It's On My To-Do List

GIVEAWAY: SCENTSY PRODUCTS!

2012-01-27T07:42:00.001-06:00

A few years ago, my friend started selling "Scentsy" products.

I had never heard of Scentsy, but I watched her do a demonstration one day, and I was impressed.

I bought a Scentsy warmer and some scent bars--mulberry, because that's my favorite scent for the house.

You put a few pieces of the bar in the warmer dish, a lightbulb heats up the dish, the wax melts, and your house smells great after that.

Scentsy talks about how much safer the warmers are compared to candles.

Here's the deal: My only worry was, "What if my kid comes by and tries to stick his finger in the wax or dumps the wax over? And THEN he has second degree burns all over his body?"

(Let me tell you--the Scentsy warmer is on the highest possible place it can be, and my son has managed to do both of the things listed above--minus the whole second degree burn thing.)

During the demonstration, Darci showed me that the wax is not scorching hot! It's lukewarm at best! She even stuck her finger directly into the wax to show me it wasn't hot. I finally gathered the courage to stick my finger in the wax--and it wasn't hot!

The other great thing she showed me was that if it spills, you let it harden, and then you take a hair dryer to melt it again while sopping it up with a papertowel--and it works!

This has been spilled on my hardwood floors and my couch--and after using a hairdryer and a papertowel, the wax was gone!

So, I asked Darci if she would mind sending out some Scentsy products in a giveaway, and she was all for it.

Yesterday I received the box in the mail, and I'm so excited that you all have the chance to win the following items:

I apologize for the low-quality photo. As you can see above the products, it was dark-thirty when the kids woke up today, and I needed to get this posted before getting ready for my friend, Sarah's, visit! (YEA!!!!!)

So, you have the chance to win:

1.) Scentsy Travel Tin: This is great for your car, a room, a drawer--ANYWHERE. You simply slide the lid back to release the fragrance, and you can adjust how much fragrance you want by how far you slide the lid. This is a really great product!

2.) Scentsy Circles: Great for the car, a drawer, a closet--ANYWHERE. Simply hang it up, and enjoy the fragrance!

3.) Scentsy Room Spray: Simply spray in the middle of a room, and enjoy that fact that it cuts down on any odors that might be lingering in the room.

These would be great around your own car/home, but these would also make great products to stick in a gift basket for someone who leasts expects it!

You will also receive a Scentsy Fall/Winter catalog so you can see all of the products Scentsy offers along with Darci's business card in case you would like to order from a really great gal in the future!

Darci also sent me a note saying that Scentsy will be bringing out some new products in March, so she would like to provide more products for another giveaway in March! YEA!

So, here's how you can enter to win the Scentsy products above:

1.) Leave a comment in the comments box telling me what your favorite scent is around the home. (Please include a name/nickname to identify you later when a winner is selected.)

2.) Spread the word over facebook about the Scentsy giveaway (via link, status update, etc.), and leave me a comment telling me you did.

3.) If you are on Twitter, spread the word about the Scentsy giveaway on Twitter, and leave me a comment telling me you did.

4.) If you have a blog, spread the word about the Scentsy giveaway in a blog post, and leave a link in the comments box!

5.) Become a "follower" of this blog. Scroll down the right-hand side of the page (keep scrolling...keep scrolling...) until you see "My Homies..." (Catchy, eh?). You can sign up to "follow" my blog there. Let me know you became a "follower" of this blog in a comment.

Remember--LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH WAY YOU ENTERED! For example, leave a comment with your favorite scent, leave another comment saying you spread the word on facebook, and leave another comment saying you became a follower of the blog--THREE ENTRIES = THREE SEPARATE COMMENTS.

The giveaway will close at 11:59 on Sunday, February 5th. The winner will be announced on Monday, February 6th!

GOOD LUCK!

Old Mother Hubbard...

2012-01-26T14:47:00.001-06:00

...went to the cupboard to try to find something to eat.
But when she got there, the cupboards were bare, and to top it off they still didn't have any heat.

So, yeah--that's how today is going for me.

Good news: It's a steamy 40 degrees in January here in the midwest, so it could be a LOT worse.

And the heater-fixer guy will be coming today at some point to figure out what's going on with the heater.

(Cross fingers and repeat, "PLEASE DON'T TELL US THE FURNACE IS DEAD. PLEASE DON'T TELL US THE FURNACE IS DEAD.")

And while I'm dealing with THAT issue, I'm also lacking a lot of major ingredients in this house.

Like eggs.

Like cheese.

And those are essential in my cooking, yo!

And I've got a freezer full of deer meat that's making me gag in this pregnancy-induced state.

And hamburger. But nothing to really GO with the hamburger.

So, today I called my friend, Sarah, and whined about how we had tons of meat in the deep freeze (isn't life AWFUL for us?) but yet nothing to really use with it.

After a few recipes that I vetoed (due to not having ingredients) she said, "SLOPPY JOES!"

So, tonight will be Sloppy Joe night in this house. 'Cause I have the stuff. I'm new to sloppy joes--the first time I tried them was last year--and they're pretty decent.

Payday? TOMORROW. Oh, HAPPY FREAKIN' DAY!

Guess what else is happening tomorrow? My friend Sarah--you know, the one listed above--is going to be here. Her husband has a job thing in our neck of the woods, so they're driving in from St. Louis to hang out while her husband does the job thing.

I. can't. wait.

Not a lot of chatting gets done since we both have young kids, but it's great just to see her and hang out for awhile since we rarely get to see each other. (Sniff.)

[This post sat here for 4 hours while other things happened.]

The heater guy came. There's nothing like paying the man $175.00 on a day when the temperatures are in the mid-50's. Somthing feels really un-natural about that one.

But at least it's fixed in case the temps take a nose dive and hit 49 degrees tomorrow.

My friend came over as well to pick up a bunch of homeschool books that have been given to me by several different families. We didn't go with those curriculums, so they're just sitting in a laundry basket in the basement. [Note: Anyone in the area who might seen this and need some homeschooling books, just let me know if you want to take them.] She came over to pick through them, and we ended up chatting about quilting and sewing a LOT during that time.

She brought her kids, of course.

She has seven children.

Therefore, we had a 15 year-old, and then we had nine kids ages 6 and under. If you're trying to do the math, just stop.

Let me just tell you our house was loud and active, and I am now worn out.

The best, though, was when the heater guy saw my three (5, 3, and 15 months) and saw that I was visibly pregnant. He said, "You're going to be busy for the next 25 years or so..."

While he was downstairs, my friend came with her seven kids, and when the heater guy came back upstairs he saw all of the kids together and said, "Ummmm...your family grew."

It was pretty funny.

So, now that I'm completely drained of energy from the first half of the day's events, I'm letting the boys watch a movie while I get the house put back together.

I don't know about you, but it's days like this where my 5 year-old will follow me around the house saying, "Do we live close to Disneyland? What does T-O-H spell? Are we going to have cookies for dessert tonight? Do you remember that one book with that one guy who had the balloon? D has a cut on his foot. Mom, did you see D's cut on his foot? Do you think he'll bleed to death? What are you doing now? Why does it smell like fruit in here? Are you tired? You look tired. Can we name the baby 'Mike?' I like 'Mike.' I'm thirsty. Why do we only have milk and water in the house? Do we have any juice? What are we having for dinner? Why do they call them Sloppy Joe's? Do I like Sloppy Joe's...."

Happy....Thursday....to.....you.

Make your own crayons? Why, we surely did!

2012-01-25T16:02:00.000-06:00

Today I was staring at the bucket o' crayons, and I was noticing how many were broken.

We don't have a fancy little crayon maker like the ones that were selling like crazy over Christmas, but we do have an oven that is currently heating our house since our heater won't work today for some reason.

So, I separated the broken crayons from the nice put-together crayons.

I then gave the boys three bowls and put crayons in each bowl--all the same color in each bowl, though.

And then I announced, "Alright! Start peeling the paper off the crayons!"

Now, I'm not gonna lie--I kind of expected D to be like, "You're the most wonderful mom in the whole wide world!" while he showered me with hugs and kisses since he L.O.V.E.S. to illegally pull the paper off of the crayons every time he uses them.

Now that I had GIVEN him the opportunity, he lasted maybe 2 minutes before he announced, "I'm done!" and took off running.

Nice.

So, P and I peeled crayons.

We had a good chat about catechism, wild animals, and other such things boys want to talk about.

I must say this: If you are a girly-girl and just received a manicure, I do not suggest this activity. If you are a girly-girl who DOES do this activity, I suggest getting a manicure directly afterwards.

I am not a girly-girl.

Let's just say that after scraping my thumb nails down the sides of the crayons to tear the paper off, I'm now the proud owner of two cuts and a large amount of blood seeping out from underneath my thumbnail.

The crappy crayons that restaurants give you have paper on them that comes off if you simply look at them.

After an hour of peeling, they were my favorites.

Crayola, however--oh, Crayola. I'm pretty sure they can only be using some sort of government-issued glue on their crayons. Prepare to really dig into that paper, and if you silently curse the crayons in your head, I'm not going to judge you.

So, after I finished every bowl but one (P was really intent on the bowl of orange crayons), I waited patiently while he finished his bowl.

Then, because I'm anal retentive, I arranged them in order to take a picture. Aren't they pretty?

I then put them in these deep metal containers that my cousin, who is some corporate big-wig at Wendy's, gave me. (Apparently they are those metal bins that fast food restaurants use to keep everything in on the prep line.)

Please pick a container that you won't mind if it dies a slow colorful waxy death. There is a really high chance that you will never be able to use the pan/container for anything other than crayon melting for the rest of its life.

I then stuck them in a 300 degree oven for, I don't know, 10 minutes or so until they were beautiful and melty. Some crayons, however, are NOT going to melt. Don't try to force them. Just accept it.

When the crayons are melted, pour the crayon juice into molds.

I just HAPPENED to have some football molds a friend had just given me last week.

Then set the molds in the refrigerator, or--if you live in a place that actually celebrates winter--set them outside in your garage until they harden.

End result? NEW CRAYONS, YO!

We ended up with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and brown.

I was hoping to wait to post a photo of all of them in rainbowetic order, but the process was taking too long, and I'm impatient like that.

Happy crayon making!

Oh-blah-di...

2012-01-25T12:15:00.000-06:00

I was talking with a friend from high school today about sewing and Pinterest and other such things.

Sometimes talking to a person can bring up a memory that has been hidden for awhile...

[Dreamy music sequence here...]

My parents and I lived four blocks away from the high school.

When I was a freshman in high school, I was only 14. No driving for me for awhile.

So, my friend, Lyndsee, and her dad (who was the orchestra teacher) would pick me up every morning and take me to school.

Let me just paint that one out for ya:

They drove from the middle of town, PASSED the high school, drove four more blocks, and picked me up.

And I REALLY appreciated it. (On a side note, I ran into Lyndsee's dad at a wedding I photographed last year, and he said that he always starts out every school year telling his orchestra students about how he used to pick up his daughter's friend...who only lived four blocks away. I'm freakin' famous.)

Anyways.

It seemed that almost every day we would blast "Oh-blah-di, Oh-blah-da" by the Beatles the entire four blocks to school.

7:00 in the morning--sure, why not blast some Beatles, eh?

And we would sing our little hearts out the entire four blocks (and generally have to stay in the car until the song finally ended.)

And I have to say--high school was alright to me.

Maybe it was because I always started my day out with such an upbeat song, sang it at the top of my lungs like it was nobody's business, and laughed hysterically before I even entered school.

I'm thinking each morning, before I walk out of our bedroom, I need to bring back the "Oh-blah-di."

My husband and kids might think I've officially lost it, but hey--if it helps days like today (grrrrrrr....) start out better, I'm up for it.

Won't you join me in belting out a great song?

P.S.----> That's how my husband won me over. He walked up to me the first night we met and said, "Girl, I like your face."

Just kidding.

What I'm reading...

2012-01-25T09:02:00.001-06:00

Tonight I'm going to my first ever Book Club meeting.

I feel so...sophisticated and socially with it.

Anyways--the book we have been (supposed to be) reading is called In Name Only by Ellen Gable. I grabbed it on my Kindle for super cheap, and it's really good.

The women are a bunch of Christian/Catholic women who are pretty conservative, so just know that if you decide to read the book that there's nothing horrible or disgusting in there.

I'm 37% through the book. I know this because my Kindle tells me at the bottom.

But I'm still going tonight because the women seem nice and have promised not to shun anyone who didn't get a chance to finish the book.

And I'm sure that the entire ending will be spoiled for me in the discussion, but I still plan on actually finishing it because it's pretty good.

I guess the lady who suggested the book knows the author, and the author will be Skype-ing with us tonight at the meeting.

I'm supposed to think of a question to submit to the author.

I don't think, "Hey...how does it end?" is an appropriate question for her.

In other book news, I finished the second book in the "Abram's Daughers" series by Beverly Lewis. I'm looking forward to buying the third book on the Kindle after I finish the one mentioned above.

MAKE YOUR OWN: Jersey Knit Maxi Skirt!

2012-01-25T08:39:00.000-06:00

So, I figured out Pinterest.

It took me awhile, but I figured it out.

I told my husband last night that I figured it out, and he said, "Oh, I get the concept--I just don't understand why people spend hours pinning stuff that they'll never come back to. I don't get it."

I'm kind of with him.

But guess what?

Today....TODAY I found THE skirt tutorial.

And I found it on Pinterest.

You know how I'm kind of obsessed with Target's jersey knit maxi skirts?

Well, if they don't bring in a new line of colors this year, guess who is going to make her OWN in a really deep plum color I keep eyeing at JoAnn's?

THIS GIRL.

And I'm going to be using THIS tutorial to make it, my friends!

Ummm...most comfortable skirt ever + making my own with whatever color I like = OH, HAPPY DAY!!!!

And I've got to tell you--these skirts are seriously paying for themselves while being pregnant--the waistband is PERFECT for both being pregnant and not being pregnant! So comfy!

Baked Salami Mozzarella Bites--and a call for Pinterest tutorials...

2012-01-24T12:04:00.001-06:00

The other night, my husband was like, "Hey--what's that 'Pinterest' thing I keep hearing about so much? Apparently it's supposed to be addictive?"

And then I was like, "(Sigh) Yeah, I signed up for an account a couple of months ago, it keeps sending me e-mails saying some person that I know is following me, but I have NO idea what that means or how to use it. I need a tutorial. But I think it's like a big bulletin board for people because we can't remember anything anymore. We just have to pin things to an imaginary bulletin board."

So, then I pulled up Pinterest, and my husband and I stared at the website, and he was like, "So...you just click on the picture, and it takes you to the site where it came from?"

"I guess..."

It was like looking into our geriatric future and seeing what it was going to be like.

"What's that little gadget called, sonny? Speak up! I can't hear you!"

Anyways.

Today, I saw that a cooking blog I like featured a recipe she found on--you guessed it--Pinterest.

And...oh...my...gosh. Holy mozzarella goodness!

If THIS isn't reason enough to go start figuring out how to work Pinterest, I don't know what is.

Baked Salami Mozzarella Bites.

Yeah. I know.

I think in my little heart of hearts I secretly wish I was Italian...or Mexican--but the Americanized versions.

'Cause their food is the best, yo!

And then when you take Italian food and wrap it in an Asian blanket, well, my taste buds just about explode...

So, this Saturday is Guys Game Night at our house, and I've been trying to figure out what to make for the guys coming over.

Guess what just made the menu, my friends? That's right.

And guess who plans on taking HALF of these little cheesy won-ton bites of goodness downstairs for herself? This girl.

'Cause nothing is more fun that a night in the basement watching "The Lion King" with the kids while feasting on THESE Baked Salami Mozzarella Bites, am I right?

The Moon...

2012-01-24T08:59:00.002-06:00

Photo credit: Laurent Laveder Photographe

Seriously--go check out their photos. Awesome.

One of the photos on my goal list:

The Moon.

And props to the person/s who had to stand there for the shots. They had to stand EXTREMELY still.

Eddie Izzard and my own Catholic bubble...

2012-01-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

I love living where we do. It's a large city, but we've made a lot of friends through our church, and we're happy.

Sometimes you live in your own little "Catholic bubble," and the people within that bubble are used to you, and what you believe, how you dress, etc.

Living in a large city, we rarely bump into people we know while out and about--it's just not very common.

Growing up in a small town, that was pretty much inevitable.

When I would come home from college, I would actually DREAD going to Wal-mart or Dillons. I pretty much hated life at that point, and I just KNEW I was going to see someone and the conversation would be the same.

"Hey, Delena! How are you?"

"Fine."

"What's new with you?"

Did they want the truth or some made up answer so they could be on their way? Because I certainly COULD say, "Oh, you know--still dating the atheist who verbally abuses me every single day and makes comments about how stupid I am, how I need to lose weight, etc. I've changed majors three times, I rarely go to class (but am still making a killer GPA!), and I hate the town I live in where I go to college. You know--same ol', same ol'."

But I'd just give them the "Not much. Still in college," and we'd be on our way.

Now when I go home, I'm bummed when I go to the store and all the faces look so unfamiliar.

Tonight I had to go mail quite a few ETSY orders out. I take them up to a grocery store five minutes north, and they have a post office inside.

It TOTALLY beats standing in line at the actual post office with three kids--can I get an "Amen?"

Anyways, while I was standing there, I turned and saw a familiar face.

It was a girl who graduated my sophomore year of high school.

"How weird!" I thought to myself. "Being clear up here and seeing someone you know! Small world!"

And, me being me, I immediately blurted out her name. She turned to look at me, confused.

Time out.

Now. Let me explain what I looked like tonight at the store.

Remember that Catholic bubble I live in? Where people are used to how I look, how I am, etc.?

Okay, so, I'm standing in HyVee wearing a dark jersey-knit skirt, dark socks, black MaryJanes, a black peacoat, a diaper bag that could fit a large dog, and a black snood to keep my hair off of my face.

Time in.

The girl recognized me (especially when I tipped her off with the name), but she had a look on her face that I couldn't decipher.

Now, to be fair--I have NO idea what the girl was thinking. I don't.

But if I was her, I'd be like, "Dang. WAS Delena Amish back in high school? Or was she a Muslim? Why don't I remember her looking like this? What's with the dark clothes? What is she wearing on her head? Is she a poet who wants to hang herself? What's with the gigantic bag--does she throw newspapers for fun?"

After telling her I was married and had 3 kids with one on the way, she chatted about how she never really goes "home," and that she actually lives a couple of blocks away from where we live up here.

Huh.

Small world.

By this time, the cashier was super interested in our conversation.

I told her it was great to see her--that it was a nice treat to see someone you actually know at the grocery store up here, and we went our separate ways.

Then I went through the Taco Bell drive-thru (second trimester has me gagging at pretty much any food...except fast food--go figure) and the drive-thru guy talked to me about whether or not he should take people's orders in an accent like Eddie Izzard.

I'm a fan of fake British accents, so we conversed in our fake British accents for a moment before he handed me my food.

Weird night.

Well, time to play some "Dominion" with the husband.

Huh.

Now that I've re-read that sentence it sounds rather weird.

"Dominion" is a card game. That's it.

Allllllright.

Make your own puzzles!

2012-01-23T17:01:00.000-06:00

When we were at my in-laws' house over Christmas, my mother-in-law put together some activity bags for the kids.

One of the things was "make your own puzzles" from Hobby Lobby.

It's a blank puzzle, and the kids draw whatever they want on it before taking it apart to put together.

LOVE THIS IDEA!

How cute to make one for your husband for Valentine's Day, and he has to put it together to figure out your valentine message to him?

Fine Motor Activity...

2012-01-23T14:14:00.001-06:00

Today I had to finish up sewing some snoods.

I had to.

I don't normally sew during the day--I wait until the kids are in bed.

But today I had to finish up sewing while the kids were up.

My 3 year-old, D, is obsessed with sewing.

I should re-phrase that. He is obsessed with needles.

"Mom, are you being careful with the needle?"

"Yes, son."

"Mom, are you stabbing your fingers with the needle?"

"No, son."

So, today he was in a "mood." I had to think of something quick that would entertain him while I finished up two snoods.

I gave him the pin cushion and a whole pile of pins. I then told him I needed all of the pins put in the cushion, but I could only give this job to a big boy since it was so dangerous, and he couldn't be silly.

Hook, line, and sinker.

So, for the next 20 minutes, both he and his older brother (who wanted to be involved the minute he saw it involved sharp things) were busy with pins and pin cushions.

D got the pins with large pinheads, and P got the smaller thin pins.

I finished up what I needed to finish, and the boys were content. I call that a success.

Oh--the baby was sleeping. Just in case you were wondering if she was playing with pins or not.

So, now that the sewing is finished, I get to go vacuum thoroughly--just in case they dropped any pins on the floor. We don't need the baby trying to eat those.

Hey--speaking of eating.

I am craving Cucumber Salsa so bad that my mouth is (and has been all day) watering just thinking about it.

What is it about cucumbers that makes this kid crave them?!

Four more days until payday...four more days until payday...

Monday, Monday...so good to me.

2012-01-23T09:50:00.001-06:00

So, there have been quite a few posts that I've written now that just don't seem to make it to the actual blog.

One was about a blind and autistic boy who sang "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord." And it was my absolute favorite song before becoming Catholic--it was like a prayer for me during my really hard times of college.

And I had some REALLY hard times in college.

I would sing it in my head as a prayer.
I would say it out loud as a prayer.

And then one day I ended up in a Catholic church, crying my eyes out. My then-boyfriend-now-husband (who wasn't even going to Mass at that point in his life) had told me, "God is always in a Catholic church."

I had no idea what the meant, but I went anyways.

And it was like my prayer of "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord," was answered--definitely NOT in the way I thought it was going to be answered, though.

And another post I had written out about Coach Joe Paterno that I never published.

I enjoy college football--REALLY enjoy it.

And while I'm a Notre Dame fan (it has NOTHING to do with the fact that they're a "Catholic" college--so simmer down!), I've always had a soft spot in my heart for a couple of different teams/coaches.

Joe Paterno was one of the soft spots. The man started coaching at Penn State in 1966.

That's the year my parents got married! It's almost 20 years before I was born.

I loved watching him coach.

Papa Joe passed away yesterday only NINE weeks after his coaching career came to a shocking end.

I had always told my husband, "We'll either watch the man get carried off the field, dead, on a stretcher or he'll die the minute he retires."

Married for nearly 50 years with 5 kids and 17 grandchildren--these people are missing a man that they loved.

And the sports world lost a legend.

And not many people know that Coach Paterno was a Catholic.

"Eternal rest grant unto him, O, Lord. And may perpetual light shine on him."

I posted something about how the sports world lost a legend yesterday, and I've seen MANY a person give really passive-aggressive statements back to that in their status updates.

The best was the one that seemed to think I didn't care about soldiers dying overseas but favored a sports coach more.

No one knows what goes through my head or who I pray for. Just because I don't say something PUBLICLY does not mean that I don't care about something/someone.

For the past two nights, I've hit a brick wall around 7:30 p.m. I went to bed at 8:30 the night before last--it was great.

Last night, I started feeling bad around 7:30 again. I poured a glass of orange juice, and my son promptly asked for orange juice. Since I had just poured the last of it, I handed my glass to him. Inside, I was kind of sad because I wanted the Vitamin C, it was a Sunday, and we have little money to live on until this Friday.

After the boys were in bed, I dragged out the juicer and juiced six apples and two oranges.

My husband, curious, said, "Are you saving that for tomorrow...or are you going to drink all of that tonight?"

"Oh, it's for tonight," I said as I carried my two glasses into the living room.

After getting some vitamins into my system, I went to Remedy #2 for when I'm not feeling well: Laughter.

So, I found the new Brian Regan album on Youtube! YEA!

and another one:

My husband sat down with me, and we laughed through the entire album.

Laughing is one of my favorite things ever--only to be trumped by making someone ELSE laugh.

And it always makes me feel better when I'm feeling down or sick.

What else?

Today, my oldest--P--crawled into bed with me when he woke up. He cuddled up next to me, and we just laid there for ten minutes. I had a flashback to when he was a baby, and my husband snapped a picture of him completely passed out on my chest--and I was asleep, too.

Speaking of when he was a baby--check out THIS pic when he was only three weeks old. Yes, that's right--I'm back into my PRE-PREGNANCY CLOTHES in that picture--particularly, pre-pregnancy jeans in that photo. With a healing c-section scar.

I don't know what I was thinking.

Ah, yes, first pregnancies are always nice, aren't they?

Hmmmm...so, when my two boys were young (you know--'cause they're SO old right now), I would always read saint stories or Bible stories to them while they ate breakfast.

In the past year or so, I've gotten away from that because I'm too busy getting dishes put in/pulled out of the dishwasher.

Or doing REALLY SUPER IMPORTANT THINGS--like checking e-mail or writing a blog post.

Anyways, it's been bothering me the last couple of weeks that my kids seem to talk more about "Simba" or "Buzz Lightyear" than anything else.

I vowed that we would begin the Bible/saint stories at breakfast again.

Today, without me saying anything, D said, "Mom, will you read a Bible story to us?"

Thanks for the push, son. I read Bible stories to them while they ate, and they were thrilled.

So was I.

Yesterday I took my brand-spankin'-new diaper bag that I FREAKIN' MADE to Mass with us. Not only did it hold diapers, wipes, my wallet, phone (turned off, of course!), and keys, it managed to hold all three of the kids' coats when we took them off. That's a huge bag, yo!

I showed the bag to two sewing friends, and they both said it looked awesome, and yes--it certainly WAS big!

The snood-scrap quilt is coming along quite nicely:

I can't wait until my parents bring up my brand new HUGE cutting mat they got me for Christmas--I have the rotary cutter here but nowhere to use it. All of these pieces have been cut out with scissors.

Just ask my hands--they'll tell you the Tale of the Scissors.

And I now know why old ladies who quilt have a whole room dedicated to sewing/quilting: it's REALLY depressing to lay out all of those pieces, figure out that you still have x amount to do on the quilt, and then have to PICK UP ALL OF THE BLOCKS UNTIL NEXT TIME. The good news: I am ALMOST finished--and it's going to be a twin-sized quilt for E's bed when she transitions to a big girl bed!

So, as you know, I'm a fan of Civium Press--a new publishing company out.

Anyways--there is a brand new book coming out on January 25th--that's this Wednesday for those doing the math at home!

The title of the book is The Well at the World's End--which I hear is in the genre of "fantasy."

Never heard of William Morris and want to check out his works before buying The Well at the World's End? Civium Press has The House of theWolfings by William Morris already out and ready for purchase!

And one more thing--something I've been meaning to post about for the last couple of days!

I am now going to be a contributing writer over at "Growing Your Homeschool." This blog consists of different posts by several different women who write about their kids, the schooling, the schedules, the lives of homeschooling moms. I love that each person who contributes comes from a different point of view--some are small town homeschoolers, some are big city homeschoolers, some live on a farm, some are only doing preschool, some have been homeschooling for several years--it's great.

I'll be contributing a post on homeschooling the first Thursday of every month!

With that, I've got to go. I've got to tackle the kitchen duties so we can tackle the school duties around here.

P is reading SO well right now--it makes me tear up watching him.

We're still having issues with playing, "Guess that word!" instead of sounding it out, but I have worked on patience since then, and it's much better.

Happy Monday!

I've been blogging for how many years now? Why not meet the family now...

2012-01-21T16:58:00.000-06:00

I was watching the kids yesterday.

I mean, someone has to do it, right?

Just kidding.

Anyways--I was REALLY watching the kids the other day, and I was smiling at their different personalities.

Ah, my firstborn. This is "P." (I figure I've got to get a handle on some sort of way to name them on the blog apart from "my five year-old, my three year-old, etc.). Anyways, this photo was taken at my best friend's wedding--right after it. And I remember every single thing about that moment. My friend and her husband walked back down the aisle and out of the church to this version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow," and after the wedding party (I was the matron-of-honor) walked out of the church behind them, I rushed back in to grab my son who was sitting with my parents in the pews. I grabbed him and started singing along to "Somewhere over the Rainbow." He just stared at me. I just stared at him. It's a moment I won't ever forget, and I'm so glad my mom snapped the photo. He seems older than he really is. Right after they delivered the little guy, he cried for 2 seconds and then shoved his thumb in his mouth. My husband brought him over for me to see him, and the kid was just staring at me, wide-eyed. He was very alert as a baby and still is. Anyways, he's my biggest little guy at the happy age of five. And he is your typical first born--responsible, concerned, mature, a rule-follower, and a people-pleaser. If you tell him that he has to walk on THIS sidewalk at THIS pace, he would never get close to the edge or change the pace--he will follow the rule to the death. He's also worried and concerned--a car can be a mile away, but yet he's the one yelling, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" to the other kids in the neighborhood or to his siblings. He's always been mellow, though--even when he was a baby, we could take him to restaurants, and the wait staff would ALWAYS say, "I can't believe he's just sitting there in his carseat--he hasn't made a sound!" He's also one to observe and take in an entire situation before he decides if he likes it or not or whether he wants to talk. He's curious. Last night he talked for an hour and a half STRAIGHT about a nature show I let the boys watch. An hour and a half STRAIGHT. I don't think he took a breath. He loves to learn. He's a homebody like his mama. And he can say the funniest stuff.

Ah...this is "D." D is my three year-old. Full of spunk, full of determination, and full of energy. D was the child that God gave me to show me I didn't know it all. Because after having P, I thought I knew everything there was to know about motherhood. I scoffed at moms who had trouble with their infants and rolled my eyes many a time when parents talked about how hard it was to be a parent. Then God gave me D. Easiest pregnancy EVER, and the most in-shape I've ever been during pregnancy. The c-section went GREAT, and the recovery was even better. I quickly realized how overwhelming it is to go from one child to two. The first time we took the little guy to Mass, we barely had made it into the pew and sat the car carrier down when he started screaming. And I'm not talking that infant cry that melts your heart--I'm talking screamed like someone was holding him upside down by one leg. It was SO loud, it echoed in that church, and we had people looking back at us, scared that something was wrong with our child. I couldn't make it to the back of the church with him fast enough. He had L.U.N.G.S. He started having trouble sleeping, and he cried a LOT. I kept taking him to the doctor saying, "Fix him. I don't know what's wrong with him, but that's not normal!" to which the doctor would reply, "He's FINE! Sometimes kids just cry!" But I knew it had to be more. I talked to them about dairy allergies, and they dismissed it quickly saying he didn't have the symptoms. The minute we got that kid on Lactaid, he did a 180. So, for a year our little guy was in pain, and no one believed us. I should have went with my initial instinct. As he grew, I quickly realized he was DIFFERENT from his older brother. This kid was determined. Independent. Stubborn. He's a rule-ENFORCER. Doesn't care to follow the rules, but you better believe he'll let you know if you've BROKEN the rule. Yet he would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it, had a smile that could light up a room, and a personality (when he was in a GOOD mood) that could melt your heart. He taught me to have more patience, and he taught me that not all kids are created the same. He learned the entire alphabet at 15 months-old as was talking in full and complete sentences. He's sensitive--many a time he has burst into tears when he sees his siblings cry or get hurt. It's like their hurt is too much for him. He's compassionate and generous. He's very mechanical--he wants to know exactly how toys are put together and can strip them to their bare parts. He loves his stuffed animals but refused to suck his thumb or take a pacifier as a baby. He says some of THE funniest stuff ever. He's got a temper. He's LOVING--to the point where we have to say, "Okay! Quit loving on your baby sister's face so much!" Last night he was trying to get into his pajamas, and he took five minutes trying to button ONE button on his pj shirt. He has a lot of his dad's qualities--determination is one of those. I think he would make a great priest.

This is "E." We didn't find out the gender of the baby when we were pregnant, and I was first convinced the baby was a girl only to change my mind at the very end of the pregnancy and think the baby was a boy.

I was wrong. And I was still kind of right due to the first prediction, eh?

I don't know if it's the fact that she's a girl or that pink/purple clothes make your heart melt, but I couldn't put her down for the first year of her life. She was so tiny, so delicate--and we had a bond like no other. She was sweet. And quiet. And she loved to snuggle. Around a year old, however, she suddenly realized she could walk. And scream. And scream when she wanted to get down and walk. She's a determined little girl with the funniest facial expressions ever. She has that cute girly high-pitched tinkly fairy voice when she babbles, and we love it. She is an outdoorsy girl (gets that from her dad) and a tomboy already--she would rather play with toy cars and knights than the dolls I pulled out my parents' attic for her. Her favorite word is, "UH-OH!" She reminds me a lot of her oldest brother--serious and observant. But she remindes me a lot of the brother right before her--determined...stubborn. She's my favorite daughter. 'm excited to see what kind of little gal she becomes.

And then there's the child I'm currently growing.

I finally felt him/her move for the first time two nights ago--and now I will stop whatever I'm doing when I feel the flutter. And then I can't help but smile, amazed at the fact that there will be another little personality in our home this summer--another child to get to know, to love, and to appreciate.

So far this child has been pretty mellow--relatively mild acid reflux, and he/she's still letting me eat whatever I want.
We'll see, though...

Two videos on a Saturday that make me smile...

2012-01-21T08:56:00.000-06:00

You know Deepak Chopra the "guru?"

Watch someone turn his "logic" back on him...

And a Ron Paul vs. Rick Santorum video:

Happy Saturday!

A "Busted" recipe...

2012-01-20T17:20:00.001-06:00

Getting paid once a month sucks.

There. I said it.

Eloquent, aren't I?

This is what the beginning of our months is like--right after we get paid:

Those outfits are kind of uncomfortable to wear, but we're so thrilled to have money in the checking account again that we don't mind TOO much.

This is what it's like the week before we get paid at the end of the month:

Anyways, we're definitely at the "end of the month" time--lots o' Ray Charles goin' on this hizzouse, you know?

Tonight's meatless dinner?

spaghetti/linguine I found in the cupboard
minced garlic
butter
pepper
parmesan cheese

Boil pasta. Meanwhile, saute garlic in olive oil in pan. Remove garlic after it's fragrant and add to cooked (and drained) pasta with some butter and a little pepper. Throw some parmesan cheese over the top of it when you serve it.

Try to find some sort of veggie or fruit to go with the meal to make your family happy.

And then remember that you only have a few more days until you get paid...

Friday's quote...

2012-01-20T09:23:00.001-06:00

Hallelujah...

2012-01-19T14:54:00.002-06:00

I really like this song.

REALLY like this song. (Trying to get past saying "love" to everything, you know?)

Anyways, my son will ask me to sing him a "sweet song" to help him go to sleep, and this is what I sing.

And I'm going to be specific here: I only sing the first verse to him.

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I wanted to make that clear so that you don't think I'm singing about some weird sexualized stuff to my kid--because the rest of the song is freakin' weird.

Where was I?

Ah, yes--first verse of the song.

He loves it.

"Mom, you have the most beautiful voice in the whole world," he says.

We've really got to introduce him to some culture, you know?

Anyways, despite the fact that there's a line in there about how "she tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne, and she cut your hair," (weird, eh?), it's still one of my all-time favorite songs.

My favorite line:

"And it's not a cry you can hear at night; it's not someone who has seen the light; it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah."

And I'm rather picky about the versions out there.

Some people have no emotion.

Some people go a little too far with way too many runs in the song.

I still like this version the best by Rufus Wainwright:

However, these guys manage to get it right, too. It doesn't hurt that I'm a sucker for acoustic arrangements, and I love me some harmony:

Anyone else just about fall out of their chair around 2:01 when THAT voice came out of THAT guy?

Techno...Mass? Oh, help us all...

2012-01-19T12:35:00.000-06:00

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE tell me this is not a CATHOLIC CHURCH and a CATHOLIC MASS.

Please.

Seriously--please.

If it is, we are never moving to Sweden.

Speaking of recipes...

2012-01-19T09:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday my friend, Meg, stopped by while she was out running around.

Meg is in her 50's--but the age difference between us has never bothered us or made us feel weird. Every once in awhile, she'll say something like, "Oh, I don't know--it was back in 1985," and I'll just smile. She'll say, "Wait--how hold were you then?"

"Three."

Then it's her turn to smile.

Anyways, she stopped by--which she does once a week, almost every week--and she brought three pizzas with her.

Bless her heart, I almost hugged her.

I don't know about any other stay-at-home moms out there, but someone stopping by your house in the middle of the day is like THE best treat you can think of.

But when someone stops by with PIZZA?!

I was thrilled to have the company...and the food.

She brought three pizzas with her:
Veggie
Buffalo Chicken
Spinach Alfredo

She left the leftovers here, and we finished off the pizza last night.

My husband and I (along with the boys) REALLY like the spinach alfredo pizza. We've had it before, and it's just a really different pizza that doesn't taste like your ordinary pizza.

So, I thought, "Why have I never made this on a Friday?! This would be excellent to make on a Friday when we don't eat meat!"

I'm sure you could google for recipes, but I figured this is how I would make it:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 stick butter
parmesan cheese
minced garlic
fresh/frozen spinach (drained)

The first three ingredients are how you make a traditional alfredo sauce. I always add garlic for more flavor (and my new favorite--PESTO!), but then I would just add in your spinach, let it wilt, and then spread it on top of the pizza like you would with the sauce. Then sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top before baking.

Perhaps there is a better recipe out there, but that's the recipe I'M going to try next time I go grocery shopping and can acquire the ingredients.

But today is Thursday.

So, tonight for dinner I'm breaking down and using the "deer loin" my brother-in-law gave us to make stew. I asked him if he thought this would be a good way to use the deer loin, and he said, "Oh, yeah--if you let it sit in the crock pot all day, the meat's going to be so tender it'll just fall apart."

Good--that's what I'm going for.

Meats other than chicken, pork, or beef tend to make me nervous.

So, last night, I grabbed the deer loin that had finally thawed, opened the bag, and--much to my husband's amusement--pulled out the deer meat like it was a ticking time bomb.

Why was I pulling meat out of a bag? Oh, because you have to let it soak in SALT WATER overnight to draw out the BLOOD. Does this gross anyone else out?!

I'm sorry--but I don't have to do this with my meat that I buy from the store.

That's why I like buying it from the store--it's low-maintenance.

Anyways.

Let's check in on this meat today and see if the blood is all drawn out, shall we?

Oh, good--there's blood in the water. Maybe it won't taste "gamey" now! (Gag.)

I hope to throw it in the crock pot with a bunch of "stew stuff" and not taste any kind of weird meat in there. That's the goal.

A guy on facebook said that he wraps his deer loin in bacon after marinating it in Italian dressing overnight. Then he smokes it in his smoker.

I might be able to handle that, actually.

Maybe.

Alright, no more talking. Must get stew on .

Amish Baked Oatmeal: It's what's for breakfast!

2012-01-19T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is what I've been making for breakfast--and the great thing about it is that you make a HUGE batch (triple the recipe!), stick it in the fridge, and then you can just dish some out each morning and nuke it for 20 seconds to warm it up.

It is DEFINITELY a favorite in this house--especially when I add frozen or dried blueberries to it. My husband, however, prefers it plain, and my daughter's digestive system apparently has, um, issues with blueberries at the moment.

We eat it plain for now.

Anyways--I triple or quadruple the batch size, and it lasts our family a few days.

And I hate oatmeal--I really do. Doesn't matter if it's the flavored kind or plain--I can't stand it.

But this--this is like eating a giant oatmeal cookie for breakfast. And I even hate oatmeal cookies, yo!

The Amish Baked Oatmeal--check it out.

Under the Needle: DIAPER BAG--FINISHED!

2012-01-18T22:59:00.000-06:00

Tonight I finished the diaper bag I've been working on for the last couple of nights.

I wanted something big, and big might be an understatement.

It's quite deep...and quite wide.

But with customized pockets, yo!

So....without further ado...

(Pay no attention to the fact that I'm wearing pj pants and slippers in the picture...)

When I asked my oh-so-patient husband to take a picture of the finished product, I said, "Oh, wait--I need to find something to stuff in here so it fills it out."

He replied with, "I think there might be a dolphin around here somewhere..."

Yeah--it's big.

You can't even really tell that there is a pocket on the front for my phone--it blends right in!

And I extended the length of the strap because I'm not a fan of bags that ride underneath the armpit, you know?

And the inside worked out great with the customized pockets!

So excited to try this out when the baby arrives in June.

Or maybe I might sleep in it tonight--I can't decide.

And let's focus on the main point of this whole project: I started something. And I finished it.

Seriously--mad props to myself for that alone.

Up next: Finish the quilt.

And THEN I can sleep.

St. Joan of Arc Academy: A question for homeschooling moms/teachers

2012-01-18T11:51:00.000-06:00

To all of the homeschooling moms or Kindergarten teachers out there who might be reading this:

My son is learning to read. (It brings tears to my eyes when he's putting whole sentences together since he's been reading words since he was 3!)

We are, however, running into a problem.

If the sentence is, "The cat is lost," my son will say things like, "The...cat...is...sad? The...cat...is...mad? The cat is fat?"

So, he's guessing as to what the sentence SHOULD say in his head. (Which, I mean, is kind of like early context clues, correct?)

But what's frustrating is that he KNOWS the letter sounds, and he knows the vowel sounds.

I've explained to him numerous times how he isn't supposed to guess (this will be fun to go back on when we DO cover context clues) what the word is--he's supposed to SOUND OUT THE WORD.

This apparently has still not sunk in.

Anyone else had this problem? Any tips? My frustration levels are starting to climb.

On a different note, the book we use for learning to read--"Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons"--did something kind of weird (in my opinion.)

For about 20-22 lessons, everytime you saw the letter "a" in a word, the child knew it was a short "a" sounds--like "hAppy."

Anyways--out of the blue, they just throw together a sentence like, "A cat is fat."

My son starts the sentence out with a short "a" sounds--which makes sense. They never transitioned into long and short vowel sounds in the book.

So, after a quick short and long vowel sounds lesson, he was good to go.

However, when he sees the "A" at the beginning of a sentence, he still stumbles on whether he uses the short "a" sound or a long "a" sounds like it should be.

Any tips? Any suggestions?

I'm all ears in the comments box.

Video: Ten Ways to Get Girls to Like You...

2012-01-18T09:05:00.001-06:00

If you read the post directly under this one, this video might make more sense at the very end.

Holy cow--this guy makes me exhausted just listening to him, but he makes some good points...

He also does a video about homeschooling. While this guy has more energy than three people put together and makes me feel like I drank ten cups of coffee, he has some funny things to say:

Tickling the Ivories--Man's best way to pick up a girl...

2012-01-18T08:38:00.000-06:00

I went to high school with a guy named Roger. I had actually known his family since I was a kid (we went to a private Christian school together), and then we ended up attending middle and high school together later on. He was a year older than me, and he was VERY funny--his whole family was.

Anyways, I recently saw that Roger writes on a blog. And his latest post is, in my opinion, oh-so-true.

My favorite part was about Billy Joel saying that playing Moonlight Sonata would have girls around the piano in no time--it's true. If you've ever seen a guy play the piano, there's something very...strong and yet vulnerable about watching him play.

It's also classy, people.

When I was in college, I dated this guy (who was British--but he had gotten rid of the accent when he moved to the states when he was 9--he still pulled the accent out at parties, though) who was a "Christian." He played the guitar very well (self-taught) and could pretty much play any song you wanted him to play.

I thought, "Here's a guy who is great. He's a Christian. He plays guitar. He sings. He's funny. He can talk in a real British accent. He's great." You can see how adult my priorities were, eh? "He can talk in a British accent! And it's real! He's so dreamy!"

Then he told me he was going to be a counselor at a Christian camp for kids and teens up in New York for the summer, and I thought, "Holy cow--could this guy GET any better?"

A month later, he told me that he had been arrested for a DUI up at Christian camp, spent some time in jail, and also managed to cheat on me with some 18 year-old girl up there.

Nice.

Relationship ended there, my friends.

So, being the typical college girl who was tired of dating losers, I declared that I was "done with guys," and that the next guy I would date had to have to following qualities:

1.) Be a TRUE Christian and love God above all things.

2.) Love his family.

3.) Play the guitar and sing.

4.) Make me laugh.

5.) Be serious about life.

6.) Be able to have fun together and be ourselves around each other.

7.) Um, refuse to cheat on me.

8.) Dance with me.

So, awhile later, I met this hot guy in a bar (it's a great little story to tell people at church--I love seeing the look on their face when they say, "Oh....a bar?") wearing a hoodie. I had no interest in dating anyone at the time, and we talked about the World Series for a good chunk of the night before moving on to more serious topics like religion and how many kids we wanted down the road. I realized that there was SOMETHING about this guy that I liked.

Sometimes, though, when you meet the right person, your list of "things the guy must have" changes a bit.

'Cause my husband does NOT play the guitar or sing...and he really does not enjoy dancing. He danced with me on our wedding day, and we've been known to swing a little bit at other people's weddings (alcohol was involved), but that's it. He's just not huge into dancing.

But guess what?

He loves God above everything else.
He loves his family.
He makes me laugh.
He's serious about life and acts like an adult.
He's still able to have fun, and we definitely can be ourselves around each other.
And he refuses to cheat on me.

The dancing...the singing....the playing guitar?

None of those matter as much as the first thing on that list. And they really don't matter compared to the rest of the list.

So, while he might not be able to sit down and play "Moonlight Sonata" (my favorite piano piece EVER) on the piano, he surely can tap out "Good King Wenceslas," and I'll tell you what--it draws me over like a magnet.

Under the Needle: The Diaper Bag Saga Continues...

2012-01-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

For the last two nights, I've worked on the diaper bag after the kids were in bed.

Between a few Skype sessions with my mom where I showed her the fabric and asked a few questions, and between my husband being able to see it in person and visualize things well, I'm well on my way.

I'm pretty sure that this bag is going to be ginormous. I actually had a dream about it last night, and you could have fit a toddler in the finished bag in my dream. From left to right: Front outside (complete with pocket customized for my cell phone! No more digging around in the bag to find the phone!), Front inside (complete with (still pinned and not sewn!) snack pocket for older kids, water bottle pocket for me, and diaper rash cream pocket), Back inside (complete with pockets for keys and wallet), and then the very back of the bag (complete with pocket for changing pad).

See? The pockets on the front and back of the bag (that are seen to the visible eye) blend right in! (That's the changing pad pocket on the back!)

I hope to finish sewing the pockets on the inside (water bottle, snack, etc.) today during "queit time" so that tonight I can actually start SEWING THE BAG TOGETHER.

For those that actually know me, you understand why this is so exciting for me--it's my first "big" project! I can't tell if my husband was amused or annoyed when I would gleefully shout, "HEHEHEHE! I SEWED ANOTHER POCKET ON!" last night while he was working on our family's budget.

I like to think he was amused.

I asked him last night, "Um, do you think we need another pocket on the front? It might look weird with just one."

"Do you NEED another pocket on the front?" he asked.

"I don't think so. I just wanted one for my phone so I could grab it quickly if need be."

"Well, then one pocket will work. This is a UTILITY bag, Delena."

He's all about funcitonality, folks. And I can't blame him. This is the reason I'm MAKING a bag instead of buying yet another one--because we have complained about so many diaper bags in the past.

And hopefully if I complete this tonight or tomorrow night, I can finish up the quilt by next week.

And then I plan on being in bed by 9:00 p.m. for the next couple of weeks.

Singin'....singin'...in the raaaaiiinnnn.

2012-01-17T12:12:00.000-06:00

Oooh...I forgot one one my "things that make me see red" list.

When you step in a puddle, step in a nasty gray slushy mess in the winter time, or ride a water ride only to have your socks and shoes soggy, squishy, and disgusting the rest of the day.

I skipped college classes simply because it was raining outside.

This guy is way too happy to be drenched.

But his dancing is absolutely awesome.

Early Morning Ponderings...and perhaps a few rants. Sorry.

2012-01-17T08:53:00.002-06:00

1.) Why do boys decide to pee in the toilet at the same time and then have a "pee fight?"

This is something I will NEVER understand.

2.) Diaper bag: Everything is cut out, hemmed, and ready to be put together tonight! I'm so excited! It's looking rather large--I'm starting to wonder if I made an Ultrosaurus Diaper Bag. We shall see.

3.) Yesterday it was nearly 60 degrees. In January. And I loved it. Today it is 30 degrees with a blustery wind. Nice. Anyways, yesterday felt so much like one of those "spring-about-to-be-summer" days that we made cheeseburgers on the grill and Cucumber Salad. It was awesome. And because I was craving Cucumber Salsa like no other, I made some of that, and it's almost gone. I, um, was the only one eating it. Ahem. Anyways--there must have been something about cucumbers that my body needed yesterday.

Recipe? For Cucumber Salsa? Why, sure! My sister-in-law gave it to me, and she said it's a Weight Watchers recipe--bonus!

2 cans Rotel (I use Original--it makes my mouth feel like it's on fire, however. Maybe I should use one original and one mild.)
2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup white vinegar (use white--it does matter)
2 T fresh cilantro
4-5 medium cucumbers (take out the seeds), diced small

Mix all of that together. Refrigerate. Serve with chips.

Try not to eat the entire bowl by yourself. The only thing stopping me last night was the fact that my mouth was on fire. I plan on having it again for breakfast--true story.

SO FREAKIN' GOOD.

Between that and the Black Bean Dip recipe that I have to make nearly once a week, I really don't want to eat much else. Both recipes, however, are so opposite--one is spicy and one is sweet.

SO GOOD.

4.) If I hear one more person endorse Santorum for this presidential race simply because he's "Catholic" and "pro-life", I'm going to scream. Let me tell you something about Mr. Santorum--he's really a fan of going after Iran, and has said “On occasion, scientists working on the nuclear program in Iran turn up dead. I think that’s a wonderful thing, candidly."

Um...what?!

One of the first things I thought was, "THIS is pro-life?!" Absolutely not! As Catholics, we should not be CELEBRATING the death of someone--we should be praying for that person!

You can't be "pro-life" and as "pro-war" as this man is.

Justified war is one thing. Bombing a country because we THINK they might be planning to do something to us is another.

You, uh, remember how that turned out with Bush, right?

Mark Shea summed it up best when he said:

100% Prolife candidate Rick Santorum, already on record in favor of torture, is now on record as in favor of the murder of civilians on the chance that something or other might happen years from now to justify it. Some people will try to make the claim that he was not a civilian. Sorry, but we are not at war with Iran. The scientist is part of the military-industrial infrastructure of Iran–just like the occupants of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were. If you say it is legitimate to murder him, you are saying it was legitimate for Osama bin Laden to murder his victims on 9/11.

There’s a reason for Just War theory. Santorum should try learning about it. Particularly since if you grant his logic, there’s no reason why you should confine “pre-emptive killing” to swarthy foreigners. As Freakonomics fans make clear, you can (and should) apply the same logic right here at home to unborn babies from the lower classes. Santorum has laid the groundwork for prolifers to find their way back into the pro-abortion fold of the American Empire. How good and pleasant it is when Planned Parenthood and Santorum are on the same page about “pre-emptive killing” of the potentially dangerous.

You can read more from Shea here.

So don't tell me that Santorum is the Catholic answer to our presidential prayers. I now understand why people hate on the pro-life movement by saying that once the baby is born, pro-lifers quit caring.

While I think that for most pro-lifers that's completely UNTRUE, I will say that attitudes of being pro-life with babies but NOT pro-life in the case of sending men into unjustified wars, well, it doesn't make sense.

I'm a fan of Ron Paul--I don't think that's any surprise. I've talked about liking him before.

Some claim that he supports the morning after pill.

1.) Never seen him talk about this.

2.) Is this part of his platform?

What about Romney?

Here's my theory with politics: Look at the guy that looks most like the politician and then run far, far away from him.

Doesn't anyone know the story of Warren G. Harding?! Harding was picked simply because he LOOKED "presidential", and he is now remembered as being one of THE worst Presidents in our nation's history.

Romney, to me, seems to just ooze "politician" with his looks, his rhetoric, and his views that seem to change every day when he changes his socks. To me, he seems like the kind of guy who is going to say whatever he needs to in order to get elected and then do whatever he wants (or is told to do) once in office.

Oh, wait--I think that's like EVERY SINGLE OTHER PRESIDENT WE'VE EVER HAD!

Huh.

Ron Paul? He's the only guy up there who doesn't LOOK presidential and doesn't SOUND presidential.

And the media just seems to "forget" that he's alive every single time they report on the candidates.

Huntsman dropped out, and they're STILL showing his poll numbers over Ron Paul's!

Just kidding--this is from a few weeks ago.

But still--where's Ron Paul on the board?

And don't you just love that we're being told it's going to be Romney vs. Obama? THAT'S who you get to vote for?

Vomit.

You want to know what else drives me nuts? When people vote for a candidate without knowing ANYTHING about the candidate's platform or what he believes.

When I worked at Blockbuster during college, I had a guy come in and tell me that he was voting for John Kerry because "he likes rap music."

I stared at him.

"What?! He likes rap music?"

"Yeah, I saw it on MTV. They did an interview, and he said he likes rap music. So, I figure he'll be a great President."

I wanted to smack him. THESE PEOPLE are allowed to VOTE?!

Or the guy who came in telling me that he was going to vote for Bush because he heard he did cocaine in college.

THAT guy voted.

I think all Americans should have to take a test on the candidates before being allowed to vote--if you fail, sorry. If you pass,congratulations, go ahead and enter the booth to vote for one of the two candidates that were chosen for us.

I also would like to see, at the end of a President's term, for him to get a review.

If he actually did everythinng he said he would do during the campaign, congratulations--you get all the post-Presidential perks.

If you changed up your view, refused to do things you said you were going to do, etc., well, sorry--you get to work a regular (meaning "non-political) job for the rest of your life and find out what it's like for REAL Americans who are trying to get by.

Ugh. Who needs a drink?

5.) Well, since I can't have a drink due to growing a human right now, how 'bout a laugh?

Oh, okay--one more:

6.) I figured out a way to do a quick "mocha" in the morning, and I'm all about it. One cup of hot cocoa (preferrably SwissMiss or whatever it's called) and a couple splashes of coffee.

SO TASTY.

7.) There are a lot of things in life that can nearly make me see red. One of those is when you take a drink of the mocha mentioned above and your tongue then feels like rubber for the next three days because you scalded it. Why do people enjoy coffee so much?! I see them pour it right out of that flaming hot coffee pot and take a drink--HOW DO THEY DO IT?!

Want to know another thing that makes me see red? When someone reaches over and takes food off or your plate. It might just be a french fry or maybe it's.....well, you know what? This always happens with french fries. Apparently it's a national custom that I'm not aware of. WHY...WHY MUST YOU JUST REACH OVER AND TAKE FOOD OFF OF MY PLATE WITH YOUR GRIMY FINGERS WHO HAVE BEEN WHO KNOWS WHERE?! JUST ASK! I'LL HAPPILY HAND ONE TO YOU WITH MY JUST-BEEN-WASHED-BECAUSE-I-DON'T-DIG-GERMS HANDS!

Is that only me? Anyone else out there feel me? I literally have to refrain myself from throwing an elbow or a punch.

If my husband orders something, and I want to try a bite, it goes like this, "Hey, can I have a bite of that?"

And then he generally gets a bite on the fork and hands it to me. See how easy that was?

Or have you ever been cooking with someone, and you see them dip their finger into something and lick it off to taste it? Or pull little pieces of whatever you're cooking with out of the bowl?

I can't take it--I really can't.

What else?

Stepping on a lego. Or an army man. Two things are happening there: Pain...and anger. You then start this weird hobble-limp thing around while cursing at the moon about how you're going to throw every single toy in the house out into the trash. After you apply pressure to the wound, you calm down a bit and vow that you'll only throw the toys out if you step on one ever again.

People who tell you how to raise your kids or what you're doing wrong...who have NEVER HAD KIDS. Whether it be a personal choice, the fact that they're not married, or a medical reason, it doesn't matter. If you don't know what it's like to HAVE children 24/7, please don't tell me what I need to do or scoff at how I deal with my kids.

IT. IS. INFURIATING.

(Haha! My 3 year-old just came by and said, "I JUST STEPPED ON THIS ARMY MAN! OUCH! MAMA! OUCH!" Hurts, eh, son?)

And last--when a child (or grown adult) sneezes or coughs directly in my face. I mean, we're talking I can feel little drops of spittle on my lips and in my eyes since I wasn't aware that it was coming.

I like kids. I LOVE my kids.

I do NOT enjoy getting sneezed or coughed on.

There. I said it.

You want to know why? Apart from the whole germ thing, I despise the THOUGHT of getting sick. Why? Because I don't get to call into work and then go back to bed for the entire day. If I DID, I might not mind it so much.

I still have to get up and take care of three kids, therefore the idea of getting sick nearly makes me see red.

8.) How in the world did I get on this rant?

9.) Goal this week: Stay on top of organization.

Happy Tuesday!

Under the needle: A NEW project!

2012-01-16T17:04:00.001-06:00

In typical "me" fashion, I figured I'd start a new project while working hard on my quilt.

That fabric above? It's 2 yards of material I bought to make...MY OWN DIAPER BAG!
YEA!

I have went through so many diaper bags in the past that I finally said, "HEY! I'M GOING TO MAKE MY OWN! WITH CUSTOMIZED POCKETS FOR MY STUFF--LIKE MY CELL PHONE, WALLET, KEYS, BOTTLE OF WATER, ETC.!"

And then my husband was like, "Why are you shouting?"

Just kidding.

Anyways. I'm happy to say that the fabric was bought, and the fabric has been CUT into some weird shapes that don't even come CLOSE to looking like a bag yet to me! (That was a fun process while shaking due to being so nervous!)

And, when the bag is completely finished, it will have cost me a grand total of....$20.00.

YEA!

Now, if you're not into sewing, but you're into SUPER CUTE diaper bags that are WATERPROOF, check out Sunshine America's bags here.

She does a great job.

So, will the quilt be finished before Jan. 1, 2013? Yes--I believe I'll finished it here in a few weeks.

WILL the diaper bag be finished before the June due date of this little one I'm currently growing? We, uh, shall see.

Hey, Martin Luther King, Jr.! Would you care for some powdered sugar?

2012-01-16T08:38:00.000-06:00

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day.

That means "It's a corporate holiday, and my husband gets the day off." Hooray!

Every year he hopes to surprise us with having the day off, but I always ask him, "Hey--do you have the day off tomorrow?" the night before, and he says (while smiling), "Thanks for ruining the surprise!"

Anyways, last night our 3 year-old was having a very hard night. He wasn't listening, he wasn't following directions--it wasn't fun.

So, around 6:00, my husband had had enough and said, "Okay, you need to spend some time in your room since you're not listening."

Unhappy, the child actually listened and went to his room.

Five minutes later, I walked by his door to find him sound asleep in bed.

At 6:05 p.m.

We decided to just let him sleep, and as WE were going to bed last night, I said, "I'm kind of worried to see what time he's going to get up since he passed out at 6:00."

"I know," my husband said. "I'm kind of worried, too. That's why I'm trying to go to bed a little early."

It was 10:30.

I went to bed at 11:00 and was still staring at the clock at midnight. (Why do I think Sunday naps are a good idea?!)

At 1:00 we were awakened to our son busting in our door announcing that he didn't finish his chicken noodle soup (that's what we had for dinner), that he wanted breakfast, that he NEEDED his pajamas on, he couldn't sleep, and needed to move to the couch.

That's a lot to take in at 1:00 in the morning (with an hour's worth of sleep!), but we moved him to the couch with his blankets and pillow.

I listened for awhile to make sure he actually was going to go back to bed, and I didn't hear anything.

I drifted off to sleep again.

At 3:00 in the morning, he busted BACK in our room declaring he was hungry.

I heard my husband say, "What did you eat? What's all over your mouth?"

Startled, I sat straight up, terrified as to what his answer was going to be.

"Nuffing."

"What did you eat? It's all over your face. Don't lie, remember?" (We've had a lot of talks on lying lately.)

"Nuffing."

I don't know if my husband sniffed it, licked it, or just guessed, but I heard him say, "Is that powdered sugar? Did you go eat powdered sugar?"

"Yes."

Great--our child not only is wide awake in the middle of the night, but the child who does not tolerate sugar too well managed to eat who knows how much powdered sugar in the middle of the night.

And then I started thinking, "The powdered sugar is in a cupboard up above my computer. Awesome."

My husband said the crime scene in the kitchen (he was brave enough to go check at 3:00 in the morning) wasn't TOO bad--the bulk of the powdered sugar managed to miss most of my laptop keyboard.

So, we put him BACK in bed in HIS bed, telling him that he NEEDED to stay in there until morning, even if he couldn't sleep, and we didn't have any other issues the rest of the night.

That we know about.

When he busted in our door at 7:30 this morning sporting some glasses from his costume box and a gun, I knew we couldn't put him off any longer.

I got up with him in the hopes that it would let my husband sleep in on his day off.

The boys still don't know about Dad's day off--they're going to be thrilled.

So, the start of our Martin Luther King, Jr. day was a little different than most, however, there was a lesson to be learned:

Do NOT let your child go to bed at 6:00 p.m. (when he's not sick) because the result COULD be a child eating powdered sugar at 3:00 in the morning by himself in the kitchen.

Snood Quilt...

2012-01-15T23:06:00.000-06:00

Day 2.

Not bad for only starting yesterday afternoon, eh?

"I will not pay attention to the fact that it's so random. I will not pay attention to the fact that it's not done in one color scheme. I wll not pay attention to the fact that it's a ton of different colors and patterns thrown randomly together into a blanket."

See? I haven't noticed!

On a side note, I see a LOT of ironing in my near future...

Guess what I did?!

2012-01-14T17:34:00.001-06:00

Today I was supposed to have a "day away."

My husband's work does "day aways" twice a year. It means that they take his department out for a "day away" out of the office--usually somewhere fun, and they get to eat at really nice restaurants throughout the whole day.

I try not to be jealous when he's dining at Jack Stack Fiorella's Barbecue while I'm at home eating mac and cheese out of the pot while cleaning up dishes.

Anyways--today was supposed to be MY day away.

I only get out of the house by myself for a few reasons: 1.) Grocery shopping (I don't consider this "fun time"). 2.) Confraternity of Christian Mothers Meetings once a month.

So, today--TODAY I had plans to go to a friend's house, and she was going to help me start my quilt.

Remember? The quilt I said was my resolution for this year? Yeah--it's fourteen days into the month, and I'm already working on it.

Anyways--I was excited.

I was getting to go to a friend's house...by myself...with my sewing machine and 25 pounds of fabric scraps to start working on a quilt--and possibly the beginnings of a diaper bag if we had time.

Today I woke up to find two kids coughing with runny noses and a husband who looked like he had been hit by a truck.

I wasn't feeling too hot, either, but I was going to suck it up and still go to my quilting.

After seeing that the husband really did not feel so hot, I was hit with a huge dose of disappointment: I was going to have to reschedule with my friend.

It's not that I thought my husband couldn't HANDLE three kids, two of which being sick along with himself.

It's just that I know what it's like to feel crummy and still have three kids to answer to the whole day.

My friend understood when I called, and we planned on rescheduling.

(On a positive note, I cleaned out the boys' closets, purged clothes that were too small, and managed to purge the ever-growing pajama drawer--all to be put in space-saver bags so they could be stored in the basement.)

While purging the clothes, I started thinking about the basics my friend was telling me about how to do this quilt.

It's called a "strip quilt," and she said I basically cut fabrics 2" wide by 8" long and sew three strips together.

I am one of those people who can NOT envision ANYTHING--really. If you take me into a house and say, "Now, picture this room without this wall here, but with new windows here, and a new door here," I'm completely lost.

I'm a visual LEARNER--I have to SEE it to understand it.

So, after thinking about the quilt, I pictured in my head what I thought it was supposed to look like.

Then I google-imaged "strip quilt" and saw a picture of exactly what I had in my head.

Excited, I finished the purging of the clothes, ran out to the dining room table and started sewing some strips I had cut in preparation yesterday.

The quilt is going to be a twin-size quilt for Baby Girl when I'm done, and--this is the coolest part (to me)--it's made with all the scraps from every snood I've made so far.

I sewed three strips together, shouted, "LOOK! I DID IT! WITH NO INSTRUCTIONS! NO HELP! I DID IT!", my husband nodded and smiled (good man!), and I kept going.

When I finally had all of the strips I had cut out yesterday sewn together, I started arranging them on the floor:

Keep in mind, I have NOT pressed those pieces, and they are not in a "final" order.

Check out the black and white sections--guess which color theme I'm going with for my NEXT quilt?! BLACK, WHITE, and GRAY--MY FAVORITES!

While the boys were watching a movie and the baby was sleeping, I started cutting out MORE fabric to keep adding to it.

I am SO excited.

Who needs snoods when you can make QUILTS?!

And here's the other neat part about this project:

I am a tad O.C.D.

I like things symmetrical, and if they're not, it will eat at me and eat at me.

When it comes to putting this quilt together, I don't have an equal amount of each fabric, so this HAS to be asymmetrical--which I'm kind of liking how it's forcing me to just DEAL WITH IT and GO WITH IT.

I'm learning that quilting starts with an idea but you can see it actually come together piece by piece as you go--and I just think that's awesome.

So, here's to my newest project AND my newest favorite hobby!

Now, off to make some homemade chicken noodle soup...

Friday--so LAUGH IT UP, yo!

2012-01-13T07:27:00.000-06:00

It's Friday.

Even MORE--it's Friday the 13th. Cue the creepy music!

Anyways. I think everyone needs to laugh on Friday, don't you?!

Raise your hand if you like to exercise.

Raise your hand if you include a little jogging/running in your exercise routine.

Now, if you're like most other people trying to work out, you start out your run with some pep in your step. A bounce, if you will. Twenty minutes later, when you think you're going to die, you're just trying to keep yourself moving forward.

Everyone wants to think they look like an Olympic runner when they're out on their morning jog, am I right?

What we REALLY look like--well, I don't want to know.

This video, however, made me laugh pretty hard.

Mystical Rose Woman's Bronze Rosary

2012-01-12T11:19:00.000-06:00

I talked about how I had ordered a rosary bracelet from Ruth awhile back.

I was SO happy with her work, I fell in love with Red Creek Jasper beads, I wear the bracelet every day, and I highly recommend her rosary shop to you all!

Today she posted a BEAUTIFUL rosary on her site--the Mystical Rose Woman's Bronze Rosary. She said her daughters told her it reminds them of a porcelain doll!

Look at those beads--so pretty! LOVE the "Our Father" beads!

I think this would make SUCH a pretty gift for a daughter, daughter-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, friend, teacher...

Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies!

2012-01-12T09:49:00.002-06:00

There's a lot of chatter out there right now about the Girl Scouts--what they support, where their money goes to, etc.

If you've never read the debate out there on whether or not the Girl Scouts support Planned Parenthood, you should do some research. It's interesting, to say the least.

I'm not going to go on some rant about boycotting the Girl Scouts or boycotting any and every other company that you've heard give their money to horrible places because that's your own decision to make.

What I WILL tell you is this:

Our daughter will never be in the Girl Scouts.

I LOVE me some Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.

I could eat an entire sleeve in a matter or minutes.

If put in the freezer for awhile, I love them that much more.

I remember when Girl Scout cookies used to be...affordable, too. Remember that? You didn't mind shelling out $10.00 to get, like, four boxes of those little guys.

So, when a friend (well, he's not really a friend anymore. He stopped talking to me after I spoke of my disapproval of Obama during the last election) handed me a piece of paper with the following recipe on it, I almost cried with happiness since I had not bought Girl Scout Cookies for awhile due to my opinion of the organization.

To think--making Thin Mints at HOME!

He never told me where he got the recipe--it was literally just a piece of paper with the recipe printed out on it. So, I'm sure you could google and find something out there.

Here you go--Thin Mints!

2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Coating:
3 (12 oz.) bags chocolate chips
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
6 T shortening

In a small bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt together. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add in milk and extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually add in flour mixture until fully incorporated. Shape into 2 logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours until dough is VERY firm. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees before slicing cookies. Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4" thick and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. (Cookies won't spread much.) Bake 13-15 minutes. They should be slightly crisp when cooled.

Make the coating by melting chips, extract, and shortening together in microwave until smooth. Then dip cookies into coating with fork and set on sheet lined with waxed paper.

Now--I like to immediately freeze my cookies--'cause that's my favorite way to eat Thin Mints. So, I have no other experience with the cookies other than freezing them.

Happy Thin Minting!

And if you're looking for Samoas, check out this link!

Hi, I'm Random--have we met?

2012-01-12T08:57:00.000-06:00

1.) It snowed last night. By "snow" I mean there was MAYBE half an inch. The wind was really the worst. The boys, however, are SO pumped to go play in the snow.

I'm mentally preparing myself for the layering on of clothes that will take 30-45 minutes--only to have to take it off ten minutes later when they run inside declaring, "DONE!"

I. can. do. this.

2.) My husband started taking the bus a few months ago. $25.00/month to ride the bus vs. $85.00/week to fill up van (multiply that by four weeks, my friends!), and it's definitely saving our family money. While I'm still nervous about the switching-of-buses in the middle of Homeless America (downtown), he has tried to reassure me that everything seems safe.

Today he could have taken the car, however, he chose to take the bus. I, like every morning, was a walking fright, stumbling through the house still half-asleep--if I would have had some more motivation, I would have made him some really hot coffee.

Because the bus didn't come pick him up for 45 minutes--it was running a little late. He stood out in 10-15 degree windchills for 45 minutes waiting for the bus. With no hot coffee to warm himself up. And with winds whipping around him at pretty high gusts.

Seriously--I would have cried. And my tears would have frozen to my pathetic little cheeks.

But he stood out there because he knows it's helping our family's budget.

I love that man--for SO many reasons, but one of the big reasons is because he will sacrifice for his family--no matter how cold, hot, or painful it is.

Guess who is getting a piping HOT meal tonight when he walks home from the bus stop in freezing cold temperatures?

That guy.

Seriously--don't you ever have days where you just look at your spouse and go, "Dang....how in the world did I get so lucky?!"

3.) It's almost Volcano Time in this house. Between wanting to play in the snow and erupting his volcano, my five year-old can barely see straight.

Last night we mixed everything up. Note: Make sure you have enough salt on hand before mixing up the salt dough. My recipe took TWO CUPS OF SALT. TWO. THAT'S A TON OF SALT. And we JUST made it with the 2 cups. If the recipe would have called for 2 1/4 cups, we could have been up a creek.

So, it started out looking like this with 6 cups of flour and 2 cups of salt:

And then you add 4 T vegetable oil and 2 cups of water. Or maybe 6--I don't know--I had to keep adding water because it was all a bit too dry for me. Start with 2 cups, though.

Then, when you've finally made a really grainy dought (my hands definitely got some abrasion therapy last night), you start building your volcano around a bottle.

I only had a "Fiji" water bottle on hand, which is kind of almost square shaped. Anyways--it's hard to make a slope when you're building against a bottle and you know that you have no more salt to make a second batch of dough.

So, this is what our volcano looked like:

And today--today we paint!

After we paint, it dries, and the tonight we stuff some baking soda and vinegar into that hole up top to watch the "lava" stream over the sides.

I hope to get some good photos--but also good photos of the boys' faces!

4.) Speaking of good photos--here's a photo of me at almost 18 weeks pregnant. Does your neck hurt looking at it? Yeah--I apologize for that one. Blogger absolutely refuses to post the photo rotated the right way. So, this is what I'm stuck with:

I am not responsible for any neck or back injuries.

Tell your chiropractor I said "you're welcome."

5.) This pregnancy has been weird. I feel like first and second trimesters have swapped places.

I felt GREAT in first trimester, I had an appetite, and I was nauseous MAYBE two or three times...at night (which was new for me).

THIS trimester (second) has been weird! I'm tired all the time, nothing sounds good to eat, and I'm more nauseous at random times now than I was during the first trimester.

Pregnancy is weird, yo.

Sonogram coming up at the beginning of next month. We found out the gender with the boys, we DIDN'T find out with the girl, but I think (for logistical purposes--room arrangments) we might find out this time.

I think that will excite the grandparents! I don't think they knew what to do with themselves last time since they didn't know what "color" to buy for!

And maybe this will shut down 1/2 of the name argument. If it's a girl, "Laurence" gets sat back in the corner...hopefully for good this time. If it's a boy, well, you might be able to hear my eyes roll in my head the next time my husband announces, "I LIKE LAURENCE!"

Nicholaus?

Blaise?

Bennett?

James?

Liam?

See? So many other names out there other than "Laurence." C'mon--it's a baby! Not an 85 year-old man! He needs a name he can have as a baby and then grow INTO when he's an old man.

Well, I suppose I should go start the layering process so the boys can play in the snow before it melts.

I can do this...I can do this.

St. Joan of Arc Academy: Volcanoes and Carbohydrates...

2012-01-11T11:36:00.000-06:00

The curriculum I use for homeschooling does not have a "Science" subject for Kindergarten.

They just encourage you to do nature walks, read books about animals/nature, etc.

This week, my son declared that he wanted to learn about volcanoes.

Alright, volcanoes it is. We discussed what volcanoes are, we watched youtube clips on volcano eruptions, he gets to watch a National Geographic video tomorrow on volcanoes, we've DRAWN volcanoes...

He can now talk your ear off about magma, lava, and "heat exbansion" (expansion).

Tonight...tonight, though, we're BUILDING a volcano--you know, out of salt dough, and then throwing in some baking soda and vinegar--or whatever it is you had to do in 5th grade when "volcano building" was the project of the week.

He is SUPER excited.

Something else he's stoked about lately is talking my ear off about "healthy food choices."

Wow.

He's five, and he is REALLY curious about food.

Maybe it's because he's heard me talking to his little brother (the one who was...feisty) about eating protein whenever he started to feel mad and out of control (which has REALLY helped, by the way--along with eating a little something every 2 hours or so!)

Let me tell you--I've got protein bars and string cheese sticks coming out the ying-yang in this hizzouse.

So, all this talk about protein has suddenly sparked an interest with my five year-old.

Yesterday and today it has hit its peak.

"Mom, what is protein? Why do we need it? What are carbohydrates? Why do we need those? What else do we need to put healthy stuff in our bodies?"

Over...and over...and over...and over.

So, today I printed him out a "dinner plate" that I quickly designed on the computer with pictures of fruit, vegetables (he was not thrilled to hear veggies were healthy for you!), protein, grains, and dairy in different sections so he could kind of see how "balanced" we should make our meals.

Today at breakfast, he asked for a yogurt. While eating it, he said, "Am I eating carbohydrates?"

"It's mostly protein and calcium. That's dairy. It's good for you."

After the yogurt, he asked for a piece of toast. I gave him a piece of whole-wheat toast.

"Did I just eat carbohydrates?"

"Yes, son."

"Now....now I think I need some meat. More protein. I need to be strong and have energy, Mom!"

I can't wait for dinner when he suddenly starts talking to me about how much pasta I have on my plate compared to the amount of veggies...

I don't think the answer, "'Cause I'm pregnant--end of discussion," is going to satisfy him right now.

Maybe THIS is why the curriculum folks think you should wait to introduce science at a later date. Maybe they're tired of being scrutinized about their dinner choices...

Skirt Round-up...

2012-01-11T10:32:00.001-06:00

So, this last spring and summer I was kind of obsessed with the jersey knit skirts that Target was throwing on their racks.

I even communicated with a buyer from Target who passed along the positive feedback and told me that Target is planning on renewing the jersey knit skirt line this spring and summer (oh, happy day!).

I saw that Old Navy had jumped on the jersey knit skirt bandwagon, but I was a little skeptical when I looked at the website.

The skirts looked like they were definitely floppy and drapey (it's a word), but the waistband--I was a little hesitant.

And they were, like, $30.00. Definitely more expensive than Target's line.

I resisted trying out Old Navy's skirts.

The other day at our Epiphany party, I kept watching one of the girls walk by in a really nice chartreuse-colored jersey knit skirt.

I finally walked over, and--me being me--grabbed the end of her skirt (I realize that I must scare some people) and demanded to know, "Where did you get this?! It's awesome!"

"Old Navy," she said. "On clearance."

"Really?! Because I saw they had a line out last year, but I thought the waistband didn't look so comfy."

"Oh, it's REALLY comfy," she said.

Dang it. I judged a ~~book~~ skirt by its ~~cover~~ waistband, and I lost out. Bummer.

I, of course, went home and immediately looked at the Old Navy clearance section, crossing my fingers the whole time in the hopes that the jersey knit skirts were still there--just waiting to be bought up by me.

I was sadly disappointed.

So, I checked out the Old Navy website today, and guess what they're starting to bring out?

Jersey knit skirts.

These, however, are "tea-length."

And they're $30.00.

But--they're apparently SUPER comfy, yo!

Personally, I'm not really into the navajo-like patterns I saw on the site, but apparently THAT'S going to be "in" this season. Just a heads-up.

I hate women's fashion trends. (Die, skinny jeans, DIE!)

So, then I checked out Target (and despite seeing MORE zig-zag, mojave, navajo-like prints) and saw that they don't have the Mossimo Supply Co Junior Maxi Skirts in--which are the skirts with the super-comfy waistbands, and they are light-as-a-feather to wear.

They DO have the convertible maxi skirts in different colors, however, I can tell you that I own one, and the waist bands are not NEARLY as comfy as the jersey knit skirts I linked to above.

And while this skirt costs a little more than I would like to pay for a skirt, Gap has a jersey foldover waist skirt on their website--and in a REALLY pretty color! The one thing I WILL say about clothes from Gap is that they do not wear out or fall apart easily--at least the few pieces I've owned in my lifetime. I've found that the clothes are made with a higher-quality material.

Happy skirt hunting!

Feminine fashionista?

2012-01-11T09:08:00.001-06:00

I am not a fashionista.

I should rephrase--I am NOWHERE near a fashionista.

Clothes do not "excite" me. I am not one of those girls who can talk about expensive purses or how many pairs of shoes I own.

Quite personally, I can't imagine spending $30.00 on a purse, let alone $1,200 on a purse simply because it's from "Louis Vuitton."

Shoes? I don't get it. Some women have to buy a pair of shoes every single time they go shopping.

Give me a pair of Mary Janes, and I'm happy until they get to the point where I need a new pair.

I'm comfiest in skirts throughout the day and pajama pants at night.

When I was a kid, however, I LOVED dresses. And they had to be FRILLY dresses. I'm talkin' if the dress didn't "twirl around" every time I spun in front of the dressing room mirror, it went back on the rack.

It was a time, though, when a lot of girls still dressed like girls. I wasn't the only one in my Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd grade classrooms to be wearing a dress.

College was really about the time things went downhill for me, fashion-wise. To know that you could sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon since your first class was at 2:00, drag yourself to class in pajama pants, and come back to your dorm room to go back to sleep?! It wasn't culture shock--it was AWESOME.

"Dressing up" consisted of hitting a bar that night in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. The first night I met the hot guy who would eventually become my husband, I was wearing jeans and a hoodie. He was, too--and I still wear that hoodie around the house every once in awhile or sleep in it, holes in it and all, because it has such sentimental value to me.

So, when I finally read Colleen Hammond's book "Dressing with Dignity," after I was married, I started to really think about the clothing industry.

Lines--where they lead the eyes.

Fabrics--why certain fabrics are chosen.

Pockets--why pockets are placed in certain places.

V-necks--that goes back to where lines lead the eyes.

I also started thinking more about "femininity." I was certainly not a "girly girl" anymore, and the thought of painting my nails, curling my hair, and getting all dolled up was more tiresome to me than exciting.

Do I have make-up? Yes.

Do I wear it? Absolutely.

Do I like thinking about lipstick shades? Uh, no--give me chapstick any day.

But femininity weighed heavily on my mind, and I started thinking about dressing to represent my vocation more. I also started polling my husband--what does he like seeing me wear?

My husband thinks skirts look nice on me--he's always to give a quick compliment when I'm wearing skirts. (He would probably fall over if he knew that my favorite thing he wears is jeans and a white t-shirt before he goes out to mow the yard. Really. Jeans and a white t-shirt--so handsome!)

So, I decided to try out the skirts thing. Not short skirts, not pencil skirts--they had to be conducive to my vocation as a stay-at-home mom.

Bohemian skirts, peasant skirts, jersey skirts--those fit the bill.

And I suddenly noticed how differently I was treated when I was out and about. Men rushed to hold open doors for me, they treated me differently--and how could they not? Nothing about the way I was dressed confused them or made them feel threatened.

And while I still don't get up an hour before everyone else in the house to fix my hair for the day or do my make-up (I haven't reached that point yet), I dress every day like I'm going to work. The skirt, the blouse/shirt--they are my uniform, just like if I worked at any other job. The apron? It just really helps hold things that I am unable to hold since I only have two hands.

(Do I think you're the devil if you wear jeans every day around your house? NO! There. That was my disclaimer. That whole series of ramblings were just explaining MY "fashion sense.")

Still with me? Okay, good.

So, I have this friend named "Dorothy." She lives in Kansas. Get it? Dorothy? Kans--? Nevermind.

Anyways, Dorothy is one of those people who is ridiculously cute every time you see her. She's very put-together, her hair is always adorable, and her make-up is always perfect. She also has THE cutest clothes--and that's a pretty big statement from someone who knows nothing about clothes nor really pays much attention to the things going on around her.

Dorothy never looks frumpy. She never looks like she just threw something on--she always looks like she is very...put-together. I know I've already said that, but it's really the only way I can describe it. She also always looks very feminine. Very girly.

But not in an annoying way--really.

Anyways, Dorothy reads all of these modest fashion blogs out there (hat tip to the Mormons on that one--they're taking over the modest fashion world!), and she wrote into one (non-Mormong) blog, asking for some advice on what she, as a stay-at-home mom to five kids, should wear and what combinations would look good together.

The blog author published her question and then went through and pieced together a wardrobe for Dorothy. How nice was that?!

You can read about it here.

And P.S.---> It took me awhile to figure out that a "frock" means "dress." And...you're welcome.

And then I read this article that basically says we, as Christian moms, should not feel guilty or vain for indulging in things like make-up, bubble baths, pretty clothes, etc.

And while the idea of running a bubble bath and actually sitting in it seems more STRESSFUL to me than relaxing at this point in my life, it got me thinking.

There are so many people out there with so many different opinions on what is vain and over-the-top when it comes to how we present ourselves.

I know one lady who dresses in skirts and blouses that only show skin on her hands, her upper neck, and her face. Everything else is covered by how she dresses.

I know another lady who dresses in really nice dress slacks and long-sleeve blouses. Once again, the only skin showing is on her hands, neck, and face.

I know other women who don't like long skirts.

Others who don't like skirts that show the knee.

And none of these women are "wrong." They just are comfortable at different levels--is that the word? Levels.

Anyways--the article about indulgences just made me realize that if I'm throwing on some make-up and actually fussing over what I SHOULD wear to that one event, I shouldn't have to feel guilty about it.

I think vanity is when what you should wear and how you look takes over your life--constantly worrying about every bite you take making you look fat, constantly worrying about whether or not that bag goes with those shoes, constantly worrying over whether your eyeliner is even on both sides, worrying about whether or not you need another Botox treatment--those kinds of things.

But to dress nicely in fun outfits, put make-up on whenver you feel the need, or wear cute shoes--we shouldn't feel guilty. Life can involve having some fun and relaxing--not worrying the whole time that you're doing something wrong.

Now, some women would have used their time in the mornings to go get ready for the day--cute outfit, make-up, actually doing their hair.

I chose to blog.

See? I'm sooooo not a fashionista.

And one other thing--my brother-in-law once read this piece in Men's Health magazine that talked about how guys could go to Target and pick up a couple of things--jeans, a sports coat, a collared shirt, a t-shirt, a belt, and shoes--and then they could turn those couple of things into 50 outfits.

I kind of rolled my eyes when he approached me with the piece (we were in college at the time--remember? Hoodie Central for me!) because I thought:

a.) You're a guy--why do you care about your wardrobe this much?

b.) Why are you asking ME for fashion advice? LOOK AT ME!

But he went out and bought those essentials.

And the guy seriously could rearrange his wardrobe for any given night of the week.

Why--WHY--don't women have this kind of thing going? Where are those articles?! I need one that talks about taking this jersey skirt, that khaki skirt, that jean skirt, a couple of tops, a scarf, and two pairs of shoes, and then showing me how I could make 50 different outfits.

That's what I need.

'Cause I'm such a feminine fashionista, yo!

If you managed to read through all of that and make it this far, you are too nice.

Life with boys...

2012-01-10T16:56:00.000-06:00

My parents bought the boys "dinosaur excavation kits" for Christmas.

The boys have been itching to excavate ever since Christmas, so today we went all paleontologist up in this joint.

My son excavated this little guy above.

I said, "Hey! You found a plesiosaurus!"

Both of the boys just stared at me.

"How did YOU know that, Mom?!" my five year-old asked.

"Because...it's a plesiosaurus."

"I know...but I didn't know MOMS knew that much about DINOSAURS! That's great!" he exclaimed as he went about excavating his dinosaur (which we would later find out was an Apatosaurus.)

I don't know where my parents found these little kits, but I want about 16 more of them to pull out on rainy days or days where I'm about ready to pull my hair out--they were awesome.

Zoo-be-de-bop...diddy bop...diddy bop...

2012-01-10T08:26:00.000-06:00

Hmmmm...we are still trying to come up with an "original" name for the baby.

Upcoming: A sweet-smelling giveaway!

2012-01-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

Remeber that one time, when I was like, "Hey--we're going to have a giveaway soon?" Remember that?

Well, the giveaway "stuff" is being shipped to me as we speak, and I'll have that giveaway up and going pretty soon.

And I'm pretty sure you're going to like it--it smells soooooooo good!

Wee three kings...

2012-01-07T20:49:00.000-06:00

I had one job to take care of today: Paint three little "king" saint dolls as a gift to give at the Epiphany play/party tomorrow afternoon after Mass.

I've been painting since around noon, and I'm happy to say they are DONE before midnight.

Before 9:00 even! And I'm super excited to take a picture of them and post them on here.

I made crowns for them.

CROWNS! They're adorable.

I did, however, find out I really suck at painting "gold, frankincense, and myrrh." And I found out that nothing says "Happy Epiphany" like inhaling glaze fumes when putting the last coat on these little guys in the garage.

Nice.

I did decide, however, that I'm seriously going to make my very own Nativity set for next year with these little saint doll guys. And how fun to construct our own "manger" to go with it! I'm excited.

Anyways, while I was painting today, my mind started wandering as it usually does. And I remembered back to my fifth grade yearbook where we 5th graders were supposed to write down what we saw ourselves doing 30 years from then.

I was 10 in fifth grade. If you're doing the math at home, I had to write down what I saw myself doing at the age of 40.

And my answer?

"A lawyer living in California with 1 kid."

Oh, sweet little Delena--so many things I wish I could go back and tell you.

And it makes sense--what I wrote.

I was born in southern California and lived there until I was 6 before moving to the Midwest. And at the age of 10, I thought we would still move BACK out to California. (This was before I realized how much I loved and appreciated growing up in the Midwest.)

So, that's where the "Cali" thing came into my answer.

And I am an only child. Always have been, always will be.

Therefore, I saw the world through my own little 5th grade eyes and thought, "Everyone has one kid."

As for the lawyer thing, who knows? My dad in a machinist, and my mom is a stay-at-home mom/wife.

I think I had been watching a bit too much Matlock at that time.

And now here we are...19 years later...and I'm getting ready to have my fourth child, I still live in the midwest, and while I studied Legal Issues as a minor and wanted to eventually go into Law, it never happened.

And I'm okay with that.

I think my answer still sounded better than 80% of the boys' answers:

"Driving an expensive car because I'm playing in the NBA."

"Playing pro football and driving a really cool car."

"Pretty wife, nice car, playing in the majors."

How's that workin' out for them, do you think?

Hats, hats, hats, hats!

2012-01-07T19:07:00.002-06:00

So, my husband is a fan of hats.

For himself.

And on me. (I still have not converted yet.)

He likes hats.

He has a fedora, and three of those newsie-style caps. And they look pretty great on him, too. Very handsome. And he has been wanting a derby hat for some time now. (I still think he looks hot in just a plain ol' baseball hat.)

So, when a friend on facebook talked about Village Hat Shop, I was intrigued!

Derby hats, fedoras, beanies, trapper hats--you can find anything on this site!

And check out the "Cloche and Flapper Hats" in the women's section--adorable!

Happy hat hunting!

Do your eyes sweat?

2012-01-06T10:51:00.001-06:00

Today, I'm making bierocks. (Yes, it's Friday, but it's a CELEBRATION so we are not required to abstain from meat! HAPPY EPIPHANY!)

I think I've talked about this before. It's the Czech "hot pocket." They're little dough pockets filled with hamburger, onion, and cabbage.

They are my husband's all-time favorite food.

While chopping up the onions (it takes four) for the filling today, I was bawling like a baby. These onions were strong. They were SO strong, in fact, that my five year-old who was two rooms over shouted, "MOM? ARE YOU MAKING ONIONS?!"

And when I told him, yes, I was cooking with onions he said, "MY EYES ARE SWEATING!"

Life--it's awesome.

2012-01-06T09:10:00.000-06:00

I asked you for prayers the other day, and I want to thank you if you took the time to say some prayers for such a vague request!

I am SO happy to say that prayer works, and God is AMAZING.

We have some friends who were in the process of adopting a baby, and it's been quite a roller coaster ride for them the last couple of months.

Today we received word that the birth mother relinquished her rights, and our friends are now parents to this baby who needed a good stable home.

DEO GRATIAS!

Please keep our friends, the new baby, and the birth mother in your prayers.

Speaking of new life, yesterday I had my O.B. appointment. Luckily, doc found the heartbeat within a matter of seconds, and the heartbeat was at a strong 152.

I think it's funny that the old wive's tale says that the higher the heart rate, it's a girl.
The lower the heart rate, it's a boy.

Every single one of our kids have stayed at 152.

Right in the middle.

Anyways, baby sounded good, and doc said we could go ahead and schedule the 20 week ultrasound! How time has flown! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I haven't written the number of weeks I am at on the calendar to look at every. single. week. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I've got three kids who demand all of my attention and I don't have time to check the calendar every five minutes.

It's kind of fun to go into the O.B. appointment and not have any idea how many weeks along I am. Kind of a nice surprise, really.

Today my three year-old laid his head on my tummy and said, "Mom...we need to crack open your stomach and get that baby out!"

Since we've had this conversation before, I said (while laughing), "My stomach is not an egg! And we can't do that because the baby is SO tiny right now and needs to be safe and warm in Mommy's tummy before he comes out!"

He replied with, "No...we'll crack open your tummy, take the baby out, and then we'll tape you back together. Because I hear that baby screaming in there, and she's saying, 'Get me out of here!'"

Last night at dinner, our five year-old said, "How did Mom get another baby in her tummy?"

Trying to hide smiles and looks of terror, I looked directly to my husband for the answer on this one.

"Well," he said. "I love Mommy, and Mommy loves me. And God knows how much we love each other and how much we love babies, so he sent Mommy another baby."

This seemed to satisfy him for now, and he said, "Do you think God will send Mom MORE babies after this one?"

My husband replied with, "Well, I don't know. We'll have to just wait and see."

"Do you like having babies around the house?" I asked him, smiling.

"Yes!" he said. "And if you have some more babies, we'll have a whole PACK!"

My husband is in for some really great questions--I can tell already. Yesterday, while rearranging furniture in the boys' room ('cause THAT'S what I should be doing while pregnant, right?), my five year-old asked, "Mom--what's the tube called that pee comes out of? 'Cause I know that THIS is my bottom...but what is this--where the pee comes out?"

I filed that one under "Boys" and that means that all questions like that will be re-directed toward dad.

I will deal with the file marked "Girls" when the time should come.

"Can you help me move this bed?" I asked, and suddenly the anatomy questions were lost in the fun of him helping me move furniture.

And now on completely unrelated notes:

1.) Yesterday there were two neighborhood boys (who are in middle school) who asked if they could help rake our yard and pick up sticks for $5.00. My husband agreed, and I think that's the last time these two will ever come back to OUR house. I think they thought they would rake a pile and pick up a few sticks and get paid. They learned their lesson as my husband directed them to keep raking here...and pick up those sticks over there....and oh, here's a wheelbarrow for you to use as you take all of the leaves over there...

By the time their "time" was up, they were ready to leave. But hey--they EARNED their $5.00!

2.) Yesterday I was having trouble opening up a jar. (What has HAPPENED to me?! My upperbody strength used to be RIDICULOUS, and I had NO problem opening up jars.) I asked my husband to come over and open the jar for me. He popped it open with ease, and before I could say, "See? I loosened it for you!" he smiled and said, "Gosh--I even did that with Crisco all over my hands."

Funny.

3.) I love me some college football. So does my husband. We have realized that as long as we have kids under the age of 10, however, that we will never again get to watch a whole game without kids asking us to do something else. So, we haven't gotten to watch a real game in the last few years.

Sigh.

There's always retirement, right?

Anyways--there are two announcers for college football that I LOVE. Brent Musberger (an older guy) and Kirk Herbstreet (a younger guy)--they have the best chemistry ever. They're just great together.

And I quickly realized why my dad said that Vin Scully was his favorite announcer for the Dodgers, and he actually made the games more enjoyable with his announcing.

Brent and Herbie are MY Vin Scully.

Anyways, my husband occasionally will tease me by saying "your boyfriend is on!" meaning Kirk Herbstreet.

One day we were sitting watching part of a game at my parents' house, and suddenly a Dove commercial comes on.

With Kirk Herbstreet.

Talking about how he LOVES his men's moisturizing stuff from Dove.

I just looked over at my husband and shood my head, and he started laughing.

Now that you have the back story, I will tell you that the other day we were talking about Herbie, and something was mentioned about his " manly moisturizing routine," and my husband said, "Yeah? Well, Brent Musberger moisturizes with the blood of a yak."

I don't know why, but I laughed for the next five minutes.

And now the Musberger jokes have progressed.

"Brent Musberger drinks Old Spice in his morning Jack Daniels."

"Brent Musberger brushes his teeth with a porcupine."

4.) Happy feast of the Epiphany! This is the day in which we celebrate the three kings traveling from afar to visit the Infant Jesus. The Epiphany play/party is this Sunday after Mass, and I'm interested to see how my two "sheep" do in the play. I'm just praying that they walk in the right way (and not drag their legs behind them like we saw at play practice) and don't try to wrestle with the other sheep.

Fingers crossed.

Today I hope to make something "Epiphany-like" for celebrating the feast day here at home. The boys are super excited.

And with that, I think I've purged my brain of everything I wanted to say.

Happy Epiphany!

PRAYER REQUEST!

2012-01-05T09:03:00.001-06:00

I'm calling for any and all prayers today.

We have some friends who could REALLY use some MAJOR prayers today and in the next few days.

There is also a girl involved who could use some major prayers as well.

Please pray hard. Thank you!

Pax.

HOMEMADE HAZELNUT EXTRACT!

2012-01-04T15:17:00.002-06:00

So, while at my in-laws' house over Christmas vacation, I gave my two sisters-in-law and my mother-in-law some flavored coffee syrups. One chocolate, one vanilla, and one caramel.

I told my sister-in-law that I was kind of on a mission to figure out how to do hazelnut syrup since a lot of people had said that would be one they were interested in.

I googled "hazelnut coffee syrup recipe" and any other combination of words to absolutely no avail.

I checked the supermarket spice aisle for "hazelnut extract." No dice.

Today my sister-in-law sent me an AWESOME e-mail--with a link to a site that showed how to make (drumroll, please!) hazelnut extract!!

How exciting is that?!

The recipe can be found here on The Purple Foodie.

So, toast some hazelnuts, add it to a jar with some vodka and vanilla bean, and let it sit for a couple of weeks.

Excellent!

Then to make the coffee syrup, you're going to have to take 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and let them heat on the stove until the sugar is dissolved. Add in some hazelnut extract, and voila--Hazelnut Coffee Syrup!

YEA! (Tap dancing around the kitchen).

So, if you're ever in the mood for a chocolate hazelnut coffee, all you have to do is make your own chocolate syrup, add in your homemade hazelnut syrup, and you're ready to go!

A big thank you to my sister-in-law...who probably has no idea I even have a blog.

On love and marriage...

2012-01-03T22:09:00.000-06:00

I should be reading right now. It's something I promised myself I would do more of this year to wind down before bed, but this topic has been weighing so heavily on my mind (and heart!) that I just thought I'd write about it.

Oh--were you wondering what I'm reading? No? Well, I'll tell you anyways. I picked up a book called The Covenant by Beverly Lewis at a thrift store for $.50, and I finally broke down and read it the week before last since I had officially owned it for three years.

Great book! Lewis writes fiction that deals with the Amish culture--which I'm kind of obsessed with learning about. They fascinate me.

Anyways, luckily I had picked up the FIRST book in a series! The second book in the series, The Betrayal, is now happily loaded onto my brand new Kindle (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and I hope to start it soon.

But back to why I'm NOT reading my new digital book.

Right now I know three couples who are in the process of getting a divorce or on the verge of getting a divorce.

It's very disheartening and sad to watch it all unfold.

While listening to all three stories, I realized they all had a few things in common with each other:

1.) A Physical or emotional affair took place.

2.) The spouse who participated in the affair was feeling neglected.

I also realized that the affair-participating spouse did not seek out an affair. It's not like they woke up one day and said, "Hey! You know what would be fun? Cheating on my husband/wife!"

It didn't happen like that.

Each person was unhappy in their marriage. They felt neglected, unloved, and lonely. They didn't effectively communicate their needs and feelings to their spouse. When they reached out to another person (of the opposite sex), the friendship just kind of took off and then turned into something more intimate--whether it be physical or emotional.

And in hearing all of their stories, my heart just breaks for them.

25 years of marriage....18 years of marriage...16 years of marriage...all down the drain or on the rocks.

And immediately, because I'm human, I start thinking, "My marriage is nowhere NEAR that point. But what can I do every single day to make sure that never even enters the picture?"

All of the cheating spouses said that they felt lonely and neglected. They were married to a person who didn't ever SHOW them love. They were married to a person who never complimented them or seemed to support them. They were married to a person who didn't put any real effort into the marriage.

Does that excuse the spouse for having an affair?

Absolutely not.

But if you start thinking about it, you can see how easily someone could reach out to another person and immediately feel the warm fuzzies that they've been missing for so long when the person compliments them or simply tells them to have a good day.

Marriage takes work--I heard it long before I got married, and I was never sure of what that meant.

I thought, "All you need is love!" (Thanks, Beatles!)

And while love is a huge component, there are so many other components that have to be there to make a marriage happy.

Do you compliment your spouse liberally?

Do you tell them every single day that you love them?

Do you listen to them when they speak?

Do you TOUCH your spouse? It's amazing what just a little hand on the shoulder action can convey to a person.

Do you hug your spouse?

Is God at the head of your marriage?

Are you respectful toward your spouse or do you choose to curse at them and say hurtful things to them? Do you do this in front of the kids?

Do you pray together?

Do you pray FOR your spouse?

We live in a society where marriage has become a joke, no one takes it seriously, and some people seem to already plan out their divorce before they actually tie the knot.

We live in a society where every other day another celebrity couple has married one day only to divorce 18 days later (ahem, Sinead!).

We live in a society where our marriage and divorce rates are now EQUAL.

We live in a society where people see divorce as easier than going to counseling and trying to change things for the better.

The other day while riding home in the car from our Christmas vacation, my husband said (completely out of the blue!), "I love you."

Talk about butterflies in the stomach and warm fuzzies! The car had been silent for quite some time as we both watched the flat landscape pass by us, and suddenly he just says, "I love you."

I think I smiled for the next 15 minutes.

Talk to your spouse.
Show your spouse you love them.
Make physical contact with your spouse--even if it's a touch on the arm or shoulder while you walk by with the load of laundry.
Pray for your spouse.

Don't let years pass by without letting them know that you care about them, that you appreciate them, and that they make you happy.

Slip their favorite candy bar into a spot where you know they will find it. How nice to know that while your spouse was out shopping in the hectic crowds, he/she still thought about you and wanted to make you happy.

Leave a note taped to the bathroom mirror (or use eyeliner!) with a sweet message for your spouse.

Feed the kids early and set up a candlelit dinner for two after the kids are in bed so you can just talk...or not talk. Sometimes sitting in silence works, too.

Read a book together. Each of you grab a copy of the same book, read through it, and discuss.

Have date nights often--even if it's a movie and popcorn after the kids are in bed.

Ask for his/her help or opinion--even if you're confident you know the answer. Asking for their help lets them know that they are needed and appreciated.

And, for the love of everything, don't try to change or control the person. (This coming from the woman who is a huge control freak and told my husband he needed to quit smoking after we got married.)

My reasoning? "I don't want to watch you die at a young age due to smoking."

Do I think my heart was in the right place? Sure.

Do I think the way I went about it was right? Probably not.

The only thing you'll get when you try and force someone to do something is resentment and bitterness.

Let the person be who they are. Love them for who they are...and love them for the things which annoy you.

But show them love every single day. Tell them you love them every single day.

Be happy together.

"A happy man marries the girl he loves; a happier man loves the girl he marries." - Unknown

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T08:02:00.000-06:00

Well, we're finally back from our "Christmas vacation."

And I think we're all very happy to be "home."

There's something about traveling with kids that means at some point into the vacation they're just going to start going nuts and listening goes right out the window. Not that I can blame them--when you're celebrating Christmas twice with two different sides of the families, there are multiple people, multiple animals, ridiculous amounts of sugar, toys that blink and make noise....it's quite the sensory overload.

While we were at my parents' house, my husband and I were talking about how many Christmases we've spent together, and we realized that we have spent nine Christmases together, and six of those we have spent together as a married couple.

We had just been dating for a month and a half when we had to go to back to our hometowns to celebrate Christmas with our families. It seemed like torture to be away from him for so long, and I asked him if he would stop by my parents' house on his way back to our college town (he had to go back to work).

He stopped by, and I just remember thinking (for the first time ever in my life): "This just feels...right--him being here with my family. I don't ever want to spend another Christmas away from him!"

And by the next Christmas, we were engaged.

That first Christmas together while we were dating, I had my mom snap a photo of us.

After we counted up the number of Christmases we had spent together, I realized I was wearing a pink sweater (not the same one, though!) like I had worn that first Christmas. I thought we needed an updated photo:

Just a few things have changed. Being pregnant for this photo is definitely one of them!

My parents bought a Keurig coffee maker last year and finally opened it up this year.

Let me tell you--I could have watched that thing all day. It was fascinating! I love that even I can make a cup of coffee for someone with that thing since now I just pretend not to know we own a coffee machine since I don't really know what I'm doing.

I had a "mocha latte" every single morning, and it. was. awesome.

While at my parents' house, my 3 year-old got really sick. Fever every day, highly congested--it was sad to see my little guy not feeling well. And he can SLEEP when he's sick! He went to bed at 4:00 in the afternoon one day and didn't wake up until 6:30 the next morning!

On the way out of town, when we were headed to my in-laws' house, we stopped by a doctor and had him checked out.

Double. ear. infection.

I felt so horrible for the little guy--and I hate that he NEVER says, "Hey! My ears are hurting, woman!" because that would really tip me off that he's got an ear infection.

A day after being on the antibiotic, he was back to feeling great.

We spent the rest of the vacation at my mother-and-father-in-law's house. My husband's brothers and sister were there (this made a grand total of nine adults, five kids, two kids in utero, three dogs, a cat, and a partridge in a pear tree), and we played many games much to the happiness of my husband--who really loves board games.

The game that seemed to go over best (surprisingly!) was "Scribblish."

The boys picked out this game for me for Christmas (tear!), and I don't think we've laughed that hard in a LONG time. It's REALLY fun, and it's definitely a family game--as long as your kids can read and write.

My husband nabbed "Agricola" for Christmas and another expansion pack to "Dominion"--which is a REALLY great game.

We've got to get him "Ticket to Ride" next, as it is an extremely fun game, and it's not as convenient passing his iPhone back and forth with him to play it!

We didn't get to play "Quelf" this time, and while that bums me out, at least we managed to play the other games while we were there and get in some laughs.

(And if you have never played "Quelf," you are missing out. It is THE funniest and most random game. I do not suggest playing it with people you barely know, however...unless you're an extrovert who does not get embarrassed easily. It's kind of like playing "Cranium" if "Cranium" was on crack.)

We arrived home yesterday and unloaded our mini-van (that had WAY more stuff coming back than it did going), grabbed some fast food (shopping day tonight!), and suprisingly the kids went to bed without much fuss--it's surprising since they slept in the car ride home!

Tomorrow evening we're having our priest over for dinner. I plan on making some stuffed chicken breasts, pasta with pesto, salad, and bread. But the thing I'm MOST excited about is dessert.

Tiramisu.

But not just any tiramisu.

Tiramisu made with POUND CAKE rather than ladyfingers.

Can you IMAGINE?! Horrible for you, but so much tastier than ladyfingers, am I right?!

My husband's only question: "When do you add the rum to it?"

As for the new year, I hope to make a quilt.

That's it.

That's the big major resolution.

I have a brand new sewing machine, a ridiculous collection of fabric scraps, and a brand new rotary cutter and cutting board (courtesy of my mom and dad for Christmas!).

I hope to make the quilt for Baby Girl.

And if this baby currently in utero is a girl, well, I'll have to do two quilts then, won't I?

There are other things I would like to do as well this year:

1.) Get on the treadmill every single night when the kids go to bed for at least 30 minutes. Hopefully this will keep me in shape for the c-section but also keep the blood pressure down (which is always a big fear I have--that it's going to get way too high during pregnancy).

2.) Make two skirts. My brother-in-law drew my name for the Christmas draw and my gift was a great skirt pattern and two different fabrics--three yards of each! I'm so excited to make them, however, I'm a bit nervous to do it this soon since my stomach is just going to keep getting bigger. Perhaps I can wait until the end of the year when the baby weight is hopefully under control.

3.) Offer up my day every single day for someone or something that needs the prayers. I try and remember to do this every morning when I wake up, and sometimes it will be noon before I remember--but I'm on a mission to remember to do it every. single. day.

4.) Use commas and ellipses more. I don't know if I do it enough...do you?

Hoping you all are having a wonderful Christmas season and are having a great new year so far!

Christmas Eve...

2011-12-24T07:59:00.002-06:00

The Savior of the world shall arise like as the dawning of the sun, even as his coming down into the womb of the Virgin was like as the mist upon the little herbs, alleluia.

V. Tomorrow the iniquity of the earth shall be done away.

R. And the Savior of the world shall reign over us.

'Tis the season to start smiling...

2011-12-23T20:47:00.000-06:00

Fa-la-la-la-la....la-la-la-la!

The 23rd of December pretty much always has me smiling all the way up until after the new year.

For the last two years, on the 23rd of Christmas, I go and help a few other women from our church wrap gifts for our priest. (The gifts he's planning on giving to others at Christmas.) And then we always stay and help decorate his place for Christmas.

It's a ton of fun, and it's not just because I LOVE wrapping gifts. (Working in a gift shop in my hometown for a few years was THE best job I had before becoming a full-time mom).

Tonight includes watching movies with the husband while we pack for our Christmas vacation.

Tomorrow? Packing the car and enjoying each other's company while waiting to go to Midnight Mass...at midnight. This year we are very blessed to have a solemn high Mass for Christmas, and that's always so beautiful.

After Mass ends and we go in peace at 2:00 in the morning, we'll be off to head "home" for the holidays.

Interesting fact:

I've never been pregnant over Christmas. I've always "just had" the baby when Christmas rolls around. For all three of them.

This year I just think it's so neat to be pregnant at Christmas...I don't know why.

Downside:

No drinking champagne with my sister-in-law like we did that ONE year. Oh, my...so tasty AND so fun.

Interesting story:

Our five year-old came up to me a couple of weeks ago and said, "Mom, I really want a Transformer for Christmas! I hope Santa brings me one!"

I smiled at him, thinking, "Okay...so THIS year he apparently knows who Santa is." (We've never really talked about Santa. Really--we haven't told them he's not real, we haven't old them he IS real. We just haven't said much about it until they were old enough to start asking. Then we figured we'd wing it.)

"Really?" I asked him.

"Just kidding!" he exclaimed. "Santa's not REAL, Mom!"

And there you go--my five year-old came to that conclusion all by himself. That was easy!

Fun fact:

Christmas with the fam and my 3 year-old niece could get quite interesting if my son decides to educate "C" on the Santa Files.

Merry Christmas--sorry to crush your dreams, kid!

So, blogging will be light.

Why?

Because I've got LOTS o' time to be celebratin' until after the new year, and that doesn't allow me too much time to blog when I'll be eating things that make my blood sugar roll over and die, you know?

May the Infant Jesus bless you all this Christmas!

Homemade Coffee Syrups!

2011-12-22T17:06:00.000-06:00

Today I made more homemade coffee syrups...again.

Obviously, I had a slight spill with the chocolate.

The bottle on the far left is "Vanilla."

The bottle in the middle will be "Caramel." And if THAT'S not a fun-filled and dangerous science experiment in your kitchen, I don't know what is. Ridiculous temperatures, things turning colors, adding water to have it splatter and pop--gets the heart pounding!

And the bottle on the right is "Chocolate." I got that recipe from Annie's Eats. I've also made her Gingerbread syrup and Peppermint syrup--and people told me they were GREAT.

I also made a Pumpkin Spice syrup, and I've been told THAT one is great as well.

The fun thing is, once you realize that your base is generally 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar, you can just start throwing in anything you like.

I've GOT to figure out how to do Hazlenut Syrup, however...

Happy Thursday!

Fudge

2011-12-22T13:10:00.001-06:00

Today I made regular fudge, peanut butter fudge, and walnut fudge to drag around to everyone's houses over the Christmas season.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to see straight after the amount of sugar I will probably consume in the next week and a half.

Please Come Home for Christmas, Your Lordship!

2011-12-21T08:11:00.000-06:00

1.) We watched "Downton Abbey" last night on Netflix Instant. And here are a few of the conversations that took place before and after that show (which is really good, I might add!):

[Before watching the show]

Me: Hey...check to see if "Downtown Abbey" is on Netflix Instant.

Husband: [checking] It is.

Me: Good. Do you want to watch it? And don't you think it's weird that "Downtown" is spelled "Downton?" I actually thought everyone was misspelling it when I googled it earlier. Silly British.

Husband: [silence] It's not "DOWNTOWN Abbey." It's "Down-ton Abbey."

Me: Oh...

and then after watching the show:

Husband: I'm just sayin', if I...

Me: Yes, I know. After watching that show you are just itching to be called "Lord _____________ " or "Your Lordship." I'm not calling you that. That guy's wife called her husband by his first name.

Husband: She called him that in private...not in public.

Me: Keep dreaming.

2.) Yesterday was our First Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Extravaganza. Every year I bake a ton of stuff around Christmas, but yesterday was the first time that my help included a five year-old, a three year-old, and a 14 month-old. We made gingerbread men (really not too tasty--just fun to look at), sugar cookies cut out into Christmas-y shapes, and Congo bars.

I searched for the Congo bars recipe on my blog since I knew I had made them before but forgot where they came from.

Bakerella. Of course.

So, we made Bakerella's oh-so-delicious-and-ridiculous Congo Bars. If you're diabetic, I highly recommend you don't even look at the pictures--they're that freakin' good.

It's like a chocolate chip cookie on steroids.

My husband said, "So...it's basically a chocolate chip cookie bar?"

Uh, no. No, husband, they are not.

They are so much more than just a chocolate chip cookie bar.

They're fat....and delicious.

Try them today!

3.) Today we're heading over to a friend's house for a playdate. I'm excited. Oh--and the boys are, too.

4.) I'm now into the second trimester (Deo Gratias!). I can't seem to keep track of how many weeks along I am with this baby (amazing how every second ticked by with the first three, but #4 means I have no time to think about how many weeks, days, and minutes along I am.) Interesting, however, is the fact that first trimester slipped by without many symptoms. Second trimester has brought fatigue and headaches. Hormones are weird.

I don't think I ever told you about the last doctor's appointment.

Before I had went, I had blogged about how sometimes it seems like hours before they find that beautiful thump-thump-thump of the heartbeat when, in reality, it's a mere matter of seconds.

I laid back on the table so the nurse could listen with the Doppler-heartbeat-finder-thing.

While she moved it around, we were chatting.

Then she got really quiet as she kept moving it around.

I smiled, thinking, "Yep...feels like hours, right? You're fine. Stay calm."

After a few minutes of searching, she finally said, "You know what? I'm just going to have Doctor come in and take a listen. She can always find it faster anyways," she said as she exited the room.

I smiled again, nervously.

Hail Mary's were thrown up in the time it took for the doctor to finally come in.

My imagination ran wild as to what was being said out at the nurse's station.

"Doctor--I can't find a heartbeat."

"How far along is she?"

"Twelve weeks."

"Oh, no--we should DEFINITELY hear the heartbeat by this time!"

"What should we do?"

"Let's just wait a little longer so her blood pressure skyrockets as high as it possibly can."

"Good deal. So....what are you guys doing this weekend?"

A few minutes later, the doctor came in as chatty as ever.

"This is probably how they act when they're worried," I had myself convinced in my head.

She listened for the heartbeat joking about how this little one must already be a trouble maker.

Then SHE got quiet as she searched for the heartbeat.

"You know what?" she said, suddenly. "Why sit hear trying to HEAR it--why not just go in and do a quick ultrasound so we can see the heartbeat?"

Terrified, I walked into the ultrasound room and prayed while laying back on the table.

"There's the baby," she said, looking at the screen.

"Mmm-hmmm...where's the heartbeat?" I asked.

"Right....there!" she said and smiled. "Looks like it's good and strong at 170!"

"Where? I don't see it!"

She patiently showed me the flickering heartbeat.

She turned off the machine, and said, "Well, I feel better, don't you?"

"Ummmm...were YOU nervous?!" I asked, now even more terrified.

"Well, I mean, you get a little nervous in our position when you're not hearing what you want to hear, but I had a good feeling everything was okay," she said.

Wow...she's got an incredible bedside manner then! I never knew she was nervous. I figured I was the only one freaking out.

Anyways--the rest of the appointment went well apart from those scary 15 minutes or so.

So, I take back what I said previously about how sometimes those seconds can feel like a long time--because sometimes those seconds really ARE taking a long time.

And speaking of pregnancy, last night marked the first night I got to sleep upright on the couch due to incredible acid reflux--YEA! Only six more months of THAT, eh?

5.) We moved from sunny southern California to the midwest when I was six. Every year after we moved, we always went back to California for Chrismtas to spend with my mom's side of the family, and we would normally take the train. I can still remember going to bed, excited that we would be leaving in the wee hours of the morning to drive to the train station an hour away. My mom would wake me up around 2:00 in the morning, load me up in the cold car, and we'd head out to the train station. Once on board, it was always weird to be so awake at that hour and watch the sunrise as we traveled west. I would bring my walkman (ahem, for those young ones, that's a special device that played tapes. Think iPod that played tapes...but way bulkier and more awkward.) and listen to a tape full of Christmas songs. Every time the Eagles' "Please Come Home for Christmas" came on, I would just smile. We WERE going "home" for Christmas. And after my grandparents passed away when I was in college and we didn't go out to California anymore, I would hear the song around Christmas, and it would bring tears to my eyes remembering how great it was to go "home" for Christmas. One year in college, life was particularly rough. I was dating a guy who was emotionally and mentally (there's a difference) abusive (and who would later lose his mind, break into my apartment twice, and threaten to "cut out my stomach with a butcher knife"--FUN!) and it had been SEVERAL months since I had been "home." It had also, for the first time in my life, been a very long time since I had really talked to my parents on the phone (which is weird for me since I talked/talk to my mom almost every other day). I remember driving back "home" for Christmas, and "Please Come Home for Christmas" came on. I nearly lost it while driving. And then to walk into the house you grew up in, and my mom had this apple-spice candle burning--it was just THE best possible feeling to have at that time in my life. To be home. To be safe. And to be with two amazing people at Christmas. This year, we are headed "home" for Christmas--we're headed to my parents' house. After Midnight Mass, we will load the kids up in the cold car (around 2:00 in the morning) and start the 3 hour drive down to where my parents live. It's not exactly the train, but I just think it's neat that my kids kind of get the same experience that I did all those years. And it's the first time we've been able to travel for the holidays due to the new position my husband was given at work--we are incredibly excited.

And when my husband was searching for decent Christmas songs the other night to put on a CD for the trip back "home", I told him, "You're going to have to put 'Please Come Home for Christmas' on there. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas if we didn't."

Happy Wednesday!

On the Thyroid Front...

2011-12-20T08:52:00.000-06:00

I don't find Hypothyroidism to be that interesting, quite frankly.

But since I have it, and I figure maybe someone out there who reads this might have it as well, I'll write a bit about it.

Having re-read that intro above, I realize it doesn't really captivate the reader's interest, right? Hmmmm...something a little more exciting.

We're gonna talk about Hypothyroidism, yo! Woot-woot! FUN!

Alright.

They diagnosed me with Hypothyroidsm, meaning that my thyroid was NOT working up to speed.

Symptoms I was having:
Foggy head (couldn't think straight...felt like I was constantly "in the clouds.")

Depression

Weight-gain (while nursing a baby round the clock, no less!)

Irritability

Crying for no reason

Fatigue

Lack of motivation/energy

You know--everything a new mom feels like for a good couple of months after having a baby, right? That's what I chalked it up to.

So, they wanted me to start taking Synthroid--a medication for thyroid issues.

But, me being me, I was like, "Uh, I don't know. Can't I fix this with organic apple cider vinegar? It fixes everything else!"

And I looked into iodine treatments and other such things.

But then I called my neurologist to make sure this medication wouldn't have any effect on my weird Migraines with Aura that I have, and she said it wouldn't, but that I needed to take the meds ASAP.

Kind of freaked out, I STILL didn't take them and waited to go to the O.B. to see what they thought and how my thyroid levels checked out at my first appointment.

The doc said that untreated thyroid problems could lead to miscarriage.

Game over. You win. I'll take the meds because baby's life just trumped everything else.

Around Day 5 of taking the medication, I woke up and started going about my business. Suddenly I thought, "Oh, my goodness--I can think clearly! This is crazy!"

After a couple of weeks, I knew it had helped, but I thought, "Who knows--it could all be in my head, too!"

So, I asked my husband.

"Well, I think I've noticed a difference after being on the medication. Do you think it's helping?"

"YES. Yes, I think it's working. I've noticed a big difference. You don't get mad about everything, you seem happier."

Okay. Well, that was good. (I feel so bad that the guy had to put up with me for that year--it must have been awful to not know what you were going to walk into after work!)

At the end of the prescription, they wanted to check my blood levels.

The levels came out being nicely balanced.

I was out of the medication for over five days before they re-filled my prescription.

One day, I was laying on the couch just staring out the window. And I hadn't felt that...depressed...in a LONG time.

"What is WRONG with me?" I kept saying to myself.

And my head? Totally cloudy.

I was also shaking after every meal and especially after anything sweet I ate.

I convinced myself I had gestational diabetes (at 12 weeks gestation) and immediately started googling the symptoms.

None of the symptoms matched mine.

I was stumped. And then it hit me--I had been off the medication for five days. And Day 5 was a BAD day. No energy, depressed, cloudy head, crying for no reason, irritable. I felt AWFUL.

Maybe Day 5 is the magic number for this medicine. It kicks in on Day 5 and it really shows the effects of NOT having it on Day 5.

I called the doc's office and told the nurse they hadn't refilled the prescription (they had said they would days ago) and that I was so terrified of feeling this way again that they needed to refill it NOW.

Day 5 of taking it again--much better. It's really weird.

So, THEN I asked my O.B.--"How did my thyroid levels check out when you first ran my levels a few months ago?"

"Great. Looked great."

Really? That's interesting since I hadn't started the thyroid meds yet.

Whatever--they're working, everyone around me has noticed a difference, and I'm happy to be on something that's helping me AND the baby.

Looking back on the day a couple weeks ago where I laid on the couch all day and couldn't shake this feeling of....doom...I can't help but think, "How did I feel like this for a year?! Why did I think this was normal?!"

The meds, even though I don't like the idea of possibly being on something for the rest of my life, have literally changed my life. My relationship with my husband--not that it was ever BAD--has just changed that much more for the better. He can talk to me about issues now without me just breaking down into tears or flying off the handle. It's improved my relationship with my kids--hard to be a mom when you have no energy and motivation and you have no patience.

So, there you go.

Wasn't that THE most exciting post you've ever read?

If you've read this far, congratulations. You now get to watch a scene from my favorite holiday movie ever:

R.A.N.D.O.M.

2011-12-19T23:03:00.000-06:00

1.) I've decided God gives you nine whole months to be pregnant so that you can come to a peaceful decision on what to name your child.

I don't discuss my kids' names on here, but I figure I CAN talk about what's being thrown around name-wise while we try to decide.

Laurence. My husband loves it. I am NOT a fan (sorry, Grandpa!). I would even name the kid Lorenzo over Laurence at this point. Or Laurent. I just can't get down with that name. As I say, "It's a BABY--not an 85 year-old man!"

I dig Blaise. My husband doesn't like it as a first name.

We like Augustine. Someone said, "Would you call him Gus?" Um, no--that's my father-in-law's dog.

I like Seraphina. My husband does not.

I dig Anthony. My husband isn't crazy about it.

He likes Laurence. I don't.

Our son wants to name the baby "Saint Patrick." We feel it's a little presumptuous.

Our other son wants to name the baby "Poopy." Fact: Potty-training while Mom is pregnant means super fun naming games.

My husband likes Laurence. I don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but I'm not a fan. Like, at all.

But here is what we CAN agree on:

We want both names to be the names of saints.

Why?

I'll tell you.

There were these people throughout history who did wonderful things and led holy lives. Some fought in battles (St. Joan of Arc) while some founded religious orders (St. Dominic). These people are in Heaven now, and we find it both comforting and inspiring to know that our children can always call on those particular saints to pray for them and help them in any situation--like a special friend.

It would be very hard to do that if we named our child "Bear" or "Apple."

Last time I checked fruit couldn't pray for us. And neither could "Poopy."

Just sayin'.

2.) My friend, Shannon, sent me a neat little link the other day: It's on my to do list. It's a blog. Not written by me. But with the same title.

I'm pretty sure the author of the blog is my long lost twin.

I'm notorious for blowing off personal projects, or starting them but only finishing half way. What can I say, adult ADD is a bitch. So as a way of keeping me on track and hold some type of personal accountability I've started this blog. My project goal and life to-do list.

Seriously--did this person stumble across my blog and then decide to write a blog mocking how I never finish anything? I'd love to find out, but that was their only post...that they wrote back in 2009.

Yep--it's my long lost twin.

I think "Colloquial Slang" and I should meet sometime. I'll let him/her schedule the meeting on his/her to-do list.

It'll never happen.

I feel his/her pain.

3.) My brother-in-law gave us a LOT of deer meat. It's sitting out in our deep freeze. Every time I go out there to dig around in the hopes of finding something non-deerish (like...cow!) I think to myself, "Oh, wow...I've got to fix you at some point..." and my stomach starts hurting. I'm appreciative of free protein...I'm just super scared to cook that stuff.

A guy I went to high school with said he wraps his deer loin (hi--that makes me gag just typing it. I can say "pork loin" without any problems, but "deer loin" is a bit much for me) in bacon after marinating the meat in Italian dressing. But he does all of that after soaking the meat in salt water to (gag) draw out the blood and (gag) gaminess.

Seriously--I'm perfectly fine with being a foodie modernist and eating...cow. And chicken. And pork--you know, things that already are slaughtered and come pre-packaged in the grocery store.

4.) The Great Blizzard of 2011 is supposed to miss us. I know you were worried. But, hey--if we get snowed in, we surely do have a freezer full of deer meat, right?

5.) I want to watch "Downton Abbey." It looks awesome. C'mon, Netflix!

6.) Since we're on the subject of classy and elegant shows...

Eddie: I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic.

Clark: Do you really think it matters, Eddie?

Overheard...

2011-12-19T21:59:00.000-06:00

Me: Did you know Kim Jong Il died?

Husband: I didn't. Is Jo-bama going to take credit for that one as well?

(While looking for Christmas music on iTunes to make a Christmas CD while we travel...)

Husband: Goodness! Uggggh. What IS this? I guess I should have just typed in, 'Worst versions of 'Good King Wenceslaus ever.' You're going to have to do this--I can't take this anymore.

Lame Sheep and Christmas Balls...

2011-12-19T09:01:00.001-06:00

So, this weekend made me laugh.

First, we had to finish up Christmas shopping on the weekend before Christmas--FUN! Every single year, I say, "I will get ALL of my shopping done before the last weekend before Christmas next year! I WILL!"

And then I shake my fist for added emphasis.

So, anyways, as I was shopping on the last weekend before Christmas, I quickly realized why I generally do my shopping alone...at night.

The ol' family loaded up in the minivan for our good old-fashioned family fun Christmas shopping trip.

We also had to stop at Sam's Club, though, for some essentials--like milk and baby wipes.

Sam's Club. On a Saturday. Before Christmas. With free samples.

This is a recipe for my husband to just about lose it.

This is also a recipe that my kids L.O.V.E. Free food? While riding around in a cart? Yes, please!

We made it through the day without anyone getting arrested--just so you know.

Yesterday we went to Mass, and we stayed afterward for the Epiphany Play practice. We asked our sons if they wanted to be "sheep" this year--and the sheep are my favorite part. We have a family at our church who raise sheep and sheer their wool. They gave a bunch of (clean!) wool to the seamstresses who then make little sheep head-gear for the kids to wear during the play. It's so freakin' adorable, I can't even stand it.

So, the boys said that they would be sheep after we told them it was JUST like playing Animal Charades like we do at home.

They were off in the wings when the "director" announced that it was time for the sheep to come in and to go over and stand by the Holy Family.

The sheep (ages 3-5) come walking in on their hands and knees...as human sheep should.

Except for my oldest child.

He was the sheep who was literally dragging his legs behind him.

I. could. not. stop. laughing.

Finally I went over to him and said, "What are you doing?"

He said, "Being a sheep!"

I'm thinking, "When has he EVER looked like this when we played Charades at home?!"

But I said what everyone in the room was thinking: "You know, they generally kill the sheep with the broken legs."

He laughed.

My husband, not knowing that I had given him the "lame sheep" lecture later told him, "You know, they generally butcher the lame sheep."

We're proud to know he's VERY well-versed in what happens to lame sheep.

Then my three year-old comes over to me rubbing his eyes and crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"That boy poked me in the eye!" he said, pointing.

"Okay," I whispered, quietly. "Is your eye okay?"

"MOM! YOU NEED TO GIVE THAT BOY A TALK AND TELL HIM HE CAN'T POKE ME IN THE EYE ANYMORE! WE'RE SHEEP! THERE'S NO POKING EYES WHEN YOU'RE SHEEP!" he yelled.

Well, if anything, everyone will surely know our children are in the play, right?

Then flash to last night.

Remember that game "Mouse Trap?" You know--a bunch of crazy pieces that you set up and knock over to see if you could get the cage to drop down on the mouse at the end?

I literally have NO idea what the rules of this game are since I never played the game as a kid--I just set it up, feeling like an evil genius, and let it run through a few times before shoving it back in the box.

Last night, we passed THAT tradition on to the kids. (Somewhere, strains of "Circle of Life" by Elton John can be heard in the distance...)

I would set the board up, one boy would turn the crank, and we'd watch the ball roll down, trip this and trip that until the very end when the cage came crashing down on the mouse.

And we did this over..and over...and over. And sometimes we had to set it up MULTIPLE times before they even got to turn the crank because someone was trigger happy or someone bumped the table. FUN. I now know how excited my parents were when I received this game that one year for Christmas...

Then I said, "HEY! Let's get in our pj's (you're excluded on this one, Dad) and get in the car and go check out Christmas lights."

The boys were super excited about this, and Baby Girl was just there for the ride.

We loaded up, threw blankets over them, and set off.

As we pulled out of the driveway, I said, "Start looking for lights!"

My three year-old automatically replied with, "I SEE SOME! RIGHT OVER THERE!"

He was pointing to our neighbor's house. They had a wreath lit up in their picture window.

My husband and I smiled at each other.

"Right!" I said. "Good eye!"

We stopped for gas, grabbed some chocolate milk for the kids, and we were off.

We traveled up to "The National" which is this really ritzy golf course and subdivision with huge houses where Chiefs football players supposedly live. We've heard that this neighborhood REALLY does a great job with lights (which, by the way, turned out to be not so true...).

We saw the first house with lights.

"What do you think, boys?" I asked.

I turned to find my five year-old fast asleep in the back. Great--it was only 6:30! Interesting bedtime to be sure!

We kept driving, looking at the houses with our mouths wide open.

Seven car garages.

Courtyards.

Houses that you THOUGHT were only so big, but then you followed the curve of the road to see that no--they had a whole other WING of the house hidden in the darkness.

The husband and I were feeling REALLY pumped about our three bedroom ranch-style house with soon to be 4 kids at this moment.

My three year-old piped up from the back, "Can we go home now?"

"Yes," we answered.

"What was your favorite house with lights?" I asked him.

"The house nextdoor to us."

Nice. I'm so glad we could load you up in the car, fill up with gas, travel 20 minutes to look at mini-mansions when we could have just walked you over to the neighbors' yard and let you look at their window wreath! Oh, I laughed.

My husband works for a really big company--it's huge.

Every year they give him stuff that didn't sell, and we've acquired some REALLY neat things throughout the years.

The other day he brought home this recordable Christmas book--you press buttons and record yourself asking your kids questions about Christmas.

We got to the question, "What is your favorite Christmas song?" and I was excited since we had been working on learning Christmas carols the last couple of weeks so the boys would know some songs this Christmas. You know--like, "Silent Night" and "Holy Night" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

My son blurts out, "Christmas balls...Christmas balls...pinecones, icecicles, and cookies. Christmas balls...Christmas balls..."

And sadly, that's a slightly different version of the same song he sang to me last week. But now we have it recorded for years to come!

It's really quite catchy.

"Christmas balls....Christmas balls..."

And now a line from my favorite holiday movie of all time:

Clark: "Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"

Eddie: "Naw, I'm doin' just fine, Clark."

Happy Monday!

The No-Fun Mom?

2011-12-16T14:05:00.000-06:00

I miss my kids.

Which is kind of a weird thing for a stay-at-home mom to say when she's with her kids 24 hours a day....7 days a week. (Unless you get that 10 minute grocery store run by yourself--can I get a "woot-woot?!")

Today I declared it Friday Fun Day--which, I mean, every Friday in this house is dubbed "Friday Fun Day" and it means the boys get to watch movies, and I run around the house, scrambling to get a ton of stuff done that I didn't get done throughout the week?

Can I get an "Amen?"

(Crickets).

But today I declared it Friday Fun Day--and Mom was included in on the deal.

I threw laundry in, cleaned up the dishes, and the boys and I set out to watch a nature documentary about creature infestations--it made me want to burn our house to the ground in case there were bed bugs living in our walls or a den of garter snakes living below our house. Just sayin'. Good show, though.

Anyways--the boys and I giggled and laughed while we watched the show, we then made hot chocolate and popcorn, and we just...hung out.

And I realized something: I miss my kids.

Every day it's the same routine: Get up, breakfast, clean up after breakfast, start laundry, try to get other random things done around the house, get frustrated with somethig and either blog about it of facebook about it--all while the boys play together in whatever room I'm in.

But the only real conversation that's going on during this whole time is me saying, "Oh, no--we don't bang on the piano with our play hammer!" or "Stop fighting with each other!" or "I just told you to keep the lid on your cup...and now there is milk everywhere. Why did you take the lid off?!"

In other words, it's pretty negative.

Today, though--I realized I miss just hanging out with the boys and having fun. There was no correcting, no getting onto them about anything. It was just...nice.

While my 3 year-old cuddled up next to me under a blanket while we watched the movie, I thought, "Oh, my GOODNESS. I've become THAT mom."

I've become the mom that is seriously so concerned with everything else going on in the household or what news story is making headlines that I have forgotten what is most important. I'm the mom who is pushing a laundry basket up the stairs (yes...it can be done--especially when you're pregnant) while her son is trailing behind her asking her questions or telling her about his (20 minute long) dream.

My mom was never like that.

My mom kept our house immaculately clean (I'm talking ridiculous clean, people. I never knew there was a such thing as "clutter" until I went to the homes of friends. Everything had it's spot in our house), but the thing is--I can never remember thinking, "Can't the cleaning wait?! I'm trying to tell you a story!" She was ALWAYS available to talk, to hang out--she's awesome. And I can't remember her actually DOING any household chores growing up. The house was spotless, everything was beautiful, but I can't remember her saying, "Hold on, I'm doing laundry!" or "Hang on...let me get the dishes done."

And that hasn't changed.

When I go back home to visit, the house is still immaculately clean, but yet she's just there to hang out--and you can tell she's not thinking, "Oh, wow--I've got to get this, and this, and this done....why won't she quit talking?!"

I saw this picture today:

and I couldn't help but smile.

Yes--my childhood was awesome.

I always knew my parents loved me, they always had time for me (easy being an only child, yo!), and I never felt like work or cleaning or ANYTHING came before me.

And another thing--if I saw my kid climbing up the doorway, what would my inital reaction most likely be?

1.) "Oh, be careful! Why don't you just get down before you bust your face?"

2.) "Oh, let's get down! We don't want to ruin the door frame!"

Hi. My name is Delena, and I've apparently become the No-Fun Mom.

What is WRONG with me?!

I think, as parents, you always struggle with a couple of things:

1.) Am I completely ruining my child(ren)?

2.) Am I too hard on them for things I should ease up on?

3.) Am I being to soft on this? Should I toughen up on this issue?!

It's a really fine line, too, to know what you should let them do or say as opposed to what you should NOT allow them to do or say.

And it's REALLY difficult when they're used to doing something in YOUR house (like, playing with refrigerator magnets on the fridge) but then you go to a relative or friend's house, and the person just about comes unglued because your child is touching their magnets.

How do you explain to a 2 year-old that you can play with magnets HERE, but most definitely not HERE?

I'm digressing, aren't I?

My biggest fear is that I will be too soft on my kids and they will become like those kids in Wal-mart that you just kind of want to beat in Aisle 4.

My biggest fear is that I will be too hard on my kids and that they will never have any fun and grow to resent me.

Isn't parenting FUN?!

So, back to the original point of this post:

I miss my kids.

I wish I could say every day could be "Friday Fun Day" where I don't do a single thing and just hang out with the kids.

But then it would be "Naked Friday Fun Day" in this house every day since we wouldn't have any clothes.

Sigh.

Here's to the best Friday I've had in a very long time.

I think after our next movie, I'll challenge the boys to see who can climb the highest up the doorway.

And I get to go first.

Crazy, Bees, and Jo-bama...

2011-12-16T09:08:00.000-06:00

You ever have one of those days where something upsets you, you're sick to your stomach about it, and you're THAT close to crying (thanks, thyroid meds! No more crying for no good reason in THIS house! But that's another post.)? That was my evening last night right before the priest came to dinner.

But then your husband hugs you and basically tells you you're crazy for being upset about the situation, and you're like, "Thank you! You know just what to say!" (Seriously--not sarcastically.)

Or is that just me?

I love that guy.

Anyways. The dinner went well. Fish went over great--my husband even said, "I would willingly eat that again!" And the dessert went over VERY well with everyone--especially the boys who were so excited they started telling the priest about it the minute he walked in the door.

"WE'VE GOT DESSERT! WITH CRANBERRIES ON TOP! AND THE FLAVORS--THEY'RE SO GOOD! MMMMM! YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT!"

And so here's a little back story for you:

The other night at dinner, our five year-old said, "Mom, can we name the baby 'Washington?'"

I said, "As in 'President Washington?'"

"Yes," he said.

"Um, can you tell me Washington's FIRST name?" I asked, knowing he knew the answer.

"Jo-bama," he said without missing a beat.

I thought my husband and I were going to fall out of our seats laughing.

So, flash to LAST night.

We're sitting at the dinner table with our dinner guest, and our oldest asked if he could stay at the table and talk with us.

In the middle of a conversation we were having with the priest, our son says, "Yeah...it's kind of like Jo-bama."

Which had me in fits of laughter again because a.) Jo-bama! It's funny! and b.) He was trying SO hard to sound grown-up and contribute to the conversation and c.) I knew I was going to have to explain the "Jo-bama" story to our priest who looked rather confused.

On a completely unrelated note, our son asked us the other night, "Why do bees make honey?"

And my husband and I were like, "Well, because they....um, because they....do they eat the honey? Huh...I have no idea WHY they make honey."

Granted, Google could give us our answer in a matter of seconds, but we figured something more visual might help the child...and me.

So, we went on Netflix, found a documentary on bees, and put it in our queue. We shipped back the movie we had a couple days ago, and I was VERY excited for the bee movie to arrive yesterday--but it never did. Netflix says that our movie didn't arrive back yet--but we can't worry about it until the 18th because that's when Netflix wants us to worry about it.

(I seriously am starting to doubt our mailman's abilities at this point. Things that supposedly went INTO our mailbox were never really there, things that we shipped OUT didn't get to the place...)

Anyways.

So, my whole plan today was: Throw laundry in, clean up from last night's dinner, and spend the entire day doing NOTHING but hanging out with the kids.

Part of that "hanging out" with the kids part included watching the bee movie while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate...but the movie isn't here.

I don't know who is more disappointed--my son or me.

Anyways, so I've got to try and find a bee documentary for us to watch today.

And I'm going to enjoy the "doing nothing but hanging out with the kids" part because once they go to bed tonight I've got five photo orders to finish, a snood to finish, and two book reviews to finish. My plan is to be in bed tomorrow night...

On another completely unrelated note, please keep a friend of mine in your prayers. She's having an amniocentesis done today (and is terrified) so they can figure out when they have to do her c-section (she lost a baby last time at 38 weeks), and she's also terrified about the c-section. Please pray for her--she needs some peace of mind and peace in her heart right now. Prayers going up for you, friend!

St. Gerard, ora pro nobis!
St. Dymphna, ora pro nobis!
St. Gianna, ora pro nobis!
St. Anthony of Padua, ora pro nobis!

Happy Friday--can't wait to finish up our Christmas shopping on the last weekend before Christmas. I'm sure the stores will be empty...

Joy to the World...

2011-12-15T12:56:00.001-06:00

'Cause I baked...a braided....bread.

The perfectionist in me cries, "Why did my icing not turn out as white as my good friend, Sarah's?"

The hunger in me cries, "WHO CARES? IT'S GOING TO BE TASTY!"

And that surely is baked on my biggest pizza pan, yo! That's HUGE!

Dessert for tonight: Check.

Four loaves of French Bread for tonight: Almost done rising and ready to bake.

Ahead of schedule? Check.

Happy Thursday!

Ummm...

2011-12-15T11:16:00.000-06:00

How good does OUR house smell right now?!

'Tis the night for eating fish...

2011-12-15T10:13:00.001-06:00

Fa-la-la-la-la....la-la-la-la.

So, our dinner night with our new priest was re-scheduled from Monday until tonight.

Fish is still on the menu.

Last night I headed to the pricey grocery store we never shop at since they have a fresh seafood counter.

"Can I help you?" "Dave" behind the counter asked as I tried not to keel over from the ocean-filled smell surrounding me.

"Yes, Dave. We're having a guest over for dinner who loves fish, but we're not really fans. Do you have a fish that meets that kind of situation?" I asked.

"Oh, well, I think Tilapia or Cod might suit that situation," he replied.

The Tilapia said it was from Vietnam. The Cod said it was from the good ol' U.S. of A. (Well, the fish didn't really SAY where they were from--the sign in front of them did.)

So, I went with 1 1/2 lbs. of the domestic choice.

"How long do I cook it? And at what temperature?" I asked, crouching down to stare at the tank of lobsters.

Dave knew his fish. He kindly gave me the instructions.

"Oh, Dave? Do people really come in here and buy the fish with the heads still on?" I asked, nauseated at the sight.

"Oh, yes...we have a guy who comes in almost every week and buys two or three of these little trout."

"Gotta go, Dave. I'm feeling light-headed. Thanks for the fish-cooking tips. I'd let you know how it turned out, but I'll probably never stop back by this counter again--no offense."

Dave laughed. He's nice.

I figure if I throw enough butter and lemon on it, it's got to turn out okay, right?

RIGHT?!

We'll also have some of those cute little red potatoes because they are a-dorable. And a salad. And homemade "proper" french bread.

I've got enough dough for four loaves rising on the stove. I figure I can send some home with the priest and freeze a loaf for later use.

Dessert? Oh, man...I'm excited.

My good friend, Sarah, makes this little number (or maybe I should say BIG number) every year for the Feast of St. Lucy. She sent me the recipe, and as I was scouring the kitchen for ideas that I could make for dessert (I mean, it's not like I can make anything with chocolate--the priest is from BELGIUM, people. I hear Belgian chocolate is, um, tastier than Nestle Tollhouse morsels, you know?) I realized that I had all of the ingredients on hand for the "St. Lucia's Bread."

'Tis what we are having for dessert tonight. A nice sweet bread with a hint of orange in it and complete with drizzled icing and topped with cranberries.

Did I mention it's a braided bread? I'm hoping that I'm a little more capable of braiding bread than I am of braiding my hair.

Who's excited? This girl.

Want to see a pic of my awesome friend, Sarah's, St. Lucia bread she made this week? I'll show you.

Didn't she do such a great job? I'm jealous.

And I didn't ask her, but I'm pretty sure that's sitting on a pizza pan. A big pizza pan. This dessert is massive--true story.

I. am. excited.

It's Tuesday...

2011-12-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

Insult to injury...

2011-12-09T17:24:00.000-06:00

I read an article last night that said Michelle Duggar, mother to 19 children, suffered a miscarriage in her second trimester.

My heart broke for her, as I can't imagine what it's like to go through something so devastating, and especially so late in the pregnancy!

To add insult to injury, however, I took a look at the comments after this article. What I read there made me nauseous.

"I hope she dies."

"Maybe it's God's way of telling her to STOP."

"I can't wait until we make it illegal to have more than a certain number of children."

"I can't wait until we outlaw religion."

And how much do you want to bet this comes from the "tolerant" crowd that thinks people should be able to do whatever they like, marry whomever they like, dress however they like, express themselves however they like...?

It's kind of like feminism--they're all for women's rights...as long as you are doing what they think is worthy.

So, why does this family bother so many people in our society?

Kyrie eleison.

You and me goin' fishing in the dark...

2011-12-09T08:38:00.000-06:00

Today feels like Monday.

Yesterday, my husband took the day off from work since it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

We went to Mass, came home, and the rest of our day felt like a typical Sunday afternoon.

Today he went to work...thus making it feel like Monday.

Anyways.

I asked our new priest (from Belgium) over for dinner on Monday. I then asked him what his favorite dish to eat was.

He said "fish."

Couple o' things here:

1.) I know nothing about cooking fish. The extent of my fish knowledge consists of "Open box, take out frozen fillets, throw them on cookie pan, bake until crispy, drown in tartar sauce so you can't taste the fish."

2.) We're not really big "fish" fans. My husband can eat mussells and other such weird ocean creatures (oysters--really?!), but "fish" doesn't really hang out in our house.

"But, D," you might find yourself thinking. "However do you make it through Lent or every other Friday of the year when you abstain from meat?"

Ummm...pasta bakes. Spaghetti. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Vegetarian burritos. Egg salad sandwiches (once...not my fave).

Pretty much anything but fish, you know? And that includes tuna and salmon patties. Don't EVEN get me started on canned salmon.

So, anyways--I'm kind of on a mission since we're having fish on Monday, and I have NO idea what I'm doing or where to start.

Today I was looking at the cooking blogs I dig, and I saw three recipes on Annie's Eats that I'm for sure bookmarking.

Did they have anything to do with fish? Absolutely not---but they look delicious!

Bostom Cream Cupcakes. This woman is my hero. I LOVE me some Bostom Cream Pie, so cupcakes are that much cuter.

Flavored holiday syrups. They just look super fun to make...and possibly take to a bake sale?!

Homemade chocolate syrup. Ooooh...when I can make my homemade mocha frappucinos again without worrying about putting the baby I'm growing into a caffeine coma, I'm definitely giving this syrup a try instead of using the Hershey's. 'Cause I was going through a bottle of Hershey's every few days.

And isn't her food photography just awesome?

Sigh.

I can shoot just about anything...but food stumps me.

I did, however, do a fudge photo shoot for a local fudge shop...and the pictures came out really good. And I learned something: food is much easier to work with than people because it doesn't move. Or cry. Or talk back. Or refuse to smile. It just....sits there.

Goal #438: Perfect the art of food photography.

I'm off to try and find a fish recipe, though...and possibly start shipping up a Peppermint Syrup for a bake sale!

Bake Sale: Old-Fashioned Tiger Butter Candy

2011-12-07T13:17:00.002-06:00

So, after popping both loaves of Banana Nut Bread out of the oven today, I remembered that somewhere down in the Dungeon Basement was a huge tupperware storage container with little boxes and containers I had collected over the years from Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and Target.

I found the tub, opened it up, and there they were in all of their $1.00 bin glory!

(Do you see that coffee container?! I'm totally whipping up a homemade powdered Mocha Latte mix to put in there for the bake sale!)

So, due to the small size of these little guys, I knew I had to make something small that could fit into the little containers for the bake sale.

Enter Old-Fashioned Tiger Butter Candy.

Several years ago, I was in a candy shop, and I saw something in the case called, "Tiger Butter." The sign said it was full of chocolate and peanut butter, and since I think those two are a match made in Candy Heaven, I got some--despite the weird name.

Wow.

It was awesome.

So, I was on a mission to figure out how to make this. And I have this dream of one day having the time and patience to mess around with actual candy-making that requires the use of a candy thermometer. Right now, candy thermometers intimidate me, so I avoid them.

This recipe called for melting stuff in the microwave--and I'm down with that.

1 lb. white almond bark
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 tsp. half-and-half cream

In microwaveable bowl, heat almond bark and peanut butter on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until melted. Mix well. Pour onto a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spread into a thin layer. In another bowl, heat chips and cream on high for about 30 seconds or until chips are soft. Stir until smooth. Pour and swirl over peanut butter layer. Freeze for 5 minutes or until set. Break into pieces.

I've made this almost every Christmas.

Oh--and if you're like, "Yo, D! I don't have any half-and-half chillin' in my fridge!" Well, you're in luck--neither did I. So, I just added the same amount of regular whole milk, and the chocolate chips melted just fine.

And this, my friends, is what it looked like today after I had swirled the deliciousness around on the other layer of deliciousness.

Want a close-up? Oh, alright.

(Note to self: Must. take. food. photography. class.)

So, the Old-Fashioned Tiger Butter Candy is currently sitting on top of my deep-freeze out in the garage--because if there is ONE positive thing about living in the midwest in winter, it is that the outside doubles as another freezer/refrigerator for you.

Once it's chilled, I will cut it into squares, and they will be ready to go into their little containers for the bake sale!

This brings the list for the bake sale up to: Tiger Butter, Cake Pops, Kolache, and a homemade Mocha Latte mix.

I'm. excited.

Bake Sales: I'm kind of OCD about them...

2011-12-07T11:15:00.000-06:00

This coming Sunday is Gaudete Sunday.

The Confraternity of Christian Mothers at our church is having a (donations only) bake sale in order to raise funds for the Children's Epiphany Party we throw every year in January.

And I take my bake sales seriously, yo.

Oh, okay-- I've kind of become a little OCD about these bake sales. It started two bake sales ago when I decided it might be nice to make some Cake Pops for the sale.

And people went nuts for them!

I also packaged the Cake Pops in a nice basket with a pretty tag, which always helps.

I then made some homemade vinaigrettes, packaged in clear glass bottles from Hobby Lobby (complete with adorable piece of cork in the top!) and finished with ribbon and a pretty tag.

For this bake sale, I've decided to make more Cake Pops and some Kolache.

Kolache are a Czech pastry with some sort of a fruit (or cream cheese!) filling. My father-in-law gave me the recipe that his family used, and I usually make a variety: Poppy seed, apricot, cherry, and cream cheese. (My brother-in-law spent some time in the Czech Republic, and he said they had a version over there with the cream cheese center and rum-soaked raisins on top. I'm not a fan of raisins, but I bet those look really pretty. Every once in awhile I have this dream of opening up my own Kolache shop...I think I'll call the shop O'lache. Since I would be the Irish gal making a Czech pastry...)

The Americans have an overly-sweet version of this: the danish.

So, I was at Target last night looking for suits for young boys (no luck. Nice.) when I came across their $1.00 bins--which is my most favorite section EVER in Target.

And they had some REALLY cute containers and pails for $1.00.

And I just figured out how I was going to package my Cake Pops and Kolache for the bake sale. Throw some red tissue paper in the bottom of the containers, wrap the baked goods in some cellophane, place it in the container with some ribbon and a pretty label.

I. am. excited.

My husband suggested making some Banana Bread for the bake sale.

I've got two loaves in the oven as we speak...but I have a feeling they won't make until Sunday.

'Cause they're too delicious.

Duffy: Mercy

2011-12-06T14:11:00.001-06:00

I grew up listening to oldies. That was the music of my parents' generation.

I even grew up listening to OLDIES oldies--Sinatra, Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bing...that was the music of my grandparents' generation.

But Motown and doo-whop are my favorite genres of music.

I love the harmony, I love the sound, and I love the rhythm.

So, I always am fascinated when an artist of today has that...sound. The "old soul" singing in a young body thing.

Amy Winehouse had it...however, she passed away.

Adele has it...and I love every single one of her songs.

And today I found an artist named "Duffy." And she definitely has the old soul sound goin' on. I'm only slightly obsessed with this song--I've spent the entire half of the day dancing around the kitchen, organizing cupboards while listening to this song.

Book Reviews...

2011-12-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

I'm behind in doing them, but I will be reviewing two books this week.

The first book is The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse. The second book is A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms.

In the midst of mailing off photo orders and a cell phone back to my brother-in-law since he left it here this last weekend, I'm going to get those book reviews written tonight.

I really am.

On the Feast of St. Nicholaus...

2011-12-06T08:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Feast of St. Nicholaus!!

I love December.

Despite the fact that it gets ridiculously cold (woke up to a dusting of snow today), it has quickly become one of my favorite months.

Our son turned five a couple of days ago (FIVE! WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!).

And then we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholaus today. This is a tradition that my husband and I didn't grow up celebrating, but we've started celebrating with our family. We break out the stockings and hang them on the night of the 5th. When the kids (and the husband!) wake up on the morning of the 6th, they find some goodies in their stockings.

This year I hit the feast day jackpot when I found several little pouches of golden foil-wrapped chocolate coins at Target, and then I found some of the gold AND silver coins at Aldi.

At the local Catholic bookstore, I even found a book about St. Nicholaus for the kids that DIDN'T call the guy "Santa Claus" at the end. (This opens up a whole OTHER blog post about people mixing St. Nicholaus and Santa Claus together into the same guy).

Today the kids get to eat their treats in their stockings (Sugar High and Meltdown Town, here we come!), and then we will read the St. Nicholaus book, and I'm going to try and incorporate some St. Nicholaus things into our day here. (Once again--nice feast day, and I'm completely unprepared. Worked on photo orders all last night).

As for the rest of December, we're in the middle of Advent--which means we're preparing for the birth of Jesus.

On the 8th, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception--the day in which we honor the fact that Mary, mother of Christ, was born free from Original Sin. And it makes sense...because how could someone with sin on their soul give birth to the Son of God--who was completely free from sin? I'm trying to plan a nice meal with a dessert representative of Mary's pure-white soul. (So, uh, think white cake. Again. Since I do it every year.)

This coming Sunday is Gaudete Sunday which, in Delena terms, is like saying, "HEY! HOORAY! CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!" But that's why the Church uses fancier words like "Gaudete" because if left to me, all of the days in our litrugical year would have names that sounded like something off of Sesame Street.

Then we roll into Christmas. And it's...awesome. Waking the kids up at 11:00 at night so we can travel to our church for Midnight Mass. The air is crisp and cold...and so silent for being in the middle of the city.

As we're exiting the Church at around 2:00 in the morning, there are calls of, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" as people walk to their cars.

Then there is the Feast of St. Stephen--the first martyr ever.

Then we have the Feast of St. John the Apostle and the blessing of wine.

These feast days fall within the Octave of Christmas, and that just means we're partying it up until January.

BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!

I really like December.

Goal for next year: Really focus on observing Advent. I'm so confused--I had no idea what Jesse Tree was until two or three years ago, and now it seems that everyone is doing them. But I want to know more about the custom and tradition behind them before I start tossing one up on the wall. And then there is the Advent Wreath, which I heard this year isn't as Catholic of a custom as I thought it was, so our dining room table is bare. And plus I need to actually FIND a nice Advent Wreath. The year that I stuck some branches from a pine tree into a brown wooden wreath resulted in me thinking there was a nice pinecone on the leaves before my dad pointed out it was a bagworm. I about tossed my lunch all over the table at the thought that something could have...crawled...(shudder) out of the wreath at any time.

So, my luck with Advent Wreaths: big thumbs DOWN.

I'm working on figuring out what we can do for Advent as an outward symbol, and I really need to work on the inward preparation for Christmas.

Sigh.

So, here's to December!

These are a few controversial things....

2011-12-05T21:39:00.000-06:00

Today, while I was cleaning out the coat closet and organizing board games up above, I started humming a little tune from The Sound of Music. You know--"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens..."

No clue as to what I'm talking about? Here ya go. No, really--check it out because you're going to need that tune in a second.

So, then because my mind wanders in the way that it does, I started throwing in random items from my "80 Controversial Topics that can Divide a Room Full of Catholics" post.

While I still continued to organize the closet.

So, may I present to you...just a few controversial things--sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.

First, Medjugore and then Garabandal
Should priests wear cassocks or should they wear sandals?
Secrets of Fatima and Pope B16
These are a few controversial things...

High heels and make-up, and veiling, cremation
Donating organs and immigration
Nursing your child 'til the age of sixteen
These are a few controversial things...

Abstaining from meat every Friday all year
Chalices in Mass made of glass that's so clear
NFP, annulments, and home-schooling
These are a few controversial things...

JPII! Advent blue!
Clowns when I'm feeling mad!
But I just think of a few controversial things
And then I don't feeeeeeeeel soooooo sad!

I expect the full track to be out next year. Look for it in your nearest controversial Catholic bookstore.

I'm thinking of producing a full-feature Broadway show...complete with costumes and actions.

And, my friends, I must say: You. Are. Welcome. That little tune is going to be blasting in your brain the rest of the day...or while you're trying to get to sleep tonight.

Happy day!

SOMETHING SHINY!

2011-12-05T15:23:00.000-06:00

I have the attention span of a labrador. As I was finishing up the last post, something caught my eye.

Instead of playing "Mindtrap Monday," we're going to play a new game.

Ever since we moved into this house, we've seen some interesting things happen.

One of my favorite things--because it's such an enigma to me-- is when the girl who lives in the house behind us cuts through our yard almost every day to go...somewhere.

One day, while out on the porch with my neighbor, a red car flew down our little cul-de-sac, stopped, and the girl got out with her friend.

They proceeded to cut through our yard and head back toward their house.

I'm so used to this, I thought nothing of it...except, "They might die if we ever put up a privacy fence that cut off their path..."

My neighbor turned and said, "What's with the car?"

"What?"

"The car. Why did the car drop them off here?"

"I don't know--it usually does," I said, shrugging.

"But...why didn't the car take them down THEIR street and drop them off in fron of THEIR house?" she asked, staring at me.

I blinked.

"Ohhhh...I get it."

But really, I DON'T get it. Why do they do that?

So, because I stay at home and have time to spare when shiny things catch my eye, I've started a guessing game as to why the girl and her friends get dropped off in front of OUR house and then walk to their own house.

1.) They're famous, and I wouldn't know because I didn't even know what "Justin Bieber" meant until, like, two months ago (and I STILL don't get the fasincation at ALL, I might add). And because they're famous, they insist on getting dropped off in a crappy red car and walking into the back entrance of their house so the paparazzi doesn't see them.

2.) They really enjoy walking the extra couple hundred feet. Helps keep their youthful appearance.

3.) Their street just happens to be blocked off every single day, and no one can get through. The only legitimate way to get home is by walking through our yard.

Anyone else have any guesses?

I'm stumped over here.

One night, my neighbor and I were sharing a bottle of wine at around 10:00 at night on our front porch. While chatting, the girl and a few of her friends headed right through our yard...and waved at us. Because apparently the walking has been going on so long that we're now on waving terms.

I waved back.

If I had only had a LITTLE more wine in me, maybe I would have blurted out, "HEY! WHAT'S THE DEAL, YO?! AND WHAT'S WITH THE RED CAR?!"

I can't wait to get old and sit on the porch with my husband every day...

It's 3:00--time to ramble!

2011-12-05T15:06:00.000-06:00

I managed a whole 3 hours of sleep last night.

I apologize in advance at how this post might...jump around. You've been warned.

There's been a lot of chatter out there on the topic of homeschooling.

One of the better posts I've read was here. She comes across as kind and compassionate--which is most definitely needed within the realm of homeschooling. And she's honest.

Because you're bound to run into the homeschooling mom that immediately starts spouting off about why she homeschools, how it's the ONLY way to educate your children, and how if you choose to put your children in public schools you are nearly signing your soul over to the devil...and then lists a litany of scary scenarios for you so that you might see how right she is.

And generally no one was even TALKING about homeschooling--she's just right there to let you know why she's right and you're wrong.

"I really like tulips."

"I'm sorry--did you say 'homeschooling'? 'Cause I swore you said you really like homeschooling. I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING!"

And for those playing along at home, the last tactic is generally what turns people OFF of homeschooling.

And then within the homeschooling realm you have the moms who are 100% sure that THEIR curriculum is the ONLY curriculum to use that they will corner you in the hopes that they might try and persuade you, yet again, to hop on board their curriculum ship.

Hey! I don't like used car salesmen, and I don't appreciate curriculum saleswomen, either!

I'm thinking of making a t-shirt...

And within the homeschooling realm you can find a few completely separate schools of thought:
1.) WE LOVE HOMESCHOOLING! IT'S THE ONLY WAY! WE'RE THE ONLY ONES CAPABLE OF TEACHING OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE WE ARE SUPER-DUPER INTELLIGENT, AND YOU ARE DOING YOUR CHILDREN A DISSERVICE IF YOU ARE NOT HOMESCHOOLING OR USING THIS PARTICULAR CURRICULUM! LET'S CHAT ABOUT WHICH CURRICULUM I USE!

2.) We homeschool, and it really works out well for us. Wouldn't change it for the world.

3.) Uh, we homeschool because we don't see any other options given the current state of public and Catholic schools. We're not really super PRO homeschooling...and we're not really super AGAINST homeschooling. We're just kind of...here.

4.) We're going to homeschool. And I'm terrified. And I don't have enough confidence in myself as a mom to be able to be teaching the letter "J" to my 5 year-old while simultaneously changing a diaper and trying to fix that dang Transformer for the fourth time in ten minutes with the other child. I don't think there is enough patience out there to do this...

5.) Holy cow...if we could just AFFORD that really good and orthodox Catholic school...

And for those still playing along at home, we're pretty much #3 and # 5 in this house with me dabbling quite a bit in #4.

Fun times.

I don't get it.

I've hung around enough guys in my lifetime to see them argue back and forth over sports...hunting...cars...girls...jobs...and money.

"I like Kobe."

"WHAT?! Kobe?! You must mean Shaq."

"Are you serious? Shaq?! What is WRONG with you?"

"Hey, I'm hungry."

"Me, too."

End of discussion.

So, why is it that women have to be the end-all-be-all on everything woman-ish?

Planning on having a baby? Get ready to feel guilty if you used meds or had a c-section! Good luck finding support from people when you choose to have the baby on your living room floor! Have fun with that doctor in the hospital when you tell him/her that you're going to do it naturally and NOT stay in the bed the whole time!

Planning on homeschooling? Good luck finding support from a majority of people to begin with! And when you DO find support, be prepared to present your defense on why you chose your particular curriculum!

How do you plan on feeding your baby? Prepare to duck if you mention you're using a bottle with formula! Nursing? Prepare to have people look uncomfortable while you nurse the kid in a deep dark corner with a blanket thrown over the both of you!

Do you plan to vaccinate? Do you plan to NOT vaccinate?

Will you be buying your baby food or making your own?

Does the child cry it out? Does the child have a pacifier? Do you co-sleep with the child? Whaddya mean you put the child in a crib like a caged animal?!

Um, you bought WHAT kind of carseat?!

How many kids do you have?!

So, there you are--our little feminine "sisterhood" that binds us all together and lets us roar as one.

Except we tend to start roaring at each other...not together.

And then while we're roaring at each other, someone manages to start picking apart HOW you're roaring. Is it too loud? Too soft? Why would you even consider roaring at NOON?! You're seriously going to wear THAT while you ROAR?!

There are so many women out there who raise their children and teach their chilren in so many different ways. And I think we start seeing something that works, and we think, "Well, why wouldn't Jane at least TRY this method?! IT WORKS!"

No, no, it doesn't work for EVERYONE. It might have worked for your child, but I'm going to bet that temperament and luck had more to do with it than you probably think.

(And I'm sure someone out there might be saying, "Hey...that's right! Judge not lest ye be judged, amen?" But I have to say that Bible verse is one that now makes me cringe for how much people shove it in your face. There ARE times where you have to say, "Hey--that's NOT a good idea." Like, if I heard that a mom was going to teach her son about electricity with a toaster and a fork, I might say, "HEY! THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! IN FACT, THAT'S A HORRIBLE IDEA!" Or a mom who decided to teach a Physics lesson while having her high schooler stand in front of a moving car. Did I judge her? You betcha. Did I have a good reason to? Abs-olutely.)

Motherhood has definitely humbled me, though.

Just when I think something I did was RIGHT, God lets me know in one way or another that I'm really not that great. And I'm SO thankful to Him for those little lessons every day.

And I'm not saying I'm perfect in any of this--oh, believe me, I've had my fair share of, "What in the world is that parent DOING?! Why don't they just do it like THIS?" moments. But then God gives me a situation where I realize that not every child is the same, and I'm not right all of the time.

But back to homeschooling.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we make it SUCH a point to prove to every other mother out there that WE'RE right and THEY'RE wrong? What are we doing to ourselves? We should be HELPING each other--not tearing each other down in an attempt to make ourselves feel better!

I kind of think about the Visitation. So, Mary just receives word from St. Gabriel that she's going to have a child--and it's the Son of God. He then tells her that her cousin, Elizabeth, is expecting a child, too. Mary drops everything and travels a couple of days by donkey (I always kind of thought she did a hop, skip, and a jump across the village or something to go chat with St. Elizabeth...and I was wrong. It was a journey.) to go see her cousin. When she gets there, she could immediately start talking about how she just got THE coolest news--that she's going to have, you know, the Messiah. But she doesn't. She immediately congratulates Elizabeth and is THERE for her. She could have launched into a long-winded speech about how St. Elizabeth was too old or how if she had only done this, this, and this, maybe SHE would have been chosed to have the Son of God.

But she doesn't. It's not even in her nature to do so.

She's thrilled for her cousin and is THERE for her. She supports her. And she does everything with...charity. And yes, I know--they didn't chat about homeschooling Jesus or St. John the Baptist. My point is that Mary isn't out to prove a point or give her an earful about anything--she's there to SUPPORT her.

Are we truly SUPPORTING other mothers? Are we doing so in charity?

Can I smile and politely bow out of the conversation with Mom#1--who is SUPER PSYCHED about her curriculum?

Can I high-five the mom who is just fine with homeschooling and wouldn't change a thing?

Can I learn anything from other moms who are only doing this because they have to?

Can I give some compassion and lend an ear to the mom who is terrified to homeschool...and later spill my own fears and shortcomings to her as well?

Can I try not to be jealous of the families who can afford sending their kids to the one or two solid Catholic schools in these parts?

What can I be doing to help SUPPORT other homeschooling moms?

"Do-it-anyways-December!"

2011-12-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

My husband is great--really.

He loves our family, works hard for his family, he's ridiculously intelligent, he makes me laugh until I can't breathe, and his #1 goal is to try and get us all to Heaven.

I really like the guy.

Today marks the first day of December. That (obviously) means that November is over.

And I had dubbed November as "No-matter-what-November." No matter what my day was like, no matter how bad I was feeling, I was going to greet my husband with a smile and a kiss when he came home from work.

I've got to say--what a difference your attitude (and thyroid meds) can make! Everyone in this house seemed to just be...happier! And then THAT thought made me feel kind of sick to know that MY attitude can affect so many other people!

I have also really tried hard to stay calm and not get as irritated as I used to over little things.

Questions like, "Can you unload the dishwasher?" while I was quickly checking my e-mail used to make me roll my eyes and huff and puff to do what was requested.

But all throughout November I really focused on remaining calm and trying to keep a smile on my face--even if I was irritated.

And I realized something: It's REALLY hard to get irritated when you're smiling and trying to be cheerful!

So, "No-matter-what-November" was a success--and it was a goal that I actually completed. (Applause, cheers, pin a medal on my lapel!)

Here's to "Do-it-anyways December." Feeling irritated? Feeling like being grumpy toward everyone else in the house? Just smile. Do it anyways--even if you don't want to.

And watch the amazing transition happen in YOUR life...and the lives of your family members.

I have also tried for the last couple of months to show my husband every single day that I love him in some little way. It might be a note slipped into his computer bag on his way to work. Or it might be a text in the middle of the day simply saying, "I love you." Or by making the bed really nice in the mornings (what's the point? You're just getting back in the next night to mess the covers up again!). Or it might be making something for dinner that I KNOW he loves.

Doing these things every day takes some real effort. Some days you might be sick or the kids have already worn you out with their bickering bby 9:00 a.m. It takes some effort and a real act of...love...to show your spouse in some little way--every day--that you love them.

But how much it can change a marriage--it's pretty amazing to see happen.

Tonight's dinner: Bierocks. For those that are unfamiliar with what bierocks are, it's a German meal that consists of hamburger, onion, and cabbage wrapped in dough and baked.

It's a German hot-pocket, if you will. But don't tell my father-in-law I said so.

Anyways, Bierocks are my husband's favorite meal ever. His dad made them when he was growing up, and they are a meal he really looked forward to having.

I even asked my father-in-law if he would make Bierocks for our wedding reception--because I knew that was something that would really make my husband happy.

Luckily, my father-in-law passed the recipe on to me, and he's even helped me out in the kitchen while I've made Bierocks, teaching me what to do and what not to do.

I have grown to be able to eat Bierocks. I have not reached that point of calling them my "favorite meal" or thinking, "Hey, you know what sounds great? Bierocks."
But I can eat them. And, with enough ketchup, I can actually enjoy the meal.

That, in itself, is another act of love. This is not a meal I would whip up because it sounded good--I only make it for that guy that I love. Because I know how much he loves them.

So, that's why Bierocks are on tap for tonight.

I must start mixing that dough now--it's got to rise throughout the day.

So, here's to "Do-it-anyways-December!" Did you partake in "No-matter-what-November?" If so, how did it go?

Weird kind of day...

2011-11-30T17:08:00.000-06:00

Today has been weird.

I don't know--like a big black cloud has been looming overhead.

First of all, I woke up today to hear that one of our local meteorologists (and my favorite, by far) was found dead last night by his wife. They also have a 2 year-old baby girl.

Inital reports cite police saying that it was an apparent suicide.

Please keep Don Harman, his wife, their baby girl, and the local news team he worked with every day in your prayers.

One of my fondest memories is when we first moved to Kansas City. I was pregnant with our first child, and my husband landed a really great job, but he worked the second shift. We would prepare lunch and sit down to eat while watching the noon news. The morning news team had this...chemistry. They were hilarious, they had great banter back and forth, and you just really couldn't find anything like it anywhere else if you tried.

To find out that the funny meteorologist who would have us in stitches died...but then to hear the cause of death--it just makes my stomach turn.

I know it might seem silly--mourning someone you didn't know. But the fascinating thing about television and the Internet is that sometimes you get this sense that you really do "know" the person.

Here is one of the funniest clips I've found with Don Harman.

His laugh was infectious.

While I was feeling pretty down about Don Harman, I then get a call from my friend who was supposed to stop by on her way back home from Thanksgiving, and she said they had just been in a car accident.

THANKFULLY, everyone was okay--but they got hit by a SEMI! I can only imagine how shaken up you would be to get hit by something so BIG!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is: Please keep the people mentioned in your prayers--they could all use them for different reasons.

W.R.O.N.G.

2011-11-30T15:07:00.000-06:00

Oh, if only you knew some of the arguments I've listened to.

This is just kind of funny to me.

Mothering isn't for quitters!

2011-11-29T08:52:00.001-06:00

I love that--I think I'm going to make a sign in our house with that on there!

The Modest Mom had a really great post today--check it out!

A little bit of random in my life...

2011-11-29T08:40:00.001-06:00

Last night I HAD to go grocery shopping--it was getting ridiculous up in this house.

So, after a quick dinner, I flew out the door to hit two stores. While shopping, I had to pick up stuff for my son's castle birthday cake that I get the pleasure of making this Friday, some pretty neat treats for the Feast of St. Nicholaus on the 6th of December (including gold and silver chocolate coins!), and a ton of decorating supplies to do Christmas cookies with the boys this year.

When I was a kid, my mom and I made Christmas cookies every year. We put them on special Christmas-type plates, wrapped them in green and red cellophane, and we took them to all of the neighbors on our little cul-de-sac. I loved baking with my mom, and I loved delivering the treats to others. I want to continue this tradition with my own kids. Many sprinkles later, I had what I needed to make Christmas cookies this year. I plan on helping the boys deliver them to a few people in our neighborhood, but then they can take some down to my parents when we spend Christmas with them this year.

While shopping, I resisted the urge to hop over to a certain other store and buy fabrics in the hopes that I would come home, unload my new machine, and magically sew my daughter a dress.

I call that willpower, folks.

While standing in the pasta sauce aisle and scouring the shelves for the normal pasta sauce that I buy, I couldn't help but listen to the conversation between a young couple behind me.

Guy: Just. pick. a. sauce. PLEASE.

Girl: Well, I just want to make sure you get what you want, too.

Guy: I don't care! They're all the same! Tomato sauce with mushroom!

Girl: Yuck.

Guy: Tomato sauce with garlic!

Girl: Yuck.

Guy: Tomato sauce with meat. With four types of cheese!

Girl: Yuck.

Guy: Fine. Then I'm picking one. (Tosses it in the cart.) And it's got to be good, right? It's from France.

Girl: What?!

Guy: Or Italy. Whatever. Let's just GO.

Trying so hard not to laugh, I couldn't help but smile at them as I walked by. As I rounded the corner to the "ethnic" aisle (that can be read as "crappy American Mexican food aisle...that I think is DELICIOIUS!"), I came across the couple yet again.

Girl: Just grab the cans and let's GO.

Guy: I'm gonna see if I can fit all three cans in my hand at once.

Girl: Seriously?!

Guy: Almost...got...it. Almost...

(sounds of cans being knocked off the shelf)

Girl: Really? You're knocking cans down now!

Guy: It wasn't me!

I wanted to invite him over for dinner with our family--he was killin' me.

Since my son's birthday is this weekend, we have both sides of our family and some friends coming over. I always try to keep things pretty simple for birthdays (ahem...besides the cake) because I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all day on my kid's birthday.

I grabbed some of those frozen appetizer things--you know, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers (MY FAVORITE!), and some other things. As I threw them up on the conveyor belt, along with the three packs of soda that I also got for the party...and all of the Christmas cookie decorations, I felt the need to explain to "Kody" the checker that we don't NORMALLY eat like this, and it probably looks like we're big fat slobs, but we're really not. I resisted the urge because "Kody" looked like he couldn't care less what I purchased--thank goodness. Still, I felt really disgusting buying this stuff.

But that's okay--they taste so freakin' good it's going to balance out my feelings of shame.

Win-win.

Upon arriving home, I unloaded all of the groceries, put them away, and then I had to finish prepping two snoods to ship out.

THEN I was able to open up the shiny new toy sitting in a box on the table--the sewing machine.

I unpacked it from the box and immediately started reading the manual. The only thing more scary (scarier?) than knowing you now own a high-tech piece of equipment is knowing that you have to turn the thing on and actually USE it without breaking it.

After reading the main instructions, I plugged it in, held my breath...and clicked it on.

And it BEEPED! That's right--it's digital, so it BEEPED! What a neat sound!

After winding a bobbin (so smooth!) and threading the needle, I grabbed a scrap piece of material and started...sewing!

And it's like VELVET, my friends! The machine I had been using until now was a huge step up from the model I had originally borrowed from my mom, but THIS machine is SO. SMOOTH.

I finally stopped when I realized it was nearly midnight...but I'm so excited to break it out again tonight.

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine asked that I keep an eye out at thrift stores for this book:

Her daughter was starting a new homeschool curriculum that really emphasized the home ec areas, and she needed that book for school.

While visiting my in-laws this last weekend for Thanksgiving, I stopped by a thrift store in town, and what should I find but the book. For $1.50.

I called my friend, and she said that they had already bought the book, so I just bagged a pretty neat book for myself.

Now, for something non-sewing but yet still home-ec related.

Tomorrow my good friend, Sarah, will be stopping by to hang out. She and her family are on their way back from Omaha, and we get a playdate while her husband has to work in the city for the day. YEA!

I plan on making Chicken Ranch Salad Sandwiches for lunch...and I'm excited. They are TOO tasty, yo! And here is the recipe:

boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

shredded cheese

shredded carrots

chopped green onion

mayo

Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet

Cook chicken. Shred. Let cool. Mix everything else together until desired consistency. Serve on bread, rolls, or with crackers.

I make this, like, twice a year...because I would eat the entire bowl by myself--it's that good.

This afternoon I have to take the kids to Children's Catechism class taught by our priest. It's hectic in the sense that I'm juggling a baby in a small enclosed office space while trying to make sure my 3 year-old doesn't interrupt TOO much (like the other day when he interrupted our new Belgian priest and said, "HEY! I GOT NEW BOOTS! DO YOU LIKE 'EM?!") By the time we get home, things are crazy, and it's late--so I've been trying to make it a habit on Tuesdays to have something in the crock pot or already prepared that can be warmed up quickly. If I don't, McDonald's looks a bit TOO tempting on the way home, you know?

So, today I plan on making Crock Pot Pizza Casserole.

I'm just winging it here for a recipe since I came up with this in my head as I typed it.

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2-3 cups uncooked pasta

pepperoni, chopped

mozzarella cheese

I'm going to throw it in the crockpot and let it cook all day. Sure. Sounds good.

I'm sure most normal people might throw some other things in there, like, bell pepper or huge nasty pieces of onion.

But that's not how I roll--sorry, Husband.

And I didn't pick up any bell pepper from the store last night. I was too busy laughing at the couple in the pasta aisle.

Happy Tuesday!

New ETSY shop!

2011-11-28T13:38:00.000-06:00

It's a feeling that can't be described.

A surge of adrenaline.

The way something looks in your mind.

A second in time you can never get back.

The satisfying "click" of the shutter.

Many many moons ago, I picked up my first camera. Later, in middle school, I would become obsessed with photography. My freshman year of high school, I all but begged the journalism teacher to let me be on staff.

He was a SUPER nice guy (sarcasm heavily emphasized there) and refused to let me be on staff.

I wanted to cry.

The next year, he moved to Kenya (I'm still not sure why...). We had a new journalism teacher, and I all but begged her to be on staff.

Luckily, she agreed.

My mom had a really nice 35mm camera, and she has a really great eye for photography--it's just something she never really pursued actively. She never had her hands on that camera again...because it never left my side.

I was hooked.

I loved being in the darkroom--a place so eery, yet invigorating and exciting. Agitating trays of chemicals with your print in the liquid, eager to see if it turned out the way you had hoped when you shot it.

It was my absolute favorite place to be.

I ended up as photography editor of our yearbook our senior year, and the yearbook was judged in competition. The only comment we received back under "Photography" was "Best in 4A Division."

I was so proud of the hard work it took to create a book with such great photographs.

I went off to college, eager to become a sports photographer with the hopes of my photos appearing in ESPN magazine.

Life has funny ways, though, of sending you twists and turns that can take you off-course if you let it.

A few years after graduating with my degree in Psychology, our son was born. I remember photographing him in the living room one day as he was trying to crawl. The way the light was coming through the picture window...the way the background looked so dark against his beautiful white skin--a familiar feeling washed over me.

Passion.
Inspiration.
Adrenaline.

My husband first suggested I start my own photography business, and I didn't know whether to take him seriously. But after much convincing from and the support of friends and family, Veronica's Veil Photography was born.

And I have loved every minute of it. And I have been so grateful that my husband believed in me.

While camping over Memorial Day on the Kansas prairie, an idea started to form after I had taken a few photos.

I pushed it aside, worried that this might be one more thing to add to my growing list of ventures.

My brother-in-law, who just started his own publishing company, has asked me if I would be willing to put together a coffee table full of photography. Concerned that no one would buy it or that I wouldn't have enough photos to make a book, I kind of shrugged off the idea.

In the last couple of weeks, however, I started thinking about it more and more--and the idea of a new ETSY shop was born.

Golden Prairie Studios--capturing proof of God's beauty in the smallest of creations.

I'm very excited to open this shop, but I'm even more excited for an excuse to get behind the camera even more.

St. Veronica, ora pro nobis.

Christmas came a little early this year...

2011-11-28T12:40:00.000-06:00

Last night my husband said, "Hey...there might be some boxes arriving this week. If they're addressed to me, don't open them."

I gave him my word that I wouldn't.

Today, while working hard on my new ETSY shop, it sounded as though someone was trying to bust down our front door. I jumped up, grabbed a knife ('cause that's gonna do me a LOT of good, my friends!), and peeked out the window to see the UPS guy jumping back in his truck.

After my pulse returned to normal, I opened the door to find...a box.

But not a box inside of a brown box which would NOT allow me to see what was inside.

But a box.

And the box said I had just won a BRAND NEW HIGH-TECH COMPUTERIZED SEWING MACHINE. COURTESY OF MY AWESOME HUSBAND.

While I tried not to shout for joy because the baby was sleeping (and failed miserable, I might add!), I was then faced with a problem.

Do I leave it on the porch in the freezing cold for when my husband gets home so he thinks I didn't see it? Do I risk some home-ec hoodlem stealing it off my porch?

Or do I bring it inside and casually set it on the bed but swear I have no idea what he got me for Christmas?

Or do I call him and say, "Hey...I think my Christmas present is on the porch--unless you're suddenly stoked to start sewing."

I called him and told him the gift wasn't in a brown box...but in the ACTUAL manufacturer's box.

He replied with, "Oh...well, Merry Christmas!"

I'm. so. freakin'. excited.

It's so pretty! And I haven't even taken it out of the box! And I love knowing that my husband puts so much research into each high-tech gadget gift he gives me that this is top o' the line, ya'll! I feel like one of those car guys who spouts out, "10,000 horsepower, hemi, v-8, blah, blah, blah..."

Three words, my friends--three words:

AUTOMATIC THREADING SYSTEM.

Jackpot!

A HUGE thank-you to my awesome husband.

I love that guy--and it really has nothing to do with the sewing machine.

Although it doesn't hurt.

The butt of a deer and my very own Catholic bookstore reality show...

2011-11-28T08:50:00.000-06:00

We are back from our Thanksgiving "vacation"with my husband's family.

Everything went well, and there was definitely not a shortage of food at all.

Today marks the first day of this week meaning I have five days to prepare for my 5 year-old's birthday party. On the to-do list:

1.) Grocery shopping...with three kids under five in tow. Yes, it can be done, but it does not mean my anxiety levels (along with frustration levels!) won't soar, you know?

2.) Picking up a book for said 5 year-old from the Catholic bookstore--and they close at 5:00 p.m., which means my husbad's not off work yet, so THIS means taking three kids into a shop filled with tight spaces and many-a-breakable-item...like huge statues. It's like my own little reality show in my head. "Today we'll see if little Johnny can make it off the island without breaking anything. Tomorrow--place your bets as to how many statues little Jimmy manages to touch before being booted off the island by Mom."

3.) We woke up to a non-working heater, and my husband figured out it was due to the filter needing changed. I get to pick up furnace filters today at the store--this causes me anxiety just because I've never done it, and I'm hoping they're all the same and clearly labeled, "HEY! THIS IS THE ONE YOU NEED, LADY!"

4.) Finishing up photo orders and shipping out photo discs--I love this time of year!

5.) Learning to cook with deer meat. I don't know about you, but if it's not beef, chicken, or pork, I'm a little concerned about cooking and eating it. Especially when the directions from my brother-in-law include "soak the meat in salt water to draw out the gamey flavor and taste of blood." G.A.G.G.I.N.G. It didn't help that one of the packages of meat he gave us was labeled, "Butt of the deer." After sending him a horrified text, he replied telling me it was a joke--the meat is actually the "loin."

Funny.

6.) Laundry. Oh, the laundry that can accumulate on a four day trip.

7.) I'm kind of excited abaout this one. I started thinking about the possibility of opening up another ETSY shop. One filled with products that are a result of my #1 passion. I tossed the idea out to my husband the other day, and he was extremely supportive and told me to "go for it." I. LOVE. THAT. MAN. So, I'm going to be working hard this week on getting everything ready to launch my newest endeavor. Now, to just pick a name for the shop...

On a completely unrelated note, it seems like such a struggle in this house for my 3 year-old to eat oatmeal. And no, I don't load his bowl down with sugar--because I care about my kid's teeth, and it would send him into a sugar-induced meltdown. Call me crazy, but I choose to avoid that.

Anyways, when we were at my in-laws' house, they had the flavored packages of instant oatmeal. My 3 year-old ate oatmeal like I'd never seen him eat oatmeal. So, as I was making out my grocery list last night, my husband suggested I pick up some boxes of that kind of oatmeal for the boys. (It doesn't hurt that his favorite flavor is apple cinnamon. I'm still trying to climb on board the Oatmeal Express. It's just so...bland. Except for THIS recipe, my friends! Oh, my--how freakin' good!)

Anyways.

Today I made the boys oatmeal, and I was staring at the bowl lightly sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and thought, "How can I improve upon this so the kid will eat it...?"

So, I chopped up some frozen peaches and strawberries, threw them in the bowl, nuked it, and...my 3 year-old ATE it!

Happy. dance. around. the. kitchen.

So, I figure when I'm out of the flavored oatmeal packets, I can throw some frozen fruit in there and call it good.

And now he's walking around eating one of my mocha almond Kashi bars. Nice.

Alright--enough talk.

Time to mentally and physically prepare myself for grocery shopping...while pregnant...with three kids under the age of 5...at a place where you have to bag your own groceries.

F.U.N. T.I.M.E.S., my friends!

CIVIUM PRESS BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNER!

2011-11-24T17:08:00.000-06:00

Well, you came.

You commented.

And we have a winner.

This means "Rae" is our winner!

Rae, please send your contact information to me at delenatodolist (at) gmail.com, and Civium Press will ship your book out as soon as possible!

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway!

Stay tuned for another giveaway in a few weeks!

And it's a giveaway that smells soooooooooo good!

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER TO WIN CIVIUM PRESS BOOK!

2011-11-23T09:23:00.000-06:00

Apple pie? Done.

Pumpkin pie? Baking.

Light Bread? Rising.

Me? Stressing.

Hope you all have a GREAT Thanksgiving!

Oh--don't forget! Last chance to sign up to win a free book from Civium Press! This is a really great opportunity to win a book for yourself or win a free stocking stuffer for a loved one!

And stay tuned--after Thanksgiving, I'll be doing another giveaway...and it smells SOOOOOOOOO good! Interested? Stay tuned for details!

The growing holiday to-do list...

2011-11-21T08:50:00.001-06:00

Growing up, holidays were always spent at the grandparents' houses.

Even after we left California and moved to Kansas, we would head back to Cali for Christmas every year.

I loved it. Holidays were so much fun, the food was always amazing, and we would always laugh until our sides hurt.

My husband and I talked about this when we were preparing to get married. We chatted about children and holiday traditions--which traditions we grew up with and which traditions we wanted to start in our own family.

And we both agreed: We loved celebrating the holidays over at the grandparents' houses.

But sometimes life doesn't work out that way. Sometimes the job you land might be several hours away from family. Sometimes that new job requires you to work the holidays. Sometimes you have just had a baby and the thought of traveling nearly makes you break out into hives (especially after the oh-so-comfortable c-section).

So, you host holidays at your house...but it's just not the same. Half the family can't make it, the food just doesn't taste right...

That's been our story the last several years, and it makes us sad that our kids haven't had that tradition of spending the holidays at the homes of grandparents like we did growing up.

So, this year--out of the blue--my husband said, "Do you think we could go down to my parents' house for Thanksgiving?"

"Absolutely!" I said immediately. "Ummm...but I hope that if we go there for Thanksgiving that we could at least go down to my parents' house for Christmas...?"

And so it was decided.

And our kids finally get to spend the holidays at the homes of their grandparents.

The busy season is upon us--and it usually starts revving up around July. There are birthdays, anniversaries, photo shoots, homeschooling...

I end up LOVING the quiet and silence that January holds for our family.

So, we arrived home from St. Louis last night and remembered our toilet needed to be fixed. That was #1 on the to-do list.

Tonight we will be hosting a dinner party for two priests and some good friends. I've got to get the food going for that one (pork loin, scalloped potatoes, salad, roasted carrots, and cream puffs for dessert). Thankfully, my friend is bringing her awesome french bread rolls.

Did I mention my vacuum cleaner died? So, I get to go out with three kids to Wal-mart today to pick up another vacuum so our rugs look presentable for the dinner.

Tomorrow I will be spending all day doing laundry and packing for our trip.

My mother-in-law just had hip replacement surgery last week, so I'm helping my father-in-law out with the Thanksgiving menu. On Wednesday I will be making Light Bread rolls (my grandma's specialty and most requested item), apple pie, and pumpkin pie. Did I mention we LEAVE Wednesday evening to head down to my in-laws' for Thanksgiving? No pressure, no--none.

And then there are the two snoods I've got to ship out...

And when we get BACK from Thanksgiving, I've got a week to prepare for my son's 5th birthday party. He's decided he needs a castle cake--complete with a draw-bridge. Hey--thanks, son!

And Advent will be going on--and every year I can't help but feel a little lost and behind during Advent. I always want to do an advent wreath, but it never seems to come together like I hope. And then when it DOES come together, sometimes you get a little visitor you weren't expecting. And then I keep hearing about Jesse Trees--and I have NO idea what those even are or if they're a really big Catholic tradition that I've been missing out on.

Then we will celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholaus--a tradition we started in our family, and I look forward to it every year.

Then I have two weeks to prepare to leave for a week and a half over Christmas--because we're hitting my parents' house for Christmas and spending a few days, but then we will be traveling on to the in-laws' house over the New Year for a large get-together.

Oh, wow--and then there's the Epiphany party at church...

As my to-do list gets longer and longer, I figure I'll do what any level-headed rational person would do when they're feeling stressed about the number of things they have to do in such a short time:

Blog about it.

There. I feel much better--don't you?!

Toothbrushes, Toilets, and Toddlers...

2011-11-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

So, this weekend our family headed to St. Louis for two photo shoots.

It. was. awesome.

We. love. St. Louis.

Last Thursday evening, however, our 3 year-old decided that flushing two toothbrushes down the toilet sounded like a fan-freakin-tastic time.

Fact: Straight toothbrushes can apparently be flushed down curly-q pipes.

LUCKY. US.

I decided, "Eh--I'm not worried about calling the plumber because--hey--we're heading out of town for the weekend, right?"

On the trip home today, I suddenly said to my husband, "OH. MY. GOSH. Do you realize we're having a dinner party here tomorrow night--complete with two priests?! We've got to fix the whole toothbrush-in-the-toilet situation!"

Luckily the plumber was able to come out this evening upon our return home.

Fact: Smoking, drinking, laziness, and fatty foods can increase your risk of heart attacks.

Fact: So can finding out how much it's going to cost to fish some toothbrushes out of the toilet.

Good to know.

An hour later, our pipes were toothbrush-free, and our 3 year-old got a nice lecture about how the plumber said if he ever flushed anything other than toilet paper down the toilet again, he would be in big trouble.

And how he would never go to college due to how much it's going to cost to call the plumber out here again.

We patted ourselves on the back at our awesome parenting skills and inspring lecture.

And our 3 year-old went back to watching his movie...while secretly plotting whether or not he can flush his sister.