So, it's New Year's Eve. Bleh. I'm not a huge fan. I just don't get it. I don't want to go to a crowded restaurant and pay extra for mediocre food and drink specials that I don't even drink. I don't want to go to a bar and have it be overcrowded with people who are drinking heavily just because they have an excuse. And then, they aren't necessarily responsible about having a designated driver either.

Add to that.....Collin works on New Year's Eve. So it's just me and the kids. I could TRY to get a sitter but going to hang at a bar while your husband works isn't super fun either. In the past I have traveled to visit friends, but having just returned from Ohio and the thought of returning back to work so soon (Tuesday!.....thought we had extra time last year?) kind of squelched the idea of driving 1,000 miles.

Don't get me wrong --- I am ready to be D.O.N.E. with 2011. It has been very stress-filled and exhausting. It's had it's highlights but mostly it's been about trying to keep our heads above water in this sucky economy; trying to make ends meet. I lost two Aunts in the last few months. Our sweet cat 16 yr. old Shasta mysteriously disappeared and I just like to think that she got out of the house and went to die in peace. It's difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. But in reality, as hard as I'd like to think we've had it, MANY people have had it worse.

• My friend Audrey and her family lost EVERYTHING in a house fire. They all survived and with a lot of hardwork and patience, they are home again.
• Ashton Sweet, a local Irvine teen and friend, was killed in a car accident. My friends, Janet and Julie, both lost close friends of their families.....all TEENAGERS. My heart just breaks for the families that have to deal with such tragedies.

I need to learn to count my blessings and appreciate what I do have: I have a husband who works hard for our family, I have four healthy children, I have a job (that I love), and I have a home to live in. So, as I attempt to have a quiet NYE at home with the kids [note: I said quiet/ even playing games isn't quiet!] eating finger foods and hanging out, I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR. Here's to 2012! May it bring you good health and happines.

(And maybe a few more blog posts from me.)

I love to cook and bake! I post assorted pictures on facebook and occasionally someone will ask me for a recipe. I often cook from scratch and tweek recipes but I am a good recipe follower (I use my red Betty Crocker one a ton) and I search online occasionally mostly using allrecipes.com. I love Southern Living and Cooking Light magazine too but this recipe for Golden Caramel Cheesecake Bars literally came out of my grocery store's coupon mailer magazine. Looks like it's sponsored by Kraft.

So now that I've given proper credit and I'm not claiming this as my own, here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
24 Golden Oreo cookies, divided
2 Tbsp., butter or margarine, melted
25 Kraft Caramels
1 Tbsp. water
2 pkg. (8oz. each) of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 jar (7 oz.) Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
1 egg

Preheat: oven to 350*. Place 14 of the cookies in a food processor container; cover. Process until finely crushed. Mix with butter; press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch square baking pan. Bake 10min. or until golden brown. Cool 10min.
Place caramels and water in micro. bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 min. or until caramels are completely melted; stirring every 30 sec. Set aside. Coarsely chop remaining 10 cookies. Beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in chopped cookies; pour over crust. Drop spoonfuls of the caramel mixture over batter; swirl with knife for marble effect.
Bake for 20 to 25 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 20 bars. Store in tightly covered container in refridgerator.

(note: I used store brand cream cheese and it worked just fine)  :)
SO DELICIOUS and super rich!

A LOVE Thursday post (a few minutes early)
Ten Thirteen days ago when I posted about Christmas pictures it wasn't my intention to disappear again. Life is busy as usual, but you add in the insanity of shopping, stealth gift wrapping, end of semester school projects and a couple of holiday concerts in there and you get MADNESS. But I'm not complaining, really, for once I'm not! Because it also means Christmas goodies........ Last night started it - homemade fudge. And then today it was two kinds of Chex Mix, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter blossom cookies, and cornflake candy. Another batch of fudge was on the agenda until I realized I was out of baking chocolate. I'm also planning to make some golden cheesecake bars for a gathering with friends on Sat. night. What is your favorite holiday cookie/treat/specialty? I'm always up for making something new.

The kids are treasuring every morsel of their Advent calendars from Trader Joe's. Who doesn't like to start their day with a bit of chocolate? They are keeping a close inventory of my late night wrapping sessions and can quickly tell me if something has been added under the tree and which family member it's for. In some ways it sucks the fun out of it when they make the tree all messy and desheveled and then argue about what was added? and why does he/she have more than I do? nonsense. I know they are 'just being kids' but for all the goodness in the world make them stop arguing about. Next year I am using a mystery number system that only I will know about. They might mess up the pretty presents but I will still hold the cards. Muhahahaha.

We've watched Rudolph (my childhood favorite!) and several versions of A Christmas Carol so far but have yet to see National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I can't believe it's taken this long but it WILL happen. And no Christmas would be complete without It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas everyone.......

Dagnabit! I meant to post last night so I could have five posts in November; that would be some sort of record for me. But alas, here I am a day late and a dollar short.
It's that time of year......time for Christmas pictures!!!! Here's a little preview of our photo taking adventure. (photos taken by my friend Sandee)

The kids had a blast climbing the trees and Fritz couldn't have been happier with chasing leaves in the wind. It was fun until we melted in the 80* heat. The boys had their shirts off before we even got home. (at least I know they can clean up for a few minutes of picture taking)

Christmas cards ordered, check!

Thanksgiving Morning Musings.......
I LOVE Thanksgiving.......the cooking and preparation, the scents around all the comfort food, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, football on the television, the crafts the kids make to decorate the table, the crisp weather and most of all the gathering of family and friends taking time away from the craziness of life to remember how blessed and thankful we are. It's probably my favorite holiday.

Yesterday day I made the cranberry relish, the pecan pie, and Grandma Hall 5-cup salad (but it's 10-cup for us b/c the kids LOVE it). Ian cut all of the celery for the stuffing and assembled it with Collin last night. This morning I'm prepping the green bean casserole, baked corn, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and baking a pumpkin pie. I am queen of the oven; that's because Collin is frying the turkey this year. With recent oven issues (and not even knowing if we were going to be able to use it) along with its small size, he decided to attempt frying the turkey this year. So, Pepperidge Farm gravy it is. (shhhh, don't tell his mother)

Another part of the day I enjoy is checking out the Black Friday sales. I have a short list of things left to get so I'll see if there are any MUST HAVES that I don't want to miss out on. Midnight is SO MUCH better for me than 5am :) But I refuse to fight with insane people over things like TVs we don't need or the latest Wii game. I don't mind the spot at the far end of the parking lot, the long lines, or the crowds. It's all a mind set......savoring in the holiday sales b/c it's the HOLIDAYS. Merry Christmas, folks. If someone tries to lose their marbles on me, I just smile and nod and wish them a Merry Christmas. It usually shuts them right up! It reminds them of what the season is truly about.

And, last but not least, let the Christmas decorating begin. Clark, aka Collin, usually starts tomorrow. Being in a rental this year, our house is MUCH smaller, but I'm sure he'll do his best to win the neighborhood decorating contest. (He's been trimming the front tree for weeks to make sure the lights will be seen, lol)

And with all the festivities DO NOT think I'm straying from the Game On! challenge. I'm taking ONE meal off today and then going to take Friday or Sat. as my food day-off so I can enjoy leftovers and maybe even some movie popcorn. I think I'll even exercise this evening to make sure I work off those extra carbs. (what is wrong with me?)

Off to cook in my pjs :)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

......yawn....
Today has been a VERY LONG day. I'm not sure why b/c I got out of bed at 7:15am which is not far behind my normal waking-to-make-lunches time. I woke to my children UP AND AWAKE (why can't they ever get up for school like this?) playing Wii with their sleepover buddy. Cue: mad dash to the coffee pot. I worked on finishing up a digital scrapbooking project; started laundry; made breakfast; and basically just piddled around. It was a cool, dreary Saturday morning so pjs were my fashion of choice.

I got my act together around noon and we headed out to a few awesome sales and to take advantage of a promo they had to support our local public schools foundation. Successful shopping with four children is NEVER easy but we went, we shopped, we conquered! A little bribery of In-and-Out burger went a long way and it was the PERFECT treat for my Game On diet day off. We dashed home to catch the LSU game and I began to climb the laundry mountain while I banished them to their rooms for leaving their crap everywhere and being lazy laundry folders. After the shopping adventure and seeing the chaos of my living room, I simply needed them to go play quietly. I waded through three loads; made some cheater Zatarain's jambalaya for dinner and then cleaned the kitchen. HOW was it only 8pm???? Oh, and I still need to exercise (already took yesterday off, dang it!).

AND to add to my long day.........my oven is broken. Four days before Thanksgiving. Thankyouverymuch!

Much ado about the Game On! Challenge.........it's on my brain constantly so I thought it would be the perfect time to shed a little on light on my latest bit of madness.

Recently I began to notice that my clothes were getting snug and once my birthday came and went, I really realized I HAVE TO LOSE WEIGHT. To some folks, I may look just fine, but when you aren't comfortable in your own skin and you are the heaviest you have ever been NOT pregnant it's truly eye-opening. And wouldn't you know, a group of awesome women from community theatre were starting this challenge so I asked if I could join. With a little info., I was GAME! And apparently it's just what I needed.......a bit of friendly competition to make the world go round.

The basic routine: 5 small meals a day (on a schedule --carb,protein,fat), 3 liters of water, exercise daily, and adding a new habit while abandoning an old habit. No alcohol, no soda, no artificial sweeteners. You get points for meeting goals and penalties for others. There is more to it but that is it in a nutshell. Sign-me-up; I can do this. We all have good things we SHOULD be doing and things we SHOULD not be doing and you are telling me I get points for it. Awesome. Time to come clean: for good habit-- I'm taking a daily multivitamin and have to have an empty kitchen sink when I go to bed (no dishes, utensils, etc.). In other words, stop being lazy. For ridding myself of a bad habit I chose no more falling asleep in front of the tv.  My teammates are doing a variety of things as goals ranging from bible study time to no more snooze alarm. You make it want you NEED it to be. And the best part, smack talking is allowed!

In recent years I have tried to eat more healthy overall and have done a bit of meal planning here and there. But now, it helps SO MUCH. Not only are my family dinner meals planned for the next two weeks, but now I am writing down what I plan to eat during the day so I can pack my lunch w/o thinking about it. I have to get two meals in during my work day schedule so it's easy to have it in my bag and not have to worry about what might be tempting me in the staff lounge. I usually eat what my family eats at dinner for my meal 5; I just revise it a little b/c I'm not super hungry. Example: tomorrow night is turkey burgers, french fries, and fresh berries. I'll have the burger (my carb and protein) with lettuce, tomato, mustard, a tsp. of mayo (the fat). No fries or berries for me.

Here's my day tomorrow:
Meal 1 -- scrambled egg (protein&fat) with spinach and mush.; 1/2 grapefruit (carb)
Meal 2 -- Mini Babybel Light, 7 walnuts, apple (protein, fat, carb)
Meal 3 -- Blend of lettuce with carrots/bell pepp/cucumber add small amt. of chicken, sliced almonds (no dressing);  kiwi on the side
Meal 4 -- non-fat greek yogurt with fresh berries and 7 crushed walnuts
Meal 5 -- turkey burger on whole wheat bun with lett.,tom.,must.,mayo
I'll count my coffee creamer for calories and the mayo and I'm under my 100 allowed extra calories.

You can do this too. I swear it's super easy. Well, until the exercise part. At least that is the REAL challenge for me. Four kids keeps me busy enough but add in a commitment to exercise and my brain goes a little wonky. BUT I have been doing it (except for my one allowed day off) so far and I must say I think I'm rockin' it. I hate the making time and getting-ready-to-go part of changing my clothes, etc. I would much rather sit on the couch and read or play on Facebook or even clean the house. When I am out there walking/jogging pushing my lazy butt across the pavement, I don't hate it. Well, sometimes I do, but it's not like I can quit half way and call Collin to pick me up. All I can say is.....if the scale doesn't go down, I'm going to be a little  completely peeved.

Weigh-in for the week is on Wednesday morning; you have been warned.

JUMPING BACK IN....

I'm still here. I think about blogging often and even have a little list of things I want wanted to blog about. But life gets in the way and then I get so far behind that it seems silly to post about things from two months ago. Do you really want to see pictures of an Arizona trip from August?










Well, I did post pictures on Facebook from our camping trip.  Oh yes, Facebook.....another interference with my blog. See, if I post pictures there I forget to type 'the story' here.

The story of one of my favorite pictures.....Sean teaching Ian how to skip rocks. A tender moment. Those are few and far between.

And I really need to do that because I'm trying to put these blog posts in a hard-bound book. Sorta like a journal since I don't journal or anything cool like that.

Anyway, here I am. Two months into the school year. And I never did post a photo of Maggie starting 8th grade b/c she started on a different day than my other school post. Here she is....growing up too fast......

She is playing the french horn in the symphonic band and loving it. Her grades are better but she still has room for improvement. Recently she finished up her role as Freida in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and she will be on Royal Court at Musical Theater Village this year (it's a teen group that does extra chores around the theater, helps with tasks like scrip distribution/ ticket-taking/and show welcome speeches). She is with a great group of kids. 

Sean is next. Poor Sean is going OUT OF HIS MIND! (and taking me with him) He is counting the days until his x-rays -- Nov. 15th. We are hoping and praying that his knee is healing on it's own and that he won't need surgery. AND hoping and praying he can ease back into some physical activity.....recess and PE would be a nice start. Batting practice would be a nice bonus. The break from organized sports has been nice (for our whole family) but it's been long enough. His teacher says he is a great kid and his grades are pretty good too so I'll take it! These days his hair is the longest it's ever been with blond curls in the back (I'll try to sneak a picture). He is loving LSU and Saints football while he manages his fantasy teams. He loves telling me ALL he knows about football players and helps with my team each week.



Then there's girlie. Miss Amanda. She's such a miracle. She just finished her part as Little Red-Haired Girl in Charlie Brown and is looking forward to starting some sort of martial arts class. She has been wanting to do it for a long time and it will help with her motor control, balance, and discipline. She is doing well in school especially since she has to work REALLY hard. She isn't super far behind and often works quickly (sometimes too quickly) so she can help her teacher with stuff. Here's her book report quilt on Little Women:

She makes sure that Fritz gets fed everyday and loves Skyping with her cousin, Sarah, at college. And at 10yrs. old wears a size 8 women's shoe. Not kidding.

And then there's Ian. He loves life basically. He loves anything to do with the outdoors.....fishing, shooting, bike-riding, swimming, the beach, sports, etc. He tolerates school.....doesn't love it, but doesn't hate it (because he likes the girls, shhhhh). His teacher knows him pretty well and appreciates him for his silliness while keeping him in check. His printing is beautiful; his math skills rock; his reading is his downfall, but we all have our crosses to bear. He loves having SHORT hair but had fun trying to make a water mohawk went we went camping (where doesn he think of this stuff?). Seven is an awesome age and I never want him to grow up.

And that brings you up to date with the kidlets.......oh, wait. Halloween.......one of our awesome jacks-o-lanterns....

and the kids all ready to go. Ian was a knight, Amanda was Punky Brewster, and Sean was some gross skeleton thing. Maggie was off with her friends (b/c that's what teenagers do).

Collin and I are plugging along. Just had our 16th anniversary. I still love my job; my co-workers are awesome and the kids keep us on our toes. Still doing Creative Memories and love taking pictures. I'm getting back into meal planning (shrimp stir-fry today!) and love cooking now that I have time with minimal sports and theater commitments. Collin is still working two jobs hoping the economy will turn at some point but he's not holding his breath. He's excited about going on a deer hunting trip that his buddy Dale got him a free ticket for.

And finally, I'm joining with a group of friends for the Game On! diet challenge starting this Wednesday. It goes until Dec. 9 with Thanksgiving day off. One of my goals is to blog at least twice a week so we'll see how that goes. I will certainly need the points of meeting that goal so I can back up the smack talk. Hoping to shed a few pounds while having some fun with friends. Oh wait, I think this involves exercise. Oh, no.

RANDOM
So, it took four days of working for me to get the flu. Lovely. Just that morning we were discussing the free flu shots we are going have available in October. I think I jinxed myself. Finally feeling almost 100% on day four. Ugh.

School is going well. No one is in tears just yet so I'll call it good.

Amanda is turning 10 soon and wants a Baby Alive for her birthday. She still has that little kid innocence and doesn't care what anyone thinks. Some might call it immature but I'll take it. She's my most independent kid so she can be mature when she needs to be. They have such a short period of time to be innocent and imaginative play goes away too fast.

Sean is still on full restriction from physical activity until mid-November when he gets his next xrays. At home he is mostly OK but at school not doing recess or lunch play is a HUGE  bummer. I can't say that I miss hustling to the practices and being committed to games, but I know he misses it like crazy. Hoping to get out and support some Irvine Chargers friends today if I'm feeling better.

The girls are in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown right now at MTV. It opens this weekend and it looks to be a crazy cute show. Is it bad that I can still sing half of the Book Report song b/c I was Shroeder in high school? and I still remember ALMOST breaking character b/c Ms. Girlie Breaux was laughing at me so hysterically. Don't answer that.

Moving on with this cloudy Saturday where it feels like Fall, but I know it will be 90* by mid-week.

First Day of School for 2011-12 (even for me/ heading back to work)

Ian really isn't cross-eyed; he's just a clown! The kids humored me for about 30 seconds and then were DYING to get to campus to see their friends. (well, Maggie was sleeping b/c 8th grade starts tomorrow)

Sean was dropped off first because who needs Mom in 6th grade. He quickly found his friends and allowed one picture before I got a fist bump and wandered to find Amanda. He has Ms. Hager and he thinks she's pretty nice especially since she walks around her room with her shoes off. (Maggie had her too so I'm happy too)

Amanda was thrilled to officially be an 'upper grader'/4th grade. She was waiting patiently and I was able to snag an undetected picture of her meeting Mrs. Rahmann.

Then I continued on to Ian; where he was patiently waiting at his classroom with everyone else on the planet. (Geeze.....our campus has grown from 450 students to 750 students; it's only three years old and almost to capacity while the parking lot/ adjacent park/ and every street was overflowing.) He is so go-with-the-flow and knew that I would be right there once the upper graders were settled because this year they start earlier than lower grades. He happily obliged me with more photos b/c they would show off his mohawk.

Mrs. Lee gets the pleasure of his company this year for 2nd grade. He is smart, loving, and friendly but he can sure be silly too. Upon getting into the van, he proudly announced that he has a girlfriend! He clearly explained that he went up to S (his crush from last year!) and asked her to be his girlfriend and she said YES. He was beaming and said he couldn't find her to sit and eat lunch with her but played with her at the playground.

My day..............well, I LOVE MY JOB and my co-workers are the best. They always give me nice compliments and make me feel appreciated. The first graders were a bit doe-eyed and overwhelmed but I think everyone survived w/o crying or melting in the heat. And the perfect end to my day - NFL KICKOFF with the Saints and a bowl of red beans and rice!

A FRESH START



For me, September and the start of school is much like nesting and preparing for a new child. Here's how the last few days have played out:
1) All the laundry is done and put away. Just like when you have a new baby, you want the gowns, onesies, blankets, and sleepers all ready. We have the hampers empty but baby laundry smells much sweeter.

2) I have meals planned for the next two weeks. Today I'll have all the ingredients and then will happily only need to refill milk, bread, and fresh fruit (and likely school lunch snacks). Prepping for a new baby usually involves double-batching so I can have a freezer stash but this time I won't have people bringing me meals so I'll be happy with meal planning and knowing the answer to the 'what's for dinner?' questions.

3) Fresh school supplies......you know the drill......school requires a lot of supplies like scissors, glue, pencils, paper, backpack and more just like a baby requires LOADS o' stuff (diapers, wipes, bath soap, stroller, etc.). Two things I love the smell of --a fresh box of crayons and a fresh bathed baby.

4) New shoes and clothes........need I say more?

5) Organizing and de-cluttering -- we have been through clothes and have yet another load for Goodwill. Just yesterday I sorted three boxes of random stuff that was tossed in boxes from the move. It parallels to all the things an expectant Mom feels she HAS to get done.

6) And lastly, all the random chores that have been on the list of things to do that I'm getting done knowing that 'going-back-to-work' is staring me in the face........dog grooming (check: Collin did it!), call for bulk trash pickup for old loveseat, and call the insurance company yet again.

Summer has zoomed by; we spent much time at the pool, a few days at the beach, and squeezed in two short weekend adventures. It had it's draggy moments and now the anticipation is building. Here comes 8th, 6th, 4th, and 2nd grades whether we are ready or not.

Even though there isn't a CHANCE ON THIS PLANET that a new baby is gonna join our family, I'll love on the littles that friends have (Laura!) and enjoy my restful uninterrupted sleep.

The view from here. It's refreshing and cheap. And something to do while Sean watches baseball daily to chase the boredom away. And believe it or not, I've even started swimming for exercise. I've swum for three days already and plan to swim today -- that's four days in less than a week, of exercise, from me! Who knew? Well, five if you count my bike ride on Sat. So it looks like this: Thurs.-swim, Fri.-swim, Sat.-bike, Sun.-off, Mon.-swim, Tues.-swim. I usually add in some crunches/ab work, some push-ups and leg lifts. Hoping to lose a few pounds, since summer is half over. Better late than never I guess.

It's summer so that means my kids have POPSICLES on the brain. Well, not only in summer, but summer makes the thoughts of cool, refreshing snacks explode. We don't have an ice-cream man that drives around and sends them into a frenzy running home for money like I did a million years ago when I was a kid. We just have an occasional Mexican guy pushing a cart with a bell when we are a baseball. (don't shoot me and tell me it's a stereotype; it's NOT; it's a true statement)

So I went in search of some popsicle molds just to try to add to the fun of it all (and maybe save some $$ in the process). I love William Sonoma stuff but can't bring myself to pay through the nose (+ shipping) for these cool molds.

I mean REALLY! They are cool and all that but not THAT cool........close to $25, yikes.

Then I came across theses nifty little ones at CVS in the bargin bin for $2! They've tried orange juice, apple juice, strawberry lemonade, and Coca-cola pops so far. Strawberry lemonade is the definite favorite. Maybe we'll try to make some limeade ones. And if I'm feeling really zany I might even buy some Kool-aid mix for them.

Not exactly the cool firecracker (red-white-blue) ones that I used to get from the ice cream truck, but definitely better than the frozen-Kool-aid-in-a-cup-and-flip-over-method my Mom used.

So life continues to throw curveballs our way. I wish I played baseball because maybe I could knock one out of the park by now.

The latest info. is that we aren't moving. At least not immediately. Sigh. The job offer didn't pan out and the story is just too long to explain. Collin will continue on the hamster wheel that is SoCal for now.

Maggie's ears are better but she is still coughing for hours nightly. I'm not a good Mom when it comes to this. I JUST WANT HER TO STOP but it's not that easy. It's just another notch in the stress rope, ya know. And Ian and Amanda are coughing now too; not as bad and it seems like an allergy-thing. I simply don't have the energy to attend another doctor appt. for them to tell me 'it's allergies'.

Fourth of July was filled with good food and friends up at the Faris' house. Eight kids that all get along great. A nap in the hammock for me was a nice bonus.

And the day after -- the topper is that I am living in summer cast-land again.......we dealt with it all last summer with Amanda's arm. Now Sean is sporting a thigh-high cast on his left leg! He loved it for about 10minutes; now he's over it. Thank goodness we have been swimming a ton and hit the beach twice last week b/c now the world has stopped for him. The doc. thinks his knee (osteo condritis desecans) has an 80% chance of healing well on it's own IF he stays off of it. We opted for the cast for four to six weeks because it forces him to stay off of it. I'm not thrilled but I know it is the best for him. We'll still go to the pool but he'll spend his time watching, tossing sink sticks, reading and playing cards with me.

Guess I'm forced to organize, clean, and unpack without the distraction of the beach calling my name.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...........


I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with Target. I love that I can get a few key groceries like milk, bananas, butter, and bread; a birthday gift; a large Rubbermaid organizer bin; a bathing suit for Mag; a razor for Collin and a few other items in one place. I HATE that my bill was $159. Really? How does that happen?

Last night we had turkey burgers and fresh strawberries for dinner. YUM! And good for us too. Now, we are having frito pie casserole. YUM! And channeling my inner-redneck too.
Maggie has a double ear infection. Guess all the recent swimming did her in. Hoping the abx work quickly and stop her cough so she can sleep again I can sleep again.

So You Think You Can Dance is amazing me once again this season. If you aren't watching, you are missing out. Our whole family watches (shhhhh, Collin won't admit it). And we also watched Lonesome Dove over the weekend. Such a great classic!

and finally.....the pictures I've been meaning to send. It's a little montage I call ....A Taste of Spring 2011...goes back to Sean's bday/Ian's bday/Easter at the Andera's/Maggie's bday/moving and beyond. Enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So I'm still out here in blog land but don't have much exciting to report. It's officially summer......which means we spent lots of hours at the pool. And eating popsicles. Well, not me, but the kids do.

We are still in limbo with life. Are we staying in SoCal and are we moving out of state? No real news on that front. Still waiting on the official job offer for Collin. Another reason I'm not unpacking anymore either. Why unpack if I have to repack in a short period of time. YET how is it that I have more bags for Goodwill. Last week I dropped off three bags and I have another one full. I am going through Ian's clothes b/c we have no room and I'm organizing some that I want to keep that are too big (from Sean and our buddy, Cade). Apparently we have lots of random stuff and ever since my friend Audrey lost everything in a house fire I am realizing more and more that it's just stuff mostly; therefore, I am flinging.

Maggie and Amanda are currently in Oliver. Last week Collin took the boys and some baseball team friends camping up near Mammoth. Lots of fishing, learning to shoot, and dirt! I'm still working on the laundry from that. This weekend brings more theater and dance recital for Maggie (Amanda's class isn't doing recital, lame!). Next week, Amanda and Sean start a summer school reading program. Somewhere in there is dentist appts. and doctor appts. for Sean's knee and Amanda's next MRI.

Whoever said summer was relaxing was wrong; well, except for the sleeping in part.

Yes, we moved. We moved from 2900sqft to 1500sqft; with four kids, a dog, and a cat. I'm still not unpacked because I don't want to. I hate the chaos around me but can't bring myself to add one more thing to my plate. Between work, finishing up school assignments with the kids, running everyone to activities, and the regular demands of life, I simply haven't to energy to lessen the chaos with unpacking.

So there is the lovely mood I'm in. Thus the reason for no posts.

Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Spring Break - Day Two:
Donuts for Breakfast!
Packing focus is the boys' room and upstairs bathroom. Girls are working in their rooms (if you want to call it that). Maggie came into the boys' room and said "wow, it's empty in here!" I wanted to respond with "Yes, that's because we are working and you are a distracted and sitting on your butt." BUT I didn't and simply said.......'well, yes we are moving in a week my dear.'
I'm having a hard time understanding how I packed the move when we moved in here 6-1/2yrs. ago. Ian was a 6mo. old! I guess he slept a lot more. So frustrating that they are older but not necessarily more helpful. That's likely my own doing --- need to work on that.

Side note: yesterday wasn't ALL work and no play. We ventured out to the local trampoline place called SkyHigh. Holy cow --- wall-to-wall trampoline madness, launches into the foam pit, trampoline dodgeball. Super fun!

Off to order some new checks and situate the utilities............

Yes.....it's really happening. We are officially moving. Back to our old neighborhood,  it's only about a mile and a WHOLE different ballgame of packing since we aren't going across the country (yet!). It's a good thing; I try to keep telling myself that but the thought of moving in nine days just makes me want to barf as I look around at the chaos. We held a huge garage sale (the picture doesn't even capture all of it) and we were able to get rid of some things. Since then I've hauled two van loads to Goodwill also. We are moving from 2900sqft down to 1500sqft. It will be cozy (don't laugh; just let me pretend!) and I'm thrilled about removing the chore of vacuuming stairs from my list! I'm not sure how the girls will do with sharing a room, but we'll get it figured out eventually.

This week is Spring Break for us. Right now that means them arguing over the television and the SceneIt Disney game and I am online pretending that the house will pack itself. I'm hoping to make an adventure up to the Ronald Reagan library to aid Sean in a school project; catch the Disney movie African Cats; and maybe hit the beach if it's warm enough. Oh.....and the girls are auditioning for Oliver. (I want to but I know my limitations; just say No to another commitment). Did you notice that packing isn't at the top of my list? Someone send fairies; I just want to take a nap.

(he is crashed out for real; I did catch him before he slid off completely)

Really? It's been over a month since I updated my blog? How'd that happen. Oh yeah, it's called life and responsibilities..........four kids (and a dog & a cat), a job, house on the market, variety show to plan, chores & errands, and now the computer is in the boys' room...........that's means very little extented computer time for me. HOWEVER, my heart is breaking tonight and I want ya'll out there in cyber-land to know about this amazing little girl Maddie James.
Her story simply touches my heart, WAY TOO CLOSE to home. You see, she has a brain tumor; Amanda even has the same doctors. But Maddie's tumor is inoperable and fatal. She is only given months to live. I am counting my blessings and hugging my kids extra tight (with a super-squeeze for Amanda!) and trying to spread the word. Let's help Maddie's wish come true.

She loves the ocean and even chose Hawaii for her Make-A-Wish trip. Her parents are trying to raise funds for the Dana Point Ocean Institute's new learning center. Maddie wants to 'help them build it!' and that is where you come in. With a donation, we can all help her dream come true. I'm sure any amount will be graciously accepted....$10--that's a couple of fast foods meals; $25--that a few cups of Starbucks....what can you cut out for a few days in order to help this precious little girl. She only has a few days left to enjoy the simple pleasures that we take for granted. You can go to http://www.maddiejamesfoundation.org/ for more information.

I pray for peace for this family. They are living in a place that I thought I might be (for a few days while we waited for pathology results); a place that no parent should ever have to be. I am so sad and hope that we can all make Maddie's dream a reality.

Despite all the parenting books out on the market, there TRULY isn't a parenting manual out there. So much of parenting is about using what works; using common sense; and then hoping for the best. Just like every child is different and unique, parenting is much the same. What works for one child (removal of priveledges) simply doesn't work for another. And even better yet, what a parent deems as appropriate changes over time as well. My mother-in-law has said many times "oh how the mighty crumble" when edicts have been made by parents and they simply change their mind and/or change a rule completely. Many of these rules are set by people BEFORE they even have children......'my children will never be allowed to ________' and my child would never behave that way. Yes, sit on the mighty throne and set all the rules you like because when you actually become a parent you too will crumble.

However, there are certain things I had said before having kids that I have stuck too. For example - 1) I never put fruit punch, soda, or anything of the like in a baby bottle. Eeew, why? Yes, they were allowed the pleasure of a McDonald's orange soda, but they had to do it through a straw. 2) Bedtime has always been important. I love sleep so it was pretty important that my kids get a routine and good sleeping habits. Did that mean I co-slept? Yep    Did that mean we've had bedtime battles occasionally? Yep  Did that mean they are still good sleepers? Yep    and 3) I would not be a short order cook and make multiple meals-in-one to keep everyone happy (and picky).  The kids have evolved over time about expanding what they eat, but I never did play the 'I want this' game for dinner. Does that mean we've never had a appetizer buffet for dinner? Nope  Does that mean I'm a food Nazi? Nope Do I let them help me meal plan? Of course Do I let them eat cereal for dinner? YES; but only when I can have Corn Pops and Apple Jacks right along with them!!!

Like tonight, I'm sick. Collin is working. So by the time, I got kids shuffled to activities and helped with homework I was beyond done. Body Aches. Exhausted. So it was a cereal night. Who wants a germy Mom cooking them food anyway???? It's not like I packed them a Mountain Dew and Oreos for lunch. (Yes, a child at the school I work ate REALLY HAD a Mtn. Dew and Oreos for lunch.....6th grader.....true story!)

That right there is one thing I can add to my WILL NEVER HAPPEN list...............number 4) I will never pack my children a Mtn. Dew and Oreos for lunch.

Now excuse me while I doze off to Nyquil land when my children are still awake. What was that rule about bedtime again?

I've mentioned before what an amazing person my friend Nicole is. Well, I wanted to give her a little shout-out again because she just celebrated a VERY SPECIAL birthday. (We'll just leave it at that; I'll be nice and not mention any specific numbers because I'm still older than she is.)

She likes to do these little list things on HER blog when birthdays come up in her family and she even stated a few things that she loves about her life in celebration of her own day. I thought I would make a little list of my own to wish her a happy birthday and tell the world what makes her awesome:

1) She was literally my right hand when I lived at the hospital with Amanda.
2) She can bake and she shares all the goodies with me & my family.
3) She remembers the little things that make people unique and special.
4) She is insanely talented with both dancing and singing.
5) She is an amazing mother -- gentle, patient, creative, and loving!
6) She is a master of movie quotes.
7) She loves to laugh. (with me and at me!)
8) last, BUT NOT LEAST, she is a zany sports fan too!

Happy Birthday to Nicole --- Me and all-o'-ya'll-Halls love you very much!

Want a hit for dinner???? Try this---
Tortilla-crusted tilapia (from Costco; my family eats the WHOLE box)--13min. in oven at 425*; wild-rice blend (from Henry's) boil for about 35-40 until done [while you prep the salsa]; MAKE THIS PINEAPPLE SALSA! (I leave out the chili peppers & I used dried parsley instead of cilantro b/c that's what I had on hand).

Let's put it this way...........I'm lucky I have a little bit of rice and some salsa as leftovers for lunch. Happy bellies all around! Although I can't say FULL bellies b/c Sean is already scrounging for some else to eat; he's almost 11 and is a bottomless pit. Heaven help me!

A little glimpse of life, with pictures, woot!..........Last weekend, Collin went on a boys' weekend hunting trip with his friend Dale. He has guns that he had gotten recently from one of his co-workers. So in combination with him prepping for the trip, shopping for camo gear, and going to the shooting range to set the scope (or whatever you call it), the kids have been very interested in what he's doing. Meaning, guns.
I am NOT a gun person. Never have been. But with a husband who grew up hunting and target shooting, who am I to say that we can't have them when they are stored safely. We've had guns in the house forever. We have a gun safe for the guns and the ammunition (if we even have any) is in a separate locked container in a separate location. The kids didn't even know about them until a couple of years ago.

So, with all the trip prep, the kids have had a couple of lessons in gun safety recently. Lots of talk and hands-on about making sure it's unloaded; how you hold it; etc. I observe and never do the hands-on part. ....shudder... It's really interesting to see how interested the boys are; they just are. The girls pay attention but haven't wanted to 'get into' it like the boys. I'm sure it's because it's a 'be-like-Dad' thing but I find it intriguing.

He went on his merry way to freeze his butt off while I stayed home and held down the fort. Regular routine of life and such = work, errands, kid's activities, cleaning, sick-kid care and cooking. Made a nice batch of barbecued shredded pork that the kids adore; chicken stir-fry that was divine; some swiss steak that the kids would likely choose to never eat again. ...shrug....you can't win 'em all!

Collin had lots of COLD quiet time and didn't kill Bambi (thank goodness!) and managed to make the baggage check-in lady at the airport laugh. Imagine the lady's surprise, when she opened his gun case and found Camelia red beans and Community coffee surrounding his guns. Only in New Orleans! He (and all his tasty goodies)  made it home safely with Sean mostly recovered from his flu. Now another one is down for the count, poor little Ian............

Off to catch up on laundry with hopes that little dude with nap.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! 2011; damn, time flies. I'm gettin' old and all that..........
I hate being an absent blogger. I don't mean to be; I have tons of random posts running through my brain but I never get around to putting channeling my thoughts to the computer.

The kids and I had a nice time in Phoenix, AZ for a few days. We visited my friend Sandee and her kids; went on a hike (and got snowed on; haha, my SoCal kids thought it was ash at first!); and just chilled out (literally; it was freezing!). School is back in session and I'm still on my bandwagon of cooking and healthy eating (for the most part). I have shared some yummy tidbits on my Facebook and folks have asked for recipes so I'll try to occasionally create a post for it to share with you all.

First up, Jambalaya -- I must apologize because my quantities aren't exact and it's sorta an eye-ball/consistency thing too; apparently my mother-in-law has taught me well.

Ingredients: one pound of cooked chicken breast (I boiled one bnls/skls. and kept the broth)
                  one pound of smoked sausage (1/4" slices, browned in skillet)
                  one pound of shrimp (I used frozen, pre-cooked [I hope this doesn't make my Louisiana friends   and family dis-own me!])
                  1/4 of an onion (diced)
                  two stalks of celery (diced)
                  some fresh parsley (chopped)
                  two cloves of garlic (minced)
                  bit of olive oil (or better yet, bacon drippings!)
                  14-15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (all, do not drain)
                  six cups of liquid (water, chicken broth, etc.)
                  1-1/2 cups of uncooked rice
                  seasonings: dash of tabasco, couple of shakes of Tony Chac. cajun seasoning, bit of fresh ground  pepper, sprinkle of salt, shake of cayenne pepper (ya get what I'm sayin')

Procedure:  In a large Dutch oven, saute the onion/celery/parsley/garlic in the olive oil. While that is going, cut and brown the sausage; boil the chicken; etc. Once the saute of onion is done, add the can of tomatoes, and four cups of liquid. Remove chicken once cooked and cut up into small pieces; pour pieces & broth into Dutch oven; remove sausage once browned and dab off the excess grease, pour sausage slices into Ductch oven. Add shrimp and seasonings. Simmer for 15 minutes or so. After the flavors blend, add the uncooked rice and two cups of water. Simmer 30-40 minutes until rice is cooked. (Stir regularly; keep an eye on the water content b/c the rice will absorb it during cooking; recipe should be be too dry nor too soupy). Voila!! Serve with french bread. So delish :)

I hope that made sense. It really is super easy and SO GOOD. Comfort food. Let me know what you think. Tonight I'm making potato/corn chowder with salad (and rolls; no roll for me though: I'd rather fill up on soup!) I'll let you know how it goes.