If you find it please return it. It's probably somewhere between the baseball field, the tennis center and one of three carpool lines. ;)
More blogs to come when my mind is returned. ;) In the meantime...drink some wine and let me know what your favorites are!
Happy Thursday!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
This is no joke people
This is no joke people, I have a serious Wanker problem at my house. Here's the latest in Wanker's escapades.
Apparently Wanker wanted to play a game on the ps3, wonder if it was MLB11?
Last night we had veggie burgers. We have been having veggie burgers for about the last 2 years and everyone here loves them. Last night while chowing down the little one stares at his burger and says, "Well that's weird, there's a carrot in my burger." Why is that weird? "Why would there be a carrot in my burger?" The middle one without missing a beat or even turning around says, "It's a veggie burger smart one why wouldn't there be a carrot in there." This started the kind of epic brawl that only a large family who shares a meal together can appreciate. ;) Always starts off kind of comical and then ends in tears and with a hacked off mommy. Good times. Good times.
I do recommend the veggie burger, carrots and all! Everyone loves them and they are quick, easy and healthy. I buy the Morningstar ones which oddly enough are in the frozen breakfast section at the grocery store....nobody wants carrot burgers for breakfast. ;)
You can throw any kind of wine with a veggie burger, even some Boones Farm although I wouldn't recommend it if you're over the age of 16 and don't want a massive headache the next day. ;) I nice heavy chardonnay is probably a better choice. One of my favorites is the Cupcake, but I also like the Flying Piano which is a little fruity but good. If you're going to have veggies in your burger, you might as well go ahead and have a little fruit in your wine. See, being healthy's not so hard. ;)
Happy Wednesday!
Apparently Wanker wanted to play a game on the ps3, wonder if it was MLB11?
Last night we had veggie burgers. We have been having veggie burgers for about the last 2 years and everyone here loves them. Last night while chowing down the little one stares at his burger and says, "Well that's weird, there's a carrot in my burger." Why is that weird? "Why would there be a carrot in my burger?" The middle one without missing a beat or even turning around says, "It's a veggie burger smart one why wouldn't there be a carrot in there." This started the kind of epic brawl that only a large family who shares a meal together can appreciate. ;) Always starts off kind of comical and then ends in tears and with a hacked off mommy. Good times. Good times.
I do recommend the veggie burger, carrots and all! Everyone loves them and they are quick, easy and healthy. I buy the Morningstar ones which oddly enough are in the frozen breakfast section at the grocery store....nobody wants carrot burgers for breakfast. ;)
You can throw any kind of wine with a veggie burger, even some Boones Farm although I wouldn't recommend it if you're over the age of 16 and don't want a massive headache the next day. ;) I nice heavy chardonnay is probably a better choice. One of my favorites is the Cupcake, but I also like the Flying Piano which is a little fruity but good. If you're going to have veggies in your burger, you might as well go ahead and have a little fruit in your wine. See, being healthy's not so hard. ;)
Happy Wednesday!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where's....what?
Have you ever seen the game Where's Waldo? Waldo is a goofy looking sort of guy with a red and white stripe shirt and a goofy grin who hides in photos. Waldo turns up in all sorts of crazy places; it's really very funny. Turns out we have our own Where's Waldo here. I'm trying to come up with a name for this new game we have at our house, I've thought of Where's Wanker?, See Supporter?, View Vessel?. I haven't been able to settle on one just yet, but I'm sure the perfect one will come to me.
Yes, that is the back seat of my car. ;)
What's for dinner? Chicken and one of the yummiest salads ever! The chicken I am baking in the oven with some Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette dressing on it. I am also making some banana muffins. These I make from a box mix, which I highly recommend because they are home made without being difficult. Pillsbury has several different bread mixes and they are all yummy, look for them on the baking aisle. (No, Pillsbury did not pay me to say that. ;) The salad is a recipe I got from a friend many years ago and I have made it a million times and passed it on to many many others.
Apple Poppyseed Salad
1 head of lettuce (I use romaine, but you can you use green leaf, spinach or red leaf too. I wouldn't recommend iceberg as it has very little nutritional value)
1 or 2 green apples chopped
1 little bag of slivered or sliced almonds toasted
Mozzarella cheese
Brianna's Poppyseed dressing (This is the best poppyseed dressing I have found on the shelf)
Mix the lettuce, apples and toasted almonds, then throw however much cheese you like in there and toss it all together with the dressing! YUM!
Review:
Zero left of anything. Holla! Woot! Woot!
The wine for today is Le Faux Frog chardonnay. It was given to me by my mom, the frog lady. The woman knows her faux frogs and she picked a great one with this wine!
Happy Tuesday!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The best and the not so good
Every week I make one trip to the grocery store. These trips are well thought out, with a menu plan and a list. If not, I leave the store with a cart full of oreo cookies and we eat out a lot. ;) Each time I make this pilgrimage to the food market some sort of comment is made about my cart. I'm not sure why my grocery habits are so entertaining to people, but apparently I should be charing admission to the show. Thank you, thank you very much...I'll be here all week or next week. ;) Here are a few of my favorites:
"Guess we won't be seeing you again til next month." Yeah right...
"Did you know you just dropped a loaf of bread back there?" Oops..sure didn't
"Ohhh, Lord child, what you be doin over there, feedin an army...um mm mmm ummm, Lord." Hear Minny from "The Help" in your head when reading that comment. I think I found my new BFF. ;)
After being run over by his wife with her cart, "It's kind of like going to war isn't it?" Umm, yeah and your wife is the enemy...sheesh.
"How many kids you got?" Apparently too many.
"Oh my...you must have boys." You think?
And the most recent (like 3 days ago) and my new personal favorite: The little old man that stands by the carts at the grocery store and makes sure everyone gets a nice clean one going in says to me on the way out, "Excuse me ma'm....you're going to need to stop, we need to keep some food in the store for our other customers." HAHAHAHAHA!!! We shared a good heehaww laugh over that and then I trudged out to my car with my overflowing cart full of groceries. See you next week, Grandpa! ;)
On tonight's menu is THE best fish you have ever eaten...I mean like seriously good. Restaurant good. When I make this I feel like I should be on a cooking show or a famous chef or something. In my mind, I am totally famous, fish recipe or not. ;)
Favorite Tilapia (that's what I call it, because that's what it is.) I make this sans recipe...cuz that's how I roll. ;) But here's the gist...
Spray the bottom of a baking dish of any kind with some sort of non-stick cooking spray. Lay the tilapia in the dish and drizzle olive oil over it. Sprinkle the fish with basil, parsley flakes and minced onion. Slice a beef steak tomato in thick slices and lay one over each fish. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over it. Don't you just love the word drizzle in cooking? Makes me laugh...isn't that a weather term? Then sprinkle (another weather term, this is gettting creepy) oregano and pepper over tomatoes. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. I would err on the side of long on this because undercooked fish unless you are at a sushi restaurant is just gross. This fish is seriously one of the best things I have ever made. The flavors are fantastic together! With this I put some crescent rolls (easy enough) and the not so good portion of the evening....balsamic honey glazed carrots. You bake the carrots for about 20 minutes at 400 then mix together 2 tbls honey, 2 tbls olive oil and 2 tbls balsamic vinegar, drizzle ;) over the carrots and bake about 5 more minutes.
Review:
The fish is all gone and I made a LOT of it. Enough said.
The carrots are almost all still here. ;) They were too crunchy and just not that great. The hubby and I liked them ok, the brace faced teenager couldn't chew them well, and the younger two were grossed out by the "brown carrots". Definitely not a hit, and steamed carrots are always well received here so I am certain it wasn't the carrots. Oh well, of course the crescents were a hit so between those and the fish everyone is all fat and happy for the night. ;)
The best wine for a light white fish like tilapia is a nice pinot grigio. I like the Barefoot pinot grigio, but I do not like being barefoot and pinoted; which is what could happen if you drink too much pinot grigio of any kind so let's be careful out there!
Happy Thursday!
"Guess we won't be seeing you again til next month." Yeah right...
"Did you know you just dropped a loaf of bread back there?" Oops..sure didn't
"Ohhh, Lord child, what you be doin over there, feedin an army...um mm mmm ummm, Lord." Hear Minny from "The Help" in your head when reading that comment. I think I found my new BFF. ;)
After being run over by his wife with her cart, "It's kind of like going to war isn't it?" Umm, yeah and your wife is the enemy...sheesh.
"How many kids you got?" Apparently too many.
"Oh my...you must have boys." You think?
And the most recent (like 3 days ago) and my new personal favorite: The little old man that stands by the carts at the grocery store and makes sure everyone gets a nice clean one going in says to me on the way out, "Excuse me ma'm....you're going to need to stop, we need to keep some food in the store for our other customers." HAHAHAHAHA!!! We shared a good heehaww laugh over that and then I trudged out to my car with my overflowing cart full of groceries. See you next week, Grandpa! ;)
On tonight's menu is THE best fish you have ever eaten...I mean like seriously good. Restaurant good. When I make this I feel like I should be on a cooking show or a famous chef or something. In my mind, I am totally famous, fish recipe or not. ;)
Favorite Tilapia (that's what I call it, because that's what it is.) I make this sans recipe...cuz that's how I roll. ;) But here's the gist...
Spray the bottom of a baking dish of any kind with some sort of non-stick cooking spray. Lay the tilapia in the dish and drizzle olive oil over it. Sprinkle the fish with basil, parsley flakes and minced onion. Slice a beef steak tomato in thick slices and lay one over each fish. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over it. Don't you just love the word drizzle in cooking? Makes me laugh...isn't that a weather term? Then sprinkle (another weather term, this is gettting creepy) oregano and pepper over tomatoes. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. I would err on the side of long on this because undercooked fish unless you are at a sushi restaurant is just gross. This fish is seriously one of the best things I have ever made. The flavors are fantastic together! With this I put some crescent rolls (easy enough) and the not so good portion of the evening....balsamic honey glazed carrots. You bake the carrots for about 20 minutes at 400 then mix together 2 tbls honey, 2 tbls olive oil and 2 tbls balsamic vinegar, drizzle ;) over the carrots and bake about 5 more minutes.
Review:
The fish is all gone and I made a LOT of it. Enough said.
The carrots are almost all still here. ;) They were too crunchy and just not that great. The hubby and I liked them ok, the brace faced teenager couldn't chew them well, and the younger two were grossed out by the "brown carrots". Definitely not a hit, and steamed carrots are always well received here so I am certain it wasn't the carrots. Oh well, of course the crescents were a hit so between those and the fish everyone is all fat and happy for the night. ;)
The best wine for a light white fish like tilapia is a nice pinot grigio. I like the Barefoot pinot grigio, but I do not like being barefoot and pinoted; which is what could happen if you drink too much pinot grigio of any kind so let's be careful out there!
Happy Thursday!
Monday, January 30, 2012
The mudroom and meatloaf
In our house we have what I like to call the mudroom. It is actually a little hallway right inside the garage door. It has backpack hooks and about a jillion coat hooks and baskets for shoes. A nice tidy little place for the children to store their things...yeah right. Truth of the matter is that the children "store" their things wherever they cease to need them; causing me to have an unending instructional period on the advantages to the shoe baskets right inside the door. I'm not sure why they cannot see the logic in the having shoes, coats and backpacks right there handy to grab on the way out the door, but the concept completely escapes them. What they do like to store there for easy access is a bit different. Only in the "mudroom" at our house would you find this.
Yes, that is what you think it is...an athletic cup. Why someone would think that is an appropriate place to store that particular item is beyond me. No one wanted to fess up to this but I know who had baseball practice yesterday, so it's pretty obvious. When confronted the reply was my own words thrown right back at me, "It's the perfect place to keep something you are going to need when walking out the door." Um, ok well tell me this, how many times are you going to need an athletic cup when walking out the door? And, he's done. Score one for the mom. ;)
Tonight we are having meatloaf. There are only two things that really gross me out, a used athletic cup and raw meat. So I have searched long and hard for a recipe that doesn't require me to knead the meat into a loaf. Here is the recipe:
Non Meat Touching Meatlaoaf (That's what I have named this recipe)
1lb of browned ground turkey. Use can use beef but I use turkey because if I ate as much meat as these boys there wouldn't be enough treadmills in the world to fix my "problem areas."
1 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs. They actually sell these crumbed up at the store, but you can always dry some bread out, put it in a ziplock and pound the crap out of it to make your own. That can serve two purposes. ;)
2 tbls brown sugar
2 tbls mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
After the meat is browned and any grease drained, mix together all ingredients in a bowl. You can use a spoon, therefore you don't even have to touch the cooked meat! I love that. Once mixed pour into an 8x8 lightly greased pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350. I like to sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on the top before baking.
You can put anything with this to make a quick and easy meal, veggies, salad, some roles, or just cut up some apples and call it good. I'm all about the quick and easy!
Review:
Hubby: Excellent!
Big: Great dinner mom!
Middle: Best dinner every mom!
Little: (while pointing at the meatloaf) "What in the world is THAT? GROSS! It looks like that food the dogs eat that's in the fridge!" Then after forcing one bite down, "Hey, that stuff's pretty good." After the third and fourth bites, "This is realllly good mom." After the plate is clean, "Can I have some more of that dog food stuff?" Awesome.
When picking the wine to go with this meal I started with the reds, afterall a good meatloaf seems like a nice partner for a hearty red. Then I realized, this is actually turkey meatloaf and that would indicate a white. So I looked at the side dishes...cornbread so maybe a light red; broccoli definitely feels like a white. After about 10 minutes of this and the dog food getting cold ;) I decided to chuck it all and have a vodka soda. It goes nicely with everything because it has very little taste and even less calories! HOLLA!
Happy Monday!
Yes, that is what you think it is...an athletic cup. Why someone would think that is an appropriate place to store that particular item is beyond me. No one wanted to fess up to this but I know who had baseball practice yesterday, so it's pretty obvious. When confronted the reply was my own words thrown right back at me, "It's the perfect place to keep something you are going to need when walking out the door." Um, ok well tell me this, how many times are you going to need an athletic cup when walking out the door? And, he's done. Score one for the mom. ;)
Tonight we are having meatloaf. There are only two things that really gross me out, a used athletic cup and raw meat. So I have searched long and hard for a recipe that doesn't require me to knead the meat into a loaf. Here is the recipe:
Non Meat Touching Meatlaoaf (That's what I have named this recipe)
1lb of browned ground turkey. Use can use beef but I use turkey because if I ate as much meat as these boys there wouldn't be enough treadmills in the world to fix my "problem areas."
1 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs. They actually sell these crumbed up at the store, but you can always dry some bread out, put it in a ziplock and pound the crap out of it to make your own. That can serve two purposes. ;)
2 tbls brown sugar
2 tbls mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
After the meat is browned and any grease drained, mix together all ingredients in a bowl. You can use a spoon, therefore you don't even have to touch the cooked meat! I love that. Once mixed pour into an 8x8 lightly greased pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350. I like to sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on the top before baking.
You can put anything with this to make a quick and easy meal, veggies, salad, some roles, or just cut up some apples and call it good. I'm all about the quick and easy!
Review:
Hubby: Excellent!
Big: Great dinner mom!
Middle: Best dinner every mom!
Little: (while pointing at the meatloaf) "What in the world is THAT? GROSS! It looks like that food the dogs eat that's in the fridge!" Then after forcing one bite down, "Hey, that stuff's pretty good." After the third and fourth bites, "This is realllly good mom." After the plate is clean, "Can I have some more of that dog food stuff?" Awesome.
When picking the wine to go with this meal I started with the reds, afterall a good meatloaf seems like a nice partner for a hearty red. Then I realized, this is actually turkey meatloaf and that would indicate a white. So I looked at the side dishes...cornbread so maybe a light red; broccoli definitely feels like a white. After about 10 minutes of this and the dog food getting cold ;) I decided to chuck it all and have a vodka soda. It goes nicely with everything because it has very little taste and even less calories! HOLLA!
Happy Monday!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Balls, balls, balls and chicken
Weekends around here are filled to the brim with balls. This weekend included multiple basketballs, tennis balls and we even threw in a little baseball. When I have that many balls to deal with, I don't cook. I can't even think about food during that sort of ball storm, so we eat out a lot on the weekends. The upside to this? Well, there are actually several bonuses not the least of which is the fact that restaurants serve wine. ;)
But tonight is Sunday night. A school night. A night to catch up on homework, get everyone scrubbed up and get to bed early. I am a huge fan of early bedtimes as bed is my favorite time of day. ;) I have found the best way to get everyone in bed on time is to eat at home and start the whole process early, like say maybe about noon. ;) So Sunday's I don my chef hat and hit the kitchen. Tonight we had the added bonus of some 60 degree weather which makes grilling the best possible option. The hubby is quite the grill master and has three little grill masters in training so that part of the meal is off my plate. ;) I like to prepare the chicken with a marinade ahead of time....it's called Kraft bbq sauce. ;) I have found the best way to marinade chicken is by dumping all the chickens in a zip lock bag and then emptying the entire bottle of bbq sauce on top of it. You can use the gallon size bag unless you are feeding bottomless and his brother pit and his other brother pit and then you might want to grab the 2 gallon size. ;) The nice thing about this method is that you dump the chickens right on the grill and toss the nasty salmonella bag right in the trash! I mean is there anything grosser than raw chicken slime? Uhhh, I'm actually not going to answer that. Blech Blach blea...sorry, that whole topic made my gagger go. Gross. Once the chicken is cooked fully on the grill, it is fantastic and tastes a little bit like summer. :) I also threw together a nice pasta salad to accompany the hubby's bbq masterpiece. The salad is super easy and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry/fridge. I use the multi colored cork screw pasta because I like the way it looks, but all pasta tastes the same, you could use spaghetti noodles if that's what you have. Then I throw in some cheese cubes, cut up cucumber and tomato! No dressing necessary or you can throw whatever you have in your fridge on there and mix it up! So yummy and so easy. Those are my two most favorite things in any recipe. ;)
Review:
There is absolutely not a morsel of food left. Enough said. :)
I would definitely suggest a chardonnay with this meal. I chose the Fat Bastard Chardonnay because that is what was in the wine fridge, and it was delicious. I am now listening to the middle practice for a violin test tomorrow, so I probably need another glass or some earplugs...or maybe both. ;)
But tonight is Sunday night. A school night. A night to catch up on homework, get everyone scrubbed up and get to bed early. I am a huge fan of early bedtimes as bed is my favorite time of day. ;) I have found the best way to get everyone in bed on time is to eat at home and start the whole process early, like say maybe about noon. ;) So Sunday's I don my chef hat and hit the kitchen. Tonight we had the added bonus of some 60 degree weather which makes grilling the best possible option. The hubby is quite the grill master and has three little grill masters in training so that part of the meal is off my plate. ;) I like to prepare the chicken with a marinade ahead of time....it's called Kraft bbq sauce. ;) I have found the best way to marinade chicken is by dumping all the chickens in a zip lock bag and then emptying the entire bottle of bbq sauce on top of it. You can use the gallon size bag unless you are feeding bottomless and his brother pit and his other brother pit and then you might want to grab the 2 gallon size. ;) The nice thing about this method is that you dump the chickens right on the grill and toss the nasty salmonella bag right in the trash! I mean is there anything grosser than raw chicken slime? Uhhh, I'm actually not going to answer that. Blech Blach blea...sorry, that whole topic made my gagger go. Gross. Once the chicken is cooked fully on the grill, it is fantastic and tastes a little bit like summer. :) I also threw together a nice pasta salad to accompany the hubby's bbq masterpiece. The salad is super easy and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry/fridge. I use the multi colored cork screw pasta because I like the way it looks, but all pasta tastes the same, you could use spaghetti noodles if that's what you have. Then I throw in some cheese cubes, cut up cucumber and tomato! No dressing necessary or you can throw whatever you have in your fridge on there and mix it up! So yummy and so easy. Those are my two most favorite things in any recipe. ;)
Review:
There is absolutely not a morsel of food left. Enough said. :)
I would definitely suggest a chardonnay with this meal. I chose the Fat Bastard Chardonnay because that is what was in the wine fridge, and it was delicious. I am now listening to the middle practice for a violin test tomorrow, so I probably need another glass or some earplugs...or maybe both. ;)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Time For A Change
Not to state the obvious, but I'm not to great at sitting down to write the funny happenings around this wine hour. Finding time in between driving, grocery shopping, laundry, homework and just spending good fun time with the boys is becoming harder and harder. I'm also finding that when dealing with a teenager, pre-teen and a 9 year old who thinks he is a teenager, life isn't always funny. Sometimes it's heart breaking, sometimes frustrating and sometimes just plain boring. Ok, it's never really boring around here, but boring in the sense that there are no funny stories coming out of the moment. So I've decided to make a change on the blog. I'm going to starting writing about things that are easy and fun and are always happening. And, there are two things that happen at this house every single day....they eat and I drink. ;)
In an effort to keep the monotony out of planning, shopping, cooking and eating at least 5 dinners a week at home I am trying out some new recipes! This is exciting! And a little scary, and sometimes it's just plain gross. ;) I'll be sharing what works and what doesn't and what goes in the trash when the pizza delivery guy is called. Of course, each meal will include a wine selection, all of the finest eateries do. There may even be a few funny stories involved, that aren't about my cooking. ;)
Tonights dinner was suggested to me by a dear friend who is also trying to find interesting ways to keep a family with 3 boys full every day. Chicken Nachos! Nothing says easy and yummy like the word nacho, right? Well, the chicken part is easy, dump 5 chicken breasts in the crock pot and pour 2 cans of mild enchilada sauce over them, turn on crock pot. It smells divine while it's cooking which is shear torture for the stay at home mom..just a warning. I also whipped up some queso, pronounced in this house quay-so. Velvetta and rotel in the other crock pot. I don't normally use both crock pots at once so this is feeling like a real adventure. Of course, that adventure isn't really going to begin until it's time to clean up said crock pots. ;) Now here is the tricky part of the meal...open two cans of black beans and warm them on the stove. Yikes! I know...you just jumped a foot in your seat. ;) Also, not too difficult til the clean up round of the evening begins. I also made fresh salsa to go with the nachos tonight (this is actually the most difficult part and it's still not going all Julia Child or anything.) Grind up fresh tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeno in your food processor, stir together and add some garlic salt, pepper, minced onion and lawry's seasoned salt. I think some fresh quac would be yummy too, but no time for that today so I sliced a couple of avocado's to go on top. A Mexican fiesta is served!
Now for the review...
The hubby loved it! I loved it! The big kid ate two plates full (although he would eat two plates of dog food if I put it out there...the kid can seriously put away some food right now. He's also grown 1/2 inch a week for the past 3 months). The middle kid liked it but was a not go on the beans or avocado. The little one had a wig fit when he saw "red things" in the quay-so. All in all I'd say this meal is a huge family success and will be made again (as soon as I can get the burnt cheese out of the crock pot ;)
Wine for tonight's Mexican fiesta chicken nachos is a good margarita. Come on, everyone knows wine doesn't go with Mexican food and anyway Jose Cuervo is a good friend of mine. ;) I would suggest the pre-made light Jose Cuervo, the Skinny Girl Margarita's are good too so whichever suits you best! But definitely pour yourself a margarita of some kind so when one of your kids starts chanting "beans beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot. The more you toot the better you feel so eat more beans at every meal!" you won't feel the need to slap them upside the head. ;)
Happy Thursday!
In an effort to keep the monotony out of planning, shopping, cooking and eating at least 5 dinners a week at home I am trying out some new recipes! This is exciting! And a little scary, and sometimes it's just plain gross. ;) I'll be sharing what works and what doesn't and what goes in the trash when the pizza delivery guy is called. Of course, each meal will include a wine selection, all of the finest eateries do. There may even be a few funny stories involved, that aren't about my cooking. ;)
Tonights dinner was suggested to me by a dear friend who is also trying to find interesting ways to keep a family with 3 boys full every day. Chicken Nachos! Nothing says easy and yummy like the word nacho, right? Well, the chicken part is easy, dump 5 chicken breasts in the crock pot and pour 2 cans of mild enchilada sauce over them, turn on crock pot. It smells divine while it's cooking which is shear torture for the stay at home mom..just a warning. I also whipped up some queso, pronounced in this house quay-so. Velvetta and rotel in the other crock pot. I don't normally use both crock pots at once so this is feeling like a real adventure. Of course, that adventure isn't really going to begin until it's time to clean up said crock pots. ;) Now here is the tricky part of the meal...open two cans of black beans and warm them on the stove. Yikes! I know...you just jumped a foot in your seat. ;) Also, not too difficult til the clean up round of the evening begins. I also made fresh salsa to go with the nachos tonight (this is actually the most difficult part and it's still not going all Julia Child or anything.) Grind up fresh tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeno in your food processor, stir together and add some garlic salt, pepper, minced onion and lawry's seasoned salt. I think some fresh quac would be yummy too, but no time for that today so I sliced a couple of avocado's to go on top. A Mexican fiesta is served!
Now for the review...
The hubby loved it! I loved it! The big kid ate two plates full (although he would eat two plates of dog food if I put it out there...the kid can seriously put away some food right now. He's also grown 1/2 inch a week for the past 3 months). The middle kid liked it but was a not go on the beans or avocado. The little one had a wig fit when he saw "red things" in the quay-so. All in all I'd say this meal is a huge family success and will be made again (as soon as I can get the burnt cheese out of the crock pot ;)
Wine for tonight's Mexican fiesta chicken nachos is a good margarita. Come on, everyone knows wine doesn't go with Mexican food and anyway Jose Cuervo is a good friend of mine. ;) I would suggest the pre-made light Jose Cuervo, the Skinny Girl Margarita's are good too so whichever suits you best! But definitely pour yourself a margarita of some kind so when one of your kids starts chanting "beans beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot. The more you toot the better you feel so eat more beans at every meal!" you won't feel the need to slap them upside the head. ;)
Happy Thursday!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Howdy and a few other buggers.
Howdy! I just realized I haven't sat down to write anything in about 2 months. These three and their carpool schedules have not only taken up all my time this school year, but also all of my brain power. Remembering when to get people here and there and with what gear and stuff is enough to send anyone into early onset Alzheimers. It's a miracle I haven't forgotten anyone yet, but that fact is a true testament to why I don't sit down to write out the funny side of life. Add to all that madness that I have started crafting and my sit down and think time has gone to nil. Yes, I did say crafting, but don't worry I still have on my skinny jeans and stiletto boots to offset any sort of sister wife image. ;) So, today I decided to step away from the glue gun and paint and let my brain be free!
The subject of my free brain is the carpool line. Many of you fight this beast every single day and understand why I might need to blow off a little steam about it. I have decided that carpool lines are indeed the bane of my existence, which actually makes them sound way more glamorous and exciting than they actually are. They actually suck. Real hard. ;) I have three carpool lines in my life currently and I have a different hate relationship with each of them. The one thing I can see that might make all of our carpooling lives a little easier is Carpool Ed. It should be a mandatory class that all people driving thru a carpool line need to complete (and pass) before they receive a sticker to proudly place on their windshield. And, no car should be able to pass thru the line without that sticker in full view. The class would be simple really, just some basics to keep the line moving at a reasonable pace, and keep us behaving in a respectable manner. Then some of us wouldn't be forced to yell things like A**HOLE or A**WIPE in front of our children at 7:20 in the morning. So next time you hear one of my children rip off some sort of naughty word you know who to blame. The carpool line. ;) I will not take responsibility for these actions because during carpool I am usually having some sort of out of body experience due to the stupidity or utter lack of common courtesy offered up by the other carpoolers. Unfortunately, until the children can drive themselves to school we are stuck like super glue to this carpool debacle every single day. I figured that up and it will be a total of 19 years of carpooling. And I now wish I had not figured that up. ;)
Here are a few things the class might include...
*Use your blinker...it's driver's ed 101 and really not that difficult
*Go WITH the flow of traffic when exiting the parking lot...this seems like common sense to me
*Don't put your car in park and exit the car to get your child out....that's what parking spaces are for.
*For the love of God, don't stop in the middle of a busy street and let your kid out...think of the children
*Don't and I repeat don't wait til your child is exciting the car to discuss lunch money or anything else for that matter. Are you not ready for them to get the heck out of your car?
*Have your child ready to hop out. It's really not necessary to keep the five point harness engaged once you are in the school parking lot, not moving.
*If your school offers multiple stopping points in front of the building to speed things up, use them. It's ok for even the littlest of carpoolers to hop out at the #6 spot and walk to the front door of the building. Most schools have a nice long covered sidewalk full of teachers keeping a watchful eye on the children.
*It is not necessary to watch your child enter the school building before you pull away from the drop off point....especially your high schoolers. ;) Don't worry, if they decide to take a detour to miss that test in first hour, the school will let you know.
Now I know that this might seem a bit harsh and I am truly sorry if I have offended anyone's carpool sensicals. Just remember, there are a host of parking spaces you may use to park and walk your child right to their desk if you choose. Then you won't have some crazy person yelling DUMBA** at you. By the way, things can get awkward real fast if you happen to have your doggie in the car and the windows are down so that cute little fuzz ball can stick her head out. ;) Just sayin.
The wine for today is The Guilty, it's a nice shiraz; it might or might not relate to the previous sentence. ;)
Happy Thursday!
The subject of my free brain is the carpool line. Many of you fight this beast every single day and understand why I might need to blow off a little steam about it. I have decided that carpool lines are indeed the bane of my existence, which actually makes them sound way more glamorous and exciting than they actually are. They actually suck. Real hard. ;) I have three carpool lines in my life currently and I have a different hate relationship with each of them. The one thing I can see that might make all of our carpooling lives a little easier is Carpool Ed. It should be a mandatory class that all people driving thru a carpool line need to complete (and pass) before they receive a sticker to proudly place on their windshield. And, no car should be able to pass thru the line without that sticker in full view. The class would be simple really, just some basics to keep the line moving at a reasonable pace, and keep us behaving in a respectable manner. Then some of us wouldn't be forced to yell things like A**HOLE or A**WIPE in front of our children at 7:20 in the morning. So next time you hear one of my children rip off some sort of naughty word you know who to blame. The carpool line. ;) I will not take responsibility for these actions because during carpool I am usually having some sort of out of body experience due to the stupidity or utter lack of common courtesy offered up by the other carpoolers. Unfortunately, until the children can drive themselves to school we are stuck like super glue to this carpool debacle every single day. I figured that up and it will be a total of 19 years of carpooling. And I now wish I had not figured that up. ;)
Here are a few things the class might include...
*Use your blinker...it's driver's ed 101 and really not that difficult
*Go WITH the flow of traffic when exiting the parking lot...this seems like common sense to me
*Don't put your car in park and exit the car to get your child out....that's what parking spaces are for.
*For the love of God, don't stop in the middle of a busy street and let your kid out...think of the children
*Don't and I repeat don't wait til your child is exciting the car to discuss lunch money or anything else for that matter. Are you not ready for them to get the heck out of your car?
*Have your child ready to hop out. It's really not necessary to keep the five point harness engaged once you are in the school parking lot, not moving.
*If your school offers multiple stopping points in front of the building to speed things up, use them. It's ok for even the littlest of carpoolers to hop out at the #6 spot and walk to the front door of the building. Most schools have a nice long covered sidewalk full of teachers keeping a watchful eye on the children.
*It is not necessary to watch your child enter the school building before you pull away from the drop off point....especially your high schoolers. ;) Don't worry, if they decide to take a detour to miss that test in first hour, the school will let you know.
Now I know that this might seem a bit harsh and I am truly sorry if I have offended anyone's carpool sensicals. Just remember, there are a host of parking spaces you may use to park and walk your child right to their desk if you choose. Then you won't have some crazy person yelling DUMBA** at you. By the way, things can get awkward real fast if you happen to have your doggie in the car and the windows are down so that cute little fuzz ball can stick her head out. ;) Just sayin.
The wine for today is The Guilty, it's a nice shiraz; it might or might not relate to the previous sentence. ;)
Happy Thursday!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
That's just false...as in not true.
It's halloween. That magical night that comes just once a year when you can be anyone or anything you want to be! All three of the boys picked their costumes and were ready to go. Because I am one of the meanest mom's on the planet I won't let them be anything scary, so funny it is.
The big one decided to be John McEnroe...
The middle one Joe Dirt...
And the little dressed up as a Jester...
Because I run on the maturity level of any one of my three children at any given time, of course I dressed up too. ;) Who doesn't want to dress up as someone else and ask for candy? Well, ok I didn't actually go around trick or treating, but it sure was tempting. Instead, I just trick or treated out of my three amigos candy bags. ;) This year I was waffling between a 70's girl or a cheerleader when my mom found some long white gloves tucked away in a drawer. Bingo! Audrey Hepburn it is! I have the perfect black dress in my closet (because a girl just needs to have a few of those black dresses on hand) and set off to the local hobby store to get all the supplies needed to make the cutest blinged out long cigarette in all the land. All that was left was applying the appropriate amount of Hepburn makeup. I had purchased some deliciously long false eyelashes to complete my look and headed to the bathroom to "get all done up." The middle was in there with me, already suited up in his joe dirt costume and looking every bit the true redneck.
The false eyelash box I have purchased is clearly labeled with the words "EASY APPLICATION". False advertising at it's best. My first clue that this might be a little more involved than the 10 minutes I have allowed to apply the beasts should have been the 3 page instruction sheet which was printed in type so small it would take the Hubble telescope to see it. This, however, did not deter me, after all the box says "EASY APPLICATION". So I forged ahead. I pulled the first lash off the plastic, ummm, why are these things not labeled right and left? Let's see here, this fits on this eye going this way or the other eye going that way. I'm feeling a bit like a toddler trying to hold a pencil right now, all chubby handed fumble fingers. ;) But I continue to forge ahead. Next comes out the little bottle of glue, why this didn't seem like a bad idea I have no explanation, except that I was hell bent on glamming it up. After 6 attempts to attach the lash I have decided goes on the right eye, I have it stuck from the middle to the outside corner with the inside corner flapping in the breeze. The middle kid takes one look at me and says in his best redneck accent, "Whoa...that don't look right." Really? Thanks joe, why don't you go find some dirt and play in it, this is real women's work. I finally get the inside corner to attach (sort of) and decided to head on over to the left one. Good Lord, my biceps and triceps are burning from holding my arms up and my jaw aches from holding my mouth open for so long. Why must the mouth be open as wide as possible when messing with the eye? ;) After another dozen or so minutes of "attaching" the left lash, the unthinkable happens. A dab of the glue gets in the corner of my eye! Oh. My. Gosh. Ouch. My eye is burning and watering and then sticks shut at the inside corner. Shut. Like will not open. EEEEK! Of course, this throws me into a complete panic and I start throwing warm water on my eye, dragging my contact out as quickly as possible, and then holding my face under the faucet so the warm water can run straight thru my eye. This whole scene is accompanied by a long string of curse words that I am not too proud of, and hysterical laughter by one Mr. Joe Dirt. When my eye finally opens it appears that satan himself has taken it over as it is glowing bright red. I have also washed both eyelashes off my face and they are snaking their way down the drain, hopefully heading back to the place where they have come from....no not Target, hell. At this point I have 5 minutes left to turn my nose running, water logged, demon eyed self into the lovely Miss Hepburn. Awesome. After a bottle of visine (which by the way sting in a way any bee could be proud of), a towel, my hairdryer and a good old fashioned chip clip I was ready to start the makeup again. Forget the stupid lashes, a good thick strip of eyeliner will have to do.
Not exactly Hepburn, but it's the best this girl could do after the eyelash debacle. Next year I'm dressing up as anything that includes a mask. ;)
The wine of the day is Seven Deadly Zins, it's a wonderful heavy zinfandel perfect for anyone wishing to think of something besides eyes glued shut. Too bad that blinged out long cigarette wasn't actually a straw. ;)
Happy Saturday!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
You should see the other guy
A couple of days ago the middle and little were playing outside. They pulled out every single size and kind of ball we have and a couple of baseball bats. This turned in to something of a science experiment...which ball goes the furthest when hit with a baseball bat. This hypothesis worked just fine with the bouncy ball, the baseball, the tennis ball and even the football; then they decided to try a basketball. As many of you may have already guessed or might expect, it didn't go very well. The middle took a full swing at the basketball which absorbed all of the power and "rebounded" the bat right back into his face.
This is how that turned out. Yikes! Only by the grace of God does the kid still have an eyeball. Needless to say, he got a hooky day from school. Although, I hate to use the word "hooky" as it implies something fun, and there is nothing fun about this. As he was preparing to take his banged up self back to school he was trying to decide what his "story" should be. He thought it would be way to embarrassing to tell the other kids he hit himself in the face with a bat. I suggested he tell people he was in a huge fight with some massive 8th grader concluding with "you should see the other guy."
"That statement is a little used up mom, I've got think of something more creative." So the five of us sat down and constructed a few tall tales. And we came up with some doozies...flipped his dirt bike, snuck the razor out and rolled, suck the razor out and rolled while trying to cross the highway, jumped off the roof and landed on a rock (I don't know about that one, must have been offered up by the little ;), and my personal favorite offered up by the teenager, "Just tell everyone I punched you in the face, that's awesome." Umm, not really that awesome. It's always a good idea to have a family meeting to make up lies...A+ parenting at it's best. ;) He finally decided to tell the truth because maybe it would keep some other kid from trying to see how far a basketball will go when hit with a bat. Smart kid. :)
Interestingly, the verse from the devotional book he and I are reading together last night was "You are kind, Lord, so good and merciful. You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me and treated me so kindly that I don't need to worry anymore." Psalm 116:5-7. His one eye got huge and I watched his face light up, "What? Wow! Did you hear that verse mom? He protected my eye! And maybe he's going to use me to protect someone else from doing the same dumb thing! This is awesome!" Wow is right buddy, how did you get so smart and so perfectly centered on what is true and right? Impressive!
So today he is at school getting the sympathy attention from all the ladies. I'm expecting a call from him (or child protective services) at any moment, because when the attention wears off he is going to be needing some more Motrin and an ice pack. ;)
The wine of the day is Left Foot Charley pinot blanc; in honor of my left eye middle kid. ;) That kid is definitely going to make me want a glass or get a gray hair or have a heart attack....hopefully the first one will stave off the latter two. ;)
Happy Thursday!
This is how that turned out. Yikes! Only by the grace of God does the kid still have an eyeball. Needless to say, he got a hooky day from school. Although, I hate to use the word "hooky" as it implies something fun, and there is nothing fun about this. As he was preparing to take his banged up self back to school he was trying to decide what his "story" should be. He thought it would be way to embarrassing to tell the other kids he hit himself in the face with a bat. I suggested he tell people he was in a huge fight with some massive 8th grader concluding with "you should see the other guy."
"That statement is a little used up mom, I've got think of something more creative." So the five of us sat down and constructed a few tall tales. And we came up with some doozies...flipped his dirt bike, snuck the razor out and rolled, suck the razor out and rolled while trying to cross the highway, jumped off the roof and landed on a rock (I don't know about that one, must have been offered up by the little ;), and my personal favorite offered up by the teenager, "Just tell everyone I punched you in the face, that's awesome." Umm, not really that awesome. It's always a good idea to have a family meeting to make up lies...A+ parenting at it's best. ;) He finally decided to tell the truth because maybe it would keep some other kid from trying to see how far a basketball will go when hit with a bat. Smart kid. :)
Interestingly, the verse from the devotional book he and I are reading together last night was "You are kind, Lord, so good and merciful. You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me and treated me so kindly that I don't need to worry anymore." Psalm 116:5-7. His one eye got huge and I watched his face light up, "What? Wow! Did you hear that verse mom? He protected my eye! And maybe he's going to use me to protect someone else from doing the same dumb thing! This is awesome!" Wow is right buddy, how did you get so smart and so perfectly centered on what is true and right? Impressive!
So today he is at school getting the sympathy attention from all the ladies. I'm expecting a call from him (or child protective services) at any moment, because when the attention wears off he is going to be needing some more Motrin and an ice pack. ;)
The wine of the day is Left Foot Charley pinot blanc; in honor of my left eye middle kid. ;) That kid is definitely going to make me want a glass or get a gray hair or have a heart attack....hopefully the first one will stave off the latter two. ;)
Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Family Vacation
Traveling is one of my most favorite things to do. I'm happy to go anywhere really; the beach, mountains, road trips, but exploring big cities is my favorite! In an effort to pass this passion of mine along to my three monkeys we often load the whole fam damily up and head off on a wild adventure. Oh, these excursions are always grand with lots of things to see and do; new eats, fun treats, new places to be explored. Soon we will head off on our next adventure, to the beautiful southern California town of San Diego. We've been once before and have hit the touristy spots, so this time we will be looking for the quirky, off the beaten path kind of places to enjoy! Needless to say, I am beside myself, like a kid on the night before Christmas! Inevitably on these family vacations there are a few moments that I would rather just forget. At least once there will be a full on brawl between at least two of the three in a public place, someone will "get their gagger going" over some new food we are trying and one of them will say something really inappropriate right at exactly the wrong time.
A few years ago we took the three amigos to NYC, which is by far my most favorite big city on the planet. It was fabulous! We went to one of the last games in the old Yankee stadium, sat on the front row of the Lion King on Broadway and saw the Statue of Liberty. We also saw a drunk guy peeing in the subway, but that's just a part of the big city experience...right? ;) We also did the very touristy tour of the Empire State Building. The whole trip really was fantastic, but as with all great family vacations, there were "those moments". Here is one of them....
No mother, I don't care how perfect she is or how perfect her family is, has ever gone on a family vacation and not made this face at least once. Someone just happened to catch mine on film. ;) Of course, I bought this in poster size so that I can laugh at myself and this family vaca moment often. :))
There is no wine today because I am busy packing for 4 people and that takes all my faculties in perfecto condition! I am certain that I will need to try several new wines during our adventure and will report back on all the fun things I find!
Happy Wednesday!
A few years ago we took the three amigos to NYC, which is by far my most favorite big city on the planet. It was fabulous! We went to one of the last games in the old Yankee stadium, sat on the front row of the Lion King on Broadway and saw the Statue of Liberty. We also saw a drunk guy peeing in the subway, but that's just a part of the big city experience...right? ;) We also did the very touristy tour of the Empire State Building. The whole trip really was fantastic, but as with all great family vacations, there were "those moments". Here is one of them....
No mother, I don't care how perfect she is or how perfect her family is, has ever gone on a family vacation and not made this face at least once. Someone just happened to catch mine on film. ;) Of course, I bought this in poster size so that I can laugh at myself and this family vaca moment often. :))
There is no wine today because I am busy packing for 4 people and that takes all my faculties in perfecto condition! I am certain that I will need to try several new wines during our adventure and will report back on all the fun things I find!
Happy Wednesday!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Jill of All Trades
A few years ago (ah hem...yes just a few) I attended college where I received a bachelors degree in public administration with a minor in psychology. All that means is that I know a lot about political science, a little about business and even less about psychology. ;) Since that time I have done a lot of different things, many of which I have known nothing about until I got started, and didn't really know enough to do them right until I was finished. ;) What this has created in me is something of a "Jill of all trades".
I'm not a doctor but I can tell the difference between a cold and a sinus infection, can spot a nasty case of strep throat from a mile away and know the dosing on a dozen different medicines in 5 different weight classes without consulting the bottle or box.
I'm not a chef but I can throw a meal together in less than 30 minutes using only the 5 things left in the pantry. No comment on how it tastes, but hey....it's usually better than cereal. ;)
I'm not a race car driver but I can get my mid size SUV from zero to 45mph in 0.3 seconds when leaving late for morning carpool, and can take a corner on two wheels without even a pause in the speech I'm giving on "what not to do". Let's not discuss my parallel parking skills, race car drivers don't have to parallel park. ;)
I'm not a psychologists but I can talk someone off a "teenage" cliff, negotiate inter-family differences (i.e. brother's beating the crap out of one another over a baseball game in the yard) and deal with all manner of crazy people at the local little league ball park. ;)
I'm not a magician but I can pull a costume for dress up day, a football mouth guard and a land run lunch pail out of a hat (or maybe somewhere else ;) all at the same time and in a moment's notice.
I'm not a carpenter but I can build a bird house, re-build a bird house ;) and put together a Thomas the tank engine train set in 23 different ways. I can also assemble a "mother of pearl" sleigh in the front yard...or throw it in the trash depending on the day. ;)
I'm not an agriculturist but I can plant flowers, shrubs, vegetables and trees and then re-plant them again when they don't make it. ;) I can also run a lawn mower (a fact I kept hidden for many years), the leaf blower and an edger...I will not, however, attempt to use that weed eater thingie...it's straight from satan.
I'm not a teacher but I can over see homework for 3 kids in 15 different subjects on many different grade levels, including a foreign language in which the only words I know are "mas cervaza's por favor". Let me clarify for just one second here that I did use the term "over see" not teach. My expertise with math ends with long division and English? Well, this blog is proof enough that I have no grasp of basic grammar. ;)
I'm not a seamstress but I can sew on a button, hem a pair of pants (and I do consider it sewing to use the most wonderful wonder under when hemming), and use my Bernina effectively enough to sew a straight line and make curtains.
In essence I am what my dad would call "a Jill of all trades, but a master of none". The one thing I can say that I definitely am, is a mom....not a perfect one but a happy one. Maybe by the time I am done mothering I will know enough to start. I think they call that a Grandma. :)
The wine of the day is Le Faux Frog chardonnay in honor of my mom. She is a master of many things, sewing and frog collecting are two very notable ones, but she is also a master mom and a super master grandma!
Happy Monday!
I'm not a doctor but I can tell the difference between a cold and a sinus infection, can spot a nasty case of strep throat from a mile away and know the dosing on a dozen different medicines in 5 different weight classes without consulting the bottle or box.
I'm not a chef but I can throw a meal together in less than 30 minutes using only the 5 things left in the pantry. No comment on how it tastes, but hey....it's usually better than cereal. ;)
I'm not a race car driver but I can get my mid size SUV from zero to 45mph in 0.3 seconds when leaving late for morning carpool, and can take a corner on two wheels without even a pause in the speech I'm giving on "what not to do". Let's not discuss my parallel parking skills, race car drivers don't have to parallel park. ;)
I'm not a psychologists but I can talk someone off a "teenage" cliff, negotiate inter-family differences (i.e. brother's beating the crap out of one another over a baseball game in the yard) and deal with all manner of crazy people at the local little league ball park. ;)
I'm not a magician but I can pull a costume for dress up day, a football mouth guard and a land run lunch pail out of a hat (or maybe somewhere else ;) all at the same time and in a moment's notice.
I'm not a carpenter but I can build a bird house, re-build a bird house ;) and put together a Thomas the tank engine train set in 23 different ways. I can also assemble a "mother of pearl" sleigh in the front yard...or throw it in the trash depending on the day. ;)
I'm not an agriculturist but I can plant flowers, shrubs, vegetables and trees and then re-plant them again when they don't make it. ;) I can also run a lawn mower (a fact I kept hidden for many years), the leaf blower and an edger...I will not, however, attempt to use that weed eater thingie...it's straight from satan.
I'm not a teacher but I can over see homework for 3 kids in 15 different subjects on many different grade levels, including a foreign language in which the only words I know are "mas cervaza's por favor". Let me clarify for just one second here that I did use the term "over see" not teach. My expertise with math ends with long division and English? Well, this blog is proof enough that I have no grasp of basic grammar. ;)
I'm not a seamstress but I can sew on a button, hem a pair of pants (and I do consider it sewing to use the most wonderful wonder under when hemming), and use my Bernina effectively enough to sew a straight line and make curtains.
In essence I am what my dad would call "a Jill of all trades, but a master of none". The one thing I can say that I definitely am, is a mom....not a perfect one but a happy one. Maybe by the time I am done mothering I will know enough to start. I think they call that a Grandma. :)
The wine of the day is Le Faux Frog chardonnay in honor of my mom. She is a master of many things, sewing and frog collecting are two very notable ones, but she is also a master mom and a super master grandma!
Happy Monday!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Find Your Inner Dog
Every single morning several things have to happen for us to get out the door. Lunches must be made, teeth brushed, backpacks packed and a quick check to make sure everyone is wearing underwear. Not even kidding on that last one. ;) Regardless of what everyone gets done, there is one thing that will for sure happen, every single day. As I grab my purse and keys the little dog will be at the back door waiting. There is no way we will ever drive carpool without her. If only the boys were as easy to train as she is. ;) One day last week as we are speeding along the middle asks from the back seat, "Mom, why do dogs like to stick their head out the window?" I have no idea. Immediately I hear the button push and the window going down.
If a question needs answering, this kid will find the answer. After a few minutes of fresh air, with thankfully no low hanging branches, he pops his head back in the window and says, "Woooo, that's a LOT of fresh air! I am wide awake now!" Oh yeah? Well, you look like Elvis, so much for that shower and blow dry you did this morning. ;) The big kids says, "Hope you kept your mouth shut, it would suck to go to school with a bug stuck in your teeth."
The wine for the day is The Blake Dog cabernet, it is delightful with this "red chicken" we are having for dinner and I do love my black doggies!
Happy Sunday!
If a question needs answering, this kid will find the answer. After a few minutes of fresh air, with thankfully no low hanging branches, he pops his head back in the window and says, "Woooo, that's a LOT of fresh air! I am wide awake now!" Oh yeah? Well, you look like Elvis, so much for that shower and blow dry you did this morning. ;) The big kids says, "Hope you kept your mouth shut, it would suck to go to school with a bug stuck in your teeth."
The wine for the day is The Blake Dog cabernet, it is delightful with this "red chicken" we are having for dinner and I do love my black doggies!
Happy Sunday!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Time Flies When You're Having Fun!
Well, a few weeks ago I made a pledge to myself that I would find some time every day to do something that I love doing...write. Now I am sitting here at my computer laughing at the fact that it has been almost a week since I last wrote one single word. Where does the time go? I have no idea, but I think that someone somewhere has put time into some sort of hyper-speed mode. Truth is, I know exactly what is happening with the time, it is consumed with carpools and baseball games and tennis matches, add to that homework, trips to the orthodontist, dentist, physical therapist, and the usual 25 loads of laundry in a week, and that's where time goes. It's a crazy crazy schedule we are running on these days, and it takes every second of every day and all of my energy to keep up with it. One way I have been keeping my sanity is thru a stellar play list on my ipod that is both energizing and inspirational. One of my favorite songs is by Mandissa called These Days. Here are the lyrics, you can see why it applies so perfectly. ;)
I never liked Mondays or bad news
Or breakin in new shoes
And mornings when I can't find my phone
Nobody likes traffic or short nights
Or situps or long flights
But sometimes that's just the way it goes
It's funny what you use to help me grow...
So I'll learn to love these days
Life along the way
In the middle of the crazy
God your love is so amazing
Through the ups and downs
You're the only hope I've found
The Lord you meet me in the madness
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I can see a silver linin
When the sun's not shinin'
Even when you choose to bring the rain
Oh, but I'm trustin your leadin'
'Cause your Lord of all my joy and all my pain
So I'll learn to love these days
Life along the way
In the middle of the crazy
God, your love is so amazing
Through the ups and downs
You're the only hope I've found
The Lord you meet me in the madness
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I could wait the hundred years
You gave me here the days when you near
The days when I was out there
Lookin for what comes next
Oh, cause every minute,every hour, everyday
Is such a gift and I can say
I'm thankful for each day
So I'll learn to love these days
Life along the way
In the middle of the crazy
God, your love is so amazing
Through the ups and downs
You're the only hope I've found
The Lord you meet me in the madness
So I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
Or breakin in new shoes
And mornings when I can't find my phone
Nobody likes traffic or short nights
Or situps or long flights
But sometimes that's just the way it goes
It's funny what you use to help me grow...
So I'll learn to love these days
Life along the way
In the middle of the crazy
God your love is so amazing
Through the ups and downs
You're the only hope I've found
The Lord you meet me in the madness
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I can see a silver linin
When the sun's not shinin'
Even when you choose to bring the rain
Oh, but I'm trustin your leadin'
'Cause your Lord of all my joy and all my pain
So I'll learn to love these days
Life along the way
In the middle of the crazy
God, your love is so amazing
Through the ups and downs
You're the only hope I've found
The Lord you meet me in the madness
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I could wait the hundred years
You gave me here the days when you near
The days when I was out there
Lookin for what comes next
Oh, cause every minute,every hour, everyday
Is such a gift and I can say
I'm thankful for each day
So I'll learn to love these days
Life along the way
In the middle of the crazy
God, your love is so amazing
Through the ups and downs
You're the only hope I've found
The Lord you meet me in the madness
So I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
I'll learned to love these days
Yes, I love these days! Even when they do include dirty socks, piles of sports equipment and math with letters. ;) Now, if I could just find a car with a lazy boy in the drivers seat, a tv in the dash and instant delivery from my favorite local drink place I'd love these days even a little bit more. ;) Just to be clear, I speak of the Sonic Drive-In for cokes with good ice, not instant delivery from the local wine store. I'd have to find a car that included a driver for that to work. Heeeyyyy, hold on one second, I think I might be on to something. ;)
The wine for the day is a lovely pinot grigio from Mommy's Time Out because I'm taking a time out right now and I like it! I wish someone would put me in time out more often, doesn't that time out system use 1 hour for every year? A whole 28 hours in time out? ;) I'll take it!
Happy Saturday and Boomer Sooner!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
This. Is. Awesome.
The last few days have been filled with a whole lot of boy stuff. Baseball games, tennis matches, hurt elbows, physical therapy, orthodontist, first girlfriends, lost athletic cups (that were found in my desk drawer...ewww) and dirty uniforms. Life. It is what it is, and it's full on crazy, or maybe that's just me. ;)
Yesterday the big kid played in a tennis tournament. I've sat thru what feels like about a million of them in the past 6 months, but this one had a couple of interesting plot twists. One, it was 76 degrees and sunny outside instead of 110...nice! Secondly, the big kid moved up to the 16's because he will turn 15 later this month, that opens up a whole new level of competition which is going to be great for him. Learning to loose gracefully is a wonderful life lesson. ;) Just kidding, he actually played really great with a fabulous attitude and I am very proud of him. :) Lastly, his first serious girlfriend came to watch him play. I've known these days were coming, that one day my boys would like another girl more than me. What I didn't know is how great it would be! She spent the entire day hanging out with us watching the big kid play, over to the little one's baseball game and then back for the last of the tennis matches. I got to spend my day sitting by a girl and talking about girl things; like last weeks episode of Glee and nail polish. This is much better than my usual band of spectators who like to spend the day climbing all over me begging for money for the concession stand, or pleading with me to pleeeeeaaassseee come play catch with me! We shared candy and talked about school and tennis and all sorts of things! This. Is. Awesome. I have had a glimpse of the future and it is going to include GIRLS! It's like a light shining at the end of a dark stinky shoed, dirty athletic cup, nasty gross sock infested kind of tunnel. The hubby, being the dad that he is, approached this milestone a little differently. Upon first meeting her he says, "Hi new girl friend, I'm Bud but you can call me, Mr. last name." Thank goodness we have boys because if we had a daughter she would never get a second date. ;)
The wine for today is Black Box chardonnay. This has been a weekend of sports, sports and more sports. If it hadn't been for the one girlie bright spot I would have drowned in a sea of testosterone, and I think that calls for a tap in the kitchen. The black box is actually really good wine and that little tap on the front comes in quite handy for the quick refill. ;)
Happy Sunday!
Yesterday the big kid played in a tennis tournament. I've sat thru what feels like about a million of them in the past 6 months, but this one had a couple of interesting plot twists. One, it was 76 degrees and sunny outside instead of 110...nice! Secondly, the big kid moved up to the 16's because he will turn 15 later this month, that opens up a whole new level of competition which is going to be great for him. Learning to loose gracefully is a wonderful life lesson. ;) Just kidding, he actually played really great with a fabulous attitude and I am very proud of him. :) Lastly, his first serious girlfriend came to watch him play. I've known these days were coming, that one day my boys would like another girl more than me. What I didn't know is how great it would be! She spent the entire day hanging out with us watching the big kid play, over to the little one's baseball game and then back for the last of the tennis matches. I got to spend my day sitting by a girl and talking about girl things; like last weeks episode of Glee and nail polish. This is much better than my usual band of spectators who like to spend the day climbing all over me begging for money for the concession stand, or pleading with me to pleeeeeaaassseee come play catch with me! We shared candy and talked about school and tennis and all sorts of things! This. Is. Awesome. I have had a glimpse of the future and it is going to include GIRLS! It's like a light shining at the end of a dark stinky shoed, dirty athletic cup, nasty gross sock infested kind of tunnel. The hubby, being the dad that he is, approached this milestone a little differently. Upon first meeting her he says, "Hi new girl friend, I'm Bud but you can call me, Mr. last name." Thank goodness we have boys because if we had a daughter she would never get a second date. ;)
The wine for today is Black Box chardonnay. This has been a weekend of sports, sports and more sports. If it hadn't been for the one girlie bright spot I would have drowned in a sea of testosterone, and I think that calls for a tap in the kitchen. The black box is actually really good wine and that little tap on the front comes in quite handy for the quick refill. ;)
Happy Sunday!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Book Review
Today I decided to attempt a book review. I've never done one before, but I do so love to read and sometimes there are books that simply must be shared. So here is my very first book review ever.
Today's wine is Cupcake chardonnay simply because it is one of my favorites, it's a beautiful early autumn evening and I'm feeling a little feisty. I think I'll just go ahead and "cliche out" and have a cupcake with that cupcake wine. :)
Happy Tuesday!
THE HELP
BY
KATHRYN STOCKETT
Read it. It's awesome. ;)
Today's wine is Cupcake chardonnay simply because it is one of my favorites, it's a beautiful early autumn evening and I'm feeling a little feisty. I think I'll just go ahead and "cliche out" and have a cupcake with that cupcake wine. :)
Happy Tuesday!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tree Huggers Beware
**WARNING** If you are easily offended by the wasting of our world's natural resources, you might want to turn back now. If you can appreciate creative young minds at work, read on.
The hubby and I recently had a fun night out on the town. There was a dress, some super sassy high heels and even jewelry involved! I know...this is huge! I actually looked like a girl, instead of a taxi driver, maid, cook, laundress and sports mom. It was really quite lovely, and I've decided we must make this a more normal occurrence. A girl needs to feel like a girl sometimes, especially when one doesn't have any girls to live vicariously thru. ;) While we were out, the big kid was in charge. This usually works out quite well, but since he has learned how to communicate verbally over the phone with a girl, he is a little more distracted. During his "marathon" (Little kid's word for it) conversation the younger two got bored and decided to "work on a few new ideas". This is how that ended up....
The hubby and I recently had a fun night out on the town. There was a dress, some super sassy high heels and even jewelry involved! I know...this is huge! I actually looked like a girl, instead of a taxi driver, maid, cook, laundress and sports mom. It was really quite lovely, and I've decided we must make this a more normal occurrence. A girl needs to feel like a girl sometimes, especially when one doesn't have any girls to live vicariously thru. ;) While we were out, the big kid was in charge. This usually works out quite well, but since he has learned how to communicate verbally over the phone with a girl, he is a little more distracted. During his "marathon" (Little kid's word for it) conversation the younger two got bored and decided to "work on a few new ideas". This is how that ended up....
The Terminator
The Master
The 16 Point Death Star
And they like to call this one
"The Ex-Wife"
So, an entire ream of copy paper and 6 rolls of tape later the house was secure, and the boys had an arsenal of weapons Tony Stark could be proud of. ;)
The wine for today is Raw Power, it's a powerful shiraz that will make your taste buds happy! What would make me happy is for someone to come thru with a shop vac and get all the prototypes off my floor! ;)
Happy Monday!
The wine for today is Raw Power, it's a powerful shiraz that will make your taste buds happy! What would make me happy is for someone to come thru with a shop vac and get all the prototypes off my floor! ;)
Happy Monday!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Go on...tell it like it is
Most kids are pretty good about getting the truth out there, hence sayings like "out of the mouths of babes" and "kid's say the darndest things". The Little one at this house has honed this gift to an art form. He will absolutely tell it like it is and most of the time has better delivery than any stand up comic. ;)
On the way back from picking up the Big from tennis practice recently the little is happily ensconced in the back seat playing on his itouch. Once inside the neighborhood the big asks if he can drive the rest of the way home. These baby steps towards him becoming a driver are more for me than him; the kid was born with an innate sense of handling all things motorized. The Big and I switch sides and as we are waiting for him to adjust the seat, the steering wheel, all the mirrors and the radio (seriously, we are going approximately 200 yards;), I hear the little one talking to himself in the back seat. He's speaking just loud enough so that we can all hear him, "Dear Lord, please don't let me die today. I haven't even gotten to double digits yet!" Nice vote of confidence. ;) The Big kid looks over at me and says, "Does he really think I'm going to kill us between here and the driveway? Awesome."
Later that evening I went to tuck the Big kid in for the night. Surprisingly, he was on the phone. Anyone who has ever met a teenager knows why this was such a huge surprise. ;) I asked him if he was really on the phone? Like for real? Talking? Out loud? Wow! Who are you talking to? It was a girl. Whoa, this is big! Talking out loud for real on the phone to a girl? Maybe there's hope for him yet. ;) I quickly duck out of there and leave him to his phone call and go tuck the little one in. As I'm giving him a big hug and kiss to send him off to dream land I tell him, "The Big kid is on the phone....with a girl!" He looks at me a little confused and then says, "On purpose? Are you sure it's not just the pizza place and they think HE'S a girl, you know one time when he was babysitting us he ordered pizza and the guy called him m'am." This statement is followed by howls of laughter...from both of us. ;) This is the same kid that coined the phrase "jerk ass" when he was 4 and used to yell from his car seat "Moooom, the Middle is jackin wiff me." I hope he never looses the ability to "tell it like it is", it's quite refreshing unless, of course, he is commenting on my wrinkles or any added poundage. ;)
The wine for today is Fat Bastard Shiraz. I'm pretty sure this is a phrase that the Little will throw out one day, probably used in the right context in the middle of church or some other equally inappropriate location. Awesome. ;)
Happy Sunday!
On the way back from picking up the Big from tennis practice recently the little is happily ensconced in the back seat playing on his itouch. Once inside the neighborhood the big asks if he can drive the rest of the way home. These baby steps towards him becoming a driver are more for me than him; the kid was born with an innate sense of handling all things motorized. The Big and I switch sides and as we are waiting for him to adjust the seat, the steering wheel, all the mirrors and the radio (seriously, we are going approximately 200 yards;), I hear the little one talking to himself in the back seat. He's speaking just loud enough so that we can all hear him, "Dear Lord, please don't let me die today. I haven't even gotten to double digits yet!" Nice vote of confidence. ;) The Big kid looks over at me and says, "Does he really think I'm going to kill us between here and the driveway? Awesome."
Later that evening I went to tuck the Big kid in for the night. Surprisingly, he was on the phone. Anyone who has ever met a teenager knows why this was such a huge surprise. ;) I asked him if he was really on the phone? Like for real? Talking? Out loud? Wow! Who are you talking to? It was a girl. Whoa, this is big! Talking out loud for real on the phone to a girl? Maybe there's hope for him yet. ;) I quickly duck out of there and leave him to his phone call and go tuck the little one in. As I'm giving him a big hug and kiss to send him off to dream land I tell him, "The Big kid is on the phone....with a girl!" He looks at me a little confused and then says, "On purpose? Are you sure it's not just the pizza place and they think HE'S a girl, you know one time when he was babysitting us he ordered pizza and the guy called him m'am." This statement is followed by howls of laughter...from both of us. ;) This is the same kid that coined the phrase "jerk ass" when he was 4 and used to yell from his car seat "Moooom, the Middle is jackin wiff me." I hope he never looses the ability to "tell it like it is", it's quite refreshing unless, of course, he is commenting on my wrinkles or any added poundage. ;)
The wine for today is Fat Bastard Shiraz. I'm pretty sure this is a phrase that the Little will throw out one day, probably used in the right context in the middle of church or some other equally inappropriate location. Awesome. ;)
Happy Sunday!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Brotherly Love :))
Morning rush hour went a little more smoothly this morning. Everyone was up and ready and out the door on time! First stop, high school for the big kid. He hops out and is walking into the high school with several other kids (who, btw, look like grown ups ;) and the middle rolls down his window and pops his head out the window. In the loudest sing song voice he could muster up at 0' dark thirty in the morning he yells, "BYE BYE BIG KID, I LOOOOVVEEEE YOU!" Every manchild walking into the school stops to see who that was directed towards. The big kid gave an eye roll worthy of any 13 yr old girl, and ducked inside real fast. The middle pops his head back in the car and howling with laughter says, "There's nothing thats not funny about that...nothing." :)) I knew retribution would be swift and complete; I did not realize it would start within seconds of us pulling away. The middle kid's cell phone almost immediately starts buzzing and buzzing and buzzing. It buzzes about 75 times, all one letter texts from the big kid. The dreaded spam has begun. All I can do is chuckle and thank the baby Jesus for brotherly love....and unlimited text messaging. ;)
The wine for today is Middle Sister Rebel Red...yummy! I bet my mom could have written something similar about sisterly love between myself and the middle sister when we were younger. It wouldn't have included cell phones and text messages, that was "back in the day" of cassette tapes, leg warmers and big bangs. Retribution took a little more time and effort than just pushing a few buttons; sometimes it would take hiding under my bed until I turned my light off and grabbing the ankles as I hopped into bed. To this day I still jump into my bed from 3 feet out to avoid that happening. ;) Cheers to all the siblings out there and this unique and wonderful kind of love!
Happy Friday!
The wine for today is Middle Sister Rebel Red...yummy! I bet my mom could have written something similar about sisterly love between myself and the middle sister when we were younger. It wouldn't have included cell phones and text messages, that was "back in the day" of cassette tapes, leg warmers and big bangs. Retribution took a little more time and effort than just pushing a few buttons; sometimes it would take hiding under my bed until I turned my light off and grabbing the ankles as I hopped into bed. To this day I still jump into my bed from 3 feet out to avoid that happening. ;) Cheers to all the siblings out there and this unique and wonderful kind of love!
Happy Friday!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The House of Cards
School mornings at my house are crazy, as I'm sure they are at every house around the world where children reside. If you have someone else besides yourself to get ready and out the door at a certain time in the morning you are going to have chaos, it's just the way it is. Three different schools this year means three different drop off times at three different locations, timing is crucial. I would liken our morning routine to a house of cards, if one little thing goes outside it's schedule line the whole thing is coming down.
This morning I woke up with a start to a pitch black house and rain falling softly outside. My sleepy brain was in total disarray and it took me a couple of minutes to even figure out where I was. Then with a panic I realized I was in my bed and I didn't hear the stirrings of any little people. The clock said 6:48, we need to leave the house by 7:15. Yikes! I flew out of bed and down the hall to the boys bedrooms fully expecting them to be finishing up showers and getting dressed. What did I find down there? More darkness and total silence. I went from room to room and each door I opened resulted in the same thing, a sleeping boy snuggled way down under the covers. At this point I'm thinking maybe my clock was wrong, I mean it is completely pitch dark outside. Crap, am I having a crazy moment and it's really two in the morning? Because this has actually happened to me before. I started running around the house like a lunatic looking at each clock which I have to get real close to and squint my eyes because I have not put my contacts in yet. I'm quite sure this looked like a scene right out of Modern Family, just missing Gloria's funny accent, and some of her other attributes. ;) After much running and squinting with a few stubbed toes, curse words (cuz that really hurts) and a graceful trip over the dogs' water bowl (that leaves a nice mess), I decide that it is indeed 6:53 and the house of cards that is our morning rush hour is in a pile on the floor. After the last 5 minutes of what can only be described as an awake nightmare, I'm in no mood to play 52 card pick up. I can see only one course of action here....head back to bed. Two hours later we all got up and I heard this...
YOU ARE THE BEST MOM EVVAAAA!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! For letting us sleep in!!
I told them they could pay me back by coming home from school and doing their homework without argument and not fight with each other. Suddenly, it's like three baby deer in the headlights. Maybe I accidentally switched to French or German? I am definitely not speaking a language any one of the three of them can understand. Finally the Little breaks the stunned silence with, "I'll try to do some of my homework during inside recess, but that's the best I can do." What is he a used car salesman? Alright you three truants, in the car. ;)
The wine of the day is...well it's whatever they are serving at the poolside cocktail party I'm going to tonight with my boyfriend. It's nice to have boyfriend that still takes you to parties even after almost 18 years of marriage. ;)
Happy Thursday!
This morning I woke up with a start to a pitch black house and rain falling softly outside. My sleepy brain was in total disarray and it took me a couple of minutes to even figure out where I was. Then with a panic I realized I was in my bed and I didn't hear the stirrings of any little people. The clock said 6:48, we need to leave the house by 7:15. Yikes! I flew out of bed and down the hall to the boys bedrooms fully expecting them to be finishing up showers and getting dressed. What did I find down there? More darkness and total silence. I went from room to room and each door I opened resulted in the same thing, a sleeping boy snuggled way down under the covers. At this point I'm thinking maybe my clock was wrong, I mean it is completely pitch dark outside. Crap, am I having a crazy moment and it's really two in the morning? Because this has actually happened to me before. I started running around the house like a lunatic looking at each clock which I have to get real close to and squint my eyes because I have not put my contacts in yet. I'm quite sure this looked like a scene right out of Modern Family, just missing Gloria's funny accent, and some of her other attributes. ;) After much running and squinting with a few stubbed toes, curse words (cuz that really hurts) and a graceful trip over the dogs' water bowl (that leaves a nice mess), I decide that it is indeed 6:53 and the house of cards that is our morning rush hour is in a pile on the floor. After the last 5 minutes of what can only be described as an awake nightmare, I'm in no mood to play 52 card pick up. I can see only one course of action here....head back to bed. Two hours later we all got up and I heard this...
YOU ARE THE BEST MOM EVVAAAA!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! For letting us sleep in!!
I told them they could pay me back by coming home from school and doing their homework without argument and not fight with each other. Suddenly, it's like three baby deer in the headlights. Maybe I accidentally switched to French or German? I am definitely not speaking a language any one of the three of them can understand. Finally the Little breaks the stunned silence with, "I'll try to do some of my homework during inside recess, but that's the best I can do." What is he a used car salesman? Alright you three truants, in the car. ;)
The wine of the day is...well it's whatever they are serving at the poolside cocktail party I'm going to tonight with my boyfriend. It's nice to have boyfriend that still takes you to parties even after almost 18 years of marriage. ;)
Happy Thursday!
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