Jen's Crazy Pen

Toe Picking and Other Curious Tales

2010-02-22T14:41:00.007-05:00

So it is almost the end of February already. It has just been the daily grind around here. You know...wake up...put on your clothes...pick your toes....

I am not sure what there is to find in those toes, because she never wears socks.

...but we don't ask too many questions, because this little spitfire might actually spit at you if you get her mad! It is quite fitting for a former princess to be so feminine, don't you think?!

This little man has a smile that can light up any room and melt a mother's heart...and then he pukes on me. He is a real puker I tell you. I haven't had one of those for awhile. His thighs are growing rolls, so I am not sure if I need to be concerned. Unfortunately, he hasn't had his picture taken for quite awhile. He is very elusive--that is code for his mother is neglectful. I tried to capture his picture just yesterday at his baptism, however the batteries in the camera were dead! Poor thing...

This girl has no front teeth and her pants are all shrinking!

This man lives for Saturday morning hockey and building his mother "surprises" at our new house.

Beside loving to play "go fish" and "old maid" continuously, this little girl is always "bored" in this "boring" house. As you can see, we do have quite a bit of snow in the Range, but we have seen the sun quite a bit this month. We never know what tomorrow will bring, but we have a lot to be joyful for today!

Special Delivery

2010-01-07T22:10:00.005-05:00

This was our special after Christmas gift this year. Blake Robert was born on Tuesday 12/29 and tipped the scales at 9lb.14oz.

So far he is doing very well and is very mild mannered...unlike a certain recently demoted princess...whose name we will leave unmentioned!

Cappuccino Coolers

2009-11-28T10:59:00.002-05:00

Here's a good drink recipe for those of you looking for a sweet pick-me-up treat for yourself. (My kids would probably have no problem enjoying this either--if I let them!) It is from an Allrecipes cookbook that I have.

(This yields 2-3 servings, so plan accordingly)
1.5 cups cold coffee
1.5 cups chocolate ice cream
1/4 c. chocolate syrup
crushed ice
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

1. In a blender, combine coffee, ice cream and chocolate syrup. Blend until smooth. Pour over crushed ice into glasses (I threw the ice in the blender, too). Garnish each serving with a dollap of whipped cream and chocolate shavings, find a quiet closet to hide in and ENJOY!

Symptoms of Insanity

2009-11-11T20:21:00.002-05:00

Knock on wood, we have all been healthy over here. Unfortunately, school has been cancelled for the entire week due to illness. My mental status has taken a direct hit, and as many of you already know I was CRAZY to begin with! Watch out. Here are some examples of my new symptoms. First of all, I have my Christmas cards ordered (half of them are addressed). Now even my husband can attest to the fact that this task is usually never accomplished until at least December. My parents' Christmas present is finished and will be ordered tomorrow. I think that my stomach has expanded three-fold in the last week. Is that a symptom? I can't breath. I think that I may even be starting to look like a pig. I can't roll over. I curse the swine flu, it has done all of this to me--I am sure of it.

Burnt Offerings

2009-10-30T11:22:00.004-04:00

I was lucky enough to be able to go out the other night for supper club. This month's theme was 5 ingredient recipes. I was in charge of the main dish. Let's just say that I had a crazy day of running kids and errands, etc. When I came back from picking up the babysitter my smoke alarms were ringing, and my entree was burned. I was really frustrated. However, I was able to salvage the vegies and chicken (the burnt sauce I am still scrubbing from the bottom of my pans!) and the night ended successfully, as usual.

Here's the recipe for Maple Roasted Chicken-Thighs with Sweet Potatoes from Good Housekeeping.com (and yes, this is one that I would make again for my family). I doubled the recipe and cooked it in 2 pans.

4 large skinless chicken thighs with bones
2 small (about 1 lb. total) sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small onion cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz. baby carrots or 8 oz. parsnips cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 c. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In 15.5 x 10.5 inch jelly roll pan or large shallow roasting pan, combine chicken, sweet potatoes, onion, carrots, maple syrup, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast chicken mixture for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife and liquid in pan thickens slightly. Stir vegies once and turn chicken over halfway through roasting.

Chain of Command

2009-10-26T21:15:00.008-04:00

I have finally relinquished control of the camera...at least for the moment. Wow, I learned a few things just by looking at all the pictures that my husband has been taking. Probably the most disconcerting was this one.....

This is my project manager, my go-to guy, the man that I get most of my project info from! Talk about reliable. Uh-hum....excuse me, was that last truss put in place correctly?? We'll never know now will we. Well, at least he isn't a pilot.

I also was able to see some great shots like this one of a pretty corner.

After living in a house for awhile, you learn all the features that work for you. This one was really high on my list of must-haves.

It just makes my house so unique. I am sure that this single foundation feature in itself sent our resale value through the roof! My husband really knows how to take care of me.

Here is what the house looked like about a week ago before the garage went up.

For those of you who were planning on driving by to see for yourself what is going on...take note of the mud situation. The coffee pot is not hooked up yet, so all that you will be leaving with is a dirty vehicle. Give us a few more months...and maybe a new project manager!

Project Home Builder

2009-10-15T21:30:00.002-04:00

Okay, so that is kind of a corny title, but at least it isn't project home wrecker! So, I have been getting a lot of questions about the new house. However, I am not really the person to answer them unfortunately. (I usually have to get my info from Kyle as to what is going on up there!) I rarely am up at the site due to muddy conditions and the current affairs within my uterus. I do deliver supper every now and then to some hungry men, but I have yet to hike up a ladder to actually walk through the house. (Bruce has penciled in an official tour for the wife this Saturday. I will keep you posted.) My husband is pretty handy with the camera, though. He has taken quite a few pics, and about once a week I find the camera hanging around and look at what he has been working on. I was going to post some of the pictures for all of the inquiring minds to see, but when I go looking for the camera it doesn't want to be found. I did find this picture. It will start you off from the very beginning. This is the street that we used to live on, and will be living on again eventually. This is the work that was done to extend the street. Our lot is located in the upper left hand corner (just close your eyes and use your great imaginations for pete's sake.)

...and that is all you are going to get until I find the camera again. I will share, because as you are probably aware--construction photos are so much fun. I have many different photos of footings and foundations that I am just dying to post! So prepare yourselves for an adventure of a lifetime.

Greetings from the Lost "Ranger"

2009-10-13T22:40:00.005-04:00

Hello...anyone there? It's me the Strange Ranger. I kind of took the summer off from the computer in general. However, there is snow on the ground again, so I will channel my insanity to the rest of the world.

Strange as this place is, the summers go by way too fast. This one went particularly fast, because we were so busy. I worked quite a bit this summer, as my baby is not so little anymore and babysitters were readily available. My girls all turned a year older, and Kali is in first grade this year.

Bananas...how they have grown just from looking at these summer pics!

(This princess is going to have a hard fall out of her throne come December!)

We sold our house, and are now homeless on the range.

Well, not exactly. We are living in a rental and are currently building another home, because you know once summer was over life might have gotten kind of boring without a project or two! I survived the move, now we just need to tend to that Christmas shopping before the baby comes. I am letting my husband take care of the house building project. He did pretty well the first time around.

It's good to be back. For those of you that missed me...I spared you of an entire summer's worth of whining and moaning! (Too bad for you that winter is here already! Let the craziness begin!)

Our Dirt

2009-05-28T21:44:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I was just reading my blog title (about taking our life to the curb), and realized that we have been keeping our amazing talents locked up in the house lately. I need to start sweeping our dirt back outside again. I will spare you any pics of the dirty house. A lot has been going down in this house. After my bro got married, my fam took a trip across the Mighty Mac-i-nac to visit my sister and her rat pack. My other sister, meanwhile has since returned from the other side of the earth to triple her family size! I now have 2 new nephews Greg and Ross, whom I haven't met personally, but they are home safe and adjusting. We also learned that my husband's job is safe for the time being. I was preparing for it not to be, so that was kind of a relief. The snow has finally melted. We had a 90 degree day last week (hopefully it isn't the only one of the year!) Mexican was the theme of the our last supper club (until after summer) that I hosted at my house on our ninety degree day! We made the trip to Iron Mtn. for a Memorial Day BBQ at my sister's house. Mmmmm. I am hungry again. Maybe it is because I am eating for two lately! Maybe that is why my house is dirty, and I have been hibernating. Maybe this will be number five...and just maybe it really will arrive on Christmas EVE!!!! yikes...gotta run. I have Christmas shopping to do!

Mamma's Boy

2009-05-14T10:43:00.008-04:00

Yes, he did get married. Here's the proof for those of you still in disbelief.

My crew...

Daddy's girls.

Mamma's boy.

My Baby Magnet

2009-04-30T10:16:00.003-04:00

Who needs fancy workout equipment, when you can do chin-ups and squats in the dishwasher!

Greetings from the Strange Ranger

2009-04-28T21:30:00.004-04:00

Hello and greetings from the Strange Range. This is me last week tanning in the front yard. I know, I know it is kind of blinding, but it has been a long winter and I need to "melt" away a few pounds.

I have since hung the kids by their snowpants. Wait, let me rephrase that for the CPS lurkers out there...I have since hung the kids' snowpants.

(Note: There is a difference between hanging them up and actually putting them away. Away they are not. For the sake of all superstitious viewers, I will not put them away until the ticks come to town.)
After the snowpants were hung, we headed to the pool.

"Are we there? Am I swimming?" As you can see, the sun has been a bit blinding for the kids, too.

We don't mind the double vision when it comes to Superman, though. Especially in the basement where the evil spiders lurk.

And in other headlines, the real superman of the house finished his project. Have a lookie.

Don't be scared to stop in if you are passing through these parts. The grass has been spotted again!

Me--The Optimist

2009-04-20T22:43:00.003-04:00

I am going to steal a trademark line from my friend Elizabeth and say this, "I am turning over a new leaf (actually more like a wet one)." I am no longer going to be a pessimist (sp?) There I said it. I never would admit it before; I preferred to answer to the tune of a realist (just sugar coats it a bit). Only positive thoughts are allowed in my head. As for the approximately four inches of new snow....I am going to receive it as a gift from the man upstairs. Now the kids aren't tracking in anymore mud, and their clothes are staying clean a lot longer! I am loving the snow pants....never thought that would come from me mid-April did ya! ooh, another positive thought has just popped--now I have more time to finish the spring cleaning that I never really finished! I mean who wants to clean when the weather is nice anyway? Hello, I am a desperate housemom and I love winter (and cleaning). You should try saying that over and over....its really therapeutic.

What I Did Over My Blog Vacation

2009-04-18T21:17:00.002-04:00

I granted myself an extended vacation (since I am the boss around here). I didn't think that you would mind a little break from my craziness for a bit anyway. What on earth was I doing that kept my from blogging? It was boring really. Okay, I will tell you.

A few days were spent spring cleaning for some unexpected company.
Another couple days were spent recovering from that (and then it became dirty all over again--its a vicious cycle).
My sisters came to town for our future sister's wedding shower and we whooped it up, of course! (I was expecting their visit.)
I went to work a handful of days to get a break from refereeing the kids who spent over a week together non-stop for the first time since Christmas.
We then rewarded the kids for their behavior by taking them to a hotel for a night. (We are really good parents, maybe we will write a book someday about rearing children. Be sure to look for it in the self-help section.)
The hubster had his week off, and I couldn't possibly let him think that I spend my free time doing anything other than mending, darning socks, scrubbing, and preparing my signature meals everyday. He's making me a new kitchen table upon which to serve those meals, so it was the least that I could do.

...and that is about all that I did during my blog vacation. BTW. I missed you, too!

Ignoring You

2009-04-03T14:13:00.003-04:00

I have had a busy week over here. You might not hear from me for awhile (like maybe next week). I might be able to fill you in then on what I have been up to!

Neck Wringing...and other Curious Tales

2009-03-29T20:58:00.002-04:00

Well, it snowed again Thursday night. So as promised, several of the northerners made their way to the Strange Range to wring my neck for putting a jinx on their spring. They got a good look for themselves what kind of town I live in. Let's just say that they didn't stay too long, and they fell for the old distraction trick that I used to keep them from wringing my neck. It only took lunch and dessert, and they forgot all about why they ventured south. I rather enjoyed the whole ordeal. I am kind of hoping that it snows again soon! Thanks ladies.

Somewhere Over The....

2009-03-22T22:05:00.007-04:00

I wasn't kidding a couple of posts ago when I said that Kali took those pictures. I showed her how to use the camera about a week ago, and she has been loving it. It is kind of fun seeing my house through the eyes of my five year old! I thought that I would share some of her other work with you.

She really knows how to capture her subjects in their natural environments.
Apparently, she thought that we should document that we have a toilet (and a tub). (Actually, for insurance purposes it probably isn't a bad idea. What a smart kid!)

And yes, there is also food in the fridge. What is in your fridge? That might be an idea for the next tag you're "it" post.

This is where she turned the camera over to her brother. My kids believe in sharing. Love and sharing. Sharing and love. Its all one and the same with them!

Jinx

2009-03-20T22:01:00.001-04:00

...it is snowing again!

A Strange Ranger's Almanac

2009-03-19T22:00:00.007-04:00

I live in a mystical little town that I like to call the Strange Range. Why is it strange you ask? Well, here in this town, it is winter 10.75 months out of the year (and our year only lasts for nine months!) Our snowbanks grow to be 8 feet tall, and they eat little children when they walk to school.

Not to worry, these snowbanks usually spit out the sassy ones.

I've lived in this town for a few years now. It is not for the faint of heart. Many weak souls have fled north (okay so maybe only one that I know of went north, the rest usually head south!) I denied that I lived here for the first few years. I came from a banana belt...you know that one about 7 miles from here. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, until you need to get out of the driveway, and you don't know where it went. (I told you that this place is strange.) Well folks, this year is going to be different. I am going to go out on a limb over here and predict that winter is now over in these parts. Snowbanks will soon disappear and you will find everything that they have consumed in the last nine months. I know, I know you are beginning to think that I have become a little crazy myself. How can I predict something so outrageous? Well, I have based this prediction solely on the fact that......

...I finally learned how to use the snowblower last week. This town may be strange, but Murphy's Law always applies. Look, the kids have found swimsuits this year.

Yes, they get their craziness from their father. I am the only normal one left in this town.....Happy Spring!

Stimulus Package

2009-03-17T21:16:00.015-04:00

With the economy the way it is these days, I am very blessed to have passed a stimulus package of my very own nine months ago. Here she is....

She creates new jobs for me about every 30 seconds or so. She only has two "ears", but she loves to leave a big "mark!"

She believes in the redistribution of the pots and pans. Moms shouldn't be the only ones entitled to the contents of the cupboards.

This is me this morning. I am sitting down for the first time after cleaning the house (I am just about to do some chair squats). See, no dust balls under the bed...

Then hurricane Claire arrives on shore...check out the dark clouds rolling in. (All of these pictures can be credited to Kali. I was under the bed bracing for the incoming storm!)

Here's a look into the eyes of the storm itself.

Brace yourselves. Here she comes.

And she hits.....AHHHHHH!

This was the aftermath...

We must rebuild. We will restructure. Focus on this "three" letter word--JOBS! All we need are some building blocks in a school bus.

It all works in cycles. Look, Mom cleaned up her pots and pans. Hahaha!

Gotta go. We've got lots of work now!

Happy Birthday Babygirl!

2009-03-11T14:46:00.007-04:00

My baby turned 9 months old yesterday. Where did the time go? I am not really sure to be honest. Here are some tidbits about my little shining star:
Oh, she's a crawlin'...and getting faster. The little stinker heads for the stairs every chance she can get. (We have a gate, but it needs a few minor fixes before it can be hung again.) She's found her voice recently and is really starting to babble.

She has 6 cute teeth, and as the other kids can attest to--she WILL use them if you stick your finger in her mouth. She has a mop of hair and colics that all grows forward, and she has already had a haircut! She also does this thing with her hands when she gets excited or wants something. I have been trying to document it on film for awhile, but you know how that goes.

...and she loves food scraps!

Jo-Jo's Strawberry Poppy-Seed Salad

2009-03-10T09:24:00.003-04:00

I made the salad that sis JoLynn had on her blog about a month ago for a shower last night. It was just as she said it was going to be--really yummy. Here's the recipe:

Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2T. lemon juice
2 T. onion
1/2 t. salt

I mixed these first ingredients in my blender, then added 2/3 c. veg. oil and 2 t. poppy seeds (also in the blender).

For the salad I had lettuce (she used romaine, I used green leaf), fresh strawberries, cucumber, green onion, and cashews. She added pear and craisins to her salad, but I didn't have these. The dressing makes the salad, so the toppings can be almost whatever you like. The Wally-Worlds had good strawberries this week on sale. Enjoy.

Tag: The Sequel

2009-03-09T13:11:00.007-04:00

I promised that I would continue my thoughts from the last post. I decided to take the plunge and do the challenge. Maybe you can learn a few things about me while I am at it. Like....
I love to follow the rules. I took this photo first thing this morning.

I still like to suck my thumb every now and then (and pick my nose at the same time). It is soothing.

I have a double chin. It took a lot of work to get it. Oh, and my lips are naturally this supple (no mosturizer!).

I feel like the neighbor (Wilson?) on the show Home Improvement. My fence is kind of buried in snow right now, so this is what you get!

...and I tag (drumroll please)....The Pioneer Woman (I know that you read this), Marlbaro Man (you really need a your own website), and McDreamy (I will settle with McSteamy if I have to).

Tag

2009-03-06T15:31:00.004-05:00

I have been tagged by Ethiopifinn (I just realized the other day that I don't know your married name Jen) to post a self-portrait. This was my first reaction...

Oh wait, that is not my mug. This is to be continued.....(the kids are fighting. heh.)

The Sleeping Child Dilemma

2009-03-04T22:39:00.006-05:00

Since I seem to have a theme of sleeping children going this week, I thought that I would visit a topic that is near and dear to my heart. It is a phenomenon that always rears its head when I take all four children into the vehicle and traverse away from the homestead. It is the sleeping child in a car syndrome. It usually strikes the two oldest as we approach the last 200 feet to the garage. I go against all medical advice and threaten to leave them in the car. This usually cures them quickly. However, this syndrome can be very tricky to treat in younger children. All studies show that it is not usually worth treating in a vehicle. Tempting as it may be to not move the victims (especially on a Sunday afternoon), it is considered inhumane in some cultures and does nothing to ease the mother's sympathy pains (ie. her need to also take a nap). So you move the sleeping child away from the vehicle and one of two things may happen. Most likely the child will awake. Efforts to induce sleep again are almost always fruitless. There may have been a few rare cases where the sleeping state had been restored, but I have not been able to document one yet. All hopes for napping are dashed and you deal with reality. End of that story. Now, in the case where the child appears to remain comatose upon removal from the vehicle further evaluation by a trained professional is needed. A flow chart would be nice, but I have yet to come across one in the home medical books. Here is how I try to assess the situation. Is the child still strapped in a carseat? If so, do not move...unless the chance of them waking due to heat stroke (because of their bulky outerwear) outweighs the chance of them waking due to removal, or you plain just do not want them to be sleeping anymore. If the child is not strapped in a carseat then you need to check if the child is wearing protective outer garments for the elements (see photo above for example of this). If so, once again you need to assess the likelihood for heat stroke (quickly, of course). Heat stroke really isn't a worry for me as a mother in the land of eternal snow and ice (at least not for 10 months out of my year). As you can see in the photo above, this is usually where the questions end for me. The inexperienced eye might have tried to remove the outer garments, but nothing good usually comes of that. The above documented case of the syndrome was just one of many that I have dealt with, however, it had an interesting twist to it. A patient history should have been obtained, because come to find out later the patient had been visiting Grandma who had given her some chewing gum (which can faintly be seen in the photo). Luckily, the patient did not react adversely to this chewing gum, rather she just kept chewing it intermittently! It could have been fatal, though. Hopefully, I have enlightened many lives with this information...and let me know if you have a good flow chart for this tricky syndrome. Go forth and prosper!

Random Ramblings

2009-03-03T21:32:00.006-05:00

This is the other picture that I should have posted the other day (but I must have been too lazy)! The poor thing has to have one eye on alert for her wild siblings at all times. You never know who is going to try to carry her half way across the room by her feet, or try to force feed her cheerios, or, or, or tickle her. Well, actually maybe the sleeping with open eye thing is hereditary, because I have been told (by not very credible sources, of course) that my eyes don't always shut all the way when I am sleeping. Don't believe everything that you are told my friends. Just yesterday I got my hair cut quite significantly shorter, and I was excited about the change. I was feeling good about it, and then my ever so eloquent husband spake words from his mouth that sounded something like this, "What made you get your haircut like that?" To which I automatically responded, "Why, do you not like it?" He spoke again, "No, I didn't say that...I was just wondering what goes through a girl's mind when she decides to get a haircut like that." Husband...speak no more...sit boy. He tries hard, that man of mine. I guess that was just his way of complimenting my previous hairdo!

Saturday Snooze

2009-02-28T17:06:00.002-05:00

This is how I feel today, too.

We're Getting a New Sister

2009-02-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

No, my mother is not pregnant! My brother Jeff is getting married! Can you believe it?!! Who would have thought, but he has found the ONE. We are very excited to be getting a new sister (especially one that will be living near us!) Her name is Jennifer and she will be the "new" Jennifer K*o*s*k*i! It is kind of funny to think of your brother as romantic, but we are very glad that Jen has brought out a side of him that we didn't know!

Mom the Magician

2009-02-22T22:12:00.008-05:00

Sometimes moms have to just work their magic. Have a look at this little card.....

Good morning Princess! Aren't you just the cutest button in the box?!

It's just you and me up so early. We are going to get a lot done today aren't we.

Okay, so maybe not as much as I would like, but you don't have to openly laugh at your mother. I can make our little one on one session vanish you know...hehheh.

Yes, there is a hair raising presence behind you. You don't believe your mother? Go ahead...look.

Hmphh...now where did my wand go?

Tuesday Truths

2009-02-17T22:26:00.003-05:00

Life has been on fast forward lately. It happens around this time every month. My husband gets his week reprieve from shift work, and then we blink (well this week it has been cough, snort, and sniffle)...and it is over. Maybe it is because when he is off I try to....schedule all of my appointments, schedule all of the kids' appointments, pick up shifts at work, spring clean the house, learn to sew, start 12 new sewing projects before I learn to sew (more on that later), nourish the malnourished, and fight for world peace. Yikes, it is exhausting. "Bertha! My tea needs a refill, and the baby is crawling...CRAWLING?!" It is hard to find good help these days.

Button Butterfly

2009-02-08T22:38:00.003-05:00

This was a fun project that Kali and I did together for her room. Since we painted it last fall, her room has had bare walls...until now. Any other ideas for decorating a really pink room inexpensively?

Do I Have a Screw Loose?

2009-02-05T21:01:00.007-05:00

This is Kyle's automatic screwdriver that came with a car that you can take apart and put back together. She gets ahold of it and puts it in her mouth (naturally) and also manages to push the power button. It must feel good on her gums, because she gets mad if you try to take it away!

I might have to try it for my loose screws!

And today in the funnies...

They look so intelligent and well-behaved.....(at least they can look that way for this blog!)

What Happened to the Sunday Afternoon Nap?

2009-01-25T14:41:00.008-05:00

My children missed the memo that from the beginning of time, Sunday afternoons were meant for napping. Sheesh. Just the other day they collapsed while playing.

This was the exact position that I caught him napping. (See I know that it can be done. Now I am trying to remember what I fed him for lunch that day...)

I found her on the floor not far from him. It seems that naps have become a rare occasion in this house. Come supper time this little angel.....

Without a nap will come unraveled...

I will say no more.

Princess Pea

2009-01-24T22:07:00.007-05:00

This is my Princess, Pumpkin, and Ge-Ge! The poor thing isn't going to know what to answer to when she grows up. We were at the opthamologist office the other day and the nurse claims that she must know her name, because she popped her head up from her carseat when she called it! Who knows. I am sure that she is highly intelligent, though. Anyway, the reason that we were visiting the eye doctor is that she has a blocked tear duct in her left eye. Kali had this for almost a year without any worries from her doctor. I am seeing a different doctor now, and he is the one who said that it should be cleared up by now and referred me to the opthamologist. This eye doctor wanted to schedule a procedure to clear it out. I told him that I wasn't ready. The thing is that they will have to give her gas to make her sleepy to do it. I am just not sure what I should do. She is teething and has a cold right now, so the darn thing is weeping all the time. I guess that I am going to try to wait it out, but I am seeking info from anyone who has had this procedure done. Was is simple? Did it cost an arm and a leg or just a toe? Can there be complications? I need to do some homework on the subject, but I thought that I would ask the experts first!

I'm Car-Car

2009-01-22T23:17:00.004-05:00

My two year old has quite the personality. Tonight she was eating her snack really slow before bed. I said "hurry up slow poke!" To which she replied, "I'm not snow loke, I'm Car-Car!" This little girl has come a long way from the baby who once only wanted her mother. She didn't even like her dad for a long time. She was like this from an infant...just ask her grandmothers and anyone else who ever tried to come near her! It was really nice for the first 15 minutes of the day to soak up her unconditional love, but it was also very draining on me as a mother to feel like I could never have a break. Luckily, it appears to have been a "phase". She is potty-training at the moment and has been doing very well. Grandma K. always promises a trip to the store to pick out a present when they start wearing undies. So, yesterday we were heading out to meet Grandma, and I asked her what she was going to get. "I am going to get a 'brella' case it rains." Good thing, too, because tonight it was raining (and then freezing--yuck). Oh and on a side note...she is still up because she kept hollering that she had to go poop (and she knows that this will get her out of her crib) and I was sick of playing her game!

Sometimes You Just Have to Bite the Bullet

2009-01-12T23:00:00.004-05:00

This little stinker just loves to chew on her brother's nerf gun bullets. It is kind of humorous watching her scoot around on the floor with it hanging out of her mouth (don't you just love the little tooth, too!)

Gertie's Granola

2009-01-12T10:29:00.002-05:00

Kali came home with this recipe from school. They make their snack on Fridays. She was bugging me to make it, because it was sooooo good. I just happened to have all of the ingredients, and it was soooo good. So, I thought that I would share the recipe.

Gertie's Granola (G was her letter of the week!)
2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/4 c. wheat germ
2 T. dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. extra ingredients (i.e. chopped nuts, coconut, raisins, seeds, dried fruit, mini choc. chips)
1/4 c. maple syrup
3 T. veg. or canola oil
1 T. water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 275 degrees. Coat a 9x13 metal pan with cooking spray. Mix the oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt, and extra ingredients (except for the dried fruit and choc. chips). Bring syrup, oil, cinnamon and water to a summer in a saucepan over low heat. Drizzle over oat mixture and stir to combine. Pour mixture into pan. Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps. Bake for 30 min. Stir in dried fruit. Continue to bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Add choc. chips if desired. May be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

The Tree is Gone

2009-01-11T11:30:00.012-05:00

Yes, the tree finally is gone. It was sitting undecorated for about a week before we finally found a storage space for it (well maybe more of a relocation, I guess). Out with the old and in with the new right?! I am just waiting for the new to start flowing over here. I have been unmotivated to post so far this year...bear with me.

We had a great holiday. Bruce was off of work for almost 2 weeks. I worked for a bunch of days the first week, and then we holidayed the rest! Kyle turned 4...we stayed up late...we ate...we visited...we ate...we slept in...and then it was back to reality. Kali's first day back to school was cancelled due to the weather, so we were slow getting back to our schedule.

My goal for this week is to organize the kids clothes (that they have outgrown). With the last season change I took clothes out of drawers and just put them in a basket. They need to go into bins. I hate extra clothes. If I was rich, I would get rid of all my kids clothes and just buy new with every season and size change. Plus, I would choose shopping over organizing any day!

Here are some pics from our vacation from the blog world!

Birthday Party

Skating

Presents

Music Makers

Sisters

Now that I got started I have more to share later! Toodles...

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T17:45:00.002-05:00

We have had a whirlwind holiday over here. I apologize for neglecting you! I promise to post some pics in the coming week. I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy New Year! Toodles and be safe....

Bedtime Stories

2008-12-18T09:13:00.002-05:00

I'm copying JoLynn and sharing a bedtime story involving my kiddos. Sunday night I went to the walk-in clinic with strep throat. I arrived home just in time for the bedtime shenanigans. They were put to bed and one of innocents emerged not even five minutes later with a "sore throat" (a sympathetic one, of course). I proceeded to tell them that sleep is the best medicine for sore throats. The reply was, "Yeh, but MY sore throat said that it doesn't want to sleep." That's how it goes sometimes in my house; kids won't go to bed and ailments SPEAK!

Christmas Comfort

2008-12-16T15:34:00.008-05:00

Yahoo, the Christmas cards just arrived. I was getting kind of nervous, because it had been almost two weeks since I ordered them. (I thought that I was going to be early this year! haha...) We finally put a tree up also. We usually get a real tree, but this year we changed things up and bought a fake one.

(Beware, I am still a really junky picture taker)

Last night I also made these....

You know that I love chocolate. These are a chocolate take on the ordinary peanut butter kiss cookie. My husband had me make them so he could take them to work. Here's the recipe:

Brownie Kiss Cookies
1 (13x9 size) Box brownie mix that comes with a packet of Hershey syrup with it
66 Hershey Caramel kisses
1/4 c. cocoa
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. water
1 c. ground pecans
2 tsp. milk

Lightly grease cookie sheets. Mix together until well blended the brownie mix, syrup packet, cocoa, eggs, oil and water. Refrigerate for 1 hour (dough will be sticky). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 48 (1 inch) balls. Roll in pecans (I only rolled the bottoms in pecans and the recipe said that they are optional, but they did help with the stickiness.) Gently press thumb in center. Bake 9 - 11 minutes. Cool completely. In microwavable bowl, combine 18 caramel kisses and milk. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then 1o second intervals until melted. Put 1/4 tsp. of melted chocolate on each cookie and then press a whole caramel kiss on top.

I have a few admissions to make. I didn't have the brownie mix with the hershey syrup. I ended up adding some chocolate syrup that I had in the frig. I also added a little more oil and water (since I didn't have the correct brownie mix). My husband wasn't able to find the caramel kisses, but he did find some super yummy mint filled dark chocolate kisses that I used instead. So if you are a rebel like me and want to make these cookies on a blizzardy night and don't have the right ingredients...it can be done! Happy Tuesday to all and to all a good chocolate cookie recipe!

You Can Pick Your Nose, You Can Pick Your Toes...

2008-12-12T15:04:00.002-05:00

Is there a rule about picking your baby sister's toes???

Baby Feet

2008-12-11T14:38:00.003-05:00

6 Things That You Might Not Know About Me....

2008-12-10T10:20:00.003-05:00

I once shook the hand of Prince Charles. (Does that make me royalty? I'd like to think so!) It was the highlight of my week back when I was studying abroad in England. I had actually forgotten about it until just recently. From what I can remember I think he was kind of short and not heart palpitatingly handsome.
I love the smell of this antimicrobial "juice" that we put in one of our incubators at work. It is just a really nice clean smell that I would love to replicate in a household cleaner. (Too bad I wasn't a chemist!)
I love my sauna. Many of you who know me already know this, but I had to include it because I love it so much! I detest being cold coming out of a shower. My husband even installed a heat lamp for me in my bathroom, but that still doesn't cut it. I often turn on my sauna every night just for the warm shower. (I know that you green folk out there probably wouldn't approve of my selfish use of electricity, but I am not sure that I can live without it!)
My dream job would be as a food taster for competitive chef shows! I love to cook, but I think that I love eating more. I would have to go back to school to be a chef (who has time for that?), plus I hate cleaning up. I think that I would be an even better chef (and mother) if I knew that I wouldn't have to clean up the mess I created!
I hate my feet. I love baby feet.
I might be related to Elvis. I thought that my mom said once that someone that she was related to had a fling with Elvis...but then again it could have just been a dream! Either way it makes for an interesting topic. Maybe that is why I love to sing (even if it is horribly). Have a good day and toodles!

eta. since it is the season for giving, I wanted to give you, my reader, a seventh little known fact about me. So here it is....

I love chocolate. I can eat it straight out of the bag, and the darker the better. However, I sneeze almost every time that I eat it. It must be an inherited trait, because my two year old loves chocolate also (she is always digging in the baking cupboard). She sneezes also, and I am left with a chocolate spray to clean up!

My Little Nutcracker

2008-12-09T20:59:00.005-05:00

This little girl was talking my ear off this afternoon while the other nuts were napping. When the other kids are up, she follows them around and mimics them, but when they are not around...she's a dandy (who wants a phone and a "puter" for Christmas...too bad that Santa already did his shopping!)

My Life in a Nutshell

2008-12-09T11:51:00.008-05:00

Wow, December is here, and I have been kind of neglecting this blog. I know that I have let down all of my dedicated fans. My deepest apologies. Much has happened. I will ramble randomly to fill you in on my newsworthy life! My family was all home for Thanksgiving this year. I cooked the big turkey-lurkey (and no one fell ill that I know of!). I re-entered the work force a couple of times since my last post. I usually try to pick up a couple of shifts a month to keep up to date. Kali had her first Christmas program at school. It was so cute to see a bunch of little kids so pumped to sing Christmas songs. Bruce and I went Christmas shopping; I think that we are done. For those of you waiting for my Christmas card, it is coming. I am slow as usual. We just got a new camera. My husband didn't think that I was ready for the SLR. Now that I have my new point and shoot, I may have to admit that he was right. I just won't say it too loud! I have been using a very old digital camera, and have been and probably will break all of the rules in photography, but I am having fun learning!

I have been trying to bake more of these...

with these clowns...

and this one who always wants pancakes for breakfast...

and this one who likes to eat artwork...

and that is my life in a nutshell! Toodles.

To Go or Not To Go...

2008-11-25T11:50:00.003-05:00

I think that my baby has an ear infection. She has a cold in her nose and eyes and was up most of the night. (She was pulling on her ears last night and had a low grade fever.) So, I sit here pondering if I should try to wait it out or if I should bring her in. I know that she will get antibiotics if I bring her in, but I am not sure that is the right answer. Of course, this all happens just before a major holiday when her pediatrician left the area about a month ago...
I just put some garlic oil in her ears, and I am crossing my fingers. Any other home remedies out there that have worked for you?

Thankful

2008-11-20T13:31:00.003-05:00

These are some of the things that I am thankful for today....

1. The wonderful meal that I got to share with great friends last night.
2. My sleeping infant.
3. The job that my husband still has (even despite recent news).
4. Edible playdough (it kept the kids busy for almost an hour!)
5. Snow falling (well, I might be trying to use reverse psychology on this one)

Another Month

2008-11-19T13:58:00.003-05:00

Wow, where did the month go? Tonight is my supper club night again. We are doing a mixed up Thanksgiving meal. I should be starving myself for the meal, but in all reality I will still eat the same amount! So here's what we are doing. First, everyone chose a course. I picked dessert. Then we put the traditional Thanksgiving dinner ingredients (ie. turkey, pumpkin, bread, cranberries, etc) in a hat and drew one. Luckily I picked pumpkin (and not turkey)! My house smells wonderful right now. I just made pumpkin bread, with which I am going to make a pumpkin trifle. I got the idea from this month's bhg magazine. I am also going to try to make my own caramel sauce...wish me luck!

Remember When....

2008-11-17T21:02:00.003-05:00

Elbs...remember when you took me for a ride on the freeway in your sweet car (the one that the roof was falling off of!)

Julie...remember all of our adventures in the grocery-getter! The rolling stops at my house...

Becca...remember all of those late nights at your house (rook), that required the rolling stops at my house!

Elizabeth...remember when we had hours in the MUB to discuss...well everything!

Cyndi and Jen...remember when you were regulars at my parents pad. Cyndi, I can still remember the smile on your face after you were arriving to my house after one of your dates with John!

Amy L....remember when you invited Bruce and I to your camp "before" we were dating!

Carol...remember when you lent me a smoke in your car! sputter, sputter....

Thank you for all of these great memories!

Advice

2008-11-16T20:50:00.002-05:00

...as in I need some help over here. We are in need of a new camera. Where do I start looking? Should I get a point and shoot, or an SLR? Up until now, I haven't been much of a picture taker, but since I have started this blog I am starting to take more (and I am enjoying it). So talk to me people, and tell me what you like or dislike about your cameras.

Introducing....

2008-11-16T18:54:00.004-05:00

My thumb-sucking princess....

My donkey riding prince....

and my funny-faced joker...

A Huntin' He Will Go....

2008-11-14T14:35:00.002-05:00

This is for all of you hunting widows out there. I can barely call myself a hunting widow, because my husband up until this point really hasn't spent a lot time hunting. This year, however, he bought a new gun and is determined to get one. I just have a hard time any time that he leaves. He spends a lot of time away because of the demands of his job (which we are thankful that he has), and I deal with it. But hunting??!! I just can't share the same excitement with him, and it would have been cheaper to have went out and bought a COW! Oh well, let's just hope that he gets one and we can move on. So go get um honey...and I will be planning a shopping trip all weekend while you are gone. (Kelly...are you out there? Can you hear me...SHOPPING!)

Yum....

2008-11-11T14:04:00.006-05:00

My baby is now five months old. I caught her chewing on this the other day, and I figured that maybe it was time to start feeding her cereal...

I am not sure if she was impressed with the cereal or if she would have preferred the slipper!

She kept opening her mouth, but she would crinkle her nose and shudder every time it got to her tongue. We'll see how ambitious I am at trying to keep giving it to her...

This one has a very sophisticated palette, too!

It's Raining, It's snowing....

2008-11-08T10:59:00.003-05:00

I am trying to focus on the beautiful weather that we had this week...as it is starting to snow now!

Food 911

2008-11-06T09:38:00.002-05:00

I really enjoyed the main dish that my friend Kathryn made for crockpot night. I thought of another friend, a lurker, whom I will only address as "food 9-1-1", when I received this recipe. Girlfriend, this might be a good one for you to try...

Cherried Pork Roast

Boneless pork roast (sirloin is best)
2 T. cooking oil
1 T. quick cooking tapioca
1 T. snipped fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
3 to 4 cups hot cooked rice or noodles

1. Trim fat from meat. (Sirloin will probably not have much, so don't bother.) In a large skillet, brown meat on all sides in hot oil.

2. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Sprinkle tapioca, dried thyme (if using), and pepper over meat. Add onion and dried cherries. Pour apple juice or cider over all.

3. Cover. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

4. Serve meat and cooking juices with hot cooked rice or noodles.

Someone's been keeping me up at night....

2008-11-05T21:42:00.005-05:00

heh...the little stinker is cutting a tooth, so I guess that she has an excuse. Of course she is smiling now after I took her for pictures today, and she wouldn't smile for anything. Although, I am not sure that I would have smiled either if I had someone waving a yucky old feather duster in my face! Poor thing...her mother took her to one of those low budget places!

Dreams...

2008-11-04T11:53:00.004-05:00

This is what I am dreaming of right now....naptime

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon-Mustard Dressing

2008-11-04T11:41:00.003-05:00

The dressing smelled REALLY strong (vinegar) when I was making it, but I think that it tasted pretty good in the end.

Here's the recipe

1 (10 oz.) bag spinach leaves
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
10 oz. shredded Swiss ( I used smoked gouda--very good)
1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds (I used toasted pecans)

1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. honey
2 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until softened and translucent. Whisk in vinegar, mustard, honey, and 2 strips of crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until hot.
2. Enjoy!

We're BACK!!!

2008-11-01T22:49:00.006-04:00

Holy Cow! Can you believe it?!! We made it through about 3 weeks (maybe more) without an internet connection at home. Well, I barely made it, but that is another story. I am feeling almost a little bit backwards, because it has been so long since I posted. Lots happened, too!

**My husband and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. My dear parents babysat so that Bruce and I could share a lunch out together before he had to go to work. Every year can't be as exciting as last when he *surprised* me with a 4-wheeler trip (just think color seaon on the trails) to a hotel for a night. My husband is the planner in this family. Someday dear...I will have a plan!

**We had another great supper club night. This month we had crockpot night at my house. This was not a one-pot meal, oh noooo, this was an 8-pot meal! Yum...and I made the salad...like I said before--they love me. okay, okay I stuck to the guidelines and kept the dressing warm in the crockpot. I made a spinach salad with warm bacon-mustard dressing. I might just post the recipe later in the week.

This is my sweet little home-girl (thanks to her big bro). The other day he had his hockey elbow pads on her arms...

man, this baby life is rough...

Please, no more photos...I have more important things to do!

And finally, here are my punks all dressed up...

Thank you and good night!

Harummph....

2008-10-25T12:13:00.002-04:00

I am sorry to announce that now the popcorn machine is down, too! The computer is still offline, and I am missing it sorely. I'll try to not get too teary eyed talking about it over here, but...boooohooooo. I will give a little update while I am "visiting" at my sister's. (teeheee) The kiddos are still in the business of entertaining (me and anyone who will pay any attention to them). Kali is loving school and has figured out how to spell her name forward (as opposed to backward). Kyle likes to "thoot" chipmunks in the yard and check the deer stand with his dad. Carmyn, my intellectual one, asks me questions like "When (did) you marry dad?" and "Why" all the time. She is also my disciplinarian and has no problem whopping anyone she thinks is out of line with her blanket. Claire is starting to look like her mom....double chin and thick thighs...bless her little heart (poor thing). She is starting to giggle when you tickle her under her chins!

Well, cross your fingers for me that this computer drought ends very soon. Until then....toodles and kisses!

Intermission

2008-10-15T18:54:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the unannounced intermission folks. Popcorn will be free until we are back online! Our computer should be back hopefully by the end of the week. It was officially broken, and I am officially lost without it. Until then....toodles

GO BUD....

2008-09-27T12:53:00.003-04:00

So I guess we call Kyle "Bud" a lot. Lately Carmyn has been calling him Bud, too. Come onnnn....Buddd. Let's go Buudd. I sounds pretty funny when they start saying things that you say. She also ends her sentences with--or something. Like....Mom get me juice or something!

Here's the kids car...all I can say is that I don't look forward to the real driving days!

Grandma....take note of the hats! I think that there was a breeze that day...or something :)

Leftovers....

2008-09-23T15:53:00.004-04:00

These two are the "leftovers," as I call them, when their big sister goes to school. The show must go on without her. It is kind of fun watching them play together. On this particular day, Carmyn was going to go to school; while Kyle was bird huntin'....

Tilapia Baked in Couscous

2008-09-22T09:40:00.002-04:00

So here's the recipe that I promised.....

10 oz. couscous
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes (I just used a couple of fresh roma tom.)
1 T. cumin
salt & pepper
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 lemon sliced thinly
4 (8oz.) tilapia fillets (I used 8 (4oz.) fillets from the frozen section)
2 1/2 c. water
3 T. flat leaf parsley chopped
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine couscous, almonds, tomatoes, and cumin. Season this with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in 1/4 c. olive oil and lemon juice
4. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil over bottom of 9x13 pan. Arrange fillets in single layer. Season well with salt & pepper. Drizzle 1 T. oil over the top of them.
5. Cover fish with the couscous mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and put lemon slices on top. (I would say the lemon slices weren't really necessary)
6. Pour water around fish, cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes
7. Top with chopped parsley (I didn't have this either--still was good)

I'M Still Here....

2008-09-21T00:22:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I have had some computer difficulties this week. The power cord on this dumb thing works when it feels like it. So I will just give you my week in review. I woke up...blah...blah...blah, I fed the little stars....I changed blue poop diapers...blah, blah, blah....yes, blue poop! My husband bought Gushers that proudly advertised on the box that they would turn tongues blue. Well sheesh, they should advertise the blue butt aftermath that they also cause! Great week, hey...let's see...what else. Oh yeh, my favorite highlight was my monthly outing with my supper club. Yummmm. Basically, it is a themed dinner party that we take turns hosting. We each bring a course, and we eat and laugh and eat some more! This was our first party since taking the summer off. The other girls were a little "out of shape" for eating so much food---wimps. Not me, I kept up with the regimen all summer! Our theme this month was the colors of the rainbow. We each picked a course, and then we were randomly assigned a color...ROYGBIV....haha....somehow I got WHITE!!! They love me. I made tilapia with couscous. I will post the recipe next week. I thought that it was pretty good...quick and simple one dish meal.

...and in other news....here is Kali's first day of school picture

Happy Birthday Bro

2008-09-15T16:17:00.002-04:00

If you see this guy today...wish him a Happy Birthday! Hope that you have a good day

Our Princess

2008-09-14T14:26:00.008-04:00

Okay, so I was feeling like a pretty neglectful mother last night when I was searching for pics of my littlest star. I also wasn't about to wake her up for her big debut to the world. (I don't get paid enough to pull a stunt like that.) So today she will have the stage all to herself....

Hello World

2008-09-13T21:51:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my crazy pen.com! I have been inspired by many to take my life to the open road of this modern day world. This will be a free peak (for now--haha).

Now for the stars of the show.....

hey wait...did someone let them out of their pen!!! Oh well, I hope that you read our disclaimer when you logged on (something, something, something....blah, blah, blah...we are not responsible for any injuries...yada, yada, yada...poop stains on your carpet...blah, blah, blah..and that sort of thing...)

Having said that, we call the tall one with the fleas "Whima." She is a cross between a whiner and a drama queen. We thought that she was really rare, but I am coming to find out that almost every family has at least one of these. We were going to trade her in...until we found out that she can write her name completely backwards! (I bet you would pay to see that...someday, someday...don't push your luck now)

"Shorty" in the middle has some amazing talents, too. She can drink a glass of 50-50 (1/2 water 1/2 juice) in 10.2 seconds......without taking a breath. She has performed this trick numerous times. In fact, we are beginning to think that she is a wee bit of an addict, because she can get pretty ugly if she doesn't get her "juiceeee"!

"Slugger"...yeh, he looks innocent and all, but...his talent really is sluggin' the girls and making them cry. He kind of has a sideshow all of his own that he works on during his days off.

Now this show has something really rare, that people far and wide want to see, of course. No, it is not a zedonk or a liger or an albino raccoon...sheesh, you are a tough crowd to please. We just call her "Mo" (short for Mohawk, naturally)

She requires a lot of personal grooming, that is why the poor thing hasn't had her picture taken in over a month! What kind of operation is this you are asking yourself.....

WELCOME TO OUR CRAZY PEN! Let the show begin.