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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

They Just Keep Comin'

Me: Why are the Barred Rocks in the dog kennel?
Luke: They keep pecking the other hens. That's what Wyatt said.
Me: Hmmm, not surprised.
Luke: They are just big peckers.
Me: Turn and walk away with a grin on my face, snickering.

~~~

I'm hanging out with my SIL Julia at her house while Ella jumps off the couch. She is all ramped up and full of energy. She is just talking away and jumping away. Her chatter has Luke, Julia and myself in stitches......she is very silly. Before she leaps off the couch she randomly throws this out:

Ella: Suzi, how come yer don' have girls?

Julia, Luke, and I all laugh. She is pretty observant. As it turns out Jeff and I don't know how to make them.

~~~

Adam is getting ready for a shower and he is trying to box with me. I turn on him with my fists up in the boxing stance and he laughs, laughs hard. Next thing I know he is running....to the bathroom.

Adam: You scared the pee out of me! (as he laughs and lifts the toilet seat).

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Easiest Christmas Craft EVER!

This has to be the easiest Christmas crafts EVER! I made one for each of the boys teachers and for Luke's entire class (they did secret Santa's). It wasn't much of a secret since everyone of the kids participated. I did this craft while watching one (of many) shows on TV. It is mindless....no concentration needed. So knock yourselves out and give it a try......for next year.



All you need is a clear glass ornament (I got mine at Target), some scraps of wrapping paper that is too small for a gift, a pencil, and a Sharpie paint pen.
*Cut the wrapping paper into small strips
*Roll the strips around a pencil to make a curly-q
* Put the curly-q inside the ornament
*Write a name (or not) on the ornament with the paint pen


*Hang on tree with pride!

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Cookies Anyone?

Today I am participating in the Virtual Cookie Exchange over a The Apron Goddesses. I chose to do Cowboy/Cowgirl Cookies.
In my case, I made Cowgirl Cookies, here are the ingredients.

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. cooking oats
3/4 c. m&m's (I used red and green)
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3-1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 c. butter, almost melted
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and combine thoroughly. Roll into 1 1/2 " balls and bake for 10 minutes in a 350* oven.


Now don't these look fantastic? Go on give 'em a try, they taste just as good as they look.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

.........why must you be so elusive.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
why is it so hard to find you?

It's just barely December
yet all the tree farms are closed
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
jump out in front of my truck.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
we drove around for hours
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
my kids are starting to get grumpy

For every street we turn down
there's hope we'll find the right one
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
why must you be so elusive?

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
the kids want to cut you down
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
the rain is falling on us

We don't really want a bush
so we must keep on looking
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
we really want to find you

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
you were in the last place we looked
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
we are all so glad we found you.



Monday, December 7, 2009

Happy Birthday Booch!



Where did the last 6 years go? It seems like yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital. You were so little and so cute and have grown into a very handsome boy. Each day you bring a smile to my face with your bright, shining eyes and a smile that goes from ear to ear.

I has been fun watching you grow each day. You have come a long way from the day you came home. Watching you develop into the little man you are now has been a great joy and I can't wait to see more. You have gone from dependent to independent in the short time you have been here. I love to watch you come out of your shell a little each day. I love it when you stand up to your brother's rather than let them take control all the time. Each day you give me a glimpse of the man you will be....and I know you will be great!

Have a great Birthday!

Sweet Dreams






I sleeping boys. They are the cutest when they are sleeping peacefully. It puts a smile on my face. Go check out I Faces to enter your sleeping babe.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mom....

I guess I really do fit the title of "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mom", a title I relish. Remember the books I bought from the book fair? Well, I am going to donate them. Two of the boys are devastated.

I went back and bought the books the boys wanted and placed them in the tool box in my truck. I even went as far as locking the tool box to keep the boys from getting into it. Well that didn't work. Luke comes in the house with the two books he wanted and says "I know why you didn't take us back in to get the books!" in a sing song voice. I take a look and he has this look on his face like "Ha ha ha ha, I am getting what I want!" I walked over to him, took the books and put them back in the tool box and locked it again. I then told Luke that I was going to take them back to the book fair and return them. Well he fell apart. Crying, crying, and more crying. He told Trevor that I was taking the books back, but neglected to tell him why. Now I have two crying kids, one of which is calling me mean, unfair, an idiot, etc.

I didn't take the books back, I kept them and decided to save them for their birtdays........which are June and August. It would be a long wait. Scratch that, birthday books are not going to happen either. I went outside to find one boy with the key to the tool box and one boy sitting in front of the tool box. Both claim they didn't get into it, but they did. Evidence tells me they lied. The book Luke wanted and the book Trevor wanted were no longer in the bag and I know they didn't just walk out of the bag on their own. Busted!

So now I am a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mom and they don't let me forget it. They think I am being unfair because I am not giving them the books. Well, too bad! I don't think they should go out of their way to find the key to something they have no business being in. They will learn from this that they need to mind their business.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Poem


Thanksgiving Delights
On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for
Our blessings all year through,
For family we dearly love,
For good friends, old and new.
For sun to light and warm our days,
For stars that glow at night,
For trees of green and skies of blue,
And puffy clouds of white.
We’re grateful for our eyes that see
The beauty all around,
For arms to hug, and legs to walk,
And ears to hear each sound.
The list of all we’re grateful for
Would fill a great big book;
Our thankful hearts find new delights
Everywhere we look!
By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mom

It is conference time. It is Book Fair time. During school hours the kids are lucky enough to go into the book fair and make a "Wish List" to bring home to mom and dad. I love the book fair, I get to do some Christmas shopping and support the school. I have seen their "Wish Lists" and I have take the proper steps to get the books with out their knowledge. However I have been dubbed "A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mom" because I won't buy the much wanted books.

I actually dubbed myself with this title a long time ago when the kids threw a fit and asked "Why?" for whatever they weren't getting and it has stuck. I got it from this book (one of my favorites):

You can find it HERE! It is a great book and my kids love it. Yours will too, I am sure of it.

Anyway, back to the heart of the matter. I took them in to the Book Fair because I forgot which one Adam wanted......his writing on his "Wish List" was illegible. The boys bombarded me with books they wanted. Once I found out what Adam wanted I asked the boys to leave the building and wait outside. I then, very stealthily, handed the books to a friend of mine who runs the show and asked her to put them away until tomorrow and I would pay for them and then hide them at home.

The entire ride home from school was a bundle of tears from two of the boys and a string of curses. I am mean. I am a jerk. I am unfair. In essence, I am a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mom and I. LOVE. IT!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

A long time coming....

When we moved into our house we didn't have a dining room table and chairs. My mom gave us her yard sale find which was great! But as the years went on we outgrew it. Jeff was accustomed to having his meals "family style", so all the food was brought to the table. Well with 3 kids, plates, cups, silverware, AND the food we quickly ran out of room. Not to mention the family gatherings at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. It took us about 3 years to find a table and chairs we could agree on. I like things to be a bit more rustic than dear, loving hubby so everything I showed him he shot down. But this is what we were able to agree on......FINALLY!

The chair. I would have loved wooden seats, spills are a lot easier to clean up.


The trusses.

A little bit of rustic.


The table top.

I am so glad we finally found something we could agree on. It is nice to finally have enough space for the dinner, and for family when we have dinner here at the holidays. This Thanksgiving won't be quite so cramped.

Friday, November 6, 2009

It's a Friday Fill-In Kind of Day


I am joining Friday Fill-Ins. Want to join? Go HERE!

And...here we go!

1. Plans and schedules can be overwhelming .

2. I'm happy when things are organized and straitened up (must work on this) .

3. The last thing I drank was water .

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my family .

5. I like pepperoni and pineapple on my pizza.

6. Dear November, please hold off on the rain til I get a new roof up .

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch and catching up on some shows, tomorrow my plans include working out and Sunday, I want to go play soccer!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Night Stalker Lives Here

A wisp of smoke or vapor lurks in every corner and crevice of my home. You can't see it, but know when it has struck. It waits til night fall before it strikes. Even better, it waits til the dead of night before it works it's wily ways on me and my family.

I feel as if it strikes every night sometimes twice a night. This is my tormentor of the evening and I think it relishes in it. It has a little bit of control over our nocturnal activities.....sleep. All is well when it's time to sleep, but in the deepest, darkest part of the night The Night Stalker strikes! It finds the one person in my family that has a deep attachment to his dog and steals it away, just out of his reach where he can't seem to find it.

When The Night Stalker has struck I hear about it and sometimes so does the rest of my family. Said child is in great peril and won't go back to sleep until his precious dog has been found and is safely in his arms. As I lay awake listening to the frantic search for the dog I can almost hear the laughter and snickers of The Night Stalker. When the dog is not found my boy will give a little whimper and creep into my room to ask for help. I think he knows that The Night Stalker exists, he has told me he thinks he hears or sees something in the hallway, the space between my room and his. Other times when he is truly panicking he will scream from his room "I CAN'T FIND MY DOG!" with great sadness and trepidation. These are the nights the rest of the family gets a taste of the smoke or vapor that lurks and laughs when it has created a bit of misery.

I know during the day it is watching, planning, and waiting for the part of night where everyone is immersed in dreams of happiness and comfort. It is then that The Night Stalker seeps out of the corners and crvices of my home. It likes chaos, it likes to be disruptive, it likes watching misery. It is The Night Stalker.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Great Land of Aus

A little less than 2 years ago I took my family to Australia for my sister's wedding. We didn't do a lot of the touristy thing because we had a wedding to prepare for and attend. It was a great time.

Once the wedding was over we had the opportunity to see some sights. On one of our excursions we came across this.


Here is a close up of the little pictures on the left hand side of the sign.


They even have rules of etiquette!

We didn't actually go out to the beach and check things out, we couldn't we had 3 young impressionable boys with us who would have broken every one of the rules of etiquette. But they did get a good laugh at the naked butts on the sign.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Let the Carving Begin!

We only recently went to the pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins. We just hadn't had the time to get over there. It's a good thing....instead of walking out of there spending $60 on pumpkins I spent $26. Buy one, get one free. Can't beat that. Now I just need to go back and get a few more sugar pie pumpkins for baking the goods. Mmmm, mmmm, mmm.

Today Jeff made it home early specifically for pumpkin carving. The boys were ecstatic! They could hardly contain their excitement. He barely got into the house when the kids were firing questions at him about carving......"Hey dad, when are we going to carve our pumpkins?" "Dad, are you ready to carve yet?" They had to give him a few minutes so he could come in and prepare for the Great Carving of Pumpkins.


Gutting pumpkins is messy work. Trevor has convinced dad to do it.


Pumpkin carving is serious business. Luke is giving me the "Go Away" look.


Wyatt cutting the top off.


Julia helping Wyatt make a face on the pumpkin. The boys love the faces she draws on the pumpkins. In fact all I am good for is helping cut (when needed) and gutting......oh and being the photographer.


Ella contemplating the guts in her pumpkin.


Trevor has conned Jeff into doing ALL the work. I find this comical since he is the one who has been dying to do the carving. (I think he just likes the finished product all lit up.)


Adam concentrating. Serious business.


Wyatt getting into the face of the matter.


The finished product. They did a great job. We lit them up last night and they are very cool!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

I love Halloween!

Want to know what I have been up to?

Come see me over at Aunt Spicy's!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Review

With my last recipe of Pumpkin Cupcakes I was met with the good fortune of being contacted by Kestrel Growth Brands, Inc. They wanted to know if I was interested in doing a review of Singing Dog Vanilla or Red Ape Cinnamon. I, of course, said I would try either one. They sent me both. When they came in the mail I knew immediately which recipe I would use for their products......Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. It's Fall and the season of the great pumpkin and these cookies are good (if I do say so myself)!

The ingredients.

Ready to bake. I have to tell you that I LOVE the smell of baked goods as the aroma fills the house, but the Red Ape Cinnamon really stood out and it smelled good. And the vanilla? Just as good. I took a whiff of both before I added them to the batter and let me tell you, they smell heavenly!


The finished product!

The Recipe:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. Singing Dog Vanilla
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
3 c. all purpose flour (I use 1 c. whole wheat flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Red Ape Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 c. milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Non stick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture inot the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets asnd bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Monday, October 5, 2009

I Rock!

Can you see me? Hard, I know, it's a small picture. Yep that's me running the Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon. It took me 2:35:20, but I did it. I ran the entire time! Crazy! The last mile was tough, however it was horrible for a woman 3 years my junior....she died and I saw the paramedics doing chest compressions on her. An accomplishment followed by something very sad.

Here's something even crazier, I am doing another one in 2 weeks. I need to make sure my pigs and soles of my feet are well rested, they are rebelling on me today. I will certainly let you know how it goes with that on. The exciting thing? I get a nice Tiffany's necklace handed to my by the city's finest in tuxedos. Talk about eye candy. Wish me luck, I will need it!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Blue Photo Challenge


When I saw that the challenge over at I Heart Faces was blue I immediately thought of this picture. This is my youngest when he was little, maybe 2 years old.

Posted by Picasa

I love it when he wears something blue to bring out the brightness in his eyes.

Go see what others are doing for their entries at I Heart Faces, you won't be disappointed.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Do you see that? A cupcake challenge! Brought to you by Little Miss Baker and Dollface Delights.


I love me a good cupcake, so I thought I would share my fave for the theme of this challenge, Fall/Autumn. Ready to know what that is? Okay, it's pumpkin. I love pumpkin cupckaes with the cream cheese frosting.

Here is the recipe:
2 1/4 c. white flour
1 c. wheat flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. sugar (I only use 1 cup)
3 lg. egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine wheat and white flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, set aside.
Combine pumpkin and applesauce, set aside.
Cream together canola oil and sugar until well blended. Beat in egg whites and vanilla extract.
Gradually stir in flour and pumpkin mixtures. Spoon into muffin tins, bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes.

Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix well until frosting consistency.

If that recipe is too much for you go HERE for another pumpkin recipe that I use. It is just as good! In fact, I typically use this recipe vs. the one above.



And here are my Fall/Autumn cupcakes. They are delish!


I encourage you to give them a try. You won't be disappointed.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

10 Miles and a Wanker

As many of you know, I am training for two 1/2 marathons with in two weeks of each other. So yesterday I set out to do 10 miles of running. In my head it was a piece of cake. For my body it proved to be tough at around mile 8. I did do a bit of walking, but I did do a whole lot of running. My route? It was a nice one. It involved some country back drops as well as some residential zones.

I started off at a good steady pace. I was proud of myself for doing so well in the beginning. As the miles toiled on I started to do my typical self talk:

Me: Come on Suzi, you can do this.
Alter Ego: Yeah, but I really don't want to.
Me: Just keep running.
Alter Ego: Why run, when I can walk and give myself a bit of a break?
Me: The more you run, the quicker you get this over with.
Alter Ego: Good point.

This conversation is one that is played in my head over and over. I have to tell myself to "Just keep running!" and I do, for the most part. I am about 3.5 miles into run on a beautiful road, hills on my right and subdivisions on my left. The weather is cool, comfortable, with splashes of clouds in the bright blue sky. Lots of people run and ride their bikes around my town, but I was totally unprepared and a bit disturbed after one bike rider.

I am a pretty polite person, even while I am running. I always acknowledge people who are around me.....dog walkers, runners, bikers, etc. This particular morning is no different than any other, I greeted all as usual. Well this one biker nodded at me in greeting and I followed suit. As my head nodded my eyes tracked with the angle of my head and holy crap what was that?

Mr. Biker Man was in uber short shorts and he was totally exposed. Riding along on his seat was his "unit". Holy crap was I seeing things? Well let me tell you I was a bit disturbed and kept a good eye over my shoulder to make sure he didn't make a U-Turn and follow my route. Could he have not known? He was riding his bike, minding his business as if it was just a leisurely bike ride. Totally bizarre.

I told my dear loving hubby about the incident and the only advise he had for me is "Well, you better make sure you have pepper spray with you." He wasn't a bit concerned. Humph!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Shhhh........don't tell

But I am on the computer again and it's not to do the invoicing. I am trying to be sneaky, but seem to get caught, regularly. I hate it when I get caught......so much shame. Anytime I hear someone walking through the house or opening the door to come inside I switch to my home page, jump up, and act like I am doing something useful. Most of the time I am not doing anything useful.....but that's between you and me, okay?

At least now I have an excuse for getting caught. I am working on the auction for our school and I am in charge of registration as well as inputting some of the items procured. That is ALL done on the computer. So when Jeff comes in I fudge the truth a little....I tell him it's for the auction. But that's not going to last long, my job for the auction will end October 2, then I won't have an excuse.

Ooohh, I hear someone! Shhh, don't tell I was blogging. See, my family, especially Jeff and Trevor, seem to think I have an addiction and they feel that it is with the computer. Hmmmm......they might have a point. Hey, it could be worse, you know, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. Or I could be having an affair. At least it's with words on a computer. I could be out on the town while I leave my hubby at home to fend for himself AND deal with the boys, but it's just the computer.

From what I understand my sister is being accused with the same thing! Imagine that. She told me she also clicks back to the home page and bolts out of her chair when she hears her dear, loving hubby come through the restaurant. Hey don't worry Erika, I won't tell if you don't. Okay, I better go........see you all later!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

My Poor Baby

My poor baby took a header. He is certainly following in my foot steps in the injury arena. Not. Good. I have certainly done worse, but if this is any indication then I am in for it.

Monday, Labor Day, we went to a friends place to BBQ and just enjoy the great outdoors. Jeff took the boys up early so they could ride their dirt bikes around the property. I stayed home, did some cleaning, preparing of foods, packing of coolers, and vegging in front of the TV....just to take a break. All was well with the world.

So I get up there and crack open a beer. Mmm, good old Sam Adams made my evening. As the afternoon progressed the boys went for more dirt bike rides and then the adults did some target practice. My kids were masters at pulling the string for the clay pigeons. I did fairly well, about 70% of the targets hit. Not bad since I haven't been shooting since December....and that was for a pheasant. Still the evening is shaping up to be pleasant.

The boys, throughout the afternoon, had been riding their bikes down a steep hill and applying breaks when necessary. They were all pros. No speed wobbles, no, veering off the beaten path, no bumps in the road..........until we start packing it in to head home.

Adam, who had been going down the hill all afternoon, took a header. He got the speed wobbles towards the end of the hill and just lost it. He landed spread eagle, but his face broke the fall. Road rash? Nope. Impact fall? Absolutely! It didn't look so bad that evening, swelling to a minimum, very little bleeding at his mouth. The only other visible injury was a bruise on his leg where his handle bar jabbed into his thigh. That is still tender.

He woke up Tuesday morning with lots of swelling, a black eye, and a bit of self consciousness. I was volunteering in his class that morning, so we went to school. I left him after recess and then the "mother's guilt" set in. Should I have brought him home? Probably. I know my friend Laura scolded me from here to Timbuktu and back, she thought I was crazy, probably thinks I am insensitive and maybe I am. I talked with Adam's teacher, she had my number, I know she would have called if Adam showed any sign of discomfort or acted unusual. What I need to remember is that Adam is a tough kid, probably tougher than any of the other boys and he isn't any worse for the wear. My biggest concern was a fractured cheek bone. I called the advice nurse and based on our discussion we are going to watch and wait.

Today, swelling has come down, his eye is a bit more purple, and his lips are looking more normal. He is one tough cookie. He went to school like a trooper....no self consciousness today. Nope. None. Kids are resilient. As for a fractured cheek bone. Not likely. Thank goodness.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Friday Fill Ins

It is late in the day and I came across this:

Serendipity

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!

And...here we go!

1. I feel good.

2. Skinny dipping is always fun.

3. Right now, I can hear these things: kids playing in the living room.

4. I ran 5 miles and I'm glad I had somone to do it with.

5. The last time I snow skied was before kids.

6. I am going to make cookies this Labor day weekend.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie, tomorrow my plans include the Farmer's Market and Sunday, I want to go for a run!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Germs.......or Dinner?

It's official, school is back in session....and so is the germ factor. Trevor came home today, like any other day. He wandered around with all the care in the world, you see he was stuck inside the house for 98% of the afternoon. It was my mission to get the boys to clean up the room they share. Nobody could go out to play until 2 things were done, homework and clean up their room.

Trevor takes the path of the MOST resistance. He likes to think he is SO much smarter than me, get the feeling he is pulling the wool over my eyes. I just wonder when he is going to get that I am on to him. Instead of putting his clothes neatly in his drawers he shoves them under his bed and calls it good. I, on the other hand, disagree, NOT done. So I do what a horrible mother does and call him on it, send him back to his room to do the job right. Next step, get everything from under his bed and shove them between the wall and Adam's bed. I go in for an inspection and again have him pull it all out and put it away properly. You think he learned from the first 2 times of trying to hide his things? Nope. He tried to get away with it a 3rd time. This time he moved Adam's bed (it's a captain's bed) and shoves it all behind and under that bed. Again, I KNOW what the little monkey is up to and again call him out. Meanwhile, Trevor is crying and telling me how horrible I am for making him clean up. He is also telling me that he needs to get outside to feel the fresh air on his skin. The fresh air on his skin doesn't happen til after dinner and only for about 10 minutes at that.

On to dinner. We had BLT's with some green beans. Trevor is not a big fan of green beans and was trying his best to eat them, but did a few gags getting them down. He managed to get mostof them down, but he also managed to "throw" some up onto his plate. Dinner and veggies are always interesting.

This is where the vomit comes in. Trevor wanders into my room at about 10:30 :

Trevor: Mom my belly hurts.
Me: It does?
Trevor: Yeah.
Me: What does it feel like?
Trevor: I don't know, it just hurts.
Me: Okay, come lay down.
Trevor: Will you rub my belly?
Me: Sure, do you feel like you need to throw up?
Trevor: No.

I should have known better to take No for an answer. As I was rubbing his belly he did the all knowing burp that tells me he is going to blow.

Me: Trevor, do you need to throw up?
Trevor: No.
Me: Are you sure?

Too late, blows all over the wall and floor next to my bed. All over the floor at the base of the bed. All over the bathroom floor. Poor guy.

Now here is the question, is this a one time deal? Did he blow because of dinner? OR did he pick something up from school? Or could it be the beginning of Swine Flu? I hope it was just dinner.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

I KNOW you all needed a good laugh.....

Last week it was Trevor's birthday. He turned 7. What he wanted most was for me to make Penguin cupcakes. Piece of cake, right?

So you would think that this:

plus this:

would equal this. Right? Right? Don't they look beautiful? I did an awesome job on these wonderful little penguins!

Just kidding, these penguins are mine. Go ahead, laugh, I did. I called them my poor, pathetic penguis. I warned Trevor that they weren't what he was expecting.

Hey, I tried. I guess, sometimes that is all that matters.


I just hope the kid realizes that I don't have a creative bone in my body and that we should leave this kind of thing to the professionals.

Hope you got your daily dose of laughing!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Happy Birthday Trevor!


Seven years and counting. It is hard for me to realize 7 years ago you were just a little peanut of a baby. You were such a small baby compared to your brother. Sweet, innocent, laid back. A good baby that was happy just being. The first 7 weeks were stressful, we all thought you might need a blood transfusion. Lucky for us all you began to make your own red blood cells and all was good.

Watching you grow, become your own little person, and gain autonomy has been fun, exciting, challenging and very eventful. You went from being completely dependent to an independent little boy. You have grown by leaps and bounds, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I hope that you continue to discover how special you are and how much I love you.

I love it when you surprise me with a kiss or a hug. I love it when you blow me a kiss on the sly, with the hopes that no one else will see you minus your tough guy exterior. It always amazes me how sensitive you truly are, you tend to show the rest of the world how tough and together you are. I just want you to know it is okay to be the sensitive person you are, it's okay if others see your sensitivities....after all that helps make you Trevor.

Happy Birthday Trevor!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Summer is Officially Over

Our tomato harvest party is over, which means that summer is also officially over. ;-(


We (Julia and I) picked these little gems for some tasty salsa.


Julia had the job of making the salsa. She made fire roasted (left), green zebra (top), salsa fresca (right), and a mango-peach salsa (right). They were all very GOOD! Go harass her for the recipes.


Some sliced watermelon. Those didn't last too long. I didn't get pictures, but on the menu we had:
beef and chicken kabobs
2 kinds of pasta salad
fruit salad
rice salad
grilled veggies
possibly more that I am forgetting right now


A bounce house for all the kids. There were about 20 kids here. They all had a BLAST. I don't think mine even stopped to eat dinner.

Julia and Rose, 2 of the Chief Cooks and Bottle Washers.


A shot of some of the crowd. There were more, but they were scattered.


The kids hamming it up for the camera and ready for war. Notice the water balloons aimed at the camera.



Dessert menu:
chocolate cupcakes with butter cream frosting


To Die For Peanut butter cup cookies. I am not allowed to make these unless it is a special occasion. The Tomato Harvest Party counted as a special occasion. (Sadly I will eat them all if I make them any other time.)


Heath Bar, caramel cheese cake (which was the talk of the desserts) and a Key Lime Pie that disappeared before I could get a picture.


Women in aprons!


Grubby little boy feet after a long hard day of play.


Fun was had by all. Our bellies were stuffed full and we are all looking forward to next year's Tomato Harvest Party!