A cracked pitcher

Please take the time to visit Angie at Bring The Rain and let her latest post move you as it has me.
God brings us beauty in such surprising ways.

Mmmm, mmmm good!

Ok so I'm not the best sandwich maker. I usually just slap some mayo & mustard on whatever bread I've got on hand (usually 100% whole wheat) with some smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce & tomato. Good but not much to write home about.
When Megan (of FriedOkra fame) announced her next recipe post was featuring the lowly sandwich, I was surprised to find a couple of recipes in my files. I've never made them but they sound purty good so I'll let you decide if they're all right.

I'm almost sure these are both from Cooking Light magazine.

Eggplant sandwiches with spinach and fontina

2 (1 lb) eggplants, peeled and cut into 28 (1/2 inch thick) slices
1 tsp sea salt, divided
1-cup water
1 (10 oz) package fresh spinach
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup (2 oz) shredded fontina cheese
2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fat free milk
3 large eggs whites, lightly beaten
1 cup dry polenta
4 tsp olive oil, divided
14 lemon wedges

Preheat broiler
Sprinkle eggplant with ½ tsp salt
Place half of eggplant on a baking sheet; broil 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned
Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant
Bring water to a boil in a large dutch oven
Add spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or until wilted
Drain well
Place spinach on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels
Let stand 5 minutes; pressing down occasionally
Coarsely chop spinach
Heat a medium skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat
Add onion, red pepper and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally
Stir in lemon juice; cook 30 seconds or until liquid evaporates
Combine onion mixture and chopped spinach in a bowl; stir in ½ tsp salt and black pepper
Combine fontina and Parmesan in a small bowl
Working with 1 eggplant slice at a time, spread about 2 ½ tbsp spinach mixture evenly over each of 14 eggplant slices; sprinkle each with about 2 tsp cheese mixture
Cover with remaining eggplant slices, and gently press together
Combine milk and egg whites in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk
Working with 1 sandwich at a time, brush both sides of each sandwich with milk mixture, and dredge in polenta
Heat 2 tsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat
Add half of sandwiches; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned
Repeat procedure with 2 tsp oil and remaining sandwiches
Serve with lemon wedges

Piadini with Cherry Tomatoes and Smoked Mozzarella

Crust
2 ¼ cups bread flour, divided
1 package dry yeast (about 2 ¼ tsp)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water (100 to 110), divided
½ tsp salt
Cooking spray
¾ cup (3 oz) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese, divided

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water in a large bowl, stir in ½ cup flour
Let stand 30 minutes
Add ½ cup plus 2 tbsp warm water, 1 ½ cups flour, and salt stirring to form a soft dough
Turn dough out onto a floured surface
Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes)
Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tbsp at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85) free from drafts for 45 minutes or until doubled in size
(Gently press 2 fingers into dough, if indentation remains, dough has risen enough)
Punch dough down, cover and let rest 5 minutes
Divide dough into 4 equal portions
Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying)
Roll each portion into a 7-inch circle on a lightly floured surface
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat
Place dough circle in pan and sprinkle with 3 tbsp cheese
Cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts and dough is browned on bottom
Repeat procedure with remaining dough and cheese

Filling
1 ½ cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ½ cups red cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients, toss gently to coat
Spoon ¾ cup tomato mixture into each crust and fold over

You scream, I scream, we all scream for Blogthings!

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it's true that you don't talk yourself up... but you're also pretty happy with who you are. You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible. You are a somewhat open minded person, but deep down you're fairly conservative. You don't like trying new things very much. And if you do find something new you like, you stick with it. You tend to have a one track mind. You prefer not to multitask. You are fun loving and sweet. You tend to enjoy joking around and teasing people.

The Ice Cream Personality Test

Only 1 slight deviation from my personality...I can multi-task very well & don't mind it too much...but I'd rather not :)

My crazy boy

As I was reading blogs today I heard Eli sing this:

"I'm on my table, I have a bottom and my shorts."
(general humming & la'ing noises)
"I have my shoes, I have a shirt and I have my undies on."
(more humming & la'ing noises)
"and I have another hat."

Gatta have the other hat.
(At least he wasn't talking about this again!)

Then I heard, "mom, look at me!" and he proceded to do the lollypop guild dance. I may be biased and all, but he is extremely cute and much better than the original. (although it is my favorite movie of all time)

And for your viewing pleasure:



We've also been treated to the lullabye league performed by Adah - again, extrmely cute!

Anybody wanna sammich?

Then go check out the Okra tomorrow. She's gettin' that Southern-fried recipe book out again to wow us with her sammich expertise. Mmmmmm baby, I can taste it now! I might actually get my recipe's up on time for this one. But don't hold your breath -don't want ya to go blue in the face & whack your head on the way to the floor when you pass out. Yeah.

Summer salads

Ok so I'm a tad (or a week, but who's counting) late on this, but as the saying goes, better late than...oh, you've heard it before.

My pal Megan over at FriedOkra had this awesome post called 'Top Ten Sizzlin' Summer Recipes a la FriedOkra & Family' & she invited us all to get in on the fun with her.

Now to me a sultry summer night calls for a big ole salad with pasta (or the like) and lots of fresh, summery veggies. I adore the soft nuttiness of the al dente pasta and the crunchy, juicy, fresh vegegtablyness (I know, I know, not a word but work with me here will ya?) of out of the garden/farmer's market veggies. Marry those with a yumarific dressing & I am there baby!!

I'm giving you a smattering (ok, a ton) of my faves along with some alluring ones I've not yet tried but I'm sure are fabulous. I have to admit I cannot give credit for most of these recipes. I copied most of the them from magazines & didn't keep track...whoops! I do know that some from Cooking Light (fantastic magazine, by the way) if you see one you know in here please let me know, I'd love to give credit!

Recipes I've made & love

Orzo salad with corn tomatoes and basil

Dressing
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Combine all in a jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously

Salad
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups chopped tomato
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt & fat
Drain and place in a large bowl
Spoon half of dressing over pasta; toss to coat
Cool to room temperature
Add the remaining dressing, corn, tomato, and basil to pasta; toss to coat
Let stand 30 minutes

Pasta tossed with Shrimp, vegetables and pesto

1-½ cups diagonally sliced snow peas
1 ½ cups julienne cut yellow squash
2 tsp olive oil
¾ lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
½ cup fat free less sodium chicken broth
4 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 3 cups uncooked)
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup (1 oz) crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup classic pesto
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan; add snow peas and squash
Cook 45 seconds or until crisp tender, drain
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done
Add snow pea mixture and broth
Cover and cook for 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated
Combine shrimp mixture, pasta and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well

Tortellini with spinach and cherry tomatoes

1 (9 oz) package fresh three cheese (or any flavor) tortellini
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
½ to ¾ tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
¼ tsp salt
1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach

Cook tortellini according to package directions, omitting salt & fat
While tortellini cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat
Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 30 seconds
Add tomatoes, broth, and basil, salt and baby spinach to pan
Cook 2 minutes or until baby spinach wilts
Stir in tortellini; cook 1 minute

Barley “pasta” salad

2 cups water
½ cup uncooked pearl barley
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
2 cups finely chopped seeded tomato
1 cup thinly sliced spinach
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
½ cup (2 oz) diced part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tsp dry oregano

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan
Add barley; cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes
Drain and rinse with cold water
Combine the juice, oil and salt in a large bowl & stir well with a whisk
Add barley and remaining ingredients
Toss gently to coat

I just made this the other night, the barley gives it a great flavor & is a yummy substitute for pasta. Gives the salad a nutty chewiness...even my kids ate it!

Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad

2 tsp vegetable oil
Cooking spray
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 large ears)
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
¾ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup diced red bell pepper
¾ cup diced red onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp minced seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 (19oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat
Add garlic, sauté 30 seconds
Add corn sauté 8 minutes or until browned
Remove from pan, cool completely
Combine juice and next 4 ingredients (lime juice to salt) stirring with a whisk
Combine corn mixture, tomatoes and remaining ingredients
Drizzle juice mixture over corn mixture and toss gently to coat

Rice & broccoli salad with sunflower seed dressing
I got this one from my sis - the dressing is so yum!

2-3 cups cooked short brown rice
1 bunch broccoli
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
½ cup scallion greens
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup flax oil (or canola)
5 tsp toasted sesame oil
Salt to taste
1-cup vegetable stock

Place cooled rice in a bowl
Peel broccoli stems; slice thin
Cut broccoli florets into 1-inch pieces
Steam broccoli 1-3 minutes or until crisp tender
Plunge in ice water to cool
Add broccoli, almonds and scallion greens to rice
Mix well
Puree sunflower seeds with vinegar, oils and salt in a blender
Add vegetable stock in a stream
Blend until emulsified
Toss with salad
(Can use dressing on any salad)

The remainder are from my recipes to try file

Shrimp and corn salad

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears) or one 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed
1-pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small jicama, cut into thin strips (optional)
1 lb peeled and deveined large cooked shrimp
½ cup (3.5 oz) shelled roasted pumpkin seeds
6 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, jicama, shrimp, pumpkin seeds, and scallions.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange and lime juices, honey, cumin, oil, salt, and pepper.
Toss with the shrimp mixture.

Sugar-Snap-Pea Salad with Sweet Ginger-Soy Dressing
5 servings (1 cup)

Dressing
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat
Add ginger; sauté 2 min
Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute
Stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar; and salt; bring to a simmer
Remove from heat & cool

Salad
1 lb sugar-snap peas; trimmed
½ cup julienne cut carrot
½ cup drained, canned sliced water chestnuts
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup julienne cut red bell pepper
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Cook peas in boiling water 30 seconds
Drain and rinse with cold water
Combine peas and remaining ingredients except sesame seeds
Drizzle dressing over salad; toss well
Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Zesty Couscous Salad

1 pkg Couscous, plain
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup fresh basil, cut into strips
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare couscous according to package directions, except omit fat and add black pepper to water
In large bowl, combine prepared couscous, lemon juice and olive oil
Add tomatoes, zucchini, basil and green onions
Chill 4 hours or overnight
Stir in cheese just before serving

Here's to a yummy salad-filled summer ladies!

What's in my fridge makes me want to run!

What Your Fridge Says About You

You like to be surrounded by things you love. You aren't exactly greedy, but you can be materialistic at times. You are a very thrifty person. You don't like to waste money... or food. You don't tend to be a very adventurous person, but you do surprise everyone now and then. You have a bit of a wild side. You try to be responsible, but you don't always succeed. Your heart is in the right place though. You are likely married, possibly with kids.

What Do the Contents of Your Refrigerator Say About You?

For the most part this is right on, I do hate to waste money & food...but I do it anyway & it drives me nuts!

Your Response is: Flight

You rather leave then deal with a dangerous or uncomfortable situation. You can't deal with too much drama or stress. It's really hard for you to cope. You are easily scared, freaked out, or intimidated. And while it's good to be prudent, not everything may be as freaky as it seems!

How Do You Respond: Fight or Flight?

Sadly, this one is right too. I'm a ninny that hates confrontation, what can I say?

How do you rate?

Side effects of Diet Pepsi.

This meme is courtesy of a crazy funny blogging chick named Swishy.
I am so inclined so here you go.

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you've posted your three sentences.

Cane River by Lalita Tademy
"I have something to show you." He carried a stack of skins by the bundler's knot in one hand, and with the other he pulled Philomene close to him by the waist as they walked to the toolshed. It was a small shed, barely big enough to hold the plow, hoes, pickaxes, and other tools for the farm, but it had a door, and it was out of the weather.

Cane River was not exactly the nearest book, that would be the manual for our new laptop. I'm thinkin' you don't much care about that so instead, I swiped the nearest book off our bookshelf & turns out I haven't read it yet. However, It's an Oprah's Book Club selection that my sweet MIL sent to me, (She sends me books all the time God bless her) & I usually love them so I'm sure it's a dandy.

Here's what the dust cover says:

A unique accomplishment, this is a history never before told, an epic novel of four generations of African-American women, a work based on one family's actual meticulously researched past - and a book with enormous implications for us all.
Lalita Tedemy had always been intensely interested in her family's stories, especially ones about her great-grandmother Emily, a formidable figure who died with her life's savings hidden in her mattress. Probing deeper for her family's roots, Tademy soon found herself swept up in an obsessive two-year odyssey - and leaving her corporate career for the little Louisiana farming community of...
Cane River
It was here, on a medium-sized Creole plantation owned by a family named Derbanne, that author Lalita Tademy found her family's roots - and the stories of four astonishing women who battled vast injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement. They were women whose lives began in slavery, who weathered the Civil War, and who grappled with the contradictions of emancipation through the turbulent early years of the twentieth century. Through it all, they fought to unite their family and forge success on their own terms.
Here amid small farmhouses and a tightly knit community of French-speaking slaves, free people of color, and whites, Tademy's great-great-great-great grandmother Elisabeth would bear both a proud heritage and the yoke of slavery. Her youngest daughter, Suzette, would be the first to discover the promise - and heartbreak - of freedom. Suzette's strong-willed daughter Philomene would use determination born of tragedy to reunite her family and gain unheard-of-economic independence. And Emily, Philomene's spirited daughter, would fight to secure her children's just due and preserve their future against dangerous odds.
In a novel that combines painstaking historical reconstruction with unforgettable storytelling, Lalita Tademy presents an all too rarely seen part of American history, complete with a provocative portrayal of the complex, unspoken bonds between slaves and slave owners. Most of all, she gives us the saga of real, flesh-and-blood women making hard choices in the face of unimaginable loss, securing their identity and independence in order to face any obstacle, and inspiring all the generations to come.

Sounds purty good to me, I'm-a make this my next read!

To quote Swishy, "If you're so inclined, consider yourself tagged."

(BTW, if you want to know what the heck the title of this post means, you must read this post.)

The incredible seriousness of performing.

This paper was sent home with my son a week before his school's spring concert. It came attached to a form for the parent to sign. I found it to be pretty funny & just a smidge over the top. What do you think?
Alane



CONCERT ATTENDANCE POLICY

Concerts are a team effort. It is essential that each member of a performing group participates or the group will not sound as good as it should. If a student does not perform in a concert, the other members of the group cannot perform at their best. In the past, we have had students fail to attend concerts. For this reason, we offer an ice cream party as an incentive to perform. The requirements for attending the ice cream party are based on the following three layer system.

Layer 1: Students who perform in the concert will be treated to an ice cream party the following day. This will include the viewing of the video tape.

Layer 2: Students who do not perform in the concert but who bring a note from home with a valid excuse for not attending will be allowed to attend the ice cream party and view the video tape. They will not be treated to the ice cream. The student's grade will not be affected. The validity of the excuse will be judged by the music director and the classroom teacher.

Layer 3: Students who do not perform in the concert and who do not bring a note from home will not be allowed to attend the ice cream party and view the video. The student's grade will be lowered.


Note: A student may also be held out of the party if his or her behavior is not deemed appropriate while performing in the concert or while sitting in the audience.


Policy adopted May 2003

I originally sent this to my dad (a former teacher) to send to his friend (another teacher) cos' dad thought he'd get a laugh out of it.
Then dear old dad replied to me that he thought of another 'layer' and the lightbulb went off...duh, blog post anyone??

Layer 4: Students who do not perform in the concert and who do not bring a note from home and don't like ice cream or care about missing a boring school assembly video will be forced to watch the video over and over again during all recesses for a week.

I love my dad!

But seriously, does this make sense to you?

We do have a very small school, there's like 42 or43 students in the whole elementary, so I get that they need as many kids as possible to attend. But why make the kids who couldn't be there (which is most likely not even their fault) be tortured by watching the other kids eat ice cream right in front of them? It's just rude!

For example, I had a horrid day on concert day. Headache all day, twins acting up & making me crazy, and to top it off, my depression was rearing it's ugly head. I did not feel like going to that concert. In fact, I forgot about it until Sam came home talking excitedly. I did want to see him sing - it's so cute, all those K-kids looking sweet and all - but I did not want to drag my butt over there with all 3 of them. I had to make & serve dinner, get them all ready, stuff them in the car & then try to keep Eli corralled during the event. Then get them all out the door, back in the car & home to get jammied, teeth brushed & homework done - all by myself. So. Not. Fun. I thought about just writing him a note & bagging the whole thing.

But.

Sam really wanted to go, I really wanted to see him sing, Chris really wanted me to get it on tape and I really had nobody to watch things 1 & 2.

And then there's the danged ice cream. If I didn't go, Sam would fall under the dreaded 'layer 2' and have to give up the prized, tiny-cup-o'-vanilla/orange sherbet-with-the-flat-wooden-'spoon' with which to eat it.

So you see, totally not fair to the kid. (Harrumph! sez I)

When I read the thing to my dad on the phone he could not believe they would make such a big deal over it. But after mulling it over he figured it was due to the size of the school. "They must have had a big problem with it in the past." Bla bla bla.

Ok so I just read this over & it's turned into a grumping marathon - sorry!! My intent was to be funny & I was trying to think of snarky comments but I'm just not very good at that. I'm much better at complaining. (and how sad is THAT?)

So.

I hope you enjoyed the silliness of our lil town school drama. I really do think it's funny. Really!

Conclusive proof of miracles, rit ch'ere on mah blog

Your Vocabulary Score: A-

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

This is truly funny because I barely graduated High School. (Sadly this is the truth, I just squeaked by due to A's in choir - all else were C- and below, usually way below.) But I've always loved reading, I guess it pays off! :)

The day after or, plant on momma, plant on.

Hi y'all, didja have a good momma's day?
Me too!

On Friday Sam brought me home a laminated picture of a teacup with a heart & a tea bag stapled to it (thanks to Mrs. L.) On the back it says 'Mom I love you Sam' in his funny lil K-kid printing. I put it up on the wall by my desk instead of the opposite wall where we usually put his masterpieces, and he had this to say about it:

"Mom, I want it over there!"
"Honey, I want it where I can see it, I love my mothers day drawing from you."
"Mom! It's mine, I made it!!"

Hmmmm, don't think he's got the gift concept yet. Oh well, I'm not moving it, it's mine I tell you, MINE!

My darling Chris knew the day was coming but did not pay attention to when it actually was so I got kicked urged strongly out of bed to make everyone breakfast. And I got nothing from the twinnies, who had no idea what the day was.

As soon as Chris figured out what day it was he apologised profusely and had the kids say happy mothers day and give me some X's and O's. Love my little mommy makers :)

After I slapped forgave my hubby, I skipped out to do a solitary grocery trip and enjoyed myself immensely.

Fred Meyer was packed, which normally gives me a headache, but I was determined to have fun. I found a buy 2 get 1 free sale on potted herbs so I got 9 of them. (2 basil, 2 oregano, 2 rosemary, 2 thyme & 1 sage.) I like to dry them myself for use throughout the winter, a good way to save some $$. I gave myself a Cadberry milk chocolate bar, (yum) got a iced coffee and perused the flowers. Got myself some wannabe-Crocks for 40% off - they don't do my feet any favors (I have messed up ankles) but are awesome for gardening - the dirt that gets in them just falls out of the holes so you can walk around in your freshly tilled garden without a care.

I then had to get to my 'real' shopping...groceries. They were having an awesome sale, Foster Farms whole chickens buy 1 get 1 free, store brand food containers 2 for $4, hand-held garden tools buy 2 get 1 free...and many many more. I spent way more than I usually would but stocked up on some great buys. It truly was a nice escape from the usual shopping with kids. I am surprised that I didn't go nuts with all the people there. Note to self: Mothers day weekend is not a good time to shop.

We all hung out together after I hied my fanny home - all in all, a great day was had on mommas day 08.

Now I gotta get that same fanny out to plant my yummy herbs. Well, after I eat my favorite lunch of p'sketti noodles with garlic salt & a heap-0-Parmesan cheese. That and plan an extravagant daddys day to make Chris feel really guilty celebrate Chris.

Happy day after momma's day y'all!

Love that sugar!

Chris just asked me to follow him to the kitchen for inspiration.
Wha??
(I followed him & he points to the floor.)
"See anything?"
(I have no idea what I'm looking for)
"Ummm, no?"
"You don't see anyting unusual?"
"Just the floor, desperately needing to be swept as usual."
"Look in that corner."
(I look.)
"Ewwwwwww!!"
(The corner was occupied by several busy lil ants, happily eating from a piece of golden crisp cerial that had been sitting there for who knows how long.) (Shhh, don't tell)
"Sugar ants."
"yup."
(Sigh)
"I know what I'm doing tomorrow...Urgh!"
(I hate sweeping & mopping...I'd rather clean the toilet. Yes, I know it doesn't make sense...what can I say, I'm a tad strange.)

I did kill all the ants I could find & got the, um, bait off the floor. FYI, window cleaner kills sugar ants almost instantly. I guess this guy was right after all!

Moral of the story...Chris should sweep & mop more often. Hahahaha!!
(Seriously though, he is the sweeper/mopper around here...like I said, I'd rather clean the toilet...even with 3 boys 2 boys and a husband using it.

My pal

I'm over at my pal's house having a girls night...she wanted me to show her a tad about posting so I'm gonna show you her adorable boys.

Ain't they sweet?? I love these guys, lots of fun & lots of noise when we get together.

Leah, your kids rock!!

7 Things

Hi Y'all!

One of my bloggy pals just tagged me for my very first meme. I'm so proud, I'd like to thank my family, the meme writers association...hold on, getting a tad carried away now :)

And here are the rules if you decide to play along:
1) Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4) Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. hubby & I met on the internet - yes we were nuts but God had His hand in it & everything turned out ok. Although my sister was sure I'd be killed by a vicious ax murder...HA!

2. My name is Welsh in origin. (we have welsh ancestors on both sides of the family) I hated my name when I was a kid until my mom told me about the one I might have had. My Dad came up with it, based on where our home was. We lived near Puget Sound & on Rose Hill, thus my name would be Pugeatia Rose. My mom put her foot down about that one...a narrow escape for me!! He was also full of names for my cousins too...one family has the last name of Boring & another Wood. I'm sure you can imagine some of the endless possibilities that earned groans from the rest of the family.

3. I am finally getting a neighbor after 8 months of living next to a vacant house. And she's nice, yippee!!

4. I have a treadmill in my family room that, surprise surprise, I never use. (even though I desperately need to be using it.) It's on the wall opposite my desk - I just looked over my shoulder at it, and it looked back at me reproachfully, poor rejected thing. At least I got it for free!

5. My crazy kids came up with a game they call 'fish slapping.' The idea came from the movie Jonah (by Veggie Tales.) They take the skinny arm-rest cushions from the couch and 'slap' each other over and over, laughing hysterically. And with the boys, it's even funnier if you get knocked down in the process. Boys!!

6. When I was in High School, my BFF & I were obsessed with Duran Duran. We called ourselves Duranimals. She was going to marry Simon LeBon & John Taylor was to be my man. (and they are still cute!) We were going to live next door to each other in loft apartments in New York. She would be a famous fashion designer & me, a celebrated Psychologist who sang in a little jazz combo on the weekends.
Ummm, yeah.

7. I just finished doing homework with Sam. My blood pressure is through the roof & my right eye is twitching. It's that much fun.

Ok annoying er, tagging my bloggy friends.

1. Kate at Katie-Kat World
2. Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
3. Megan at FriedOkra
4. Roger at Bug Tries Again
5. Melissa at Mel's World
6. Mimi at Take My Life...Already Yours
7. Gina at Chats with an "old lady"

If you don't like meme's, poo-poo on you, I mean, don't do it. If you are a reader of mine (all 3 of you) and didn't get tagged, go ahead & steal it if you like.

I'm cereal...really I am!

You Are Corn Flakes

You are traditional and easy going. If something is high quality, you're satisfied with it. You don't need much variety or novelty in your life. You're happy with what you have. You're quite loyal. You're the type of person who eats the same breakfast every day... And likely at the exact same time each day!

What Kind of Cereal Are You?

Love those isms!

Whilst I was spending WAY too much time reading a blog this morning, Eli began banging his head so hard against the back of the couch it made a picture in the next room rattle. (Yes he is that kind of child.) I was beginning to go nuts so I said:
"Eli stop doing that please"
"Eli stop that now!"
"ELI I'M GONNA SHORTEN YOUR LIFE SIGNIFICANTLY IF YOU DON'T STOP DOING THAT RIGHT NOW!"
(he stops)
"But Momma, I wanna swing my penis around."
Wha???
Ok don't really want to know what that meant exactly...boys are ummm, interesting at times.

And I really did spend like 900 years at her blog...it's always a fun place to go. I love Megan, she is hilarious & sometimes makes me laugh so hard I say OHMYGRANNY just cos' I can't help it. Plus I'm dyin' to win a contest. Just one. Pretty please??

Milestones & memories or Celebrate big time (come on)

On Saturday we had a huge celebration in our home. Well, not really huge, it consisted of Chris, me, the couch & a couple'a movies. We had planned on a much bigger shindig, like going on a train through the Canadian Rockies or just getting away to a B&B for a day or two. But our resources don't allow for any extravagance so we contented ourselves with a cozy night at home, snuggling (a'hem) on the couch.
What, you ask was our reason for celebrating? None other than our first really big marriage milestone...our 10th anniversary!
I can't believe it's been 10 years already, the time goes by so fast! Was it really 10 years ago that we lived in that 430 sq ft apartment in Seattle? That our (now) teenage niece was our cute lil 3 year old flower girl? That we had our first Thanksgiving, Christmas & all those other 'firsts' together?
It's been a great 10 years.
We've weathered a few storms. The miscarriage of our first child. The recovery from an addiction to porn. Chris getting fired (for NO reason, 2 mo after getting a huge raise for doing a great job) and getting through 6 months of no paycheck.
We've had a lot of wonderful times too. Buying our first home. The birth of Sam, our first child. Finding out we were having twins halfway through my second pregnancy (zoinks!)
We've had lots of fights & lots of kisses. Lots of big family celebrations & quiet nights at home. A few vacations & lots of visits.
I have to give some big kudos to my wonderful husband. He is so perfect for me, not always in the ways I want but always in the way God has planned. Chris is so supportive of me, he always brags on me & never talks badly about me to anyone...even when he's mad (oh the guilt - I do it all the time!) He spends lots of time with the kids & steps in when I need him to take over. He is always there for me, loves me no matter what & is 110% committed to our marriage. And the best thing of all? That he always puts God before me. God being the center of our marriage is the reason we are still married after 10 years. And the reason why we will be married for 25, 50 or how ever many years God gives us together.
I love you honey & I'm ready for another 10 years & beyond!
XOXOXXXXX...


By the way, the movies we watched were No Reservations and Elizabeth: The Golden Age both awesome flicks that I recommend.

For which I am feeling guilty

Ok so it's been like for-freakin-ever since I've posted.
Shame. On. Me.
It has been busy in the Michels madhouse lately. Between visiting, t-ball, visitors & husbands-who-hog-the-computer-on-weekends, I have had no chance to write a thing. I've managed to check blogs from time to time but to write? I can't concentrate long enough to get a decent sentence out. (Not that I was good at that anyway...)
So.
What's new with me? Not much. Running around to t-ball practice & games, chasing kids & the dog, dealing with my hubby not getting home until bedtime. Oh, I haven't told you about that? Well I'll just have to fill you in now, won't I?
Chris is working at a new jobsite & its a 2 hour drive (that's one way folks) to work.
Y.u.c.k.
He now gets home just in time to get the kids to bed & then go to sleep himself. The good thing is that he's only working 4 days a week (10 hour days) so we get 3 day weekends. But I really need miss him at dinnertime, those days are v.e.r.y l.o.n.g...
I'm fighting off depression because of it. Not as bad as my usual monthly attack but still hard to deal with. I'm doing great right now but I think that's due to the weekend. We shall see.
We had a GREAT day today. The sun was out, 70+ degrees & we worked/played outside almost the whole day. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer & I'm welcoming the change. O'course, next month I'll be groaning about how hot it is but for now, I'm one happy gal.

So I hope y'all had a dandy weekend, I shall blog tomorrow about the momentous occasion that occurred in our household Saturday.
Tootles for now, have a fabulous Monday everyone!!