THE GOOD: Sunday we went to a state park with 5 or 6 other families for a picnic. The weather was fantastic and the kids all had a blast playing.
THE BAD: All the kids were down by a lake playing and having a good time. Spirit and another kid decided to throw a large log (not a stick or a twig, but a rather good sized log) into the water. As they went to toss it, another child turned and the log hit him in the head. This was just before we were planning to leave so both boys apologized to the kid and we all made sure he had calmed down and appeared ok. WELL, turns out he wasn't ok. He spent the night in the hospital. He has a concussion. Has missed school. Has to go back to the doctor next week for a follow-up. We have talked with Spirit and he cried. He said he never meant to hurt anyone. I know he didn't mean to but the fact is it happened and he needs to learn from it. We are going to have him put together a get well basket and card for the boy and take it to him tonight. We also had Spirit pray for the boy and ask God to heal the boy and to ask God to forgive him as well. When I went to tell Spirit good night last night he was crying and said that he has heard that if someone gets too many concussions they can get a disease that makes them kill themselves. We talked about that for a bit and he seemed better but then this morning he told me he cried himself to sleep.
THE FUNNY: After we left the picnic we needed some gas in the car so we were joking that we hoped to find a gas station before we ran out and got stranded. Lady Bug pipes up from the back seat "right, and then we get stranded and mom ends up pregnant!"........ *sound of crickets chirp chirp* What in the world? Where did she get that? sure, so the car breaks down and Mr. Man and I decide it's time to get busy??? Ohhhh that girl kills me sometimes!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Spring Break
We are having amazing weather for the kids' spring break this week! (Other than the almost-tornado winds yesterday) Mr. Man has most of the week off to be with them. The kids really needed this mental break from school and friends.
Lefty has been having problems with his best friend. He said he didn't know why the kid was so mad at him, thankfully they resolved it somehow and have been calling each other again.
Over the weekend the kids and I played "Just Dance" on Wii for hours on end - I am a tad bit sore but man oh man did I have a blast with them! Mr. Man reclined his chair and watched for most of it but he did get up and do a 70's song with Lady Bug (she killed him in score!)
Since we painted Lady Bug's room last month we decided each of the boys would get a turn in "updating" their room a bit. We are starting with Lefty because his will require the least amount of updates. We found a bed on Craigslist for dirt cheap and will throw up some paint later in the week or maybe the weekend.
For Spirit's room we will basically have to gut it and start over which means new carpets and all. When we bought the house this room had a built in desk which we never really liked but tolerated until we were ready to gut it. I guess we are ready to gut now! His bed is falling apart, the built-in desk is falling apart and coming away from the wall and he has no storage space. When we get that far we will get him a new bed, tear out that desk and be forced to get new carpet in there. We will also throw up some paint for him too. I am looking forward to re-doing his room, I am not looking forward to the construction and the financial side of it!
As a close to the spring break week we are planning a camping trip for a day or two! I can't wait!
Lefty has been having problems with his best friend. He said he didn't know why the kid was so mad at him, thankfully they resolved it somehow and have been calling each other again.
Over the weekend the kids and I played "Just Dance" on Wii for hours on end - I am a tad bit sore but man oh man did I have a blast with them! Mr. Man reclined his chair and watched for most of it but he did get up and do a 70's song with Lady Bug (she killed him in score!)
Since we painted Lady Bug's room last month we decided each of the boys would get a turn in "updating" their room a bit. We are starting with Lefty because his will require the least amount of updates. We found a bed on Craigslist for dirt cheap and will throw up some paint later in the week or maybe the weekend.
For Spirit's room we will basically have to gut it and start over which means new carpets and all. When we bought the house this room had a built in desk which we never really liked but tolerated until we were ready to gut it. I guess we are ready to gut now! His bed is falling apart, the built-in desk is falling apart and coming away from the wall and he has no storage space. When we get that far we will get him a new bed, tear out that desk and be forced to get new carpet in there. We will also throw up some paint for him too. I am looking forward to re-doing his room, I am not looking forward to the construction and the financial side of it!
As a close to the spring break week we are planning a camping trip for a day or two! I can't wait!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Word of Caution!
I am writing this for anyone who may encounter something similar.
About 2 years ago in December I got a phone call from a lady who said she was with a collection agency which freaked me out because although there was a time in my life when I was behind in bills often enough to get these calls I was no longer in that stage when I got the call. The lady and I spent about 30-40 minutes on the phone, but within the first 15 minutes she had me in tears telling me that I was a horrible person for not paying my debts and when I asked her what it was for and if she would get me a copy of it she responded with "YOU incurred the debt, ma'am you should know what it is for." Through tears I told her I had no idea what it was for, on and on we went. She then said if I did not pay $875 immediately they sheriff would be coming to my office with a warrant for my arrest. She also said that an attorney was already at the courthouse getting ready to file a judgment against me.
{NOW, keep in mind I work for an attorney and have worked in the legal field for 15 years so I should have known better but she got me to a point that I was so vulnerable and so scared that I honestly believed her!}
I continued to cry and tell her there was no way I could her that full amount and so then she turned on her "nice voice" and said calmly "Let me see what my manager will do." she came back to the line and said that they would take $450 immediately. So I gave them my debit card information and paid them.
For a brief moment I felt relieved - but then it hit me. It hit me that she had just completely lied to me! I called my husband and explained what happened. We tried to call the bank to cancel the charge and they said they wouldn't be able to do that, but that I could wait until it cleared my account and then fight it. Which we did, but couldn't fight.
These scammers know how much they can collect without it being a felony and also how to work the system!
I filed a complaint with my state's District Attorney's office, they investigated it and found them to be scammers but they could not force them to return my money and they told me I could hire an attorney to fight it - BUT again, for $450 I would spend more than that in legal fees PLUS the scammers were out of Florida and I do not live in Florida! The District Attorney sent them a letter that they could no longer practice business in Colorado, but I'm sure the scammers didn't care!
I'm sure what I have written is not news to you, I'm sure you have heard plenty of stories like this but what I want to warn you about is that I have now discovered that the scammers have either SOLD my information OR have just started a new business and hope to catch me when I'm weak again because the calls have started again.
One way to tell that they are scammers is that they don't want to give you copies of the debt information. By law a bill collector has to give that to you if you request it. Recently, I had a call from a bill collector for a doctor and I knew she was legit because as soon as I asked for documentation she said "sure, give me a couple weeks and I will get it to you by mail." and within a couple weeks I had all the papers proving I had not completely paid that doctor's bill.
Scammers also are very rude and try to intimidate and they tell lots of lies (warrants being issued, wage garnishments filed in your name, attorney at court house, etc.). Make sure you know your rights and hold your ground, if it is a legitimate debt the bill collector will be willing to work with you, a scammer will continue to be rude.
So now that I have figured out my info has been sold to other scammers I am on high alert. I even got a call at my office (which was the giveaway that my info had been sold because they came in on a back-line and I don't give out that number but I did call that first scammer from my office back line!) and the gentlemen who called said almost word for word what the first scammer said to me. I told him to remove this number from his call list and if he would mail me the debt documentation I would look it over. His response was "I've mailed it several times and you've ignored it. I also have mailed you a motion." {being wiser now and using my legal experience I said "what kind of motion?" and his response was "A motion for your arrest." -- There is no motion for an arrest that can be filed. When I told him I didn't believe him he said "Fine, I'll see you in court" I took great pleasure in saying "YES you will!!!" knowing full well he had no court date, no motions and no grounds to collect any debt from me!}
Anyway, I just want everyone to be very careful of any bill collector calls and be sure you do not pay scammers - remember to ask for copies of the debt if you are unsure of what they are referencing. Sometimes even scammers will use names of debts to try to lure you in, but a legitimate debt collector knows exactly what the charges are for and what company and if they don't know it they will find out for you. You will lose your money most likely and they are hard to track down and they know it! So just be very, very careful!
About 2 years ago in December I got a phone call from a lady who said she was with a collection agency which freaked me out because although there was a time in my life when I was behind in bills often enough to get these calls I was no longer in that stage when I got the call. The lady and I spent about 30-40 minutes on the phone, but within the first 15 minutes she had me in tears telling me that I was a horrible person for not paying my debts and when I asked her what it was for and if she would get me a copy of it she responded with "YOU incurred the debt, ma'am you should know what it is for." Through tears I told her I had no idea what it was for, on and on we went. She then said if I did not pay $875 immediately they sheriff would be coming to my office with a warrant for my arrest. She also said that an attorney was already at the courthouse getting ready to file a judgment against me.
{NOW, keep in mind I work for an attorney and have worked in the legal field for 15 years so I should have known better but she got me to a point that I was so vulnerable and so scared that I honestly believed her!}
I continued to cry and tell her there was no way I could her that full amount and so then she turned on her "nice voice" and said calmly "Let me see what my manager will do." she came back to the line and said that they would take $450 immediately. So I gave them my debit card information and paid them.
For a brief moment I felt relieved - but then it hit me. It hit me that she had just completely lied to me! I called my husband and explained what happened. We tried to call the bank to cancel the charge and they said they wouldn't be able to do that, but that I could wait until it cleared my account and then fight it. Which we did, but couldn't fight.
These scammers know how much they can collect without it being a felony and also how to work the system!
I filed a complaint with my state's District Attorney's office, they investigated it and found them to be scammers but they could not force them to return my money and they told me I could hire an attorney to fight it - BUT again, for $450 I would spend more than that in legal fees PLUS the scammers were out of Florida and I do not live in Florida! The District Attorney sent them a letter that they could no longer practice business in Colorado, but I'm sure the scammers didn't care!
I'm sure what I have written is not news to you, I'm sure you have heard plenty of stories like this but what I want to warn you about is that I have now discovered that the scammers have either SOLD my information OR have just started a new business and hope to catch me when I'm weak again because the calls have started again.
One way to tell that they are scammers is that they don't want to give you copies of the debt information. By law a bill collector has to give that to you if you request it. Recently, I had a call from a bill collector for a doctor and I knew she was legit because as soon as I asked for documentation she said "sure, give me a couple weeks and I will get it to you by mail." and within a couple weeks I had all the papers proving I had not completely paid that doctor's bill.
Scammers also are very rude and try to intimidate and they tell lots of lies (warrants being issued, wage garnishments filed in your name, attorney at court house, etc.). Make sure you know your rights and hold your ground, if it is a legitimate debt the bill collector will be willing to work with you, a scammer will continue to be rude.
So now that I have figured out my info has been sold to other scammers I am on high alert. I even got a call at my office (which was the giveaway that my info had been sold because they came in on a back-line and I don't give out that number but I did call that first scammer from my office back line!) and the gentlemen who called said almost word for word what the first scammer said to me. I told him to remove this number from his call list and if he would mail me the debt documentation I would look it over. His response was "I've mailed it several times and you've ignored it. I also have mailed you a motion." {being wiser now and using my legal experience I said "what kind of motion?" and his response was "A motion for your arrest." -- There is no motion for an arrest that can be filed. When I told him I didn't believe him he said "Fine, I'll see you in court" I took great pleasure in saying "YES you will!!!" knowing full well he had no court date, no motions and no grounds to collect any debt from me!}
Anyway, I just want everyone to be very careful of any bill collector calls and be sure you do not pay scammers - remember to ask for copies of the debt if you are unsure of what they are referencing. Sometimes even scammers will use names of debts to try to lure you in, but a legitimate debt collector knows exactly what the charges are for and what company and if they don't know it they will find out for you. You will lose your money most likely and they are hard to track down and they know it! So just be very, very careful!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
My Teachable Moment
Over the weekend we decided to sit the kids down and increase chore duties around the house. We heard a complaint or two about how LONG everything takes to do. So I decided to share a story about how I used to absolutely dread unloading the dishwasher because I thought it took too long. One morning I put a cup of water in the microwave to heat up and set the timer for 2 minutes. I started unloading the dishwasher, thinking to myself that I could at least start unloading the dishwasher until my water was heated. Well, turns out I unloaded the entire dishwasher before the timer on the microwave went off. So, I say to the kids, "my point is that sometimes we dread something but really it doesn't take long at all."
My sweet little Lady Bug looks me straight in the eye and says "Wow! That had to be embarrassing for you!"
My sweet little Lady Bug looks me straight in the eye and says "Wow! That had to be embarrassing for you!"
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Journaling
The other night we caught Lady Bug awake at 11:00 PM! She was just sitting on her bed writing in her journal (how sweet is that at 7 years old??!!) We asked her to put it away and go to sleep. Never thinking much of it because she loves to write and is always looking for opportunities to write a story or journal something!
Last night we had parent teacher conferences and the teachers were talking about her awesome writing skills and I told them that story of her staying up late. When we got home from the conference she brought me her journal and said "read this mom, this is what I wrote that night I stayed up late."
The image won't attach correctly so I will just write in here what she wrote (her typos included just as she jotted them in her journal):
Last night we had parent teacher conferences and the teachers were talking about her awesome writing skills and I told them that story of her staying up late. When we got home from the conference she brought me her journal and said "read this mom, this is what I wrote that night I stayed up late."
The image won't attach correctly so I will just write in here what she wrote (her typos included just as she jotted them in her journal):
I am the one who will praise God every day! I am the one that will do
what my teachers and parents say the first time! I am the one who will read the Bible
everi day. I am the one who will not spell and say bad words!
I am the one who will preech about God! I will be
like Martin Luther King when I grow up!
I was so touched and moved by this! I brought her journal with me so that I could copy that page and save it in her "box" (you know the BOX of cute stuff to save for the kiddos!) and I am so moved every time I read this!
Friday, February 24, 2012
To shower or not to shower...
I have had an ongoing battle with Spirit for a very long time. He hates to shower and brush his teeth. When he was 8 he showered nearly everyday and wanted to wear his dad's cologne, then he turned 9 and since then it's been a fight. Every.single.day.
Recently we've had discussions about why it is he dislikes showering and brushing his teeth... his response is that it takes too much time. So this morning I set the stop watch on my phone. From the time he shut the bathroom door until he exited the bathroom it took 5 minutes 23 seconds. His response to that "ya, see it took so long!".... He will just have to be mad at me when I tell him to bathe. I hate to fight with him over that issue but his hair was greasy this morning and his feet smelled like an old gym. Blech.
Mr. Man and I decided to have a family meeting this weekend. We will discuss a change in the chore responsibilities around the house and how there will be more expected of the kids with regard to helping around the house and also that part of the daily routine will include showering and brushing teeth and hair.
*sigh*
Recently we've had discussions about why it is he dislikes showering and brushing his teeth... his response is that it takes too much time. So this morning I set the stop watch on my phone. From the time he shut the bathroom door until he exited the bathroom it took 5 minutes 23 seconds. His response to that "ya, see it took so long!".... He will just have to be mad at me when I tell him to bathe. I hate to fight with him over that issue but his hair was greasy this morning and his feet smelled like an old gym. Blech.
Mr. Man and I decided to have a family meeting this weekend. We will discuss a change in the chore responsibilities around the house and how there will be more expected of the kids with regard to helping around the house and also that part of the daily routine will include showering and brushing teeth and hair.
*sigh*
Monday, February 20, 2012
President's Day
Even though I work for an attorney and the courts will be closed on President's Day, our office is generally open for business. We actually set up quite a few client meetings because it is a convenient day for clients to come in. I have been with the current law firm for 5 years and we have worked every President's Day. BUT, today a strange thing happened. I got to work early and was busy working when my boss walks in and says "uhhhhh, what are you doing here? I thought the office was closed?" {He is the boss, he makes the rules, why is he asking ME?} I told him that he had not said anything to me about it last week so I assumed we were open. He went in his office and about 15 minutes later comes out and says "I checked my calendar and sure enough we are open. This is one of those holidays I have to check each year." So I half-jokingly said "Let's just make it easy then and close up. Call it good and call it a day!" After he stared at me for a moment or two he said "Let's not."
Hee hee. Ok, back to the client project I was working on!
Hee hee. Ok, back to the client project I was working on!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day
Since Mr. Man and I have our wedding anniversary 2 weeks before Valentine's Day we generally don't do any gifts for each other - BUT this year he surprised me. I woke up this morning and stumbled to the kitchen and saw 2 red glittery bags with pink tissue paper coming out the top. My watery eyes dried up and I rushed to the bags and one had my name and the other had Lady Bug's! When she got up we each opened our gifts. He gave me a book and a movie and the sweetest card ever! He made my day.
He didn't "make my day" because of the gift per say, but more because I have had a stressful last 5 days and have been fighting this bronchitis for over a month and am STILL not better. The gift will help but the fact that he showed how much he cares for me by taking time out of his hectic schedule to get something for me and write me a special card meant a lot to me! It meant he realizes how stressed I have been and how he cares about how that is affecting me.
I got each of the kids a small box of candy and a card. I also made heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for breakfast (which only looked like hearts until I smothered them in frosting, then they just looked like any other cinnamon roll.
On a side note, I did return to the doctor today only to be told I Still have bronchitis and that it may take more time. They gave me another antibiotic to fight off anything that may still be living in there, gave me a Lung Function Test and asked me to come back in 2 more weeks for a follow up. Yippee for me. I just want to stop coughing and stop having my head hurt. grrr.
He didn't "make my day" because of the gift per say, but more because I have had a stressful last 5 days and have been fighting this bronchitis for over a month and am STILL not better. The gift will help but the fact that he showed how much he cares for me by taking time out of his hectic schedule to get something for me and write me a special card meant a lot to me! It meant he realizes how stressed I have been and how he cares about how that is affecting me.
I got each of the kids a small box of candy and a card. I also made heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for breakfast (which only looked like hearts until I smothered them in frosting, then they just looked like any other cinnamon roll.
On a side note, I did return to the doctor today only to be told I Still have bronchitis and that it may take more time. They gave me another antibiotic to fight off anything that may still be living in there, gave me a Lung Function Test and asked me to come back in 2 more weeks for a follow up. Yippee for me. I just want to stop coughing and stop having my head hurt. grrr.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
A room fit for a princess
Lady Bug's room had wallpaper on one wall when we moved into this house 4 years ago. A very dated wallpaper too. She recently started asking her dad if he could take it down and paint her room. SO for her birthday we decided to do a very "on-a-tight-budget" room remodel. The wallpaper was on so well that we decided to just paint over it. We did three large stripes on the wall, two outer ones in a darker purpler and then center one a lighter shade. Then we did three large diamond shapes in the center in coordinating purples.
Then we bought a beaded chandelier at Ikea and a bed net at Ikea for a total of $40. We also bought 2 wall flower lights and a wall bug light. Although the bug light didn't necessarily go with the rest of the room Lady Bug was insisting we put it up.
For about $140 we remodeled slightly and she is so excited. We can't even get her out of there now!
Here is the room BEFORE:
Here is the AFTER pictures:
Then we bought a beaded chandelier at Ikea and a bed net at Ikea for a total of $40. We also bought 2 wall flower lights and a wall bug light. Although the bug light didn't necessarily go with the rest of the room Lady Bug was insisting we put it up.
For about $140 we remodeled slightly and she is so excited. We can't even get her out of there now!
Here is the room BEFORE:
Here is the AFTER pictures:
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Happy Birthday to a sweet girl!
My darling little Lady Bug turns 7 today! She is growing up so fast. She is the sparkle of my eye and brings me so much joy and happiness!
She makes me laugh with her silliness. She has such a sweet heart and a kind spirit. For example, just the other day she had some candy in her hand and Mr. Man jokingly went to take it from her saying he was going to eat it all and she calmly replied "Well, ummm, I was going to give it to my brothers." and she looked a little sad. She is constantly thinking of others. Another time, she got a snack from class and asked the teacher if she could get 2 more so she could share with her brothers. How sweet is that?!
I constantly find notes on my bed from her where she is telling me how much she loves me. I just can't get enough of that sweet little girl.
Don't get me wrong, she has an ugly side too, but thankfully the sweet side is visible more often than not!
We woke her up this morning by singing "Happy Birthday To You!" and then she requested cinnamon rolls for breakfast so all 5 of us sat down together and had cinnamon rolls (which is unusual for all 5 of us to be at the table at the same time on a school/work morning!) Mr. Man has a tradition of "BirthdayNapping" his kids on their birthday and he takes the day off from work and pulls them out of school and spends the whole day just the 2 of them. Each kid really looks forward to these days with their dad. Today Mr. Man and Lady Bug will pick me up from work at noon to have lunch, then Lady Bug will go see her cousin who cuts hair for a hair cut she so desperately needs, then tonight we will be eating her requested dinner which is, of all things, Shepherds Pie.
Has anyone ever heard of a "Golden Birthday"? Lady Bug just informed me that today is her Golden Birthday. I Googled it and the Golden Birthday corresponds with the date and your age. SO for instance, my birthday is on the 17th day of the month so my Golden Birthday was when I turned 17. Today is the 7th and Lady Bug is turning 7 so this is her Golden Birthday! Great, and I didn't plan big enough for this golden one! Maybe we can add some flair to the dinner party?? eekk. The pressure is on!
She makes me laugh with her silliness. She has such a sweet heart and a kind spirit. For example, just the other day she had some candy in her hand and Mr. Man jokingly went to take it from her saying he was going to eat it all and she calmly replied "Well, ummm, I was going to give it to my brothers." and she looked a little sad. She is constantly thinking of others. Another time, she got a snack from class and asked the teacher if she could get 2 more so she could share with her brothers. How sweet is that?!
I constantly find notes on my bed from her where she is telling me how much she loves me. I just can't get enough of that sweet little girl.
Don't get me wrong, she has an ugly side too, but thankfully the sweet side is visible more often than not!
We woke her up this morning by singing "Happy Birthday To You!" and then she requested cinnamon rolls for breakfast so all 5 of us sat down together and had cinnamon rolls (which is unusual for all 5 of us to be at the table at the same time on a school/work morning!) Mr. Man has a tradition of "BirthdayNapping" his kids on their birthday and he takes the day off from work and pulls them out of school and spends the whole day just the 2 of them. Each kid really looks forward to these days with their dad. Today Mr. Man and Lady Bug will pick me up from work at noon to have lunch, then Lady Bug will go see her cousin who cuts hair for a hair cut she so desperately needs, then tonight we will be eating her requested dinner which is, of all things, Shepherds Pie.
Has anyone ever heard of a "Golden Birthday"? Lady Bug just informed me that today is her Golden Birthday. I Googled it and the Golden Birthday corresponds with the date and your age. SO for instance, my birthday is on the 17th day of the month so my Golden Birthday was when I turned 17. Today is the 7th and Lady Bug is turning 7 so this is her Golden Birthday! Great, and I didn't plan big enough for this golden one! Maybe we can add some flair to the dinner party?? eekk. The pressure is on!
Monday, February 6, 2012
What a weekend
The weather people were telling us last Thursday that a blizzard was coming - 20" predicted and it was going to snow Thursday through Saturday. At noon on Thursday it was spring-like weather outside with bright sunshine, no need for a coat so of course I was skeptical about the blizzard. They were saying the blizzard warning was going into effect at 2:00 pm. Sure. Whatever. I have no coat on, there is no blizzard on its way! Pretty soon they moved the blizzard warning to 4:00 pm. Still no snow. About 6:00 pm we started to see some flurries. It wasn't really sticking to ground yet, but at 8:30 pm the school district called to say school was cancelled for Friday! Seriously??? Where we live we deal with snow all winter long, we know how to deal with it and drive in it and we have city equipment that gets out there early with plows, etc. How can they close school?
WELL, woke up Friday morning to 12 or so inches which had drifted up against my front door so we couldn't even open it. My husband's office closed at noon. I called my boss and told him I was staying home. We hunkered inside and thankfully my husband had gone out to the store on Thursday and stocked up on several things, however he wasn't the only one so items were pretty cleaned out. He said there was no ground beef. There was no sugar. There were no eggs. No milk. You get it, all the staples were cleaned out. But we managed to get some things so that we able to eat while stuck inside. It snowed until about 10:00 am on Saturday! We have SO much snow and the roads are terrible, even today, Monday!
The kids went sledding with some neighbors and so of course my front entry was soon filled with tons of wet, snowy clothes and boots, gloves, hats, etc. and everyone begging for hot cocoa with marshmallows! We had a nice family weekend!
This morning the kids were actually ready to get back to school and I, too, was ready for them to go back to school!
**P.S. I tried to find a picture of the snow, but I didn't take any and couldn't find any good ones online. That's what happens when you have not been blogging for a while, you forget that you need lots and lots of pictures! Next time folks!
WELL, woke up Friday morning to 12 or so inches which had drifted up against my front door so we couldn't even open it. My husband's office closed at noon. I called my boss and told him I was staying home. We hunkered inside and thankfully my husband had gone out to the store on Thursday and stocked up on several things, however he wasn't the only one so items were pretty cleaned out. He said there was no ground beef. There was no sugar. There were no eggs. No milk. You get it, all the staples were cleaned out. But we managed to get some things so that we able to eat while stuck inside. It snowed until about 10:00 am on Saturday! We have SO much snow and the roads are terrible, even today, Monday!
The kids went sledding with some neighbors and so of course my front entry was soon filled with tons of wet, snowy clothes and boots, gloves, hats, etc. and everyone begging for hot cocoa with marshmallows! We had a nice family weekend!
This morning the kids were actually ready to get back to school and I, too, was ready for them to go back to school!
**P.S. I tried to find a picture of the snow, but I didn't take any and couldn't find any good ones online. That's what happens when you have not been blogging for a while, you forget that you need lots and lots of pictures! Next time folks!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
This celebration makes me sad though...
Almost 5 months ago a dear friend of ours passed away after his long battle with stomach cancer. Today is his birthday. His wife and kids baked him a cake and are celebrating his life, even though he is gone from this world. It makes me so sad to think we have to celebrate this BIRTH day when he is gone.
I miss the smile that he always seemed to wear and how he had just the right things to say - even when he was suffering he would ask me how I was doing - as if that mattered, I wasn't the one fighting for my life. I suppose he is having a grand celebration in heaven and THAT makes me smile.
Happy Birthday Tom!
Here is a picture taken a few weeks ago of his beautiful wife and children.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Working from home ... or working AT home
I happen to have a fantastic boss. When kids are sick, he allows me to work from home and he will email me assignments and such. It has worked out wonderfully so many times! The other day a lady asked me if I worked outside the home and I told her "sometimes!" then I explained that I work a reduced schedule of 29 hours per week and some of that my boss has allowed me to do from home even. I am so thankful for my job! Yes, my boss has some annoying habits and he can really get to me on some days, but overall he is a great person to work for and I couldn't ask for more!
One that note, I have spent 2 weeks trying to complete a small project my boss gave me. It is one of those things where you really need uninterrupted time and I was struggling to find it. So last night I loaded it up and took it home with me. I went in my bedroom after dinner was cleaned up and kids were settling down and I spread the project out on the bed and got it done. DONE! Only took me about an hour to get it all done! I was so relieved. I think I may have even slept a little more soundly last night because of that. When I came to the office I told my boss what I did, taking it home to get it done and he said he would compensate me for the time! Even better news!
So sometimes I get to "work from home" and other times I "work at home" to catch up - either way it all works out nicely in the end!
Love my boss and my job!
One that note, I have spent 2 weeks trying to complete a small project my boss gave me. It is one of those things where you really need uninterrupted time and I was struggling to find it. So last night I loaded it up and took it home with me. I went in my bedroom after dinner was cleaned up and kids were settling down and I spread the project out on the bed and got it done. DONE! Only took me about an hour to get it all done! I was so relieved. I think I may have even slept a little more soundly last night because of that. When I came to the office I told my boss what I did, taking it home to get it done and he said he would compensate me for the time! Even better news!
So sometimes I get to "work from home" and other times I "work at home" to catch up - either way it all works out nicely in the end!
Love my boss and my job!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Create a renewed spirit in me....
I sat on the couch this morning, sipping my coffee and watching the sun come up. I love those peaceful times in the mornings when it is just me. The "me time" I need when no one else in the house is awake (except maybe the mouse we think is living in the garage, but I try to avoid to him and am thankful he avoids me as well!). It is when I read my Bible, when I read other books (time permitting) and when I reflect on things.
This morning as I was staring out the front window, sipping that delicious cup of coffee (nothing is as good as my first sip of the day!) I started to reflect on some things that I did over the weekend that were weighing heavily on my mind. Decisions I made that I wish I had made differently - nothing earth shattering or anything like that, but some simple decisions that were not the best of choices. It was good reflecting and I made some new decisions as to how I can change what I already did and how to not make the bad choices again. I rely too much on myself sometimes - sometimes I think I don't need anyone else to help - not my husband's help, not God's help, not the help of friends and/or family. I can handle it all. I realized today I can't do it all alone. There are times that asking for help or relying on others opinions and advice is necessary. I think after all these years I am finally ready to accept that.
Even though it seems as though my morning time this morning was depressing it really was a good thing and I feel quite refreshed and renewed this morning!
Off to continue this glorious day (it helps that the sun is brightly shining and the birds were chirping outside the window!)
This morning as I was staring out the front window, sipping that delicious cup of coffee (nothing is as good as my first sip of the day!) I started to reflect on some things that I did over the weekend that were weighing heavily on my mind. Decisions I made that I wish I had made differently - nothing earth shattering or anything like that, but some simple decisions that were not the best of choices. It was good reflecting and I made some new decisions as to how I can change what I already did and how to not make the bad choices again. I rely too much on myself sometimes - sometimes I think I don't need anyone else to help - not my husband's help, not God's help, not the help of friends and/or family. I can handle it all. I realized today I can't do it all alone. There are times that asking for help or relying on others opinions and advice is necessary. I think after all these years I am finally ready to accept that.
Even though it seems as though my morning time this morning was depressing it really was a good thing and I feel quite refreshed and renewed this morning!
Off to continue this glorious day (it helps that the sun is brightly shining and the birds were chirping outside the window!)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Happy Anniversary to me...
January 29, 2000 I married my best friend. Sure we've had some ups and downs but we are still best friends!
This past weekend we celebrated our 12 year anniversary! Saturday night we dropped the kids off at the babysitting co-op (see explanation below) and then headed to dinner at the Olive Garden restaurant. When we got to the restaurant the wait time was over an hour so we decided to go next door to On the Border which only had a 25-30 minute wait. We enjoyed good food and conversation and then headed back to pick up the kids. When we got to the babysitting co-op hosts house we were asked if the kids could spend the night - we allowed it and returned Sunday morning for pick up! We had a nice weekend relaxing and being with each other. It was a very nice anniversary celebration!
BABYSITTING CO-OP: There are 4 couples from my church and we take turns watching the kids. We have it set up that each Saturday is assigned to a family, the other 3 families can take their kids over about 6-ish and then the parents go off to do something fun and return about 10 or 11. It works out great! 3 out of 4 Saturday nights we can have date night if we choose to and then one Saturday each month we host at our house and have all the kids there. In total there are 11 kids in this co-op! That's a lot of kids - and yet it works out because they all get along so well together! This first month of the co-op was terrific. We didn't go out one of the evenings because of sick kids but the other 2 Saturdays we did go out and then we hosted once at our house. I have to say that this has been so wonderful for the kids too, they are enjoying being with their friends and playing, watching movies, crafting and cooking together! It has been a great thing for our family!
This past weekend we celebrated our 12 year anniversary! Saturday night we dropped the kids off at the babysitting co-op (see explanation below) and then headed to dinner at the Olive Garden restaurant. When we got to the restaurant the wait time was over an hour so we decided to go next door to On the Border which only had a 25-30 minute wait. We enjoyed good food and conversation and then headed back to pick up the kids. When we got to the babysitting co-op hosts house we were asked if the kids could spend the night - we allowed it and returned Sunday morning for pick up! We had a nice weekend relaxing and being with each other. It was a very nice anniversary celebration!
BABYSITTING CO-OP: There are 4 couples from my church and we take turns watching the kids. We have it set up that each Saturday is assigned to a family, the other 3 families can take their kids over about 6-ish and then the parents go off to do something fun and return about 10 or 11. It works out great! 3 out of 4 Saturday nights we can have date night if we choose to and then one Saturday each month we host at our house and have all the kids there. In total there are 11 kids in this co-op! That's a lot of kids - and yet it works out because they all get along so well together! This first month of the co-op was terrific. We didn't go out one of the evenings because of sick kids but the other 2 Saturdays we did go out and then we hosted once at our house. I have to say that this has been so wonderful for the kids too, they are enjoying being with their friends and playing, watching movies, crafting and cooking together! It has been a great thing for our family!
Friday, January 27, 2012
The results are in....
Finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday. I have bronchitis and an ear infection. I told the doctor I was afraid I would go in and they would tell me it was a simple cold and I just needed to wait it out - she told me had I waited much longer it would have turned to pneumonia so boy oh boy am I glad I went in! I have an inhaler (something very new to me!) and some antibiotics and last night I slept almost a full night without coughing - almost a full night. It certainly was better than in the nights past! YAY for meds!
So hopefully no one else in the house gets sick - especially my husband since we are supposed to go out to dinner for our anniversary Saturday night! *fingers crossed!*
So hopefully no one else in the house gets sick - especially my husband since we are supposed to go out to dinner for our anniversary Saturday night! *fingers crossed!*
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Happy Wednesday!
Lady Bug caught a cold last week and I stayed home from work with her. When I returned to work the whole office was coughing and sneezing and blowing their noses. Last Thursday I woke up with the crud. I headed on to the office because I didn't feel sick enough to stay home, but not really well enough to work either. Friday I actually felt better - then came Saturday. I got worse. I have been going downhill ever since. Yesterday I left work early and went home to try to sleep, but as soon as I lay down I cough and cough. I tried medicine. I tried honey. I tried hot water. I tried Vicks on my feet. Nothing seems to work. I even stood in a steamy shower. Nothing helps. I eventually went to couch at midnight last night and propped myself up to catch a little sleep. I slept until 6 this morning but then woke up hacking again. I just want to sleep and feel better - is that too much to ask?
Having said that, my 12th wedding anniversary is this weekend and I was planning to make a nice cake for my husband and work on some valentine crafts..... hopefully I can do that and maybe even post some pictures here!?
Here's to getting well and feeling good enough to craft and bake this weekend! *cheers*
Having said that, my 12th wedding anniversary is this weekend and I was planning to make a nice cake for my husband and work on some valentine crafts..... hopefully I can do that and maybe even post some pictures here!?
Here's to getting well and feeling good enough to craft and bake this weekend! *cheers*
Monday, January 23, 2012
It's been awhile - let's see if I can figure this out!
I haven't posted here in a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time. Mostly for lack of anything worth posting about, but I'm here to try it out again! I am being encouraged by several friends and family to start this blog back up. We'll see how this turns out. If I hear you all snoring I know I am boring and need to stop posting here! ;-)
I won't try to do a "catch-you-up" blog post since it has been 5 months since I posted anything! So let's just start with the here and now!
Spirit will be in the District Spelling Bee in February. Both boys were in the school spelling bee a couple weeks ago. Spirit didn't practice as hard as Lefty because he was convinced he would be eliminated right away anyway. Lefty made it down to the last 6-7 kids and Spirit got 2nd place! (Not bad for a kid who thought he'd be eliminated right away!) So now he is pretty determined to study harder. Apparently for the district spelling bee he will be taking a written test and if he scores high enough (not sure what the "high enough" is) then he will go on to the oral part later in the day. We spell as often as we can: while I am cooking dinner, while he is getting dressed, while I am folding laundry...we are taking every opportunity to practice!
Lefty was in a "Math Challenge" in December which was similar to a spelling bee in that the kids were given oral math problems they had to solve. It was a tough thing for him but he faired pretty well! He says he won't do it again - he was a physical mess before the Math Challenge. He was so stressed he was sick to his stomach for weeks and could hardly sleep!
Lady Bug has joined Girl Scouts - just in time to sell cookies. She is enjoying the "girl" company. Being with brothers all day every day can get old! It has been good for her to hang out with girls and be able to talk about girly things! I have to admit though, I hope she doesn't want to stick this out very long because I do not make a good Girl Scout mom.
That is the quick update for now. More to come!
I won't try to do a "catch-you-up" blog post since it has been 5 months since I posted anything! So let's just start with the here and now!
Spirit will be in the District Spelling Bee in February. Both boys were in the school spelling bee a couple weeks ago. Spirit didn't practice as hard as Lefty because he was convinced he would be eliminated right away anyway. Lefty made it down to the last 6-7 kids and Spirit got 2nd place! (Not bad for a kid who thought he'd be eliminated right away!) So now he is pretty determined to study harder. Apparently for the district spelling bee he will be taking a written test and if he scores high enough (not sure what the "high enough" is) then he will go on to the oral part later in the day. We spell as often as we can: while I am cooking dinner, while he is getting dressed, while I am folding laundry...we are taking every opportunity to practice!
Lefty was in a "Math Challenge" in December which was similar to a spelling bee in that the kids were given oral math problems they had to solve. It was a tough thing for him but he faired pretty well! He says he won't do it again - he was a physical mess before the Math Challenge. He was so stressed he was sick to his stomach for weeks and could hardly sleep!
Lady Bug has joined Girl Scouts - just in time to sell cookies. She is enjoying the "girl" company. Being with brothers all day every day can get old! It has been good for her to hang out with girls and be able to talk about girly things! I have to admit though, I hope she doesn't want to stick this out very long because I do not make a good Girl Scout mom.
That is the quick update for now. More to come!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday Recipe - Spicy Chicken with Sweet Potato and Mango
This is a low calorie recipe and it is absolutely fabulous! I made this for dinner and at first Mr. Man wasn't sure about it (he still isn't 100% on board with the mango, but he will eat a bite or two of it), but he always goes for a 2nd plateful! I took left overs to a friend and she just raved and raved about it. I serve it warm at home, but she didn't know she was supposed to warm it up so she ate it cold. I tried it cold, I have to say it was pretty tasty cold too!
Spicy Chicken with Sweet Potato and Mango
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes (I did 2 yams actually and I think I got a little more than 2 c of cubed yams)
2 Tbls olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 Tbls low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 Tbls honey
3 Tbls hot sauce, or to taste
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbls warm water
Place the sweet potatoes into a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Simmer over medium-high heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes; remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Stir garlic into the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the soy sauce, 3/4 cup of water, honey, and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the sweet potato, chicken, mango, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until hot. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water, and stir into the simmering mixture; stir until thickened.
This can served alone, OR over steamed white or brown rice, OR quinoa or other pasta you prefer.
Spicy Chicken with Sweet Potato and Mango
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes (I did 2 yams actually and I think I got a little more than 2 c of cubed yams)
2 Tbls olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 Tbls low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 Tbls honey
3 Tbls hot sauce, or to taste
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbls warm water
Place the sweet potatoes into a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Simmer over medium-high heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes; remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Stir garlic into the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the soy sauce, 3/4 cup of water, honey, and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the sweet potato, chicken, mango, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until hot. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water, and stir into the simmering mixture; stir until thickened.
This can served alone, OR over steamed white or brown rice, OR quinoa or other pasta you prefer.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
WOW
This time of year seems like something is happening every day - we have graduations, birthdays, end of school year concerts and events. It is just non-stop!
Last weekend (Mother's Day to be exact) the family all did a 5k! The funds raised go to help homeless shelters! The boys ran with Mr. Man and Lady Bug and I walked it. We had so much fun. It is put on by the local baseball team so you start at the stadium and walk through downtown and end up back at the stadium! It is so much fun!
Since it was Mother's Day after the 5k we went to see a movie, then home to grill steaks for an early dinner/late lunch. Then I took a short nap and then we went to church. After church we had ice cream at Dairy Queen! Perfect Mother's Day!! I had a such a great day and was showered with cards and a new camera! (Lefty told his dad he wanted to buy me popcorn at the movie because he knows how much I like movie popcorn - isn't that sweet?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This coming Saturday the boys are running in a race and on Sunday Mr. Man is running a half marathon! Lady Bug and I will not be participating at all in either of these races but will be on the sidelines of both cheering everyone on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
