Hey!

Are you in there? I know you're in there. Come out before I come in!

Before/During

Gryffin helped Mike install some shelves. Helped being a completely subjective word. But i think inspite of all the ups and downs he really did enjoy 'assisting' his Dad.

After

After a long days work, Gryffin has a new room. He officially broke it in this morning and trashed the joint with toys. I will take that as his little decorator touch, but its going to be cleaned up at bed time.

Lil' Stinker

Shew-eee something in here stinks! I think it just may be my butt.
Poor little Gryffin has yet another cold. He had a pretty rough night, coughing and soaking himself and the bed TWICE! Not to mention all the encrusted snot on his face. There are times when I wish he were out of the crib just so I could climb in bed with him and snuggle cuddle to make it better. But then again, I know who would end up sleeping in the pee spot.
Today we took a trip to get him more medicine. The only kind we can get him to take are those stips. He sees a chewable tablet or a liquid and it takes both Mike and I to hold him down. What did parents do before those things?
Right now he is thankfully taking his nap, which is the only reason I can type, sit down or drink anything.

Not from a can...

These are the home made cinnamon rolls I made Christmas morning, minus a few. They turned out really good and were pretty easy.
Oh yeah, and I took the picture with my new fancy digital camera. Thank you Honey, ranks right up there with my Dyson!

We survived!

Christmas is over for another year. Gryffin made out like a bandit, so much so that my living room looks like a toy store exploded. I think this weekend we are going to pack up some of his baby toys to make room.
This weekend is New Year's. I know a lot of people make resolutions around this time. Me? I made a resolution years ago not to make any more resolutions. I got tired of disappointing myself when I couldn't fulfill them. How about any of you? Tell me about the resolutions you are making. We don't go anywhere to celebrate. This is the night where all the drunk novices take to the roads, I'd rather take my chances on a regular weekend when the pro's are doing it. It's been years since I've been able to stay up till midnight anyway.

Merry Kiss-a-moose!

Yeah, some may think that is sacrilege but I don't. I haven't found anywhere in the Bible where December 25th is proclaimed Jesus birthday. Nor do I find anywhere that tells us to celebrate it, only to commemorate his death. In my research, I have found where ancient Christians started celebrating during this time to coincide with the pagans who were celebrating the Winter Solstice and used this time to try and convert them.
I know many of you feel different and that is great. Diversity is a wonderful thing. Especially in this country where many have fought for the right to say what they feel and practice the religion of their choice without persecution.
So, Merry Kiss-a-moose and Merry Christmas, I wish you all peace, tolerance and love in the New Year.

Santa, define good?

The picture is better than last years. The experience; however, was not . We arrived at The Santa House about a quarter to five. At five Santa had to go feed the reindeer. Since we were still in line we decided to get something to eat and come back at six. A little Chinese buffet later we arrived back at, again a quarter till. The line was already a good size and all Gryffin wanted to do was walk around. Ok, no big deal except that he refuses to hold hands. I don't know where the kid got it but he wants to do everything himself. So we took turns following him around until it was quite evident that he was stumbling more than walking. We then took turns holding him and getting our shoulders snotted on because he was screaming 'UUUuuuup'- to him any change in altitude is up. Finally we were next in line! He calmed down so we let him climb up and down the two stairs that led to Santa's lair. The overgrown, fresh from the trailer park elf came to the door and welcomed us in. Gryffin saw Santa, then he saw Elmo . I hate to admit it, but my son likes Elmo. Don't tell anyone because I will die of embarrassment. Anyway, I directed him toward Santa who was holding out a candy cane. The kid doesnt' recognize candy so he kind of freaked out. He plopped down on the floor and started to cry. Santa got a little dismayed and was really kind trying to coax a smile out of him. I picked Gryffin up and put him on Santa's lap, still crying. Bad Mommy, bad bad Mommy. The elf acted quickly, making Elmo giggle and talk where upon he snapped this picture. I then asked Gryffin if he wanted his ball and the kid let out a loud 'YEAH!'. While Mike and I paid and waited for the pictures to print out, Santa was pretty cool. He asked Gryffin about his ball and played with him a little. Then it was time to go, all hell broke loose again. This time because he didn't want to go. Argh! I have to admit, Santa was impressive this year. His beard was real, he didn't have a body odor problem and at least he was smart enough to drink the Peppermint Schnapps so no one would notice. Anyway, to make a long story longer, we got back in the car, Gryffin still screaming so I unwrapped a little of the candy cane and let him taste it. He wasn't much on the taste but there was no way we were going to be able to pry that thing out of his chubby little fingers. Its over for another year, when I will remember to swig on that Peppermint Schnapps before going.
Merry Christmas!

Expecting a visit from my muther this evening. Mike is lucky enough to have errands to run while she's here. I just take comfort in knowing that she isn't here to see me. Basically, I use her as a babysitter for an hour while I do stuff around the house.
I had to go to the Post Office this morning. I was expecting to wait in a very long line but it was deserted! Yeah! Although I found out that the wait is not in the Post Office itself but in getting your item delivered. Their 2 day delivery has now been changed to 3 or 4. Tis the season.
Today I still have laundry and a dust and vacuum on my To Do's. Ain't bad.

So many things to do and so little time left to do them!
I baked 3 dozen cinnamon roll cookies for a food day at work for Mike's Boss tomorrow. I still have to ice them, but that won't take long. I also made a batch of peanut brittle today. I tried to make a double batch the other day and I got peanut chews. I thought I could save them by covering them in chocolate but in the couple of days they sat in the baggie they melded into one ginormous peanut block! No more double batches, just multiple ones.
Luckily I've already made all my cookie dough for my party Sunday. Just scoop and bake! Of course, there is still the cleaning and de-dogging. I love my dogs, but they sure can smell. For snackies (to counteract the sugar high of cookie sampling) I plan on making baked crab rangoon, Cheezit chicken fingers in fat free and parmesaen/garlic. Along with some spicey nuts and a veggie platter and dips, I hope its enough.

Sorry I've been absent for awhile. My mood has been, well lets just say that I felt like going up to little kids and telling them that Santa was dead. Yeah, I've got that holiday spirit. I'm getting better though. Heck, I even wrapped a few presents. Of course, that was only because I couldn't find anywhere to hide them. Our tree will be decorated tomorrow night after Gryffin is asleep. Mike is obsesive compulsive about the lights so the actual decorations won't be hung until about 1 am. In years past we have gotten into disagreements about how the tree should be decorated. Disagreements so bad I went to bed and let him do it himself. I must say, he always does a wonderful job. Amazing how good a color blind (literally) guy can be at decorating. If I didn't know better I would question his sexuality.
I made a batch of 'Hair on your nuts' yesterday and they turned out much better than last year. I don't know if it was old spices or if I overcooked the nuts so I bought all new spices and watched those nuts cook like they were the season finale of Survivor. They aren't so spicey that they are hot, but they leave your mouth pretty warm after a handful. I think this is just right, personally. If you are interested, here is the recipe:
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
3 T Old Bay
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
6 cups mixed nuts
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/3 c grated Parmesean
Preheat oven to 300 and line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Beat eggs until foamy and gradually add sugar. Beat in seasonings. Stir in nuts, butter and cheese. Make sure all the nuts are coated then spread in an even layer on the baking sheets. Bake 30-40 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through. Imediately remove foil and let cool on a rack. Break apart and store in an airtight container. Make sure the nuts don't brown, you just want them toasted.

The week will be a vacation in comparison.

Mr Weatherman, I shake my finger at you. A particular finger, in fact. You are my sworn enemy now. When I have become a kung-fu master or my DNA mutates to give me super powers you are gonna get it!

These pictures show what we went through Thursday night in the ice storm. We lost a good portion of our fence, a chair from out patio set and a lot of sleep. I will spare you the pictures of the front yard, when you've seen one tree limb on the ground you've seen them all.

When I awoke Friday to the devestation I took comfort in the fact that our house did not incur any structural damage and that we still had power. Until 7 am when it went out. Gryffin and I toughed it out until about 10:30 am. It was cold in the house and getting colder. We went to the mall in hopes of power being restored in a few hours. Now, for me to spend a few hours walking around the mall the situation has got to be bad. I stopped a couple other places figuring at least I will get Christmas shopping done. About 2:30 I called Mike and found out that our power was going to be out for days, not hours. We packed our bags for my MIL's. The nursing home that Pa is in also was without power so we had him in tow as well. We left the dogs though, Siberian Husky's don't mind the cold.

We made several trips back to let them in and out between Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Being that Mike's Mom's house is over a half hour away we spent a lot of time in the car. By Saturday afternoon we had power. We are one of the few in our neighborhood that has power, even now. Lets just say that between a toddler and a man in the late stages of Alzheimers Mike and I were worn out. We wanted our home, our bed, our remote! I can only take so much TV Land!

Saturday evening we had dinner with Dianne(MIL), dropped Pa off at home and left Gryffin with Grandma. You see, two dogs plus two days of an unsupervised house equals dog hair on all the furniture. Saturday night was spent scrubbing the house down. Mike was a big help eventhough he was exhausted.

This morning I put up the Christmas tree, just the tree no decorations yet. Then I couldn't stand it anymore and picked up Gryffin. Hence, no decorations. Mike went out side to start cleaning up only to realize that everything was frozen solid. He did the best he could considering his chainsaw is broken and rigged the fence to keep the dogs in. Then- football. After a trip to the store for snacks and whiskey. Hey, after this weekend we need a drink! Or seven.

Yackity, yackity, Mr Weatherman. Shut your pie hole and give me some SNOW! You keep making these promises of 1-2 feet of it, but so far just cold rain. If its going to be miserable out there I at least want something pretty to look at. And may I remind you, Mr Weatherman, yesterday was 69 degrees so now are you not only shirking on your promise, you are going to give everyone a cold!

Give me this day...

Can you say Yumerlicious? How about scrumptacular? No? What about delectamazing? Tried (yet another) bread recipe and this one turned out next to perfect. It even passed the PBJ and grilled cheese test. The recipe made two loaves so that should last us a week. The braided one for garlic cheese toast tonight with spaghetti and the sliced for sandwiches, French Toast or whatever later.
I didn't get the housework done like I wanted yesterday. I ran out of energy after Gryffin and I went for a walk and helped/watched Mike put up the Christmas lights. Oh well, at least the fresh air was nice.
Gryffin is currently down for a nap so maybe I will see about carrying some laundry down and some dusting.

Happy to be normal?

I've never been one to be accused of normalcy, but now I am proud to say things have become more normal around here. The Thanksgiving festivities are concluded and we made our usual weekend trip to Lowes today. Now Mike is outside working on the yard, Gryffin is asleep and I'm making pumpkin bread. Life is good at the moment.
Of course, my house is a DISASTER area. I don't think I've had the opportunity to really clean in a few weeks and if I don't vacuum soon we will have lovely grey wall to wall doghair carpeting. My MIL came over the other night and I was mortified when she said those inevitable words she always says when over here, "Can I use your bathroom?". Somehow I don't think she really needs to use it, if she does she is the fastest pee-er in the world! I just think she likes to check up on my housekeeping. I used to get offended, now I'm just like "Whatever, sit on my fuzzy toilet and breathe in my doghair air because I just don't have time to care anymore". Now, however, I'm starting to get a little grossed out by it. Since she is coming Tuesday to pick me up for a power shopping session I guess I better roll up my sleeves and scrub something/everything. Well, except the kitchen. No matter what my kitchen is clean. There may be a few dishes from the night before in the sink but that is about it. I can't stand to have a dirty kitchen, it wakes me in the middle of the night. Weird, huh? Well, I can sit here and continue to moan about it or I can do something to remedy it. (Now, if more people/relatives would adopt that way of thinking?!) Off to clean!

Turkey Day rehearsal is over. I just fixed a small dinner here in preparation for the BIG feast at my MIL's tomorrow. Luckily, all I have to do for that is green beans and a pineapple upside down cake.

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of things to give thanks for.

Gryffin just woke up, so I better go!

Happy Black Friday- stay away from the mall unless you are much braver than I!

Better...

The bread turned out edible today! Still a little heavy, but good flavor and crusty outside. Here is the recipe:

6 cups flour, all-purpose
1/2 Tablespoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon water, warm
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 Tablespoon honey
1 egg, beaten with 1T water
2 Tablespoons rolled oats

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
Pour the yeast, buttermilk, and honey into the flour mixture and mix well. If the dough is so dry that some of the flour won't stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour by the tablespoon until the correct consistency is achieved.
Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 to 18 pieces. If you are a stickler you can scale them so that they are even, but I just cut them roughly the same size. Shape each piece into a neat ball and place in a round dish or spring-form pan close together.
2. When all of the rolls are in the pan, cover again with plastic or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425.
3. Uncover the rolls and brush gently with the egg wash. Sprinkle on the grain topping, if you like. I used cracked wheat
4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the rolls are firm and spring back when tapped.
5. Unmold the rolls from the pan and serve warm.

I used 2 round cake pans and put 9 pieces in each, but I baked them at the same time. It looks a little labor intensive but the actual work time was only about 15 minutes. The hard part is waiting for it to rise. I am not known for patience. Thats one reason I'm trying to get back into baking bread.

My bread yesterday was picture perfect. Unfortunately, that was the only way. The inside was still doughy. I am so out of practice with my bread making and it is really frustrating to try to get back into the swing of it. I am trying again today though so keep your fingers crossed for me!

I hear Thanksgiving is Thursday?

Oh crap. This past week has gone by so fast I just can't believe it. Running ragged and stressed to the hilt, behind in the housework and errands, not done with the Christmas shopping (which was a goal) and not having what I need for Gut Buster Day. Looks like I will be at the grocery the day before Thanksgiving. Better than going shopping the day after though. Our big dinner is actually Saturday at my MIL's, but I am fixing a small one here for us and Pa.
So what am I doing sitting here typing rather than working? I'm eating lunch and letting bread rise. I'm a multi-tasker, don't ya know. Don't give me a guilt trip, I've already done and folded three loads of laundry today and got most of my grocery list made. Considering Gryffin is not in Day Out this week, that is a major achievement.
With all the family in town for Granny's service he got used to Daddy being home and gagillions of cousins all wanting to hold and play with him. He went into attention shock yesterday when it was just he and I. He didn't like it much. I think he is pretty much over it though. Thank goodness. Don't get me wrong, I love my kid. But sometimes he gets possessed by the Terrible Two's, which hit early, and turns into demon spawn. Luckily, it never lasts very long.
Ok, chili and pretzels are gone so I better get moving. I hope everyone has a great day and Holiday!

Sad yet beautiful.

Quietly and surrounded by loved ones, Granny found peace and freedom last night. It was very sad yet beautiful. She will be greatly missed by those here and welcomed by those above.

Rattling pipe dreams...

Ok, I want a bigger, newer house with a non-squeeky floor, pipes that don't rattle and lights that don't flicker. But before I can get any of this our lives have to settle down and I need to find more money from somewhere. Maybe I can start selling my worn once undies on Ebay like a woman I read about. She was making good money- at least enough to keep her in new undies and just think of the laundry saved. Yeah, you're right. Thats gross. Maybe I could offer to babysit a couple kids during the day. Hell NO, we would have to be 6 inches from repo before that would happen. How about taking all those dust bunnies my Huskies make, knitting sweaters and selling them? Nope, don't know how to knit and who would want a sweater that smells like dog. I guess my only answer is to quit looking at real estate web sites for houses I like. God blessed me with a non-leaking roof, a big back yard, a kitchen I get rave reviews on and a home that is filled with love. I should be happy with what I've got, take care of it and realize that the bigger the house the longer it takes to clean.

Stirring the pot...

Stand back, I'm about to stir the political pot!
I am glad to see that stem cell research was approved in Missouri. Whoa, don't get your panties in a bunch! Let me explain- eventhough I do not live in Missouri, 12 miles outside of it, I feel that this is a good thing. I do not feel that God will allow humans to be cloned or anything else- unless He wants it to happen. I believe that He is more powerful than the will or intelligence of the children He created. He would not let people accomplish any medical feat that would replace Him or destroy what He has created. Remember the rainbow, people. Now I know a lot (all) of my family is probably screaming in horror and wanting to banish me but God has a plan for this world. He gave us free will for a reason and did not give us super powers for other reasons. Although, I still don't see why He couldn't make me able to fly. That would be so cool. Anyway, He is in charge, regardless of what it may feel like at the moment. There is Divine Order, we just may not be smart enough, calm enough or willing enough to see it. Stem cell research may be the key to helping millions of people, it may be a bottomless pit of disappointment or it may just prove once and for all that God is the Father of this mixed up planet and His will be done. So sit back and enjoy the ride, He didn't put us here to be miserable.

Epiphany...

Last night I learned a little bit about myself. It used to be that I never got jealous- never. I remember one night, Mike was singing a gig at a Happy Hour hang out and one of his ex's showed up and gave him a big, slightly longer than appropriate hug and kiss on the cheek. I didn't even get a twinge of jealousy. And not because I knew I was hotter than her but I was confident in knowing that I had no competition for Mike's affection. Now, a different wind is blowing. Last night I realized after, I won't call it a fight, but an exchange of highly emotional differing opinions, that I was jealous. Not of another woman, 'cause I would just run her over with my Jeep, but of all the other things I've never had to compete with- and don't know how. Between Mike's job, his Grandparents, his whole family and Gryffin, I feel as if most of the time even when its just he and I it is still not just he and I. There is an everpresent cloud of stress that follows him around and overshadows the smiles and laughs that used to come so freely and often. I miss my husband. It seems several times a week he is caught in a tug of war between fulfilling his Grandson obligations and spending time with Gryffin and I. Having to choose, I will always want him to spend time with Gryffin first and I will take what is left. But may I just say again- I miss my husband. I know his family obligations are not permanent. Therefore, my epiphany was that I was being a pouty, jealous child and that if I didn't just deal and get over myself I would cause harm to the man I love. I was not being a supportive wife or friend and for that I appologized. We are always the most critical judges of ourselves but we are also the most reluctant to change. Not me- I want to be supportive and loving and that is what I will be. Maybe not overnight, but I am putting it in the forefront of my mind and heart and will work everyday on it.

What the heck was I thinking!?!

I am hosting a Holiday Cookie Swap. Yup, me. The girl with all the hostessing experience of a hermit with agoraphobia! What was I thinking! Ah well, I suppose there is a time in every woman's life when they have to don the Martha Stewart garb, sans prison stripes, and throw a party. Now the only party I've been to recently probably would not be a good thing to mimick as it was a Halloween costume party with much overindulgence in spirits of the liquid variety. Man, that was a fun party. At least the parts I remember. Anyway, has anyone ever done this sort of thing before? Got any suggestions for a newbie? Any wonderlicious appetizer recipes?

No matter if you're naughty or nice...

This is what is going to be in the Christmas Goodie Baskets this year:
Hair On Your Nuts (spicey mixed nuts)
2 lg egg whites
2.3 c sugar
5 T Old Bay
4 t Worcestershire
2 t chili powder
1 t cayenne
6 c mixed nuts
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/3 c grated Parmesean
Preheat oven to 300. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Beat egg until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat in seasonings. Add nuts & butter, stir to coat evenly. Add cheese & mix again. Divide & spread evenly on baking sheets in a single layer. Bake about 30 minutes. Imediately remove from pan onto more foil & let cool.
Note: Do not allow nuts to darken too much or they turn bitter.
These are always a hit! I package up in little ziplock bags and stuff in stockings.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Brittle
I would include the recipe, but this one is a new one this year. I won't post anything I haven't tried.

Pancake Mix
1 c flour
1 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda

Mix and seal in ziplock bag. This makes about a dozen, depending on how big you like them.
Make sure you attached a card with the following:
To Prepare:
In a bowl combine mix, 1 cup buttermilk and one egg until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 T melted butter and 1 1/2 T maple syrup. Let rest for about 5 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup onto nonstick griddle, flip only when the bubbles no longer burst. Don't forget to freeze the leftovers- if there are any!

Herb Biscuit Mix
1 cup flour
1/4 t pepper
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T grated parmesean
1/2 T oregano
Mix the above and seal in ziplock bag.
Attach a card with the following:
To prepare:
Preheat oven to 450. Add mix to a bowl and cut in 3 T cold unsalted butter cut into pieces. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk. Drop by large spoonfulls onto ungreased sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Sidenote- if you never have buttermilk on hand just add 1 1/2 t lemon juice concentrate to a 1/2 cup measuring cup and then fill with regular milk.

There will also be some caramel creme cookies (recipe will follow when I find it) and pumpkin and banana breads.

Ah, a weekend in bed. Just what I didn't want.

We took a weekend off! Don't get all excited for us, it wasn't our choice. We all came down with a nasty little virus. Mike was in bed Saturday, I was in bed Sunday and Gryffin didn't let anything stop him. Luckily, one of us was able to look after him while the other gazed into the porcelane wishing well. It seems as though it was a quick virus at least as Mike went to work and I am up and dressed. And most importantly, having my coffee.
We were not given a very prognosis for Granny last week. The onchologist, a guy who very much reminded me of a cartoon character, said that with treatment possibly 12-18 months, without 6 weeks. Everyone decided to try a round of chemo and radiation and see how Granny tollerates it. The steroids they have to give her have made her hallucinate and a little combative at times. Her lucid moments are growing fewer. My heart breaks for her and Pa and the rest of the family, but I know God will take care of us all through this and after.
Thanks to yuck virus my house is a disaster. I wonder if I could get FEMA in here to clean up? Probably, but it would take 4 years, tons of red tape and a bunch of beauracratic BS. Speaking of... Don't forget to vote tomorrow. If you don't, you have no right to complain. Me? I voted twice so I get to complain more than most. Just kidding.

I would love to sit down and post but I'm affraid it would be nothing but a bunch of b+itching. I will spare you and wollow in my own pitty/laundry fest and take comfort in the fact that everything is temporary and God will see it through. And in the imortal words of Fat Albert, 'I may just learn a thing or two'.

Living in danger...

Yup, I just read that I live not 10 miles from THE most dangerous city in the country. Are you kidding me?! What a load of crap. I looked into what their criteria was: a ratio of crime rate to population. No wonder we made it- no one lives IN the city! Using their formula everyone was getting mugged or carjacked. The populous of St Louis resides in the surrounding counties and sub-cities. I guess the St Louis government officials didn't grease enough pockets. But don't get me started on corruption and government.

A little rant...

I saw the downfall of the family yesterday on TV. It sent shivers down my spine as in 30 seconds I witnessed a family of four deteriorate into disfunction and sorrow. This may only be my interpretation but pancake batter in a bottle that you add water, shake and pour?! Come on. I've timed it, to measure and mix ingredients takes a whopping- stand back- 7 minutes. Seven minutes, people. Seven minutes to give your family pancake batter where every ingredient is easily pronouncable and recognizable. Seven minutes to know that your kids aren't going to have so many preservatives in their body when they die that embalming will not be needed. Seven minutes where you can teach your kids math- measuring IS fractions. Not to mention, seven minutes to teach your kids that food does not come from a bottle or box. I can see it know, future generations that don't know how to cook and rely only on prepackaged, preservative ridden crap. Soilent Green is people! No wonder society is getting so fat, their bodies no longer have to work to break down food. It is presented in a ready to eat, fully digested form that lacks vitamins and nutrients.
For the past couple weeks Mike and I have gone against everything we believe in and have eaten fast food. Only because we did not have a choice as dinner was on the run from hospital to nursing home. We feel like crap, lack energy and stamina and have gained weight. Last night after leaving the hospital we craved vegetables so bad we stopped by the salad bar at the fancy grocery store and paid $6 each for! That is desperation, folks. Usually, if I pay that much for a salad someone brings it to my table and takes it away when I'm done.
This morning Mike reminded me his haircut appointment and that he has to take some medication to Pa at the nursing home. We decided that it would be better to eat -a real meal- at 4 in the afternoon than to keep up the on the go meals. I'm hoping Gryffin will cooperate enough to allow me to fix a batch of cookies for that evening snack that all of us will be dying for after eating dinner that early. Maybe some whole wheat honey peanut butter cookies, mmmmmm. Dinner will consist of Chicken a la King, using fat free 1/2 & 1/2. If I get time it will be served over home made biscuits, if not it will be over egg noodles. **Reminder to Chris- I am holding you to that promise of showing me how to make your family recipe for noodles** Now doesn't that sound better than yet another burger or taco?

Happy Halloween!

I sent Gryffin off to Day Out today in his little Dalmation costume from last year. It still fit, but I cut the feet off so he could wear shoes. Somehow I didn't think those little plastic dots on the bottom of the footies would work on slippery floors. I saved his new Monkey costume for tonight. Don't fret, pictures will be posted.
I have to hurry and get Laundry Mountain downstairs. Good thing I have 'faith of a mustard seed'. Then its menu planning, grocery list making and shopping to do. This much fun should be illegal, really. But its been a good two weeks since I've done any of it and I'm feeling guilty about it.
Too much to do to keep spurting nonsense!
Burn a black candle to keep the evil spirits away tonight and buy lots of candy to keep the evil kids at bay too.

Update:

I have a few minutes to blog, although I should be cleaning my filthy house. Oh well, dirt waits.
Anyway, yesterday we put Granny in the hospital for tests. We already know that she has brain cancer but we do not know the full extent of it. When that was done Mike and his father took Pa to an assited living facility with an Alzheimer's unit. This did not fare well with Pa. Mike is just drained today to the point of illness. He is currently in bed. We still have to take Pa his chair and a TV today and I've already been to see Granny and take her a few things. Today is also their 56th wedding anniversary. Crap way to spend it since they won't even get to see eachother. Mike and I know that this is what is best for them, even Granny agreed and has said that she will join Pa when she is released from the hospital. But just because its best doesn't mean its easy. Infact, its never easy when its the best. Your prayers are appreciated and still needed. Thank you all.

Too much...

Things around here are crazy, C-R-A-Z-Y!
Not going to go into detail, just going to ask for prayers.
Don't know when I will be back to blogging regular, but soon I hope.

Christmas is coming, looming, impending...

Ah yes, Christmas. That magical time of year when people forget the true meaning and dessecrate it with packages bought at malls and wrapped in shiny paper that kills innocent trees. Ahhh, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it? Oh wait, maybe thats nausea.
Anyway, I'm taking an idea I stole from a good blogger buddy... angelfoodcakeisntacandle@blogspot.com
Christmas presents, except toys for the nephews, are coming from my kitchen. Whether you like it or not! There will be some people very upset by me bucking the commercial tradition but obviously, they don't have their heart in the right place. With some of them, I doubt they have hearts at all. Ooh, that was cold, am I feeling bitter and disgruntled this morning? Nope, just sleep deprived and grumpy. Please forgive.
Anyway, here are thoughts about what I should put in the goodie baskets that will be supplied:
Pumpkin and banana bread in jars
Caramel cream cookies
Sugar cookies (and not from a mix either) hand decorated
Oatmeal raisin or mabye sunflower cookies, haven't decided yet
Homemade biscuit mix
Homemade pancake mix
and of course, pictures of my little boy... that just woke up screaming. Gotta Go!

Stinking wrinkled wall paper be gone!

Love that Febreze and wrinkle releaser?
Yeah, me too. I was using about a 1/2 gallon of Febreze every week. That stuff ain't cheap but it made my house smell so nice. And with two big dogs and a diaper pail, that ain't easy! Do you know what Febreze and wrinkle releasers are? Watered down fabric softener. Yup, thats all. I came across a 'recipe' to make your own, but found that it needed some SERIOUS adjusting.
I bought a bottle of fabric softener at Sam's that does 135 loads. Hey, I even splurged and spent $10 on a brand name too. In a cleaned out 2 liter bottle, I poured a cap full, looks like about a 1/3 of a cup, of facric softener in then filled the rest of the way with water. Shook it up and filled a spray bottle. I used my old Febreze bottle for this. Recycle, reuse! Just use it as you normally use Febreze. I can get enough to last about a year for just $10! Heck, the commercial stuff was costing me that every other week.
To use this as a wrinkle releaser, spray the garment while its hanging then tug at the wrinkles and smooth them. It worked pretty good on a pair of corderoy pants I have. If it works on that heavy a material it will work on anything!
Make a more concentrated version of this and you have wallpaper remover! I talked my MIL into trying this before spending an arm and leg for the commercial stuff. She is Brand Namer. Only buys brand names and doesn't care that her weekly grocery bill is the same as our monthly house payment. She tried it and was amazed. If I can win her over, I can win anyone over!
Become a Frugal Jedi and stop fighting for the Dark Side!

I feel better...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tension breaker.

Whiny kind of day...

Its cold and raining. Not my favorite weather combo, but its better than bitter cold without snow. Its the kind of day you want to take a book, a big mug of hot cocoa and sit by a window thankful for not having to do anything or go anywhere. It might be that kind of day, but it won't be for me.
I bundled Gryffin up and ran to the drug store to get Granny some medicine. He loved it, cold doesn't bother him. Then after I got him to lay down for a nap I ran next door to make Pa some lunch and give Granny her meds. When its just me, I can't take Gryffin over there because its toddler heaven and parent hell. Pills, sharp objects, all kinds of fun things for him to stick in some orafice.
A few years ago we moved Granny & Pa (Mike's grandparents) here from Ohio to help care for them. Pa has Alzheimer's and Granny has, well- lets just say, issues. Lots of issues, some are even medical. She hasn't been out of bed since Friday and is convinced she's got the flu. I'm no doctor but its not the flu. Anyway, Wednesday she is going to the doctor for tests whether she likes it or not. I've already told her that if it takes a gurney and port-a-potty so be it.
The elderly and toddlers are a lot alike. Both are stuborn and know what they want and will scheme and sneak to get it. Both require a lot of patience and a lot of help. And both cause me to want to bang my head against a wall on a regular basis. But both are also loveable and dependant.
I certainly don't regret having to deal with both but I do know my limitations with each. If I don't care for myself, I can't care for anyone else. So I guess what I'm trying to convince myself of without feeling guilty is that I'm going to hurry up, do my chores tomorrow and maybe kick back with a book or a movie while Gryffin is in Day Out.

Bread in a jar...

As promised to a friend, here is the recipe:
2/3 cup shortening
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 2/3 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin, canned
2/3 cups chopped nuts, optional
3 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream shortening and sugar, beat in eggs, pumpkin and water. Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture; stir in nuts. Pour mixture into 8 greased WIDE-MOUTHED (very important) pint jars filling half full. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. When done remove one jar at a time, wiping sealing rim with a cloth or paper towel. Place ball lid on and screw on tight. The heat will vacuum seal the jar and will keep for up to one year.
Variations: substitute one of the following for pumpkin-
2 cups shredded apples or carrots
1 bag whole fresh cranberries
2 cups mashed bananas
2 cups apricots
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups fresh peaches

When I say the wide mouthed jars are important, I mean it. I did this one year with regular ones and the bread wouldn't slide out because of the lip on the jar. I remedied this by spooning out the bread, making a powdered sugar glaze and calling it mock bread pudding. It was still good, just didn't look as pretty.

Enjoy!

Daddy, can I have a pony?

"I promise I will be good, mostly. I promise I will never ask for anything ever again, until I want something else. I promise that I will feed it and take care of it, until I get tired of scooping big horse poops. I promise I will..."

You are not getting a pony, but you can keep the cowboy hat.

"Okay, Dad. But can I ride you like a pony then?"

Cherry of a day...

Chocolate covered cherry cupcakes, yesterday's acheivement. I love the jarred cherries from Trader Joe's and Mike loves chocolate covered cherries so...

I used a basic recipe for chocolate cake, altered a little to reduce the fat content and added a bit of the cherry juice to the batter. Then when I poured the cupcakes I put a few cherries in the middle. The icing is a cherry flavored royal icing. Next time I'm going with a chocolate buttercream though. I will also be adding more of the cherry juice as it only had a hint of the cherry flavor unless you bit into an actual cherry. They were really good for a first attempt though.

How to knit and quit...

Half way through another week.
Yesterday saw a flurry of activity as I scrubbed the heck out of the house. Gryffin and I have both had colds so everything needed the Pinesol/Lysol treatment. Funny, I feel a little better today. Connection?
Today is supposed to be pretty yucky. Chilly and wet. Since getting a swingset in the back yard Gryffin doesn't want to do anything but play on it. I can't open the curtain in his room for fear of him seeing it, pointing and screaming. But with he and I still having a little throat tickle and cough the last thing we need to do is go play in some wet grass and chilly air.
Mike's efforts to quit smoking are progressing. Based upon the things he's been hacking out of his lungs, that is a good thing. He struggled with quitting cigarettes several years ago and now is quitting smoking his pipe. Sometimes I think its my fault he started to smoke a pipe. You see, some of my first memories were of climbing into my Dad's lap while he smoked his pipe. I remember how wonderful it smelled and how perfect those moments were. But he is not alone in his battle. Turns out my Mom has begun the smoke-free journey as well.
My parents go to the Indian reservation to buy their tobacco. One day, while there on vacation, I walked into the living room and Mom was watching TV and leaning over the coffee table doing something. I looked down and saw that she was using this little machine to roll cigarettes. I looked at her and said, 'You know, some girls my age have Mom's that knit cute little scarves but no, my Mom rolls her own cigarettes!' We got a laugh and since then, rolling cigarettes has been referred to as knitting. So now that Mom is quitting smoking I guess I should expect a knitted scarf for Christmas. Good luck, Mom and no- I don't really expect a scarf.

Child Labor...

It ain't labor when he likes it, is it? Too bad he still needs adult supervision while vacuuming.

Date night, what do I wear?

Mike and I are celebrating our birthdays tonight. A little late, I know. He received a gift certificate to a nice restaurant from his Mom and he bought me tickets to see Cyndi Lauper. Yes, I am a child of the 80's and damn proud of it. If I still had my crinolyn skirts, fingerless lace gloves and enough hairspray to kill the ozone I would dress for the occasion.
The two of us don't get out much so when we do I like to take advantage of it and savor every moment. I miss dating- my husband anyway. All the other losers I dated I definitely don't miss. Some still give me nightmares. Like the guy who took me shopping for his new wrestling shoes and didn't speak to me through the whole date. The guy who took me to the movies but insisted on walking out 3/4 of the way through to get his money back, cheap bastard. The guy who tried to impress me with the fact that he had worn his best bibs (overalls) and tank top for our date. Yup, that one was in Tennessee, go figure. Or the Bible major studying to be a preacher who took me to the middle of a cornfield. That date was the shortest on record. Funny how fast he drove with the threat of losing his favorite body part looming over his head. Now, why don't I care for organized religion again?!
Anyway, I digress. The beginning of Mike and mine's relationship was very different than most couples. We hung out as friends for quite awhile first, along with my at-the-time fiance. Long story short, fiance went bye-bye and Mike and I kept hanging out. Funny how things work out, ex-fiance is happily married with his own kids, so are Mike and I and oh yeah, ex and Mike still work together. Yup, funny.
Uh oh, I hear Gryffin calling me. Better get him up and dressed, me too for that matter!

Here I sit, coffee in hand, trying to think of something witty and stirring to ramble about. I could tell you how I cleaned most of the house and did the laundry yesterday or how we went for a family walk after dinner that included an ice cream and pinball but...
I could sit here and lecture on the glory of a simple life and frugality but...
I could preach about the body being the temple of God and how I don't feel a poor diet makes a very good sacrificial lamb.
I could tell you about- awe, who cares, I'm going to get more coffee.

Its a mad mad world...

School shootings everywhere! What is up, America? Gryffin is still a few years away from school but I'm already leary of sending him. What kind of world have I brought my son into? I'm not sure, maybe I will just have to raise him to make it a better place.
When I was in school the most violence was either on the football field or a poor freshman getting stuffed into a locker. Now its guns and knives.
I cannot blame the children. They only repeat what they see around them. Whether that be on TV, video games or the adults around them. Don't take this to mean that I am against the TV or video games- I'm against adults. No, just kidding. The government has taken steps to censor material it believes is inappropriate for a younger audience. I don't think this is right, but I understand that a good deal of parents today don't have the time to do it themselves. Or just don't care. It seems so many parents today want the three kids, a dog, a cat, a big home, a new car and designer clothes more than they want to be parents. They provide posh surroundings to their kids but don't spoil them with their time and love.
Growing up I witnessed first hand how shopping and things were considered the equivalent of love and affection. Luckily, later in life I realized this was a bunch of hooey. The love and positive attention doled out on a child will last them much longer than that designer shirt or shiny scooter. It will last them a lifetime and give them the coping skills they are going to need to turn this planet into a place of peace for all.
Give them mad skillz, not a mad world.

Its so hot the pumpkins bake themselves.

The leaves are turning, the pumpkin festivals are starting and its 90 freaking degrees. Are you kidding me?! I was hoping to put away the T-shirts and shorts but I guess not for another week or so. I guess this also means that I have to keep painting my toenails because I cannot wear sandals with bare toenails.
Gryffin has been sick for the past couple of weeks and it looks like he is finally on the mend. No fever and no green slimey worms crawling out of his nose constantly. I hate nose worms.
Tomorrow is Day Out for him and cleaning day for me. I thinks its been a week since I've been able to vacuum so no that is not wall to wall grey carpet. Yuck! And with the MIL coming Thursday to babysit, I gotta get the joint sparkling. Otherwise I will come home and she will be on her hands and knees scrubbing my floors. Hey, maybe I shouldn't clean! Hee hee hee.

Alton Brown, you are redeemed.

Ok, so his ham recipe sucked. Big time. There was too much of a clash in flavors between the mustard and the ginger snap cookies. Yes, ginger snaps.
His mac-n-cheese was great though. Next time I will skip the onions but other than that it was awesome and easy.
Lets see, I cooked last night I should get tonight off, right? There may be a frozen pizza in our future!

MMmmmm druuuuuuugs....

My head is in a drug induced fog. Allergy medicine doesn't always relieve your symptoms but it usually makes you so stoned you don't care. Unfortunately it also makes you really unproductive. I'm really sensitive to the stuff so I started with half the recommended dosage and when I didn't feel anything thought it would be safe to take the other half. WRONG.
Hey, did you see the size of that chicken?
Anyway, I still have to figure out a way to get the laundry done, the bathroom cleaned, dinner prepped and some photos of Ebay stuff taken, downloaded and hopefully listed. I know all this because I wrote it on a 'To Do' list last night because I definately couldn't think that straight now.
Ah well, slow and steady wins the race... if you can find the starting line.

Clearance is clutter!

Have you noticed how many shows are popping up on the TV about clutter? These shows are generally centered around a person or family who is living in a house full of stuff that is deemed, by them, important. Where does the corolation between things and emotions come from? The only thingsI couldn't live without aren't actually things, but people. There are things that I have put setimental value upon but that is because they were given to me by people I dearly love. I don't need the thing to feel the love I have for these people or the love they have for me. That is what my memories are for.
I know that I have mentioned this before but I grew up in a house full of stuff. I don't mean just cluttered. I mean Fred Sanford on steroids cluttered. I guess that is why I have such an aversion to clutter now. Everynight before I go to bed I HAVE to straighten the living room and put away all the toys. I even so weird that I can't climb into an unmade bed. Not that I make mine every morning, but I do make it before I crawl into it at night. I don't sleep as well when there is a sink full of dirty dishes either. I've learned that a 15 to 20 minute investement in the evening is worth twice as much the next morning.
Having a child makes it hard to keep things under control. When I see Gryffin smile at a toy in the store I have to restrain myself from buying it. The same thing for a really cute outfit for him. It gets really hard when the item is on sale or clearance. The automatic mental response is "But its on sale!". I think the advertising companies send this message subliminally through commercials. I've learned that if I buy something that I don't truly NEED just because its a good deal is still wasting money and feeding the clutter bug. It is adding something to my household and subtracting something from my wallet. I've learned to interogate myself when in a retail setting. I always ask, "Do I really NEED this?".
An example of this happened this weekend. Gryffin NEEDED some jammies. He had two pair that were warm enough. Kohl's was having a big sale so we drug ourselves out early enough to catch their Early Bird Specials. On our way to the kids department I spotted a really cute pair of shoes for myself. Hey, they were on sale and fit! Like I usually do I put them in the cart and told Mike I would think about them. We proceeded to find four pair of jammies for Gryffin, just enough to make it through a week. On the way to checkout I told Mike I wasn't going to get the shoes because I really didn't need them and Gryffin NEEDED jammies. He prompty scolded me and reminded me that it was getting colder and the sandals I have been wearing everyday since May weren't going to cut it. He asked how many pair, besides my tennis shoes, I had. Hmm, let see... none. Ok, he was right. I needed a pair of shoes to keep my feet warm just as much as Gryffin needed jammies to keep him warm. Even through checkout I was still feeling a little guilty about buying them, but I couldn't argue with my husband's logic.
Now I have to make room for my purchases though. Time to Ebay! There are a lot of clothes Gryffin can no longer fit in, some still with tags that were purchased by various Grandmother's. If I get, I get to get rid of!

Sermon to the masses...

I know I should be sitting here balancing the checkbook and paying bills but for some reason our bank's site decided it didn't want to get out of bed today. So here I am- goofing off.
Last night Gryffin's Day Out program had an Open House. Yes folks, my husband voluntarily walked into a church building without spontaneously combusting or incurring the wrath of Kathulu. The walls didn't drip with blood, small children didn't run screaming nor did lightning strike him (or us). Although he did cringe when Gryffin's teacher mentioned them saying the pledge of allegiance to the Christian flag. Don't misunderstand, he is not some devil worshipping, animal sacrificing, pagan. He just doesn't believe in ORGANIZED religion, thus the Kathulu reference. (Sidenote- Kathulu is the god of chaos) My views are slightly different, slightly. I do believe there is a supreme creator, a.k.a. God, who provides for, protects and heals us- if we allow Him to. I believe that prayer works be it in form of folded hands, candle flames or fleeting thoughts. I believe that God works in mysterious ways and allows each of us to learn what our heart deems to be right. In essence, what is right for some is not right for all.
I was raised in a religion of 'If you are not in this building everytime the doors open and believe exactly what we tell you, you are doomed to flaming pits of torture for eternity'. If God truly is love, I just can't buy that hooey. Sorry, if I offend anyone in the vocalization/writing of this entry I do not mean to belittle you or your beliefs. As I stated earlier, to each their own. However, after many years of studying the Bible and other texts considered to be Holy by various cultures, I have determined that I can't possibly take every word as 'written in stone'.
Riddle me this, Joker?
If we were created by a God of love, able to adapt to our surrounding (evolve), to care for one another and to not judge others, then how can one religion condemn another? How can one person take the responsibility to say that another is wrong for holding service in a building full of shrines and statues or in the woods for that matter? How can one group take the responsibility to say that another group is wrong for believing that reincarnation occurs or that animals have souls and should not be eaten?
Yeah, yeah, you're thinking its not Sunday and you shouldn't be subject to sermons today so I will shut it. Hey, maybe my bank's sites up and running and will spare you the rest of my diatribe?!

Fashion is not in the genes.

Daddy is a sucker, if its under $20. We visited a couple Halloween stores yesterday where Gryffin discovered his new favorite hat. The picture doesn't show it very well, but there are little bells hanging off the end of each spike. So, not only does it look oh so cool, it makes noise! You've got to admit it, when you're as cute as he is, it can be pulled off tastefully. Maybe not with that shirt though.

Ahhh, can you smell it?
Yup folks, thats fall in the air.
Sitting on the front step this morning, drinking coffee and talking to Mom, she and I realized that its that perfect time of year. The morning and evenings get a slight chill, where the afternoons are warm and sunny. I tell you, there is nothing better than fall. Except maybe when you can sit next to a fire, reading a good book and watching snow fall. If its gonna be cold I want something pretty to look at!
Its time to start thinking about ghosts and goblins and CANDY! Don't forget the pumpkins and caramel apples too. This year I need to get more serious about a costume for Gryffin. Last year it was whatever I could borrow. Tricks or treats, smell my feets- I can't hardly wait.

Gryffin's Day Out

Yesterday was Gryffin's first day at 'Day Out'. When we arrived there were already several children in the play room. We met his teacher, Miss Katie. She asked Gryffin if he would like to go play and of course, he did! He tromped off to the play room where he immediately headed for the purple toy vacuum cleaner. Our vacuum is purple and he is fascinated by it. I watched from a window in the door and held back tears. Once he saw all those toys and kids I knew he would be just fine. Me on the other hand, I watched him for about 15 or 20 minutes until it was too hard to hold in the tears. I made it to the car before I let them roll. All the way home I kept talking myself out of turning around and getting him. I decided to reward myself with a latte for making it home.
When I picked him up Miss Katie told me that he was wonderful! She said the only time he cried was when it was nap time. He wanted to keep playing. As soon as he laid down he was out though.
We came home and played and talked about his day. And I told him that he would be going back Friday. I'm pretty sure he understood because he got all excited and started laughing.

This is what I would love to wake up to every morning! Just not after having to sleep in the back of a Jeep. My back didn't hurt nearly as much as my head and stomach. I think I remember what a hangover feels like now.

When I arrived at the campsite Saturday everyone else was still on the river. I love it when a plan comes together! I had a few hours to sit, watch the water go by, finish one book and start another. It was so perfect I didn't even worry about my son, too much.
Everyone had a great time, at least what they can remember of it. Based upon how everyone felt Sunday morning I should have bought stock in Budweiser.
We all broke camp early Sunday to head home and pick up the little ones. I had a great time, but it couldn't compare to seeing Gryffin again!

Krykie!

Boy, am I tired of hearing about the death of the Crocodile Hunter! Everywhere I turn there is a story popping up about it. I'm sorry world but there are other things happening! Have you heard of Iran? How about the wars our president has gotten us in to? Or maybe the story about the priest, the rabbi and the goat? Oh wait, thats a joke.
Yes, this man created much hype and interest in wildlife that hasn't been seen since National Geographic had a show on network TV. But give me a break! He recklessly toyed with wildlife for the sake of ratings. Don't you remember him dangling his infant son infront of a hungry alligator?
Don't get me wrong, I'm sympathetic to the family he left behind. And all the now unemployed cameramen, sound guys and script writers: however, can the morbid couriosity behind this end? Next thing you know the video clip of his death (yes, it was during a show taping) will be the most downloaded video on UTube.
Come on America, get a grip.

Its Sunday...

Usually Sundays get me a little down as its Mike's last day home with us. But tomorrow being Labor Day, he doesn't have to go to work! YEAH! I know, I know, he's been home since Thursday but can I help it if I like having him around? Although, I don't know how much he's going to be around today as he has work to do over at Granny's house. While she is at the hospital visiting Pa, Mike is going to 'air out' her house and do some cleaning. Granny lives like a mushroom. She doesn't like fresh air, sunshine or pretty much anything green. She never opens the curtains or windows and prefers dim artificial light. I could live about a day like that before I went bonkers!
As soon as it gets below 70 at night we have all the windows open and don't close them until we are shivering during the day, unless it rains of course. One of the first things I do in the morning is open the blinds. My parents, lucky ducks, usually have their morning coffee outside on the patio and eat many meals outside too! Mom and Dad took a little rundown greasy drive in restaraunt and turned it into a little oasis. They are smack dab in the middle of the city but you couldn't tell, at least not until the school bell rings or a train goes by. Mike and mine's goal is to someday own a little piece of woods and be able to enjoy our morning coffee outside, maybe watching the water of a little creek go by and listening to nature. Slap up some solar panes, a wind turbine and a well and goodbye world!

Any Requests?

And you just thought I played the harmonica and drums!
As pointed out in the comments, I have neglected to provide a detailed caption. My most inquisitive reader, my Mom, could out question the writers on Jeopardy. Here goes, Mom! I hope I can forsee them all...
This picture was taken last weekend at our friends Chris and Mandy's. We were invited over for dinner and for Gryffin to be introduced to his future wife. Or so Mandy hopes. Before dinner Gryffin treated us to a little ivory tickling. He literally tickled. We were expecting him to pound away, but no. Precisely and gently he tapped on the keys. One at a time, then two or three. He soon however lost interest when he discovered Fritos.

Long time no post!
I celebrated my 34th birthday with antibiotics. Woo Hoo! Yup, one dose of it told me that I would rather be sick than take any more. So, I chucked the remaining pills down the toilet and set my mind to healing. My bday was pretty low key as I hadn't even gotten out of my pajamas all day. Mike gave me a new cookie scoop that I wanted AND tickets to a concert. Cindy Lauper at the Pageant! I am really looking forward to it. As a child of the 80's Cindy will always hold a special place. Afterall, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Mike's Pa (grandfather) is having surgery today. They found colon cancer was the culprit of his dramatic blood loss. Please pray for him and his family.
Mike has taken a few days off to do stuff around the house, he says. Personally, I think he took them off because sitting behind a desk worrying about an ailing loved one would've driven him insane. When he is up doing something he has something to preoccupy him a little. I won't complain! He has already reconfigured the desk so Gryffin can't get at the computer and moved the cable cord. Again, so Gryffin can't mess with it anymore. He has mowed the lawns. The back yard looked it should have had some PBR cans scattered and maybe a broken down washer in it. He has hinted at putting his tools away and giving me the garage back, but I won't push that issue. At least, not until the cold hits. I don't park outside when its cold- period.
Oh did I mention that while I was sick he came home everynight, took care of dinner and Gryffin and did some housework?! Yup, I think I will keep him.

Fever- I got the fever. Fever all throught the night.

So last night I was sitting there wondering why I had the chills. I got up and put on another layer of clothes. Nope, that didn't work. I turned off the ceiling fan, no. Hum. Uh oh. I took my temperature and sure enough-102.8 Great, just great. I popped some pills, wished my husband and son good night and went to bed.
A few hours of tossing, turning and sweating later I moved to the couch where I took my temperature again. 105.6, I knew I was in for misery. Not just because of the bad TV thats on at that hour either.
So far, I've been taking Ibuprofen every 4 hours and the lowest I can get my temp is 103.
My biggest concern is that now I'm going to get Gryffin sick- again.

Gryffin's fever finally broke last night. This was after I freaked and had Mike rush home because he had a fever of 105.5 and I was low on medicine. Gryffin's fever went down after a cool bath, Mike came home with medicine and Gryffin's mood perked up greatly to see Da-ee home early. It was still a rough night with him waking every couple of hours screaming, but at least after about 10pm there was no fever.
Thank you for prayers- they worked, as usual!

Anyone who reads, please say a prayer for Gryffin. His fever is back. I don't know if its the same thing as before, I only know that he was up till 2:30 this morning unable to sleep because of it. Thank you!

Big Shoes!

Gryffin and I discovered yet another way to have the home made tortillas. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on half and fold over, I drizzle a little bit of honey on mine. This made for a most excellent late night snack. I've tried this before with the store bought tortillas but it just didn't work out the same. I think maybe because their salt content is too high.

The past couple weeks Gryffin has been letting us know when his diaper is dirty by pointing to it. Wow, Kiddo! Between the sign language and this you're making it easy on us! Thanks!

Tuesday terror....

It's Tuesday and my muther is coming this evening to visit. I'm so excited I may vomit. Sorry, I know I shouldn't be like that. I will enjoy watching Gryffin show off and be cute. And watch Mike try to keep himself occupied and get out of hugging her.
Last night's dinner was awesome. I even impressed myself! It was a Mexican Fiesta of home made tortillas, sofrito rice, pan roasted corn with black beans and taco meat. Along with all the regular comdiments, it turned out wonderfully. Mike had thirds and Gryffin cleaned his plate!
Tonight is honey mustard chicken with brown rice and broccoli. I hope it turns out as well.
Enough of patting myself on the back... my arm is starting to hurt!

Schedule adjustment...

Today I am stuck with a cranker! Gryffin's schedule got all out of whack over the weekend which has got him all messed up today. Since it was hopeless to get him into a good mood I decided that it was time to get him in sync with the 'Day Out' programs schedule. This involves going from two naps, one morning/one late afternoon, to just one after lunch. I think it will take me longer to get used to than him as this cuts my free time down drastically. I guess I will just have to take my showers at night and squeeze all my household duties into a single naps timeframe. Not impossible.
This just reiterates what I've always known. Kids must have schedules and structure. When they no longer know what to expect they freak out. I was this way as a child, which explains why I was always freaking out. I still do sometimes when things aren't as they usually are. But as an adult I have better coping skills and can more easily adjust.
Again, if I'm going to get it ALL done in one nap session I've got to get moving!

Gryffin On YouTube!

Go check him out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzoKduHG4A0

Woo Hoo we're havin' a cookout!

My brother, sister-in-law and their two sons are coming over tomorrow for a cook out. I'm so excited I've already put the pie in the oven. I think this is the first time that I'm having people over where I haven't run ragged trying to get the house clean and the food prepped. I do have to do a little shopping for food but not much. Some brats, some salad fixin's, corn and beans. Ooh, I need ice cream to go with that pie though! It would be un-American to have apple pie without ice cream on a summer Saturday cookout.
I think the only things that NEED to be done are the yard mowed and the poop scooped, both of which I DO NOT do. I deal with enough poop day in/day out that I refuse to clean up the dog's too. Sorry Honey, but that is up to you.
I hope all of you have a great weekend!

Honey Wheat Bread

The bread was a wonderful success! Yuuuuuu-my! It was super easy too. I may never need my bread machine again as I just used it for kneading and never baking. Heck, I've got my food processor and KitchenAid mixer for that! One less thing to clean and put away is good, especially in a kitchen that is less than 100 square feet.

Honey Wheat Bread

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt

1. In a small bowl, combine water, honey, sugar: sprinkle with yeast. let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes
2. In food processor, combine flours and salt. While the machine is running add yeast mixture just until the dough forms a ball. If too wet, add small amounts of flour just until ball forms.
3. Knead dough by pulsing until it is smooth and no longer sticky, about 30 times.
4. Spray large bowl with nonstick spray; place dough in bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
5. Punch down dough and turn out onto floured surface. Pat into 8x12" rectangle. Fold into thirds, pinching the seams to seal and form and 8" loaf.
6. Spray an 8x4"loaf pan. Place dough in, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350 and bake on center rack until it sounds hollow or internal temp in over 190. About 1 hour.
8. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

On a roll...

I'm on a roll and its Honey Wheat! Actually, I'm making a loaf of bread. Another attempt hopefully more successful than the last. I found a new recipe in the Weight Watchers cookbook. I'm not on the program but always try to eat healthy. Heck, my snack-loving/fruit & vegetable hating brother would starve around here. The closest thing we have to snacks are low-fat cheezits, which I usually make chicken fingers with.
You can smell fall in the air today. I love it! I've got all the windows open and the attic fan going so there is a nice little breeze throughout the house. I think I may be even looking forward to winter. Something about hot cocoa and hopefully getting to watch Gryffin play in the snow for the first time.
I've already done my menu for next week and the grocery shopping so I think I may start on the laundry. Thursday is my shopping/errand and catch-up day. My errands are on hold until the buyer for our chair and ottoman shows up sometime after noon. But I'm thinking they may be on hold till at least tomorrow, if this weather holds Gryffin and I may just play the day away!

Slacker to Attacker

I was a slacker yesterday. Didn't get the bathroom clean or any laundry done. But I'm back on track for today!
Wednesday is Kitchen/Dining room Day.
I've already: cleaned out the fridge, wiped down the counters and appliances, cleaned the stove and microwave, wiped down the table, watered the plants, dusted and vacuumed.
Hopefully, I will still have enough steam to do the bathroom and laundry from yesterday. Oh, and I've got to clean the chair and ottoman that was sold over Ebay because the buyers are picking it up tomorrow. And since we sold Mike's old recliner yesterday my living room is going to look like a living room again. Maybe I will post a picture of our new chairs.
I want to give a shout out to Catherine, angelfoodcakeisntacandle.blogspot.com, for catching me when I was falling off the bandwagon. It helps to have a cleaning buddy. Keep it up, Girl and I will try to keep up with you!
Butts growing roots, gotta move!

Scrub-a-dub-tub

Yesterday was a rough one. Gryffin's rash was so bad he wouldn't sit down all day and screamed and kicked when it was time for a diaper change. He didn't do much playing either. That is (fingers crossed) over, for the most part. He still has a little redness but he no longer looks like one of those weird butted baboons at the zoo that you just can't help staring at.
Today is bathroom day- my least favorite. I wipe down the sink every night when I wash my face so that never gets too bad. But the tub it seems always looks dirty. Thanks hard water, I needed an upper body workout. Funny how a thing that is always getting covered in soap never really gets clean. At least I only have one small bathroom to contend with unlike my MIL who has like ninetybajillion. When she bought her house I told her she must love vacuuming and scrubbing toilets because that was all she was going to be doing. I complain about my little two bed one, bath house but at least it doesn't take long to clean.

Tuesday To Do's:
scrub tub, sink, stool and floor
clean mirror, window and stained glass panel
straighten linen closet
wash rug & shower curtain, change shower liner

For Bonus Points and a chance to compete in the finals:
clean out the fridge in prep for maintenance dude tomorrow
get a jump on the menu and grocery list

Gryffin is on the mend. Fever is gone, crankiness and rash are all that is left.
Our leather chair and ottoman that we posted on Ebay as a local pickup only item sold. And for a heck of a lot more than we thought it would. We got half of its original cost and got to use and abuse it for several years. Now we are just waiting for the buyer to come pick it up.
The weekend, although hecktick and emotional, was productive. Since we were house bound it got cleaned- even the mud room! Yeah, I have my mudroom back. All my cleaning supplies are in there organized and reachable. My 'To Sell' items and packing supplies for Ebay are all in one spot. My stained glass lamps that I made but can't have out because of little curious fingers are safely stored. Hey, even Gryffin's stroller can fit in there again and no longer 'decorates' our dining room. I feel a pat on the back coming!
I've divided up all the house cleaning and have assigned each room(s) a day:
Monday is bedrooms: wash sheets, take dirty laundry down, dust/vacuum, straighten
Tuesday is bathroom: scrub the 'appliances' and floors, straighten the linen closet, wash towels and rugs
Wednesday is the kitchen and dining room: scrub every thing, clean our the fridge, mop the floors and water the plants, wash Gryffin's clothes
Thursday is errand day: make my menu and list, grocery shop, Target, Sam's, etc. and wash the darks
Friday is the living room and office: dust/vacuum, straighten, wash the whites and do a quick pickup of the rest of the house
Saturday and Sunday are Free Days!
Now... I pledge allegance to the cleanliness of the united house of Holcomb and to the happiness in which it thrives, one household under God, indivisible, with love and laughter for all.

We just got back from the ER with our little pickle. When his fever got up to 103.8 we gave him a room temperature bath and a dose of Tylenol. Then we looked at eachother and knew that the only way any of us were going to feel better was if we went to the ER and had him checked out. He has a virus, THE virus according to the doctor that is striking this area pretty hard right now. Yup, we are under quarantine. It is highly contagious and with everything from a high fever to stuff coming out both ends I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Gryffin is crashed out in bed and I am soon to follow. There were high points tonight though: it will be over in 3-7 days, Gryffin is extremely healthy otherwise and is not dehydrated and it only took us 2 hours in the ER. I think that is a new world record! Oh yeah, and Mike scored some really grubby scrubs because Gryffin yacked all over him in triage. Lets just say I won't be fixing Kiel basa and carrots for a long time.

Gryffin is running a fever over 102 and I am on the verge of a breakdown. My little boy is NEVER sick. The only time he has ever been sick was when Mike and I were sick too. We are feeling fine so I don't know what is going on with him. That is frustrating. The doctors office said to give him Tylenol every four hours and call them in the morning. Apparently they don't know this is MY SON who is sick. They should be all 'bring him in' and 'sure we will see him immediately'. Yeah, I know I'm freaking out over most likely nothing but Gryffin is my one and only and is going to stay my one and only. I am in tears when one of the dogs isn't feeling well if that gives you an idea of my emotional state at the moment. Ok, I've vented. Now I'm calling my Mom(step-mom), talking to her always reassures me and makes me feel better. She has this sunshine that radiates from her soul, it knows no distance.

Lets see, there is a big storm blowing in and the city just got done trimming/butchering the gaybors tree. Before it was lopsided and leaning over our yard like that rude fart in the coffee shop that always tries to see whats on your laptop. Now its top heavy and even more lopsided. Come on down Mr Tree- winter's a coming and we have a fireplace. We currently have about a cord, cord and a half but with the annual department float & camping trip coming up that will be cut in half. Even though Mike started this annual shin-dig when we still worked together, I have yet to attend. There was always something that kept me from going. This year is different. Dianne, my MIL, has agreed to watch Gryffin overnight. That should be interesting as his first day of 'pre-pre-school' is the day before. I have heard all the stories of previous years. The never-been-camping-before dude who fell over the cliff, the loud mouth racist hoosier that Mike hopes will pass out quickly, I could go one but I'm sure you've figured out that alcohol is overindulged in. I don't drink much anymore- learned my lesson the hard way, but I do enjoy watching others make fools of themselves. Mike tends to be 'Grandpa' and looks out for everyone. Well, except racist hoosier. I think Mike would like it if he got left behind on the river. Then after the float down the river 'Grandpa' makes a fire that can roast marshmellows on the other side of the campground! I don't think I will take the part of 'Grandma' though. I'm going to spend my night not being responsible for anyone or anything for a change.

Well, my bread didn't turn out like it used to. I think my yeast is bad. It just didn't have the rise I wanted. Still pretty tasty, just a little on the dense side. That and I used a bakers trick of putting a pan of water in the oven while it baked to make a crusty crust and it was more like armor crust. Maybe another try Thursday after I get more yeast.
Tonight I don't think I will cook. We get to pickup our new recliners! Hey, if we are going all the way there we might as well make a night of it. Maybe if there is room in the truck we will stop and get one of those cheap plastic wading pools for Gryffin. The one we have is great but its labor intensive to set up.
My mother-in-law, Dianne, stopped by yesterday for a visit after getting back from vacation. She went to visit her family in New England and boy was I jealous. A few years ago Mike and I drove up there for a visit and I fell in love with it. Vermont is awesome! We rolled down the windows and it was like getting hit in the face with a dozen pine scented air fresheners, except this really smelled like pine! His family is spread out between there, New Hampshire and New York State so we got the full tour. Maybe next year we should take Gryffin, a 26 hour car drive with a two year old sounds like a great idea. Hee hee hee.

Crustless Quiche (for those low-carb freaks)

1 cup meat, cooked, diced
3/4 cup vegetable , if frozen, thaw
1 cup cheese, shredded
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cups milk
4 egg
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

1. Combine meat, vegetale, cheese and onion.
2. Place this mixture in a labeled 1 gallon freezer bag.
3. With a mixer or blender combine milk, eggs, flour and baking powder.
4. Pour into bag with the meat and veggies.
5. Seal and freeze.
6. To Serve: thaw completely, shake bag well to combine all ingredients.
7. Pour into well sprayed deep dish casserole dish.
8. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned on top and well set in the center.
9. Cool slightly before serving.

With this one I usually use ham and broccoli or chicken and asparagus. You do not need to freeze first, but this is one of my freezer recipes for when I do my bulk cooking.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 pound chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
16 ounces mixed vegetables, frozen
1 pie crust, prepared
various herbs and spices


1. Preheat oven to 425
2. In a saucepan melt butter, add flour and whisk to make a roux, stir in herbs
3. In a large bowl mix chicken and veggies, add roux and stir to coat
4. Spoon into greased, deep pie dish or casserole dish
5. Cover with pie crust and cut 4 vents
6. Cover crust with foil and bake 30 minutes
7. Remove foil and bake until crust is browned
8. Let stand 5 minutes and serve

White bread from a red head...

Basic White Bread

1 cup warm water plus 3 Tablespoons
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1. Preheat oven to 350.
Add liquid ingredients to bread machine pan.
2. Add dry and make a well in the middle
3. Divide butter and place in corners
4. Add yeast to middle
5. Set machine for dough
6. When done, turn dough out onto floured surface and knead into loaf
7. Place into greased loaf pan and let rise until doubled in size
8. Brush top of loaf with water.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
9. Take out of pan and let cool before you slice and serve.

This recipe has many adaptations.
-Add garlic powder, basil and oregano for Italian bread. Perfect for meatballs.
-When you turn the dough out slightly roll it, spread it with butter, cinnamon and sugar, roll up and follow the rest of the recipe for cinnamon bread.
-Cut thick and this makes awesome French Toast- hint for Sunday morning, Honey!
- Cut the crusts into 1" squares, spray with non-stick spray and dust with your favorite herbs & shredded cheese for home made croutons. Just bake until toasted.

Quandry, quandry, have no laundry!

What shall I do with myself today? Thanks to someone coming to look at the bed for sale last night my house is clean. They didn't buy it, it's Ok to make us an offer but don't insult us with it! I caught up the laundry over the weekend (with Mike's help). I officially have nothing that HAS to be done today.
Maybe I will organize the mudroom or Gryffin's closets. Ooh, Gryffin and I could go to Lowe's and pick out a new color to paint his bedroom. That would thrill Mike (sarcasm). I know! I will make some bread. I haven't made bread in FOREVER and with it being $2.50 a loaf (on sale) I need to get back into the habit.
What are you going to do today?

Make me an offer, any offer... please.

We are practically selling the entire contents of our home right now, either on local sell-it sites or on EBay. A mattress, box spring, frame, leather recliner, leather club chair and ottoman, tons of baby stuff, I could keep going like the Energizer Bunny but I will spare you. We have been trying to sell the bed for a while now and have gotten nothing but scammers emailing me saying they would love to buy it. They will send me a money order for way more than I'm asking and arrange the pickup just as long as I return the 'leftover' funds. I took the post for it off that site this morning. Scammers really get me steaming. I daydream about them being arrested in some covert sting operation, getting cavity checked and stripped searched and being thrown into a small cell with a very large man who isn't picky. Redheads too have tempers, ya know!
Mike listed the bed on the board at work and we have a guy coming tonight to look at it. Holy Crap! A stranger in my home- tonight?! I'm going MIA, I'll just have the dust bunnies show it too him. Yeah, I know that will break all sorts of dust bunny union and labor laws and I certainly don't want to have to start paying them. I guess I better get off my blogging butt and get to cleaning.

Ah yes, I can see my not so distant future being lived out right in front of me at this very moment...
Mike and Gryffin in the recliner doing the 7pm cuddle snuggle while watching football.
I am about to become a football widow. Thats alright. I really should count my blessings though, Mike only watches football and basketball. Living in the St Louis metro area and not being a hockey or baseball fan puts you in a very small minority. Narrow that down further by the fact that he doesn't hunt, fish or drink Budweiser and he is in a party of three, him, Chris and myself. Add a couple to the roster, I don't think our gay neighbors (a.k.a. gaybors) do any of those things either. Well they may drink Budweiser but I won't hold that against them, they're good neighbors.
We've had a kicked back Sunday. A little yard work, a little laundry and a market run for the grandparents. Not too bad at all. Plus, I snuck in another nap since someone snored me out to the couch about 4:30 this morning. The boys napped together on the couch until Mike got a wet wake up call from Gryffin. I've noticed the diaper companies don't say their products are leak proof anymore.
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as I did!

Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play....

I survived the football practice. I could've cared less about watching the scrimmage. It was the people watching that I enjoy. The rudeness of the Midwesterner always seems to amaze me. Here in St. Louis, people don't arrive to any function, game, movie, reservation, court date, etc., on time. If it ain't half way over it ain't started. Oh yeah, and they pronouce the word forty as farty and put an 'r' in the word wash! How did I spend most of my life around here and not pick up those annoying little habits? Probably because I have enough of my own already.
Gryffin did really well. He did get a little restless and we had to leave before the event was over but I couldn't really blame him. It was hot and there was just way too much to get into.
We came home and had lunch. Afterward my loving and wonderful husband, tired of my crankiness and sarcasm, sent me to bed for a nap. I woke up and 'tagged him in', whereas I looked after Gryffin while he took a nap.
A little game of 'What Can I Make With Leftovers' for dinner, a bath for Gryffin and I think we will call it a night with Alton Brown's new show. Especially since I saw a clip of it and he went to Ted Drewe's in St Louis! Yummy! Ted Drewe's has THE BEST concrete ever. Hey, anyplace you can buy a Christmas tree and a concrete all while freezing your tashukiss off in the snow ain't bad.
Man, I have used a lot of ain'ts tonight... must be the belligerent Budweiser swillers I was surrounded by today.

Boo in a box with a good book

So we went an filled out paperwork for the Mom's Day Out Program, which now I think I will refer to as Pre-preschool. Gryffin got to see his classroom and playroom. And even do a little playing while I crammed my rear into a chair made for a toddler. That was fun. I filled out paperwork while he tried shoving square pegs through round holes, that's the story of life kid. I feel better knowing they have it set up like school with a curiculum and schedule and its not all play time. Look- he's already studying. Now if they could only teach him to say Momma.

Today we are off to watch the St Louis Rams football team practice with 'Uncle Chris', Mike's best friend. Not my choice in activities but it is so rare that Mike wants to do something unrelated to the yard or house that I can't refuse. Its outside so Gryffin will be happy. We were going to be shameless and put Gryffin in a t-shirt that read, 'Autograph or I'll scream', but we decided to keep our dignitiy. That, and we procrastinated too much about it.

I hope y'all have a good weekend. Yes, I can say y'all. I was edumacated in Tennesee ya know?! But that is a whole other lot of funnies.

Giddy with terror

So yesterday I got a call letting me know that Gryffin had a spot in a Mom's Day Out program at a local church. Yeay, sort of. I keep going from feeling so excited I'm about ready to jump out of skin to feeling so guilty I want to cry.
This program is two days a week from 9:30am-2:30pm. It will give him exposure to kids his own age. And it will give me time to get the house clean, the laundry done and the errands run. All of which, when they do get done, take three times as long because my superhero sidekick isn't much of a helper. Unless I want help making a mess, that is.
Mike and I always knew that if we were going to have a child that one of us would stay home and care for it. He grew up with his Mom at home, I grew up with a muther never at home. I have some daycare stories that will make your jaw drop. Now here I am wanting to put Gryffin in a program (I refuse to call it daycare) where he will be away from me for 5 hours a day, two days a week. What am I thinking?!
But then again, Gryffin really needs to interact with other children. He needs to be exposed to new things. He needs to make friends and learn to share more than just food with our dogs.
I'm so torn, I'm like Hulk Hogan's t-shirt. I don't even know if I can be without him that long! I haven't been away from him for longer than dinner and a movie since he was born. He IS my superhero sidekick, my cohort in crime, my 5th limb!
But I do need a break. That is why I'm feeling so guilty. Because as a stay-at-home Mom needing a break is being selfish. I should be devoted to caring for son 24/7. Does this mean that I'm a bad mom? Does this mean that I shouldn't be mom? What if they do a better job with him than I do? What if he likes being there more than he likes being with me? These are the crazy thoughts that are pinging like a pinball between my ears. Argh!
Calgon take me away!

The Jones's Jihad...

So a friend of Mike's sent him a link last night to a website that will keep you from getting preapproved credit card offers in the mail. I did not know that the three credit reporting agencies sold my information to credit card companies. We get at least one of these a day. I have to shred them for fear of some crack head picking through my garbage, finding one and getting a card in my name. Better to be paranoid than nieve.
Besides that, think of all the trees that could be saved if these weren't produced. That and credit is evil. A necessary evil but non the less, EVIL. Keeping up with the Jones's has been keeping down society. Too much emphasis is on 'things'. You aren't a good parent today if your kid isn't wearing a brand name while playing the newest video game and munching on the most popular cereal.
But give me a break. Have you ever really stopped to notice all the advertisements you see in one day? TV commercials, magazine ads, billboards, papers, coupon fliers, etc. Today's society is so bombarded by it we don't even consciously notice it anymore. It goes straight to the brain's hidden compartment only to pop out when we are in a store and see something familiar. "Oooh, there it is. I want that. The lady on the TV said it worked, so it must work." Yeah, I've been a sucker to that myself. The latest was the 'Orange Glow Floor Restorer Kit', save your money. It works just like it does on the commercial, then it dries and your floors still look like crap.
Anyway, enough of my opinionated tirade... here is the site for those that are like minded.
www.OptOutPrescreen.com

Aliens & tortillas...

I didn't make the tortillas. But only because Gryffin was really cranky, it was hot and aliens landed in our backyard and demanded that I not. Ok, that last part isn't exactly true. Anyway, I thought I would share my "If I can't screw it up no one can" recipe...

Flour Tortillas

4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups warm water

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and 1/2 the water. Mix together with your hands and continue adding water into the dough until it forms a solid ball, but is not too sticky.
2. If necessary, add additional flour or water as needed.
3. Knead the dough on a floured board for 5 minutes.
4. Cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
5. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
6. Heat cast iron skillet to medium heat.
7. Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness.
8. Place one round on griddle and cook each side for about 30 seconds. Take care that the skillet is not too hot or they will scorch.

It sounds a lot more labor intensive than it really is. It only takes about 20 minutes of actual work time and is definately worth the work. I really wish I had made them though because Mike brought home ice cream last night. A sopapilla always sounds good. For that just put a little oil in the skillet and lightly fry the tortilla until it puffs. Drain on papertowels and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar while still hot. Serve under a big scoop of ice cream and drizzle with honey. Mmmmm.

The tortillas do freeze well, although I've never had them last long enough to find out!

Its saying something when the midwest town you live in is hotter than the desert town your parents live in! Our inability to go outside for a few days has manifested itself in one cranky kid! It was so hot yesterday I didn't even want to do any of my chores (not that I ever want to). So today it doesn't matter how hot I get, the dust bunny wrangle has got to be done!
Tonight we are having a treat for dinner. Fajitas! With home made tortillas even. Its quick and won't heat up the kitchen too much- I hope. Ok, well I'm breaking a sweat just typing so its either time to quit typing or turn the thermostat down. Too cheap to do that so- SEE YA!