The Help Desk

So I work at the headquarters for a global company. What I didn't know is that the IT desk is literally on another continent. All I needed was someone to reset my password for my application. In the "olden" days - you'd just call down to your IT department and they'd fix you up in about 2 minutes. Today - I learned what has changed in the 6 years I've been out of the corporate world. When I first started my job and they told me it'd be a few weeks to get all my logins and passwords because they outsourced IT, I scoffed. Who's ever heard of waiting a month to get your logins once you start a new job. They weren't kidding. It took 3 weeks. Now that I have my logins and passwords, they don't work. And my buddy down in IT wasn't there to help, because he now lives in India. I had to call halfway across the globe to get the help desk, spell my last name somewhere close to 10 times to the man who barely spoke English, and wait on hold close to 20 minutes. All of that to generate a trouble ticket that will go to the next tire of the help desk. To see why my password won't work.

Does it really cost that much less to outsource your IT dept? And let me add, is it worth it?

Dinner

So as a part of the switch, I make out the meal plan for the week, which I love to do, by the way. I heart cookbooks. I love to settle down with 4 or 5 of them and just look at the pictures and read the recipes and try to put together a week of interesting food. I even made a great weekly meal spreadsheet. Yes, that's right, I said spreadsheet, and I am not embarrassed. Back to my story. Oh wait - I didn't even start my story yet. Okay. So - all Andy has to do is look on the menu/spreadsheet and see what is for dinner. In the morning, I set out the recipe and pull out any ingredients I don't think he can find (since he still needs the pantry orientation). The other day, all I had on the menu was chicken and a veggie. No recipe. I told him to just use the bottle of Italian dressing and bake it in the oven. This wasn't satisfactory to him, and I just didn't have any other ideas so I told him he was on his own. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised. He had jumped on Martha's website and found some recipe and had in the oven baked chicken with whole garlic cloves (that we later spread on bread) and roasted asparagus. Now what is funny is that the entire time we contemplated this whole switch places thing - his biggest concern was cooking. I'm slightly annoyed that he just might show me up. But I think I'll just enjoy the nice dinners after a long day of work. And now I will leave you with a picture of Mr. Martha. (that's my apron, not his)

The cliche' Christmas post

I had it all written out with pics and everything. Then I hit post and for some reason lost it all. So I'm going to settle with our family Christmas pic and try again another day.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!!

Rene'

She makes us laugh.

This is where we found her the other day.

She got up there all by herself.

Tonight I realized I hadn't seen her in awhile. When I called her name, she came running out from behind the living room chair with a half opened present.

Christmas with kids is the best!

What will I do with my expectations

Seriously - I should not be blogging.

But I feel so completely disconnected from my family and friends that it is going to be therapeutic.

So - the job is going well. Every day gets better. I even instigated some departmental Christmas decor and the planning of the department Christmas potluck. They hadn't even thought about that. Can you believe it?!

Andy is doing amazingly well in his new role. Although he said he feels like he's on vacation. Friday he officially had a crazy day. Paige was sick and had a Dr's appt and then he noticed Rene's eardrum had erupted. He was slightly freaking out of the phone so I called my wonderful mother to accompany him to the Dr with 2 sick kids. They made it. And it was secretly nice to just go about my business, knowing my kids were going to be well taken care of.

I am mourning the fact that I am not going to get the homemade gifts out to my friends, that I didn't get to host my annual dinner party with my high school girl friends, that my greenery to make a wreath is STILL in my garage on the floor, and that I can't just sit at home and enjoy the Christmas music. But I am very aware of how blessed I am to have a job, and that my husband is loving spending time with his kids.

Life gives you lemons - you make lemonade.

Since everyone's asking.....

Okay - so much for my blogging break.

I have to just let everyone know how my first day went. It was a typical first day. Including orientation, tour of the building, lunch with the boss, and lots and lots of information I will not remember.

Here are the things from the corporate world, I had forgotten, and was promptly reminded of. Coworkers with stinky breath, coworkers who think I will be piling their desks with work, therefore telling me they are swamped, coworkers telling me their grievances about other coworkers, and coworkers flaunting their pay grade.

All in all, I think I will like it. I just need to stop comparing it to the best job ever that I had at Focus on the Family.

Andy is finishing out the week at his job and starts at home next week. And I can't wait. I have to say that getting the kids up and ready to go to the babysitters is for the birds. My evening is full of getting ready for the morning. Then my evening is gone. For those who have to do that every singe day, you are my hero as I am a wimp.

And there is the first day in the first chapter of my return to the corporate world.

Change

Tomorrow is the big day. I start my new full time job. It comes with a lot of emotions. This is Andy's last week of work. He'll be home next week full time. You might remember us in prayer this week. I'm also going to take a little blogging break for a week or so. I'm going to have to find a new routine, because I thrive on routine. So in order to work out the kinks and give everything else the time it deserves, something has to go. And its the blog. But I'll be back, with lots of stories, I'm sure. I'm going to try to talk Andy into starting a blog. That would be entertainment for sure. Here's to change, and better days!

Thanksgiving

We're here in Colorado and I'm enjoying myself a lot. Our Thanksgiving started out with the Juniper Valley Ranch tradition of target practice at the dump. It consists of shooting bottles, toilets, microwaves, whatever papa can find. It is a fun tradition and Zak's first year to participate. Then its off to a yummy meal, then lots of lounging and sleeping by the wood burning stove. We were even lucky enough to get some snow in the evening. Then today the girls did a little shopping and it was game playing the rest off the afternoon. I'll leave you with a few pics of our festivities.

A belated "Thank you!"

My good friend Cristina over at "Baby its Cold Outside" gave me a blog award last week. And I am late in thanking her. So Cristina - Thank you!! And the fact that it was for having a creative blog makes it even more special since I profess to have not an ounce of creativeness in my body. Its my ability to find and copy ideas that make me look good every once in awhile.

Now, I'm going to pass this one along to Kelly at From Kelly's Kitchen. I have not only had the pleasure of tasting her amazing food, but I have gotten to copy a few of her ideas and recipes as well. She'll never disappoint. Thanks Kel! Wish I had some of your warm cheesy bread right about now......

Random thoughts - its as good as I can do

My mind is in a whirlwind.

We're headed to CO for Thanksgiving this week. I'm excited. Its always a good time. And it looks like there's some snow in the forecast. Not so great for traveling, but I'm hoping to get a great family shot in the mountains for our Christmas cards.

When we told the kids that I would be going back to work and daddy would be staying home, Zak said "Mom, I have always wished that and now my wish is coming true." Wow - guess I won't worry about the transition for him.

My house is half decorated for Christmas. It is driving me nuts. We always get a real tree and we can't get it until after Thanksgiving, since we'll be gone. I feel like I'm trying to be in the Christmas spirit but not.

I am mourning the fact that I'll most likely be in a cubicle for my favorite season of the year. I'll just have to bring the Christmas spirit to work.

I am, although, super excited that I need to buy a new wardrobe in order to work. Oh yeah!

I'll try to update over the holiday and give you some pics.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Non-traditional

Everything about my life is traditional. And I like it that way.

Until now. Andy and I have made some big decisions and are about to make some big changes in our life. I just took a new full time job. And Andy is going to come home with the kids. There are over 250,000 stay at home dads in the US alone, and the number in other countries can be higher. I won't lie - we are scared out of our minds. But we know this is what needs to happen for our family right now. And while we're scared, we're super excited too. Andy will get a much needed extended vacation (kind of), the kids will get some incredible "dad" time, and I can jump back into the corporate world, where I feel like I excel. This probably isn't a long term thing, but we'll see where it takes us. Our new adventure starts after Thanksgiving. Wish us luck!

Sisters

Good Times

And bad

(that knot is courtesy of little sister's head)

And I do what with that?

I'm not going to lie. When I get mad, it feels really great to slam the door. I've done it since I was little. I think maybe I even broke a door off the hinges (gasp). The Lord has done some work with me since then - don't worry.

Which brings me to Paige.

For those who don't personally know Paige - I wish you could meet her.

For those who don't know Paige very well - you'll find this shocking.

She, at her wee age of 3, can slam doors better than I could ever dream of. Today, as I walked her into her room because she was screaming about something, I saw fire in her eyes. My usual routine is to take her in her room and make her throw her fit by herself. She usually ramps it up once I've put her in her room. Once I hear that she's quiet, I'll go in and ask her if she's done. I can be guaranteed her response is "no". To which she slams the door in my face and give out one more long, loud scream. With that, she exits her room and is usually her sweet self. It happens every time. But today - it was war. Before I could shut her in her room fast enough she looked at me with some fierce eyes, a red face, and let out the most passionate scream I've ever heard from her. And I've heard a lot of them. I will never forget that face. I went back to the living room and seriously thought - that girl can't be mine. She stayed in her room extra long, and I didn't go check on her at all. Finally after about 15 minutes she emerged in her dressy shoes, red sunglasses, and plethora of beads, and acted like nothing happened.

I decided, the next time I am having a bad day, maybe I need to try that.

True love in the form of an ax

My grandad is no longer with us. He was the sweetest man I ever knew. One of my favorite memories of my grandad was that he made the best fires in the fireplace in the wintertime. I remember him wadding up countless newspapers to get the fire going, and playing games and eating popcorn by the fire. Great memories.

I'm all about ambiance. I want my house to exude warmth, and welcome. My husband is the opposite. He's practical. He thinks the fire should be a heat source and not just for looks. And in theory, that's great. We did that when we lived in CO and I loved it. But it kills him for some reason to burn a fire in the fireplace, with all the heat getting sucked up the chimney. And me, well, as long as it is warm and welcoming, who cares?

So we've had a few arguments this year about the fireplace. He thinks we need to get it cleaned before we burn it (we've been here 3 years and burned the fireplace about 10 times), he's from the country where you chop your own wood and doesn't believe in paying someone for it, and he thinks its impractical. I had to start thinking of ways to place candles in the fireplace and how we could make s'mores.

The other day I was rounding the corner to see a truck in my yard and the gate open. There was my husband and a coworker, unloading wood. Free wood. Its not often that the sight of your husband unloading wood makes your love grow for someone, but for me it did. He had put aside all his arguments and gotten me some wood. The plus for him, is that he didn't have to pay for it, and he got to get his ax out and chop it. Something he did all the time growing up. So I'm going to leave you with a picture of my sweet husband doing the most romantic thing for me....chopping wood.

Score One for the TV

Some routines just develop, without you even trying to create one. Our morning routine doesn't vary at all. Once the kids are up, they get their cup of juice for the day, with a vitamin sitting on top of their lid. Its funny how if I don't have the vitamin sitting on their lid, it throws them off. If I hand it to them directly, both Paige and Rene' will put it on their lid, then eat it. Weird. Then its usually cold cereal, unless I'm in the baking mood for muffins or pancakes. Anyway, the TV is turned on to PBS kids and thus starts their morning show routine. If their up early enough its Curious George, then Sid the Science Kid, then Paige and Rene' stick around for SuperWhy. Zak's usually off doing chores. This is what happens at our house every day between the hours of 7 and 8:30am.

I've often felt convicted about the amount of TV my kids watch. I'd love to be doing crafts, taking nature walks, putting on puppet shows, etc. But that just isn't a regular occurrence at my house. I need a shower. And I need my sleep. So I'm not getting up early to get a shower. Therefore, the TV is always on in the morning.

Yesterday I helped in Zak's class. We were all at the library where the Librarian was reading a story about the life cycle of a pumpkin. As she was reading about how the pumpkin was rotting, my son raised his hand and said, "There is another word for rotting - its decaying.". The librarians looked up with surprised faces, the teachers were laughing, and I was a proud parent at that point. I didn't teach him about decaying, Sid the Science Kid did. And I'll be letting Sid the Science Kid teach him every morning ...........without guilt.

Lets move on

I will not blog about how scared I am for my children/family today.

Instead we're going to talk CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I've got the candles going today, the Christmas music blasting, and I am planning my Christmas. From food, to decor to presents. My plan is to have all my shopping done by Thanksgiving so I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the Christmas parties and traditions.

I'm planning lots of Christmas activities for my family this year. One is advent calendars. I am always too late on getting these, and then the cute ones are sold out. I have also explored ways of making some. I can't find where I've seen this, but you take 25 gift bags, decorated for Christmas and then string them on a line with clothespins, fill them, and then open one each day. Or I just might buy them. Either way, I need to take care of this now.

Every year, I say I'm going to make gift baskets for my neighbors. This year, I really am going to do it.

I am also going to plan some service project for our entire family to do. I haven't decided what this is yet, so if there is anything you and your family do for others during the holiday season, I'd love to hear it.

Come Dec 1st I hope to turn this blog into a Christmas Extravaganza!

One in 1000

This is just one of the 1000 posts, I'm sure, of children in their halloween costumes. So here you have it!

Rene' won 2nd prize at a costume contest. Everyone thought she was a skunk. She was supposed to be a kitty.

My mom and I made this pumpkin costume as a very last minute effort a couple of years ago for Zak. It was an orange pillow on clearance that we took the stuffing out of and then made a face on. It has served its purpose well.

Darth Vadar passing out hugs.....classic.

Famiy Night

Last night was family night. It was nice and cold so we had a hot meal, then went outside for s'mores, then back inside for pumpkin carving.

Uncle Chris started us off

Aunt Lana keeping warm

Can you believe this was 90 year old GeeGee's first s'more?!

4 generations

Grandpa's turn

The fun aunt and uncle

Uncle Chris and Zak were the only ones who cared about carving the pumpkin.

It is out of control

So everyone talks about the TV show "The Office". We have never gotten on "The Office" bandwagon. And would say to each other - that show looks so stupid. We would also say, why do people buy TV shows on DVD - that is so dumb.

Well, last weekend, when there was nothing to rent at the Red Box, we succumbed to watching "The Office season 1" on DVD, that we had borrowed from my brother.

We didn't go to bed until 1am that night. We watched the entire season. Then we called my brother the next day for season 2. For the next 10 days we have watched 3 episodes every night after we put the kids to bed. I am not exaggerating. Every. Night. I am suffering from some serious sleep deprivation.

On Saturday, we started season 3. Its our little thing now. We pop popcorn, and watch "The office" every night.

We had a babysitter on Saturday night to go to a birthday party - we couldn't wait to come home and watch "The Office". We were home by 9:00pm.

If you every wondered what marriage after 11 years is - this is it.

Thank you Chris and Lana for buying the DVDs of a TV show. We will no longer chastise you.

"I don't have time" Cinnamon Rolls

When you don't want to spend forever waiting for your rolls to rise, cook up my cinnamon rolls in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Click here to find out how.

Life is too short

I've been mulling a few things around in my head lately. I am usually a VERY productive person. I've been driven since I was a little girl. I like my world organized and predictable (for the most part). I feel like when I had my 3rd child, everything went haywire, and I am just now getting back to being the "self" that I know. Sleepless nights, tight budgets, and selfishness have all been a hurdle to what I want to be doing. So now, I'm going to do some things that I've been wanting to do, and just haven't.

• At least one family activity a weekend, whether it be a movie, a walk, or an outing - somthing where we are all together and have each others undivided attention.


• Dinner on Thursday nights for friends - whether the house is clean or not! I'm usually cooking anyway, why not double it and have some company.


• Creative, intentional, educational activities with my kids at least once a week.


• Date night with my hubby once a week (don't worry family, I'll rotate the babysitters)

What are some things you want to be doing, but aren't?

A shameless plug

Alright, I have to plug my dear sister-in-law's new Etsy shop. If you've never visited Etsy, your missing out. Everything for sale has to be hand crafted. It is so fun to browse. I love hand made things, and was not given the creative gene, so I really admire those who do.

Anyway, Tricia is super talented and I was actually recently on the receiving end of her talent. She made me this adorable apron for my birthday. She has one that is the same style for sale so check it out quick before its gone.

She'd appreciate it if you'd stop by her shop and browse - and of course, buy something!!

The day from you know where

Its cliche'. I know. But it really was. We have had rain for the past 2 days so that means grey skies, and cooped up in the house. Today was the first day of sunshine in 3 days and Zak comes down with a fever. There go our "fall break" plans. And they were big.....going to the library. At least it was an outing. So we are stuck in the house for yet another day. This is when the toys are old, the TV is always on, and your just trying to get through minute by minute. I'm sure none of you other super moms have had these days. So I end up having to cancel our totally cool dinner plans at 4:00pm because Zak's fever isn't gone and Andy calls to tell me he just threw up. Now I have nothing planned for dinner, because we were going to some friends house, my husband would be of no help, and I am about to lose it. Then the call from Bethany. It was nice to hear from the outside world, if I could have heard. I couldn't hear due to the screaming of my children in the background. I moved from the bathroom, kids rooms, and then my closet - everywhere of which my children found me and continued to be loud. I got a nice "hang in there" from Bethany, hung up the phone, and proceeded to lose it. My kids were sent to their rooms until their sick father came home. I made them call Bethany back, apologize, and told them anytime the phone rings again, they have to automatically go to their rooms until they can learn to have manners. All the while doing this with Rene' on my hip, sucking her thumb. Because that is all Rene' does, all. day. long. Want to be held and suck her thumb.

While all of this is going on, I hear Lisa Whelchel in the back of my head, from the bible study I'm doing, telling me to teach my children's hearts, not just their behavior. I thank God for the reminder, with gritted teeth, and decide everyone is going to bed at 7:00pm.

Zak

Zak,

Every time I look at your face, and see those cute, tiny, freckles, I can't help but smile. You turned 6 this week. (I'm late - sorry). I remember hiding the pregnancy test in the cabinet, and then checking it later to see if that faint pink line, was any brighter. Obviously it was.

You are the kid, who everyone wants to be their friend. You make everyone laugh with your enthusiasm, that is quite contagious. You do everything with 110%, never less. You love Star Wars, puzzles, Scooby Doo, Honey Nut Cheerios, space, and your family. I think its so cute when you tell me you "don't like Paige right now, but you still love her." I see a lot of myself in you, and I wish I could spare you the mistakes I made. But I know you'll learn from them, like I did. Sometimes I just watch you interact with others, whether its on the soccer field, at school, or at church. You make me proud. But it makes me sad, too. I realize more than ever that your growing up. I can't wait to see the man you become. And my prayer every day for you is that you grow to be a man of integrity, character, and substance. And most of all that you make God the single most important thing in your life.

This year, your 6th year of life, I hope your eyes are opened to a few more things that you are good at, that you learn to become a better friend, that you trust God a little more, that you know how much your dad and I love you, and that you make memories that will last you a lifetime.

I love you,

Mom

I haven't forgotten you~

Its been a busy week with company and birthdays - I promise I'll be back by the end of the weekend with Zak's Bday party pics and Paige stories!

Why did I wait so long to get away?

Lets be honest. There's really nothing like getting away with the girls to eat, laugh, and shop. It fills the soul. And that's just what I did last weekend. 3 of my favorite people and I hit the road and headed to Dallas, where we stayed with my generous brother and shopped Canton Trade Days, and various Dallas hot spots. I'm pretty sure this will be happening again very soon, well, after my budget can replenish itself.

Breakfast early in the AM before shopping

A small glimpse of Canton Trade Days - one of the largest outdoor flea markets in the US

Even Amber braved the crowds, broken leg and all, with a scooter, of course. Although the little dog who she almost ran over would have rather her not.

shopping.......

Lunch at Ikea - you know its a serious store when there's a cafeteria in it.

Last stop, one of Oprah's favorite things - Sprinkles cupcakes.

The Posse (Left to Right) Bethany, me, April, and Amber

A much Needed break!

I'm on one!

I'm getting ready to hit Canton Trade Days with 3 of my girlfriends. I'm so excited, my stomach is all nauseous.

I'll be back with pictures and a few of my great finds (hopefully!)

A little Nostalgia

I don't consider myself overly sentimental. But lately, a little bit has been creeping in. My mom has some very old black and white pictures on her wall of her grandmother as a child and some other old relatives. I found myself looking at them the other day and realizing it was my heritage. I decided once my kids get bigger, I'm going to do some family tree research.

My mom, in her first year of retirement, is on a cleaning rampage. In a matter of weeks I have acquired my old school yearbooks, pictures, and stuffed animals. I love getting them - I just have no where to put them. I guess she doesn't either. Anyway, she brought over some old cookbooks, knowing I'm a sucker for a cookbook. As I sat down to go through them, I realized it was a treasure trove! I found cookbooks of my grandmother's that have her handwritten recipes stuck inside, newspaper clippings from 1976 with recipes on them. One had her inscription on one that was to a couple getting married, then she scratched out their names and wrote that they didn't get married. Those, to me, are priceless. And my grandmother is still living! But those are the things that some day, when she is gone, I am going to be so happy I have.

I'm afraid in the hustle and bustle of life these days, we forget all that great stuff. A time when convenience foods were almost non-existent. People went out to eat as a rare "treat". It makes me want to bring a little of that back into my family. When times were simple. And the food was always homemade and tasty.

Snap out of it!

I love to entertain. I love to cook, make the table pretty, and spend time with friends and family. But there's just a small problem. Well, actually, there's 3 small problems, named Zak, Paige, and Rene'. I find myself tired at 3:00 every single day. Then its just a countdown until I can plop myself on the couch and do absolutely nothing. I have been realizing that either I'm lazy, not eating right, or just a wimp. Its probably a combination of all three. And if I was remotely "hip" I'd down a Red Bull at 3 and power through the evening. But the truth is, I'm scared of that stuff. I want to have people over, lots of people, all the time. My initial thought on this is that the house has to be clean. It is a no-brainer that cleaning with three kids is like shoveling snow in a snowstorm. But recently we've had a couple of dinner invites from people who don't feel like everything is perfect at their house. And you know what - its refreshing. And I'm going to copy it. I'm not going to worry that everything is perfect. I'm just going to have company and enjoy it. Life's too short, people.

I've got big problems

**** Edited to add: Just so you know - I recorded Biggest Loser, caught the last hour of Dancing with the Stars, and watched 90210 in its encore presentation on Wed.


I have major problems tonight. Not only do we have dinner plans, but this is the best night of TV in a long time. I am embarassed to admit we don't have a DVR. I realize how ridiculous this is. But its just how it is at the moment. So here's the problem. 3, count them 3 of my favorite shows are on AT THE SAME time tonight. For those who have forgotten about the trusty VCR - you can only record one show at a time. So I am stuck. Do I record, The Biggest Loser, DWTS, or 90210?

Family Night

Tonight is family night. We just instituted this in our family since my mom retired. Every Monday night we rotate houses and get together for a large extended family meal. We get to all connect every week and of course 2 people get the night off from cooking the main dish. Some things we've done at our family nights are a game of freeze tag in the yard (some of the adults had to be convinced), playing the Wii (thanks to Aunt Lana and Uncle Chris), and of course reliving old times. If you have family that live in the city and find it hard to get together, I would encourage you to have yourself a weekly family night.

Just a small beef....

What's funny about this small tirade is that I was on the other side of it just a few years ago.

I have been helping out in the nursery at church. I have to admit. I've always thought I didn't have the gift of being a nursery worker. Therefore, I never volunteered. Because sometimes, other people's children scare me. I'm sure this goes the other way as well. Anyway, I was asked a couple of years ago to teach the pre-k class and I thought it was time to get involved so I jumped in. And I actually enjoyed it. The kids were so funny, and I felt like I was contributing to the spiritual realm of things. Since then, I've been a constant helper, minus a few months after I had a baby. Well, lately, I've noticed how shorthanded our nursery is. That the same people are working every weekend. Not only are they working every weekend, they are working multiple services. I've seen and heard the constant pleadings of our children's department for more helpers, and am astonished at how many people will drop off their children, weekend after weekend, seeing the same people working, and never once darken the door of the nursery to help. I began to get a little angry after I was in charge of the entire nursery for one weekend. Not because I had to be there all weekend, (because I'm not there near as much as some people) but because I saw how much work it is and how few people are willing to step up and help.

So this is my plea to all - if you have ever had the luxury of dropping off your children at the church nursery - think about volunteering once a month to let someone else have the time off.

Friday

Your thankful its Friday when you have just finished shaving one leg, drop the razor, break it, and find there are no more razor blades.

Whats for dinner?

Click here to find out

Return of the M&M jar

I think one of my very first posts on this here blog was regarding the M&M jar. It so revolutionized my life at the time I just needed to share it. Well, it served its purpose for a few months and was then put away. Now that Paige is 3, it has made its return. When your tired of spewing words that get ignored with your 3 year old, this just might do the trick. We begin with one large jar of M&Ms set so the child can see it all the time. To each side there is another jar. ONe with a happy face on it, and one with a sad face on it. When Paige does somthing that makes someone else unhappy (usually her siblings or me) she has to put an M&M in the sad jar. And of course, when she does something that makes other happy, she puts one in the happy jar. At the end of the day, if there are more in the happy jar, than the sad, she can eat the ones in the happy jar. If not, they all get poured back into the main jar and I remind her that tomorrow is another day. This is one of the most effective tools I've ever used with my kids. Use it, share it, thank the Lord for it.

My mom gave me the pleasure of an afternoon to myself. So I of course spent half of it at Target. Now, some people have their Dr. Pepper they have every day, or their coffee (that's me), or some other guilty pleasure. My new one, is premium soda. Specifically Hansen's Pomegranite Green Tea soda.

I have only found this at Target. And you get a whopping 4 cans for $3.29. I stood in front of this for at least 5 minutes at the store, debating on whether or not to get it. On a budget like ours, Hansen's soda has no place. But I talked myself into it stating that it was less than a dollar a can. And some people have a cup of Starbucks everyday for $4. I took my prized soda home, with the intention of kicking back and watching a little Guiding Light and quenching my thirst. I grabbed my can and began to place it on the counter when it slipped out of my hand. For those who have never experienced contents under pressure, this is what it did. It fell to the floor, leaving a gaping hole, and began to spew and spin in a 36o degrees circle. That meant, I had Green Tea soda all over every inch of my kitchen. This is not an exaggeration. It was literally on the walls, dishwasher, windows, microwave, cabinets, cookbooks, basically anything that was sitting out. Once it stopped, I realized not only, did I just lose one of 4 sodas, they were now, over a dollar a piece, and the rest of my afternoon was going to include moping. Not what I had planned. I tried to get away with just wiping it up off the floor with a wet rag, hoping our feet wouldn't stick. No such luck. And that, my friends, was my Friday afternoon.

This is what I'm dealing with

Just a little snack of an ENTIRE box of Nilla wafers and some Dora

She looks at me as if to say "What?"

An expensive use for diapers

So I was driving the kids home from school yesterday, when Zak made a comment that there was a spider web on his chair. I thought that was interesting and then thought about the stroller that had been in the garage that was now in the back of the van. About 5 minutes later Paige yells "a spider! a spider!" I look on the roof of the van at some interesting looking bug, but was not convinced it was a spider. So as I am driving I am trying to get a good look at it. I decide it needs to be killed. So I start looking for the Pirates of the Caribbean box of Kleenex that has been in my van for months, to be his final resting place. Well, I can't find it. And all the sudden he begins to crawl towards me, so I grab the fastest thing, which turns out to be a diaper and smash him against the top of the car. When I look again (because I am also trying to keep my eye on the road) his is running towards me, now. It is most definitely a spider, and he has left his sack of eggs behind - He is a she and SHE WAS LAYING EGGS on the roof of my van. I open up the diaper and smash with all my might, and she is finally dead. I am officially freaked out. Then, I'm super annoyed that I wasted a completely good diaper on a spider.

Am I really not 18 anymore?

I went to the mall for the first time in a few months. Its pitiful, really. I forgot how much I loved the mall. And I should have just walked around and enjoyed being there instead of actually shopping for clothes. Having a post children body, 3 times over, is just not a very encouraging thing. I seem to remember the glory days when I could try on anything and it looked good on me so all I had to do was decide what I liked best. Those were the days. Its not like I can't get that body back. I'm pretty sure I can. Its finding the time, motivation, and will power to quit making cookies when my kids ask. Now that Rene' is 18 months and I'm sure I'm done birthing children, I will be giving myself a pep talk. Its time I didn't just quit because something doesn't come easy to me. A little hard work never hurt anyone. So self, gear up, baby. Its time to crack the whip. (she says as she pops 3 peanut m&ms in her mouth)

A quiet Saturday

Andy is at work. Zak went with Grandma and Grampa to a cousin's birthday party in Dallas for the weekend. And here I am, while my girls sleep. Its a nice quiet afternoon at our house. I have a "to do" list a mile long. But today, I'm going to take a nap. Because every day has a 'to do" list at my house. So I won't know the difference tomorrow.

Some issues in our house that need attention

This is a post to make everyone feel really good about their family and their house. Or it just displays how utterly lacking we are.

1. Rene' turns her light on after we put her to bed and is seen reading a book. We could rearrange the whole room to move her bed away from the light switch, but its pretty funny - and she turns it off when she's finished. She is so the 3rd child.
2. Rene' getting into the pantry and eating all the food is an issue. All it would require is a childproof something or other, but we seem to keep forgetting to pick it up at the store.
3. Our washing machine is broken. Our dryer vent that is inside the wall is broken. We are going to be getting a new "free" washing machine (thank you Lord) but the catch is it is coming from Colorado and won't be here until October.
4. The desk area in my room - where I work - an utter mess. I can't get it to look clean or organized and its DRIVING ME CRAZY! I just want to build on an office.
5. Paint. That is what I am asking for, for my birthday. This house needs some paint on the walls.
6. I just need a personal trainer, then I can get skinny.
7. I'm going to have to start working at the library in order to pay my fines.
8. The computer - I will now be starting the timer when I get on, and getting off the computer when the timer goes off. I do this with my 5 year old. And I have to do it with myself. Sigh.

A post about a rest stop

I'm coming off a trip where we spent 24 hours in the car both ways. So forgive me that this post is about a rest stop. But once you see and understand, you'll know why.

Lets talk about rest stops. I don't normally like them. I'd rather enter the bathroom of a gas station and take my chances. Because after all, gas stations have candy and lots of it. Unlike rest stops. But when you need a place for your kids to frolic and play, the gas station parking lot isn't your first choice.

We fell in love with the rest stop in Trinidad, CO a few years ago. It is new, clean, and has a great view for a picnic. But it has since moved to 2nd on my list. The rest stop close to the border of Texas and OK has won. Not only does it have very nice clean bathrooms, it has interactive information inside about old Route 66. And then - the smartest thing of all time. A play area. Why in the world don't every rest stop in the country have play areas. We stopped about 30 minutes before it got dark, and the kids acted like they had never played on a play gym before. They were ecstatic.

Oklahoma - I love you. You have friendly people, and I have very fond memories of growing up there. But really - your rest stops are put to shame. I mean shameful. They are old, disgusting, and not exciting. Oklahoma - you need to step it up. You have a pro basketball team now. Its time to ramp up the rest stops. Texas, my hat is off to you. You did it right. And I will pass by my beloved Oklahoma's rest stops any time - in order to get to yours.

Labor Day weekend

First I must say thanks to all those commenters who made for great election discussion on my last post. Wow. I have 12 readers!

We got back too late last night from a marathon trip to CO for Andy's brother's surprise 40th birthday luau. It was worth the 24 hours of driving in 4 days to spend some time with family and friends. I got to hook up with Kelly who I hadn't seen in over 2 years!!! And we were a great surprise for Andy's brother. The weather was perfect and scenery as gorgeous as ever. We crammed so much family time into those small hours, I wonder how long it will take for everyone to recuperate. So I will return later with many pics of our good times.

The Obama Train

I've read a lot of blogs on Michelle Obama today. Seems she was the highlight of the convention last night. I'll be honest - I didn't watch. Nor will I watch the Republican convention. Politics wears me out. It just ends up making me mad. So I just don't watch any media on it. I look at the candidates voting records and then make my decision. It's as simple as that. I don't want to hear their promises because lets be honest - that's all they are. They're voting records tell me who they really are, minus the fluff of a campaign. And there's pretty much one issue I can't seem to get past. Abortion. I think it is the moral compass of a person as to whether they vote for it to be stopped or to not. Now, do I think John McCain is a great person? No way. But since he is standing up for the voice of the unborn - he's my vote. I realize there are other issues. But the economy will forever go up and down, we're committed to the war, but we can stop the murder of unborn babies in a terribly painful way. I just want to quote Obama and something he said at the Saddleback debate. When asked when a human life begins, his response was that "it was above his pay grade to answer". Let me ask - Doesn't the President of the United States have the highest pay grade possible? Isn't it an issue that will come up and he will have to make a decision on it? Is there a box he can check that says "its above my paygrade to make this into a law or not?" That , my friends, was politics at its finest. And because of his pathetic dodge, and his voting record of course, he will not get my vote. I'm sure he will become the next President, and life will go on - for those who aren't aborted anyway. But my conscience will be clear. For those who will be voting for Obama, which is pretty much everyone I know, your still my friends and I still love and respect you. To each his own.

Equal face time

Might it be a problem that I put her in the afternoon class and she fell asleep on the way to school?

Racing upstairs with Maggie

All smiles and ready to go - sitting with Abby