Friday, January 30, 2009

FLASHBACK...AGAIN

THE SUMMER OF 2003 MARK WORKED FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY SHIFT SO THEY HAD MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY TOGETHER TO DO "MAN STUFF". THEY BUILT THE SWING SET AND FORT WE HAVE IN OUR BACKYARD. I SNAPPED THIS PICTURE BEFORE I LEFT FOR WORK ONE MORNING. I JUST LOVE HOW MASON HAD TO DRESS JUST LIKE DADDY AND USE HIS TOY SAW THE SAME WAY. DON'T WORRY, I HAD THEM POSE FOR THIS PICTURE. MARK REALLY WASN'T USING A POWER SAW WITH MASON THAT CLOSE TO HIM. I WAS PREGNANT WITH ANDREW AT THE TIME SO HE MISSED ALL THE MAN FUN THAT TIME. HE IS MAKING UP FOR IT AT THE YUCKY HOUSE NOW!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

Since I am such an interesting person and have such an exciting & glamorous life :-), I thought I would share 25 random things about me. I have read some other blog world buddies lists and thought it was a fun way to learn a little about each other...although, I may actually give you all a glimpse of how strange and OCD I really am...if that hasn't already been revealed! So here goes.

1. I am the youngest of 10 children...yes, we were Catholic and yes, my parents did know what caused that and yes, my mother had her hands full and I wore a ton of hand-me-downs.

2. I enjoy being the mother of boys. I like having sole rights to all things girlie and dramatic in this house...for now.

3. I eat bananas almost green. Once they get any freckles they are too far gone for me.

4. I have to make my bed before I can sleep in it. I usually make the bed first thing in the morning, but if I don't for some reason and it is time for bed, I have to make it completely before I can lay down and go to sleep. I can't just straiten the covers. My husband thinks this is INSANE.

5. I love to cook for people and try new foods.

6. When I do watch TV, I watch several things at once. I hate commercials so I switch to another show while commercials are on the first. I've been know to become interested in something else and abandon the first, second...or third show all together. My husband has to leave the room when this is happening.

7. I have a freakishly high pain tolerance. When I was in labor I didn't even know with Mason...the doctor sent me to the hospital when I was having a checkup because I was 4 cm. I arrived at the hospital about 30 minutes before Andrew was born. The doctor barely made it and that was only because they would not let me push until he arrived. If I have a third child I better find out about home birthing!

8. I shop like a man. Occasionally I like to go look around at different stores but usually I want to go find the item I am looking for and be done. My sister hates this about me.

9. I'm impatient. That may be clear from 6 & 8.

10. My boys are only allowed soda once (maybe twice on special occasions) a week. I, on the other hand, have a diet Dr. Pepper just about every day. Yes, I know it is a double standard. Don't care :-).

11. I love and sometimes crave silence & solitude. When I am alone in the car, I rarely turn on the radio.

12. I am always mentally organizing a plan to accomplish a task. I am a list maker. I may as well be running a Microsoft Project program in my head.

13. My boys have morning and evening "checklists". Don't laugh! Now instead of asking 15 times each morning if they have brushed their teeth, made their beds, etc. I just say, "make sure you have finished your morning list". They aren't nagged and feel like big kids and I don't feel like ripping my hair out of my head most mornings.

14. Peanut butter and banana (#3 must be remembered) sandwiches are awesome!

15. I can have a bit of a temper. I actually threw a tomato at Mark one time. WHAT A BIG FIT THROWING BABY! and no, my kids were not witness to this tantrum thank goodness. I am thankful for a God that loves me in spite of myself and is always working on me!

16. I cannot stand to be barefooted outside. It grosses me out to see other people walk outside barefooted so of course, my kids are not allowed to be outside barefooted.

17. Babies or toddlers in a visible diaper in public just makes me crazy. If it is not OK for someone to go in public in their underwear, why is it OK to do that to your baby! Put some pants on that child...PLEASE!

18. I loved being pregnant. I gained a TON of weight the first time but really felt pretty good through both pregnancies. I just reveled in the thought of a life growing inside me and was in awe every time I felt them move. I remember thinking, How could any woman that has carried a baby not believe that God exists. I can barely cook a meal without burning something so how could I think I could pull this off on my own?

19. I love colored christmas lights on our christmas tree. I know most people think they are tacky but I think they are fun and kids love them. My parents always had big colored lights on our trees and I loved them. If I could find some of the old fashioned larger colored bulb strands I would buy them. I love the retro look!

20. Whenever I am on a long road trip by myself, I will turn on the radio and find the craziest oldies station (60's, 70's and 80's) and belt out those songs to stay awake. I have been known to call my sisters and leave them messages playing some crazy 70's motown song just to brighten their day.

21. Toothpaste or beard stubble left in the sink makes me nuts. GROSS, no one wants to see that, wash it down the drain please before someone else has to see your SPIT or HAIR when they go to wash their hands.

22. When we finish our house, I can honestly say I NEVER want to do one ourselves again. We are too old for this stuff. This is our second home to renovate and we are tired. After I pulled a mummified cat out from the crawl space to prepare the area for Mark to finish digging the trenches for the new plumbing a couple of weekends ago, this decision was finalized. No, I did not realize it was a dead cat until I picked it up (thank goodness I had gloves on), yes I dropped it and asked Mark to take care of it. You will be proud to know I did not scream like the girl I am.

23. I still love to get mail. I am just like a kid when I see a card from someone or a package. E-mail is nice, but it just isn't the same.

24. Men's feet usually gross me out. If you cannot paint your toenails, you have no business showing your toes. That's just me.

25. Mark has actually be married to this insanity for what will be 15 years in June. Keep him in your prayers! :-)

Friday, January 23, 2009

I was starting a load of laundry just after the boys and I returned home last night so I was still wearing my strait leg cuffed dress pants. Mason came into the laundry room and said, "Mom, those pants don't make your butt look big." Now I am thinking, WOW, my but must look big in all of my other pants. He proceeded to tell me that since the legs of my pants were big, they made my rear end look smaller. So if any of you need a personal style manager that customizes your look to fit your body type, just let me know. You'll just have to be prepared for total honesty...but stated in the kindest way by a respectful 9 year old. Not in the snarky, sarcastic way from these guys...
that I secretly love.






PHOTO FLASHBACK

THIS WAS THE DAY MASON OFFICIALLY BECAME A BIG BROTHER. JUST LOOK AT THAT BEAMING SMILE.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY BABIES!

Last night I was reading to Andrew before bed and we started working on sounding out words. He was reading to me! As if that were not enough, Mason then came home from basketball practice and sat next to me. I couldn't help but notice his sweaty odor. It was not that little sweaty boy smell that reminds you of a wet dog...it was real big man BO smell. I don't think I can take another "there growing up" moment for a few weeks!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

GO STEELERS

IT IS TOUGH TO BE A STEELER FAN LIVING IN TEXAS. BUT TODAY THE BOYS ARE ROOTING HARD FOR THEIR TEAM. WE HOPE THEY CAN MAKE IT TO THE SUPER BOWL!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

HEALTHY EATING FOR BUSY FAMILIES

For the new year I have pushed to eat healthier in this house. It is so easy to slowly move to convenience foods when the schedule gets tight but most of the time they are not very good for you. My husband and oldest son have a "sensitive palate" so it can be a challenge to find something healthy that they like. So over the next few weeks, I thought I would share with you some quickly made dinners that my family loves and are good for you too. In turn I challenge you to post some of your healthy family favorites too. I am always looking for new quick & healthy recipes to try for my persnickety bunch so please leave a comment if you post something yummy so I can try it out. So here we go for this week...

Garlic Lime Chicken
from nutritionist Leanne Ely "Saving Dinner"

1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 boneless skinless, chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup chicken broth

In a small bowl, mix together the first seven ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.
in a skillet heat butter and olive oil together over medium-high heat. Saute chicken until golden brown about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and add lime juice and chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced sightly. Add chicken back to the pan to thoroughly coat and serve.

My boys love this with mashed potatoes and a green salad. I skip the potatoes and have quick seared fresh asparagus instead. Just cut the ends off of some fresh asparagus. Quickly sear it on a hot cast iron pan brushed with olive oil for 4-7 minutes depending on how crisp you like yours. Remove from the pan and squeeze a lemon wedge over and sprinkle with kosher salt. It taste so fresh and wonderful!

I can have this on the table in under 30 minutes with ease. It is gobbled up in less time than that I assure you!

Friday, January 9, 2009

SADIE AND ME

We went to see Marley and Me tonight. It was a very cute movie. It would have been even better had they excluded a few bouts of bad language. If you've ever loved a dog with all of the mess, stress and joy they bring, you'll love this movie. We came home to find Sadie...

NO, I DID NOT DO ANY FANCY MANIPULATION TO THE COLORS IN THIS PHOTO.

SADIE'S FEET ARE INDEED GREEN AFTER SHE CHEWED UP A MARKER IN ANDREW'S ROOM AND LICKED HER FEET. GOOD THING THEY ARE WASHABLE. I'M OFF TO GO GIVE SADIE A BATH. :-)

CATCH UP POSTING

OK, ONE LAST CHRISTMAS POST HERE. I HAVE BEEN VERY BEHIND GETTING MY PICTURES DOWNLOADED TO POST. I COULDN'T GET MUCH FURTHER INTO THE NEW YEAR BEFORE I SHARED OUR CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS MORNING PICTURES. NOW IF I CAN GET ALL OF THE CHRISTMAS BOXES OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM! :-) MARK PLANS TO MOVE ALL OF THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TO THE NEW HOUSE WORKSHOP INSTEAD OF LUGGING THEM UP THE ATTIC STAIRS JUST TO BRING THEM BACK DOWN WHEN WE MOVE LATER THIS YEAR.

NEXT WEEK I WILL HAVE SOME PICTURES OF THE HOUSE WITH THE SIDING COMPLETE...IT IS SO PRETTY! IT IS REALLY STARTING TO FEEL LIKE A HOME...ON THE OUTSIDE :-P

Friday, January 2, 2009

CONVERSATIONS WITH ANDREW

I love my time in the car with the boys. Now that they are both in school, we don't get as much of that time as we used to when they made the 30 minute commute with me to Ronda's house. Well, this week the boys have gone to Ronda's since they are out of school. Today it was just Andrew and me since Mason stayed to work on the house (notice I did not say yucky house...that will be another post soon!) with Mark. Andrew asked me to tell him about my sisters. There are a lot of them so he likes me to recount them and he smiles as he thinks of each one. I went through all 9 of my siblings and Andrew said, "Mom, is that a lot?" I told him it sure was and it is a lot more than most people have. He then said, "You're a lucky girl!" I smiled and said, "You're right, I am blessed to have so many brothers and sisters." He then said "I'm happy for what I have." referring to his own brother and remembering our constant reminding to them that they need to be grateful for what they have instead of always asking for more. This was one instance where I was happy he was grateful but touched that he wanted more. I just spent the holidays telling my sisters and in-laws that I felt like we were at a point where I was content with the size of our family and the fact that we had no more diaper bags & all the other paraphernalia to carry around. Now this momma is feeling the tug on her heart because another little heart is wanting more to love in his family...who knows, maybe he will be happy with another dog!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

HAPPY 2009

IT'S HERE! NOW WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THIS BRAND NEW YEAR? I'M GONNA DO SOME THINKING ABOUT THAT MYSELF...BUT FOR NOW, I'M OFF TO BED AFTER A LONG NIGHT OF WILD PARTYING WITH MY NEIGHBORS. A NIGHT OF BOARD GAMES AND WII, WE'RE CRAZY I TELL YA!

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