Relocation ramblings, episode 1

A quick post, just as a sort of journal, of our journey:

• the last 15% of your move is the biggest pain in the butt AND seems to take forever. It will be those boxes that annoy me.....you know, the ones that contain the most random things and are completely irritating to unload. Everyone has one or two or three - alarm clock, leftover random towel, ziploc size bag of travel lotions, ponytail holders, bathroom cup, pair of flip-flops, and the entire drawer that you just found and forgot to pack!
• we have 14,000 pounds of house packed in three large containers not to mention the assorted random things overflowing the two vehicles
• cleaning a house that isn't your own REALLY sucks
• anything that goes through Ian's brain comes out of his mouth no matter if it is a word, a sound, or a song
• he knows the words to a lot of songs!
• spending a relaxing evening with great friends is an awesome way to end a long day
• 375 miles isn't that far but it IS a nice start to a long trek
• having your engine light come on 345 miles into that trek isn't a great feeling especially when you just paid close to $2K in repairs AND tomorrow is a holiday

Happy Easter ......may you be blessed with a beautiful day and lots of chocolate. Onward toward Las Cruces or El Paso - at least lets hope so.

Happy Trails To You......

Before I pack up the computer and we make our way across the highways to our new home I wanted to take a quick minute to stop and reflect on our time in CA.

A little over 22 years ago, I ventured to this beautiful place as a 21yr. old student with a boyfriend and lots of hopes and dreams. Many, many dreams have come true. I went on to graduate from Cal State Fullerton and work with kids :) Collin and I have been married for 17yrs. and brought four amazing kids into this world. We have traveled to some beautiful places..........Bass Lake, El Capitan Canyon, Park City, San Francisco, and many more. We've learned how to navigate the adventure of parenting (and we are still learning!). And all along the way we have made friends that have impacted our lives in ways we will never forget. Too many to list here. But you know who you are.....Thanks to the internet we will be able to continue to share with friends and stay connected.

We are excited to start this new chapter in our lives. We'll miss the beach on lazy summer days; amazing sunsets; and all the good stuff SoCal had to offer. We won't miss the traffic, smog, or expense of living here.

I won't say Good-bye just 'See YA'LL Later'
because we'll back back to visit. And remember, there are TWO airports in the Dallas area that we would be happy to pick you up at if you want to visit us.

Peace out, So Cal!

In the blink of an eye......

Ian turned NINE! It doesn't seem possible. In celebration of his birthday, this post is all about him - nine things I love about Ian.

1)He is our family caboose and he is an easy-going little guy. He was due on the 14th; I thought he might be a St.Patrick's Day baby, but he came on the 19th. Nevertheless, I call him our good luck charm.

2) He's always up for anything. Since he could walk, he wanted to do anything his siblings could.

3) He is a dirt magnet. The laundry is messy but I love that he lives life to the fullest.

4) He is friendly and loves being with his friends.

5) He is a monkey. He can climb most anything and he makes me cringe at the same time. But, I love that he isn't afraid to conquer a challenge. (hence, the nickname George after Curious George)

6) I love the bond that he and Maggie share. He loves Sean and Amanda but Maggie is a cut above and he has always adored her.

7) He loves the outdoors......the beach, camping, skiing, sports.....especially when he can make a water mohawk.

8) He loves seafood (Mama's boy!) and would eat crab or shrimp everyday if our budget allowed.

9) He has piercing blue eyes and a smile that is contagious.

10) He makes me laugh everyday. And some days he makes me crazy, too - but he tolerates my photo ops, my insistence on eating his vegetables, and my nick-names. Rarely, do I call him Ian. It's mostly George or Dane and he still wants to cuddle me so I think it's ok with him.

That was 10 instead of 9, but we'll say that's one extra for 'good luck' instead of the extra birthday spank, right?

He melts might heart especially when he says things like "today is the best day because I got to spend it with you" when we went to Disney. Now, if I could just make him stay this way forever.

 

 

 

Good stuff

It's the good stuff that makes the stress more bearable.....our final weekends here are upon us.......this weekend was amazing.
Yesterday Maggie was able to spend the day at Disneyland with her bff because of my co-workers generosity. After dropping her off, I snagged some beignets and surprised the other kids with one of their most favorite treats in the world. Then I decided that we should trot off to watch Ian's best buddy, Ben, play in his baseball game because we need to soak in some Irvine Pony baseball before we leave. (who has packing to do?) What a great decision. I got to see Ben play great and hug a few friends that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten to say farewell to - Kristy, Erin, Deborah - you are such great women. I am proud to call you friend(s). Then, I shuffled to pick up some furniture donations that a great friend (Janet Miller!) had offered our family. What a blessing.....our home in Texas just got a bit more cozy because of their generosity. I did manage to get it in the garage even with the mustang still there, ugh! After that, I shuffled Amanda off to a SURPRISE farewell party that her friends put together on their own.

What an amazing group of young ladies. Thank you for making Amanda feel so special. Times like these are treasured memories forever.

And Saturday wasn't finished yet......I headed off to MTV for Nunsense. OH MY GOODNESS! So amazing. So jealous I missed being in the cast. Lots of laughs and tears were shed and boy did it bring back memories of Catholic school. Here's a glimpse of me and my 'sister' friends

A bittersweet ending to our six years at MTV. Such talent - all cultivated with love by Denise Fenton. Thank for the memories.

 

Sunday was even better :)

Maggie performed her final time on the MTV stage to a packed house in the closing show of Aladdin. She has loved all of her performances over the years but today was extra special. She held it together and sang beautifully. But the best was yet to come after the curtain call. We were able share in Kenneth's proposal to our talented and beautiful director, Aurora. Dressed as her Prince, he shocked us all (except for those sneaky secret keepers) and she said YES!

 

Saying good-bye is difficult but as the song from Little Women says "some things are meant to be". And Aurora and Kenneth certainly are an example of that.

 

Spilling out my brain

Random brain dump:
1) Appointment to get screens repaired/replaced, check......apparently the kids have been using the windows when they play hide and seek, lovely.
2) Our 6th graders at work are at outdoor camp this week.....yeah to a drama free week (at least ones that involve the 6th graders, lol)
3) My best friend's Mom is in the hospital/ substitute Grandma to my kids......prayers, love, and healing thoughts for sweet MarJane
4) Lasagna is in the oven! woot!
5) I packed the pantry - down to figuring out what ingredients I would need for the remaining dinners and what spices I would use, the rest got packed. Does this make me crazy or organized?
6) When I look around I don't feel organized.
7) We move in 19 days........eeeeeekkkkk.
8) Sean and Maggie are rocking with school; I can only hope they keep the momentum at their new schools.
9) I need to do online registration for their new schools.
10) Someone told me we are moving just in time for tornado season. I didn't need to know that.
11) What does a tornado siren sound like?
12) I never have had nightmares about hurricanes or earthquakes, but I have about tornadoes. What does that mean?

13) Does any want to buy a sweet Mustang? Please :)
14) It's 6:29pm and the sun is still shining. I like that.
15) At 6:29am this morning, the sun wasn't up yet but I was. I don't like that.

And that is a little sample of my brain. I'm sure there is a blonde joke in there but I'm too tired to think of one.

Meals, meals, meals

March meal plan is done, check! I'm still doing daily pics and blogging more so three of my goals are still being accomplished :)

A weird month but better than a sharp stick in the eye:
3/1 - baked tilapia
3/2 - out with Dad visiting - Seafood Noodle House
3/3 - deer shank, mashed potatoes, corn
3/4 - italian sausage sandwiches, squash stir-fry, cantaloupe
3/5 - baked pork chops, risotto, peas
3/6 - southern fried chicken strips, baked french fries, applesauce
3/7 - bonless chuck roast (crockpot)/carrots, green beans, mushroom over creamy polenta
3/8 - quesadillas/bean burrito (Mom busy, lol)
3/9 - cheesy shells and sausage, steamed broccoli
3/10 - chicken enchiladas, mexican rice
3/11 - lasagna, caesar salad, garlic bread
3/12 - meatloaf (beef/turkey), baked macaroni, green beans
3/13 - chicken stir-fry, fried rice
3/14 - chili, cornbread, broccoli casserole
3/15 - crab cakes w/ lemon aioli, salad, ranch potatoes (had a skip day from last month)
3/16 - corned beef, cabbage, black-eyed peas (St. Pat's a little early)
3/17 - *gala at MTV
3/18 - red beans and rice, french bread
3/19 - Shrimp boil/ baby reds/ corn (Ian's birthday request)
3/20 - spaghetti with meatballs, salad, garlic bread
3/21 - take-n-bake pizza (Mom busy, lol)
3/22 - tuna melts, fruit salad
3/23 - chef salad
3/24 - roasted tri-tip, baked sweet potato, green beans
3/25 - breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes or french toast, bacon)
3/26 - tacos, refried beans
3/27 - soup and grilled cheese
3/28 - hot dogs with chili, fruit
3/29 - all packed, dinner out
3/30 - on the road.............

It's nice to have a plan overall but some days are better than others. Like yesterday, groceries were needed/ pork chops hadn't been purchased/ homework was busy/ Amanda had opening for Wizard of Oz/ so Wendy's it was. I need to remember that in the big picture of life my kids are getting homemade meals more often than not and some days are going to result in take-out. I'm sure we will have enough take-out over the course of our cross-country move that will get them their junk food fix and they will be asking for home cookin' again. Well, one can at least hope.

And, now I have officially blogged half as much as I did in ALL of 2012 and its only March. Yeah.

What was that other goal.......something about exercise..........

Chaos reigns....

Moving across the country is stressful enough. Add four kids. And a dog. And an absent husband because he is working his new job. And my 27-hr. a week job. And you have the chaos of the moving countdown.

Meals still need to get planned.....especially to empty the pantry
Packing happens slowly......yet we have to live here for a few more weeks
School work needs to get done......b/c "your grades come with you!"
Appts. on the calendar remain.....hair, check - kids eye exam, check

Yet, I am trying to find the calm in the chaos because my van needs to be repaired to the tune of $2,000!!!!!!! (yes, it requires that many exclamation points when we are trying to buy a house) and I had to leave work early because a neighbor called to say he saw Fritz out but couldn't find him when he went to look for him.

Calm.......deep breath.....thank you God for the dog being home safely when I rushed home (he was paling around with the neighbor's house painter) and, an even bigger blessing, we were NOT on the road in the middle of no-where when my van decided to die.

I would like a basket to crawl into as well, but for now it's big girl pants and one foot in front of the other.

May he always be amazing.....

Here is the dedication to my Sean; I can't believe he's 13. Thirteen things (or so) I love about him:
1) He's a great big brother.....teaches his siblings things (and maybe a few he shouldn't)

2) He will share even when it isn't easy to.

3) He is brave and adventurous; although watching him snow-ski makes me cringe b/c he is Kamakazi man.

4) He always has a smile on his face.

5) He LOVES dogs and if Fritz slept with him it would be perfection.

6) Much like his Momma - LOVES seafood and would eat crab, shrimp, fish everyday if he could.

7) He loves to be outdoors; he prefers sunshine, surf, snow, and fresh air to video games anyday of the week.

8) He humors me with constant photo ops; never-ending nicknames; and even kissing me before he leaves for school.

9) He enjoys team sports and respects his coaches. Coach Eric is his favorite baseball coach ever. We will miss him terribly.

 

10) He is fiercely competitive. He will give you everything he has and leave it all on the table.

 

11) He loves New Orleans Saints football; Angels baseball; and the LSU Tigers. Looking forward to attending all sorts of sports in the Dallas area that involve our favorite teams.....first up Angels vs. Rangers this summer :)

12) He is a great friend. He is loyal, funny, and wears his heart on his sleeve.

13) He is handsome....his curly blond hair (when it's long) and his blue eyes melt my heart. How did this 8lb.6oz. bald baby become a teenager so fast.

Now I have to go and measure to see if he is officially taller than me. He said "it's my present to you, Mom." I'll grab a tissue on the way because typing this post has made me cry.

 

 

Sometimes survival mode is good enough

Things have been pretty routine and smooth overall. Ya know, the regular routine of work, homework, making dinner, dishes, etc. 

Today started off better than usual, with warm grits on the stove and hot chicken soup in thermoses for lunches. I've been battling a sore throat and a bit of a cold so they sounded good. The day was rolling along nicely. Work went smoothly then I lost track of time at the park with the kids afterschool and forget to pick up Maggie on time. Oooops......then it sorta went down hill. She and I headed to Sprint to get Sean's 13th(!) bday gift; it only took two hours. Thanks to security questions and passwords we can't remember, combined with a husband in TX who is the main account holder, it was a bit of a fiasco to get my dear son his Iphone 4S. (His excitement will outweigh the annoyance I'm sure.)  Disaster averted, I headed home to toss together dinner and my voice is d.o.n.e. My cold has settled into laryngitis (last time I had this was when Amanda was in ICU; so stress = laryngitis for me I guess). Not my best dinner.....popcorn-coated chicken, Kraft mac n' cheese, and raw carrots/cucumbers with ranch.....sad, but they got feed. I tossed some extra chicken strips into the oven to bake so I could make chicken salad and off I trotted to attempt to read with Amanda. Well, let's just say, the strips got forgotten. I won't even feed it to Fritz.

It makes for a funny picture-of-the-day I guess.

Completely voice-less I stumbled through bedtime routine and tackled the mound of dishes. Here, I sit drinking the remains of my hours-old caramel latte and munching an oatmeal raisin cookie. Not even, chocolate chip because I gave that up for Lent.

I'll pass on a do-over of today, but can I go back to Monday when Ian made homemade dot-to-dot messages for me to complete......





I'm so glad that I'm still rolling with my picture-a-day goal because sometimes looking back makes looking forward easier. Looking forward to tomorrow isn't easy when my 2nd child turns 13!

"Holding it together"

Before Collin left for Texas, Ian informed him that he wasn't sure I could "hold it together" for very long. (I think this is hilarious, albeit true) So it's been a week and I'm doing ok 'holding it together'. I've surely had my moments of insanity but I had those long before the added miles between my husband and I. It's pretty much our hamster wheel of a routine so I can't complain. It's just really lonely. Sigh. Doing this solo isn't easy but now we have a light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, our contract on a house started today!!!! We will soon exit this little cracker box we call home. The kids are beyond excited to have their own rooms; I am excited that the Xbox will be OUT of my living room; and we are all excited about some elbow room. Not sure we have an official countdown timeline just yet, but I'm sure the time will fly. For now, I'm thinking Spring Break........

Here is a picture of the new place we hope to call home soon -

Happy to have a house that ISN'T STUCCO!!!!!!

Food, glorious Food

Meal planning time again......all set until March 1st! Feel free to share some ideas and/or snag some of mine:
2/2 - baked potato bar with cantaloupe and strawberries
2/3 - Superbowl! hamburger/hot dogs, chips, etc......NOT counting calories
2/4 - beef stew over creamy polenta
2/5 - baked ziti with Italian sausage; baked eggplant
2/6 - pork chops, perogies, stmd. broccoli
2/7 - oven-fried chicken, beans, salad
2/8 - take n' bake pizza (Mom scrapbooking)
2/9 - bbq shrimp, sauteed green beans, homemade applesauce
2/10 - chicken piccata, brown rice, stmd. broccoli
2/11 - turkey tettrazini, salad
2/12 - Mardi Gras! red beans and rice, french bread (maybe make a pecan pie)
2/13 - pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, garlic steak fries
2/14 - tuna melts, fruit salad
2/15 - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green peas
2/16 - Boboli, make your own pizza (saus., pepp., veggies)
2/17 - herb-grilled chicken, roasted red potatoes, stmd carrots
2/18 - ham steaks, scalloped potatoes, soy beans
2/19 - tacos/chicken quesadillas, refried beans
2/20 - lasagna, salad, garlic bread
2/21 - crab cakes w/ lemon aioli, green beans, risotto
2/22 - Sean is 13! Chip-HALL-tole (homemade burritos/ Chipotle style)
2/23 - chef salad (ham, turk., hb eggs, celery, cuc., bell pepp, bac. bits, avoc., carrot, lettuce, cheese)
2/24 - pork loin stuffed with spiced peaches, stmd broccoli, wild rice blend
2/25 - roasted whole chicken, couscous, steamed cauliflower w/cheese
2/26 - spaghetti w/meatballs, salad, garlic bread
2/27 - hearty minestrone soup, crusty bread, fresh melon
2/28 - baked fish, baked sweet potato, sauteed spinach
3/1 - popcorn-coated chicken, salad, mac n cheese

WOOT! So excited to not think about dinner for another month. The kids love it and have told me multiple times "I really like knowing what's for dinner." I like being able to log in the calories for my fitness pal/counter thing. AND I'm happy to say that except for the night out with Collin to The Habit while I was scrapbooking, our family did not eat out ONCE last month. I am really trying to spend money on good food and not eating out (too $$$$, too bad for you, blah, blah)

To answer a couple of questions that friends have asked:
1) I shop at Albertson's and Sprouts. I make an ingredients list twice a month. I go in the beginning of the month and again around the 16th or 17th. I buy meat when it's on sale or even clearance. I use coupons as much as I can for all the extra stuff like yogurt, cheese, toilet paper, etc. Buy store brand stuff; not loyal to any labels. Most of my produce comes from Sprouts because the prices are amazing; seafood comes from there as well; I buy bulk stuff there too (flax seed meal, nuts, couscous, brown sugar, etc.).
2) I shop only at Costco WITH a list. Things like butter, granola bars for lunches, eggs, lunch meat, canned chicken, trash bags, choc.chips, kitchen wipes. You have to have tunnel vision and avoid the samples (empty calories and way too much temptation). Trust me - I know how good those little chicken sandwiches are, Ma'am; AND why am I drinking this smoothie stuff because I will never buy it; Wait, maybe I do need that super-deluxe-mega-awesome-soup-making-blender.
3) I try to bake from scratch on a regular basis. I make chocolate chip cookies and banana bread (and add in wheatgerm and flax seed meal, muhahahaha)
4) We have family dessert on Sundays. Sometimes I make something; sometimes it's a Sara Lee cheesecake; sometimes it's an angel food cup with berries and whip cream.

BUT before you think my kids only eat healthy.....let it be known, they eat ice cream or popsicles after school every day!!!! (Did you know Blue Bunny is cheap at Walmart?) :)

Hmmmmm, maybe I know what they should give up for Lent?

Re-focus one day at a time

(was supposed to post on 1/25 but I have internet connection issues)

 

No matter what your weight, you have to be comfortable in your own skin. Some people will say “you are fine, don’t stress” but I am one of those people who is NOT comfortable in my own skin. And I’m the only one who can fix it. So along with meal planning, I HAVE to jump on the exercise bandwagon. As much as I would like to say ‘I’m allergic to exercise’, I’m not. To kick myself into gear, today I downloaded two apps…..a Fooducate one that gives nutrition values, grades the item, food value pts. for diet programs, and suggests alternate food choices; the second app is the MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter. Super cool! – I can input my daily food intake, input exercise, note water consumption, and make notes. It also calculates how many calories I can eat along with exercise to meet my goal weight.

Here’s the tricky part --- I can only eat 1200 calories. Huh? What? Say that again? Soooooo, after entering my food intake up to 4pm I was in the RED and heading toward dinner. Lovely! Just when I thought I had a good day.  Here is what I ate today…..

Breakfast – banana, one slice of ww toast with tbsp. peanut butter

Snack – 60cal Colby jack cheese stick with ½ cup soybeans

Lunch – small piece leftover chicken pot pie, an orange

Snack – piece cinnamon chocolate cake from Starbucks (THIS is the killer, grrrr)

So, up until 4pm, I had three servings of fruit and veg and about 9 cups of water. And I technically had no calories left for dinner. Seriously?!?!?! I have to eat dinner. I logged it in and found myself majorly in the red. Dinner was two tuna patties, roasted red potatoes, and steamed carrots. I got my five a day of fruit/veg in and THREE more cups of water.

AND, in my desperation, found myself exercising at 9:45PM! 25 minutes of Just Sweat on the Xbox, two sets of sit-ups/leg lifts/crunches. Better than a sharp stick in the eye, but geez the program said I would lose a total of two pounds over five weeks if I kept up with my days like today. NO WONDER I can’t lose weight. I watch what I eat 85% of the time; I eat breakfast, pack snacks and small lunch for work, DO NOT fall to temptation in the teachers’ lounge (on most days), and drink lots of water. I have about one diet soda a week and maybe an occasional iced tea or lemonade. I drink a beer or a glass of wine MAYBE once a month. It’s truly the lack of exercise. I am blogging about this because I need to hold myself accountable and will hopefully see some results. I have a picture but I'm saving it for comparison.

2/1 Update: one week down!!!! and doing good with calorie limits/ it even told me one day I wasn't eating enough. Exercised three days of the week. We'll see how Superbowl Sunday goes.....I might need a 'cheat' day.

Leaving the SoCal sunsets behind

Yes, we are moving to Texas. Lots of mixed emotions......
1) sad - because we will leave behind great friends and the community/comfort zone we have come to know. GREAT friends, work friends, school friends, theater friends, sports friends, sigh. We will make new friends, but it won't be the same. And we will MISS the beach.
2) intimidated -New schools, new community, and new roads to travel are all pretty intimidating.
3) overwhelmed - when Collin and I moved to CA 22yrs. ago (crazy, huh?), it was just he and I with a U-haul, two cars and tablets for communicating essential things like 'I need gas', 'I have to pee, etc. Now there are six of us and a dog that need to shuffle through this transition. Moving across town is one thing; moving across the country is a whole 'nother ballgame!
4)  excited - embracing the idea of buying a house that we can make our home and getting out of this 1500sqft cracker box. Our mortgage has potential to be HALF (or more) of what our rent is......and we could maybe have a pool (for my water-loving children it's a must)......and a yard.
5) relieved - the last four years have been so tough and I'm hoping that a new job and new location is a fresh start financially. AND we will be able to road trip to visit family and not hinge our travels on six pricy airline tickets.
6) proud - proud of my husband for branching out into territories unknown. He is good at what he does and doesn't take NO for an answer. He stuck with this job search and landed a position that he is anxious and excited to start. He has worked his tail off trying to provide for our family.
7) exhausted --- and the hardwork hasn't even begun. Sooooo, many things to decide. And yet, nothing to decide until Collin gets there, settles in, and works while he explores housing options for us. When are we going (kids and I)?....no idea, maybe spring break/early April but who knows. Where are we going to live?.....no idea, looking at greater Dallas area. But I can tell you 'What's for dinner?'......look on the calendar on the fridge :)

Happy New Year!

2013.....where do I begin?
I guess I'll just jump back in to my blog and hope for the best. 18 posts in 2012, sad and pathetic. I love writing and journaling so I'm going to strive to blog more in 2013 even if I'm the only one who reads. My goals (not really resolutions) for 2013 are to take a picture a day and fill digital pages (with the help of Creative Memories!) weekly as an easy way to see how life goes, progresses, and changes over a year; get back to meal planning; and better overall healthy living including more exercise, less TV, and more sleep.

So far, I've done great with the picture a day (woot, four days, yeah!) and getting more sleep. Sleeping in helps but reality starts next week. My great start is with the meal planning......January is done. Seems like an easier goal if I only have to think about it 12 times a year, right? Here is the plan for January:

5th - chicken parmesan served with pasta, spinach salad
6th - prime rib soup with crusty rolls, tomato/mozz/pests salad
7th - red beans and rice w/smoked sausage, salad, french bread
8th - venison/beef chili, salad, corn bread
9th - ham (Christmas from freezer) with creamy mac n'cheese & peas, pan saute eggplant
10th - sloppy joes, steamed veggies
11th - ***Mom's workshop*** (out with Dad)
12th - chef salad (ham, turkey, hb eggs, cucum., grn.pepp, tomatoes, cheese, celery, bacon bits)
13th - bbq deer leg, grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes
14th - Grandma Noodles -fettucine alfredo with chicken, steamed broccoli
15th - smothered pork chops with brown wild rice blend, creamed corn
16th - chicken cordon bleu with ranch potatoes, salad
17th - leftovers, clear out fridge
18th - meatloaf (turkey/beef/venison), creamy polenta, soy beans
19th - garlicky shrimp scampi, grits, baked eggplant
20th - steak, green beans, risotto
21st - spaghetti with meatballs, salad, garlic bread
22nd - chicken pot pie, fresh cut fruit
23rd - macadamia nut chicken, green beans, pine nut couscous
24th - tilapia piccata, steamed carrots, roasted red pot.
25th - tuna patties, green beans, homemade pasta salad
26th - bbq chicken, coleslaw, baked beans
27th - shepherds pie, crusty bread, fruit?
28th - meditteranean stuffed peppers, fresh fruit
29th - chicken enchiladas, spanish rice
30th - skillet stroganoff, steamed broccoli
31st - baked potato soup, crusty bread, salad

Phew......and what makes me happiest is it's all from scratch except for the sloppy joes. I don't make that sauce. I've come A LONG way and evolved from Rice-a-roni to my own homemade rice; I'm even going to attempt to duplicate Grandma Hall's alfredo sauce. It might not be super creative or even Pinterest worthy but my kids eat it and we aren't eating out. And, best of all, it answers the nagging question (that the kids ask a million times each)....What's for dinner?

I just smile, nod, and tell them to check the list :)
Now to make my grocery list and grab my coupons......

HOME

the places I call HOME; Sept. 2012
Once again, I blinked and a month went by. This is a little sample of what I've been up to. Between Seussical and football for the boys, we've been a little busy. Add in school starting and work for me and it's a controlled chaos. I managed to get home for my 25th high school reunion in the wake of Hurricane Isaac (LITERALLY, I flew there on the day they re-opened the airport). I had a blast visiting with great friends. Even, a rock-a-billy-style Billy Idol made it to the reunion. I got to spend some time with my Mom and my brother & his family. A whirlwind trip made even sweeter by driving a sleek Camaro around for four days.
This year it's odd numbers for school.....Maggie in 9th!!!, Sean in 7th, Amanda in 5th, and Ian in 3rd. Everyone is doing well so far.......IF they could just keep track of their PE clothes. They keep us hopping but we are very blessed.
Enjoy a taste of the two places I call home. (Notice the Fleur de Lis of the NO Hornets on Sean; it might be not home to my kids but NOLA is in their souls hence the Saints gear on the first day of school)

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Just one of those days

Have you ever had a day where MOST everything just goes well? I don't have them very often; well, I can't even remember the last time MOST everything went so smoothly. Ya know, minimal bickering; transitions go smoothly; dinner is pre-planned; everyone seems happy in the moment. I'm happy to say today was one of those days.

With plans to hit the beach, I got up before the kids (see, I said not very often!). I prepped the roast for the crockpot, got some coffee and breakfast, and made beach food. We made it to the beach, found a good parking spot immediately, and managed to hit the sand without incident. Woot! We met up with friends and the kids scattered like cockroaches while I rummaged for sunscreen, my hat and my beachchair.

Ian is the sand-crab digger. He will spend hours hoping to find the biggest one on the planet.

And then keep digging for yet an even bigger one. He did eventually venture out into the crazy waves but went right back to being the professional sand-crab finder (and creeping me out with them).

The waves were insane. They were the biggest I can ever remember seeing. Sean was even wary for a short while saying "too big, too powerful." However, having a great friend by your side makes everything easier.

That's Jake and Sean on the bottom right, cracking up. They are 17 days apart in age; they met just before their 2nd birthday. Even though we don't see Jake and his fantastic family much the kids get along splendidly. They just 'get' each other. (can you see the wave crashing in the background!)

It was even cooler to watch bunches of the kids in our group venture out together. They would find a comfort zone in the rolling waves and all jump in together.

Left to right.....Ben (9), Amanda (10), Jake(12), Sean (12), Marin (almost 11)
And, believe it or not, I even got in the water......to take pictures. Here is my favorite of Amanda.

I really need to get my zoom lense fixed b/c the Pacific Ocean is COLD!

I don't think Jake came out for more than five minutes the entire time we were there. Since I was 'used' to the water at this point, I decided to venture in myself. I RARELY go near the toe-cramping salt water and the kids were shocked when I grabbed a board and joined in. Thanks to Nicole, there is proof of my insanity.

And, sweet Grace filled her day with sand play and lot of wave jumping.

That makes any day PERFECT in her eyes :)

Everyone made it safely through the day without a scratch except for the random bee sting that Ben ended up with. As if that wasn't a good enough day......add in ice cream on the way home and the knowledge that my crockpot was cooking, it was all good. To top off the day, Amanda had her first

tae-kwon-do belt testing. She held her head high (she doesn't do that often), displayed good posture, and did really well.

Through her rosey sunburnt cheeks (yes, she wore sunscreen and we re-applied), she was still able to flash me a proud smile. She should be proud! Such a fighter.

But wait, there's more.........we hit the pool for a while while our potatoes roasted because one can never have enough sunshine and water play. We had a yummy dinner and then it was time to do the kid switch and bring Jake to his family where I would also retrieve Maggie.  We met half-way in a Denny's parking lot (cue a country song, oh, nevermind) and like friends do the adults began to chat while the kids rocked out to blaring music/ car doors open/ windows down. All. the. while. my. batttttteeeerrryyyyy drained. Gah!

And that's the kicker. That is why it is a MOSTLY smooth day. Even better with the fact that Chad had jumper cables and I didn't have to wait for AAA in a random parking lot with four kids at 10pm. See, smooth :)

With summer days dwindling away, I will gladly take a few more of these MOSTLY smooth ones. (minus the bee sting and sunburn of course).