Winter storm!

Two years ago Monday (Dec. 1), we endured a winter storm the day we welcomed M into the world. Granted, the brunt of the storm was in the southeast part of the state but we got some weather as well.
Looks like Mother Nature is blessing M's 2nd birthday with a similar coating of snow.
We are dealing with a winter storm now as I write. I hear the wind blowing so I can imagine the snow that has been falling since this afternoon is all over the place.
According to Dad, who is on the road tonight (God, please put angels around him!), the roads are slick. Weather forecasts predict we'll get 3-5 inches by tomorrow morning!!

Happy Birthday, baby!

Our little M will officially be 2 tomorrow. For a long time, I have been thinking of her as older than she really is. She is so smart. She picks up on so much so fast. She is also very independent and spirited! She gives us great joy much of the time but other times we deal with the Terrific Twos, which can be trying, to say the very least!
I love seeing how she picks up on things so quickly. She wants to grow up so fast.
But I also cherish the moments when we do snuggle together. At night, when I put her to bed, we read stories and then she wants me to "ing." Sing. So we sing a few songs. And she almost always lays in my arms, to be rocked like a baby as I sing Rock-a-bye Baby, or, as M says, Rock Baby.
I cherish those snuggle times, which do not always happen with this little one on the go.
So go, baby. Enter into your 2's with curiosity and wonder and eagerness. But, please, try not to go too far.
Happy Birthday, M.

Good to be home

Things have been pretty low-key for us this holiday weekend and I love it!
I especially love having C home. He will be home until Tuesday. I am sure he will be ready to be back in his work environment by then but in the meantime I will enjoy every day he is home.
I love that we can do stuff together as a family, as a couple. He gets to spend more quality time with the girls. He gets to help with the care of the girls, which helps me too. It's nice to have an extra pair of hands. And he gets to check some things off his "To-Do" list, which has consisted of many outdoor tasks like the Christmas decorations, trimming down the summer foliage and building a cover for the air conditioning unit.
It is good to have him home. We are so blessed.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

My wonderful, loving husband has added Christmas cheer to our home.
He put up Christmas lights!!! Outside! He even used a ladder!!!!!! He worked all afternoon in the cold to decorate the house.
We now have icicle lights hanging off the porch and two outdoor decorations: a lighted angel and a six-foot light-string tree. Simple, classic and very pretty!
I can't wait to see how they look with the snow falling all around.
I'll try to post pictures later.

I'm thankful for....

Our loving Father, who has provided us with so much, even when we are not worthy of them.
My loving husband, who gives of himself at home, with the girls and I and at work.
Our girls, who give us many reasons to laugh, cry, smile, pull out our hair.
The opportunity I have to be a stay-at-home mother and a freelance writer. I am so blessed with the privilege.
Our extended family. We don't always get to see them but when we do, it is good to re-connect and laugh together.
Our home, given to us by God.
The many opportunities we have in this country.

Tunes

Here the music? No, it's not in your head. If you have your computer volume on, you can hear my play list. (It was free!)
Scroll down the page and you'll see the list of songs.
The first one is the Relient K song I've written about, I Celebrate the Day. I love the song!!
Sara Groves, Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns and Jars of Clay round out my favorites playing. I hope to add more in the future.
So enjoy the songs and let me know if you have any requests you'd like to hear while you are catching up on our goings-on.

450 Billion

Want another moving video?
Check this out!
If this doesn't move you, I don't know what will.

What does God want for Christmas?

Today I picked up a cool interactive nativity set called What God Wants for Christmas.
It is produced by FamilyLife Publishing and uses gift boxes to tell the true story of Christmas. (A similar concept to the Resurrection Eggs, which tell the Easter story.)
We opened Day 1's box today to reveal the angel Gabriel and his role in the story. The set included a pop-up manger scene, where we can put the pieces as they get revealed.
S is eager to see what tomorrow brings.

Celebrate the light

I overheard a conversation at the hair salon while S was getting her hair cut.
The customer asked the stylist if she was ready for Christmas.
The stylist said she was almost ready, that the family was celebrating light this year. She mentioned that only her nephew was getting presents this year.
In a similar vein, I read in our local paper a quote from a woman who said her family was not celebrating Christmas this year.
OK. Light I get, given these economic times.
But please, people, do not forget the light of Christmas, the true reason for the season: our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all.
Christmas is not about the presents under the tree. It is about the birth of Jesus, God's son, the light of the world, who later gave His life to save us.
If you need proof, read the Bible. Or read the lyrics of a Relient K song, I Celebrate the Day.
Here is a sample:
And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever
And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

Heart-warming!

Check out this video about an 11-year-old boys dying wish.
http://spotlight.news.yahoo.com/v/10836826

SNOW!!

I woke up at 4 this morning to see snow falling on the ground. I was amazed at how bright it made the early morning hours.
Now, in the light of day, there is this lovely white blanket covering everything.
C passed along this weather reminder.
The girls and I will venture out to enjoy God's gift and then have some hot chocolate!

The end is in sight

Last week I spent almost all my time working on three articles. It was a lot of work! I can't believe all the phone calls and such I did.
I've got two articles due tomorrow but, honestly, I can say I don't feel too stressed out.
And once those are done, I've got one more due on Wednesday. Then I can take a break and enjoy the weekend with my family!

It's winter!

It's official now....winter is upon us. No, there isn't any snow on the ground. Rather I see signs of Christmas decorations everywhere! Which means people want to get them out before the snow does hit and it gets super cold.
Today C brought in all the outdoor stuff.....lawn furniture, hoses, toys, etc. He even cleaned out the garage some. Well, more like rearranged. Brought the bikes and stuff in and moved the garbage cans and the like around.
Maybe next weekend he can get our Christmas decorations up.

Yum-o!

I love to have breakfast for dinner. It's a nice treat and a great way to mix up the normal dinnertime menu.
Last night we had banana chocolate chip pancakes and crispy bacon. Yum-o! It was a hit! S loved helping to mix the batter. C made the bacon and used a tip he learned from the Food Network, although I asked for crispier bacon. :)
It was a great meal. I can't wait to make it again!

Awesome!

I was so pumped to read that despite this economy, more Americans are still giving this year.
Way to go!
There are so many ways we can give. We can give of our time, our possessions, our finances, our gifts, our self.
People are in need out there. Now more so than ever.
I think Americans are realizing that they can live without the fancy gadgets, clothes, whatever other things that clutter homes and lives...and thinking about those less fortunate, suffering, hurting, needy.
It doesn't take much to make a difference in a person's life. Offer to make a meal. Clean out your closet and give to a local charity. Volunteer time. Adopt a family in need. Give up coffee for a month and give that money to your church. Call or visit a person in need. The options go on.
So keep on giving, America!

Ah! Peace

I'm in the bedroom and it's quiet in the rest of the house. Normally, I'd be curious as to why the girls are so quiet. But I am relishing this peace. It feels great.
I know the girls are fine. They are eating a snack and absorbed in the adventures of Kipper and his friends. I needed to keep them occupied while I conducted a phone interview with a doctor from New York.
The interview ended earlier than I thought so I figured, why leave the confines of this room? I'm sitting on a comfortable bed in s room that is quite cozy and warm. So I figure I'll just check some e-mails. Maybe read a few more pages in my book.
I don't want to leave this peace and relaxation. I need it after this busy week of working on three different articles that are due in the next few days.
Last night I got my hair cut and the stylist gave me a head, neck and shoulder massage before the shampoo. It felt so good. The woman at the front desk must have thought I was a freak because the moment I walked through the salon doors, I took a deep breath. They sell Aveda products, which I absolutely LOVE! I love the smell of the rosemary mint. But they have other awesome products that just put my mind, body and soul at ease.
And that's how I feel at this moment.....there is peace and I feel completely at ease right now.
I better enjoy it some more before it all comes crashing down.
Namaste'.

Library resources

With our homeschooling, we are discovering fabulous resources available through the library.

One of our latest favorite resources has been file folder games. They are fun games that teach shapes, alphabet, math, numbers, colors and more.

One game I liked was a pumpkin number game. There was a sequence of numbers written on pumpkins. You had to fill in the missing number in the sequence. S loved the game, especially because the number sequence would start in different spots (3, 4, ...., 6, 7), making her think about her numbers.

We look forward to checking out more to play....and learn!

Too many choices!

I love to go to the library. I have memories of browsing through my hometown library as a child and re-checking numerous favorite books. Later I would climb up into the tree in the front of our house and read my library finds.
I am so glad our girls both love to read as well! I love seeing them surrounded by a pile of books. I love to read books to them. It is so fun to share favorite authors from my childhood and discover new ones.
The issue I have is that there are SOOOOOO many wonderful books in the library! When we go to check out books, we often end up with a bag or two full of books. It is so hard to pick just one book when they all look so good! And I usually can't just write the books down to keep for future reference because that is too time consuming, especially while trying to make sure one active toddler stays in the children's section without destroying it.
I came up with an idea to help people keep track of desired book titles. C has tried chewing on it so who knows if the mad scientist, er, engineer will emerge?
In the meantime, I will just have to try to remember the title or just hope to come upon it another time.

Demo Link

The wonderful general manager at the radio station created a link for our demo.
Click on the title below and listen away!! Then please send me an e-mail or message with your feedback!
Living Out Loud

Giving hearts

I was so proud of S when she helped choose toys that would go into donation boxes. Toys that we have had since she was born went into the boxes. She even gave up some of her dolls, knowing that they would go to a child who doesn't have toys.

M was also a big help, although she enjoyed putting everything into the boxes, or taking stuff out!

I was surprised at how quickly we filled the boxes, although there were some toys already in the boxes (that just hadn't made it out) from when we moved in over a year ago. And some toys came from other parts of the house, having been tucked away into places rarely seen or used. There were also A LOT of stuffed animals, which quickly took up space. I am taking a bag full to the local fire department for kids they encounter during emergencies.

My next step is to divide the toy donations into two or three smaller piles to be taken to places like the Emergency Shelter, Harbor House and Mother and Unborn Baby Care.

Originally I would have taken them to Goodwill as that is a good organization that provides jobs. But this time around, I wanted to spread the cheer to families who probably cannot afford toys or to the organizations that shelter those families.

Given the current economy, I can only imagine that the Emergency Shelter and Harbor House are filled to capacity. And imagine the children in those homes! My hope is they will get some cheer from some new, gently used toys.

Table for Four

We have a new person at the dining room table. M has now joined us, although she is not sitting at a dining room chair. (Mostly because we are short one chair.) Instead, C adjusted the high chair, removed the tray and there you have it! Four at the table.

She loves it! In fact, if she could, she would be sitting at a chair, like us. But that will have to wait until we can get a new set (one with extra leaves).

In the meantime, she is a big girl at the table. And she loves to insist on prayer at mealtimes. Sometimes she insists on it a few times during one meal! "Pray! Pray!" she yells, with her hands folded, waiting for all of us to follow suit. So sweet. Even when she insists on praying the fourth time! Maybe she will be like Maewyn Succat, a.k.a. St. Patrick, who prayed 100 times a day, according to the VeggieTales retelling of the Story of St. Partick's Day.

Um...Um....or something like that

OK. One thing I have learned tonight is that I say "Um" too much. Actually a lot of people do.
There are so many things people do on radio that they don't realize. Lip smacking, um, pauses. Thank God for the wonderful, amazing editing technology!
I'm listening to our demo right now. And waiting to get the honest input from my loving, wonderful, caring, supportive husband. :)
I think it sounds like a good show. I hope people think it's a good show and that they would want to listen to it. I pray that this show would be picked up and, with each taping, our radio speak would improve.
The night went well. It went super fast too. We had fun and learned a lot. Radio is a whole new world. We tried to be relaxed and have a conversation. But it is a little hard when every um and something like that or pause creeps into your talk. And when the time is ticking down super fast.
I plan to pass this demo on to friends for them to listen it. (Let me know if you are interested.) And we might be able to get a temporary link that we can pass on to friends and family.
Keep us in your prayers!

Ready for Demo

Tomorrow is the big night: we tape the demo for our possible radio show.
Let me say this experience has been fun. We have been meeting over the last three weeks or so, sharing research, planning out the demo and who is going to talk about what. Hopefully, if our show is picked up, it does not take as long to research for a weekly show!
It's not a scripted show, per say. We'll just have an outline of the conversation about the topic and go from there. Hopefully it will sound natural and relaxed on air; just like a conversation between three women who share the same desires: to be mothers and wives and daughters while trying to keep our faith alive in our home, families, lives and ourselves.
So please pray for us (Jill, Andrea and myself) that we make it through the demo; that it gets on the air; that the radio station picks the show up; and that the show glorifies God while providing women with a resource they need to know they are not alone in the day to day and that we can provide some insight and tips and, most of all, a friend to listen to.
Sadly, my throat has been bothering me tonight so I pray that it eases by tomorrow. I'd hate to be clearing my throat constantly during the taping, which could make for a long night!

Winter is here!

Holy cow!
I'm working in the family room right now and notice it's getting darker outside. I turn around and see a wall of white!
Snow! Lots and lots of it! It's like we are in the middle of a blizzard!
I guess I should watch the news in the morning!

Speaking of toys

While my folks were visiting, C and I took the opportunity to check out the local toy stores for Christmas gift ideas. We ended up purchasing a couple things for S, so it was nice to get some things crossed off our list. The holiday shopping traffic was not too horrible although we were surprised to see so many out during a Packers vs Bears game.
Having two birthdays before Christmas does make shopping a little tough. After all, they just got a bunch of stuff.
This year we are going to get the girls three gifts each, an idea I got from a couple friends. It follows with the fact that the Three Wise Men brought only three gifts for the Christ-child.
We also want to teach the girls that Christmas is not about how many toys they get. In fact, we want to encourage giving...of ourselves and our possessions.
We plan to go through the play room this week and weed out a lot of toys. Many are items we've had since the girls were babies. We will give them to an organization that will get them into the hands of families in need.
Another thing we will try again this year is ringing bells for the Salvation Army. The girls enjoyed it last year and it got us talking about how we were raising money for families in need. This year might be a little different since I don't think I'll be able to get M to stay in a stroller for two hours. We'll see. It is a good holiday tradition and for a good organization. So if you see a red kettle, please remember to give, even if there is no one ringing a bell at the kettle. Every little bit helps toward helping families in need.

Toy explosion

Today we had a double birthday party for S and M with the family.
The girls had a fun time playing with their cousins. and second cousins. They played with all their toys, so much so that it look like a toy bomb exploded in the playroom.
S showed off her room to her female cousins and they wound up hanging out in there, talking and playing. It was so cute.
We had great food and conversation. The kids all had fun.
Of course, there were a lot of presents, including some cool things like a box with dress-up princess dresses and accessories, Fischer Price Dance Cam, Leap Frog fridge games, books, clothes and more. Quite the loot!
Now we really need to weed out all the old toys in the play room! Goodwill here we come!

One more bend in the road

We'll be going back to the doctor.
Tonight we discovered that S had a reaction to her flu shot. The shot area is red, swollen and hot. The affected area is about three inches in diameter. Pretty darn big.
I called the nurse hot line and was told she would need to be seen by her doctor.
This is such a surprise because she has never had a reaction to a flu shot! Perhaps it's because we've been battling colds here. She doesn't have any cold symptoms though, other than the pink eye (which has cleared up) and the ear infection (which was still present at her wellness check on Wednesday.)
I just pray that this is nothing serious and that she will still be well protected from the flu.

Thank you cards

Growing up, I don't recall sending thank you notes out when I received birthday gifts.
So it's not really ingrained in me to send them out on behalf of the girls when they receive presents.
Of course, we'd receive them from S's friends, which made me think we need to polite as well.
But, well, while my intentions were good, I don't think I've sent thank you cards out in the last three years. Maybe I did once. Or maybe I meant to but only got as far as filling them out.
This year, I found packaged invitations that came with thank you cards. Super! Now I will have to send them out!
Well, here we are, two weeks after S's birthday party and the cards sit on the end table. I guess the reason mostly is because we've been battling illness.
But I know too I just plain forgot about them. Didn't help that they were under a pile until tonight.
So, for those of you who attended S's party, I apologize for not sending out the thank you cards. I hope to get them in the mail...soon. I wonder what the etiquette is for how long you have to send thank yous out.

Troopers

Today was S's 4 year wellness check.
She did an awesome job and the doctor is very pleased with her progress.
She is 32 pounds and 39 inches, which, coincidentally, are the same numbers her friend had at his 4 year wellness check up this year.
Her wellness check included a hearing check and a vision check. And she got to show off some of her ballet moves by walking on her tiptoes.
She was also super brave getting her flu shot.
Marie and I were also super brave with our flu shots. Not a tear from either of us, which made for a very good visit to the doctor.

Road to recovery

I think we are finally on the road to recovery.
I've still got some symptoms but not as bad. C seems to be getting better too. His eye does look better too. S's eye is also looking much better but she does still have the ear infection, which we are hoping will clear on its own. M has been fine. In fact, she is into more mischief than usual.
Tonight I finally got some more order in the housework. After dinner, I cleaned the bathrooms, swept the kitchen floor, did yet more laundry, put some laundry away, vacuumed and other stuff.
I'm feeling it now, especially in my left arm. But it is good to see some semblance of order. This is certainly a time I wish I could hire a maid to clean the house.

Our Trixie

Over the summer we discovered a new author, Mo Willems. One of his books is called Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale, which is about a little girl who loses her beloved stuffed animal.
Later, we found the story on DVD with Willems and his daughter Trixie, the inspiration for the story, doing the voices.
It is a real cute book and to see it come to life was even better.
Anyway, in the story, Trixie is too young to talk. So when she realizes her beloved friend is gone, she does what she can to get her father's attention, much to his joy. One of her tactics is to go limp. It is so funny to watch.
But not funny in real life.
M has perfected the limp. When she doesn't want to do something or go somewhere, she goes limp. She likes to go limp when I am holding her hand. I swear her shoulder is going to pop out of its socket when she does that!
Sometimes it's funny because I get that picture of cartoon Trixie.
But, when you are trying to get M to do something, like clean up her toys or comes to her room to get her poopy diaper changed, the limp maneuver gets old fast.

Homeschooling update

Despite being sick, last week we continued with homeschooling. Last week was J, with the theme of Jesus and his miracles like feeding 5,000, healing people, how he loves the little children and then about his death and resurrection.
Mostly we did workbook sheets, coloring sheets and reading and discussing the stories.
Over the weekend, S wanted to use a new pencil to write "X" on her own. Not sure why she chose that particular letter but she tried it. It was cool to see the progress on her writing tab.
This week is K, with the topics of Kings and Kites. I think we'll also work on her last name.
Next week, S starts Patriot Preschool, a program offered at a local high school. It is 50 minutes, three days a week for four weeks. I think it will be a nice balance and good classroom and instructor exposure. Plus being with kids her own age.
Since it's only 50 minutes, I am not sure what M and I can do. It's really not enough time to really do much. I may have to find out a new route to the local library and we can hang out there for a bit.

When will this end??

We are still sick! When will this end?? I feel like this cold just keeps going around and around and around. It's one thing for one of us to be sick but for ALL of us....it royally stinks!
S and C have pink eye. C still has chest congestion but he says it is getting better. S also has an ear infection in her left ear.
I am OK during the day but at night I tend to cough or feel congested.
M seems to be OK but it's hard to say how long that will last given all the stuff floating around here!
We are taking the precautions to try to keep the germs at bay: hand washing, covering our mouths, and the like. And I am trying to keep the house clean. Lord knows the washer and drying have been running non-stop with all the linens and clothes. But there is still more cleaning that should be done. We just don't have the energy or time. And, really, I'm not concerned about the pile of dishes or the pile of clean, unfolded laundry. I really want to tackle the germs so I wipe down and spray areas.
Maybe we need one of those tent things to cover the house. And then we could get some healthy fog stuff to clean the house and us of this sickness. Maybe we need something that will zap everything and make us all better.
We keep praying for health. Pray with us!

Noggin

Shortly after S was born we discovered Noggin.
We loved it! It has wonderful, different programming like Maisy, 64 Zoo Lane, Franklin, Jack's Big Music Show, Oswald and more. And it was totally commercial free! In place of commercial were neat clips for things like math, art, music, later cooking and more.
It was also where we discovered Laurie Berkner. S would listen and dance over and over to "We Are the Dinosaurs" and other songs. And, we could always watch the videos on-line.
After a year or two, the programming started to go downhill. The biggest negative was Maisy was pulled off the air. Just gone. No explanation.
Then they started airing more Nick Jr. programming. S liked Dora and all but I kinda wanted to wait until she was a little older before introducing Dora, Diego, Backyardigans and more. Besides, adding more popular shows took the uniqueness of Noggin away. Mainstream shows replaced the time slots for the shows we liked and the network wasn't the same. Eventually we started watching Nick Jr. because S liked Dora and other shows.
It was all sad, really. Again, we liked Noggin because it was unique.
Well, we still tape shows on Noggin to watch. M especially loves Blue's Clues, which is a Nick Jr. show but they air on Noggin.
While watching it the other day, we noticed a "commercial" introducing a new show, Toot and Puddle, which is based on the books by Holly Hobbie.
S and I are excited because we discovered the books at the library. If you've never heard of them, I would encourage to you check out a book for your family. Toot and Puddle are two best friends as different as can be. One likes to travel, the other likes to be a homebody. There are plenty of adventures, abroad and at home with their friend in Woodcock Pocket.
My only concern is that we might not be able to watch the show. The first airing is at 6 p.m. Nov. 16. We only get Noggin on Dish until 5 p.m. Then it converts over to The N, which is a network for teens.
But I am keeping my fingers crossed that Toot and Puddle will appear during the daily line up. It would be refreshing to see a new show.
Yea! I just checked the DISH line up and we WILL get Toot and Puddle. Only we will get it at 4 p.m. on Nov. 17. It's great to see a new show on Noggin.

Wishing for sleep

I will be SOOOO glad, too, when we are all better so we can all sleep when we are suppose to.
S has come out of her room three times already, with various excuses.
I wish someone told me I had to stay in bed and go to sleep. Instead I have baskets of laundry to fold. (Yes, after I spend my time blogging.)
Maybe next time she comes out of bed, I will make her fold the laundry so I can get to sleep.

Praying for healing

We're still fighting off whatever has us.
We thought we were on the road to recovery but not so.
C and I are fighting with coughing and congestion issues. S complained tonight of ear aches. One of her eyes looks irritated too.
M, on the other hand, appears to be improving. Her last flare up with hives was this morning, after breakfast. But after her nap the welts were gone and by bedtime there were only a few red spots on her body.
Thankfully we go to the doctor on Wednesday for S's wellness check. We'll have a lot to tell him! Unless we see him before that!!!
It really bites having the whole family sick, especially with C and I out. It is hard to get stuff done around the house, get the energy to make meals, so forth.
I wish for that magic wand so all the laundry can fold automatically, so the dishes can get clean, so meals can appear on the table, so we have energy to play with the girls.
I just pray we are healthy and well by Saturday. We have company coming over for a birthday party for the girls.

Slight glitch

Sorry to those of you who get automatic updates and got a second blog about "Sick Day."
When I checked my blog tonight, it was not at the top. C discovered it in October. Weird.
So I tried to send it again and now it's in the right place. Maybe just some weird glitch.

Sick Day

C and I are both sick. I don't think we've even been sick at the same exact time.Yesterday was weird because he came home early from work with some symptoms. Later that night, I had the same ones. It's been an experience, trying to get better with two little ones around. It's been a bit of a tag-team effort as far as caring for and being with the girls go. Obviously we don't want to get them sick again. (They are both getting over colds, although M still has a cough but it's not the croup like stuff she had over the weekend.)Last night I rested on the couch after dinner while C tried to play with the girls. We tried to get them to bed quickly so we could rest. Thankfully the girls slept through the night. Or at least I did because I didn't hear anything! This morning C let me sleep in. He's been napping on and off today. He says he is getting better, although he looks like the dead now that he is up.I seem to be OK, with the exception of the sore throat and cough.A wonderful dear friend is making a meal for us tonight. She called last night to ask a question and when she heard we were both sick she wanted to do something to help. So sweet. We are blessed with the local family we have here. With any luck this will end quickly and we can get our life (and house...the play room looks like it exploded) back in order. And hopefully before we all go stir crazy.

On the mend

I think we are on the mend.

I've still got a cough but it's not as bad. C appears to be doing much better.

M, on the other hand, broke out in hives tonight. Not sure what caused them. Nurse says it could be a reaction from something she ate or touched or a side effect to a cold. We'll see. They just appeared out of no where.

It's only Wednesday

This has been a super long week. I can't believe it's only Wednesday!
It doesn't help that I am tired and coming down with a cold. Blah!
Also, we stayed up late last night to watch election related stuff and then ended up dealing with the girls, who are also sick.
Tis the season for colds.

Going down the tubes!

I used to be a fan of Grey's Anatomy but I'm ready to jump ship and focus on shows that I actually enjoy!
Last Thursday's show was a BOMB! My jaw was on the ground the whole time. I cannot believe some of the things that they were doing on the show! Seriously??? Unbelievable!
No. I think enough is enough. I think.....
I think I keep watching maybe with the hope that this night the show will return to its first season shine. Last season it was clear the show was starting to go down the tubes. I had hoped that wouldn't be the case. But this season is proving me right.

Kitchen time saver!

I am utilizing one of my favorite kitchen time savers: the crock pot.
And better yet, I am making enough for a couple meals!
And super better yet: I am cooking a bag of frozen chicken breast! No thawing! Just pop them in the crock pot, set to low and cook for 6-8 hours.
I got this idea from the Friends' Cookbook, a collection of favorite recipes compiled by some friends and I. (Let me know if you want a copy.)
Once the chicken is cooked, I will shred the meat and make chicken tacos for tonight. (Served with Mexican rice and refried beans.)
Then I will freeze the rest for something later, like shredded chicken with gravy, served on buns.
Or, I might cut the chicken into cubes for meals that call for cooked cubed chicken.
I just love this idea. It's a super awesome time saver! And the house smells great!
By the way, has anyone ever cooked frozen chicken breast in the oven? Like, not thaw the chicken for a recipe, just put it in the oven and go?

Teachable moment

I didn't realize until this morning that I had an opportunity to talk to S about Election Day. Duh! I wished I had planned earlier but, oh well.
I did, however, find some coloring sheets of the U.S. Flag and an activity to discuss the flag. She also colored an "F is for Flag" page and practiced writing "E" with the Bald Eagle on the page.
I also tried to explain that today is an important day because we are voting for a president and other elected people to make important decisions.
I could only find a couple preschool related things on-line to help with the lesson. And I did reserve a couple books from the library: Clifford for President and Otto runs for President.
Maybe next year we'll cast ballots to find out which kind of milk or juice is better. :)
Did you get out and vote? There is still time! And your vote DOES count!! I'd also like to say that I received a call from my brother, checking to make sure I went to the polls to vote. Thanks, bro.

Ready to vote??

I'm ready to hit the polls!
I've never been a huge follower or conversationalist of politics but, of course, a presidential election is another matter. And I want to make sure my vote counts!
I'm also ready for all this election stuff to be over with. I'm ready to see an end to the many, many editorials and opinions and debates. To see an end to the negative attack ads. I can't tell you how many times we've gotten calls and postal mailings. We've even had a call from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani!
Above all, I'm ready to see a new leader at the helm. No matter who is there, I will pray for that leader and the others. There is a huge job ahead of them and I can only pray that the right decisions are made for the better of our nation, not for political interests.
But our leaders are human after all. We can't expect them to be perfect, just as we are not perfect or right. And I am sure there will be many failings as well as successes.
I hope everyone else will stop at the polls on Tuesday.
Now, just to figure out when the girls and I can hit the polls. I'm thinking I'll go over at 9 and pray for a smallish line. I'll have snacks and toys for the girls, just in case.

The birthday aftermath

We survived another birthday party! Whew!

The party was a hit. We had some of S's friends over, as well as a couple siblings and parents.

The kids were interested in the toys in the playroom so my planned games went out the window. But that was A-OK for me because it made it more relaxed, etc. The big hit was decorating mini pumpkins. I pulled out some foam stickers of Halloween shapes, bugs and flowers and the alphabet, which kids took to put their name on the pumpkins.

After lunch S opened presents. She got some wonderful art related items, a doll, a puzzle, stamper markers and notepad, a Dora DVD and a little backpack with a jump rope, chalk, a yo-yo and other goodies.

The cutest thing was when the boys picked up the discarded wrapping paper after each gift. Sweet!

I think everyone had fun. I know S did too.

Now we have a month to rest before the house is filled with more kids as we celebrate M's 2 year party.