old. May each day, each week, each month be a journey you will never forget! We love you more than words could ever say.

Birthdays, squeals and fondant

2010-02-07T19:56:00.003-06:00

The party is over, thank goodness. Every year it simply wears me out to the point of taking a nap. The prep, the cakes, the PEOPLE. Oh the people. One year I wish we could just do the four of us...but that is SO not happening. Pipe dreams...

The cakes were great. Some flaws, like the fondant being a bit to thick and people just not getting the idea (not my flaw...theirs). But the hard work was worth it.

Hunter said this was a very "sweet cake". I was going to do some flames on the slide, but couldn't get it to work, so I put his stats from the past year at bowling. (click to enlarge) He had such a huge year that this was perfect.

Boo's was her "gift". I wanted to make it something that was special, because it was HUGE gift for her. It was sort of her ticket...

After opening gifts, the kids got their cakes. We gave Boo her card, and then called her to come to the table. The joy that follows I will never forget, ever. The high pitched voice...the happiness...the excitement that flows from her is perfect.

The kids had a great birthday party. The enjoyed having the family and friends around them. The loved having their cousins there, the laughter and yells that came from the bedrooms can attest to that.

I love making a big deal about birthdays, any holiday that I can really, but birthdays especially. From what the kids tell me this one was a winner!

Nightmares of Fondant dance through my head

2010-02-04T06:47:00.003-06:00

This week has gone so fast, and nothing has gotten done. I have a list of things that need to be done before Saturday (the kids birthday party) and it is going no where!

I have however been having nightmares of fondant...

I always make the kids cakes. It is something I started when Hunter was 8 and he loves all the fun ones. You can see the past couple here and here. Boo always spends a couple weeks trying to figure out what her cake is going to be since they are not allowed to see them until it is time to blow out the candles.

I think that is the best part.

This year I am using fondant for the first time ever. I have been e-mailing Melody getting tips and watching video's on YouTube to get some starting tips.

I am freaked out.

Last night I had a nightmare about fondant, that the marshmallows wouldn't melt.

Now that is strange.

Tonight I will be making the fondant, and tomorrow night and Saturday I will be rolling and decorating the cakes.

I am sure it will turn out fine, but man it is all consuming!

A fabulous afternoon!

2010-01-31T00:09:00.002-06:00

Boo had a birthday party to attend this afternoon, her third party (counting her own) in three weeks. Plus we have another one next weekend with family for both Boo and Hunter.

I have had enough.

BUT, not the point at all.

While Boo was at the birthday party we stayed close. We were about 20 minutes from home, and didn't want to drive home only to turn around in an hour. We went to a local small town bar (gasp!) to have a drink (double gasp) in the middle of the afternoon (fall over gasping!). We played pool, ate nasty bar pizza and played video games.

Most importantly...

We talked.

Having time to talk, really talk about what is going on in our lives is so rare. We are busy, but overly so. We just don't talk with the kids around. We can't talk about what we REALLY feel because they don't know HOW TO KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT. We don't need our inner-workings blast all over school or another household.

It was fabulous to have the two hours to sit, talk and just be together. We laughed harder than we have in such a long time. We talked about the fate of several of our friends, money (gasp!) and what we need to deal with first when we got home (none of which got done by the way).

I love my husband, and after today, love him even more.

The BEST School Project EVER!

2010-01-27T19:49:00.007-06:00

What what Hunter making? The BEST homework assignment EVER, that’s what!

Thursday night Hunter called to let us know that he had to make a WWI trench to bring to school. Instantly he and Hubby started planning how to make this thing come alive!

We started with the spray foam (the white stuff in this post) and made sure that he had a great base to build off of.

He built little artillery buildings out of mini popsicle sticks that he painted brown and glued together.

He made Army Guys out of molding clay since the only ones we could find to buy came in packs of a million. Didn’t need that many.

The one above is in No Man’s Land, Hunter said he was dead, I said just sneaking up on the enemy.

Not only did he have to make the trench, he had to label everything too! There was No Man’s Land, Artillery, Communication and Support areas in his trench.

Even a flag…

This was by far the coolest school project he has ever had to do, and so much fun. He did it all himself, except using the hacksaw.

What homework would be complete without a hacksaw…

The Goings On

2010-01-24T01:20:00.001-06:00

I have had a few e-mails this week asking me what is going on with Boo.

It seems that I go from one school to the other lately, but both in a good way as of late. Hunter’s IEP is working PERFECTLY and that is no easy thing. After fighting with his teachers for months they are now listening to his Special Ed teachers and doing what WE have been asking for from day one, in Kindergarten.

Boo’s school on the other hand, is trying so very hard to keep her engaged, motivated and challenged. They are doing everything in their power to make sure that she does NOT slip through the cracks, that she does NOT become another…well…me really.

Boo is smart, like SCARY smart. She reads way above her level and picks things up so fast that she is helping her classmates when the teacher can’t get to them all.

With that talent, comes problems. She is BORED out of her mind most days. She is almost begging for more work, begging for harder books and wishing there was more for her to do.

The last two weeks before Holiday Break, she was doing independent study because her “high flyer” reading group was reading a book she read already. She did a mini report on Crystals and how they are formed. She loved the challenge of it, loved being able to work faster than the other person that was doing a similar project.

Did I mention she was 7 and in Second Grade?

At school they are learning double digit addition.

At home we are working on Multiplication.

At school many children are reading Magic Tree House books.

She is reading the Original Nancy Drew.

Do you see the problem?

So, I met with the principal (whom I ADORE) and he gave us some options. She will be tested next week for the Gifted and Talented program (one option) and we will go from there. She will most likely start meeting with the Gifted and Talented teacher in their building next week as well and get some additional homework (they do very little at this point).

Her teacher is also going to give her some independent projects to work on during some select class times, to keep her mind working and keep her motivated.

My goal, cure the boredom and see what happens.

I do have one question though…

Where did she come from?

What in the world...

2010-01-23T20:43:00.004-06:00

What could Hunter be making...

He has this...

These...

And these...

I'll tell you when he is done tomorrow! This is such a cool school project!

Pant's on the Ground!

2010-01-20T22:52:00.002-06:00

So many people are sick of seeing this, but it makes me giggle like a little kid every time it comes on, and KFAN is playing it CONSTANTLY!

This week the Saints...and that is all I will say.

Who dat gonna beat dem Saint's?

MN Bloggers Give Back

2010-01-20T18:11:00.015-06:00

I have spent all day trying to figure out the words to express last night, to explain the feelings that came as I met so many wonderful people, and gave of myself in a way that I hadn't before.

Last night 40 Minnesota Bloggers came together to meet, and to help children in need.

We met at a local restaurant to meet each other, chat, eat and just be together. There were in depth conversations, tears, laughter and (by me at least) some squeals of delight to meet these amazing bloggers.

While I knew none of them IRL (in real life) we have followed each other, some for years and some only since this meet-up was formed.

Here is me and Trish Van Pilsum of Off Camera with Trish Van Pilsum. Trish is a blogger (an amazing blogger) and one of the local news reporters. She writes some of the most touching, emotional, hilarious posts I have ever read, you MUST check her out.

Here is Samara, Robin and Kim. I squealed when Samara walked in, I won't lie. Then I hugged her. She is my step-mom hero! Plus, she brought me a book. What more could I ask for!

Once we had all had a chance to talk, eat and drink Missy from The Marketing Mama and the organizer of the event, gave a speech thanking us for being there, for giving our time and letting us know the time frame of the evening. I can't tell you enough how amazing Missy is! She organized this entire thing, got us all together and didn't pull any of her hair out! She is uber-fabulous.

After her speech, she let us know that two fabulous companies sent some goodies for us to bring home. Annie's Homegrown, a wonderful organic company and Red Gold Tomatoes.

After that, we headed to Feed My Starving Children, a local charity that packages food for underprivileged children. After a brief orientation we got to packing!

Here is Kim from I Want a Minivan, sealing the fabulous bags of food. She was a dancing machine the entire time we were there. She made me smile constantly.

Each bag can feed a family of 6 for one day, it costs $1.02 a bag, just $.17 per person!

That's me, sealing a bag with a Fox9 camera guy looking on. Did you see the bloggers on the news last night? It was a brief clip, but showed the importance of what we were doing. Huge thanks to Trish for making that happen!

Here is Norma, of Norman's Demesne. He is wonderful and showed his horns with his Vikings Helmet! Norman was one of two brave men that joined us last night.

Here is Amelia, Tiki, Kate, Suzi, Jill and Missy getting bags ready to be packed. Each bag has a label with the contents and nutritional information listed on it.

Here are Darcie and Kim rocking the hairnets!

Here is the entire group of us, all 40 bloggers. It was such a wonderful, amazing, emotional experience that I can't wait to do again. Getting to meet each of these people, to talk to them, to hear their stories is touching in so many ways.

Major thanks to Missy for putting this all together, for letting me be a part of it and letting me lend a hand. Thanks for Darcie for the amazing pictures! And most importantly, thank you to Feed My Starving Children for EVERYTHING that you do and have done. You make such a huge difference in this world, and I can't wait to come back!

Click here is you want to donate to Feed My Starving Children.

Head on over here to see a list of all the posts about the MN Blogger Event!

What I Learned This Week - Clothes DO Fit My Kids...Who Knew!

2010-01-19T06:42:00.002-06:00

This week was...different. We were computer-less for almost the entire week, and that was a learning experience in itself. E-mails piled up, posts didn't get written or read. It was interesting. Hubby asked me what I ever did before we had a computer...read. But I still do that, so that's not new at all.

But, that is not the big lesson.

Clothes DO fit my kids, who knew!

For Christmas Big Sis found the wonderful store, PS Aeropostale. It was new at the Mall, and I hadn't been there (I hide from the mall really), hadn't even heard of it before then. But she loved the store and they had some freaking good prices, even without the Pre-Christmas sales.

I was not convinced yet. With my skinny-rail-thin children it is not easy to find clothes that actually fit. There are really only two stores that fit Boo, and one that fits Hunter.

Christmas came, they got their clothes and Boo fell in LOVE with her thermal t-shirt.

Hunter finally tried on his clothes last weekend and his jeans...oh my lanta they are FABULOUS! He needed the adjustable waist, but he didn't disappear inside his jeans, like he normally does.

I did a happy dance, he walked away.

So, fast forward to last week when we are getting ready for Boo's slumber party. A friend called asking what size Boo was in, as she is LOVING clothes right now. She told me "I found this great store!". Guess what it was...

PS Aeropostale!

She got Boo this hoody, with the matching pants and fuzzy socks! Boo LOVES fuzzy socks.

Boo was in hog heaven.

And the pants...don't hardly need to be tightened with the draw string!

They do make clothes that fit my kids! I will be a huge shopper there now, for both of them!

And, here is another big thing...their prices (even after Christmas) are wonderful! They don't wait until the end of the season to put things on sale. New arrivals, on sale already. And by sale I mean SALE!

You can get their store e-mails, they are on facebook AND Twitter. They know how to reach their customers.

Hey, FCC man...I was not compensated in any way for this, I just LOVE the store! Kthxby

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

Boo's First Slumber Party

2010-01-17T21:37:00.004-06:00

Now, Boo has had tons of friends spend the night. She loves having kids in house, since most of the time she has "only child" stamped all over the place.

This past weekend we let her have an early slumber party for her birthday. Hubby was going to be out of town, his one request, and she missed a couple of her friends that don't go to school with her. She got to invite 6 girls, two from school and four not, and they could all spend the night.

Big Sis and Ma were over to help me decorate and clean. They also helped me with Koda, which is always a good time...

The girls started to arrive at 5:00, with the last one coming at 6:45 after hockey. They played with Boo's toys, Wii Sing It and screaming like crazy children. They were having a blast. We had pizza for dinner, they went through almost 3 frozen pizzas, and after we gave them each two cupcakes to decorate.

We had four colors of frosting and a ton of different kinds of sprinkles. They girls had a blast doing it! Plus, since they got to decorate them themselves it made them more fun to eat after we sang to Boo!

After eating cupcakes, scrubbing the table down and washing hands we let Boo open her presents. Lego's, DS Games, clothes were all a huge hit. This shirt was the winner it seems, she LOVES Star Wars the Clone Wars and is always talking like Yoda. It was fabulous, M really knows Boo.

We played Disney Channel Scene It after, and it took FOREVER because there were questions about shows I had never heard of, and ones that the girls never watched. They had fun, and every time I said "All Play" they squealed and ran for the tv. It was a long game, and by the time it was done it was almost 10!

We put in a movie, Big Sis popped some popcorn and the girls started to quiet down. Before the movie was half over we had one girl asleep, by the time it was done we had two. I put in Camp Rock next, and no more than 20 minutes into it Boo was asleep.

By 1 am, I had 4 girls still awake. I told them that if they couldn't be quiet and go to sleep I would split them up. It was time to go to bed, and I wasn't staying up all night. By 1:30 they were all out.

Two got up at 6.

GROAN!

But, I knew exactly which two would be up that early, and I was prepared for it. They are early risers no matter what time they go to bed. Just the way they are. I made them breakfast, they watched cartoons and played. By 8:30 I woke up two more who were leaving before everyone else. The rest of them rolled out by 9:30 when I made them get up.

The girls were all gone by 11, it was football time in our house (yes, I planned it that way).

It was a good time, and the girls had a blast. We, for the most part, were incident free all night long. There is always one child...

Boo was so excited to have this sleepover, so excited to be able to have more than one friend over for the night. She was exhausted, but said "I had the best early birthday party EVER!"!

I told Boo that next year, for her Golden Birthday she could have another one. I think I am asking for punishment...

Offline - not by choice

2010-01-15T13:27:00.000-06:00

We are going off line at the FritzFacts, it may take a day it may take a week.

I will check in when I can!

I will be back after the weekend with stories of the sleepover and whether

I pulled out all my hair!

Have a great wonderful fantastic weekend!

The After

2010-01-14T15:53:00.001-06:00

Thank you all for your kindness and love after this weekend. It was rough, but things are okay. Hunter is such a rock star that I know he will let it go and move on from it, he sort of has too. He spoke his mind, said his peace. He is better for it.

How did he do at the tournament? Not the greatest.

The lanes were way different then anything he had ever bowled on, and he hasn't mastered the art of self-adjustment. He was not in a good place to start, so the frustration that came from that made it ten times worse all around.

HOWEVER! We are still so very proud of him. Why? He has worked so hard on his bowling, but also on his temper. He is not the child that hits, screams or "freaks out" but he can get mean if he doesn't work to control the temper.

This past summer, when Koda was still so new and SO wild Hunter had the hardest time. He wanted Koda to listen, but wouldn't take the steps to make that happen. After working with both of them all summer that relationship has changed a great deal. During the summer, Hunter would get angry and move to lash out at Koda, something that ended pretty quickly thankfully. As we worked with Hunter on how to train the dog, how to show him who was in charge, his attitude toward Koda changed.

In November Koda decided that he HAD to have the cereal that Hunter was getting ready for himself. All it took was a split second of Hunter turning his back (and me not being anywhere near fast enough to stop it) and Koda had the cereal, milk and bowl on the floor. It was a fine fine mess.

What did Hunter do? He took the time to calm himself down. Yes, he was upset. Probably more upset than many other children would be, but he didn't loose his temper. He kept it in control by taking deep breathes, by realizing that Koda is just a puppy and by understanding that it was NOT a big deal at all.

We put the dog outside, and cleaned up the mess, together. We talked about how well he had done, how proud I was of him and how hard it was for him to do. He was proud of himself that day.

Saturday, even with the emotional feelings that were coursing through him, he didn't loose his temper. He didn't show bad sportsmanship, and he continued to try. While his attitude wasn't great, he wasn't taking it out on anyone else. That alone is a HUGE accomplishment for him.

I can't believe how much he has changed since this summer, and now turning 13...oh man.

Boo's Party - HELP!

2010-01-13T08:51:00.000-06:00

Our computer is sick. It seems to be happening a lot, stupid viruses.

We are gearing up for Boo's slumber party this weekend, she is a little excited. Okay she is freak-out excited. She has wanted to have one since Kindergarten, and the mean mom that I am, I made her wait til now. We weren't even going to have a "friend" party this year, but I am such a sucker.

So here is another question! What activites do you do with seven 7-8 year olds? I have a craft, but is that lame? I am making cupcakes on Friday and letting them each decorate them how they want, that should kill some time (ha!). I have the Wii, movies and an abundance of dress up clothes.

Do I need games? Please don't tell me I need games...

Give me your thoughts!

My heart breaks

2010-01-10T20:22:00.003-06:00

He looked back, with eyes searching.

He saw me. He smiled.

He saw his Dad. He smiled.

He searched the family, looking for one person.

He can't find them, they are not there.

He waits his turn, throws the ball.

Searches as he walks back.

The eyes start to fall.

The shoulders start to sink.

The game begins, and it goes down fast.

His heart is not in it.

His mind is not in it.

He hurts and I can't fix it.

The Big Day

2010-01-09T09:27:00.003-06:00

Today is the big day for Hunter.

He is bowling once again at State.

He is excited and nervous.

He is anxious to the point he was up at 6 am this morning.

I can't wait to see what he does after last time.

No matter what happens I am so proud of him, he has worked so hard.

One of my co-workers said to me "He is going to be one of those kids isn't he, the ones they talk about in the papers".

He just might.

Wish him luck!

Try This - Healthy Selections

2010-01-06T21:35:00.003-06:00

Because Melissa from Girlymama likes to make me sweat a bit, this months theme is healthy foods. Darn New Years Resolutions!

I have been hunting for a couple days for the best recipe, and then realized that I had one in my possession the entire time! We haven't made it yet, but it is on my "make soon" list.

Southwestern Taco Pizza!

1/2 Cup Salsa
1/2 Cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped chicken
8 flour tortillas
1/2 cup fat free refried beans
1 cup shredded cheese - Cheddar or Monterey Jack is best

Heat oven to 350 F. Mix together the salsa and sour cream. Save about half the mixture for later, and mix the other half with the bell pepper and chicken.

Place 2 tortillas on an ungreased cookie sheet and spread with the chicken mixture. Spread 2 tortillas with the re fried beans and place on the chicken. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then tortilla and sprinkle with cheese and if you have extra peppers those as well.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. You can cut these into 8 pieces in each stack and serve with salsa, sour cream or quac if you like.

Head on over to Girlymama for more Try This recipes!

Help with Boo's present

2010-01-05T21:32:00.003-06:00

So...the kids birthdays are coming up...and quickly.

I need some help with part of Boo's present. While she doesn't read the blog (I think...) you just never know so this is the ONLY time I will link to her gift.

Ready?

Go here and scroll to May 7th.

I'll wait.

Okay so here's the deal. I got those in October, and she HAS NO IDEA. At all. (she JUST came out of the bedroom, good thing I can click fast)

Props to me! I can't keep a secret to save my life!

Anyway...

I need some help in figuring out HOW to tell her about the tickets at her birthday party next month. I will do it in front of all the family, because her reaction will be FABULOUS. I will get video of her for sure.

I had the idea of getting her a calendar of HER and marking down the days to the concert, but for some reason that sounds...lame.

Help me out here! How do I tell an 8 year old that she is going to the concert she has (literally) dreamed of?

Oh Minnesota...

2010-01-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

I seem to have a love-hate relationship with Minnesota.

Over the past three weeks we have had every aspect of winter, every single one.

We had tons of snow.

We had the wind.

We had Freezing rain.

Now...

We have below normal below zero temperatures.

I love Minnesota, but really now.

I am cold the second I step outside my house.

By cold I mean that my nose freezes shut, my eyes water so I look like I am crying and my entire face is covered by a scarf so that each time I breathe my glasses fog up.

I am a picture of Minnesota fabulous right now.

I even wear a snowmobile jacket during the winter.

It is cold, and I am not a huge fan of it BUT

It is Minnesota, in the winter.

It is normal.

So time to stop complaining and time to figure out how many layers I can put on Boo before school.

What I Learned This Week

2010-01-04T22:16:00.002-06:00

Go here for last weeks post, as I didn't READ what Jo-Lynne had written and went ahead anyway!

Like I said yesterday, the week was MADNESS! It was wonderful, happy and pretty close to perfect, but MADNESS!

- If you go to the zoo for a event, make sure you are prepared with snacks. Man alive I forget how expensive zoo-food can be!

- When eating said zoo-food make sure your nephew remembers where his mouth is. In the event he does not he will end up with chocolate by his EYE and cheese all down the front of himself. It did make for some hysterical laughter and wonderful retelling.

A few times.

- Never tell your daughter that you are downloading a soundtrack for her. She will HOUND you until it is done then get mad when you don't burn it onto a disk THAT INSTANT. Patience child.

- Renewing my library card is wonderful. I have 13 books set up for holds and I keep adding more. I should slow down since I don't read quite as much lately. Eh...

- The day the Glee comes out on DVD, it will take 4 different trips to Target to find a store that has it in stock. Not pleased about that. It was Thursday before I finally got my copy.

- We are NOT shopping this week...at all. While we aren't eating out of our pantry like I would LOVE to do, we are trying to cut the food costs a bit. We have a bunch of meat in our freezer that we are working through, and when I say a ton I mean a whole bunch. We are having something different each night...seriously. No repeats of meat.

- Going an entire week without doing a single load of laundry is NOT a good idea. Just saying.

- Same with cleaning. Nastiness

- Knowing it is a new year, a new decade and time for new changes makes me excited and nervous at the same time.

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

The week

2010-01-03T20:41:00.002-06:00

I have been pretty much hiding from the computer this past week. Not blogging much, not going on Facebook and letting Hubby check the e-mail. I wanted to disconnect for the week, spend the time with Boo. And time we did spend!

Monday was errands. All day long. We did a ton of returns, but went to the library to get books for the week. Boo was done with hers by Thursday. No cleaning...at all.

Tuesday we went with Big Sis to a HUGE craft store north of us. We walked around for almost three hours, it was crazy. We both loved it, and they match Michael's and JoAnn's coupons! Now that is a deal!

Wednesday was a day of friends. We went to a local Community Center to meet up with my Friend, it is half way between us. I brought another little girl, who is the cousin of the friends little girl. The four girls (total) played for almost three hours, while my friend and I got some much needed conversation and time together. It was perfect.

After that Boo, her friend and I went to see New Moon. Boo has been begging for weeks to see it, and her friend already had. Boo is still talking about it, she loved it.

Wednesday night Boo's friend K slept over. The girls had a blast watching movies and playing dress up. I ended up with both of them in my room because our neighbors Christmas Lights were on the fritz and flashing right into Boo's room.

Thursday we went to our local zoo with my Sister in Law, RC and EC. They were having a Noon Years ball drop with all kinds of activities. The Radio Disney Road Crew was there and we majorly embarrassed RC. It was fabulous. It was also Chaotic, but very well worth it. Only one injury, and that was me with the stapler. If you ask my sister in law about it she will bust out laughing and crying. It was hilarious.

Thursday night Hubby picked up some overtime, so Boo and I rang in the New Year together. Well, she made it to 11:57 before she passed out on me, but I woke her up to say Happy New Year and call Hubby.

Friday, New Years Day, was Ma's birthday. We all gathered at Lil Bro and Sister In Laws to celebrate. The kids, as always were a hit. They crack us up. Before we had dinner, the girls headed to the movies to see The Princess and the Frog. It was cute, but not a hit with our group like some previous movies. I love that they did it "old school" and not with Pixar, but it just wasn't enough...hard to explain.

After we had dinner and laughed a ton. EC is such a nut, that no matter what we are in stitches.

Saturday was bowling and our final Christmas at my Dad's. We headed up there despite the freezing cold temperatures (-4 at his house). We had a great time, but was glad to make the drive home. I was exhausted once again.

Today...we did pretty much nothing. I did laundry, cleaned and took care of some things that had been pushed to the side over the past week. Now I am simply battling to get Boo asleep, as that has not changed.

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year, and that you all enjoy the kids going BACK TO SCHOOL!

2009 is GONE!

2010-01-01T22:40:00.002-06:00

2009 was a big year for us.

We bought our first home.

We got Koda.

Hunter bowled in his first, second and third bowling tournament.

Boo broke her thumb, began some sleep issues, was REALLY REALLY sick and had her last dance class.

We made a lot of changes, took a lot of punches and kept moving forward.

I am hoping that 2010 is even better.

Chicago - Cutting costs

2009-12-29T08:23:00.000-06:00

When M and I decided to take the the trip to Chicago together, we started looking for ways to save money right away. We knew that we would need to cut some corners, to make this trip wonderful yet inexpensive at the same time. Not always easy to do.

First, we both signed up for the Shed newsletter. The admission to Shed is killer, $25 for adults at times, and $17 for kids. We hadn't heard of any deals...until this past week. They sent out a buy-one-get-one free coupon that was good until next week. This cut the cost for each of us in half! That was great.

Next, parking. Parking is not cheap in Chicago. They have underground ramps, above group ramps but that is about it. It can cost up to $24 for 8+ hours of parking in downtown. We found a ramp that had 50% off if you got in before 9 am. Be sure you check to make sure that this rate applies on the weekends, ours didn't and we didn't know that. Shoot!

The hotel is here you can save the most amount of money. There are so many great sites out there that have amazing deals. M pre-booked and prepaid our hotel and saved 50% a night! We got a one bedroom double queen suite with a hide-a-way bed. We had a few amenities, and were a bit outside Chicago but it was worth it. We knew we wouldn't be at the hotel much, so location was not as important as having a pool (which many downtown hotels don't have!).

Food is another place to cut costs. We made sure we picked a hotel that had free breakfast, that saved us some, but our girls are not huge eaters in the morning. We did bring our own snacks, and packed our dinner for the drive down. We also brought all our own beverages, and have only purchased hot chocolate and a drink at Shed. This saves so much money, especially as I saw the price of things down there.

We also had a gift certificate from Table for Two that we were able to use with our dinner at Maggiano's. Maggiano's is EXPENSIVE for 5 people, and we ended up paying $16 each on a $85 tab (with tip). It was great to see that drop in price when they ran the gift certificate first!

There is one place that we were not able to save any money, and that was gas. We saved on our usage, but watching our speed and making sure that all the windows were shut tight, but the paying was still a lot. We did make sure we got gas before we crossed the border, gas was insane down there. We paid $.55 LESS in Wisconsin than we would have in Illinois.

There are tons of ways to save money on a trip. Shop the deals, look for coupons or even call the place a few weeks ahead of time and ask them if they will be having any specials, or if they will send you some coupons. Many popular places will surprise you!

Total, M and I paid about $200 each for this trip to Chicago. There are ways we could have cut costs a bit more, but we are happy with how we did right now!

What I Learned This Week

2009-12-28T21:57:00.003-06:00

Christmas is over, it is almost New Years. I can hardly believe that 2009 is almost over, and that 2010 is right around the corner! Boo and I will have a quiet New Years at home this year, and that is perfect for us!

There has been so much going on, that I didn't keep a list this time around...so let's wing it! There have been a lot of lessons, some not that great.

- Three Christmas's Three days in a row is a lot...almost to much. By Sunday we were wiped and ready to do almost nothing. We really need to spread things out here!

- Some children are not gracious...and that drives me crazy.

- Saving a gift card for a special purchase it killer! Target is calling my name and I must resist until tomorrow. I can't wait!

- Watching someone open a gift that you picked out with love, that you know they will "squeeeeee" about it fabulous. I smiled for hours.

- My children are so loved. It blows me away every time.

- My favorite line from Glee is still "Are you singing to a Sonogram?". Cracks me up.

- Kohl's has the best sales. I got 7 sweaters and a long sleeve shirt for $59. I saved $164!!! I LOVE IT!

- Our first Christmas with Koda was success! We made sure we weren't gone over 6 hours at a time, he only ate a small amount of wrapping paper and was pretty well behaved overall! I was worried for a while.

- I got this book for Christmas, and I can't wait to have a cooking day. I have been envious of the bloggers that have been able to do it, it's my turn!

- Renewing my library card today was the best part of my day. It was fabulous, and now I have books!

- Boo is in bed wearing her Vikings jersey...she is die hard.

For more What I Learned This Week head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T13:57:00.006-06:00

Christmas Eve was a blast at Big Sis and BIL's house. All the kids were together to open gifts for the first time EVER and that was FANTASTIC, even though a big chaotic. The poor cats are STILL trying to recover (the adults too).

This is my nephew, EC. He is 2 1/2 and a HOOT to talk too. He thinks everything through, and will give you the most insane attitude ever. He got a dinosaur from Ma, and fell in LOVE with it "This is my friend Dinosaur".

Here is my SIL opening her gift from me. I purposely used ZhuZhu pets boxes because they scare her. Boo has the set from when I did the review a while back, and they freaked her out. I KNEW I had to do use them. She was not as impressed, even though she LOVED her mouse and Princess and the Frog goodies inside.

I love being with my family, because they get my kids. The understand Boo's need for Lego's, Littlest Petshop and clothes. She got some of all on Christmas Eve, and more. I think the shirts from Big Sis, the pants from Ma and the game from my SIL won though.

My other nephew RC is a very controlled never-show-emotion kid. At bowling (they bowl with Hunter and Boo) he never shows his excitement, fights the smiles every time. I knew opening this gift would bring a huge smile, so I was ready for it! The boy loves his Lego's!

We took some down time after eating our appetizer meal, and the kids watched Night at the Museum while munching on cookies and more snacks. Having them all together is wonderful. Hunter didn't want to leave at the end of the night, he just loved being together.

CHEERS to Christmas Eve all together! I am so glad we were able to all come together. CHEERS to Big Sis and BIL for having the entire brood over and enduring the crazy wild kids. CHEERS to the family, the love and the chaos!

2009-12-25T22:49:00.002-06:00

The house is quiet once again.

Boo is asleep, much to her dismay.

Koda is bundled down, much to his glee.

Hubby and I are about to fall over, which I think Hubby already did.

We spent the day with family, and waiting. It was great to be with my niece and nephew, to once again be able to watch them open presents and just be together.

The kids spent almost two hours outside after gifts and brunch, and came in SOAKED to the bone. Two changed clothes, and all had coats in the dryer. Boo made a new friend, which doesn't surprise me in the least.

Hunter went home, which always makes me sad. It seems worse because of the day.

We got about 12 inches of snow so far, and it is snowing again right now. The roads are slushy after the rain mixed in, and some cities forgot what a snow plow is. We pulled one person out of a snow bank, offered two others who already had help on the way.

It was a day of family, fun and just being together. Boo is in hog heaven with her new books, clothes and games for the Wii. Hunter about freaked when he opened his very first hunting shotgun, I have never seen his face like that, not even at their birthdays. This topped it all.

I have pictures, and more stories. Last night we were at Big Sis's house, and that needs a post all in itself. Why? Let's see...snow, 2 year old, two 7 year olds and a 12 year old. You think about THAT one for a while.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, that you were able to hug your loved ones, you were healthy and you had a joyous time!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T16:38:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas from The FritzFacts! We hope your days are safe, fabulous and full of love!

The snow is coming

2009-12-23T20:03:00.002-06:00

Just a couple days ago I talked about the last snow storm we had, and now we are getting another. The snow is coming down pretty steady, and fast. The driveway is already coated, and I am not looking forward to the drive in to work in the morning.

They are talking about 18-22 inches by Saturday, two feet of snow to fall in about 48 hours. If the kids had school it would be cancelled.

I love it.

While it will make going to Big Sis and my In-Laws the next couple days interesting it is still the time for family. I can't wait to be together and watch the snow fall. To watch Koda try and maneuver around the yard in the morning and see the kids faces tomorrow.

What I Learned This Week

2009-12-21T21:51:00.002-06:00

The past two weeks have been filled to the brim, with a quieter weekend this past one. Between Boo having the stomach bug, Hubby and I passing a nasty cold bug back and forth and Hunter ROCKING his bowling tournament there has been little time. BUT, lots to learn!

- When your son is bowling in a tournament, you will need to hide behind your husband when said son gets 4 strikes in a row. Holding your breathe is not enough.

- Having a cold that will knock you over is not fun, but having it at the same time as your husband makes for some hilarious conversations!

Me: honey...honey..HONEY
H: What?
Me: Can you get this for me?
H : What?
Me: CAN YOU GET THIS FOR ME?
H: mumble mumble mumble
Me: WHAT?
H: mumble mumble mumble
Me: WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU
H: Here you go shorty

Hilarious I tell you! Hearing is so overrated!

- It is possible for a child that weighs a total of 58 pounds to throw up 22 time in 8 hours...important information...or just plain nasty which ever way you want to look at it.

- When said child does this, a trip to the local Children's Hospital will be in order and they will take ONE look at your child and bring you back right away.

- An IV is NOT a needle once it is in your hand, but a straw that your "veins drink from"

- Child Life Specialist are FABULOUS!

- Pandora is the best thing ever...EVER

- The chance of major snow is fun, but could cause some MAJOR problems over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...planning for the possibilities makes my head hurt.

- Even though I said I would wrap presents last night, it didn't happen. And I am not surprised.

- When your dog eats half a tray of hand-made truffles your head might explode because you have to remake them for co-workers who will LOVE them!

- Trying to figure out why my blog layout is all jacked up is driving me nuts.

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

Lost under the ribbon

2009-12-19T19:12:00.003-06:00

Deep Breaths everyone...Christmas is less than a week away.

Are YOU ready?

Are your gifts all bought?

Wrapped?

Stop laughing, mine aren't either. I keep saying I will wrap as I buy, every year I say this, but it never happens. Not once.

Only now, we are getting a bit closer to THE DAY, and I haven't wrapped a single thing. Not good.

So, tonight while I watch the Vikings play I will be working on that...hopefully...if Koda doesn't try to EAT THE WRAPPING PAPER. That is sort of key. Crazy dog...

What about you? Have you finished shopping? Wrapping/Bagging?

Let the snow come

2009-12-19T17:04:00.004-06:00

About a week and a half ago we had our first big snow fall, 7 inches or so but some killer winds. The winds were so bad that Boo's school was canceled because they couldn't keep the doorways cleared.

The night before, when there was about 3 inches on the ground I shoveled so that Hubby could get out and that it wouldn't be to bad the next night. Little did I know that Hubby would be home sick, and school/work would be off.

Boo decided that playing in the snow was way more fun that helping me get it off the driveway. I buried here as I went along, and she had the best time.

Here I am, all bundled up ready to clear the way, and it was fabulous. This was the first snow fall in OUR house, one that I knew would be exciting (nerve wracking) and wonderful. Who knew what the house would "do" in the snow, it was completely new.

We survived the snow, and the snow day. We spent most of it watching the snow fall, watching movies and napping on the couch. It was glorious.

Baking Day

2009-12-19T16:54:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we were finally able to have baking day, or Cookie Palooza as Big Sis calls it.

It was a blast.

The sisters, Ma and 4 kids all got together and baked the day away. We laughed, yelled, measured and helped the kids make some wonderful decorations.

Baking day was a huge success, with us each bringing home more than we ever thought we would get done. We could have done more, but the kids had had enough, the grown ups had sore feet and Koda was sick of being locked up.

I can't wait for 2010!

Nastiness

2009-12-14T07:21:00.003-06:00

I was all ready to write about Cooking Baking Day 2009, but I can't.

I was all ready to show you the pictures Hubby took of me and Boo last week, but I can't.

I wanted to write about my Christmas Tunes, can't on that either.

The stomach flu bug has hit our house and Boo is miserable. We are waiting for Hubby to get home from the store, but then it will be couch and movie time. We are thinking a Zac-A-Thon, HSM, HSM2, HSM3 and 17 Again.

We'll see.

Wish me luck!

Some Closure

2009-12-12T15:02:00.004-06:00

I realized this week that I have left a TON of things open lately, so sorry. So in effort to close some thing out, I give you this post. lol

Boo's Foot:
Boo foot was NOT broken, but she did have two inflamed ligaments and a strained tendon. You could feel the heat coming off her foot. The surgical shoe wasn't needed, but she was ace wrapped for over a week, and was not allowed to participate in gym or regular recess. All is better now, with some slight discomfort only every once in a while.

Hubby's Grandma:
Being the over-achiever that Grandma is, she is already back in Iowa resting in a smaller hospital. She spent a total of 4 days in the big hospital when they deemed her well enough to not be a high risk patient. This woman is a rockstar!

The Bathroom:
We are slowly working on the bathroom. To get it framed in we used gift cards only, so now we are slowing down. Small steps! It should be done by the time I turn 80 or so! lol

Hunter's Mad Skills!:
I can't say enough about Hunter's Mad Skills right, I am still a bit in disbelief of how his day at the tournament went. He spent some time this morning focusing on what he wanted to happen today, and how he wanted to bowl. Warm-ups were good, he adjusted where he needed and read the lanes pretty well. His first game, 154. His second game, 158. His third game, Oh My Lanta, 188!! I was amazed and so very proud of him, still am. There is a good chance that he will once again make it to state, but we won't know for sure until after the 30th, and state is on the 9th or 10th. Good thing he is here that weekend!

The Sleep Clinic:
This is really a post within itself, but because we don't KNOW a ton, I will trim it down a bit. We spent almost two hours with the doctor for her appointment. He told me first off, that I was doing everything that I possibly could right (woohoo!) and that he wished all his patients parents filled out the forms as well as I had.

Right now we are working on the Quality of her sleep, and once we figure out why that is all goofy we will work on the Quantity of her sleep. He told me that every time she gets up during the night, it takes close to a hour to get back into good sleep. So, if Boo sleeps total 10 hours, but gets up three or four times she is really getting six or seven good hours of sleep. Not much for her. We are working to clear up a couple issues first, see if they impact her sleep at all and so far they have. She is still getting up, but some other "while sleep" issues are getting better. She still has a hard time going to sleep at night, but that will be worked on once this stuff is fixed.

She will have a sleep study, but not until February or so. They want to give her treatment now a chance to work before we go that route. After the sleep study, she will most likely pay a visit to ENT and Allergy as they both seem to play a part.

Did you know that they "grade" tonsils on a score of 0-4? Boo is at a 2, not bad but not great either. Also, did you know that bags under your eyes is NOT from lack of sleep but sinus and/or nasal congestion. Strange facts I learned at the sleep clinic!

I think that's it. I have to start getting this house ready for The Great Cookie Bake Off 2009! We are all gathering tomorrow to bake the day away, and I can't stinking wait!

Chicago Part 2 - In Pictures

2009-12-12T00:05:00.006-06:00

Here...

We took pictures of ourselves...

And of the kids...

In the Giant Bean (could that sky BE any bluer!). That's me in the middle.

Then we walked and saw these guys

Then we walked some more and had the BEST hot chocolate EVER

(Note Boo's hot chocolate lethargy)

Then we went to Shed, where they had these...

And these creepy looking crabs too.

Then we rested to prepare for this (the bowl was the size of MY HEAD)

All in all, a great trip had by all!

What I Learned This Week

2009-12-08T06:25:00.003-06:00

This was a quiet week on the learning front, at least at home. With Open Enrollment in full swing, by the time I get home I am exhausted and just wanting to crawl into bed. I haven't been keeping track like I normally do, so wing it I shall!

- When dealing with a dog product company on the east coast, it is best to call them as soon as they open. Otherwise you might end up sitting on hold for 20 minutes. Not the best way to spend my day.

- When traveling with three small children, bring more than the movies for in the car than you think you will need, we needed at least 3 more. Selection is key!

- When traveling with a sleep walking child, don't laugh when they can't get out of the bedroom you have trapped them in. It's funny, but mean.

- Lemon juice is a great deterrent for a dog whose training collar stopped working AGAIN.

- Sleeping only 5 hours than driving home 7 hours is not a good idea...just saying.

- Wisconsin is in fact the drive-through state. We played the licence plate game and say 27 states and 3 Providences. It was great. And by "we" I mean me and M...not the kids.

- When getting excited about a blogger event in MN, don't do a happy dance that causes you to almost fall over. You pain-riddled knee will thank you.

- Finding jeans that actually fit your skinny waisted 7 year old is not easy, but when you pool your resources and compare stores with a friend you find new tricks! I heart Justice Jeans! They don't have an adjustable waist-band, but Boo doesn't need a belt either! Woohoo Victory!

For more What I Learned this Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas

2009-12-07T13:04:00.004-06:00

It is Christmas time, and as an adult I LOVE Christmas. I am borrowing this from Girlymama and Musings of a Housewife because why do they get to have all the fun!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Oh Hot Chocolate and I are best friends.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? All gifts are wrapped in our house. I love watching the kids faces when they pull something open.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Oh Colored, 100%. I went through 9 ads on Black Friday to find a tree on sale that had colored lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.

5. When do you put your decorations up? This depends...if Hunter is with us for Thanksgiving, they go up that weekend. If not, then the next weekend he is with us. I hate even thinking about his missing out on that!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Cookies...is that a dish...

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Christmas at my Aunt's, playing outside after lunch, all the cookies Ma would make for us while we decorated the tree...do I have to pick just one?

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Santa is real people...whatchutalkinabout

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When we got older, my parents would let us but my kids do not unless we are at someones house. But again this depends on Hunter. If he is with us on Christmas Eve he opens all his presents on Christmas Eve, otherwise we wait for him on Christmas Morning.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I don't, the kids do for the most part. We have a hodge-podge of ornaments that are from me growing up, and the ones that the kids pick out each year. It is a fun tree for them.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! We are getting some this week and I can't wait.

12. Can you ice skate? Sure...or something like that. When I was younger I was on the ice almost everyday. Now I am older and out of shape.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Ever? No. But I got Kris Mutts one year, those were pretty cool. Last year Big Sis got me my scrapbook bag, and that almost brought tears to my eyes!

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family, eating and being lazy for a whole week!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Of course

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Setting out Santa's cookies with Boo (crap...I have no idea where that plate is) and sitting in the dark with the tree lit up.

17. What tops your tree? This year...nothing. We got a new tree and our old topper doesn't work. I am on the hunt!

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving. I love watching people's faces

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Oh sweet heaven YUM!

20 Favorite Christmas Show? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Christmas Story (even more so this year) and MAJORLY White Christmas

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton (from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas....that's going to bring some funny google searches).

22. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night/Peace Peace when sung by a Choir, otherwise Songs for a Winters Night by Sarah McLachlan (from the remake of Miracle on 34th Street) or Believe by Josh Groban (from Polar Express)

Let me know if you do this, I want to know about your Christmas too!

Chicago - Part 1

2009-12-05T23:11:00.003-06:00

I am sitting in the living area of our hotel room, while everyone else is asleep. I don't know how I am not EXHAUSTED, but here I am.

We got in to Chicago late last night, after stopping 7 times on the way down. Once for an upset stomach (Boo), once for some meds and the rest potty breaks for 3 little girls all on different schedules. We didn't even make it out of the cities before we had to stop, Boo's stomach was not happy. Of course she was fine, but better safe than sorry.

I Tweeted the entire drive down, and the entire trip. It was great to document the thoughts I knew I wouldn't remember otherwise.

Today we walked about 4 miles even before we got to Shed, which was not that great. We walked around Millenium Mall (Park?) and looked at the giant bean (that thing is cool!). We walked all the way down Michigan Avenue, crossed the river and hit Ghiradelli and Hershey. That was it...then walked back.

We had lunch at Bennigans (awful service, fabulous food) and then went to Shed.

Now there is a lot of hype surrounding Shed, but it was no better than our local zoo, or the Duluth Aquarium. I was disappointed. But, the kids had some fun and that is what I really care about.

After that we came back to the hotel, relaxed and watched Home Alone. We let the kids play in the bedroom, and they jumped on beds and made a ton of noise. It was good that they recovered from earlier, because they were all so wiped out that we didn't know if we would make it back alive.

We had dinner at Maggiano's, and let me tell you had wonderful their food is. It is pricey, but we had a gift card so that helped. We got to eat what we wanted, and had a cocktail to calm the frazzled nerves.

Now, everyone is asleep and here I am. I can't seem to shut down the brain tonight. It is not what I need, but oh well.

Tomorrow will be a long day, swimming in the morning and then the drive home trying to stay ahead of the tolls!

*I am typing this on a Mac Book and have no idea how to copy and paste, so links will come when I get home.*

I made Meatballs

2009-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

I made meatballs for the first time on Sunday.

I know Big Sis is shaking her head in disgust.

I also am making enchilada's this week for the first time.

I am not a cook. I get by, but it is not something I overly enjoy. I tend to let things distract me, like Sunday early evening.

I messed up BOXED MAC AND CHEESE.

To the point it was MUCH, not even noodles anymore. A big pile of MUSH. We had grilled cheese instead.

So, I try to cook more. I try to make more things besides me normal...5 dishes. It is getting better, but I need more simple recipes.

I work full time outside the house, so on the nights I get home late (like Monday) I like to be able to prep something the night before, like the meatballs. I cooked them Sunday and all Hubby had to do was reheat them in the sauce and ready! It worked out really well I think.

So, I need some ideas. What can I make ahead, or at least prep a bit, that will sit well in the fridge? We are a huge meat house, always have something, and always have some sort of veggie with each meal, if Hubby had his way it would be covered in cheese every time.

So, help me out Bloggy World!!!

Hunter's at it Again

2009-12-04T20:03:00.000-06:00

With his MAD SKILLS!

Once again Hunter has qualified for the local District Bowling Tournament. He will be bowling December 12th for a chance to go to State again, this time in the higher age division.

We are so proud of him! He has been working so hard, and had an amazing series to get to Districts.

We can't wait to see what happens this time around!

Try This! - Holiday Cookies

2009-12-03T06:00:00.002-06:00

It is time again for Try This, hosted by Girlymama. I love this carnival, and have found some great recipes.

This months theme, holiday cookies of course!

I am reposting one of my favorites, because the world is not complete unless EVERYONE has tried BUCKEYES. So good, so rich and so perfect in every way!!

Almost Instant Buckeyes

Ingredients:
1 (10 oz.) pkg peanut butter chips
1 (16 oz) can Pillsburgy Creamy Supreme Vanilla Frosting
1 (12 oz) pkg light cocoa candy melts or coating wafers (or chocolate almond
bark)

Directions:

1. Line cookie sheets with waxed paper. Melt peanut putter chips in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in frosting. Let stand about 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

2. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, melt candy melts as directed on package.

4. To coat each ball with candy, pierce ball with toothpick; dip in melted candy leaving small are around toothpick uncoated. Place dipped ball on waxed paper-line cookie sheet, pushing the candy off the toothpick with the tines of a fork. (If desired, smooth toothpick mark with finger.)

If melted candy sets up while dipping, rewarm in microwave on LOW power. Let stand 5 minutes or until set. Putting in the fridge sets quicker.

Makes 6 dozen Buckeyes.

Man, now I want to make some. Must resist for another week!

Head on over to Girlymama for more Try This posts!

Sleep Clinic here we come!

2009-12-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the day we have been waiting for.

Boo's consult with the Pediatric Sleep Clinic.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!

In preparation for this appointment I have:

Filled out a 11 page questionnaire
Observed Boo's sleep each night and taken detailed notes
Had many sleepless nights, as she needed to be observed without her sleeping meds.
Held a very tied, overly emotional 7 year old who just WANTS SLEEP.

Hopefully today we will figure out what steps need to be taken to ensure that Boo gets the 10-12 hours of sleep she needs to function on a better level.

Keep your fingers crossed!!

Prayers Please

2009-12-02T05:43:00.000-06:00

I am in need of some prayers today. Hubby's Grandma is going in for surgery this morning.

Not minor, but nothing to major either.

She is an 88 year old Mother to 3, Grandma to 7, Great-Grandma to 5. We love her and want her safe.

She is a feisty lady, who yells and me and Hubby every time she sees us, will scold Hunter for homework issues and loves her Granddaughters to no end. She will smack you if you lip-off, Hubby is still scared of her.

She still says my name wrong, after 10 years.

But that is what we love about her.

Please help keep her safe.

What I Learned this Week

2009-11-30T20:21:00.002-06:00

This week has been crazy busy, and I didn't post last week so there is some catching up to do.

- On Black Friday, go into it being patient and with low expectations. It helps.

- Know that Boo's foot will not be broken, that the Urgent Care doctor TOTALLY freaked you out for no reason. It will however have two inflamed ligaments and one strained tendon. This can hurt worse than a broken bone.

- Hearing out of the left ear if over-rated.

- Men are worse than children when they are sick. Just saying...

- A puppy can in fact hit 72.5 pounds by 8 months. Who knew!

- The same puppy can weight 72.5 pounds and have the least amount of fat on him that the vet has ever seen. He is just a BIG BOY, and super cute.

- When someone tells me "You made me feel so much better" after they read this post, it makes me day. No week.

- Someone played NeedtoBreathe for me, and now I can't stop listening. It is fabulous.

- Waiting two weeks for Boo's sleep consult has been torture! Now it is just two days!!

- You can, in fact hear a child rolling their eyes from across the room, it is such a strange wonderful gift.

- I said this on Facebook tonight, but it is worth repeating...I have a love hate relationship with Open Enrollment. Today it is hate. Go here to see what it is all about.

- We are three months into the school year, and I still don't think I like Boo's teacher. She just isn't very personable.

For more What I Learned this Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Thanksgiving and then some

2009-11-30T19:17:00.003-06:00

I could say that I am sorry I haven't been around...but that would be a lie.

So, I will tell you that I have been too busy, worn out, laughing too hard, sleeping too little and being with the family all week long.

It started with Hunter coming a day early. While this made my day, it threw a kink into my schedule. After begging the Grandparents to take him for the night, it was solved. Plus, my FIL had been going through Hunter withdrawls.

We spent Thursday among family, and it was wonderful. The siblings all stayed until later, we played games and tortured the children. It was the best thanksgiving yet!

Friday I was up at the crack of dawn to to go a few stores with Big Sis. We hit Target, Micheal's, Old Navy and Best Buy. Best Buy was a huge disappointment. They had no good movies on sale, and that is what I mainly hunt for on Black Friday. I did get Boo a new winter coat at Old Navy, her zipper is all jacked up on her current one. I got her this one in the Plum color (not listed for some strange reason). It was only $15! Such a deal.

I also got Hunter a hilarious graphic-t there, they have the best ones in my opinion (these crack me up the most). I wanted to get this one for me, but got this one for Hunter instead. I also debated getting this one for my sister in law too, it is totally her shirt (make sure you read the fine print at the bottom, too funny!)

Target is always my favorite. I don't mind the lines, it gave me an Big Sis some time to talk more. I got a ton of movies, and some fuzzy socks for Boo's stocking. Big Sis got what she was hunting for, and a couple other things too. The people at Target weren't as crazy as other places, but it was busy.

Micheal's I was in search for the $3.99 wreathe they had on sale. I got it, plus ribbon and mini ornaments. I didn't have a wreathe, never had a place to hang it. I knew I wanted to make the wreathe myself, so much cheaper that way. It was pretty easy to do, I will have to show pictures soon.

Friday we also got my new Christmas Tree. I have had a 3 1/2 foot tree since Hubby and I started living together (9 years ago) but with the new house I got to get a "normal" size tree, and we found the best one. I love it, it is pre-lit with multi-colored lights and has enough branches to look pretty full. I can't find a picture online, and I haven't take one yet so use your imagination! lol

Saturday we decorated the house, the outside lights were hung and had some family time. The boys played on the Wii while Boo and I made her Gingerbread House. Then had to fix her gingerbread house because someone, who shall remain nameless but has 4 legs and a tail, tried to EAT her gingerbread house. It is all fixed, just looks a bit like a shanty now!

Sunday was just us all day. We made cookie dough, decorated the tree and watched the Vikings go 10-1! It was a good day. A good Thanksgiving and a good weekend all together.

Why I didn't get to meet Pioneer Woman

2009-11-22T20:22:00.004-06:00

I was so hoping that once Boo got her cast off, we would be good for a while. Yeah, she has her sleep thing going on, but she has been injury free for over 3 months. Woohoo!

That has come to an end, and I am not impressed. Why? Because this one makes no sense whatsoever! I am still scratching my head, trying to see how it works.

Here's what happened. Last Saturday Boo was at her friends house for a few hours. It was her first time there, and I warned the mom that Boo has no fear and will try ANYTHING at least once. They jumped on the trampoline, played, and watched a movie. I honestly worried about her on the trampoline, even said "You watch America's Funniest Home Video's right? Don't do that!"

They were starting to play a dancing HSM game when it happened...

Boo was dancing around, and kicked the door to the entertainment center with the top left side of her left foot. She didn't hit a corner, just the bottom of the door. J, the mom, iced her foot and called me. Told me she was walking okay, had a slight limp but she wacked it pretty hard so we both figured that was why. She was running around later that night, and has for about 70% of the week so I didn't think anything of it.

Fast forward to Tuesday. She was headed to the doctor to follow up on the sleep issues and all the fun stuff that goes along with it. Her foot was still bugging her, still hurting after she got home from school and if she spent to much time walking around. I chocked it up to just being sore. Didn't think to bring it up to her doctor while we were there.

Now, Friday. Boo came home from school and complained to me over the phone that her foot hurt really bad, there were tears. I told her to ice it, lay on the couch and I would look at it when I got home. I didn't think any more of it the rest of the afternoon, or until about 6:30 pm when she complained about it again. We took off her sock, and there was swelling. No bruising or anything, and only a small portion was swollen, but swollen it was.

I knew that we would end up going in at some point over the weekend, but I hoped it would be Sunday over Saturday because The Pioneer Woman was at the Mall of America and I WANTED TO GO! I had been planning it for weeks, and didn't want to miss it. And really, let's fit these things into MY schedule why don't we!

But, Saturday came and the swelling was actually a bit worse. I asked her if she would be able to make it through bowling, because it is her sliding foot. She said she wanted to try, and I told her that she could stop at any point if it hurt to bad.

About half way through her second game she started complaining that it was really bugging her. She didn't want to stop though, so we let her keep going. One of her coaches (my old coach) came up to me at the end and asked me about Boo's foot. I guess she complained to him twice about her foot hurting, and this shocked me.

Boo will complain to me without a care, Hubby too. But someone that is not in the family, she will suck it up and not whine. She likes doing stuff, and is always afraid that they will tell her to stop. I guess Coach T told her she could stop, and she looked him like he was crazy. Yeah...she gets that from Hubby for sure.

I knew then that The Pioneer Woman would have to wait, and that I would NOT be heading out to meet a TON of bloggers that were waiting in line for the chance to sit by her for 2 minutes. I was bummed.

So, after lunch and after we made her pick up the dog poop in the yard we headed off to urgent care. Yes, we made her finish her chore, but we honestly did NOT think there was anything wrong with her foot. I thought going to the doctor would show that and she MOVE ON.

You have no idea how much I wish we hadn't had her do that.

So, at the clinic she was sent to X-ray after the doctor took a look at her. She said she was swollen, but no bruising (see!!) but wanted to make sure with a picture. Boo SKIPPED TO X-RAY and waited our turn. After, we went back to the room and waited. She kept asking what they x-ray would show as she JUMPED OFF THE EXAM TABLE over and over again.

The doctor comes in and says "Sooooo..." my head fell. That is NEVER good. Never! Every time something has been going on, it starts that way. She sits down and looks at Boo jumping all over the place (because I SWEAR she knows how to act in public) and shakes her head.

Here is what we found out, Boo has a possible Buckle Fracture of her left foot, involving not one but TWO bones. They say possible because these fractures HAVE to be confirmed by a Radiologist every time. So, right now they are calling it a buckle of two bones, meaning they have shifted a bit and that is what is causing the pain. The location of the bones is what is causing her the biggest problem, because her shoe hits right there.

The doctor said that the pain would come and go, which is WHY Boo could act like a crazy person. It would kill later from all the jumping around she was doing and we had the limit that.

I laughed out loud.

So, where does that leave us? In limbo until tomorrow morning at 9 am.

We are heading back to the doctor tomorrow (because three times in 6 days just ISN'T ENOUGH it seems.) for her to be fitted for either a Surgical Shoe or a Boot depending on what the radiologist report says tomorrow. If it is a fracture she will be booted for at least two weeks. If it is just a buckle without fracture she will have to wear the Surgical Shoe for at least a week and then wear some extra support for a week after that.

After we got home I had to call J, Boo's friend's mom. She was as shocked as I was. She had seen Boo at school that week running around like normal. Her daughter had told her that Boo said her foot still hurt, and she figured that it was just bruised. When I told her, it was silence on the phone. I had to laugh, because that was my same reaction. We told her that we didn't blame her, that it could have happened anywhere and Boo was just that talented.

We are setting up another play-date for very soon, at both houses.

What did we learn...

No clue yet...still thinking that one out.

Oh, and this afternoon while I was making her doctor appointment for tomorrow, she came outside and started JUMPING ROPE right in front of me. I about lost it. Ma was there, and I think she laughed a bit...but she hid it pretty well. Right now, she is crying over the pain that has hit HARD and that the ice and Motrin isn't helping.

Fun fun

The Blogger is Out!

2009-11-20T18:16:00.002-06:00

I am over here today, giving away form Oral-B Stages tooth brushes! Head on over!

Don't Second Guess

2009-11-18T23:08:00.002-06:00

Tonight, as Boo lay curled in my lap with a cough that came out of nowhere, I realized something so important.

I have no clue what I am doing half the time.

Not that it is a bad thing, it is fun at times to find the path and see where it all leads. But there are times where I am terrified that I am going to mess This up, that my kids will have long lasting effects of my crazy parenting.

There are times when I second guess myself. Am I doing the right thing by keeping Boo at her school (yes, by the way), am I doing the right thing by not listening to ~~everyone~~ Boo's doctor, should I really worry about Hunter's school or let his Mom handle it?

If I make this one little choice, how long will it affect my family? Will the backlash be great, or so minuscule that no one knows I even made the change?

There are so many "what if's" in life, so many different things that may or may not happen, that it would make a person crazy to think of them all. So what do we do instead, take it one day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. If we mess up, so be it. Learn, and move on. Taking the time to freak out about the possibilities in life does not help, though it may feel like it at first.

I spent the first three years of Boo's life playing the "what if" game, wondering if I was doing the right thing every minute of the day. I worried that she would get sick, get hurt, have hurt feelings, be bruised or broken. I spent so much time being a "helicopter parent" that I didn't watch her grow. I don't know if this is changing a lot, but now I know that I need let life happen.

I now know that I need to let her find her way, that I need to let Hunter ( to a point) find his as well. I need to not hover, need to let my second guesses stay with me. I need to show my children that even when you aren't sure, be confident in your choices and you will find the right one for you.

Going through life is hard, going through life as a mom is harder.

What I Learned this Week

2009-11-18T06:13:00.002-06:00

I am a day behind on this, but still wanted to link up with Musings of a Housewife's What I Learned This Week party. So, let's begin shall we!

- Know what's worse than a sleep walking Boo...a SASSY ATTITUDE filled sleep walking Boo. I laughed, because it is sort of funny.

- Trying to clean your house, while you husband is framing in your bathroom, the kids are "helping" and the dog is running around like a crazy person doesn't really work.

- The grocery store is REALLY quiet at 1 am on a Saturday.

- If you beg enough, you just might get your name "drawn" for your child's field trip. Just maybe.

- Having the chance to see the play you were in as a child WITH your child, will make you bed, plead and borrow. Just saying...

- A total of 40+ leaf bags is what it took to clean our yard.

- It is not fun having to explain your self over and over and over again.

That's it, it wasn't that big of a week.

Head on over to Musings of a Housewife for more What I Learned This Week posts.

Boo's Sleep

2009-11-14T14:43:00.003-06:00

I have been AWOL the past week...again.

Not intentional at all. I haven't been feeling the greatest, was drained from the meeting at Hunter's school and trying to reclaim my disaster of a house. Oh, and Boo isn't sleeping...again. That is my favorite thing EVER (insert sarcasm/tears/head banging here).

We are heading back to the doctor next week sometime to follow up with Boo's doctor about her sleeping "issues", we are the max end of her sleeping meds. I am close to wits end, and had a mini-melt down on Tuesday. I thought, at that point, that I was going crazy, that her sleeping problems were all in my head. I cried to Hubby, talking about it made me feel even worse. Let's set the scene...

Tuesday night I was talking to a friend about our upcoming trip to Chicago. We were planning a "planning meeting" (where we sit for two hours and make plans for MAYBE 20 minutes...). We had to plan food, schedule and so much more. It was about half way through our expected phone call when I heard a door open. This is when I almost hit my head on the wall, so exhausted at this point. Boo came out, swaying side to side. Here is the conversation (it makes me giggle a little bit, it's funny).
Me: What are you doing?

Boo: Sleeping

Me: Why are you out of bed?

Boo: I'm in bed (sways some more)! I am sleeping!

Me: Crap...gotta go, she is sleep walking again

How fun was that...made me laugh because she was swaying side to side like nobodies business.

After I got her back into bed, I called Hubby to let him know that she had been up, and the conversation. After we laughed, we got serious. She is not getting enough sleep, and the sleep she is getting just plain sucks.

At this point, I was a mess. I felt (no more) that I was going nuts because I didn't think he ever saw it, and that HE thought I might be loosing it. I don't really remember her doing it when he is home his three nights off, but then he reminded me that she did 3 times on Saturday, 1 on Friday and 3 on Thursday. It made me feel better, I am not crazy (well...no more than normal at least).

Look at the bags under her eyes...my poor girl

So, off we go again to follow up, and see what the next steps are to help my little girl sleep better at night. She is still very pale all the time, always tired and actually fell asleep on the bus twice now.

Hopefully we can get this figured out and fast!

Building a Bathroom

2009-11-14T14:37:00.003-06:00

The "random toilet" won't be random much longer...

We got Construction!! Woohoo!!!

What I Learned this Week

2009-11-09T18:57:00.003-06:00

Here we are once again, time for another week of What I Learned this Week. I love doing this, it makes me think about what actually goes on in my life, what I know and what I am seeing along the way.

This week was an emotional one, and it was OH SO filled with life lessons and realizations.

- Sitting down to write out all of Hunter's needs is hard, but thankfully I had two WONDERFUL Twitter friends giving me the best advise (Kim and Erin).

We had the first of three meetings regard Hunter's possible qualification for an IEP, and I was overwhelmed with the need to be very prepared for this one. We would talk about what his problem areas are, and what we wanted them to especially take notice of. It was a hard meeting to sit through, but I had great help preparing. Plus, I only cried once! Score!!

- Spending 2.5 hours in the car with Lia is wonderful every time. Especially when I burn a cd of 90's songs and we bust a move. It was great, my sides hurt from laughing so much. And it carries on, since we keep having a conversation on Twitter in just lyrics...yes we are 12 at times.

- Finding out that Freebies 4 Mom has a freebie for 50 free photo cards was the find of the YEAR! Head over here, I am not even kidding. GO! Christmas cards people! Christmas cards!! I just ordered mine, again with the help of Twitter. They are fabulous!

- I learned this week about "freezer cooking" and am digging to learn more. Cook a ton one day and have food ready to go...I am all for it!

- There is nothing wrong with using layaway when money is tight. I am not ashamed to admit it.

- Shopping for a new baby in the family is the BEST THING EVER. So much fun.

- Doing something good for someone, even if they don't know it at the time is wonderful. Thanks Lia for coming with!

- I saved $50.78 on a $82.60 bill at the grocery store this past week. I did a little dance, I am not ashamed of it.

- I say "Stalking is a crime" to much...Boo is now repeating it. I asked her if she knew what stalking was...she said "A crime mom...like wearing white shoes after Labor Day.". So...no more Legally Blonde the musical is seems...

- On a bye-week the Vikings can gain ground when the Bears AND the Packers loose. It is wonderful. Hopefully they won't break my heart again...

- You can teach a 2 year old to say almost anything, and it will bring tears of laughter to yours eyes. Gotta love an Aunts role!

I am laughing so hard now, thinking about my nephew saying stuff I can't even write anymore.

Head on over to Musings of a Housewife for more What I Learned this Week posts.

Five For Fighting - Review

2009-11-07T08:32:00.000-06:00

For many years I have been listening to Five for Fighting, the music speaks so clearly. John Ondrasik is the song writer for Five for Fighting, and the singer. His voice is so mellow, calming and true. He writes the way he sings, deeply personal.

Listening to the newest album, Slice, has been great. Hearing his voice, his words and the simple way he delivers both is pure joy.

From the website:

If every album provides snapshots of where an artist's mind at heart is at the moment, Slice, the latest offering from John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), is a collection of digital jpegs and faded Polaroids.

The very personal level of his songs is something so few artists have, so many don’t write their own music. This is something that drew me to him, and kept me hooked from the beginning.

Not only is John Ondrasik a wonderful musician, he is involved in social media and more importantly some wonderful charities. In 2007 John launched the charity website whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com. It raises money for many charities when visitors view videos provided by other visitors. The current view count…3 million! That translate to $300,000 donated.

John is also a strong supporter of the US Troops. He has performed at Guantanamo Bay, Hawaii, Guam & Japan through USO Tours. With that John created a CD of fabulous recording that is available to any active service person for free!

John has composed songs for many movies, most recently August Rush, We Were Solders and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. He was also featured on a promo for the new show The Good Wife this past week.

Five For Fighting’s newest album “Slice” is a strong contender for my new favorite, it has power, patience and quiet. It fits so well with any mood, something that is important as I constantly listen to my Ipod at work.

Many thanks to One2One Network for the chance to hear Five For Fighting’s newest album Slice!

The Week

2009-11-06T21:45:00.002-06:00

This week was full of simple pleasures. Small things that added up to make the week not quite as hectic and scary.

- WCCO tweeted me back to tell me what exactly was going on in my neighborhood. That was cool.
- I found a drain cover that actually worked in my tub for my ever-loving-always-falling-out hair.
- I colored my hair, while Boo read to me about Sharks and Dolphins.
- Hubby took Koda hunting for the very first time, and then Koda went to the Kennel to get a bath.
- Today my friend Andi turned 29...and she will forever be 29 (or so she says). Tomorrow is her birthday/anniversary/housewarming bash, and I can't wait. I have missed her.
- On Sunday my Lovely Lia and I will be helping a friend, and there is no one I would rather take with me then her.
- LIA GOT A JOB! After months of searching, interviewing and stressing out she rejoins the work force. I am so proud of her. She is so strong, so smart and so wonderful.
- It is two weeks from today when we will have Ladies Night and see New Moon. Can't wait.
- Two weeks and one day until The Pioneer Woman comes to Minnesota!

So many wonderful things, taking the edge off a stressful week.

Try This! - PASTA!!

2009-11-05T05:54:00.003-06:00

It is time again for Girlymama's Try This carnival, which is held on the first Thursday of each month.

This month's theme is PASTA! Oh how I love Pasta...I truly do. So many things are made better with pasta.

So, I wanted to do the simplest pasta "dish" I make, and one that the my kids (and me, who am I kidding) would eat everyday if we could.

Parmesan Butter Noddles

- Pasta of any shape or size, we use small shells or egg noodles the most. The amount depends on how much the people will eat, no exact amount here.
- Butter
- Parmesan - same as pasta, I use a bunch because it is just wonderful.

Cook pasta as directed on package, and drain. Make sure it is still warm, to melt the butter and cheese.

Put in the bowl/on the plate you will be using. It doesn't taste the same, something about how the butter coats in large amounts of pasta.

Add butter, you can do as little or as much as you want with this. I do a medium amount, about 1 teaspoon per bowl.

Add cheese - and oh how we add it in this house! We have been known to go through half a container with this meal for three of us.

Stir and Eat!

*Additions - I do this with chicken or shrimp a lot, and you can add any spices you might want.

So very simple, I feel like I am cheating...so here's another one that is more involved. This is one that I got out of my Food Network "How to Boil Water" cookbook**, and have made it once and love it!

Outside the Box Pasta Pie*
-1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (for pasta water)
-8 ounces of Penne or Penne Rigate
-1/2 cup milk
- 2 Large eggs
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-Dash Worcestershire sauce
-Pinch nutmeg
-Fresh Cracked Pepper
- 2 Slices Bacon
- 1/2 Medium onion
- 1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, plus a little more for greasing your baking dish (IMPORTANT!)
- 2 Cups broccoli - frozen is easiest, cooks better in the dish
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Preheat your oven to 350, cook pasta for about 6-8 minutes. It will continue to cook when it bakes, so you don't want it all the way done.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, nutmeg and black pepper. Drain pasta and let cook for about 5 minutes, add to mixture.

Slice bacon into thin strips, chop onion (not to small) and sun dried tomatoes. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it just begins to crisp, add onion, broccoli and tomatoes to saucepan. Season with salt, pepper and cook until onion is tender. Add to above mixture, also adding cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted

Grease baking dish and butter and mound the pasta in dish (I like having a peak in the middle). Add remaining cheese to top and bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

*Additions: I have done this adding chicken and even some turkey before, so good and an entire meal (great for reheating for work too!).

** I LOVE this cookbook. I can never remember how to boil an egg, or how long to cook one for if I want it runny. I would normally call Ma, but I felt like an idiot. Now, I can feel that way without having to let her know! This book is wonderful!!

What I Learned this Week

2009-11-02T22:21:00.003-06:00

We had a strange weekend, but a good one. Lots to get done and no where near enough time. Let's just dive on in, shall we?

- Boo has inherited Ma's shoe obsession. She got these on Saturday and walks around singing "It's Fergalicious", so cute and slightly annoying. Oh, and why don't they come in my size..Fergie has some super cute kid shoes!

- Raking leafs is awful, it sucks, hate it. We bagged 22 bags of leafs this weekend, and that was just in the back. Darn mature trees...

- My new sneakers are NO WHERE near as cute as Boo's, but the are so functional so that works for me. Hello Arch Supports!

- 2 year olds crack me up, they have the best one liners ever! "I'm not crazy...you crazy!". So true...

- Certain people (who shall remain nameless) are VERY excited about the new Disney movie, and can't wait to get all the merchandise...even though they have all boys. (Had to put that link up, she is going to FREAK)

- I am working really hard to use more coupons, to save us more money. It is like a drug, finding the best deal. I spent 45 minutes tonight cutting out coupons, and I'm not even done yet. I can't wait to study the ads, the get the best deals.

- I don't like math homework, and it is very hard to NOT just give her the answer. Took me 20 minutes to figure out how to work through the problem with her, not just tell her. I hate math.

- Trick or Treating is fun with Ma. She doesn't mind when Boo wants to keep going, even though her feet hurt.

For more What I Learned this Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

Let Them Be Little

2009-11-02T21:38:00.003-06:00

This past week has gone by in a blur. We have been so busy that I can't seem to catch my breathe, and we are no where near as busy as some.

I can't imagine what life would be like if we didn't limit the kids activities. I have friends whose children are in three different activities a week...A WEEK! Right now my kids have two, and that is bowling. Boo will be starting something one day a week, but that almost feels like to much.

I would rather have my children be just that, Children.

I spent so many years of my life hopping from one activity to another, and bless my mother for driving me to it all. There were many spring days I would go from the ball field to the dance studio, and my brother from the track to the hockey arena. I don't know how she kept it all straight, let alone didn't loose her own mind along the way.

There is such a major trend with over scheduled children, and the after affects are now coming to light.

While having a child try many sports/groups/clubs over time is wonderful, bogging them down in one year can prove disastrous. Our Pediatrician talked with us about this at Boo's last Well-Child-Check this summer. She let us know that one activity at a time is a great way to go about it, that no child should feel the need to focus on one specific thing until they are older, 13 being an ideal age.

Boo has played soccer, baseball, taken dance class, swimming lessons and a random art class and bowls. Never at the same time, but spread out over 3 years. This year she wants to try her hand atFastpitch , and maybe some more swim lessons. But, again not overlapping (bowling is once a week for 8 months, if she misses it the world does not end, it is for fun).

Did you know that a child of 8-12 should be getting 10-12 hours of sleep a night. A Night! So many children have sports right after school, than another activity and then maybe get home to do homework by 8. That doesn't leave much time for sleep, especially if they want to make good grades on top of it all.

I worry about what things will be like when Boo hits high school. Sports and Activities (drama, NHS etc) are very prominent in schools now, and they should not be the priority. Getting an education and staying healthy is the main thing in life, and many of the children of today will not see that 9 years down the road.

Remember that our children are Children. They need to rush to play at the park, not off to another lesson. Slow down, and let them be children while they can.

"Let them be little, cause they are only that way for a while" Lonestar - Let Them Be Little

I_Blog...Do you?

2009-10-27T20:55:00.002-05:00

Every year there are tons of Blog Conferences around the country, Blogher, Type-A Mom etc. Every year I say, well maybe next year I can go...maybe if it wasn't so much, maybe if it was closer...

You can't get much closer than Iowa, and you can get much more inexpensive than the cost of I_Blog!

I_Blog is the brain child of Jody, also known as Iowa Geek. She spent many a nights pondering the reasoning behind the lack of midwest blog conferences. While we are chili, snowy and really not the best place to visit 9 out of 12 months, we are still bloggers and still here! We love to learn, and want to be the best bloggers we can.

So, along came I_Blog. A midwest Blog Conference for Midwest Bloggers.

I_Blog is being held November 14-15th at the Incredible Hotel Pattee in Perry Iowa, just a hour northeast of Des Moines. This place is truly amazing. They have a bowling alley, themed rooms and a spa! This is one of the best Boutique Hotels in the country! Plus, double rooms are only $99 and there is a forum on the I_Blog website where you can find a roommate and carpool buddy!

Besides being at an amazing location, I_Blog has an incredible line up of speakers:
- Jody Halsted(Iowa Geek, Have Kid Will Travel and I_Blog Creator)
- Melanie Nelson aka Chilihead (Blogging Basics 101 and co-author of TypePad for Dummies)
- BJ Weber (Ankeny Tax and Accounting - he will talk taxes for bloggers and answer questions)
- Darci (Graphically Designing and Life With My 3 Boybarians)
- Becky Mollenkamp (Creative Services)
- Deb Brown (Debworks.com)
- Jennic Law (Kangaroo Boo)

Oh the sponsors! Creative Memories is a sponsor and every participant will go home with the Creative Memories Storybook Creator software, a $65 value! Plus, HP is providing an incredible prize for one I_Blog attendee, a Photosmart Premium web printer with Touchsmart! This is an amazing printer! It retails for $399!

That is a lot of information, and some pretty great speakers right? So what do you think the cost is? $150? $200?

How about $75 for the entire shabang! $75 to hear 7 speakers, have a cocktail hour with the I_Blog signature drink, the I_Blogini! Plus, breakfast, lunch and the opportunity to meet so many amazing bloggers.

So, Do_You_Blog?

(Full disclosure time: I am not attending I_Blog, as much as I wish I could, new house and all, but I REALLY want you all to go so I can live vicariously through you, so go register!!)

What I learned this Week

2009-10-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

I am waiting to make sure Boo stays alseep tonight, she has done pretty well since last Wednesday. So, since I am up that means I have more time to write, fabulous!

This week was jam packed, and exhausting at the same time. We have had so much going on that I feel like I am constantly moving, not much down time. It gets old, but still very good to have the energy going through the house. So, without further ado...

- Boo's doctor was very concerned about her sleeping, but also very concerned about me. Another reminder why we stay with her, even though another dr is closer.

- Boo's is sleeping, and going to sleep closer to on-time. It is amazing the change in her over this past week. My little girl is back!

- Having an undefeated team lose, when we could have won that game is hard. But knowing that this Sunday's game is going to be tough is even worse. GO VIKES!! Man...I love football.

- The Marketing Mama was on the news again today, she did outstanding (didn't really learn that, but go sign up for her contest anyway! lol).

- It was blogger day on tv today, we were everywhere! It was great to watch (even if on my computer.).

- I downloaded FireFox on my home computer, so Jo-Lynne and Andrea will be proud of me. Haven't had time to mess with it but like it so far (you can say "Told you so" Jo-Lynne and Andrea).

- Chopping off almost 6 inches of hair will throw people for a loop. It's fun to mess with them "Did you get a hair cut...?" "Nope". Makes me laugh everytime.

That's about it, things are moving right along towards Halloween. Do you buy Allergy Safe treats? You should! Here are some of the many reason's why (article also by The Marketing Mama, she was all over the place today!)

For more What I Learned this Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Brandi Carlile - Review and Giveaway

2009-10-26T21:53:00.005-05:00

The winner is Rebecca Graham!

Brandi Carlile is a guitar playing Washington bred amazement. She is a part of VH1’s “You Oughta Know” collection, and has had many of her songs featured on episodes of my favorite show “Grey’s Anatomy”.

Brandi Carlile reminds me of the Indigo Girls, one of my favorite duos. She very soulful, with a bit of country/blue grass. She sings from the heart, and leaves it all out there for you to hear.

Her new album, "Give Up the Ghost" gave her the opportunity to work with Elton John, and record at Sunset Sound (where The Doors have recorded…The Doors people!). They recorded this album live, and with some pretty cool instruments.

Brandi Carlile isn’t an artist I would have picked for myself, but I am so glad that I had the chance to listen to this album. Her voice is incredible, and the lyrics are real life. So many artists don’t take the time to record their own songs, let alone write them. The fact that she and her band, “The Twins” took the time to write and record their own music speaks to the type of album they wanted to create.

Want to win a copy of Brandi Carlile's album "Give Up the Ghost"? Leave me a comment to entered. Tweet the giveaway for an additional entry, just leave me your link.

The giveaway will close Sunday November 1st.

Many thanks to One2One Network for the chance to preview this great album.

Shopping-Paloza!

2009-10-25T21:45:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day. Wait...back up.

For my birthday, Ma and Big Sis wanted to take me shopping, because I never do for myself. Usually when I do, I end up getting stuff for the kids. It is just easier than dealing with finding clothes. I have no patience. So when they offered I knew it was their way of telling me that I needed some new stuff, so I said sure.

Last week I e-mailed my Fashion Guru of a friend Jo-Lynne, asking for HELP. I had no idea was in style or what was out there. I just don't pay attention. I am a jeans and t-shirt girl. She came to my rescue and gave me some great ideas, along with asking others to chime in as well. It helped so much! I got a great base for what I needed, and what was as in style as I would go.

So, yesterday I spent about 75% of my day in a dressing room. We started at Clothes Mentor, a consignment shop that sells 99% name brand clothes. It was FABULOUS!! If you have one by you GO THERE for clothes! We founds so much fabulous stuff, 2 pairs of pants, 3 sweaters and a cardigan. It was wonderful. Their selection was great, even having the bigger sizes. Oh, and you can sell your clothes to them and they pay CASH on the spot! How fabulous is that!! Seriously, go there.

Next up, Ma's personal heaven...SHOES! We went to Schuler Shoes because of my knees. I have major problems wearing anything over an inch heal and normally they need to be the chunky kinds. So, I knew it was going to be interesting. Ma loves them because they give you great service, will fit your foot the RIGHT WAY (who knew there was a wrong way!) and tell you the best kind of shoes if you don't know. I got two pair, and they are FABULOUS!!

These are Nita's from Trotter. They remind me of an actual ballet flat, more like a Toe Shoe really. They are SO COMFORTABLE! I have been wearing them tonight to make the bottoms scuffed a bit, and oh my heavens they are fabulous.
These are Janison's from Naturalizer. If you don't know Naturalizer (and I didn't before) they are not just for old ladies anymore (like I thought...sorry Ma). They have the cutest shoes, and I never got to wear the cute shoe before. They are uber comfy, and something I can wear everyday if I wanted to.

I mean really, how fabulous are these! I am now a shoe lover, as opposed to before.

Next up, was Dress Barn which was right across the walkway. I had never been in there before, again pre-stereotypes and all. It was OUTSTANDING! I found the BEST PANTS EVER in that store. I wanted to show them to you, but can't find the picture online, so you just have to trust, me. You can actually see them in this picture, the light grey/black/PURPLE pants dead center, with the purple top on them. HOW GORGEOUS are they! Love them!

After Dress Barn, we hit Kohl's and got me some super comfy Dockers and some wonderful shirts that are work comfy, and that I would wear outside of the office. I always find stuff at Kohl's!

After Kohl's it was time for stuff that is not fun for me...under garments. This is a constant battle for me, I am...gifted in that area. We tried one the "normal" stores and it was not happening, to the point of melt down. Yes I am 30, leave me alone.

So we hit Lane Bryant and let me TELL YOU! They know their stuff about under garments of all kinds. Especially when we told them what happened at the other store they were there for me and beyond! They really deserve a post in themselves, but we will gel it into here.

Did you know that when I was trying things on, the sales rep came over MULTIPLE times to see how things were fitting. She asked about how it was laying, how it was feeling and even what I THOUGHT about it! I have never been asked THAT before! Also, did you know things should FIT RIGHT? Who would have thought it! She was outstanding, definitely a place I will be getting my...undergarments from in the future.

The last place we hit? Barnes and Noble. Why? Because I had to pre-order THIS, really go look it is worth it. Not only did I get the book, but next month The Pioneer Woman is coming HERE, well not to my house but to the Mall of America. Andrea and I will be there with out cookbooks in hand just waiting. She is amazing if you haven't "met" her before. I can't wait! Her book tour starts on Tuesday in Oklahoma and then she is making her way. I am excited to follow her trip!

After wearing Ma out, Big Sis and I took Boo out for dinner. We had some laughs, because Boo is just a nut when she is caught up on her sleep (woohoo!). It was a great end to the day.

I am so grateful that Big Sis and Ma realize that I won't shop for myself, but even more so that they love me enough to do this for me. It was an amazing day, one that I won't forget. We had some great conversations, and realized a lot about each other. It was great, and I can't wait for more time together.

Where were You 20 years ago Today

2009-10-22T21:53:00.002-05:00

I am late in the day posting this, but it is still very worth the words.

20 years ago today, Jacob Wetterling disappeared. He was abducted by a masked man while with two of his friends. He was 11-years old. His case remains open, and hope remains in his parents and families mind.

All over my office today I could hear "I remember where I was..." because it was such a major thing in my area.

I don't remember where I was, I was 10. But, I remember the time following. I was taking part in a play for our local Children's Theater. It was Cinderella. We had just started rehearsals in downtown Minneapolis, and until that point I had been pretty free to roam (not the city, but the building), but after that it was crackdown time for all the children in the play. We weren't allowed to wonder alone, not even with another child. We weren't allowed to leave with someone who wasn't our parent, unless a note and drivers licence were seen.

It was a scary time for any child.

They talked about it at school, on tv and on the radio. My parents kept us a bit closer.

Now, I see all the amazing things that Patty Wetterling has done, and I am in awe. In 1990 the Jacob Wetterling Foundation (JWF) was formed, with the goal of preventing another child from being abducted. The helped to push for laws regarding sex offenders and how they now have to register where ever they live. Patty Weterling helped pass the A.M.B.E.R. system here and nationally. Patty Weterling is a major child advocate, and Minnesota is lucky to have her.

The Wetterling Family has never shied away from talking about Jacob (most recently on Oprah last week) and I hope they never do. If there is a chance that anyone knows anything, his name and face (with age rendering) need to be out there. As we have seen recently, there is always hope.

Tonight I hugged Boo a bit closer.

Boo Needs Sleep

2009-10-21T20:51:00.002-05:00

I was all prepared to write about our mini-cation...but the pictures are not cooperating and neither in my computer. So, when I have more time to edit that will come...I promise...maybe this weekend it will happen.

We saw the doctor about Boo's sleep issues this afternoon. She is very concerned, so that made me feel better about it. The fact that she is running on roughly 7-8 hours a sleep a night when she should get 10 is not good. Especially in cold/flu season. I told her doctor that I was amazed (knock on wood when you read this) that Boo hasn't had anything yet. She is normally the first to get everything, so it is a bit of a shock.

We did decide to try Melatonin, a natural supplement, to help her sleep. Tonight is the first night, and as of 8:57 she is asleep. As I left the bedroom I did a little happy dance. We will use this consistently for two weeks, and then do two nights off in a row without it. Her doctors hope is that her own Melatonin levels will figure out what they are supposed to do and kick in again.

If at that time she is still having issues, can't fall asleep or stay asleep, we will either have a sleep study or go to Neurology. This scares me, but I am hoping it won't come to that.

The girl simply needs sleep. She is ghostly pale, has huge puffy bags under her eyes and almost every day ASKS to take a nap after school (um...no). I am so hopeful this works, I can't imagine her handling much more of this without a breakdown, she is worn out.

What I Learned This Week

2009-10-19T21:56:00.003-05:00

This was a busy week for our family. We had a mini-cation, ortho appointments and a 7 year old out of school all week long. Things were busy, but that left time for more learning experiences.

- If a teacher tells you that he "can't because I have soccer right after school" resist the urge to kick him in teeth and just go talk to the principal. I got a e-mail from said teacher saying he would be available whenever I needed. Take that you...anyway.

- If same said school is giving you issues, not following your child learning plan as required BY LAW the same principal will become your best friend and fast. Meeting with him for 10 minutes will be enough to kick some butts and take some names.

- Being Mama Bear is a REALLY good thing. It gets things done even faster when your ears are plugged and you don't realize your voice is raised when talking to the principal...just saying.

- Having a 7 year old that can't sleep at night makes for a REALLY tired Mama. Both of us are emotional, exhausted and spent (she goes to bed at 8, and it is now 10:15 and she is STILL AWAKE. 7 am will come fast for the poor thing). You know that unless the house is asleep Mama can't sleep!

- I hate waterslides. Well, the adult fast zippy spin you around 900 times in 10 seconds kind at least.

- Boo shares my dislike of waterslides, but went down one and went on the water roller-coaster to see if she changed her mind. Nope.

- Boo is very VERY brave. I couldn't be prouder of her.

- Next time, I plan the vacation.

- The New Moon soundtrack is out. Hang on while I jump up and down with excitment. It is very different from the Twilight soundtrack, but fabulous!!

- I wrote a VERY IMPORTANT post over here, read it and check yourself.

For more What I Learned this Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Brett Farve Spoofs Himself

2009-10-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

Oh man, these crack me up everytime! Brett Farve spoofing himself! Check it out.

Here is the original one

And the extended version:

Boo's Room - the Finished Product

2009-10-16T07:23:00.001-05:00

I was reminded last week by my IRL friend Andrea that I hadn't posted the last of Boo's room pictures. I was slacking...sorry. lol

So, this post is really picture heavy, just bear with me, you will love it.

First is Boo's three drawer night-stand. It was in Hunters room for many years, and before that in Hubby's room at his parents house. It has been beaten up, repaired and repainted more times than I can count. When it was Hunter's it was forest green with dark brown shelves to match his old room theme.

I sanded down the entire thing, drawers too. It was easy to do, just a pain. I was covered in green and brown flecks. After that I primed it, to cover the dark colors.

Once that was dry, I spray painted the main part of the shelves a silver. It matches a lot of things in her room, and adds to the girly/glam look she wanted. The drawers were painted the three colors of her square wall with silver drawer pulls. Because of how skinny (and shoddy) the drawers are it took a while to find short enough drawer pulls. That was the hardest part of it.

Here is the finished look:

Next up was her bed. It was a garage sale find, one that we loved. It was cream with posts on the headboard, but they had been broken on the foot end. I sawed off the broken parts on the end of the bed, and sanded it all down using a power sander (power tools are FUN!!). This was easy, except the foot board had some trim that was sort of the pain.

Orginally I was going to paint only the trim silver and the rest white, but once we saw how cool it looked silver I couldn't resist. It was easy to paint, using the same silver spray paint we used on the night stand. I just laid the bed down on a tarp in the yard and did one side at a time. I sealed it will a clear gloss, so the paint wouldn't chip later on.

Now that it is all done, I LOVE IT! It looks so glamorous in her room, and she loves that bed is so different from everyone elses.

We also did one of her hanging shelves in silver, along with a metal sign I had won from An Iowa Mom long ago. It simply says "Dream" and is hanging on a white shelve above her bed. It is a perfect fit in there.

Here is a shot of her finished room, well as finished as it is right now. There are a few other things I want to do, mirrors and picture frames mostly. It is a very girly room, and she loves it.

If only it was clean...

Check yourself!

2009-10-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

When I was 20 years old, I went through something that was bone chilling terrifying. Something that shook me, that made me take a look at how I did certain things and changed them.

I found a lump in my breast.

I was living at home, and went to my mom, asking her what I should do. She felt it, and agreed that a call to the doctor was in order.

During the next week I would start to dial, and hang up again. I didn't want to know that something was wrong with me, that there was anything beside a fabulous life ahead of me.

I finally called the doctor, and they saw me right away. At this time, it was becoming more common for younger women to develop breast cancer, especially when their family history has signs like mine did.

The doctor checked it out, and an ultra sound was ordered. I spent the next week waiting for that appointment, waiting for them to tell me that I was either sick or okay.

After the ultra sound appointment, they still were not 100% sure, so they didn't want to give me a firm diagnosis. They had a pretty good idea what it was, but didn't want to be wrong.

A Breast Biopsy was scheduled. My mom would take me, and I would be under a local medicine that would keep me loopy but not completely out of it. They would make a small incision and remove the lump, test it and let me know 100% what it was.

Hubby and I were just starting to date at this point, but he was freaked. He spent the night before sitting on the couch asking me 900 billion questions, including when I would be home so he could come over. He didn't want to leave that night, but sleep beckoned me.

The next day, Ma took me for my Breast Biopsy. My nerves were a tangled mess, my emotions were running on high...until they gave me the wonderful loopy meds. That is when I told the doctor the same story about Big Sis a few (10) times.

After the procedure I was ready to go home pretty quick, the perk of being on loopy and not knocked out. I rode home with an ice pack stuffed in my sports bra, bandages and mild pain meds.

Hubby came over that afternoon, along with my friend Krystal. Ice packs, pain meds and laughter filled the house as they took my mind off what I was waiting for.

A couple days later we found out 100% what the lump in my breast was.

Breast Fibroids, non-cancerous but left untreated can increase the chances of breast cancer later on.

I also found out that when I had my first exam the fibroid was the size of a dime, but when they removed it it was the size of a silver dollar. It had more than doubled in size in a matter of weeks. This fact was scary, but made me very aware of what I needed to do.

Weekly breast exams. While the best time is around your cycle, there are things that are more evident during non-cycle times. They think mine grew so quickly because my cycle was all screwy, so it was good that I found it when I did. I remember the episode of 90210 when Brenda finds the lump in her breast, doing a regular home exam. It pays to do it!

I also make sure to have my yearly exam at the clinic. Doctors and Midwifes are trained to find these things, and know when something is not right. I actually get checked twice a year, once when I have that lovely exam and once when I see my primary doctor. They are always so impressed that someone of my age is this concerned.

Having been through something so scary, and knowing that my family has at least one person that survived breast cancer makes it doubly important to take these precautions.

I make donations each year to help fund research, help cancer survivors and their families. I do my part so that some family someday won't have to go through the sort of pain so many are going through right now. I was in the clear, but so many each day are not.

As my favorite t-shirt says...Save the Ta-tas! Check yourself, and remind your sisters, mothers and friends to check themselves too.

A Boy, I mean a Girl and her Dog

2009-10-14T19:06:00.002-05:00

When we brought Koda home, we were sure he would bond instantly with Hunter. A Boy and his Dog is a friendship that can last a lifetime.

But man were we wrong!

Koda did bond with one of the kids, but it was Boo not Hunter. This surprised us, but not completely. She has such a kind way with everything, we knew they would be good together. We just didn't expect the devotion from Koda.

When Boo is getting up in the morning, the second that Koda hears her stirring in her room he is outside her door. He sits there and waits for the "loving" that he knows will come. She talks to him, "Hiiiiiiii Buddy, did you miss me? Did you have good sleep? Who's my good boy?". It is such a wonderful moment, that I watch it every morning.

When Boo gets on the bus, Koda is right there watching. He won't go inside until the bus is out of sight. He watches, just making sure HIS little girl is safe.

When she comes home, he hears the bus before any of us do. He is waiting at the door, jumping around so excited that she is FINALLY home. When she steps off the bus, her smile lights us. Not from seeing us, but from seeing Koda waiting for her. He wouldn't miss it. The talk and play for a long time before she even gets in the house.

But my favorite, and the most difficult to get on film, is when Boo goes downstairs.

I don't know what he is thinking, whether it is that she is missing, gone or just wants to make sure she is coming back, but he sits and waits for her. Watches down the stairs, from a couple different angles, and the minute she is back in sight he is his happy self again.

The bond Boo and Koda has is wonderful, after only 5 months. He loves her to distraction and I think the feeling is mutual.

(Every time I have tried to get a picture of it, he moves. I distract him or something and he moves away. But always, he goes back. This shot is the only one I have, and could it have been more blurry!).

What I Learned this Week

2009-10-12T21:12:00.004-05:00

It is time for another week of What I Learned This Week hosted by Musings of a Housewife.

Having been sick, and crabby about being sick, I didn't post last week. So, we will play catch up this time around.

- Koda will take a bite out of the wall, and made a little indent. He is so special.

- Wallpaper put directly onto drywall is not fun to take off. If it wasn't only half the wall that was wallpapered (and the built-ins) I would so rip down the drywall and start over.

- Glee is highly addicting, and not just the show but the music too. I am loving finding the songs each week. Especially the Mash-Ups from last week, fabulous!!

- The New Moon soundtrack listing was released, and I can't stinking wait for it to be released. I am pre-ordering it next week. Just over a month until the movie comes out, so excited! But, when Twilight came out you could download the trailer on itunes, not this time around and that bums me out.

- Koda's behavior collar is acting up, to the point that even the company doesn't know why it is doing what it is. We are just that special I guess.

- Having a short week is wonderful. But when you oversleep on the first day of your two day week it feels like you can't get ahead.

- Watching football with my Hubby, Sister and Brother in Law is really the best way. We always have such a great time, and yelling is (sometimes) kept to a minimum. It is perfect.

- Striving to teach a child a lesson can be somewhat stressful, but more importantly embarrass the heck out of them.

And that's really all I got...

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Michael Buble - Crazy Love

2009-10-12T19:17:00.002-05:00

This post is sponsered by One2One Network

There are very few artists that can touch so many people, and Michael Buble is one of them. With his smooth voice, amazing lyrics and great song style, there aren’t many people that don’t like his music.

On October 9th, Michael Buble released his newest album “Crazy Love”. With his well known sound, this album is already making its way up the charts. He was on Oprah Friday (here’s a link to the video) and is spreading the word on this amazing album. There is not a bad song on this record, with the title song being a cover of Van Morrisson's Crazy Love.

A multi-Grammy winning artist, Michael Buble has moved millions with his smooth jazz vocals. With “Crazy Love” he has done it again. This album is another great hit for him, and I can’t wait to see what he brings in the future.

Click here to join the Michael Buble fan page on Facebook, or here to visit his website.

You can get his new album here.

Many thanks to One2One Network for allowing me the privilege of hearing this album first.

Me + Tooth Fairy = Not good

2009-10-09T10:30:00.001-05:00

Boo lost a tooth at school yesterday. That is such a big deal to a little kid. They get to go to the nurse, get a tooth box and carry it around the rest of the day.

She was on Cloud 9 when she called after school.

Then I went and messed it up.

The Tooth Fairy and I have a love-hate relationship. I love that she exists, but HATE that I am that stinking Tooth Fairy.

For the third, yes I said third, time in a ROW the Tooth Fairy has failed to leave money for Boo.

Yes, I have failed again.

I blame the fact that our thermostat was not working. It was cold in our house.

Told Boo that the Tooth Fairy does not come into houses that are too cold, so when Daddy fixed it I bet she would come.

I think she bought it.

Only time will tell...

How much do you think therapy will cost in 15 years?

Hello...some random

2009-10-08T21:01:00.002-05:00

I noticed tonight that my blog has been very picture light lately. Some of that is because our computer had a bug (all better now by the way) but part is because I just haven't been taking a lot lately.

I have some on my camera, things to share with you, but life has taken a busy turn. When I thought things would calm down a bit with the kids in school I was wrong. If anything, things have gotten more chaotic. Life has gotten busy, and we are stuck in the middle just pulling strings to get ahead.

We are getting there, only to throw a kink into the mix. We are thinking about starting a battle that we don't know if we can win but are willing to try. We want what is right and just, and have to see if we have what it takes to win it.

No, there will be no discussion of it on the blog. This is a private family thing, and we don't know how soon or how long it will be before anything happens. We just know that things have reached a point where action must be taken.

But, know that in the coming weeks I will be here more. I will be taking the time to post more. I know that there are things to blog about, like the amazing cake my sister got me for my birthday. Amazing is not even enough to describe it.

Until then my lovely friends. I need sleep, and this post has gotten a bit more out there than I had planned.

Oh, but head over to Situationally Single Mom, she is back and I missed her so!

I have a cold

2009-10-05T18:53:00.002-05:00

I am not sure what is worse, the cold I have or the way people treated me at the office today.

I have a cold, cough and congestion. No Fever.

I went to work.

I was treated like I had the plague all day long. I heard someone who sits across the "hallway" from me talking about how I should have stayed home. Why? Because I have a cough?

I have no fever.

If I had a fever, and wasn't feeling well I would have stayed home. Trust me on that.

I understand that people are in a PANIC about the H1N1 virus. I get that, don't agree with it, but get it. That does not mean that every time I, or anyone in my family, have the sniffles we are staying home. It is a cold.

Boo has had a runny nose for a few days, it comes and goes. I am not keeping her home because of it. Sorry, she needs to be in school not sitting at home driving everyone banana's because nothing is wrong besides the sniffles. If she gets a fever she will stay home.

Believe me, I dislike the parents that send their kids to school with a fever, strep and pink eye. I don't understand the parents that would want their child to spread their illness to their classmates, it takes away from classroom learning as a whole.

I have even had some friends ask me if I was in a panic about Boo and Hunter bowling. "Don't they share bowling balls and shoes", yeah...what's your point? Illness is spread no matter what you do, sharing a bowling ball is not a make it or break it thing for me. My kids have activities and lives. I have a live. My husband has a life.

Illness will not rule our lives, we have learned that if you take things as they come it will all come out okay.

I will not stress about H1N1.

If anything we will live life as normal.

Dear Hubby

2009-10-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

Dear Hubby,

I can't believe that it has been 8 years since we said "I Do".

This past year has been one of the most exciting by far, and I want to tell you that I love you.

I love your patience when I would tell you that we had to look at another house, that it HAD to be in Boo's school district and that it HAD to NOT have a full bar in the basement.

I love your honesty, your guts to tell me no and when to let me run with an idea.

I love your devotion, drive and dedication to so many things.

I love you, for you.

Thank you for 8 years.

I can't wait for the rest to come.

Much love,

Kellyn

Try This - Comfort Foods

2009-10-01T10:35:00.002-05:00

I was very excited to see the Melissa of Girlymama had chosen comfort food for this months Try This carnival.

I had the hardest time deciding what recipe to post, and can't. It is to hard to decide. So, you get two, both ones that we have all the time during the fall and winter months.

Chili - with canned tomatoes

1 Pound ground beef (turkey works too)

2 jars of tomatoes (or two cans of tomato chunks) we can our own tomatoes, so if you do it is 2 quart jars.
1 can Chili beans medium heat
1 can dark red Kidney beans
1 medium onion chopped finely
Garlic, salt, pepper and chili powder to taste

- In a large crock pot (or boiling pot on the stove) empty the tomatoes, beans and seasoning into the crock pot. Turn heat on high.
- Cook ground beef, drain well.
- Add ground beef and stir well.
- Allow to simmer for at least an hour or more, this blends the flavors really well.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, onions and anything else you want! We always have a soft French bread or biscuits to go along with it. We do this every Sunday for football.

Stove Top Chicken and Dumplings
this recipe is based on one from Betty Crocker
1 1/2 cups fat-free (skim) milk
1 cup beans, carrots and corn
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken - you can also use chicken tender sized pieces.
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed chicken mushroom soup
1 cup Bisquick

1/3 cup fat-free (skim) milk

- In a large saucepan, heat the milk, veggies, chicken and soup. Bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl mix the Bisquick and milk so it forms a soft dough. Drop about 8 spoonfuls on the chicken, do not drop it straight into the liquid. Drop it on the chicken, it will stay together better that way.
- Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Cover and cook another 10 minutes.

This one will warm you to the core, my kids love it! Plus, it doesn't take to long.

Harry Connick Jr.'s "Your Songs" - review

2009-09-29T15:31:00.001-05:00

Harry Connick Jr. is a man of many talents. He is an actor, a singer and a song writer. His talents have been well known for many years, and a staple especially during the Holiday season. Many of his Christmas songs are played in our house.

Harry Connick Jr. just released his latest album, Your Songs on September 22nd. This is a collection of all-time classic songs originally sung by Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, The Carpenters and Elton John to name a few. These are songs we are all familiar with, “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”, “Smile” and “The Way You Look Tonight” to give you sample.

Harry Connick Jr. is promoting his new album in the coming weeks, starting with Imus in the Morning tomorrow morning, and David Letterman in the evening. After that he is on the Today Show on Thursday and next week Rachel Ray.

I was given the chance to hear Harry Connick Jr’s. new album, Your Songs, and have mixed feelings about it. I love the full orchestra and/or jazz band, but miss Harry Connick Jr. playing the piano. I missed that intimate feel from some of his previous work.

The songs chosen are wonderful, and very much within his range. I love that he did a few not as well known songs, it gave the album a bit of mystery. However, I do wish he had some original music on this album, which is what I have been waiting for.

All in all, this is a good album, with the classic Harry Connick sound. There is something about his voice that always calls you back.

Thanks to One2One Marketing for this great review opportunity.