An Uncluttered Life

Monday Menu

2011-01-17T09:15:00.001-08:00

Well, I have to let myself off the hook and realize that blogging everyday is just not going to happen. I need time to think, plan, and write; unfortunately, this is a rare commodity! Today is MLK holiday, so I'm home with Austin and minimizing our options for our day off. We are leaning towards the Long Beach Aquarium! Full of colorful fish, different regions displaying cool aquatic areas, it's full of learning and fun.

Tonight I will make a simple spaghetti and meatball dinner, but I am going to tackle a real Caesar salad - down to the anchovy! I am going to buy a sourdough baguette and slice it into pieces. Oil both sides and bake in an oven for 5 minutes, then top with grated parmesan cheese baking for 10 - 12 minutes until cheese melts. These crisps will lay on top of the romaine lettuce in the salad bowl. The dressing will be 9 anchovy fillets, 4 tsp. minced garlic, salt, pepper, and 1/3 c lemon juice blended in the food processor or blender. With just the inner romaine lettuce leaves remaining whole, I'll drizzle the dressing over the leaves and top with the crisps and curls of parmesan.

Last night Todd and I went to see a guitarist, Joe Satiorini. I'm sure I just butchered his last name, but I really don't know who he is. Although, he is a great guitar player! It was held at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles. I was impressed with Joe's ability to play, but I was more impressed with the architecture of the theater. Built in the 1920's, it was amazing with marble walls, ornate ceilings, custom seating everywhere and elegant chandeliers hanging from all the ceilings. Beautiful.

With a busy calendar month, I'm trying hard to keep on track with my menus! Inspiring recipes and new dishes always make squeezing in a delicious dinner more enjoyable!!
Happy Cooking!

Cleaning House

2011-01-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

This week I have been pondering one scripture more than any other: Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I am a fanatic when it comes to my house and classroom. I don't like clutter at all. This week I began thinking about the state of my heart. Are there any areas of resentment or anger that have built up? Am I jealous or envious of someone else's life? Do I harbor any ill feelings toward someone?

I want to be diligent in asking the Lord to show me if there is any "cleaning" that needs to take place in my heart.

Thank you Lord for being patient and loving with me as I fall short in my reactions and words on a daily basis. Your goodness and mercy are forever. Amen.

Tuesday's Top Five

2011-01-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

Staples Needed in the Kitchen

Cooking for me is hard if I don't have a plan. It's even harder if I don't have what I need in the pantry! Ask my husband and he will tell you that I am notorious for always missing at least one ingredient when I cook. That is why last night I made orzo instead of couscous. I could have sworn I had couscous.
Anyway, these ingredients make it a lot easier to create a meal if all else fails, and I usually will include them at some point in the week!

1. Pasta. I have a variety at any given time to choose from. Spaghetti, fetticine, penne, are just a few that you can create so many dishes: pasta with sauce, soups, casseroles, side dishes. It goes on sale regularly, so costs are huge. Big bang for the buck.

2. Ground turkey or a bag of frozen chicken breasts. I stock up in the freezer when these go on sale.

3. Chicken and beef stock. Great to make gravy, add liquid to a pasta dish, base for a soup, add to a roast for liquid and flavor, etc...

4. Cream of Mushroom soup. Randomly I pick recipes that need this ingredient. It's nice to have on hand.

5. Olive oil and canola oil. Every recipe calls for either one or the other. Olive oil for all my pasta dishes; canola oil for all high heat purposes.

Happy cooking!

Mondays menu

2011-01-04T05:11:00.000-08:00

I made the spicy Morrocan Chicken last night, and it was a hit! It was so simple, too!

In a small bowl, I combined cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper with olive oil to make a paste. I preheated the oven to 450 and placed a tray with a rim on the center rack to heat. After washing the chicken legs and thighs, I rubbed the paste all over them. Next I placed all the chicken on the heated pan and put it back in the oven for 35 minutes. I roasted the carrots on the top rack for 20 min after tossing them in olive oil, salt & pepper. Really good - comment me if you'd like exact measurements!

BJ's

2010-12-31T16:06:00.000-08:00

In about an hour, we are all going to BJ's pizza restaurant (Kalie's work) for dinner. Since she just got transferred to this location, I guess that means "low man on the totem pole" and she got the New Year's Eve shift. Well, we will keep her company!

Sunday, we will be going to La Palapa, Kalie's wedding site, to bring centerpieces and hopefully meet with the DJ. We want to see how the tables will look with our Pier I purchases. I plan on taking photos, so I'll show you next week. The DJ needs to center the K & J initials that will be projected onto the dance floor.

Kalie chose La Palapa for a few reasons.
1. Jeremy wanted to be married ON THE SAND. Not next to the sand, not looking down from a cliff to the sand, not looking at sand through a window of a church. ON.THE.SAND!
La Palapa has a beautiful runner that extends from the sidewalk area onto the sand and ends under palm trees with a gazebo. Chairs are set on each side (bride's side and groom's side) of the runner. Their feet will never actually touch sand. They will be on the runner. Mine however will. Not thrilled. I'm still trying to figure this situation out. I guess I could supply sandals in a beach tub for guests, or maybe offer hot towels to wipe their feet after the ceremony, or pretend we are really not on actual sand and simply smile a lot. Still working this situation out.

2. Kalie did not want anyone to have to travel from wedding site to reception site. La Palapa is a funky bar type restaurant on the beach in Long Beach. CUTE, CUTE, CUTE. My girlfriends and I have spent many a night there having a rip roaring time. When my mom told me that a friend of hers attended a wedding there, I was significantly puzzled. My mom said the reception was upstairs. What I recalled was a tiki style rooftop with no stairs anywhere in sight. However, when Kalie and I made an appointment to see the reception spot, we went outside to stairs that ran along the side of the building. Intriguing. Elizabeth, owner and coordinator, opened the double doors and both Kalie and I took a collective gasp. BEAUTIFUL. Simply gorgeous. A full bar as you walk in, a "cigar or international coffee room" to the left, down the wide foyer hall was a beautiful gazebo with crystal chandelier that the wedding cake sat under. The ballroom had a gigantic crystal chandelier with red and ivory swags that started in the center of the ceiling above the dance floor and extended the wall. Unbelievable. The floor to ceiling windows overlooking the shoreline and Queen Mary was gorgeous. Everywhere were European looking armoires, wing backed chairs, and beautiful wood. Stunning. We signed the contract that day!

3. Both Kalie and Jeremy were born and raised in Long Beach. This is a Long Beach wedding! 90% of our friends and family all live in Long Beach. We are using as many local vendors as possible. We love our little hometown! Their wedding night will be spent down the street a ways where they will have more beautiful ocean views, and the rest of us won't have far to travel to curl up in our own beds after a blissful night.

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

There is always so much to be thankful for. I wish I focused more on those things during the week than all the problems or concerns that I am facing. One way that a thankful heart arises within me every time is listening to my Christian radio station in the car. I have now found Pandora at home! If you don't know about this- check.it.out! www.pandora.com It is a radio station that you can create your own music stations. I entered Alli Rogers, and now a plethora of wonderful music comes on that put me in a very thankful state of mind!

This was a low key week. Yes, I'm thankful for that, too! Christmas Eve was spent with Todd, Austin, Ashley and Laura at my favorite Chinese restaurant, Chens. I decided cooking on Christmas Eve and having my family for brunch on Christmas Day was just TOO MUCH!! Kalie spent the evening with Jeremy's family; a new tradition that will now carry on through their married life!

After watching "A Christmas Story" and going to bed relatively early, Todd and I woke up at 6 to put the Christmas ham in the oven. Actually, he did all the work, I watched and sipped my coffee on the sidelines! By 8:00 we woke the kids and announced that Santa had arrived!
After presents, I made some deviled eggs, put the ham on a platter, shared the lox, cream cheese & bagels, and set out the fruit. A light brunch was perfect!

We enjoyed our presents and our family!

Because of so much rain here, we have played until our hearts content! It has been a relaxing vacation! For that, I am extremely thankful!

Wednesday's Worship

2010-12-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

I began praying this years ago. Insert your husband and children's names to have greater impact for your family!

Ephesians 3:14 - 19

14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

16 that He would grant (name), according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and they (name), being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that (name) may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

Organization and Well Intentions

2010-12-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

How often I bite off more than I can chew. BUT..... I find that IF I'm organized, I can somehow manage! So in an effort to blog, I've decided to create a system. That goes along perfectly with my type A nature! I've decided to have each day dedicated to a different "theme". This will hopefully keep me motivated AND accomplish a few of the things that are tugging at my heart.

I will break the days into the areas I WANT to talk about - hopefully this will make it less of a chore. Because I am NOT a writer, it sometimes feels "chore like" to stare at a blank page and come up with something! SO - the categories are...... (drum roll, please..)

Mondays Menu: Another attempt to post my meal planning, links to recipes, and share a few of my favorite foods :D

Tuesdays Top 5: whether it is organizing tips, books I've read, things I'm learning, disasters that have happened in our home JK, something that might inspire or at least commit to my memory through this blog, I will come up with 5 things!

Wednesdays Worship: I need to read and ponder the Bible more often than I am doing. This is an attempt to look at a piece of scripture, commit a portion to memory, use it in my life, see how big our amazing God is, and share.

Thankful Thursday: This is the day I want to share about my household. What I'm thankful for, what we've been up to, keep a journal of happenings to look back on when I'm old and gray. What a minute, I am old and gray. Well, highlighted and middle aged at least.

Fun Friday: Here I want to highlight Kalie's wedding process. We are having so much fun planning for her big day! I've decided that if God so chooses, I would trade out teaching for wedding planning as a full time occupation. I'll share my journey of how I have approached each vendor, thought, commitment, and idea related to this magical time!

WEEKENDS OFF unless otherwise inspired!

SOOOOO..... Because I want to be diligent, I will start today!

TUESDAYS TOP 5: How to stay organized!

1) A place for everything. I am forever harping on my children to pick up things and "put them in there place!". I have designated every spot in my house for something: pleasure, work, cooking, more formal gatherings, more casual hanging out. I've bought furniture and accessories that help in this process. We have organizers in our drawers to help declutter the utensils.

Because this is my philosophy, and not shared by all (ahem, Todd), I decided to move out of "our office" and create my own office in my daughter Ashley's old room. She moved out last summer (but still somehow shows up here regularly for meals and a night on the couch!), and now I have my own clean, organized space. IF you do anything for yourself: I implore you, make a spot just for you!

2) Time Management. Need I say more. I'm a list maker. Surprise! I'm also a control freak! Surprise! On my classroom white board I have a large area designated "Daily Routine". Under this title lists the day's activities - complete with times! Every student looks at that board several times a day. I watch their eyes move over it to see what's coming next!

I plan my time at home the same way! I make of list of "things to do" and then I go back and assign a "time frame" for each item. I then re-write the list so it is in chronological order from the beginning of the day until the end! If it's on the list, there is a 99% chance it will be accomplished. If it floats around in my head, 99% chance it won't! Because mom's have so much to think about, thoughts and ideas get lost all the time. By having it in writing, I can release my brain from storing that little piece of information. By assigning times, I can navigate my day to maximize accomplishment and minimize wasted time.

3) Meal Planning. The truth is - if I don't plan for it, it won't get done. This includes eating in my house. This is primarily due to the fact that I don't just throw together ingredients to create a fabulous dish. I'm a recipe reader. I love reading recipes and following along. I can throw in a few substitutions or change out meats to create new dishes, but I need a foundation in which to springboard from. On Saturdays, I plan my meals for the week. Once I have my plan (cooking at least 4 days with room for left overs), I make two lists. One list is the day with the designated dish ie Monday: Stir Fry with rice. The second list is the grocery list! I do this as I pick each meal. I jot down on a separate piece of paper all the items I need to pick up at the market to complete the meal.

Now whether we end up having a dish on that particular night (things do come up!), at least I know I have all the ingredients I need to prepare the meal. That is the part that makes eating possible in my house! This said, every kitchen does need staples. I will make that my next Tuesdays top 5: Staples every kitchen should have!

4)A Family Calendar! A place where everything is written down for every member of the family! This is the whole reason I bought my IPAD! A color coded calendar. Each member of the household has a color! Now I glance at my calendar and know exactly who needs to be where at what time! Now that my girls are in college, I rarely need to check on them. They still give me their semester schedule and any important dates that need my attention. The trick to this happening: Make sure you check in with your husband at least weekly to input any of his up coming activities! There's nothing worse than planning a family movie, only to find out he's sailing that day. Just saying.

5)Create alone time. Whether you are an early riser, a late to bed person, or find breaks in the day, you will need time to create lists, mentally go over schedules, or just sit before God quietly. We all need alone time to decompress and organize! This time is precious and only leads to positive outcomes!

Happy Organizing!

Chocolate Cake

2010-12-24T09:01:00.001-08:00

What's wrong with having a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast. Nothing! Austin and I just finished off a delicious treat my mom just brought by. Chocolate Molten Cake! Yum. And, yes, I gave him orange juice to make it a balanced breakfast.

Potty Training

2010-12-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

In an effort to record some memories, I will try and blog at least once a month. Maybe then I'll be proud of myself if I pump out two blogs in the same amount of time...

Austin: The most precious little man ever. I LOVE that little guy soooo much. He is fun, innocent, helpful, compliant, sweet, interested, and completely absorbed in his DS at the present moment. I know that I sound like a biased mom, but truly, I complain about my kids when warranted!

This is day 3 of potty training.

PROS: He has only had 2 accidents today. He has only worn pull ups at night, cutting down the cost of that expensive item! He only cries for about 20 seconds now when I put on the toilet. He doesn't need any stimulus to pee.
CONS: I'm tired. He doesn't tell me when he needs to go. I still have to pick him up and carry him to the potty kicking and objecting. I'm tired. He hasn't pooped in a day. Did I mention that I'm tired.

Ashley: Ashley who? Oh, yeah, my second daughter. She is 20 and living everywhere at the present time. This year she moved to her dad's house, but she prefers sleeping at all of her friends' houses! She is in her 3rd year of college, and excelling in Art, her major. She also just got hired at UPS. Ashley - come home! I miss you. Even though I saw you this morning -

Kalie - Getting married June 11, 2011. I am most anxious to blog about her wedding, so I can keep these memories fresh. So far we have the venue - a beachy restaurant with a BEAUTIFUL ballroom upstairs. We have hired the photographer, DJ, florist, cake decorator, and bought the invitations. I will post more detail as we advance towards the day!

It has finally stopped raining here in Southern California! Todd had to replace 3 sump pumps and THANK GOD we had no flooding in the house. Christmas is approaching quickly - we will have Christmas morning here with the family. Todd's family will arrive on Sunday.

I bought myself a camera for Christmas. It is wrapped and ready to go under the tree. I can't wait to open it! Maybe then, I'll even post a few pictures!! Yahoo!!!

Time on my hands...

2010-03-09T12:45:00.001-08:00

It looks like I might be able to bring my blog site up to date! Currently, I have a terrific student teacher in my classroom. One that needs little inspiration, correction, or modeling. She picks things up quickly and is very organized. Because of this, I have time on my hands. Not such a great thing for a classroom teacher.
My files have been cleaned out, all the kids are tested and up to speed, bulletin boards are beautiful, even the closets are clean. Did I mention that I am a special education teacher with 5 absolutely amazing aides as well. Everyone has their job to do, so we really do run like clockwork in here! Hate to say it, but I could actually work myself out of a job training all these fantastic men and women! Besides the fact that my students are pretty terrific as well.

On the home front, Todd brought home a camper that we could say needs a little work! Last weekend we scrubbed the walls, sprayed the counters because of an ant invasion, and shook out all the seat cushions. It looks much better, but we still have lots to do! When Todd noticed a crack in the ceiling, he poked his finger at it and water drizzled down. Now we need to take the ceiling panels off and dry it out. Once we assess that problem, we will move forward to all the other areas needing our attention. This will be a one step at a time process I believe!

Austin is doing great in school (knock on wood). I have come to believe that whenever I praise my kids, the opposite will happen within a day or two.... this has made me very leery of saying anything good. Isn't that sad! Anyway, school seems to be getting better all the time. He sat in Circle Time yesterday and actually got up and danced and sang. We've gone from him running around the room, screaming to be outside to sitting on a lap involuntarily. He wouldn't let Todd participate at all with singing and dancing. He resigned himself to sitting on his daddy's lap, but that was all. Now he participated for the first time yesterday! Hooray!

Kalie made the TNT sorority at school. She performed in the Spring Sing on Friday night and her group won two awards: Most Ticket Sales & Women's Division. They did a song/skit based on Alice in Wonderland. It was fun to see her so happy and involved! She has an interview today. She wants to be selected as the Queen for the Mini Grand Prix; this is the largest school event which brings in much needed funds for the school.

Ashley is doing great in school as well. She is receiving A's on her projects in Art which encourages her and strengthens her belief that her future is somehow in this industry.

Since I am posting at school, I will try to bring in a CD of recent pics to share. Hopefully, I will be consistent with the updates since I am not chronically Austin's upbringing in any other way!

Pictures from Big Bear..... Austin & Ashley

2010-02-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

Home, Mommy

2010-02-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we spent in Big Bear. All I can do is pray that I actually download pictures from the past 4 fabulous days. Snow was pushed to the sides of the road in 4 foot walls. The playground was covered up to the top of the slide with packed white powder. The lake, the beautiful lake, was covered in ice. A gigantic sheet of ice. Beauty was everywhere.

From Tuesday to Thursday prior to us leaving for Big Bear Friday afternoon, Todd took Austin on an impromptu trip up to Sacramento. Many things happened on the trip:
Todd and Austin were able to celebrate Granny Ruth's 92nd birthday, Austin was able to play with his cousins, aunt, uncle, grandparents (unfortunately, he never warmed up to anyone except his cousin, Colin), Austin was able to see horses and chickens all over the ranch (except he never warmed up to any of the animals), and Todd brought home a camper. Fun! Now we can plan a camping trip! All we need to do is fumigate the darn thing and hope all the ants go and live somewhere else. It's old and feeble, but with some TLC we are hoping to bring it back to life!

And the other thing that happened was that Austin became a recording of, "Home, Mamma, Home". Even in Big Bear with me, he continually said, "Home, Mamma, Home"

I'll blog later about our trip! Austin is here now asking to play Thomas videos on the computer. Home, sweet, Home!

A Perfect Angel

2009-12-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

Triumph.

I called my girlfriend the other day to ask for help. She's known in these parts as Preschool Super Nanny. She's even thinking about creating a hotline for hopeless preschool moms. Like me.

Todd took Austin to preschool on Monday. The report to me went something like....

Me: How was school today? Did Austin sit in Circle Time?

T: Maybe for a minute or two. Then he got up and ran to the middle of the circle and started clowning around. When I went to get him, he ran out the other side of the circle. As I came around the outside of the circle, he ran back through the middle.

Me: OMG. Did you catch him???

T: Well, then he saw a trash truck drive by the window and he started yelling, "Twash twuk, Twash, twuk" as he ran for the door to go outside.

Me: I'm sorry.

T: Helpless.

I called my friend. She started asking me all kinds of questions about his social situations, etc.... and I realized - He is perfectly fine, just a silly, outgoing, at times non-compliant boy. But he is so sweet. And it didn't help that Carmen gave him doughnut holes for breakfast.

So, today, I went with Todd and Austin to preschool. Santa was coming today. Santa had a present for Austin. We walked in the room, straight over to the circle and I sat down. I put Austin on my lap and told him Santa was coming. We sang the first song, danced the dance and then sat again as Santa arrived. Austin sat on my lap until his name was called to go up and get his gift. He looked at his book while Santa handed out the rest of the presents. Then we made a bag to hold all the other treats Austin was going to receive this morning. We decorated a picture frame with our picture in it (which will go in Todd's stocking), and made one other craft. Outside Austin listened and played on the bikes. We came in for the last circle time, and Austin participated. He did great today! Yeah!!

Farmville

2009-12-12T18:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not a video game player. I wasn't really into Pac Man. I don't play Play Station 2, WII, or Guitar Hero, even though we own all of them. I am surrounded by gamers.
However, I have found a game I'm thoroughly enjoying; It's called Farmville, and it's on Facebook.

First, you have to be on Facebook. Second, you go to the applications button and click on the corn icon. Then you can begin to create a farm.

I think I like it because I always felt I was a country girl. Yes, I like having a housekeeper, yes, I like sleeping in clean hotels, yes, I like buying my food in the grocery store, but every time I pick a tomato off our plant, I feel good all over!~

Farmville is my way of having a farm and living a little in the country. Many of my friends from high school have become my neighbors. It's fun to fertilize their crops, send them gifts, and stay connected. IF you begin to have a farm, or already have one, let me know so we can be neighbors!

Penne with Broccoli, Panchetta & White Beans

2009-12-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

Pretty simple and pretty good.

I started by boiling water for my penne, and I always drop my broccoli on top of whatever pasta I'm cooking in order to blanch it quickly.

In a large saute pan, I put in about 1 T olive oil and 5 chopped slices of pancetta browning it for about 2 - 3 minutes. I added 1/2 chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic chopped, and some left over sausage (kielbasa) from breakfast yesterday. I got that nice and caramelized and added 1 can of white northern beans. I drained the can of liquid first and then just dumped in the beans. I love adding beans because it's an instant thickener. I removed the broccoli from the boiling water and added it to the saute pan. I sliced about 8 grape tomatoes and added them as well. I tossed everything, added salt and pepper. When the pasta was done, I tossed that in as well. I also added a couple of serving size spoonfuls of pasta water to loosen it up a bit. I stirred gently (really kinda folding all the ingredients) and plated. Last, I topped it with shredded Parmesan.

Served with a salad, it was light, fresh, and tasty.

I wuv you too, Mom

2009-12-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Austin is at that sweet age when I say, "I love you, Austin", he snuggles up next to me and closes his eyes, sweetly in a soft voice says, "I wuv you too, Mom". He's a little like a kitten rubbing his face and hair on my neck while he says it. If my day is busy, hectic, stressful, monotonous, all I have to do is replay those words in my head!

The bright spot today was completing my report cards (actually about 3/4ths), finishing progress reports, planning all December holiday crafts, scheduling all parent/teacher conferences, meeting with my Valet Parking crew (over 60 kids strong:)), and planning the rest of this year! Whew!

Now I have my office at home to tackle... This is when I start to replay, "I wuv you too, Mom"........

Bring it On....

2009-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

The lights are on the house. The mantel is covered in garland and white lights. The tree is in place. Cinnamon is in the air. Let the season begin......

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

The turkey is in the oven, rolls are on the counter rising, stuffing is made, and the table is set. At 3:00, I will begin the mad rush to get the mashed potatoes done, glazed carrots sauteed, corn pudding in the oven, rolls baked, and turkey finished. The cranberry sauce will be put out, along with the desserts on their own table.

Until then, Todd is over at the shop cleaning. Austin has said, "Shop?" approximately 3,489 times this morning. He's over there lifting and closing the garage doors, looking for the stray bunny, and helping to sweep the floors.

Kalie and Jeremy are watching "Without a Paddle", laughing and chatting to friends on their phones. Ashley is now on her way home. She just applied to be a dog groomer at Petsmart. She's an art major in school, but I think she would be a great vet! She loves animals:)

I will go read a little: The Friday Night Knitting Club. Easy reading for a relaxing day. So much to be thankful for!

Trains and Trash Trucks

2009-11-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Two of Austin's greatest life's pleasures are trains and trash trucks. He has a Thomas the Train set out in the garage; providing hours of fun for him and his friends. He has a Thomas the Train set downstairs in our family room; providing hours of fun for him and his dad. He also absolutely loves, above all else, trash trucks. Every Tuesday morning, he is up and dressed, ready to jump on his bike and follow the trash truck around our neighborhood! Everywhere we go, he is on the look out for trash trucks, and when one is spotted, he promptly and excitedly yells, "Twash twuck, Mommy, turn, turn!":) Sometimes I do, Sometimes I don't. I have been known to follow a trash truck through an unknown neighborhood just to delight him.

This past weekend we went to Goat Hill in Fairview Park. It is a place where young and old labor with love over trains and tracks. Every 3rd weekend are free train rides. I'm on my daughter's computer, so I have no way of downloading the pictures of this adorable site. But, we sat for two rounds of train rides (each about 20 minutes) while my son watched so intently the tracks and wheels moving the on the train. If every weekend was riding trains and following trash trucks, life would be grand!

I am just now finishing my coffee, ready to get dressed and out the door to take Austin to preschool. Today is our Thanksgiving Feast. Hopefully all will go well, and I will be thankful!

So much to write about......

2009-11-18T07:36:00.001-08:00

I will do brief summaries of our life for the past month in hopes of permanently marking in history this time in our lives. Someday, I hope to cut and paste these into Austin's album..... yeah, right.

Halloween
Halloween was a blast. We had an easy Saturday, brought home a pizza for dinner then dressed for the evening. I was a little behind as neighbors started coming over before Austin was transformed into Bob the Builder. A few treats from our doorway later, and we were off. We left about 6:30 and visited our immediate neighbors. Austin was very apprehensive at first, slowly following me up to the door where I coached him into saying, "Trick or Treat". He would get the Treat out and stand there waiting for something.... what? he wasn't sure. But the first drop of candy into his basket and he was sold. No problem. He was anxious to get to the next house, and the next, and the next. Finally, I told Todd, "Go back home and get the car, he'll never be able to walk back!" So with our faithful driver, we meandered through our streets and stopped at our favorite friends' houses. We picked up Grammie along the way and visited her friends as well. We got home at 8:00 (1.5 hours of "Treats") and Austin fell happily into bed clutching his basket full of goodies.

Church
I went to an awesome conference a few weekends back at our church, Cottonwood. Some may know my pastor, Bayless Connelly, from his TV broadcasts. He's amazing. Such a great man of God. Well, the conference was exceptional. The theme was "Connect" and the speakers all talked about building relationships with each other. One challenged everyone to give 15 minutes a day to someone that needed help, to be noticed, complimented, encouraged, etc.... He said 5 minutes is easy, but 15 minutes goes into the uncomfortable realm of, "What did I get myself into? Do I really have time for this???" Try it...
The good news was that Austin stayed in the Preschool room the whole time Sunday morning of the conference. I've been wanting him to attend, but the minute worship was over, my buzzer would be going off and he'd be hysterically crying. He did cry a little, but not for me. He wanted to play outside with the balls longer. He's still getting down transition times! So, breakthrough! Austin is going to church with me now!!

Today
We are going on a field trip to the Santa Ana zoo. A sweet, little zoo in a neighboring city. His preschool does a field trip each month. I took the day off work in order to go with him. We went to Knott's Berry Farm last Saturday and it wasn't totally successful. Austin is still learning how to WAIT in line, and how to exit a right gracefully. He tends to say, "MORE, MORE" and not get off. I drag him kicking and screaming while smiling and waving at all the onlookers pitying me. It's ok - I've been here and done this before. It doesn't really bother me. Now that I have adult daughters, I know what to pull my hair out over - not getting off a ride is not one of them!
So, today, I will bring a stroller, lots of dollars for the train ride, sandwiches and fruit and hope for the best!

What's New on the Homefront...

2009-10-05T14:47:00.002-07:00

Dear Journal,
I'm sitting in my classroom, and all the children have left for the day. We just started our Cell to Organisms diagram, and I think/hope they will all learn the five steps: Cells become tissues which become organs which become organ systems which become organisms. How simple is that?? Are we really all that complex? JK

Kalie got her job at the hair salon. She came home with a new color and style: Black and sassy. Looks cute! Ashley ran over and got herself a new look: strawberry blond and Victoria Secret curls. Oh my.

Today was preschool. Only 10 minutes on the yard before we came inside. We painted pumpkins, glued faces on pumpkins, and made a book sequencing how a pumpkin is grown. Very fun! Austin did about 3/4 of it. Or maybe 1/2. Really he just liked the painting part. I've decided to hang his artwork from preschool on the wall in the kitchen for the week that he does it, take a picture of him in front of it, then we can toss the artwork. That might sound callous, however, having raised girls already and knowing how much they can accumulate, besides hating clutter, I think this works best. If he creates a masterpiece, we'll definitely save it!

Dinner tonight will be a favorite pasta dish with fresh tuna that Todd makes. Yum. Somehow it tastes even better when I don't cook it. I think the weekly planner will become a daily look in the freezer for what to make.

Everything else seems to be moving along just fine. We are planning a trip to the Pumpkin patch this weekend. We'll end the day with a Oktoberfest evening. They have a great festival not to far from our house. Hopefully I'll show pictures, Todd somehow lost our Kodak Easyshare program, so I'm a bit at a loss.

Oh well,
Until next time.....

What

2009-10-05T14:47:00.001-07:00

Preschool Update...

2009-09-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

I guess I'll base how good our preschool day is on how many tissues I need to wipe the sweat from my brow. Perhaps the room is just hot.
Today we got to school, and you walked so nicely to your classroom. You always say, "back pack" as we pass by the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms with their belongings hanging on the hooks outside. You then usually say, "Park!" when you see their playground!
We have been at preschool a total of 4 times! You now come into the room, play a little on the floor before venturing outside. I remind you that it is Circle Time, and you really could care less. Then I remind you that we are suppose to be inside, and I wait. The wait is getting shorter. Today, it only took about 4 minutes for you to come back inside! You play "near" the circle, but haven't yet sat down in the circle!
After Circle Time is our crafts. Today is Autumn theme. YOU LOVE TO PAINT. Today when I showed you what Mrs. Nakayama was holding up to paint, you screamed with delight! You then ran over the the squirrel table to start your craft. We glued brown yarn on the squirrel for his tail, glued an acorn on his paw, and you were basically fascinated with the hole puncher the most.
We then went to the wreath table to glue on autumn items: leaves, turkeys, squirrels, acorns, on to our paper plate wreath. You could care less about this craft.
Then let the painting begin. You sat so nicely to use all the colors for your leaf!
We used a sponge that was cut up to dab on your leaf; browns, oranges, yellow & red filled the leaf to capacity!
It only gets better, because after crafts is OUTSIDE PLAY! Your very favorite thing to do!! You now like for me to hold you while you hang on the bars! You also like to ride the tricycle and swing!
When the bell rings, you are usually the last one in the room for snack time. Today you ate your pound cake first, then grapes and a few goldfish!
Everyone cleans up and returns to Circle Time. Not us. That is when you point to the door and tell me "all done". So, we usually leave 15 minutes early.
Today, though, I only wiped the sweat off my brow with 4 tissues! A GREAT IMPROVEMENT!

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-14T19:06:00.001-07:00

My darling Austin,
Today was your first day of school. You woke up at 4:45 AM to start the day, and no amount of coaxing could get you back to sleep. So, we met Grammie and her friends at It's a Grind for coffee at 6:00 AM. We came home and had eggs and cream cheese on toast for breakfast, and you did a great job eating your eggs. Soon it was time to stand in the infamous spot in front of our house for the "first day of school" picture. My brothers, myself, Kalie and Ashley have all had our pictures taken in the same spot since I was in Kindergarten! (Unfortunately, I am unable to download my pics, so that will have to wait until later)
We got to preschool and you loved it. You played on the floor with toys and others for 30 minutes. One little girl was crying almost the whole time. This was registration day, fill out all the cards day, sign up for snack day, etc... so I'm sure she was just trying to adjust to all the noise and people.
You, however, did great! Soon we were able to go outside and you played like crazy. Toward the end of outside play, you noticed the swings. Lately, you want me to push you for at least 40 minutes on the swing. Well, after about 5 minutes, the bell rang to call us all in for snack time. You did not want to go. I talked with you, but you still wanted to spend more time outside on the swings. Finally, I pried your fingers from the chains and got you off the swing. It was all downhill from there. Once we got in to snack time, you washed your hands and sat down to your goldfish and string cheese. You were finished long before the other 25 children had time to wash their hands. You wanted to go back outside. Out of 27 children in the class, you were the only one crying and pitching a fit. I held you in the back of the room, wiping the sweat from my brow, as I bounced you, spoke to you, and walked you from door to door. You continued crying for at least 20 minutes. During this time, children ate their snack quietly while Mrs. Nakayama spoke to the parents about our roles and responsibilities. I heard about 30% of the speech.
Next was Circle Time. Once again you started to make a big fuss, and this is when I said, "Why am I still here?" I said good-bye to the teacher 30 minutes before class was over and took you to the car. We talked about what fun we had at preschool and how excited we were to go back on Wednesday. I put you in your car seat, turned on the engine, turned around to tell you that I loved you, but you were sound asleep.
Poor baby. Quite a first day at preschool!

6 Things

2009-09-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

1) We had a blast up in Big Bear the first week of September. It was perfect. The weather, the balcony which I sat on while I watched fish jumping out of the lake, the laid back tone for Todd, Austin & I, and the leisurely way we approached each day. Nothing more than laying around watching TV, boating on the lake, swimming in the pool, throwing rocks in the lake, and eating out! Perfection.

2) The night we came home from Big Bear, Austin came down with a high fever. Great. The fever lasted three days; the rash broke out soon after. I called the doctor and was told he had Rosiola. No problem. The rash would last 3 - 4 days while he played and acted totally like himself.

3) I started back to school on Wednesday, 9/9. My classroom is such a wonderful place to be. I worked all summer and then some to create a fun, energetic, clean, happy, bright, wonderful place to spend the day with my students. I think it paid off - everyone comments on how much they like the room. I'm so glad. What a blessing to go to work and love it!

4) Ashley and Kalie both started back at school, both are "in love", and both are working more than one job. It is precious time that I spend with them since they are both so busy!!

5) I cut my hair off! Jessica, my hair stylist, did a new look for me yesterday. I was so ready for a fresh look. She chopped off about 5 inches off the back. It's that new V line look - a little longer in the front and shorter in the back. When I take a picture, it will be posted.

6) Austin starts preschool tomorrow - and I'm going with him! He'll go two days a week for 2 hours each day. I have a wonderful friend that will sub for me in my classroom so I can attend each week with Austin. I'm so looking forward to this wonderful time with him!

That's it for now.....

Sick Again :(

2009-08-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been less than a month and Austin was back at the doctor's office. Poor kid. We approach the building and the wailing begins. By the time we are headed down the hall towards the actual room, Austin is frantically doing the "all done" sign language sign. I don't blame him. Every time we go there, he ends up with a shot, blood drawn, chest x-ray, or God knows what. Now, when the doctor goes to check his ears or listen to him breath (both painless) he cries bloody murder.

I refuse to go alone with him again.

I can't take it.

I'm weak.

He is doing better today. He's been sleeping a lot, playing a lot, and staying out of the pool. We leave for Big Bear on Monday. The plan is lots of rest so we have no throwing up on our way up the mountain. That's a memory I would like to forget.

Other than that, Kalie might have a full time job which is one step closer to her getting an apartment, which is one step closer to me not getting woken up at 1:00 AM when she comes home. We're hoping for the best! Oh, just a side note, Kalie was in the ER yesterday for an eye infection in her other eye. I am now personally welcomed and recognized by all employees at our local ER room.

Ashley has started school and is taking 5 classes. As an Art major, she is busy drawing, painting, and making jewelry this semester. How much fun is that! Why on earth was I a Sociology major? Oh yeah, I can't draw.

Todd is working too much. I'm not sure it can be too much after 8 months of no work, but he sure is tired. Tonight I'll make an Italian sausage, broccoli and pasta dish with a light salad on the side. Some crusty garlic bread and wine should round it out nicely.

Here's to rest, relaxation, and a bottle of good wine!

AdSense

2009-08-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

An old thing happening with blogs is sidebars that make you money. If you agree to advertise on your blog, and someone clicks on the advertisement, Google will send you a check depending on how many clicks you got. I'm experimenting with this. So if you see random things occurring between posts, don't worry it's just clickable advertisement brought to you by our friendly Google team.

Tasty Kitchen

2009-08-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Because I love cooking, watching cooking shows, and mostly eating, I have a great new site for you to find recipes: Tasty Kitchen. If you click on The Pioneer Woman link, you will find Tasty Kitchen as one of her top tabs. Click on it, and behold, society at large submitting tried and true recipes cooked in the average home. I love it!
Happy cooking!

Yesterday and Today

2009-08-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday
We got up and headed for the beach. Kalie and 5 of her friends joined Ashley, Austin and me for a day of sand and surf. Except there was no surf because we were technically at the bay. A perfect spot for children under 6 to frolic, swim, build sand castles, and generally get into little trouble. I ran into a friend from work who brought her 3 year old, so our kids had fun running around and splashing in the water.
Everyday in the afternoon we swim. So when we got home from the beach (bay), we jumped in the pool and jacuzzi. A nice BBQ'd steak dinner, mashed potatoes, peas and bacon, and my famous broccoli salad was enjoyed by all.

Today
I've been chasing Austin around the house for a couple of hours. Kalie woke up with an eye infection, so we're off to the doctors office soon. Afterwards, I'm taking Austin to a park we used to play at quite a bit. It will be fun to revisit it. Tonight is Coqu Van (a chicken dish with burgandy wine) for dinner and the last concert in the park.

Summer Update

2009-08-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I suck. Now I have to rely on my memory to recall facts about what fun we've been having this summer. Oh my.

First, Austin's birthday party on July 27th. On Sunday, the 26th, we had family and friends over for a swim party. Everyone had lots of fun eating, swimming, and singing Happy Birthday to Austin. It was easy, relaxed, and delicious. We served the typical summer fare: BBQ'd hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, pasta salad, chips and lemonade. A nice long dessert bar finished off the meal; my mom made special ice cream cone cup cakes for the kids.

Then on the 27th we reserved a cabana for our family at Wild Rivers and spent the whole day playing in the pools, on the slides, and laying in the sun. Austin's eyes could not have been bigger when we walked into the wet and wild wonderland! He is now swimming without a jacket, completely on his own, so he was free to run, jump and splash at will. Ashley's boyfriend, Sean, came with us, as well as my sister, so our total number was 10. Jaycie had a friend meet her there, so everyone had someone to keep them company on the vast number of water slides. For dinner, we all headed over to Ruby's for their $2.70 combo meal in celebration of their 27th year! Our Ruby's is at the end of our local beach pier, so after Austin played in the sandy playground we all headed down the pier for dinner. Quite delicious when you throw in chocolate shakes!

Since his party, we have had play dates, art classes, library story times, trips to Cabrillo Beach tide pools, park time, and friends over for swims. Last weekend, Kalie, Ashley, my best friend, Kalie's boyfriend, and mom all went to Vegas to celebrate Kalie's 21st birthday. All I can say is "Thank God I'm not 21 anymore". I did win $200 on a slot machine, stayed up and partied with Kalie until 2:30 AM, even though she and her boyfriend lasted several more hours, and had an all around fun time!

Austin has now found my lap once again, so I'm off to take him for a walk.
Until next time......

Ok, so it's been awhile....

2009-07-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

It's not that I don't think about posting everyday, it's just that I forgot how much WORK it is to have a 2 year old. He's napping right now (fade to Hallelujah chorus sung from the front porch...)

We have been having a wonderful summer. I have lots of photos to share, stories to tell, and adventures to write about, but right now I need a nap as well. So this short, but sweet, note is to relieve my guilt about not writing, let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth (would you really care??), and to say, I am hoping to post a better version later tonight. Which really means sometime next week.

Until then,

Busy Summer Days....

2009-06-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

I love summer. Usually I love sleeping in, but that won't be happening again for another 10 years or so. Todd is still in the routine of kissing me goodbye at 6:30 and bringing me my coffee. Austin usually sleeps until 7:15, so I have 45 blessed minutes of laying in bed, sipping coffee, and watching the morning news.

We have been very busy - Sea World, a visit from in-laws and cousins, library story times, friends over to play, the beach, the playground, Adventure City, and on and on and on...... Everyday, I try and plan an outing that will take a few hours. So far we have had success!

Today my family is coming for a BBQ. I've made it a potluck so we are only in charge of the meat portion. This morning on The Early Show I saw the "Chef on a Shoestring" segment. He butterflied a whole chicken, sprinkled it with salt, paprika, and olive oil and grilled it for about 40 minutes. First skin side down to brown, the flip it over, put the lid on, and let it go! I think that's what I'll be serving!

I watched Farrah's story last night on Dateline. What a beautiful woman inside and out. It was such a tragedy. She fought so hard against her cancer. Yesterday while I was driving home, a girlfriend of mine was driving in front of me. She lives in Chicago, but she was driving her mom's car. I honked and followed her the couple of blocks to her mom's house. She told me she was in town because her mom had breast cancer. She had her breast removed, but complications arose. She's been here 3 weeks nursing her poor mom whom I've known all my life. After I left, I counted all the CLOSE friends I know that have personally had cancer: 4. Then all the acquaintances I know: 10. 14 people in my circle of friends. Too many.

I praise God for my families health. It is a reminder to cherish each day, cherish each person, and make positive choices.

This week, I've lined up breakfast, lunch and dinner dates with girlfriends, my in laws will be back on Wednesday (we'll go to the tide pools), and I need to look for a new SUV. Concert in the Park starts on Friday night! Hallelujah, I love summer!

Creative Puns for Smart Minds

2009-06-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s Round Table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated in an algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here, I’ll go on a head.”

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, “Keep off the Grass.”

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21 A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In a democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don’t join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

*Taken from Pioneer Woman's Ga Ga

ZZZZZzzzzz...

2009-06-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Field trip today.
Walked to a swim center.
Walked to eat lunch.
Got back to school, and bell just rung.
Leaving now.
Good night.

Ralphs and Walgreens are now off limits.......

2009-06-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Being a creature of habit, I tend to drive the same way to the gas station, my work, the grocery store, or Target. But, recently I've noticed that Austin gets really excited when we pass any Ralphs (local grocery store on almost every corner) or Walgreens, even Walmart or Target.

Yesterday, I went to get gas and had Austin along for the ride. As we passed Ralphs, he held out his arms and began to make sounds like, "Stop the car, for goodness sake, we're about to pass Ralphs". I just quizzically looked at him in the rear view mirror, smiled, and replied, "Now now, honey!"

Then I pulled into the gas station. Across the street was Walgreens. The entire time I pumped gas, my darling angel looked out the window across the street crying. He had his hand raised as if the Lord himself was going to come down and unfasten his seatbelt. When I was through, I merely started the car and put on some loud baby tunes.

But, yes, we had to pass Ralphs again on our way back home. A smart woman would have veered to the right and left of that obstacle, but this well trained woman stayed on the straight and narrow and ventured right past it. What a mistake. I thought my baby would become unglued. I called my mom on my car phone so I wasn't alone with all that shrieking. Also, so I would have a witness if anyone in cars within a 3 mile radius heard his screams and reported me for child abuse.

We made it home. Instead of promising him ice cream after dinner tonight, I think I'll take him to Ralphs.

The Waterfall and Swim

2009-06-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

E.R.

2009-05-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Just another typical day in the ER for me and my girls. When I was growing up, I was definitely a tomboy. I was in the ER every other minute - broken arms, fractured kneecaps, dislocated collar bones, dog bites, hit by a car, too many to count stitches, and on and on and on....... My poor mother. I was only one of 4 rough around the edges children. She wasn't there just for me....

Well, I believe in Karma. I have been to the emergency room with my daughters no less than 5 times in the last month. Asthma attack, two stomach cramps (possible ruptured cysts), thought it was a broken foot - but thankfully just badly hemorrhaged - and something else I've forgotten.

Today, was the foot.

But the good news is, while I was studying medicine for my RN certificate, Todd was signing a job!! Yahoo!! We are on our way to our favorite Tokoyo Hibatchi to celebrate with sushi!

Day Two....

2009-05-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm stuffed. I just threw a pizza party for my students at school, and guess who is eating all the leftover pizza. I actually feel dizzy.
We are celebrating learning our parts of speech: nouns, verbs, pronouns, conjunctions, etc.... We made a pizza out of tagboard and construction paper and then each slice was a part of speech. As they learned each one, they chose four words to represent and wrote them on their toppings (olive, pepperoni, mushroom, & sausage). Being that I am at school now, and have no way of getting a picture, you'll just have to imagine the cuteness! Anyway, we topped it off with our own pizza party, and this is why my pants won't fit for the afternoon session.

I've decided to post on my lunch break since I sit in front of a computer, I have time on my hands, and I'm not one to snub a commitment - except for dieting and working out.

Today, Todd took Austin to the doctors. The cold is in his chest, and he has quite a cruppy cough, but thank God it isn't in his ears. So, Tylenol for a few more days, and hopefully we will be swimming again soon.

I just finished reading two good books; a series, if two books constitutes a series. The first is Daughter of Fortune and the second was My Life in Sepia. The first takes place during the Gold Rush, and it's about a young girl living in Chile. She falls in love and when her man leaves for the fortune in California, she stows away on a ship to track him. Easy reading, nice historical information, fun fiction. Book two is told from the granddaughter's perspective years later.

Not much else. Just trying to plan a trip to San Diego soon for some Sea World action. What are you doing for summer travel this year?

A New Commitment

2009-05-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Workouts, dieting, saving money, patience, kindness...
these are the things that I almost daily try to commit myself to doing. But, alas, today I'm going to add "Write on your blog daily to keep a record of Austin's growing up" to the list. I tend to do better when there is a reason for doing something.

So, in an effort to make good on my new commitment, here goes....

Well, my darling, precious son, whom I could eat up with a spoon because you are so full of sugar, today you are home with your sister, Kalie, watching you. Your daddy is busy now! Yahoo!! Being out of work for more than 7 months makes for stressful times!

You are getting over a cold, but unfortunately our swimming pool and waterfall are your most favorite places on the entire planet and you really want to dive in! Yesterday, you turned 22 months old, and already you swim with only a light vest on. You jump by yourself off the waterfall and diving rocks giving your poor Mama quite a scare. But Daddy encourages this. You absolutely LOVE it.

With being sick and all, you stand at the back sliding door and beg for someone to turn on and off the waterfall. Thus, you are now learning these two words. At this time, you only say up, Mama, Daddy, and a resounding "YEEEAHHHHH". Now, you say "off" like a German clearing his throat. A lot of guttural sounds in it. This is not to say that you don't speak. You chatter non stop! And, you know what EVERYTHING means.

You still love going to Grammie's house and having everyone hit the wind chimes. You can now crawl up onto her planter box and walk along smacking a few of your own. This and opening and shutting her kitchen door are the favorite things to do their now. We go for walks daily, and you know all the houses that have flags, wind chimes or other paraphernalia hanging from the front porch before we even get there!

You are precious beyond words. Your sisters are about to enroll in summer school at the local college and try to knock a few more classes off their list. Kalie has spent much time watching you, but her and Ashley both work for the same company and log many hours there as well. Perhaps they will be moving out soon.....

Last night, Todd made some delicious BBQ'd ribs, and we had sweet potatoes on the side. I think we will have left overs tonight, but I'm going to make an apple tart I saw on Pioneer Woman's site. Look on my sidebar and click on her blog for some wonderful recipes, photography, homeschooling ideas, and her everyday life in the country. She won the Blog of the Year Award last month!

Anyway, that's enough for now. Tomorrow, I will start to gather free summer ideas and post a few! Only 2 1/2 weeks of school left. Can I hear and AMEN, and excuse the noise, that's me singing the Hallelujah chorus off my front porch!

Some days are better than others.....

2009-05-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

I like a hot summer day or a nice rainy day over a windy day..
I like lazying around reading magazines (I subscribe to Rachel Ray, Family Fun, and More)
Other days I love cleaning and making sure my house is spic and span...
Today is a shopping day! Another winner!

First, I'm getting my nails done (long overdue), then I'm taking Austin, Ashley, and Kalie to pick out wind chimes for their grandma's backyard. My precious mom has wind chimes hanging all around a back covered patio, and Austin LOVES them. EVERYTIME we are at her house he runs to the backyard first. We need to hit each one (a time or six) and make them ring. Unfortunately, some are down to one chime hanging there all by their lonesome as they are old, falling apart, and apparently not suppose to be hit so often. So, for Mother's Day, she is getting 3 new wind chimes!

Yesterday, Todd gave me a gift card to Home Depot for Mother's Day. He knew I wanted new flowers to plant in our beds, so I'm off to gather some new plants! Yahoo!!

Then, after all the shopping, planting and sweating, I'm getting my hair done at 4:00. I think I'll arrange a babysitter (Kalie) and take my husband out for dinner to top off the day.

Tomorrow I'm having my family over for brunch. I'm making a baked french toast with blueberries. It's made with Hallah, so it should be nice and light. It's from At Home with Giada, if you watch Food Network! I'll serve sausage and bacon, scrambled eggs with melted cheese, and fruit on the side. Perhaps Mimosa's would be nice for the adults - but I think I'll check out Sandra Lee's cocktails for a more inspiring drink.

Whatever you do tomorrow, I hope it's wonderful! Happy Mother's Day!

Laid Out Flat

2009-04-17T14:33:00.001-07:00

My back is acting up again. Two years ago, I herniated a disc in my back - 1 cm. It took awhile of physical therapy, shiatsu treatments, and lots of TLC for it to work its way back to normal.

This is my Spring break week! And boy, was I excited. I had been putting in 10 - 12 hour days at work, and I was so looking forward to catching up on a few things at home and playing with Austin. Sure enough, the beginning of the week was overcast. Perfect for cleaning out the medicine cabinet, calling to reduce our interest rate on our mortgage, and trying out a few new recipes.

By Wednesday, I knocked everything off my To Do list and was feeling awesome. Except for an occasional tweek in my lower back. Waking up Thursday, I knew it was all over. My back was stiff and I couldn't lift Austin out of his crib. Thank God for my 76 year old mom who continually amazes me with her unbounding energy and love.

She is over EVERY morning at 6:30 to play with her precious grandson when he wakes up. It is so special for both of them. Well, she helped get him up, and she played with him for an hour before she had to leave for work.

Todd was already gone, and of course, both girls were sleeping. So I slowly got Austin a book to read and played for awhile. Then we went to do a couple of errands, which began to make my back feel a little more strained.

I needed to make a choice though, on the way home. Do I lay on the couch and let my son ran rapid through the house, or should we go to the park and let him play on the swings and slides. I chose the park. I felt walking slowly around him was a better choice than demolishing my house and running after him anyway.

The park was beautiful. Lots of kids, moms and children, and gorgeous weather. But my back stiffened more. By 12:00 we headed home, and thankfully Todd was there to put Austin down for his nap.

I went to the chiropractor at 3, got a small bit of relief and now I'm making dinner. I just popped in to get the Parmesean crusted fillo dough recipe which is stuffed with asparagus. Someday, I'll post my menu again.

Hope your days have been productive and pain free.....

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

2009-04-17T14:30:00.001-07:00

My sister in love is walking for this great cause! If you would like, help support all the struggling babies fighting for their chance to thrive! God Bless!

Cross this off my list......

2009-04-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Because I am a nuerotic creature, I keep lists. I have lots of lists and even times put next to them. I know, it's scary.

This has been on my list for some time - write blog entry.

I know there is much to write about:

*the baby shower I threw at my house last week for a neighborhood friend. So much fun and lots of little surprises along the way....

*my last day of school before Easter break let out and the fun we had making tye dyed Easter baskets

*or my little bunny that came home from his Tails and Trails class

*my kitchen, which is looking quite beautiful, I might add. Anything other than plywood counters can't be half bad...

but, now that I'm listing all these things I could write blogs about, I'm beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. So, before these get added to my already long list, I'm signing off.

PS For dinner tonight I'm making Mac n Cheese, Corned Beef, and a yummy salad. This relieves a little of my lack of posting menus......

PPS Good grief.

A Day Off....

2009-03-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

and I'm lovin it! I look forward to "free" moments throughout my day, but I'm beginning to miss Austin more and more when I'm free~

The other day we went to visit my sister's horse, Paisley, in hopes of getting Austin used to the sights and sounds of horses. We're hoping to get him to ride someday...

He went from shying away from all the horses to running in the field where Paisley was let loose. Finally, he began stroking her mane and even sat for a few seconds bareback. It is a fun trip to the stables!

Yesterday, we went to Carlsbad and drooled over the "Flower Fields". A mass of over 250,000 ronoculas (I have no idea how to spell that flowers name, but try it phonetically and it should work). Yellow, pink, red, white, multi-colored, grown in masses, and picked into beautiful bouquets. It was Kid's Day, so many children ran through the fields, had fun planting and face painting, played in the snow (trucked in for this event), and saw a Ronald McDonald show.

Today, Austin is with his daddy at a race car event. A friend of Todd's is trying to qualify his time in a certain category. Austin and Todd will cheer Justin on and marvel at all the loud sounds and fast cars. Meanwhile, I will wash linens, menu plan, watch cooking shows, finish Rachel Ray's magazine, and maybe look for bar stools.

Hopefully later today, I will, for the first time in a VERY long time, post a menu for the week. Not that anyone really cares, but I do take this accountability thing pretty seriously.... Not.

Queen Mary and St Patrick's Day

2009-03-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have been loaded with fun.

First, Austin and his dad went to their class at the Nature Center, and a cute little leprechaun showed up at my house!

Yesterday we went to the Queen Mary.

Anyone who lives in California could board the ship for free between March 1 - March 15. We put it off until the last minute, since we boarded the ship at 4:00 on March 15th! But, 1.5 hours was just enough time for Austin to have his fill!

Carnival Cruise Line was taking off a few feet away....

We met friends there, and overall it was a beautiful day.

A Kitchen I Can Be Proud Of.....

2009-03-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this a little prematurely, because I still need to download the pictures. So they will follow shortly. But, I can say, the counter is in! The sink and faucets are in! Which means the dishwasher and garbage disposal work! The backsplash is in! A few accessories are up!

Still missing...... Cabinet fronts, my 4 drawers on each side of the sink, flooring and window treatments. All coming soon. Remember, I lived like an outdoorsman for over a year now!

Oh to cook where there is no plywood! I am a proud mama!

All this is because Todd is still not working. I should say "working and getting paid", because he is working plenty! He is taking care of Austin 5 days a week, cleaning the house like he's a bald headed Mr. Clean, and having his employee paint our house.

So, all in all, while life isn't perfect, for me it's coming along just fine.

Raising a Toddler is NOT for the Faint of Heart....

2009-02-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I took Austin to Story Time at the Library. It was our first time. It happens on Thursday mornings from 9:00 - 10:00, so usually I am at work. But, because we are FINALLY completing our kitchen, Todd needed to work that day on it, and I happily played hookey from work.

I got Austin all ready, making a big deal as I told him where we were going, and hopped in the car for the short drive. Once there, I walked in and the room was pretty empty. Only two other moms with their precious babies. Austin wanted to walk around the room and check stuff out, so I pretty much watched him and chatted with the other ladies. The room began to fill up quickly, and it was definitely time to find a spot on the rug. Austin didn't really want to, but it was time. So, as any good mom would do, I gathered him up and sat him on my lap.
He began wiggling.
The librarian welcomed everyone.
My son started squirming.
She began the story.
He started arching his back.
I held him down and told him, "Look at the dinosours, Austin"
Yeah, right.
I was as persistent as he was. I'd remember my girlfriend, the preschool teacher, saying that you have to be stronger than your child.
He would settle down, then start to try and get up.
This went on throughout the story time.

Finally, it was time for the parachute. This is hands down Austin's favorite game. A huge nylon parachute laid out in a gigantic circle. Parents hold the ends and lift and lower it over the children. Usually songs are sung as this is going on. Well, Austin saw the parachute and ran and sat on top of it. After all, this is what he does every week at his trails and tails class at the Nature Center.

How were we to know that you are never suppose to walk or sit on it??

Everyone looked in our direction as I scooped up my excited boy and explained that he needed to go under the parachute HERE. Once it began to lift, Austin got so excited he actually began squeezing the backs of other kids. They began to cry. Holy Mama. I scooped him up again, and I took him out of parachute time. I tried to explain firmly, yet lovingly, NO HANDS! When I felt adequate time out had sufficed, I let him go back. He tore across the rug, knocking over a few kids as other moms quickly began snatching up their young ones before mine made contact. It really was just a problem for him maintaining his balance. He didn't mean to create a human pinball machine under the parachute.

The games were last, but by then, I'd had so many looks that I took Austin outside to the playground where he jumped, played and frolicked to his heart's content.

The good news. This week at Story Time and Tails and Trails, Austin sat perfectly still listening to the stories and songs. He only arched his back once, but I really think he was stretching. God is good, and so is each passing day :)

The Cow is Coming

2009-02-22T10:09:00.001-08:00

Due to our economic state of affairs, I am racking my brain for anyway to get free money. Is there such a thing? My daughter told me last night that she goes to stumbleupon.com and she found a jewelry site that gives away jewelry for free - all you have to do is pay the shipping. She said it was for some "worthy" cause.
My sister emailed me a website halfoff.com or at least something like it, and she constantly sends me coupons for all sorts of stuff. So I guess the answer is "YES!", in our current state of economic upheaval, there are still some deals out there.

At our school, I thought it would be nice to try and help out with the financial crunch. We are having a Skate Depot night on March 18th, so I called the local Chick Fil A and asked them if we could get a percentage of sales driven by our school population. And, they were happy to oblige. All you need to do is (1) dine in and (2) bring the flyer that I will be creating. Simple enough. We'll get 15% of the sales totals from the flyers brought in.

I've even got the cow coming! He will stand below our grand marque (which of course will advertise the event)at school and draw lots of stares from confused parents. Hopefully, our student council members will be eagerly handing out more flyers to help make our "dine in only" event a success!

We are also doing "Box Tops for Education". Another great way to earn money. Each box top is worth 10 cents. If you go to their website, you can even get more coupons for the General Mills items needed to acquire the box tops in the first place. They have LOADS of products, and you can check out their website for their product list and coupons available.

Try these nifty ideas at your local school.. Anything to help in this current time of need :)

Snack Sized

2009-02-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to watch 2 Food TV shows. Oh, how I remember the days that I would spend 6 hours in front of the TV catching up on all kinds of recipes and techniques. That time has gone.

But, one of the shows I saw, Robin to the Rescue, had a great idea. This is the same Robin that does the Quick Fix meals. She was helping a man with his portions and food choices. He had gained a lot of weight eating in his car and frequenting fast food places.

One positive thing about this recession, I no longer eat much fast food! I have actually lost a little weight, to boot! Anyway, back to the show. She took him to the grocery store and loaded him up on nuts, dried fruit(apricots), whole wheat crackers, and beef jerky. When they got home, they divided up the goods into snack size ziplocks and tucked them away on "his" shelf in the cupboard.

She checked his progress a month later, and lo and behold, he had lost 10 pounds. It was really cute because he was excited to show her that his wife had turned him on to the "mixed" package of dried fruits! He had continued with his snack size portions and his "good" food choices.

Of course, I went out to a new grocery store here in our town called Sprouts. It is similar to Trader Joes, but has rows and rows of bins filled with trail mixes, nuts, dried fruits, oats, whole wheat, and on and on and on. I filled bags with chocolate covered cranberries, trail mixes, walnuts, BBQ'd corn nuts, veggie chips, etc.... And when I got home, I put a little of whatever in each bag. I showed the girls and Todd, and lo and behold, everyone is loving it!

It just feels good to eat healthy, smaller sizes, and save a bit of money. I'm looking forward to my next trip back. While I was there, I also got lots of great cheeses, produce and yummy frozen foods which I usually never make. If you have a Sprouts in your area, I highly encourage you to try it out, otherwise use your local grocery store and have at it! Whatever the case, enjoy!

Hello, Again!

2009-02-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

I think this should be the name of my blog. And to be quite honest, does anyone really care? On the off chance someone does, I'll give a brief update since falling off the end of the earth.

First of all, everyone in my house is still eating. I know the menu has been the same for months, but I assure you - there has been variety. I am going to try and recommit to the whole menu planning thing. Lately, life has been hectic and I cook whatever my husband has taken out of the freezer in the morning. We have had some delicious meals, so I will post them in the next couple of days.

Secondly, I think we might get kitchen counters, a sink, garbage disposal, and install our beautiful new dishwasher that has been living in a box in the garage for I can't remember how long now. Yes, exciting times around here.

Austin is so much fun now. Todd has been working "lightly" lately with the economy in the toilet, so he has been on childcare for a month now. Sadly, Carmen is no longer with us. I truly believe we had a communication breakdown in which English and Spanish could not save. We hope the best for her, and who knows, maybe she'll be back sometime. As for now, Todd is taking Austin to the Nature Center every Friday for his "Tails and Trails" class. Talk about cute. They're starting "Story Time" at the library tomorrow, and I sure wish it was me going instead. They are bonding and Todd is in heaven with his little boy, so I guess it is all good.

Work has been challenging, fun, exhausting, marvelous, and time consuming. But, I love my school site and the people I work with. The students are great, and I'm still saying this in February. I started a Valet Drop off program that allows moms and dads to sit in their car with their hot coffee while a student opens the door welcoming them and assisting their child onto the sidewalk. They drive off, the child goes to class, and all is well.

The worst part about the economy is that I've had to give up my weekly shiatsu treatments. This is a deep muscle massage. Has anyone in cyber space ruined their shoulders due to picking up a 28 pound child over and over and over again?? It is painful. I'm on Advil, Biofreeze, and self inflicted massage treatments. I know. Sad.

Well, American Idol is on in a few minutes. It's down to the long walk towards the judges to see if they made the cut. Just being invited to the great mansion (who lives there????) would be pretty awesome. It's beautiful in a materialistic sort of way...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Does anyone have any special things they will be doing, giving, or enjoying - I could use some fresh ideas!! I will be making "One Eyed Omelettes" in the shape of a heart on Saturday morning, along with sausages, potatoes with onions, fruit, and hot coffee.

Enjoy!

The Porch Light

2008-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

I guess the porch light has many uses: welcomes guests to a bright doorway, lets trick or treaters know there is candy at "that house", and it looks nice when driving by.

My porch light is used for all those reasons. And one more. It lets me know when my girls are home at night.

It seems that every night they have somewhere to go. When did sitting home with me become so boring?? Just because I go to bed around 8:30 doesn't mean I'm not a barrel of laughs until then. They just roll their eyes when I say I'll stay up late and watch a movie with them. They know to well that I'll be asleep snoring on the couch before the 2nd main character is introduced. God love them.

So. They go out. OK.

Kalie, being 20, and being very responsible with coming in at reasonable times, doesn't really have a curfew. Besides, she is stealth when she arrives home. If event planning doesn't work out well for her in the future, I highly recommend she become a spy where stealth activity is necessary. I never hear this child.

When she was younger, I could never wait up for her, but that wasn't necessary.
I have a porch light. And if I woke after what was her curfew, the light would always be off, and she would be tucked safely away in her bed. #1 child. Not to worry about.

Now, Ashley is a different story. Yes, she is incredibly responsible, but that porch light has been left on far too long into the morning hours for my peace of mind. Last night, the porch light needed to be changed because it ran out of juice somewhere after midnight.

Being 18, almost 19, she doesn't understand why she even needs a curfew. I'm having a bit of a hard time letting this one go. She has proven herself to be very respectful, attending college and passing (both are requirements here), and holding a steady job.

Perhaps, I should lighten up a bit. And invest in florescent lighting for the porch. I heard those bulbs last longer.

Christmas is back....

2008-12-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

For the past several years, I've decided I wasn't really into Christmas anymore. I loved the birth of Christ, and honoring him was always, daily on my mind. It was the decorating the house, buying tons of gifts, and hearing holiday music to nausium that got to me. So we often headed to Hawaii and ended up surfing on Christmas Day.

But, now we have Austin.

How do you skip Christmas with a toddler in the house?? Yeah, right.

But with the toddler, came the feeling of wanting Christmas again. I am enjoying the holiday music in my car, we've decorated the house (so, so pretty), and I've put a major limit on spending for Christmas.

When Kalie and Ashley were little, I remember watching them tear through packages, only to grab another one to tear through with little to no appreciation for what they just opened. Tearing open packages seemed to be more fun! It was then and there that I decided, "Jesus got 3 gifts at his birth, you two can have the same!" After that, I no longer went bizzerk buying tons of gifts which would be soon forgotten by January 31st.

That rule still applies today. Don't feel sorry for them. They got 3 really, really good gifts. And stockings didn't count. I put a few extra nice gifts in there as well.

This is the Christmas photo I'll be sending out this year. I hope yours is jolly and bright as we worship the One who is the reason for this season!

Hello, Again!

2008-12-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

I am not a picture taker. I'm the person that sees the moment and then says, "Shoot, I wish I had my camera." I wish I had my camera this past week. I was up in Big Bear - one of my favorite places on earth!

My family - Mom, Kalie, Ashley, Austin, and myself went up the day after Thanksgiving for a little R & R. Todd stayed home to work. Little did we know....

As we headed out - I drove my mom and Austin, while Ashley drove her car with her sister. As we approached the one mile mark before getting off the freeway and starting the mountain ascent, Austin began heaving and throwing up all over himself, his car seat, and the backseat in general. Of course, being in the fast lane - God miraculously cleared all lanes as I beelined it toward the shoulder. Austin was throwing up so much that he was almost gagging. I jumped out of my seat as cars whizzed by and grabbed my son. I held him over my arm as I raced to get on the other side of the car. He continued to throw up a bit more and looked at me with pleading eyes. He wanted me to hold him close, but honestly, with throw up all over the front of him - I just couldn't see pressing him against me. So I did what any other loving mother would do - I yelled for my mom to get a quick change of clothes while I stripped him down and cleaned him off with my bottled water.

After he was settled, my mom held him and I began scrubbing his car seat on the side of the freeway. Of course, this is when the call came from my girls asking if they'd gone too far as they were now approaching Palm Springs..... I told them to stop at a gas station and ask for directions as I was busy cleaning up Austin's breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past 6 weeks. I hung up to hysterical laughter on the other end. Such compassion.

When I had done my best to make the car clean, we headed toward our destination. Ten minutes into the ascent, Austin threw up all over AGAIN. No problem, been there - done that. We had the drill down. Change Austin, clean car seat, disinfect car, start again. Poor kid. Needless to say, driving 5 miles an hour doesn't make you popular when there aren't many turn outs on the mountain road. But, ask me if I cared - not when my baby's health is in question. I politely smiled and waved back as they pointed their finger toward God and mouthed what I could only take as "I hope your son is feeling better!"

We finally arrived and started to unpack. Every floor to ceiling window looked out on the lake. It was magical. Austin seemed to be ok, but he was still looking a bit blue. We pretty much did what I intended to do for the whole week: nothing. We sat around and talked. But, Austin began the dry heaving and the doctor needed to be called. That 24 hour period was rough, but Saturday and Sunday turned out to be spent throwing rocks in the lake, driving through the village and window shopping.

The plan was for Ashley to drive Austin and my mom home on Sunday, while Kalie and I stayed until Friday. So when Austin was safely asleep, they headed down the mountain. All was well, and they got home with no problems!!!

A few hours later, my stomach started to feel a bit "off". By evening, Kalie was throwing up, and I joined her. Pins and needles racked our bodies and we could not keep anything down. Pure misery. But the lake outside my bedroom window did so much to ease my pain.

By 11:00 PM I called my mom to see how she was doing. Fine. Until we hung up - then she got it. Ashley called to say that she had just thrown up at her boyfriend's house and was heading home. Good Lord, this stuff is potent. We all suffered for 24 hours, and then it seemed to go away.

Tuesday morning, Todd called to tell me he was throwing up. Somehow this virus clung to Ashley and jumped on any unsuspecting fool that walked by. Not only was Todd now clinging to life, but her boyfriend called to say that he was also joining in the fun. I tried to be encouraging when I told them they would feel better in 24 hours. It was that "light at the end of the tunnel" I was hoping would soothe their beings. Really, though, you could care less about the end of the road while pins and needles are attacking your body at the present moment.

Carmen stayed and helped Austin with his bath and bedtime to give Todd a break. I fasted and prayed that she would not also get it. But, of course, she had a small bout with it the next day.

With guilt piling up, Kalie and I decided to leave early and come home. I looked at the beautiful lake with trees surrounding, saw all the duck families contently swimming along, and envied all the boaters out on the glassy water. Until next summer -

It was quite a week -

Give

2008-11-08T10:34:00.001-08:00

Boy, it's been awhile. Really - it's just been awhile since I posted anything. I've been faithfully reading my favorites everyday.

And, as I have been reading my favorites everyday, I have been feeling a tug to sponsor a child through Compassion Ministries again. My first husband and I did this years ago. And it felt sooo good. Many of the blogs that I read, Big Mama and The Pioneer Woman, have been writing about a trip to the Dominican Republic this last week where they had a chance (actually Marlboro Man and their two daughters) to meet children sponsored by this program.

If you were to come to my house right now, you would see an outdoor park located on my driveway: cars, motorized ATV's, slide, wagons, push toys, basketball hoop, tents, and various little do dads scattered all about. Now, I did not purchase all of these items. In fact, most were generously given to me by friends with older boys. Believe me, I am thankful - they each received Golden Spoon as a heartfelt thank you!

But, then check out those two other blog sites where they show numerous pictures of ramshackled houses, no toys littering anything, bare feet, ragged clothing, and some without a shred of hope on their faces. It will break your heart.

No child should live that way. I thank God for the pictures of the smiling children that know Jesus and have a hope that only I could dream of. They are not blinded by our "stuff" and are able to see the miracles that happen everyday. Although I know my God is alive and working, sometimes I can get caught up in all the "stuff" around me and "Forget all the benefits of the Lord" - which we are told not to do in Psalm 103.

Today, my husband is struggling for work. As a general contractor, life is up and down. I have gone back to work full time in order to secure our future. With our economy in a downward spiral, now is not the time to gamble with job security. Although I know we will be fine because God is and always has been faithful to our needs, I sometimes wished that we didn't have quite so much stuff. Life would be simpler without so much. Yes, I enjoy it, but I believe I could enjoy life on other terms as well.

I want to smile like a child in the Dominican. I've been there myself, and I know the hardships they face. I remember what fame was given to the only house on the street with an indoor toilet. We would leave in the morning to go build a church as chickens wandered about. We'd come home in the evening and eat chicken for dinner. The nights were spent singing praise songs to Jesus. A simple life. One that deserves food on the table, clothes on the body, shoes on the feet.

God has stirred in my spirit to give again to this important cause. I've seen the difference it makes.

The Older You Get

2008-10-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

the less you have to fear being sung to on your birthday! I am one of those people who do not like all the attention of the wait staff at the birthday dinner celebration. Especially, when they focus on you for 3 rounds of "Happy Birthday" in various renditions.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I am happy to say it was quite uneventful.

I woke up to a beautiful 78 degree day. The perfect temperature in my book. Austin had his Tiny Tot gymnastic class. Carmen, Todd and I all went to help him maneuver through those long tunnels, do flips on the bars and walk the balance beam! How cute are 1 - 3 year olds doing gymnastics!

We then dropped off Carmen and took a long drive along the beach while Austin napped in the car. We stopped at our favorite breakfast burrito place and picked them up for breakfast at home.

The rest of the day I did pretty much nothing. But nothing is bliss when days are full of work, errands, cooking, cleaning, and chasing.

My mom and Kalie watched Austin while Todd and I went to our old Greek hangout for dinner. While we were dating, and just newly married, we would go to this place for gyros every Friday night and then watch a movie. So last night, we ate our gyros and went to see "The Duchess". I liked it, he didn't. Too sappy for him, but just right for me! I love any movie that depicts history, has a love story, and doesn't include lots of sex scenes, showing breasts, blood, violence, and horrid language. Some call me a prude. Whatever.

It was a nice evening, and a nice day all around. Today we are going to the pumpkin patch with Austin, and then hopefully resuming the nothing for the rest of the day schedule!

Blessings

2008-10-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try and write down/journal blessings that happen each day. I know God is amazing, but in the low times, sometimes I forget all that He has done.

Right now, with the rest of the world suffering from this depressing economy, I too am pinching pennies.

So on to the blessings:

First, my husband gave me a "two for one" coupon for a favorite deli of mine. I was planning to have lunch at my old school with some friends, and decided to pick up lunch on the way. Perfect! I ordered our usual favorite: meatball sandwich with antipasto salad. The salad would be enough to have for dinner that night, and we always split the sandwich. When I got there to pick it up, the owner told me that I had read the coupon wrong, and I needed to order some specific item for it to work. I apologized for the error, and he gave me the price cut anyway! Blessing #1.

Next, I had planned on cooking short ribs for dinner tonight. Usually I don't shop at Ralphs anymore unless I have some great coupons. Which I did the other day. I had between $3.00 - $5.00 off for some meat, $5.00 off total bill if over $20, and a free carrot coupon. So I went to Ralphs and loaded up my cart. I divided my shopping into 3 sections so I could use my $5.00 off for $20 coupons several times (I had three of them). I also divided up my other coupons/meat. What would have cost me over $100 in food, cost me less than $50.

While I was there, I checked out the short ribs. $4.99/lb. Outrageous. I'm not spending that much! But today, when I remembered our dinner plans, outrageous became, "I guess I'll just by 2 packages. I mean, if we go out to dinner, it would cost a lot more than $16.00". So I went to Ralphs again. BUT.... what did my blessed eyes fall upon? A sale on short ribs. Now they were only $1.99/lb. I rushed home to sing the Hallelujah chorus off my front porch. Actually, I snatched up 8 packages. Three for tonights dinner, and the rest in the freezer for future use. What would have cost me $50.33 cost me only $23.00, and that was with a loaf of bread ($4.39) thrown in. Can you believe the cost of bread?
Anyway. Blessing #2.

I'm looking forward to journaling all the blessings God bestows on us each day. What a great way to remember, even in times of recession, that He provides for ALL our needs.

Austin's first birthday party

2008-10-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Lots of neighbor kids enjoying a sweet afternoon.

I've been locked out

2008-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

of my Google account, and I have not been able to post for sometime. Of course, the biggest news is that my husband is home and I have a weekly menu once again! All is well in the household when the kids aren't starving and foraging for food.

Today was a wonderful day. I did something that hasn't occurred for over a year. I went to the movies! My mom and I went to church, picked up Subway and headed for the theater. We love having a movie marathon day. Before I got remarried and had another child, we would go to the show every couple of months and stay from 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM. With pretty sore bottoms, we would waddle out filled with popcorn and the latest flicks!

Today I was reacquainted with the love of movie marathon day! We saw Nights in Rodanthye (Diane Lane/Richard Gere), Righteous Kill (Al Pacino/Robert DeNiro), and Burn After Reading (Brad Pitt/George Clooney). They were all great. Burn After Reading was probably my favorite, but Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are hard to beat.

I came home to a little boy fed and in his pajamas after a day of swimming with Daddy. I had the pleasure of reading him his goodnight stories and giving him his bottle while I rocked him to sleep.

All is well, now that Daddy is home!

PS With all the Golden Spoon dinners while Todd was in Alaska, I've managed to lose 6 pounds. I'm starting back at the gym tomorrow.

My Kids Won't Starve

2008-09-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

This week, even though I haven't had time to post my full menu, I plan on cooking.

I just finished making egg salad, a huge tossed green salad, and penne pasta. I'm going to use part of the penne for tonights dinner "Shrimp and Pasta in a creamy tomato sauce" from Pioneer Woman's site. I'll put a link up on my menu side bar.

Believe it or not, I actually bought Velveta cheese. I plan to use some of the penne for a quick mac and cheese. I've never done this before, so I hope it's as easy as microwaving the Velveta to get it creamy and stirring in the pasta.

I'm also roasting a bunch of stuff. I figured if the oven is on, and I have enough room, I'm throwing in onions, potatoes, butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. That way, my kids will have something healthy to grab during the week.

I'll be linking other items like Enchiladas and Tenderloin with melted gorganzola cheese and a yummy pasta side dish with roasted garlic and tomatoes. Anyway, tomorrow I will (hope to) post the full week of meals.

I just spoke with Todd, and if luck has it, he'll be home in a week. Good thing I'm starting to get in the cooking swing of things again!

Of course, I have a quart of Golden Spoon for dessert, since I am cooking this week.

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

2008-09-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

Like you, I have my favorite blogs I try to read every day. I used to read about 10 a day, but that was during the summer, when life was easy breezy. Now, with Todd gone (going on 2 months) and school back in session, I'm down to reading 2 every few days.

But...... I can feel life getting back into a routine. Which means menu planning will soon be happening again. I have enjoyed taking 2 months off from cooking. Can you imagine? I have eaten Golden Spoon for dinner more times than I would like to count.

But remember when I was working out like crazy every day. Well, I haven't worked out in over a month, and yes, I am still the exact same weight. Ugh.

Austin started walking this week. No wonder they are called "toddlers". He is so funny toddling around. He's about 50% walking and 50% crawling still. Dad hasn't seen the walking, so it will be quite a treat for him! He recognizes dozens of things but still isn't talking much. Babbling, yes. Talking, not quite.

My new school is a hit. I almost felt like I was dropped in Mr. Roger's neighborhood yesterday. I had crossing guard duty for 10 minutes before school. Now, this school is quite charming with its rosebushes out front and nice manicured lawns in front of all the neighborhood houses. As I began my crossing duty, the children were all behaved walking hand in hand with their moms and dads. Many offered, "Thank you teacher" as cars would go by and the parents would wave at me. As I was waving at a car going one way, the bus driver going the other way stuck his hand out the window, waving it my way, cheerily saying, "Have a great day!" I had to start laughing. It really felt like Mr. Roger's was about to start singing in front of the school, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day ......"

I really couldn't be happier. God had placed an assurance in my heart that this would be a good move for me, and of course, it is.

I went to Palm Springs last weekend, and will probably go again Saturday, so menu planning will still be on the "to do" list.

UGH....

2008-09-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

I actually just wrote a lengthy post about the rotten day I had. When I was all done, I decided for the first time to use spell check, and somehow I deleted the whole thing. This just goes to show that everything that can go wrong today, did.

On My Own Again....

2008-09-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Alaska, started working with students, and managing to play with Austin 8 hours a day!

Alaska was beautiful. Laid out in a grid pattern, it reminded me so much of New York. Walking everywhere to get breakfast in the morning, shopping in the afternoon, dinner at night and everything in between. They had wonderful parks for Austin that overlooked Captain Cook's inlet.

Todd and I went to street fairs, and I bought my first Ulu. A hand carved rocking blade made with whalebone, ebony and something else quite beautiful. Todd got a hatchet type for cutting through chicken bones and such. I figure I'm safe in the house alone until he returns with that on my counter.

School is now in full swing as well. I have wonderful students this year. The class is low in academics but high in fun loving spirit, so I think all will be well.

Austin is just about to start walking. He walks "along" everything, and is now known for taking an occasional step before retreating to his fast and furious crawl. Babbling like crazy, but not a lot of language yet. He is all boy though. Loving his bucket, shovel, swing time, and playing at the mall.

He's now clammoring for my attention, so I'll post more later. And I promise to take care of the blue next time!

Pardon the Blue!

2008-08-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I really don't have any idea what I'm doing. Last night I decided to spiff up my page a little. Of course, I haven't hired anyone to help me like all the other amazing blog pages out there. I'm on my own. Which is very scary.

So.

Because I really am not creative at all - I'm actually color challenged, also impatient - the blue will be staying for awhile.

I'm leaving tomorrow for Alaska to visit Todd, so I don't have time to play with the color chart.

I did try to make it as pleasant as possible. The orange, gray and yellow were definitely wrong. This blue will have to pass for awhile.

Thank God there are no blogging police out there monitoring the pages. I would definitely be locked up for this.

I'm Busy, This is a recording.....

2008-08-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

You might as well just hand me a hammer right now and let me start beating myself up. I'm the worst blogger ever. I love reading them, I do. But to take the time to write just never happens. I've even given up on my menu planner while hubby is away.

But, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, Jesus", right. So, on my behalf.... here's what is happening....

1) Moving school sites (classrooms)
134 boxes later with no where to put anything. God did bless me with Vons Pavilions shelving. As I passed by a Pavilions parking lot, I noticed lots of shelving units sitting idle and looking quite unwanted. When I inquired about the shelves, he said that me and 5,000 others would like them. But. He then looked directly in my eyes and told me that I could have them (after a few phone calls to higher ups)

A couple of my husband's workers did an amazing job installing them in my classroom, so now I only need to finish unpacking my 134 boxes and fill up them shelves! Yahoo!!!

2) One year old lives here..... need I say more?

3) Husband is in Alaska, while the one year old stayed behind with me...

4) I'm leaving Friday for Alaska (with one year old) and need to wrap up a few loose ends.

So while I enjoy reading everyone's blog, forgive me for my lack of blogging. Hopefully when I get back from Alaska, and school is in full swing, I'll be a tad bit more faithful. Until then....

A Woman's Week at the Gym

2008-08-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine. Something funny to help with the pain.

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.
Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

____________ _________ _________ __
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit- ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!

____________ _________ _________ __
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.

____________ _________ _________ _
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too.

____________ _________ _________
THURSDAY:
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny bitch to find me.

Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
____________ _________ _________ _
FRIDAY:
I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

____________ _________ _________ __
SATURDAY:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

____________ _________ _________ __
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little shit) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

I'm Tired!

2008-08-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new deep affection for every single parent out there.

While Todd's away, the weekends are mine alone with Austin. Thank God in Heaven that he is a great kid. If he was fussy, whiny, miserable, or obnoxious in anyway - I'd pull the plug on my life. There, I said it.

But.... God in His infinite wisdom knows what we need, right. I'm not a strong woman, like all the other moms with difficult children. I had one 18 years ago, so I guess I paid that price way back then. And believe me, I'm still paying. Oh, yeah... she's amazing, wonderful, and loyal, but difficult to boot.

Anyway, enough of the sniveling.

This weekend we

played at the mall playground
played at the park
played in the pool
took long walks
went to church
played in the family room
played at a friend's house

Why do they call it playing?? I'm exhausted. We played so much that Austin fell asleep last night at 7:00 and slept 12 hours. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

And now Carmen is here. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Today I will act like a responsible teacher and begin to unpack the 134 boxes I moved to a new school site, arrange a classroom, read over my new student's packets, and haggle for some classroom furniture. Forget the lesson plans. My students will have the first 3 days of school learning and appreciating all facets of P.E.

I'm A Leavin, On a Jet Plane.....

2008-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

The day is here. Todd leaves for Alaska for 6 weeks.

Several months ago I began praying about our summer finances. I'm a teacher - so no worka for me in the summer! That was a pact I made when I signed my credential and sang the hallelujah chorus on my front porch.

Todd, being a general contractor, gets work. And then sometimes doesn't. Well, for the first time in a looooong time, he didn't have another job after he wrapped up the last one. Scary times.

But.

Like I said, I had begun to pray back in May about the future. Or the next couple of months. whatever. And the Lord laid on my heart very clearly that July would be nada and August something would happen. I have been praying for years now that Todd would become an "employee" of a company, rather than own our own business, and we would not have to pay for

employees
taxes
liability insurance
taxes
worker's compensation
taxes

you get the picture.... Oh, just to receive bountifully, and not have to give it back every April. When it comes out of your weekly check, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on me.

So, when the call came a couple of weeks ago that his old company wanted to rehire him, I resumed my spot on the front porch and began belting out the chorus like never before.

Two days ago he signed his contract! Today he leaves. That part kinda sucks. But, on the other hand - since I am trying to look at the bright side..... here's my list!

1) Clean house
2) I don't have to cook dinner
3) Which means no dishes
4) I can sprawl out on my bed whichever way I choose
5) No petty arguments (especially when he mentions I should put a few blonde streaks
back in my hair)

Yeah - the list is pretty puny considering how much I'm going to miss him.

Austin and I might be flying up to Anchorage to meet him in a couple of weeks. We'll see... until then, I'll just have to use up all that free time doing something else... Did you say, "Shopping??"

What Have You Learned?

2008-08-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Over at Lysa Terkeurst's blog, Holly is filling in this week while Lysa and her family are at church camp. She posted today about a few things she has learned. The list was VERY GOOD! Two of them especially made me stop and ponder.

I decided I wanted to chronicle some of my list, then post back to her comment section.

I've learned that it is easier to tell the truth.
I've learned that patience goes a long way with a one year old.
I've learned that it's cheaper, easier, and healthier to cook a meal than order out.
I've learned that if you sow a smile, it does come back.
I've learned that God does supply all my needs according to His riches.
I've learned that I can count on God no matter what.
I've learned that time spent with your children is a huge investment.

What have you learned?

Uncluttered On The Inside

2008-08-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

I love a clean, organized house. In fact, I am the kind of person that requires a clean, organized house. It is hard for me to think, plan, or execute anything if there is disorder all around me.

It is the same way in my classroom. I don't think I could ever be a kindergarten teacher because of this! I do love organized chaos, however. And as a teacher, there is plenty of organized chaos during art lessons, math manipulatives time, or silent reading with students all over the floor cuddling with blankets, pillows and books.

I have always prided myself on how well my surroundings look. Last week during my devotion time, however, God pointed out something very humbling to me. In James 3:16 it says, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing." This scripture is tied to others talking about Faith. Faith that produces Wisdom. When we are in a place where we are leaning first on God, then we can rest in Him knowing He will take care of our needs. In this place, peace will be found and there is no need for jealousy.

Lately, I have been missing time with my husband. His daughter, Jaycie, was here for two weeks, so they spent some wonderful time together. His work has been keeping him away from home until late in the evening. Both of us fall asleep way too early. He gets up before I do and is usually gone. Lots of valid reasons why we haven't had time alone!

But.

Little bits of resentment started to creep into my heart against all the things that intruded on our time alone. Did I mention we have a one year old as well! But, during my devotion, God shined the light on this as jealousy which brings disorder on the inside! It's hard to live an uncluttered life with disorder ruling the nest!

As God so patiently pointed out, as I begin to pray for time with my husband, time will present itself. Rather than be jealous, be thankful for his children, work, and abilities to make a nice home for us. As we turn our hearts around and align them with God's will, peace always follows!

Tonight we are going out on a date night! We love the show "Hell's Kitchen", and we will be dining at London, Gordon Ramsey's restaurant. I'm looking forward to this time alone! Did I mention that he is leaving Saturday for Alaska? He'll be gone for 6 weeks - Oh mercy.

Austin's first year

2008-08-02T10:48:00.001-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Summer Fun Photo Contest

2008-08-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Over at 5 Minutes for Mom they are celebrating summer with a photo contest! Click here if you would like to participate. Just pick any photo that represents your idea of summer and submit it to their site! Deadline is August 13th at 3:00 EST. Winners posted on August 15th. You can write a description of your photo, or let it speak for itself! It will be fun to see all the wonderful views of summer through this contest!

Workout Update #2

2008-07-30T12:33:00.001-07:00

I'm frustrated.

I worked out every day, or at least 4 days a week, for 3 1/2 weeks. My body did change. I think. But the scale did not budge.

Then I got mad. I decided to rebel by eating everything I looked at for an entire week. And skipped the gym, to boot. The scale remained the same.

Now I am sick with what Austin had last week, so again, no workout. I'm not eating quite as much, and I do plan to start my routine up again on Monday.

Until then, my scale and I are no longer on speaking terms. I simply roll my eyes at it and move on.

Share with me any secrets you have, I'm sure I need them!

Onion Straws

2008-07-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Some of this week's menu is taken from The Pioneer Woman's cooking section. Last night we tried the Onion Straws, and boy were they a hit. My husband couldn't get enough of them.
Here is how easy they are:

ONION STRAWS

1 onion - sliced into thin rings
1 quart buttermilk
flour
cayenne pepper
salt/pepper
Vegetable Oil

Pour oil in a deep skillet about 1 inch high. Heat to 350 or until water sizzles when added to the hot pan. Slice the onions and soak them in a bowl of buttermilk. Place a 1 - 2 cups of flour onto a dish. Sprinkle cayenne, salt and pepper on top of flour. Stir to combine dry ingredients. With a fork, remove rings from buttermilk and place in flour mixture. Coat well. Drop individual rings into the hot oil. Brown on one side then flip and brown other side. Cooking should take 3 - 4 minutes is oil is hot enough. Remove rings to paper towel and salt.
Serve with ketchup, ranch, or favorite dipping sauce!

If you would like step by step directions with pictures, click on Onion Straws in my menu planner on my sidebar and it will take you to Pioneer Woman's link! Enjoy!

A Book Review....

2008-07-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

It has been 17 years since I had a one year old running around the house. Since that time, I have carpeted, put in new windows, furniture, and even accesorized! Never did I think that I would one day be "baby proofing" again. But, as fate would have it, I am! Although I am enjoying everyday with my little guy, I really hoped that I would not have to put away everything in order to keep it safe. Actually, over time, I have forgotten the majority of things a one year old does, and rather than learning one day at a time, I decided to read about it.

My girlfriend lent me a book called Your One Year Old by Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D., Frances L. Ilg, M.D., & Carol Chase Haber. This book talks about the fun loving, fussy 12 - 24 month old in realistic ways that began to clear the cobwebs from my earlier motherhood days.

Understanding your child makes ALL the difference in the world to a stress free,somewhat peaceful year. Knowing that my child is naturally curious, seems more mature than he really is, and is one big bundle of gross motor activity makes it easy to know that removing objects is easier than constantly saying "no". This is the age where the child is still "becoming". By two, several of the major components will be in place for an easier time: language, movement, abilities.

The book is separated into chapters covering routines, general characteristics, individuality, techniques, and abilities. It is an easy and fast read. Although at times I thought it was written in the 1950's, the copyright is dated 1982. Children are timeless however, and much of the book does characterize my son at this point in time. This is a series of books each designated to a specific year.

If you are wondering about your little one, I highly recommend this series. My friend borrowed this book from her library at the Children's Learning Center at Long Beach City College where she works as a Child Development Specialist and they still refer to the collection.

Stopped Dead in my Tracks

2008-07-25T08:50:00.001-07:00

I love to plan.
I love to make lists.
I'm such a control freak that I actually put times next to my items on the list.

This was a whirlwind week with many activities planned. My husband's daughter, Jaycie, is down from Alaska visiting for 2 weeks. This Sunday is Austin's first birthday. And Todd is surprisingly slow at work. All adding up to lots of fun entertainment for me to plan. So plan I did.

But.

Somewhere between the Orange County Fair, the Getty Villa, and the Santa Monica pier, Austin got a fever. Now, he is a trooper. He'll party with the best of them. No slowin him down. But. As a responsible mother, uh hem, I had to cancel the Aquarium today and most likely the Concert in the Park tonight.

We're hoping we can still go to Palm Springs tomorrow and Sea World for his birthday on Sunday. But, that is a wait and see kinda thing. For now, I think I'll make that dreaded doctor's appointment since it's Friday, and we all know that without medical attention his fever will reach an all time high over the weekend.

So, instead of a fun packed day, I'll go to the DMV (I've needed to do this for a few days now), head to the doctor's office, and maybe hit the grocery store. Oh, joy.

No worries. There's always next week to plan!

Today is the Getty Villa

2008-07-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was lunch with friends then off and running to the Orange County Fair. What a hoot! Austin saw elephants, goats, chickens, rabbits, bulls, water buffalo and so much more! He loved all the animals and let everyone know with his ear splitting yell! He cannot contain his excitement, and it balls up into one hoop'n holler.

Today we will be visiting the Getty Villa. The place where J. Paul Getty lived. His museum with all his art and furniture is amazing. A stone building etched into the hillside overlooking LA. But, his home, what a treasure. It is filled with marble, granite, art, pools, gardens, the likes of which very few compare. It is set in the beautiful surroundings of Pacific Palisades. It always amazes me when someone (a lottery winner, a rock star, movie star, CEO,....) has that much money to him/herself. I always wonder why we have homeless and poverty stricken areas in the world. If only one person could not hoard all that money. I know that they also give back, but what if they made the same as the average Joe and the profits went to feed the world.... OK another blog...

I'm sure we will oogle with the best of them as we walk through his mega mansion.

Tomorrow we will all be visiting the Long Beach Aquarium and then going to the Concert in the Park. Saturday is Palm Springs and Sunday is Sea World in San Diego....Whew...

Comment me and tell me your week's plan! I need some good ideas!

Win a Blog Makeover!

2008-07-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Do you like the way your blog looks? Does it represent who you are? Do you wish you had a blog, but don't know where to start? Head on over to Casual Friday Everyday to have a chance to win a new blog look!

I've entered. If I don't win, I hope you do!

It's Been Almost A Year

2008-07-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

since I had a day to myself. I really can't remember ever being alone in the house this past year. On the 2 occasions I do remember the 15 minutes of complete quietness, I just stood like a dope looking around. Todd was back from the market with the milk long before I found my Martha Stewart and living room couch.

Well today Todd took Jaycie and Austin to the California Speedway to watch a friend of his race his car. Todd loves Nascar. One year for Christmas I bought him 40 laps on the race track up in Fontana.

So.... with my new found freedom, I spent the day like this.

I woke up late and had my coffee. Is there anything better than coffee in the morning? I think not.

Then I took Austin for a walk to Grammie's house. She was actually sitting in her kitchen when she heard Austin screaming out of pure happiness at her approaching house. We were just turning the corner 3 houses away from hers when she came out to greet us. I'm sure all the sleeping neighbors were thrilled on their Sunday morning to have my son so happy to see Grammie's approaching house.

Church was next. What a great message today. It was about the cycle of getting a deeper relationship with God. If you want the 5 steps, comment me and I will be happy to share!

Todd, Jaycie and Austin were suppose to leave for the race around 11:00. Church is over at 11:15. I was in sheer joy anticipating the quiet house I was about to come home to. Then we turned the corner onto my street and I saw it. My car was still in the driveway. WHAT??? Why was I even surprised. It took them until 12:30 to get out the door.

I was going to a play with my mom at 1:00, so for 30 minutes I stood in my kitchen and enjoyed the quietness - with Paula Dean showing me how to make a scrumptious looking lasagna.

The play was at our little local theater that my mom and I subscribe to every year. It is a blast. First lunch at the local Mexican restaurant, Panchos, then a great little show in a round-about theater. There are 3 sides for the audience to observe the play performed in the center. The sides have 4 rows going up and only about 20 seats across. Very quaint. Today's play was "Of Mice and Men". The Steinbeck classic. It was super!

From there I rushed (the play went long) to a much needed Shiatsu. We used to go weekly. It's now been 5 weeks since I had a massage, and boy did I need it - what with all the Turbo kicking I'm doing now.

Home at last. And no one is here. It is getting dark as I type this, and I'm starting to miss Austin. I'm ready again to give back. The Lord knew what he was doing when he made Sunday the Sabbath day. No work. Relax. Rejuvinate.
What a blessing today was. I will look forward to again next year.

Summer with a One Year Old!

2008-07-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today was park day. Life with a one year old means ALWAYS having a plan. Which involves being out of the house. DAILY.

Gone are the days of alternating between lying on the couch reading Martha Stewart Living and consuming massive amounts of Food Network cooking shows. Rachel Ray? Who's Rachel Ray??

Today we decided two parks were in order. First the Nature Center. What an amazing place. I live next to a gajillion acre park. There are four or five sections each with fun things to do: train rides, paddle boats on the lake, duck ponds, library,
tennis, softball, playgrounds, and a nature center. And when Austin grows up and wants to join in the model airplane flying, remote powered boat races, and archery, it's just a walk or bike ride away.

Jaycie, Ashley and Austin on the trail

Ashley, Austin and me

We all love the turtles

After the nature center, we went to the playground park. We pushed Austin in a swing until he couldn't see straight anymore!

Tomorrow is the National Train Show. Model trains, trains made out of legos, and train rides. God have mercy. This is only the beginning......

My Little Austin

2008-07-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

You are less than 2 weeks away from your very first birthday. Daddy and I are still trying to figure out if we will spend the day at Sea World with you and your sisters or have a party at home.

The year has flown by so fast. You are on the verge of walking. Today we spent one hour at the mall's playground where you delighted in every other child. You smile and laugh and want to play so badly with each and every one of them. It is such a joy to watch you try and engage others. You have a sweet heart, my little man.

Fearless. I am so proud of the way you are so independent and fearless. Nothing can stop you when you set your mind to it. Whether it is standing and reaching for the highest object or jumping from the pool's 3 foot ledge. You are simply fearless.

At this point in your life, you

hate sitting in your high chair, and opt to eat anywhere but there
love spotting helicopters and airplanes
had your first love affair was with your ceiling fan
would spend all day playing and climbing on the backyard waterfall if we let you
love taking walks with Grammie and looking at the spinning bee and flower pinwheels
enjoy driving anywhere
get excited when Carmen arrives every morning
stand up and play with your diaper genie
climb the stairs in 10 seconds flat

What a blessing you are my little champion. Your sisters adore you. Grammie can't remember life without you. And Daddy and I feel like the luckiest people in the world.

Work Out Update

2008-07-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, my friends, I went to TKB (turbo kickboxing, for all us locals)today and FINALLY found an instructor willing to go at a snails pace to help poor old folks like me. She actually taught the class. I learned all the routines, and now I feel like I can join in the fun!

It was a gentle reminder to me as a teacher, as well. I need to make sure that I am not cruising along through my lessons assuming that everyone is on the same page as me. It really helps to slow down sometimes and let things sink in!

Anyway.

This begins my third week of working out. I'm averaging 4 days, but am trying for 5. And I think my body is changing. HOWEVER, like I said in a previous post - my past weight loss consisted of nothing for 3 weeks, then boom - 5-6 pounds lost on the 3rd or 4th week. Well. I am exactly the same weight I was when I started this gig. So I am expecting some great things come this weekend. Or maybe into the beginning of next week.

Tomorrow is my lift class, then a pool party for a girlfriend's birthday. I have to remind myself that I am only allowing myself ONE treat a day. Seeing that I treated myself whenever, wherever, however I wanted for the past year - my body should be changing now right?!

Hopefully I'll be posting the good news soon.....

Just to pass time...

2008-07-12T20:24:00.001-07:00

Austin and I have become members of the Long Beach Aquarium.

And then a Day at the Beach

2008-07-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I must say, I'm mighty proud. Yes ma'am. Mighty proud. Not only did I work out 3 days during the week, I did a double workout today. At 8:00 AM, I was turbo kicking with the best of them. Then at 9:00 we went straight into a SET hour - cardio with weights. I celebrated by eating a Hershey's chocolate bar. I believe in the rewards system.

My mom and I then took Austin to the beach. What a beautiful day. Sorry for those of you that are in heat waves, hurricanes, or whatever else our bizarre weather throws at us. We played hard, then went to Golden Spoon. Okay, two treats. Austin was exhausted, but didn't feel like sleeping. So okay, into the pool with you. We swam and played in the waterfall until he was crying. Not even overhead helicopters could cheer up this boy. A short walk to look at spinning pinwheels, then back home.

It's funny. While we're out. No problemo. He is the happiest, quietest, most content looking at everything around him little boy. But at home... Holy Moly. Chase him up the stairs, down the stairs, away from the plants, yada yada yada...

I bought Todd a new grill for Father's Day. We pulled out the box it came in, put Austin in it and filled it with toys. Nope. Austin wasn't having any of it. I sat in the box with him and his toys. This worked for all of 4 minutes. Time for dinner. Nope. Not eating.... Okay, bathtime. He loves water so this was entertainment for 18 minutes. Todd finally got him a bottle when my head started spinning around and now the two of them are bonding. From down in the depths of my office - I can still hear him crying. It must be hard being 1, going to the beach, eating ice cream, swimming in your pool, having meals cooked for you, cleaned up after you, a nice warm bath drawn for you, a warm bottle of milk served to you with soft music filling the room.... No, I'm not bitter.

Yummy Pasta Salad

2008-07-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I put up a recipe and linked it to another site. I'm going to link this to Saturday Stirrings at I Throw Like a Girl and Monday Menu Planning at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

I've served this several times over the last few weeks, and it is a hit with everyone!

Yummy Pasta Salad
Serves lots and lots - usually with left overs!

1 package tri colored noodles
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 can medium olives, chopped
1 jar artichoke hearts in oil (you can use water also)
1 small red onion, chopped
8 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing.
Refrigerate before serving - not necessary, but it tastes a little better I think.

Something to do while waiting for your favorite tv show to come on....

2008-07-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

I saw this on another blog and thought it looked fun! If you try it on your blog, leave me a comment with a link!

A is for age.
44 - but I feel like I'm 20. Must be the Turbo Kickboxing.
B is for burger of choice.
Turkey burger with chipotle in adobo sauce!
C is for what car you drive.
2006 Saturn VUE - best car for the money!!! Equipped with hands free calling - now very necessary in our NO CELL PHONES WHILE YOU DRIVE state.
D is for Dog's name.
Bo. We put him down April 11th. Best dog EVER.
E is for essential item you use every day.
Toothpaste. Oh and SPF 30 moisturizer.
F is for favorite tv show at the moment.
Hell's Kitchen. I love Gordon Ramsey - sassy mouth and all - you donkey.
G is for Favorite game.
I LOVE ALL GAMES - especially Rummy with my husband. - I am looking for a couple who wants to play Pinochle though.......
H is for Hometown.
The same town I live in now-- Long Beach, CA
I is for instruments you play
I can play Color My World on the piano
J is for favorite juice.
I like CranRasberry with 7up if I have a craving for juice - which is not often.
K is for who you'd like to kiss.
Definitely Austin. I could kiss him all day and night.... nothing beats a baby kiss.
L is for last restaurant you ate at.
Lucille's last night - Unless Golden Spoon counts and that was just minutes ago.
M is for your favorite Muppet.
I have to admit - I don't know all the muppets. I guess the girl pig - forgot her name.... sorry.
N is for number of piercings.
Just my ears-- two in the left ear, one in the right.
O is for overnight hospital stays.
Many.
P is for people you were with today.
My family, Carmen, neighbors, my dental hygeniest.
Q is for what you do with your quiet time.
Read, Blog, Sit in the quiet house doing nothing.
R is for biggest regret.
Too personal.
S is for status.
Married!
T is for time you woke up today.
7:00
U is for what you consider unique.
Each one of my three children
V is for vegetable you love.
Roasted squash, grilled zucchini, cauliflower with melted cheese, garlic broccoli,...
W is for worst habit.
Being bossy
X is for number of x-rays you've had.
TOOOOOOO MANY.
Y is for yummy food you ate today.
Golden spoon yogurt - just chocolate with St. Nicks Mint!
Z is for zodiac sign.
Libra - I do tend to weigh both sides of things. My husband just calls me fickle.

The Sweet Days of Summer

2008-07-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Does every city have Concerts in the Park? I sure hope so. Our great city of Long Beach has one every Friday night. The LB Municipal Band plays everything from Dixieland to Broadway tunes - each Friday being a different theme.

It starts at 6:30, but getting there a little early helps. Usually the crowd averages between 500 - 600 people. Picnics are everywhere. We brought KFC - very low end. I walked around with Austin to check out the other fare.... tables were set up with candles and wine, cheeses, fruit, handmade sandwiches, pastas, and yummy looking desserts. There were pizzas, lots of take-out, and the park even has Hagen Daas and BBQ'd hot dogs for sale. Kids and dogs run randomly throughout the tables, and no one minds because it is warm, outside, and the music fills the air.

Check out your city for a Concert in the Park. This week I have my eye on a Movie in the Park down towards the beach.... All are free, and all provide great family fun!

Turbo Kickboxing

2008-07-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, my friends. I went to the 10:00 Turbo Kickboxing class and kicked some butt.

Ashley went with me. She is now my new workout partner. I asked Kalie if she wanted to go, too. She made some weird noise and I took it as a no.

As I stood at the door with the other 100 people waiting to stampede, I struck up a conversation with the gal in front of me. She told me that I would probably have a hard time this time around, but "stick with it and you'll be fine". Oky Doky.

The doors opened, and men and women literally raced for the front. I'm a front kind of gal also, so I elbowed, I mean politely took my place front and center. Being a teacher, I know how important front and center is when trying to learn something new.

Anyway. The teacher asked if anyone wanted to know anything before we started. No one spoke. I timidly asked if she was going to lead the first timers through this painful experience. She quickly, and I mean in 27 seconds flat, went over ALL the different moves we were expected to perform. I looked at Ashley. She being tall, blonde, and only 18 had a smirk of confidence on her that not even a nervous mother could break.

The music started. The kicking, jabbing, upper cut, upper cut, side step and kick routine started. I took it a bit easy. After all, I have a bad back. Did I ever mention that I'm a little clumsy as well? The music continued for ONE HOUR. I sweated, I kicked the girl behind me, I laughed, I upper cutted while everyone else was jabbing. But, you know what? I burned calories, and that's why I'm there. It is so good to be 44 and not care anymore!

Later in the afternoon, I called my gyno for the all important visit. As I was speaking to her secretary, Liz, I heard Dr. Gonzalez mention something to her. Liz said that Dr. Gonzalez saw me in class today. She was in the back.

Then I heard the laughing over the phone.

Whatever.

And So It Begins.....

2008-06-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

Today was the day.

That old familiar drive back to the gym.

Without Julio there to push and prod me, I wondered what kind of workout I would do. It really helps to have someone there pushing and prodding.

I decided that I would walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes. That would be a decent start. I walked at a pace of 3.5 - 3.8 mixing it up every few minutes, and set the incline between 0 - 2.

As I walked, I noticed through the glass window the men and women using a step and weights bobbing up and down. And the realization came that they were all being pushed and prodded.

Yes. This would become my workout for the next several weeks until I was feeling good enough to push and prod myself once again.

So, here's the upcoming schedule:
Monday 8:00AM Step/Weights
Tuesday 10:00AM Lift (intense strength training - treadmill for cardio..)
Wednesday 10:00AM Turbo Kick - I did this once before.... we'll have to see.....
Thursday 10:00AM Step/Weights
Friday 8:00AM Yoga
or 10:00AM Lift

Sounds good, right? I weighed in this morning. Last time I weighed myself on that scale I was 16 pounds lighter - so that's the goal....

I'll keep you posted.

I need to jump in the shower and get ready for my last shopping excursion with my Girl Scouts. They have all graduated, and as a token of their 13 years of scouting, they are all picking out a Tiffany's piece of jewelry with the money they earned over the years. We were suppose to go on a senior trip, but trying to come up with a date that all could go was the equivalence of turning water into wine. Yes, it was on the miracle spectrum. So a piece of jewelry and lunch it is.

Back from Big Bear

2008-06-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous week up on the lake. I'm home again, which always feels good, but Big Bear is such a relaxing place to re-energize!

Todd and I spent our anniversary on Wednesday, June 25th......

swinging with Austin

helping Austin slide for the first time

at an ice cream social

on a lake cruise

and at the zoo!

Austin turned 11 months while we were up there. He is standing,and he said 3 words: duck, ball, dada while actually looking at Todd!

We will be back up there for Thanksgiving week with the changing leaves and possible snow on the ground. Ski season opens that weekend, and I'm sure Austin will be walking, if not skiing, by then!

A few things.....

2008-06-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

1) I apologize profusely to anyone that checks this blog for a weekly menu. The strange thing is... I was pretty regular until I started posting for this blog! I'm not blaming..... just sayin......
* We are leaving for Big Bear for a week tomorrow, so again.... no menu.....

2) Ashley graduated from high school...

Now I just have another 17 years until all my kids are out of high school!

3) I am officially going back to the gym. I have 15 pounds to lose. Anyone out there trying to lose weight this summer? Do it with me! I'll post my weight loss (or gain, ugh) every Saturday! When I lost a lot of weight after having Ashley
(52 pounds) it went something like: nothing lost for 3 weeks, then week #4 dropped 6 pounds. We'll see this time around!
My plan is to treadmill/eliptical everyday and do weight training M,W,F.
I will treat myself to an It's a Grind mocha drink for my reward. Daily.

I'll try and post from Big Bear :)

Last Day....

2008-06-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

I said good-bye today.

I closed the door and didn't even shed a tear.

As I walked away, I knew something good was going to take place.

After 11 years, I'll have a new place to call home.

I'm leaving my school site and heading to another.

Change. Growth. Renewal.

I'm ready.

KIDSGUIDE

2008-06-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I was at the doctor's office last week with Austin, when a CALENDAR magazine caught my eye. I have been diligently praying for things to do with a soon to be 1 year old. I opened the magazine and was pleasantly surprised to find things to do every single day! Check them out at Kidsguidemagazine.com if you're in my area!

The magazine I have is geared to Southern California, but hopefully there is a kidsguide for you!

A few of the ideas in the magazine include:
Concerts in the Park
Exhibits, Festivals, Fairs
Library events
Camps

Over at Cheaper by the half dozen, Marybeth Whalen asked for comments on summer fun. Go here for more ideas!

Just back from Palm Springs

2008-06-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are driving to Palm Springs these days as if it's a trip to the local market because I forgot to buy milk.

It is 2 hours away, but once you travel a road enough times, landmarks become familiar, and it actually seems as if it goes faster!

We bought a house out there, and we are decorating it, shipping old furniture from our house out there, and becoming indebted to IKEA. It is so cute, though! We have been going out on Saturday at 4PM once the truck is packed and coming home Sunday around 2PM

Besides that.... this is my last week of school! Yahooooo! The bummer is that I will be leaving this school site after 10 years and moving to another school. I have boxes all over my room, and my friend and aide in the classroom is helping me sort through EVERY book, EVERY paper, and EVERY file. Talk about too much stuff! Thank God I am not a keeper, or stuffer, or whatever you call someone that hangs on to things. I'm of the opinion that if I haven't used it, worn it, needed it, or liked it for 6 months it becomes the official property of Goodwill. I would clean out my daughter's rooms when they were little and hide the stuff in the garage. If they didn't ask for anything in the "going away" bag, then it left our house for good!

This leads to a very "uncluttered" life!

I hope to be back by Thursday - my first day of summer. Then I can share pics of Ashley's graduation, Austins first haircut, Kalie back home, and just the general craziness around here. Oh yeah, and a kitchen update.

These Days are BUSY, BUSY, BUSY....

2008-06-10T14:40:00.001-07:00

Summer is almost here... I repeat this phrase several times a day!

This week started out with Austin back at the doctor's office. One hour and 45 minutes later, the doctor walked in and confirmed that he has ezema (I have no idea how to spell that....) He had the reddest rash all over his bottom, and I feared it might be food allergies. Neither of my girls ever had a food allergy, so I've never known what one looks like. I really dreaded the thought of that, since Austin eats EVERYTHING! Luckily, (I guess) it was only ezema.

Well, after the doctor's impromptu visit, which killed a couple hours of my day, we still needed to go to Walmart, the bookstore, and the teacher supply store. By the time I got home I was exhausted.

Unfortunately, everyday this week is like that. Although I do have facials and hair appointments sprinkled into the hustle and bustle.

After all, Ashley is GRADUATING on Thursday! Yahoo!! Another one safely through the California educational system. She plans on playing Water Polo for a college close to home.

Tonight, on the menu, we are BBQing pork loins. I need plenty for the luncheon that my teammates and I are putting on at work tomorrow. It's a summer picnic theme - so lots of BBQ! We even have some black, plastic ants to sprinkle on the tabletops!

Tomorrow night we will eat out after we pick up Kalie at the airport! Yahoo!!! Kalie will be home for a few days! She comes back for good on the 4th of July. She'll be transferring out to the Anaheim (Disneyland) Doubletree Hotel. Can't wait!

Thursday will be spaghetti and meatballs, salad and garlic bread for everyone before heading off to the graduation ceremony.

As I type this, Austin is standing up in his playyard. I can't believe he'll be a year old next month..... Time is going so fast.....

And I am soooo busy, busy, busy.......

I probably won't have time to post until this weekend.
So, until then~

Monday nights with Jimmy

2008-06-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

We had the most horrible scene happen on our culdesac a few weeks back. I was making dinner in the kitchen with Todd, and Austin was playing at our feet. Austin was getting a bit bored, so I decided to go downstairs and call my mom for a second. It maybe was 5 minutes after all.

When I came back to the kitchen, Todd stood at the window looking out calling my name. My neighbor's car was parked directly in front of our driveway with two Park Ranger cars behind her. (We live near a large park) As I went outside, I saw 5 police cars lining our street. I hurried around my friend's car to the driver's side to see what the problem was just as a policeman was throwing my friend to the ground. Her face was contorted on the hot black asphalt as blood ran into her eyes. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I told the three policeman surrounding her and holding her down, "This does not look good". Which I repeated 3 times. One of the officers came to me and told me to back away. I stood there a bit stunned as I repeated my phrase. He replied that "this" didn't look good either, and he lifted his shirt to reveal a gun tucked in the back of his pants.

There was a mom and son whom I didn't recognize standing a distance away, and they filled me in on the flat tire my friend had and the offer of help they gave. Unfortunately, my friend was drunk and got back in her car. She weaved down the road and hit another curb with the other tire and popped that one as well coming to a stop in front of my house.

This gal is my older sister's age (10 years my senior) and has been a close friend of my sister's over the last 50 some years. She was a deputy at one point in her life, thus she always carried a gun. I'm sure she was just taking it out to show the officers, but being drunk, she must have done it in a way that was a bit alarming to the men.

I rang my neighbors bell. This frail old man of 86 came out with a look of horror as he witnessed what was going on in his front yard. His wife was being cared for by his daughter. She is 90 and suffers Parkinson's disease and Alsheimers. Now what was he to do. Within a matter of hours, his daughter was taken to jail and his wife was put in the hospital.

They are both still there today. This frail old man cries as he gives me updates about his family. I have visited him, celebrated his birthday with all our neighbors, and check in on him daily. But, I have wanted to do a little more.

After reading Lysa Terkeurst's blog I decided to have Monday night dinners with Jimmy.

His daughter is facing up to 19 years in jail, and his wife may never walk through their family threshold again. If you are the praying type, please add this family to your list. Only God can give us the grace to walk through the fire in order for us to be made into gold. We don't know what the future is, but we do know who holds the future.

Weekly Menu

2008-06-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, two of my items got bumped from the menu, so I'm leaving them on for this week. I do have a new dinner that I can't wait to serve tomorrow night!

Apple & Onion Stuffed Pork Chops with Pineapple-Orange Glaze

Tonight is my bosses retirement party. Todd and I have been talking a lot lately about retiring. We've looked over our long term plan and can not wait for the day we hang up our B & B shingle. It's hard to believe Austin might be 14 by then!

Until then,
Happy Cooking!

Weekend Update

2008-06-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

Thank God for weekends.

Friday was a whirlwind of working until 1:00, a baby shower in the afternoon, then Ashley's senior banquet that evening.

Saturday was relaxing in the backyard, swimming with Austin, shopping a Walmart for nothing in particular which = $137.00. How does that happen?? Same thing at the grocery store - go in for milk and eggs - come out with enough food for 3 weeks of good eatin! I ended the evening with church. I'm starting to do this a lot more now. If we have no Saturday evening plans (which my husband tries to avoid at all costs - he's the sit in a chair, watch a movie, and asleep by 9:00 kinda guy)then I head off to church.

Our church, Cottonwood Christian Center (can be seen on TBN and KCAL 9 for those in the LA area) pastored by Bayless Connelly will be moving to our new home the last week of June. This is tremendously exciting. This amazing man preaches 2 Saturday evening services and 4 services on Sunday. He knows the Word of God and he preaches grace and salvation. In our new home, which seats 4,000, yes, we are growing my friends, he will only have to preach a total of 3 services. Anyway....

Today started off with playing with Austin, then headed out to breakfast with a girlfriend. She introduced me to a fantastic new place with homemade muffins, sticky buns, and other delicious treats. I hear the treadmill shouting my name.....
Then my husband I got our weekly Shiatsu. If you've never had a Japanese style massage, I highly recommend it. Good for the body, good for the soul!

In the afternoon, I attended the Gold Award ceremony for one of my girl scouts. I've been a leader since Ashley was in Kindergarten. They are all now seniors off to UCLA, USC, Colorado State, etc.... It is awe inspiring when you see what these girls are capable of!

Dinner was Turkey Stroganoff - an old family favorite. Austin is sleeping, Todd and Ashley are watching Pirates of the Carribean, and I am ready for bed. But, tonight is the beginning of "The Next FoodNetwork Star" which I'll need to stay up to watch. Anything with food and competition is good watchin in my book!

Have a great week! Can't wait for next weekend!

Potluck

2008-05-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated my neighbors 86th birthday with a potluck at my house. I grew up in the house I now live in, although it has been updated from the 60's with a few modern features! I bought it from my parents who supervised the building of it when my mom was pregnant with me. I am now 44 years old!

We live on a culd-e-sac with 12 houses. They were built in 1963, and my parents bought it in the $30,000 dollar range. Houses in my tract are now going for 6 figures. It makes no sense.

Six of the 12 houses are still occupied by the original owners. The parents of my friends that used to make Halloween cupcakes for each of the 14 kids on the block, take turns watching us play kick the can past dark, and repair all the broken windows smashed by flying baseballs came over last night to celebrate an old friend.

They came with their potluck dishes and stories of my now grown friends and their babies. The new kids on the block swam in the backyard, the moms now my age watched the kids and shared stories, dads BBQ'd and drank beer, and the older crowd sat around swapping stories of "how it used to be".

It was a wonderful night filled with food, laughter, and memories shared. We have all decided to potluck every couple of months. We marveled that we could all live on the same street, and yet we wave hello and goodbye with little more than that.

I encourage you to throw a potluck for your neighbors.

Reconnect
Get to know someone new
Create traditions

Happy 10 month old birthday!

2008-05-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that 10 months have already come and gone.

You are just on the verge of crawling on your hands and knees - so far it's only been army style!

Your 4 teeth should be joined by a few others soon if the white specks are any indication!

You smile, giggle, and charm your way into everyone's heart!

I've decided to put a quarter in your piggy bank every time someone mentions your beautiful blue eyes - you average a couple dollars a day!

You will sit quietly enjoying your own company while you play!

Listening to music, playing with instruments, or being sung to are always a big hit!

Bath time and being in the jacuzzi with dad are definitely your highlights in the day!

Grammie visits you every morning, and often comes in the afternoon/evening to hold you and love on you!

I enjoy you everyday! You are my little man, and every month is a treasure!