3 Little Dutch Girls + A Boy!

Mom's Been Playing on You Tube Again

2012-01-11T12:36:00.002-06:00

If you know any meaningless trivia about me, one item would be my ridiculous adoration of pop music. There's a song for every mood and moment.

Like this little ditty. . . perfect for playing out of your minivan sunroof on a 53 degree January day. In the carpool line at the Christian school.

Or this great tune that suddenly isn't so great when your first grader says she wants to be a member of the Mile High Club.

Or little tune for belting into your curling iron.

Or for those moments that you realize that you really like someone else's someone.

And finally for that moment when someone says STOP and you just have to finish it.

It's New Years Eve! Rip out the carpet!

2011-12-31T11:00:00.003-06:00

I get the bug to rip stuff outta my house twice a year~September and January. It's like the blinders come off and I realize we live two boxes short of an episode of "Hoaders". It's a sickness. The rest of the year I am happy as a pig in mud. Literally. Now I find myself uttering things like . . .

"As long as we're ripping out the carpet, let's re-face the fireplace."

or

"For only $400 more, we could . . . ."

or

"Pass me the liquid nails and QUICK!"

Of course, I took no before pictures. I might take some during photos. Or not. I will take some afters. Maybe. If I can find a camera that works.

Jelly Fish and Other Cool Things in South Carolina

2011-12-20T07:28:00.002-06:00

I'm a little slow. I got a new Mac Book in June~thank you Thirty One! I hit my sales goals for the first half of the year so I won a $1000 Best Buy gift card. Yippee!! So now I am cool and own a Mac. I have absolutely no clue how to use it. Hence, I am just now figuring out how to load pics from my ancient camera.

Hubby got a chance to do some sales calls in Savannah and some training in Columbia in August. Hmmm . . . what is nearby? Hilton Head, of course. So we made a family vacation out of it and had a fantastic time!

Amelia on the tire swing in Harbor Town park. Always the kids' favorite part of the island.

Caroline is all teenager now. She makes me feel so old.

Greta and Wyatt on the tire swing.

The beach! The beach! We spent two full days at Folly Field Beach. The waves were great and all four kids learned to body surf. We made the little kids wear the floaties just so we could spot them easily~I did realize that they are not life saving devices. Things were fabulous until the very end of the last day. Caroline was wading back out to drag Amelia back in to leave and she got wrapped up in a box jelly fish~the worst kind. Poor kid was miserable for two weeks and ended up with a skin infection. She has sworn off all nature from here on out.

Every year we go see Gregg Russell aka the Jerk Under the Tree. He is a Hilton Head institution but we all agreed that he's losing the magic. He totally phoned it in. Caroline asked him to sing her favorite song for her b/c it was her 13th birthday. He said he would and then didn't. Jerk.

Elf on the Shelf and Other Dumb @$$ Ideas

2011-12-15T07:38:00.002-06:00

I resisted with my whole being but I was sucked in. All those cute Facebook posts and Pinterest pics . . . or more accurately Facebook posts with ideas lifted from Pinterest. They swayed me. Going into it, I had two large reservations.

1. How on earth was I going to remember to have Elf do something cute and oh-so-silly every night? I can barely remember to make their lunches or check their backpacks or any number of other important mommy jobs.

2. The purpose of the Elf is to report behavior back to Santa. Well, I might as well cancel Christmas then. I am not a fan of things that show my kids I'm a liar. While we have always had fun with the whole Santa thing, I have never tied it to good behavior. Santa brings us presents to celebrate Jesus's birthday. I didn't want to back myself into a corner.

I was going to be the FUN MOMMY! Well, the fun cheap mommy. No freakin' way I was going to fork over $30 for a creepy plastic elf. We took a cute little snowman ornament and created "Mr Snowman". Don't judge. I was a Poli Sci major, not a Creative Writing major. They are lucky I didn't name the dude Spiro Agnew. I explained how this shtick would work . . . Mr Snowman would go back to the North Pole at night and tell Santa all the dirt. That didn't sit well with Amelia AT ALL. She is no dummy.

So Day #1. We find Mr Snowman with his nose in the ice cream. Silly Mr Snowman. We all ate breakfast with the best manners ever. Hhhhmmmm . . . . maybe there was something to this. I am not above child manipulation.

Day #2. Mr Snowman is playing with Wyatt's cars when we wake up. Screaming ensues. "MY CARS!!!" Mr Snowman goes flying and leaves a lovely mark on the wall while Wyatt sobs "I don't want to share my cars!!!"

Well, that scared Mr Snowman. He is now living in the liquor cabinet until I can figure out what to do. Maybe he'll make me a martini.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-13T10:36:00.002-06:00

I really do like to blog. I am attempting to resurrect myself back into bloggy-land for like the fifth time. Let's see if I can stick to it for more than 4 months! How 'bout 2 posts per week? I started blogging again last winter as a way to process our new normal after a move to Indianapolis. Then Tim lost his job and life sucked for a while. I was not really digging that "new normal."

Christmas is less than two weeks away. Bah humbug. Why does this happen every year? I do love the Christmas spirit and all that but it is depressing that the holiday season seems to bring out the worst in people, especially Christians. What is that all about? Everyday I read ten more Facebook statues or links with people screaming that the clerk at Target wished them "Happy Holidays!" Or the town had the nerve to place a menorah in the park next to the manger scene. Or that the cartoon on TV talked about having a "Winter Party" instead of a Christmas party. Is this really a reason to have a temper tantrum? I understand people's feelings behind this but I really don't get the anger and then sense of entitlement. It makes me sad when I see Christians~or catch myself~acting in a way that is not loving. If we are going to act like petulant children why would anyone be interested in our Jesus? The Bible is not a weapon to smack people over the head. It is the very story of God's love for us.

Because a simple post about the school bus was not enough . . . .

2011-09-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

It's over. Summer is over and it's 65 degrees out. Can I get a "woo hoo"? The short people need some space. I can't possibly listen to one more brawl over who is breathing on who. It is time for them to go to the Happy Place~school.

This year brings a lot more mixed feelings for me because Amelia and Greta are going to public school. Take a moment to tsk-tsk, pray for me, accuse me of not trusting God, or to generally write me off as someone you will no longer count as a friend. Even better, count me as someone to pity. Heck, I'll even wait while you talk about me behind my back.

K? Y'all done now?

I have been involved in Christian education as either a student or a parent since 1977. I KNOW what people say about those who make the choice to enroll their children in a local public school instead of the Christian school. I have heard the comments. I have seen the heads wagging and the looks of superiority. I have heard the pain in some friends' voices when they speak of the shame they feel for making this choice. Obviously, we care more about money than our children's souls. We don't trust God to provide. We just don't understand that they teach kids about sex in the 2nd grade at public schools. Don't we know that 4th graders do drugs at public schools?

No one is a bigger fan of Christian education than I. I grew up in Christian schools. I have had at least one child enrolled in one for the past 8 years. One of my favorite words is "worldview" and the Christian schools teach a Christian worldview. (Thank you, Captain Obvious.) It becomes a bit harder when Christian schools become a place that only children from well-off families can go. I'm sure Dave Ramsey would hack up a lung if he knew that there are people that spend up to 50% of their income on private schools. I'm not here to argue about what school choice is superior. I am here to remind you that it is exactly that~a choice. A very personal choice that is made with a lot of prayer and angst and faith. It takes a lot more faith to send your child to a public school than the Christian school.

Late Night Friday Five

2011-06-10T22:17:00.002-05:00

FIVE MOST BELIEVABLE TV COUPLES

1. Dan and Roseanne Connor

2. Steven and Elyse Keaton

3. Rob and Laura Petrie

4. Cliff and Clair Huxtable

5. Paul and Jamie Buchman

FIVE BEST SNL Sketches

1. Anything~Man by Adam Sandler

2. More Cowbell

3. Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley at Chippendale dancers

4. Schweddy balls

5. Waynes World

Polygamists and The Duggars

2011-06-06T10:35:00.006-05:00

I am a sucker for "reality" TV that features lifestyles and cultures different than my own. Perhaps I was meant to be an anthropologist or a sociologist or something. I love to watch "Hoarders" and "Intervention" because I'm fascinated by what makes people tick. Why do they do things that seem so obvious to the rest of us? Just clean up the house. Just quit drinking. Not so simple.

Lately, I have been wrapped up in "Sister Wives". Yeah, we all joke about the desire for another "wife" to share the cooking and the cleaning and all that but these folks actually do it. Kody Brown and his four wives open up their lives and are pretty dang honest about it. I find myself admiring them and that puts me in a pickle. As a good "conservative evangelical" I am supposed to be championing the "traditional" marriage as ONE MAN + ONE WOMAN. It should be a solid plank in the platform.

Cue the squealing brakes sound effect. I'm not so sure. Isn't the very cornerstone of conservatism the idea that government should keep it's nose out of the private lives of its citizens? Isn't religious freedom something this country was built on? Whether *I* agree with someone's choices is immaterial.

The Brown family practices what has been called extreme version of the Mormon religion. Here's where things get dicey for me. Let's bring in another family that practices an "extreme" form of their religion. The Duggar family. While I don't personally embrace some of the choices that that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar make for their family, it is easier to gloss over that because we agree on the basics. It gets trickier with the Brown family. I won't get into a dissection of the Fundamentalist Mormon faith but suffice it to say that it is quite different from main stream Christianity. But I do believe that the constitution protects our freedom to worship as we see fit. I have heard the whole slippery slope argument and I just don't agree. I think it's a pretty far jump from the government staying out of people's marriage choices to people marrying farm animals. Now I'm also landing myself in another territory I was not prepared to be located. Gay marriage. Hmmm. Yep, guess I'm coming outta the closet so to speak. I am not against gay marriage. I do believe that there is a difference between personal moral and religious beliefs and what should be the law of the land.

So you think I'll get kicked out of the party now?

Meal Plan Monday

2011-05-09T11:18:00.002-05:00

Very boring week. . . .lots of school stuff and hubby is some nights. Maybe.

Grilled Jerk Chicken, Crash Potatoes, Broccoli
Tony's Cheese Pizza's from Kroger's sale~50 cents each!
Honey Mustard Turkey Tenderloin, Pasta and Veggie Toss
Grilled Cheese, Carrots and Cukes with Dip ~~Mommy is going OUT!
Mini Cheeseburgers, Oven Fries, Baked Crunchy Zucchini
Chicken and Veggie Quesadillas, Rice and Beans
Leftover night!

For great meal plan ideas, go to Organizing Junkie.

FRIDAY FIVE

2011-05-06T07:52:00.002-05:00

FIVE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT OBAMA
1. His ties
2. His choice in baseball teams. GO SOX!
3. His daughters
4. His marriage~I have no doubt that he is faithful to Michelle.
5. His "every guy" persona

FIVE BOOKS DESTROYED BY THE MOVIE
1. Presumed Innocent
2. The Horse Whisperer
3. Her Sister's Keeper
4. Keeping this space open for "Something Borrowed"
5.

K-LOVE and Chick-Fil-A Part II

2011-05-05T05:30:00.000-05:00

So where was I? Oh yeah. June 1995 and we weren't moving to Atlanta. Police jobs were hard to come by in Michigan so we moved our vast collection of T-shirts and shot glasses to the beautiful 'burb of Alsip. Yep, it's as lovely as it sounds. We found a little condo to rent above Marge Simpson's sisters. The Husband spent his time testing at suburban Chicago police departments and working at the family business. I actually got a job I loved. . . .teaching abstinence-based sex ed in the Chicago public schools. It was seriously awesome!

Best quote EV-AH from that job. A particularly sharp 7th grader said

"But I'm sure yo did the nasty when you was a teen cuz you ain't ugly. Everybody know only fugly chicks don't do it."

M'kay. Thanks. I think.

So it was 1995 and our BFF's were in an equally crappy apartment and equally poor. We spent our free time playing Euchre and watching Must See TV with Dunkin' donuts that we bought after 8:00pm so they were 50% off. Police jobs just weren't panning out. I remember one testing he went to with over 1000 other job seekers. That department was hiring 2 officers. His chances were about as good as his chances of winning American Idol. My dear Grandma had a great observation.

"Seems like you gotta be a black lesbian who speaks Chinese to get a job in Chicago. Or a Daley."

M'kay. Thanks Grandma.

So after banging our collective heads against a wall for a good six months, The Husband decided to become a trucker. Yeah. Just like "BJ and the Bear" and "Smokey and the Bandit". Starting saying things like "How 'bout ya there, ConWay?" Or calling the orange construction cones "Schneider eggs" and rest areas "pickle parks". He was all in. Thanks to some seed money from family, he started his own trucking company and for several years things were looking rosy. Well, rosy-ish. Maybe a slight rosy tint. I was busy birthin' babies when things started to hit the skids so I can't really remember all the details. Suffice it to say we had one child and a decent income. It was the late 90's and the housing bubble had yet to pop. Good times were had by all.

I Really Am in a Hole

2011-04-25T07:06:00.003-05:00

I lied. I really have fallen in a hole. Another hole of unemployment. Yep. He lost his job 3 weeks ago and life ain't pretty these days. I do plan to blog about it. Sometime when I'm not at risk of spewing a lot of bad words.

I Have Not Fallen in a Hole

2011-03-15T14:21:00.002-05:00

I will blog again . . . . . . I promise. To tide you over, here's a discussion starter.

All middle schoolers are or will soon being sexually active. If you disagree, you are naive.

Some one said that to me. Discuss.

Mommy! We're POOR!

2011-01-28T10:53:00.002-06:00

The theme at my girls' school this year is "Simply Serve". All year long they do different things to serve God, each other, and the community. This week is Service Week with today being all-day service projects. The little kids are doing things like bringing school supplies to send to schools in developing countries and collecting kids books for Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. Amelia's class was supposed to bring canned goods the local food pantry. Well, I was just handed the crumpled up note from the teacher about it this morning.

Amelia, why did you wait til now to give me this note? We need to get some things together for the food pantry!

Amelia's response?

No, Mommy. The food pantry in for families whose Mom and Dad lost their jobs. Dad lost his job so I get to bring some of the food home for us!

I better check her backpack today for pirated canned peas.

So he loves the mall, he'll make a great husband

2011-01-27T10:57:00.003-06:00

Poor Wyatt. It occurred to me that even though Mama is busy building our new nest, he might prefer to do something other than unpack boxes while wearing the same PJs 3 days in a row. So yesterday I took him to the a mall with a nice playarea and food court. We had a nice lunch date and learned that all moms of small ones run out of the play area at 1:30. You'd think Gap Kids was giving away stuff. The perk of that was I did not have to apologize to one mom after Wyatt bonked her sweet baby upside the head! As we were pulling into the mall, my only son says,

"Oh mall! I have missed you! Where did you disappear to? I so happy, Mommy. Thank you!"

Because Everyone Else is Talking About It

2011-01-21T12:25:00.003-06:00

I used to be a huge American Idol fan. Those of you who know me well know that I'm a rocker chick. I love good LOUD guitar-driven rock music . . .even more if it is sung and played but a rather attractive guy. Enter my propensity for Idol rocker crushes.

First, there was Constantine. He was so not my type at all but I loved him. He was all swarthy and dark. Loved him.

And then there was Chris Daughtry. I still love him. He is still one of my favorite artists.

Two seasons ago I watched out of habit. The early auditions were just an excuse to make fun of people. Simon Cowell, while I often agreed with his opinions, was a pompous jackhole. Paula Abdul drove me nuts. Enter Adam Lambert. He drove me up and down a wall. Everyone lauded him as "a true artist". Why? Because he grabbed his crotch a lot and tried so hard to be the male Lady Gaga? I gave up on American Idol. Did not watch one episode last season.

This year I have jumped back on the band wagon. I really like Steven Tyler and J-Lo is considerably less annoying than I guessed she would be. Randy and his "yo dog" stuff is still annoying but I can overlook it. The biggest difference I see is this season is about the actual singers. Yeah, they showed some of the train wrecks but for the most part, it was good singers who are getting a chance. Steven and J-Lo worked hard to not be cruel.

So cheers to a kinder, gentler American Idol! So far, I'm liking a few . . .

Marisa, the girl from Kosovo
Ronny, the kid that was in a wheelchair
Jacee, the kid who sang "Dock of the Bay"
Travis, the kid from the Bronx
Devyn, the singing waitress
Rebecca, the girl with lips like Steven Tyler

I'm sure there are more but for me, some of the fun it trying to guess from the early auditions who will make the live show. So c'mon over and join me on the couch for a fun year of Idol!

Amelia's Interpretation of Having a Dream

2011-01-16T11:25:00.003-06:00

We're excited to have a 3 day weekend this week in honor of Dr MLK. We never had the day off up north but down here in Indy. It kinda bugs me b/c I'm pretty sure Dr King's dream did not include children sitting in front of bad TV instead of in the hallowed halls of learning but hey . . . we'll take it. Amelia at least understands the gravity of Dr King's legacy.

Amelia, please tell us about Martin Luther King.

Amelia says . . . . . .

"He worked hard so that black people would have silver rights. That means they can use drinking fountains and restaurants. He gave speeches about singing. I like singing. I'm going to be a singer when I grow up. Then it was really sad because some guy names James didn't want anyone to have silver rights so he shooted Dr. King in Memphis where my cousins live. It happened in April when a shot rang out in the Memphis sky like that song Mommy likes. My teacher is so old that she was alive when Martin Lutter King was shot! That's old. Like when the people walked on the moon, she was alive then. Can you even believe it?"

And a little child shall lead them . . . . .

FRIDAY FIVE

2011-01-14T05:14:00.002-06:00

FIVE BEST "90210" EPISODES
1. The one where Emily Valentine takes everyone to the rave.
2. The one where Emily Valentine sets the homecoming float on fire.
3. The one where Donna and David hook up at the Winter Dance.
4. The one where everyone chants "Donna Martin Graduates!"
5. The one where they have the senior breakfast with all the memories.

FIVE GYMBOREE LINES EVER
1. Whale Watching
2. Leaping Lily Pads
3. Home on the Range
4. Autumn Harvest
5. Cherry Pie

FIVE BEST OMELET FILLINGS
1. Bacon
2. Onions
3. Spinach
4. Chicken
5. Bacon

So I'm a Bit Disorganized

2011-01-13T07:38:00.002-06:00

OK, so yeah. When I said 8:00 pm EST on Wed, I really meant 7:30am EST on Thursday. Yeah, that's it . . . . I was acting! I also completely forgot that Wednesday night was Caroline's science fair at school AND Bunco AND wine date with Lori to watch Obama. So needless to say, Greta pulled a name this AM . . . . . . and the winner is

Traci N . . . . whoo hooo!

Traci . . . . love her. Traci has done three wonderful things for me in my life thus far.

1. She and her lovely husband Dave bought our house after it had been on the market of 26 months.

2. She introduced me and hooked me on Vera Bradley.

3. She introduced me to April down here in Indy which then got the ball rolling to meet more friends!

So I'll drop them in the mail soon. Thanks, Trac.

The Post Where I Attempt to Do a Cool Giveaway

2011-01-11T08:59:00.004-06:00

It is winter and it is SNOWING! One thing I love about my new house is my fireplace. Now I can finally curl up with a good book in front of the fire. . . the fake gas-log fire, but a fire nonetheless. Winter is also a time for decluttering and new beginnings. I am re-starting this whole blog business. Somewhere in the past year or two, Facebook took over as my social media outlet of choice (My stepbrother would be so proud of that sentence!) I like FB because I can share my riveting point of view in one witty statement. Blogging takes so much more time. (Insert whiny voice here) You have to think and actually use semi-correct grammar. Entirely too much work. I have been reading over my blog entries from a few years back and I like them enough to start putting the effort into bloggyland again.

To kick off my rebirth into the blogosphere and to kick off my 784th try at decluttering my home, I'm going to do a giveaway! Cue the dancing bears and happy music. I love Emily Giffin's books. If you have never read her books, do so immediately. Like right now. To be a part of the fun, leave a comment and suggest a book or author for me to try out. I'm always searching for new stuff!! Tomorrow, Jan 12, at 8:00 pm EST (cuz that's the time zone I'm in now . . . and it sucks.) I will have Greta draw a name out of a hat. The winner gets Emily Giffin's first two books. These are my copies that I'm passing on to you. They are in excellent shape but not brand new. Read them, enjoy them, and pass them on.

FRIDAY FIVE

2011-01-07T07:37:00.002-06:00

FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT INDY
1. Shopping
2. Malls
3. Chick-Fil-A
4. the weather
5. How close everything is!

FIVE THINGS I HATE ABOUT INDY
1. The Colts
2. Colts fans
3. Colts jerseys
4. Colts t-shirts
5. The TV weather people. I miss Tommy Skillhead.

FIVE THINGS I MISS ABOUT NWI
1. My girlfriends
2. My neighbors
3. CPCS
4. Tommy Skilling
5. Dutch people

FIVE THINGS I DO NOT MISS ABOUT NWI
1. Cedar-tucky
2. Southlake mall
3. Traffic by the mall
4. Lake Co public library
4. Dutch people

Fly Lady is Dumb

2011-01-05T13:55:00.002-06:00

It's a new year! So what does that mean? It means get organized! Stop snorting. It could happen. In my continuous quest to justify my SAHM-ness, I have been obsessively reading blogs this week. I'm searching for new routines. New file folders. New pretty smelling candles. New shampoo. Anything to change me into a mom fit for the pages of the Pottery Barn. After scouring the World Wide Web, I have come to one conclusion. The World Wide Web is full of NUTJOBS? Where do these women live? What do they slip into their children's nighttime glass o' water? Some lady tells me to make my bed as soon as my feet hit the floor. If I did that, there would be at least 2 children, a dog, and Tim's work clothes in it. I don't even know my left from my right when I first wake up. Who is going to be in my bedroom the makes it necessary to make the bed? Another tells me to gather my children for morning prayer time. I can't gather my children to eat candy together without flailing. Another tells me to unload the dishwasher within the first 5 minutes. Why? So you can load it on Minute 6? Yet another gives me a "First Five Minutes" list that says

1. Make bed.
2. Open shades.
3. Start load of laundry.
4. Unload dishwasher.
5. Take shower.

Seriously? Why would I open the shades BEFORE showering? So the neighbors can watch? My list would be more along the lines of

1. Tell Amelia to stop poking me. I know my alarm has been going off for 20 minutes.
2. Run to the bathroom like a new potty trained toddler.
3. Jump on Caroline's bed for 5 minutes until she falls out of it.
4. Brush my teeth and then realize I used Tim's toothbrush. Ew.
5. Fall asleep on the bathroom floor.

I really do want to be organized. Just not but whack-a-dos. I'll start by alphabetizing my liquor cabinet. That will make every morning go more smoothly.

Can You Keep A Secret?

2011-01-04T18:37:00.002-06:00

So we're in that post-holiday hangover period. The Christmas decorations are half down, the laundry is half done, the house is half messy, and The Husband is all the way sick. Dying, if you ask him. He's planning the funeral. What I don't want to tell him is that due to my mad medical web-surfing skills I have diagnosed him with salmonella. He has every single symptom but the key is duration. Most run-of-the-mill stomach bugs only last 24-48 hours. The Husband is going on Day 6.

So let's all take a bloggy oath and NOT tell The Husband that he has salmonella. If he finds out, he'll start asking people to be his pall bearers.

K-LOVE and Chick-Fil-A Part I

2010-11-30T13:20:00.010-06:00

So I now live in Indianapolis. Wow. You may be wondering how that came to pass. I am too. Seriously. It completely feels like the last season of "Dallas". I keep looking for Bobby Ewing every time I get out of the shower. So just like on "Dallas", to understand the end we need to start at the beginning.

1994 was a good year. America was emerging from the debacle the was grunge and the gang from the Peach Pit was starting their freshman year at CU. I was enduring/enjoying my first year as a Mrs. We were living on bologna and frozen pizzas with hot date nights of Taco Bell and Euchre. I was trapped in a real-life episode of "Say Yes to the Dress" as I sold wedding gowns to bratty brides all week long. The Husband was a recent college graduate with a Criminal Justice degree burning a hole in his pocket. He was working as a ~~bouncer~~ security guard at a few different bars while applying for a position with Fulton County PD in Atlanta, GA. The Husband lived in Atlanta for 8 years and was itchin' to get back to Dixie. I had seen "North and South" enough times to know that I wasn't sure I wanted to be a Yankee in the South but I was game for anything that included a paycheck. They were hiring 25 officers and after 11 months of interviews and tests to make sure he wasn't crazy, they had it narrowed down to 35 people and The Husband was still in the mix. I was practicing my Y'alls and I was fixin' to get rid of my winter coat. We went house hunting. We were ready to Say NO to Michigan and start flyin' the rebel flag. Then the bottom fell out. The Husband was one of the 10 people who didn't get offered a position. The official reason from the hiring board was that he was not local and they gave preference to local applicants. So on that very sad day in June 1995, all of our dreams of sweet tea and fried chicken went up in smoke and left us wondering why and what next?

A Vow and Some Pics

2010-11-23T07:31:00.006-06:00

I really do plan to blog more. Every week I tell mysef that I will blog. I promise myself grand things like Chick-Fil-A or Starbucks if I write 3 blog posts per week. Yeah, I still go to Chick-Fil-A I just don't blog. So here's my early New Years Resolution~I will blog 3 times per week. Stop rolling your eyes. It could happen.

On a completely different note, I have new pictures of the kidlets. I have a new friend, Ellen, here in Indy and she takes pictures. Really good pictures! I wish I knew how to take pictures. I somehow inherited my mother's faulty photography gene. She was the one who took a famous family photo of my sibs and dad and I in front the of US Capitol building. It was a beautiful fall day in 1984 and the sun was shining on the Reagan administration. My mother cut off the top of the capitol's dome but she got lots and lots of the exposed aggregate sidewalk. I take those same pics!Here's some great shots from Ellen. . . .the real photog!

I love this shot because they are actually walking towards me instead of running away.

This is so artsy-fartsy and cute.

This my poor Caroline's life. Hang onto your brother!

Numbering Our Days

2010-10-07T10:33:00.003-05:00

Do you ever try to figure out God? Look back on events and smack yourself with Romans 8:28? Try to take bumps in the road as "signs from God"? Try to put God in a box so that your own life makes sense? Yep. I'm guilty. The past 12 months have been about as rocky as can be and in my quest to make sense of it all, I have tried over and over to, well, make sense of it all. Every bit of bad news was because something better was coming. Every twist in the road had a purpose. We have been residents of Indianapolis for a whole 6 days and it appears that we've finally hit the end of the long and winding road but I keep asking "Why?" I keep trying to make the whole thing fit into a nice plan. I tell myself that God caused one thing to happen so that the "right" thing would happen. Is that true? My Calvinistic self bumps up against the concept of free will directing our paths. Yes, God is in control. Nice theological truth but how does that look in the messy reality of life? Do I choose Chick-Fil-A or McDonalds? Watch 20/20 or Dateline? Chocolate or vanilla? Keep job in Illinois or take a new one in Indy? I don't know the answers to those questions. The Bible tells me that God knows us by name and cares about the sparrows so even more cares about us, the crown of his creation. So as I look back over the last year with its ups and downs and mostly downs, it is the only true comfort to know that even though I can't wrap my brain around it, God does order our days. Maybe not our fast food choices, but definitely our days.

Don't You. . . .Forget About Me

2010-09-20T09:22:00.006-05:00

Remember the cool '80's tune "Don't Know What Ya Got Til It's Gone"? Well, even if you don't, pretend because it's critical to this post. I had my 20th high school reunion this past weekend. I went to a small high school with only 78 kids in my entire class. We went to school together from kindy up through high school so we literally grew up together. After all those years, I was so sick of looking at the same 77 faces. I could not wait to get the heck outta there. I was looking forward to our reunion but I got smacked upside the head by something. Not sure if it was regret? Sadness? A wish to go back? I had a sudden urge to run back to CCHS and shake the students while screaming "CARPE DIEM!" We had such great friends but we were too young and dumb to realize what a gift it was.
Here is my 3 best friends and I at prom. Keep the comments about our horrible dresses and white nylons to yourself. It was the JJCC~Jenny, Jenni, Crissie, and Christy.

Here we are 20 years later with a much better sense of style! We have tried to keep in touch but we are not nearly as close as we once were. That makes me so sad. I spent the evening talking to people that I have known since I was a toddler and I found that I miss that! We spent so much time in conversations that started with someone yelling "Remember that time that we . . . ." and we would scream in laughter and the spouses would try to look like they cared.
I also attended the 10 yr reunion and I don't remember thinking this way. It was fun and it was nice to see everyone but this reunion hit me hard. Maybe it's a midlife crisis? Maybe it's because not a whole lot changes in ten years but twenty is really a long time. I don't know the answer to my questions. I don't know if there is an answer. I do know those 77 people will always hold a place in my heart. I'll share some of my favorite shots of the night and go to contemplate these big questions!

Here is Darren. We were buddies and rivals from kindergarten til graduation. In the end, I won. I graduated number 12, Darren was number 13. He left for college in Arizona and never came back. I had been so bummed that he didn't come to the 10 year so I was so excited to see him. Mike J and Cardio Bob. The two class clowns and all-around great guys. They both look almost exactly the same as high school!

Jenny and Nikki~Two popular cheerleader-types. Love 'em both!
The two preggos! Julie and Cristin were both expecting and looked adorable.
So to the Class of 1990, we rock.

Kids In School = More TV Time for Mommy

2010-09-07T21:57:00.004-05:00

So, yeah. They went back to school. I'm thrilled to have peace. Or quiet. Well, at least I have time for "Bachelor Pad" and "Teen Mom". . .all the important stuff.

I Want My MTV

2010-07-21T12:49:00.005-05:00

I'm a proud member of the MTV generation. I remember when they played videos all day long. I watched "Remote Control". I permed my hair just like Nina Blackwood and firmly believed that it was Martha Quinn in the "Centerfold" video. (It wasn't.) Then MTV got dumb. Stupid reality shows and lots of flannel ruled in the 90's. Now MTV has made a comeback. Or at least in my little realm of reality.

There are two shows currently running that are truly well-made TV. Seriously. Like should be required viewing for all middle schoolers. Now I know that in my little Christian school world this in not a popular opinion. Heck, I'd probably lose my cheer coaching gig if some parents knew I would encourage their kids to watch (gasp) MTV. "16 and Pregnant" and it's spawn "Teen Mom" are intelligent and realistic without being so over-the-top, scared straight. We watch these girls struggle with the reality of teen parenthood from the pain of watching your friends go off to college without you to the daily reality of bills and colic. I have been on the receiving end of those looks that say "You are an awful mother" when I mention that I allow my daughter to watch such trash. I have watched every episode with Caroline and it has brought up all kinds of discussions. I am under no illusion that my daughters are immune to pre-marital sex and the risks that go with sexual activity. Yes, we teach them abstinence. Yes, they go to a Christian school. Do Christian school kids have sex? Um, yeah. I will use everything in my parental arsenal to help them make the right choices.

Today I watched a new show in MTV's line up. "If You Really Knew Me" focuses on cliques and stereotypes that are predominate in high school. We all remember the cool kids, the nerds, the jocks, the artsy types, the band geeks. I'm looking forward to watching this one with Caroline also. I want to encourage my kids to be who they are, not who they are expected to be by some crazy stereotypes or some box they got put in in fourth grade.

So band with me watch MTV with your kids!

THIS is what I do all day

2010-07-13T15:36:00.002-05:00

So what do you do ALL DAY LONG? I have been asked this question no less that a zillion times. Ya really wanna know? I'll tell you.

4:12 am - 4:44am Listen to thunder and husband cursing thunder.

5:08 am Husband's alarm goes off. Thank you, Jesus. Now I can get some sleep!

7:26am Amelia peeks in my face. "Mommy! Are you awake?" I am now.

7:30-8:15 Shower and other incidentals.

8:15-8:40 Welcome three more children to spend the day and chat with said children's mother about the large Uzbekistan-shaped welt on my thigh.

8:40-8:45 Inhale cold leftovers from dinner for breakfast.

8:45-9:00 Become distracted by an old episode of MTV's "Juvies" because my friend Lloyd is the attorney. Cool.

9:00-11:00 Take two children to the Urgent Care to check out said welt. Feel like a statistic without health insurance. Try not to scratch. Answer a thousand questions about what this is. And what that is. And why that lady is so fat.

11:00-12:00 Browse Target while waiting for script to treat said welt. Dodge Dutch people. Duck behind giant Back to School display to scratch.

12:15-1:30 Feed leftover children, change a diaper, throw in a load of laundry, unload and re-load the dishwasher.

1:30-1:54 Eat my own lunch while watching the last episode of MTV's "16 and Pregnant" Poor Kailyn. Her mom's a . . . .not nice lady. Man, I love that show.

2:00-3:00 Clean up kitchen. Return reluctant paci-less boy to his room. Repeat. Pick up family room. Return boy to room. Sing "Jesus Loves Me" which was NOT what he wanted. Evidently, he prefers "Jesus Twinkle Star". Not sure of the lyrics to that.

3:00-3:42 Clean up kitchen. Again. Hand out popsicles. Hand out juice. Tell the children for the 89th time today. "NO standing by the neighbor's pool while looking hot and pathetic." Sing "Twinkle Star Jesus" Chase the dog down the street. Free boy from his room. Clip 30 toe nails and 30 finger nails.

3:45 Give up and blog.

4:00-4:19 Unload dishwasher. Make dinner.

4:30-Bedtime. Cradle a fifth of vodka.

Griswolds Go To Fireworks

2010-07-03T13:58:00.005-05:00

So as it turns out, we have a lot in common with the Griswolds. Last night we decided to take the kids to the beach for a late afternoon swim, picnic dinner, sand dune running, and some cute pics. As we are driving into the Indiana Dunes National Park, we notice an awful lot of evening beach goers. Seriously. Who goes to the beach at 6:00pm? Well, as the clueless as the Griswolds, we stumbled upon Fourth of July fireworks on the lakeshore. Turned out to be the funnest evening of the summer. The weather was great and the kids had the best time ever. They had never been to Lake Michigan beaches and were in love.

Happy smiling sandy children.

Caroline and I with the ever-useful self portrait.

This was my attempt at artsy fartsy. I am an awful photog. Someday I'll learn. . .

Caroline is almost 12. Wow. How did that happen?

Amelia just turned 7 and is sporting a toothless, grin. I LOVE toothless kids.

Greta is 5~"just plain 5, not 5 1/2 yet". She loves to have a camera pointed at her!

Wyatt is almost 3 and nowhere near diaper-free. Oh well. He's still cute as a speckled pig.

The reasons for my gray hair. Cute, ain't they?

And she's gone. . . .

2010-06-23T08:52:00.007-05:00

Imagine "Friends" by Michael W Smith playing in the background while you read this post. If you were a good church kid in the 80's, it will evoke exactly the right feel.

If we are lucky, we get some great friends to fill our lives and finish our sentences. In the beginning you get the kids of your parents' friends. Once you enter the wonderful world of school, you get to make your own friends. If you are lucky, these girls carry all the way thru to adulthood and beyond. I have 3 girls in my life that kinda represent each phase. Christine and I have been friends since third grade when she made me watch every episode of "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters." We don't see each other much but the history is there. Kathy was my roomie in college. She knows what I am going to say before I say it. She lives in Texas~way to far away! I miss her and want her to transfer to a base closer to me. Soon.

My adult-life BFF is Kary and she has left me. Minne-freakin'-sota. She's gone. We were a perfect match from the start. We were both brand new moms and I needed someone to boss around and she needed someone to boss her around. Worked out great. As we both grew up, we found a balance. I am hyper-scheduled. Kary does not own a calendar. She does however own 30 drums and random handmade musical instruments. She thinks the greatest song ever is Suzanne Vega's atrocity called "Tom's Diner" I think anything by Def Leppard or Warrant is worthy of music worship. She loves lentils. I would know a lentil if it hit me upside the head. Her perfect man sports dreadlocks and makes him own pants. My perfect man drives a BMW and is featured in "Forbes" for selling thousands of pairs of khaki pants. We really have very little in common which is why we are perfect for each other. She has the most important quality in a BFF. She likes me as I am. She doesn't preach at me. Or try to fix me. Or tell me that I'm not entitled to my feelings. Miranda the Waitress at Don Pablos will probably call me in a few weeks and ask where we have been. Kary and I used to go out for food and bonding at least twice per month. We were mistaken for a lesbian couple at Chili's once. How am I going to live without her? Woe is me. . . . I think Kim and Jana will need to give some lessons.

Summer Lovin'

2010-06-17T21:51:00.002-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with summer. After a cold and gray Midwestern winter, I love to ditch the over-bundled look. I love to go grocery shopping without pushing my cart through a layer of sludge. I love to not have to wear make-up to avoid the pasty white girl look. I love not getting everyone up and out the door by 7:30. I love not having to wash lunch boxes every night.

I hate being hot and sweaty. I hate chasing wayward children three different directions. I hate breaking up 372 cat fights per day. Most of all, I hate being the only entertainment source other than the Fresh Beat Band.

I don't dislike my kids. . . .well, most days. I don't hate being a SAHM. I think what alot of what I actually hate, is the loss of privacy and quiet time. I need my space and peace to maintain some sense of equilibrium. I need to be able to complete a thought, a meal, or even a trip to the loo without 46 questions. I think that is part of why I have started running. It's is my own little world. . .only I'm hot and sweaty and there are no cocktails there.

FRIDAY FIVE

2010-05-21T15:31:00.003-05:00

Five Best Albums Ever
1. Joshua Tree-U2
2. Hysteria~Def Leppard
3. Ropin' in the Wind~Garth Brooks
4. Jesus Freak~DC Talk
5. Pet Sounds~Beach Boys

Five Best Shows On TV Now
1. Modern Family
2. The Middle
3. Anything featuring Bret Michaels
4. Flash Forward
5. 24

Five Best Things About School Being Done
1. No more making lunches
2. No getting up at 6:00
3. No more driving to school
4. No more phone calls from teachers
5. No more homework

Elephants and Donkeys

2010-05-04T12:02:00.002-05:00

I am a political gal. My heart skips a beat just thinking about yard signs. I spent hours in college knocking on doors for different candidates. Yes, I am a conservative. Yes, I prefer the Republicans over the Democrats. HOWEVER, let me clarify a few points and because this is a political post I get to use bullet points! Woo hoo!

I do not hate Barack Obama. I find the Facebook "joke" about praying for his death rather annoying. Pres Obama seems to be a good guy with a true conviction that his policies and ideas are right for the American people. I admire that in a guy especially after the Clinton years which seemed to be more about power and sex than serving the American people.
I do not love all Republicans. Lots of them are big . . . .doo doo heads.
I am frustrated by the church's political division. Some churches openly campaign for candidates on both sides and I don't agree with that. I don't recall Jesus declaring a political affiliation.
Faith and politics are not independent of each other. Many people take Jesus's command to serve the poor as a reason to vote Dem. Others take the belief in the sanctity of life as a reason to vote Rep.
I love a good discussion with a liberal who has a well thought out point of view. I can respect that and even agree with some of their points. However, I can not take a discussion with someone who votes Dem b/c Daddy was in the union or because of race or because Oprah said too.
The flip side of that point is please respect me a thinking person who is not an intolerant racist war monger.
Know about your candidates. Many people know more about Yo Gabba Gabba or Tiger Wood's sex life than they do about who is running for school board or county council in their own district.

The polling place would have been way cooler with an open bar. Maybe free cocktails after you vote!

Following the Crowd to Vodka

2010-04-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

I was too good for her. I eschewed her blog as too commercial. Too fancy-schmancy. I tend to not read the books everyone else is raving about. I hate the hit songs everyone loves. I never see the movies that are all the buzz. I just can't follow the crowd. Even when the crowd is right. I finally broke down last night and followed the crowd. Instead of leading me straight to hell, the crowd led me to a beautiful plate of pasta drenched in vodka. Yep. VODKA. How could that be a bad thing? You tell me. Or on second thought . . . please don't.

People, I give you Pasta all Vodka from Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman.

I am now a devoted member of The Pioneer Woman's cult. This is the best freakin' pasta dish I have ever made. We were licking the skillet. Literally. You would have thought I had raw brownie batter in there.

So now that I have caved, I am obsessed. Kinda goes with my personality. I'm really not a half-way kinda girl. I'm all in. Now I gotta go buy more vodka. Again, not a bad thing.

Crack Would Be Healthier

2010-04-20T14:40:00.003-05:00

I would have made a fantabulous meth addict. I have never been a smoker but I have lots of friends who describe to me the feeling of sweet joy upon the first drag. I have felt that feeling. That moment of pure bliss when every tension leaves your body as a new chemical surges through your blood. What is my drug of choice?

Those hot salty sticks of fried potato goodness. I gave up french fries for lent and let me tell you it was the definition of sacrifice for me. I can plan my entire day around getting some fries. Now I need to give them up before I have to start shopping at Catherine's.

The Corner of I'm Right and You're Wrong

2010-03-25T09:29:00.005-05:00

Choosing school for your kids is complicated business. So many factors go into the decision and so many people have something to say about your decision. When Caroline started school she was our only kid and our trucking business was going pretty well. The cost of Christian school wasn't an issue and we glibly considered it the "best" school choice. As we navigate a new reality which includes the possibility of public schools, I am learning how truly judgmental parents can be. There are plenty of right/wrong issues in parenting but school choice is not one of them. God calls each family to a different path. Some families are called to homeschool. This is a huge committment, even more of a lifestyle choice than a way of educating your kids. Many parents are called to send their kids to Christian schools. I also believe that God calls certain families to be in the public school system. Several years ago, I wouldn't have said that. I didn't really think God would call you to send your kids "there" (said with the proper amount of disdain in my voice) My BFF has been fighting sending her kids to the public schools for years. They have homeschooled and sent them to a small Christian school. She made a brilliant comment the other day.

"We have been praying for God to provide (financially) for _______ Christian School for years and the money hasn't been there. Maybe we need to open our eyes to the idea that God has a plan and a purpose for our kids in the public school."

Brilliant. Often in the Christian school enviroment I grew up and am presently involved in as parent, has a superiority complex. Then again, I know some homeschoolers with the same idea. And some public schoolers. So no one has a corner on the "I'm better than you" market. Christian school parents tend to throw around Christian school-ese phrase "Trust God to provide" This is generally uttered by people who never have had a financial struggle. I'm not talking about the "I can't afford to go to WDW this year" struggle but true "I lost my job and am worried about foreclosure" financial struggle. This statement loosely translates to "If you never go out to eat, only shop at Goodwill, do not have cable TV or internet access, and only drive one car, you can go to Christian schools." Which translates to "If you lived how I say you should, you could afford it."

I'll say it again. God has a different plan for each family. One plan is not superior than the other. God is not absent from the public schools. He does not only go where invited. He is sovereign and that includes the public schools. Do I love my local Christian school? Absolutely. My girls have learned so much and have had some amazing teachers influence them. Am I a little freaked at the option of public schools? Um, yeah.

Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" Notice that verse does not include the condition "If you go to Christian schools."

Go Vikings! Eeww.

2010-02-23T14:49:00.003-06:00

I have always dreamed that one day my daughters would love what I loved in middle school~cheerleading! So far, so good. Caroline walks around the house doing cheers and would wear her cheer uniform every day. This week the ICHS (boo!) cheerleaders invited the middle school girls to come stunt with them. Caroline is a flyer and boy did she get to fly! They put her up in a full and even tried to do a liberty. The ICHS girls were really sweet and helped my middle school squad learn how to stunt. They can't wait until next fall to really work on it all! Caroline is bummed that she probably will never be a Viking. I'm OK with that.

The Family Meal . . . and other great pieces of fiction

2010-02-14T21:08:00.005-06:00

ME~C'mon guys, dinner's ready.

RANDOM CHILDREN WHO CALL ME MOM~What are we having? YUCK! She touched me/breathed on me/broke my toy/hit me/kicked me/won't share! WYATT NO! Why do we always have chicken/beef/venison? Why can't we have hot dogs/peanut butter/pizza? I HATE this. How many bites do I have to eat to have a snack?

I love to cook. I love to try new recipes or just mess around in the kitchen until I find something I like. We have all read the studies and know that kids who eat at the family dinner table do better at everything from preschool entrance exams to nursing home longevity. Our church culture puts extra pressure on us to not only produce a healthy meal (well, at least one with meat and 3 sides with Velveeta in them!) but also have family devotions. These little nuggets of time where we impart great spiritual truths to our offspring. What "they" fail to mention is that these wonderful benefits of the family dinner come at the cost of a big fat ulcer for Mommy. Is a 2 1/2 year old even capable of sitting for more than 5 minutes? Well, mine is not. Everyone has an answer for how to get through dinner time with 3 small kids and I am not a fan of any of their easy answers. I am trying to let go of the guilt and embrace the idea that a 20 minute family dinner complete with devotions and pot roast with three sides is just a fantasy. Life is all about survival with small kids and I need to start letting go of the Pottery Barn catalog image of motherhood. We have all these "should do" ideas about how to plan every moment of our kids' lives. If I don't force Wyatt to sit and eat dinner, then he will do drugs in his teen years. If I don't force Greta to try 5 bites of everything, then she will grow up to be a person who only eat chicken nuggets. Wow. Once I put that in writing it looks really stupid. So today I vow to give myself permission to suspend the traditional family meal time until a later date. How much later? How 'bout college?

Go Fight Win

2010-02-02T21:54:00.003-06:00

These are my girls~the middle school cheer squad. I have had such a good time coaching them and I love them all to pieces! This is there very first mount at a game. Caroline is the flyer on the far left. Go Crusaders!

SAHM I Am . . . .Or Not

2010-02-01T11:20:00.003-06:00

I'm having one of those days. I have had thousands of them since I began my stint as a Stay At Home mom in 1998. I feel like a dog chasing its tail. I have a mountain of work to get to and all I can muster the energy to do is hold Greta on the couch with her Tupperware Barf Bowl. I do laundry. I make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I clean up gobs of toothpaste. I build Lego trucks. I untangle American Girl hair. And so on. I'm OK with all of that. It comes with the territory of the choice I made to stay home. My frustration lies in the fact that I seem to be the only mom who doesn't love her stay at home mom-ness ALL THE TIME. Or at least according to Facebook every other SAHM thinks they have the greatest job in the world and loves spending every waking and non-waking moment with their kids. Are all these moms lying or am I truly the only one who gets sick of being a human kleenex all day? I chose to stay home because I thought it was important to be the one with my kids. I wanted to make the choices for how they spent their time. Problem is I am the one to blame for how their spend their time. . .is there any defense for "Yo Gabba Gabba"?

I can't even complete the thought right now. Someone is screaming and I can't ignore it anymore.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

2010-01-22T12:41:00.002-06:00

Our school came down with a new rule this week aimed at the middle school kids.

Any use of the words "stupid" or "shut up" will result in a demerit.

Any use, regardless of context or intent. Any use. Am I the only one here who thinks this is STUPID?! We already have a rule about being disrespectful. Be the adult, use your discretion, and enforce it when appropriate. Don't need to start making a list of words. "Stupid" can be used appropriately or inappropriately, just like hundreds of other words in the English language. If your goal is to stop 11-13 yr olds from being smart mouthed, saying "Don't say THIS word" is the wrong way to go about it. You better believe they spent the whole day yesterday saying stupid and shut up as much as possible. Rules without brains behind them are a recipe for rebellion. Kids act out when rules make no sense.

We have an awesome group of kids in our little middle school. They are smart, funny, friendly, well behaved and respectful. I coach the cheerleaders so I spend a lot of time with these girls plus the girls and boys from the basketball teams. All good kids. A little rowdy and immature? Absolutely. They are supposed to be rowdy and immature. They are IN MIDDLE SCHOOL! This is 2010 and if our biggest problem is kids calling stuff and each other stupid, we got it pretty good! Or well? Good? Whatever.

My Before Post

2010-01-16T21:54:00.003-06:00

Why is it so hard? I mean seriously. Eat less food, move more. How freakin' hard is that? Very hard. I (heart) food. I love to cook it. I love to smell it. I love to eat it. I particularly love to eat it when everyone else is not bugging me. It's my treat that I look forward to all day long. My sister says our family's mealtime conversations focus around when and what we are going to eat next. That is so wrong.

January 2002 I was at an all-time high weight and an all time low. My mom was in the middle of her losing battle with cancer. Tim and I had been trying to have a baby for over 3 years. We finally gave up and started to pursue adoption. We were really excited about it. I decided that since I wasn't going to be preggers I was going to be skinny. I went to Weight Watchers and over 10 months I lost 30 pounds. I felt amazing and looked better than I did in college. Somewhere in mid-October 2002 I found out I was pregnant. Holy cow. How did THAT happen?!? Well, I know how it happens. . . . I was 2 pounds from my goal weight. Amelia was born June 2003, Greta was born January 2005 and Wyatt showed up July 2007. I never got back to where I was in October 2002.

Why can't I get there? I have gained and lost the same 10 pounds a zillion times since then. I have a million excuses but no valid reasons. I'm not one of those "never take care of myself" moms. I have no trouble getting away for a few hours to shop and EAT. I just can't seem to stick to it. Why? If I knew the answer, I probably wouldn't be fat. I want to be that cute thin athletic mom who does things with her kids. I want to wear cute clothes~it's hard enough to find stuff that doesn't make me look like either a teen or a grandma!

So here's my before picture. This is for me to look at every time I want to eat. Every time I want to skip my run. Every time I think I don't look so bad.

Random Randomness

2010-01-15T08:49:00.004-06:00

Unemployment blows. Nothing much else to even say about it. Tim is home. ALL. DAY. EVERY. DAY. He's at the computer or on the phone all day long but it's pretty hard to keep it from sounding like the Nick Jr soundstage in the background. Wyatt is so colossally bored. I feel for the kid. He goes outside to play in the snow and that lasts about 10 minutes. He plays Legos and trucks. That lasts another 15 minutes. So that leaves Wyatt and I 11 hours to keep ourselves busy. When the girls were this age, I could get stuff done. They loved to "help" do housework. Wyatt sees a pile of clean laundry as a opportunity to throw things. He sees bathroom cleaner as a tasty snack. He sees a vaccum as a ride-on toy. He is so BOY. Sigh.

On another note, Caroline is having a fantastic time with cheerleading. I've been helping coach her squad and that's been a lot of fun. The girls are a riot and I'm trying really hard to be an appropriate role model. (Snort. . .)

Same Post As Every Other Blogger Today

2010-01-01T08:55:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year. . . .everyone feels compelled to a New Years Resolutions. I am a realist. I always slide back to my old ways by Jan 19 so I'm not a big fan of the tradition. Funny thing is I do it every year. This year I will lose 30 pounds, save $10,000, clean my house every day, read my Bible more, play with my kids more, exercise, blah blah blah blah. I looked back in my old journals a noticed that the ONE year I actually DID lose 30 pounds and spend more time reading my Bible was the year I wrote down my resolutions in my journal. Things that make you go mmmmmmm. . . .

So here you have it.

1. Lose 25 lbs. I am done having babies and have no reason to be carrying around extra weight. It is unhealthy in so many ways not the least of which it increases my risk for breast cancer. I also feel yucky. I gained 4 pounds since T-giving and my jeans are tight. I hate that.

2. Read my Bible more. I go in spurts. I do my stuy for small group but usually not a whole lot more. Looking back in my journal I had a phase where I was copying certain verses and letting those guide my prayers. Need to get back to that.

3. Organize the toys. I don't think my kids have a ton of toys. The neighborhood children have asked me where all the toys are hidden so they don't think my kids have enough toys! They are big fans of things with lots of pieces though. Legos, puzzles, Polly Pockets, Little People. I need a better system to organize them because when the playroom is not a mess, they actually PLAY there!

4. Tim needs to find a job. Yesterday. In the South.

5. Stick to a schedule. I was the schedule nazi when my kids were babies but now that Wyatt is out of the baby phase I am not. I miss that predictablity.

So here's to 2010. What's your plan?

Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T16:41:00.003-06:00

Nothing much to say but here's a few snapshots of Christmas.

Me with Greta and my teeny new niece, Meredith.

Wyatt looking old enough to get move out and take a wife.

Christmas 2009 will officially be recorded as the Holiday of the Legos.

Caroline with my niece Joanna. Caroline truly believes Joanna is the coolest person on the face of the planet.

It's Christmas. . . .We're All Miserable

2009-12-15T08:37:00.002-06:00

I wanted to write a wonderful and insightful post about the joy of the holidays and family and friends and peace and love and blah blah blah. It kept sounding exactly wrong. This post is from last Christmas and it bears repeating. So without further ado I give you my thoughts on Christmas. . .

I used to love Christmas. I loved it so much that fifteen years ago I got married at Christmas! I loved the lights and the music and the hustle and bustle and the food and the drink and the food and the drink and the fa la la la la la la la. . .but somewhere between there and here I got lost. Here I sit at 30-ish-something and I am wishing it was January. How wrong it that? Very wrong. Somehow in my mom-life the entire holiday season has become a never-ending chore list. Buy this, bake that (or buy this to make it look like I baked that). Go to festive parties with sassy-mouthed girls and a boy who feels compelled to put his grimy paws on every object lower than 36 inches. Keep everyone happy all the time! And don't forget matching! Everyone must match! (OK, that's my own neurosis, but a girl is entitled to one or two.) I want the joy back. I want the peace on earth. I want to not insert cuss words in the middle of fa la la la la la. I don't want my kids to remember Grumpy Mommy at Christmas. They are all destined for therapy anyway but maybe they can at least say, "Mama screwed me up somethin' BAD but Christmas shure was good!"

I have been thinking and stewing and praying and stewing and praying and stewing about this since Halloween. For me to get where I need to be this holiday season, I need to be specific and intentional. So here are my "Holiday Resolutions"

1. I am going to venture into the store I really really dislike~Family Christian Stores~and find a new advent devotional. Then I will order it from Amazon. :-)

2. I am not going to second guess my shopping. When I find a gift for someone, it is done. No rehashing to make sure it's perfect, "fair" to others on my list, wondering incessantly if they will like it, ect. I will follow lists and suggestions but I will not drive myself nuts.

3. I will let my kids be kids. Yes, they will need to follow the rules and not play football with Nana's pretties or Grandma's 785 teeny weeny ceramic things but they are kids. At least at Christmas, they need to play with their cousins and have fun.

4. I will watch "Elf" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at least 3 times each.

5. I will not try to be Paula Deen because no one really likes my cooking anyway. I will only cook elaborate dishes for myself or for fun. When asked to bring an appetizer, I will bring something I have made before and that is easy, cheap, and quick. I don't need to search everything the Neelys have ever made to find the "perfect" recipe. It doesn't exist.

6. I will try ONCE to get a Christmas card photo. If I can't get it in one afternoon, I will reuse the same one from last year. Only Wyatt has really changed anyway.

7. I will Christmas shop with my BFF late on weeknights. The mall is open til 10:00pm and Chili's in open til 11:00.

8. I will burn CDs of Christmas music I actually like instead of listening to the same 8 songs over and over on 93.9. While I'm at it, I will make a peaceful worshipful, CD and some fun ones too.

9. I will bake for the neighbors and invite them all to church. Again. Maybe the holiday season will make the "no thanks" turn into a "we'd love to."

So there is my concrete plan to reclaim the holiday joy for myself! Fa lalalalalalala. . . .

Reason #358 Why Wyatt Will Need Therapy

2009-12-09T19:29:00.003-06:00

When you have 3 big sisters, you end up with pink snowman sheets.

He's not so good at the Big Boy Bed yet. Every night he cries "Wyatt no big boy! Wyatt's bed!" And here is "Wyatt's bed"~in the wood pile.

Why You Won't Be Receiving a Chirstmas Card

2009-12-06T14:25:00.003-06:00

Caroline is telling everyone to shut up and Wyatt is unwilling to give up the pipe.

Amelia looks good here.
If Mom had a clue how to use her camera, this one could have worked. Perhaps.

At least Gracie looks cute.

Evidently, Amelia has issues.

Wyatt is done.

This was about as good as it got.

FRIDAY FIVE

2009-11-27T10:27:00.002-06:00

FIVE BEST THINGS ABOUT THANKSGIVING
1. Stuffing~the bread kind with sausage and celery
2. Red wine with turkey
3. Football
4. A turkey sat on a backyard fence song
5. Being thankful

FIVE BEST TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAROLS
1. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
2. Joy the the World
3. Away in a Manager~as sung by Wyatt
4. Carol of the Bells
5. O Come All Ye Faithful~in Latin

FIVE REASONS WHY I AM GOING TO RETURN TO BLOGGING
1. The novelty of Facebook has worn off
2. Too many people read what I write on FB
3. I have a lot to say
4. I wish I hadn't quit
5. Pretty new templates now available for free!

Summer is almost over. . .

2009-08-03T07:18:00.005-05:00

. . . and what do I have to show for it?

a deep empathy for Kate and a desire to see Jon neutered
the knowledge that PayLow is NOT the lowest priced supermarket in South Lake County
a pre-teen who thinks she can sleep til noon
a toddler who thinks he can swim
the knowledge that the government requires Tim to randomly drug test himself~is that really random?
the disappointment in never seeing a White Sox win in the Twinkie~dome.
pasty white skin without a hint of a tan
a working knowledge of "fins to the left"
a whole bunch of new friends
the loss of my patience
the return of my true blond hair
a hole in my summer where Hilton Head should have been
an appreciation for Yo Gabba Gabba
15 hours lost to helping Jillian find Mr Right

FRIDAY FIVE

2009-06-19T07:23:00.003-05:00

The Friday Five is BACK! I know you were missing it. . .

FIVE BEST WINES THAT I HAVE DRUNK . . .DRANK. . .DRINKED
1. The Monster Red Zin
2. Cakebread Chardonnay
3. Houge Reisling
4. Zen of Zin
5. Ravenswood ICON

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $1,000,000
1. Buy new carpet
2. Pay CPCS tuition
3. Buy a Honda Odessey
4. Move out of this "lovely" area
5. Hire a nanny so I could take naps

FIVE JOBS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
1. Restaurant owner/chef
2. L&D nurse
3. White Sox sportscaster
4. Buyer/designer for Gap and Gymboree
5. Princess

Hi, My Name is Jen and I'm Addicted to Facebook

2009-06-11T17:35:00.008-05:00

I have a new addiction. I tend to be an addictive personality. . .luckily I was a good kid in college! I adore Facebook and the part I love the most is reconnecting with people from way back when I was cool. (I frequently remind my daughters that their mom was like totally awesome.) I was one of those girls who really meant it when I signed KIT your yearbook. It bums me out that I spent all of the 80's with the same group of people and yet I only regularly talk to one of them. Even if some of them were more Farmer Ted than Jake Ryan, I love shared history. The years I spent in high school and college made me the adorably screwed up individual that I am today. We had a mini-high school reunion last winter with 23 girls from my high school class and it was the most fun I have had since the last time I watched "Can't Buy Me Love" six times in a row. We weren't all BFFs back in the day but we sure had a great time remembering the fun of high school.

Facebook is the fab technology that made that cool nite happen! FB also has given our generation a gift like none before us. It has given us the tools to go back in time. To rectify wrongs. Clear up confusion. Mend fences. No one before us has been able to do that without a significant amount of effort. That's a tool with a lot of potential for good and evil. Catching up with old friends and even old flames can stir up things that maybe should have been left dormant. Or it can show us that the guy we pined for really isn't all that perfect and the one we married is all that perfect. The BFF from high school can be thrilled to re-establish the friendship or she can be aloof and leave us feeling rejected all over again. The girl we barely knew in middle school now has kids exactly the same age as yours and you suddenly have tons in common. It's like going back to school but with a shuffled deck. Could be good. Could be bad. Could be both. Use it wisely.

Maybe we'll see the return of the ABC Afterschool Special about Facebook! Or maybe a very special episode of "Blossom" which projects Joey in 2009 FB-ing an old girlfriend while his wife Sixx gets mad. I would so TiVo that.

Not a Kate Hater

2009-05-28T15:13:00.005-05:00

This past week has been a firestorm of controversy about the TLC show "Jon and Kate Plus 8". Did Jon cheat? Did Kate? Is Kate a crazy bitch who deserves whatever she gets? Are they exploiting their kids? I can't answer any of those questions because I don't know them. That seems to be the point that so many people keep forgetting. You don't know someone because you have watched a highly edited and manipulated 30 minute sound byte of their "life". We don't know that Jon is a partying playboy. We don't know if Kate is a raving lunatic. TLC takes the footage and makes it into an "entertaining" show that will generate ratings. Happy parents with lots of cute kids = BORING. Train wreck fed by the tabloids = sky high ratings for TLC. I have heard people suggest that TLC pull the plug and cancel the show because that would be good for the kids. TLC has a cash cow in this show and will not cancel without a major drop in ratings. Everyone seems to want Kate to drop the show and stay home. My guess is that is not an option. She has a contract for her book and contract for the show. I bet she is legally bound by terms to travel and promote.

What amazes me the most is other moms who are so quick to slam Kate. There are absolutely moments on the show where Kate speaks very rudely to her husband and others. I am guilty of the same thing. If you edited together my worst moments in the course of a week and left out any positive moments including any apologies for my worst moments, I'd look like a loon. I just don't get why moms have to tear other moms down. Are we all so perfect that we are in a position to cast stones at a woman we don't even know? We all have our own way of doing things that work for our families and mothering styles. No, Kate is not perfect and yes, she has chosen to put herself out there for scrutiny but that doesn't mean we know her in her private moments. TLC shows us Kate yelling at Jon but how do we know once they were in private she didn't say, "I'm sorry I lost my cool today." I'm not saying she did but we don't know that she didn't. TLC created the "characters" of Jon and Kate~Jon is the lovable husband who puts up with Kate the OCD nasty wife. They edit together clips as they want us to see them.

And yes, Shawnie was right. Nothing like controversy to get me back to blogging!

Spring Break~Not Just for Drunk College Students

2009-04-04T07:31:00.003-05:00

The kiddos were on Spring Break this week and let's just say I wish I was a drunk college student. The week would have been easier. It was a LONG week. School breaks are always so much harder than summer. In the summertime we establish a routine and new rules. They can go outside to play. This week, the weather has been crap and we have pretty much been locked up in the house. I don't get moms who love school vacations. They are so hard for me mostly because of the lack of routine. All four of my kids~especially the spirited kindergartener~thrive on schedule. No schedule=chaos.

OK, now that I'm done complaining, I will share our one fun day out this week. We took a road trip to Indy to the famous Children's Museum with a stop in Lafayette to visit the famous burger stop~Triple X. We are huge fans of the Food Network show "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" with Guy Fieri and have grand plans to do a trip across the Midwest to visit all the places he has profiled. The Triple X is the closest to us so we started there. It was worth the trip even though it was counter only and my girls acted like tourists yelling and pointing at the pics on the wall, "Look Mom! It's the guy from TV!!!"

The Super Wy has recently mastered the word "PLEASE!" and the use of a straw so he drank everyone's root beer.

Greta is not usually a burger fan but she scarfed her half.

Caroline would eat fried dirt on a stick if she saw it on the Food Network. She was thrilled to be there and ate one the burgers that the menu highlighted "As Seen on the Food Network!"

Amelia has never met a burger she didn't love especially with lettuce, tomato, and onion. She snarfed down an entire adult burger.

Stay tuned for picture from the museum and some great shots of the clouds on the way home!

Matilda Jane

2009-03-22T13:52:00.001-05:00

I Miss Blogging

2009-03-22T08:04:00.002-05:00

I really do. I have been blogging for 3 full years now and I love to write. It seems like a frivolous pursuit when I have things to do like feeding kids, running a trucking company, doing laundry, sleeping, ect. I feel like I have run out of things to say. Or at least things acceptable for public viewing!

So what should I blog about? Any thoughts?

Oooo! I'm a Guest Poster!

2009-03-17T11:48:00.002-05:00

Clair over at Mummy Deals graciously hosted my guest post today. So fun to blog on someone else's blog~especially someone as cool as Clair. :-) She always has awesome ideas for deals and links for great stuff. Check her out. Maybe under her mentoring I will actually master the whole CVS thing that so confuses me!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-09T08:13:00.002-05:00

Monday~Bacon Cobb Pitas, Chips

Tuesday~Honey Mustard Pork, Veggies

Wednesday~Chicken Chili Cheese Cups, Zucchini

Thursday~Cheeseburger Hoagies, Veggie Sticks

Friday~30 Hour Famine

Saturday~Out?

Sunday~JOY Group

I Do Take Sugar, Thanks for Asking

2009-03-04T11:21:00.004-06:00

I am so freakin' excited. Beyond excited. I actually jumped up and down while brushing my teeth this morning when Eric and Kathy made the next big concert announcement. Two of my 3 most favoritest hair-tastic bands and touring TOGETHER and they are coming to town. July 17. . .

Wait for it. . . .
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Def Leppard!!!!!!
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.AND
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POISON!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh. My. Aqua Net. I can hardly hold in my joy. Back in the day I was not allowed to attend any concert that didn't end in an alter call. Since I'm pretty sure neither Joe Elliot or Brett Michaels does an alter call in concert, I would not have been allowed to attend. Now as a very old woman, I get to go and hold up my cell phone to "Every Rose Has It's Thorn". Now I just need to lose enough weight between now and July to fit into my snake skin skirt and Forenza t-shirts. Maybe Brett will take me on the Rock of Love bus.

Full Body Shiver

2009-02-24T19:51:00.000-06:00

Say it ain't so, Joe.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-23T12:19:00.002-06:00

Monday~Deep Dish Pizza Bake 6 pts

Tuesday~Bar Louie $1 burger night

Wednesday~Apricot Chicken, Rice, Veggie

Thursday~Pasta e Fagioli, French Bread

Friday~Leftovers

Saturday~Wildfire for my birthday! Woo Hoo!

Attack of the Wyatts

2009-02-22T21:56:00.003-06:00

When we chose Wyatt's name we were SO sure we'd found something original. Or at least not widely popular. When we joined our new church last fall, I met a nice girl named Lori at a MOPS Open House. While chatting with a group of girls my friend Shelley says "How's Wyatt? Is he feeling better?" I was a bit confused b/c Wyatt had not been sick. Then I figure out she's not talking to me. She's talking to Lori. . .mom of the other Wyatt. Her Wyatt is only 10 weeks younger than my Wyatt. Since that meeting, we've bonded over all kinds of things and our husbands have discovered they are twins seperated at birth. They are in our JOY group~small group~and here's a few fun shots of the Wyatts from tonight. They even look alike as the trash the place together. Ack!

I Really Don't Want Her to Look Like a Duggar!

2009-02-21T07:37:00.003-06:00

Caroline is 10. She is growing up and turning into a sweet and fun young lady. She picks her friends carefully and has a real servant heart. That's the good part. The bad part? What on EARTH is she going to wear?!?!? Since she was a baby we did 90% of our shopping at Gymboree, I am spoiled by the quality and good deals I have learned to get. Last night we went to the mall to scope out some spring clothes. I am totally open to any store even Abercrombie that has cute clothes that won't fall apart after 2 washes. I'm not even opposed to tank tops and denim mini's with leggings. What I am opposed to is my 10 yr old looking 15 and that, my friends, is the challenge. We can shop at Abercrombie or we can buy Duggar-style skirts. There is NO in between!

We have also crossed that line into caring about what the other girls think about what we wear. I do not wish to make my kid the object of ridicule out of some noble thought that it doesn't matter. Face it. We all remember middle school and it matters. Right or wrong, what you wear matters. Call it shallow, but I want to make life as easy as possible for my daughters in that hard time of middle school. We are absolutely teaching Caroline about inner beauty and acceptance but I am also a realist. Preteen girls can be nasty and when the "cool kids" say "Pink is so dorky" that can drive a girl to ditch pink. On the flip side, when said "cool kids" say "I LOVE your outfit!" it goes a long way to builing confidence and feeling included. I think it is possible to teach your daughter to not judge people based on their outward appearance but still allow her to dress in a way that makes her feel part of the group.

Germs Are Bad

2009-02-17T07:47:00.002-06:00

SOMEONE at my house has been sick since New Years Day. Ack. Wyatt has been down for NINE days now. Greta woke up crabby and snotty this morning. I can not take it anymore. Seriously, people. Get healthy.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-15T19:11:00.004-06:00

Must get back on the wagon. Ack!

MONDAY~Italian Dijon Tilapia, Rice, Veggies

TUESDAY~Bar Louie $1 Burger Night

WEDNESDAY~English Muffin Pizzas

THURSDAY~Crock Pot Turkey Breast, Sweet Potatoes

FRIDAY~Deep Dish Pizza Bake It's 6 WW points so I'll let you know if it's good!

SATURDAY~Leftovers

SUNDAY~JOY Group

Gracie is Home!

2009-02-06T07:34:00.002-06:00

The absolute cutest little thing I have ever seen! She weighs about 2 pounds and is so small you almost step on her! She has settled in here well after some nicotine withdrawl. Seriously. She was shaking SO hard most of the first day. . .I know she was just scared but we joked that she was having nic fits after her first home. The kids love her and she already knows to run from Wyatt. He just can not keep his hands off her!

Doesn't she look EXACTLY like the puppy on your 7th grade Trapper Keeper?!

This is how Wyatt spends most of his days~trying to convince Gracie to play with him. This shot gives you a little idea of how teeny tiny she is.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-02T15:17:00.002-06:00

Monday~Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

Tuesday~Pulled Pork Loaf

Wednesday~Potato Chip Salmon, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday~Savory Turkey Breast, Sweet Potatoes

Friday~Chili with Cornbread

Saturday~Out

Sunday~JOY Group Italian Night

I'm Just Not That Into It

2009-01-20T07:32:00.003-06:00

In case you live under a rock and are not aware, today is Inauguration Day. Barack Obama will be become the 44th President of the USA and the first African American to hold the office. Even though he wasn't my guy, I have to say I have been impressed with his prep work. It's also a great day for America to take one more step towards Dr. King's dream.

BUT, (c'mon, ya KNEW there'd be a but!) if I hear one more word about what Oprah is wearing to the ball, how Tom and Katie got to Washington, and how Beyonce and Jay-Z are moved to tears, I will scream. I would like to see news coverage of Sen Obama being sworn in. Heck, it's even fun to see Michelle Obama's wardrobe choices and their cute-as-heck little girls, but seriously. Do I NEED to know what Barbra Steisand is having for dinner? I am not someone who follows Hollywood and who does what. Sure, I peek at the mags in the checkout line at the grocery store but I really don't have an opinion on Brad Pitt and his dippy wife. To loosely quote a new movie, "I'm just not that into it." It seems that the news coverage is alot more about who is wearing what and who was seen with who that Sen Obama's taking the oath of office. I am all about the human interest stuff~what kind of puppy are Sasha and Melia getting? I'm voting for the Labradoodle. I guess what it boils down to is I wish I didn't live in a place that is so celebrity-focused.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-18T14:44:00.004-06:00

After 2 weeks of sickness it is time to get back on a schedule. Kids can not live on PB&J alone!

MONDAY~Tim's Cooking! Venison Meatloaf and Southern Steamed Cabbage

TUESDAY~Bar Louie $1 Burger Night

WEDNESDAY~Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Rolls

THURSDAY~Chicken and Iowa Stuffing, Green Beans

FRIDAY~Pork Tacos, Chips and Salsa

SATURDAY~Apricot Chicken, Veggies

SUNDAY~JOY GROUP!! Mexican Night

A New Member of the Family

2009-01-12T14:00:00.002-06:00

Some of you may remember Ashley, our sweet and wonderful black lab. Ashley was our first baby and part of our family until March 2006 when she developed tumors and we decided to put her to sleep instead of painful and expensive treatments. She was a big part of our lives and we miss her lots! We have been happily pet-free until . . .NOW! We have been thinking about getting another dog for about a year now and have finally found the perfect pooch for this chapter in our lives. Yes, we LOVE labs and would get another in a heartbeat except for 2 factors~the awful shedding and the lack of lots of space. Our friends have a Shih-poo which is a cross between a Poodle and a Shih Tzu and can't say enough good things about the breed. They are small and as close to non-shedding as you can get. Not yappy and extremely good with kids if raised from puppyhood with little ones. This is a pic of BoBo who is the sire of the litter we choose from.

Once we decided on a Shih-Poo (as you can imagine Tim has had some fun with that name!) you would think the work would be over. Nope. We did not want to buy from a pet store and take a chance on supporting puppy mills so that route was out. We wanted a family breeder with home raised pups where we could meet and interact with both the mother and father of the litter. I found one breeder that fit. She was so nice on the phone and said that she would hold the last female for us since she would not have another litter until at least next fall. The pups are only 4 weeks old so they need another 4 weeks with mama dog. We went and visited, played with Bella the Mama and BoBo the Papa, talked to the family, and held the pups. We placed our deposit and on Feb 7, Gracie comes home! Without further ado. . .pictures!

Update

2009-01-09T09:42:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, the CPSC re-stated the law to say that used children's clothing and toys are NOT included in the law. WHEW! I can go back to my regularly scheduled life now which includes Kleenex and NyQuil.

Hand-Me-Downs Are Going to Be Illegal

2009-01-07T10:21:00.004-06:00

Yep. I am so not kidding. As of Feb 11, new CPSC standards are going into effect and they are making HUGE changes in the sale, re-sale and even GIFTING of children's clothing. Basically, it will be illegal to sell or GIVE a childrens item that you have not tested for lead according to the new standards. The fines are very high and the CPSC is serious about this law as an attempt to save face from all the lead recalls of late. So in theory, you give a bag of baby clothes to your neighbor that your child has outgrown. Illegal. Is she going to call the feds on you? Probably not but if she was mad at you for something else she could.

This law will force Goodwill and all for-profit re-sale shops out of business plus wreak havoc for Ebay sellers and Etsy sellers who make custom children's clothing and jewelry sets. It is not enough that your supplier tested the material you use. YOU need to test them also. Each test costs upwards of $500 and each item will need to be tested.

I'm mostly torqued off about this as an Ebay seller but it also seems crazy to make hand-me-downs illegal. It also means that retailers will need to throw out tons of clothing that is not purchased by Feb 10 b/c they can no longer sell it or donate it. The law went through Congress very quickly and needs to be reviewed. I'm all for testing to protect our kids from lead and other things but this seems a bit extreme.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-05T11:09:00.003-06:00

Back into the swing of things. Ugh.

MONDAY~Clean out the freezer night~we're getting rid of everything that's taking up space there.

TUESDAY~Pizza Pot Pie

WEDNESDAY~Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

THURSDAY~Chinese Pot Roast, Stir Fry Veggies, Rice

FRIDAY~Italian Dijon Tilapia, Rice, Broccoli

SATURDAY~Spaghetti and Meatballs

SUNDAY~Greta's 4th B-day!

Christmas in Review

2009-01-04T09:09:00.008-06:00

I don't often get a sweet and innocent picture of Amelia. This one belies her actual personality.The Super Wy loved Christmas. As long as no one ignored him or took him away from his mommy. And gave him everything he wants to chew on.Here's the whole Leozinga Clan~minus Sara the Photog and Joel. Where was he?

We did Christmas breakfast with Tim's parents before we left for Hilton Head. Harbor Town Park! The kids favorite place in the whole world. This was Dec 23 and it was about 60 degrees. After a holiday feast at Fuddruckers and some sweet playground time, we went to see Gregg Russell's Christmas Show by the water. Christmas Eve and we're all sampling Santa's snacks of cookies, chips, and blue cheese stuffed martini olives.Christmas Eve!Amelia and Greta in the penalty box on Christmas morning. They both got 5 for fighting.Grandma chowing on some chips and salsa!

The arrival of everyone else! That night was Mexican night. The Leo's were in charge of dinner and made great enchiladas and Jer kept us all happy with margaritas! Rich and JudySara and her margarita.Here's a rare picture of me without a kid on my lap! I was getting cozy with my margarita.
Happy Uncle Jeff telling one of his many car accident stories!I have no idea.Wyatt got some chocolate cookies on the trip home. I think we're somewhere near Knoxville here! The kids did pretty well on the 17 hour road trip but Wyatt now cries at the sight of the van. I think we've scarred him.

Low Stress Christmas

2008-12-25T12:16:00.003-06:00

My Christmas wish came true. For the first time since we procreated Tim and I have spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ALONE with our kids. Just our nuclear family. I freakin' love it!! We are blessed with great families on each side but we really wanted at least one Christmas where we were not running over the river and through the woods. We wanted to just focus on our four little ones and we did just that. It was totally casual but with 4 kids ages 10, 5, 3, and 17 months it kinda has to be. We went bike riding and had frozen pizzas for dinner on Christmas Eve. We put up the tree and let the kids decorate it. After writing Santa and letter complete with begging for a Bears win on Sunday, they scurried off to bed. Tim and I then watched church on TV. It was Rick Warren from Saddleback. Interesting guy. . .he kinda reminds me of a white male Oprah with some Jesus-talk thrown in. Got up this morning to open presents and each 2 tubes of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. For Christmas Day lunch? Hot dogs and taco dip. After naps, we're going to take a walk on the golf course and make pasta e fagioli for supper. I LOVE IT! Low stress, baby. The rest of the fam is showing up in the next few days. We'll have a great time~we always do down here~but it was so nice to have a little quiet Christmas in Dixie. All alone.

So to all my bloggy friends Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! And Christmas cards are on the way~they went out int he mail yesterday!

Never Say It's Going Well

2008-12-22T13:56:00.002-06:00

About 2 weeks ago Tim and I had the "isn't our marriage going great" conversation. We went out for dinner and to a movie to celebrate our 15th anniversary a bit early. We both commented on how we were on the same page with lots of things and we haven't had a big fight in at least 6 months. Of course, that jinxed us. We had a big ole fight on the day of our anniversary. I'll spare you the details but it was one of those fights that thankfully are few and far in between. So I have learned my lesson. No more patting ourselves on the backs about how great we are! The good part was I got a HP Notebook for an anniversary/guilt present. It's pretty cool but I have no clue how to use it!

We're on our way to Hilton Head for at least 10 days. We may come home earlier since we tend to wear out our welcome down there. We are pretty excited about having at least 2 days down there all alone. We're planning to go see Gregg Russell's Chritmas Concert in Harbour Town and maybe hit the Piggy Wiggly. Great fun!

An Apple a Day

2008-12-14T21:28:00.002-06:00

I used to have a bowl of apples on my kitchen table. I don't anymore.

OK, So I'm Not Frugal

2008-12-09T21:50:00.005-06:00

I love reading Gayle's blog about frugal grocery shopping. She's got great recipes and ideas for stretching a dollar. She feeds a family of 6 for less than $60 per week. While I love reading her blog, it has induced an incredible amount of guilt! I was spending about $150 per week~more than double and I don't have big eaters. Greta eats barely enough to keep a bird alive and Amelia is just starting to outgrow the picky phase. I have spent the past few months working at getting my groceries down to "Gayle level" and I have failed. The best I can do it $100 per week. So what's my problem? Well, it's complicated but a lot of it boils down to what my family likes and what I prefer to feed them. I really am trying to be as healthy as possible and cut down on sugar, sodium, and fat. I also do things without High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and organics whenever I can. Here's what I have learned about pricing and why my grocery bill is stuck at $100!

I buy low fat, low sodium, low sugar canned goods. This often removes generics from my list. EX. Meijer brand Cream of Chicken Soup $.79 Campbell's Healthy Request Cr of Chicken Soup $1.39
I buy the leanest ground meat~100% white meat turkey/chicken and ground sirloin. Unless it's on sale~and it rarely is~it's up to $5.69 per pound.
We always have a lean protein with breakfast. Caroline and Amelia both struggle with concentration in school so a high fiber/high protein breakfast for them is a must. I do peanut butter some days but often it's turkey sausage. I can find them for $1 a box on sale but that's not too frequently.
I don't buy snacks with HFCS in them. That doesn't leave a lot of options beyond fruits and veggies. Meijer has a store brand organic that makes some snacks without HFCS~teddy grahams, cookies, ect.
On the snack front, I don't bake. This is one place I could save some money but tasty baked goods are a temptation for me so I just try to stay away from that. When cake mixes go to $1 or less I make the WW snack squares. My kids love them and they are lower in sugar than other snacks.
I buy A LOT of fresh produce~like 6-8 red/yellow/orange peppers per week, 3-4 cukes, 3 pints grape tomatoes, 2 bunches of bananas, 5 lbs of apples. These are for snacks~I buy more for cooking. In the winter this is expensive.
I don't shop at Aldi. I have tried it a few times and the only things that my family eats that had a significant savings were eggs, cheese, and milk. Those 3 things saved me about $3 per week and since I have Wyatt with me when I shop and gas was so high, I figured the 3 dollars wasn't really worth it. Now that gas is cheaper and I can go in the evenings without kids, I may try it again.

Nutrition is a passion of mine and I have been doing more reading about how food affects us. It's fascinating and frustrating at the same time! I LOVE crap food. I love McDonald's french fries and Taco Bells nachos. I love chips and onion dip. I once heard Dr Phil say that is 80% of our eating is healthy and we are somewhat active we have 20% room for junk. I don't know how scientific that theory is but I like it! I try to eat really healthy at home so that when we do go out to restaurants or friends houses we can eat the fun stuff.

So how do you teach your kids about healthy eating? Do you have any good tips? I feel like everything I read is the same thing. "Make a funny face out of fruit!" I need something better than that!

She's a Canuk?

2008-12-08T18:17:00.002-06:00

I usually post cute things my kids say on my blog just so I don't forget. I used to scrapbook and now I just don't keep up with it. Caroline has beautiful scrapbooks keeping track of her every move. The rest of 'em? Not so much. I always thought I'd remember everything they said and did but I can't remember if I brushed my teeth today so remembering cute stuff is jsut not going to happen. That being said. . .here's Greta's quote 'o the week.

While listening to the McKenzie Bros 12 Days of Christmas I say, "I love the part where they say '5 goldens tuuks"

Greta~"I like the part where they say BEER!"

Yep. Nice.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-08T08:48:00.002-06:00

Monday~Enchilada Pie

Tuesday~Parmesan Chicken and Angel Hair

Wednesday~Chili Mac

Thursday~Leftovers

Friday~Wendy's~Christmas shopping

Saturday~Chicken Cordon Bleu Loaf

Sunday~Leftovers~Chruch Christmas Program in the evening

FRIDAY FIVE

2008-12-04T21:26:00.004-06:00

FIVE BEST SPORTS MOVIES
1. Brian's Song
2. Ice Castles
3. A League of Their Own
4. Field of Dreams
5. Eight Men Out

FIVE MOST ANNOYING CHRISTMAS SONGS
1. Jingle Bell Rock~by ANYONE
2. The 12 Days of Christmas (With the exception of the Mackenize Brothers)
3. My Favorite Things~This is not a Christmas song. It's a show tune.
4. Something about a hippo
5. Hark The Herald Angels~Point Of Grace~It TOTALLY sounds like the Sweeny Sisters.

Icky Vicky

2008-12-02T15:00:00.003-06:00

Anyone else wanna slap this girl? I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Biggest Loser and never ever have I despised someone as much as this chick. Check out this blog entry about her.

Icky Vicky.

I was so sad to see Amy leave. Hopefully, Vicky will BOMB this week and we can get rid of her. Please.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-01T07:56:00.003-06:00

Lots of leftovers and missed meals last week. Ugh! The week of a holiday plus Tim's work issues made for a nutso week. Hopefully I can get back on track this week since I want to lose 5 pounds by Christmas. Think I can do it?!

Monday~Ham and Turkey Subs

Tuesday~Bar Louie $1 Burger Night

Wednesday~Sour Cream Quiche w/ Crescent Rolls

Thursday~BBQ Pork Steaks
Sweet Potato Fries

Friday~Christmas shopping and Wendy's

Saturday~Enchilada Pie
Rice and Beans

She's On To Me

2008-11-28T10:48:00.001-06:00

Amelia: I'm glad my turkey is in Turkey Heaven~that's my tummy.

(Pause for effect.)

Amelia: If that's funny you can put it on your blog, Mommy.

Pulbic Service Announcement

2008-11-25T14:16:00.003-06:00

All 18 eggs in a carton will be smashed when a toddler throws them into a grocery cart. He will then yell "OH WOW!". People will stare and call "Supernanny" on their cell phones.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-24T07:11:00.001-06:00

Crazy holiday week! Tim's family is coming down Friday til Sunday as they do every year. We have made a tradition of House of Kobe on Friday night. It's lots of fun and the best Japanese steakhouse I have been to. We'll order pizza and watch a Christmas movie on Saturday night. I think we'll try "Christmas with the Kranks" this year.

Monday~Cheeseburger Soup

Tuesday~Sour Cream Quiche
Crescent Rolls

Wednesday~Enchilada Pie
Chips and Salsa

Thursday~Gobble Gobble

Friday~Annual House Of Kobe dinner

Saturday~Pizza

Sunday~Leftovers!

I Think I Fried My Brain

2008-11-23T19:53:00.002-06:00

One of the things that we're getting used to at our new church is the change in service times. At Crossroads we almost always went to 9:00am service, unless we did Saturday nights. I was internally programed to look at the clock and KNOW that we had to start getting in the van at 8:25. CPCRC has their kids' programs at the 10:30 service so that's when we go because I don't care how traditional I'm becoming I am NOT sitting next to Amelia during worship. We were already ready to go and it was 10:03. I looked at the clock and thought, "Hm, I have 25 minutes. I think I'll have a bite to eat." Soon it was 10:28 and Tim says, "What time is church?" Um, crap. I was TOTALLY thinking on the old schedule that I needed to leave at the bottom of the hour. Being the daughter of Linda and sister of Jefferson that I am, there was NO freakin' way I was going to church 20 minutes late. Oh well. Grace is sufficient.

Bah Humbug

2008-11-21T20:05:00.002-06:00

I used to love Christmas. I loved it so much that fifteen years ago I got married at Christmas! I loved the lights and the music and the hustle and bustle and the food and the drink and the food and the drink and the fa la la la la la la la. . .but somewhere between there and here I got lost. Here I sit at 30-ish-something and I am wishing it was January. How wrong it that? Very wrong. Somehow in my mom-life the entire holiday season has become a never-ending chore list. Buy this, bake that (or buy this to make it look like I baked that). Go to festive parties with sassy-mouthed girls and a boy who feels compelled to put his grimy paws on every object lower than 36 inches. Keep everyone happy all the time! And don't forget matching! Everyone must match! (OK, that's my own neurosis, but a girl is entitled to one or two.) I want the joy back. I want the peace on earth. I want to not insert cuss words in the middle of fa la la la la la. I don't want my kids to remember Grumpy Mommy at Christmas. They are all destined for therapy anyway but maybe they can at least say, "Mama screwed me up somethin' BAD but Christmas shure was good!"

I have been thinking and stewing and praying and stewing and praying and stewing about this since Halloween. For me to get where I need to be this holiday season, I need to be specific and intentional. So here are my "Holiday Resolutions"

1. I am going to venture into the store I really really dislike~Family Christian Stores~and find a new advent devotional. Then I will order it from Amazon. :-)

2. I am not going to second guess my shopping. When I find a gift for someone, it is done. No rehashing to make sure it's perfect, "fair" to others on my list, wondering incessantly if they will like it, ect. I will follow lists and suggestions but I will not drive myself nuts.

3. I will let my kids be kids. Yes, they will need to follow the rules and not play football with Nana's pretties or Grandma's 785 teeny weeny ceramic things but they are kids. At least at Christmas, they need to play with their cousins and have fun.

4. I will watch "Elf" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at least 3 times each.

5. I will not try to be Paula Deen because no one really likes my cooking anyway. I will only cook elaborate dishes for myself or for fun. When asked to bring an appetizer, I will bring something I have made before and that is easy, cheap, and quick. I don't need to search everything the Neelys have ever made to find the "perfect" recipe. It doesn't exist.

6. I will try ONCE to get a Christmas card photo. If I can't get it in one afternoon, I will reuse the same one from last year. Only Wyatt has really changed anyway.

7. I will Christmas shop with my BFF late on weeknights. The mall is open til 10:00pm and Chili's in open til 11:00.

8. I will burn CDs of Christmas music I actually like instead of listening to the same 8 songs over and over on 93.9. While I'm at it, I will make a peaceful worshipful, CD and some fun ones too.

9. I will bake for the neighbors and invite them all to church. Again. Maybe the holiday season will make the "no thanks" turn into a "we'd love to."

So there is my concrete plan to reclaim the holiday joy for myself! Fa lalalalalalala. . . .

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-17T08:24:00.003-06:00

Tim ended up working late a few times last week so I have some meals from those days that never got made. Cooked. However you say it! We usually just eat PB&J or whatever when he's working late. Plus this week is a GEMS week so we usually go to Wendy's before dropping Caroline off at GEMS. That should help out my grocery budget. I'm working of getting our grocery bill down to less than $100 per week. That's another post brewing!

Monday~Mexican Cornbread
Chips and Salsa

Tuesday~Chix Tetrazini

Wednesday~Wendy's~GEMS night

Thursday~Pork Tacos
Beans and Rice

Friday~ BBQ Pork Steaks
Sweet Potato Fries

Saturday~Out

Sunday~Chili Cheese Dog Pot Pie

Check out Laura's blog for great recipes and meal ideas!

Dirty Thirty . . .He Gone

2008-11-13T20:01:00.002-06:00

It is a sad day at our house. Caroline's beloved Nick Swisher is being traded. Not just traded but sent to the only team we hate more than the Cubs. The Yankees. Eeeewwww. There is weeping and wailing. She will be wearing sack cloth and ashes tomorrow. Bye Dirty Thirty. Guess this means we're stuck with Paulie for another year.

The Grass Is Not Greener

2008-11-11T08:09:00.001-06:00

What do you DO all day?

It must be nice to have so much time on your hands.

I need the stimulation of my career.

Why did you get your degree if you're going to waste it?

Isn't it boring to be at home?

No wife/daughter of mine is going to sit home all day!

Can you do this/go here/buy that/bake this since you're home anyway?

I'm not the type of person who could be a SAHM.

We've all heard them a thousand times. I have been a Stay At Home Mom for 10 years now and I have heard 'em all. We all know the stereotypes of the SAHM who knows the storyline of "Days of Our Lives" and eats chocolates all day. We also know the rosy image of perfectly groomed mom baking cookies while well-adjusted toddlers play with blocks in the perfect family room. Neither one of those happening here.

I don't need to convince people that being a SAHM is hard. Or important. Or fulfilling. I need to convince myself. I think that is why those comments sting us SAHM so hard. We feel like we are always having to prove that we are not lazy or intellectually challenged. Being a SAHM is the ultimate self-starter position. Think about it. If your job. . .

didn't have a boss
didn't have clear guidelines
didn't have any hard deadlines
didn't have a schedule for production
didn't have a routine that stayed the same for any length of time
didn't have any specific works hours
didn't have any breaks
didn't have fear of discipline from the boss
AND didn't have a PAYCHECK

. . .would you keep that job very long? Probably not. This is a daily struggle for us SAHMs. To quote my "good friend" Kate Gosselin, mother of 8, "My day is make a meal, serve a meal, clean up a meal. Repeat." Trying to keep a home clean while having small children in it everyday is like straining rice with a tennis racket. I am sometimes so jealous of my girlfriends who have careers outside the home. They get to wear clothes that match and talk to people who know more than 50 words. They get to go to meetings and power lunches and say things like "Expense report." I get to go to Target and spend 45 minutes trying to keep Wyatt from contracting typhoid fever from licking the cart all the while comparing prices on toilet paper.

I do love being a SAHM. Most of the time. Some days. Sort of. I love the freedom I have to plan my week the way I want to. I love the fact that my kids are with me. I get to spend time with friends during the day which my dear dear dear husband likes to remind me when we have the weekly "my life sucks more than yours" fight. Yep, I spent 3 hours at the McDonald's Playland with Kary and her two youngest kids. It was more relaxing than a day at the spa. (Note the sarcasm.) These things I get to do are really like business trips. When you have to go to Florida to call on a client you are working. Even though it's sunny Florida you aren't visiting WDW or laying on the beach. Same with SAHM playdates and such. Prettier scenery but still work.

I'm really not sure the point of this whole post. It's not to convince people that SAHM have value. It's not to complain about how rough my life is. It is certainly not to start a WOTH/SAHM war because that is just dumb. We're all moms and make the best decisions we can. I know I get annoyed when a WOTH mom utters the comments listed so I try my very best not to even have those kind of thoughts about my WOTH mom friends. Honestly, I think we are so critical of moms who do it different because we are so insecure in our decisions. Motherhood is a constant state of second guessing. Is this right for my kid or is that right? We tend to beat down the other choice to make ourselves feel better about our own choices. The other reason we make those comments is pure stupidity. Simple not thinking about how it sounds to a mom on the other side of the proverbial fence. Moms are gifted at reading subtext and often use this power for evil instead of good. When a WOTH mom says "I need the stimulation of my career." she means she likes her career. When a SAHM hears that sentence she hears, "I am superiorly intelligent to you and am simply too evolved to spend my day watching soaps and Dora the Explorer in my PJs b/c that is what you do."

Again, I have no idea the point of this post but face it. The grass is not any greener anywhere else. Except if you live in Florida and have a dog to pee on it. Then you have really green grass and mine is brown for fall.

Meal Plan Monday

2008-11-10T08:46:00.002-06:00

With the non-stop fun of the holiday season coming up, I totally need to get organized and stick to a schedule! So in that spirit, I'm jumping back into MPM.

Monday~Bean and Ham Soup
Cornbread

Tuesday~Slow Bake BBQ Chix Thighs
Smashed Garlic Potatoes

Wednesday~Mexican Cornbread
Beans and Rice

Thursday~Chix Tetrazini
Peas

Friday~Mama is G-O-N-E!
Chix and Stuffing x2 for another family

Saturday~Out b/c Daddy is gonna need it!

Sunday~Chicken BLT Loaf w/ Honey Mustard

For lots of great meal ideas or to join MPM, go to Laura's blog!

I Think She's Old Enough to Date

2008-11-07T21:04:00.001-06:00

She looks so OLD! Ack.

Barack and Ozzie-BFFs

2008-11-06T13:40:00.003-06:00

While y'all know I wasn't exactly thrilled with the outcome of the election, I have found something that Barack will do that I can get on board with!

Check THIS out!

You Say Tomato. . .

2008-11-06T07:44:00.002-06:00

Since the elections are over we need something new to fight over. Tim and I have been fighting this battle for years.

COUPON

Is it "Q-PON" or "COO-PON"

Discuss.

The Homecoming Queen

2008-11-03T13:48:00.004-06:00

This kid is going to drive me to drink. That sweet angelic face is a cover for a deep naughty streak. Our biggest challenge with Amelia is she's just so stinkin' happy. NOTHING phases her. Take away her toys? No big deal. Take away computer time? Okie dokie. No TV? Ok, Mommy, I'll just read my books. AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGG!!! Her kindergarten teacher is facing the same issue. A consequence that would send a regular kid into tears doesn't bother Amelia in the least. As Mrs Z wrote on her report card, "Amelia is overwhelmingly perky!" I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not. The worst part for Mrs Z? Amelia is a LEADER! All the kids love her. Girls give her their toys everyday and boys yell out their carpool windows at her. She eats it up. Loves it. She is the Homecoming Queen of 2008.

So all you who knew me back when I was the perfect mom, feel free to yuck it up. I deserve it.

It's Ebay Time!

2008-11-01T07:59:00.002-05:00

All my Christmas and winter auctions are up! Finally. Take a peek, bid 'em up, and free shipping for blogging buddies! Boys 0-12 Months and Girls 0-3 up to Size 12 but mostly 3T, 5T, and 9/10.

MY AUCTIONS!

Call Doc Baker. . . Wyatt's Got Small Pox. . .Or Something. . .

2008-10-30T16:24:00.003-05:00

The Boy woke up like this today. Doc says she hasn't a clue and to keep an eye on it. Um, OK, great. Is he contagious? Is he having a reaction? Can he trick or treat? Not that I have a costume for him yet or anything. . .