The Gift to Gab

I hit enter too soon

2009-08-20T22:46:00.002-05:00

So I was typing in the URL bar and I was typing Walden but I accidentally hit enter after typing Wald and this is the website that I got.

Have you every randomly found a website by mistyping?

Praying no one will have to use this

2009-07-28T01:13:00.002-05:00

This family turned their tragedy into helping others.

Missing Child Flyer

Share the info with others and pray they will never have to use it.

Praying for a hedge of protection for all our children.

A Louism

2009-06-26T00:52:00.002-05:00

I love that Lou is a thinker. It makes me smile that she is trying to think in Spanish. She is always asking me how to say something in Spanish. Today she taught me a new word:

Scene:
My and my tres m'hijitas driving to Subway after a morning of swimming with our friends. Along the way, Lou is complaining that her bathing suit is wet and that she is really hungry. I asked her to stop complaining and to be thankful that we got go swimming and have fun on this hot day and that we are able to get food whenever we want.

Lou asked me again where we were going and I reminded her "Subway".

Lou: "Mommy, what is Spanish for Subway?"

Me: "Ummmm, ummm, I don't know that one. I will have to look it up."

Lou: "I know what it is!"

Me: "You do!"

Lou: "It is Subwaya!" "You just add an "a" (short a) at the end."

I was impressed, surprised, and elated that her little thinking mind was creating a word that made me laugh so much that the tears were rolling down my cheeks. I did not want her to think I was laughing at her because I was not. But to hear her say it with such enthusiasm and confidence was great. I was excited for her even if Spanish for Subway is not Subwaya. Next time you see her, ask her what is the Spanish word for Subway.

It brought joy to my life....a simple word. It made me think about how powerful words can be...

Go hug your child and enjoy every moment

2009-06-23T22:45:00.001-05:00

Have a box of tissues near by...

Dying wish granted

Arroz con Pollo

2009-06-18T22:06:00.002-05:00

I made this for dinner tonight and the girls cleaned their plates. It is nice to find a grown dish that the kids will eat.

Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into thick strips
1 medium red onion; chopped
1 medium green pepper; chopped
1 medium red pepper; chopped
1 garlic clove; minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup uncooked rice
1 medium tomato; seeded & chopped
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken 8 to 10 minutes or until brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and turmeric. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add rice and tomatoes; stir until rice is lightly browned. Add broth; bring mixture to a boil, place chicken pieces on top of mixture. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. To serve, fluff with fork stirring in chicken pieces.

Each serving provides: 358 calories 35.8 g. protein 4.9 g. fat 40.3 g. carbohydrate 2.1 g. dietary fiber 74 mg. cholesterol 1155 mg. sodium

A Louism

2009-05-29T22:28:00.004-05:00

We are all sleeping except for Lou who excited that we have to get up early to go to a friends house.

Lou: "Mommy, you said to make sure you are awake."
Me: "Thank you." Look at the clock, put my head back down.

Tap, tap, tap, on my back. I sit up. Lou climbs in the bed and puts her nose to mine.

Lou: (looking in my sleepy crossed eyes) "Mommy, I know what the opposite of fairy is!"

Me: (pulling my nose away from her nose so I can see straight)..."There is no opposite of fa..." before I could even finish saying it.

Lou: "YES, yes there is. The opposite of Fairy is...MERMAID!"

Daddy wakes up..."what did you say, Lou?"

Me: giggling...."I think you are right."

Lou: "Of course I am right!" "I am smart!"

So there you have it...a Louism: "The opposite of Fairy is Mermaid."

Responsibility Charts

2009-05-14T13:20:00.003-05:00

I think I really need one of these for myself. We got two of them so Lou and Rae could help design their own responsibilities. I like the ease of use...no more forgetting to print off the sheet or buy more stickers, the girls like to put on their own magnets, and there are different responsibilities like brush your teeth, share, and keep your hands to yourself besides chores like make your bed, fed your pet, and take your dish to the sink.

We have given a monetary value to the magnets so the girls are learning that the more they accomplish the more they will earn. If they start to argue instead of share, we take magnets off the chart...ooooohhhhh the tears of despair I have heard. We are going to get these banks recommended by another friend. Lou has a heart for tithing already as she likes to put coins in her tithing can.

I am hoping to teach my girls to be positive about doing chores and being responsible for themselves. But most of all I want them to have love for the Lord and want to be obedient.

Things that make you stop and say Really?

2009-04-30T04:11:00.002-05:00

So today I said something that made me think "Really, did I just say that?"

It is homeschool time and we are sitting on the floor reading a book about mountains and looking at the globe. When I was reading about Mount Everest, I wanted to show the girls where it was located...so off to Nepal we went thanks to our LeapFrog Globe. As we were looking at the countries that surround Nepal, Lou journeys up to Mongolia. She starts talking about the bad guys in the movie Mulan and that they are from Mongolia and that Mulan started and avalanche (b/c we learned about those today too) to get the bad guys from Mongolia. She takes her finger and traces a path from Mongolia throughout China saying this is where the bad guys (aka the Huns) went...and as she went on about this I was getting frustrated because she was not listening to me talk about Nepal. So I said "We are not studying about Mongolia, we are learning about Nepal!" Suddenly, I stopped, looked her eye to eye and thought to myself "she knows where Mongolia is and I am complaining because she is not listening to me talk about Nepal." So I laughed out loud when I realized how silly I was being and that she learns so much just by playing with this globe and relating the facts to other things she watches or reads. Hence, the reference to the Mulan movie. Rae will always tell you that her Mulan doll is from China (and not because it was made there) because that is where Mulan lives...it really sounds cute when she says it because it is more like "it is where MooWan wivs"

So I had to stop and give myself a "Really? Did you have to say something so stupid?"

I have another thing that made me say "Really??" today. I saw it at Walgreens in the baby section. I had to do a double take and then stand there and really think about it and wonder if I would need to use something like this. It was a litmus test to see how much alcohol is in the moms breast milk. It is called Milkscreen. Really? It is interesting, but not sure what kind of signal that sends mothers that may be have experience with excessive drinking. "Oh, I'll just measure how much alcohol is in my breast milk before I feed my baby...maybe that is s good thing... It was just one of those things that made me say "Really?" Obviously that product is not something I need, hence my perplexed thinking about it. I am not judging those that may need or want to use Milkscreen. I guess I was just ignorant of the need for a product like that.

If you have used this product, I would love to hear you comments on it?

Brilliant!

2009-04-15T22:36:00.002-05:00

A good reason why you should not judge people by the way they look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4

Just in case you do not know the song is from Les Miserable. Brought tears to my eyes to see her living her dream.

Tuesday's Dinner

2009-04-14T21:51:00.003-05:00

I know we are all always looking for a good inexpensive meal. I found one from BlissfullyDelish called Creamy Pesto & Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta. I call bow tie pasta farfalle and the girls call it butterfly pasta. It is a super easy recipe and to make it even easier I used leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

* 1 box of bow tie pasta
* 2 T margarine or butter
* 1 lb of chicken shredded or cubed
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 1/2 c pesto sauce
* 1/2 c milk
* 1/2 c of shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta,drain
2. Heat butter in skillet and cook chicken ( or just skip this step and use a rotisserie chicken)
3. Add soup, pesto, cheese and milk to the chicken
4. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 5 minutes
5. Stir in pasta and heat through

I thought it needed a little salt, but J and the girls gobbled it up as is. It makes a large portion. There is plenty for dinner with a salad and a roll. Or just save it for leftover night. Let me know if you try it out.

Great Depression Cooking

2009-04-07T23:09:00.004-05:00

With Clara...

This woman is so amazing. Just to think of all she has lived through and she is still smiling. I watched several of her videos and read many of the people's comments (on youtube). I am so saddened by the ignorance and stupidity of so many people. I think Clara is GREAT. She has a spunk about her that I like. She is like a living history book and I think it is important for young people to hear these stories. It makes me sad that I did not always sit down and listen to my Papa's stories because he had so many to offer. I only have one living grandparent left and she lives too far away to cook with and to sit and listen to her stories. When I do see her, we love to cook, can, and sew together. She has invaluable skills to share. She may tell the same stories over and over again, but when I get to bet in my 80s I hope to have stories to tell to the young ones in my life, so I just sit and enjoy that I have a grandma to tell me stories. I miss my Mema right now.

Well, here is a Grandma we can all enjoy Clara.

Let me know if you try any of the recipes. I think I smell a follow up blog coming up.

Lou describing a Fat lip

2009-03-21T23:03:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, I homeschool my children. This is our first year and we use Sonlight curriculum. Well, a few weeks ago in Language Arts, the main focus was on the the short "a" sound. The sentence she had to read, trace, rewrite, and use to learn the parts of a sentence was: The lad had a fat lip. We discussed the word lad and she decided that the word boy was "much better". When I asked her which word described the lad's lip, she answered fat. But when I asked her how she thought he got a fat lip, her imagination took over...

and I quote from Lou:

"Someone was holding the boy's lip out and all these rocks were falling down and going ppfffhhhttt on his lip. When the rocks went ppppffffhhhttt on his lip, it cracked it open and made it bleed and get a bruise and then get fat."

Me: staring in disbelief, but laughing hysterically inside. "Oh, I thought he might have fallen down while playing."

Lou: looked at me like I was saying something odd.

We just moved on in the lesson: Which two words in the sentence rhyme?...

The imagination of Lou is something I am having a hard time keeping up with these days.

Lunch

2009-03-07T23:00:00.003-06:00

I was sitting across the table from Lou and Rae as we were eating lunch. Princess P was in the high chair and I was feeding her. We were just having a normal conversation over a normal lunch. I quickly realized that things do not stay normal too long with children.

Rae was fighting off a sneeze because she was enjoying her salami and gouda on rolled bread (that is what she calls a roll). She kind of reminded me of Ratatouille experiencing the explosion of flavors...hmmm the boldness of the salami mixed with the buttery, melt in your mouth gouda, on a roll with a hard outer crispness and soft doughy inside...I think I am starting to drool. It is her favorite lunch. She was chewing away and her face was contorting as she fought the sneeze. The sneeze finally won. She stopped. Looked at me. Looked at her plate. Finished chewing. Then picked up the bits of sandwich that flew out of her mouth and onto her plate and ate them. She did this without giving it a second thought. She was not going to waste her favorite sandwich.

I did not, or should I say, could not say anything to her because I was erupting with laughter inside.

We went on eating and then Lou tells me:

"Mommy, I just burped and some chewed up food just came up into my throat and I had to swallow it back down."

How do you respond to that?

Lunch, never dull and sometimes a bit gross. But they are fed and happy!

Blessing to All.

Wordless Wednesday: Drooling for Doughnuts

2009-03-04T22:07:00.002-06:00

From the mouth of babes...

2009-02-22T13:30:00.003-06:00

The scene: All five of us in the car going home after Lou had been released from the hospital. Princess P had gone extended hours without nursing and was ready for some nursing time. Rae being the observant little person she is told us very emphatically.

Rae: "P needs some milk, now!" "When she talks like that she needs milk".

Daddy: "Where does milk come from?" Thinking that she is going to say cows.

Rae: "Milk comes from Mommy's boobies." said in a matter-of-fact tone that could not be denied.

Me: Giggling hysterically in the front seat without making a noise.

The conversation moved on, but I could not help but to wonder if her 4-year-old mind thinks there is some kind of Mom Farm that produces milk.

Moooo...

swapadvd

2009-02-10T22:19:00.003-06:00

My hubby signed up for this dvd swapping site and at first I thought it was never going to work, but I was wrong. You just have to start with 10 dvds that you are tired of watching, post them on the site, and get credit to ask for dvds. It is a give and take program...not just a take. So we put our list up and the first day two of our dvds we asked for. We also got a couple, but right now I cannot remember what they are. We get netflix (because we don't have cable) and there are always dvds in and out of our house.

If you are frugal and do not want to spend money on dvds, trade for the ones you want. I am not sure if you are going to get that newest release, but you will find some recent movies on there. The kids movies are the hardest to find...because kids like to keep their movies and watch them over and over and over again. We have been fortunate enough to get rid of a few, but not many. The only thing you pay is shipping which is usually under $2.00. But it all comes around when you ask for a dvd and that person pays shipping to mail it to you.

If you are tired of your old dvds then swap them for other movies you want to watch.

Happy Movie Watching!

Bowling is expensive.

2009-01-18T01:21:00.002-06:00

We took the girls bowling for the first time today and it was a lot of fun. We went to he Main Event because we wanted to make sure we were in smoke free facility. The scoring is all computerized and you can select the bumper guards to automatically come up for the children. No more separate lanes with the big tube things running down the gutter...or am I dating myself. It is a good thing we did not need two lanes. The cost of bowling has sky rocketed! It cost $29.00 an hour to bowl at the Main Event. It was a splurge and a lot of fun, but that is almost a kids ticket to Sea World and you can spend the entire day there.

Has bowling just gotten that expensive or is just this place? I really hope not because bowling is a lot of fun. It makes for great family fun. There was a point in the game that Lou was beating me, I think I needed the bumper guards too. Watching Rae's ball go down the lane was like watching sap drip from a tree in the middle of winter. We had to call the attendant to retrieve a ball that just stopped rolling. She did not know the difference and thought that it was great when he brought the ball back to her and she got to go again.

Bowling with young kids was fun. I do have to admit it was something I did not think we would be doing together as a family for a couple of years. I am glad we tried it out, despite the cost.

99 red ballons...

2009-01-15T23:49:00.002-06:00

For those of you that don't remember or know that song.

Have you noticed that the grocery stores are not handing out free balloons any longer? Well, it is due to the helium shortage. Yes, as we are all worried about the price of gas and what alternative fuels we can use, but we are not giving a second thought to the helium shortage. Once of the biggest natural resources of helium is in Amarillo, Texas and it is estimated that will be depleted in a decade.

What is helium used for? How do we go through so much of it each year? Where do we get more?

Here is an interesting article I read.

I guess I will give it a second thought to buying balloons that are just going to get popped, swept away by the wind, or in one case blown out the front door by a gust of wind and stuck in a tree.

Facebook

2009-01-09T14:33:00.003-06:00

Ok, ok...I am a late bloomer. I finally got a Facebook account and it has been totally addicting. It is neat, but I can see how I can get lost in just searching, reading, and lurking. I have had less than 24 hours and have connected with about 50 people already. I am looking to connecting with some old friends and keeping in better touch with my current friends. But, of course I have the Gift to Gab and I am frequently on the phone, emailing, instant messaging, blogging, and now shall I dare say it facebooking :)

See you on Facebook...

Happy New Year to All!

2008-12-21T21:40:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

New Socks

2008-12-11T22:30:00.002-06:00

Those that know me will understand this post. So for those that don't I will explain.

I grew up in a poor family and for Christmas it was common to get new socks and underwear. I was always so excited about those new items too. I would still buy socks and underwear for Christmas, but my husband thinks I am a bit silly and should buy them whenever I need them. Most of the time he will tell me that I NEED to buy those items when he folds clothes and he ends up throwing them away because of the holes :)

Well the other day Lou and I were at Target and I saw some cute socks . I looked at them, walked away, went back to them and picked up different ones and studied the colors, walked away, went back picked them up and mentally matched different ones to my clothes, put them in my cart, walked away, turned around and put them back. Then I looked at other socks and decided that I did not need any. When I turned around, my cute little Lou had climbed in the basket and was grinning at me. She put the socks in the cart and excitedly told me to get them because they were cool.

So I got them, and they are fun and I need more fun in my wardrobe. I don't want to become old and frumpy, but old and funky. When my socks roll down to my ankles when I am old, I want them to be colorful socks so I can smile every time I pull them up.

Yes, I bought socks. Did I feel guilty? Yes, but I kept them. I am happy I kept them.

I hope you all have a fun pair of socks to wear.

Wordless Wednesday: Strep Throat

2008-12-03T22:29:00.001-06:00

I am a SUPERSTAR

2008-11-28T23:33:00.003-06:00

I have recently begun playing ROCK BAND. It is such a fun game. It brings out my inner Superstar. Santa is definitely dropping by with it for us this year, right Santa Darling? I have only sang and played the drums. I have not gotten up the courage to try to mess up on, I mean play the guitar or bass. My BIL so kindly guided me through the EASY level of drum playing as he played the expert level on guitar. We even talked my sister, who does not try new things too easily, into playing the drums and she was able to do it. The hard part is not to think yellow, yellow, yellow, red and yellow, red and yellow, green, foot pedal, but to get into the beat of the song and try let the colors be the guide as you play the drums...it is not as easy as it may seem to some.

Even though I enjoyed playing the drums, which took much concentration as I played with my mouth open or my tongue sticking out some...because you know your tongue has to be positioned correctly in order for your hands to be coordinated...I was much better at signing and nursing my baby to sleep at the same time. Now that is talent. If only Simon could have seen me...oh, I am too old for that show :)

I feel like a kid hoping that Santa will bring that really cool gift. I look forward to the next time I get to play the game. Oh and for those that do not know, when I was a child my parents did not let us have video games at home because they would "waste our time or make us dumb". Now I have a hard time with my hand/eye coordination when playing video games. But believe it or not, the Wii can actually help with developing coordination. Just wait until my next drum solo...

Goodnight Fans...I look forward to my next show :)

We are eating WHAT?!?

2008-11-07T21:55:00.003-06:00

We stood talking in the kitchen as I prepared lunch. She watched intently, with a look of horror and disgust on her face as the can turned beneath my hands as I opened it with a manual can opener. With each turn, she was able to articulate a little more of what her mind was thinking and face was exclaiming.

Lou: "Mommy, there is a Mermaid on that can." "There is a mermaid holding a magic wand on that can."

I go over to the sink and drain the can's water content. She runs to the table and tells Rae that there is a mermaid on the can. As she turns to look at me, I ask her if she knows what is in the can? Again with horror, she pierces her lips together as to form the letter M, but before I allow her to belt out the word Mermaid.

I happily exclaim "TUNA FISH!"

Lou states with all the joy in the world: "I LOVE TUNA FISH!"

The look of relief was fully noticed in her body language and she was able to relax. I told her that Mermaids like to eat tuna fish so that is why the makers of this brand put a Mermaid on the front. Oh, that got her even more excited because she loves tuna fish also. She has something in common with a mermaid. How exciting is that!

She is very glad her reading skills are improving so she can read what is in a can, instead of trying to interpret what is in the can by the picture. But she did not understand why tuna was called chicken of the sea...

Do you wonder?

2008-11-05T14:30:00.002-06:00

if there were some people that exercised their right to vote that possibly do not usually exercise that civil liberty just because because of the novelty of a candidate? Did they really listen? Do they really think he has enough experience to make the vague changes he referenced. Yes, he is an eloquent speaker, but I too can read and memorize a speech and tell people what they want to hear. What people needed to realize is that those band-aid words are going to come off in the wash and then the scabs will form. Then what? Will people revolt because those changes are not occurring? Do they teach different forms of government in school anymore? Do people know what socialism is? Does this not scare you?

I love being an American and having all the FREEDOMS we have. I am using my freedom of speech to say, I am not excited about our new leader. But I did teach my girls about him today and I told him that he is our first African-American President...that is history.

Let's pray that he will make good choices for ALL the people of the USA.

Are you anxious?

2008-11-04T00:33:00.003-06:00

I am so incredibly anxious about election day this year. It is a very crucial election in my opinion. I keep praying that the right candidate will be elected. I partook in the early voting and have been anxiously awaiting some kind of results. I feel like a little kid and tomorrow (well technically today) is Christmas. At the same time, I feel like an agonizing adult worried about the future of our country.

What am I going to do? I feel like I am going to be glued to the TV all day just to torment myself with the closeness of it all. Am I going to be cheering or crying tomorrow? We will find out who wins tomorrow, right? I guess I still get confused over the year with the hanging chads. I do not know if I could handle another voting fiasco.

UGH! What will I do if the candidate I DON' T want to win, wins? This is so emotional. I feel silly for thinking that this is going to effect me, but hey this IS going to effect me, and you and you and you too.

GET OUT AND VOTE.

If you don't vote you do not have the right to complain about the results.

Our country will be different tomorrow...

God Bless America
In God We Trust
Let's keep it that way!

Cucumber Peels

2008-10-19T22:34:00.004-05:00

Plung! Plung! Plung!

Dropped the cucumber peels into the metal dog food bowl. But hark, what do my ears hear?

Silence...

I did not hear the jingle of her collar as she so slowly lifted her tired, frail body from the floor.

Why?

Because Mayatuk went to Doggie Heaven that is why.

We miss her dearly. She was part of the family; we got her when she was 8 weeks old. Fred is lost without her, but we are now a one dog family. Mayatuk was 12 years old. Part wolf, German Shepard, and Alaskan Malamute. She traveled all over the United States, was a seasoned camper, howled a beautiful song, always new her way home, she loved a good drive thru and beer. Mayatuk, did not play ball or swim like a dog...she was more like a cat in a dog body. She did like to ride in a canoe and cried if we tried to make her swim. She loved to romp and run around, but she was terrified of thunder storms and fireworks. She was special and she will always be a treasured part of our family. She was graceful, peaceful, terribly shy, loved to snuggle with her "Daddy" and would eat most anything you put in front of her.

She loved cucumber peels!

So there they sat in that empty metal dog food bowl. Until Fred decided he was going to try one and then turned it into cucumber peel spitballs.

I never thought peeling cucumbers would make me sad...

Missing Mayatuk...and her sister Wahya who died of bone cancer in April 2005.

RideSafer Travel Vest

2008-10-18T22:17:00.003-05:00

Before Princess P was born we knew we were outgrowing our car because three car seats were going to be TIGHT! But being the frugal people we are, we did not want to go buy a new car so we (well my husband) did some research on car seats to see what would fit in our Jetta TDI. We looked and measured and measured and looked but nothing seemed to be a good fit. Then Mister Researcher found the RideSafer Travel Vest. When he showed me I thought "NO WAY". But then I watched the crash test videos over and over again. I also read and reread the safety standards. I finally agreed to give it try, but insisted that if it did not work that we would return it immediately and figure something else out, even if it meant getting a bigger car. Needless to say we are still using the vest and we also got a little bigger car, but in our own style it is a used diesel :)

I really do like it and it keeps her safe.

The things I do not like about it:

It takes a few more minutes to put on and take off, which can be a nuisance with three children and in a hurry to run into the post office for two minutes just to turn around and get right back into the car and put the vest back on. Oh, I forgot to mention she will not wear it into a store even if for a few minutes.

She whines if she gets too hot. Remember we drive an older vehicle and the AC takes a few minutes to get cold. The vest does generate some body heat.

You have to make sure the seat belt is secure in all three of the hooks and that the between the leg strap is secure for maximum safety, but it is not a problem it just goes back to the time thing which I just need to get over.

She likes is that she is more like a big girl in the car by not being confined to a seat and she is more comfortable in the car.

I guess I should also mention she is a very tall 5 (almost 6) year old and according to the safety standards she was outgrowing the high back booster and could move just the booster seat, but we did not feel as safe with that. I really do think that in the few occassions I had to slam on my brakes, that my child in the booster seat flung forward more than the one in the RideSafer Vest. But of course I do not want to test that theory. If it happens again, I will try to remember who did what or if there was even a difference.

I would recommend the RiderSafer Travel Vest.

Life without the Internet

2008-09-28T16:34:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe how much society has changed. Living without internet is so difficult! I seriously had to reminded to look up a phone number by using the phone book. Imagine that, using the phone book, what a concept.

I am sitting in a coffee shop (doing homework) and I am taking a moment to let everyone know that I have taken my internet for granted. Times have changed, we are living in the information highway of the internet age. I cannot believe how lost I feel without it. It is so easy to look something up online. There have been so many times that I just wanted to look something up and cannot not do it. The first three days were easy, but now it has been a week and a half...I think I am having withdrawals...

Hoping the internet is connected tomorrow. I have so much to blog!

Missing the internet.

Disney Fanatic

2008-09-08T22:16:00.004-05:00

I am a huge Disney fan! There is just something so magical about Disney World. It is full of innocent fun, dreams come true, and daring excitement. So I find it my duty to lure others into the Wonderful World of Disney.

Today I applied to be a part of the Online Mom Panel.

If you love Disney as much as I do, you should submit too. They are taking applications until Sept. 19th or until they get 20,0000 applications...whichever comes first.

Here is the link http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/recruiting/default.aspx

Best Wishes to you All and have a Magical Day.

Who taught you that?

2008-08-30T23:03:00.002-05:00

Rae now sings:
Ringle Rangle, Jingle Jang Jangle
I got me horse
I got me a gun
and I got me a pretty woman's love.

Daddy: "Rae Rae, who taught you that?"
Rae: "PopPop!"
Daddy: (thinking to himself) "Thanks, Dad!"

Lou has a new trick:
The girls and I were sitting quietly in bed. We had just said prayers and talking about having a goodnight sleep. Lou was about to lay down, but before she did...

Lou: "Mommy! PULL MY FINGER!"
Me: (thinking that she can't be doing what I think she is going to do) "Okay" and I pull her finger.
Lou: TOOOOOT
Me, Lou, and Rae: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rolling on the bed lauging.

Once I stopped crying and gained my composure, I asked where she learned that.
Lou: (still giggling) "PopPop!"

I guess that what grandpa's do, eh? Gotta lov'em.

Do Bees have lotsa teeth?

2008-08-27T22:28:00.003-05:00

Lou and Rae are standing at the sliding glass door talking.

Lou: "We can't go out because there are lotsa bugs"

Rae: "Yea, and the bees might bite us!"

Lou: "Yes because they have a mouth full of teeth, but I don't think they will eat us"

Lou: "Mommy, do bees bite?"

Me: "No, they sting."

Lou: "Sting?" "How do they sting, with their mouth?"

Me: "No, with their (wanted to say butt) stinger."

Lou: "What is a stinger?" "Where is it?"

Me: "Let's look it up on the internet!" Bee stinger illustration

Lou: "Let me look at this for a minute."

Then I gave an explanation of the picture.

Lou: "Why did it open itself up?"

Me: (laughing to myself) "That is just part of the picture that shows the inside of the bee."

Lou: "Does it poop the stinger out?" Me: "No, it is just there."

Rae: "It just sticks it in your skin!" "What are those lines?"

Me: "Those are the hairs on the person's arm."

Lou: "I don't have very much hair on my arms." Rae: "Me neivver (neither)"

Rae: "Look at Mommy's arm!"

Yes, we all know that I have dark hair on my arms. I have learned to live with it and now my girls have pointed it out to me. Anybody know a good laser hair removal place.

Goodbye Games

2008-08-25T17:41:00.004-05:00

It was sad to see the Olympic closing ceremony. I just love the Olympics. The excitement of the races keeps me on the edge of my seat. I often feel like it is me, who is representing our country, but may be because that person is representing all of us. The close races and the last second scores to win make me jump and yell. I really enjoyed watching my girls enjoy the games. Who knew that a 5 and 3 year old would be interesting in fencing..."Look Mommy! They have SWORDS!?!? Are they pointy?" Now my girls want to dive, fence, be gymnasts, swimmers, and run track. I really miss the Olympics, now I have nothing to watch on TV so it is off again.

But really I have nothing to be sad about because I have my very own Olympics every day! Except I do things like hurdle the dog while carrying a full laundry basket and how fast can I change a diaper before she poops again. And when I say it is Fast Shower Night, I can get Lou and Rae in and out of the shower in three minutes. Lou and Rae also have their own versions of the Olympic games. The bench to the table has transformed into a balance beam, the bed is now a trampoline, and the bathtub is unfortunately not big enough to swim laps in nor dive into, but my girls have figured out a way to make it happen...bloody lips and all.

Did you know a three year old can clean her room faster with her feet than her hands? How about that Lou that can take off her shoes while standing on her head? Get this, I bet my baby can spit up further than your baby! Don't get me started on the loudest toots or burps...

I have an event that my husband cannot understand. How long can I be on the phone and talk while my kids fight in the background? They'll work it out, eventually...that one is an endurance test, kind of like the Tour de France. But you, the person on the other end of the phone has to tolerant it to so then it is kind of like a stare off...the first one to say gotta go first looses.

Mulit-tasking is like the decathlon. I can cook, help the kids with changing doll clothes, play a game, check my email, clean the bathroom, do laundry, throw the ball for the dog, all while talking on the phone...I think I see a theme building...the phone talking olympics...

A big game that not many can endure is the game of repetition. How many times in a row can you read a book, laugh at something that was really funny only the first time, hear "Mommy" be called from all areas of the house and make it to each one within one minute. If there is no blood and nothing is broken move on. How long can you answer a question. "Mommy what does...?" Answer. "Why?" Answer. "Why?" Answer. "Why?"....and so on.

There is that whole baby Olympics too. Diaper toss, bath the slippery baby, clip nails without clipping the skin, putting socks on moving feet, how long does it take to rock a baby to sleep and stay awake yourself...all test of endurance and accuracy.

Every day is an adventure and fun. I do not need to have the Olympic games to entertain me, but I am sure going to miss it. Looking forward to Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

I wonder how the girls are going to pretend to ski jump...

It's Amazing...

2008-08-24T23:50:00.003-05:00

That the cliche time flies is so true...my baby is 12 weeks old.

It's Amazing that:

I could love someone so much before I even met her and I love her even more even though she screams at me when she needs me.

That a baby smile can bring tears to my eyes.

I love baby feet so much.

A baby can make such loud bodily functions.

That my baby can nurse, poop, and smile all at the same time.

A baby can triple the amount of laundry.

Fred thinks he needs to let me know every time the baby cries...he is a yellow lab.

Fred thinks he needs to supervise bath time, diaper changing, and the occasional nursing session.

Lou and Rae are so very maternal and loving to Princess P.

It's Amazing that we have this precious baby.

It is all so amazing because HE is so Amazing!

It is amazing I blogged...

Long time no blog...

2008-07-25T22:59:00.001-05:00

Why you ask?

A newborn in NICU for 18 days, then in the hospital for one day and again for two days.
A 5 and 3 year old.
A workaholic husband.
A newborn who is now 8 weeks old...I think I mentioned the newborn.
Oh, recovered from a c-section.
And crazy me, I think I fell and bumped my head...I am taking one class as I slowly complete my Master's degree. Did I mention it is Critical Thinking in Psychology. I went from pregnant brain to Mommy brain to Critical Thinking...I don't think so :)

The Princess is calling for her evening meal.

Thank you friends

2008-06-13T14:14:00.003-05:00

I love my friends. I think of them as family that God gave me instead of having me be born into the family.

I just want to say THANK YOU to all of you that have been very caring, loving, supportive, praying, encouraging...well should I say acting as Jesus would while helping me through my pregnancy and now praying and being supportive while Princess P is in NICU. I really do not know how I would have made it through without all of you to help me out.

This week it has been nice to have the boldness of one friend who does not take no lightly when she feels that someone needs companionship. I love her for that because I needed the time with a friend and my girls needed time with their friends. She also planned playgroup to be at the park a minute away from my house today so it encouraged me to get out...which we so needed.

I appreciate the dinners so much because it helps with us being able to stay at the hospital a little bit longer because I do not have to rush home to cook or I can spend time with my girls at home and not have to cook before we go to the hospital in the evening when most of my time is spent with Princess P and Lou and Rae have to sit and watch a movie on the laptop when they are done visiting their baby sister.

Thank you just does not seem like enough because my friends have helped so much. My dear friend, Bossy Dossey, youngest's child really does not differentiate between her sister and my girls...she thinks they all are her siblings because my girls have been over to their house so much.

The prayers are incredible and so appreciated.

Well, I need to fish my girls out of their afternoon bubble bath.

Thank you again my dear friends!

hugs and love

Locks of Love

2008-06-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

Those of you that know my husband have seen his long, girlish locks. Of course being guy, he has hair that most woman are jealous of because he can wash it and brush it and it stays in place while staying soft and shiny (without the use of products.) Lately he has not been brushing it as often as he use to so it did not always look so good. I guess staying home has made him a little lazy about his appearance...said with a smile.

He was growing his hair out with a purpose and yesterday I cut off an 11 inch pony tail so he can donate his hair to Locks of Love. I am very impressed with his decision. Sometimes I forget that he cares about helping others too. It seems that women make those choices more frequently just because we are more tender hearted. When he does something to help others out, it makes me love him a little more because it reminds me that he does have a heart for others.

So if you have long hair and are interested in cutting it short, consider donating your hair to Locks of Love or some other organization that makes wigs for those with terminal illnesses.

Oh, we don't do that here...

2008-06-02T06:39:00.002-05:00

On May 29th I had a c-section. During pre-op, my husband and I asked the nurses if I could get my tubes tied after the baby was delivered. The nurse looked at us and with a slight laugh told us "We don't do sterilizations at this hospital because it is a Catholic hospital." What?!?! We were perplexed and had no idea it was not allowed. When my doctor came in and we were discussing it, he confirmed the Catholic ruling and told us a story of how one of the Bishops that presided over the hospital was removed of his position for allowing tubal ligations for women that were considered at risk of complications if subsequent pregnancies should occur.

If we would have discussed getting my tubes tied before I was in pre-op then we would have discussed going to another hospital. I am not sure how comfortable I would have been with that because I am familiar with this hospital and all my records are here etc etc...

Besides it just reaffirms that it is my husband's turn to take one for the team. He was even was even told that a vasectomy is less invasive than me getting my tubes tied....several times. As I sit here with staples in my abdomen, I am reassured that it is way less invasive. He will be able to walk in and walk out of the procedure. HMMMM...I think I just made an executive decision for this family. Now I need to tell him. OH Honey....are you reading my blog??? All said with a wink and smile of course.

As much as I love having babies, it has been medically recommended that I do not get pregnant again. It is sad being told that even though we know our family is complete. We have been very blessed with our lil' darlins'!

Preschool Graduation

2008-05-28T09:20:00.002-05:00

Last night was Lou's preschool graduation. It was more emotionally than I thought. It is just preschool, right? No, it is not. It is new chapter in their young lives? Lou is moving from preschool to elementary school. Wow, what a step. Good thing she is being homeschooled or I may have lost it even more.

All the children were so innocent, unknowing of the world they are about to enter. Right now they are surrounded by Godly people who pray for them daily, who teach them about the Lord, and teach them to sing praises. Most will be moving into a world where bullies dwell, the Lord is not mentioned, and teachers cannot give hugs for the fear of harassment charges being filed. The teachers at HighHopes Preschool prayed for these young children moving into this new world and knowing that Jesus is protecting them as they start this new journey is comforting.

During the graduation ceremony, each child was called up to stage and presented with a framed picture that they drew, a special book, and small gift. The boys were Warriors for Christ and the girls were God's Little Princesses and their gifts fit accordingly. The pictures the children drew were of what they wanted they wanted to be when they grew up. There was a robot, a few princesses, ballerinas, super heroes, policemen, and doctors. Jason and I thought for sure that Lou was going to say she wanted to be a princess when she grew up, but when she got up on stage and was presented with picture she has stated that when she grows up she wants to be a Mommy! The audience Awwwwed and I teared up. She was the only little girl that said she wanted to be a mommy. Now, I am thinking it is because I have such an important influence in her life right now and not that she does not have any more aspirations in life. It warmed my heart because it made me realize that I do make a difference and she sees how important being a Mommy is in the life of a child. Her picture is really cute too. She drew a mommy holding a baby.

Lou was very proud of herself too. I am not sure if she even knows what it means to graduate, but she woke up this morning and stated that she had so much fun at graduation last night. I have a feeling she knows it was an important milestone, but I do not think she realizes that she has just entered a entirely new realm of childhood...Kindergarten.

It feels good when you have one of those unexpected moments of realizing the difference you make in your child's life. It is comforting because there are days I feel all I do is correct, say No, and put them in time out, but it can't all be play...

My dear friend

2008-05-05T21:34:00.003-05:00

I have a very close friend who needs lots of prayers and moral support right now. I have known her for about 10 years now...something like that. She is like a sister to me even though for the past 3 years we have only had a phone relationship. I have not seen her since Rae Rae was a around 7 months old, but we talk on the phone AT LEAST once a week and then there are those random weeks we talk daily even if it is only for a few minutes.

My friend's name is Sherri and she just started blogging to help her keep her sanity while her husband is in Iraq. She is blogging just about life while Todd is overseas. Her blog is http://www.cuppycakemom.blogspot.com/. She would love to have words of encouragement and prayers.

If I were not expecting a baby at anytime, I would be in St. Louis right now just to hug her and let her cry on my shoulder. Of course I would clean, cook, and take care of her girls while she had time to herself. Fortunately she has a supportive family and she will be going to Pennsylvania for almost two months to see her parents, sister and her mother-in-law.

Please pray for the safety of Todd while he is in Iraq. Please pray that the girls will be able to adjust to their Daddy being gone and that they will adjust just as well upon his return in September. Please pray that Sherri will be handle everything while Todd is overseas.

Thank you so much!

P.S. I wrote this a week ago, but I have been so bad about blogging lately. I am tired and cranky and the computer just makes me fall asleep these days...not much longer though.

How did you get to work today?

2008-04-29T21:19:00.003-05:00

My father-in-law was in town for an extended weekend and he has some elderly cousins that live in Austin and he wanted to get together with them. After having dinner Friday evening with two of them, they decided to get together again at a coffee shop on Sunday so the other two could get a chance to visit.

Well why we just didn't go to the most obvious coffee shop around, I am not sure because there is one on every street corner (and I know what I like there). We ended up going to The Coffee Beanery. Never heard of it, never been there so we just took the directions she linked from MapQuest and went. Off we go, and go, and go as we loop all around the mall area and even across 183 just in case it is near the Super Target there. Where in the world is this place? We have the GPS in the car and we look it up on that, but the directions are still vague, but there is a phone number. By this time we are in the Home Depot parking lot. We call and ask for directions. The first person could not tell us where they were located so he passed my FIL off to another person who had a difficult time but finally told us...go back to 620 and make a right, turn right on Pecan Park, and then we are on the left. OK, cool...we just must have past it up as we were all looking the other direction, right?

I just wanted to ask them "HOW DID YOU GET TO WORK TODAY?" Even if you do not know the names of roads, you have to notice points of reference, right? Or is our youth of today that oblivious to their surroundings? I digress. We follow the directions and when we get there, we are in front of the mall. No one ever said anything about being inside the mall. If someone would have just told us that the store was located INSIDE THE MALL we would not have been driving around in the pouring down rain for 30 minutes looking for this place. Like I said, we should have met at the other coffee shop.

When we get there, we are only the second ones to arrive because no one else new the Coffee Beanery was located inside the mall either and when they called to ask for directions, no one ever said "we are located in the mall near Macy's." How hard is that, really? Does it take a genius to figure it out or maybe it takes a genius to look up the right directions? Whatever the case, it astonished me that someone could not give simple directions. My five year old can direct you all over town and that is because she is observant.

And No, I rarely go to the mall so I had no idea that the coffee shop was even there.

Do I WHAT?!?!

2008-04-24T19:48:00.004-05:00

Should I slap your face or laugh at you for trying to talk like some "cool teenager". I mean for real, you are a grown man. What in the world do you mean....Do I grok? "Do I WHAT?!?!" And don't look at me like I am suppose to know the meaning of the word because I can turn into crazy woman and knock you into last week so you can rethink what you are going to say to me. Not really, but of course the thought races through my mind very quickly as I am annoyed by what my husband has said to me just because I do not understand.

So I investigate...
I find that grok is not some new teenage fad word, but it is actually a 1960's word...go figure, eh? The meaning of grok, according to the dictionary, is

–verb (used with object)

1.	to understand thoroughly and intuitively.

–verb (used without object)

2.	to communicate sympathetically.

It is also used in the IT realm. Well since I am not in the IT workforce and in my line of work...child rearing...I usually use words like: "do you understand?"

Since my husband has banished me to the couch, I often hear him on his phone interviews even though I try to tune him out, my ears perk up when I hear him use the word GROK. I often wonder if the person on the other line understands what he is saying, especially if it is an older person.

Did you know that the word Grok orginated in a movie? In Robert Heinlein's science-fiction novel of 1961, Stranger in a Strange Land, the word is Martian and literally means "to drink" but metaphorically means "to take it all in," to understand fully, or to "be at one with." (My reference is Google.)

Have you ever heard anyone use this word? Leave it to my husband to use it....I say with a giggle and smile.

Now I am wondering, Do you Grok it?

No Daddy, that is not it's name

2008-04-18T22:03:00.003-05:00

My girls love horses including My Little Ponies, but within the past couple of months the got Pasture Pals by Melissa and Doug. They are twelve miniature horses and on the back of the case the horses are pictured, named, and described. Within a week of having them the girls could identify all twelve horses. I was impressed. The different horses are Mustang, Hackney Horse, Shire, Clydesdale, Quarter Horse, Lusitano, Appaloosa, Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Saddlebred, Pinto, and Arabian.

I have to admit, I did not know several of the horses...never heard of them...so I had to learn them in order to teach the girls which ones they were. Since Jason has had a little more time to play with the girls lately, he has gotten to experience the horse play and has been reprimanded for not knowing the correct horse. "NO, Daddy, that is not Appaloosa, that is Pinto!" While playing with horse in hand and talking for the horse Lou says "I am not Standardbred! I am Saddlebred!" "Daddy you need to say the right name!" Jason shoots me that look as if to say "How in the world can she tell the difference and how do I learn which is which?"

So he tried to make a game out of learning the names but the girls would not have it...either he knew the names or he just listened and played along. They even began to tell him what to say. "Daddy, say Hi Shire." He tried to get them to teach them all the names, but he is Daddy why wouldn't he know something, right. Lou and Rae got frustrated because they had to keep telling Daddy which horse was which and when he gave up they got even more frustrated. All they wanted to do was play why did it have to be so difficult.

If only they knew that Mommy and Daddy really do not know everything...

I am just waiting for the day they want riding lessons. Have I mentioned horses make me a little nervous...they are such large animals and I have never really been exposed to horses unless you count the Kentucky Derby.

Happy Trails to you....

Accidents Happen!!!

2008-04-12T16:26:00.005-05:00

I really can't say much. There was playing and laughter then screaming and crying. Then a frantic Mommy and a calm Daddy, who between them both in a split second decided the best thing was to rush Rae Rae to the dentist.

Now she is missing her first tooth at 3 years old...very sad. But the Tooth Fairy was very generous because it was her first tooth and it was lost by an bloody accident...there is still a blood stain on the carpet.

Oh and the picture does not do it justice because you cannot see the grossness under her lip.

Ring Toes! Ring Toes!

2008-04-10T21:38:00.002-05:00

"Ring Toes! Ring Toes!" Is what the girls excitedly exclaimed as they eagerly piled out of the vehicle and ran up the wooden ramp to the quintessential beach style shop. During our spontaneous vacation to Port Aransas, we just had to stop at this toe ring shop. It is called Popsicle Toes and the owner was very friendly and fun. She was very patient with the all four of the girls being in the shop and she actually thought it was awesome that we got "ring toes" for our little ones. Nicole and I had to get toes rings too...I kept it simple, but Nicole got an awesome three ring toe ring...very sexy and hip. She is one cool momma.

Rae loves her "ring toe", but Lou is very particular about her feet and does not wear hers all the time. I find myself looking at my toe ring on my nicely tan foot and thinking that it looks pretty good...for a foot of course. Feet are not the most attractive part of the body unless you are a baby or a child with cute feet. Lou and Rae asked if Daddy was going to get a "Ring Toe" too. I laughed and said they don't make toe rings that big...besides Daddy is a boy. They gave me a look of confusion as if to say why does it matter. And it just dawned on me...Jason has both his ears pierced so to them jewelry is not just for girls.

Even though I love my crocs, I have now started wearing my flip flops more often so I can sport my toe ring. I guess when you get older simple things like toe rings can make you feel good...especially since I can still see my feet...I think? Maybe I am just thinking I can see my feet beyond my growing belly, lol.

Anybody interested in a toe ring party???

Spontaneous Vacation

2008-04-03T21:53:00.002-05:00

On Monday night my husband decided that it was time to take a spontaneous vacation. He has been working long hours, 12 to 18 hours per day, and at least 6 days a week. So Monday he finds out the only other tester there put in his two week notice. With that looming, he decided that taking a spontaneous vacation would be great since he would be the only one doing the testing for some unknown length of time.

At midnight we made reservations to go to Colorado. Called a friend that lives there and made plans...it was all set. Until we came to our senses in the morning realizing that I am high risk pregnant woman who should not be flying...which was confirmed by a phone call to the maternal and fetal specialist I see. So we asked if we could go to the beach and I got the doctor's approval.

So here I sit in this cute little cottage at A Laughing Horse Lodge on Mustang Island. We take our time getting ready in the morning, I sit on the beach for a few hours while my husband plays with the kids and dogs, and we come back get cleaned up and take a nap. So I am still not doing much, but I am having a relaxing time and laughing with my husband. The girls are very happy to have this quality time with Daddy and for those that know Jason, understand that he is all about having fun with his children. It has really been a nice time, except for the fact that Jason got laid off while we were here. Yes, his CEO called the cell phone and told him because he had told the rest of the team face to face already that day.

Initially we were freaked out since we are expecting a baby, but we gave our burden to the Lord and we are enjoying our vacation. We will be provided for and we Jason will get another job....the right job, in the right timing. Contacts have been made, feelers have been put out and prayers are being said.

I ended up having so much fun at the beach I did not finish blogging. The Dossey's came down to join us for a mini vacation and we had a great time. The girls enjoyed playing together so much. Lindsey and Autumn were fearless of the water and wanted to be in it every minute and Olivia and Amber enjoyed building sand castles away from the water. They all enjoyed looking for seashells, which unfortunately ended up getting lost in our rush to get back to the cottage to get ready to head back home.

This blog will have to be in two parts or it will end up being a novel not a blog post.

I recommend being spontaneous every once in a while...you'll be amazed at the fun you can have.

Me and My Shadow

2008-03-27T15:37:00.004-05:00

We all have shadows, but I have a special shadow. Really, I do!!! I have this shadow only at home and I am always amazed how quickly this shadow can follow me and turn on a dime and suddenly appear when I move the slightest bit. And get this, my "home" shadow has four legs and a name, beat that will, ya!

My shadow's name is Fred and is my one and half year old Yellow Lab, who is part cute and part dumb. With his undesirable looks of having a yellow eyes and a liver colored nose, he would have never made it in the Show Dog World, oh and did I mention he was part dumb. So he has a loving home here with us and he has so lovingly attached himself to me because I am Mommy. I feed him, play with him, and hold him...in a round about way since he is a 95 pound puppy. He is all love though and in his love he follows me EVERYWHERE!!! He sits on the floor next to my spot on the couch, he sleeps on the floor on my side of the bed, he lays on the kitchen floor while I cook, and he follows me to the bathroom and lays outside the bathroom door and waits for me.

He also seems to check on me many times a day. I keep telling him I am ok, but he insist on giving me a good poke with his nose. When I give myself my shots (twice a day) he does not miss every move I make and he wants to investigate the medicine...hey, maybe he knew the Heparin was contaminated??? Fred has a love/hate relationship with the alcohol wipes....he wants to smell it, but only from afar and if I put it up to his nose he sneezes, but he won't run away, he just politely turns his head as his eyes bulge out. One time I wiped the alcohol on his nose and he started foaming at the mouth...it was mean and I won't do that again. But he still watches as I do my shots. The day after I had my cerclage done, I slept as the girls were in preschool and Jason worked, but Fred stayed next to my side the whole time. He even woke me up to see if I was okay because I had been sleeping for several hours straight and did not move. I cracked my eye open to see the big liver colored nose in my face. I smiled at him and told him I was okay and went back to sleep and he was there when I woke up.

Fred may be part dumb, but he is all love and protective of his family. He is not a barking dog so when he does bark he is sending a warning. One of his favorite activities is to sit on patrol in the front yard and when he sees someone or something that may not belong, he lets deep warning bark and then looks at us wagging his tail as if he is asking if he has done well.

I love my dog especially when I can entertain him by running up and down the hallway and he can keep up with me as I stop and turn and go the other direction as fast as I can, just because...well...he is my shadow.

Look into my eyes.....

What's that smell?

2008-03-25T11:47:00.002-05:00

So yesterday my husband asked me to bake cookies for our friends. With the dough ready, I turned on the oven so it could preheat and went on to put the kids in the tub. I got preoccupied playing with bathtub toys with them until I smelled something...odd. So I told the girls to play nicely and I would be right back.

I walked out into the hall and saw my living room was filled with smoke. Then I dashed to the kitchen (and my house is not big) and saw black smoke pouring from the oven. ACK! I put my hands on the handle and talked myself into opening the over door. OK, 1, 2, 3...open! OH MY! There are FLAMES five inches tall in my oven. SLAM! "Oxygen feeds a fire...keep the oven door closed!" "Don't throw water in there...not sure what is on fire" I am staring, pacing, and trying not to panic while looking for the fire extinguisher...which I could not find!!!

I instant messaged my husband whose status said he was "Away", but I was asking where the fire extinguisher was anyway. I did not want to freak out. As I am trying to remain calm, I check the oven again and their were still FLAMES!!! So I start thinking I may start to panic. Do I call 911? No, I could not because my house was a mess and the flames were contained in the oven. I opened the garage door and the front door and my dogs ran out and down the street. I stood their thinking, very briefly of course, do I call my dogs back in, check on my girls, or figure out what to do about the fire. "Call someone, my confused brain told me, but stay calm." So I called my friend Nicole and told her that I was sorry that I could talk photography because my oven was on fire. She did not believe that my oven was on fire because I was so calm, but did offer that I should throw some baking soda on the flames. "Oh, that is right baking soda!" So I grabbed my large bag of baking soda and threw hand fulls of baking soda on the flames and slammed the door again. I then checked on the girls, who were still in the tub, and then went outside to coax my dogs home with dog biscuits.

My girls were starting to yell to get out of the tub, my dogs wanted to run back outside, but the flames were out! But baking soda was everywhere and my oven door was black, but the fire was out! Did I say that already?

At the end of it all, I realized that butter from the ooey gooey bread pudding, that I made the day before, had spilled out of the pan. When the oven was preheating the butter caught on fire...it was a lot of butter.

After I got the girls out of the tub, we had a little talk about what to do when something is on fire. Choosing not to call 911 because you think your house is too messy is not an option.

So I am cleaning my oven today and then I will bake the cookies for my friends later.

I guess I need to clean my oven more often...

Sacrifice

2008-03-18T20:25:00.002-05:00

So there comes a point in life when stuff just does not matter...it is just stuff right?

We are family that makes a point to live below our means. We want to be debt free. We want to have money for our future and to have fun in the present. We want to live life and not be so consumed with material stuff. Hey! lets go on a trip or we can buy a new TV and watch the Discovery Channel and just watch someone else live life...we do not even have cable. We want to be able to help others and give without feeling like we can't afford too...even though we have the faith to know we will be provided for (bad sentence structure, I know). With that being said, I have to praise my husband.

He sold his beloved Landcruiser, The Whale or La Ballena. Yes, a vehicle is needed for a family in this society and he will get a different one. But it is worth being in debt for a vehicle, even if it is a "dream car"? My husband decided, No, it is not. I am very proud of his sacrifice for our family. One day he will get another one, but it will be bought with cash not credit, which will keep us within our budget. I could go on about budget, but that would be a different post. If you are someone that knows my husband then you know that having a Landcruiser is just part of who he is. He is even the Treasurer for the local Landcruiser Club. He sacrificed something that is a part of him for his family...to get us out of debt so that we can have a better future.

Have I mentioned how much I love my husband?

Bookcrossing

2008-03-12T13:27:00.002-05:00

I think I am going to try this bookcrossing. Anyone want to join me? After I set my book free I will keep track of where it is and post it on my blog. Sounds like a fun and effortless thing to do. Either that or I need more excitement in my life, oh that reminds me I am having a baby soon...like I am going to have time to keep track of a book. But it still sounds interesting. IF I do not do this someone else needs to and keep me up to date on your book's travels.

Now go out and set those unused books free or you can take them to Half Price Books and earn a couple of bucks...

Creative Play or too many Disney movies

2008-03-11T14:36:00.002-05:00

My girls have these Disney figures from the movie Sleeping Beauty. Today they were acting out the movie with the figures...they knew some of the words verbatim. Is that a bad thing? So then they asked to watch the movie, but it wasn't exactly just watching in a silent stare. They had their characters in front of them making them act out the scenes as they "watched" the movie. It was more interactive watching. I was impressed with their creativity...thinking that they could become playwrites, directors, or producers...as they choreographed their play.

They also have a lot of dress of up clothes which enables them to be even more creative, but they love to act out movies. Disney, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake...whatever the movie may be. It is not like they sit around and watch TV or movies all the time. We don't even have cable so the only shows they see are on PBS Kids and then they only watch those once or twice a week. They usually watch a movie three times a week. There favorite character to be right now is a ballerina. They have a lot of creative movements and expressive dance. I let the creativity flow as much as I can...or as much as I can tolerate depending on the day.

I look forward to the day that they create their own little play or puppet show to put on. I remember my sister and I making up dance routines and putting shows on the front porch of my Mema's house.

Speaking of creative play, my five year old just came barreling down the hall in a pair of roller skates...oops crash...

Pantry Moths

2008-02-28T20:55:00.004-06:00

Back in November we had an infestation of pantry moths. At first we had no idea where these little moths, that turned to dust when you mashed them, came from. But they were always in our house and it became a game to my girls..."look there is a bug...I want to swatter it!" Yes, my children made a game out of hunting the moths and they each took ownership of a a particular fly swatter, one had the blue one and the other had the yellow one. Every evening my husband looked like some wild man hunting these tiny annoyances, especially when he decided to chase one around because it kept landing on his computer screen. It was common to hear "LOOK A BUG!" from the mouths of our babes. Our dogs even got in on the moth killing by snapping at the ones that would fly too close to them. You would think we could have figured out where the moths were coming from, but it took us about a month. I guess we just thought they swarmed in from the outside every time we opened and closed the door. We had no idea we were bringing them in with the groceries.

After we got back from vacation, we realized that these moths were everywhere in the kitchen. Then I noticed these disgusting larva in the pasta and cream of wheat (after I poured them into pots of boiling water). Mind you, I was about 10 weeks pregnant at the time and my stomach did not take too well to seeing larva pop to the top of the pots. I feel sick reflecting upon it.

My husband and I were so relieved to hear that several people that we know had experienced pantry moths and the moths are in fact very common in Texas. Whew! We thought that we had some exotic bug problem. OK, they are common but how do we get rid of them. Well, we started by throwing everything out of our pantry including olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and peanut butter. We did not want to take any chances of the pantry moth larva being in anything. We even threw away the girls' Easy Bake Oven. Old Mother Hubbard's cubbards could not have been barer.

How did we get rid of them, you ask? After we threw ever item in our pantry away (literally), we vacuumed the pantry from top to bottom and corner to corner, then scrubbed with a mild detergent, and then wiped down all the surfaces with white vinegar. We then closed the door and did not open it for three days. At that time we looked for larva and moths...we found a few so we closed the pantry back up and waited a few more days....there were a few more moths. Finally, about 3 weeks later we had no more moths at all...we were not taking any chances but they were probably gone in 2 weeks.

Now we do not store our dry goods in the original containers. We bought a variety of canning jars that we store our pasta, flour, sugar, and cereal in and they look really cool. We got them a The Container Store:
Hermetic Storage Jars
French Hermetic Storage Jars

The varying sizes are great and they have a good look to them. Of course the are glass, because we could not find a "good" plastic container that we liked.

So far no more moths. I have also been told, by an experienced pantry moth investee, that you should store you dry goods in the freezer for a few days before putting them in our pantry in order to kill any larva that may be in there. UGH! Can you even imagine the amount of bug larva we have eaten in our lives...I do not even want to think about it.

Now don't every one go clean out your pantries at once...

Words that hurt

2008-02-25T11:28:00.002-06:00

We all use them one time or another. Usually after we use them we feel this terrible ache in the pits of our stomachs...or at least those of us that care do. I have a hard time apologizing after using mean words even though I know my mean words could have pierced the heart of the person I directed them too...usually my husband. I have gotten better as I have matured and realized that words that hurt do nothing, well but hurt...they solve nothing.

When someone uses words that hurt towards me, I stew in those words and that is where I have been lately. I am a SAHM and very proud of it. I LOVE my job and I take pride in rearing my children. So when someone tells me I am "Just a Stay at Home Mom", I get angry. I applaud the working mother because her life is busy, but she also does not rear her children all on her own...the other caregivers help. My sister often tells me that she can't offer any potty training tips because she did not potty train her son, daycare did. I am headed on a tangent so I need to get back to my point...typical me :)

I work hard every day and I where many hats. I am a maid, chauffeur, chef, entertainer, personal assistant, educator, a kisser of boo-boos, and getter of juice...about 20 times per day, a wiper of butts, the toilet cleaner, the floor mopper, the settler of arguments, the doer of dishes and laundry...the never ending chores that multiply all on their own, and the disciplinarian that does not get heard until the mean mommy voice comes out and then about that time someone else is around to witness the inevitable meltdown of one's mental state because of these adorable little people that do not understand the meaning of the words "No" and "Stop".

Of course there are times I am the holder...the holder of that little person that asks for love by curling up in my lap. How can I say no to that?!?! That is not a waste of my time. Those are moments to be cherished, moments of security, moments of relationship building, and moments of peace. I am the giver of confidence and the one who explains why you cannot always win or get your way. I nurture, love, and teach life skills to prepare them to be functioning members of society. Ha, just a stay at home mom...I laugh in the face of any adversary that says that I "do nothing all day"...

I guess my point is that it hurts to think that people out there think that stay at home moms sit around all day eating bon bons and watching television. If "eating" playdough food while watching PBS Kids counts, then that is fraction of my day.

Actually, as I type my girls are fighting over where my glasses should go because I do not need them right now. I am also holding juice in my lap which my youngest brought to me while crying for some. I guess it is time for me to close before I get to a point I use my mean mommy words when I do not really need to. I just need to think about what I say before I say it and realize I can take control of situations before I need to use my mean mommy words with my girls.

Now I need to figure out a way to not let other people's mean words hurt me...

BTW, I love being a stay at home mom! I can write about that another time...

deleted post

2008-02-19T22:44:00.004-06:00

I deleted some of my postings because my husband pointed out that I was giving to much information. For those that now me know that I talk too much and I tend to say whatever comes to mind...not always a good thing.

Commercial Audition

2008-02-15T16:56:00.004-06:00

I have a friend whose children are extras in television productions and commercials and she sent out this email for a casting call for suburban mother and her toddler. The caveat for the mother was that she needed to be fit, aka, skinny, and since I am pregnant I do not fit the part. But I thought that Rae could possible fit the part. She is cute, if I may say so myself :) Well when we walked in the six people working on the casting call, smiled and awwwed at her and then they laughed....she turned into goofball kid. I guess that is better than screaming and crying. She jumped up and down, fell to the floor, stuck her tongue at them but in a playful way, and then started at them with a mean scowl, devoured her cracker and then asked for more. Then she said quietly in the stroller as the lady trying out for the roll of the mother did an outstanding job at her audition. We got, a thank you and a boot out the door...or at least that is how I felt. They were basically crawling all over themselves to get the name and number of this other little girl....she went in right before Rae did.

I did not have high expectations. It was an experience. If the opportunity arises to audition for something else, we may try again. I need to find out more about this world of child acting. It seems scary, but intriguing...

Several other people I know also auditioned so I am eager to hear of their experiences.

Komfort Keepers

2008-02-13T21:48:00.000-06:00

There is a wonderful Christian Ministry in Austin that was started by a woman that turned her loss into a gift for others. Johnese Evans started Komfort Keepers 5 years ago and with a grant from March of Dimes she is able to provide cleaning services, childcare services, and meals for women experiencing high risk pregnancies. What a Blessing! Please pray that Komfort Keepers will continue to grow and have funding. If you are interested in volunteering, give her a call. If you have experienced a loss or high risk pregnancy see if you can be added to the support group to call other mothers that may be on bed rest. Or you can just offer your prayers in anyway you want.

Since I am not on bed rest right now, Praise the Lord, and just limited in my activity, I am receiving meals every two weeks and house cleaning, by Molly Maids, every three weeks....for free! Today meals were delivered and we got five large meals including: spaghetti bake, chicken pot pie, green chili enchiladas, chicken tetrazenni, and one other just can't remember what it is right now and bags of frozen vegetables. I was amazed! I am only on limited activity! I cannot imagine what they would be doing if I were on full bed rest again. This service is such a blessing that I want to give back already and I am receiving right now. Oh, and did I mention that the dishes are homemade. We had the pot pie tonight and it was yummy! Jason and I both had seconds and he is taking the rest for lunch tomorrow so it was a large family serving.

If you know of anyone that can use this service please look up www.komfortkeepers.com. I know the church I attend is awesome about serving people and I have been blessed by the wonderful people at HighPoint Fellowship www.hpf.org too. I just need a little extra long term help right now and that is why Johnese started Komfort Keepers. My husband was very happy that we are receiving services because he thinks I do too much as it is and I really try to take it easy, trust me I want a healthy screaming baby this time.

If you know of anyone in the Austin metro area that can use this service, please pass on this information. I have been very blessed to have received their services.

Many Blessings to all.

Cheers,
Chinell

Favorite Comic Strips

2008-02-05T23:11:00.000-06:00

I have two favorite comic strips. I read them daily. The first one is For Better or For Worse http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/ I like this because it is about family and not just the happy stuff either. I have sucked into their lives and I want to know what is going on. I often look forward to the next days events. Did Anthony ask Elizabeth to marry him? Has grandpa lived another day after having two strokes? What did the dog do today? It seems harmless, but once you start reading, you just get hooked.

The second one is Baby Blues http://www.babyblues.com/index.php. I always get a good laugh from this comic strip. As a parent I can totally relate. I love it that the writers are men, yet the mother has nursed her children over a year (each of her three children) and yet she can turn around and laugh when her daughter...about five years old or so gets a Victoria's Secret coupon in the mail. Her two oldest do not always listen and their fighting tactics are hilarious.

I have been reading these comics for years. I can tell you all the names of the characters and go into some family history. Yes this is a guilty pleasure, but I do not watch much television so this is about the closest thing I get to a comedy, drama, soap opera....

I hope you enjoy!

Cheers,
Chinell

Random Shoes

2008-02-04T17:11:00.000-06:00

So last night we were driving home from a friends house and I saw a pair of random shoes in the street. It baffles me how someone can loose their shoes in the middle of the street. It amazes me how those random shoes end up on highways and country roads. How do people loose their shoes...do they just fall out the window. Is mom yelling at her kids telling them that she will throw their shoes out the window if they don't stop fighting? Do kids get mad at their parents and throw their shoes out the window to be spiteful? Is it some kind of gang initiation? I just find it odd. How in the world do your shoes fall out the window? Is is a habit to hang your feet out the wind just blows your shoes off? Has anyone lost a pair of shoes out of the car to end up the one of those random pair of shoes on the side of the road.

So this is not very thought provoking but I just can't help to ask people if they know how these random shoes get there. I have seen pairs of tennis shoes, random flip flops, and the ever so popular combat boots. So the combat boots may be some kind of ritual of getting out of the military, but the other shoes I just do not understand. This is random topic, but I just do not get it. Where do those shoes come from?

Cheers,
Chinell

Plastic concerns

2008-01-25T10:17:00.000-06:00

I would not call myself a tree hugger, but I am environmentally aware. I try to make safe, environmentally conscious, economical choices for my family. I do have to admit when the emails about chemicals in plastics started going around, I ignored them thinking that it was just another thing to make people freak out...and it did. It took me some time and research to really learn about plastics and the potential hazards. So I stopped putting plastic in the microwave, I threw out all the "bad" plastic in my home, I replaced sippy cups, and I am thinking of what toys are not safe. Maybe I should consider what my shower curtain is made out of too. Now I have to the attitude that I cannot undo anything so I will just move forward and make some lifestyle changes.

I learned that the bottles I really liked were one of the worst. I mostly breastfed my girls, so we mainly used them as sippy cups instead of bottles. So those went in the trash. Avent was the brand if you are wondering. I am also very sad that our Nalgene bottles are plastic #7...the worst one. So we got rid of those and we also carried those around. Our daughters even had their our pink Nalgenes and they are sad they are gone. I never took into consideration that the plastic was unsafe.

I have learned to stay away from plastics #'s 3, 6, & 7. Anything polycarbonate is not safe. Polycarbonate plastics items are usually the hard clear plastics.

Plastics #'s 1, 2, & 5 are safer to use. I am not sure about #4 but I think it is on the safer side, but do not quote me on that.

I have found a study that I found very interesting. At the bottom of this page is a link to a .pdf http://www.nurturepure.com/?gclid=CNSK8cPpkZECFRE_OAodiyeCQQ (since I am new at blogging I am not sure how to insert .pdf's yet). I think it would be better if you read this for yourself and made your own choices. I made changes in our home because I believe it can make a difference in my children's lives.

Don't worry, I will never come up to you and check what number plastic your child's bottle or sippy cup is because I do not live a perfect life. I am just trying to share information. To some it will not matter and to some it will make a difference. Happy Reading.

Cheers,
Chinell

Playing Super Mario Galaxy on Wii

2008-01-24T20:36:00.001-06:00

So Santa brought the family a Wii for Christmas and it has been a lot of family fun. I never knew how well a 5 and 3 year old could play a video game. I was surprised at how well they liked to box considering they are girls, but they get a laugh and a workout at boxing. Bowling is another fun one, but it takes some more button controls and my 3 year old ends up bowling the ball backwards. But it is still a lot of fun.

Right now my husband and 5 year old are playing Super Mario Galaxy and they are at a place I have been before and I was dropping hints to my 5 year old about what to do because my husband was getting a little frustrated and he threw one of the couch pillows at me...all in frustrated fun of course. When he first started playing, I was 15 stars ahead of him and it pained me to watch him try to figure out what to do. It seemed a little more intuitive to me...so I would drop hints. This frustrated him unless he asked for it of course. He does not mind my input if we are both new at a level because we are both figuring it out. I just need to learn to watch without telling. I guess that is part of my personality....bossy, controlling, know it all...only with my husband of course. We have fun when we play and I would recommend it to those that may wondering if their little ones can play. It is fun to watch a 3 year old play tennis or try to golf.

Well I need to take care of my little one, she just woke up from a late late nap since she is sick. I hope she is not up all night again, coughing.

Cheers,
Chinell

First time blogger

2008-01-20T14:15:00.000-06:00

So for some crazy reason I am inspired to blog. I have no specific focus but intend to talk about whatever I feel like. I have been told very endearingly by my husband that I have The Gift to Gab. What good is a gift if I don't use it, right?

Right now I am more focused on the football game. I like the Priceless peptalks by Manning. They are funny. I am rooting for the Chargers, sorry to my Patriot fan friends. It was heartbreaking to see the Colts out, but they are still a great team and we will remain fans. When I first turned on the game, my 5 and 3 year daughters sat on the floor in their princess dressed, eating lollipops, and exclaimed "woohoo football" who is playing? After I told them my 5 year old, decided that she wanted the Chargers to win. Well back to the game. I hope to be more creative in the future.

Cheers,
Chinell