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.