I'm posting this to enter a giveaway to win an Amelia Bedelia book/cd! Check out CFO and enter to win.

Wii Haze Days

This was the scene for a large portion of Christmas Day at my house. Sometimes it was a different kid (or grownup). Sometimes they were standing, jumping, or whirling around. But, the video game haze has hit us!


In this particular scene, Mr. Snippity was racing Leia at Mario Kart.
Mr. Snippity and I have really enjoyed the Wii Sports Boxing. I've KO'd him too many times to count! He's getting better, though, so I might just have to practice a little bit to keep him in his place.

Tasty Thursday three days late 12/28

I don't really know what to call these snacks. I got the recipe from An American Housewife.



Mine do not look anything like hers. Maybe I didn't wait long enough before smashing the m&m's on them. They still tasted really good, and none were left to have to bring home after the family function. I think I may have to make this for church fellowship sometime really soon.

I know this was late, but it was Christmas, people! There will be more regarding that soon!

Prayers for a friend

My friend smartbutnotwise's mom died this afternoon. I want to let her know I love her and I am praying for her. I've already talked to her today, and will again tomorrow, I wanted to put it here as well for any others that might want to lift up prayers for her as well.

Tasty Thursday

Peanut Butter Fudge!

This was my first attempt at a family fudge recipe (from my uncle) on Monday night. He does not use precise measurements, so that always makes it harder. I am an *exact* recipe kind of person. But, all in all, it turned out quite well. Next time, I will make a few minor adjustments to make it just a little better.

By the way, this plate is empty now. (And I barely ate any!)

So the tree is up!

Mr. Snippity decided he'd had enough of messing with the original tree. The cats kept climbing it, and tipped it over once. The plastic stand part was broken, and the tree would have to lean back a bit against the wall. Luckily, it had not yet been decorated. So, on Sunday after church, he went shopping. When I got home from visiting my Granny, it was done. I now have a 4 foot tree with fiber optic lights and regular lights on top of my entertainment center. I think it looks kind of weird. I don't think a photo could even do it justice.

Put it this way. It involved cutting holes in the top of the entertainment center. I was told that I could cover the hole with a decorative item after the tree comes down. ??? I never loved that cabinet anyway...it is a hand me down from the inlaws. Maybe I can work on getting a new one in the new year! I will say that the cats haven't messed with the tree yet.

One more item

checked off the list. From LL Bean for the oldest:

It fills a need, not just a want, and that is the best kind of gift. Plus, it was on sale cheaper than the regular one that I was going to buy!

It's Thursday...what should I cook?

I am at a loss for baking ideas today. I was thinking maybe a cheesecake...but then I think I'd probably eat it all up! Suggest something good, and I'll see if I can try it before the night is over.

The oldest has a band concert tonight, and that is always, well, let's call it interesting.

I finally got started on my shopping yesterday. I bought an outfit for the oldest. Great bargain, too. At regular price it would have been about $55. I bought it for $15 (on sale and $10 store coupon). I helped my Granny pick gifts for two of my children. She got pretty good deals as well. I have made a list for the rest, just have to find time to get out and shop a bit more. I am still considering ideas for those two family units I have to figure out. I am going to look into movie passes for the one family, as they have teenagers. The other, older couple I still am debating. As many of you pointed out, making stuff is awesome, and I like to do it. I will try to be a little more crafty with their gift. As a matter of fact, I have 6 other gifts to make that I am excited about. I won't spoil the surprise by posting it here...just know that if you have a little girl that I usually gift, I am making the gift this year! Now, I just have to go get the supplies!!! I still have time...

The project I was stressing over a few posts back has been graded. I got an A. I also finished out both my classes with A's. Yay me. At least it is finished!

Back to self & what to get?

I feel so much more like my normal self today! I'm sure my family is very relieved, I know I am. So, now...I've got to get some shopping done before Christmas passes me by! We've decided to get 3 gifts for each of our children. Of course, Santa will bring a surprise in addition to that. One might get a really nice dictionary (insert eveil chuckle here :), but I am lost as for the rest of it. Especially my Dad & stepmother. Argh. I also need to some up with a plan for some of Mr. Snippity's extended family that we aren't really close to (but exchange gifts with). Last time we made a family movie night gift that included a DVD, popcorn and snacks for the family with teenage boys, and a soup collection for an older couple (matching bowls, filled with soup starter packets & some other goodies). Any good ideas out there that don't cost a fortune? Besides a gift card? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Oops...got carried away... Thanks!

I lost it...

Oh Man, did I lose my temper. It was bad. Like most any mom, I've had tons to do, and never enough time to do it all. It has been piling up recently. Tonight I was particularly stressed, as I had a final project to finish for one of my college classes. I was already just not dealing well. It just so happens that the 12 year old had been being belligerent most of the evening (because first I told her to do her homework, then we made her look up words in the paper dictionary instead of the online source). That caused more discontent with other members of the household. Then dinner kept getting held up, because the chicken just wasn't cooking fast enough...and then when I finally did get plates ready, the son complained about having to taste something he didn't like. That was it. My mouth got started, and it didn't stop. I feel so terrible now, oh, it almost makes me sick. I didn't call anybody names, or even say 'bad' words. But my total selfishness really came out. I think I made certain members of my family feel like they weren't good enough, even though they really had been trying very hard. And now I can never get that back, even though I really didn't mean it the way it came out. I've apologized, but it still doesn't feel right. This stinks.

Ready for the bake sale...

I thought you might like to see the finished product of yesterday's tasty thursday post!


A butter cookie trio and apple cinnamon muffins to be sold at the PTA bake sale.
Late last night at 10 pm when I was still trying to finish baking these, and 4 dozen cupcakes for another function, I told my husband to remind me next year to just give them an extra $$$ donation!

Money saving...and who can't use that?

I posted waaaaaaaaay back in September about something new I tried. I forgot to follow up and let you know how it worked. I was reminded by a post on moneysavingmommies recently and thought I'd tell all about it.
I've been making my own laundry soap ever since then. This is how I do it:

Step1 Grate bar of soap into a large pot(I used an old one, now dedicated to soap). Cover soap with water, and heat on stove(medium heat) while stirring until the soap is dissolved.

Step2 Using large bucket ( I repurposed a washed, empty cat litter bucket) carefully add the hot soapy water.

Step 3 Add 1 cup washing soda and one cup borax to the bucket. Stir carefully, it is hot!

Step 4 Add enough water to nearly fill your large bucket. Stir.

Step5 Let the mixture sit overnight

Step6 Stir again the next day. Your laundry soap is ready! Use about 1 cup per load, depending on dirty-ness!

I got the idea from reading about this in some random blog. (no clue now what it was) I was like "do people really do that?" and "does this work?" I looked it up online, and there were a billion slightly different ways to do it. I picked one way, and made it my own. I have found that this is a great idea for my family. I have one child with eczema, so I can use a soap that doesn't irritate her. Before this, I was using the All small and mighty. I loved the All, but I felt like I was constantly bringing home bottle after bottle of soap for lots of $$$$$, and then throwing the empties away. I do a lot of laundry...a lot!!! This makes me feel less wasteful! I've bought ingredients for this one time so far, and spent about what I would have on two bottles of commercial soap. Those bottles might have lasted a month...but now I am into month three on just my second batch, with plenty of stuff left to make more. Plus, this stuff was fun to make. The kids were intrigued, and I was able to use it to talk with them about liquid vs. solid, why things melt, etc...So far, my clothes are just as clean...and still as wrinkly, because I never get to fold them straight from the dryer (I just cannot bring myself to line dry yet), unless my Granny comes to visit!

Tasty Thursday 12-4-08

Spritz Cookies

I just finished taking this practice batch of yummy, buttery goodies out of the oven, and they sit on the rack to cool. I used to have a cookie press, but I have no clue where it is. I begged around to all my friends to find a cookie press...and I got a good one! I was indefinately loaned one of the Pampered Chef presses. I like it a lot. I even used their cookie dough recipe, included in the package.(And it is yummy...I've sampled!) I sprinkled these wreaths and trees with green sugar, and I am going to find a recipe for some icing to make bows and ornaments with.

Next, I get to make the 'for real' batches to bag and send to the school bake sale.
At least this year, I am sending them on the correct week. Last year, I was stressed out, and sent my cookies a week early. I'm told they were sold to the teachers and staff...and still helped the PTA at least. Only this year, I have 2 children in school and one grade brings muffins and the other brings cookies. I'll be making muffins after the cookies!

An ornament

I made some simple ornaments to hang on my front porch this year. I started with plastic shatterproof ornaments I bought after Christmas last year. I have red and silver. I threaded a piece of red wire-edged ribbon through each loop on the ornaments, and hot glued it closed. I used a small plastic ring at the other end, and did the same thing. On the red ornaments, I used silver ribbon.


We will hang 7 or 8 across our porch ...hopefully soon. Simple, and hopefully fun!

One bag..that's it.

I got on a kick today. I fixed a toy that was broken, and sewed patches on the Jedi boy's vest for church. (The hot glue I originally used wasn't holding anymore). So, I think I am on a roll at getting things done. I pull down the attic steps and an icy cold blast hit me. I grabbed one bag of outside decorations and ran back down. I'll have to wait until I can bundle up, or send Mr. Snippity up there instead!!! It is almost time to get Cinderella from her bus stop as well, so I gave up on being productive. :)

Wow...how did I miss 3 days?

I thought I had posted more recently than Thursday. I guess those posts were all in my head! Too bad I don't remember what I wrote! Ok...so I missed a Tasty Thursday or two. I hear your cries of disappointment. I will be back on track for that this week...pinky promise! I used that phrase with my 12 year old over the weekend, and she looked at me like I had grown a second head or something. I can't imagine that she thinks I am weird. When I was 12, did I do that to my mom? Probably...we don't have to remember all that stuff just now.

Happy December to you all! We are on the Christmas countdown here, but I haven't even gotten any of my decorations out yet. I did buy one new thing at the Home Depot yesterday. It is still in the box. I am a bit concerned about a rambunctious (but sweet) boy, and a very inquisitive baby girl that hang out with me during the day. Between the kids and the cats, I will be busy rescuing decorations all month long! I think that means we should start putting up the outside decor first!

Thankful wrap up.

Ok, I think I've decided it is impossible to put into coherent words all that I am thankful for. I think it sums it up by saying everything. I am thankful to God for everything.

I wish all of you a blessed day of giving thanks!

Thankful, part 3

I know these thankful posts are not exactly the most well-organized articles ever, but things seem to just come spilling out. There are so many other things that am thankful for! The community where I live is far from perfect, but it is a great place. It is safe and very, very beautiful. As a teenager, it was easy to complain that it was a boring place. But as an adult, I see the pleasure of this place in a new way. God did some amazing things when He created the Earth...and I get to see spectacular examples of that all the time. I am glad to be a resident of a free country. In my country, my family is not considered wealthy. I don't know all the statistics...but I'm guessing we'd be on the upper side of 'low income'. However, we have a home, two cars and plenty of clothes. We have electricity and running water. That puts us ahead of so many others in our world. Recently I met a missionary who had been to India. She told us things she had seen, and it broke my heart. I am thankful for having my basic needs met, and that I do not have to scrounge daily through garbage just to find my next meal. I thank God that I have not become a drug addict, alcoholic, or worse. I am a capable, loving woman who is able to nuture her family and loved ones. I am glad I am able to know my Lord and follow His plans for me.

More thankfulness

I touched on how thankful I am for my family. Even though I don't think many if any of them read here, I'll still send love to my extended family. There are lots of blended families on my family tree, and surprisingly it works fairly well. I am grateful for all those that support me, and have shown me guidance, even when I do (and did) not realize they were doing it.

After my family(and in some cases before family) I am so blessed with wonderful friends. My friends mean so much to me. I do not make friends very easily, as I seem to be a quiet sort when I am around people I do not know well. I wish my 'old school' friends didn't live so far away. I miss them. Of course, I can hardly find time to spend with the friends that are here...so it's not like I'd see them that much more often. I remember one instance about 6 years ago of using a 'phone a friend' at 6 am, to help ease my burden about a big decision that was made that day. She didn't even complain to me, and she's not an early bird. Thanks, friend! And to all those friends, I love you, man!

Thanksgiving Meal Baskets

I worked recently with a group to plan and prepare Thanksgiving Meal Baskets for several families in need. We assembled them over the weekend, so that they could be delivered. My heart was truly opened to see how much people in my community care for each other.

When I was first approached about this project I said, without hesitating :"SURE! That sounds like a GREAT idea!". then, I started second guessing...What was I thinking???? Am I prepared for this? I don't think I can do this...Would we get enough donations? I've never done anything like this before...Would I ask for the right things...would people think I was asking for too much? Was I planning for enough to fill the needs? After a few days of stressing out, I really just decided to turn it over to God, because this wasn't really up to me. And, what do you know, He took care of everything(as usual...why did I waste time with worry?!)

We (the group assembling), did not know who the baskets were for...but it did not matter to the people who donated items. Our group had planned on buying the turkeys, and asking for donations for the rest of the needed items. As it turns out, we had turkeys donated as well as everything else! I had people asking over and over what else they could bring, even after I had gotten committments for everything on our list...we were so blessed! I pray that the families that get our gifts will be blessed by them as much as we were.

This week I will use my blog to post about things I am thankful for. I am sure there is no way that I'll remember to list everything, but I'll at least hit the major ones.

I am grateful that my family has so much! God has provided for us even when we didn't know how certain things were going to get done. During this year, we have been able to donate items, time and money to many worthy needs. We may have gone without some wanted things, but we've had all we needed and then some.

Look at what happened this morning!

We had a wonderful, yet rare event this morning!



The dripping you can hear in the video is where the snow is melting and dripping off the roof as soon as it hits. So sad.
It has pretty much ended now, so I am very sad. I'd like it to stick around for a while. It is usually January before we see snow. The girls were super excited, and we headed out on the deck to try to catch a few on our tongues. Too bad I didn't get pictures of that, but I was too busy trying to catch them myself.

What's going on?

I'm still here! Even though fall sports are over for my family...it is gearing up to be a busy season anyway!

Thanksgiving is next week...and I am in deep preparation and planning for a project for that.

Then it is also the countdown to the end of the semester. That, of course, means working on final projects.

Then ...Christmas is coming...

So I do not usually do these things...but I kind of liked this one. At least it doesn't sound like some of those freaky myspace surveys that a five-year-old wrote. Read and Learn.
Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to:
1. Started your own blog (you are here!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (3 times now..can I go back yet?)
8. Climbed a mountain Grandfather mountain. Remember that Smartbutnotwise?
9. Held a praying mantis-no way!
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child -no, but I feel like I've adopted several neighbor children some days
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill-my kid(s) were sick, though.
24. Built a snow fort-unfortunately we don't get 'nuff snow to do this often
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping -those crazy college days :-o
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise -in the sound
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors..not the really old ones..but some more recent ones.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - not in public, thank goodness
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - never as the patient, though
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie-I don't think this means your average home video...
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check-thank goodness for overdraft
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square-I got close, but missed it by a few blocks.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle-I was out of control and driving!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - lots of times...benefits of living in a small town
85. Read the entire Bible - sadly I'm sure I've missed some spots
86. Visited the White House- on the outside, anyway.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - fish?
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life-not knowingly
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous-yep
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - a long, long time ago...I don't want to update the memory.

Thanks for making it through...share your list if you've done one!

more than small relief, really.

I know you all are sick of hearing about this, but:
You know, it is way more than small relief about the whole colors in the food things. Have any of you ever read labels? Not just the calories & nutrition, but all that fine print. Yikes. It took us about 40 minutes in Harris Teeter to find 3 things we thought she could have (before I found out the colors in food were ok). I was seriously starting to get pretty nervous. Tell your 12 year old, sure have a salad with no dressing and no tomatoes and see what they say!

Knowing that the doctor was referring to only liquids with added colors does make meal times much more simple than if we were trying to avoid dyes. Not that I am a health food freak or anything, do you seriously realize how much 'stuff' is added to our foods? I always thought we did pretty good with our foods...

It will still be a challenge to cut out chocolate & fruits, but I really am beginning to think we can do this!

Small Relief

I had to call the doctor's office with a couple of questions today. While I was speaking with them, it came to light that she does not have to avoid ALL artificial colors. Only to avoid them in her beverages...this does make feeding her a little bit less difficult.

more medical stuff

I still don't want to go into too much detail, but the oldest has an issue which is going to involve major diet modifications...at least for the next several months. We are going to be avoiding a large list of items: most fruits, carbonation, caffeine, chocolate, artificial colors, and more. We also have to do some specific things which will also have to occur while at school.

I am stressed over this. Obviously I want to do whatever I can to help my child. But she is very upset especially about her beverage choices: white milk & water. A lot of this is going to depend on her making the right choices when I am not there. I cannot control her every move and exposure to these things in situations away from home. And when she is home, I do not want the rest of us to be making it worse for her by eating/drinking things in front of her that she cannot have. This means there will have to be major modifications for our entire household. (This is *not* necessarily a bad thing). Grocery shopping is going to take a lot longer while we are learning to inspect those laundry lists of ingredients. It looks like I may have no choice but to become closer to being one of those *wink* crunchy granola people *wink* :) If anyone has advice on where & how to shop or make this any easier...that would be awesome!

Oh, and the youngest did great at the dentist.

made it back

We made it back safely. It was a super long day, and we had a pretty big bomb dropped at the doctor. Nothing life threatening, but a lot of work. I'll discuss more later. I'm exhausted. I just thought ya'll might worry;)

Heading out...

This morning will find me up-and-at-em a bit earlier than usual. I'm having close my business (sorry kids, I'd rather be with you) to drive a few hours out of town to the nearest metropolis for medical care for two of my kiddos. This has been scheduled for about a month or so now, and I have been totally dreading it. One is in the morning, in the north-east part of one big city...and the other is in the afternoon in the heart of a very busy medical conglomerate in the center of a different urban area. I've been there before, but it has been over 5 years for a different child. I cannot say I am looking forward to the parking/traffic or away from home doctors. Yuck. I must really love these kids... :) The timing is just so that we have time to get from one to the other and a lunch break in between. I think I might have to swing through the Target on the way home just to make myself feel better. That is, if I have any money left after the dentist...

Happy Veterans Day

As a fellow blogger noted today, I have seen very little information posted online regarding today's holiday. Happy Veteran's day to everyone. I remember...and am thankful, and pray for an end to all wars. There has been an interesting series of articles in the past few days' The Virginian Pilot regarding POW's, and I have cried while reading them.

Monday, Monday...

The new printer part was delivered bright and early this morning. Mr. Snippity snapped it right in, and it works! It's kind of like electricity or water service...you just don't realize how essential it is until you cannot use it.

Speaking of Mr. Snippity...he had dental work done this morning, and is taking it easy playing Lego Star Wars on Nintendo DS (for a few hours so far...I'm not joking!) We were thinking about buying the kids a Wii for Christmas, but I'm kind of second guessing that right now ;)

My sweet baby girl (dang, she's growing up), attended her first school awards assembly this morning. All those 4 year olds were adorable. Of course, the Kindergarten was, too. But I think this little lady was the most adorable in the bunch.

I want to say congrats to this mom I know. She ran a half marathon yesterday. You Did IT!!!

That is pretty much it for my random updates for today!

Kudos to Kodak

I purchased a kodak all-in-one printer in January of this year. (It was a really good deal, too!). This past couple of weeks, I was having some printing issues. At first, I was out of black ink. So I get some. Then I ran out of the color ink. I got a new pack of that too. Then my black will not print. We did all the calibrating & printhead cleaning and troubleshooting you can do. I thought maybe I bought a bum cartridge. I got another one & it still didn't work. So, I call customer support. I was dreading it so much. We all know how support services are anymore, right? So, I call. And I had to push a few digits to tell them what kind of trouble I was having. Then, with no hold, I was connected to an agent. AND I think English was his native language! I think he may have even actually been in America. (I should have asked). He asked me to push a few buttons on the printer, describe the problem and give him some numbers from the printer. Then, without putting me on hold, or reading from some ridiculous script...he told me they were sending me a new part. Something simple that we can fix on our own. At no charge! Also, for my trouble, they will include a new color and black ink cartridge. I must say, I already liked my printer, but I am also thrilled with the customer service. Too bad more companies aren't this good.

Tasty Thursday

Today's lunch was yummy! I made a chicken & cheese quesadilla. No finished product photo today, though, it was eaten too quickly! I made some for the little kids with just chicken & cheese in the tortilla. Mine got kicked up a notch. I added some thinly sliced onion and hot sauce while cooking, and a dab of sour cream to finish up. I could have eaten a bunch like this!!! I can only imagine how much more delicious this would have been with green peppers.

Rainy, Rainy

Last night was awesome sleeping weather! Rain, rain, and more rain. Unfortunately, the rain has caused some issued with road and school closures. I am happy that I get to have my kiddos home with me today, though! Maybe they won't get too stir crazy...or I might just send them out to play in the rain!

We get out the door to

go to soccer. Mr. Snippity left first with the ace soccer player, to get her there in time to warm up. I followed up (on time, not as usual) a few minutes behind him. He calls me when I am about 5 minutes away from the field. "There's been a mix-up". The game was not scheduled at 2 pm, but at 4 pm. Lovely, right? So, there's some shopping I wanted to do while I was in that vicinity. So, I took the two youngest ones (against my inner desires, but out of love and compassion for Mr. Snippity~there is no playground at the soccer complex). I spent about 4 minutes in the store, and couldn't take it any longer. We got in the car and drove. My baby girl fell asleep, and I kept driving. We ended up far enough north that the road ended, and saw a pretty cool park. Then we had to turn around and come back. My son and I enjoyed some great conversation, and found a good field trip idea for his boys' church group.

By the way, green lost the game 4-0...but they played really well. I was especially proud because 3 of our team ended up being out, and we had no extra players. One of our girls was even already injured(not severely) and played anyway. The other team had 4 or 5 extras to sub in.

My kid played defender and goalie.
This is one random kicking shot. I have about 20 of these from this game.


In this next shot, she was trying to block a penalty kick. Apparently the girl who had been goalie for the first half of the game forgot she wasn't goalie and accidentally reached out and blocked the ball...while in the box. Penalty kick with my kinda short, kinda slow girl as goalie. I was cringing inside, because 'mom' sense told me it wasn't going to end well.

At least she went for it with all she had. And so, ends our soccer adventures for 2008. YEAH!!!

Soccer Tournament

This weekend is a soccer spectacle in my town. Okay, just at the soccer field 20 minutes from my house :)



It is the tournament time for the county's parks & recreation teams. We played two games yesterday...our team (green...3rd seed going into the tournament) beat the blue team(seed 5) in round one. Then we had to play the yellow team (seed 2) and won again! While our games were going on, our we had friends playing on the next field. They were pink (seed 4) who beat red(seed5). but then pink lost to white(seed1) in game 2. This was single elimination, so now we play the white team (seed 1). If you are reading this on Sunday at 2-3 pm Eastern Standard Time, we are at the fields playing now! Personally, I don't think our team will win...I want them to, but they've got a few disadvantages. Two of our players are not going to be able to play, and that leaves us with one sub who only shows up sporadically. The rumored good news is, one of the team parents owns a limo company(or something like that). After the game, win or lose, they are going to drive the girls to a pizza place in a limo after the game. We'll see about that...but wish us luck!

My treats

Here are the kiddos on our way out the door to go visit our neighbors!

The biggest one decided not to go this year. She stayed home & handed out treats.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

We had a fun adventure at the Pumpkin Patch earlier this week.
Here are my three playful punks tumbling in the make a scarecrow hay...

Add 4 mamas and 7 other kiddos...and it was a blast!

Tasty Thursday...late night edition

I know, it is not Christmas Eve...but who can resist cookies & milk?
.
This is a cookie recipe I pulled from a website just to use up some spare cornflakes I had hanging around the house. I think the finished product has a bit of a toffee flavor to it...they were good.

Recipe
1 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c oats
2 c crushed cornflakes

In a large bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients
In seperate bowl, mix together flour, soda, salt. Add this dry mix into the first bowl mix. Stir in oats & cornflakes.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for about 12 minutes.

at that point

I am there. At that point in the semester where I begin to feel overwhelmed. I get bogged down, and am delayed on turning in a few assignments. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel...but it is an awfully small pinhead right now. Of course, I do have a wonderful professor who is very understanding about students that have families and jobs :) (I don't think she reads here, haha, maybe I should send her a link?)

It is also the time to decide what to register for next semester. The contract I am under only requires that I have a minimum of 3 more hours before August (easy). They pay for most of the expense. But, I get thinking how many semesters it would take to finish this degree if I only took one class at a time. So, then I think I can do way more than I should. So...I am leaning towards taking one really easy class...at least this time. Of course, none of them are too hard intellectually for me...just time consuming. That's what I'll do...Unless I change my mind again!

Tasty Thursday, October 23 edition

Ta da! This is post number 100! I figured it might as well be about food, right? Enjoy your pumpkin pie recipe...

I used the pie crust recipe from the pioneer woman's site.

The pumpkin pie filling was 2 cups pumpkin (real, I roasted my own, and did it from scratch but you can use canned), 2 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 2.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 12 oz milk. Beat that all together and bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then 350 for 40 minutes. This made 2 pies, and my kids had fun making cut out shapes with bits of pie crust.

Enjoy!

Oh what a random kind of day

I have been putting off posting this week. Mainly, I have been crazy busy, but also I have a special post coming up, and I didn't want it to be a totally random kind of thing. This post is #99. That means the big 100 is right around the corner. I wanted to come up with something grand...but I'm not that kind of person. I would host a giveaway of some sort...but I really do not have anything cool or neat (or new:) to give away.

So, that leaves this post, one short of #100 to ramble in.

My grandmother is having surgery today. That is on my mind. And my aunt & uncle that have to take care of (put up with) her.

I thought you'd enjoy knowing that I am stressed over some special college projects that are due soon. Wow, huh.

My oldest child is jealous of her brother because he got a pack of socks(6 whole pairs) last week and she didn't. (I knew he needed them, I didn't think the she did, and how am I supposed to know that, because she has 500 pairs in the basket everytime I do laundry and never said anything to me...I'll get her some next trip...my bad).

Here's what you get when that brother sneaks Mom's camera (someone else had this on their blog recently...I guess I'm copying...who was that?)

Obviously dirty little sister working a puzzle

Any guesses on what brand of camera we have?

Above-mentioned 6 year old's self portrait.

I'm sure I could go on, but I'll spare you the gory details...

Thanks for listening!

Friday Night Lights (with a shower)

I've never watched the TV show...but I assume it is about the goings-on of High School Football. I was at my alma mater last night for the homecoming game. It was a pretty good game. Our team won., and that always makes it a little sweeter. The girls were all beautiful and the boys were handsome, but a rain shower hit right as they were introducing the court. I felt terrible for them! Most of them kept a smile on their faces, though. The rain continued as we finished watching the game. I was prepared and had brought a bag with ponchos and an umbrella. It was nice to have a (sort of) date with the love of my life (Mr. Snippity...not football :)

Tasty Thursday *small edit*

I did this bread last week, but saved it to share with you today. This is banana bread.


I LOVE banana bread. One of my friends brings me a couple of overripe bananas once in a while. She brought some on a day when I had a couple as well, and that calls for~ a double batch! I do not share my banana bread recipe, because, well, it is top secret. But it is good! It is moist, and yum yum sweet. I do not usually add nuts, but you could if you wanted. This recipe is all from scratch, but I have used a recipe that starts with white cake mix in the past(and that is pretty good, too). So, hope you enjoy the looks of the treat today, it tasted great!

*edited to add*These are mini loaves. I am also pretty bad at overcooking the regular size. My double batch makes about 6 of these. They are 5 inches by 2.5 inches. The wells on the pan are about 1.5 inches deep, but this bread rises, and the finished loaf is about 3 inches at the peak. This is perfect for the bread ministry project I bake for at church. Also, it is just the right size for giveaways!

Princess love

We love princesses. I mean, my dream vacation was Disneyworld!
We were able to meet and dine with Cinderella and her girls.
Evidence:
(don't mind the goofy looks on our faces, we had been awake a looong time and still hadn't had breakfast at this moment in time)

But, if I have to hear Ariel's theme more than another 10 times today, I might have to buy earplugs.
That's all.

They had a blast

I think there was a little bit of sleeping, surprisingly! I have heard all kinds of stories, and they are all good. The adults in charge said everyone was well behaved, and that was good news, too. The day has been busy since then with a soccer game and housework. Mr. Snippity and eldest child worked on some minor exterior housework.

I've worked on a new 'homemade' endeavor this evening. It certainly is not something I'd ever think to do except I read about it on another blag, and went hmmmm....I'll have to see how it turns out and share the results one day soon, after it has been thoroughly tested.

I watched a movie last night called Waitress. It was rather quirky, and not at all what I expected. Mr. Snippity says I always pick movies that are unusual. He's right. A few years ago when we used Netflix (you know, back when I thought I had time to watch movies) I did find some rather interesting movies... This particular one did cause Mr. Snippity and I to have some hilarious discussion that chased rabbits and ended up with us selling the house, buying an RV and me homeschooling the kids while he worked odd jobs wherever we ended up, or buying a farm. (That is SO not gonna happen).

Lock-In

I just left my oldest at a lock-in. This is a first for her, and I am excited! She took 3 friends with her. I hope they all behave reasonably well...I remember similar events from my youth, and we were kinda bad sometimes. At least I trust the adults in charge very much. (They are family, the good side , haha!)

They are going on a digital scavenger hunt in town...I hope the town is ready! (They aren't going to do the 'lock' part until a lot later :) I can't wait to hear the stories!

Tasty Thursday

Today's treat:
Veggie Rice Pilaf

Who says the treat of the day must be sweet?
I had never made rice pilaf before. Today was an experiment. It turned out delicious. I did a search on "how to make rice pilaf", used the first result here, made a few substitutions and voila!
I used some leftover vegetable soup stock(about 2 cups liquid) instead of the chicken, and threw in some cooked vegetables from the soup towards the end (also about 2 cups veggies like carrots, green beans, corn, peas, onion, rutebega, tomatoes, maybe a leaf or two from a brussels sprout, whatever I threw in the soup.).

The kids ate it surprisingly well. Of course some just picked out the veggies and ate those, but who would complain about a kid eating just their vegetables? I loved it as my main dish.

after the conference

The conference was okay. Another of Hannah's teachers was invited to join us, and that was good. She was so much more professional and positive towards my child, even when she was talking to her about what the deal was. I don't think that the first teacher and I are going to be best buddies or anything, but we've come up with some ideas to help my daughter remember to do her homework. We'll put it into practice, and see how it is working in short order. We all think she is just trying to get out of as much work as she can (maybe some lazy going on???).

On another note, church tonight was so uplifting. I needed that! We had some major prayer, and it always makes me feel good to be reminded of the promises God has made us!

teacher conference

Today, I have the dubious distiction of getting to go to a teacher conference. Not the fun kind, like I am a teacher and we get to travel and netwrok. Nope. i am the parent, and I am meeting with a teacher that my child is having issues with her class. I have a few points to discuss, and questions to ask. But, I'm still a bit nervous. I requested this conference, but I am somewhat dreading it. I guess I don't like conflict (mostly), but if I have to I will say what needs to be said. I know my kid is not an angel...but I think there may be other issues. So, hopefully, we can get through this without too much stress. :)

happy monday

Hello, and Happy Monday!

What, you aren't all cheerful and smiling today? I am. It's nice and warm here. However, this snippy gal didn't have time to shave this morning, so I'm wearing pants (yuck). That, and several other minor things have tried to cause me to lose my good frame of mind...but I'm not letting it work! It is always hard for me to get back into my groove on Monday. After weekends I'm usually recuperating from soccer, sleepovers, church, shopping, etc...but today, I'm determined to be happy all the day! The day is more than half over & I'm still there, so chances are good that this will stick!

Flashback

I had the opportunity to attend a football game at my old high school. This was the second game I remember going to since that time. I went to one about 6 years ago, too. This time, there were so many changes! Since then, the school had grown and was split when a new building was completed in another part of our county. This school building had been remodeled. It looks the same from the front (pretty much). But move around to the side, and it was so changed. A lot of little changes that made abig difference. At least the field was in the same place!

Some other things were very similar. All the kids going constantly up & down the bleachers. People wearing their school colors and cheering out. The kids' socializing down by the concession stand (which was different, but so much better!).

I was part of this organization, back in the day...they are smaller than when I was there, but still sounded nice.


And isn't it always nice to go to a home game when the home team wins?

My seatmate (the quarterback's mom) and I were glad the other team at least got one TD. Can you tell we've had kids on losing teams before?

Miss your tasty thursday?

One of my 'gal pals' decided to step up and host her own delicious episode of Tasty Thursday . She also used peaches, Yum Yum! Check out her creation here. Thanks Mommy B.

I also am not going to have a spare minute to make anything creative or fun today...so no surprise delight from me. Check back this upcoming Thursday, I'll be sure to have something good to present.

Other stuff: I ran out to do an errand today. I was pleased to see my son's school class walking on their way to the "post office" field trip. I was not able to find a substitute for me so that I could accompany them. I didn't want to bring the other kids and try to keep up with them at the same time. Plus, the last time I went to his classroom, I had a couple of younger kids with me, and it embarrassed him because "none of my friends' moms bring little kids with them." After talking with him some more, it came out that he was afraid that all his friends thought he had bunches of little siblings.(and so what if he did...is that embarrassing???) So, I did not even beep at them while I drove by when I saw them today.

:(

Delay notice

I doubt there will be an episode of tasty Thursday today. All my baking pans are dirty, and I don't have time to wash them all, and then cook as well. My family is getting a crockpot meal tonight, since the crock was clean! Of course, I don't know if they'll have time to eat.

How's this for crazy schedule: *edited*, because there is a game and I had the wrong time!

youngest child sport at 4pm - 4:45pm, about 8 minutes from my house.
middle child sport game 5:30pm-6:15pm, same place as youngest.
oldest child sport practice 6:30pm-7:30pm about 2o minutes away.

I don't know when we will all get dinner! It defiantely won't be a family togetherness affair!

At least I didn't burn anything at lunch today!
Maybe I can whip up a Friday surprise to share.

Can you cook?

I can cook. I can cook some downright delicious things. Even complicated stuff. So can someone explain why I always burn grilled cheese sandwiches? It's a phenomenon around my home. It doesn't matter what time of day, or if I'm super busy or it's quiet. I burn grilled cheese sandwiches. Today for lunch, the menu had grilled ham & cheese. I had to perform a little surgery in order for the kids to get their lunches. Fortunately, I didn't use the last slice of bread, and the repair was possible! I didn't take pictures, because I am embarrassed at how bad it was. I did NOT set off the fire alarm though. Too bad, in a way, because I need to do our monthly fire drill!

Here is what was left of the poundcake yesterday morning. It disappeared fast.

I was kind of dreading going to class last night. I had had a headache for most of the day (cold..sinus, something). I took ibuprofen a few times to make it better, which had no effect. However, I had a good time at class. I learned a few good things, even! I got to giggle and commiserate with a few ladies who do the same thing I do. (the hot topic was our licensing consultant...we think she needs prayer:). I even got to have dinner out. Ok, that is exaggerating. I got a ranch BLT from Mc'Donalds on the way to campus. But, and this is big...I didn't have to share my fries with anyone!

I guess it looks like I need to share some recipes with my frinds again, huh Apple?
I hope everyone's day is going great!
Please, if there is something simple that you can totally ruin...let me know so I don't feel so bad!

Update on things

Well, we are surviving quite well without TV. I might be cheating because I did watch the new episode of ER on hulu.com. I think that website is awesome! You can watch almost all your favorites...anytime you want, for free. It was better than tv to me, because there were only 3 short commercials (two 15 seconds, one 30 seconds). I do miss watching the morning news when I wake up. It is more work to get up and go down the hall to the computer to check the weather. Oh, wait! Mr. Snippity does that for me! I love the weather man at my house :)

Tonight was the first meeting I hosted for the Women on Mission group at my church. It was very promising. We had a great turnout, and some good ideas were presented. I am going to learn so much from those ladies~ I cannot wait! And, I baked a scrumptious peach pound cake to get the ladies to be nice to me. Maybe I can snag a photo of that for you in the morning, before my family finishes off the small bit of leftovers.

I'm sufficiently worn out from my day now...

Today is the day...

Imagine all the posts we could write with that being the appropriate title. Today is the day the cable technician is supposed to come get our box. I am happy and yet a little bit anxious as well. I think that we have definately used the tv as a tool to avoid doing lots of stuff we shouldn't have avoided. I admit, I am one of the biggest offender about this, especially on the weekends. So...this may be a short experiment, but for what it is worth...turn it off!

Tasty Thursday

Pepperoni Bread

My gang LOVES pizza...how about yours? This was a quick throw-together thing that I made today. It is white bread dough, with pepperoni, mozzarella and italian seasoning rolled up inside. Everyone liked it...and the whole loaf is gone!

Soccer begins

My daughter can kick.


So she gets to play goalie. She is also not (very) afraid of the ball(usually). This works great for playing goalie. However, she's on the short side for her age group...and unfortunately she's kind of slow. This is very stressful to the mom on the sidelines, because she usually misses when the other team takes a shot :( But at least she's not afraid to try! :)

Mr. Max

Max came home last night! It was kind of strange, really. Each of the family members were doing their own thing. The youngest was taking to herself. She kept getting louder, then screaming before we paid her any mind (oops). She was saying I see Max. She really did. He was skittshly hanging around the back porch area. Everone was so thrilled, they thundered to the doors, and scared poor Max away! With some patience, and food :) we were able to get him back inside. Since then, he has been the most loving cat ever! Ok, maybe not in the world or anything, but he was very attached to Mr. Snippity for the evening.

The note

My son is very upset about the cat being gone.

Translation: My best friend Max. Gone Forever. Doesn't like rain.

I'm not sure how my son knows he doesn't like rain, since he's been an indoor kitty. I guess he understands that cats generally do not like to get wet. And no, we do not want another cat right now, thanks for asking. As for me, I'm sad that my kids are sad, but I'm awfully glad I hadn't scheduled (and paid for) the neutering yet :)

He drew another picture, but I can't find it at the moment. This is a very tenderhearted boy. He still is sad for the bunny that we had that died last year.

Sarsaparilla Skirt & Vest GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Sarsaparilla Skirt & Vest GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!
I stumbled across this giveaway on a blog recently. I am linking so that I can have a chance to win it. Wouldn't this look great for dress up for the girly kiddos? Her blog looks great, too. I can't wait to read more.

Max is missing...

Our cat Max has escaped. He has slipped out about 3 times now, and we were always able to scoop him back up and bring him in. He waits for the door to open, then BAM! In a house with kids that are bad about standing at the door with it open, it was a matter of time before he bolted again. That time was Friday night. Hannah had that friend over, and they tried really hard to find him, as did the rest of the family. So far, we haven't seen him again. We've talked with our neighbors, and none of them have seen him either. I'm going to get Mr. Snippity to canvas more of the neighborhood this evening with a picture. There have been many tears in our home over this. I will post a picture of what my son has drawn about it.

So much for that plan

I had planned to spend a few minutes this morning, relaxed and snuggled deep under my comforter. Asleep for at least an hour past my normal wake up time. It didn't happen. My baby girl came to visit, then left. Okay, I can handle that. Roll over go back to sleep. Then, my oldest and her sleepover fried are outside on the porch, somehow locked out. That was the end of any relaxation I had. I rushed to get quickly dressed to let them in(see what it the world they are doing). I get to the door, and they are not there. I walk around the house...no kids. So I walk to the street. I don't see them, for about 3 minutes. It's early, so I wanted to be kind to my neighbors this early on the weekend. I waited until they got inside to fuss. Oh , yeah, they got a good lecture. Now, I'm still irate. Go figure.

woot woot...weekend

It's almost the weekend! I can sleep later tomorrow morning :) I'm a sleepyhead, I admit it.

Heading off into uncharted waters...

We are getting ready to do something drastic. We are having our cable television disconnected. The reasons are several, hopefully the benefits are much more. I am tired of my kids zoning out in front of mindless programming. I am tired of having to be the TV police with them as well. The cost is high, in dollars and in quality time wasted. This will help us in our goal to pay down some debts. We also will have more time to do family things, or alone things that require creativity or imagination. I stay up late to 'finish' watching shows that I really do not care about.

Have you ever done anything like this? Please comment to give me any insight into how wonderful (or terrible) this is going to be!

I've not gone entirely off the deep end, as I am keeping the internet. We will be able to check news & weather whenever we want. We also have a daily delivery of a newspaper, so we won't be entirely cut off from civilization. During the day, I don't turn it on for the little kids, except on rare occasions. They will have to make do with a DVD at times. I leave the tv on sometimes just for background noise, but I do have radio and cd's, plus streaming music from the internet.

We can do this!!!
Really.
I'm worried that my husband will suffer without the speed channel :)

Play-by-play

How is it that the weekends are so crazy? Even though I feel like we didn't have much on the 'to do' list, we've been on the go all day. Yes, Apple, we went to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a whole other post to itself! Here''s my play-by-play:

• wake up to the cats demanding some breakfast
• My baby girl (age 4) had crawled in my bed and tried to take my spot
• cook breakfast
• get oldest kid to soccer practice
• forbid oldest kid to have a sleepover tonight, because her attitude sucked so bad before soccer practice
• throw a few loads of laundry on
• wash yesterdays dishes
• make a list for walmart
• decide not to waste a trip as far as walmart, so we decide to go to the pool on the way
• pack a bag for the pool, with changes of clothes for later
• shower so I can shave legs before being at a public pool
• play at the pool (Awesome today!)
• eat lunch on the pool deck (domino's..and it was good!)
• get ready to go shopping from the pool
• realize I forgot to pack my bra to change into. NOT GOOD, so I get to wear my bathing suit slightly damp under my shirt
• go browse a bit at home depot (and dind't buy anything~it's a noteworthy accomplishment)
• shop walmart
• head home
• scoop cat poop
• watch nanny 911 and thank God my kids aren't THAT bad

Now I am wasting time on the computer before I get to figure out what to fix my family for supper, and they don't know what they want! Thanks for bearing with my day. There are still quite a few things to be done before we can sleep.

Tasty Thursday

I am back to my baking self this day. Except this time, I had a special apprentice.

We made a relatively healthy Apple Square Recipe.

I started out with all the stuff ready to go. Then, together we scooped and stirred, and counted, and flipped flour out of the bowl :) Don't worry, only the grown up handled the knife.
My helper chatted about all kinds of stuff while we worked. She's a sweet one.

We smooshed it into the pan...

and had to swipe a lick off the spoon. After baking: It smells divine...

The verdict is in:

It's Good!

Why are people like this?

Why are so many people negative? It makes me sad. I had two phone conversations recently, with people whom I don't usually converse. I won't share about the first call...mainly because the memories are vague at this moment. But the second call was a doozy. Speaking with this woman was such a drain. She had not one nice thing to say about anything. No wonder she was not successful with what she had tried to do! It was all how they never do this, can't do that, won't do this. With prayer, I hope to get past that! Hopefully I won't have to deal much with her...or maybe I will. Well, if I do, I want to keep my ray of SONshine firmly shining! She needs it! Sorry for the vagueness, my friends, but I wouldn't want to make it seem like I am complaining about this!

Forgiveness

I woke up on Saturday morning to gray skies, wind and some rain, thanks to the tropical storm Hanna. It was just what I needed. I got to roll over & sleep a little later, and that is always a plus! The cruddy weather made it nice not to feel like I had to get up and get to work right away. I took it easy, and was able to put a dent in the schoolwork I had to do. Mr. Snippity got some quality time baking a new cookie recipe with the kids. They spent some time straightening up, and got to have crafty time to do whatever. I had a totally laid back day. Ah, rest & mostly relaxation. I even got to take a soak in the tub with a book. Perfection!

This relaxing time showed me that I really stress out too much over some things. I put a lot of pressure on myself to acheive certain things that really are insignificant.

Then, I get to Sunday school yesterday, and our lesson was on forgiveness. I don't think I struggle too much with this. I can forgive & usually forget quite easily. But, through the dialogue with classmates, I came to realize that I am forgetting to forgive someone very important. That would be myself. I hold grudges with myself when I don't do things perfectly, or often enough(like that cleaning thing). I have held on to some grudges against myself for a very long time. Did you know, you can forgive yourself, too? I never really thought about it that way before, but yeah, I think it could be very important!

So, even though I have a very busy time ahead, I am going to relax against myself a bit and see how it goes. Hopefully it will improve my attitude.

I missed tasty Thursday :(

I didn't bake yesterday. I didn't have time to come up with anything really yummy. I cooked several things, but nothing spectacular. Breakfast was bagels & fruit. Lunch was baked chicken breast, pasta salad and some fruit & veggies. Snack was pretzel crackers. Dinner for the family was spaghetti. I spent lots of time in the kitchen, but not having fun. It felt too much like a chore to cook yesterday.

Hopefully next week, I'll be on a more happy baking spree. Any idea what to make?

Have you ever thought you were maybe trying to do too much? I have been feeling this way occasionally. Then, I'd get mostly caught up and be fine again. Well, adding these two college classes may be pushing me over the edge again! Like I have said before, they are not intellectually difficult...but man, they eat up time like crazy! Read, read, read...papers papers. What was I thinking? Oh, wait...I get $$ incentives to improve my level of education. And more education = higher rating for my business. I guess it is worth it. Not to mention, I might actually learn something (that is the most important).

Please, please pray that I will learn to get my time management working well for me! I love taking care of my family, but at busy times like this, they need to step up and take more control of the things as they are able. Also, throw a prayer in there for my family to be willing and loving in taking more responsibility for themselves. That could be extremely useful.

Welcome to September

A pretty typical start to September is going on around here. The kids have gone back to school. My college classes have begun and my day to day is really going back to it's groove. There really isn't enogh time in my day to do all the fun stuff I want to do, but I do get most of the necessary stuff, and some of the fun stuff accomplished.

One class I am taking this semester has hurt my feelings already! It is a nutrition class. One of our first assignments is to keep a food journal. I've done that before, usually as part of a diet. (Sorry if I offended anyone with the four letter word). It is not physically hard to keep the food journal. However, it is particularly painful for me to face just how badly I am eating. I know all the right things to do, but I fall away into doing what is easy, instead of what is healthy. So maybe this will help open my eyes to how badly I am taking care of myself, so I can make some changes.

Now, the days are beginning with soccer for 2, gymnastics, homework, my work and school assignments, among the regular stuff that has to get done. Good luck too all of you who have tons of stuff to do, like me! Get 'er done, right?

Ok, so the "official" photo is only about a week late. It is amazing how crazy a shift in schedules can make things! I've had two children back in care after the summer, and then this week we are trying to get our bus dropoff/pickup times working right! Unfortunately, our bus stop is a good way down the street. We cannot see or hear it coming or going. This year, my youngest child has a different dropoff/pickup time schedule than the older two. This is making things a little bit harder for me! Hopefully, I'll get myself scheduled right next week :)
The kid-o's had a good week at school, though I do miss having them decorating my couches like they were doing this summer ;)