Long Overdue

This summer and fall have flown by... actually, I didn't even notice how quickly until I started going through our pictures! It's crazy. We had a ton of fun... check it out...

Horseneck Beach for a visit with some of Chef Hubby's coworkers. The kids and Henry had a great time splashing in the waves while I chatted with the other wives/moms on the beach :)

Then we went camping again! Had another amazing time and I'm already looking forward to next summer's trip. The kids were a lot easier to do things with and I didn't have to worry about the fire, etc. Good times with great people!

Once again, Daddy and the girls playing in the water while I got to hang out on the beach... hehe :)

btw... this is the 3rd summer that Payton's been able to wear this bathing suit! It's amazing how much room a swimming diaper takes up... when it's gone, there's so much room!

This was the first tooth that Phoebe lost this summer. It was pushed out by the new one growing in. The same thing happened with the other front tooth just weeks later... and no I don't have picture!! I'm pretty sure my mom does though :)

Toasting marshmallows for s'mores is always a scary thing. I hate it when the kids accidentally set theirs' on fire and then swing around with it! Fortunately, Payton could teach everyone about Stop, Drop, and Roll!! lmao

Oh, and fyi... my kids don't usually even eat the damn s'mores... they just like building them and handing them off to mommy and daddy! It's gets sickening pretty quickly - seriously!

Poor little Rebel... he had so much fun, he put himself to bed 2 nights in a row. This particular time, he didn't even bother getting comfy on one of the beds!

The nightly tradition... A sponge bath for the kiddos! Fill the basin with warm water, let them wash their hands, then bring them into the tent and step in it to get their feet, legs, and bodies! It worked great :) and they had a blast

Once they were asleep, we were able to settle in and watch the fire glow... can you feel the moment??

OK, so this is actually Payton's first day of school, Phoebe started a week earlier, but trust me... she didn't change much! lmao

Sisterly love!! Man, I hope they like each other this much - FOREVER!!

Our new daily chart... it's been working great! A friend told me about a rewards catalog and I LOVE the idea, but haven't gotten around to starting it yet. One thing at a time ;)

The first b-day party of the year was a success! Gotta tell you, though - those parents are sooo much more relaxed than I am! The kids had sooo much fun!! I would have been totally stressed out with some of the games they did because of the mess. Ched Hubby told me they did a game where you wrapped a friend in toilet paper to make a living statue... now you know where all of the paper goes after, right??

I LOVE this picture of Payton!! Had to include it :) She's going to be 4 in a couple of weeks. My baby, 4 years old! Wow!!

Well, that's what we've been up to... at least some of what we've been up to. Going to try to do better at posting! Have a great day :) Stay safe!

Pictures!!!

So we really have been busy, and I was actually going to post some more pics, but got frustrated because I forget how impossible it is to arrange them!!

This was Phoebe right after she got her hair cut. They had to straighten it in order to get enough to send to Locks of Love. She was sooo excited to look like her BFF in school, who has straight hair... can you tell??

Then there was Easter... and decorating eggs. Yes, I know that was over 3 months ago, but I'm trying to catch up!!

Isn't it beautiful?!?! hehe

Yes, I'm telling her where to look. She was doing sooo well, but the other 2 were super fast and I didn't want her to get left with nothing.

They all ended up pretty even :)

Career Day at school... Phoebe is a Vet and Payton was a nurse.

The Zooquarium for the class field trip. I couldn't believe that Phoebe actually touched it!!

The Walk-a-thon and field day. Isn't that the cutest!? The noodle is actually a "hose". It started out that way and by the end, all of the kids were running around whacking each other!

Water balloon relay. Do you believe that none of them popped!?!

There's Phoebe on the right... "preparing"

Our little "Calendar Girl". This was during her graduation celebration. She got to do the days of the week and she did awesome!! So proud :)

Phoebe and Tyler... inseparable. Uh oh... Daddy's not too impressed

Yes, that's Payton chewing on her diploma!!

My brother, sister-in-law and niece came to visit. You can definitely tell they are related. Isn't she soooo cute??!

Yay... the zoo!!

Just before her very first "real" hair cut...

Isn't it sooo cute??

Attack dog... lmao

Oh and this is the Peach Cobbler, but I have a confession. I forgot to ask how he made the crumb topping so I can't post the recipe YET. I promise it will be coming soon :)

Update on the Cooking on a Budget

We've been doing pretty other than splurging on some locally handmade ice cream... omg, that is totally my weakness! Well, that and chinese, subway, and Honey Dew!! If you don't have a Honey Dew near you, I'm sorry. I'm sorry because you've never had an Iced Mocha Madness. It's sooo yummy. I know a lot of places have the same type of drink, half coffee/half cocoa combo, but it never tastes like theirs. Theirs' is soo yummy. I actually have to get mine decaf because Phoebe steals it usually and I don't think that a 5yr old really needs any more energy.

Anyway, Price Rite is still helping big time as far as keeping food costs down. Apples are $.99/lb, grapes $1.29/lb, banana $.49/lb, pineapples $2.99 each - all the time!! Awesome. It also helps that cereals are under $2/box unless they are the BIG boxes of Pops, Frosted Flakes, or Fruit Loops, but even then, it's just $2.99 each. I wish they sold store cards because everyone would get those for gifts :)

I know it's the middle of the summer and the last thing on your minds, but don't forget that the food pantries still need help, as well. I'm as guilty as everyone else, because we drifted. Not because we don't care (because we really do) but because we got caught up in life and simply forgot. Silly, sad, typical... I know. BUT that doesn't mean, we can't start again! Canned fruit is great, but stored in the juice is definitely better than the heavy syrup stuff. Canned veggies aren't as refreshing as the fresh produce, but it can still be used to make some great recipes!

I will start posting some canned food recipes, and please, if you have any recommendations, feel free to let me know! I want to make a second edition of the Pantry Cookbook this year :)

Summer So Far

Sorry, I have been the WORST blogger ever, but I am really trying to do better. Even Chef Hubby is helping me get motivated. My plan for today was to show all kinds of pics to prove that we've been busy BUT the adapter for the camera is missing and I can't upload them :(

This is a good thing in way though, cuz that means I will be posting twice this week :) As soon as I find it, you'll get to see my new little garden, Payton's "big girl" haircut, the super yummy peach cobbler that Chef Hubby whipped up for a cookout using some fresh peaches we bought roadside, yesterday, and much much more... hehe. Aren't you excited??

I'll be sharing the recipe for the cobbler when I post the pic, but for now I can share I recipe I borrowed for a work cookout last week. If you love the Girl Scout Samoas cookies, you are going to want to make these IMMEDIATELY!!! lol

Baking Bites made Samoas Bars a while back and I have been meaning to make them since. Unfortunately, I didn't read the recipe and thought that they would be difficult and time consuming... so wrong!! They are very basic and super easy. OK, ok... I bribed Chef Hubby to make them for me while I went out to hang with one of my bestest girlfriends, but I read the recipe and it IS easy :) The most difficult part was dipping them because, the bottoms would break off a little and crumble into the chocolate mixture (then I would just stir it up and smash the pieces to bits - unless the piece was really big, then I would scoop it out and eat it... hehe)

Anyway, check out the recipe!!! She also has other girl scout cookie recipes, including Thin Mints.... mmmm mmm. Those might have to be next!

Now heading to the cookout soon, so I have to get the kiddos ready - it's gotta be a hot summer day cuz I actually got them down for a nap!! Yay! That meant that Chef Hubby and I were able to have some Manchango cheese, crackers, and grapes for lunch. Perfect for the heat. Hope that your 4th of July weekend has been as restful as ours!

Cooking on the budget and more...

The budget for food was actually pretty easy to stick to this week. Thank goodness for Price Rite, it has ridiculously reasonable prices for fruits and veggies. I also tried to stick to the more wholesome, less processed stuff. It required much more forethought than needed in cooking frozen chicken nuggets, but I liked it!

Some of the things I've tried this week are plantains (fried and baked) which I really liked, but hubby was seriously disgusted. I also tried a new coating for homemade chicken nuggets... corn flakes :) Phoebe LOVED them! Payton is hooked on wagon wheel pasta with tomato soup and parmesan cheese grated on top (I make the soup with milk instead of water... I know it's still processed, but it makes me feel better - ok?!?) We've also been eating more salad. I used some leftover corn on the cob to make a little salsa... corn kernels with chopped tomato and oregano.

I'm sticking with the pancakes and applesauce as a "go to" for rushed days and Payton's making it easy by requesting a toast sandwich every morning for breakfast. BTW... Payton graduated Preschool 3 last night!! OK, so she's going into the same class next year because of her age, but she did amazing :)

Tomorrow Phoebe is graduating Kindergarten and going into 1st grade... that's "real school!" OMG... when did my little girl grow up?? She's become such the little writer, artist, actress. She's so amazing! They both are. It's insane to think that she can now read her little sister a book at night. She loves to read and write... I actually had to put a ban on paper this week because she uses too much of it at a time. She doesn't waste it and she draws phenomenal pictures, but she draws a LOT.

Anyway, between all of this I've also taken to the great outdoors. Ok, actually just yard work. I've never done yard work. I've never wanted to do yard work. It was always the thing that needed to get done and I would wait until my poor hubby would finally do it on his very rare moment off. This year, I decided to help out and take a little stress out of his life. So I mow the lawn and cleaned the side of the driveway, planted a little garden, tamed the damn raspberry bush and I'm finally scraping the garage to prepare it for painting!! I feel pretty proud of myself, and he's pretty proud of me too, which helps :)

So, I'm going to go watch a little mindless television and hit the hay. Tomorrow is the first day of the summer for the girls and I have to figure out what we're going to do. I'm a little excited and a little scared... we'll see how long it takes to before I just let them play on the computer. lol

Food on a Budget

I'm sure that my family has the same issues as every other family, including debt. I know this is like a swear word, but hey, it needs to be said. Admitting you have a problem is the first step on the journey to overcome it, right?! So, yes, like most American families, we have accumulated debt. We have a mortgage, and car payments, credit cards, gym memberships, the cable/phone/ internet multipack, etc. Does anyone remember that commercial when the guy is riding around his perfect yard on his beautiful riding lawn mower, saying "I'm in debt up to my eyeballs"?

The pressure came when we decided to put the girls into private school. That was another big chunk placed on top of everything else, but we kept spending. Now, don't get me wrong, we aren't going into foreclosure, waiting for the repo guys to come take the cars, or living off processed foods on sale. Well, ok, the kids do love the processed foods, but I'm starting to feel guilty about giving it to them whenever they ask. We were in need of a change, though.

A few years ago I bought Chef Hubby the book "A Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey and since then it's been collecting dust. Recently, I decided to break it out and maybe find a solution, and I think I did. It talks about budgeting and all the fun stuff that we've never done. I know, budgeting... another swear word, right? To be honest, I've never been on a budget. I mean, we've pretended that we were on a budget, but with credit cards, it simple to sneak in things that you really can't afford. So what does that mean - no more credit cards!

Simple enough. Create a budget. Wow, what a shocker. It's tight, but definitely doable. I'm excited!! I like a challenge and I've decided that in our budget we will be getting only $100/week for groceries for our family of 4. I know that doesn't seem like a difficult task, but at the same time, I want to improve the quality of food we're eating and limiting the amount of processed foods.

I think this first month is going to be really easy since I inventoried our freezer and holy crap, it was stocked! I had no idea how much meat we actually had in there. It's because I only buy meat when it's on sale and then I stock up. Just a snip it of the contents:

• 4 - split chicken breasts
• 2 - 1.5lb bags chicken breast
• 2 - corn beef briskets
• 1 - 1.5lb pork tenderloin tips
• 1 - 1.5lb pork tenderloin
• 2 lbs lean ground beef (2 - 1/2lb pkgs, 1 - 1lb pkg)
• 6 - jenny-o turkey patties
• 7 - black bean chipotle burgers
• 3 lb bag of french fries
• 2 pkgs of french bread pizzas
• 1 pkg filo dough
• 2 frozen pie crusts
• 2 lbs frozen berries
• 2 lbs frozen haddock
• 2 lbs frozen turkey meatballs

See what I mean... and there's more! It's insane!! Anyway, it's still going to be a challenge because, I have a hubby who's a chef. He loves to create especially when we are entertaining, which is what we love to do. Now I've informed him that we will be creating "Iron Chef" style... lol. He's on board and we are super excited to get this started. I've decided that I will be starting to post how we're doing.

So, now the journey begins. It's day 1 and what's for dinner? I'm thinking that we might have to throw the meatballs into the crockpot with some sauce, make up some pasta, and create a side salad with the romaine lettuce, croutons, and parmesan cheese we currently have. Yes, this month is going to be the easiest, but at least it will get me into the habit of planning meals. Oh, by the way, if we do happen to go out to eat - that also counts as groceries. Trust me when I say that I will be second guessing my mid-afternoon coffee runs.

It's been a long time

I know it's been a long time and I once again apologize. I've been pretty busy. I've actually been trying to figure out what I want to do, how to do it, and slowly but surely working on getting it done.

Over the past few weeks, I've actually done more thinking and planning and praying, than I've ever done. A few months ago I decided that teaching might be fun. I'm not saying that lightly, just matter of fact. I can see myself enjoying going to work each day. I love my job now. I love going to the school and working with the kids (young adults... lol) and feeling like I can have an effect on their lives.

I've written several recommendations over the past few weeks for some amazing kids, for colleges, scholarships, and even jobs. When I sit down to write them, I think of how each one of those kids has grown. They've developed into people that I respect. The type of people that I would be happy to someday call a friend. I received a call from one of the parents last week; she told me that my letter almost made her cry when she read it. She appreciated my "kind words" and the thought that had gone into the letter.

I didn't know what to say at first. I thought of the time I've spent working with her son as a patient and now an intern; remembering how soft spoken he was during football his freshman year, how timid he was with the coaches. He'll be graduating in a few weeks and he's already accepted a spot at a highly recognized college. I told her to that she should be proud of herself and I thanked her for the opportunity to work with him. I can only hope that someday, my girls will leave such an impression on people.

So I've decided that I want to teach. It's funny because, the thought of teaching Physical Education was what kept me in graduate school. No, not so that I could one day get a job, but because I wanted to avoid it at all costs! I wanted to work as a Head Athletic Trainer at a Division III College and that's all I had ever wanted to do.

After having my daughter, I realized that college wasn't the best setting for an athletic trainer/mommy. I gave my resignation 1 year later and following a brief period of self-employment, applied for and accepted a job as an Athletic Trainer at a High School/Clinic. At first, I second-guessed myself and thought that I was settling. It wasn't long before I realized that it was where I was supposed to be.

Many people think that high school kids, in general, are a bunch of delinquents. I think that many of them are searching for something, whether it be their identity, a future, a friend, or even just a way out. I've found that the "trouble makers" are sometimes big kids looking for any attention they can get, and sometimes the "good kids" are the ones with the biggest secrets.

I have tests to take, calls to make, and obstacles to overcome, but I think that I'm pretty close to figuring out what I want to be when I grow up... and I just turned 34. My little girls are best friends right now, and growing up faster than I ever expected and my husband just passed a test to become a Certified Executive Chef (he's also a culinary instructor at a local vocational high school). I just finished my very first 5K and I'm working to maybe do a 1/2 marathon with some friends next year. I don't know what's going to happen, but at least, for now, I have some things to work towards. Wish me luck!

Hello Again

I know it's been a while since I've last posted, but I've been busy! I've been trying to get myself back on the road to healthier things. I started back at weight watchers and with my trainer at the gym. The trainer wasn't an expected thing, but rather, an added bonus for me right now.

I've been working hard for a few weeks and I'm already down over 6 lbs! Hell yeah... that feels good :o) I will also be running a 5k in about 4 weeks, so I'm pretty nervous and excited. I will be conquering a hill that took me down big time in high school. It's funny, I think back to high school and I remember being in great shape... just figured that I was a bad runner. Come to find out I was in awful shape, just really strong... lmao!

So now, I am working on the strength, the speed, the endurance, and the nutrition. I am going to make it to my goal weight and I will stay there!! If you want to check in to see how I am doing, feel free to stop by my other blog. I have been much better at posting over there. I blog about workouts, weigh-ins, and most importantly - recipes!! The healthy type!

Anyway, we are expecting company soon. I hope that everyone is having a great night!!

Valentine's Day

I know it's a little late, but I felt the need to talk about Valentine's Day. I've almost always loved Valentine's Day. When I was younger, my mom would get us cards and even mailed them to us in college. In college, I had the boyfriends, and immediately following grad school, I met my husband. I have many valentine's memories... most of them, however, include totally stressing about what to get my loved one.

Has anyone else been dragged down by this guilt, this pressure?? Each year, I try to find the perfect card (ok... I always forget and then end up getting the most perfect leftover... lol) and the most perfect gift. Seriously, I usually end up in VS because it's the least brain power required and it's something that I know my hubby will appreciate. Yes, I know, pathetic, and Elizabeth will be shaking her head saying TMI... but it's the truth!

This year my mom said something and at first I was skeptical. I mean, during a conversation, she said straightfaced, "I hate Valentine's Day". Wow... that just struck me. Who the hell can hate the day of love?? But then she continued with, "If you need to set a day aside to tell me you love me, what's the point?" She's right!!

All year my husband and I get each other cards, or cook that special meal, or have a special night. Why do I get so stressed out about this one stupid "declared day of love"??? He knows I love him. My kids know we love them. What the heck were we thinking? So we decided that we weren't going to exchange cards or gifts, or anything. It was freeing!

Then my mom offered to take the girls overnight Saturday. Sweet! We had a night out at a nice restaurant and were able to chat and flirt and have fun. It was so cool... then we pretty much crashed when we got home. Chef Hubby had to go to work the next morning and I was going to spend the day with the girls and my mom. But, unexpectedly, the week before.... I found the "perfect" card, so I had to get it! Wanna see...

I

love

being

with

you

I love how we continue to

learn from each other...

grow with each other...

and

challenge each other

to be the best person

we are meant to become.

I don't know about you, but that's us :o)

In the Kitchen...

Portugese Natas...

Holiday Trays that I was asked to do... me! Not Chef Hubby... hehe. I think they came out pretty :o)

Oreo fudge, Brownies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies,

Fluffernutter Fudge, Mini Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Snow Day!!

So today we are having a snow day. Well, I had a snow day, the kids and Chef Hubby actually had a half day. Last night we chatted and decided that the kids would have a snow day too! Yay! Gotta admit, the whole sleeping late thing was very exciting to me :o) Typically, I have to be up at 6am and then get things ready to get the kids up and ready by 6:55 so that we can be out the door and in the car by 7:38. (I don't know why it's 7:38... it just always seems that that's the time on the dashboard about 98% of the time, so that's my goal now... lol)

So anyway, I woke up at 8:45... hehe. The girls were playing in Payton's room, and very well, I must say. I wondered to the kitchen and grabbed some coffee that Hubby had already set up. Asked them if they wanted breakfast. Both said they didn't want to eat, but wanted to play their Leapsters. Hey, why not.

Since I had the time, I decided that I would make a muffin tin for breakfast. I love muffin tins! I haven't been making them as much as I used to; probably due to time, but today I threw it together... hehe

grapes, corn bran cereal, mini pancakes, hash brown potatoe, ketchup, bacon

Payton has been slightly obsessed with the whole mini pancake thing lately, so I've been going with it. I use my mini cookie scoop to drop the batter and it makes it a lot easier. I also discovered that I can make baked mini pancake muffins! These totally rock for weekend breakfasts. I throw some mini chocolate chips in the batter, use my medium cookie to drop the batter into my mini muffin pan, cook for about 18-20 mins at 350 degrees and serve with syrup for dipping! mmm mmm... they come out super light and fluffy if you make the batter ahead of time and let sit for at least 10-20 minutes before portioning into tin. The same goes for if you are making them on the stovetop.

Well, I have tons to fill you in on, but right now I think I should go play a game, or start cutting some butterfly bodies for the girls to decorate for Valentine's Day. PBS Kids is entertaining and all, but hey, I need to make the most of our snow day, right?!

One of those weeks...

So this week has been one of those weeks. I've been running from one thing to another and feel like I can't catch up.

Monday started by bringing the kids to school and being asked to teacher Physical Education for the day. I definitely wanted to do it, I mean seriously. It's a great opportunity to see if it's for me. Try to figure out the kids, etc. But I had no idea what to expect. I ran home and showered. Then I prepped one workout that I could modify for grades 2-8. I survived. It was actually kind of fun too!

Then Tuesday I had to cover some Basketball games at school. That morning I finished most of the molding in the bathroom. I think that I'm getting a little quicker and better with my cuts. I'm becoming one with the miter saw. I should post some pics of the bathroom soon. I think I will have to have a photo day to catch you up on everything I've been doing. Anyway, I headed to work at the High School. Then I found out that Chef Hubby needed to go to his night job, which meant that I found a high school student to watch the kids during the game while I worked.

It was going well, until we had an injury. Blood on the floor and no towels in sight. That was cleaned up. When Hubby came to get the kids and bring them home, apparently they told him all about the blood everywhere in gruesome detail - nice!

The next day Payton woke up sick and wasn't able to go to school. She had a fever and slept a LOT so I called into work and let them know I wouldn't be coming in. It was a slow day and the teams should be set. BUT I was planning on being there Thursday... yeah, well

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray...

Payton woke up sick again, but she seemed a little better. We were all set. She ate a little for lunch. She was drinking liquids like a champ. She even put herself down for a 2 hrs nap. When she woke up she seemed really warm, so I decided to be safe and give her some more meds. She had other plans. Like how about a spat of hysteria that resulted in her puking all over me, her, and my BED!!! NOT COOL... then we picked up Phoebe from school, and went HOME.

As soon as Hubby got home, I had to run to Parent Teacher Conferences. That was cool. My kids are normal. Well, as normal as my kids can be. Payton is really witty and doesn't get spacial descriptions (ie. front of, back of, right, left, etc) which could be part of her problem. She keeps getting yellow tickets, which means she's had a no so good day.

Phoebe is in the middle of the road on reading, and she doesn't have to go to reading club anymore, yay! She's been doing so well. She's very independent in the classroom, but unfortunately, she is a follower when it comes to friends. She needs to learn that she has to obey the rules whether her friends are, or not! ugh.

Then I headed over to cover a track meet... I like track meets, don't get me wrong, last night it seemed to drag. Man oh man.

Today was good. Payton went to school. I got to go to lunch with Chef Hubby, at his work. I like doing that, because it's like a little date. No kids (besides his students) and a little time to talk. Anyway, I have games tonight. Another game tomorrow morning and I think that I am going to watch my director do a show tomorrow night so I can get back into the swing of things with the Pampered Chef.

Wish me luck!!

Can't Get Anything Done

Am I the only one who has the attention span of a flea?? I was trying to explain to my husband what goes on in my mind while I am trying to do projects in the house. Here is an example of a day where I am trying to be super productive and end up getting nothing done...

So, now I am going to do the molding in the bathroom...

1. I clean up the magazine rack in the bathroom and bring the ones we can use as references into the sunroom.
2. Sort and store the magazines, then start to move the items in the sunroom that I took off the rack the other day, into the attic.
3. Once in the attic, I start to sort through items that need to be thrown away or sorted to stay.
4. Go back downstairs to once again try to work on the bathroom molding.
5. Head into the basement to get the molding and the miter saw. Then I start to sort the stuff on a shelf downstairs because I want to make the basement more welcoming to workout in.
6. Start to sand the table that I want to stain and finish. R
7. Realize that I will be downstairs for a while and go back to get some laundry.
8. Start 2 loads of laundry and sweep the floors of the basement.
9. Go back upstairs (without the molding) for a cup of coffee and start cleaning kitchen.
10. Remember that the new spout for the faucet still doesn't fit and I need to bring it back to Lowe's to find an adaptor. Put that and the receipt into my coat in the bedroom.
11. Make the bed.
12. Sort the clothes that I folded the other day.
13. Bring Phoebe's clothes into her room.
14. End up vacuuming.
15. Bring Payton's clothes into her room.
16. Try to figure out how to reconfigure the bedroom so that I can set up a TV because she's peeing in the potty like a "Big Girl" and has been promised this FOREVER.
17. Realize she has too many pieces of large furniture and decide the bookcase in the sunroom would fit better than the larger bookcase she currently has.
18. Back in the sunroom where I empty the CDs and stuff out of the bookcase and bring them upstairs.
19. Realize it's almost time for work and I have to get ready.
20. End up forgetting clothes in the washers. Haven't touched the bathroom. Don't have time to go to Lowe's for the spout. Haven't even finished sanding the table.

I seriously don't think that this is normal... and I swear I am not even remotely making this up!!! It's soo frustrating. UGH!!

Kids are great...

So I was across the house and heard some bickering going on at the computer. I let Phoebe and Payton play Nick Jr while I made some pizza dough for dinner. All of a sudden Payton is crying and Phoebe is screaming...

Me: "What's going on in there?"

Phoebe: "Payton hit me!"

Me: "Why did she hit you?"

Phoebe: "Because I slapped her, because she wouldn't listen to me!"

Man... I bet it doesn't stay this simple, does it?! Gotta love it when they tell on themselves, right.

Kids

My kids have never been to Disney World, but all of a sudden have been asking about it. I think that some friends in school either went there for vacation, or will be heading there soon. Anyway, for Christmas we bought them a bank that counts the change as you put it in, so they can learn how to save money.

We told them that we are going to save for Disney, but it's going to take about 2 yrs. Plus, Whenever they complain that mommy or daddy has to work, we say, "We have to work to make money so we can go on trips, and buy the things we want".

Well, at school they are talking about Hawaii now. The kids get very excited about this stuff, so at the dinner table the other day, this is what our conversation was...

Phoebe: "Mommy, when it's not a school night can we go to Hawaii?" - (we have very boring school nights, no tv, no "sleep overs". Just dinner, homework, baths, stories, bed with music)

I said: "Phoebe, do you know that Hawaii is even more expensive than Disney World?"

Phoebe: "Oh, well you and daddy need to work more so we can make enough money to go to Hawaii."

What the hell do you say to that?!?! lmao - at least she gets it, right??

Apology

I want to apologize to the few people who read the blog... I've been neglecting it again. I know!! BUT, I have been updating my other one on a regular basis. I have a ton of pics to post and will do so, as soon as I get a chance. I promise!

As for why I've been such a slacker... I've been trying to focus on me and lose the weight that I gained over the holidays. I've also been cooking up a storm because a very dear friend finally had her baby! Yay!! OK... so I said finally, but he was actually born almost a week "early". But, man, he's sooo cute and adorable and perfect! Way to go JP!! So I cooked up a bunch of meals for her and hubby for when they get home from the hospital.

Also, just this morning I fixed my kitchen drawer, fixed my sprayer thingy on the sink, and tried to fix the faucet. It would have been done, but the guy at Lowe's told me that the nozzle fits "all pipes"... well, all except for the one in my kitchen, damn it!! Then I had to make a lasagna for Chef Hubby, the kids, and the sitter for tonight. I have to cover basketball games at the high school, and he has yet another meeting.

Well, hang in there - there will be lots of new stuff! As soon as I a get the chance :o)

Happy New Year!!

Wow... can you believe it's already 2010? I don't know, I think it's crazy!! Anyway, this season has been insane and I've been really really bad. No not in the fun ways you may be thinking, but man oh man, I've eaten my share PLUS over the past 6 weeks or so and my jeans are not happy!!

So, here's the thing, am I alone?? Is anyone else up for the challenge of getting "into shape" for the new year? I think that I am ready to finally lose these last 25 lbs. I think that I've officially eaten myself into satisfaction. I have the fridge stocked with peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots. I have a fresh pineapple on the counter waiting to be cut and I have my Oats and Chocolate Fiber One bars for breakfast!! I think that I am ready.

I've even looked up some new recipes for foods like brussels sprouts (haven't had them since I was about 10 and thought they were gross) that actually sounds awesome. Figured that I would make them with a pork tenderloin... mmm mmm mmm. I will be posting all these recipes and more on my other blog... One With the Scale!