Torres Tidbits

Menu Monday

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

Saturday I got to spend an evening with my closest girlfriends. An evening I like to call, 'My Last Supper'. My last supper for a long time with just the girls. My superstar SIL put it all together. It was supposed to be just a girls' night out dinner, but the girls came with gifts and the SIL came with a cake. My Last Supper turned into a very quaint shower.

Today I put away all the goodies for Baby #3. His room is all ready minus one very special piece of art (which will be a blog post all by itself). All of his clothing items, blankets, and burp rags are washed and put away. The car seat is out of the attic. The suitcase is out waiting to be packed. All we're waiting on is baby. Technically, he's not supposed to make his debut until February 26th, but I'm hoping he's an early bird like his brother and sister were. I guess we'll just wait and see. I mean, do I really have a choice?

So as we're waitin' and seein', life will go on as normal at the Torres house. So here's our menu...

Monday-Oven Baked Fried Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, Peas
Tuesday-Chicken Parmigiana, The Bread, Salad
Wednesday-Sloppy Joes, Raw Veggies with Dip, Orange Slices
Thursday-Grilled Chicken, Peppers, and Onions, Cheesy Biscuits, Fruit Salad
Friday-Seasoned Tilapia, Roasted Green Beans, Crescents
Saturday-Pre-Baby DATE day and evening! (Thank you Mom and Michael)
Sunday-Creamy Chicken with Celery and Onions served over Biscuits

Things I Should Not Eat...But Will

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

{Picture via Lemon Drop}

Orange Julius

{Picture via Sweet Treats and More}

Turtle Cheesecake Bars

{Picture via Louanne's Kitchen}

I wish I could magically snap my fingers and these little nuggets would appear in my hand.

Feel free to drop by anytime if you have one of these with you.

Happy Friday!!!

A Little Quirk

2012-01-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

There are some things about me that are just plain weird. Like I find it sacrilegious to have your toilet paper pull from the underneath side. It must go over. Never, ever under. I also have another weird one...

Milk. It can only come from one place if you expect me to drink it. I am a milk snob. I will not shop the sales or use coupons to get the cheapest milk. I have to have Braum's skim milk. Nothing else will do. The rest just taste sour or spoiled.

You will never catch me ordering a milk at a breakfast place or grabbing a jug at the donut shop. In fact, I will only drink milk out of my own fridge or my mom's (she's a Braum's snob too). If Braum's were to go out of business, I would have withdrawals. Probably bodily convulsions would be involved.

I've even ruined my son. He tried another top brand of milk, took one sip, and told me it didn't taste right. In fact he said, "Mom, I think this milk is bad. It taste yucky." I wasn't sure if I should feel sorry for him because he is now limited to his milk selections, or if I should jump for joy because he's made such a great decision at a young age. All I know is I must be doing something right if he is a milk snob too.

You Gotta See It

2012-01-25T06:30:00.000-06:00

Have you watched it yet?

Have you seen it?

You should rent that.

You just gotta see it.

It will change your life.

We've heard them all from family and friends. So when when we were sitting around Saturday night, we decided to order it. What you ask? The movie Courageous.

I have to be honest. I believed my friends when they told me all of the above statements, but I really didn't think I would have the same reaction. Within the first five minutes of the movie, my heart sank. The parent in me couldn't take it. Heart wrenching. Made me think. How would I react?

The entire movie really made Steven and I evaluate how we parent our children and how we live our lives. How we treat our children in respect to their gender. I'm not going to lie. You will need tissues. Lots of them. Even though there are devastating moments, it's worth seeing. In fact, it's a must see.

Steven and I spent a good hour after the movie just talking about our goals for our family and our children. I can't say we came up with any mind blowing ideas, but reaffirmed what we know to be true and what we must do to raise our children.

If you Redbox this movie, you'll invest $1 for the future of you family.

Seriously, do it.

Do it now!

That's not too bossy, is it?

A Tale of Two Women

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time there were two women, and they looked like this...

Those women had a day to shop all by themselves. They went here...

They were there shopping for fabric for a baby blanket. It's tradition for every new baby to get a quilt made by the women of the family. Each woman gets a square to embroider and then the quilt gets pieced together. The end results looks something like this (if you are a girl baby)...

Editor's Note: Please excuse the chick on the right. She had just delivered a baby a month prior to taking this pic. She looks a little tired and scary.

As the two women were strolling the aisles looking for the perfect fabric, one woman decided to veer off course. (Another Editor's Note: This usually happens when the above mentioned women get together. They often have a difficult time staying focused on one topic at a time. They are multi-taskers.) She saw fabric that caught her eye and another project came to mind. The baby blanket got pushed to the side.

This woman had been desiring to recover her kitchen chairs. After almost 8 years and two kids later (almost 3), the upholstery on the chairs had seen better days. This new fabric was a perfect match and design for her house. Better yet, the new fabric was half off. The woman had her mother figure out how much she needed while she sat down in a chair and contemplated lunch. She was getting hungry.

After the woman's mother declared she would need 3 yards of fabric, she pulled it off the roller and stood in line for it to be cut. Fortunately, the women also completed their original task of picking out the baby's fabric as well. They may chase rabbits, but they still get jobs done.

After many other errands and a nice hardy lunch, the women decided to call it a day and return to their own homes. The fabric for the chairs sat in its original bag on the folding table in the laundry room for a few weeks.

Finally, the two women were able to get together again. They decided it was time to recover the nasty chairs. After much pulling, stapling, pulling, tucking, more stapling, the women finished the chairs. They now look like this...

...and they make one woman very happy. THE END.

Now wasn't that a great story? Your life probably feels more complete after reading this cliffhanger of a story.

Menu Monday

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-06:00

I currently have preggo brain. No special words of wisdom for you today. Just the menu.

Monday-BBQ Quesadillas with chips and dip
Tuesday-Grilled Chicken Salad, Fresh Fruit, Crescent Rolls
Wednesday-Mexican Casserole with Corn Saute
Thursday-Bacon Chicken Roll Ups, Broccoli Bake, The Bread
Friday-Breakfast for Dinner
Saturday-Pizza Delivery! This Mama's going out to dinner with friends.
Sunday-Dinner @ Mom's...I think...If not, leftovers.

Time vs. Money

2012-01-20T06:30:00.000-06:00

Recently a new gym opened up less than a mile from Steven's office. Since he works out during his lunch hour he was really enticed to try it out. Making the most of his time. Our current gym is about 5.5 miles away from his office. Not too far, but not a block away either.

We had a little money dilemma facing us. The gym we are currently members of, and have been since 2000, only charges us $30/month for the both of us. No renewal fees. No annual fees. Just $30 every month. Not too shabby since Steven uses the gym five days a week. Me, well, I haven't been in for-ev-er. I blame it on pregnancy.

Even though I am very comfortable with our low monthly gym payment, I told Steven to look into the new gym. He came back with a one time enrollment fee of $85 for the both of us and $40/month. I wasn't too jazzed about the enrollment fee and/or the possible increase of a monthly bill. You know me. I like to decrease the bills. Not increase.

Even though the new gym appeared to be more expensive, I thought about the time Steven would recoup from a shorter travel. Then I got to thinking about the mileage. I did the math. After calculating the mileage of the round trip to the old gym vs. the mileage back and forth to the new gym it was a considerable difference. Even though the new gym was more expensive, our savings in gas made the new gym more appealing financially. By the time I was done adding, subtracting, and dividing, I realized we would save around $25/month by switching to a more expensive gym.

When you are thinking of making changes, it's really important to weigh your options. Take into consideration everything that affects your bottom line. Something that seems to be more expensive, can actually be the better choice.

Now here's the shocker. Knowing that the new gym would save me money from reducing our gas cost, we went with our old gym. Shocking, I know. Amanda Torres chose the more expensive option. The main reason...Steven likes our old gym better. It fits his workout style better. Since he looks amazing, I let him make the decision. After all, he is saving us money in medical bills by keeping his body fine tuned. I guess he's frugal after all! Frugal and good lookin'. A very attractive combination.

Food From the Farm

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I traveled with just my mom to visit my grandparents. I love my kids dearly, but it was nice to spend some quality time with my mom and to be able to sit uninterrupted and visit with my grandparents.

One thing my grandpa has always been good at is sharing stories from his past. He has spent countless hours researching our genealogy. He's even worked hard to document the genealogy of Steven's family. Basically, a family tree full of Swedes and Puerto Ricans. What a combination! If you're wondering what happens when you cross a Swede and a Puerto Rican, this is what you get...

{A pretty great merger if you ask me}

On this particular trip, my grandpa wanted to share a story from the 1930's when he was a boy. The story really reminds me of how much we've lost our connection to food. We go to the store, buy our food, and cook it up. We forget what really had to be done to put a meal together. Let me remind you...

When my grandpa was a young boy, his grandmother handed him a cast iron skillet and told him to take a trip to the smokehouse. He was to cut a slab of pork, stop by to pick up some eggs from the hen house, and hand her the ingredients in the cast iron skillet. By the time his task was done and he was headed back to the farm house, his grandmother had buttermilk biscuits baking in the wood stove. She took his pork and eggs and cooked them up.

Can you even imagine the taste of that breakfast? Everything so fresh. You knew exactly where your food came from. You were connected to your food. You worked hard for what you ate. Convenience and food weren't words that were ever associated together.

What was even more amazing was as my grandpa was talking of his past, another woman, who was also in the dining hall, stopped at our table. She recalled times of a similar past. If I could go back to one time period for one day, it would be the 1930's. I would like to experience the smokehouse, the hen house, the wood burning stove, the fresh food, the work to prepare a meal, all of it. Since that's not going to happen, I guess I'll continue to listen and cherish the memories told by my grandpa.

{A gigantic me listening to an amazing grandpa}

Let's Go Back...Thanksgiving

2012-01-18T06:30:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving. Doesn't it seem so long ago? Less than two months, but time flies by so fast. Our Thanksgiving was an extra special one for many reasons. The main reason was we were able to spend time at my grandparents house in Springfield, MO. Not only do Steven and I have so many special memories of my grandparents, but our kids do as well. They love going to see Peepaw (name given by Little Man) and Mimi (name given by my cousin's oldest daughter). That our kids have memories of their great-grandparents means so much to us. They are fortunate, and one day they will realize how unique it is to really know your family. Especially two generations before them.

Before I get too mushy-gushy, I want to share another reason why we love Springfield, MO. Their parks department is one of the best we have ever experienced. They offer so many unique opportunities. The park shown below is a full day's adventure itself. It comes complete with cliffs to climb, ducks to feed, hills to hike, trails to run, and playground equipment to wear out your kids. I wish the two pictures on the left showed how high we were. It was a real feat to climb up given I was 6 months preggo at the time.

If you think you're done hearing about my adventures to Springfield and my grandparents, you are o' so wrong. Tomorrow will bring some stories that date back to the 1930's, thanks to my grandpa. He can tell some stories. Stories of wonderful food fresh off the farm. And I thought I was a good cook!

If It Were Actually Monday...Menu Monday

2012-01-17T06:30:00.000-06:00

My week is all out of whack. Saturday morning I left my two precious children and wonderful husband to travel up the turnpike to Springfield, MO to visit my grandparents with my mom. We came home late Sunday night. Steven was off on Monday so it seemed more like a Sunday. That would be my excuse for not doing Menu Monday on, well, Monday. So here it is Tuesday and I have a menu. Forgive me, please? I sincerely hope you didn't starve to death yesterday not knowing what to do for dinner. Kidding. I do realize my menu affects you in no way, shape, or form.

Monday-Meatloaf Minis, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Tuesday-Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (carried over from last week)
Wednesday-Baked Chicken, Salad, Seasoned Broccoli
Thursday- Stuffing Chicken Bake, Green Bean Casseroles, and Crescent Rolls
Friday-Hamburgers, Fresh Veggies with Dip, and Fruit Salad
Saturday-Dinner @ Steven's Dad's
Sunday-Pork Chops, Roasted Carrots and Potatoes, Parker Rolls

Because I'm Pregnant...Really Pregnant

2012-01-13T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have pregnancy diarrhea of the mouth. I just can't stop talking about it. Maybe because I feel gigantic, or maybe I just like to talk about myself. Yeah, probably the latter. Unfortunately for you, today is really not going to be any different. I'm here to talk about myself being pregnant.

First off, I have been craving pop. I thought a quick fix to Sonic during Happy Hour would feed my craving until this pregnancy was over. I thought wrong. Today I found myself completely salivating over another Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. I really prefer not to fill myself with chemicals, caffeine, and sugar, especially during pregnancy, but I just can't shake this craving.

Next, I feel like this baby is going to fall out at anytime. My workouts have consisted of teaching gymnastics. That's it. Oh, and that 2.5 mph speed I walk with my friend, Erica, while our kids our taking their gymnastics' class. She's also preggo so we talk about all the stuff no one wants to hear unless you are pregnant. Anyway, all that walking and gymnastics burns calories. Total calories burned probably equates to me losing...uh...let's see...carry the 2...multiply by 3...oh yeah...nothing.

Finally, I'm starting to rethink this whole baby #3 thing. Sure they are cute and cuddly, but do you people realize I am going to have to wake up at night? This just donned on me. I'm in for some real trouble. All I have to say is this baby better be stinkin' cute so I can motivate myself to get out of bed all hours of the night.

That's it folks. I don't have anything else to say. You can go about your business, and spend you day thinking about my toxic levels of craziness. However, if you are reading this by choice, what does that make you? Just food for thought. See you Monday!

Ginormous Pads

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

You know, I was just trying to be a thoughtful wife. I made a list of all the items we would need as soon as we come home from the hospital. Items for me and items for baby.

If you've ever had a baby, you know what 'items for me' entail. Pads. Lots of pads. Ginormous pads. Long in length, wings for the sides, and super duper absorbency. I realize if you've never had a baby or you're a man (If you are a man, why are you reading this blog anyway?), this is probably more information than you ever wanted to know. However, it's a reality. You need pads after having a baby. You need pads for a very long time.

So back to my story at hand. I was trying to spare Steven from the embarrassment of buying pads for me after we return from the hospital. I was thinking ahead and I had coupons. I strategically made my trip to Target yesterday at a non-peak time. I can't remember the last time my Target was crowded at a 10am on Wednesday. Nonetheless, it was. Oh well, I already had my list, my coupons, Chunky Monkey, and Little Miss loaded up. We were going shopping.

The first aisle in my shopping path was the pads aisle. Wonderful. I could stack all my other stuff on top of the jumbo packs. After all, buying pads isn't exactly something you want to advertise to the world. Especially when the packages look like this...

Except I was buying two packages of pads that contained 45 pads/package. Yes, they were huge. It wasn't going to be easy to conceal these monstrosities, but I was going to do it. Until...

Two little stinkers happened. In my perfect world, I would have sat them down in the cart and went about my shopping. However, I didn't factor in Chunky Monkey and Little Miss using them as pillows to carry out their epic pillow fight. I'm pretty sure the words, "Quit hitting your cousin over the head with my pads" came out of my mouth. AND, I'm also pretty sure the lady five aisles over heard me as well.

My humiliation wasn't even close to being over. As I was checking out, I handed over my Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupon I had for the pads. I was trying to hand it to the cashier right when she scanned the item so she wouldn't have to go back and look at the price. Apparently, I threw her off her game. As I handed the coupon over, I said, "Ma'am, I have a coupon for that item you just scanned that will need a price written down."

"I'm sorry. What item was that for?"

Looking back at the line of 3 people behind me, I discreetly whispered, "The pads."

"I didn't hear you. Could you speak up, please?"

Repeating just a little louder, "The pads."

(In almost a yell) "Did you say the pads?"

Covering my face with my hands, I answered, "Yes, the pads."

Really??? Complete embarrassment. Thankfully, the rest of my items checked out well and my pads, kids, and I were able to make it out the door. All of us are safely at home. The pads are tucked neatly away in the bathroom where they will remain until this baby is born. But, if for some reason I didn't purchase enough, it's going to be Steven's turn...and I'll be sending him in with coupons. He'll appreciate that for sure!

Next up on my shopping list...breast pads. Pads, pads, pads. I just can't get enough of them!

Today Is THE Day

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

For over a week I've been experiencing pains. I've tried to ignore them. I've tried to relax. I've tried to rest. I've tried to keep my mind away from them, but the keep coming. So today is the day I'm going in. I'm going in to deliver. Deliver myself from this pain. I'm going here...

You didn't think I was going it to have this baby did you? Nah...I've got 7 weeks left. The pains I've been experiencing come from my taste buds. I have been dying for a Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. A BIG ONE. Not just the value size. The Big Kahuna. The Rt 44. Yes, today I'm getting one.

For the last week I have been resisting the urge to pump my body full of sugars and caffeine. I finally came to the conclusion that if I just feed my need for ultimate thirst quenching one time, it will go away. At least I'm hoping.

Sheer Awesomeness

2012-01-10T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have been to many sporting events. Football, wrestling, gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer, track and field and basketball. I've watched people I love, mainly Steven, in more games than I care to count. However, this past Saturday was a first. I watched my boy suit up and play in his first ever sporting event.

Sitting there with the other parents, I was nervous for him. Nervous in a beginner sport that doesn't even keep an official score, but come on! Who doesn't keep a mental score in their head? After all it's SPORTS. There is a winner and a loser.

Little Man did so well. He stayed focused, did what he was taught at practice, and scored 6 points (not that I was counting). Not to mention he wore his uniform like a sports model. I'm really not biased. I heard other parents talking about him. Does it even really matter that those 'other parents' were related to him? I didn't think so.

Here are a few pictures from his first ever game. A big thank you to my mother who actually brought her camera. I completely forgot. Getting us all out the door on a Saturday morning proved to be a difficult task.

A Full Menu Monday

2012-01-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you just feel full. Not full from eating, not full from busyness, but full from being blessed. Little Man had his first basketball game on Saturday. I got to shop with my mom to help finish out a few things for the Baby #3. I got to attend a great packed out service at our church with my amazing husband and friends. I got to spend time with wonderful neighbors and family watching our kids enjoy their time together. Like I said it was a full kind of weekend. You can't help but feel blessed with so much goodness around you.

There's nothing really special about this week's menu. We're back to business as usual and life is busy. Even with a 5 and 3 year old we have something every night of the week with the exception of Tuesdays and Sundays. One thing Steven and I have always been adamant about is eating dinner together as a family. Occasionally things get in the way, but it is a priority around here. Since it's a priority the menu items are a little less exciting this week. How's that for being a Debbie Downer on what we're eating for dinner?

Monday-Crescent Chicken Roll Ups with Peas

Tuesday-BBQ Pork Chops, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole, and Buttered Bread

Wednesday-Hawaiian King Roll Ham Sammies, Tater Tots, Salad

Thursday-Pizza and Salad

Friday-Lemon Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, Parker Rolls

Saturday-Club Sandwiches, Fruit Salad, Veggies and Dip

Sunday-Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese

Serenity...I Need Some

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

This 'back to normal' schedule thing is not fun so instead I'm going to go back in time and revisiting our family vacation. I'm going to pretend this is me soaking up the sun, watching the yachts come in and out, and dozing off to the lull of the waves. In all reality this is my mom soaking up the sun in the pic. In all reality, she really needs another vacation. So, Mom, if you're reading this before you head off to school, let this be your mental picture of the day. This was you only 8 short months ago. I know I'm going to pretend it's me. I need another family vacation to the beach. Like now. Like RIGHT now.

The Princess and the Tom Boy

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

As it's getting closer to time I'm realizing how much Little Miss' life is going to change. She's not just going to have one brother. She's going to have two. She's not just going to have one boy cousin. She's going to have two. That's right, my friends. Little Miss is going to grow up with four boys to play with at home.

When we are around other little girls, it amazes me to see how much she flocks to them now. She wants to talk hair. She wants to play dolls. She wants to cook. She wants to play princess. She wants to do all things girly. I have to admit, I love it.

However, when other little girls aren't around, she fits in fine with the boys. In fact, she's my one child who enjoys getting down and dirty. I love this part about her too. She can wear a princess dress with the best of them, and yet, squat down in the empty field by our house and dig for worms or rocks.

Whether she wants to be a princess or a tom boy, there's one thing I love the most. She wants to be just like her mama. Every morning she wants her hair fixed in the same manner my hair is fixed. She wants to wear the same colors I wear. She wants to dance in the same crazy way I dance.

Lately she's been noticing that I wrap my hair in a towel after I wash it and she wants the same. She also likes to play play beauty shop after showers. She gets a nice little blow out, chapstick, and some smell-good lotion. It's quite fun to see her get so into herself in the mirror that she forgets I'm there. She is so precious...and ornery...and sweet...and princess like...and a little bit of a tom boy all wrapped up in one. I cherish this age of hers right now. She has so much to offer and I really hope I live up to her expectations.

On this particular night she was willing to part from checking herself out to take a pic. But then again, she wanted to see herself in the pic...soooo...I'm not sure we've made any progress in the vain category...

The Little Stuff Adds Up

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

I don't know how many times I've sat down with my Bible, my journal, and my prayers and basically lined it up with God how I think a situation should go.

Recently, Steven and I were hit hard with medical bills. More so than what we planned for for the year. Back in May Steven was dealing with severe stomach cramping that was almost debilitating. After extensive testing the numerous bills started to add up. Thank goodness for a healthy savings. I thought we were over the hump, but shortly after Little Miss was admitted to the day hospital to receive fluids for dehydration from an extremely high fever. Again, I thought we were DONE with the medical stuff after that little stay. Nope. A month later I found myself at the ER trying to figure out what was causing me so much pain. It ended up being kidney stones, but being pregnant, we didn't want to take any chances. None of these individual costs were extreme. Each test and/or hospital admittance was only a couple hundred dollars, but when you add that up times four or five by each person in the medical world that gets their share of your visit, the little stuff adds up.

At first I was thankful for our healthy savings, but I also began to see our savings get to our bottom line amount. That number we always said we would never go below in case of an emergency. We had to start getting creative. My creativity only goes so far, so I prayed. I basically told God what I needed and how I needed it. I really thought my plan was great. It wasn't. God's plan was better. Just as our medical bills were adding up little by little, opportunities to bring in more money without touching our savings started rolling in little by little.

Even this week we've reaped so many unbelievable blessings. I can't help but stand in awe of how God cares so much for my family. He far exceeds our expectations and needs and desires. It's amazing to stand back and see His plans. Thank goodness He doesn't follow mine. He stays true to His Word. All of our medical bills were paid with cash and not one was ever late nor did we go on any kind of payment schedule. Only half was paid for out of savings. All of the other bills were taken care of by little side jobs either Steven or I had come our way. All the little opportunities God sent added up to something big. All we had to do was believe He had a plan for us and accept/do what He sent our way.

The Loft Bed Has Arrived

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

The loft bed made it's way into our home on the last day of 2011. What a great way to end the year for Little Man. He's had so many wonderful accomplishments in 2011 it only seemed fitting that he be rewarded with total awesomeness. A big thank you goes out to my mom's husband for spending over 65 hours on this bed. I literally handed him a picture of a loft bed from Pottery Barn, told him what I wanted differently, and he took over. Working all hours of the night he built the bed so sturdy that our whole family can crawl up there for bedtime stories. And yes, this preggo mama has been up there numerous times already. It's been so fun watching Little Man enjoy his new floor space and I'm enjoying seeing the floor to his closet now that he has some more shelving to put toys at the end of his bed. It's a win-win for both of us.

Menu Monday

2012-01-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!!!

I'm not real big on New Year's Resolutions. I've never had one, and I don't know if I ever will. You can just call me a slacker. Despite my lack of resolutions, we did have a wonderful NYE. Our good friends came over for dinner and a short game night. Their boys needed to get home for baths and bed. Our kids operate the same. They need their sleep. So with the Kueny's gone by 8:30pm and Steven and I in bed by 10pm, I realized I'm old. Old and in love with it. No going out. No staying up to ring in the new year. Just ultimate relaxation. For this 8 month preggo chic, it couldn't have been a better night.

Enough of my uneventful NYE, you're here to see what we're consuming this week. Here it is...

Monday-Seasoned Pork Chops, Broccoli Casserole, Buttered Bread

Tuesday-Fried Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Wednesday-Turkey Veggie Spaghetti and Seasoned Green Beans

Thursday-Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes, Mac-N-Cheese

Friday-Grilled Chicken and Veggies with Cheesy Biscuits

Saturday-Pasta e Fagioli, Salad, Breadsticks

Sunday-Dinner @ Mom's???

Stroll Down Memory Lane

2011-12-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I closed down our house. The weather was nice and my kids needed to get out of the house. Whether they liked it our not, they were going to be outside. While spending some time at our local park, I ran into two former parents. Their kids are now in 9th and 10th grade. Man, time flies. I can still picture them as little fourth graders. They were so precious. It was good to hear of how the kids were doing today. Good stroll down memory lane.

Once I decided the kids had exerted themselves enough with outdoor activities, I graciously allowed them to come in the house for naps. It was great time to check up on my emails from the day. I received one from Little Man's teacher. She was nominated for Teacher of the Year this year. Honestly, it should have happened a long time ago. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but she's pretty much awesome.

As I was reading through some artifacts to her portfolio, I pulled up the same artifacts from mine. Somehow, in my fourth year of teaching, I fooled my co-workers enough that they nominated me. What a bunch of suckers! Anyway, I came across one document that was supposed to wrap up my philosophy of education. Reading through the artifact made me remember all the good times with great kids.

Get ready for some reading, because I'm getting ready to share with you. Also get ready for weird spacing because after I copy/pasted there was something funky going on. I don't really care enough to change it. Sorry 'bout it...

Candidate No. 11

State Your Philosophy of Teaching

q Describe your personal feelings and beliefs about teaching, including your own ideas of what makes you an outstanding teacher.

q Describe the rewards you find in teaching.

q How are your beliefs about teaching demonstrated in your personal teaching style?

“I am the decisive element in the classroom.

It is my personal approach that creates the climate.

It is my daily mood that makes the weather.

As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make

a child’s life miserable or joyous.”

- Hiam Ginot

The clock reads 1:45pm…time for Social Studies. There’s a knock at the door. All students remain seated

as I answer the door, slip outside, and re-enter as Mrs. Continent. Mrs. Continent takes time to teach a few

lessons in Social Studies. Her specialty is in the area of landforms and map skills. The kids sit in awe as

Mrs. Continent shares her biography. Born and raised in London, she has a noticeably strong English

accent. She begins her lesson on lines of longitude and latitude, sharing with the students how the Prime

Meridian, intersecting with her hometown, inspired her to become a professor of landforms and map skills.

Mrs. Continent goes on teaching; students answer questions while learning all about exact locations. She

glances at the clock…2:15pm… time to catch her flight back to London.

Through the seemingly revolving door, I re-enter. Funny, the kids say I look so similar to Mrs. Continent, but no time to talk about the striking resemblance. It’s time for Math. Division has been our quest for the past two weeks. It’s the first time since we’ve started that everyone has scored satisfactory on their paper!!!!!! Breaking into a chorus of Alleluia, I suddenly faint from excitement. The kids wonder where I have gone. The front two groups notice I’m on the floor. The giggles begin and the students start to feel the mounting pride from accomplishing a new skill.

The clock now reads 3:20; time to wrap up the day. A discussion of high and low moments from the day brings me overwhelming joy. I listen as my kids share their greatest accomplishments and struggles from the week. I make mental notes of what I will do to change each child’s struggle into a success. As the students gather their belongings and file out with hugs and good-byes, Michelle hands me a paper. It’s a very neatly written field number, game time, and a little message. “Can you please come to my game? Circle yes or no.” I circle and hand the paper back to her. My week is not over. I’ll be at that soccer game to support her as she excels in an area outside of the academic realm.

How do these snapshots demonstrate my philosophy of teaching? It is the devotion to each student in and out of the classroom. The stitching on my heart motivates me to create a fascinating and engaging learning environment, as well as, developing a unique and special bond with each individual. Giving my time, love, and support to each child beyond my classroom allows me to reap the benefits inside the classroom. The devotion to my students ensures they will become actively involved with our learning. I often have teachers who ask,” Where do you find the time or energy to do the ‘extras’?” My reply is simple. “I find the time and create the energy because my students depend on my tremendous power!”

Deep Thoughts On Maternity Pants

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-06:00

Maternity pants are cute on other pregnant women.
Maternity pants do not stay where they should...on your hips/waist.
Maternity pants show my crack way more than it should be shown.
Maternity pants leave you constantly pulling up or adjusting them for the reason listed above.
Maternity pants are of the devil.

There you have it. My take on maternity pants. This could be the reason why I'm still rocking my old jeans rigged with a rubber band. Those and yoga pants. Yoga pants are of the Lord. The stretch and move and stay in place. If you see me in public, make sure you pay tribute to my yoga pants.

Progress on Baby #3's Room

2011-12-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

You would think that staining a full size loft bed would be enough of a project this week, but no. Here at the Casa de Torres we like to cram as much work into Steven's vacation time as possible. He's such a lucky man to be married to a slave driver like me.

Really our only accomplishments yesterday were two trips to Lowe's, spray painted frames, painted peg board, and hanging the frames and pegboard. What's been floating around in my head, or shall I say my Pinterest board, is starting to take on reality. After all this baby will be here in less than two months...yikes! Am I really ready for all this???

DIY: Full Size Loft Bed

2011-12-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready to tell you all you need to know about how to make a full size loft bed. I hope your ready for some reading...and note taking...and relief. This will be short.

STEP ONE: Find a picture of what you want...check.

STEP TWO: Find someone who is really, really handy...check.

{Uh...not my mom. Her husband, Michael}

STEP THREE: Ask that person to help you build the bed of your child's dream...check.

STEP FOUR: Give them the picture of what you want and the changes you want to make...check.

STEP FIVE: Answer the phone and for any questions about the above bed...check.

STEP SIX: Be amazed when your mom sends you a picture of the progress...check.

STEP SEVEN: Attend the final reveal with your child...check.

STEP EIGHT: Pick out paint or stain for the bed....check.

STEP NINE: Have your husband help with staining process.

STEP TEN: Bring the bed home!!!

There you have it, the 10 step process to building your own loft bed. It doesn't seem so bad now, does it? I guess there is one minor problem...I didn't actually build the bed. Thank goodness for Michael. He's an amazing carpenter. Well, actually he's pretty amazing with any kind of tools. We are so thankful that he was willing to spend so much time to build Little Man's bed. It's something we will cherish for a very long time.

Menu Monday

2011-12-26T07:40:00.002-06:00

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone. We had a wonderful time as a family, and I hope you did as well. Our kids were spoiled way too much, but the joy on their faces was priceless. My favorite moment from yesterday was when Little Man woke up and saw Baby #3's stocking still on the mantle. His first comment, "Mommy, Santa didn't bring the baby anything for his stocking." He had all his presents and stocking sitting there, but he noticed his the lack of gifts for his baby brother. I love his heart.

For this week's menu, we are pretty much back to normal. Normal except Steven is home from work most of this week. I could not be any happier. Here's what we're having this week...

Monday-Nacho Pie, Fresh Fruit, Corn
Tuesday-Sweet and Sour Chicken with rice and Asian Seasoned Veggies
Wednesday-Dinner @ Mom's...they boys are staining Little Man's NEW LOFT BED!
Thursday-BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes, Mac-N-Cheese
Friday-Pork Tenderloin with Carrots & Potatoes, Homemade Dinner Rolls
Saturday-Finger Foods for NYE
Sunday-Breakfast for Dinner

Tomorrow I'll share the details of Little Man's new loft bed. My mom's husband built it from a Pottery Barn picture I handed him. It is the coolest thing I've ever seen in a kid's bed. I can't wait to get it home!

Enjoy your week!