The T.I.E.S. That Bind

I love you this much

2012-02-07T18:25:00.000-06:00

Words so sweet that you can't be angry that your son called you fat!

Mommy, my legs are this big.

And your legs are this big!

But I love you THIS much!!

This boy has a lot to learn about girls!

Broken Legs

2012-01-07T18:49:00.001-06:00

A conversation with Evan who was staring into space while riding in the car:

Me: "What are you thinking about Evan?"

Evan: "I was thinking about if I was in a tornado and broke both of my legs and ended up in a wheelchair. Then you'd have to carry me up the stairs and put me to bed cuz I couldn't walk."

Me: .... Looking at Terrance with a "seriously" look on my face.

Terrance: "It's ok sweetheart...he's normal."

You talk too much

2012-01-05T15:16:00.002-06:00

A conversation with Ian in the pick up line waiting for Evan:

Ian: "Mommy why are we waiting in line? I want to get out and wait on Evan."

Me: "I don't feel like socializing."

Ian: "What is socializing?"

Me: "Talking to other people."

Ian: "But mommy...you always talk a lot!"

Me: "touché!"

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T04:45:00.001-06:00

Date Night

2011-12-22T12:07:00.000-06:00

Terrance and I hardly ever go on dates. One reason is because I am usually working every weekend and Terrance gets home a bit too late during the week for us to really make that happen. The other obvious reason is because we have ~~stragglers~~ children and no family around to ~~dump them off on~~ help watch them. We joined a babysitting service but each time we use them we are guaranteed to pay them $60.00 which is a bit steep just for us to go have dinner. It gets kind of pricey to pay for childcare, dinner, and entertainment on a regular basis. I know we shouldn't put a price tag on the importance of bonding with your spouse but that old adage 'money doesn't grow on trees' rings true!

Well the other day our friend Karla helped us out and agreed to watch the boys for a couple of hours while we attended a church banquet. It was nice getting dressed up to enjoy a nice dinner complete with singing, door prizes and a message from none other than Terrance himself. I love my kids to bits but it is amazing how refreshing it is to have an evening away from them, if only for a few hours at a time, to enjoy some togetherness as a couple. Ahhhh!

Couples Ministry Christmas Banquet

Semi Homemade Gifts

2011-12-21T08:48:00.000-06:00

I have been channeling my inner Martha Stewart this past week. I've decided that I am a big fan of homemade gifts. Don't get me wrong any gift is a good gift but it really says something when someone goes out of their way to make you something with their own hands.

Well, I'm not quite to a point where I can make homemade gifts but I was able to assemble pseudo homemade teacher gifts and get well soon gifts for the boys' teachers and for a friend who is convalescing after a major surgery with complications. I will admit that it would have been much easier to pick out a bunch of gift cards, but I was determined to make these gifts special. I have not one artistic bone in my body but it felt good to think outside the box for a gift that would be useful and also put a smile on the recipients faces. So I present to you my out of the box gifts.... Smores Gift Packs!

These little gift packs come complete with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars (duh!) all wrapped in a pretty little bow!

We even made homemade cards and envelopes for all the recipients. My favorite part was having the boys tell me what they love about each of their teachers. I even wrote a special message for my friend to try and put a smile on her face.

It feels good to do something special for the people you are grateful for in life!

Out of the mouths of babes

2011-12-21T00:06:00.000-06:00

Okay, a friend of mine did a question and answer session with her 6yr old and I thought the answers were hilarious. I decided to ~~steal~~ copy her idea and ask my boys the same questions just to see if I could get a glimpse into their minds. Some of the questions confused Ian a little bit...but hey, he's four!

Ian:
1. How would you describe yourself? I don't know.(OK, that was a tough one)
2. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? A lion because I like lions.(what a manly animal!)
3. What would be the ideal allowance? And how would you use it? A lot of money and I would keep it in a safe place.(hmmm)
4. What's the grossest thing you can think of? Watermelon because it's sticky feeling.(he loves watermelon so I'm not sure why it's so gross now)
5. What do you want to be when you grow up? A cop so I can get people in trouble. (wow)
6. What do you think makes a person good-looking? Makeup and soft, long hair.(I guess I'm not good looking)
7. What makes you happy? Video games and pasta. (we have a small video game addiction)
8. What's your favorite thing to do with friends? Play video games. (see...told ya!)
9. Do you want to have kids when you grow up? Yes...three. Two girls named Sweetie and Deanna and one boy named Knuckles. (where does he get this stuff)
10.Name two things we should do as a family. Play together and have a date. (what do you know about dates?)
11. What's the nicest thing you've done for someone? Give them a present like Santa gives presents.(really?)
12. What's one thing you would like to tell your parents? Happy Birthday. (okaaayy)

Evan
1. How would you describe yourself? A boy with short hair and brown eyes. (that pretty much sums it up)
2. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why? A monkey because he has a funny looking tail. (wasn't expecting that)
3. What would be the ideal allowance? And how would you use it? 50 cents so I can buy me a video game and a Nintendo 3DS. (let's rethink that)
4. What's the grossest thing you can think of? Spiders because they bite and are poisonous. (this is true)
5. What do you want to be when you grow up? A firefighter because I want to help people be protected from fires. (that's pretty much what firefighters do)
6. What do you think makes a person good-looking? Straight, long hair and earrings with a dress.(Ok, what's with the long hair business?)
7. What makes you happy? Video games that have Mario & Luigi (Told you we have a video game obsession)
8. What's your favorite thing to do with friends? Play hop scotch. (really?)
9. Do you want to have kids when you grow up? Yes, Two girls named Peach & Daisy and two boys named Mario & Luigi.(These are all names of characters on video games...told ya we have issues)
10. Name two things we should do on the weekend as a family? Open our gifts on Christmas Eve and have a slumber party. (Sounds like fun, maybe we'll try it)
11. What's the nicest thing you've done for someone? Help them feel better by playing with them when nobody else would. (atta boy!)
12. What's one thing you would like to tell your parents? Mommy, you look pretty and daddy, you look handsome. (Awwww)

Black Eye

2011-12-06T15:46:00.002-06:00

A couple of boys laughing, yelling and having fun while sliding down a slide resulted in this...

All of a sudden, I hear screaming and see tears rolling down Evan's cheeks. Apparently he and Ian crashed heads at the bottom of the slide. Kinda looks like he has on eye shadow doesn't it!?

(The top left picture was how it looked immediately after contact and the other three are from the next morning.)

With Love,
Shanita

My Christmas List

2011-11-30T20:40:00.001-06:00

I know that the five or so of you who read my blog could care less about what I want for Christmas but since this is my platform…I’m gonna tell you anyway. That’s the beauty of having your own blog. Of course I’ve been compiling this list for quite some time. It’s not really a Christmas list per say. Think of it more as a list of things I need and/or want that just happen to be posted on this blog around Christmas time. There. That sounds better. So sit back and enjoy

Canon EOS Rebel t3i Camera

Let’s face it, most people don’t read the words on my blog… they just look at the pictures. You know what they say….a picture is worth a thousand words! Anyway, I usually only take pictures with my iPhone and the quality of those pictures is shady at best. For special occasions I may whip out my 12 megapixel Lumix camera but it still doesn’t take the best of pictures so I want an awesome camera. And this is it. Many of the blogs I stalk speak very highly of this camera so I thought I should have one of my very own!

Apple MacBook Air Laptop

I am convinced that the computer industry is a racket! I need a new laptop at least every two years. System crash, technology updates, you run out of storage, or your laptop b v screen falls off because your kid drops it on the ground….repeatedly. So since I am a bit in love with Apple products at the moment, I only think it’s fitting to upgrade to this new Apple MacBook Air Laptop. I could go on about all the cool features but I’m sure you don’t care, just know that I want it….BAD!

Eye Fi Connect Wireless Memory Card

This has been on my Christmas List for the past two years and I haven’t gotten it! That is unfortunate because this memory card is AWESOME! It wirelessly downloads your pictures from your camera to your computer or smart phone or even your tablet and places them in organized, dated folders without having to even remove the memory card from your camera. Can you say AMAZING! I recently loss a memory card with a year of pictures on it including Evan’s 7th birthday pictures and I was bummed. With this bad boy, all you have to do is be in close proximity to your computer, push a button and your pictures are there!

Front Load Washer & Dryer

We’ve owned our current washer and dryer for 10+ years and it’s time to say goodbye. The dryer still works fine but the washer won’t spin unless it’s manipulated by using your finger to hold down the spin thingy or by strategically placing a paper clip in there to hold it down on it’s own. It’s frustrating to say the least. I would really be OK with just buying a new washer but you can’t have this fancy red front load washing machine with a white top load dryer as it’s companion. Have a little class!! I can negotiate on the brand a bit. But I do like bells and whistles so it still has to do cool stuff!

Secrets To A Healthy Metabolism by Maria Emmerich

Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and my metabolism is starting to slow down to a snails pace and my hips are living proof. While blog stalking, I came across a blog called This Lunch Rox. It’s all about healthy lunches for your kids, but the author of the blog mentioned how this book changed her life. Her words…not mine. She claimed that the book helped her realize (in simple terms) how the choices you make in your food affect a lot more than your waist line. Of course I know all of this but she claims that the author breaks it down in words that even a dummy would understand. Not that I’m a dummy or anything but my eyes do glaze over when reading medical jargon. I bet you’re wondering how I survived nursing school huh?! Let’s just say I survived by the grace of God and leave it at that!

Bluetooth Headset

It’s 2011. I should not have to take my hands off the wheel to answer my cell phone. It’s just not a wise thing to do! That being said… I need a wireless headset to make that happen. Once again, I’m not picky about the brand. This Plantronics Voyager headset looks cool and it’s affordable thus it’s on my list.

Rachel Ray Cookware

When the Teflon non stick coating peels off of your skillet and lands in your eggs….it’s time for new cookware!

Daired’s Spa Package

I’m surrounded by all things boy all day everyday and sometimes I just want to feel pretty plus I get stressed out like 90% of the U.S. Population. A day at the spa would cure me of my stress and lack of prettiness.

MAC makeup gift certificate

Going with the general theme that I don’t feel pretty…I need new cosmetics. I currently have lip gloss, mascara and eye liner, and a compact of old crusty eye shadow that should have been trashed years ago. It’s time to add some color to my life. Live life on the edge!

A New Wardrobe

Yes, I’m still on the whole “I don’t feel pretty” theme. My closet is a mix of a bunch of stuff I bought on sale at one time or another. No real defined style and definitely no high end pieces. I’m all for a bargain but some stuff should be a splurge like a good pair of jeans, shoes, a little black dress, etc. (The last little black dress I owned was purchased for me by my Mother In Law for my college graduation….11 years ago!} Not to mention the fact that I have no accessories other than a couple pair of every day earrings and necklaces. It’s time to step it up!

Fire & Water Proof Safe

What if our house caught on fire and we loss all things important to us that would be difficult and/or impossible to replace. This safe would hold passports, birth certificates, wills, and a thumb drive filled with important files and pictures and such. Now that’s forward thinking!

Well, there you have it folks. A list of all the things I want and/or need this holiday season. Receiving these items would make me very happy! *Hint*Hint*

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T04:06:00.003-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for. God has blessed me in so many ways and my heart is so full! I'm in a good place and I'm enjoying it! I just wanted to share some of our turkey day happenings with you all!

Ok. Please let the record show that I am not in any way responsible for this pose! Seriously, a hand on the hip! Come on! All I said was "Evan, smile!" and this is what I got! This is after his Thanksgiving play at school. He was so proud of his turkey hat.

Ian will not be outdone! I love the hat that he made in school. It says "Ian The Turkey!" How appropriate! Look at the two turkey legs jutting off of the side.... LOL!

My boys are soooo thankful for eachother! Yep, I raised 'em right. Please ignore the bear hug grip that Ian has on Evan. He's even gritting his teeth, he's squeezing so hard.

This is Evan's turkey that he made in class. Each turkey feather lists something that he's thankful for. His list includes: Food & Water, Compassion, My Talent, Shelter & Love. Yep, that's my boy!

I know this picture is hard to see but it's Ian's list of things that he's thankful for. It says: "Ian is thankful for Mom, Dad, and for the summer because he gets to go to his grandmas house! Sorry Evan, but you didn't make the cut! I'm sure it was just an oversight on Ian's part. It has nothing to do with how you hog the Wii or try and steal waffles off of his plate in the mornings.

And I'd like to present you with our Thanksgiving spread prepared by Terrance with only a little help from Honey Baked Ham. Our menu: ham, green bean bundles, homemade rolls, Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, corn bread dressing & yams. For dessert: pumpkin pie & peach cobbler. We also had deviled eggs and a green salad that we were too stuffed to touch. It was way too much food for our family of four! I had to work Thanksgiving night so I was allowed to sit and relax while dinner was prepared. Ok, Ok, I'll admit that I probably would have relaxed even if I didn't have to work. I did spend a lot of time cleaning up after Terrance and the boys.... That has to count for something!

Unfortunately, I did have to say farewell to a good friend who up and shipped herself and her family to South Carolina. (I'm not bitter...not at all) I've known that this day was coming for some months but I'm still surprised at how bummed I was that they left. We all know that I am not an emotional person but there were some tears shed and i felt a little blue! Even Terrance was in on the hug/tear fest. Of course he was also the voice of reason as he stated, "She's just moving...and now we have another vacation destination." Men! Of course I know that but can I just grieve for a minute...geez!

With Love,
Shanita

Bye Bye Shark Boy

2011-11-14T13:42:00.001-06:00

Well, we can no longer call Evan Shark Boy which is a bummer because I was kind of getting used to the nickname. Not many people can boast that they have an extra row of teeth! But his second row of teeth were getting out of control! They were towering over his baby teeth and impeding his speech and food was always getting stuck between the two rows! I know, disgusting right!?

After having his teeth removed, Evan attempted to give me a smile. Doesn't he look like he has gas!! The tooth pulling went well. There was a slight scream when he saw the needle and another scream when he saw the blood but the whole thing only took about 15 minutes from numbing to pulling!

I will admit that the two rows of teeth look a lot better than having two gaping holes in the front of his mouth but I'm told that the holes will look better with time!! Geez...I hope so!

This is the afternoon of the procedure. Evan never takes naps but after a dose or two of Tylenol...he was out like a light!

I didn't really know how to handle the tooth fairy protocol. Does she visit homes when the tooth was removed via medical intervention. Does she frown when she sees two teeth, root and all, placed in a medical specimen bag? Well, Apparently she doesn't discriminate! Evan found $5.00 under his pillow the next morning (the tooth fairy didn't have change...oh, and she may or may not have borrowed the money from Evan's wallet).

With Love,
Shanita

War in Shanitaville

2011-11-07T13:38:00.001-06:00

This is the story of a small town named Shanitaville. Although this is a work of fiction it is based on actual events. Enjoy.

There once was a town named Shanitaville. This sleepy little town led a fairly quiet existence until a recent skirmish led to an all out war. It all started on a Thursday night when the town noticed the influx of some new settlers. These settlers called themselves bacteria and they came onto the scene with plenty of attitude. The locals were weary of their existence in their quiet town and alerted the local law enforcement called the white blood cells. The white blood cells sent out a few troops just to make sure the bacteria stayed in line and didn’t cause any trouble. Well the bacteria took this as a challenge and pretty soon a battle ensued. By Friday afternoon the battle turned into an all out war. The local law enforcing white blood cells sent out their strongest troops to try and get this skirmish over with quickly. After all, they were used to trouble makers like viruses and bacteria trying to take over the town of Shanitaville. It usually takes about a 24hr fight before the bacteria and viruses tuck their tails and run but these bacteria were vicious. They had a point to prove. By early Saturday morning, the white blood cells new they were outnumbered and needed help. They wisely decided to plan a different type of attack. So they appeared to back off thus making the bacteria and the entire town of Shanitaville think that they had surrendered. But the wise old white blood cells had a trick up their sleeve. They were using all of Saturday to regroup and recruit back up cells so that they could come out as the true victors.

So Saturday night the white blood cells watched in horror while the bacteria began to take over Shanitaville with a vengeance. There were all types of chaos surrounding them. The fluctuating temperatures made things harder to endure. They watched while Lung Avenue was taken over by phlegm. They turned their heads when they noticed that Nasal Street was overcome with so much mucous that the town could barely breathe. There was so much mucous on Nasal Street that it erupted into Tear Duct Lane and crusted over Eyelash Drive. I. Kid. You. Not. It was painful to watch. Some of the white blood cells almost lost it when they saw how much pain the residents on Throat Road were in. The bacteria seemed to know exactly which area of town to hit to take out the entire structure of Shanitaville. The white blood cells decided enough was enough when they witnessed the mudslide on Colon Blvd. They knew it was time to counterattack . Shanitaville was almost destroyed. There was no laughter, no sunshine, no joy in the sleepy little town. It was almost as if the city had given up completely. But the white blood cells refused to give up on their town. They were the law enforcers for a reason. So they gathered the troops and met the enemy head on in an all out battle for victory. They were determined to win. The bacteria seemed taken aback by the onslaught. They thought that they had surely won so they were not ready for the surprise attack from the white blood cells. The white blood cells were able to take down the bacteria with relative ease. The war lasted throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning. By Sunday night the white blood cells were able to claim the victory.

The town of Shanitaville was a little worse for the wear but they knew that everything would return to normal after a few days of rebuilding. That was the hardest battle fought by the white blood cells in years, but they are smarter because of it. By Monday morning they were able to see joy on the horizon. The neighboring town of Terranceville stepped in and provided aid and remained close by in order to help with other relief efforts. It was another epic battle but Shanitaville will live to fight another day!

** This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons real or unreal is purely coincidental

All About The Bejamins

2011-11-07T01:21:00.001-06:00

With Evan being 7 years old now we figured it was about time to teach him how to manage money responsibly. So when our close friends asked what he wanted for his birthday, we told them... Money. Dinero. Benjamins. Greenbacks. Moolah. Dough. Scrilla. Loot. You get my drift! Well our pals came through and Evan walked away with some serious currency!

Isn't that the cutest wallet ever!? A cute little robot.

He even has pockets to put his ID and his zoo pass in. He feels all grown up. Every time we leave the house, he asks if I have his wallet. (He has not proven worthy enough to carry it on his own. I can just see him now...in class standing on his desk 'makin' it rain' showing off for all the ladies)

Can any one guess what his first purchase was...that's right! A new video game. There has to be a 12 step program for video gameaholics!

Our goal was to teach him how to tithe, save, and spend. This is really a hard concept for kids to grasp. Heck, it's a hard concept for adults to grasp. But I theorized that if you start young then it will become second nature to you. So we divided up all of his cash and counted it. Then we explained what 10% meant and why we tithe 10% and why we save 10%. It got a little tricky trying to explain to a 7 yr old about a rainy day fund and why we give back to God. After all, God owns all the cattle on a thousand hills so why does he want my chump change!

Anyway, I'm not sure if he gets it all. The next step is giving him an allowance so he can keep practicing. That means I need to come up with kid friendly chores. And a funding chart. Because putting away your toys and taking out the trash are on two different pay scales!

With Love,
Shanita

HAPPY 7TH

2011-11-06T21:20:00.001-06:00

My precious Evan recently celebrated his 7th birthday. Let me tell ya… it was a wang dang doodle of a party. Geez….who says wang dang doodle?! Anyway, Evan kept saying that he wanted a video game party so a video game party he received! We were entertained by Rolling Video Games which is a video game theater on wheels. Evan had the time of his life along with all of his pals. (Please forgive me for not having more pictures of the party, but I lost my memory card and these were the only pics I could find)

Check out the rolling video game trailer. I wish I had pictures of the inside of this bad boy. It was pretty sweet! 16 people playing video games on widescreens with surround sound speakers. I was a bit overstimulated in my old age but the kids were in hog heaven!

Evan and his video game addiction is getting a bit out of hand but he was excited to receive more video games!

Since his birthday was on a Tuesday and his party was the Saturday before, we spent his actual birthday eating with friends at our favorite Hibachi restaurant… Edohana. Everything is better with friends! The boys had fun watching our chef prepare our meal in front of us. Okay, maybe the volcano explosion/fire was a bit much but the rest of the show was fun to watch.

No birthday dinner is complete without having to wear a silly birthday hat and have the wait staff sing happy birthday to you while everyone in the restaurant sings and claps along. Evan had the audacity to be embarrassed! But we all enjoyed the fried ice cream topped with whipped cream and chocolate. Yum!

**Please note that I am aware that my son has on the same shirt on both of these days. I assure you that it was washed between wears…I think!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-10T08:55:00.001-05:00

It's gonna be a simple recipe week here at our house. I'm working extra shifts on top of all the other stuff I have planned. I need to do a major house cleaning for Evan's party this weekend. I mean everything from painting to whole room reorganizing! I planned on starting Fit 30 Boot Camp this week but I may have to put that off a week....again! And as usual we have to run back and forth to Cub Scouts, soccer practice and Sunshine Band practice at church, doctors appointments, etc! I'm tired just thinking about it! So you will see all easy meals this week. No experimenting with new recipes or meals with more than five ingredients. I don't have it in me.

Monday: homemade pizza

Tuesday: Brinner (breakfast for dinner)

Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry

Thursday: chicken Spaghetti

Friday: cheeseburgers and fries

With Love,
Shanita

Da ‘Neighbor’ hood

2011-10-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

Well Hallelujah! Guess what? That little old lady with her petition got the job done despite my husbands refusal to sign! Our home values will not decline! Our subdivision remains a smidge more respectable! Just goes to show what a difference you can make with a clip board full of signatures! I’ll take it!

Da’ Hood Food Mart is now…

Neighborhood Food Mart

Cub Scouts

2011-10-06T15:52:00.001-05:00

Well, my little Evan is growing up. He is now a Cub Scout. A friend of mine says that joining Cub Scouts is the All-American thing to do. I must admit that I had reservations about him joining Cub Scouts at first. But since he asked me about it on several different occasions, I gave in and let him join. My prejudices about Cub Scouts are totally asinine. I’m just being honest. First, I kind of thought Cub Scouts were for the uncool kids. You know, the nerds and other socially inept kids who had no athletic prowess. This stems from my school days when the kids in scouting were kind of …weird. I know times have changed and honestly, whose to say that my kids won’t be the uncool, non jocks! You never know. I’ll love them just the same! The major issue that almost kept me from allowing Evan to become a scout was all of the rumors about some of the adult scout leaders being pedophiles. Just Google it and you’ll read about case after case of scout leaders taking advantage of innocent little boys who are taught to trust and respect their scout leaders. Not to mention the fact that the first page of our scouting book contains a warning about the fact that child abuse is a big problem in our society, even in the scouting world and you should teach your child how to be safe. I just told Evan that if any grown up tries to touch his private parts then kick them in their private parts, scream, and run like the wind to tell someone they trust! Also the fact that my citified husband has never in a day gone camping in the wilderness or pitched a tent or showered in a lake or roughed it in any kind of way is a bit scary seeing as though we are required to do overnight camping trips. But I suppose there is a learning curve involved for all of us! Evan seems excited about it and he’s already earned his first badge. The Bobcat Badge. My prejudices aside…he is well on his way to becoming a decorated cub scout!

Evan receiving his Bobcat Badge from his scout leader

Rebirth

2011-10-04T11:39:00.001-05:00

Ian: Mommy, what happens if we die?

me: umm... If we love God and His son Jesus then our souls will live forever with Him.

Ian: well when we die do we get to turn back into a baby and just grow up again!

me: (did he just hear anything I said?) Well, Ian it just doesn't work that way.

Ian: Can I have a lunchable when we get home?

Me: (shaking my head at the attention span of four year olds) Why yes you can!

The Change

2011-09-30T00:46:00.000-05:00

I am on a journey. It is an important journey. One that is starting to change my life even though I am at the very beginning. I can see these changes every day. I'm thankful for the change. I needed the change. I was headed down a slippery slope without it. Thank God for change. If you've followed my blog from the beginning, you can see snippets of how my life has become different for lack of a better word. I no longer post my Monday Manna. I rarely post anything more than surface stuff about my family. My blog lacks the encouragement and candor that it once had. Blogging has even become more of a chore instead of an outlet. I used to have so much to share. My thoughts and opinions were an open book, but along the way my thoughts and opinions changed for the worse and I have been smart enough not to share most of them on this forum. But I am on a mission to change that because as I mentioned before...I've changed.

Over the past year or so I've slowly placed God on the back burner in my life. I've tried to assume control without help from Him. As a result...my life has suffered. My marriage has suffered. My family has suffered. I can think of several causes of my slow drift away from The Father, but I won't even play the blame game. I take full responsibility for my own actions or lack thereof. So it is time for me to get back to the basics. I thank God for waking me up out of my spiritual slumber and I ask for forgiveness for turning my back on Him and I pray that He continues to pour out His grace on someone as underserving as myself.

I am currently attending a Beth Moore bible study called So Long Insecurity at The Hills Church. It is opening my eyes to a lot of character traits that I need to get a handle on that are caused by my insecurity. I can see my insecurites in the way I deal with problems, in how I respond to my friends, in how I interact with my husband and even in the way I respond to problems on my job. I'ts been an eye opening experience. I registered for the class in hopes that I could get a grip on the more common insecurities that most women have. You know.... Do these pants make my butt look big? Or, Does my husband ever dream about trading me in for a newer, younger woman? Or, Am I doing this whole parenting thing right? But God has peeled away a couple of layers and I am able to see that this whole insecurity thing runs deep and I need to get a handle on it if I want to live a life free of anxiety, fear and doubt. I'll keep you posted on my progress. In the meantime, keep me in your prayers!

The Fun Life

2011-09-27T07:56:00.001-05:00

Life Is

More Fun

With Your

Best Friend

My Favorite Things

2011-09-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

I know that my newest favorite thing has been around for a while but I have never ever tried it before last week. And all I have to say is: “Why did I ever wait so long to indulge in the deliciousness?” Ladies and gentlemen, introducing my newest favorite thing…

Oh my goodness! This stuff is delicious. I must admit that I have ignored it all these years because of the price and I admit that it is still quite the splurge. I was able to purchase three pints on sale for $12.00. But it is oh so worth it! Once you go Haagen Dazs you never go back! I have to literally put myself on a five spoonful minimum a day! I’m sure my waistline will not appreciate the discovery of my newest favorite thing but it has to just suck it up (or in) and take it for the team!

Sticky Situation

2011-09-22T16:59:00.001-05:00

Evan has discovered sticky notes. He ~~wastes~~ uses them all the time. He places random notes and pictures all over the house. It was cute when I received my first ‘I Love You’ sticky note on my mirror. After that, it’s just overkill. I walked into my bathroom this evening and found the following sticky note parade:

#1: I love you

#2: get new computer (because yours is broken)

#3: get new clothes (because I’m getting taller)

#4: get ready for Halloween

1. carve pumpkin

2. put in candle

3. make pumpkin pie…yummy

Da Hood

2011-09-20T18:04:00.001-05:00

Our neighborhood is a nice mix of older, established homes with lots of character. We were drawn to this neighborhood because we started out in a new housing subdivision where all of the houses were cookie cutter houses with every third or fourth house having the same layout and brick color. We have all kinds of families represented in our neck of the woods. We are surrounded by an Asian family, three black families and a host of older and younger white families. I like our neighborhood. But like all things lovely, we are unfortunately surrounded by a not so lovely apartment complex and small businesses that are…. slummy (for lack of a better word). To add insult to injury, we now have the unfortunate pleasure of welcoming a new business to our neighborhood called:

I am not even joking! Da’ Hood. Are you kidding me? For real? Anyway, when the sign first popped up I laughed my ever lovin’ head off! And then I thought to myself… down goes our property values. Because lets face it. If that sign had been in place when we were house hunting, we probably would have purchased a house elsewhere.

Well, the point to this post is to get some opinions on something that happened the other day. Last Saturday, a nice little white lady came to our door with a petition to have the name of the business changed. Her rationale was that the name of the business was not reflective of the neighborhood as a whole nor our values. I was asleep throughout her visit and Terrance told me about it later that evening. I asked if he signed the petition and he said NO! To that I said, “Well, why not because I would have.” His response was that he can’t fault the owners for trying to start a legitimate business. Yes, the name is terrible but they could be doing a host of other not so legal things and we should give them a chance.

Call me a dream smasher but if it comes down to me having less money in my pocket when it comes time to sell our home, then the sign needs to go. Period. The end. My needs trump their dreams. It’s rude and selfish but it is what it is. So I asked Terrance what if they named the business ‘Hoochie Hut’ or ‘The Klan’ or something else not desirable would he have signed the petition? Or what if it had been a nice little old black lady that asked for his signature? I never got a straight answer. He just shrugged his shoulders.

I’ve gotten mixed opinions when I ask people about it. My biracial friend Tanya pointed out that the name on the sign is not what’s bringing down the property values. It’s the whole block surrounding our neighborhood that’s the problem which is a good point. She also said that she wouldn’t have signed the petition. I still stand firm in the fact that the name should be changed but maybe there’s an aspect that I’m missing here. Please feel free to leave your opinion!

Bacon & Cheese Toast Cups

2011-09-20T11:30:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to tell you about a new recipe I tried the other morning...Bacon & Cheese Toast Cups. It was a quick and easy breakfast treat that Ian and I enjoyed.

Here are your ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
6 slices bacon
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cheese. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

Even Ian enjoyed our new breakfast dish! Ok...he did try to eat all around the egg part of the toast cup but at least he was wiling to try it!

Happy Eating!

Menu Planning Monday

2011-09-19T19:27:00.000-05:00

Well, our fridge has been bare for the past couple of weeks. Last week our menu consisted of whatever we had in the freezer and pantry. It made for some depressing meals. My highlight meal of the week was Olive Garden on last Friday. That is until our check arrived. It is hard for me to justify spending $55 dollars on one meal these days when that same amount of money could easily buy 5 simple dinners for our family. In this financial climate...every bit of money saved is a big deal. So I am rededicating myself to weekly menu planning in order to not be tempted to eat out!

Monday: Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

Tuesday: My Favorite Meatloaf with crock pot mac n cheese and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Fried Fish & Fries

Thursday: Spaghetti

Friday: Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, bacon, eggs and cheese grits)

Out of the mouths of babes

2011-09-18T15:22:00.001-05:00

I recently spent an entire night with five boys ages 3, 4, 5, 6 and 3 months old. It was actually a pretty docile night even with a baby that woke up every three hours. Even Terrance was exhausted from all of the baby rocking. I was pretty proud that I got through the night unscathed. I put on my big girl britches and packed them all up in the mini van and put my best foot forward. I will admit that I was a bit nervous, especially with the three month old, but baby Cannon proved to be the perfect overnight guest. All he wanted to do was eat and sleep! I wanted to share some of the quotes heard throughout the night from the rambunctious bunch ‘o boys to give you a snippet of the fun times we had!

Ian: Hey Gavin, did you know that Michael Jackson died because he was old and sick? (my boys love MJ’s music and have recently become obsessed with his tragic demise)

Gavin: My dog died too like Michael Jackson

Harrison: My teacher’s husband is dead too, he’s old…like 98 and he’s bald.

Ian: People die when they get old. Like mommy is gonna die when she’s older than 34.

Harrison: You know, My dad pulled my teeth out with his t-shirt and there was blood on it. I like the taste of blood. It tastes good!

Me: Umm…that’s kind of gross Harrison.

Harrison: Well, it does taste good.

***while swinging on the swing set at the park***

Evan: Hey Ian…does swinging tickle your penis?

Ian: yes, it does tickles my penis!

Evan: Weee…it tickles my penis!

Greta: Ok, how many more times can we say penis out loud and have all the moms look at us like we’re crazy!

Ian: Mommy, Gavin doesn’t want to be my best friend anymore…only Evan’s and I was jealous.

Me: No need to be jealous because people can have more than one friend!

Ian: But he’s my friend!

Me: Hey Gavin…You know your brother fell and broke his arm?

Gavin: Yeah, I know. That was a bad decision. He needs a time out!

There were so many more laugh out loud moments but I’ll leave you with these to brighten your day!

Throwback

2011-09-14T22:03:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Evan from way back when... circa 2004! The first one was taken on his 2nd day of life in the hospital. Notice how long and skinny and pale he was! The second picture was taken at his 2nd month of life! It is one of my favorite pictures because it captures his personality perfectly! Enjoy!

With Love,
Shanita

Family Fun

2011-09-11T20:27:00.001-05:00

We were blessed to have my in-laws, Lois & Willard visit this weekend! They have actually been in Texas all week (from Kansas City) but the majority of the week was spent in San Antonio visiting great grandma Lofton who is 96 years old!

Anyway, they tried to sneak away on Saturday morning but the boys and I hit them hard and heavy with the guilt trip and they lovingly decided to stay until Monday morning! So I was on a mission to make their stay worth it! And what better way to do that than with food! We also enjoyed a little shopping and perusing of classic cars and such but mostly we ate and ate till we were full as a tick! I even showed them my friends house that she recently put on the market in hopes that they would buy it and move down here to the great state of Texas....it didn't work! At any rate, I loved every minute of our eating adventure even though we are all an easy five pounds heavier once the weekend was over!

We tried to introduce them to places original to Texas and I think we did a pretty good job especially since Lois has a pretty picky palate!

First on our list was Hoffbrau Steaks. I really enjoyed my meal (but I was starving by the time we made it there) and so did the boys! Lois claimed that she's had better ribs.... But she's a bit biased by her love for Kansas City BBQ! Willard was presented with some severely overdone potato skins but they replaced them with a more acceptable batch once he bit into them and they crumbled into pieces! And, the fried pickles were so salty that you could only eat a couple before you felt your blood pressure shoot through the roof!

The next morning, my plan was to fill their bellies so full that they couldn't bear to travel all the way back to KC! So we had breakfast at Ol' South Pancake House! The pancakes were so friggin' thick that they literally blew up in your belly! I of course stuck with my Dutch Babies! My plan worked and after breakfast they decided that they would stay for another night or two!

After a 6 hour break for our digestive systems...Next on our list was Buttons Restaurant. This place is southern soul food at it's finest. Every dish was delicious. From the fried green tomatoes to the chicken and waffles and shrimp,fish and grits! Even the boys cleaned their plates! This meal was a home run and we almost did a repeat the next day it was so good!

We scarfed down donuts and kolaches for breakfast Sunday morning and got our praise on at church. I haven't been to church in quite a while due to my work schedule so I was especially blessed during service. It was one of those sermons where you felt like the pastor was talking to you and you only! Geez!

Finally, on our Texas style eating adventure we had lunch at Risky's Barbeque! I wasn't as impressed with anything except the brisket and baked potato that Terrance had. Everything else was just okay! Of course Lois thought she proved her point that Kansas City BBQ kicks Texas BBQ butt! I wouldn't know because BBQ is not one of my favorite dishes! By this time...our bellies were mounting a revolt against food! We all agreed that maybe we should have headed straight home and eaten leftovers from Buttons!

All in all, our weekend eating adventure/family fun time was awesome. I love being able to punt my parenting duties off to the grandparents! It kind of sux not being around extended family and we are always a bit saddened when they leave! But life must go on and it was fun while it lasted!

With Love,
Shanita

Menu Planning Monday

2011-09-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

Once again...I'm posting my menu for this week a little late. The main reason is that I just figured out yesterday what I plan to cook this week and yesterday we were busy cleaning house in preparation for my in laws visit. I'd love to boast that our home is always show case ready but in reality it's probably one step above unsanitary. Sometimes I look at our bathrooms and think, "Oh my goodness, if someone came over now there would not be one clean bathroom to send them to!" If someone would have told me that having boys would mean that my bathrooms would always resemble a gas station restroom...I would have thought that they were exaggerating but I'm here to tell you that it is not a myth!! It is 100% true!

Anyway, now that we are in the throws soccer season for the boys and my hub's football season and I am now forced to live the solitary life on a coaches wife **sigh**. I'm on a mission to keep things simple.

Monday: Pork Chops with Apples & Creamy Bacon Cheese Grits
Tuesday: Caribbean Chicken with rice (I got this recipe from a friend of mine in college who is from Jamaica...it's easy and delish)
Wednesday: Hot Dogs
Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry
Friday: Pizza for the boys and the babysitter
Saturday -Sunday You know the drill...I don't cook on weekends!

Thankful

2011-09-03T08:39:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for the bag of peanut M & M's I found in my purse when I was hungry given to me by a friend because it means that I won't starve to death and I have friends who care (wait...I'm not sure if she gave them to me or if I helped myself to them...at any rate)

I am thankful for my baby boy who begs to stay at home with me instead of go to preschool because it means he loves his mommy enough to want to be around her ALL the time!

I am thankful for the 20 minute drive to my oldest sons school driven by moi... to and fro twice a day because we prayed for him to get into the school and God answered our prayers!

I am thankful for the 1 1/2 hr nap I got before working a 12 1/2 hr shift because it could have been zero hours or worse yet... I could be jobless!

I am thankful for my frugal husband because if he didn't crack his whip every once in a while we would be in debt up to our eyeballs!

I'm thankful for the yelling and laughter my boys exhibit while playing together (even though my head is killing me) because it shows that I have healthy, happy kids who for now enjoy being around each other!

Try this simple mental exercise: turn all the things you complain about throughout the day into something positive and realize they are truly blessings in disguise. You can even take it one step further and thank God while you're at it. You'll end up pleasing God and you'll be a lot nicer to be around!

Menu planning

2011-08-31T21:53:00.001-05:00

I know it's late but I wanted to jot down our menu plan for this week. It was a low key week for us so please don't comment on our five star meals!

Monday: Taco Bell... Just call me a slacker!
Tuesday: hamburger helper (cheeseburger macaroni) with creamed corn and salad
Wednesday: burgers on the grill
Thursday: Chicken quesadillas...again (long story as to why it appeared on our menu again this week)
Friday: boys are on their own
Saturday: dinner at The Melting Pot. I received an email for an all-you-can-eat deal and you'd better believe I'm gonna take advantage!!
Sunday: hmmm... Actually I have no idea!

I'd like to leave you with a few pics of last weeks menu...

The Tilapia with Creole Tomato dressing was delish! Everyone enjoyed it... except Ian!

The tilapia was paired with this super fabulous shrimp puff thingy. Once again...delish!

But the hands down winner last week was the Cheesey Chicken Lasagna! Bam! Out of the park home run! Everyone loved it and I'm sure you will see it mentioned lots more on this blog!

With Love,
Shanita

Mission Organization

2011-08-30T20:33:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I have a tiny bit of OCD when it comes to organizing. I enjoy having a place for everything and having everything in it's place. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, focus, and control in my otherwise chaotic life. But I will admit that it's easier for me to help others organize than it is to organize my own life.

For instance, I have piles of things tucked away in corners of my home that I have no idea what to do with. They are in the kitchen, dining room, bedroom and hallway. They may be organized piles but piles none the less! And that is an organizing no no! I rationalize it by saying I just don't have enough room in my house for all our stuff. When in actuality we have plenty of room for what we need, we just happen to have an excess of ~~crap~~ stuff we don't need!

So I am on a mission this week to get rid of all of my piles. I started with the one in the kitchen and it feels good! I simply threw away food that's been around for a few months and snacks that the boys don't eat and did a little pantry reorganization and whadda you know...everything fit!

Bye bye pile of miscellaneous snacks from who knows when!

Hello pantry full of easy to get to snacks that we do eat! And lo and behold...that gargantuan box of chips will fit!

With Love,
Shanita

Love On Top

2011-08-29T18:25:00.001-05:00

Apparently the world is in a buzz over Beyonce revealing that she is now expecting her first baby with Rap mogul Jay-Z during her performance on the VMA music awards! I must say that despite my personal issues with the two... I was giddy! Looking at Jay-Z's face light up with happiness and pride almost made me tear up a bit!

I even had flash backs about how Terrance and I felt when we were expecting each of our boys! The immediate love and attachment you feel to your unborn child is unlike any other feeling in the world. It's so amazing it can't be described with words. I must admit that a big part of my excitement is that I have a special place in my heart for black love and marriage. I know. I know. I should celebrate love no matter where it's found especially in the times we are living in, but I'll be honest and say that I feel a sense of pride and connection when I witness black love. There, I said it. It is what it is. There are not very many positive examples of black families out there so when I see it... I embrace it. We have The Obamas and Will & Jada but I can't think of many more with the clout that Beyonce and Jay-Z have so I will celebrate with them like she's my 'sista from another mista'!

Evanisms

2011-08-25T17:37:00.001-05:00

Evan has started his educational career as a 1st grader and things are going smooth like butter! He's learned so much in the past year and the things that come out of his mouth continue to amaze me or make me shake my head or both!

Here's a snippet of today's car conversation:

Evan: Did you know that half the world faces the sun and the other half of the world faces away from the sun. But what if you're right in the middle?

Me: That's a good question. Why don't you ask daddy when he gets home cuz he's a science teacher.

Evan: Mommy why are some people born without arms?

Me: Well something could have happened while they were growing inside their mommy that made them be born without arms.

Evan: Oohh...gross!! So their arm gets cut off inside of you and your belly fills up with blood and stuff!!

Me: Well, not quite like that (as I turn up the radio to signal that this conversation is now over)!

Evan: Mommy (with his hands over his ears) please turn off your music! It's for people who are in love.

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-08-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

{one} what's your guilty pleasure tv show?
Honestly I'd rather read a good book than watch tv. I was a fan of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice for a while until they became utterly predictable or filled with insane story lines

{two} ear piercings on men: yes or no?
Not over the age of 25

{three} do you have dish or comcast?
direct tv

{four} what's your favorite current fashion trend?

leggings

{five} if you could learn to do anything, money not being an issue, what would it be?
I'd be taught how to cook by some world renown chef which would require that my kitchen be stocked with all the latest culinary gadgets and appliances

{six} red or white wine?
I don't really do wine. I'd love to become a wine connoisseur but my husband has frowned on that hobby! Plus I figure you should actually like wine before you become a connoisseur of wine...ya think?

{seven} what type of food is your favorite (ex. italian, mexican, etc.)
Italian and good 'ol soul food

{eight} hp or mac?
I've never had a Mac but I'd love to have one.

{nine} what color is your bedroom?
Light grayish taupe

{ten} what's your favorite form of exercise?
The elliptical and weight training. Both offer amazing results for me....when I do them...which is never lately!

Back to the Grind

2011-08-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

So we are back in the swing of things here now that school has started up again. I took a bit of a blogging/menu planning/focused parenting break this summer. But now it's over and it's back to the grind! All of a sudden I have lots to share or maybe it's just that I have more time to myself to share it.

Our morning "goodbye" prayer before we all part ways
(I may have broken concentration to take this picture...sorry Lord)

The morning even went well. We set an alarm clock for the boys for the first time and I'm not sure if it's a good idea. Maybe we should have done an in-service on the darn thing. After it went off this morning, Evan came crashing into our room announcing ..."Daddy, the blue clock in our room keeps beeping and I can't sleep!" Terrance politely told him that was the whole point in having an alarm clock and teaches him how to hit the snooze button! Seriously....the snooze button! Shouldn't he have just told them to get up and get ready for school! Anyway, we'll give the alarm a week before we decide whether or not it's a waste of time. After we all finally woke up...did I mention that I don't do mornings...the boys had breakfast and got ready for school with no grumbling or fussing and fighting. Amazing! We were out the door with no drama on the first day back at school. Yippee!! Yes...I'm bragging!! Evan is taking being a 1st grader in stride. It's amazing how much he's 'matured' since last year. He walked right up to his class and went through his normal morning routine putting his back pack away, turning in his summer homework...yes, I said summer homework! Greeting all of his classmates and teacher just like it was second nature. It was kind of depressing watching him do it all without needing my help at all!

Evan showing Mrs. Angela that he completed his summer homework packet

As far as menu planning goes...I'm excited because I have three new recipes to try this week. I'm sorry I don't have a link for my recipes, but I got them from magazines and store handouts so I don't have a website to link them to and I'm too lazy to type them out right now...maybe later!

Monday: chicken quesadillas using homemade (okay...Central Market homemade) tortillas
Tuesday: baked tilapia smothered with Creole Tomato dressing (another Central Market recipe) along with shrimp puffs
Wednesday: Taco Night
Thursday: Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Friday thru Sunday: Haven't I cooked enough!! The boys are on their own since I have to work all three days this weekend. I'm sure there will be lots of pizza and hot dogs and McDonald's involved!

*as usual I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

12 Signs That You Need To Clean Your Floors!

2011-08-16T11:32:00.000-05:00

1. Your socks and/or feet turn a nice shade of black when walking on your floor

2. You actually feel the dirt on your bare feet when you walk

3. You accumulate enough food on your kitchen floor to make a meal

4. Your children pick up old potato chip and fruit snack remnants and actually try to make it a meal

5. You find a half eaten strip of bacon on the floor... and you last cooked bacon a week ago

6. Your 6 year old son says "Mom, this floor is dirty... I'll help you clean up!"

7. You don't bother wiping your feet before you come inside

8. You mistake a dried up piece of hamburger meat from a pizza topping and you think it's a bug

9. You actually have to shoo away bugs

10. You hope your friends don't drop by unannounced and see how you actually live

11. You don't want to acknowledge to yourself how you actually live

12. When cleaning your counter tops, you just sweep the crumbs onto the floor cuz its dirty anyway

* the above 12 things may or may not have occurred in our household...I'll never tell!

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-08-10T13:04:00.000-05:00

{one} what was one thing that you valued when you were a kid?
Camping trips with my family.

{two} what was your favorite (+ lease favorite) subject in school?
I loved English and History and I hated math

{three} do you remember your first love?
Yes. Unfortunately!

{four} what one pet would you love to have?
I'm simple. I'd just love to have a dog. But not just any dog. The perfect dog that's housebroken, cuddly, doesn't shed, doesn't bark at it's own shadow, is good with the kids, sleeps when I sleep, and doesn't require lots of exercise!

{five} would you rather live in the country or in the city?
I'm not sure I'd like the country. There are too many conveniences in the city. Maybe I'd like the country more when I'm retired and ready to slow down.

{six} what do you love about blogging?
I'm free to say what I want and I get to share my life with others no matter how simple my life may be.

{seven} what is the first website you visit everyday?
my blog...duh!

{eight} will you or have you joined google+?
I have no idea what google plus is. I'll have to research it!

{nine} what is your favorite scent of candle/air freshener?
Vanilla

{ten} how would you describe your style?
I'm not sure I have a style. Is that possible? If anyone out there has a comment on this one I'd like to hear it!

With Love,
Shanita

Reading & Writing

2011-08-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

The downside to having a kid who can now read and write is that we now get random letters from Evan every so often that could one day incriminate us. Like this one written to Terrance (while I was at work):

Translation: When will we eat? Sign here.

The other day Evan was caught doing something so gross and silly that I refuse to share on this blog which resulted in him being banned from all technology! The boy actually went through withdrawal! It was funny and sad to watch! But this is the letter that he wrote to his dad about 12 hours into his punishment:

Translation: When can I play the wii? Terrance's response (in the bubble): I don't know. It's up to you!

Geez... Whatever happened to face to face communication!!

Happy Anniversary -10 and counting!

2011-08-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary. I will be the first to say that it has been an awesome ride thus far. Don't get me wrong...it hasn't all been peaches and cream but I wouldn't trade one second of my life with Terrance for anything in the world. Looking back over the years, it's easy to see how much we've grown. We not only have noticeable laugh lines and an expanding waist line as signs of maturity but our relationship has blossomed as well.

I will admit that this 10th year has been the hardest for us in terms of our relationship. There slowly came a point when we stopped putting each other first and allowed our marriage to simmer on the back burner and the back burner is no place for a marriage to be. We were taking care of business in every aspect of our life except for our marriage. The needs of our kids, our jobs, our friends, our families were all met but at the sacrifice of one another. Like all things that fester...it all came to a head one day and after a lot of brain busting the problem was in fact easy to fix. Our marriage comes first after God. Period. The end. Everything else will fall into place. Our new goal is to focus on meeting the needs of one another. With the simple idea being that if both of our needs are being met then we can handle all of the other life obstacles that come our way and the best part of that is that we will handle them together.

There is a reason that love is one of the most important attributes of Christian living. Without love it is impossible to please God. Love is completely giving of yourself to benefit someone else without the thought of gaining something in return. Love is powerful!

^{I Corinthians 13:4-8}
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails.

Sweet Summer

2011-07-28T03:54:00.002-05:00

Well we are on a triple digit weather spree here in Texas and we are doing everything in our power to keep from burning up. For the most part we've stayed inside either at home or doing other indoor activities and partaking in lots of swimming!

Well while watching TV at 3am in the break room at work I saw a special about ice cream joints in the DFW metroplex, and a place called Sweet Sammies was featured so I had to give it a try since it was close to me and the prices are so reasonable!!

They offer mainly cookies and ice cream. Go figure! Why didn't I think of this!? A couple of cookies with a scoop of ice cream in between! Ingenious!

I opted for the oatmeal toffee cookie with vanilla ice cream...yum!

The boys decided they wanted ice cream only so Evan stuck with tried and true Vanilla while Ian went against the grain and tried Krazy Kolors ice cream. I'm not sure what's in this flavor of ice cream but it's pretty good! Terrance was a party pooper and sat and watched us enjoy our dessert!

We were able to cool down and enjoy a delicious treat for around $4.00. What a steal! I'm sure we will frequent Sweet Sammies plenty more times before the summer is over!

Shark Boy

2011-07-21T15:07:00.001-05:00

Evan has been pretty upset that he's one of the last kids in his class to lose his primary teeth. Well now he can be the first kid in his class to brag about his transformation into... Shark Boy! Duh..duh..duh!!!

Yep! Those are his adult teeth growing in behind his primary teeth! It's pretty disturbing actually. Terrance has nick named him Shark Boy! Evan thinks it's a compliment like some type of superhero alias, but it's actually because he has extra rows of teeth like a shark!

We are scheduled to visit the dentist in a couple of weeks so we'll see what our next step is! I'm sure it will involve tooth extraction since his primary teeth aren't even close to being loose!

But for now, Shark Boy is still in full effect!

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-07-20T14:07:00.000-05:00

{one} what is your dream job?
I'd love to be an author!

{two} how many best friends do you have?
Two besties and a couple of really close friends to add to that.

{three} what’s the longest road trip you’ve ever taken?
Kansas City, MO.

{four} if you had to do one single thing every day for the next year, what would it be?
Take a nap

{five} what’s one story your family always tells about you?
Once my brother and I were playing baseball and we used a hammer as the baseball....I know, crazy right? Well, my brother threw, I swung and missed and the hammer hit my forehead and it was a bloody masacre that scared my parents to death and my forehead is forever mauled!

{six} how did your parents pick your name?
My mom had a friend named Shalita, so I'm thinking Shanita was a spin on that!

{seven} what’s the one thing that scares you more than anything?
Divorce

{eight} are you a good cook?
NO!!! I do have one or two dishes I'm good at but that's it!

{nine} where do you see yourself in 20 years?
Retired and financially set so I can enjoy my grandbabies!

{ten} what’s your best childhood memory?
Going camping with my family. I loved sleeping in tents, bathing in the lake, hanging out in the boat and spending all day in my swim suit!

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-07-13T00:25:00.000-05:00

{one} what’s the #1 most played song on your iPod (or whatever you use)?
Right now it's WELL DONE by Deitrick Haddon followed by PURPLE RAIN by The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. My Father in law will get a kick out of that response!

{two} what’s your favorite type of exercise?
Hmm... I like the benefit of running but my body hates it. I guess I like circuit training the best. I like variety!

{three} what’s your least favorite mode of transportation?
Walking

{four} if you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what would it be?
25 was a good age for me. I was a newlywed with a new career and a new house. I felt like the world was an open door!

{five} when you have 30 minutes of free time, what do you use it to do?
Sleep or read

{six} what do you miss the most about being a kid?
How naive I was. I didn't know about heartbreak, the stress of paying bills and raising kids, war, taxes, etc. I was just living life!

{seven} when was the last time you were nervous?
Are you kidding? I am always a ball of nerves. I guess the last time was today when Evan broke out in a rash and I was nervous about him going into some type of anaphylactic shock from an unknown deadly allergy!

{eight} what was the first thing you bought with your own money when you were young?
Probably candy with my allowance money. Once I scored my first job then I was off to buy new clothes

{nine} what is your favorite month of the year?
Its a toss up between October and April. I love the weather here in Texas during those months

{ten} what are 3 songs from the soundtrack of your life?
That's a hard one. There are songs that remind me of different chapters in my life but there aren't any songs that would really describe my life overall. Just points in time.

Happy 4th Birthday Ian

2011-07-10T01:18:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th birthday to my sweet Ian! Four years ago today I gave birth to a handsome little boy who is truly a gift from God! Ian you are one amazing kid! You are determined, strong and a natural leader who is not afraid to blaze his own trail! You've even taught your big brother a thing or two along the way! Even though you are not afraid to stand up for yourself, you always manage to let people know when you really care! Your hugs, kisses, snuggles and big grin melt my heart! I hope you enjoy your special day! Love ya to the moon and back!

With Love,
Mommy

Stuffed Pasta Shells

2011-06-29T23:13:00.001-05:00

My friend Tanya texted me a recipe for Stuffed Pasta Shells that she made for dinner and I thought I'd share it here on my blog. I planned on waiting for her to make it and report back to me whether it was a hit or a flop but I decided to give it a try since she was taking too long and it looked so good!

After traveling to four different stores for jumbo pasta shells, I was finally able to make the dish and I'm glad I did because it was scrumdiddlyumptious! I added a side salad with homemade ranch dressing and BAM! A delicious dinner in less than an hour that everyone loved! Terrance said it's the best meal he's eaten in a while! (I'm not sure whether or not that's a good or a bad thing, but whatever).

You can click here for the recipe!

Here are your ingredients

Heres how it all looked before baking.

Here's greedy Ian waiting on the masterpiece to hurry up and bake! (please ignore the overflowing trash can in the background and the fact that my 3 yr old is swinging from an oven door)

And here it is after baking! This recipe is definitely going on our favorites list! It's easy and delish! Give it a try!

Don't feed the children

2011-06-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

I don't have to cook today! Here's the note I found on my fridge yesterday from my dear sweet Evan:

Translation: Please feed me nothing tomorrow mommy and daddy!

This note stemmed from a weekend of eating junk which resulted in the tummy ache of all tummy aches! So perhaps a day of bowel rest is a good idea for all of us!

Random Questions

2011-06-22T11:32:00.001-05:00

Every since Easter Ian has been grilling us with questions about God. I think its because we had an Easter play and one of the characters of course was God. Some of his questions are pretty straight forward and can be explained easily to a three year old and others are a bit more intense (for lack of a better word). I of course punt all God questions off to Terrance since they are right up his alley and because there has to be some kind of perk for being married to a youth minister!

Here are some of the questions that Ian rattled off in rapid succession in the car this morning:

1. Does God only have one son?

2. Why is God big?

3. Does God have a deep voice?

4. Why can't we see God?

5. Is God really everywhere?

6. Why does God want us to be good?

Evan:(as he smacks the palm of his hand on his forehead) Here he goes again with his God questions!

Me: Ask your dad when he gets home!

Of course this post would not be complete if I didn't tell you about the off the wall questions that Evan has asked this week:

1. If I had a sister could I marry her and make babies?

2. Why didn't you make me a twin?

3. Do birds ever run in to each other when they are flying?

4. Mommy, why is your tummy so soft?

I try to answer questions as honestly as I can while still preserving their innocence which is tricky! But I will admit that on occasion I will ignore the question all together or cleverly change the subject depending on my mood.

*for the record...I have a friend who's really pregnant (as in baby due tomorrow) which is where the baby questions stem from...I think!

With Love,
Shanita

Father of the Year

2011-06-20T08:33:00.001-05:00

Just wanted the world (or at least the 16 or so folks who read my blog) know that despite the fact that he sometimes gets on my last nerve my hubs is a pretty awesome dad. He will take the boys any and everywhere on his own with no questions asked. Church (check) doctors office (check) birthday parties (check) movies (check) drag races (check) chuck e cheese (check) ER visit (check)! He has always been a hands on dad. He changed diapers, took over the 2am feedings, initiated potty training, and he even bathes, and puts the boys to bed with a bedtime story! Yep, he's pretty amazing. And yes ladies...he's all mine!

Well it's always good when someone other than your significant other recognizes your awesomeness so Terrance was proud when he received the Father of the Year Award from our church on Father's Day.

It is no secret that I am frequently absent from church due to my job and my extreme need for sleep, so I was not there to witness him receive this honor and I was pretty bummed but I let him know that he truly did deserve the award and so much more!

So if you see him around, give him a pat on the back and say "Congrats Father of The Year" just so we can see him blush! Wait, do black men blush?!

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-06-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

{one} what color best describes you + why?
orange cuz it's a bit of a wacky color like me

{two} how have you changed in the past year?
I guess I've learned to let go of the notion that I must somehow be the perfect wife, mother, friend, daughter, etc. It is obviously an impossible mission!

{three} have you ever had any surgeries?
yes, LASIK eye surgery in '06 and hernia repair in '07

{four} why did you start your blog?
you can read all about it here

{five} what are you looking forward to this summer?
Spending time together as a family- so far it ain't happening. My hubs is busier now than when school was in session!

{six} do you have any family traditions for the 4th of July?
Nope, I'm a nurse so I usually pick the 4th as one of my minor holidays to work.

{seven} what’s something new that you’ve tried in the past few months?
Menu planning and cooking dinner at home!

{eight} what is the perfect a/c temperature?
73 in the summer and 75 in the winter

{nine} what was the last movie you saw in the theater?
Kung Fu Panda 2

{ten} what song do you think everyone should hear at least once?
I can't think of one...except maybe The Lords's Prayer, yeah...that's always a good one!

With Love,
Shanita

Mama Bear

2011-06-15T10:05:00.001-05:00

My rational mind knows that I can't keep my kids safely tucked away in a cocoon in order to keep them happy, healthy and safe, but the 'Mama Bear in me wants to protect them by any means necessary!

Where is all of this coming from you ask! Well the other day Evan came home from school and told me that he touched Mackenzie (a pretty 'lil caucasian girl in his class) on the shoulder and she told him that she doesn't like for brown people to touch her. Evan's little feelings were so hurt. I think it was magnified because Evan has spent the majority of his life thinking that he's white since his skin is lighter than the rest of the family and all of the other black people he knows. So to hear from one of his peers that not only is he really black, but that also people may not want to have anything to do with him because he's black was a double whammy!

I spent some time explaining to Evan that he's smart and wonderful and handsome and a good friend and black is beautiful and so forth and so on in an attempt to build back up the self esteem that 'lil miss Mackenzie attempted to tear down.

One of my character flaws is that I tend to hold grudges so I had to swallow the disgust I felt toward the child that hurt my baby's feelings when I saw her and her mom the next day in class. I wanted to say something to the mom but what could be said? I had a few things in mind but it would not make the situation any better! I was itching to lay my hand on her little shoulder and say "Good morning Mackenzie" just to see what her and her mom would say. Instead I just smiled my sweet smile, uttered a faint 'good morning' and walked away.

I do realize that Mackenzie could have picked up her distaste for brown people from someplace other than her parents. It could even just be a personal preference instead of some type of prejudice! For instance I don't really like for random people to touch me at all, whether they are black, white, purple or green! And maybe Mackenzie was just being descriptive. I realize I'm reaching here...

Anyway, Mama Bear is safely tucked away for the time being. Evan was fine this morning. He even smiled at Mackenzie (although she didn't smile back). So if he can carry on like nothing happened then I can too. I'm sure this won't be the last time we have to deal with something like this so I'll just keep my bear claws sharpened till next time!

With Love,
Shanita

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-06-08T08:40:00.001-05:00

{one} do you believe in ghosts?
I believe in the Holy Ghost so I guess my answer is yes!

{two} are you more of a talker or more of a listener?
Ha! Definitely a talker. My husband thinks my listening skills are terrible!!

{three} would you rather get up early or sleep late?
Sleep late! I hate mornings!! I've been a nite owl all of my life!

{four} if you could instantly become an expert at one type of dance, what type would you choose?
Salsa! It's sexy!

{five} what's your favorite drink?
Strawberry Lemonade and Coca-Cola (separately of course)

{six} if your house caught fire and you could only grab three things, what would they be?
Assuming my family is ok...I'd take my iphone or iPad (whichever is closest), my folder of important documents (all organized and ready to go), and I have a small box of sd cards that hold all of my pictures taken over the last 7 yrs so it's coming too!

{seven} if you could only visit one restaurant for the next five years, which would it be?
Toss up between Buttons and Olive Garden

{eight} who inspires you the most?
My husband. You have to know him to understand. All of the things that irk me about him are the traits that drew me to him and those traits are what make him so annoyingly wonderful. Geez...it's so much pressure to live with someone so amazing!

{nine} if you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be?
Barack Obama, Michael Ealy (for the eye candy) and toss up between either Beyonce for entertainment or Oprah to increase my ratings!

{ten} sneakers or sandals?
Sandals! It's hot in Texas!

Congrats RMS

2011-06-03T11:14:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to say congratulations to Reagan Middle School for becoming the first middle school in Grand Prairie ISD history to obtain the TEA Exemplary status!

The teachers and staff have worked hard for this achievement. I asked Terrance if this means that all teachers get a raise next year. He simply smirked and said .... "No, but we did get a t-shirt!"

Been there...done that...got the t-shirt!

R.I.P. Fishy

2011-06-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

Do you see something wrong with this picture?

This past weekend Terrance bought each of the boys a goldfish. I thought it was kind of cute besides the fact that I'm not sure fish count as pets since all you can do is look at them but I digress!

Well, unfortunately one of our friendly fishies bit the dust after 48 hours in our care. We didn't even get a chance to name it!

At least his sidekick is still with us for now. We still haven't named it because we don't want to get too attached given our track record...

He's a trooper so far. He's had dirty toddler fingers stuck in his water, he's been overfed, and he's had miscellaneous rocks dropped on his head. Geez!

Menu Planning Monday

2011-05-30T11:56:00.001-05:00

Monday: eating out at Logan's Roadhouse (I have a BOGO free dinner coupon)
Happy Memorial Day!

Tuesday: Meatloaf with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: breakfast for dinner with Quiche Lorraine and pancakes

Thursday: chicken spaghetti

Friday/Sat: boys are on their own

Sunday: fried fish and french fries

I'm hooking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

With Love,
Shanita

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-05-25T21:54:00.001-05:00

{one} what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?

A date with a hottie bo body in high school. I was so excited that he asked me out on a date but we had absolutely NO chemistry. We went to see a movie... Malcolm X of all things... And he fell asleep in the movie for crying out loud!

{two} if you could be any other person for one day, who would it be?

hmmm... How bout Oprah. I would have all of that money spent in 24 hrs with no problem!

{three} what is your favorite kind of cheese?

Good old tried and true cheddar...the sharper the better. I recently tried Brie and its yummy too!

{four} do you remember your 1st grade teacher?

I can't even remember what school I went to in first grade!

{five} who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?

my hubs or usually I just shut everybody out and have a pity party

{six} were you ever in a school talent show?

NO! I have no talent!

{seven} who is your favorite fictional character?

As in from a movie or book or cartoon? I guess it would be Sookie Stackhouse from the True Blood series/books for reasons that I don't want to share on this family blog!

{eight} can you open your eyes underwater?

Yes! It burns like a big dog but I still do it!

{nine} do you look at the keyboard when you type?

No. My typing teacher deducted points in school for looking at the keys. My eyes are glued to the screen!

{ten} when was the last time you took a nap?

Daily! It's so hard to watch Ian take a nap and not snuggle with him and close my eyes! Plus 6:30 a.m. is way too early to be awake without resting your eyes midday!

With Love,
Shanita

Random

2011-05-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

Here is a list of the random things I thought about on our trip to Lufkin to visit my parents this past weekend.

Official logo of Lufkin Industries where my dad retired from after 36 years of service (just thought you'd like to know :-)

1. My boys can play video games for three hours straight.

2. My husband is content with not talking for three hours straight.

3. I can read books for three hours straight (as a result of #1&2).

4. My husband says the air is clearer in Lufkin. Hmmm... I've never noticed.

5. I've lost touch with pretty much all of my friends from Lufkin and I'm ok with that. People enter your life for a reason and a season.

6. My extended family isn't very close. I'd love to remedy that situation cuz it's a bit sad but I am at a loss as to how. Lots of issues that need to be worked out there. Two of my brothers still live in Lufkin and I didn't even lay eyes on them. Geez!

7. I found out that my cousin (my age) died from cancer...five years ago! That goes back to number 6.

8. Why on earth does my 76 year old dad have an iPhone? He has no computer, thus no Internet access, and has never sent a text message or email in his life. He's never even surfed the web for goodness sake! All that technology wasted. (update: my dad sent me his first ever text message this evening). He's so cool!

9. My boys need to spend a little time in the country to rough them up a bit. Feed a few chickens and hogs and enjoy the great outdoors. They are a little too citified for their own good.

10. I miss my folks when I'm away but once I'm back home I realize why I left! Hey...I'm just being honest here! Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Or is that absence? Same difference!

With Love,
Shanita

Happy Birthday To Me!

2011-05-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

Well today is my birthday and I am super happy about it. I remember 4 years ago on this day when I spent the entire morning crying because I turned 30! I was here alone. Nobody invited me to breakfast or lunch or dinner and my hubs refused to take the day off and be with me! (Yes I'm still bitter about it because I begged for days for him to take off and he still said no! So for all you guys out there...take note! When your lady begs you to do something, she usually has a good reason for it or she wouldn't resort to begging!) I was 7 months pregnant and the hormones were raging and I just didn't want to be alone for 8 hours doggone it! He did make up for it with a candlelight lobster dinner and flowers and a new outfit, but that is beside the point!

I digress...

Today I am in a good place! I could rattle off all of the things I have to be happy about but I'm not gonna bore you with the details. Just know that this 34th birthday is truly a happy one!

With Love,
Shanita

Evanism- Teeth?

2011-05-16T11:43:00.002-05:00

This is a snippet of the many random conversations that took place between Evan and his grandma (my mom) this weekend during our visit.

Evan: Do you have teeth?

Ella: Shanita...Evan just asked me if I had any teeth.

Me: shrugging my shoulders

Ella: Why do you want to know Evan?

Evan: Because I don't see any and I want to know how you eat.

Ella: I eat just like you do.

Evan: No you don't because you don't have any teeth.

Me: (realizing that this could go on forever) Evan, it's not polite to ask people if they have any teeth.

Evan: Why not?

Me: It just isn't. It's personal.

Evan: shrugging his shoulders and probably itching to ask what personal means... then he turns and walks away

Ella: I guess I'm going to have to do better!

Me: Welcome to my world!

Menu planning Monday

2011-05-09T02:15:00.000-05:00

I have fallen off of the meal planning bandwagon. I blame it on Evan's soccer practice, my husbands exercise Boot camp, a crazy work schedule, being bored with the same old meals, and my several trips to the dentist resulting in some sore teeth which make eating not so fun! But I'm back and I'm determined!! Watch out now!!

Monday: beef tacos
Tuesday: lasagna, garlic bread, salad
Wednesday: cheeseburgers and fries
Thursday: slow cooker pork chops and mac & cheese
Friday-Sunday: We're heading home to see my family. Hopefully my parents can find it in their hearts to cook us a home cooked meal or atleast take us out to eat!!

Happy Eating!!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:45:00.001-05:00

"No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life."

My sweet Ian. This lil' guy is amazing. True enough... He has tested my mothering abilities to the limit but that testing has helped me to realize what it means to be a mother. It's easy to love someone when they are being a perfect little angel but loving someone when they are being just the opposite is what motherhood is about! He loves music and dancing and kisses and juice and getting his way! I love how he stands his ground, he's a leader...not a follower, he thinks before he acts (even though his rationale is sometimes questionable), he is slow to trust but loyal once that trust is established, his strong willed personality is what will get him far in life. It's the stuff good leaders are made of! Plus he's so darn cute with his dimple and his big grin!

Evan, my big boy, is an example of a good kid. He's easy to get along with, he's a people pleaser, he likes to snuggle, he is smart and truly enjoys learning, he will try anything (as long as there isn't a chance that he will get hurt or see a bug) and his curiosity keeps me on my toes. He loves video games, chick fil a, soccer and playgrounds. I love his snuggling!! And of course I think he's so stinkin' handsome!

They love each other.... Most of the time :-)

And I love them...all of the time!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Keep up the good work!

I Love God

2011-05-03T19:07:00.001-05:00

Conversation in my back seat after leaving school:

Evan: I love Alice Carlson (That's the name of his school)

Evan: But I love you more mommy. Well actually, I love God even more.

Me: That's right Evan, you should love God more than anything!

Evan: Yeah, I love him so much that I want to rip out my heart and give it to Him.

Ian: No you don't cuz then you'd be dead!

Evan: But then I get to be with God!

(I should really put an end to this now gruesome conversation)

Me:OK, OK...Yes, a person would die if they ripped out their heart but that would physically impossible to do so end of conversation. However, I am proud of how much you love God!

Gifted

2011-05-02T09:44:00.001-05:00

Guess who just got accepted into the Gifted & Talented program for the upcoming school year? Drumroll please...

You guessed it...Evan Lofton!!!!

Ok so it was kind of an easy guess considering the fact that Evan is my only offspring that attends school but anyway...

I was so excited when we got the letter in the mail. Evan, however, could honestly care less. Well I shouldn't say care less but he was not as enthused as I was. I don't think he gets it. How's that for gifted!! And I'm not sure how to explain it to him without sounding pompous.

This news came just in time because I was seriously starting to doubt my mothering abilities. It's good to know that even when you come up short, your kids still have a chance to turn out somewhat normal!

Truth is... I don't have to be perfect because I serve a perfect God and as long as I let Him be in control...everything will be a-ok!

Ramblings

2011-04-26T10:48:00.000-05:00

Being a parent is the hardest job I've ever had. I absolutely love my children so much that it hurts. They are fun and smart and handsome and they can be so amazingly sweet at times. I feel so blessed to have them in my life. I love being their mother. Despite the fact that they keep my house messy, they can be very loud, and they require constant attention... and food! I have an intense desire to protect them at all costs and that is what I will do until my dying day!

I'm sure you're wondering where all of this came from and I'll explain one day. I hate to share it all with you at this particular time because it will open the floodgates that I've tried hard to keep closed. I wonder sometimes if I'm actually thinking rational thoughts. I wish someone could actually just look into my brain and see what I'm thinking so I don't have to actually explain it in words. But I know that this too shall pass and I take comfort in knowing that God will never leave my side through any and all of my trials. So I'll turn my frown upside down and enjoy each day to the fullest!

Wordless Wednesday: Never Let 'em see you cry!

2011-04-20T17:10:00.001-05:00

Menu Planning 4/18-4/23

2011-04-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

I feel like my entire blog as of late has been about Menu Planning. Mainly because I am still actually proud of myself for cooking meals more often than not and I'm still baffled by how much time and money and calories we save by eating meals at home. I know...whoulda thunk?!

Also, life around here has been pretty low key and I would hate to bore you with stories about how amazing and obedient my children are or how my husband helps out often around the house or how I've got this whole mommyhood thing down to a science. I mean... do you really want to hear about how totally wonderful I am?!!!

Of course I'm just joking people! Here's my menu for this week:

Monday: Crock Pot Italian Chicken (finally got around to this one from last week and the week before)

Tuesday: Spaghetti and garlic toast

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner a.k.a. Brinner

Thursday, Friday, Saturday: Sorry but I'll be at work so the boys are on their own! I'm sure there will be plenty of chicken nuggets, burgers, fries and pizza involved!

Resurrection Sunday: Brisket (from Sam's Club), Paula Deen crock pot mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, and strawberry pie

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

Burst of creativity

2011-04-14T08:04:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wonder what goes through Evan's head throughout the day. I'd like to know why he does some of the things he does. Like this...

I looked over his homework the other night and saw this ~~girly~~ elaborately designed lettering. I mean really... Where did this burst of creativity come from? I have never in my 30 something years of life added curly cues to my letters... and I'm a girl! And look closer...

He even added a flower above the 't'! Geez! I have no further comments!

Menu Planning 4/11-4/15

2011-04-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

It's gonna be a low key dining week. I have somehow accumulated a freezer full of frozen meat. Okay, truth be told, whenever I see meat on sale at Kroger...I buy it (even if it's not on my menu for the week). I tell myself that I'm getting a good deal so I can't pass it up! Well, I refuse to buy any more meat until I've trimmed down our supply. I don't like clutter and my freezer is officially cluttered! True enough, I only have about four or five packages of random meats but it still looks cluttered to me!

Monday: Olive Garden with friends
Tuesday: Chili cheese hot dogs (I've included a recipe although we got the chili from a friend and I have no idea how she cooked it... but it's delish)
Wednesday: beef enchiladas
Thursday: chicken surprise (I have preseasoned chicken from Kroger...not sure what it's seasoned with, thus the surprise) throw in a side of mac & cheese and mashed potatoes and dinner is served
Friday: crock pot Italian chicken that we didn't get around to last week...I'm a slacker...I know it!

I'm hooking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for menu planning Monday

Evanism

2011-04-05T22:08:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned my necklace from Lisa Leonard that I love so much. You know....the tiny squares necklace that has my boys names along with a dainty little freshwater pearl. Anyway, on occasion I do take off the necklace to kind of spice up my attire every now and again. Well, Ian saw it on the counter and tried to put it on and here is what Evan had to say about that:

Evan: Put that necklace down Ian! You can't lose it because that's how mommy remembers our names!
Me: I know your names crazy boy now give me my necklace!

If I had a dollar for every off the wall comment that leaves Evan's mouth...I'd be an extremely wealthy woman!

Menu Planning 4/4-4/8

2011-04-04T21:18:00.001-05:00

So I am trialing two NEW recipes this week. I'm kind of proud of myself. I am actually patting myself on the back with one hand while typing with the other. I am woman...hear me roar!

Monday: Stuffed Tilapia with mashed potatoes.This meal was delicious! The crab stuffing was the best part and I wish we would have been a little more generous with it but you live...you learn. Please also ignore the plastic kiddie plates that we served our dinner on. I didn't plan on capturing this meal on film! This meal would have been awesome with a side of asparagus or veggie of your choice. Like I said...you live, you learn!

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes (didn't get around to this one last week). I am actually making this for the boys while I enjoy Girls Night Out with my besties at The Melting Pot. I would usually leave them to fend for themselves but I actually felt a fleeting moment of guilt that I would be enjoying scrumptious fondue while they sat around scratching their heads trying to figure out what to have for dinner! Am I a responsible mother/wife or what?!
Wednesday: Crock Pot BBQ ribs
Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti
Friday: Crock Pot Italian Chicken (from my pal Greta via our pal Katie)...recipe below

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

2tbsp butter
1 (.7)oz package of dry Italian salad dressing
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 8oz chive an onion cream cheese
1/2 cup white cooking wine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan, add salad dressing, soup, cream cheese and wine. Stir it until hot and smooth. Pour over chicken in slow cooker and cook on low for about four hours.

Serve over rice or noodles.

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for menu planning Monday.

Reading is Learning

2011-03-29T11:10:00.000-05:00

The next book on my Reading is Learning adventure is:

The Tenth Circle

By: Jodi Picoult

Now every book that I've read by Jodi Picoult has left me with more questions than answers which is sooo not good for a girl like me with such an active imagination. So instead of talking about things I've learned...I'm going to present you with a discussion/question about what was going through my head while reading this book.

As parents, we do everything in our power to protect our kids. We teach them not to text and drive but we can't keep the creep in the next lane from drinking and driving and potentially causing them harm. We teach them to wash their hands but we can't keep all the other germ ridden kids in the class from passing on their bugs and making them sick. We teach them that they are beautiful but we can't keep other people from commenting that they are too skinny or their nose is a little too big. So what if we are going about this all wrong thus setting them up for disappointment!

For example, maybe we should say, hey kid...you are sooo handsome but there are others out there who may not think the same. Or, being in love is the greatest feeling in the world, until some creep breaks your heart into a thousand pieces. Or mommy always wants to keep you safe, but there will be times when I can't so you're on your own to make wise choices! Okay, maybe we shouldn't be that blunt but it's the truth whether we like it or not. Our children may get physically hurt, hearts broken, self esteem shattered or their worlds can be rocked in hundreds of other different ways. We have to somehow let them understand that we as parents are not perfect...neither is life so when the obstacles come, and they will, you've got to be prepared to roll with the punches. I think Forest Gump said it best...

Anyway, as much as we hate to admit it, we are not in control. Only God is. All we can do is our best and let Him handle the rest. I know we want our kids to hang on to their innocence as long as possible, but at what point do we have the whole "life isn't fair" speech. At some point we have to admit that there are times when we as parents may come up lacking. Never fear though because God's has our back! He is the only one who is all-powerful and all-knowing and although we as parents, want our children to think we are the best thing since sliced bread, we will always pale in comparison to Him. And that's the way it should be!

Oh, and by the way, for those who don't have time to read....there is a movie out based on this book!

Menu Planning 3/28-4/1

2011-03-29T00:21:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine ,who shall remain nameless, informed me that my menus are getting a little, shall we say, redundant. With friends like mine...who needs enemies! Well, I am taking this week to research more recipes to give our dinners a face lift. Because apparently my family should be good and tired of fried catfish and fries and cheeseburgers. But until I can properly research more in depth recipes, I will continue to stick with the basics so here's my menu for this week..

Monday: Hot dogs for the kids and sliders for the grown ups with a side of Toscano soup because I wanted to use up the Kale in my refrigerator and I was craving Olive Garden! I found a new recipe and I like it a whole lot better so check it out. I know it's a hodge podge of foods but we all went to bed with full stomachs!

Tuesday: Chick-fil-A (we've got soccer practice and I don't feel like cooking in a hurry)

Wednesday: Homemade Pizzas

Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas with corn cakes

Friday: Sloppy Joes

Monday Manna: Kiddie Conversation

2011-03-28T23:05:00.000-05:00

My boys hold some very interesting conversations amongst themselves. It's pretty funny listening to them. Until the conversation goes something like this:

Ian: Jesus is everywhere. He even lives in our heart.

Me: That's right Ian. That means that you should believe in Jesus with your whole heart.

Evan: Well...what if someone reaches in your chest and takes out your heart. Where would Jesus live then?

Me: Umm..... Well....Hopefully that never happens!

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Reading is Learning

2011-03-23T20:28:00.000-05:00

I read. A lot. It's one of my favorite past times. Next to eating. I can read for hours straight. I admit that I mostly read girly love stories or any book about moms, families, and relationships because that's where I am in my life right now. I seldom read non fiction books whose sole purpose is to impart some type of knowledge or explain some type of phenomenon. I read to escape reality...no to delve deeper into it. Hey... some people have drugs and alcohol....I have my books!

Anyway, my loving father in law, a.k.a. Pop, was baffled when he realized how much time I actually spend reading. He was even more baffled when I told him I usually spend hours reading non fiction books that often end in happy endings. The guy always gets the girl and they live happily ever after. He loves to read but he only reads non fiction. Can you imagine? I like turning my brain off every now and again. It's a form of therapy. I don't want to read a book and have to actually have to work hard to understand what it says. I did enough of that in nursing school. All my nursing buddies.... holla if ya hear me!

Well, Pop kind of made me question my favorite past time and now, although I'm not giving up my sappy fiction, I am making an effort to learn something from each and every book I read.

My first book on my Reading is Learning adventure is:

Daniel's Gift

by: Barbara Freethy

I really liked this book. I don't want to spoil it for those who would like to read it but I did learn a few important things that I'd like to share.

1. I learned that God NEVER makes mistakes. Everything is part of His perfect plan. Good and bad.
2. Nobody is perfect and we will be disappointed every time when we expect perfection from an imperfect being.
3. Life is bigger than just us. Being self centered only pushes others away and sets us up for failure. We are not in control. He is! So just save yourself the trouble and do what He says!
4. Try to focus on the good in people instead of the bad.
5. Sometimes we are hurt the most by people we call family.
6. Life is not always pleasant and bad things happen to good people and YES God allows it to happen. But we should trust Him and his perfect will for our lives. Having a taste of the bad, makes us appreciate the good even more. How can we enjoy the sunshine if we've never experienced the rain? How can we appreciate having someone we can trust if we've never been let down before? How can we appreciate joy without the pain? Get my point?
7. Love really does conquer all. It is the most powerful and beneficial emotion that we can experience!

So see Pop...I am now reading with a purpose. Aren't you proud of me?

Menu Planning 3/21-3/25/11

2011-03-21T21:30:00.004-05:00

This weeks menu is gonna be simple cuz I'm feeling lazy....

Monday: fried catfish and french fries
Tuesday: birthday party... no cooking for me!
Wednesday: Rachel Ray's Inside Out Bacon Cheeseburgers
Thursday: slow cooker pot roast (it's taking up too much room in my freezer...it gots to go)
Friday: spaghetti and garlic toast

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday

My Favorite Things- Tempurpedic

2011-03-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, we just came back from vacationing with the in-laws in Kansas City. They tend to always spoil us and this trip was no exception! I think they are trying to get us to consider moving that way (I've got them all figured out!) Anyway, as always, it's the simple things that make life sooo much better and I experienced two of those things while on vacation....

I want to introduce y'all to my newest favorite things....

My in-laws Tempur-pedic mattress

Aaaahhhhh....my little slice of Heaven

This bed is absolutely fabulous! Okay, all I have to compare it to is our 9 yr old spring mattress that sinks in the middle, but still....it's fabulous Our first night sleeping on it was a bit rough. It was way more firm than what we were used to, but like I said, our current mattress is less than stellar (see above reference). This mattress has absolutely no give which is a good thing. The next morning, Terrance and I actually woke up with back aches and neck aches from our anatomically correct sleep positioning since our bodies are used to conforming to a mattress with more give than a rubber band.

The next night was a whole lot better. The mattress succeeded in correcting our less than stellar posture and we were able to enjoy a great night of sleep. Did I mention that this mattress is da bomb! I could not feel when my husband tossed and turned next to me. I only knew he was moving when he actually threw an appendage on my person. I didn't even feel him get out of the bed the next morning which resulted in 5 days of sleeping in (because the hubs wakes up waaay too early)!

The clincher was when we got back home last night. Once we laid down on our catastrophe of a mattress, we could not fall asleep for anything. We now realize how bad off we were and how much of a disservice we were doing our bodies. We tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning. Terrance finally said..."Get up and lay on the couch." It's a shame when our rinky dink sofa is more comfortable than our bed!

My next little slice of heaven came when I decided to go all Betty Crocker and make Ian a strawberry cake. Lois directed me to her Kitchenaid mixer and I was instantly in love!

My mom in law's white kitchenaid artisan mixer

Now I've seen these mixers everywhere. My friends have them. I see them on Food Network and in the stores but I will admit that I have never actually used one. Until now. Before, I was stuck with my handy dandy hand mixer because I didn't know such a fine specimen of a kitchen appliance existed to make my life that much easier. All you do is pour your ingredients in the attached bowl and go. Amazing! I did absolutely no work. I just stared at my cake being mixed (thoroughly I might add) before my eyes. Clean up was a breeze and my cake was delish! All because of this mixer! That's my story and I'm sticking to it! We even went shopping for one but when my hubs told me I would have to purchase it with my own money then I had second thoughts about the thing. I mean $300 can buy a whole lotta other stuff! And since this appliance will be used to benefit the entire family... the family account should fund it. That's just my opinion!

This Kitchenaid Artisan mixer in Persimmon is what I've been dreaming about all week.

Now I know that this color will be a beast to coordinate in my kitchen and I will more than likely get it in black because it's hard for me to stray from my comfort zone but this mixer is gorgeous!

how about in onyx black

or cobalt blue... or one of the other 20 something gorgeous colors!

This is the first time I've introduced items in my favorite things category without actually owning them but since I have used them....I think it's only fair to share them with you! I'll definitely have to add these items to my wish list that is growing longer every day!

Kansas City vs My Waistline

2011-03-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

I neglected to share on my blog that I've joined Weight Watchers Online. I have good weeks and bad weeks. The good weeks come when I follow the program like its meant to be followed. The bad weeks come when I give in to my food cravings. It's really not rocket science. Just something about Chick-fil-A that I can't say no to! Anyway, there is a point to this story....

We have been in Kansas City spending time with the in-laws and although I love spending time with my husbands family...seriously...they are awesome (even my crazy sister in law) but all of this family bonding has wreaked havoc on my waist line.

Here's a rundown of this weeks menu:

Monday: homemade chili and sloppy joes

I didn't have any of the chili but Terrance claims that it was delish!

Tuesday: Uncle Bubba's Hot Wings and Mac & Cheese along with homemade cinnamon rolls, compliments of my mom in law, Lois

Grandma was even patient enough to let Evan help prepare the cinnamon rolls

and help cut them

Scrumptious!

Wednesday: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes and Parmesan crusted asparagus (recipe via my good pal Gretch...see everyone is trying to sabotage my diet)

we turned perfectly healthy asparagus into...

this amazing cheesy asparagus delight

Thursday: Godfather's Pizza and I even whipped up a strawberry cake at Ian's request

Don't I look like I know what I'm doing...

Lois dropped one of the layers during the transfer and attempted to repair it...it was too funny! We both screamed like the world was coming to an end and everyone came running to see what the hullabaloo was about. We ended up eating the crumpled cake anyway, sans icing, and it was scrumptious!

Friday: smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls

I suppose I'll get back on track once we make it back to Texas! I have no choice...the weight is getting out of control! I really want to live at least half a decade longer or more and at the rate I'm going....it ain't gonna happen! It's all about self control (which I have a lack of)! So wish me luck!

Menu Planning Monday on Tuesday

2011-03-08T19:10:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay.....

Monday: I was super grumpy (go figure) so for dinner we had macaroni and cheese .... from the blue box!

Tuesday: breakfast for dinner

Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry (didn't get around to this one last week)

Thursday: Cheesey Alfredo w/chicken

Friday: Toscano Soup

I wish...

2011-03-02T17:17:00.000-06:00

I wish I could just relax and go with the flow. When things don't go as planned for me then I am a mess. I am a control freak and loss of control makes me super nervous.

I wish I could let go of my preconceived notions of motherhood. I am constantly comparing myself to other moms via on TV or down the block and I am always coming up lacking and that's not a good feeling.

I wish I enjoyed cooking. As of now, I cook because it's a necessity. I'm not really good at it and I will probably never win any awards for any dish I create or recreate. It's just the way it is.

I wish I had a filter. Sometimes....okay, most of the time... I am guilty of saying what I feel without thinking the thought through. It makes for some very uncomfortable conversations!

I wish I paid attention to detail. I have lived across the highway from a news station tower for four years now and I can't remember what station...Is it Channel 8 or Channel 11? I finally know now that it's Channel 11 because I wanted clarification before writing this post! It's terrible. Don't expect me to notice your new hair style or your new earrings because it ain't happening!

I wish I wasn't indecisive. It is hard for me to make a decision and stick to it. I go around and around on a subject and spend a lot of time spinning my wheels. I can usually be persuaded by the most minute details either way. It's frustrating.

I wish I knew my true calling in life. You know...what is my purpose. I know I have one, I just can't put it into words or even into a thought at the moment. I'm content with my life right now. I'm in a good place, but what if I could or should be doing more, giving more, achieving more.

And in the words of most beauty pageant contestants....

I also wish for world peace!

Menu Planning Monday

2011-02-28T17:47:00.000-06:00

I did not menu plan last week and I regretted it horribly! We ate out about 8 meals last week and our pocketbooks and waist lines are feeling the effects. I gained 2 lbs! Uuuggghhh! I can't believe we used to eat like that on a regular basis! So this week I'm getting back on the menu planning bandwagon. We have a pretty busy week so I intentionally planned easy tried and true recipes. Nothing fancy and new. Quick and easy is the name of the game!

Monday: Spaghetti & Garlic Toast for the family while I attend a farewell party at Blue Mesa Grill

Tuesday: McDonalds dinner date after our late night play group

Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry

Thursday: Fried Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes & Mac & Cheese

Friday: Hamburger Helper

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

Finally....A Post

2011-02-22T20:16:00.002-06:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks around these parts. As evidenced by my lack of posting. For the first time in 2 1/2 months I don't have a menu planned for this week! My goal is to utilize the food we have to throw together meals for this week. We'll see. I'm not very good at last minute planning especially when it comes to cooking.

My boys are doing fabulous. They amaze me with how much they've grown in the past few months, especially Ian. He's taller than everyone else in his class and he's often mistaken as a student when we volunteer at Evan's school (I personally think he still looks like a 3 yr old and these people are crazy but whatever).

Evan has a new girlfriend at school named Sophia. He started writing a book to express his love to her.

Translation:

My Girlfriend

From: Evan To: Sophia By: Evan L.

Illustrated by: Evan L.

I asked him why he likes Sophia and he said "Because she has long hair!" Umm....OK! I then started to ask him about some of the other girls in class and why he didn't choose them to be his girlfriend. His reply was "Sally Sue is mean to me" and "Betty Boop is bossy" so then I asked him why he didn't choose the only other black girl in his class to be his girlfriend (I couldn't resist) and to this he said "She's browner than me". My eyebrows shot up to my hair line and I went all sista girl on him (I may have even rolled my neck!) Terrance was sitting across the table saying "Sweetheart, he's only 6!" I educated Mr. Evan on all the different shades of brown and how one is not better than or worse than the other and he should like someone because of the person they are inside and not because the color of their skin. I then asked him what he thought of me, daddy and Ian since our skin was darker than his. I got no answer! At this point Terrance is shaking his head and muttering something under his breath about me needing to relax!

Maybe I'm taking it too far or going about it the wrong way (or maybe I need to check my own emotions) but I feel like now is as good a time as any for a reality check. This is the same kid that for the first three years of his life, claimed that he was white and argued with us when we told him different. We've bought books on the subject, tried to expose him to other little brown friends, etc. At least now he tells us that he's light brown instead of white since he has darkened up a little bit over the years. I'll take that as progress.

We bought this book for Evan when he first declared that he was white!

I think my fear is that he will go through some sort of identity crisis when he gets older and realizes what it really means to be black. The doors that will be closed for him that he'll have to push harder to open. (Cool metaphor, huh). The car doors that will be locked and purses held tight when he walks by. The little girl of another race whose parents forbid her from dating him all because of the color of his skin. I also don't want him to think that just because his skin is lighter that he's any better than his darker skin brothas and sistas. I guess I just want to instill in him a healthy respect and pride in his race. I want him to embrace who he is instead of trying to be something he's not. I'm sure you're thinking....man, all the boy said was that his classmate was browner than him. Hey, it's about the big picture here people, the big picture!

Menu Planning 2/14-2/20

2011-02-14T08:45:00.000-06:00

Monday: Happy Valentine's Day! Italian Pork Chops with Panera Bread Macaroni & Cheese and Cream Corn and Sprinkles Cupcakes for dessert! YUM!

Tuesday: Chicken Lasagna Alfredo

Wednesday: Rachel Ray Inside-Out Bacon Cheeseburgers (this was so amazing last week we had to do it again!)

Thursday: Dinner out with friends at Brownstone

Friday: Intercultural Fair at Evan's school...BBQ dinner included!

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

Read to Succeed

2011-02-09T11:18:00.002-06:00

Evan's school is initiating their Read to Succeed initiative. The goal is to encourage children to read for fun in order to gain an appreciation for books and learn the importance of reading. Children are required to read 6 hours of recreational reading in one month. Those who complete the six hours of reading will receive a ticket to Six Flags! You can read more about it here.

Well I had the grand idea to start out reading a chapter book so I wouldn't have to write a lot of different books on the log sheet. I figured it would keep Evan more interested if he had a consistent story to look forward to... You know, a little suspense each night before bedtime! So we chose to read Charlotte's Web. How's that for suspense!?

We started our reading adventure on a good note. He dived right in sounding out words he didn't know and was reading out loud with relative ease. Amazing for a kindergartner in my opinion. Then we hit a couple of road blocks that we haven't been exposed to when reading our beginner books. Things like words in Italics. The print was too fancy and he kept stumbling over them. He would say things like... "Mommy that 'k' looks like an 'r' to me"! Also the different names he ran across like Fern, Wilbur, and Mr. Arable were foreign to him so he had a bit of trouble sounding them out. Another major issue was that the words were kind of close together so he kept losing his place or skipping lines or repeating the same line. I'm thinking... Look buddy, you have to learn to follow your finger cuz you're killin' me! He also got stumbled when a word was cut in the middle and continued on the next line.

We read the first night for 23 minutes. I didn't know he had that kind of reading stamina to read on his own for that long. I was impressed! It's usually me doing all the reading. I could get used to this.

This is going to be an excellent reading adventure. My next step is to get Evan to read to Ian every night before bed. That way I can send them to bed without even going up the stairs! Gotta love it! Just joking (kind of).

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-07T19:05:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been at this whole menu planning thing for almost two months now. I now have a running list of meals that can be considered family favorites. I'll share those with you in another post! I also have a list of meals that will probably never be made again in our household. I may even share that list with you! I have noticed than planning meals and subsequently cooking those meals that I've planned has been fairly easy. It especially came in handy last week when we were snow/iced in! We didn't have to risk life and limb to head to the store for an easy dinner because everything was pre-purchased and planned in advance! Love it!

Monday: Hot dogs

Tuesday: King Ranch Casserole

Wednesday: Rachel Ray Inside Out Bacon Cheeseburgers

Thursday: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Friday: Slow Cooker BBQ dinner

I'm hooking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday

Winter Weather Advisory

2011-02-02T17:24:00.000-06:00

Evan just pelted Ian in the back with a snow ball!

Well, we have been under a winter weather advisory here in DFW. We all know that a little snow and ice makes us Texans nervous and we start shutting the city down. On Monday we hit 60 degrees during the day and overnight we were snowed in. Gotta love it! We have been stuck here in the house for two days and I'm loving it but my husband is restless and has come down with a bad case of cabin fever. He has risked life and limb for any reason to get out of the house including reasons like "I need to go to the Pawn Shop" Are you kidding? What could possibly be so important at a stinkin pawn shop?! When he's not putting his life in danger... he's out in the garage working on his ~~mistress~~ car: Candy, bundled up in two pairs of pants, hats, gloves and triple jackets trying to keep warm. Seriously!! We really aren't bad company... geez! Well, he did get to indulge in a couple of snowball fights with the boys, and he cooked some yummy meals and we watched a ton of movies so it hasn't been all bad!

Check out this fancy foot work while Ian tries to escape Evans vicious snow ball attack!

Mommy, It's cold out here! (I am behind the glass door taking pictures because I'm the only one with a lick of sense in this house)

Get him boys!

Menu Planning Monday 1/31-2/6

2011-01-30T22:28:00.001-06:00

Monday: Leftover buffet

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Pork Chops with macaroni and cheese (didn't get around to this one last week because we ate meatloaf leftovers for a couple of days!

Wednesday: Southern Fried Catfish and fries

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner!

Friday: Sunday Chicken Dinner in the Crock Pot (I know it's Friday...but I don't cook on weekends...yet!)

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

2011-01-26T14:18:00.001-06:00

Our playgroup made it out once again to the Fort Worth Stockshow & Rodeo. The FWSSR is all Texan! I'm talkin' 'bout cowboy boots and hats, horses, and spurs and all the farm animals known to man kind! The exhibits were a cowboy's dream. Tractor equipment, designer cowboys boots and gear, horse trailers, 1/2 ton trucks and lots more. My dad would have been in hog heaven (no pun intended), but this country girl prefers pavement, animals that can be house trained, and the smell of car exhaust in the air instead of mud, animals that are larger than me, and the smell of cow dung in the air. I'm just sayin'! But I am one who likes to expose my kids to different cultures of our society so off we went to learn about life on the farm! I am mom extraordinaire!

Ummm...we don't do stinky animals! Ian held his nose for what seemed like an eternity and loudly announced that it stinks and he wanted to leave! So much for shoving farm life down his throat!

Did I mention that Ian held his nose forever! These piggies are too cute to stink!

The Bergman boys are a brave bunch! Ian is almost down with them, but he's too busy holding his nose!

This was the prettiest cow I've ever seen! How can we butcher her and eat her innards? I'm almost close to think about considering the possibility of thinking of being a vegetarian!

Such a nice farmer! Or cowboy! Not sure how the titles work! Do you see Ian anywhere in this picture! Of course not The brave Bergman boys got some hands on cow feeling while Ian stood back...say it with me...holding his nose!

My favorite part...no it's not capturing these cuties on film... It's the food! I got over my 30 second stint as an almost vegetarian and stuffed myself with corn dogs, fries, cherry lemonade and ... Wait for it... Funnel cake! Notice the fella in the back ground sifting all that powdered sugary goodness on to my little plate of heaven!

Our stock show experienced was cut short due to grumpy Ian and his post nasal drip but we will of course be back next year. This is becoming a tradition for us. my good pal Gretch would laugh at that because I generally as a rule don't do traditions. I guess I'm evolving)!

Monday Manna

2011-01-24T16:27:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned before on this blog how I am utterly amazed by the depth of some people's faith. Almost envious (way to go Shanita, coveting someone elses faith...geez!) Anyway, it is no secret that I am a Christian who believes that Jesus died on the cross in order to pardon our sins and rose again on the third day and is chillin' by the right hand of God up in that glorious place called Heaven. I know that God is all powerful and all knowing. He is our comforter, a mother to the motherless, a father to the fatherless, a lawyer in a courtroom and a doctor in a sick room. He will grant us peace, mercy, favor and He is above all else...Love!

But I'll just be honest and hope I don't sound boastful but I've had a pretty good life. A few detours and bobbles but I haven't known grief so thick that it paralyzes you. My children are healthy. I'm healthy. All of my basic needs are always met and then some. My husband is pretty amazing. I have friends and loved ones who love me. A wonderful church home where I am fed the word of God (when I attend...geez!) Neither am I downplaying all of the blessings God has bestowed on me because there have been instances in my life where I made it through only by the Grace of God.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's easier to believe when your perfect little world stays perfect. Don't get me wrong...I'm in no hurry for God to throw a bunch of tests and trials my way! Those that I have experienced are good enough for me. I've just seen both extremes. People who say they believe in God with their whole heart and soul who later turn on God when they go through extreme trials. And those who go through the same trials and find that their faith in God increases.

What does it all come down to? Well, I'm sure there are several factors I could touch on but the main issue is that we can't just say we believe in God with our words. We have to show it with our actions. Prayer, reading the Bible, meditating on God's Word, learning all we can about the God we serve, worshipping and praising God, making God truly the center of our lives. It's hard to turn on God when He's truly a part of our heart, our core existence. It would be like ripping out our heart or our liver (hey...I'm a nurse, so you get analogies using body organs) We would cease to exist without Him once we make Him our everything!

So that is my goal. To continue to allow God to be my everything. I have a pretty good life but none of it would be possible without God. And if by chance, my pretty good life hits a snag, I wouldn't be able to make it through the storm without God. Mama always said.. "Trouble don't last always!" It just seems like it does when you're going through! So if ever you see me just about at my wits end please email me this blog post or summarize it for me in order to reinforce my hope in God. You never know when you'll need a little reminder of God's goodness!

Menu Planning 1/24-1/30

2011-01-24T16:10:00.000-06:00

Monday: Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Tuesday: Bacon Ranch Chicken

Wednesday: My Favorite Meatloaf

Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti

Friday: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

Video game 12 step program

2011-01-19T18:11:00.001-06:00

Seriously! Sometimes I'm thankful that the games provide a distraction so that I can cook or clean or shower. But we may have to enroll these boys in a 12-step program to get them away from these handheld gaming systems!

Look how close they are holding it to their face! Geez! What kind of parent allows this type of behavior? And captures it on film. And blogs about it!?

10 Reasons Why I Love Organizing

2011-01-18T21:25:00.000-06:00

There are so many things I've learned from my obsession with organizing. I just wanted a share a few with you:

1. Organizing saves time: DUH! I shave a good 10-15 minutes off of my morning routine by having the boys outfits picked out down to the socks, undershirts, shoes, and jacket. I had to do the morning dash a couple of times at the beginning of the school year and ummm....I refuse to subject myself to that kind of pressure again.

2. Organizing saves money: An organized pantry keeps me from running to the store and buying yet another jar of spaghetti sauce because the jar I had was hiding behind the oatmeal. Hey...every dollar counts!

3. Organizing saves space: We do not have lots of space to spare in this house so maximizing the space that we do have es muy importante! We took the contents of two closets and organized all the contents into one closet thus freeing up an entire closet for us to use. Go ahead...call me a genius!

4. Organizing saves sanity: It is frustrating to search and search for the socks to the boys soccer uniform when we have to be out the door in 2 seconds. Having all sports paraphernalia in one centralized location makes Saturday mornings a no brainer.

5. Organizing satisfies: My borderline OCD personality gets a kick out of keeping my life (and the lives of those around me) organized. It gives me a feeling of control in an otherwise chaotic world.

6. Organizing sets boundaries for kids: My boys know that toys are not allowed in mommy's room. They know where to find their Spongebob puzzle and where to put it when they are done. They know to hang up their jackets in the hallway when they get home instead of throwing them across the sofa or on the floor. They know where to grab their backpacks in the mornings, etc. etc. It empowers them. A place for everything and everything in it's place!

7. Organizing purges the soul: Okay, maybe not the soul, but it purges the home. Getting rid of things we don't use or don't need and sharing them with those who may need them is refreshing. It leaves more room to fill our lives with things that matter.

8. Organizing saves lives: During a cooking fiasco last year that resulted in a visit from the fire department, we were able to find our fire extinguisher quickly...because it was where it was supposed to be and we didn't have lots of extra stuff around to be burned because our counters were clutter free. Same goes for having our first aid supplies organized.

9. Organizing makes your home run more efficiently: Think of an organized home as a well oiled machine with everything working together toward a common goal...making your life run smoothly!

10. Organizing is pretty: Let's face it, clutter is ugly. An organized home draws you in, it's more comfortable and is aesthetically pleasing.

Menu Planning Monday 1/17-1/23/11

2011-01-17T08:40:00.000-06:00

I got a little sidetracked last week on my $100.00/wk food budget. I made one extra trip to the store because one of the meals I planned to cook didn't sound so good to me when it was time to cook it so I stopped by Kroger and this is the conversation I had with myself:

"I just need pepperoni and shredded cheddar cheese, but I don't which is better: mild or sharp so I'll get both. Oh, and Terrance requested pop tarts, and I think we're low on Coke, and I have to bring snacks for Ian's basketball team and Evan's classroom so I'll go ahead and get that. I really want a Braum's banana split so I'll pick up some strawberry topping...oh, and bananas. This caramel sauce looks good too. Ian keeps asking for yogurt, that's good for you so I'll get the kid some yogurt. These chicken cutlets are on sale so I'll pick up one. Oh, my goodness, Christmas clearance items 75% off...that's almost free. This would be a cute tree topper for next year." And this conversation with myself went on and on until I ran up a $75.00 grocery bill!!

This week I'm refocused. If I forget something then too bad and if I don't want to make what's on my list for that day...then too bad especially if I have to head back to the grocery store! I have proven to myself that I lack discipline if I don't stick to a list!

Monday: Build Your Own pizza with our Pizza Dome

Tuesday: King Ranch Chicken

Wednesday: Cheeseburgers and Fries

Thursday: All Day Mac N Cheese & Skillet Kielbasa

Friday: Spaghetti, Garlic Toast, Salad

Saturday/Saturday: Boys are on their own!

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday

Lovely

2011-01-13T10:00:00.003-06:00

This is my BFF's little chica... Addisyn a.k.a Addie Bear. Her mom doesn't have a blog so I will share her loveliness on mine! It seems like such a waste to keep these pictures all to myself!

Isn't

She

Lovely!?

My world is filled with all things boy so it's refreshing to see something so lovely once in a while!

The Uncertainty of Motherhood

2011-01-11T20:01:00.000-06:00
A friend of a friend of mine is on the fence about having children. She said that it’s the unexpected that is the scary part. It’s kind of hard to sacrifice what you know of as a good life for what’s uncertain.

I mean with kids you have to deal with spit up down your blouse, floating turds that disintegrate in the bath water, stretch marks, hormonal shifts that cause horrible acne and mood swings, the fear of a raising a snotty nosed brat instead of an angelic Gerber baby, birthing a kid that’s not cute (let’s face it…not everyone can be beautiful), the feeling of being needed ALL the time, feeling tired and overwhelmed, back strain from that doggone overstuffed diaper bag and infant carrier, the nagging worry that’s always in the back of your mind about whether or not you’re doing a good job with this whole parenting thing, nursery rhymes in heavy rotation on your iPod, play dates instead of spa dates, the strain of kids on a marriage, the possibility of having a kid with a personality that's just hard to raise, not to even mention if you have a kid with a disability or illness.

But think about all of the wonderful things that come with motherhood despite the uncertainty. The smell of the crook of your kids neck (after a bath to remove the sweat and spit up), watching your mini-me grow up and discover new things, feeling loved and needed by your children, the joy of watching a kid be a kid, feeling a love like you’ve never known could exist (I have never had the desire to lay down my life for anyone until I had kids…I would allow myself to be paralyzed from the neck down for my husband and I would risk a limb for a friend but I would DIE for my children!), looking into the eyes of a human being that you helped create…it’s surreal, knowing that when you are dead and gone, you have left a little something on this earth besides debt, unselfishly thinking of someone other than yourself, taking pride in the fact that you have had a hand in shaping your child's future, knowing that you've done your part to ensure that the human race will continue on, experiencing things through the eyes of a child (whoulda thunk that blowing bubbles could be so darn funny), feeling a pride in your DNA creation (that's why there are so many facebook profiles featuring pictures of their kids), Let's face it, it may be super fun to be childless when you are younger, but when you are old and gray who else will be there for you to listen to your stories of way back when and who will fight for you when the nursing home aides forget to bathe you or clean your dentures....you guessed it, your offspring (ok, maybe that last example was a stretch, but you get my point).

Of course whether to have children or not depends on lots of other factors as well. I guess you just have to do some soul searching and have a little one on one time with God to really make the right decision in order to live a life without regrets. Don't get me wrong, I think that you have to really want kids in order to be able to withstand all the uncertainty that parenthood can bring. I guess the point is that like all relationships, there are ups and downs and you just have to put on your big girl panties and make it through the hard times because the good times are oh so sweet!

Menu Planning 1/10-1/16

2011-01-09T21:43:00.001-06:00

Things I've learned from Menu Planning:

1. If your kids refuse to eat what you cook, let them go to bed hungry a couple of times and they will learn to eat whatever is provided for them.

2. I eat less when I prepare my own meals. When I eat out, I have the tendency to clean my plate simply because I'm paying a lot of money for it.

3. You should never surf the Internet or be distracted in any while cooking. Inevitably things will spill or burn or both.

4. I am a messy cook...imagine that!

5. Not every meal is a home run, and I'm trying to not take that personally.

6. I still hate leftovers but I also feel bad throwing away gobs of food. Catch 22 ya think?!

7. I'm learning to be flexible. If I don't cook a meal on a certain day that I planned...it's okay. Blessed are the flexible.

8. It's hard to spend money at a restaurant when I can feed my whole family for a week on what I spend on one meal! It has to be really good food for me not to have any regrets.

9. Sometimes all you need is a sandwich, chips and a drink and dinner is served! In other words, not everything has to be an elaborate new recipe. So many times I push a meal to next weeks menu because we decided last minute that we'd rather have breakfast for dinner or we've filled up on a bowl or two of cereal.

10. Don't be afraid to try new recipes (like that darn glazed pork tenderloin I've been trying to make). Either it works or it doesn't!

11. Menu planning saves money! It's ridiculous how much money we've saved in the last month of menu planning and cooking at home. What were we thinking?

12. Although I can't say that I enjoy cooking, it really isn't that bad once you make it a habit. I still love to dine out. Something about being served, not having to mess up your kitchen, and chomping down on good food that makes my heart smile. But now those times are appreciated more because they come so few and far between.

Monday: Cheddar Chicken & Potatoes

Tuesday: Chicken Stir Fry

Wednesday: Beef Tips & Rice

Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti

Friday: Pork Tenderloin (still in rotation)

Saturday: Friends birthday bash...no cooking

Sunday: boys are on their own

*click on meal for link to recipe!

I'm linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie for menu planning Monday.

This Is Ian

2011-01-06T21:03:00.001-06:00

This is Ian..he’s three years old.

He has a Mohawk…kind of fits his personality.

Sometimes he pretends to be interested in what his big brother is telling him

Most of the time he’s doing something he’s not supposed to be doing.

He has the cutest smile.

And the cutest dimple.

He’s an all around cute kid…kind of like his mommy, huh?

Evanism

2011-01-03T18:15:00.001-06:00

This is my smart aleck Evan all decked out in the Snuggie I received for Christmas.

Evan: Mommy I learned how to read really good in school. I also learn how to write and do math.

Me: Isn't it wonderful how much you learn by going to school and listening to Ms. Angela!? (his school prefers for the kids to address the teachers by their first name...it took a while for me to get over this one)

Evan: Yeah, because all I do at home is play video games and watch TV.

Me: ...after I pick my face up off the floor... Well brotha we can fix that right now! Click...off goes the TV and Snap...goes the lid to his Nintendo dsi! Now go and pick up a book!

Nothing like a six year old to keep you humble. And here I was thinking I was the cool mom for letting them get in a little video game overload for their holiday break before the spring semester started. I had no idea the kid thought I was a slacker!

Ok, in retrospect, maybe handheld gaming systems with four new games and new video rockers to lounge in while the games are blared through the speakers of the chair was a bit much! You live...you learn!

Menu Planning 1/2-1/9

2011-01-03T15:45:00.001-06:00

Monday: Crock Pot Pork Chops with mac and cheese

Tuesday: Batter Fried Fish with fries

Wednesday: stewed chicken with rice

Thursday: Pork with hot pineapple glaze and mashed potatoes (this recipe has been in rotation for a few weeks..I’m actually a bit scared to make it for fear that I’m going to mess it up)

Friday & Saturday: boys are on their own

Sunday: nice dinner out since we didn’t make it out for New Year’s Eve like we anticipated!

I’m linking up with I’m Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday

Menu Planning 12/27-1/2

2010-12-28T17:05:00.001-06:00
Ok. I got off a bit last week with cooking from my menu with family in town and with the holidays in full force. I'm not quite ready to test my cooking on the in laws. I'm sensitive about my culinary masterpieces! But now I'm refocused on my goal. We've saved quite a bit of money by eating at home and it's actually been pretty easy to maintain as long as I plan ahead. I can't just whip up a meal with random items found in my fridge and pantry yet... One day I'll get there!

Monday : pizza

Tuesday: leftover buffet

Wednesday: Sward's casserole with side salad (didn't get around to this one last week)

Thursday: cheeseburgers and fries

Friday: out to dinner for New Years Eve

Saturday: fried pork chops with mashed potatoes and broccoli (husband requested something fried...I'm not fond of frying food. It's messy, and it makes your house smell like a chicken shack!)

Sunday: the boys are on their own since I have to work!

Surrounded

2010-12-27T01:04:00.001-06:00
I have a house full of in-laws....I am surrounded by love.

I have two healthy children all revved up on a sugar high and lack of sleep....I am surrounded by love.

I have a fridge full of yummy leftovers which means I don't have to cook....I am surrounded by love.

I have trash bins overflowing with Christmas wrapping paper and boxes....I am surrounded by love.

I am constantly stepping on my kids toys and I have a headache from listening to them play video games....I am surrounded by love.

My cheeks hurt from listening to my bro in law tell stories about my husband growing up....I am surrounded by love.

I can sit back and let my mom in law discipline my kids so I don't have to be the bad guy....I am surrounded by love.

My kids have had five days to enjoy their extended relatives and get a chance to learn the importance of family....I am surrounded by love.

I hope all of you have had a holiday as wonderful as mine. Whether it's a house jam packed with family or an intimate holiday for two. Make sure you make the effort to surround yourself with love!