Land of Bears

Starving Artist

2011-07-14T09:23:00.001-04:00

The girls and I watched America's Got Talent last night. I've explained the concept to them but all that seems to stick is they get to go to Vegas. Not sure what "Vegas" means in their head but it's rather magical from what I gather.

Kaitlyn was sitting next to me and she leans over and says:

"I want to go there."

Where Vegas?

"Yes."

What will you do?

"I'll sing. But I'll need an instrument."

What instrument will you need?

"A guitar."

Well maybe we will get you one for your birthday.

"Not a toy. A REAL guitar."

And so it begins.

Halloween by Jib Jab

2010-10-25T21:30:00.001-04:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

I don't have five family members so I threw in the cat. Happy Halloween everyone. I promise to write a new post soon.

Lice Happens

2010-09-08T00:02:00.000-04:00

I’ve debated with myself whether I should write this particular post or not. I decided to post because when I was going through it I wanted advice, support, humor and it came in various forms to help me through the process. So I hope maybe my post will help someone else or at least let them know that it happens to the best of us and all you can do is buckle down and drive through it.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed Teagan was scratching her head a little more than normal. She unfortunately has her Daddy’s dry scalp but this scratching caught me as odd. I sat her down in my lap and found lice. Several lice and TONS of nits. It literally took my breath away. How could my three year old who does not go to daycare have lice? I keep a clean home. I bathe my kids. WE ARE NEAT PEOPLE! Where did this come from? Those questions could wait to plaque me as I tried to sleep at night for now the task at hand was to get rid of them.

I went to the drugstore and purchased two boxes of treatment assuming if one had it then the other had it as well. They share every sickness so this wouldn’t be any different. Go ahead and jump my butt about using chemicals on my two and three year old. I already knew the horror stories on getting rid of lice so I bought the best I could buy and also purchased an organic “keep lice away” shampoo for the after effects.

Before treating the girls I stripped their beds. Took every stuffed animal or toy with too much fabric and tied them up in plastic bags and threw them in the garage. I washed all the sheets, their bibis and one each of their favorite stuffed animals. Then I vacuumed everything else.

I took the two girls in tandem. First I shampooed Teagan and let it sit while I shampooed Kaitlyn. When I was done with Kaitlyn I rinsed Teagan then rinsed Kaitlyn. Next was the gel and combing to get each and every last nit out. I started with Teagan. It took me five hours to comb and search and comb her hair. We watched two movies and ate lots of snacks to get through. That old stash of lollipops was God sent. Teagan was, as always, a trouper. She had her moments but sat there and let me comb the night away.

At this point it is almost 2 am and I start going through Kaitlyn’s hair. It was even easier than Teagan’s for two reasons. First, she was passed out in the chair. Second, she didn’t have any lice or nits. Not a one.

Teagan was so geeked to not be sitting still with her hair being picked through that she demanded to watch another movie. I was not going to argue. I put her in our bed and within ten minutes she was out cold.

The next day I surveyed Kaitlyn’s hair first to make sure I was not hallucinating and happily she was still lice and nit free. I looked at Teagan only to find more nits. This time I simply went through her conditioner damp hair with the metal nit comb while feeding her dum-dum lollipops. Three hours later I let her be.

I did not look the following day. I needed a break and my poor baby needed one too. At this point if her head itched she would look over at me terrified as her little hands would scratch her scalp.

After a day recess I looked again. @#$%&*! There were nits and newly hatched lice. What was I going to do? I didn’t want to use more chemicals so I started looking at every home remedy in the book. My Dad called and told me that smearing Vaseline on her hair for eight hours would essentially smother the lice. I figured a little hair cut would help so I cut both the girls hair into a bob with thankfully rave reviews by my little beauties. I then bought Vaseline and a shower cap and greased Teagan up. Little did I know how cool a shower cap was until I had to tie a plastic bag around Kaitlyn’s head because she wanted a plastic hat too.

If you have lice and try Vaseline I warn you now, it does not come out the first time you wash it. Or the second, or fourth or even seventh. We washed her hair the next morning six times before I had to leave for work and felt the slick look was eye-catching on her. A little internet searching said cornstarch helped to get Vaseline out of the hair. Sadly it did not do enough for me to notice. The only thing that got it out was multiple washings. But wet hair with Vaseline is really easy to comb through to look for nits. With every wash I looked for lice or nits. Nothing. It has been five days and I look every day and she is still lice free. All be it a little wary of my attempts to snuggle in fear I’m setting her up for another hair combing marathon.

I plan on doing preventative treatment on them. I never want to have to go through this again. I’m sure Teagan is with me on that one. So many times over I am thankful it wasn’t my hard headed strong willed daughter Kaitlyn. If she ever gets lice I’ll just have to shave her head. I am so not kidding.

The best advice I got and I can offer back is do not panic. It is not your child’s or your fault and with perseverance you will both get through it.

Storytime Live!

2010-08-17T00:03:00.005-04:00

I want to send out a special thank you to Jen over at TheSuburbanMom. She always has great deals, coupons, reviews, in-sights on being a Mom and giveaways. She recently hosted a giveaway for tickets to go see Storytime Live! The show has different Nickelodeon characters from Ni Hao, Kai-lan, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets, and of course Dora the Explorer. All hosted by Moose and Zee.

Well, I WON!!!Daddy and I decided to take the biggest fans, Teagan and Kaitlyn. I was leery to tell the girls too many days in advance that we were going. They do not do well with time management. I was also a tad worried about making it through the entire show. We have taken the girls to two movies so far; the first one they didn't last twenty minutes and they only lasted through the second because of carefully timed popcorn and candy.

Two days before the show I told the girls they were going. They got excited for about five minutes and then went about their day. They didn't regain their excitement, even though I kept reminding them, until we got to the theater. I think all the kids around was what got them.

I am happy to report we made it through the entire show. And they LOVED IT!! They clapped and laughed and yelled "no swiping!" to Swiper.

First was Kai-lan. The Monkey King wanted Kai-lan and friends to invite the Giant Pandas to his party. Cute. The girls liked it. Kaitlyn still talks about the pandas.

Next was The Backyardigans. The crowd went nuts when the music started for them. I was even happy because they are my favorite out of all the shows. Austin was Mayor Stinkypants of Filthingham and wouldn't let anyone bathe. So Pablo, Robin Hood the Clean had to save the day.

Following The Backyardigans was an intermission. We could have done without the intermission. Potty breaks and all is understood but in general it caused fidgeting and rumbling of children; one of whom took their parents phone holster and through it over the balcony and hit Daddy on his head. No worries, he was fine. As the show was just about to resume Teagan decided she needed to go potty. So we missed the first few minutes of the next act.

The Wonder Pets were on hand to help Ollie the Bunny with his tea party in Wonderland. That story was not a typical Wonder Pet adventure and I think because it had so many characters made the girls lose interest.

The final act was the most anticipated. The children in the audience went wild for the super star Dora the Explorer. I thought Kaitlyn was going to lose it when she saw Boots the Monkey. She grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me saying "It's Boots! Mommy, it's BOOTS!!" Poor Boots was put under a spell and Dora had to go through three steps to become a "true" princess to set him free.

I'm sure you are not surprised to find out that she "did it."

The finale was a dance number with several main characters. All the children sang and clapped. It was a wonderful show which even Daddy and I enjoyed.

Kaitlyn and Teagan talked about the show and characters for over a week. This is huge since things wane with them rather quickly.

Thank you again TheSuburbanMom. Without the giveaway we wouldn't have been able to go and although my girls loved it and had such a wonderful time you gave me a beautiful memory that I will have forever.

Around the House

2010-08-16T00:03:00.001-04:00

Things heard around the house this weekend.

Teagan ~ Kaitlyn and I are Super Hero's.
Me~ Really?
Kaitlyn ~ Yeah, I'm Yucky Kaitlyn and she's Stinkin' Teagan.
Me~ Uh, okay.

Kaitlyn ~ Damn it!
Me~ WHAT did you just say?
Kaitlyn ~ D-a-m-n it.
(I blame her Daddy.)

Daddy jumps from around the corner in front of the girls and roars.
Teagan ~ You just scared the crap out of me.
(Again, I blame her Daddy.)

Teagan ~ Bring the peanut butter over here.
Daddy is walking by ~ Peanut butter?! You don't have peanut butter in your bedroom, do you?
Teagan ~ Laughs ~ No Daddy. We are using our imagination.
(I blame Mommy.)

Kitty Ophthalmologist

2010-08-10T00:03:00.000-04:00

Well if I thought Floyd couldn't get worse I was wrong.

In the evening two days after my last post Floyd's eye started to look worse. I work a full time job and simply cannot monitor him with the bears, they kept taking off his cone, and I was afraid that because of this eyes were getting more damaged. The next morning I dropped him off at the regular vet for hospitalization. This way I knew he would get his medication on time and the cone would stay on. Mid-morning the vet called and told me that Floyd needed to see the ophthalmologist as his eye was melting. Melting! So I made an emergency appointment and took him that afternoon.

The ophthalmologist was just like one you would visit for humans. They dyed his eye, used a scope to zoom in and out on both eyes. Turns out that Floyd has ulcers in both eyes and has lost vision in the left eye but the kicker is that this is all being caused by the herpes he has in both eyes. No the herpes is not inter-species so we do not have anything to worry about. Trust me. I asked the Doctor, the Nurse and then called back after I left and asked the Nurse again.

So poor Floyd has herpes in his eyes causing them to melt and he had lost vision in his left eye. The ophthalmologist told me that we were going to try a very intense treatment and if it didn't work Floyd would need surgery. $1,300 for one eye, $1,700 for two. Uh.

I immediately told her that surgery was not an option. If I had the money I would have no hesitation but living on one income has it's limitations. The appointment and medications alone were unspeakably vulgar. They gave us three different medications to be dropping into his eyes every hour and a different antibiotic once a day. He needed to be seen again on Monday to check and see if it was working.

I basically threatened the girls with beatings if they even touched Floyd's collar much less took it off. They are beating free.

We did the intense treatment over the weekend and on Monday Hubby took Floyd back to the ophthalmologist. Same practice different doctor, asked Hubby how he thought Floyd was doing. I so would have went off on him. I'M PAYING YOU $125 AN HOUR FOR YOUR OPINION NOT MINE! Nonetheless.

Apparently Floyd, being an awesome kitten that he is, is fairing well. Even better than well. He went back to the ophthalmologist again for a week check up and the first thing out of the ophthalmologist's mouth was "Wow." They backed his medication down. The ophthalmologist thinks that a month from now he will have full vision with only slight scaring.

And the best part...the "cone of shame" has been removed. Hubby said he groomed himself for a half hour when they got home.

He seems to be doing very well. In fact he's been getting naughtier so I think he is feeling good.

Floyd Isn't Well

2010-07-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

Floyd came home with a cold. I gave him his antibiotics morning and night. I’ve never been sneezed on by a cat and it was rather gross as a booger flew out his nose and on to my hand. But he seemed to get better as the week went on. I had a follow-up veterinarian appointment with the SPCA in two weeks to get his last shot and general check up.

I noticed the day before his check up his left eye looked watery and droopy. When I took him in I mentioned it and the veterinarian did a dye check in his eye and said that he had a scratch on his eye and gave me an ointment to apply to his eye twice a day.

After two days of the ointment Floyd’s eye looked worse so I decided to take him to a local veterinarian. They luckily squeezed his in that day. Turns out that Floyd had a scratch but more importantly had conjunctivitis in both his eyes. The new veterinarian said that the ointment only twice a day was useless. He gave me a different antibiotic and different ointment and said if it didn’t look better in three days to come back.

Friday night Floyd’s eye didn’t look improved enough so I called the veterinarian and got an appointment for the next day.

Floyd has three ulcers on his eye. There are three things we could have done. One – Put a cone on his head and see if he is the one causing the damage while continuing treatment. Two – Sew his eye shut and let it constantly be moisturized and out of harm’s way, also with the cone and continued treatment. Three – Take him to an ophthalmologist and see what they would like to do.

I chose option one. So far his eye seems to be improving. We have two more days of intense treatment to see if this is going to work before we have to take more extreme measures. All prayers are welcome.

The really sad part is he hates the cone. He sleeps most of the day and at other times looks sadly at you saying with his eyes “please take this off me.” I’ve tried to take it off and let him relax a bit. But as soon as I do he wants to lick and rub his eye. The last time I tried to allow him some freedom he went for his eye and when I pushed his paw back he took both paws and rubbed as hard as he could trying to get in any rubbing before I pulled both his paws back and returned the cone. It was such a toddler kind of move I laughed even though it was pitiful at the same time.

Every time I see him all I can think of is the movie Up with the “cone of shame.” My poor kitty.

Newest Family Member

2010-07-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

Meet Floyd.

Floyd is the newest addition to our family. Hubby is not big on cats. He’s a dog man. I on the other hand LOVE cats. I’ve owned one or two cats most of my life. When I asked Hubby if we could get a cat he told me that he didn’t want one but my desire to have one was more than his desire not too so I could get one.

I went to the SPCA and was specifically looking for an adult cat. No kittens. Kittens are too much work and bite and scratch without even thinking about it.

I walked around and looked and pet the different fuzzy cuties that needed a home for over an hour and a half. I kept being drawn back to this little black guy because even though it said he was only four months old he was laid back and relaxed. But no. I needed an adult cat.

I was honestly about to give up because there wasn’t a cat there that fit the bill for the entire family. That’s when I saw a young couple with a baby get out the little guy I had been eyeing. They pet him and he sat there. No abundant friskiness or trying to climb them like a tree. Then the baby reaches over and yanks the cat’s tail. Hard. The cat doesn’t scratch, doesn’t bite, and doesn’t even meow. He simply turns and looks at the baby, and moves his tail out of reach. The couple hems and haws and eventually tells the volunteer that they would have to think about it and puts him back in his cage.

They thought too long because as soon as they walked out the door I pulled his card and said I wanted him. He had to stay and get neutered but I got to pick him two days later.

Floyd is perfect. I thought he was laid back at the shelter but he is completely laid back even in the land of bears. The girls loud squeals make him look or wake up from a nap but not run and hide. Bonus since I wanted to get a cat for the entire family to enjoy. He is a complete love bug and would rather be in your lap or at your feet than anywhere else. Even while we eat dinner he sits under the table and just hangs out. Doesn’t even beg. He does like to sleep on my head when we sleep at night but even that is tolerable. He is so loving and awesome that Hubby has accepted and loved him like everyone else. I guess the guys have to stick together in a house of estrogen.

The only thing wrong with him isn’t even his fault. Floyd had a cold when I got him from the shelter. A cold that turned into something so much worse. Too long for this post so come back tomorrow for one of the most pitiful sights you have ever seen.

First Board Game

2010-07-26T00:01:00.003-04:00

Hubby and I are gamers at heart. We love to get together with friends and play traditional and non-traditional games. Hubby likes the non-traditional such as Settlers of Catan, The Great Dalmuti, and Munchkin. I completely understand if you have never heard of these games but some of them are quite fun and I’d play all of them over Monopoly any day. ESPECIALLY Monopoly with my best friend. Love her but you have never seen cut throat insanity until those dice are in her hands.

Since we love games so much we have often talked about how much fun it is going to be when our girls are old enough to have family game night. It was going to be a huge perk of being a parent. The girls being so close in age I wanted to wait on an actual board game until Kaitlyn was 3. We have played the Go Fish mechanical game and the flipping Ants in The Pants game. All fun but lacking in the set in stone rules.

I knew Candy Land would be one of the, if not the, first game I bought for the girls. Out shopping last week I saw an “original” version and decided to get it. “Original” meaning it wasn’t computerized, jumbo sized or modernized with some Nickelodeon character.

After dinner Hubby brought out the game and you would have thought it was Christmas. Teagan was beside herself happy. As Daddy set up the game he explained how to play to the girls. It took us some time to fully pick our colored guys. Kaitlyn has only really played with dolls so she didn’t want to let her guy go. Certainly a precursor to what was about to happen.

Being their first board game we had to say the rules over and over. How to pick up only one card. How to move to the colored squares on the path. Staying on the path. Within the first two minutes this proved to be too much for Kaitlyn. She didn’t complain, or whine, or throw a fit of any sort. She calmly got up from the table, walked into the living room and called for me to turn on Cinderella for her. I guess she’s not ready.

Teagan, Daddy and I continued with our game. Teagan got noticeable better through the game. Counting her squares and moving along. The destination cards threw her for a loop but she took the explanation okay. Or so I thought.

We were close to the end and Teagan got a destination card that threw her back behind me. She was okay with moving until she saw I was going to finish before her. Her patience was frayed and I saw it in her eyes. We moved a few more squares and ran out of cards. That broke her. I’m not sure if she thought that was it and the game would just be left in limbo. Her face went red as she started grumbling incoherently with sparse words of “no” and “but…but” came out. Trying to explain that I just need to shuffle was no use so I just did it and quickly set the cards back up.

Two more moves and I won. Teagan at this point started inner whining and tears started to glisten in her little eyes. I quickly told her that she still needed to keep playing so her or Daddy could win. She ended up winning but was worse for the wear.

Normally she would want to do it again but no fuss was made and she actually looked relieved to be packing up the pieces. My poor little girl. It was just this side of too much. Although I wish I had videotaped it since it was the culmination of every raw emotion I’ve ever seen in her all in 15 minutes. We will play again and soon, it is part of growing up. Even if it stole a little bit of her innocence.

Prissy Girl

2010-06-02T13:27:00.004-04:00

I am raising a little a girl. A little prissy girl.

We went camping this past weekend, which is an entirely different post. A post I promise to write. I only mention the camping to help illustrate my point.

Throughout the weekend my Kai-Bear would repeatedly ask me to wipe her hands. Because they were dirty. She has no problem getting them dirty. She is as outgoing and tomboyish as she can be. But when the fun is over, it’s time to get clean. Immediately.

When it’s time to get dressed in the morning her first request is always a dress. One she can spin around in and tell us over and over again that she is a Princess. Kaitlyn now specifies that “I’m your Princess Mommy.” Yes, yes she is.

We also have “costumes” that she loves to dress-up in. This is only done on rare days since it tends to be more of a hassle for me than anything. For she gets in her Bat Girl costume or Dora dress or Snow White dress only to twirl and run and jump for a bit and then want to change again. I have to be in a particular mood to accomplish the wardrobe requirements for my Princess.

With these wardrobe adventures shoes are not supplied. There is no need. We are in the house and not going outside. Occasionally she will take it upon herself to fetch out some dressy shoes and that is okay. But the shoes she has are normal shoes. Shoes that Kaitlyn and Teagan wear all the time. That is until yesterday.

Some how my little imp found the shoes to her Snow White dress. Actually she found the Snow White and Cinderella shoes and of course since the Cinderella shoes are pink those are the ones she claimed. These are not normal shoes. These shoes have a heel. In fact I purposely took the shoes away before she could become attached when they got the dresses to avoid falls and sprained ankles.

Kaitlyn not only took her shoes out of hiding but gave the other pair to Teagan. Kaitlyn has worn them for two days solid. Teagan puts them on and takes them off. She’s not as fanatical about them as Kaitlyn.

To the point were Kaitlyn tried to wear them to bed last night. Hiding them under her sheets as quick as she could so maybe I wouldn’t see. Ha! I’m Momma and am omniscient.

So for all my ladies out there who hate heels or think they don’t make an outfit. I give you heels with pink shorts.

Kind in Death

2010-05-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today a bug made it's way into our home. Now outside bugs are free to roam and be happy. But in my home they have to die. I guess I have ingrained this on my kids after what Teagan said.

Teagan ~ MOMMY QUICK! There is a bug in the house.

Me ~ Okay, let me go get something. (Shoe, napkin, anything to kill and transport.)

Teagan (to bug) ~ It's okay buggy. Wait right there. Mommy come kill you.

Good Morning To You Too

2010-04-22T09:30:00.003-04:00

After getting ready for work I come out of the bedroom to head out the door but not before I get my hugs and kisses from the bears. Only to be greeted by Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn ~ Mommy...your hair...it's a disaster!

What a way to start your day.

Rachael Ray Show Part III

2010-04-20T00:01:00.004-04:00

Pictures!!!
Here is the Before Shot.

Kyan Douglas and my before hair.

Kenny and Ira.

Laurie and I.

Dean, myself and Dan.

Rachael Ray Show.

Kyan Douglas (Rachael Ray) and I after studio.

Ms. M and I.

After hair.

Rachael Ray Show Part II

2010-04-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

For our first day of shooting the producers wanted to do a reenactment of my hair dying experience and then off to the salon to meet Kyan Douglas and fix my hair. Since I was in New York and not home we went to Ms. M's apartment to do the reenactment. Here is where I met Dan a director of sorts and the camera guy Ira and sound guy Kenny. Dan was great but I love Ira and Kenny. They were the friendliest guys and what I hope are typical New Yorkers.

Ira and Kenny set up lights and the boom mic. Looking at what the camera would see and making sure it was flattering. They both wanted what was best for the segment but also had me in mind. I truly felt that way. Especially since Ira would let me know if my nose was a little shiny or to straighten my shirt. All the while they were spot on professionals. I could tell they knew their trade like no others.

Dan wanted what was good for TV. Not that it was a negative thing but at the same time boring wasn't going to cut it. Off camera Dan would ask me a question and after I would give my answer he would critique it a little. "More animation", "give me a big hand gesture." He at times would reword what I said but if I felt that I wouldn't personally say that or it was not fully true I would just repeat what I had previously said. It didn't frustrate him at all and for that I was thankful. I wasn't pushed to say or do anything that wasn't me. Mainly he would help to rearrange my words which wasn't a big deal. In fact if I could get an editor for what I write I would jump at the chance.

At the apartment we filmed the interview section and of course the re-dye. No it wasn't real dye. My hair was already a problem they didn't want to make it worse. They used conditioner for this scene. Here was the only point that I wish I hadn't done something. During the reenactment I was asked to hold a hand mirror as if I was trying to look at the back of my head while dying it. Okay I would have never done this in real life but I did for the filming. Seriously. What woman does that? None. Not a huge deal but of course I felt foolish.

During the filming Ira was trying to get artistic shots so he is standing on the counter zooming in and out on my head. It was hard not to laugh. I'd be mimicking putting on make-up or applying hair dye and he'd be an inch from my face zooming in and circling my head. At one point I shot him a crazy eyeball and he laughed saying "just act natural" and he laughed some more. At least we were both feeling the funny vibe. Like I said I love Ira.

We broke for lunch and then we were to regroup at the salon where I'd get to meet Kyan. I guess it's a New York thing but not a soul blinked when a camera crew walked in or when Kyan did. Smooth I tell ya.

When I was formally introduced to Kyan all the first time jitters were gone. He immediately put me at ease and I swear it was if we had known each other for years. I've met a few celebrities (plenty of wanna-be's) and Kyan is by far the most genuine and down to earth star. I'd like to think it's the native Floridian coming out. It was a pleasure to get to meet him and I will forever hold it as the highlight of this entire adventure.

We shot a couple of intro scenes. In fact I got to "intro" hug Kyan five times before it was a good one. Not complaining. We both found it funny and kept giving each other smirky smiles.

I got miked me up for the next segment and this is why I love Kenny. As I said the previous post my lovely friend Kristi came on this journey with me. She was over on a couch, avoiding the cameras like they were the plaque. I went over before taping the dye and cut because I just knew I had a booger and needed to blow my nose. Of course I said this to her while requesting a Kleenex. As she is looking through her purse, Kenny on the other side of the room is waving a box of Kleenex saying "Jenn, here you go." Never talk privately with a mic on. I love Kenny.

At this point we start the next scene. Here Kyan discusses what he wants done with the dye and has Laurie, the supremely awesome terrific hair stylist extraordinaire, take over. She is the best. Not only because she is a Mother of two young kids so of course we have endless things in common but what she does to lift and redye my hair is beyond phenomenal. It came out beautifully.

Next Dean comes in to cut and style the new coiff. He gave me a very modern cut. I'm still not sure if it is "me" but I get compliments on the style all the time and it really is flattering. I guess I'm just not as hip as my hair now looks.

We take a few pictures and say good buy until the next day.

A staffer picks up at the hotel and walks us down to the studio. After he drops us in a conference room we wait. And wait. And wait. No one is coming to get me for hair and make-up and the time is getting closer to when we are to begin taping. Finally some one comes and is astonished I haven't been made up yet and rushes me into the hair room.

Here I find Dean and an assistant ready to go. Yesterday Dean had said not to wash my hair. I should have known better as my hair absorbs and freakishly uses any product. The stuff they used the day before left my hair wild and untameable. So they decide to wash me. Have I said the time was short? After the stage head came in and warned them I needed to go to make-up they decided to up the ante and put two hair dryers on me at once. Oh, that blew a fuse. So as we wait for the on-site electrician to come in they are trying to air dry my hair by running four hands through it. It was like a bad hair styling at a wine infused slumber party. The electrical guy comes in and pushes a button and we have power again. He pushes that little red button that is on all outlets. Jeesh.

They get the front done enough to start straightening it while blow drying the back and this time when the stage head comes in she is followed by the head of make-up. Who proceeds to apply base as they are straightening, blow drying and balming my tresses. Real movie star here.

Finally the head of make-up gets snippy and says my hair is good enough and whisks me away. Okay I broke out and laughed at this. It was frantic and their stress was making me surprisingly calm. In the make-up room the head of make-up starts in on the full face. She tells me "I'm so thankful you don't have some disfigurement or ugly skin I have to worry about covering up." I bust out laughing again and tell her I'll be sure to thank my Mom. She dead stares at me and says "You do that, you thank your Mom" and laughs as well. Barely finished with my lipstick and the stage head says "I need Jennifer now." It's nice to be wanted.

Next thing I know I'm in the green room before heading to the stage. I was still not nervous. I guess with rushing through the preparation I didn't have time to dwell on the studio filming. The stage head takes me by the hand and she leads me down the hall giving me pointers. Do this, don't do that. The only thing I really remember is her telling me to look at Rachael during the before/after shot and the rest was honestly a blur. Back stage I get reunited with Kyan. He gives me a cheek peck and reassures me I'll be great and to just be myself. He goes on stage for a minute or so and I watch the background piece of me backstage. My first thought was of course, damn I'm fat. With this lovely contemplation they take me on stage to sit me under a dryer. Here is where I meet Mrs. Rachael Ray.

We are introduced and she flashes her comforting smile and says hello. She then tries to break my cool by telling me how beautiful I am which of course is always a compliment but even more from her. I think I muttered a thank you or maybe just a mix of a laugh and a grunt. Some gent then breaks my hypnosis by running through what was going to happen...look straight ahead...look at Rachael during the before/after shot. I'm sure the same thing the stage head had told me, yet once again I barely remember much of it.

1...2...3...(action) These few moments went by so fast that I'm not sure if I did anything but grin like a drunk fool. They talked to me and from the tape I see I talked back but I was in the land of in-between a dream and the facts are not clear. Next thing I know the camera guy yells "clear" and Rachael is once again personally talking to me. She tells me I did great and that she she loves my hair but liked the calico look too. We say good bye and that was the last lovely moment of our meeting. Short and sweet and from what I experienced, all be it brief, she is as wonderful in person as she portrays on TV.

I waited back stage for a moment then was taken back to the green room. Here I get to snag a couple of pictures of me with Kyan and Ms. M for my scrapbook and I'm bid a fond farewell and it was over.

It was rushed from the get go and I didn't really absorb all of it for days after by replaying the events in my mind. I had a wonderful time and met some extraordinary people. It was everything I expected with a little more humor. I would like to thank every one associated with the Rachael Ray Show as they have given me a memory that I will look back on fondly. And a special thanks to my wonderful friend Kristi who made my trip a thousand times more fun and memorable than it would have been without her. It was amazing to be on TV and all that goes with it.

Come back tomorrow for pictures.

Did You Miss It?

2010-04-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Rachael Ray Show Part 1

2010-04-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

It's been years since I've dyed my hair. Being pregnant essentially for two years and then adjusting to the hectic schedule as a Mom I did not set the time or expense aside for coloring. As the dust started to settle I noticed that the gray had came in with a bang. It wasn’t all over but unless I wore my hair curly it was extremely noticeable.

I guess it started to get to me because I asked my brutally honest friend Kristi if it made me look old. With a nice but firm yes and with the complete blessing of super hubby, I decided to dye my hair my preferred color of red.

I chose to do the dye job in the garage with bad lighting and a fuzzy mirror because I like a challenge. No really it’s because my rental has new Berber carpet that I didn't want to pay to get redone due to dye splatter. It happens even to the most talented of us.

I donned my gloves and slathered every strand, let it sit, then washed it out. Looked good. Then I realized my crown was not really done. Gray hair peaked out at me from the temples. So I grabbed the bottle and re-dyed the crown. Let it sit, rinsed. Noticed that the sides behind the ears had patchy places. Freaking out at this point I made, even more super, hubby look it over and find any other spots I may have missed. He looked and it was just the sides. So I re-re-dyed the sides. At this point there is no more dye so if it doesn't work, oh well. I sit and after I rinse I didn't even bother looking. I watched my DVR'd American Idol and went to bed.

The next morning I perused the hair and the one section on the right that I re-re-dyed still had a half inch that didn't take. So I cut it off with scissors. :-) Oh yes, I'm serious.

The over all color was okay. A little too bright in places, almost pink in others but it was red. It made my skin look creamy which makes me look youthful. I honestly was happy. You have to take into account that I have dyed my hair many colors. Some not found naturally in nature.

That weekend I was catching up on my favorite sites, mainly my cooking sites, and landed on the Rachael Ray Show. Love her. After looking around I saw a questionnaire about dying or hair cutting mistakes. Deciding I had nothing to lose I submitted my story.

That Monday I got a call from New York. Yeah, I know no one in New York so I let my trusty voice mail do its job. A wonderful lady, Ms. M, leaves me a message saying she is from the Rachael Ray Show and would like to talk to me about my story. No lie. I couldn’t believe it. After I compose myself I call her back. Ms. M asks me to retell the story and I do and then she asks if I would be interested in flying to New York, have my dye job fixed by a professional and be on the Rachael Ray Show. Of course is my answer. Oh and it’s not just any professional. It’s Kyan Douglas from Queer Eye and Ten Years Younger. So, double yes.

Ms. M asks me to send in some pictures of my current and my before hair and that if the show gets the go ahead she’ll call me. Well I call up my brutally honest pal and tell her she rocks because since she helped to convince me to loose the gray it may land me on T.V. Well Kristi is a huge fan and volunteers her tourist savvy self to join me if I get the call.

When Friday rolls around I figure it’s not a go and it was a nice daydream while it lasted. Then Ms. M calls. They want to do the segment and will fly me out Tuesday. Holy wow!

On Monday, Kyan Douglas gave me a call to discuss my hair. I watched him on Ten Years Younger so as soon as I heard his voice I knew who it was. I was driving and actually pulled over to be able to absorb all this positive energy. I seriously did not think talking with a celebrity would make me star struck. It didn't hurt that he was funny and sounded truly genuine. I told him the story and we talked about what I wanted. Red hair. Which he thought was a perfect fit for me. Melting. We laughed a few times (I got Kyan to laugh) and said good bye until we would meet that Wednesday at the salon to fix my hair. At this point I was so stoked I could barely stand it. The next day Kristi and I hop on a plane for New York.

Now obviously the story doesn’t end there but due to me signing a document or two I am not allowed to say anymore until after the show airs tomorrow, Thursday, April 15th on the Rachael Ray Show. Check your local listings for the new episode and make sure you watch my television début.

Sleepytime Driving

2010-01-28T00:02:00.000-05:00

I drive the sleepiest highway in America. It can be in the morning, afternoon or evening and driving on this road makes me tired. Pass out at the wheel tired.

Maybe it’s the hum of the tires as they cleave to the asphalt. Or the vibration of the steering wheel in my hands. Or the fact that it is such a lonely highway that I put it on cruise control and drive for almost thirty miles without once having to apply the brakes.

It’s not just me. Hubby has driven this stretch, with and without me, and he agrees that there is something mesmerizing about this road.

The bad part is I drive it everyday. Twice a day.

I’ve tried to spice it up with music, singing, talking to myself and other drivers. Nothing completely works. It’s the road. This bewitched dreamy road.

As soon as I get off I’m alert as nothing has happened.

This would be the perfect alien abduction road.

I'm So Excited...And I Just Can't Hide It

2010-01-27T00:02:00.001-05:00

Hubby received several boxes for a project he’s working on. During the opening of these boxes which are in no way for the girls, this is the exchange that took place.

Both Teagan and Kaitlyn stood on dining room chairs to examine Daddy opening the delivered boxes.

Teagan ~ I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. (This came out of a 3 year olds mouth.) Daddy, I’m going to close my eyes.

The rest is down hill since, as previously stated, the contents were not for the girls.

I have no idea how she comes up with this stuff.

Restroom Etiquette

2010-01-21T00:02:00.000-05:00

I work in a sizeable office building. It has three stories and fourteen offices on each floor. Wing offices (like the one I’m in) have their own restroom but each floor has facilities.

Now I utilize our office restroom but on occasion will visit the “floor” restroom.

Today I did and as I was in a stall the main door opens. A woman walks in and address’s the entire bathroom (Me) asking “Who’s in there?”

Do you answer such a question?

With the probability of so many different possible patrons did she think she might know me?

Who does this? Seriously am I such a prude that this behavior escapes me and in all actuality is normal or common?

I’ve seen shoes in the stalls that in any other room I would have complimented, but in that room, uh, no.

I was mortified. There was no way I was going to answer her.

My husband asked if I had seen the Seinfeld spare a square episode. “See… Women are just weird.”

Congratulations Senator Scott Brown

2010-01-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Senator Scott Brown. I hope you exceed your constituent’s expectations.

Mini Pecan Pie Muffins

2010-01-18T00:04:00.001-05:00

I would normally not blog about a blog that blogged about a blog. Get that? But this just has to happen.

I was visiting one of my favorite sites TasteSpotting and saw a recipe for Mini Pecan Pie Muffins. I have been visiting this site for a long time and never once did I immediately go and make a recipe that I saw there, until tonight. My husband loves pecan pie and this recipe on Bake at 350 that she got from Make Ahead Meals promised that it tasted just like the gooey goodness I only make at Thanksgiving.

It was super easy. 5 ingredients, one bowl, and a few mini muffin pans. The most effort I had to put forth was chopping the pecans. Which I did with a newly acquired Christmas present from Aunt Lori, so even that was quick and painless. In around twenty minutes I was biting into a warm, moist, caramelized muffin. Truly delicious. So much so that Kaitlyn has been trying to grab one off the counter even though I cut her off an hour ago. I gave Hubby one as he was passing the kitchen. I asked him what he thought and his reply was “I think I need about six more with a glass of milk.” That about sums it up. I did cook them a tad too long so watch the clock but these will be a sure hit.

Here is the recipe. Flat out copied from on Bake at 350. The last line about freezing, will not be needed.

Mini Pecan Pie Muffins
(recipe courtesy of Jane Doiron, Make Ahead Meals )

1 c light brown sugar
1 c pecans, chopped
1/2 c flour
2/3 c butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten

Spray 20 mini muffin cups with nonstick spray (I used butter); set aside. Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups evenly.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. The edges will be crispy. Do not overbake. Remove the muffins and cool on a wire rack.

~Freeze~

When the muffins are completely cool, place them in a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months.

These are my pics. You can tell I need a lesson in theatrical. If you are interested in this recipe and many more Bridget at Bake at 350 is hosting a giveaway for Jane Dorion’s new cookbook called Make Ahead Meals. After making this shear piece of ingenuity I bookmarked both sites. I suggest you do the same.

Persistance

2010-01-14T00:02:00.000-05:00

Kaitlyn ~ I want em an ems. (M&Ms)

Daddy ~ I'm making lunch soon.

Kaitlyn ~ I want em an ems.

Daddy ~ Maybe after nap.

Kaitlyn ~ I want em and ems.

Daddy ~ No Kaitlyn, I'm making lunch soon.

Kaitlyn ~ I want em and ems.

Daddy ~ I said no, Kaitlyn. I'm not giving you M&Ms.

Kaitlyn ~ I want brownie.

Stylish, Fabulous, Hip Sunglasses

2010-01-13T09:46:00.002-05:00

I do not have luck with fancy sunglasses or any sunglasses really. For the most part I either sit on them, loose them or get them scratched up beyond use due to laziness in putting them away. Me actually buying a new pair is fraught with finding the most inexpensive and durable while trying to still retain a look of fashion.

Having acquired a gift card for Christmas I decided to splurge and buy a really nice pair of sunglasses with the promise, to myself, to treat them properly. Never have I spent so much money on sunglasses. I think I’ve only spent this much money on a purse. Once. But they are beautiful. Very stylish and the highest quality I have ever, ever owned.

Unfortunately for the past week and a half there has been no sun. No reason for me to don my new shades. In fact if I had it might have made me drive worse. Yes, I said worse.

Until today. Here comes the sun…dada, dada, da, here comes the sun. As I slip on my sunglasses there is an air that fills me. Pretty sure it was narcissism. I am stylish, I am fabulous, I am hip. Oh, uh, I have a booger.

I take off said sunglasses and blow my nose. Replacing the sunglasses my hipness returns full force. Uh, I still have a booger.

I take off my sunglasses and this time (GROSS I KNOW) look to make sure I have blown the bothersome booger out of my nose. Maybe that is it? No, not really. Just a fluke. I put back on the trendy specs. Okay now this is getting ridiculous. Either I have a booger or I don’t.

I take off the sunglasses and this time have to fiddle around the car for a napkin as I have exhausted my normal supply. Wait a minute…oh no. My stylish, fabulous, hipness inducing sunglasses are pinching my nose and making it feel like I have a huge irritating booger. My freaking luck.

Yes I tried them on at the store I guess I just didn’t leave them on long enough. Who would have thought that stylish, fabulous, hip looking sunglasses are also evil booger imitators.

Heath Care Fit For All

2010-01-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

I normally would never do this but I feel strongly about the nations health care system. If the Senate and Congress can develop a health care bill good enough for them then I am all for it. Therefore I'd like to push their accountability a little further.

On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment, courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn which would require all Members of Congress and their staff members to enroll in any new government-run health plan.

Congressman John Fleming has proposed an amendment that would require Congressmen and Senators to take the same health care plan that they would force on us. (Under proposed legislation they are exempt.)

Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go to his Website and sign his petition. The process is very simple. I have done just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/index.html

Senator Coburn and Congressman Fleming are both physicians. Regardless of your political beliefs, it sure seems reasonable that Congress should have exactly the same medical coverage that they impose on the rest of us.

Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!

Sassy Go Away

2010-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Would someone tell me where the sass came from? And more importantly how to get rid of it.

Teagan has entered a very sassy time. She is using “adult” phrases and I’m not talking about cussing. I have really worked hard at curtailing my sailor mouth. No, she is using my discipline phrases. “Are you listening to me?” “Go to your room!” “Hush, right now.” These phrases should be used by Mommy and maybe Daddy but never, never children under eighteen. Just imagine a three year old putting her hands on her hips, giving you a drop dead stare, and with a monotone harsh voice through gritted teeth saying “You just need to hush.” ~twitch, twitch~ Oh, how I almost came unglued. WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU JUST TELL ME TO DO???”

How am I suppose to combat this? These are my phrases and they are needed on several occasions. I assure you the phrases are better said, than not said and me swatting her butt. This has only happened just recently that it’s full time sass. Before it would be scattered throughout the month maybe the week but now it’s an everyday and several times a day occurrence.

I don’t think it’s an aggression against my return to work. In fact I think she is appreciates me more now that I’m not at her beck and call. I honestly am dumbfounded where this habit was picked up. I know all kids want to be treated older than they are but this is ridiculous.

1...2...3...Resolution

2010-01-04T00:04:00.005-05:00

Another year gone and now a new year to look expectantly to with hopes of improvement. So far my new year’s resolutions have not made it the entire year. Except one. A few years ago I resolved to send birthday cards to family and friends. It was a good one for me to take the time to remember the people so important in my life and it made them feel good knowing I did. This actually lasted a few years before the cost of time, materials and stamps were outweighing the results. I guess in this era I could switch to e-cards.

This year is going to be tough for several reasons. I guess I should label this year the bite the bullet year or maybe the suck it up year. Some aspirations cost more than others but that is what makes it worth it.

#1) As of today my amazing husband is going to be a student again. He is going to need study time, homework time, reading time, basically extra time that is going to come out of “our” time. This sucks so badly. I’m going to have to pick up the slack where he has to let it go. Amazing hubby is not like the majority of men. He helps around the house, with the kids, with cooking and basically everything else. Now with his new endeavor I don’t expect him to do as much as he does now. That means I have to. I will suck it up because he deserves this. I hated school. Barely made it through and really do not want to add on to my degree for anything. Even though challenging, Hubby liked school and learning for him is easy and has enjoyment value but overall this offers stability for his career and our family. I will make sure the sacrifice he is making will not be overburdened with things I can do. And that means not complaining about it too. Suck it up.

#2) My next resolution is to blog two times or more a week. This sounds easy but it really is not. I don’t want to spew out words just to post them. I want offer some humor or insight for my readers. Since I became employed (have I said how happy it makes me to have a job? I’m so happy.) it has become even more difficult to find time to write. Even my ideas are fewer since my main muses are my girls and I get less time with them because of working. However I love to write. I enjoy trying to create, with words, the anecdotes I want to share. Besides I relish reading the comments. In order to do this I’m going to have to give up some mind numbing surfing on the net or Facebook time. These silly things help me unwind and de-stress but I’m going to have to bite the bullet and write. I will have to de-stress with resolution number three. I am sure I will “cheat” and post a picture once and awhile but I will bite the bullet and devote time to write for you, my dear readers.

#3) Three resolutions? You are asking yourself “how freakin’ crazy are you.” How am I going to fit in another resolution? By giving up sleep. I am joining a gym. Yes like everyone’s resolutions I am trying to get healthy. I have gotten so fat that even fat clothes look bad on me. It’s very depressing. I’ve got to do something about it. I will not tell you how much I have to lose and I will not post my goals. I am holding myself accountable and refuse to let the internet community hold me accountable too. Now because of resolution one and two my extra night hours are gone so instead I’m going to wake up early and go to the gym. I love sleep so very much. This may be the very hardest of all three resolutions because I will be introducing pain and giving up my most prized hobby. Before kids I would sleep nine to eleven hours easily. Once I slept for fifteen hours and I wasn’t even sick. I just love sleep. So this would be considered the suck it up and bite the bullet resolution all in one.

A year from now my husband will be several classes smarter, my blog will be a minimum of 104 posts longer and my waist will be inches smaller. I hope.

She's A Genius

2009-12-10T12:38:00.002-05:00

Daddy put Teagan in bed for her nap, and put Kaitlyn on the changing table, to change her and the following is Daddy and Teagan’s conversation.

Teagan – Why you have to change her butt?

Daddy – Cause she has a big potty butt.

Teagan – You need to get more diapers, Daddy.

Daddy – We don't need more diappers.

Teagan – You need to get more diapers, Daddy.

Daddy – You need to take a nap.

Teagan – You need to calm down, Daddy.

Daddy – I am calm.

Teagan – CALM DOWN DADDY!

Daddy – I don't think you know what that means, Teagan.

Teagan – I'm a genius, Daddy.

Visit with Santa

2009-12-07T00:04:00.001-05:00

The girls did not really like Santa last year. In fact they were scared of him. I wanted a picture with Santa for this year but because of last year's issues I was reluctant. So when I saw that Walmart was having a free Santa I didn't want to let it pass.

I dressed the girls in their Christmas dresses. We actually had to stop by Target first and get new dress shoes since last years were too small. I know why go to Target when I was heading to Walmart. Simple, selection. Teagan got cute black dress shoes and Kaitlyn got ruby red sparkle shoes (I love them the most and so does she).

We get to Walmart and the Santa was very nice. It took both girls a moment to warm up but it helped that he had candy. The key to their little hearts. Although Kaitlyn didn't tell him what she wanted until she was back safely in Mommy's arms.

I know it was free but the Santa was really fake. Fake beard, fake belly. And I think he was around my age. Bummer. Since it went rather well I want to go to see a better Santa but Hubby says no way. Too much of a hassle I suppose.

Here are the girls and a Walmart Santa. Unfortunately you can't see Kaitlyn's shoes!

Merry Christmas!

Black Friday Marathon

2009-12-01T00:04:00.001-05:00

Black Friday shopping. Did you go? Have you ever gone? I happen to love shopping on Black Friday. There is a rush that is better than espresso yet doesn’t last as long. I guess it’s a mixture of the lack of sleep from getting up and out so early, the crispness of the air as you wait to get into your first stop and the actual vibe you get from the other shoppers sharing in the experience. Most people are rather nice. Talkative as you wait. A giddiness resembling little school kids doing something taboo. Like you, they are looking for the deal and are willing to give up some creature comforts to get said deal.

For years I went alone. Battled the throngs with no one slowing me down. I can’t imagine having a companion to fight the jewelry counter with. If you have never been the jewelry counter is by far the most vicious of shopping arenas. Women will step on you and shove you out of the way for clearance pearls. Toys are bad but at least there you can grab and don’t have to wait on someone to get it out of a locked case.

Three years ago was the first time I had a partner. I actually had two. At the time I was almost nine months pregnant with our second child and Hubby couldn’t see letting me go alone. I’m not sure if the concern was for me, our unborn child, or silly people that would get in the way of crazy prego woman. Either way together we mapped out a plan. He left most of it me as he only really wanted to go to one computer store. I set out before 4 a.m. with Hubby and Teagan, who had just turned one. It was quick and painless. In and out of all the stores. I knew where everything was and we grabbed and went. His computer store took the longest as they didn’t seem as well prepared for mass customers. We were done within three hours and topped the wonderful morning off with breakfast out.

I thought it was a great experience and it opened me up to the thought of future companion shopping.

The next year we had Grandma and Grandpa staying for the Thanksgiving holiday so they agreed to watch the bears so Hubby and I could go Black Friday shopping alone. This year we went to Best Buy to snag a laptop for me. I was so stoked because I have never owned my own computer. I have had several joint pc’s but nothing just mine. When we finally got past the velvet ropes they were sold out. Major bummer. However the sales guys were super nice and helped us find one that was a little more expensive but worth it. I have the laptop and stand off to the side while Hubby goes to look at something else. While standing there another associate asks me if I was looking to buy a laptop. I told him yes but the one I really wanted had been sold out. He said “Do you mean this one? I just found a stack of them.” It was the one I wanted and I could have hugged the guy. I’ve had this laptop for a year and still love, love, love it. Hubby and I ended up spending way too much money but I have to admit we use it all and often. After that we went to several other stores and arrived back home right as the bears were waking up.

Most of you know I have been out of work for a very long time and Hubby has also hit a snag in employment. So this year is going to be lean regardless. With that in mind I scrutinized the Black Friday ads this year very carefully. Since we already have a great T.V. with electronics, great computers and a camera that works (I hate it but can’t justify buying a new one when it does the job) I didn’t find anything worth getting up early for. However Mom was going and since I love the fun I decided to tag along.

First let me say I love my Mom. She is one of my closest friends and is and always has been Super Mom. Downright perfect in every way.

That being said I will never go shopping with her again. I am use to a two hour marathon of grabbing and going to the next eight stores. Mom is a marathon shopper too. But a time marathon. We started at 3:30 AM and ended at 1:30 PM. Ten hours, six stores, and three stores twice. She would buy so many things we would have to check out to take it to the car and then go back for more. I had walked for so long my hip started to hurt. Mom was fine. Decades older than me and she was running circles around my gimp butt. Finally I had to throw in the towel. She dropped me off and then went out to more stores. I have no idea how she did it. Now mom was a little loopy at the end of the day and had a zombie stare to her but she certainly put me to shame.

I will go shopping next year but I will either go alone or with Hubby. I can only take one year of being humiliated and left wasted the next day.

Hangover

2009-11-30T00:04:00.001-05:00

I have a turkey hangover. There is so much that happened over the weekend and I'm flat out exhausted. I will catch up with you all tomorrow. This week I'll talk about Black Friday shopping with my Mom, getting a job and the first step in ushering in Christmas. I hope you had a wonderful and safe holiday.

Kaitlyn's 2nd Birthday

2009-11-27T00:04:00.004-05:00

Today is Kaitlyn’s Birthday. She is two. Oh the terrible two’s. I think Kaitlyn entered this mischievous stage months ago. Kaitlyn is very smart, very loving and very sensitive. I have never seen such a young child get her feelings hurt so easily. I think it is because she wears her heart on her sleeve. If I am sitting down for over five minutes I am guaranteed a visit and lap sitting from K-Bear. She’d rather be snuggling than sitting alone and when she gives you a kiss you sense meaning behind it.

Teagan was only four months old when I found out I was pregnant with a second child. I really wanted a boy. A girl and a boy, I’d be done. Even when I was told it was a girl I still hoped they were wrong. I guess all the hoping is why Kaitlyn looks just like her Father. From her smile, to her pout, to her leave me alone glare she is her Father. Now that I have her I would never ever trade her for a boy. Kaitlyn is perfect and the girls are perfect for each other.

I was also very worried that I would not love Kaitlyn as much as Teagan. I hear this is a common thought for Mother’s expecting their second child. Teagan was such a blessing that the very thought of her would swell my heart to bursting and I had so many doubts that this feeling would not exist with Kaitlyn. I was wrong. When Kaitlyn was born they gave her to me to lay skin upon skin to warm her. In that instant she looked up at me as I cooed to her and my heart surged. It was the same breath taking love I had for Teagan with no failing. My Kaitlyn had her own place in my heart and it was just as vast.

We were blessed when we had one beautiful, smart wonderful child. We are humbled to have received two. Kaitlyn you are my heart with legs. You are my joy and I am thankful to be your Mom. I love you and hope you have a very Happy Birthday.

Dancing Bear

2009-11-25T00:04:00.001-05:00

Birthday Cakes

2009-11-24T00:04:00.001-05:00

Birthday cakes. The center of the Birthday party. This year I wanted two cakes, one for each bear to have a candle on and blow out. I thought of Max and Ruby or a Dora and Diego but I kept being brought back to Sponge Bob and Patrick. It’s a square and a star so how much trouble should it be? If you allot for the time it shouldn’t be any bother at all. Time, my fatal foe.

I bake two 9” rounds the morning of the party. Taking each round I cut out the figures. Piecing together arms and legs. Teagan and Kaitlyn come in to the dining room and see the uncovered chocolate figures and yell out “Sponge Bob…Patrick.” If nothing else the figures are recognizable so I suppose I’m off to a great start.

I mixed up a big batch of frosting. I am not use to frosting cakes and I was afraid of running out of frosting. There was so much leftover I could have made a thick frosting on another set of cakes but it was worth it to easy my mind. I took several bowls and doled out servings for all the colors; yellow, green, pink, purple, brown, and red. I cheated and bought black. The colors were okay but brown is not an easy color to achieve without it getting brackish.

I decide to frost Patrick first. His body was easy, as were the shorts. I pipe on the flowers on the shorts and they end up looking like blobs. I put on his eyes and pipe in the retinas, mouth and of course belly button. Patrick is done. He actually looks cute. I’m not going to win an award but he’s definitely Patrick and I’m happy.

On to Sponge Bob. He’s square so he should be even easier. I coat his body and move on to his sleeves and pants. I was not pleased with the color of the brown but the pants went on well. At this point I look at the clock. I have thirty minutes before people should start arriving and I have not taken a shower, done my hair, make-up or gotten dressed. Time, damn, damn, damn, time. Because of the new stress I decide to forget the shirt and I pipe on his tie. Well that just looks stupid without the shirt. So I lay out a line for the shirt. Better but you can tell it was an after thought. I put on his eyes and pipe out the tongue. I take the black and pipe the retinas, eye lashes (the are important), and mouth. I realize the little tube of black is not enough so his shoes will have to be the horrible brown. At this point compromise comes easily. Something is missing. Not just right. I forgot his two huge teeth. Without them it’s just not Sponge Bob. So I carefully try to squeeze in teeth. They are little nubbins but they will work.

I have no more time. They will have to do. No they are not as good as I could have done if I had mapped the time accurately. However, I am over all satisfied with them.

Every one recognized them and actually gave me kudos. My SIL was the only one who was brutally honest and chalked them up to a tolerable rendition. I think that’s why I love her so much. She did like the frosting and so that is notable.

The girls loved them and even their cousin was pleased. Once I gave her Sponge Bob’s eyeball. A good time was had by all and I will of course take a crack at it next year.

Take Time

2009-11-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

This weekend’s Birthday party was extremely fun and had very few snags. The girls got a butt load of presents and even the cakes were well received. I’ll blog about that in the days to come. Today I want to recognize the best thing about the party. The people.

A year ago we lived in Georgia. So far away from family and friends that we utilized web conferencing to stay in touch and make sure the bears had a connection established. This was hard for all of us. While I loved Georgia I hated being absent. I would cringe when I would be told of a family outing or a girl’s night out that I missed. Life goes on without you no matter how much you desire to be included.

So we are back. Back among family and friends and it feels so good. I knew I missed people but didn’t realize how innate it was. Or how much better I feel when I’m able to sit face to face with a friend and laugh. My spirit is rejuvenated.

There were some family and friends that couldn’t make it on Saturday and they were missed. Nevertheless from the ones that were there I relished them so much. I flitted from group to group and basked in their presence. I am sure I was giddier than the bears with all of their toys.

If you haven’t seen a friend or a cousin in too long stop putting it off. Yes we all are busy. The holidays make it even more so. In spite of this, make a minute, take an hour, you will feel so much better and your outlook will improve.

Birthday Cake Decorating

2009-11-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the big party for the bears combined Birthday’s. There will be presents, games, food and of course the very special Birthday cake. This year I am once again taking on the task of baking and decorating the cakes. My experience in this area has not been stellar. When it comes to cooking and especially baking I can make decadence out of the ingredients. However when it comes to decorating I am not skilled or even competent. Yet here I am trying again.

I blame the fact that I am abysmal at decorating on not getting enough practice. Three times a year is not adequate preparation. This is why there is a niche for cake decorators. Alas I strive every year to be the Mom who makes the best Birthday cake.

Last year for Teagan’s Birthday I made a Tinker Bell cake. Or at least that is what I called it. We had Grandparents and their Great Aunt coming in so I saved the baking and decorating till the very end. The cake was lemon with just the right amount of tart in the midst of sweet. Perfect. Then came the decorating.

I thought I was being easy on myself by making a 9” round and doing a 2D image of Tinker Bell. Ha! I frosted the overall cake. Good job. Next, time for the actual figure. I started with her dress. This was surprisingly painless. When I started mixing the food coloring for the body I was having issues in achieving a pale peach. You see Tinker Bell is a fair fairy and food coloring doesn’t come in fair. Mix, mix, mix. The best I could accomplish was spray tan orange. Have you ever seen an orange fairy? Me neither. Running out of time I sucked it up and decided to proceed. Neck merging into the first arm. Not bad. Next arm... oh, stop that… no, not that wide… gorilla arm. Damn. I tried lifting the excess off with a toothpick, smudging white frosting over some more. Okay so Tink has been working out. Moving on. Legs. Now this fairy does have massive thighs as if she does squats every morning before breakfast. So I go for thin and add where I need to. Right leg… left leg… hey, not bad. Little green shoes. Yea, that just looks like blobs. Running out of time, tick, tick, tick. Time for spray tan face. Oh wow. That’s bad. The arms, the legs, but having the face with the spray tan makes her look like an oompa loompa. Tick, tick, tick. Blonde hair. Not the best tresses but you at least know it’s hair! Facial features. Eyes and mouth only, because the nose is not going to stand out in the sea of orange on this face. Left eye… right eye… dot of blue for each… outline in black. Uh, that looks odd. Maybe because they would be better suited for a larger face that was on a man. On we go. Mouth. Red puckered lips. Lips that look like they have been injected with silicon. Seriously at this point Tinker Bell has morphed into a street walker. Short skirt, spray tan, heavy eye make-up with a slathering of red lipstick. The gorilla arm just adds to the mystique. Ah yes and to finish off the look, scary blue things sprouting out of her back suppose to be light and airy fairy wings. It looks like she is holding gigantic scissors behind her back with her gorilla arm. I suppose women of the night need protection too. I can do no more. Damage that is. I write Teagan’s name and add sprinkles.

As I stand back and scrutinize the disaster in front of me I feel little arms wrap around my leg. “Hello Mommy” comes a semi-sleepy voice of my then almost two year old Teagan. She spies the counter. “Me Birfday cake?” I pick her up to show her the mess. “MOMMY! That’s Tinker Bell!” And she hugs me.

And that is why I will once again make a cake. She knew who it was and more importantly was over joyed that Mommy had made her Tinker Bell.

Perfect Shot

2009-11-19T00:02:00.004-05:00

Christmas is around the corner and that means it’s time to take the annual photo for the Christmas cards. A strange phenomenon happens when you go from one to two or to a family. It is no longer appropriate to send Christmas cards out that do not have a family picture on the front. Now this phenomenon reverses itself when the kids go off to college. At that point no one wants to see two old people wishing them a Happy Holiday.

This year I thought I would try a different approach. I want to have three pictures on the card one of Teagan, one of Kaitlyn, and one of Hubby and me. That way I could capture each one of us perfectly. Group photos in the past have been so hard to get everyone to smile and look at the same time. By the time it was over my frustration was so high it was almost not worth it. Except I must fulfill the duties for the Christmas card vogue.

I started the day by showering the bears, blow drying their hair and trying to curl the longer pieces. My curling iron is the crappiest ever made and it’s older than dirt. Plus the bears have never had their hair “done” before. This made for no fun for Mommy. Not wanting the normal frustration of the Christmas card incident I quickly gave up and decided they were cute enough. After I put them in their pink girly outfits from their Aunt Lori I let them loose into the yard so I could commence snapping away and get a lovely sunshine happy shot.

I’m optimistic.

I let them run around and play with flowers and sticks and I clicked away. After looking through a few of the shots I felt I had a good one of Kaitlyn but not of Teagan. So I started focusing my attention on her. This just makes her wild.

Anyone have pets? You know how you can clap or make a strange noise and the animal will look at you? Kids don’t work as easily. I made noises, talked to her, pleaded with her, lied that I had a lizard, but Teagan would not hold eye contact with me. “Teagan, look at me.” “I am.” As she is clearly looking at a tree, the sky, the ground, anything and everything but me. “Teagan, look at me!” “I am looking at you!” I have no idea what she is looking at but if it was me I wouldn’t have been turning so red. At this point I have enough avant garde pictures of her to fill a book and a few pictures of her looking at me with strange faces of her holding up “dinosaur claw” for the camera.

Apparently the group shot isn’t the problem, Teagan is.

Grumpy Big Head

2009-11-17T00:04:00.001-05:00

I'm grumpy.

Grumpy-Big-Head.

I cannot concentrate when I'm grumpy.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Facial Rash

2009-11-16T00:04:00.004-05:00

Friday night was Girl’s Night Out. Nothing overly exciting; dinner and shopping. I left the kids at home with Daddy and didn’t think twice about strolling in at 9:30. Yeah, I know, wild and crazy lady. As I get older I appreciate time to talk and enjoy my friends rather than testing my stomach’s capacity for Rum Runners. We talked all through dinner and made our waiter squirm as he waited to refill our table as we chatted away. After a little shopping we stood outside talking until my feet began to hurt. It was so nice to catch up and laugh.

When I got home I was basking in my adult merriment until I realized something was wrong with Teagan. From across the room it looked like she had a light smearing of some food around her mouth. When I went to wipe it off I realized it was not food. She had a rash of some sort surrounding her mouth and spreading towards her chin. Tiny pricks the color of blood. It was flat with no raised places. I touched it an asked her if it hurt. “Yes.” So I touched her elbow, belly and hand and asked if that hurt all with the reply of “yes.” This was not a reliable test. There was no fever and as far as I could tell it was not bothering her. I decided I would wait to see what it looked like in the morning.

As I was unwinding from my evening I did what every neurotic Mother does and looked on the internet for the possible rashes. With the condition Teagan had and more importantly did not have, my mind was set at ease that it was most likely linked to something she ate and would subside. That is until I read the last rash. Petechiae. Heard of it? No because it’s a rare rash indicating internal bleeding. ~Freak out time!~

I have a Doctor in the family that I can call at the drop of a hat about anything with the girls. However it was really late at this point so I put my fear aside and wait until morning.

In the morning the rash is still there but looks a tad darker on the chin. I call the Doctor. I think it took all of Doctor’s willpower not to mock me for thinking she had Petechiae. He felt that it was definitely something she had ate and either was too spicy (she loves spicy) or had remained on her face too long and irritated it but not anything serious.

After that the day took on its normal tones. We went out to get upcoming presents for little Bear Birthday’s. At the store I looked at Teagan’s rash once again but in fluorescent lighting. And that’s when it dawn on me. This was not a rash. It was a bruise. Daddy had not watch the bears like a hawk; I do not hold this against him as he is not a neurotic Mother. I figured out that Teagan had taken a plastic cup and sucked it onto her face so it would stick and left it too long. I have seen her do this and immediately pulled it off and told her no. Left to her own this apparently will cause blood pricks to come to the surface of her little face that appear as a rash and trigger neurotic Mother into action.

So what did we learn? Teagan is naughty. Daddy needs to tap into his hovering abilities. Mommy is neurotic yet when forced to be, logical. The internet is an co-conspirator to all irrational fears.

Irish Twins

2009-11-13T00:36:00.005-05:00

My girls are a 380 days apart. One year fifteen days. By definition they are not Irish Twins which have to be born within twelve months of each other. I tell you the extra fifteen days do not count. They are twins in every way. We have to buy two of everything or we have issues.

As posted, yesterday was Teagan’s Birthday. There were no presents. This had already been decided by Hubby and I. Neither girl will get presents on their day this year. We are having a joint Birthday party in between their days and that is when the presents will flow. Why? Did you not listen to me earlier? They go bat sh*t crazy if one gets something and the other doesn’t. They are only 3 and almost 2 so it’s completely understandable. Maybe next year this will be able to be explained to them and they can decide what they want. I think the current plan works well. So well, that I won’t be surprised if it’s a tradition in the making.

Now for their day we do fun things and they get a special dinner with a cake. Nothing elaborate but still a marking of their Birthday. Kaitlyn being the youngest doesn’t fully understand why Teagan got to blow out the candle and not her too. This was a little touchy but she got over it okay. In fact the overall low key celebration would have been perfect if I wasn’t stupid.

Seriously have I mentioned that at times my brain just up and leaves and goes shopping or something?

I got Teagan a Birthday card with a cut out princess crown. As soon as Teagan put it on Kaitlyn’s chin hit her chest and she sulked out of the room into the living room and plopped on the floor. Daddy who rarely has brain issues (his brain leaves when I ask him to do/remember/fix something) came to the rescue. He took the remainder of the card and spliced it to make Kaitlyn a crown too. No it didn’t have the glitter gems or scalloped edges but it had some princess’ on it and was a hat. She was happy.

Happy Birthday Teagan!

2009-11-12T00:44:00.010-05:00

This is a very special A Thousand Words Thursday for me. For eight years I was told by doctors that due to a previous illness I would not be able to conceive. At times this would bother me but I wasn’t at a place in my life that I felt children fit so the fleeting moment would pass. I’m so glad Doctors can be wrong.

When I met my future husband the things I wanted or desired changed. Within weeks we knew that our future was together so I shared with him what I had been told. Even though we both wanted kids he decided he wanted a future of “us” more. In April of 2006 our world changed. On April Fool’s day I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. I will admit that I was freaked out at first. Future Hubby was beyond cool and collected and just this side of ecstatic. He told his family the same day.

She was born early and weighed only 4 lbs 15 oz. She had two holes in her heart, sleep apnea and a small brain bleed. They kept her for five days in NICU. The last two days I was not in the hospital and leaving her at night was almost more than I could endure. However we were blessed and were able to take her home. We named her Teagan Shae which means “Beautiful Gift.”

I never knew how much I could love someone. It is the closest to unconditional love that I could possibly feel. I am amazed by her every day. And even on the hardest days she can laugh and everything wrong melts away.

My Mom use to tell me and my Brother that she was made to be our Mom. I thought that was corny. Now I know that I was made to be Teagan’s Mom. And then Kaitlyn’s.

Happy 3rd Birthday Teagan! You are and always will be my Tea-Bear.

Please enjoy other wonderful bloggers photos for A Thousand Words Thursday at Cheaper Than Therapy.

Thank You Veterans

2009-11-11T00:04:00.001-05:00

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

To our active military and our veterans, thank you. Thank you for having the bravery and strength to serve our nation.

Tête-à-Tête

2009-11-10T00:04:00.001-05:00

Do you have a pen pal? Not your email buddies or cell phone pals. But a pen/pencil to paper pen pal. I do. And I, in truth, don’t write to them enough. Why? Because it easier to zoom the emails or pick up a phone. However, I find that I share more and deeper in my hand written prose than any email.

My pen pal writes more often than I do and I’m sure they have no idea how precious their letters really are to me. They make me push away the computer and tune out the TV to concentrate on their written word. And for a few moments I give them my undivided attention. My email friends don’t get that privilege as it is easy to read an email and still watch TV. I can only hope my letters receive the same beseeching attention. Even though it’s not a face to face tête-à-tête I can sense their essence through the letters as they can sense mine.

I know since the emails have become more frequent with my friends the actual conversations have become less. My girl friends and I use to have coffee, tea or go window shopping to catch up with what was new in our lives. We still get together but it is much less than before. Yes we are all watching our wallets but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be able to share an hour to sit in a park and just talk.

Don’t get me wrong I love sending and receiving emails. Some make me laugh, others cry and some question what my friend was thinking. I know I forward plenty of those too. Yet I find I am longing for some face time.

So as you peruse your Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogs or other social networking sites take into account what you are not sharing with your “friends.” Face time is more significant in build those connections than your mouse.

I need to go write a letter.

Basement Jaxx - My Turn - Featuring Lightspeed Champion

2009-11-09T00:04:00.006-05:00

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

A Thousand Words Thursday 11-05-2009

2009-11-05T08:31:00.005-05:00

It’s movie time. Your kids are nestled in their favorite chairs and you hand them which one of their favorite snacks? Candy? Popcorn? No, cherry tomatoes.

My kids eat cherry tomatoes like they are candy. And even though I love the fact that they eat vegetables and fruit, at the same time it literally turns my stomach. I hate tomatoes. Yes I like marinara and ketchup but those are cooked tomatoes so don’t bother pointing out that they are made from tomatoes.

I can actually feel bile rising in my throat as I hear their teeth puncture through the skin, the juice squirting their tongues and oozing over their teeth and gums, while the acidic pulp is gnashed with the rest of it. So this to me is a thankful and repulsive moment all in one.

Oh and they eat the entire tub of cherry tomatoes in one sitting. And asked for more.

Please join other wonderful bloggers for A Thousand Words Thursday at Cheaper Than Therapy.

Imaginary Play

2009-11-04T00:18:00.009-05:00

The girls were playing nicely in the living room while I cleaned the kitchen. Since I wasn't directly eyeing them you may be wondering how I know it was nice. There were no screaming or crying.

I walk into the room to scan for misplaced juice cups that need to be washed and eye the imaginary play taking place.

Teagan
~ Come on doggy Kaitlyn.
~ Here you go doggy Kaitlyn.

Obediently Kaitlyn is acting like a dog and doing what her big sister tells her. And as her treat Teagan is throwing her Kix cereal onto the floor as if she was in fact a real dog.

Cute, yes.

Imaginative, yes.

Disturbed Mommy immediately in her quest to calculate just when I had vacuumed last, big yes.

I hope this imaginary play developed huge brain cells to counter act the damaged done to the other ones due to germs.

Candy, candy, candy

2009-11-02T00:04:00.001-05:00

Halloween was great and I let go of the apron strings and let my kids eat candy.

and more candy...

okay no more candy.

Halloween 2009 - Hail the Heroes

2009-10-30T00:00:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow will be my girl’s first trick or treating. We are going to a venue that is hosting an event rather than walk our neighborhood. I’m still a little antsy of doing that due to the surrounding neighborhoods not so much ours. I’m so very excited.

My first memory of trick or treating was dressing up as Raggedy Ann and going to a private Halloween party. My Mom picked it out and even though I didn’t want to be her the costume was really cute and I felt special in it. Maybe that was because my Mom had made most of the costume. I remember the party being scary and fun at the same time. The entire house was decked out in spider webs and had severed hands, bats and other Halloween ghoulish delights. We bobbed for apples, were blind folded and stuck out hands in spooky things that turned out to be spaghetti instead of worms and jell-o instead of brains. I had so much candy I clearly remember not being able to fall asleep and listening to my parents snore.

What were you your first Halloween? Did you pick it yourself? I chose for my girls last year when we went to Hubby’s work for lunch and I chose this year. I suppose next year Teagan might pipe up and want to be something particular. Until then I give you the super heroes.

A Thousand Words Thursday 10-29-2009

2009-10-29T10:35:00.015-04:00

This was taken exactly a year ago. It is amazing what has changed in just a year. Some good, some bad, some very, very bad. The one wonderful thing that hasn't changed is the blessing of my little family.Because of them there is a constant din of laughter and joy in my life.

For anyone out there wondering if they should have kids, it is the hardest most demanding job with no sick days, vacation time and the breaks are far and few between. That being said, it's worth it. I've never had less sleep, money or time and yet I've never been happier.

Oh, and I have no idea who that chubby kid is on the left. (Just kidding, that's K-Bear).

For more A Thousand Words Thursday post please head over to Cheaper Than Therapy .

First Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-28T00:04:00.001-04:00

Today we carved our pumpkin. I found several free templates at Scissor Crafts for Children and let the girls decide on which design they wanted. I really wanted Jack Skellington but the girls wanted the silly face. At least I didn’t have to do a cat or ghost but a real pumpkin face.

I sliced off the top and let the girls scoop out the middle. They both refused to use their hands but wanted a spoon to do the dirty work. I know they are girls, but this not getting sullied issue gets exasperating. Sharing was tested in this activity. Teagan did not want to share and showed it. Vehemently. Happily we got through it with little complaining and no tears. Not even from me.

Since the bears are so young I did the actual carving of the pumpkin. Teagan coached me and Kaitlyn nibbled on the pieces I pulled out so they technically helped the entire time. As my hand started to cramp half way through I was appreciative they didn’t choose a more intricate face. Slowly but surely we finished it and I didn’t break any of the face. I have a tendency to compromise a smile or eye during the process. All in all I think it’s the best pumpkin I’ve ever carved.

We put a candle in it and lit it up. The girls loved it. When I blew out the candle Teagan told me to turn the pumpkin back on.

I took the seeds and roasted them with some red pepper and salt. Hubby hates pumpkin anything so this is always my personal treat. Unfortunately it seems Kaitlyn likes them as much as Mommy and I was forced to share.

The night was completed by watching It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown lounging on the floor with Daddy. This is certainly a tradition I could get use to.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-27T00:04:00.001-04:00

With Halloween this coming weekend we needed to go get a pumpkin. The bears have never been to a pumpkin patch so I started looking for one nearby that we could visit. Through word of mouth I found one at a local church which we chose to go to, though it did not have a hayride or animals to pet and possibly get salmonella or fleas.

There was a school class already at the pumpkin patch being read a book about pumpkins from a young black man in a pumpkin costume with an orange Pippi Longstockings-like wig on. I guess we had arrived at the very start since he was greeting the children and one of them greeted him back with his real name. So much for his convincing disguise. It was a story about a pumpkin trying to escape the patch because he was afraid of Halloween. Once finally picked, carved and put out to “shine” he was happy to be a part of Halloween. I guess he was into that self-mutilation craze.

While the class had their story time the bears wandered around looking at all of the pumpkins. They tried to pick up a few smaller ones and push over the big ones. Kaitlyn was more amused with the straw and using it to dig in the dirt.

I was trying to catch the perfect shot and Teagan started to get annoyed with me asking her to look at me and say cheese. She started to avoid me or at least keep her back to me at all times. Even the flimsy bribe of chocolate was not enough to get a toothy grin.

We finally found our pumpkin and Daddy stood in a long line of first graders buying their little pumpkins from their field trip. I should have taken a picture as it was rather cute. This tall man holding a pumpkin squeezed between these little kids giggling and playing with their tiny pumpkins. However I didn’t want to freak out any hover mothers that showed up for the field trip.

I plan on carving the pumpkin tomorrow with the girls. I’m really concerned with how they are going to react when I cut off the pumpkins scull, scoop out the flesh and seeds and begin to cut out a face. Maybe I should go borrow the pumpkin book from Pippi.

Nothing Good Lasts

2009-10-26T00:04:00.003-04:00

Getting kicked while I’m down. I’m still not sure how much personal business I want or am willing to share on the internet. So I won’t get into the details but let’s just say that my family is a statistic. Things are rather bad and while there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s been placed there by faith. In all honesty I don’t think we need anything else added to our plate. That’s what I get for thinking.

Last week our Polaroid FLM 3732 decided to start dying. First it was a loud shrill that would last for about three minutes when we turned on the set. After a few days of this I stuck headphones in the side outlet and the shrill went through them instead of bothering us. This only worked because we have a sound system and don’t use the T.V.’s speakers. The band aid didn’t last long.

In a few days the picture started to get streaked with pixels and lines. Husband tried different cables different inputs and all kinds of things I don’t understand but nothing worked. At least this only lasted for five minutes when it would be first turned on.

Nothing good lasts. The picture just finally gave out. Gave out no less during a very enthralling Dora episode. I’ve never seen such genuine concern etched on my girls faces.

Quick thinking Daddy took our tiny bedroom T.V. and hooked it up for the living room.

That’s just sad isn’t it? At least it stopped the inevitable meltdowns.

I’ve been looking on line for other Polaroid FLM 3732 owners to see if they have had these issues and more importantly the fix they got. Apparently Polaroid sold really crappy T.V.’s for a few years and then got out of the business. Why? Because they manufactured steaming piles of crap. There are a slew of bad reviews on their T.V.’s just dying. My Brother has a T.V. that is over thirty years old and still works. We had this T.V. just over two years and it quits. Luckily Hubby is rather handy and I think he can take it apart and replace the “bulging capacitors”.

If not, I have a rather large paper weight.

Job Hunting Debacle

2009-10-23T00:14:00.005-04:00

How I hate looking for a job. It is not getting easier. It seems everyone needs a job and there just aren’t enough jobs for the seekers. I have been out of work for 472 days. Now I’ve only been looking for 422 days. And I did move to Atlanta and back to central Florida during this time but my resume has this unemployment gap that is getting bigger and bigger. I might have to start lying and saying I took of time to work on my novel.

In this seeking process I have had to weed out all of the scams and sales jobs. Not to offend anyone but I don’t do sales. I’m not good at sales therefore I would starve on a commission job. Unless downing bottles of Pepto-Bismol for the stress counts as food. Work at Home. Make $75.00 an hour. Lies or just crap I wouldn’t do. Yet somehow one deceptive little one fell through the crack.

I got a hit from my resume and from what I could tell from the reply it was legitimate although a little form-ish on the request for an interview and the subsequent reply back. I suppose being just this side of desperate caused me to overlook the fine print.

I get “business attired” up and head off to my interview. I am a secretary, executive secretary, administrative coordinator, clerical guru if you will. I lay this out as the next scene seems out of place. I drive into the parking lot of where my interview is to take place. There is an abundance of people also in “business attire” parking and walking towards where I assumed my interview location was. Quick thinking I rolled down my window and asked a spiffy guy if he was going to the “XYZ Company” interview. He said yes and kindly told me there was extra parking in the back. I thanked him and drove right out of that parking lot.

Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Duped. Tricked. Found a wool hat and made a blindfold.

No one. NO ONE, mass hires a secretary. I was so disappointed in myself for not spotting a sales job. And even more annoyed that I had put on panty hose in 90 degree weather!

The emphasis to get a job has been noticed by my children. As I was leaving the house yesterday for a real interview (which went well) my almost three year old, Teagan, told me “Mommy, go get a job.” Oh, if she only knew.

Are you hiring? I’m a damn good clerical guru. Plus I bake.

A Thousand Words Thursday 10-22-2009

2009-10-21T22:52:00.018-04:00

Remember when I said I did a craft when I was sick. Loopy-dopey? Well here it is, Salt Dough Pumpkins. Aren’t they adorable? On that kindergarten scale? I really love crafts and I when I saw this on Craftbits.com I couldn’t resist.

Here is their original instructions with my thoughts added but please visit Craftbits.com as they have other great projects and run cool contests as well.

1 cup salt

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup water

orange acrylic paint (I had to mix a few to get the right color)
brown acrylic paint
green acrylic paint

paintbrush (medium and small)
acrylic sealer/finisher gloss spray

toothpicks, broken or cut in half

Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix together, salt, flour, and water until a dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, continue to do so until stickiness is gone. BE CAREFUL. Do not add too much flour, this will dry out the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.

Roll dough in your hands to form different sized balls. Line them up on a cookie sheet, touching each other so that they will be one piece after baking. Get creative. I made a few pumpkins lay on their side and mixed and matched the sizes. However work quickly. This dries rather fast. Use a toothpick to draw lines on the pumpkins.

Insert toothpick halves, point size down, into the top center of the pumpkin to create the stem. Be sure to do this step BEFORE baking.

Bake for approximately 2 - 2.5 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. For best results, allow to cool and dry overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Paint pumpkins with two coats of orange paint (if needed) allowing to dry in between coats. Then use the brown paint to paint in the lines of the pumpkin to create shadow and depth. Lastly paint the stems green. When dry, spray with a few coats of sealer/finisher. The more coats the glossier. Let dry.

One batch made 10 groups of four pumpkins. I do not advise doing the molding on cough suppressant as everything is in slow motion. However, painting them along side a glass of sangria is advised.

My girls loved the pumpkins. It took me awhile to finish and every time they saw me working on them they would have to sit at the table with me. Kaitlyn would ask over and over “what dis?” as she has not mastered her th’s. I answer “pumpkins.” Immediately followed by her saying “num, num.”

For more A Thousand Words Thursday go to Cheaper Than Therapy.

Pout Away

2009-10-21T00:04:00.001-04:00

Teagan has never really pouted. Occasionally she will feel deprived or gypped but being older she will either claim her birth rite as oldest or whine and complain until the wrong is corrected.

Kaitlyn on the other hand pouts. Full on pouts. She realizes the injustice, stops in mid-track, and hangs her head until her little chin rests on her chest, puckers up her lips and emits a low throaty moan. It would be rather pitiful display if it wasn’t so darn cute. Kaitlyn still gets her desired response. Mommy swoops her up and makes her laugh and she forgets any injury.

One day a spin with a hug will not make her forget but until then I will fix any problem she has. I love taking care of my girls and I love them letting me do so. I’ve recently been reminded how quickly life changes and in turn I have a renewed desire to relish every moment of my life with my girls and hubby. So pout away little Kaitlyn it just gives me another excuse to hug on you.

Love Today

2009-10-16T00:04:00.001-04:00

No post today. I am traveling to be at services. Instead of the two to three minutes it would take to read a real post, take that time and hug and kiss your family. It's amazing how quick they grow and one day they won't be there to love on.

Love and blessings to you and yours.

A Thousand Words Thursday 10-15-2009

2009-10-15T00:04:00.002-04:00

As a family we have never had a back yard. Never a place to kick a ball or run through a sprinkler. This is a special time for us as we explore our back yard and the play and fun it holds. Here you see Kaitlyn and Teagan “harvesting” the tree. Their words not mine. The imaginations are running wild in their new play world. After this they dug in the dirt/sand for “buried treasure.” Out of all the things I looked forward to in moving into a house, this I somehow over looked.

Please head over to Cheaper Than Therapy for more blogger links to A Thousand Words Thursday.

Dream Job

2009-10-14T00:03:00.003-04:00

What did you want to be when you grew up? My husband says he went back and forth from baseball player to astronaut. I wanted to be a veterinarian. This was a dream on the back burner until one of my girlfriends started working a part time job at a veterinarian clinic and told me about cleaning cages and putting fuzzy friends to sleep. While a rewarding and noble occupation I could never hold an animal as it took its last breath. My dream job changed over and over through the years and in all honesty I never found my dream job. I’m still not sure what it would be. I wear many hats and like it that way. But this isn’t a post about my waffling.

The other day my Mom brought me two old memory books that chronicle a child’s school years. These books are unused and she thought I could use them for Teagan and Kaitlyn. Absolutely.

So I’m leafing through the pages and I notice something. Take a look.

Now yes these occupations are still valid jobs for today. But the boys get astronaut and police man and we get model and airline hostess!? I was just beside myself. Mainly with amusement at the arrogance of these books. Now one of my many hats is Mother and secretary and I’m not only good at it I enjoy it. Especially the Mother role. Nevertheless I am so proud that my girls have so many more dream careers to choose from.

Rest In Peace

2009-10-13T00:04:00.003-04:00

Joey Watley

Beloved Son, Brother, Father, Uncle

Rest In Peace

You will be missed.

New to the Community

2009-10-12T00:04:00.002-04:00

In order to have a successful blog there are a few things that are helpful. First you should have content that is worth reading. Something to say that people who aren’t your Mother would log on to read every day. This, I am working on.

Secondly you should have a way for people to follow you. Link to you. And now I am finding out Twitter you as well. Google Friend was very easy. Twitter I was SO reluctant to do and now I’m ashamed to say I’m hooked. I search events, blogs, people. Mainly famous. I have no idea what the draw is but it’s got me. Hopefully, as with any new fad I try, the appeal will diminish to a mere ripple of clicks a day rather than keeping an open tab devoted to it 24/7.

Now the button and link to grab my button was not as easy. This required knowledge of html. Which, I am beyond ignorant about. I know what it stands for and can recognize it but to translate it into a form that I could use or even know how to use looked to be a daunting task. So I Googled “How to make button for blog.” It lead me to Following The Footsteps (look code!!). It so happens that she is a blogger that is also a dabbling blog designer and has another site Jenieshell’s Design Challenge (ha, I did it again) which explained oodles of stuff. Not only explains it, she has the best laymen’s terms to help out the challenged. Like me. Now thanks to Jen I have a button and a way for other bloggers to grab my button. I seriously yipped “Rock On!” when it actually worked.

Last but not least the thing you need most in creating a great blog is other bloggers. One step at a time I will figure this blogging thing out. Especially with help from all the wonderful bloggers I have so far been honored to encounter.

Vaccinate or Not

2009-10-09T00:04:00.001-04:00

I am so copping out of this blog post today. Either I have a sinus infection or a cold/sinus infection. Either way I feel like dusty cotton has been shoved between my ears, jalapeno juice squirted in my eyes and soaking wet spit balls shoved up my nose. Yeah me. *fist pump* More importantly according to my husband I should not do anything that takes brain power while I’m sick. So no crafts (you’ll see next week) and no sharing my thoughts and views on my life and the extension of my life.

This illness has caused me to reflect more on the H1N1 flu shot. I have a close family member that is in the medical field and is pushing me to get my family vaccinated. Not pushing too hard as they know how stubborn I am and if they shove me enough I’ll say no out of spite. But I’m feeling beyond rough right now and I would hate for one of the bears to get sick and feel this awful. My family member rattled off some numbers of how many Americans will get the H1N1 flu and more importantly that possibly around 90,000 may die from said flu. I’m a huge worrywart and until recently worried about every little thing. Over the past year with hard work I have reduced this flaw tremendously but with the thought of my family getting ill it has started to creep back.

I’m going to do some more research over the weekend and weigh my heart and I’ll finish this conversation on Monday with a clearer head.

But I want to know are you going to get the shot?

Going to get your family vaccinated?

If so, why?

If not, why?

Right now it is time for more cold meds but I leave you with a juvenile rhyme that has been going through my head all day.

When your nose is runny,
And you kiss your honey,
You may think it is funny,
But it’s snot.

A Thousand Words Thursday 10-08-2009

2009-10-08T00:04:00.005-04:00

Led Zeppelin is the best Mommy!

A Thousand Words Thursday was started by http://www.themomjen.com/ and if you would like to participate head on over sign up. Or just pay her a visit to see all the other wonderful blogs sharing their lives through pictures.

Garden of Plenty

2009-10-06T22:57:00.003-04:00

One of the top five perks about our new place…a garden.

We went to our local home improvement store to get the supplies. Teagan helped Daddy pick out a good shovel.

Since the soil on the property is not the best we grabbed several bags of soil. Plus our choices of herbs and vegetables. Daddy picked oregano, basil, thyme and mint. I picked cucumbers and jalapenos. The girls picked tomatoes and strawberries.

Even though it was late in the day Daddy put on some work clothes, dug and planted our garden. It is more his garden than “ours” as he will be tending it but we will all benefit. I’m so excited. I love fresh herbs and stuffed jalapenos are the best snack food invented. I haven’t reminded the girls that we planted tomato plants as they wouldn’t understand why there aren’t tomatoes on them yet. I will have to video the first time we show them that there are tomatoes in the back yard. I imagine a few awe struck faces. After that we may have to put up a fence so they don’t go scavenging when we go out back.

Moving Day

2009-10-05T22:52:00.005-04:00

Moving is beyond difficult. It has to be one of the top ten life stresses. My childhood consisted of several moves. Moves that were job related but consisted of so many I might as well have been labeled a “military brat.” I don’t regret any of them. I was blessed to see and experience some of the most beautiful places America has to offer and best of all I didn’t have to pack or unpack. Because that is the killer about moving.

Everything has to go into a box. Even if it’s in a box it needs to go into a bigger box. And you have to pack it carefully because if that hits this it’s going to break. And once you get to where you are going you have to unpack everything and then wash it. Why? Because they were in a box. Sheets. Towels. Dishes. Spoons. Picture frames. It’s the ultimate in spring cleaning.

We are not done unpacking but the worst is behind us. Now comes the rebuilding. Finding new places to eat. Grocery stores, parks, church home. All the necessities. I do have a leg up as I moved into one of my old childhood homes. Creepy. I tuck my girls into bed in the room my Mom tucked me in. And best yet I now sleep and get frisky in the room my parents, I assume, did the same. It really isn’t that damaging to my psyche as I had an above average happy childhood. I come from a divorced home but that just gave me two extra parents to love me. There were ups and downs. Like when my entire family forgot my 16th birthday. But that is for another day, if ever, to dissect. Overall this home was a wonderful place full of happy memories and now I get to build even more with my family.

Speaking of my wonderful parents. They came up to help us move. They packed and loaded and watched the girls. And then they joined Hubby and me in the “Loopy Zone.” Here is proof.

OzYourself

2009-10-05T10:37:00.001-04:00

Vacation...ha!

2009-09-18T00:04:00.001-04:00

This is my entire place. Boxes, boxes, boxes everywhere. We are in the middle of a move and I just cannot blog anymore. I want to but I have no ideas to write about as my mind is wrapped around packing and keeping the “bears” out and off the boxes. So I am taking a “vacation” until September 28th.

This is already the worst vacation ever.

That's Genetic

2009-09-17T11:55:00.002-04:00

For those of you who are curious about the "anonymous" comment on the feet picture, it was from my husband. Every time something is said or referenced in any way to Teagan’s feet he brings the “that’s genetic” comment back.

This all started after one of Teagan’s first doctor visits after her birth, which Daddy took her to without me. I’m not positive that I was already back to work but I can’t imagine I was just sitting at home eating bon-bons while he took my first born to be scrutinized by a medical professional.

After the visit I needed full details due to being a neurotic smother-mother, and proud of it. Apparently during the visit the doctor commented on Teagan’s toes.

Before I finish this let me state that Teagan’s pediatrician was Dr. Deborah L. Marcus in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Marcus is the best pediatrician we have ever seen and we have seen five at this point. If I could I would drive down to Florida for my girl’s appointments to see Dr. Marcus I would. I respect Dr. Marcus’ opinion and would listen and follow any advice she gives when it comes to my kids.

Back to the comment. Dr. Marcus was looking over Teagan. Counting the fingers and toes. She stopped. Looked at Husband. Pointed at her toes and said “That’s genetic.” In a tone, described by Husband, that if you don’t have it and your wife doesn’t have it…

Now knowing Dr. Marcus I don’t think she was insinuating to go check some toes to verify fatherhood. I think she was just pointing out a gene. But Husband thinks it is still funny to this day and says it at least monthly.

What’s the gene? If you look at the feet picture the largest set of feet is Teagan’s. Her second and third toe is slightly joined at the bottom. I have this feature. My Mom has this feature.

Kaitlyn does not have the joined toes. That’s because she is the identical female version of her Father!

Wordless Wednesday - September 16, 2009

2009-09-16T00:14:00.001-04:00

Writer in Training

2009-09-15T00:04:00.001-04:00

Teagan’s first invented story. As told from her car seat to no one in particular.

Once upon a time.

Kaitlyn was naughty.

Kaitlyn got in big trouble.

Daddy said GO TO YOUR ROOM.

At this point her story ended due to Daddy and my raucous laughter and our arrival at the park.

2009 Grandparents of the Year

2009-09-14T00:22:00.005-04:00

My Mom and Dad are Runners-Up in 2009 Grandparents of the Year Awards. Of course in my opinion they should have come in first place as they are the most loving, caring and nurturing Grandparents out there. No bias, I swear. They have been involved in my girls and their other granddaughter's lives from the beginning. Enjoying each milestone with them and marveling at their brilliance. Once again, no bias. My daughters enjoy every minute they get with their Grandparents even when it's over a webcam. One indicator of how much they love them is that Poppy is also the name of Teagan's imaginary friend. It doesn't get more adoring than that.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200909_v3/

Side Kick

2009-09-11T00:26:00.003-04:00

Teagan was running around the house saying “Super Teagan” pretending to fly. She started calling everyone Super-insert name. I don’t know if she is too young or if this avenue just has never been explored but I asked her if she wanted to put on her super girl costume from last Halloween. Excitement filled the air as she bounded up and around screaming “yes, yes, yes.”

The costume from last year was too big on her then so I knew it would fit. Sadly to say Teagan aka Stick Girl still swam in her super girl costume. That didn’t matter because now she had a cape.

Now Kaitlyn was looking on with excitement as well. The only problem is we only have one super girl outfit. I offered Kaitlyn her costume from last year which was a lady bug. I swear she gave me a who-are-you-kidding look. Not having many options I offered her the Florida Gator Cheerleader outfit. (Go Gators!) I think because it had a large logo on the chest like Teagan’s super girl outfit that this made it acceptable.

So here you are Super Girl saving the day with her trusty side kick Florida Gator Cheerleader. (Go Gators!) They wore these outfits all night and demanded to wear them the next day.

Monkey Games

2009-09-10T00:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I mentioned donating things to Goodwill. We had some wicker furniture that needed to leave our home. Hubby put this three drawer dresser by the door for departure.

In less than five minutes Teagan had climbed in and it toppled onto her. I made sure she was not hurt and went to get the camera. Lucky for me she is out of her hide from the camera phase and gave me a nice toothy grin.

I love my kids!

Lesson Learned

2009-09-09T00:07:00.003-04:00

Today I was gathering several items to take to our local Goodwill store. Things I no longer needed but items that were in good condition. This stop at Goodwill was to be first before going to the park and then grocery shopping. So while Hubby was finishing on the computer I decided to load up the car with the donations.

I grab two strollers and head out the door. As I get halfway down the breezeway I hear ~clunk~ which is undeniably the sound of the door being locked. Teagan has just locked me out of the apartment. I decided to worry about it after I loaded the car and proceeded in my task. While rearranging the trunk I ponder why I only took half my keys out. I had to unlatch the car set from the house set. Now this is only a click of a ring but something I rarely do. So why did I do it today? Is the other half so darn heavy I couldn’t take it too? I couldn’t come up with a valid answer except that my guardian angel convinced me to do it because he needed a good laugh.

I go back to the apartment and yes, Teagan has locked me out. I knock. I hear footsteps that are definitely Teagan’s.

Teagan: Who’s there? (For the sake of this post all italics should be said in a sing-song voice.)

Me: It’s Mommy. Unlock the door.

Teagan: Come in.

Me: You locked me out. Unlock the door.

Teagan: Come in Mommy.

Me: Unlock the door.

Teagan: ………

Me: Go get Daddy.

I hear footsteps go away. But not the way to our bedroom where Daddy is but back into the living room where Max and Ruby is playing. (For those Noggin illiterate, Max and Ruby is a cartoon of bunny siblings where Ruby bosses the younger Max around the entire episode. Really uplifting and Teagan loves it.)

Me: TEAGAN, GO GET YOUR DADDY.

Teagan: (from a distance) Come in.

I bang on the door a few times and get the same sing-song response, Come in. No true interaction with Teagan and no Daddy. I don't know my neighbors and really don't want to meet them because they come out of their apartments annoyed at the loud woman beating on the door. Time for a different course of action.

I go around to our spare bedroom window. This means I have to go through shrubs and bushes that are no doubt bug, spider and maybe snake infested. I bang as hard as I can on these. Nothing. I bang some more. Nothing.

I would have gone to the bedroom window but our apartment is on an incline and I can’t reach the window. Throwing rocks was an option but I had the fear of busting a window in my undertaking. Back to the front door I go.

I pound on the door this time. To hell with the neighbors. Yelling at Teagan to get her Daddy. I suppose she is either tired of hearing me yell or Max and Ruby has went to commercial because I hear her little footsteps again.

Teagan: Mommy, come in.

Me: I can’t Teagan you have locked me out.

Silence. But she is still there.

Me: Teagan, unlock the door.

She wiggles the door handle.

Me: No, no, honey the lock. Turn the lock.

I hear the lock move a little but not all the way.

Me: That’s right Teagan. Move the lock a little more.

She wiggles the door handle again.

Me: No Teagan the lock. Turn the lock.

~Clunk~

Me: Don’t ever touch that lock again!

I question Hubby why he didn’t come see about the knocking on the window or door. “I figured you’d take care of it.” Then he says it’s my fault because I didn’t tell him I was going outside in the first place. That’s just stupid. I need to tell him when I’m going to go to the car for a minute? He just didn’t want to be yelled at for choosing to watch his tennis game rather than see what the commotion was about.

All and all it was rather funny. No harm done and my guardian angel should have his fix for at least a day.

Sandwich Stromboli

2009-09-08T00:04:00.002-04:00

Sandwiches are a staple. Whether it’s a grilled cheese or plain bologna I’m all about a quick sandwich to get through the day. The “bears” are not big sandwich fans. They like everything that goes into one but once you slap it all together it just doesn’t work for them. Teagan will pull everything apart and eat the insides and not the bread. Kaitlyn will tear it all apart and eat just the meat. Normally Kaitlyn will eat nothing but toast in the morning but slap a piece of cheese and ham in-between them and she won’t touch them.

I’ve had this sandwich recipe for years and have wanted to make it on several occasions. For one reason or the other I never got around to it. The recipe week finally let me make my sandwich. Husband was a bit miffed when he saw what I was making since he was heading to the gym and would have to eat it cold. I think his exact words were “you are finally make something I want to eat when I can’t eat it.” Turkey. He ended up eating it warm and going to the gym later.

How was it you ask? On a scale from one to ten with five being average I would give it a nine. Hubby would give it “a least an eight” and the “bears” would give it a seven. They still tore it apart to eat it but ate most of it including the bread. If I had left out the onions I think they would have ate all of it. But once again they get that one bite of a flavor they don’t like and they will pick and judge every piece before they eat it. I would have given this a ten if it had a spicy condiment on it. Horseradish mayonnaise comes to mind.

I used salami instead of ham. I’m sure it made it greasier but it was a good greasy. Everyone agreed that the salami was the way to go. Okay so the “bears” didn’t necessarily agree but they both ate all the salami first. I did not find shredded swiss so I diced my own. Why do I mention this? Because I had added difficulty and thought I should whine a little. By the way it did not reheat well.

Ham and Swiss Stromboli
Source: Taste of Home’s Quick Cooking, July/August 2001
Servings: 6-8

1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated French bread
6 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
6 green onions, sliced
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Unroll dough on a greased baking sheet. Place ham over dough to within 1/2 inches of edges; sprinkle evenly with onions, bacon and cheese. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet.

With a sharp knife, cut several 1/4 inch deep slits on top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 26-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm.

Cheater, Cheater, Burrito Eater

2009-09-04T00:04:00.001-04:00

Tonight was suppose to be a pork chop recipe. However Mommy is so very tired. Mentally. Physically. Just this side of exhausted. Instead of trying desperately to make a good meal we took the family to dinner.

This is what the girls ate.

This is what Mommy ate.

And this is what Mommy drank. Yummy!

I owe you two more recipes and I will post them next week.

Sustenance at it's Finest

2009-09-03T00:04:00.004-04:00

When I was first learning how to cook in my twenties I cooked several meals that were deemed sustenance. Yes that’s right I taught myself how to cook in my twenties. Up to this point I had a loving, doting Mother and the few years in between I had friends and fast food. One day there was no one there to cook and I wanted a “real” meal. I found my niche is baking. I can cook any meal and it will be good and sometimes fantastic (things with sauce normally fall in that category) but sweet dessert was my strong hold. This has never been helpful to my figure. Taking this into account I should be posting dessert recipes rather than this dinner stuff.

Tonight was Tater Tot Casserole. That just has redneck momma written all over it. I have eaten a version of this from a friend who freely called herself White Trash but got offended by Trailer Trash. Really? Location of the trash was more insulting? Good news is the “bears” ate it. ~ Do a little dance.~ But tonight’s meal should be judged as sustenance. I could have made mac and cheese thrown in some ground beef and it would have been just as well received.

How was it you ask? On a scale from one to ten with five being average I would give it a five. Hubby would give it a four and the “bears” would give it an eight as they ate at least 75% of their plates. I gave it a five because it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t fantastic. It was middle of the road okay. Hubby giving it a four is a little disingenuous. HE GOT SECONDS! How can you give something a below average score and get seconds? Teagan ate all of her green beans first. That kid will eat green beans virtually at every meal if I would serve them. Kaitlyn is not a green bean fan but even she ate hers. Mind you they were last and everything was second to the tater tots. This is only the second time she has had tater tots and she thinks they are crunchy potato goodness.

Hubby has been so good through this entire process. He has been extra kind to let me know I cooked the meals well but they are just not excellent recipes. He thinks I’m beating myself up over this. And I am. I wanted to find new recipes that would give dinner time new life. So here is a call for help. Do you have a recipe that is in your normal rotation you would like to share. I will take anything. I don’t know if I’ll blog about it but I will darn sure try it. Thanks in advance.

Tater Tot Casserole
Source: Various with my spin
Servings: 8

1 pound of ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 envelope taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 can (4.5 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (11 ounces) green beans, drained
1 can (11 ounces) condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup
1 package (32 ounces) frozen tater tots

In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Mix water and taco seasoning; stir in to meat. Simmer uncovered, for five minutes. Add corn, green beans, and soup; mix well.

Spoon into a greased 13x9x2 in. baking dish. Arrange tater tots in single layer over the top. Bake, uncovered at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are crispy and golden brown.
I am not anal!!

Starving the Kids Week

2009-09-02T00:04:00.003-04:00

This week should be called “Starving the Kids Week.” Tonight was Cube Steak Dijon. I have a soft spot for cube steak. There is just something comforting about it. My Mom use to cook cube steak as Chicken Fried Steak once a month and it was great. With gravy and a crunchy crust. Comfort food at its finest. I have tried to cook it this way and it did not turn out right with the crust falling off and it being tough as all get out.

Cube steak is going to be chewy even in the best meal but every time I have made it in the past the texture was more like silicon than meat. Therefore this was a new recipe for me but also a challenge as I have never cooked a really good cube steak. I debated to cook this in cast iron or not, as cast iron lends a hand in chicken fried steak but since this was a simmering recipe I thought that non-stick would be better.

How was it you ask? On a scale from one to ten with five being average I would give it a six. Hubby would give it a three and the “bears” would give it a zero as they wouldn’t eat any of it and actually spit out the pieces they put into their mouths. Sad, sad, sad. The flavor of the sauce was savory and tangy and it was less chewy than I have previously cooked. I think substituting chicken for the cube steak would make it jump to 9 maybe ten in the rating.

Apparently Hubby demoted the recipe rating simply since it was cube steak. In his mind even the most astoundingly extraordinary cube steak meal would only be graded as a five “because it’s cube steak.” Just for the curious ones this was the meal I had planned on making and no, Hubby didn’t piss me off. I was just too tired to get the required ingredients from the store for the other meal.

Cube Steak Dijon
Source: Taste of Home April/May 2003 with my spin
Servings: 4

4 beef cube steaks
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white grape juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons corn starch

Salt and pepper cube steaks. In a large skillet, sauté steaks in butter for two minutes on each side. Combine the grape juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Turn down and simmer for ten minutes. Remove two tablespoons of liquid; mix with the two tablespoons of corn starch; pour back in. Cook one minute more or until sauce thickens. Serve sauce over the cube steaks.

No picture tonight. I’m a little bit distracted with a burden I’m dealing with. I’m hoping this distraction will go away tomorrow (actually since this post will be on Wednesday, today is more accurate) to either launch me in a wonderful direction or wrap things up for our family to quite literally move on. If you get a chance, say a little prayer for the path to happiness to open, no matter which one it is, I am grateful.

Recipe Experiment Night Two

2009-09-01T00:04:00.001-04:00

The recipe experiment continues. Tonight was chicken enchiladas. Now Hubby makes a phenomenal chicken enchilada with fresh lime and cilantro but it takes an overnight marinating and more preparation than most of us can muster on a Monday night.

This recipe was quick and had all the ingredients to make a good meal. Minus the cilantro. Which my kids don’t like any way.

I had no helpers tonight, they were helping daddy study, and it was a good thing as I am sure the scooping of the mix into the tortillas would have been a blast for them and a debacle for me.

How was it you ask? On a scale from one to ten with five being average I would give it a four. Hubby would give it a four and the “bears” would give maybe a two since all they ate was the black beans. Teagan ate a tad more but it wasn’t substantial enough to raise the score. The tortillas mushed up with the sauce and stuck to the bottom of the pan. Husband said that it would go up a point if I doubled the cheese. He felt that the burrito supreme at Taco Bell tasted better than these. I have to agree.

I would spray the bottom of the pan with Pam and ixnay the sauce, double the cheese inside and out, and only pour 4 ounces of enchilada sauce on top. Maybe that would add up to more of a wet burrito.

When I cook something better than Hubby does (biscuits, oatmeal cookies) he jokes that he is fired from cooking it and will never do so again. Well his job is secure with the chicken enchiladas!

So far this experiment has been a bust. Hubby is really dreading tomorrow night so I might change it up to have a pleasant dining experience. Unless he pisses me off and then he can just deal. Just kidding he’s really a big sweetheart and I love him for tolerating the glory of Me.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Source: Taste of Home, Cooking School/Fall 2001
Servings: 8

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 envelop taco seasoning
1 jar (16 ounces) chunky salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups (8 ounces) Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 can (15 ounces) mild enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas (6 inch)
2 tablespoons sliced black olives

Prepare chicken with taco seasoning as directed on package of taco seasoning mix; cool 10 minutes. Stir in salsa, beans, corn and 1 cup cheese. Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on bottom of 13x9x2 baking dish. Place 2/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in dish, seam side down, on top of sauce. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with the remaining cheese and the sliced ripe olives. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is hot.

Leaving the Dinner Norm

2009-08-31T00:04:00.001-04:00

The dinner rut has gotten to be too much. We have the same meals over and over again. It’s not bad enough that if you come over on Tuesday you know we will be eating tacos but it’s not far from it. So this week we I have decided to cook five different meal s and if we get a chance one lunch. Normally lunch is leftovers. If I don’t enforce this rule leftovers hit the trash and I hate throwing away food more than words can express.

In preparation for this week I pulled out stacks of cooking magazines and went through looking for things that the family would eat. I have a husband who hates mushrooms and is not fond of squashes. And of course the “bears” who would rather eat chicken and French fries over and over. It is very important to push the envelope while having a good feeling that everyone will eat it.

Tonight is meat loaf. Most of you probably have a meat loaf in your normal rotation. We do not. Mainly because I have yet to find the meat loaf. Not that I haven’t looked. I’ve baked individual loafs, ones wrapped in bacon, a mix with pork and beef or cheese. Nothing stands out as the best. The concept is great; meat mixed with bread and spice topped with a ketchup derivative.

Teagan is very interested in what cooking is all about. With her being almost three I allow her on occasion to put in an ingredient here and there but over all just to be in the kitchen and standing on a step stool and watching. Kaitlyn has been extra grumpy lately and really just wanted to be a part of the fun so I had both girls standing on the stool trying to “help.” They actually did very well and did not touch too much. I would love for them to grow up wanting to cook and learning how to cook. Not just how to follow a recipe but to know which things would work together and experiment to find their own cooking niche.

Therefore both “bears” are in the kitchen with me. On most occasions Daddy would have walked past the kitchen and not bothered to really soak in the situation. With all three of us though I think he looked more closely than normal as he passed to go into the other room. Two minutes later he came out and said “You just put carrots in that! This is going to so suck!” Sounded just like a disgruntled five year old. Ah, the aspect of surprise was ruined. He wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t seen it. After that he grabbed the recipe and perused it to see what else he was going to hate. I am very thankful that he had no more “ah, gee” remarks.

How was it you ask? Okay. On a scale from one to ten with five being average I would give it a six. Hubby would give it a four and I suppose the “bears” would give it less since they didn’t eat all of their portions. The sauce was way too sweet. I would double the tomato sauce to even that out. The meat loaf was moist and no you didn’t taste carrot. Just above average isn’t going to make it into the rotation. Alas my search continues. I’m going to post the recipe because that’s the point of this week but please feel free to modify to your taste.

Best-Ever Meat Loaf (their name not mine)
Source: Taste of Home, February/March 2002
Servings: 6

2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
3 slices of bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

Topping:
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard

In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add bread; let stand as you mix the rest. Mix onion, carrot, cheese, parsley, salt, basil and pepper in another bowl. Add soaked bread and meat. In a baking pan shape beef mixture into a 7x3x2 loaf. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Combine the topping ingredients; spoon some over meat loaf. Bake for about 30 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink, occasionally spooning some of the remaining topping over loaf. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Ridin' the Range

2009-08-14T18:57:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Nicole!!

2009-08-14T00:04:00.003-04:00

I have five girlfriends that have been everlasting. Today is one of their birthdays. Happy Birthday Nicole. (She's the classy one on the left.)

This wonderful woman has been a part of my life for seventeen years. Now that might not seem like a long time to most of you but it is extraordinary for me. No, I’m not so difficult that I cannot keep friends. It is because as a child my family moved. A lot. And I didn't have the chance to make solid friends.

I grew from a teenager into an adult with her by my side. We were wild. Really wild. Yet never got into a detrimental situation because she constantly had my back. As I did hers. In fact she took me in during the most destructive time of my life to help save me from myself. And to pay her back for all these wonderful years I want to share a story. One of my favorites.

Several of us decided to host a “real” party at Nicole’s. We had impromptu parties all the time but wanted to have a planned blow out. We had the classy hors d'oeuvres; pizza rolls, cheese puffs and of course fruit dip. Then there was the horde of alcohol. Beer, rum, tequila, vodka and the all time favorite Goldschlager. I swear I have no idea why we liked hot cinnamon schnapps with flakes of gold in it. And we didn’t mix it. We used is as a straight shot. Mmmm expensive red hots liquefied.

For such a classy soirée jell-o shots was a must. No one wanted to waste good vodka on jell-o shots so we had the bright idea to use Banana Rum instead with cherry flavored jell-o. This rum had been in the apartment for months. And being young college kids this was saying a lot. Basically it was so potent nothing you mixed it with made it possible to drink. Yet we knew jell-o would do it. Yeah, no.

The party was rocking. But not a soul would drink the jell-o shots as one person had tried one and spit it out due to the banana rum and the fact that we used too much. Not to be deterred half way into the night Nicole decided she was not going to be wasteful. We both have issues with being wasteful and it was said more than once on this eventful night, I’m going to finish this whole thing. She picks up a cup of jell-o and shudders one down like an oyster. Not so bad she claims. So I chuck one. It was bad but left a very warm feeling in the belly. So we have another. And another. And a few more. By this point the only people left are the apartment mates and other drunk people who have pulled up some carpet for the night. For embarrassment reasons this is very lucky for Miss Nicole and I as we had decided that we just had to dance to Erasure – Chains of Love. Not such a big deal except Nicole kicked the wall and broke a toe and a friend threw a cheese puff at me and I hit the ground as if a brick had cracked my skull.

Not only did she “play" through the pain. She stayed up to clean and got up early the next morning to cook breakfast for the entire house. Nicole was the mother hen and took care of us when we didn’t know how to take care of ourselves.

If ever I need a pick me up I can think of her and all the times we have shared. There are friends we have that are great and then there are friends that make your world do a positive 180 with a simple phone call. Nicole is one of these friends. I am blessed to have her in my life. As adults we are almost completely different yet she is the friend who has always understood me and loves me anyway.

Once again Happy Birthday Nicole and be thankful I didn’t share the story of King Henry’s Feast. Or Epcot. Or the time you caught your hair on fire. Or better yet the time you caught your but on fire at my 30th.

Happy Birthday Calais!!

2009-08-13T00:04:00.003-04:00

Just an extra blog post today for my beautiful niece Calais. And for the record she would like me to add it is not pronounced Cal-Us.

Happy Birthday, I love you so very much and hope all your wishes (and your family’s wishes for you) come true. Also I so totally snagged this picture from your MySpace page because I have no new pictures of my darling niece. Ah, to be 22 again.

Aquarium Trip

2009-08-13T00:04:00.001-04:00

I’ve wanted to go to the aquarium for almost a year now. I thought we should wait for the girls to get a little older so they could enjoy it more. With things moving the way they are it was decided to do it now. Yeah!

We have a small fish tank at home and I told Teagan and Kaitlyn we were going to go to where there is a huge fish tank with gigantic fish. Daddy stretched his arms out to illustrate and Teagan replied with an “Unh-unh. They’re this big.” As she held out her thumb and forefinger. I was eager to prove her wrong.

Upon entering the aquarium the hall is flanked by two massive tanks that have a stream of (ugly) 1 foot to 4 feet long fish. Kaitlyn immediately starts with “DISHEES, DISHEES, DISHEES!!!” Teagan was awe struck. It was the exact reaction I was hoping for.

The aquarium is the world’s largest and every section was absolutely astounding. Daddy loves coral so we went to the Tropical Diver. I love jelly fish. Unfortunately I did not get enough time in the jelly fish area. They are so sinuous gliding through the water floating without a care in the world. The moon jelly was incredible up close. They are pure white with a four leaf clover pattern on the top. Gorgeous. The girls could have careless. So we continued on. “At the center of this gallery is one of the largest living reef exhibits of any aquarium in the world. Living corals and thousands of colorful reef fish are presented in a faithful recreation of a tropical Pacific coral reef, complete with an overhead crashing wave.” AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME. That is where the pictures of the girls are from. Now I would say this was my favorite part but it was the next section that has my vote.

In the Ocean Voyager section they have the second largest viewing window in the world at 23 feet tall by 61 feet wide. Teagan was so impressed that she actually sat with me for five minutes and just watched the whale sharks, humphead wrasses, hammerhead sharks, golden trevallies, crevalle jacks and tons of others swim by or just hang out in front. And of course I have to mention Nandi. Nandi is the aquariums manta ray. She is over nine feet across. Awe-inspiring as this beast glides through the water dwarfing sharks and other fish. Truly amazing and inspirational.

At this stage due to our late start Kaitlyn is getting tired. Daddy took her to hopefully rent a stroller which might allow her to take a cat nap, as Teagan and I went to the touching pool to try to touch some stingrays. She was too short. I held her as far over as I felt comfortable and had to hold her hair so it wouldn’t get wet. There was a scuffle between three rays and that would have been the best time to reach in but my Motherly instincts took over and I pulled her away. She still enjoyed reaching her hands in the water and watching them swim around.

Daddy came back empty handed as there were no strollers but he found the next best thing, Cheetos. That bought us our last hour at the aquarium. Were we saw otters, a very playful beluga whale, alligators, eels, piranhas, turtles and so much more. I have lived for years in the middle of theme park central and never bought yearly passes. When the girls are five and six we will be purchasing yearly passes. It was a wonderful day.

Wordless Wednesday - August 12, 2009

2009-08-12T00:04:00.000-04:00

Okay from now on it really will be wordless when I choose to use this. I have several blogs I visit and a lot of them have a Wednesday post as just a picture. Kind of a copout but I've been doing a lot of things and just didn't have time to write. It is difficult to think of topics that all will enjoy. I want to make sure I'm contributing rather than just adding to the crap already on the web.

We went to the aquarium today and I will post all about it tomorrow. PROMISE. Until then enjoy the whale shark.

Multilingual

2009-08-11T00:06:00.001-04:00

Teagan and Kaitlyn are at their computer (glorified DVD player) watching Monsters, Inc. in their little soft chairs. Teagan's chair had unfortunately been placed somewhat on top of her BiBi. This won't do.

Teagan: My BiBi won't open.

Kaitlyn: Abrir.

My girls watch a lot of Dora!

Cake in a Cup

2009-08-10T00:11:00.001-04:00

Saturday night with no real chocolate in the house I decided to try the infamous chocolate cake in a cup recipe that was an internet sensation eons ago. Now I received this recipe over two years ago and had not made it until recently. I made it a month ago with the bears and it was okay at best. They loved it and bounded around the house all giddy as they ate a forkful at a time. Back to the time at hand. It’s late, I’m in my pj’s and I am in need of a chocolate fix.

With my first attempt with the girls did fail to completely satisfy so here is the recipe with my modifications.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons cake flour (I used bread flour)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 large microwaveable mug

Instructions
1. Mix flour, sugar and cocoa powder.
2. Add 1 egg.
3. Pour in milk, oil, and vanilla and mix well.
4. Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
5. Wait 1 minute to cool and settle.
6. Drop out cake onto a saucer or eat from the mug.

Betty Crocker has no worries but it was better than last time. Last time I used regular flour and it was a little rubbery. I think this time it was the bread flour and extra vanilla that made it muffin-like. I normally have cake flour in the house so next time it might be even tastier. Oh yes there will be a next time. Why if it was only sub par? Because chocolate goes fast in this house and I am sure that I will again have an insatiable craving and not a thing to quench it but Cake in a Cup.

Best Haircut I Ever Hated

2009-07-31T14:19:00.005-04:00

I needed a haircut badly. I had been putting it off because the last time I got it cut the stylist was too busy contemplating how she was going to woo a guy she liked. Seriously. I have this strange power over people that makes them want to tell me their lives story or help them with drama issues. I don’t know why. With friends I like wielding this power because I want to help. Not so much with strangers. I also needed a cut because I have been going on interviews and I should present a professional image and not one of a haggard stay at home mom.

I might as well add that I have gotten maybe five haircuts in my life that I actually liked. And only one of those did I love. Therefore I don’t fret when I get a bad haircut as I know it will grow back.

I am saving money so I went to Empire Beauty School to get my hair cut by a stylist in training. I have gotten my hair dyed at a beauty school and it went well so I thought I would give the cut a chance. They have teachers walking around to assist and critique when needed. My stylist in training was very nice. In fact I wish her all the success in the world. She washed my hair and gave me the best scalp massage I have ever had. She worried if she was being to heavy handed and all I could do was give a reassuring moan that it was just right. As she began cutting my hair she was a lot slower but no worries as I would rather she was slow and precise than fast and cutting the crap out of my hair. About five minutes in and she was just done cutting the lower strip of hair. This was going to be a long process. The teacher came over and wanted to switch with her as there was a little girl who needed an up-do and she wanted my stylist to practice. Bonus for me, I get a teacher. The teacher took up the scissors and hair started flying everywhere. I have never seen some one so quick. There was little time for chit-chat as she finished in less than five minutes. Really and truly the fastest cut ever. So I’m surveying the hair and I have to admit it was exactly what I asked for but about an inch shorter all around. I fear this was more to do with the stylist in training than the teacher. I didn’t need a styling as I was going home and I like to play with my hair after getting it cut anyway.

My quandary with my latest cut is that it is a perfect hair cut. It was done wonderfully. However it looks bad on me. I have washed and styled my hair five times in less than 24 hours. I really am pleased with the cut. It is the best haircut I ever hated. Yes, hated. It doesn’t fit me. But it will grow and I will live. Although if I put on lip plumper I would look like Lisa Rinna. Or maybe just her fat Irish cousin.

Genteel Raising Southern Charm

2009-07-28T21:54:00.011-04:00

There are four grocery stores that are near to the home but I frequent Publix 98% of the time. Even when the other stores are having sales. Why? It’s because of their employees. They are helpful and actually go out of their way to help or even just to say hello.

I go shopping with Teagan and Kaitlyn and at times they are tired or just don’t want to be in a store. I have been offered bananas as Kaitlyn whines over and over again “nana, nana.” Every time we go by the bakery I have to vigorously shake my head no, as the Baker’s start reaching for cookies. And last week the Bagger gave both girls coloring books and crayons. I know that corporate Publix wants their employees to offer these things. Not so sure about the bananas but they want to build their customer loyalty with any incentive they can.

Now to the point. My girls love balloons. They prefer helium inflated ones but will take any balloon they are given. On occasion Publix has green balloons bearing their logo and the girls are so happy to get one.

We went to the park and on the way home stopped at Publix. They girls were past tired, hungry and still sweaty which I’m sure was uncomfortable. By the time we reached the checkout they were done. I was going to let Hubby check out as I took the bears to the car when I noticed I knew the cashier. This wouldn’t be abnormal except I went to high school with her and my high school is 448 miles away from where I live now. So the girls sucked it up as I chatted away.

After a pleasant chat it was time to go. Teagan who had been so good even though she was so tired stirred a little. Then she spoke up and said “Excuse me. Can I please have a balloon?” Unfortunately she was pointing to a Mylar balloon. Now of course the answer was no and Teagan took it well. But how sweet and polite is my two year old?!

And oh yeah, I’m taking all the credit for this genteel child being raised with southern charm.

Porcupine Meatballs

2009-07-26T23:08:00.004-04:00

Ah the improvised dinner. Lately when I go grocery shopping it is hard for me to focus on what I want to cook or eat for the week. Mind you this is a huge jump from three years ago were I would, no lie, stop by the grocery every day after work to pick out dinner. I’m proud of at least trying to think seven days in advance. Plus with two toddlers I’d go nuts going to the store every day.

So here I am with a pound of ground beef left from the weekly shopping trip and nothing else. No noodles. No bread. No freaking idea what I’m going to do with a pound of meat.

I look at some recipes but nothing really sticks. I thought about meatballs but who wants meatballs without noodles. What could replace noodles? Rice. I look around for a recipe with rice and meat. I find one called Porcupine Meatballs. With a couple of tweaks I came up with this. For a pinch it was rather tasty and the big plus, as always, is the girly-girls ate them. Even the probably-will-be-a-vegetarian-and-I-promise-I-won’t-disown-her-for-it-Teagan ate them.

Porcupine Meatballs
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used white, next time I’ll use red)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl combine the rice, water, onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and beef. Mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. In a large skillet add oil. Brown meatballs on medium high, rolling around to get even color. Drain oil. Combine tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and Worcestershire in bowl and mix well. Pour over meatballs. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour.

I made extra rice to place the meatballs and sauce on. It reduced a lot so not much sauce was left. The picture does not do it justice.

The Beatles Are Dead

2009-07-23T21:02:00.003-04:00

We have lost our last goldfish. It’s not a great loss since I really think he was the reason my tank would get dirty so fast. I told Hubby several times that the fish needed to find a new home. I would never kill something intentionally so the fish lasted long past its welcome.

He was one of four goldfish that we originally got with the tank. No one told me that having four goldfish in a tank our size would cause inhabitable conditions. One by one they started to die off until there was only one.

For some reason we decided these four fish were the Beatles. The last one left was Ringo. No real reason he was Ringo, except I like him better than McCartney. Well Ringo being the only one left started to get big. He got huge. Fattest “normal” goldfish I’ve ever seen. So the joke went from tossing him out to frying him up. If he hadn’t had those huge bulging eyes it may have actually happened. Just kidding Hubby doesn’t eat fish.

The point is I think my girls need furry animal friends.

Yesterday I caught them trying to play with the fish in our fish tank. The next day the goldfish is floating. I think someone “pet” him which led to his demise.

Wanted: Mattress Sponsor

2009-07-22T22:15:00.007-04:00

I need a mattress sponsor. Any mattress company out there that wants to "donate" a king size mattress to my family needs to give me a call. I promise you, I will rave about your product as the current mattress is not up to task at hand.

You see I’m not a small woman. In fact I’m a rather large woman. I blame my bones. This is normally not an issue. I am happy with myself even though my body isn’t what I’d like it to be. The problem isn’t my girth but my girth in comparison to my bed. Specifically an issue when my bed has been invaded by little bears at midnight who want to stay. The queen mattress will not fit all of us.

I asked Teagan (the one peaking out of the white blanket) “where will Mommy fit?” She pats the square foot between her head and the foot board and says “right here Momma.”

First Real Bear

2009-07-21T23:35:00.005-04:00

This is the first real bear on Land of Bears.

We went camping to Vogel State Park. After we finished setting up camp Hubby was going to wipe down when he called me over. As a second thought he add "Leave the girls." Meandering down the road was this little guy. Later on we saw signs that apparently he had been roaming the park for awhile looking for food from lazy campers. He looked to be around two maybe three and not healthy. I'm not sure if he was sick or malnourished.

Now this was Hubby's first bear but it was my second. Therefore my instinct took over and I walked hurriedly after the bear to get a photo. Intelligence stopped me from getting closer so sorry about the photo but if I hadn't been holding my Taco Bell drink cup I probably would have gotten a lot closer. Much to my Husbands dismay. Wouldn't my Mom be so proud! Okay that was complete sarcasm. If you knew my Mother you would be rolling on the floor. We didn't even tell her we saw the bear until after we got back home. She would have been beside herself for days until she got our call.

That was the only time we saw the bear. However I was definitely more on edge than normal. Now I've camped for years and there has always been the caution for bears but I had never spotted one. I was a little neurotic when it came to food smells at camp. We always put our food up and in the vehicles but if the girls got extra messy while eating I even put their clothes in the car. Just being extra careful made me feel a little better but I wish I wasn't a night time pottier because that was stressful.

Poor Meow-Meow

2009-07-17T15:32:00.007-04:00

Every child will have their favorite stuffed animal, doll, action figure that they carry with them everywhere. One that will give them comfort when they are upset or shares the bed when they go to sleep. Teagan has had a few toys that have filled this position. When she was a baby she had “bug.” A rattle, crunchy, multicolored, chewing drool catcher. We would not leave the house without bug. For almost 9 months this was her best friend. To the point that once at daycare on a totally inconsolable day the caretaker got Bug out of her car seat. Even though outside toys were strictly forbidden. Kaitlyn has not had such a friend. Her go to item has always been her BiBi. (I’ve mentioned before that BiBi is what the bears call their blankets.) As a baby and now into her toddler years, toys come and go but the only constant for Kaitlyn is BiBi.

Teagan being almost three, moved past bug a long time ago. Like her sister she has a BiBi but no new toy really stuck until her Gammaw and Poppy gave her Meow-Meow. Meow-Meow is a fluffy white animated cat. It was programmed to purr, meow, open and close its eyes, twitch its ears, move its tail and when petted it would actually sit down and after a few seconds would raise itself back up. If you pulled Meow-Meow’s tail it would growl and hiss. It would also do this if you operated a laptop too close to it. Which my Dad (Poppy) and I found hilarious and a fun game.

Meow-Meow is Teagan’s buddy. It sleeps with her every night. Has shared many a car ride and on occasion has been allowed to sit at the table while she eats. Meow-Meow has even gone on family vacations. As I felt that being in a strange environment her friendly pal might bring security. Which she did.

Meow-Meow is almost a year old. This year has been remorseless on Meow-Meow. Imagine being dragged along day in and day out by a careless two year old. One who loves you dearly but does not know how to really take care of you. Teagan has never let me brush her coat as “it hurts.” Teagan has also tossed poor Meow-Meow around so much that three legs are broken and one is sprained. I stopped replacing the batteries since the legs are broken because when it tries to stand up it looks like the cat is going into convulsions and I would rather not etch that image on my child’s memory. Just recently both ears have fallen off the cat’s head. This unfortunate though loved toy is on its last legs. Literally. Yet the loving and playing with has not even begun to wane. I’m not sure how bad Meow-Meow will look when Teagan finally gives her up. But this is her before and after photos currently. The object at Meow-Meow’s feet is an ear. Poor Meow-Meow.

No Pens

2009-07-15T23:58:00.007-04:00

My girls do not own crayons, paints, markers or any other drawing utinsel. The reason is we do not want our walls, furniture, toys, vehicles or other items marked up with scribbles. Their Gammaw and Poppy got them a drawing mat that uses a water pen but even that is used under scrutiny. Otherwise my carpet is wet and one of the girls is running around the house sucking out the water from the pen.

This being said once in a blue moon when Daddy just does not want to argue with them that he can be using a pen but they cannot he will cave. Today he caved. And this is what I end up with. It was even in her arm pit. And no it did not come off in the bath.

She's still cute! Naughty as all get out but cute.

Job Search Techno Style

2009-07-13T23:45:00.002-04:00

I have not interview for a job in 5.5 years. At that time, the interested employer found my resume on a resume site, called me and set up an interview time. I drove to their office and conducted an interview. They made an offer before I got out the door. This to me is normal. This is apparently “old school.”

Everything is done on-line. And I mean everything.

I’m looking for employment and admit to throwing my resume at anything that moves. I have posted on several job boards. I peruse the local businesses I would be interested in. I have even solicited my friends and relatives for any point of contact they might know. I certainly haven’t simply taken the first job that came around; otherwise I wouldn’t still be looking. However, there are endless forms. They want you to attach a resume and a cover letter. Absolutely. Once your resume is attached they want you to fill out their special form which generally is your resume all over again just in pretty little boxes. I’m punching so many buttons my job search is beginning to become a job in itself.

Some companies I have applied for that have teenagers working for them ask you a series of personality questions. “If Sally is talking negatively about Mark should you a) Tell the Manager on duty, b) Ignore her comments and continue to work, or c) Stir things up by telling her Mark thinks her butt is too big?” Seriously? Unfortunately this is not a joke. It is not word for word but a nearby amusement company asked over 30 questions just like this. By the end I was pretty sure I didn’t want to work there as I have already finished high school and have a diploma as proof.

In my quest for employment I have experienced technology running the system. Evidence for this is my very first live on-line interview. I was on the phone with the pursuing employer and half way through the conversation she asked if we could continue the interview in an on-line web conference. I use my web conference quite regularly to talk to family members so I agreed. She used a different service so I told her I would call her ID as soon as I had downloaded the program. Once hanging up I realized that I’m a stay at home Mom. This means I had on no make-up, my hair was in a headband and I was wearing a t-shirt with no bra. Ah, the picture phones down fall on the road to success. The only saving grace was that I had showered for the day. I was quick with the make-up and luckily the hair was cooperative. While downloading the software I threw on a blouse and bra. From the waist up I looked pretty good. We both signed in and began our interview. It was roughly the same whether it had been conducted over the phone or through the net. Eye contact was minimal as she was jotting notes the entire time and it made me almost question why the on-line conference to begin with. I have a second interview this week so at least the outcome was favorable.

My question is what happened to the people? I use to address a letter to a corporation with a point of contact’s name. Now I’m fortunate if I get a corporation’s name. I’m sure with all of the competition for jobs at this point it might save the company and hiring manager a lot of headaches to not be bombarded with calls and drop-in interviews. However it has taken a little civility out of the process. I feel more like a number than ever before. This number still needs a job so I will play the game but earnestly hope that our technology doesn’t eventually take the human aspect out of everything.

Deluxe Grilled Cheese Hamburger

2009-07-12T19:50:00.012-04:00

I haven’t posted a recipe recently therefore here is one my husband made the other night.

While watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives he saw a restaurant eater indulging in a meal that Hubby had to recreate. I laughed never thinking he would actually do it. I was wrong. So here is the recipe and a nod in your direction if you make this too.

Preheat grilling skillet over medium heat. Start with a pound of lean ground beef. We want a little bit of juice to pour out but would rather it doesn’t run down our arms into our laps. Split the meat into three mounds. Per mound, season with ground sea salt and ground black pepper and knead together while shaping into a patty. Make the middle of the patty a little thinner than the edges so that it will lay flat once cooked on the bread. Cook the burgers, turning occasionally, to desired temperature, 10 to 15 minutes for medium well. Now two of these burgers will be normal everyday burgers. For the hubby burger continue reading.

Take half of a medium Vidalia onion. Slice. Sauté in a tablespoon and a half of butter and teaspoon of Worcestershire. Cook onions for 15 minutes, or until onion is soft and caramel colored.

Rip the romaine lettuce to hamburger size. Thick slice a tomato. Slice in rounds the other half of the Vidalia onion. Set out ketchup and mayonnaise (we used mayonnaise with horseradish).

Now for the bread.

Preheat skillet over medium heat. Thinly slice four pieces of French bread. Generously butter both sides of the slices of bread. Place two pieces of bread down onto skillet and add a slice of cheese to each. Top both with another slice of buttered bread. Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted.

Wait a minute. I just told you how to make two grilled cheese sandwiches. That’s right. This is what my husband used for buns to hold this burger and fixings together.

Assembling the “burger.” Take one of the grilled cheese sandwiches and put on plate. Squeeze on some ketchup and mayonnaise. Top with burger. Add more ketchup. Cover with sautéed onions. Next raw onions. Topped with two slices of tomato. Then the two leafs of the romaine lettuce. Finish with the other grilled cheese sandwich.

You now have a Deluxe Grilled Cheese Hamburger. I must admit it was fantastic looking. Husband was happy. He hunched over his plate, opened his mouth as wide as he could and dug in. Surprisingly the two grilled cheese sandwiches helped to hold everything together nicely. The patty was not big enough so the last few bites were just grilled cheese sandwiches with the fixings. No complaints. Hubby says that next time he will add sautéed pickled hot peppers. Substitute cocktail sauce for the mayonnaise and ketchup. Make the patty slightly bigger and add a slice of cheese to it as well. That’s right he is already considering the next time.

To the Alumni of Michigan. I hope he made you proud!

Adios Nap Time

2009-07-09T23:31:00.000-04:00

Teagan and Kaitlyn are only a year apart. Due to the closeness of age I tend to treat each of them the same with little regard for “age appropriate” matters. Since Kaitlyn still drinks a bottle so does Teagan. Yes she shouldn’t at this age but I’m don’t own stock in Motrin and really have an aversion to unnecessary battles. This results in Teagan enjoying younger things longer and Kaitlyn getting gypped sooner. I think that’s why we put off potty training so long. This, by the way, is still going wonderfully. A night time accident here and there but for the most part the worst three days of our lives followed by harmony.

Teagan is almost three (holy crap how did that happen?) accordingly she has exhausted her need for naps. She will still take one but it’s much shorter and 90% of the time not required. On our camping trips this is different because we run her little butt ragged and the short dose in the car in-between stops is more for recovery. Plus when Teagan doesn’t take a nap she goes to bed with only half of the normal fight. I think that with Kaitlyn having an open bed this will prove useful as Teagan is the primary instigator of naughtiness.

I am saddened that the nap is about to go away. This hour to two hours was my break in the day. I could take a shower, surf the internet, watch something besides cartoons, clean or even, dare I say it, take a nap myself. I love sleep. I can easily sleep for twelve hours. To me an occasional nap in the afternoon is better than chocolate. But alas Teagan is ready and the benefits out vie my little afternoon reward. Of course Kaitlyn still needs her nap, she’s like her Mommy, and therefore Teagan will have to be quiet during this time. I think I will try to make it an educational hour with learning to reading and maybe some crafts. I plan on separating the girls occasionally for one-on-one time later in life so they don’t feel they are always sharing. I guess this will be the beginning of Teagan and Mommy time.

The Next Angelina Jolie

2009-07-08T21:57:00.002-04:00

Graduated to Toddler Bed

2009-07-06T23:07:00.003-04:00

There are little reminders everyday of how big my girls are getting. Yes they grow taller and they have an almost full set of teeth. But I am pointing to the milestones they reach. Kaitlyn now eats cereal, soup and ice cream by herself. She tries to use the wash cloth to bathe herself. I’m sure her streak of independence is what has caused these instances to come sooner than most.

Tonight my littlest bear Kaitlyn is no longer in a crib. Her crib was converted into a toddler bed. She now will get in and out of her own bed for nap and night time. And of course reading time.

This is a step on the path of responsibilities. I feel that entrusting children with little tasks at a time will help them in the bigger tasks of their future.

With the new undertaking of a toddler bed Kaitlyn is so far failing. Miserably. Her new freedom is huge to her and she is getting out of bed constantly.

She runs into the hallway. I put her to bed.

She plays with toys in her room. I put her to bed.

She gets into her Sister’s bed. I put her to bed.

Even Teagan at this point is telling on her so she can go to sleep. Luckily she is a lover of sleep so I think she will catch on quicker than her impish sister did.

Manual vs Electric

2009-07-06T23:06:00.002-04:00

Some of you may have been wondering where I was last week. Lazy? Sick? No, we decided on a moment’s notice to go camping again. I will entertain all my followers in the following days with the wonderful things we saw and did. All two of you!

Actually I have more “followers” but they haven’t registered. Please become a follower. All you need is a Google, AIM, Yahoo, OpenID or Netlog account. No you don’t have to but it would boost my ego.

Last week while camping I left my electronic toothbrush at home. This toothbrush is a Philips Sonicare. This toothbrush was forced upon me by my Mother. I don’t like electronic brushes. The vibration makes be drool and if I’m not hovering over a sink paste-spit is going to be running down my chin. Lovely image, no? I actually complained about this toothbrush morning and night for over two weeks to my half-listening husband. “I don’t have two minutes.” “This vibration is more irritating than cleansing.” Etc. etc.

So for our camping trip I ditched the brush.

The first day was fine. But the second day I didn’t feel as clean. I brushed twice that morning and twice that night. My mouth just didn’t feel fresh.

I am not a spokes person for Sonicare. I’m not getting paid. Buy hey any sponsors out there that want me to review a product, tell me where to sign. However I have got to say I love and appreciate my toothbrush now.

The first night back it was so nice to really clean my teeth that I almost did it twice for the pleasure of the hygiene. It is by far as wonderful as they say. That “just from the dentist” feeling of clean without the pain of “just from the dentist.” Now when I brush I know when my two minutes are just about up because the overall sensation is so fresh and scrubbed.

Since I have started using the Sonicare not only are my teeth cleaner but they do appear whiter and they are less sensitive to cold liquid. I was using toothpaste for sensitive teeth every other day to help my teeth not hurt with cold water. Now I just use my regular preferred Crest.

The point is, go get an electronic toothbrush. I don’t care what brand. Go cheap. Use your new toothbrush for two weeks and then go back to a manual. If after two days you aren’t completely sold on the benefits then send me a nasty email. I assure you, you won’t. Whiter teeth, less sensitivity, overall better oral health. It’s worth the drool.

Mason Jar Iced Coffee

2009-07-05T00:05:00.000-04:00

For me coffee, hot or cold, has to be the second best drink I consume. Sangria is the first if you were wondering. In fact I had some marvelous Sangria at Olive Garden yesterday. I don't think it had any alcohol in it but it was delicious. Kind of tasted like flat Italian fruit punch soda. But this post is not about Sangria. Back to the coffee.

One of my favorite treats while shopping at a bulls-eye of a store is sipping a Carmel Latte from their inner Mermaid dealer. The problem is I cannot afford to indulge as often as my craving arises. What to do, what to do?

Luckily for me the Southern author at http://oneparticularkitchen.com/ had the same issue. She lovely provided her readers with a fantastic recipe for Iced Coffee that I now am going to post here.

In a one quart Mason jar, pour in 2/3 cup of finely ground coffee

Fill jar with cold water

Let sit for 12 hours at room temperature

After 12 hours, strain the coffee. I strained mine through a piece of cheesecloth over a wire strainer into another jar. Now you have coffee concentrate.

Take your concentrate and make a half concentrate, half milk mixture and pour over ice. You can do what you want from there. Add sugar, caramel, sweet cream, or any other flavor you can wrap your head around. It was also recommended to shake up the concoction to make a little froth at the top. I'll try that tomorrow as today I was too excited and just used a good swizzle stick.

Keep your concentrate in the jar or container in the fridge. The Southern author says hers has lasted up to three weeks still tasting great. I drank half of mine on the first day so I doubt it will make it to the end of the week!

Thank you http://oneparticularkitchen.com/ for the recipe and thank you Aunt Lori for the mason jars. The green beans were great but the coffee is even better.