Perfecting Imperfection

Hanging in the Snow

2012-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

My kids and I were hanging outside in the snow today . . . I was hanging a little differently than they were, thanks to a few too many "adult" gummy bears and Chocolate Cokes made with Chocolate Vodka and Coke.

They wanted to go outside. We finally had enough snow that they could actually play in it.

They begged and I took an Advil.

They pleaded and I drank a glass of water.

They cried and I gave in, put layers of clothes on them and boots, and went out with my camera.

I'm glad we went out for the hour or so we were out there. I am glad that they had fun and I got some good pictures (and some much needed fresh air). I'm especially glad that I wasn't "mean, hungover mama" and I got my butt moving...

Now they are back to playing Xbox and watching Nick Jr. I am back to hydrating, although I'm feeling pretty good now...must've been the fresh air!

Pinterest Blog Hop?? Count me IN!

2012-01-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned before that I have a little bit of a Pinterest addiction.

In fact . . . I'm not only an addict, I'm a Pinterest Pusher, too!

You can follow me on Pinterest here:

So, this morning I was reading some stuff on Facebook and came across Crystal and Co.'s post about a Pinterest blog hop! I knew what I had to do - I had to write my post ASAP so I could get in on the action and then spend the rest of the day looking at the pins of all the new people I would be following thanks to this wonderful idea!

Here are a few of my favorite pins from this week -

1. Grilled Cheese Roll-Ups - unlike a lot of my pins, I actually made these and they were WONDERFUL
2. One Year of Organizing: Monthly Checklists - I only looked at January, but these seem doable!
3. Hanging Convo Hearts - I'm thinking of having the kids make these out of paper and doing it year after year . . . like their Valentines to each other!
4. Hootenanny - this is another one that we actually tried and it came out pretty good! The kids loved it with a little syrup and it was REALLY easy!
5. Launch Pad - I REALLY REALLY want to make one of these to hang next to my dry erase monthly calendar. I think I would like to do it for meals. I WILL do this this year...It's a pin I'm going to follow through on! hehehe
6. Magic Sauce - okay . . . I haven't made this so I can't say it is magic for sure but just LOOK at how yummy (and easy) it looks!!!
7. Fabuless Freezer Cooking - if this is NOT your first time visiting, you probably know that I did Once A Month Cooking last year and am planning on doing it again this year. I thought this site had some great ideas for recipes that me and my partner in crime should check out!
8. Valentine Smores - how cute are these? With a little sign that says "I love you 'Smore" each day" :)

If you aren't on Pinterest and would like an invite just leave me your email address and I will send one off to you!

So, here's the deal - Straight from Crystal and Company

In the spirit of Pinterest, please pin this post and a few of the links posted. In turn your post will all get a pin from me and others who link up. Feel free to use the linky to post your pin address, blog post or some of your favorite links, including your own!

Make sure you leave your pin name so I can follow you. Follow me, Crystal and Company as well as my cohost, SusieQTpies Scraps of Life and 3 Boys and a Dog, too!

Happy Pinning!!!

Project Life 2012

2012-01-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

You may remember that I was REALLY excited last year about stumbling across and ordering my Project Life kit. I can't find the post . . . but trust me, I was EXCITED!!! I did awesome the first 3 months. I took pictures, printed pictures and wrote out little journal entries for 3 months! Then . . . I got busy and I got overwhelmed because I got behind and I kept putting it off and putting it off.

As of right now, my 2011 Project Life is a pretty cool album/scrapbook that is about 1/2 done. I have a lot of pictures filled in (thanks to Snapfish for having their penny prints!) but not a lot of the journal cards done and I still have to fill some pictures in here and there. I will finish it when I have time but I have a feeling that isn't going to be anytime soon.

I decided to go a different route for 2012. I'm doing the Digital Project Life over at Shutterfly. I'm thinking it will be a better fit for me because I can do it on the computer and don't have to drag a bunch of stuff out and then put a bunch of stuff back to get any work done on it.

Personally, I would much rather have a more tactile, unique album that is filled with ticket stubs, programs, receipts and such . . . but being practical, this is the easiest and best fit for me RIGHT NOW and I would rather have my memories preserved and the stories remembered than an unfinished product and a box of misc. memorabilia piling up. I think I may just opt for taking pictures of those special things and then *gasp* throw them away!!!

I picked the Turquoise Edition . . . because I like brown and green. I have the first week and a half done - and we aren't even a week and a half into January yet!!!!

Just thought I'd share - and here are some of the pictures that found their way into the first few pages:

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm planning on having a FABULOUS New Year. I'm not setting my expectations too high but I am hoping that we will have some big changes this year. What I'd REALLY like to do this year is move out of this house. It's too small. We've just outgrown it. I'm praying hard core about that one.

Speaking of praying, my only New Year's resolution is that I'm going to go back to church. I am going to make it a regular thing (like it SHOULD be for us Catholics) and I'm going to make sure that my kids know it is a priority. We made a lot of excuses the past 2 years about why we couldn't make it to church on Sundays. The twins were the biggest excuse. Now, I've talked to my MIL and she agreed to come and watch the boys for us Sunday mornings so that we can take Nate and Danika to church. We went on Christmas and made it last weekend (we went Saturday night because we knew that Sunday morning would be a stretch). I have to admit that it felt good. I'm excited about it . . . for all of the reasons I should be but also because it means that I will be able to sit in peace and not have to worry about why a baby is crying for at least an hour. I know that sounds a little selfish and probably not the reason I should want to go to church but hey . . . I'm being honest. :)

I also started reading my In One Year bible. . . don't worry, I'm not going to break into a sermon or start preaching on my blog. It's just something that I want to be able to say that I did. I want to be able to say that I read the bible...the whole thing. We'll see if I can do it. I've actually had the bible for about 2 years but happened to think of it on New Year's Day and thought that I would break it out and give it a shot.

Other than that . . . I don't really have any big plans for this year.

Moving is a priority. So, that will be something that I really work towards.

I'm not dieting. Not that I couldn't use a kick in the butt when it comes to my food choices but I don't have the time to put the amount of energy into it that needs to be put into it to do it right.

I'm planning on still doing my once a month cooking this year, though. So, you can expect to hear things about that. I'm also thinking I would like to be a little more creative in the kitchen. Now that I have my immersion blender and Kitchen Aid mixer!

I'm also planning on trying to be a little bit more positive and focusing on what I have and not what I want. I have a feeling if I can pull that one off I will be one of the happiest people in the world!

Christmas Stress

2011-12-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I didn't have as Merry a Christmas as I wanted.

I hate to admit it because I want appear to have that "perfect" life that I feel like I should be having but I realize that I'm not perfect and I need to stop trying so hard to be.

Jerry, the kids and I (along with my niece, Mia) and Santa

I think that my expectations of Christmas are set too high. As an adult, Christmas just doesn't hold the same magic that it does when you are a little kid. It is a lot of work. It is a lot of stress. It is a lot of planning and preparing and wrapping and packing and praying. Even when you have all that done perfectly, you can't control the things that you have no control over - like how long mass will last or which of your 2 year old sons will scream his head off because he would rather eat chocolate than Christmas dinner. Oddly enough, I think I handled those things pretty well . . . I'm not sure why I felt so down on Christmas Day, but it was a lot worse than I would have EVER expected it to be.

I made sure that the kids had a Merry Christmas and even Jerry had one! They LOVE the X-Box 360 and Kinect. (I LOVE watching them play with them!!! It's hysterical! Jerry is in his GLORY playing Halo again!) It really is great to give to others and I'm so glad that they had an amazing Christmas!

I'm not sure why that didn't make me ecstatic. I loved seeing their faces Christmas morning! I loved hearing the laughs, squeals and giggles. I loved hearing how happy they were! (Except Danika . . . she told me Santa didn't understand her because she said she wanted a BARBIE doll house not a regular doll house. :)

Then it was over. The over part of it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. That, and the fact that I forgot to take my "happy pills" for 2 days in a row because I was too tired to remember and too busy to realize I forgot, made for a weepy, stressed out, puffy eyed me at Christmas dinner.

I'm better now. I'm actually really excited about the new year and plan on taking it on full force with a whole new plan/outlook on how to get things done!!! I'm not going to set myself up for disappointment but I have high hopes for this new year!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Still Searching for that Magical Fix All . . .

2011-12-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

You may remember when I talked about the whining problem we have at our house and how I was hoping to find something to fix it. It's not that I have horrible children. They are genuinely good kids and usually know how to behave but the CONSTANT whining and fighting is KILLING me!!!

I know they are cute:

but I still wanted some help getting them in shape a bit.

During my search, I stumbled upon the book:

Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman (click on the link for the GoodReads page with some review)

and have to say that I've already found the first chapter (titled: Monday) inspirational . . . as well as practical and kind of common sense. Although I already knew a lot of the things I read in the book (I haven't started Tuesday, yet) I feel like I need a little bit of support putting some of the things into practice. It's a lot easier to say you are not going to give in than it is to really stand your ground and NOT give the wailing 4 year old "just one piece of candy" before dinner. . . especially, when you have her 2, 2 year old, brothers wailing behind her.

However, Dr. Leman makes a point that I already know . . . if I'm consistent and stand my ground then I will only have to fight a few battles rather than battle with them my whole life. They will know that I mean business.

I also love that he talks about how it isn't REALLY our job to make our children happy ALL the time. It is actually okay for them to be upset, disappointed, angry or even a little bit sad. I hate to see my children that way, but I also know that life isn't going to always be there to protect and provide for them like Jerry and I do. That doesn't mean I'm going to make them start paying rent right now or make their own dinners but it does mean that they will be responsible for consequences of their actions. (It also means there will be a lot of crying, fighting and screaming while we try to revamp our parenting style and put some of this into play. . . . good thing aspirin was on sale at GE a few weeks ago and I stocked up!)

So, today's little experiment ended up being with Danika. Here's how it went...

Me: Danika, can you please get me 2 diapers so that I can change your brothers and get them down for their nap?

Danika: Can't you get them yourself? You always ask me to do everything.

Me: So, you are telling me that you won't get the diapers for me and that you don't want to help me anymore? How would you feel if I didn't help you anymore?

Danika: You just want me to get the diapers. Why don't you just go get them?

Me: Okay, but then the next time you ask for my help I am going to tell you no.

Danika: Fine.

So, I went and got the diapers and changed the boys. I put them down for their nap and went into the kitchen for a drink. Danika followed me with the remote control.

Danika: I want to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Me: Go ahead. (as I mosey on up to my laptop and pull out my chair)

Danika: I need you to turn it on for me.

Me: Can't you do it yourself?

Danika: No.

Me: Hmm...maybe you should have thought of that before you said you couldn't help me with the diapers. Sorry.

What followed was kind of cool. Danika looked shocked and kind of hurt (okay, I'm not saying that seeing my daughter hurt was fun). Then, she started to cry a little . . . but it wasn't the big sobs that she usually throws at me when she wants something and doesn't get her way. This time, it was kind of like a "I know I screwed up" whimper. She went into the living room and found something else to do and Rudolph still isn't on.

Do I think I won that one? Not necessarily...we will have to see what happens. It will depend on if she will help me the next time I need something or not. I will say that it felt good to set a consequence and follow through with it, though. It was so immediate that I know she understood.

I'll keep you posted and am hoping to read Tuesday later tonight! :)

Holy Bloggy Break!

2011-12-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

It's almost (but not quite) a month since I've posted a blog post . . . and I really, truly have missed blogging. I could try to make excuses for why I haven't blogged and blame my kids . . . they have been SICK SICK SICK for the past month or so. They were even kind enough to pass the sickness on to me so that I had to spend Thanksgiving Eve praying to the porcelain god. (I remember Thanksgiving Eves of the past where I also said a few prayers to that deity, but this was no where near as much fun beforehand).

I could blame it on that . . . but I also could have gotten my butt to my laptop a few days after being sick and just jotted a post or two. The truth is, I just haven't "felt" it lately. I haven't been myself lately. I have been more stressed out than usual and a lot more scatterbrained.

The twins have been horrific when I'm home alone with them - they've been pretty horrific when Jerry is home with me, too...however, they seem to be really happy when I'm not around. I'm starting to get a complex about it. The thing is, they want my attention all to themselves and when I try to make breakfast, lunch, heat up dinner, sit down at my laptop or start to clip some coupons they go NUTS! They want to be on my lap, they want to see what I'm doing and they want to help. It's exhausting and frustrating.

Here's just a few of the things you missed around here!

Thanksgiving went really well after I was done throwing up...here's a picture (NOT of me throwing up)
I'm done Christmas shopping - well . . . that's not 100% true, I still have to go and buy stuff to put in the kids stockings. The major stuff is taken care of and I've already WRAPPED everything, too!!!
Tinsel and Holly (our Magic Elf elves) have been up to their old tricks again...the kids seem less excited about it this year but still run downstairs EVERY morning to see what Tinsel and Holly did that night. Here's some of my favorites:

Tonight, Tinsel and Holly were able to sneak out of the house somehow and hop in Santa's sleigh while he was following the firetruck around handing out animal crackers!!! Nate and Danika's faces were priceless and I really really wish I would have had a camera.
School and work are winding down and I'm REALLY excited about having some extra time off to hang out as a family this year!

I think that's it...lame, huh? Oh well, it got me typing again and I'm sure that I will be back again soon!

Moments I Want to Remember

2011-11-21T20:43:00.001-08:00

The last two days have actually been pretty good days. Yesterday, we took all 4 kids to the mall and then to my SIL's house for dinner. The kids had a blast and were pretty happy - for the most part. The twins still had their "we're 2" moments but they were mostly short lived.

Today, I think they were happy to be home! We did a lot of snuggling and we watched a lot of tv. I didn't get on my laptop until after 2 o'clock!!

While dinner was cooking the twins and Danika were sitting in a row sharing some Fritos, laughing and watching a movie. It was adorable. That's what I want to remember about today. Not that 15 minutes later there were Fritos all over the living room and no one ate dinner because of how many Fritos they ate - I just want to remember how adorable they were while they were laughing and sharing. :)

The Turkey Disguise

2011-11-20T19:06:00.001-08:00

Today, I went to my SIL's house for dinner today and helped her son, Lochlin, with his homework assignment to disguise a turkey so that it wouldn't be noticed at Thanksgiving.

Here's what it looked like when we were done:

Dear Nate

2011-11-19T05:58:00.001-08:00

Dear Nate,

Happy 6th Birthday! I can't believe it was 6 years ago that you were born. I remember so much about that time and yet, it seems so much LONGER than 6 years ago! If anyone would have told me that you would have a sister and 2 brothers by the time you were 4, I would have told them they were NUTS! But . . . here we are and you are an awesome big brother!

This year was a BIG year for you (and me). It was the first time I actually sent you to school instead of having you in school with me. I knew you were ready. I knew you were going to do great and that you needed to kind of spread your wings a tiny bit and do something on your own - you are awesome at it, by the way. I will say, though, that I missed you as soon as I put you on the bus and it was probably one of the longest days of my life until you stepped off the bus at 3:29.

Now, we are both old pros! I still love the fact that you want me to get out of the car and actually walk you to the corner when we drive...it reminds me that you still need me. I also love the days when PapPap comes and sits with the other kids and I walk down to get you at the bus stop because you hold my hand the whole way home. We don't really get too much time just the 2 of us anymore and I love that 5 minute walk!

You are also getting to be so smart! You surprise me everyday by the things you know and how well you can read things. I will tell you - I am probably going to have to be more on my toes because you are starting to know the words I spell to Nana on the phone and you can read things I leave up on my laptop. I'm so proud of you.

You are still a very sensitive little boy. I worry sometimes that people will hurt your feelings and I really do want to protect you from that but I also know that you are a strong and sensitive little boy and you will have no problem taking care of yourself. I love that you decided that you wanted to keep up with ice skating and hockey . . . I know you will get better at it with practice and baseball season is coming up again, too!!!

Thank you so much for being such a wonderful son! You really are amazing and I've learned so much being your mom. You taught me how to be a mom! You are a great role model for your brothers and sister and we all love you so much!

Now, you HAVE to stop leaving your shoes and socks in the middle of the floor and put your clothes in the hamper at night and you will be perfect! hehehe

I love you,
Mama

Tommorow

2011-11-18T17:53:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow my first born will be turning 6. I remember so much about the time when he was first born and brand new. I can't believe he's growing so fast - fast enough to come off the school bus wearing this crown from his teacher. I love that he still had it in getting off the bus and didn't just shove it in his backpack. He is truly an awesome kid!

Those Darn Preschoolers . . .

2011-11-17T18:21:00.001-08:00

I may have vented a little bit about how much earlier the Christmas season seems to be starting lately. Honestly . . . I thought my husband was lying when he said that 99.7 was already doing their 24 hours a day Christmas Music thing. He wasn't. The kids and I listened to Harry Connick Jr. singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the way home from Nana's tonight - I figured it would quiet them down. It did.

Growing up an Errico, I have always been a pretty big believer in the "Christmas DOESN'T start until AFTER Santa shows up in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" and now that I'm a Krajci, I also believe that it requires a viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation after dinner on Thanksgiving to really get going.

So, needless to say, when a small group of my preschoolers started singing Jingle Bells this afternoon I kind of cringed. Then I gasped and said, "Noooo ~ it's not time to sing Jingle Bells, yet!!!" Of course, preschoolers find this reaction hysterical and a cue to sing louder and get the rest of the preschoolers involved. :) If you ask them, their teacher is a riot.

I will say one thing, though. The appearance of the Christmas Carols this early and the energy that the kids had today made me VERY happy that we only have 5 days of school (because we are Tuesday/Thursday only) in December!!! These kids are so excited ALREADY!!! You would think that they are going to get a bunch of presents or something! hehehe (FYI . . . it isn't too early for ME to start counting the days until Christmas Vacation . . . if they can start Christmas Carols, I can start counting down!)

What I Discovered . . . Baby Steps, Right?

2011-11-16T15:46:00.001-08:00

I looked into how to get my kiddos to start acting the way I want them to act today. Of course, I don't have unrealistic expectations that I'm going to have 4 perfect children. What family have you ever heard of that has 4 perfect children? Even the Brady Bunch had Jan . . . and in the movie she was positively creepy.

I do know that I am going to have to get a little bit more organized and active with my children if I'm going to get them to where I want them, though. I'm guessing by what I read today that this is going to be a long search. I'm not going to find the perfect thing to change my crazy kids the very first day that I try. Instead, I'm going to have to really research to find something that fits our family and our current situation.

Like I said, I'm aiming for the beginning of January to really start something - so I have the time to prep and research.

I think the first thing that I need to do is really think about what it is that I want my children to do differently. Just saying, "I want them to stop driving me crazy" isn't going to cut it. So, Baby Step #1 is going to be coming up with some goals that I want to achieve...then I will have to look into the best way to achieve them.

I found this article on 15 Secrets of Happy Families

Here are 3 that I'm going to start trying to incorporate right away:

Break Bread Together -We tried this in the past and it was disastrous. The babies just don't seem to want to eat in the dining room with the rest of us...know why? Because I haven't made a point to make them...I think this is going to change in the upcoming weeks.

Build and Honor Rituals - we have a lot of things that we do . . . but none on a regular basis or with any kind of schedule. I think I'm going to come up with a few things that we do a few times a week just to help us develop rituals we have as a family...and then those will become priorities - above anything else that may come up and try to get in the way.

Encourage Sibling Harmony - I think this is something I'm going to start doing now . . . really stressing how lucky they are to have each other. It isn't always easy for them to see. When Dean and David wreck a Lego masterpiece that Nate had been working on, I practically see the steam coming out of his ears. Luckily, he doesn't go after the babies because he knows they are babies. I have to work on somehow getting him to realize that he is lucky to have a baby brother (or 2) who will do that and annoy him. :)

Okay - that's enough to think about tonight! More tomorrow! :)

More Wine, Less Whine

2011-11-15T19:11:00.001-08:00

The past few days have been rough. Even with me being gone all day Sunday, I feel like I've been listening to whining, crying, cranky kids WAY too much lately.

I need some help.

I'm planning on scouring the internet tomorrow for some sort of reward/behavior program that is REALLY easy to use but REALLY effective. The thing is . . . I need something that is going to be easy for me to keep up with. We tried this really neat chart thing with jobs that the kids had to do every day and then they got tokens for the jobs and then they could trade the tokens in for some sort of a reward. . . it lasted about 3 days before they could care less and things were too crazy for me to be able to keep them on track. It's important that you remember I currently have 2 two year olds in the house. They wreak havoc every chance they get - at least from the time they wake up until they are back asleep.

I have decided that the only solution for tonight's dilemma of too much whining is to add a little wine to the mix and call it a night . . . I'm hoping to find something inspirational online tomorrow to help with my lack of structure, whining children (ages soon to be 6 and almost 5) and always throwing a tantrum 2 year olds.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated but I totally understand if you just want to grab a glass and laugh at me from your comfy/quiet computer screen. :)

OAMC Day Recap

2011-11-14T06:33:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I posted this before going to bed . . . Exhaustion Doesn't Cover It.

I'm still exhausted and, according to my husband, I still smell like onions. Unfortunately, I woke up WAY too late to get a shower this morning so everyone is going to just have to suffer until the twins take their nap and I can grab one.

On a positive note - I'm not nearly as sore as I was last month. Last month, I could barely walk the day after our OAMC Day. Today - I actually don't feel bad at all! I'm going to contribute that to my SIL telling me that I had to keep my shoes on all day. Although I very rarely wear my shoes when I'm inside, I took her advice and my hips and back feel fine today!

I'm also happy to report that THE FREEZER IS FULL - again!!!

This month we made:

For Breakfast -

Harvest Pancakes

Which already have the approval of Christine's kiddos - and I liked them, too!

Chocolate Coconut Granola Bars

Before the Oven

After the oven

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are DELICIOUS!!!

I have not been disappointed in a single breakfast muffin that we have made . . . and most of them are REALLY easy, too. It actually makes me want to find my own muffin recipes and try some of them out, too!!!

For Lunch -

Taco Soup

Looks yummy, right? Almost like a chili but not chili. :)

I originally thought that it was the same as this Taco Stew recipe I saw on Crock Pot Girls. I was really excited because it was one of the recipes I had written in my food journal to make someday. I even pulled my food journal out yesterday because I had written the recipe down and needed to know if I should or shouldn't drain the cans. The journal said drain 'em. So . . . I did and it really does seem like it will be fine. I went back and looked at the recipes today and realize that they aren't exactly the same. The Taco Stew recipe adds a package of taco seasoning - which we didn't add to the soup. The Taco Soup recipe states that you should NOT drain the cans . . . and I did. I'm sure it will be just fine but if not . . . it's probably because I drained the cans. I hope Christine can forgive me!!!

I'm planning on trying these Mexican Grilled Cheese sandwiches with the Taco Soup to make it a dinner one night!

Broccoli Cheddar Biscuits

I don't have a picture of these but they were SO easy to make!!! I can definitely see me making them again on my own some time. We even sampled them with our White Chicken Chili (from our 1st cooking adventure) that we had for lunch - they were a hit!

Ham and Cheese Quesadillas

These were YUMMY, too!!! Christine and I ended up eating them for dinner because of a crock pot malfunction that ruined our dinner plans. They were easy to make and very yummy to eat!!! (Of course they LOOKED easy to make - Christine was actually the one putting them together. :)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Final product looks pretty good!

I have to admit, this one made me nervous when I was making it. First of all, we don't have a pot big enough to make 20 servings of this in. So, I had to split it up into 2 pots. Also, the chicken was still a little frozen (okay . . . a lot frozen) which made cooking it a little bit of a longer process. Then . . . when it was cooking, there was this film that kind of came to the surface, which made me nervous. However, after the rice all puffed up and I skimmed that skin off the top it looked (and tasted - because I took a spoonful) really good! I expect this one to be a hit!

For Dinner -

I don't have any pictures of the dinners but here they are:

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf - this was the first thing that Christine put together. We wanted to get them in the freezer first because we didn't have enough loaf pans to freeze them and we wanted to make sure they were nice and solid before we packaged them.

It was shortly after this that we realized we didn't have enough eggs . . . so I made my very first during cooking grocery store run. It was shortly after I got back that we realized I thought the coconut for the granola bars was on Christine's list when it was really on mine . . . so I made my second (in one day) during cooking grocery store run.

Salsa Chicken - I think these kind of dinners are my favorite. No cooking on our big cooking day . . . just throw it all in a big bag and throw the contents of the bag into the slow cooker on the day you want to make it! I actually think I would like to make an entire month's worth of meals this way someday!!!

I even found this site . . . Mama and Baby Love - which does exactly what I'm hoping to try some day . . . an entire month's worth of slow cooker meals!!! Not that I'm in any huge rush to try it. I'm actually thinking it may be better to do in the summer because we are so busy I could just throw dinner in when I get up and have it done at dinner time!

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna - Christine did this one. I know that we had a lot of left over sauce and I have some in my fridge now that I'm going to try to come up with something to do with. I think Jerry and I will like this one, though!!!

Mama's Meatballs and Gravy - This one was kind of a team effort. It was the last meal we tackled and we did it together, although Christine formed more meatballs than I did because I was busy packing up stuff we had flash freezing so that we could free up some cookie sheets to bake the meatballs on. My kids LOVE meatballs and I can't see this dish being an exception.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta - I was mostly responsible for this one - which we both decided to skip the red pepper flakes on (although after a sample, we will probably add them to OUR dish but not the kids) - I did leave the messy packaging to Christine, though. I love that on the original site this is called "Spin-Art Pasta" I think I may get bonus points for getting the kids to eat it if I use that name for it!

Lentil Tacos - This was by far the scariest dish on our menu. Neither Christine or I have really ever prepared or eaten a lot of lentils. We weren't even really sure how they were suppose to look when they were cooked. We had a few minor problems . . . like the amount of water on the original recipe was for the original measurements, which serves 4 - 6, and we were making enough to serve 20 (because we make 10 servings per meal and each meal twice). After some adjustments (i.e. guessing) I think they turned out alright. I doubt they will be a grand slam in either household, but I think they will get eaten here . . . probably as nacho toppings by Jerry and I.

Ground Beef Stroganoff - This was another tough one to do in one big pot like it suggests. I ended up browning the ground beef and then doing the rest. I separated the ground beef into 4 containers and then evenly portioned the "sauce" on top. I hope it works. I know that the last time we made Beef Stroganoff, my kids LOVED it!!!

Chicken Stuffing Bake - Christine assembled this one, too. She did make the comment to her husband, Jim, that she thought that he was going to like this one! I'm sure my kids will, too. After all . . . stuffing always makes a dinner better!!!

For those of you that might be curious about what this does to your wallet . . . we spent around $170 to take home 2 meals of each of the things that we made. Honestly, it's A LOT cheaper than eating out even once a week when you are feeding a family of 6! As the kids get bigger, we will probably have to adjust the portion sizes again but for now this has been working great!

Well . . . there you have it. Probably the most detailed recap I've ever done of one of the cooking days. I had a great time with Christine and even her husband noticed that we seem to be getting "better" at this! I think we would have been done a lot sooner if we wouldn't have felt like we were doing so well. We kinda slowed down because we thought we were in the home stretch when really we had way more to do than we thought. We did, however, get a chance to pick our next date and go over the menu and grocery list. I think next month is going to have a lot more day before prep work but I'm hoping *fingers crossed* that means a little bit of an easier day on our big cooking day.

Okay . . . off to the school bus and then to tackle some more of the crazy mess I came home to last night! Mama's work is NEVER done! (But secretly I LOVE it and wouldn't have it any other way!!!)

Exhausted Doesn't Cover It

2011-11-13T19:21:00.001-08:00

This is the second time (I think) that I am using the Blogger app on my iPhone to write a post. I was all ready to go to sleep when I remembered that I forgot to write today. I'm WAY too tired to go back downstairs to type this up on the laptop . . . so, this is what you get.

Today way another successful cooking day. I plan on sharing pictures and stories about our day tomorrow - but I did want to tell you a little bit about it tonight. Mainly that I'm so exhausted I can barely move. I have no idea how professionals cook for a lot of people for hours at a time. I could never do that every day.

Our day basically broke down like this:

Packed the car @ 7:30
Got to Christine's @ 8:00
Started cooking - after unloading the car @ 8:30
Cooked until 7:30 pm
Planned next month's shopping list and took inventory until 8:00
Jim helped me load the car back up @ 8:00
Home by 8:30

In bed @ 10:15

I plan on being sound asleep in 15 minutes and know it will not be a problem. I'm going to get the best night's sleep I will get all month because I'm exhausted AND because I feel a huge sense of accomplishment, which will help my mind to stop thinking about what else I should/could have done today!

Good night all - more about today . . . tomorrow!

Prepping for the Big Day

2011-11-12T10:08:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow will be my 3rd time spending a day at my friend Christine's house following Once a Month Mom's Once a Month Cooking menu. I am excited for a few reasons and already kind of tired thinking about it.

I'm excited because -

I get to spend all day with Christine and her Family. :) I love that her girls know the house is going to be filled with music and good smells when I come over! Her husband, Jim, is always so nice to me, too . . . not that we get to talk much but he is a big help when I have to lug everything back to the car at the end of the day - he also is the one who makes sure we take breaks to eat something so we don't fall over.
I get to try new things - I get to learn how to do new things in the kitchen. Each month, I've learned something new and I'm sure that next month won't be an exception! We are making Granola Bars!!!! I've never done that before!
I get to stock up my freezer with new meals. I've been enjoying the things that we have but I will say that by the time our next cooking day rolls around I am ready to try some new stuff. I still have some stuff from September (only 1 frozen Baked Ziti) and some from October in the freezer. It will be nice to be able to add some new stuff to the menu, though.
I'm also excited that I get a break from my kids. I know . . . what a horrible thing to say . . . but this week I only worked one day. So, I've been at home with them since Wednesday - with the exception of the 2 hours that I went grocery shopping with Jerry last night. I need a break. It will also make Monday so much easier to deal with.

If I had to complain - which is SO hard for me to do (please note the sarcasm there) - here are the things I'm not looking forward to -

Packing the car. I leave pretty early in the morning (early for me, at least) - so I end up packing a lot of things the night before and then grabbing any fresh stuff in the morning. It's like packing to go on a vacation once a month. There is SO much stuff! I will have to take a picture to share with you tomorrow.
Unpacking the car. I always feel like I'm moving in when Christine comes down and helps me make 4 or 5 trips up and down the steps to bring things into her kitchen.
Standing all day. It can't be avoided...we have to do a lot of standing and moving around the kitchen. Last month, I didn't wear my shoes. This month I think I'm going to in hopes that my hips feel better the next day this time than they did last time.
Doing dishes . . . we both do dishes ALL DAY LONG. It's another unavoidable consequence of cooking all day but UGH. I hate doing dishes but I can only imagine what Christine's kitchen would look like if we didn't keep up with them!
Packing up again to go home and then unpacking once I get home...this is probably the only reason I wish we could do it in my kitchen. My kitchen just wouldn't work, though, and I'm extremely grateful that Christine lets us do this at her place. I wish she lived next door, though - wait, I wish I lived next door to her...it would make this whole process a lot easier!

Don't get me wrong . . . it's worth it! Totally worth it!!! I just didn't want you to think it was all butterflies and sunshine. It has it's hard parts, too. :)

Anyway - I'm sure that tomorrow will be a beautiful weather day . . . because it is always beautiful on our cooking days! I have something ready for Jerry to throw in the crock pot in the morning so his dinner is taken care of and I'm taking something to Christine's for us to throw in the crock pot for our dinner - actually, we are all eating the same thing tomorrow because I had 2 of them in my freezer!

Wish me luck . . . Tomorrow may turn out the be the most challenging day to get a blog post in so far!!!

Happy Veteran's Day to My Heroes

2011-11-11T08:02:00.001-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day - it really does mean more than the kids being off of school, the banks and post offices being closed. This morning on Facebook I came across this explanation of what a Veteran is . . .

I have been blessed enough to know a few amazing Veterans and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their service.

First, is my grandfather, my mother's father, who passed away before I was married.

My grandfather was an amazing man - think John Wayne . . . he was quiet and never really made a fuss (at least not that I know of) but when he did have something to say, everyone listened. He worked in the Steel Mill after serving in WWII. He was a hard worker. I remember my grandfather as a man of few words but he had the best laugh in the whole world. It was a big laugh. A big belly laugh that would make you smile. I'm sad that he isn't here to meet my children. I know he would have loved them and they would have adored him. He is definitely one of my heroes.

Next up is a guy who I've always considered my "little brother" - even though we are in no way related.

Derek is the handsome one on the left . . . with the glasses. We didn't really meet until I was already in high school but we became really close as we both went through High School and I went off to college. I remember Derek's going away party when he left for Basic but I don't think it really sunk in what he was really doing. I talked to his beautiful wife, Jodi, a lot when he was deployed and I remember thinking how strong they all were while he was gone. Derek has 2 awesome children, Dominic and Mia, who both had to make sacrifices, too. After he came home, Derek would tell me stories of what he did while he was deployed and all I could think of at the time was, "Thank God you didn't tell me that when you were gone!" I really do appreciate his sacrifices and the risks he took. He even made it a point to fly home for my wedding! He told them his sister was getting married! :) I remember practically attacking him when I saw him the night of the rehearsal dinner! Derek is definitely another one of my heroes.

Speaking of my wedding, the next Veteran I would like to thank was my husband's roommate in college and one of the groomsmen in our wedding . . .

Justin, or Uncle Lu Lu (as the kids knew him), is one of the funniest guys I've ever met. I always had a great time when he was around. He is also one of the nicest guys I know. I remember when we moved into our house . . . Justin had just come back from being deployed and he stopped over to help us take down wallpaper and paint. He also bought us our microwave - that we still use to this day - as a wedding shower present. I remember him bringing microwave popcorn over, too . . . so we could try it out and eat popcorn while we painted. Life has kind of gotten in the way of us keeping in touch with Justin and we miss him a lot (especially during the summer and grilling season because he was always around to help us test new barbecue recipes and throw back a couple beers) - but he pops into conversations every once in while and we are able to keep tabs on each other through the power of Facebook. Justin is another one of my heroes!

Another guy who is always willing to help test out some recipes and throw a few back is Matt.

Matt and I became friends just from being around the same people. Honestly, for a while I thought he was literally insane. However, after a couple of late night conversations, I now know that Matt is one of the smartest people I know. Matt and Jerry are hysterical to watch together. They are almost EXACT opposites in personality but when they are together you can't help but laugh at what ensues. I remember when Matt was leaving to be deployed - I wanted to give him something. He's not very religious but he had commented a few times about how he liked my grandfather's rosary...so, I told him to take it with him. He didn't want to because of the sentimental value it held for me, being my grandfather's and all, but I told him I wasn't giving it to him . . . just letting him borrow it! Jerry and I were lucky enough to attend Matt's wedding a little over a year ago. It was a great party and we are so happy for him! Matt is certainly one of my heroes.

Last but not least is a guy I haven't seen in probably 10 years or more . . .

I knew JR from good old St. Joseph High School. JR and I weren't super close in High School, but we hung out with the same people. He dated a few of my friends and I dated at least one of his. We would see each other at parties and later on at the weddings of friends. I remember someone telling me about JR joining the Marines and I was surprised. Then I saw JR on Facebook a while later and was totally amazed at how different (and amazing) he looked! He now has a beautiful family and loves what he does. In an odd sort of way I was kind of proud of him . . . it's only odd because I don't know what right I have to be proud of him but I am. JR is absolutely one of my heroes.

Since having children, I realize even more how important our service men and women are to me. I appreciate that they protect me but I am absolutely humbled and eternally grateful for the fact that they protect my 4 children in a way that I cannot.

Thanks to all of you - the ones I've mentioned and the ones who I haven't - it amazes me that you would sacrifice so much for people that you don't know. You are truly amazing men and women and I can only hope to raise my children as well as your parents raised you! :)

Because I'm a Mother . . .

2011-11-10T18:48:00.001-08:00

It hasn't been a really overly joyful atmosphere at our house the past couple of days. We've tried to hide it from the kiddos as much as possible - in fact, I'm pretty sure they haven't heard anything about it - but Jerry and I have been horrified by the details of the PSU scandal that has been rocking the university and it's alumni. Jerry is one of those alumni. He didn't play football or any other official university sport but he did love his school . . . he still does love it.

It is a beautiful campus. The surrounding areas are quaint and scream college life. I loved the weekends I would spend up there with Jerry...it really is a special place.

The scandal doesn't change that. I think a lot of people are losing sight of what is important in the whole thing. I've seen several people saying how it is unfair to this person or that person. The ONLY people who I feel bad for in this whole situation are those poor, innocent boys who were robbed of their childhood and who suffered something no child should EVER suffer.

I also feel bad for the football players that currently play for Penn State. Rest assured, I know this scandal isn't about football - other than the sick individual who is ultimately to blame was part of the football program. It has nothing to do with the current football program - but they are unfortunately getting a lot of backlash from it. I feel bad for them for that. I would hate to be known as part of the team when Joe Pa was fired. It isn't fair that their football careers are overshadowed by this. It isn't fair to any of the students. It's just another reason to dislike the man behind it all - Jerry Sandusky.

I don't know too many details about what is going on. I don't really want to know. I get so angry when I read about adults who abuse children. I get so sad and scared for my children. I get so incredibly irate that ANY adult would be able to hurt a child like that while other adults KNOW what is going on.

I'm not sure if you all have seen that YouTube video where the father, Judge William Adams, beats his disabled daughter for using the internet. It is REALLY disturbing and something I wasn't sure I wanted to watch. I did watch it. I'll be honest with you and say that what the father did was awful. I felt horrible for that girl BUT what the mother did was WAY worse, or at least as bad, in my opinion! I have no idea how she could allow her husband to do that to her daughter and to tell her daughter to lay down and take it like a woman (I don't know if that is exactly what she said . . . but it is close) - I was horrified.

As an educator, I know I have a responsibility to make sure that the children I teach are safe. It is my responsibility to make sure that they are safe at school but also that they are safe at home. I'm required BY LAW to report any kind of abuse that I witness or even have strong suspicion of taking place. I have been lucky enough to never have to do that . . . but I would if I had to. If I had a child come to me or another person come to me and tell me that there was abuse taking place, I would have no problems calling authorities to let them know. I would also tell my supervisor what I was going to do but I also know that it is MY responsibility to make the call. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't make the call . . . I don't know how they continued with day to day life knowing what they knew and doing nothing about it.

As a mother, I know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing like this happens to my children. I also know that I can't always be there. I can't always have them in my sight. What do you do?

My roommate in college has a blog and she wrote the most awesome post about this whole thing:

Comm Couture on PSU

I felt better after reading it. I felt like I knew what I had to do. I felt like my boys will be okay if I follow her suggestions. (And my little girl, of course . . . but I think she will have a lot more protection than just me. hehehe) Thanks, Jess . . . I needed that!

Mornings

2011-11-09T19:31:00.001-08:00

I think every mother of multiple children who stays at home looks forward to the day when they will enjoy peaceful "quiet" mornings. I know that my mornings are much more peaceful when it is just me and the boys than when we are all home. I'm gearing up for a long weekend - with all 4 kiddos - on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This morning, I enjoyed an unusually peaceful and relaxing morning. My co-worker/friend, Juli, picked Danika up for school and then I headed to the bus stop to drop Nate off. When we got back, I put on a movie that the boys had never seen, gave them cupcakes, picked up the Legos and started the dishwasher. Then, I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down in front of my computer . . . for a full hour . . . and enjoyed EVERY minute of it.

Here's some pictures of the boys enjoying their cupcakes:

Cupcakes for breakfast? Yeah . . . you're looking at #3 and #4 - they get away with SO much more!

I'm looking forward to not having to go anywhere on Friday or Saturday morning. I'm looking forward to not rushing around and packing a lunch or searching for socks and shoes. I'm also looking forward to getting some work done. I'm hoping that the "big" kids will help with the "little" ones and that maybe Mommy can finally get the laundry done.

The #1 Problem with Blogging Every Day

2011-11-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

I don't mind blogging every day. In fact, I could probably blog a couple times a day if I had enough time. There is certainly enough "bloggable" material around here. From my daughter who is the BIGGEST drama queen I've ever met to my twins who both have different styles of biting me when I tick them off.

(Dean bites like he wants to bite through my skin . . . David bites like he wants to rip a piece of my skin off . . . both hurt like hell!!!)

Today, we had a parent/teacher conference with Nate's teacher and he threw out the "gifted" suggestion - now, Nate didn't quite make the cut last month when he had a test done . . . but they are going to do it again in January and his teacher thinks the results will be different. He did tell me not to get worked up either way because he may or may not qualify in the long run . . . but he brought it up anyway.

So, of course I'm going to look into it and see what I can do to help him - if there is anything I can do. I'm thinking "gifted" is probably one of those things you just are and can't learn to be, right?

What does all this have to do with having blogging problems?

I don't have pictures of any of it. I don't like to blog without having some kind of picture to go along with what I'm writing about. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I am such a visual person. I like to see things when I'm reading about them . . . so I also like to show pictures when I am writing.

I'm not sure how to overcome this feeling that I need a picture for every blog post. I don't even know if I should. It's probably better to have a picture, right?

When blogging everyday, though, that is tough.

Any suggestions? Ideas? If you are a blogger, what do you do?

More later . . . pictures FOR SURE tomorrow!!! ;)

Not too early for this . . .

2011-11-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

While I admit that I complained about people getting into the Christmas "spirit" earlier and earlier, I will admit that I have been doing a little Christmas planning of my own the past few weeks.

If you have been reading my blog a while, you will remember that we had some mischievous visitors that came to stay with us from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Our Elf Magic Elves - Tinsel and Holly!!!

Now . . . Tinsel and Holly caused quite a bit of trouble at our house last year! They painted Jerry and Nate's toenails pink while they were sleeping! They hung snowflakes from the ceiling! They wrote with lipstick on the bathroom mirror! They played with toys while we were in bed!

They also did some really nice things like bake cookies for us to eat for breakfast! They gave us treats on St. Nicholas Day and they left us a special present when Santa took them back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. (I will admit I was really SHOCKED - although I shouldn't have been - that Danika actually cried surrounded by all of her new Christmas presents because she missed Holly already!)

We have already written letters to Santa to ask him if Tinsel and Holly can come back this year.

I highly recommend doing the same thing in your house. We had SO much fun! Not only was it fun seeing what they got into each morning with the kids (they were so excited EVERY morning to see what they had done!) but it is also fun to share it with friends and have them talk to the kids about what our elves are into this time!

I've actually started a Pinterest Board with some ideas for Tinsel and Holly this year . . . if you want to get some ideas for what your elves might get into during their stay with you!

http://pinterest.com/jkrajci/elf-ideas/

I'd love to know if you are having any magic elves visit you or if you have an Elf on the Shelf that gets into things every once in a while! I'd love to get some new ideas, too!!! Please, share if you have any!

Now off to make a list of things to start making sure I have so that the elves have the things they need to make this year a memorable visit!!!

Only a dedicated blogger

2011-11-06T16:12:00.001-08:00

Would post from the parking lot of an evening tailgate before heading into the game!! NaBloPoMo at it's finest!!!

Here we go!!!

Are you serious?!?

2011-11-05T19:16:00.001-07:00

I'm sure it is a common complaint. Christmas stuff starts WAY too early these days. There are Christmas things up in the aisles of Walmart, Walgreens and Kmart. The Black Friday ads have started leaking and Christmas lists are being made from toy catalogs that showed up in the newspaper last week.

I really do feel like it is earlier every year.

I usually don't complain about it too much because there isn't much that anyone can do about it BUT when we we turned the corner to come home tonight we were greeted by Christmas lights!!!

I'm thinking it was only because the weather has been nice and they were getting it done now but won't light them until closer to Christmas. I'm hoping that is it because I will hear "Is it Christmas yet?" everyday soon enough - the lights will just make it worse! They went running down the street to see them as soon as the car stopped.

It's gonna be a long November.

Dear famous person reading this . . .

2011-11-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

I really don't watch too much entertainment news. It depresses me. Like most people in my "situation", money is an issue right now.

By my situation I mean

One full-time income
4 small children
One part-time income that is done for the love of the job and definitely NOT the money
Credit Card Bills
Mortgage
2 Car Payments
Utilities and Groceries

We get by but we could definitely use some help.

Since I don't watch entertainment news, I don't have to hear all about what the more monetarily fortunate people in the world are spending their extra money on these days. I feel better not knowing.

However, I do have to get in my car and go somewhere every once in a while. Like this morning when I dropped Nate off at the bus stop . . . I drove because the boys still aren't feeling great. I heard a little blurb about Kim Kardashian's engagement ring and how her soon to be ex-husband wants it back. I knew it was expensive. . . I'd probably want it back, too.

As a side note: I really, really hope that the whole Kardashian clan is more sensitive and human in person and when the cameras are off . . . because the little I have seen of them on TV frightens me. They are so . . . so . . . wrapped up in things that don't really matter? Why do they even have all this popularity and money and such? I guess I should look into it if I'm interested but I'm not that interested.

All I have to say is, if she wants to tick her soon-to-be-ex off, I would be MORE than willing to take that $2 MILLION dollar ring off of her hands...I have big plans for that money!!! (like a house with a second bathroom . . . you should have heard the fighting between the 5 and 4 year old this morning. Ugh)

It's funny - but sometimes when I'm writing a blog post (or after I've finished) I think about someone famous, like Oprah or Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, reading it and commenting to someone in the room, "I think I will come home from vacation a day early so that this nice family of 6 can pay off their credit cards, car payments, get a new house and send their 4 children to college. Just write them a check and will do it Publisher Clearing House style..."

Don't get me wrong. I know that the Pitt/Jolie clan gives a ton of money to charities and Oprah does wonderful things for others. (Which is probably why they come to mind!!!) With as much money as they have, there are also a lot of pressures. I know there have to be insane expenses that come along with their lifestyles. I know that there are probably plenty of people who take advantage of them and their financial situation. Plus, I also know that money like that isn't going to just fall into my lap. I need to earn it - they earn it.

I doubt I would trade lives with them.

Bank accounts?

Yes.

I'd trade bank accounts with them but not lives.

I don't think I could do their jobs.

The only performing I'm any good at is reading picture books with a great deal of inflection in my voice and singing "The Wheels on the Bus" slightly off key but with the best hand motions.

I get paid in smile and hugs.

When I'm old, I'm sure looking back on those smiles and hugs will make me much happier than a $2 Million Dollar Engagement ring sitting in a jewelry box collecting dust.